the Wongery - User contributions [en]

File:LumAllNeighborhoods.png

2026-04-01T23:15:49Z

Clé: Clé moved page File:LumAllDistricts.png to File:LumAllNeighborhoods.png without leaving a redirect: They're neighborhoods, not districts

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with fifty-two [[neighborhood]]s labeled. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:LumAllNeighborhoods.png

2026-04-01T21:05:56Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm with fifty-two neighborhoods labeled. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with fifty-two [[neighborhood]]s labeled. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:StreamsideX.png

2026-03-30T22:56:43Z

Clé: A rough map of the city of Lüm with an X marking the position of the neighborhood of Streamside. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
A rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with an [[X]] marking the position of the [[neighborhood]] of [[Streamside]]. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:CityCenterX.png

2026-03-23T07:56:34Z

Clé: A rough map of Lüm with an X marking the location of the neighborhood known as the City Center. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
A rough [[map]] of [[Lüm]] with an [[X]] marking the location of the [[neighborhood]] known as the [[City Center (Lüm)|City Center]]. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

Game RPG:Main Page

2026-03-20T01:46:39Z

Clé: Added another game system (and made a few other relatively minor changes but okay perhaps in aggregate enough to make this not a minor edit)

The RPG [[Meta:subspace|subspace]] in the [[Meta:Wongery|Wongery]] will include game statistics for various [[life form|creatures]], [[spell]]s, and objects from Wongery [[Meta:article|article]]s, and other suggestions for how you can use this material in [[Wikipedia:role-playing games|role-playing games]].

==Advice for Use==
While individual pages will have advice for use of those specific elements in your games, we also have some overall advice that applies to use of Wongery material for role-playing games in general.

===Don't feel bound by canon===
Don't be afraid to change things! You're not required to stick to Wongery [[Meta:canon|canon]].

This applies in two ways. First of all, you don't have to use any of these [[world]]s, [[creature]]s, and so on as written. By all means feel free to change anything you want for your campaign. If you want [[Vlastach as a living entity|Vlastach]] to be a force for evil intent on destroying civilization, in your campaign he can be. If you like the world of [[Nuclearth]] in general but don't like the [[salvage-man|salvage-men]], they don't have to exist in your campaign's version of the world. If you like the [[city]] of [[Sammendare]] but aren't otherwise fond of the world of [[Ym]], you can transplant Sammendare to your own campaign world (changing the [[thedes of Ym]] to [[folk]]s more appropriate to your world). And so on. For that matter, there's nothing stopping you from pulling a single element out of context for your campaign, either. Just because the [[qennis]] is canonically found only in the world of [[Arianiga]] doesn't mean you can't use it in your campaign set on some other world.

The second way this applies is that you shouldn't be afraid to let the PCs change the campaign world; don't feel like you have to stick with the status quo. Can the PCs overthrow the [[onirarch]]s of the [[Free Republic of Avelax]] and establish a true [[democracy]] there? Sure, good for them. Can they manage to convince the living mortals of [[Interlife Earth]] of the existence of [[ghost (Interlife)|ghost]]s and forge a new, harmonious relationship between the living and the dead? Why not? Can they destroy all the [[bonelord]]s of [[Varra]] and restore the world to how it was before the [[Ravaging]]? Well, that's an awfully tall order, and it seems unlikely to me that a single group of characters could accomplish it, but if you want the PCs to do it in your campaign, sure, go for it. None of that is going to happen in [[Wongery:canon|canon]], but there's no reason it can't happen in your campaign. Feel free to let the PCs kill off major characters or even blow up the whole setting.

===Loose vs. Strict Conversions===
Because the worlds of the Wongery were not designed with any particular game systems in mind, there are aspects of them that may not be well represented by the core rules or default assumptions of various systems. This is particularly true of the workings of [[magic]]; most [[fantasy]] role-playing games have specific rules for magic, and even specific [[spell]]s, that may not match the way the [[arcanum|arcana]] in the Wongery are described.

Some gaming groups might prefer to use the core rulesets they're accustomed to, even if they conflict with the [[Meta:canon|canon]]ical descriptions in the Wongery. Others may prefer to represent the settings as faithfully as possible, even if it involves drastic alterations to the rules. Because of this, many entries in the Wongery Gamespace will include both "loose" and "strict" rules conversions. A "loose" conversion is a suggestion as to how to approximate a magic system or some other aspect of the setting using the default rule set, or hewing as close to it as possible. A "strict" conversion gives more detailed rules that better reflect how the settings of the Wongery differ from the default assumptions of the role-playing game, but may involve much more substantial additions to or modifications of the rulesets.

For instance, suppose you're playing a member of the [[Aabelon]] on [[Curcalen]] in a [[Game:RPG:Pathfinder:Main Page|Pathfinder]] campaign. Canonically, the magic of [[Usm]] is very different from the magic of the Pathfinder [[universe (fiction)|universe]], and a strict conversion will include a whole new class to represent wizards of this [[esture]]. But if you're less interested in conforming to canon than you are just using the rules as you're used to them, as a loose conversion we'll also include a new arcane school for the Aabelon that you can use with the wizard class from the Pathfinder core books. (Yeah, I say all this in the [[future tense]] because none of that is here yet, but we'll get to it. Sorry.)

Of course, you're welcome to mix and match elements of the loose and strict conversions, using some but not all of the customizations of the strict conversions, to strike a balance that appeals to you somewhere in between use of the unmodified or minimally modified core game rules and strict adherence to the setting as described.

==Stat Blocks==
At the moment, there is, unfortunately, no easy way to include nicely formatted stat blocks in articles. We're working on that, and we do intend to implement [[Meta:template|template]]s that will make it simple to add stat blocks to pages. But it may be a while before that's in place (among other things, it looks like in order to do that I'm going to have to learn [[Wikipedia:Lua (programming language)|Lua]]). We apologize for the inconvenience.

==Licensing==
Please note that the licensing terms of the material on the Game pages are ''not'' the same as the licensing terms of the [[Meta:Central Wongery|Central Wongery]] [[Meta:mainspace|mainspace]]. In particular, unless specified otherwise, material on the Game pages is ''not'' released under the [[Meta:Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License|Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License]], the [[Meta:Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License|Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License]], or the [[Meta:Akinetic Media License|Akinetic Media License]]. It may be released under other licenses, but that depends on the specific system and its usage and licensing policies. For example, for [[Game:RPG:BRP|Basic Roleplaying]] and [[Game:RPG:Pathfinder|Pathfinder]], the statistics in the Game pages are released under the [https://paizo.com/orclicense Open RPG Creative License]. However, the ORC does not apply to [[Game:RPG:GURPS|GURPS]], for instance, and while their [http://www.sjgames.com/general/online_policy.html online policy] does permit us to make available free game aids, it does not allow us to apply any additional licenses to their use.

Conversely, the licenses the Game pages are released under do ''not'' extend to the corresponding mainspace articles. The content of the Wongery mainspace is ''not'' released under the ORC, the OGL, the Dominion Rules License, or any other license beyond the Creative Commons and (eventually) Akinetic Media Licenses. This means, for instance, that your use of the ORC License for a BRP adventure set in the world of [[Ym]] does not by itself permit you to quote background material about the world from mainspace articles. However, this should not be much of an impediment, since that material ''is'' licensed under other licenses, and you ''can'' use such material in your adventure as long as you license it appropriately. (I'll later put in some examples here about how the licenses can be combined, but this is another thing I want to consult with a lawyer with to make sure I get it right.)

Also, please note that the Wongery's licenses allow commercial reuse, as long as the terms of the license are met. That means you're welcome not only to use it in your home campaign, but to publish your own supplements set in Wongery worlds and based on Wongery materials, if you want to, as long as the game system you're using has a license that allows it. You can publish a series of [[Game:RPG:D&D:Main_Page|Dungeons & Dragons]] adventures set in [[Gala]] under an Open Game License, or a Powered by the Apocalypse supplement for [[Gallerra]] under a Creative Commons license. Technically, as long as you include the proper license and copyright notices, you can even sell printed books just collecting Wongery material without adding anything new, though I'm not sure how many people will buy them when all the material is freely available online. Of course, what's said above about not being afraid to change things applies to your published material as well. You want to publish a [[Game:RPG:Starfinder:Main Page|Starfinder]] adventure that involves the PCs discovering that the [[Emperor of Conabia]] is really a protean in disguise? Well, again, that's certainly not Wongery canon, but nothing's stopping you.

===Community Content Programs===

A number of game companies have recently partnered with [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/ DriveThruRPG] to implement [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/community_content.php Community Content programs] by which third-party creators can publish products using these companies' intellectual property, with a share of the profits going to the IP owner and subject to certain other restrictions. (Most of these community content programs apply to role-playing games, but there are community content programs for some card games as well.) While using Wongery content in a product created under the ORC or another open license is relatively straightforward, whether or not you can use Wongery content in a product created through one of these Community Content programs is a stickier question, and may depend on the program. To be clear, it would not violate the terms of our licenses, and we, the [[Wongery:Grandmaster Wonger|Grandmaster Wonger]]s, would have no problem with it. However, it ''may'' violate the terms of the appropriate Community Content agreement.

For example, the [https://help.storytellersvault.com/hc/en-us/articles/12780342689943-Content-Guidelines Content Guidelines] to the [https://www.storytellersvault.com/ Storyteller's Vault] explicitly disallow "[c]opyrighted material that is not World of Darkness’s [Paradox’s], which also means no crossovers with properties that are not World of Darkness’s." While this may have been intended to forbid illegal [[Wikipedia:copyright infringement|copyright infringement]], as written it does not make an exception for copyrighted material which—like the content of the Central Wongery mainspace—is under an open license that would otherwise allow its free use. Therefore, the terms of the Storyteller's Vault Content Guidelines would seem to disallow any use of Wongery material in a Storyteller's Vault product, even as a minor element of an adventure or supplement otherwise firmly set in the [[Wikipedia:World of Darkness|World of Darkness]]. Similarly, the [https://help.drivethrurpg.com/hc/en-us/articles/12723258611223-Hall-of-Champions-Community-Content-Guidelines Content Guidelines for the Hall of Champions] (the [[Wikipedia:HERO System|HERO System]] Community Content Program) say that "You do not have permission (or we reserve the right) to release work based on the intellectual property of other people or companies as part of Hall of Champions." While, again, this may have been intended to forbid copyright infringement, taken literally it means you would not be able to incorporate Wongery material into a Hall of Champions product, even if we, the owners of that content, would be okay with it (which we would be). (Hm... actually, I guess technically since it refers to the intellectual property of ''other'' people or companies, ''we'', the [[Grandmaster Wonger]]s, ''could'' publish works on the Hall of Champions based on Wongery material... but I don't know that I want to do that. I'd rather we keep the game material on the Wongery site and allow other people to use it and not publish through the Community Content programs ourselves.)

However, there are other Community Content programs with terms that ''may'' allow the use of Wongery material. Even here, though, there may be other strictures to be aware of. For instance, the only mention of the use of copyrighted material in the [https://support.pathfinderinfinite.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407200424077-Content-Guidelines Pathfinder Infinite content guidelines] is the following: "Illegal and Infringing content is not allowed. It is the content creator’s responsibility to ensure that their content does not violate laws, or copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights." Use of Wongery material, provided it was appropriately credited per the terms of the applicable licenses, would not be infringing, and therefore would not be in violation of this part of the guidelines. Elsewhere, however, the guidelines make it clear that "[t]he Pathfinder Infinite site is geared toward setting-neutral and Lost Omens content only." Therefore, while an adventure that takes place in the Lost Omens setting but includes an incursion by cultists of the [[Oloth]] from the [[Empire of Norg]] could perhaps be allowable under the Pathfinder Infinite guidelines, a Pathfinder adventure wholly set within Norg definitely would not. (Such an adventure would, however, be permissible under the terms of the ORC, as long as it didn't use any Paizo Reserved Material.)

In any case, nothing on this page should be taken as legal advice, and we make no guarantees that our interpretations of these guidelines are correct. Before creating Community Content for any of these programs using Wongery material you should read the appropriate Content Guidelines carefully yourself and if in doubt you should consult with your own [[lawyer]]s and/or the companies running the Community Content programs—and if you don't have access to lawyers and don't get a response from the companies in question, then if in doubt we recommend ''not'' proceeding. As much as we would like to see the Wongery content used and promulgated as widely as possible, we don't want to encourage users to violate other companies' policies to do so.

==Supported Games==
The Wongery currently has subspaces for the following RPGs:

* [[Game:RPG:BRP|Basic Roleplaying]]
* [[Game:RPG:Savage|Savage Worlds]]
* [[Game:RPG:EABA|EABA]]
* [[Game:RPG:Zero|Year Zero Engine]]
* [[Game:RPG:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[Game:RPG:D&D|D&D]]
* [[Game:RPG:Pathfinder|Pathfinder]]

(Of course, you're welcome to use Wongery content with ''any'' RPG; these are just the games for which the Wongery will provide stat blocks and other rules information tailored to the specific game.)

More systems will be added in the future, especially if we receive numerous requests for them, provided that we are able to legally publish material for that system. This requires at least one of the following to be true:
* The system in question is published under a Creative Commons License (but ''not'' [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ CC BY-ND] or [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ CC BY-NC-ND]), the Open Gaming License, the Open RPG Creative License, a GNU Free Documentation License, or a license with similar terms, or has been explicitly released into the public domain.
* A written policy publicly exists (perhaps called a community use policy, or fansite policy, or acceptable use policy) that gives explicit permission for third-party websites to post material based on the system, possibly subject to certain reasonable conditions (e.g. only for noncommercial use—note that the Game pages in the Wongery are and will always remain freely available).

If neither of these cases applies for a given system, then we are unable to legally include statistics for that system on the site. (Arguably we might be able to justify doing so under fair use principles, but that's a nebulous area we would prefer to avoid; we'd rather stick to clear-cut cases and not try to see how far we can push.)

Unless there is significant demand, we have no intention of including statistics on the Wongery for older editions of current games, even if they do meet the criteria above. (As games we currently have statistics up for are released under new editions, we may leave the pages up for the older editions, but probably will not include stats for those editions in newer articles. Or we may replace the older pages with the newer ones—for those who do want the material for older editions, it will still be available in the pages' history anyway. I'm not sure yet; we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)

Here is a non-exhaustive list of other games with open licenses and/or suitable "fan use" policies that we may eventually support (though it's going to be a very long while, if ever, before I get to all of them): ''[https://www.1w6.org/ 1w6]'', ''[https://jasontocci.itch.io/24xx/ 24XX]'', ''[https://www.ppmgames.co.uk/3deep/ 3Deep]'', ''[http://www.seraphim-guard.com/4C_RPG.php 4C]'', ''[https://pelgranepress.com/2013/10/24/the-archmage-engine-13th-age-srd/ Archmage Engine]'', ''[https://www.awfullycheerfulengine.com/ The Awfully Cheerful Engine]'', ''[https://www.patreon.com/posts/base12-rpg-for-76809990 BASE12]'', ''[https://www.orffenspace.com/cepheus-srd/ Cepheus Engine]'', ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20011031175643/http://worldforge.org/website/rules/circe/ Circe]'', ''[https://cogentroleplay.com/ Cogent Roleplay]'', ''[https://forthequeengame.com/ Descended From the Queen]'', ''[http://dominionrules.org/ Dominion Rules]'', ''[https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/dragonbane/ Dragonbane]'', ''[https://eclipsephase.com/ Eclipse Phase]'', ''[https://expeditiongame.com/ Expedition]'', ''[https://sabrinahawthorne.itch.io/fantasy-heartbreaker Fantasy Heartbreaker]'', ''[https://www.thefantasytrip.game/ The Fantasy Trip]'', ''[https://faserip.com/ FASERIP]'', ''[https://claymorerpgs.itch.io/fist FIST]'', ''[https://bladesinthedark.com/forged-dark Forged in the Dark]'', ''[https://www.tiltingatwindmills.net/games/four-colors-al-fresco/ Four Colors Al Fresco]'', ''[https://fudgerpg.com/ Fudge]'', ''[https://pelgranepress.com/2018/02/14/gumshoe/ GUMSHOE]'', the ''[https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/29076/Iridium-System-Core-Reference Iridium System]'', ''[https://www.ironswornrpg.com/ Ironsworn]'', ''[https://massifpress.com/lancer Lancer]'', ''[https://www.levelup5e.com/ Level Up]'', ''[https://www.pigames.net/store/default.php?cPath=107 MasterBook]'', ''[https://rpggeek.com/rpgsystem/3759/mastercraft MasterCraft]'', ''[https://planarian.itch.io/mettle-core METTLE Core]'', ''[https://theworldanvil.com/products/monad-echo-srd-pdf-eng Monad Echo]'', ''[https://greenroninstore.com/collections/mutants-masterminds Mutants & Masterminds]'', ''[https://www.opend6.net/ Opend6]'', ''[https://necroticgnome.com/pages/about-old-school-essentials Old-School Essentials]'', ''[http://agon-rpg.com/ Paragon System]'', ''[https://polyhedragames.com/?page_id=558 Polyhedra Core Engine]'', ''[http://porphyrarpg.wikidot.com/ Porphyra RPG]'', ''[https://lumpley.games/2023/11/22/what-is-pbta/ Powered by the Apocalypse]'', ''[https://www.hexgames.com/home/license/ QAGS]'', ''[https://questworlds.chaosium.com/ QuestWorlds]'', the ''[https://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/the-resistance-toolbox/ Resistance System]'', ''[https://www.risusiverse.com/ Risus]'', ''[https://yggdrasildistro.wordpress.com/free-diy-roleplaying-material/ Saga]'', ''[https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/pages/shadowdark Shadowdark]'', ''[https://vsca.itch.io/soft-horizon-srd Soft Horizon]'', ''[https://paizo.com/starfinder/ Starfinder]'', ''[https://www.gamedevblog.com/storyleaves.html Storyleaves]'', ''[http://suffadv.wikidot.com/ Sufficiently Advanced]'', ''[https://www.talesofthevaliant.com/ Tales of the Valiant]'', ''[https://www.torchbearerrpg.com/ Torchbearer]'', ''[https://totem-system.com/en TOTEM System]'', ''[https://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/unbound/ Unbound]'', ''[https://www.unsungtales.com/ Unsung Tales]'', ''[https://valorousgames.com/ Valor]'', ''[https://www.atlas-games.com/otelegacy Wanton Role-Playing System]'', ''[http://yeoldegamingcompanye.com/yoga.htm Wayfarers]'', ''[http://www.woinrpg.com/about-whats-old-is-new What's O.L.D. is N.E.W.]'', ''[http://danielbayn.com/wushu/ Wushu]'', ''[https://yags-rpg.net/ YAGS]''.

(Yes, I am aware that adding more games means there won't be space at the top of the page for all the tabs—there isn't really space for them ''now'' on small screens. I do have plans to refine the arrangement of the tabs, including putting tabs that won't fit across the top in a dropdown menu, but it may be a while before I can implement them.)

File:OtterLakeX.png

2026-03-16T06:17:23Z

Clé: A rough map of the city of Lüm, with an X marking the neighborhood of Otter Lake. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
A rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]], with an [[X]] marking the [[neighborhood]] of [[Otter Lake]]. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:GraypoolX.png

2026-03-10T04:45:25Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm with an X indicating the location of the neighborhood of Graypool. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with an [[X]] indicating the location of the [[neighborhood]] of [[Graypool]]. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:DocksX.png

2026-03-03T06:51:59Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm, with an X marking the location of the Docks (Lüm)|. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]], with an [[X]] marking the location of the [[Docks (Lüm)|Docks]]. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:ArtsDistrictX.png

2026-02-23T21:57:37Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm with an X marking the location of the Arts District. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with an [[X]] marking the location of the [[Arts District (Lüm)|Arts District]]. For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:EastIslandX.png

2026-02-16T22:20:38Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm with an X marking the location of the neighborhood of East Island. For use in the City '26 blog.

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with an [[X]] marking the location of the [[neighborhood]] of [[East Island]].

For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:NungunnyX.png

2026-02-09T22:05:54Z

Clé: A rough map of the city of Lüm with an X at the location of the neighborhood of Nungunny. (For use in the City '26 blog

== Summary ==
A rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with an [[X]] at the location of the [[neighborhood]] of [[Nungunny]].

(For use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]]
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:ClaystoneHeightsX.png

2026-02-02T21:36:06Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm with a large X over the neighborhood of Claystone Heights (for use in the City '26 blog).

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with a large [[X]] over the [[neighborhood]] of [[Claystone Heights]] (for use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26 blog]]).
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

Laither

2026-01-27T00:34:15Z

Clé: Removed redirect to Bannath

{{Stub}}A '''laither''' is a person who specializes in [[accition|summoning]] [[life form|creatures]] for others, or providing [[telesm]]ata that perform this function. Laithers are especially common on the [[world]] of [[Curcalen]].[[Category:Accition]][[Category:Magical professions]]

Djarvin

2026-01-27T00:32:26Z

Clé: Name change: what were once laithers are now bannaths (and laithers are something different)

'''Djarvin''' is a large and wealthy [[sovereign state|nation]] on the [[west]]ern [[coast]] of the [[continent]] of [[Orelan]] on the [[world]] of [[Curcalen]]. Long and narrow, it spans the entire continent from [[north]] to [[south]], more than 6600 [[meter|kilometers]] in length but only about 1600 kilometers wide. Surrounded by [[water]] on all sides except the [[southeast]], it is a major maritime power; Djarvish ships ply the seas as far away as [[Emerald Bay]] on the opposite side of the world. It also has a reputation as a center of learning, with Djarvish [[university|universities]] having a high reputation all over Curcalen. But perhaps what it's most famous for are the [[galliards' guild]]s whose members are sent on missions of exploration, succor, and liberation; not only are these guilds' teams seen operating all over the world, but many people from other places with a thirst for adventure or a drive to do good travel to Djarvin specifically to join them. Today one of the most diverse nations of Curcalen, Djarvin is home to people of all ancestries and ethnicities.

==Etymology==
The [[name]] of Djarvin comes from the [[language]] of the [[Ituni]], who on settling this land called it "Han D'Jar a Vin", "Land of [[Bird]]s and [[Water]]", after two notable things they found plentiful here that were much scarcer in their [[desert]] homeland. As the language of the land's inhabitants evolved and was influenced by other cultures, the name went through various forms such as "Han Jaravin" and "Han Djar-Vin" before eventually landing on something close to "Han Djarvin". The meaning of the latter part of the name became mostly forgotten but the "Han" was still recognized as "land", so this was interpreted as "Land of Djarvin", and when the people of the area formed into a unified country "Djarvin" was taken as its official name.

==Geography==
Djarvin occupies a thin strip on the western edge of Orelan, along the [[Ivarian Ocean]]. Northern Djarvin is bordered on the [[east]] by the [[Tower Sea]], the narrow arm of land between the sea and the ocean being known as the [[Arantine]] [[Peninsula]], or simply the Arantine.

Djarvin is a nation of diverse [[geography]]. Two parallel [[mountain range]]s run from north to south, the [[Shell Mountains]] to the west and the much longer and taller [[Abulaji Range]] to the east. The [[Great Valley]] between them is a patchment of [[temperate forest]] and [[grassland]]s. Much of the area along and near the Ivarian coast is ulvose [[fen]], though here too there are forested areas, largely giving way farther north to the [[savannah]] of the western Arantine. The eastern Arantine, beyond the northern end of the Abulaji Range, bears a patch of [[sand]]y desert called the [[Kufra Desert|Kufra]], while the northern tip of Djarvin is largely rocky [[highland]]s with patches of [[cloud forest]], and some areas of [[tropical forest]] along the coasts. Djarvin's northernmost point is [[Cape Dread]], a [[headland]] that forms the western edge of the [[Silver Strait]] that is the Tower Sea's connection to the [[ocean]].

==Government==
One of the features Djarvin is best known for is its unusual form of [[government]]. The highest [[executive branch|executive]] body in the nation is the [[Heroes' Council]], made up of [[adventurer]]s, [[explorer]]s, and others who have distinguished themselves by great deeds, risking their own welfare for the sake of the nation. The deeds that qualify them as heroes don't have to involve defeating foes in physical [[combat]]—though they often do—; a few council members won their seats by intellectual or [[diplomacy|diplomatic]] means: inventing useful [[spell]]s or [[device]]s, calming uprisings, lifting powerful [[curse]]s.

Anyone can nominate a member for the Council—the nominations go to a clerical department called the [[Office of Renown]]—but before a candidate is seriously considered for membership, they must have received at least a thousand nominations, by different people. (The Office keeps a careful list of all nominations it receives.) After that, during a probationary period that usually lasts three [[month]]s but can be extended if the Office of Renown deems it necessary, the prospective Council member is investigated by an agent of the Office of Renown called an [[Illuminator]] who essentially plays the role of [[Wikipedia:devil's advocate|devil's advocate]], carefully researching the candidate's past and present dealings to turn up any signs that they may not be who they appear to be or may have any affiliations or proclivities that may make them unfit to serve on the Council. While the Illuminator does not have the authority to single-handedly scuttle a would-be Council member's appointment, they do present their findings to the current members of the Heroes' Council, who, after hearing from the Illuminator and perhaps setting aside some time for debate and deliberation, hold a [[vote]] to decide whether to admit the newcomer into their number. The new member must be approved by a two-thirds majority of existing council members; then, and only then, do they become a full member of the council.

In principle, the system of the Heroes' Council ensures that the highest authorities of Curcalen are those who truly have the good of the country at heart, and have shown both this and their ability to effect change in the past. Purportedly, the Heroes' Council is by its very nature unaffected by any external influence, and motivated only by the nation's welfare. Only a few people are aware (though more may suspect), however, that nearly all the councilors are truly in the pocket of one of the sorcerous [[covin|covin]]s that exercise power behind the scenes. All the major covins have at least a handful of councilors doing their bidding, and a few minor covins have managed to get their own agents seated on the council as well. There are only three councilors who are independent of the covins: [[Hi La Yetj]], [[Gadi Orcazo]], and the charismatic [[Selori Naen]], who secretly serves not the covins but the [[demon (Usm)|demon]]s of [[Merinele]].

On the subnational level, Djarvin is divided into fourteen [[province (Djarvin)|province]]s. Each province is led by a provincial [[governor (Djarvin)|governor]], who is directly elected by the populace. The Heroes' Council has the power to dismiss a governor at will and call for a new election (in which the just-amoved governor is not eligible), but they very rarely exercise that power unless the popular sentiment in the province is clearly strongly against the governor, or the governor has engaged in some particularly flagrant misdeed.

Aside from the Heroes' Council, the other major parts of the national government are the [[High Assembly]] and the [[Court of the Stone]]. The members of both of these bodies are selected by the provincial governors, who in addition to running their provinces are each empowered to appoint three representatives to the High Assembly and one to the Court of the Stone. [[Constitution of Djarvin|Constitutionally]], the [[High Assembly]] is the nation's highest [[legislative branch|legislative]] body and the Court of the Stone its highest [[judicial branch|judicial]]. However, in practice, such is the renown of the Heroes' Council that it generally has its way even in matters not officially within its purview, and the High Assembly and the Court of the Stone have little actual power, their members being mostly figureheads who rubberstamp the Council's "suggestions".

==Economy==
Djarvin has a thriving [[economy]] that relies largely on its [[trade]] connections; through [[magic]] and marinage, its [[merchant]]s travel all over Curcalen buying and selling. This is not to say, however, that it [[manufacture]]s no goods of its own. Djarvin's chief exports include [[textile]]s, [[weapon]]s, and [[waterware]], the last a class of vessels and other objects produced out of [[water]] through [[paracarminical magic|paracarminical]] processes that originated in [[Ritao]] but have been adopted and adapted by Djarvish craftsmen. Djarvin is also known for its contributions to the [[art]]s, especially [[music]]; several now widespread musical styles and [[instrument]]s originated in Djarvin, and Djarvin has more than its share of famous [[composer]]s both past and present.

[[Agriculture]] does not play a large role in Djarvin's economy, but some [[farming]] does take place there, mostly in the Great Valley. Still, [[meat]], [[grain]]s, and [[fruit]]s are among the nation's most important imports. There are, however, some exotic [[nut]]s and [[spice]]s such as [[icenut]]s and [[saffron]] that are grown only—or mostly—in Djarvin and that do bring in a nonnegligible part of the nation's income, the small volume of their trade made up for by the high prices they fetch. On the seamier side, however, there are also some dangerous [[drug]]s that originate in Djarvin and find their way elsewhere, most notably [[skullweed]] and [[drone dust]], despite the efforts of the Heroes' Council to quash this illegal trade. Thanks to its long coastline and extensive seafaring experience, Djarvin has a strong [[fishing]] industry and does export a significant amount of [[fish]] and [[shellfish]].

Djarvin could be said to trade not only in material goods, but in knowledge as well. Djarvish travelers bring back from their journeys not only valuable objects and materials, but documents and learning, and centers of learning have sprung up in Djarvin where this science and scholarship can be shared. Perhaps the most illustrious such establishment is the [[University of Lüm]], but [[Blackbridge University]] and the [[Kaji Academy]] are not much less celebrated. This too, however, has its dark side, as not all the relics and writings that have been collected in Djarvin's universities and [[museum]]s were brought there by honorable means or with the permission of the people from whose lands they were taken, and there are frequent calls for the repatriation of many such treasures.

===Galliards' Guilds===
Perhaps even more notable than the universities as a sort of abstract export, however, are the exploits of Djarvin's "[[galliards' guild]]s". These originated shortly after and as a reaction to the formation of the Heroes' Council. Several prominent merchants and other people of wealth and influence decided that if heroes were to play such a prominent and respected role in the land, then it made sense to make a conscious effort to cultivate new heroes—to bring together bands of what amounted to apprentice heroes who would be sent on tasks that would not only make the world a better place but also help these aspiring heroes to hone their skills and make a name for themselves, the better to reach a status as true heroes worthy one day of serving on the Council. Thus were born the organizations that would one day become the galliards' guilds, though it took some time for them to settle on that name. Of course, the motives behind their formation were not altogether altruistic; the nabobs who founded and funded these guilds no doubt hoped to increase their own respect and influence by doing so—and perhaps in the long run to have leverage over members of the Heroes' Council who owed them favors.

Over time the galliards' guilds multiplied and expanded until now there are at least a hundred such guilds of varying levels of notoriety and capability. Despite the name, most of them are not true [[guild]]s, in the sense of coöperative associations of practicers of a trade; most of the galliards' guilds are still ultimately controlled by moneyed individuals who provide their funding and give them their orders. Still, the purpose of the guilds is to help their members become heroes, so it's in their leaders' interests to send them mostly on missions that do resound to the benefit of the world, or at least of parts of it, the better to build goodwill toward them and help them win coöperation from local leaders. The Djarvish government takes pains to assert that [[galliard]]s—members of the galliards' guilds—are ''not'' mercenaries; that their missions are centered on exploration and on righting wrongs and not on mere combat, and they do what they do for the sake of gathering knowledge and doing good deeds, and not just for money. In fact, however, this isn't always true; ''most'' guilds may to some degree or other truly strive to hold themselves to these lofty ideals, but there are some galliards' guilds that really are little more than swords for hire.

While people interested in joining the galliards' guilds have emigrated to Djarvin from all over the world to do so, naturally some have decided instead that they could just found similar such guilds in their own homeland. In that way, organizations similar to the galliards' guilds, though perhaps called by different names, have begun to spring up in other lands as well. Still, even if Djarvin no longer has a monopoly on galliards, it is in Djarvin where the galliards' guilds are most numerous and most famous, and it is this nation with which they remain most closely associated.

==History==
The oldest known inhabitants of what is now Djarvin were various different groups of hunters and gatherers who either made settlements on the coast or in the valleys or wandered nomadically across the deserts or grasslands. These people left no written record, and what little is known of their early [[history]] comes primarily from [[archæology|archæological]] evidence and from oral traditions of questionable reliability. A thousand years ago, however, [[Ituni]] sojourners from the [[Malari Desert]] to the east crossed the Abulaji Mountains for the first time and found this land. Finding the greener valleys and coastlands almost paradisaical compared to their place of origin, the Ituni settled this new land, subjugating or assimilating its native inhabitants. Over time, the new people, now a mix of Ituni and the natives they had displaced, developed the land, built new settlements, and developed new [[technology|technologies]] and practices, including increasingly advanced agriculture and [[ship]]building—previously the natives of the area had made small boats, and even the Ituni had occasionally used simple [[raft]]s to travel up and down the few [[river]]s in the Malari, but now the proto-Djarvenish people started building larger and more elaborate ships that could travel long distances along the coast and even venture into the open ocean.

Civilization first came to what is now Djarvin in the form of a collection of contentious [[city-states]], formed when the population of the area became large enough to support social classes and stratification. The relative power of these city-states shifted significantly over time, but over hundreds of years the coastal city-states, enjoying greater resources and [[trade]] opportunities, came to predominate and mostly subjugate the inland states, and a handful of states rose to dominate the rest. The sites of dozens of such city-states are known—some today in [[ruin]]s, others having developed into modern [[city|cities]] at the same sites—but there are six that were especially large and even today are most famous. These standouts of the city-states are now often called the [[League of Six]]—though this is a bit of a misnomer since they were never in any real way a league. The League of Six were not all allied with each other, and indeed some were bitter enemies. Even those that ''were'' allied didn't necessarily stay that way; alliances—as well as rivalries—shifted and changed over time.

Of the cities that made up the league, one, [[Alus]], is now underwater—a victim, many believe, of a [[magic]]al attack by an enemy state, though some think the disaster may have been the result of an accident by Alus's own [[wizard]]s. Another, [[Erery]], is now a desolate ruin said to be haunted by [[undead]], [[sening]]s, and worse. The other four were never uninhabited except one, and that one only briefly, and are still major population centers today: [[Lüm]], [[Tlala]], [[Wamahata]], and [[Macaar]], the last of which is now Djarvin's [[capital]].

The end of the independent city-states came about not because of any compact between the leaders of the states, but because of a compact among the common people. The [[king]]s of the city-states had become increasingly demanding and tyrannical, and their exploitation of their subjects, especially those living outside the major cities themselves, had grown increasingly unbearable. And finally the people could bear no more, and conspired to overthrow their oppressors. The rulers' power was great, but not great enough; the battles were hard, but the rebels won the day. They seized the hoarded wealth of the city-states' kings, and resolved to put it to better use than the previous administration had.

This did not mean the land was united; the power of the city-states was broken, but no overarching power immediately took its place. The territory once claimed by each city-state was either divided into smaller areas under local rule or thrown into [[anarchy]]. The time in the immediate wake of the kings' ouster was a hard one, though in a different way than it had been while the kings still ruled; for all the city-states' regrate, they had played an important role in production and distribution of resources, and with them gone there was widespread [[poverty]] and mass [[starvation]]. Still, in time the people rebuilt and found ways to provide for their needs without the despotic authority of the kings. This is not to say that there were no threats of a return to [[autocracy]], but when an aspirant claimed the title of king of Tlala and seemed set on returning the city-state to a semblance of its former ways, the tyrantry of the city-states was too fresh in the memories of the populace for them to tolerate his ambitions and he was swiftly removed from power. During this time, the coastal areas of Djarvin further developed their shipbuilding and sailing industries, and increasingly began sending ships to faraway shores to discover new resources and forge trade relations. It is Djarvin's maritime tradition that is largely responsible for it becoming the cosmopolitan nation it is today. Djarvish ships in distant lands needing to recrew would recruit from the local populations, and on the ship's return to its home port many of its new crew members settle there; gradually Djarvin became, and still is, a diverse melting pot of people from all over the world, including many [[human|nonhuman]] [[folk]]s such as [[navanar]]s, [[fank]]s, [[urippu]], and [[bannath]]s.

Still, it became difficult to ignore the advantages of the [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]] that the land no longer enjoyed now that it composed hundreds of separately administered regions rather than large territories controlled by a few city-states. Few wished to return to the days of the autarchic kings, but there was an increasing hope that perhaps the area could be brought together under a more agreeable form of [[government]]. The person most credited with the eventual unification of Djarvin is the famous explorer [[Hualek Quazal]], though it could be argued that the idea was already in the ''zeitgeist'' and that if she hadn't taken the lead someone else would have. In any case, largely at Quazal's direction, the multiple small states of what is now Djarvin finally came to an agreement and were forged for the first time into a single nation, and Djarvin in its current form was born.

==Relations with other states==
Djarvin shares a land border with three other nations, all to its east. It engages in extensive trade with all three and maintains reasonably good relationships with them, though it counts none as a close ally. From [[Ritao]], Djarvin imports [[rice]] and [[pottery]]; from [[Huchal]], [[grain]]s, [[wool]], and [[meat]]; and from [[Kukulok]], various [[metal]]s.

Much the same could be said about Djarvin's relationships with most nations it doesn't border. Djarvin does not cultivate alliances, and rarely gets involved overtly in [[war|armed conflicts]] (though Djarvish galliards may lend support to one side or the other), but has ties all over the world through trade and the activities of its galliard guilds, and is on generally friendly terms with most nations, but rarely really cordial. That isn't to say that there are ''no'' states with hostility toward Djarvin. [[Ehereq]] and [[Bahabba]] resent what they see as Djarvish plundering of its ancient sites (as do a few other states to a lesser degree), while [[Lagahe]]'s leaders chafe at the galliards' thwarting of their expansionist ambitions. In contrast, [[Reckland]] is a particularly enthusiastic supporter of the galliard guilds, and more than any other state has tried to emulate the system itself, while [[Ilgavane]] considers it an especially valued trading partner, particularly prizing some of the exotic [[shellfish]] and fine textiles and [[dye]]s that Djarvin provides.

==Notable locations==
In addition to the former city-states, important [[city|cities]] of Djarvin include [[Geridon]], a city in southern Djarvin where much magical research is performed, famous for the extensive nearby [[ice cave]]s; [[Port Heaven]], a city on the Tower Sea that has become Djarvin's most popular tourist destination; [[Shadewater]], a city located at the end of the [[Groaning Gulf]] that is on the main travel route between Djarvin and Ritao; and [[Lych]], an unusual experimental "living city" made of [[flesh]] and [[organ]]s [[summoning|summoned]] from other [[plane]]s. Some sites of interest outside any major city are [[Poko Zazala]], a strange ancient [[ruin]] of unclear original purpose; the [[Everfair]], a sort of permanent [[carnival]] in the Great Valley; and the [[Panthyra]], a structure housing a collection of [[portal]]s to many different planes for use by intrepid galliards willing to explore those exotic locations.

A notable location of natural origin is [[Needle Lake]], a large [[freshwater]] lake in the highlands of the northern Arantine. Others include [[Witch Canyon]] in the Kufra Desert; [[Mermelo Beach]], with its famous [[purple]] [[sand]]; and the [[Wood of Ages]], a forest made not primarily of common trees but of giant [[fern]]s found nowhere else on Curcalen.
[[Category:Nations of Orelan]]

Laither

2026-01-27T00:31:54Z

Clé: Clé moved page Laither to Bannath: Terminology change; "laither" was a good more general term that could be better used elsewhere

#REDIRECT [[Bannath]]

Bannath

2026-01-27T00:31:54Z

Clé: Clé moved page Laither to Bannath: Terminology change; "laither" was a good more general term that could be better used elsewhere

{{Stub}}A [[laither]] is a kind of [[ellogy|ellogous]] giant [[worm]] found on [[Curcalen]]. While lacking [[hand]]s or other manipulating appendages, laithers have an innate ability to [[summoning|summon]] creatures from other planes to perform tasks for them. It is widely believed that laithers may have been the inspiration for the high development and heavy use of summoning among Curcalen's [[human]] population.[[Category:Folks of Curcalen]][[Category:Nematodes]]

File:LumNewbridge.png

2026-01-26T19:18:44Z

Clé: Rough map of the city of Lüm with the location of Newbridge marked; for use in the City '26 Meta:blog|.

== Summary ==
Rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] with the location of [[Newbridge]] marked; for use in the [[Blog:City26|City '26]] [[Meta:blog|blog]].
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:CITY26.png

2026-01-24T19:15:06Z

Clé: Graphic for the City '26 Challenge. (Graphic not created by me; created as far as I know by the founder of [https://www.youtube.com/garblaggames Garblag Games]; uploaded here for use in a blog entry.)

== Summary ==
Graphic for the [[Blog:City26|City '26 Challenge]]. (Graphic not created by me; created as far as I know by the founder of [https://www.youtube.com/garblaggames Garblag Games]; uploaded here for use in a [[Meta:blog|blog]] entry.)
== Licensing ==
{{Fair Use}}

File:LümRoughMap.png

2026-01-24T18:09:22Z

Clé: A very, ''very'' rough map of the city of Lüm on the world of Djarvin, created in Inkscape. This was done as part of the City '26 Challenge; while creating a map wasn't explicitly part of the challenge, it did help with planning.

== Summary ==
A very, ''very'' rough [[map]] of the [[city]] of [[Lüm]] on the [[world]] of [[Djarvin]], created in [[Wikipedia:Inkscape|Inkscape]]. This was done as part of the [[Blog:City26/Map|City '26 Challenge]]; while creating a map wasn't explicitly part of the challenge, it did help with planning.
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

Soul War

2026-01-19T09:01:36Z

Clé: /* Fronts */

The '''Soul War''' is a term used to refer to the conflict between the [[god (Dadauar)|god]]s of [[Dadauar]] and the [[onirarch]]s. This conflict comes about largely because the onirarchs and the gods are competing for some of the same resources, so the rise of one almost inevitably means the decline of the other. The gods want people to worship them, and generally want their worshipers to become as successful as possible, to demonstrate their power and attract more worshippers. It is to the onirarchs' benefit, however, to maintain the people of their [[sovereign state|nation]]s powerless and complacent, and to keep them focused on quotidian activities and shallow recreations, lest they come to recognize and resent the way the dreamlords are using them. If the people must look to some greater entity for aid and succor, the onirarchs would obviously prefer the people rely on the onirarchs themselves, seeing them as benevolent providers whose rule is just and right—and people who devote themselves to gods are less likely to think of themselves as dependent on the onirarchs. Therefore, the leaders of most [[onirarchy|onirarchies]] have actively worked to induce the people of their nations to abandon the gods, the better to focus on their works for the state. Within most onirarchies, the gods are forgotten—or substituted with [[dwalegod (Dadauar)|imaginary gods]] given to the people to worship to pacify them, but incapable of actually responding to their requests.

The Soul War is so called after the idea that the gods and the onirarchs are, in a sense, battling over the [[soul (Gomara)|soul]]s of the citizens of the onirarchies. The term, however, is not one that will be known to the typical person of Dadauar. Certainly most citizens of the onirarchies aren't even aware the Soul War is going on; it would be counterproductive for the onirarchs to make it publicly known that they were trying to draw people away from the gods. The term was coined by [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|rebels]] against the onirarchs, but was later adopted by the onirarchs themselves, and is even used by some [[scholar]]s both within and outside the onirarchies—but it has never been in common use by laymen.

The effects of the Soul War are not felt only in the onirarchies. Since the rise of the onirarchs, devotion to the gods has overall waned in the undeveloped nations, too. Part of this may be due to some people in the undeveloped nations envying the development of the onirarchies and wanting to emulate them, and it may also be that the slight lowering of the gods' power due to the decrease in their worship in the onirarchies leads to them being less capable of fulfilling their faithful's needs and therefore to their losing worshippers elsewhere as well. But certainly some of the decline comes about from the onirarchs' active efforts; many of the onirarchs send [[absebist|agents]] into the undeveloped nations with the express charge of fostering discontent with [[religion]] and encouraging people to abandon their gods.

==Origins==
It's difficult to say exactly when the Soul War began; the dreamlords have been strengthening their hold over their dominions since the founding of the [[Hsüfirst modern onirarchy]]. But if there were one day to be chosen in which the Soul War began in its present state, it might be eleven [[century|centuries]] ago, when the god [[Nuropus]] intervened and destroyed the president of [[Alfenane]]. In retaliation, a number of other onirarchs combined forces to destroy Nuropus. Until that point, mortals destroying a god was a matter practically unheard of, but apparently that interchange convinced both the gods and the onirarchs that the other side was powerful enough to make direct confrontations risky. The Soul War continued, but was mostly one of persuasion and influence. There were a few more direct strikes—the capture of [[Maior]], the Enslaved God, a thousand years ago, and the [[Blessings of Yelay]]—but for the most part, the war has been fought not with physical [[weapon]]s, but with [[word]]s and [[magic]], not over land or [[money]], but over the minds of the people.

==Combatants==
The primary combatants in the Soul War are, of course, the gods and the onirarchs. Both work indirectly, the gods primarily bolstering and encouraging those who oppose the onirarchs, and the onirarchs propagandizing against the gods and discouraging their worship, either directly or through their mouthpieces. Both sides have allies and agents who aid them and further their purposes. The onirarchs have their [[absedist]]s and [[dwalepriest (Dadauar)|dwalepriest]]s; the gods have their evangelists and votaries. To a lesser extent, some who sympathize or whose interests coincide with one side or the other may meddle in the conflict as well. Some hoping to curry favor with the onirarchs may do their part to attack religion; some who hate the onirarchs may turn to the gods.

But not all gods and not all onirarchs participate in the Soul War with equal fervor. On the side of the onirarchs, Alfenane, [[Niruna]], and [[Noric]] tend to be particularly hostile toward the gods, and especially active in quashing their worship and persecuting their worshippers. The onirarchs of Alfenane have perhaps never forgiven Nuropus's aggression, and do their best to paint the gods not just as useless or superannuated but as actively [[evil]]. The onirarchs of Niruna owe the fervor of their [[misotheism]] perhaps less to their personal comvictions than to their desire to show that they are in the forefront of the Soul War as they are (or want to be seen as being) in other things. The onirarchs of Noric preach a distinctive mechanistic [[religion]] (sometimes called [[banausism]]) with which they hope to supplant faith in the gods.

On the side of the gods, perhaps those who take the most proactive parts in the Soul War include the sky god [[Alațan]]; [[Cherdac]], god of heroism; [[Qogow]], god of refuse; and the nature goddess [[Xhadla]]. Alațan was once one of the most powerful of gods, but his worship waned long before the rise of the onirarchs; he may be hoping to distinguish himself in the Soul War and so launch himself back to his former glory. Cherdac, an androgynous god from the [[Sibling Nations]], blesses those who fight the onirarchs and sometimes calls their worshippers to specific missions against them. Qogow, formerly a fairly obscure god with few devotees, has made creative use of his [[field]] to hinder the onirarchs. Xhadla has assembled a band of nature deities whom she leads against the dreamlords, hoping to reverse the destruction they have brought to wilderness areas.

===Neutrals===
Just as some gods and onirarchs participate in the Soul War more enthusiastically than others, some also do less. In fact, the hostility between the gods and the onirarchs is not universal, and there are some on both sides who do not take a part in the Soul War at all, or at least if they do so it is with subtlety and surreptition.

Worship of their traditional gods still plays a major röle in the cultures of the onirarchies of [[K'eng]] and [[Yumaria]], not only without the objection but apparently with the full approval and involvement of the local onirarchs. [[Drithidiach]] was once as virulent in its opposition to the gods as any other onirarchy, but since the [[Drithidian Amnesty]] it has become as tolerant of religion as it has of many other practices it once condemned. The people of Drithidian [[colony]] of [[Ludelt]], in particular, long maintained their devotion to their gods in defiance of the onirarchs, and since the Amnesty now that such devotion is no longer prohibited it has flourished even more, to the extent that Ludelt may be the most religious place on all Dadauar. If some have argued that the continued practice of religion in these onirarchies show that devotion to the gods and to the onirarchs is not incompatible and that the Soul War is an unnecessary conflict, few other gods or onirarchs have taken this enarrative to heart.

On the other hand, a few gods have found worshipers among the onirarchs themselves, even in onirarches where religion is otherwise discouraged or forbidden. Foremost among them is [[Ulcan]], god of dreams, who shows onirarchs willing to give him his due how better to use the [[dream energy]] they gather and to exploit and alter the [[dreamworlds of Dadauar|dreamworlds]] of [[Magogenia]]. A handful of other gods have also found significant, though smaller, numbers of devotees among the dreamlords: [[Ku Tsu]] god of wealth, [[Ibhavi]] goddess of destiny, [[Thothet]] god of rulership, and the [[demon (Ses)|demon]] god [[Verilach]]. Whether these gods have betrayed their fellow deities or are playing the onirarchs for fools depends on whom you ask—and of course the answer may not be the same for each god.

==Fronts==
Although the Soul War pervades all of Dadauar, there are some particular fronts where it is fought particularly hard. One is the [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|resistance]]—because they are trying to bring down the onirarchs, the rebels and the gods find themselves natural allies. Both because of the additional power they can grant, and to thumb their nose at the onirarchs' proscriptions, many rebels devote themselves to gods. Certain gods in particular have been widely embraced by resistance elements—[[Eieia]], goddess of hope; [[Kavarne]], god of lost causes; [[Kelestre]] and [[Lalilam]], gods of warriors; [[Tecliuna]], goddess of freedom. Of course, the resistance is far from unified, and there are resistance cells or individual rebels every bit as misotheistic as the dreamlords, but on average the religious devotion of the rebels is well above that of the general populace, let alone the onirarchs.

There are also a few redoubts where the gods maintain power even within the onirarchies' borders. Surrounded by the [[Free Republic of Avelax]], the [[Godhill]] is a [[mountain]] where a group of old [[Avelax|Avelachian]] gods have established a base of power. The [[Hidden Isle]] in the [[Tanahire archipelago]] is a similar base of power for a different group of gods, who have so far been successful in keeping the onirarchs of [[Tanahire]] from finding the [[island]]. The [[Red Caves]] beneath the land now claimed by [[Sineae]] have been a place of hidden worship long before the rise of the onirarchs, and continue to be so now. An area of [[swamp]]land between [[Sesael]] and [[Vorasia]] was long claimed by neither nation, leaving an opening for local gods and their worshippers to entrench themselves there, and today that area is called the [[Holy Mire]].

[[Gnulu]]s and other nonhuman residents of the onirarchs make up another often unappreciated front in the Soul War. In many of the onirarchs, the gnulus have been largely neglected by the national leaders, not having free access to what few rights and privileges the dreamlords deign to grant the human citizens—but likewise not being as actively monitored and molded into what the onirarchs want their people to be like. This means that these [[folk]]s have had fewer obstacles than the human residents to maintaining their older traditions, including their religions, and many nonhumans continue to worship their gods while being largely ignored by the onirarchs who actively suppress such practices in their human subjects. Thus far, these bastions of religion within the onirarchies have not played a direct part in the Soul War, but some allies of the gods and enemies of the dreamlords have begun to consider how they might be used in their favor. Conversely, some of the onirarchs have come to recognize the potential danger they pose and are weighing how best to deal with the threat and stamp out these nonhuman religions without being too heavy-handed and turning people against them.

==Consequences==
There may be some reason to fear that while the Soul War is not currently a physical war, it may be in danger of becoming one. As it is, it seems that the influence of the gods in the onirarchies is ever decreasing—the onirarchs are winning the war. It may be a matter of time before the gods get desperate and revert to more direct tactics. If this does happen, it will mean a battle between two incredibly powerful forces—the gods, and the onirarchs who have proven themselves perhaps the gods' equals—and it's likely to result in devastation unparalleled in Dadauar since the [[Great Plague]]. Whether or not [[human]]ity can even survive such a conflict is not a foregone conclusion.

If a full-scale war does break out, though, the gods and the onirarchs may not be the only forces to reckon with. The [[Bathybius]], too, is a being of immense power, and while it may not be the equal of the gods, it keeps its motives and abilities secret enough that it's impossible to judge. In a physical Soul War, the Bathybius could be a major wild card, and it's anybody's guess which side, if either, it would throw its own power behind.

Even if the Soul War does turn physical and humanity somehow survives, the world, if it remains livable, will be a vastly different place. Depending on which side won, either the onirarchs would rule the world unchallenged by the gods, and perhaps take the places of the gods themselves, or the onirarchies will be thrown down and the people either freed or brought under [[theocracy|theocracies]] to replace them. Or, conceivably, the Bathybius, having bided its time during the conflict until both sides are weakened, will have rushed in to take control itself, and brought all of Dadauar under its own control.

Of course, at this point all this is completely hypothetical. It could be that this never happens—that the Soul War never becomes physical, but just continues indefinitely in its current state, or that one side will manage to defeat the other without resorting to anything so crass as a direct frontal attack. It could conceivably even be that the gods and the onirarchs will come to some sort of mutually agreeable compromise, though under the present circumstances this seems exceedingly unlikely. Still, even in its current state, the Soul War provides an important undercurrent that has a subtle but significant effect on the lives of all Dadauar's people... whether they realize it or not.
[[Category:Cold wars]][[Category:Divine wars]][[Category:Wars of Dadauar]]

Game CCG Strike:Main Page

2026-01-15T07:23:43Z

Clé: Updated link

The '''Strike Engine''' is a customizable card game by one "Silly Rookie", creator of a [[Wikipedia:webcomic|webcomic]] called ''[https://32kickup.com/ '32 Kick Up]''. Taking its initial inspiration from the [[Wikipedia:Vs. System|Vs. System]] but also adding some features from other card games and of course original touches of its own, the Strike Engine is intended as, in the words of the rulebook, "an '''<nowiki></nowiki>'open source'<nowiki></nowiki>''' card game system... that anyone can create expansions for." Moreover, it's explicitly intended to be able to mix characters and concepts from multiple settings: "Fantasy, sci-fi, western, whatever! If it involves characters fighting, then it can be made into an expansion for Strike Engine!" So if I wanted to make cards for an open-licensed customizable card game, the Strike Engine seemed like an ideal one to do it for.

The Strike Engine is still under development, but it's far enough along to enable sets to be made—and indeed Silly Rookie and others already have a lot of cards designed. Unfortunately, there's no official webpage for the Strike Engine at this point, but there is an [https://neonriser.neocities.org/strike/ unofficial site]—which, however, is not maintained by Silly Rookie himself, and which I'm not sure is up to date. There's also a Strike Engine [https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2171065092 Steam mod] for [[Wikipedia:Tabletop Simulator|Tabletop Simulator]], and there's a [https://discord.com/channels/825926234725810177/825926235422326786/1191583000803160144 Discord server where there's a lot more available].

Unfortunately, while I've been working on some Strike Engine cards themed to the world of [[Dadauar]], I don't really have enough done yet to share. I'm working on a Clash of Champions deck themed around the [[onirarch]]s of Dadauar and championed by [[Eulaige Hahorbath]], president of the [[Free Republic of Avelax]] (Clash of Champions being a Strike Engine variant ruleset), but while I'd hoped to have it ready by the site's "hard launch" on January 1, I had enough else to do getting the site ready that I didn't quite get it done. Still, I should have it done by the end of [[January]]. After that, my plans are to create another Clash of Champions deck themed around the [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|resistance]] and the [[Bathybius]], and eventually I hope to have a full three-hundred-or-so card Dadauar Strike set. After ''that'' (or maybe after the three Clash decks but concurrently with completing the full Dadauar set), I also want to start releasing Strike Engine content for other worlds; the next few I have in mind are [[Curcalen]] (starting with Clash decks for each of the major [[mage|wizard]] [[covins of Curcalen|covins]]) and [[Varra]] (starting with Clash decks for each of the [[Five Masters]] of [[Thamarand]]). I don't have a set schedule for all of this, though, so it will happen as it happens.

The rules and card back of the Strike Engine are released under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en#ref-technological-measures CC BY] license. The additional content in all original Strike Engine cards in the [[Meta:Central Wongery|Central Wongery]] will be released under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en CC BY-SA] license.

Free Republic of Avelax

2026-01-15T07:23:22Z

Clé: Updated link

The '''Free Republic of Avelax''' is the largest and most populous [[sovereign state|nation]] on the [[rew (Charos)|rew]] of [[Dadauar]], and arguably the most powerful. It is commonly referred to as the FRA, as the Republic, or simply as Avelax, the last despite the ambiguity with the [[Avelax|continent of the same name]]. Though nominally a [[democracy]], the Free Republic is in practice as partialistic and peremptory as any other [[onirarchy]]. The [[onirarch|dreamlord]]s of the Republic may contrive to give their citizens the illusion of self-rule, but they do so only in order to keep them complacent and maintain their control.

The most common [[demonym]] to refer to citizens of the FRA is "Freeman", plural "Freemen". The same [[word]] is also employed as an [[adjective]] to refer to anything related to the Republic. This is done regardless of the word's literal meaning, which may lead to apparent [[oxymoron]]s when one speaks, for instance, of "Freeman prisoners".

==Geography==
The Free Republic of Avelax occupies most of the mainland of the [[eponym]]ous [[continent]]. The [[Xien Peninsula]] to the [[south]] is held by other [[onirarchy|onirarchies]], and the southern part of the [[Talacho Peninsula]] to the [[west]] pertains to the nation of [[Mapland]], left alone by the FRA—for now—mostly because the steamy [[swamp]] and [[jungle]] covering the area make it not worth the trouble to occupy and develop. Aside from that, only a few relatively small areas of the continent are not claimed by the Republic: the nation of [[Onraa]] and the [[Ivinii|Ivinian]] [[colony (politics)|colony]] of [[Kasie]] on the [[north]]ern [[coast]]; the nation of [[Ekerben]] in the [[Aoala Mountains]] to the [[east]]; and the [[Godhill]], a small but troublesome area that the Republic leaders grudging agreed to cede as international territory so that other nations would help deal with it.

Between the two [[peninsula]]s, the two capes on the north coast claimed by other nations, and the [[Isthmus of Calacca]] that connects Avelax to [[Burcady]], the Free Republic has five discrete sections of [[coastline]], and borders three seas—the [[Golden Sea]] to the [[southwest]], the [[Sea of Firiti]] to the [[southeast]], and the [[Akararal Sea]] to the north—plus the [[Camilout Ocean]] at the far west. Some parts of the coast have common names they are called by: the stretch of coastline between Onraa and Burcady is the [[New Coast]], that between Ivinii and Onraa the [[Lobster Coast]]; the southern part of the southwestern shore is the [[Hidden Coast]]; the part of the southeastern shore south of the [[river mouth|mouth]] of the [[Thesephe River]] is the [[Lonely Coast]].

The Free Republic of Avelax extends into all three major [[climate zone]]s. Most of the nation is [[temperate climate|temperate]], but the western third of the Republic's territory is in the [[tropics]], and the [[east]]ern edge of the continent near the Aoala Mountains is [[pagerics|pageric]]. The majority of the population lives in the [[heartland (FRA)|heartland]], the part of Avelax lying north of the [[Ngo Mountains]] excluding the Talacho Peninsula. While much of this area was once [[forest]]ed, it is now heavily urbanized, the only parts of the heartland not covered in [[city|cities]], [[agricultural land|farmland]], or [[infrastructure]], aside from some small and scattered [[park]]s and [[nature reserve|reserves]], being the heights of the [[Verecan Mountains]] where the land is too steep and rugged to be worth building on. The fringes of the country, however, are less developed. While the Free Republic has built cities and other structures in its portion of the Talacho Peninsula, much of the area remains virgin jungle, and likewise the [[Red Forest]] west of the Ngo Mountains and the [[Atahajji Desert]] to its east remain similarly underdeveloped compared to the heartland. Even in the heartland, the felled forests may not be entirely gone; sometimes people traveling through a city unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a spectral vision of woodland, a phenomenon known as the [[Phantom Forest]].

==Government==
In principle, the Free Republic is ruled by a [[Premier of the Free Republic of Avelax|premier]] and a [[National Assembly of the Free Republic of Avelax|National Assembly]], the latter comprising one member from each of the Republic's forty-five "[[provinces of the Free Republic of Avelax|autonomous provinces]]". Both the premier and the assembly are elected by the people, in keeping with the façade of democracy the Freeman onirarchs are careful to maintain. However, they are elected from candidates chosen by the onirarchs. It is a body called the [[People's Council of the Free Republic of Avelax|People's Council]], comprising the fifty or so most powerful onirarchs in the nation, that holds the real power. The candidates for premier are chosen by the People's Council, invariably from their own membership, and even after being elected the premiere consults frequently with the rest of the People's Council and usually follows their wishes. The existence of the People's Council is not exactly a secret, but it is heavily downplayed. The average citizen of the FRA, if they have heard of the People's Council at all, knows of it only as an obscure advisory body of little apparent importance. The membership of the People's Council is not public, but most of the members are well known to the populace, not directly because of their membership in the People's Council but because they hold other important [[government]] positions, often as ministers or governors. The selection process for the premierial candidates is sufficiently obfuscated that it's far from obvious that the People's Council has anything to do with it, and if a civic-minded citizen did try to look into the matter they would be likely to falsely infer that the candidates in some way arise organically from the populace. A particularly determined investigation might discover the involvement of the People Council, but such an investigation would be likely to attract the attention of the onirarchs—much to the investigator's detriment.

While the Free Republic's purported democratic principles are mostly a pretense, though, this isn't to say that the election is ''entirely'' meaningless. All candidates are drawn from the People's Council and will pursue the interests of the onirarchs, but they are not identical, and may have some genuine differences in opinion or philosophy that may be reflected in their policies. In fact, the previous premier, [[Derome Crale]], furnishes a marked example of this. Like many premierial candidates, Crale campaigned on promises of equality and making things better for the common people; unlike most premieral candidates, he turned out to actually mean it. While he could not entirely defy the will of the People's Council, he used what leeway he could wrangle to ease some of the burden of the common people and grant them more rights and assurances. Unfortunately, his successor, the current premier [[Eulaige Hahorbath]], is much more typical and much less sympathetic to the nation's populace. While she affects a benign, grandmaternal manner, Hahorbath has little interest in the people's welfare, and has walked back many of Crale's reforms.

While the premier and the National Assembly make the highest-level decisions (surreptitiously subject to the People's Council), most of the actual administrative business of the nation is carried out by the [[ministries of the Free Republic of Avelax|ministries]], each headed by a [[ministers of the Free Republic of Avelax|minister]] appointed by the premier—and also almost always chosen from the membership of the People's Council. While the premier does have the authority to dissolve or rename ministries or create new ones, this power is exercised infrequently. Currently the Free Republic has twelve ministries: the [[Ministry of Commerce (FRA)|Ministry of Commerce]], the [[Ministry of Defense (FRA)|Ministry of Defense]], the [[Ministry of Development (FRA)|Ministry of Development]], the [[Ministry of Faith (FRA)|Ministry of Faith]], the [[Ministry of Finance (FRA)|Ministry of Finance]], the [[Ministry of the Homeland (FRA)|Ministry of the Homeland]], the [[Ministry of Justice (FRA)|Ministry of Justice]], the [[Ministry of Memory (FRA)|Ministry of Memory]], the [[Ministry of Peace (FRA)|Ministry of Peace]], the [[Ministry of Provision (FRA)|Ministry of Provision]], the [[Ministry of the Seas (FRA)|Ministry of the Seas]], and the [[Ministry of Service (FRA)|Ministry of Service]]. Not all the ministries deal with matters obvious from their names; the Ministry of Memory, for instance, concerns itself primarily with recordkeeping, and the primary purview of the Ministry of Peace is [[propaganda]].

At the regional level, each province is headed by a [[governor (FRA)|governor]]. Similarly to the premier, the governor is elected by the people of the province—but similarly to the premier, they are elected from a list of candidates provided by the onirarchs. Specifically, each province has a [[Satellite Council]] that plays much the same rôle in the provincial government as the People's Council does in the national; members of the Satellite Councils, like those of the People's Council, are powerful [[dream mage|mage]]s, although generally less powerful than those on the People's Council. The Satellite Councils select the candidates for governor for their respective provinces, as well as the candidates for the province's seat on the National Assembly. All these candidates are drawn either from the Satellite Council or from the People's Council.

While the provinces are called autonomous, in practice the governors do of course answer to the premier and, more importantly, to the People's Council. Nevertheless, they are afforded a certain amount of independence, and governors are allowed to pursue policies that differ from the national norms, as long as they don't push things too far. Although the provinces vary widely in size—from [[Cadarei]], the largest province, with an [[area]] of about 2.15 million square [[meter|kilometers]], down to [[Creitcrafel]], the smallest, with an area of about 2,500—they are all in principle equal, with an equal representation on the National Assembly and receiving equal treatment from the national government. In practice, of course, the richer provinces and those with especially useful resources or just cannier governors do have more sway and can often finagle special treatment. Potentially the most influential province is [[Casselat]], which lies near the center of the nation and the continent, but its influence is unofficial and unknown to most of the populace. While the nation's nominal [[capital city|capital]] is [[Morgadara]], located in the province of [[Fergerren]] at the [[mouth (river)|mouth]] of the [[Varanuin River]], it is in Casselat that most of the real governing takes place. Although the [[Premierial Palace]] is in Morgadara, and the National Assembly meets there, those meetings are mostly for show. For the most part these officials' business in Morgadara is only to carry out policies already decided on by the People's Council—and it is in Casselat that the People's Council most commonly convenes, particularly in the twin cities of [[Herebar]] and [[Intbar]]. Shrewd governors of Casselat can leverage this position to win their province extra concessions or benefits.

===Law Enforcement===
Like most onirarchies, the Free Republic of Avelax relies entirely on [[batirine]]s for [[law enforcement]], as well as to fill in for a [[military]] when necessary. [[Enforcer batirine]]s patrol the cities; [[eye batirine]]s watch for trouble; [[guardian batirine]]s are stationed at important sites. The Freeman government arms its batirines with various [[weapon]]s, particularly favoring [[executive rod]]s, of which the Free Republic has created a few novel varieties, named unmouthably after semimythical [[Great Plague|antipestile]] rulers: the [[Aageldrach rod]], the [[Gaerliet rod]], the [[Uathnion rod]].

The onirarchs of the FRA have also created some bespoke batirines unique to the nation. [[Detainer batirine]]s resemble enforcers but have a lighter build and longer [[leg]]s; they are quicker and more agile than enforcers, at the cost of a somewhat decreased durability. Sometimes accompanying squads of enforcers and sometimes forming units of their own, detainers are often able to capture malcontents who would be able to evade or outrun the slower enforcers. The government claims the [[lizard|lacertine]] [[hunter batirine]]s are designed to find and neutralize the most dangerous criminals; they're actually mostly used against the [[resistance in the Free Republic of Avelax|resistance]]. Similar in shape to hunter batirines but very different in function, [[awaiter batirine]]s are effectively mobile [[bomb]]s that the Republic uses to extort other nations—mostly undeveloped nations, since such a blatant threat against another onirarchy would likely lead to a [[war]] that the Republic doesn't want just now.

The most common punishment in the Republic, as in many other onirarchies, is [[dream redirection]], although [[imprisonment]] is available as an option for those who don't respond to this. Officially, [[execution]] is not a legal option as a criminal penalty in the Free Republic—but the Freeman government is certainly not above covertly arranging the disappearance of those it finds particularly troublesome.

==Economy==
The Free Republic of Avelax is the world's largest importer of food. While there is some farmland in the FRA, it isn't nearly enough for the Republic's alimentary needs, especially since almost none of it is devoted to [[staple food|staple crops]]; the onirarchs prefer to use the land's limited farmland to produce [[luxury goods]] they can sell elsewhere. Among the Free Republic's most significant [[agriculture|agricultural]] exports are [[artichoke]]s, [[asparagus]], [[cashew]]s, [[cinnamon]], [[fennel]], [[ginger]], [[grape]]s, [[jasmine]], [[jawandle]], [[lavender]], [[lemongrass]], [[loquat]]s, [[macadamia nut]]s, [[ninarn]], [[pepper vine]]s, [[persimmon]]s, [[pollfruit]], [[pomegranate]]s, [[salsify]], [[vanilla]], [[walanger|walanger loaves]], and various [[berry|berries]] and exotic [[flower]]s. Next to [[Seseal]], the FRA is also one of the nations that has most embraced [[aquaculture]], which adds to its exports [[fish]], [[seaweed]]s, [[crab]]s, [[sea cucumber]]s, and of course the [[lobster]]s that give the Lobster Coast its name. To facilitate subaquean labor, Freeman onirarchs have invented a device called an [[airhelm]] that allows air-breathing people to breathe underwater, though of course much such labor is also done by [[undine]]s who need no such aids.

The Republic's main export is [[magic]]al [[telesm]]ata, the sheer size of the nation and the amount of [[dream energy]] available to its [[onirarch]]s making it able to produce many magical goods much more efficiently than most nations can manage. Streampaths were invented in the Free Republic, and the FRA remains its largest manufacturer, selling them to other nations in [[prefabrication|prefab]] pieces that join together when put in position. The FRA is also the main manufacturer of [[sustenance tank]]s and one of the major suppliers of [[tabulator batirine]]s, [[flittercar]]s, and [[enforcer wagon]]s. As in most onirarchies, the use of magic is banned in the Republic without a [[Magic licenses in the FRA|special license]], and those licenses are issued almost exclusively to the onirarchs themselves. The onirarchs may grant magic licenses to someone who shows promise of exceptional skill in [[indution]] and put them to work making telesmata, but most of these items are created either in automated [[Charmeries of the FRA|factories]] or by specialized batirines called [[incanter batirine|incanter]]s.

Not all the FRA's exports are agricultural or magical. The Republic has valuable [[mineral]] reserves in its mountains, and [[mine]]s [[barbasy]], [[copper]], [[iron]], [[lead]], [[marble]], [[silnibar]], [[sourstone]], and other [[metal]]s and [[rock]]s that it sells abroad—mostly to undeveloped nations, since the onirarchies with their access to [[metallic dreamstuff]] have less need of such materials.

===Internal economy===
The Free Republic provides its people with free (if spartan) [[housing]], but unlike some other onirarchies, it does not provide [[food]] or other necessities. This means that every citizen of the Republic must have a source of income in order to eat, but the Freeman government makes sure there are enough jobs available to keep all its citizens employed—in fact, if the government finds out about a Freeman who is sustaining themselves by scavenging through [[garbage|trash]] or relying on the generosity of others, their agents will ''find'' a job for them. Those who seem particularly suited for the positions may be placed where they play a part in the system themselves, as [[inspectors of the Free Republic of Avelax|inspectors]] or [[employment placement personnel of the Free Republic of Avelax|employment placement personnel]]. Some Freemen are actually employed doing useful tasks, although tasks that could in principle be done by batirines, such as farming, cleaning, and manufacture. Others are given meaningless makework jobs that serve little practical purpose, keeping unnecessary records or maintaining useless gadgets. The point is less to make sure Freeman citizens are productive than to keep them busy so they don't have the leisure to reflect too much about their circumstances—as well as to give the illusion of self-sufficiency so they are motivated to maintain the ''status quo''. It is not technically illegal to be unemployed in the Free Republic, but it is very strongly discouraged, and anyone who continually refuses to work is likely to end up arrested on trumped-up unrelated charges. The exceptions are people who are unable to work due to [[disability]], or who are over sixty [[year]]s old, at which age they are permitted to [[retirement|retire]]. The government does give a small allowance to the disabled and the retired; after all, the onirarchs still benefit from their dreams, so it vails them to keep them alive.

The official [[currency]] of the FRA is the [[tule]]; the median annual wage of a Freeman worker is about five thousand tules. The Republic has done away with [[coin]]age or any other form of tangible [[money]]; a citizen's net worth is instead tracked by a network of tabulator batirines, and tules exist now only as an abstract [[unit]] of monetary value with no physical representation. [[Trade terminal]]s are common in the cities where people can interface with this network to make transactions, transferring money between individuals or from an individual to the government. Payment for employment is automatically credited to a worker's account on a [[week]]ly basis. When this system was first implemented, people interfaced with trade terminals through [[trade implant|implant]]s in their left [[index finger]]s, but advancements in design of trade terminals have made these implants unnecessary, and modern terminals are able to recognize individuals by their [[soul (Gomara)|soul]]s without the necessity for any such addition. Though the retirement of physical currency was nominally done for the sake of convenience, in practice it means that the Freeman government has knowledge and record of every transaction made within the nation, and that Freeman citizens have no purchase power outside the Republic where this system isn't used. This has motivated the [[black market in the Free Republic of Avelax|black market]] and the resistance to develop their own system of currency, with which they can trade without the onirarchy's oversight. This shadow currency, known as [[pall money]] in apparent allusion to the mysterious [[Avelachian Pall]] that once mantled the continent, is made of [[dreamstuff]] stolen by Resistance [[dream mage|wizard]]s from the onirarchs' creations.

The cities of the Republic have many [[retail stores of the Free Republic of Avelax|stores]] at which the residents can spend their earnings. These stores are typically highly specialized; rather than just selling food, a particular store will sell only [[fruit]], or only a particular kind of [[cuisine]], and rather than just selling [[clothing]], a particular store will sell only [[shirt]]s, or only [[shoe]]s. There are stores that sell luxury items such as [[candy|candies]], [[perfume]]s, and decorative [[work of art|objets d'art]], but they are not regularly frequented by the typical Freeman citizen, who may treat themself to the occasional extravagance if they find themself with a little money left over after fulfilling their basic needs, but is content to spend most of their small income on food, clothing, [[personal care products|toiletries]], and simple [[furniture]], devoting most of their free time to [[dreaming in the onirarchies|dreaming]] and so feeling little need to voluptuate their waking environment. There are those less complacent Freemen, however, who either by taking on extra work or by leveraging their skills and talents into higher-paying jobs, are able to earn enough to regularly afford to buy such nonessentials and live less frugal lifestyles, possibly even renting more spacious accommodations than the small [[apartment]]s provided by the government. An especially industrious Freeman may even be able to afford to own their own store—while most stores in the Republic are owned by the government, citizens can apply to rent their own storefronts and run their own establishments, which despite the high fees involved can be a very lucrative endeavor. Of course, while citizens of the Republic may have the opportunity to improve their means and raise their stations, doing so inevitably invites the attention of the onirarchs. Such ambition may imply a potentially disruptive dissatisfaction with existing conditions, and those Freemen who run their own businesses will be carefully monitored—and very possibly eventually either recruited as agents of the onirarchs if they seem sufficiently useful, or quietly eliminated if they show signs of sympathy for the resistance.

==People==
The people of the Republic are of mixed [[ethnicity]] and [[species]], but predominant are the [[Balian]]s, a light-skinned [[human]] people originally from the continent of [[Burcady]], who crossed the [[isthmus]] into Avelax just under two thousand years ago, driving out most of the indigenous [[Kenever]] people. But Avelax has had [[immigration|immigrants]]—voluntary and otherwise—from many other places, and is home to a considerable mix of people; the Balians form a slim majority, but there are many significant minorities. This is especially true in the outskirts of the nation; in the heartland of the Republic the Balians' majority is stronger, while in some of the outlying provinces they may actually be outnumbered by other peoples.

Nor are all of the Freeman citizens human. [[Gnulu]]s make up a little under four [[percent]] of the Freeman populace, particularly the half-[[slug]] [[b'rac]], the half-[[weasel]] [[hhuzen]], and the half-[[moose]] [[davine]]s indigenous to the continent. Less common nonhuman [[folk]]s found in the Republic include [[wunderkind]]er, [[bardaric]]s, [[chitch]]es, [[velt]]s, and [[whispling]]s, the last apparently the descendants of people magically altered by the Pall. The Verecan and Ngo Mountains are also home to strange monocular [[humanoid]] creatures called [[thyvar]]s that seem to be [[ellogy|ellogous]] but that the Freeman government generally prefers to ignore, at least for the moment. (The also alpestral [[zjalak]]s have likewise been suggested to be possibly ellogous, but their case is much more dubious.)

There are also many Freeman citizens who were born human, but have been altered by the onirarchs into [[dreambuilt]]. Many [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s carry out the Republic's aquaculture, while [[ogre dreambuilt|ogre]]s and [[spiderling]]s work in fields suited to their capacities. Unlike in some onirarchies, the Freeman government does not routinely rig [[child]]ren, but only makes these modifications to [[adult]]s who are supposedly able to give informed consent. However, this consent is typically obtained through coaxing or coercion; it is still largely the case that the government decides which of its citizens are to become dreambuilt to achieve its purposes.

As with batirines, the Freeman onirarchs have created some types of dreambuilt unique to the nation, perhaps the best known of which is the [[dreamsucker]], which looks fully human but has a magical implant that draws the [[dream energy]] of those [[sleep]]ing nearby and channels it to a [[dream mage|wizard]] linked to the dreambuilt. While of limited utility inside the Republic, since the onirarchs already siphon off the dream energy of its citizens anyway, dreamsuckers are often placed in the surrounding undeveloped nations to harvest dream energy from there.

===Language===
The official [[language]] of the Free Republic of Avelax is [[Orlian]], the language of the Balian people who founded the Republic. All government documents and signs are in Orlian, and those who do not speak the language are disadvantaged even more so than most of the oppressed populace. Next to Orlian, the most widely spoken languages in the Republic are [[Kenever (language)|Kenever]], [[Maplander]], [[Gcole]], [[Chuen]], [[U']], [[Qeqe]], and [[Loua]].

==Culture==
Although people of many different origins and ethnicities have settled in the Free Republic, the government strives to impose on them a unified culture and set of values. Nevertheless, ethnic enclaves do exist, especially in the outskirts of the Republic outside the heartland; the government may disapprove of them but has not completely eradicated them. For the most part, Freemen, perduced by their leaders, place a high value on structure and conformity, while at the same time at least paying lip service to freedom and individuality. While few if any Freemen would put it this way, the overall idea is perhaps that people of the Free Republic have the rights and liberty to choose to live however they want, but given that liberty they will naturally want to choose to live as everyone else does and as their leaders encourage them to live.

===Architecture and urban design===
Like those in many onirarchies, the [[city|cities]] of the Free Republic of Avelax are characterized by tall, cylindrical buildings made of dreamstuff, mostly in various shades of [[red]]. The tops of the buildings of the Republic are usually [[dome]]d, and [[balcony|balconies]] are common but [[window]]s are rare. There is seldom any enclosed connection between buildings; even travel between neighboring buildings is usually done through [[streampath]]s, or perhaps if there is a lot of traffic between the buildings in question through [[travel circle]]s. Many buildings ''do'' have doors on the ground floor leading outside, but they are seldom used; many Freeman never set foot outdoors. The city's buildings are seldom laid out in any orderly arrangement, but scattered apparently randomly, but since almost all travel between buildings is done through streampath or travel circle most of their inhabitants have little reason to care about their physical arrangement or relative positions. Sometimes, of course, in cities that predate the rise of the onirarchs, the modern city plans still show some traces of the cities' original layouts.

The cities of the heartland flow into each other with little way to tell where one city ends and another begins without consulting a [[map]]. There are parts of the heartland given over to farmland or to infrastructure such as [[batirine mill]]s, but no one enters those areas except those assigned to work there, and most people may be only vaguely aware of their existence. Outside the heartland, urbanization is less complete and the cities are less sprawling, but streampaths connect these cities too to each other and to the heartland, and people still commonly get by without ever leaving the buildings.

To facilitate the specification of addresses within a city, each city of the Free Republic of Avelax is divided into two overlapping sets of [[block (Free Republic of Avelax)|block]]s. These blocks are rarely compact in shape, but usually long, narrow, and often tortuously curving, the better to ensure that each block of one set overlaps with as many blocks of the other set as possible. The blocks are given names, generally following patterns or protocols that may differ between cities; it is common, though far from universal, that the names of blocks of the primary partition—the one stated first in an address—are [[adjective]]s, and those of the secondary partition [[noun]]s; another frequently used scheme is for the names of primary partition to be nouns and the second to be [[number]]s.

===Cuisine===
As controlled and uniform as Freeman culture is in many ways, its cuisine is one aspect in which it can rightly boast of variety. As in most onirarchies, highly processed foods such as [[durway]]s, [[flavor stick]]s, and [[foamcake]]s are common, but more traditional food is available for those who want it. [[Shop]]s and [[restaurant]]s in the Republic sell [[food]] ingredients and prepared [[dish]]es from all over the world, from [[Alfenane]]r [[podge pie]]s to [[Rronga]]n [[seafire stew]]. While the recipes are not completely authentic, and Freeman culinarians may make their own changes and take some liberties, still the food in the Republic is more diverse than in most other onirarchies.

For all its eagerness to adopt foods from other nations, however, the Republic has never developed much of a characteristic cuisine of its own. Certainly the Kenever who once inhabited the area had their own magiristic traditions, as did the Balian settlers from [[Chrate]] who founded what would become the modern nation, but foods from these kitchens, while obtainable at some rare specialty stores, are today neither widely available nor popular in the Republic. If there is anything distinctive about Freeman cuisine, it is its fondness for [[fusion cuisine|fusions]]. As much as there are establishments that sell staples and delicacies from all over the world, there are also those that combine two farflung dishes into something new, and it is perhaps this that the Republic can best claim as its major contribution to cookery.

===Art===
While the Freeman government does not patronize or otherwise encourage the creation of [[art]], nevertheless there are of course those who are sufficiently driven by artistic impuluses to engage in artistic pursuits on their own time, and some notable artistic movements and individual works of art have appeared in the Republic despite its leaders' disinterest. Notable [[sculptor]]s have arisen in the vicinity of the Verecan Mountains, many following the [[Carathian School]] that emphasizes using the natural patterns and grain of the [[rock]] the [[sculpture]] is carved from. Freeman music, not unlike its cuisine, often combines [[instrument]]s from many different nations; some [[musician]]s have also revived use of Kenever instruments such as the [[eolar]] and the [[honeycomb (instrument)|honeycomb]]. A genre of [[fiction]] that arose in the Republic is the [[godtale]], a story usually set in the historical past and describing the details of [[god]]s—though given the Republic's typically onirarchal disdain of the gods, godtales are almost invariably either tragedies or farces.

===Education===
General [[education]] of young children in the Free Republic is neither compulsory nor subsidized by the state. Tutors and private [[schools]] do exist for those who want their children to have a broad base of learning, but there is little demand for them and they are in correspondingly small supply. What the government ''does'' both provide and require is education in [[trade schools in the Free Republic of Avelax|trade schools]], to prepare its young citizens for their future lives as productive workers.

The government does not mandate ''which'' trade school a [[child]] will go to; that is a decision of the child and/or their [[parent]]s. Local government functionaries called [[proponent]]s may work with the [[family|families]] to settle on a suitable trade, but this varies widely by province; in some provinces the proponent's "suggestions" have almost the force of law, while in others the provincial leaders think it not worth the bother to meddle with their citizens' career choices, and there are no proponents at all.

Different trade schools admit students at different ages; students who aspire to careers that require more extensive education enroll earlier than those that require a more modest training program. Those going into careers as [[laborer]]s or [[farmer]]s may enter the trade schools in their mid teens, while those who hope to attain positions as agents of the onirarchs may have to begin their training as young as seven. The more education a job requires the better it tends to pay, however, so those children who commit early on to a position that requires them to enter trade school young are rewarded for their foresight—assuming they are able to stick with their studies.

===Clothing===
[[Clothing]] in the Free Republic of Avelax tends toward the practical and unostentations. Men and women alike usually wear [[blouse]]s and loose [[trousers]] in earth tones and neutral [[color]]s, or [[sleeveless shirt]]s and [[short trouser]]s in hot weather. [[Hat]]s are uncommon, except for broad-brimmed [[sun hat|field hats]] called [[monder]]s that Freeman farmers and others who work outdoors wear on particularly sunny days.

In cold weather, especially in the [[mountain]]s and in the [[east]]ern, pageric part of the nation, Freemen venturing outdoors wear heavy outerwear over their other clothing to keep warm. This most commonly takes the form of long, shaggy [[coat]]s called [[valat]]s and heavily insulated [[jackets]] called [[brelgen]]s. While the physical designs of valats and brelgens are fairly standardized and exhibit little variation, they do vary considerably more in [[color]] and [[pattern]]s than most Freeman clothing, meaning the colder regions of the country are the most colorful, at least as far as their people's garb.

[[Footwear]] is where Freeman attire varies the most. It is said, and is to a large degree true, that you can tell a Freeman's profession by what's on their [[foot|feet]], from the heavy [[boot]]s of farmers to the polished, pointed red [[Wikipedia:slip-on shoe|slip-ons]] worn by [[clerk]]s and the [[buckle]]d [[shoe]]s of shopkeepers. When not at work, Freeman may of course change into different shoes, but generally even then they wear shoes that are similar to their work shoes but perhaps more comfortable.

Technically, there are no [[law]]s in most provinces of the Free Republic against public [[nudity]], and Freemen are not legally prohibited from going around topless or even fully naked. However, while not illegal, public nudity is generally considered socially unacceptable and scandalous. Furthermore, as with any deviation from the norm, someone who appears naked in public may invite the scrutiny of the onirarchs, who mistrust any sort of noncomformity. Oddly, there is perhaps an even stronger cultural taboo against appearing [[barefoot]] in public than against being otherwise naked, unless one is [[swimming]]—and even then, many Freemen prefer to wear [[bathing slipper]]s.

===Family===
[[Marriage]] in the Republic is quick and easy, requiring little more than registration at a municipal clerk's office. There is no restriction on the [[gender]]s of the nuptialities, and [[polygamy|polygamous]] marriages, while unusual, are permitted. [[Divorce]] is also common and routine but discouraged if the couple has any young children. Unlike in many onirarchies, in the Republic [[child]]ren stay with and are brought up by their [[parent]]s, rather than being taken and raised by the state. This fact is often brought up in the government's propaganda to compare the Republic favorably to other developed nations; here parents are given the freedom to raise their children as they will. In fact, to motivate parents to raise more citizens for the state, the government subsidizes childcare, giving parents a stipend to pay for food and other expenses for their children.

After the children grow up and move out, however, [[family]] ties in the Republic are weak. Very rarely do [[adult]]s live with their parents or with any other family members aside from their own children and [[spouse]]; [[sibling]]s may keep in touch with their parents and/or each other and perhaps occasionally visit, but it is not uncommon for a Freeman to have never met and to know nothing about any relatives other than their parents, siblings, spouse, and children. Freemen feel no obligation to care for elderly parents, since they are already provided for by the government, which gives them an apartment like all citizens, and finds work for them to do to support themselves if they are able to do so and have not yet retired.

===Religion===
The Freeman government does not outlaw [[religion]]; citizens are free to [[worship]] any [[gods of Dadauar|gods]] they want to. However, very few Freemen actually ''do'' worship any gods, because the government has done a very thorough job of suppressing religion not through laws but through propaganda and social pressure. The onirarchs take pains to ensure that the gods are portrayed as impotent, outmoded, and somewhat ridiculous, and this has been effective enough that even though they are legally allowed to do so most human Freemen in the heartland would no sooner openly worship a god than they would wear shoes on their [[ear]]s. There are, of course, exceptions, but they face not only general opprobrium but also the suspicion of the onirarchs.

This is less true in the outskirts of the nation, and among its nonBalian and nonhuman population. Many of the people of the Talacho Peninsula still worship the same gods they honored before the advent of the Republic, which are by and large the same gods worshipped in Mapland. The people of the Atahali Desert, too, still largely honor their old gods. Even in the heartland, while most Kenever have assimilated to Freeman culture, there are some who defiantly keep to some of their ancestors' ways, which includes worshipping their ancestors' gods. As for the nonhumans, many gnulus have gods of their own, and the davines in particular still hold religious ceremonies at their mountain [[temple]]s.

===Dreaming===
As typical for onirarchies, the citizens of the Republic most look forward to the time they spend dreaming. The onirarchs of the Republic have created a [[dreamworlds of Dadauar|dreamworld]] for their subjects called the [[Eight Realms]]. As the name implies, the Eight Realms comprise eight separate [[plane]]s; five of them are publicly accessible to everyone, while the other three require some payment or service to the onirarchs—another way the Republic encourages its people to play by its rules.

Those sentenced to dream redirection, of course, do not go to the Eight Realms in their dreams. Different onirarchs have different preferences as to where to send their enemies in their dreams, with the [[Bleakness]], the [[Forest of Teeth]], the [[Hungry Slough]], and the [[Spiders' Playground]] being among the preferred [[nightmare world]]s.

===Resistance===
Despite the best efforts of the onirarchs, the Free Republic is bedeviled by a [[resistance in the Free Republic of Avelax|resistance element]] that fights against their rule. Many Freeman rebels have established lairs in Avelax's extensive [[underfold]], but others manage to live among the other citizens and keep a low enough profile to avoid being caught. While their goal may seem unreachable set against the overwhelming might of the powerful dreamlords, the resistance does what they can to chip away at their power, sabotaging key infrastructure and trying to counter the government's propaganda.

While they may be far from achieving their ultimate aim of bringing down the onirarchs, the rebels of the Republic have managed the occasional minor victory. One of their more unusual and lasting feats was the creation of a [[sleepless rat]], a type of magical [[rodent]] that eats dreamstuff. Sleepless rats have now spread over much of the continent, gnawing away at the onirarchs' works and withstanding attempts to exterminate them. They may be little more than a nuisance to the dreamlords, but they are a nuisance the onirarchs would prefer to be without, and a constant reminder of the presence and activity of the resistance.

As in most onirarchies, the resistance in the Free Republic is anything but unified, with innumerable discrete resistance groups acting independently and often at cross purposes. Some of the largest and best-known resistance groups of the Republic include the [[Dreambreakers]], all of whose members take up the [[Vandals' Geis]] (and often other [[geis|geasa]] besides); the [[Mother's Men]], a group made up mostly of Kenever (though with some nonKenever sympathizers); the [[Troglodyte (FRA)|Troglodyte]]s, who are rumored to have established or be in the process of establishing a whole civilization in the underfold beneath the Republic; the [[Underground College]], who promote knowledge and education; and the [[White Cult]], known for their extreme methods and unconcern with collateral damage.

==Relations==
The Free Republic of Avelax has no close allies, but its size and power mean it also has no enemies that pose a real threat to it. For the most part, it has a policy of neutrality toward its fellow onirarchies, trading with them and co&oumlperating when it is mutually beneficial, but not openly intervening in any conflicts between other nations. (''Covert'' intervention, on the other hand, is not off the table if it serves the Republic's interests.) The Republic has cultivated fairly good relationships with [[Ren Gao]], whose aid it occasionally enlists in trying to root out rebels in the underfold; with [[Ikiki]], with which it entrusts much of its trade; and with [[Risinien]], one of its largest trading partners. (In Ikiki's case, however, this otherwise good relationship is tempered by concerns that the Republic's objectives may include someday moving to annex the smaller onirarchy.)

On the other hand, there has long been a measure of antipathy between the Republic and the nation of [[Ovla Ba]]. This seems to have started more due to personality clashes between the two nations' respective past leaders than due to any geopolitical causes, although it may be that the Republic covets Ovla Ba's bountiful food supply. The Free Republic also has strained relationships with Ivinii, which it resents for occupying the colony of Kasie on land the Republic wants for its own, and with [[Drithidiach]], in dealings with which the Republic's leaders affect an air of amiability but which they privately dislike because they are epprehensive that the [[Drithidian Amnesty]] and succeeding events in that nation may set a precedent they don't want followed.

Freeman relationships with the undeveloped nations are less fraught, if perhaps more paternalistic. The Republic happily trades with these nations, usually sending them useful magic in return for food, and frequently offers aid dealing with disasters or challenges these nations face. Of course, this apparent generosity is mostly granted with the goal of increasing the Republic's influence over these nations and inducing them to act in the Republic's interest, but the effort has been successful enough that many people in the undeveloped nations regard the Free Republic as a benevolent patron. The Republic's immediate neighbors are exceptions; the fear of an invasion by the Republic is seldom far from the minds of the people of Ekerben, Mapland, and Onraa.

==History==
With the exception of the Talacho Peninsula, most of the area now controlled by the Free Republic of Avelax was covered for thousands of years by the [[Avelachian Pall]], and its history before the Pall is murky at best. After the Pall, however, the dominant inhabitants of the area were Kenever, a fair-skinned people of uncertain origin. Though other peoples spread into the center of the continent from areas that had been spared from the Pall, the Kenever were the most widespread and numerous ethnicity. They were, however, apparently an open-minded people, and for the most part got on well with the other folks they encountered.

The genesis of the Free Republic came in 427 [[Drithidian Calendar|D.C.]] when a large expedition of Balians arrived in what is now the province of [[Oradallen]], led by a woman named [[Eridar Drazgen]]. Fleeing persecution by the incipient onirarchy in [[Chrate]], they had sailed around the south end of the Aoala range in search of a new home, and found it here, declaring their newfounded nation the Free Republic of Avelax, after the continent where it was located and their liberation from those who had just taken power in their land of origin. They quickly built cities and established a foothold in this new country, but they were not long satisfied to remain in this cold area, and began to spread west.

As the newcomers encountered the Kenever and the other existing inhabitants, sometimes they integrated with them, but more often they drove them out and took their territory by force. These Chratish settlers had not represented the poor and downtrodden of their old nation, but rather had included the former rulers and patriciates, whom the new onirarchs had overthrown but who had brought much of their wealth and their magical resources with them in their flight. The indigines, sparsely populating a land that had only relatively recently recovered from the Pall, were no match for the magic and weapons that the settlers had brought from their homeland, and within a few hundred years the Free Republic claimed almost all the territory south of the Verecan Mountains and north of the [[Ngo]]. By this time word of the new nation had spread and many immigrants began to pour in from other troubled lands, further increasing the Republic's burgeoning population.

While the Free Republic had been founded with the intent of escaping the onirarchy in Chathe, however, and nominally championed freedom and equality (its unequal treatment of the Avelachian natives notwithstanding), not all of its citizens were so idealistic. Coalescing about a ringleader named [[Imidir Cach]], a confederacy of wizards plotted to take power in the Republic just as the usurpers had in Chathe. After years of planning and laying groundwork, Cach and his confederates finally struck in 752, empowering themselves with dream energy stolen from their fellow citizens and using it to seize power. They were careful to do so in such a way, however, as to preserve the pretense of democracy, and their successors have managed to keep up this deception since.

The expansion of the Republic had largely stalled at the Verecan Mountains to the north at the [[Rananuin River]] to the west, as the natives had fallen back and fortified the surrounding areas, improving their defenses. But once the onirarchs were in power, their powerful magic let the Republic press further, first taking a large swathe of territory west of the Upper Rananuin and then crossing the [[Darwell Waste]] and beginning to spread into the land north of the Verecans. The Republic soon reached the New Coast and then spread west from there; some of the battles were hard, but they took almost all the land between the Verecans and the Akararal Sea, saving only Onraa, which proved too hard a nut for them to crack at the moment, and Kasie, an attack on which would mean a [[war]] with a fellow onirarchy which the Republic was not prepared for. Meanwhile, the Republic also sent forces further west from the Rananuin, eventually reaching the [[Golden Sea]]. So much of an impression did the tropical [[beach]] on the sea's northeastern shore make on the head of the expeditionary force, [[general officer|General]] [[Ractam Calloram]], that he called the area [[Paradise (FRA)|Paradise]].

Now in control of all of what is today consider the heartland of the Free Republic, the onirarchs paused to consolidate their gains for only a few decades before continuing their conquests. Hungry for more land and power, they sent armies not only west and south into the Talacho Peninsula and to the sides of the Ngo Mountains, but also overseas, taking much of the [[Stone Coast]] and southern Burcady as well as part of western [[Jahanna]] and the northern coast of the [[White Main]]. From a relatively small group of settlers fleeing their homeland, the Free Republic had now expanded into a true [[empire (politics)|empire]], with significant holdings on four of the world's five continents.

The [[Avelachian Empire]] would, however, be short-lived. The onirarchs might have been powerful, but they had spread their power too thin and claimed more than they could hold. This was especially true in face of the opposition of the other onirarchies, who bristled at the Republic's ambition. Between border skirmishes with neighboring nations and uprisings from within, the leaders of the Republic were eventually forced to withdraw from all their transoceanic territories, and after some two hundred years of embattled existence, the Avelachian Empire was no more. (At least by name; while it is not called such, the modern Free Republic is arguably still an empire, albeit no longer a transcontinental one.) The Free Republic ''did'' keep all the new territory it had gained in Avelax itself, but it reluctantly relinquished all its claims on other continents.

Since then, the onirarchs of the Free Republic have mostly focused on building up their nation's wealth and infrastructure and cementing their control over their people. That does not, however, mean that their imperial aspirations have entirely abated. Having no other adjacent territory it can easily claim on the land, the Free Republic has recently started expanding into the water. Officially established only twenty [[year]]s ago, the Republic's newest province, [[Ontrehen]], is entirely underwater, at the mouth of the Akararal Sea; it is inhabited largely by [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s and by aquatic folks such as [[bulurang]]s and [[dantili]]s, though there are also some enclosed [[Underwater cities of the FRA|underwater cities]] where [[land|terrestrial]] folks can dwell. Apparently the Republic does not intend to end its expansion with Ontrehen; there are three other marine areas where it is clearly laying the groundwork for similar development, though they have not been officially designated provinces of the Republic yet: [[Area 39|northeast of Ontrehen]], [[Area 43|off the Lobster Coast]], and [[Area 42|off the New Coast]]. Although the leaders of the FRA have not publicly stated the reasons for their marine expansion, certainly others have guessed at motives beyond simply growing its footprint. If the Republic claims the entire mouth of the Akararal, it could establish a lucrative control of passage in and out of the sea. If it claims all the sea around Onraa, that could make it easier for it to finally annex the recalcitrant nation. And controlling the east end of the Akararal Sea could give the Republic a clear path to some of the undeveloped nations on western Burcady that it might hope to conquer—and by spreading across the mouth of the Akararal it could conceivably threaten Ovla Ba as well, though any attempt to seize its territory would of course mean a [[war]] between the onirarchies.
[[Category:Onirarchies of Dadauar]][[Category:Nations of Avelax]]

Soul War

2026-01-15T07:22:26Z

Clé: Updated link

The '''Soul War''' is a term used to refer to the conflict between the [[god (Dadauar)|god]]s of [[Dadauar]] and the [[onirarch]]s. This conflict comes about largely because the onirarchs and the gods are competing for some of the same resources, so the rise of one almost inevitably means the decline of the other. The gods want people to worship them, and generally want their worshipers to become as successful as possible, to demonstrate their power and attract more worshippers. It is to the onirarchs' benefit, however, to maintain the people of their [[sovereign state|nation]]s powerless and complacent, and to keep them focused on quotidian activities and shallow recreations, lest they come to recognize and resent the way the dreamlords are using them. If the people must look to some greater entity for aid and succor, the onirarchs would obviously prefer the people rely on the onirarchs themselves, seeing them as benevolent providers whose rule is just and right—and people who devote themselves to gods are less likely to think of themselves as dependent on the onirarchs. Therefore, the leaders of most [[onirarchy|onirarchies]] have actively worked to induce the people of their nations to abandon the gods, the better to focus on their works for the state. Within most onirarchies, the gods are forgotten—or substituted with [[dwalegod (Dadauar)|imaginary gods]] given to the people to worship to pacify them, but incapable of actually responding to their requests.

The Soul War is so called after the idea that the gods and the onirarchs are, in a sense, battling over the [[soul (Gomara)|soul]]s of the citizens of the onirarchies. The term, however, is not one that will be known to the typical person of Dadauar. Certainly most citizens of the onirarchies aren't even aware the Soul War is going on; it would be counterproductive for the onirarchs to make it publicly known that they were trying to draw people away from the gods. The term was coined by [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|rebels]] against the onirarchs, but was later adopted by the onirarchs themselves, and is even used by some [[scholar]]s both within and outside the onirarchies—but it has never been in common use by laymen.

The effects of the Soul War are not felt only in the onirarchies. Since the rise of the onirarchs, devotion to the gods has overall waned in the undeveloped nations, too. Part of this may be due to some people in the undeveloped nations envying the development of the onirarchies and wanting to emulate them, and it may also be that the slight lowering of the gods' power due to the decrease in their worship in the onirarchies leads to them being less capable of fulfilling their faithful's needs and therefore to their losing worshippers elsewhere as well. But certainly some of the decline comes about from the onirarchs' active efforts; many of the onirarchs send [[absebist|agents]] into the undeveloped nations with the express charge of fostering discontent with [[religion]] and encouraging people to abandon their gods.

==Origins==
It's difficult to say exactly when the Soul War began; the dreamlords have been strengthening their hold over their dominions since the founding of the [[Hsüfirst modern onirarchy]]. But if there were one day to be chosen in which the Soul War began in its present state, it might be eleven [[century|centuries]] ago, when the god [[Nuropus]] intervened and destroyed the president of [[Alfenane]]. In retaliation, a number of other onirarchs combined forces to destroy Nuropus. Until that point, mortals destroying a god was a matter practically unheard of, but apparently that interchange convinced both the gods and the onirarchs that the other side was powerful enough to make direct confrontations risky. The Soul War continued, but was mostly one of persuasion and influence. There were a few more direct strikes—the capture of [[Maior]], the Enslaved God, a thousand years ago, and the [[Blessings of Yelay]]—but for the most part, the war has been fought not with physical [[weapon]]s, but with [[word]]s and [[magic]], not over land or [[money]], but over the minds of the people.

==Combatants==
The primary combatants in the Soul War are, of course, the gods and the onirarchs. Both work indirectly, the gods primarily bolstering and encouraging those who oppose the onirarchs, and the onirarchs propagandizing against the gods and discouraging their worship, either directly or through their mouthpieces. Both sides have allies and agents who aid them and further their purposes. The onirarchs have their [[absedist]]s and [[dwalepriest (Dadauar)|dwalepriest]]s; the gods have their evangelists and votaries. To a lesser extent, some who sympathize or whose interests coincide with one side or the other may meddle in the conflict as well. Some hoping to curry favor with the onirarchs may do their part to attack religion; some who hate the onirarchs may turn to the gods.

But not all gods and not all onirarchs participate in the Soul War with equal fervor. On the side of the onirarchs, Alfenane, [[Niruna]], and [[Noric]] tend to be particularly hostile toward the gods, and especially active in quashing their worship and persecuting their worshippers. The onirarchs of Alfenane have perhaps never forgiven Nuropus's aggression, and do their best to paint the gods not just as useless or superannuated but as actively [[evil]]. The onirarchs of Niruna owe the fervor of their [[misotheism]] perhaps less to their personal comvictions than to their desire to show that they are in the forefront of the Soul War as they are (or want to be seen as being) in other things. The onirarchs of Noric preach a distinctive mechanistic [[religion]] (sometimes called [[banausism]]) with which they hope to supplant faith in the gods.

On the side of the gods, perhaps those who take the most proactive parts in the Soul War include the sky god [[Alațan]]; [[Cherdac]], god of heroism; [[Qogow]], god of refuse; and the nature goddess [[Xhadla]]. Alațan was once one of the most powerful of gods, but his worship waned long before the rise of the onirarchs; he may be hoping to distinguish himself in the Soul War and so launch himself back to his former glory. Cherdac, an androgynous god from the [[Sibling Nations]], blesses those who fight the onirarchs and sometimes calls their worshippers to specific missions against them. Qogow, formerly a fairly obscure god with few devotees, has made creative use of his [[field]] to hinder the onirarchs. Xhadla has assembled a band of nature deities whom she leads against the dreamlords, hoping to reverse the destruction they have brought to wilderness areas.

===Neutrals===
Just as some gods and onirarchs participate in the Soul War more enthusiastically than others, some also do less. In fact, the hostility between the gods and the onirarchs is not universal, and there are some on both sides who do not take a part in the Soul War at all, or at least if they do so it is with subtlety and surreptition.

Worship of their traditional gods still plays a major röle in the cultures of the onirarchies of [[K'eng]] and [[Yumaria]], not only without the objection but apparently with the full approval and involvement of the local onirarchs. [[Drithidiach]] was once as virulent in its opposition to the gods as any other onirarchy, but since the [[Drithidian Amnesty]] it has become as tolerant of religion as it has of many other practices it once condemned. The people of Drithidian [[colony]] of [[Ludelt]], in particular, long maintained their devotion to their gods in defiance of the onirarchs, and since the Amnesty now that such devotion is no longer prohibited it has flourished even more, to the extent that Ludelt may be the most religious place on all Dadauar. If some have argued that the continued practice of religion in these onirarchies show that devotion to the gods and to the onirarchs is not incompatible and that the Soul War is an unnecessary conflict, few other gods or onirarchs have taken this enarrative to heart.

On the other hand, a few gods have found worshipers among the onirarchs themselves, even in onirarches where religion is otherwise discouraged or forbidden. Foremost among them is [[Ulcan]], god of dreams, who shows onirarchs willing to give him his due how better to use the [[dream energy]] they gather and to exploit and alter the [[dreamworlds of Dadauar|dreamworlds]] of [[Magogenia]]. A handful of other gods have also found significant, though smaller, numbers of devotees among the dreamlords: [[Ku Tsu]] god of wealth, [[Ibhavi]] goddess of destiny, [[Thothet]] god of rulership, and the [[demon (Ses)|demon]] god [[Verilach]]. Whether these gods have betrayed their fellow deities or are playing the onirarchs for fools depends on whom you ask—and of course the answer may not be the same for each god.

==Fronts==
Although the Soul War pervades all of Dadauar, there are some particular fronts where it is fought particularly hard. One is the [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|resistance]]—because they are trying to bring down the onirarchs, the rebels and the gods find themselves natural allies. Both because of the additional power they can grant, and to thumb their nose at the onirarchs' proscriptions, many rebels devote themselves to gods. Certain gods in particular have been widely embraced by resistance elements—[[Eieia]], goddess of hope; [[Kavarne]], god of lost causes; [[Kelestre]] and [[Lalilam]], gods of warriors; [[Tecliuna]], goddess of freedom. Of course, the resistance is far from unified, and there are resistance cells or individual rebels every bit as misotheistic as the dreamlords, but on average the religious devotion of the rebels is well above that of the general populace, let alone the onirarchs.

There are also a few redoubts the gods maintain power even within the onirarchies' borders. Surrounded by the [[Free Republic of Avelax]], the [[Godhill]] is a [[mountain]] where a group of old [[Avelax|Avelachian]] gods have established a base of power. The [[Hidden Isle]] in the [[Tanahire archipelago]] is a similar base of power for a different group of gods, who have so far been successful in keeping the onirarchs of [[Tanahire]] from finding the [[island]]. The [[Red Caves]] beneath the land now claimed by [[Sineae]] have been a place of hidden worship long before the rise of the onirarchs, and continue to be so now. An area of [[swamp]]land between [[Sesael]] and [[Vorasia]] was long claimed by neither nation, leaving an opening for local gods and their worshippers to entrench themselves there, and today that area is called the [[Holy Mire]].

[[Gnulu]]s and other nonhuman residents of the onirarchs make up another often unappreciated front in the Soul War. In many of the onirarchs, the gnulus have been largely neglected by the national leaders, not having free access to what few rights and privileges the dreamlords deign to grant the human citizens—but likewise not being as actively monitored and molded into what the onirarchs want their people to be like. This means that these [[folk]]s have had fewer obstacles than the human residents to maintaining their older traditions, including their religions, and many nonhumans continue to worship their gods while being largely ignored by the onirarchs who actively suppress such practices in their human subjects. Thus far, these bastions of religion within the onirarchies have not played a direct part in the Soul War, but some allies of the gods and enemies of the dreamlords have begun to consider how they might be used in their favor. Conversely, some of the onirarchs have come to recognize the potential danger they pose and are weighing how best to deal with the threat and stamp out these nonhuman religions without being too heavy-handed and turning people against them.

==Consequences==
There may be some reason to fear that while the Soul War is not currently a physical war, it may be in danger of becoming one. As it is, it seems that the influence of the gods in the onirarchies is ever decreasing—the onirarchs are winning the war. It may be a matter of time before the gods get desperate and revert to more direct tactics. If this does happen, it will mean a battle between two incredibly powerful forces—the gods, and the onirarchs who have proven themselves perhaps the gods' equals—and it's likely to result in devastation unparalleled in Dadauar since the [[Great Plague]]. Whether or not [[human]]ity can even survive such a conflict is not a foregone conclusion.

If a full-scale war does break out, though, the gods and the onirarchs may not be the only forces to reckon with. The [[Bathybius]], too, is a being of immense power, and while it may not be the equal of the gods, it keeps its motives and abilities secret enough that it's impossible to judge. In a physical Soul War, the Bathybius could be a major wild card, and it's anybody's guess which side, if either, it would throw its own power behind.

Even if the Soul War does turn physical and humanity somehow survives, the world, if it remains livable, will be a vastly different place. Depending on which side won, either the onirarchs would rule the world unchallenged by the gods, and perhaps take the places of the gods themselves, or the onirarchies will be thrown down and the people either freed or brought under [[theocracy|theocracies]] to replace them. Or, conceivably, the Bathybius, having bided its time during the conflict until both sides are weakened, will have rushed in to take control itself, and brought all of Dadauar under its own control.

Of course, at this point all this is completely hypothetical. It could be that this never happens—that the Soul War never becomes physical, but just continues indefinitely in its current state, or that one side will manage to defeat the other without resorting to anything so crass as a direct frontal attack. It could conceivably even be that the gods and the onirarchs will come to some sort of mutually agreeable compromise, though under the present circumstances this seems exceedingly unlikely. Still, even in its current state, the Soul War provides an important undercurrent that has a subtle but significant effect on the lives of all Dadauar's people... whether they realize it or not.
[[Category:Cold wars]][[Category:Divine wars]][[Category:Wars of Dadauar]]

Plakhán

2026-01-15T07:21:55Z

Clé: Updated link

'''Plakhán''' (pronounced {{IPA|/pləˈxɑːn/}}) is an [[onirarchy]] located on a series of [[island]]s near the [[east]]ern end of the [[Akararal Sea]] on the [[world]] of [[Dadauar]]. Plakhán has little [[trade]] or interaction with other nations, managing to remain more or less self-sufficient. This is achieved in large part because the vast majority of its [[organism|biological]] population is kept constantly [[asleep|sleep]], requiring little in the way of resources beyond [[water]] and nutrients. Of the roughly 1,100,000 people living in Plakhán, only about four thousand—well under half of one [[percent]]—are actually awake; these are mostly the nation's [[onirarch]]s, who gather power from the [[dream]]s of the sleepers and live in luxury. Tending to the needs of both the sleepers and the onirarchs are a host of [[batirine]]s, many of them of sorts unique to Plakhán and designed around the nation's unusual circumstances.

==Geography==
Plakhán is an [[archipelago]] consisting of six primary islands, plus a number of much smaller surrounding isles. From [[northwest]] to [[southeast]], the main islands are [[Afla]], [[Hahtak]], [[Hahlahar]], [[Ak'hahen]], [[Efkhen]], and [[Takhétahat]]. Hahlahar is by far the largest, and is sometimes referred to as Plakhán's "main island". All of the principal islands of Plakhán are [[mountain]]ous or [[hill]]y and heavily [[forest]]ed; the [[climate]] of the nation is wet and [[temperate climate|temperate]]—though some of the onirarchs magically maintain the surroundings of their residences and other favored locations at warmer [[temperature]]s, especially in the [[winter]].

The land [[area]] of Plakhán is about 48,400 square [[meter|kilometer]]s. Hahlahar alone comprises about three fifths of this area; after that, the next largest island is Hahtak, followed closely by Efkhen. All the remaining islands combined make up about a seventh of the archipelago's area.

==History==
Exactly how long ago the first [[human]] settlers arrived on the Plakháni islands is unclear. It ''did'' have inhabitants before the [[Great Plague]], a people [[historian]]s call the [[Akhati]], but they seem to have been completely eradicated by the [[pandemic]], and have left few records. Little is known about the Akhati, including where they came from, how long they lived on the islands, or indeed whether they are really a single people at all, or whether multiple people lived in the antepestile archipelago, either serially or simultaneously.

As with most of Dadauar, the archipelago's [[history]] after the Plague is much better documented. Its first post-Plague inhabitants seem to have been [[Uraga]] immigrants who sailed from the [[Stone Coast]] and settled on the islands. [[Anthropologist]]s sometimes call these early arrivals the "[[Lizard People]]", after the common [[lizard]] motifs in their [[pottery]] and other surviving craftwork. Finding plentiful food in the islands' forests and in the surrounding waters, the Lizard People had little reason to rush to pass out of a [[hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering]] lifestyle, though as their numbers grow some of their densest population centers did start to engage in [[agriculture]].

How the Lizard People would have eventually developed were they left to their own devices is an unanswered question, however, for they were joined a thousand years later by a different group of settlers, a group of [[Nanori]] from [[Onraa]] fleeing the strange [[rhegus]] that afflicted their homeland. The population of the Lizard People was still sparse enough that there was plenty of room for the new arrivals, but the Nanori had a stronger history of [[urbanization]] and [[aquaculture]], and brought their practices to their new home. In any case, the two peoples were not long distinct; the Lizard People and the Nanori newcomers mingled and intermarried, and the majority ethnicity of modern Plakhán, called just the [[Plakháni (ethnicity)|Plakháni]], arose from a mixture of the two original post-Plague inhabitants.

Relative to the mainland nations of [[Burcady]], Plakhán was late to respond to the lure of [[onirarchy]]—but respond it did, when a band of Plakháni wizards followed in the footsteps of mainland onirarchs and seized control of the country be arrogating its people's [[dream energy]] for themselves, forming a new [[government]] now called the [[First Council of Plakhán]]. The First Council, however, was shortlived, as it was opposed by ''other'' Plakháni wizards who managed to resist its attempt to steal their dream energy and who overthrew the Council, banishing many of its members to the [[plane]] of [[Sardaj]], including the plot's ringleader [[Sasata Khahlan]] (and unfortunately including a number of innocents who were caught in the crossfire). The archipelago's government was returned to the [[democracy|semidemocratic]] [[hiearchy|hierarchical]] government it had had previously.

This return to form, however, would last for even less time than the First Council itself. One of the wizards who had been involved in quashing the Council, [[Nahéde Hahfakh]], came to reflect later on the Council's power and covet it for himself, eventually deciding to attempt a similar coup—but to take measures to make sure it would not be overthrown as the First Council had been. He made contact with one of the surviving former Council members, [[Okor Terahlen]], and together they went about gathering what remnants of the Council's power they could and plotting how to effect their takeover. They eventually came up with the ambitious idea of putting ''everyone'' in Plakhán to sleep, save for themselves and a few trusted servants and associates. Thus, they reasoned, not only would they have a much greater source of magical power, since the people would be generating dream energy for them to skim off constantly and not only for a few [[hour]]s a [[day]], but with anyone not in on their plan in permanent obdormition there would be no one to oppose them.

Of course, putting a million people to sleep would itself take a considerable expenditure of magical power. But, through a combination of using some stored power of the First Council and borrowing some power from mainland onirarchs they made deals with, Hahfakh and his allies managed the feat—an event now called the [[Ofakhha]]. Unfortunately for them, it did not bring about all the benefits they had hoped for; although the people were sleeping for more hours, they did not generate much more dream energy—a ''little'' more, yes, but not in [[proportion]] to their greater time in slumber. It ''did'', however, still present the other advantage they had anticipated: that with everyone asleep, they could rule unchallenged, and had no fear of [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|resistance]]. And that ended up being reason enough to keep the system in place.

==Population==
The population of Plakhán can be divided into three main groups: onirarchs, sleepers, and batirines. The onirarchs and the sleepers are almost exclusively [[human]], and [[ethnic|ethnically]] similar, most being of Plakháni—that is, ultimately mixed Lizard Person/Nanori—descent.

===Sleepers===
The vast majority of the people of Plakhán are maintained in constant slumber. In this state, their dreams provide the onirarchs with [[dream energy]] to power their [[magic]], but they are in no position to rebel or interfere with the onirarchs' plans and lifestyle.

The sleeping people do, of course, have biological needs, which are provided by the batirines. [[Respiration|Breathing]] is not a problem, since that is something people do in their sleep anyway, but they also require [[food]] and [[water]], which must be provided them. Their [[metabolic waste|wastes]] must be removed lest they fester and bring [[disease]] or worse. Finally, since their numbers must be maintained as they [[senescence|age]] and [[death|die]], they must be made to [[procreation|procreate]]. In the early days of the nation, this was done by briefly waking them once a [[year]] and urging them to couple, promising rewards in the dreamworlds for those who provided the land with new citizens. Quickly, however, the onirarchs hit upon a method of allowing their land's population to sustain itself or even grow without requiring its citizens to ever wake. By minimally invasive [[magic]]al means, [[harvester batirine]]s gather both [[ovum|egg]]s and [[semen]] from fertile people with the applicable [[organ]]s, passing them on to [[incubator batirine]]s that grow the [[baby|babies]] inside themselves. As soon as they are born, the babies are cast into sleep like all the other Plakháni outside the onirarchy.

Of course, while they sleep, the people of Plakhán dream, and like other dreamers of Dadauar they pass at least part of their sleeping time in [[Magogenia]], the still poorly-understood location or [[esture]] which is the source of [[dream energy]]. The onirarchs of Plakhán created a special [[dreamworlds of Dadauar|dreamworld]] for their people to inhabit, called the [[Joyful Isles]]. At first, the intent was that this was a paradisaical place, a lush tropical getaway where the residents could do as they pleased. As the onirarchs largely ignored it, however, much of what they had built there fell into disrepair, and it was in part overtaken by strange [[predator]]s that may have arrived from elsewhere in Magogenia. Still, the Plakháni populace have developed their own culture and customs in their dreaming life, since never waking that is all the life they have, and, not requiring food or drink in their dreams, spend much of their time in elaborate [[game]]s and contests—when they're not fending off the dangerous denizens.

===Onirarchs===
Drawing on the [[dream energy]] of the hundreds of thousands of sleepers, the onirarchs have access to potent [[dream magic|magic]] that they use to maintain and develop the land's infrastructure and control its batirines—as well as to construct and modify their own lavish residences and for various amusements. Not all the onirarchs are [[dream mage]]s; some relatives and associates of magic-wielding onirarchs are permitted to remain among the wakeful as well and partake in the onirarchs' plenty.

Whether a given person is a sleeper or an onirarch is mostly a matter of birth; those born to sleepers are sleepers, and will pass their entire lives without once waking, and those born to onirarchs are onirarchs, and will enjoy the bounty of the sleepers' dream energy. But passage between the two categories is not impossible. A scion of the onirarchs who proves particularly incompetent or useless, or who seems to sympathize too much with the sleepers, or who for any other reason strikes their fellow onirarchs as dangerous, disagreeable, or disposable, may be "demoted" to a sleeper, cast into a slumber from which they will never wake. Such ex-onirarchs are in some ways worse off than those who have been sleepers from birth, since at least the latter have never known anything else, while outcast dreamlords have their memories of better days—and are now surrounded in the dreamworld by those they formerly exploited.

The reverse process, the waking of a sleeper and their "promotion" to the onirarchy, is almost unknown—but not entirely so. It has happened at least twice. Once, a member of the Askha family decided to visit the Joyful Isles in his dreams, and there fell in love with a sleeper named [[Zanen Ananta]]; he later arranged for him to join him in the waking world. In the only other known case of a former sleeper joining the onirarchs, the batirine directorate requested that a sleeper named [[Hender Endane]] be awakened and welcomed among the onirarchs; ''why'' the batirines wanted her so elevated remains a mystery.

When they do sleep and dream themselves, the onirarchs do not visit the Joyful Isles; the onirarchs have no interest in mingling in their dreams with the ''hoi polloi''. Rather, they have fashioned their own bespoke dreamworld just for themselves, which they call the [[Night Garden]]. There they while away the time much as they do while awake, mostly in games, politicking, and social maneuvering.

The dreamlords have little part in the construction or design of the Night Garden, that task being delegated to a collection of "[[Architect (Plakhán)|Architect]]s" plucked from the sleeping masses and assigned to the task—while the Architects are not inducted into the rank of the onirarchy, and pass their whole lives sleeping like most of the citizenry, they do get the dubious honor of spending their dreaming time in the Night Garden rather than the Joyful Isles. The selection of Architects has historically fallen to one particular otherwise minor onirarch family, the [[Erek'hat]]; it is assumed that the Erek'hat somehow have agents among the dreamers of the Joyful Isles to identify people there with potential talents that might make them good Architects, but the other onirarchs don't know the details, nor do they particularly care.

===Batirines===
The batirines in Plakhán outnumber the onirarchs, though not the sleepers; exact numbers are hard to come by, but there are probably roughly fifty thousand batirines of various types at work on the islands. Many types of batirine common in other onirarchies are rare or unknown here; with potential lawbreakers kept perpetually asleep, there is little need for [[law enforcement]] and for the [[enforcer batirine|enforcer]]s and [[guardian batirine]]s that fill that function elsewhere, nor for the [[eye batirine|eye]] and [[seeker batirine]]s that are designed to [[espionage|spy]] on potential troublemakers.

However, Plakhán has many novel types of batirine unique to the archipelago, and designed to fill its idiosyncratic needs. In addition to the harvester and incubator batirines that facilitate the reproduction of the sleeping citizens, there are [[digester batirine]]s that take in edible material and process it into a [[liquid]] slurry called [[khek]] that can then be passed on to [[feeder batirine]]s that pump that slurry into sleepers' [[stomach]]s through long [[tube|tubular]] [[appendage]]s. There are batirines that produce and gather that edible material, serving in röles that in other onirarchies are filled by ordinary citizens: the [[fisher batirine]]s that harvest the [[sea]]s around the archipelago for [[food]], and the [[tiller batirine]]s that [[plant agriculture|grow crops]] on land. There are [[distributor batirine]]s that bring the raw materials to the digesters and dispend the khek to the feeders, and specialized [[caretaker batirine|caretakers]] that keep the sleepers relatively clean.

Overseeing and coördinating the actions of Plakhán's other batirines are [[supervisor batirine]]s, perhaps similar in function to the [[master batirines]] found elsewhere but much more common and, not having to defend themselves against rebels and malcontents, much less combat-capable. Of all the batirine varieties unique to Plakhán, the supervisors are the only ones to clearly be fully [[intelligence|intelligent]] and [[ellogy|ellogous]]. It is not lost on the onirarchs that they therefore may be the only ones with the capacity to rebel, and the onirarchs therefore are careful to keep the supervisors placated, negotiating with them when necessary and acceding to reasonable demands. Among many of their other concessions, the supervisor batirines have demanded the right to dream, and that they be given their own dreamworld to pass their dreaming time in. The onirarchs consented, providing the supervisors with their own bespoke dreamworld which they call [[Serenity (dreamworld)|Serenity]].

==Wildlife==
Having not been especially densely populated before the Ofakhha, and with the vast majority of its sleeping populace now sequestered in relatively small areas, Plakhán has escaped the [[ecology|ecological]] devastation that has afflicted far too many onirarchies, and still has plentiful wildlife and large areas of unspoiled wilderness. Some of the onirarchs enjoy taking walks through these wild areas, or engaging in [[sport hunting|sport hunts]] there, but they otherwise generally leave these areas alone, albeit more because they have no use for them than out of any ethical [[environmentalism|environmentalist]] concerns.

While Plakhán is home to populations of many organisms that apparently migrated there from the Burcadian mainland, it also has many endemic [[species]] of its own. Notably, Plakhán boasts Dadauar's largest [[raptor|bird of prey]], the [[khar vulture]], and one of its largest [[land|terrestrial]] [[arthropod]]s, the [[bear scorpion]]. Another well-known Plakháni [[animal]] is the [[silver seal]], which before the Ofakhha was frequently [[hunting|hunted]] for its [[fur]]—though now the onirarchs can produce similar materials easily enough through magical means that there is no longer a demand for it.

Plakhán has, too, its share of distinctive [[florum|flora]]. The [[trunk (plant)|trunk]] of the [[clownthorn]] boasts great [[thorn]]s that sport vivid [[color]]s but bear deadly [[toxin]]s; many onirarchs plant them near their manors for their appearance but know to give them a wide berth. The [[humbush]] is notable for the [[sound]] it makes, almost like a groaning human voice, which apparently serves to attract its [[pollination|pollinator]]s. The soft, [[sweetness|sweet]] [[reamfruit]] was one of the nation's biggest exports before the Ofakhha, and even now, though some other lands have managed to establish their own populations of [[reamfruit tree]]s, there are those who covet genuine Plakháni reamfruit.

==Government==
Plakhán is nominally a [[democracy]], ruled by a fourteen-member [[National Council]] [[election|elected]] by the populace. Of course, this is true only if one ignores the 99.6% of the populace who are perpetually asleep and who do not participate in the vote; the Council is legitimately elected, but only by the onirarchs and not by the population at large. In any case, even among the onirarchs, everyone is not truly equal; there are six powerful [[ruling families of Plakhán|ruling families]] that wield disproportionate influence over its [[politics|political]] affairs, and rarely is there more than one member of the National Council who does not pertain to one of these families.

The ruling families of Plakhán are:

* The [[Asalákhta]], who unusually among the onirarchs of Plakhán—or among onirarchs in general—are religiously devout, though they have augmented the [[pantheon]] worshiped before the Ofakhha with a number of new [[god]]s.
* The [[Askha]], the newest family to rise to power, still considered irrespectable arrivistes by many members of the other ruling families but having gained control of enough of the nation's infrastructure to hold their position despite their peers' contempt.
* The [[Fafahú]], who have a reputation as clever innovators who design and make all manner of useful [[telesm]]ata, and whose röle in supplying their creations to the other onirarchs cements their power.
* The [[Hafháte]], mystical dabblers in the more arcane applications of dream magic, and in particular known to study, commune with, and perhaps even travel to—and bring things from—other [[plane]]s.
* The [[Terahlen]], descended from Plakhán's first onirarchs, the wealthiest of the ruling families, and the one with the most ties to other onirarchies.
* The [[Tolkhóta]], many of whose members are highly skilled in creating and dealing with batirines—and whom therefore the other families often turn to when the batirines cause trouble.

==Languages==
The Lizard People who were Plakhán's first inhabitants spoke their own [[language]], [[Aara]], related to other languages spoken on Burcady. The Nanori who arrived later, however, spoke their own completely unrelated language, [[Khetekh]]. While at first communication between the two peoples was different, as they interacted and intermingled they developed first a [[pidgin]] and then a [[creole]] that allowed confariation. That creole evolved into the current [[Plakháni (language)|Plakháni language]], which largely combines Aara [[grammar]] with Khetekh [[phonology]], and a [[lexicon]] adapted from both languages.

In the centuries since the Ofakhha, the Plakháni language has begun to split. The sleepers speak to each other in their dreams, but have no interaction with the onirarchs who do not visit the Joyful Isles, and so the versions of the Plakháni spoken by dreamlords and sleepers have diverged. When it is necessary to distinguish the two, the onirarchs' language is called [[High Plakháni]] and the sleepers' [[Low Plakháni]]—this terminology of course shows a bias toward regarding the onirarchs' language as more refined and more respectable, but since it is the onirarchs who coined and still mostly use the terminology this is unsurprising. It is, however, true that High Plakháni is closer to the pre-Ofakhha Plakháni language; this is probably mostly because the dreamers in the Joyful Isles make little use of [[writing]], and therefore lack the written corpora that might otherwise help stabilize their language and slow its rate of change. For the moment, High Plakháni and Low Plakháni remain mostly mutually intelligible, though there are a few common misunderstandings due to [[false friend]]s. If Plakhán continues much longer under its current conditions, however, there may come a time when that is no longer the case.

==Relations==
Plakhán maintains its isolation from the rest of the world for pragmatic reasons. The primary benefit of its keeping most of its people in constant slumber is the removal of any possibility of unrest or resistance; a sleeping populace is a peaceful populace. This effort has proved very successful, and Plakhán has a virtually nonexistent resistance rate, rivaled only by [[Risinien]], which keeps its citizens in place in an even more drastic way. But should the nation open itself to [[trade]]rs and [[tourism]], that would mean allowing entry to people the onirarchs didn't recognize—and potential rebels. It would do the onirarchs little good to quash the potential for homegrown rebellion only to roll out a red carpet for foreign rebels to enter.

Because of this, Plakhán not only discourages visitors, but actively—and if necessary violently—keeps them off the islands. The waters around the archipelago are patrolled by [[sea batirine]]s and [[xastrine batirine]]s, and [[tower batirine]]s are positioned at likely landing spots and on lookout points. Anyone spotted approaching the islands will be warned away if they're lucky; if not, or if that warning is unheeded, they will be captured for interrogation or simply destroyed. To avoid magical intrusion, the onirarchs have erected a [[rhegus]] over the entire archipelago, whimsically called the [[Turtle Shell]], that prevents unauthorized [[translocation]] into the area, while still allowing such movement within or out of it. These defenses are not necessarily entirely infallible; it is possible that a few interlopers have reached Plakhán's shores, and scrabble for subsistence in its wilds and ruins avoiding the onirarchs' attention. But if so, they have not reached sufficient numbers to pose the dreamlords any real threat.

The only outsiders that are permitted in Plakhán are dreamlords from other onirarchies, who may be invited for [[diplomacy|diplomatic]] discussions or social events. Some of the Plakháni onirarchs, especially of the Terahlen family, delight in throwing elaborate fêtes, and may invite important guests from all over the [[rew (Charos)|rew]]. Even then, visiting dreamlords' retinues are closely vetted and watched, and they are discouraged from venturing away from approved locations.

==Settlements and structures==
Unlike most onirarchies, Plakhán does not have any massive [[city|cities]] with large [[population]]s. There were cities on the islands before the Ofakhha, certainly, and while some remnants of those cities still stand, they have not been maintained and have largely fallen into ruin—the largest, the nation's former [[capital]] [[Arkan Khafal]], rots on the [[west]]ern coast of Hahlahar. Most of the sleepers are housed in [[dormitory tower]]s, tall [[cylinder|cylindrical]] buildings erected expressly for that purpose, and unfurnished except perhaps for [[shelf|shelves]] that serve as [[bed]]s, since their occupants are perpetually asleep and need no other [[furniture]]. The disposition of the sleepers within the dormitory towers varies by the practices of the local supervisor batirines; some dormitory towers contain orderly shelves on which the sleepers lie, with aisles between them to grant easy access to the batirines that must tend them; in others, the sleepers are left to sprawl haphazardly on the floor, and the batirines must pick their ways around them. Some sleepers instead are housed in [[underground]] vaults, with similar variety in how they're kept.

As for the onirarchs, they live in fabulously opulent mansions or palaces spaced far apart from each other, each luxurious residence housing at most a small family, and perhaps only a single individual. No [[road]]s or [[streampath]]s connect the palaces to each other; the onirarchs have access to sufficent magic that when they need to visit each other they can simply [[translocate]], or generate some exotic means of conveyance.

Aside from the dormitory towers, the only permanent structures in the archipelago that are still functional and not for the personal use of the onirarchs themselves are [[batirine mill]]s that produce new batirines to replace those that fall prey to accident or wearout. The attrition rate of Plakháni batirines is low, however, and most of the mills are small and only operate intermittently, producing only perhaps a few dozen new batirines in a [[year]]. There are only three batirine mills in Plakhán of any great size and frequent usage, one in central Hahlahar, one on Efkhen, and one on Afla.

A few unique locales perhaps deserve special note. The [[Floral Tower]] is a grand edifice designed to impress, where visiting onirarchs are received, and where special events are held. The [[Orb Tower]] is a place where strange forms of magical research are conducted; those not of the Apkháta family are unwelcome, though not actually forbidden to come there. [[Terahlen Castle]] is the ancestral home of the Terahlen family; while some family members do live there, it is perhaps more significant as a symbol of their power than it is as an actual home. The [[Bridge of Dreams]] is the remnant of an attempt by a group of dreamlords to produce a [[bridge]] that physically connected Dadauar to Magogenia; while they did not succeed, what there is of the Bridge is still notorious for the strange magical effects that take place there. Another vestige of a failed experiment is the [[Field of Flesh]], perhaps the most disturbing place in Plakhán—and one the onirarchs seldom find reason to go anywhere near.

==Natural sites of interest==
In addition to the structures built by the onirarchs, Plakhán has some notable locations of natural origin. [[Mount Taphak]], in [[northwest]]ern Hahlahar, is a great dormant [[volcano]] that may have [[portal]]s to other planes in its interior; its peak is Plakhá's point of highest [[elevation]]. [[Frog Valley]] is a verdant lowland notable for the great diversity of [[anuran]]s found there. The [[Broken Bay]] is a narrow, steep-walled [[inlet]] on the west side of Hahlahar that appears as if the result of something cracking the island like a [[stone]]. The [[Nerinen's Cave]] is a deep cave on the coast of northern Hahtak said to be haunted by an [[Nerinen|eponymous monster]]—which some believe, if it exists, to be a huge [[deepling]].
[[Category:Island Nations of Dadauar]][[Category:Onirarchies]]

Ganulia

2026-01-15T07:21:26Z

Clé: Updated link

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| taxon = Nesus pamphagus
}}

The '''ganulia''' (pronounced {{IPA|/gəˈnuːljə/}}) is an enormous [[ray (fish)|ray]] that lives in the oceans of [[Dadauar]]. Ganulias feed by taking in [[seawater]] through their [[mouth]]s and expelling it through their [[gill]]s, filtering out and digesting any [[organic chemistry|organic]] matter that gets caught in the process. Its feeding process is also its primary means of [[locomotion]]—the expelled [[water]] acts as a [[jet]] to propel the creature forward, although it may choose to expel the water less forcefully if it wishes to eat while floating in place. If necessary, the ganulia can swim using its [[fin]]s, but it rarely has reason to. It therefore tends to move in fits and starts, jetting forward a few tens of [[meter]]s and then pausing while it takes in more water, spurting forward again as it expels its new gulletful. The ganulia tends to stay at or very near the surface of the water, very seldom having any need to submerge.

The [[intelligence]] of ganulias is the subject of considerable debate. While most [[ichthyologist]]s believe them to be within the upper level of the typical range for a [[fish]], there are those who believe them to be much smarter than that, and perhaps even [[ellogy|ellogous]]. So far, there has been no conclusive evidence one way or the other. Ganulias seldom respond to any attempt at [[communication]], but it's impossible to tell whether that's because they don't understand, or merely because they're not interested. It's also been proposed that the complex [[infrasound]] "[[song]]s" ganulias produce as they travel are a true [[language]] that the ganulias use to talk to each other over long distances, but if so no one has yet been able to decipher it. There have even been some stories of ganulias with the ability to [[spell|cast spells]], though none of these have been substantiated.

Because the ganulia almost never goes [[underwater]], and because its motion is relatively slow, it is often seen something as a living [[floating island]]. Indeed, in many ways it does function as such; semiaquatic or even terrestrial [[organism]]s often colonize the ganulia's [[anatomical directions|dorsal]] surface, and entire small [[ecosystem]]s can form there.

==Description==
The ganulia has a typically batoid form, with a fusiform body that spreads out on the sides into wide [[triangle|triangular]] [[pectoral fin]]s. The ganulia's body proper, excluding the fins, is called its "disc", though its shape is more oblong than [[circle|circular]]. Seen from above or below, the ganulia is nearly [[rhombus|rhombic]] in shape, slightly wider than it is long. At the front of the ganulia's head is a wide, gaping mouth, flanked on each side by a flattened projection called a [[cephalic fin]]. Its [[eye]]s are located on the sides of its head, and its backward-facing gills are on its ventral surface. The ganulia has almost entirely lost the long [[tail]] possessed by its ancestors and relatives, its only [[vestigiality|vestige]] being a short stub.

A typical [[adult]] ganulia measures about forty meters from head to tail (not counting the cephalic fins), and fifty meters from (pectoral) fintip to fintip, and has a mass of about two hundred [[kilogram|metric tons]]. Flattened [[anatomical axis|dorsoventrally]], it measures only some eight meters from top to bottom. Some individuals, through advanced [[age]] or just [[genetics|genetic]] variation, can be much larger; the largest reliably reported ganulia had almost four times those linear dimensions. Most ganulias are dark brownish grey on their dorsal surface and somewhat lighter on the ventral, though it's common for ganulias to be so covered in [[detritus]] and [[epibiosis|epibiont]]s that little of their [[skin]] is visible.

==Anatomy==
Like other [[Chondrichthyes|chondrichthyian]]s, ganulias have [[skeleton]]s made of [[cartilage]] instead of [[bone]]. The [[brain]] is protected and the [[head]] given its shape by a large cartilaginous enclosure called the [[chondrocranium]]. A cartilaginous [[spine|vertebral comumn]] extends from the back of the chondrocranium to the vestigial tail, and [[keratin]]ized filaments called [[ceratotrichium|ceratotrichia]] run through the ganulia's pectoral fins. Aside from the spine, there's relatively little [[skeleton|skeletal]] structure in the ganulia's disc, mostly a [[pectoral girdle]] and [[pelvic girdle]] supporting the anterior and posterior parts, respectively, and the [[gill bar]]s that separate the gills. Because of the röle the gills play in the ganulia's propulsion, its gill bars are firmer and proportionately thicker than those of other rays, and unlike most of its skeleton are partially [[calcification|calcified]]. This means the gill bars are more likely to be preserved than other parts of the skeleton, and on rare occasion gill bars from [[death|dead]] ganulias are found washed up on [[beach]]es; before their provenance was understood, they were called [[whalebeam]]s, and this term is still often used today despite its now being recognized as a misnomer.

The mouth of the ganulia differs from that of its smaller relative the [[manta ray]] in that it entirely lacks [[tooth|teeth]], but has a much more mobile [[jaw]]. This is related to the difference in their feeding patterns; while both are [[filter feeder]]s, mantas simply let the water pass through them as they swim forward, while ganulias actively suck water into their mouths and expel it through their gills, requiring that they open their mouths wide for the suction and close them for the expulsion. [[Rust]]-colored structures called [[gill raker]]s fill the space between the gill bars and filter the water, passing particulate matter down the ganulia's [[esophagus]] toward its [[stomach]] for [[digestion]]. From there, the matter passes through a short [[intestine]], which consists of two parts: a short [[duodenum]] and a longer, tightly coiled part called a [[spiral valve]]. At the end of the spiral valve is the [[rectum]], from which waste is expelled through the [[anus]] into the [[cloaca]] and thence to the water outside.

==Distribution==
Ganulias have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found in all five [[ocean]]s of Dadauar, though they are rarely seen in the interior [[sea]]s aside from the [[Golden Sea]] and the [[Akararal Sea|Akararal]]. They seem to strongly prefer [[temperate climate|temperate]] and [[tropics|tropical]] waters; while they have been occasionally spotted in the [[pagerics|pageric]] part of the [[Duhhian Ocean]], they never seem to linger there but only to pass through it on their way between the ocean's warmer parts to the [[east]] and [[west]]. Ganulias seem to be most common in the southern [[Camilout Ocean|Camilout]], to the west of the [[Talacho Peninsula]], and it's here that they're believed to have originated.

==Diet and ecology==
Ganulias eat just about anything organic that comes into their mouths—which generally means mostly [[plankton]], but ganulias do eat [[fish]] and other [[epipelagic zone|epipelagic]] marine life as well. Ganulias move slowly, and most [[intelligence|intelligent]] creatures know enough to get well out of the way when they see one coming, but the suction the ganulias produce when they're taking in water is certainly enough to take in larger [[animal]]s—including [[human]]s—unwary enough to be swimming in their path. The cephalic fins play a role in guiding food toward the mouth as well.

Though it might seem a large source of [[meat]], the ganulia has few natural enemies. Its flesh is [[toxin|toxic]] to most [[predator]]y [[organism]]s, again including humans—it's not a deadly poison, but it's enough to sicken those who consume it. Those few organisms that might decide to feed on it anyway are warded off by the colonies of defenders that grow on the creature's underside.

==Reproduction and life cycle==
As with other rays, ganulia [[copulation]] requires the [[male]] to insert one of its [[clasper]]s into the cloaca of the female. In the ganulia, the claspers are [[symmetry|asymmetrical]], one being stunted and nonfunctional while the other (usually the left, though on some individuals it is reversed) is much elongated, capable of reaching lengths of several meters though kept coiled in a [[myxopterygial pouch]] when not in use. This, along with the anterior positioning of the cloaca, which is located just under the tail, allows ganulias to mate without either needing to submerge, rather than having to press their ventral surfaces against each other as is the case for most rays. Even so, getting into position does require more careful maneveuring on the part of the ganulias than they otherwise generally find necessary; through subtle motions of their fins they carefully align themselves tail-to-tail close enough for the male's clasper to reach. Once the clasper is inserted, it takes several [[minute]]s for the male to pump [[sperm]] through the clasper into the female's [[oviduct]], with the aid of organs called [[siphon sac]]s. Once this process is complete, the two ganulias may immediately separate and go their separate ways, but mating ganulias have sometimes been witnessed remaining "attached" to each other for extended periods of time, perhaps as long as several [[day]]s. This seems, however, not to be a required part of the [[procreation|procreative]] process.

Ganulias are [[ovoviviparity|ovoviviparous]]; the [[embryo]]s grow in [[egg case]]s, but they remain inside the female until after they hatch, so the young are born live. They have a long [[gestation period]], just over a [[year]]. Usually, only one eggcase is produced at a time; [[multiple birth]]s do happen among ganulias, but are uncommon.

Ganulias can live at least two [[century|centuries]], and there is some indication that they may live for much longer. There are stories of an enormous ganulia called [[Kukunga]] that bears on its back the [[ruin]]s of a [[city]] thousands of years old, but most people dismiss this as a [[myth]].

==Epibionts==
A large number of other organisms live on the ganulia's back as well as on its underside. Some of these are [[phoresis|phoront]]s that only temporarily "hitch a ride" on the gigantic ray, but there are others that live there more or less long-term, including some organisms that specialize to dwell on ganulias as their sole or primary habitat. Among the latter are [[hidecrawler]]s, flattened relatives of [[mudskippers]]; [[sea mum]]s, a [[family (etory)|family]] of [[phoronid]]s; and [[key louse|key lice]], larger kin of the [[whale louse|whale lice]] that inhabit [[cetacean]]s (which, like the latter, are not true [[louse|lice]] but [[crustacean]]s related to [[skeleton shrimp]]s). Epibionts that are commonly but not exclusively found on ganulias include [[sea lichen]] and various types of [[barnacle]], [[crab]], [[snail]], [[sponge]], [[algae]], and [[coral]]. Some creatures, such as the [[lamprey squid]] and the [[shockworm]], feed on the ganulia's [[blood]] but in turn defend it from predators who might do significantly more harm to it if unchecked, their relationship with the ganulia therefore perhaps being [[mutualism|mutualistic]].

Over time, the creatures that die and decay on the back of a ganulia produce a kind of [[humus]] that is able to support other forms of life. From [[seed]]s and [[spore]]s either carried by the [[wind]] or brought by [[flight|flying]] [[animal]]s, [[plant]]s may become established there, first [[grass]]es and small [[herbaceous plant|herb]]s and then larger plants as the organic matter further accumulates; a sufficiently old ganulia may even bear [[tree]]s on its back. With the plant life often comes the arrival of otherwise [[land|terrestrial]] [[faunum|fauna]] such as [[lizard]]s, [[beetle]]s, and [[rat]]s, perhaps reaching the ganulia either by [[rafting (etory)|rafting]] or by swimming or (in the case of [[bird]]s, [[bat]]s, and [[insect]]s) flight when the ganulia passed close to shore.

It is not only [[beast]]s and [[flora]] that have made their homes on the backs of ganulias. Entire [[settlement]]s have been built on the backs of some ganulias, small independent societies beholden to no landbound ruler. Most of these communities are primitive, but there are a few petty [[onirarchy|onirarchies]] located on the backs of ganulias, ruled by [[onirarch]]s whose powers pale in comparison to those ruling larger lands with many more dreamers to draw from, but are more than sufficient to reign over their tiny demesnes. Other ganulias have [[stockade]]s on their backs that serve as the headquarters to [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|rebel groups]].
[[Category:Neustonic life forms of Dadauar]][[Category:Rays]][[Category:Floating islands]]

Tabulator batirine

2026-01-15T07:21:06Z

Clé: Updated link

'''Tabulator batirines''' are [[batirine]]s designed to perform complex [[calculation]]s and to [[memory|remember]] and manipulate huge amounts of data. This is not to say that tabulators are necessarily especially [[intelligence|intelligent]]—they do have some capacity for independent thought, but they're not in general any superior to [[human]]s when it comes to decision-making, planning, and [[creativity]]. Still, when it comes to rote [[arithmetic]] and [[number]]-crunching, and to [[memory]] capacity and the ability to quickly and reliably recall information from memory, tabulators leave humans, as well as other sorts of batirines, far in the dust.

==Description==
Tabulators vary widely in size; generally, the largner they are, the greater their calculational capacity. On average, however, they are among the largest of the batirines, behind only [[tower batirine]]s and the biggest [[fabricator]]s. (Many [[warden batirine]]s are also larger if one counts the structures they control as part of them.) The smallest tabulators occupy a [[volume]] of roughly two cubic [[meter]]s and [[mass]] around six [[kilogram|metric tons]]; the largest can take up more than eight thousand cubic meters and mass nearly twenty five thousand tons. Their overall shapes vary as much as their size; while [[cube]]s, [[orthohedron|orthohedra]], or other [[cuboid]]s are most common, but tabulators exist that are [[cylinder|cylindrical]], [[sphere|spherical]], or [[pyramid]]al, or that have much more exotic shapes.

A typical tabulator batirine appears like an ungainly collection of [[iridescence|iridescent]] [[sphere]]s and [[cylinder]]s, linked by a framework of glassy struts and by snaking tubes that may pulse or twitch. It's common for tabulator batirines to have [[eye]]s—often many eyes, scattered seemingly at random across their form—but it's not universal; there are tabulators that are eyeless and [[blind]] to their surroundings. It's also common for tabulator batirines to have numerous recessed panels that glow in different [[color]]s. While these panels may be used to convey information by their colors about the batirine's activities and condition, this is not their main purpose; the panels exist because it was found that for whatever reason batirines with such glowing panels tend to perform better, perhaps the changing of the panel's colors acting as a form of self-stimulation that helps the batirine focus on its work.

Many batirines have vibrating panels they can use to produce [[sound]] and vocally [[communicate]], though others communicate only through [[telepathy]]. Even those batirines that lack the ability to ''produce'' sound almost always can [[hear]] sound, detecting and analyzing the [[vibration]]s of their exteriors. Some tabulator batirines have [[leg]]s or [[wheel]]s, but most aren't designed with any form of [[locomotion]]; their functions don't require them to move from place to place. Likewise, most tabulators have no manipulative [[limb]]s, having no need to interact physically with their environments, though some are granted [[magic]]al [[telekinesis|telekinetic]] abilities.

==Uses==
Most commonly, [[onirarch]]s use tabulators for record-keeping and administrative tasks, entrusting to them the massive amounts of information and calculations involved with their [[sovereign state|nations]]' [[economy|economies]] and structures. Some go further, and employ numbers of tabulator batirines to [[automation|automate]] all sorts of everyday processes throughout their domains. Tabulators are sometimes also used to coördinate the activities of other batirines, although [[master batirine]]s more commonly fill this röle.

When especially detailed, intensive, or sensitive work is needed, multiple [[tabulator]]s may be interfaced together, boosting each others abilities, and the weaknesses of a particular tabulator ideally compensated by others. Tabulators are occasionally [[interfacing (batirines)|interface]]d with other batirines to advise them and grant them additional computational abilities as well. This is most often done with warden and master batirines, though there have been cases of tabulators interfaced with [[caretaker batirine|caretakers]], [[guardian batirine|guardians]], and [[tower batirine]]s as well. There arose in the [[third century (Drithidian calendar)|third century]] a vogue for onirarchs to interface tabulators with their own minds to boost their own powers of reasoning and memory; this practice fell out of favor after it was discovered that a batirine interfaced to [[Dalack Hagin]], the then-ruler of [[Noric]], had [[encracy|taken control of Hagin's mind]] and had for some [[year]]s been the true ruler of Noric through Hagin's body. A few onirarchs do continue this usance today, particularly in [[Mamlaas]] and [[Seseal]], but with additional safeguards in place to prevent—they hope—a repeat of Hagin's misfortune.

A few tabulator batirines have been adapted for [[recreation]]al uses; most notably, some very large tabulators and tabulator networks have been made to run simulations of entire [[imaginary world]]s, used as what have come to be known as "[[artificial dream]]s".

==Abilities==
Though their main purpose of calculation and information processing requires little more of tabulators than that they stay in place and think, tabulators are often given additional abilities, both physical and [[magic]]al. Most often, they are given abilities that allow them to defend themselves, in case they are menaced by [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|rebel]] [[sabotage|saboteurs]] or other threats. Normally, tabulators are protected by other batirines, commonly [[guardian batirine|guardian]]s or wardens, but some onirarchs prefer to give their tabulators some ability to fend for themselves in case their forfighters fail. These defenses may include the release of [[poison]]ous or otherwise debilitating [[gas]]es; [[weapon]]s that can fire high-[[velocity]] and/or [[explosive]] projectiles; the spray of [[acid]]s or [[fire|flaming]] liquids; or magical [[power (celemology)|power]]s including [[augabole]], [[devinction]], [[pexis]], or [[ylifaction]].

Tabulators may also be given abilities unrelated to defense, but enabling them to better communicate, to gather information, or to adjust their surroundings either for their own comfort or for that of other nearby individuals. For communication, they may be granted abilities such as [[telepathy]], or the ability to produce [[illusion]]s&dash;especially visual illusions, but often incorporating other senses as well. To gather information, some batirines may be able to [[noögnosis|read thought]]s or have powers of [[comperience]] or [[divination]]. To affect their environments, tabulators may be given some control of the ambient [[temperature]] and [[humidity]], either through magical means or through physical devices, and may also, like warden batirines, be given some ability to alter the layout of the [[room]]s or [[building]]s they're housed in.

Even if they're not given magical powers at the time of their creation, it's not unknown for batirines to develop such skills on their own, learning to cast [[spell]]s tapping into the [[ambient magic]] or to the [[dream energy]] stored within their [[condenser (batirine)|condenser]]s. This is especially common with batirines with information-gathering powers, who may learn spellcasting comperiently or from reading it in the minds of others, but even some batirines without such abilities may figure out how to do it. It's unclear just what proportion of tabulators attain spellcasting abilities, because at least some of those that do keep this achievement secret from their masters—not without reason, as while some onirarchs who discover that their tabulators can cast spells celebrate their tabulators' new skills, others see it as an unwelcome sign of independence that indicates the spellcasting batirine may be in danger of going [[rogue batirine|rogue]]—and may order the tabulator destroyed before this happens.

==Structure and manufacture==
Despite their unusual appearance, tabulators are [[anatomy|anatomically]] similar to other batirines, consisting of a solid [[integument (batirine)|integument]] surrounding an alveated [[pumex]] in which its [[organ]]s are embedded. Unlike that of most batirines, however, the integument of the tabulators is not uniformly rigid; while most of it is, the integument of the [[tube]]s connecting the tabulator's parts is more pliable and flexible, though still very tough and resistant to puncture or tearing. Tabulators generally lack the [[actuator (batirine)|actuator]]s most other batirines possess, but all but the smallest have multiple [[condenser (batirine)|condenser]]s—the largest tabulators may have hundreds—and it's not at all unusual for tabulators to have multiple [[processor (batirine)|processor]]s as well. (It's unclear to what extent the processors are always in sync, and the question has been raised of whether a tabulator with multiple processors is really a single individual or multiple [[consciousness]]es sharing one [[body]].) Regardless of their number, the processors of a tabulator are also typically larger than those of other batirines, though the extra [[volume]] generally comes from components devoted to memory rather than to reasoning. One feature unique to tabulators is the [[ossature]], the scaffolding of transparent beams that supports and holds together the tabulator's parts. This serves a purely structural function, and does not usually have any significant organs within it.

Many smaller tabulators are created according to known patterns, and some may even be [[mass production|mass produced]] in large [[batirine mill]]s. Other tabulators, however, including most if not all of the larger ones, are unique constructs that must be designed to order. The procedure to create a tabulator is otherwise similar to that of other batirines, and many [[dream wizard|wizard]]s who more often create other kinds of batirines can and do create one-off tabulators as required. There are, however, a few wizards who specialize in the creation of tabulators, the best known of which are those of the [[Ikiki]]an [[Crane Consortium]], a [[company]] that supplies tabulators to dreamlords the [[rew (Charos)|rew]] over.

==Notable tabulators==

Most onirarchs, given the tabulators' sessility and unglamorous function, think of them almost more as [[furniture]] than as living servitors. Many don't even bother to give the tabulators [[name]]s, though of course nothing prevents the batirines from choosing names for themselves. Still, while few tabulators have an opportunity to really distinguish themselves, there have been some tabulators that for some reason or another have achieved some level of renown.

; [[35607]] : Known only by a [[number]]—as were all tabulators in Noric at the time—35607 was the infamous tabulator that took control of Dalack Hagin. Naturally, when its feat was discovered, the offending batirine was dismantled—but rumors persist that it had seen this fate coming while still in possession of Hagin, and had had itself removed to another location and a decoy left in its place. Some believe the real 35607 still exists somewhere, though there's no agreement as to what it's currently up to.
; [[The Cselyan Tabulator]] : Like other batirines, tabulators are the products and properties of the onirarchs, and are not found outside the developed nations. There is, however, one curious exception. The [[government]] of [[Cselya]] owns a tabulator, though it's not clear how they got it; Cselya claims to have purchased it legitimately from an onirarchy, but they don't specify which one, and no onirarchy has admitted to having been the seller. It's also unclear exactly what Cselya uses the tabulator for, or what their intentions are for it.
; [[Kamadar]] : While it's unusual for a tabulator to become known for creative pursuits, the [[Ovla Ba|Bathi]] tabulator that calls itself Kamadar has done just that. Kamadar has taken to composing [[poetry]], and some of the [[poem]]s it has created have become famous all over the world. Many people familiar with some of Kamadar's poems, such as its lyric "[[Morning Meditation]]" and its intricately [[metaphor]]ical "[[A Study of the Soul]]", have no idea that the poems were written by a tabulator, and are astonished if they find out.
; [[Lord Purple]] : Originally called by the arguably equally quirky name of "Wondercube", this tabulator located in [[Xolia]] hosts one of the most elaborate of the artificial dreams, a simulated collection of worlds called the [[Seven Planes]]. Apparently on its own initiative, the tabulator gave itself a simulated body within the artificial dream through which it could interact with visitors in apparent near-human form; it called this manifestation "Lord Purple", and the name caught on to the extent that it's now used to refer to the tabulator itself, when there's reason to refer to it.
; [[The Orchid of Thu]] : For whatever reason, this huge tabulator has gained the firm trust of [[Ya Chu Soa]], [[governor-general (Ha Ni Thei)|governor-general]] of [[Ha Ni Thei]]. The tabulator is not interfaced to Ya, but it has become his closest advisor, and the governor-general consults it before making any major decision. There are some who say that the Orchid of Thu is, in effect, the true ruler of the [[colony]], but Ya disputes that; it is his word that is still final, but he finds the tabulator's rede useful.
; [[The Revenant of Napo]] : Sixty [[year]]s ago, a tabulator in [[Ikiki]] was destroyed under circumstances that remain mysterious—its destruction was deliberate, but there is some evidence that it was not the work of the rebellion, but of some rival onirarchy. Regardless, this by itself would not have been particularly noteworthy; what makes this event notable is that the destroyed tabulator returned in [[ghost (Ses)|ghost]]ly form. The reasons for this are even more mysterious than the cause of its destruction, but the [[undead]] batirine now wanders the rewel and has been seen as far away as [[Bhelan]].
; [[The Wizard Box]] : This is the name given to a tabulator in [[Rueland]] that developed spellcasting abilities, and went so far as to [[a&oelig;deogenesis|develop its own spells]]. While this sort of thing often goes poorly for the self-taught tabulator, in this case the onirarchs who discovered the batirine's abilities saw their usefulness and not only encouraged it to continue developing its powers and disseminated its novel spells, but arranged for it to [[instruction|teach]] magic to others as well.
[[Category:Batirines]][[Category:Computing devices]]

Bathybius

2026-01-15T07:20:24Z

Clé: Updated link

{{Automatic taxobox
| taxon = Bathybius
}}
Also known as the Deepmind, the '''Bathybius''' (pronounced {{IPA|/bəˈθɪbiːəs/}}) is an enormous [[ellogy|ellogous]] layer of oozy material that lies at the [[seabed|bottom]] of all the [[ocean]]s of [[Dadauar]]. Anything entering the Bathybius will be engulfed and [[rophesis|absorbed]], adding to its substance and perhaps slightly to its mentality as well. There is evidence that the Bathybius gains the [[knowledge]] and [[skill]]s of all entities it absorbs... and it's perhaps for that reason that it prefers to absorb ellogous creatures.

The [[adjective]] used to refer to things related to the Bathybius is "Bathybian" (pronounced {{IPA|/bəˈθɪbiːən/}}).

==Appearance and anatomy==
Although few have [[sight|seen]] the Bathybius directly, due to the difficulty of reaching the depths where it dwells and the lack of [[light]] at those profundities, the few reports that have come back have been mostly consistent. The Bathybius appears like a uniform expanse of a colorless, [[transparency|transparent]] substance, visually indistinguishable from the [[water]] above it except for a slight difference in [[refraction|refractivity]], with no obvious [[organ]]s or other distinguishing features. Its surface is slightly undular and irregular, but on the large scale very flat; essentially, it appears to be just a gigantic lump of gelatinous goo spread over the ocean floor.

While no one is known to have taken a sample of the Bathybius's [[tissue]] directly, its composition can be inferred by that of its creations the [[deepling]]s and [[deep ooze]]s, which presumably are made of similar stuff as the Bathybius itself. If this extrapolation is valid, then the Bathybius does not contain separate [[cell]]s, but is not an entirely undifferentiated homogene. The majority of its [[mass]] is made up of a [[protoplasm]]al matrix consisting mostly of [[water]], with numerous embedded [[protein]]s that give it its gelatine consistency (as well as serving other functions presumably including many not yet understood). Various microscopic [[organelle]]s are distributed throughout the matrix, similar to those found in [[amorphea]]n cells, though not so similar as to prove that the Bathybius is a member of that [[taxon]]. Notably lacking among these organelles is anything resembling a [[nucleus (biology)|nucleus]], though there are fragmentary [[rivel]]s of [[gene]]tic matter.

The oddest component of the structure is a network of tiny tubulets that pervade the jellylike mass, which [[etorist]]s have termed [[venicula]]e. Their hollow structure would suggest that these vessels serve a purpose of transporting some substance or substances, but if so the exact [[chemical]]s involved have not been identified, nor has a satisfactory explanation been proposed as to how they are moved through the veniculae. Complicating matters further is the apparent readiness of the veniculae to break apart and reconnect in different configurations, which, if they really carried some chemicals, would seem to risk spilling their contents. For the moment, the true purpose of the veniculae remains a mystery.

The exact [[volume]] the Bathybius occupies is unknown, but undoubtedly vast. [[Calculation|Calculating]] the volume would require knowing the Bathybius's thickness, which there doesn't seem to be any easy way to [[measurement|measure]]. At the very least, however, the Bathybius occupies about a [[billion]] cubic [[meter]]s, and its volume could easily be an [[order of magnitude]] higher.

==Associated creatures==
On its own, the Bathybius, while certainly incredibly [[intelligence|intelligent]], is immobile and seemingly inert. It lies unmoving at the bottom of the ocean; it never surfaces, or even so much as extends a [[pseudopod]]. Perhaps it uses some magical [[power (celemology)|power]]s, but if so they are powers with no immediately visible effect. It does, however, [[chloanthesis|split off pieces of itself]] and act through them. Called [[imp (deepling)|imp]]s, these discerptions of the Bathybius can have any form, and vary widely in their power and abilities. Imps may, and often do, appear [[human]] in shape, but they have the telltale watery colorlessness and transparency of the Bathybius itself—though that can be disguised through [[magic]] or [[cosmetics]]. They are neither mere puppets of the Deepmind nor are they identical reduplicates; the Bathybius imparts a different portion of its vast mind into each imp, and each imp is a distinct individual with its own talents and personality.

The Bathybius—generally through imps or other agents—is also able to infuse some of its substance into others, introducing some of the gelatinous matter of an imp, or of the Bathybius itself, into some other living thing through its [[mouth]] or another [[orifice]]. A creature thus contaminated gradually takes on the same substance and characteristics of an imp. Those changed in this way are known as "[[infected]]". Once the [[transformation]] is complete, an infected is indistinguishable from an imp, and many hold that there is no meaningful difference between the two aside from the manner of their creation. When it is convenient to refer to them together, imps and infected are collectively called [[deepling]]s.

Curiously, however, not ''all'' imps and infected seem to carry out the Bathybius's will; some strike out their own independent existences and show no interest in doing anything to further the aims of the entity that brought them into being, while some few even actively oppose their progenitor and the deeplings that serve it. Many take this as welcome evidence that the Bathybius is not infallible, that despite its vast intellect its schemes can and do go awry, but others are not so sanguine. Some suspect that the deeplings who appear not to be in service to the Bathybius are just putting on a pretense, that they are feigning disloyalty to gain the trust of those who would oppose the Deepmind, or to sow confusion and mask their master's true plans. Others think that while these wayward issue of the Bathybius may be sincere in their opposition to their shapeless sire, they unwittingly serve the Bathybius nonetheless, that the Deepmind has complex plans that are furthered in some way by having some of its scions try to oppose it—though this may be giving the Bathybius ''too'' much credit for prescience.

There is a third type of offshoot of the Bathybius besides imps and infected, the [[deep ooze]]. Unlike deeplings, the deep ooze shares the fluid and amorphous nature of the Deepmind itself, resembling a blob of watery jelly. Deep oozes further resemble the Bathybius in their immobility; like the thing that spawned them, they cannot move on their own. However, deep oozes are rarely found on their own anyway, nor are they split off ''in situ'' from the Bathybius like imps, but usually arrive through [[accition]]—being [[translocation|translocated]] away from the Bathybius by its servitors. While not motile, a deep ooze does have the passive abilities of the Bathybius, which its summoners can put to good use—it can absorb [[organic chemistry|organic]] matter that falls (or is pushed) into it; it can bud off imps; and its matter can be used to create infected.

There are also strange creatures known as [[cahl-tein]] that seem to extend part of their bodies into the Bathybius, and that some believe, accordingly, to be agents of the Bathybius or somehow associated with it. Others believe they are mere [[parasite]]s which the Bathybius for some reason tolerates (or, improbably, is unable to remove)... or even [[mutualism|mutualists]] that provide the Deepmind some benefit in exchange for [[sustenance|nourishment]] or some other guerdon. The true relationship between the cahl-tein and the Deepmind is unclear.

==Relations==
Attempts to [[communication|communicate]] directly with the Bathybius seldom if ever prove successful. If it does have some form of [[telepathy]], as many believe it must in order to coordinate the actions of the deeplings, then it chooses not to use it to converse with casual inquirers. It is certainly powerful enough to resist all attempts to [[noögnosis|read its thoughts]] directly. There are those who have claimed to have achieved some form of communion with the Bathybius—a few have even claimed to have been allowed to pass through its substance without being devoured—but these accounts have no independent corroboration.

Nevertheless, rumors persist of some individuals and organizations forming alliances or agreements of some sort with the Deepmind. This is not irrefragably impossible; even if the Bathybius does not personally treat with outsiders, it could certainly negotiate deals were it so inclined through deepling envoys. Perhaps the most persistent such potin is that the [[sovereign state|nation]] of [[Olozi]] has some connection to the Bathybius—and even that its [[king]] may be a deepling.

While most nations, developed and undeveloped alike, give the Bathybius a wide berth, [[Drithidiach]] has been bold enough to sponsor a scholarly investigation into its nature. The Drithidian [[government]] has even gone so far as to establish an underwater [[research station]], called the [[Großtieflabor]], or the "GTL". Suspended from a [[pelagic reef]], the GTL is located just above the surface of the Bathybius itself deep in the [[Veiled Ocean]], almost 2200 kilometers from the [[coast]] of [[Jahanna]], and about 1200 kilometers from the edge of the [[rew (Charos)|rew]]. So far, the GTL has discovered little of note about the Deepmind, but nor has it yet met with the disaster predicted by many doomsayers. Twelve years into its operation, it remains intact and active, the only casualties being two explorers who foolishly entered the Bathybius itself, with the usual result, and one hapless young scholar who was [[ingestion|eaten]] by a [[zochelon]].

Some elements of the [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|rebellion against the onirarchs]] avail themselves of the Bathybius as a way of eliminating their enemies. A few resistance cells dispose of those who cross them by weighting them down and tossing them into the deep ocean in a place where there are no [[reef]]s between them and the Deepmind far below—the idea being that the subject will fall into and be absorbed by the Bathybius. Those who carry out this punishment hope that the horrific nature of this fate will dissuade others from standing in their way.

While the Bathybius has never in living memory effected any large-scale assaults on surface civilizations, it ''has'' done so at least once in the past. Twelve thousand [[year]]s ago, the Bathybius sent hordes of deeplings to swarm the [[capital]] of the [[Talvane Empire]] and summon deep oozes to devour its leaders, as well as overrunning some other major [[city|cities]]—effectively spelling the empire's end. Never since then has the Bathybius made such an open attack on any nation or organization, and the reasons for its doing so on that occasion are unknown—the fall of the Talvane Empire was before the [[Great Plague]], so [[history|historical]] records of the event are sparse and somewhat elliptical. Those reasons are something that many modern [[onirarch]]s would be very interested in learning, if only to avoid a recurrence; the fact that the Bathybius has shown such aggression once raises the uncomfortable specter that it may do so again given similar provocation, whatever that provocation was.

==Goals==
The ultimate goals of the Bathybius are obscure. It does seem to want to grow, to absorb more mass and mentality, though it pursues this end by more subtle means than simply dragging prey to the depths where it dwells. Still, there seems to be more to the Deepmind's ambitions than mere expansion. The patterns of the deeplings' deeds seem difficult to fathom, and the possibility that not all deeplings are acting under the Bathybius's orders further muddies the waters. Some fear that the Bathybius eventually hopes to absorb all life on Dadauar into its own substance. Others are equally certain that it is gathering [[magic]]al power, in preparation for some unimaginable cataclysm it intends to wreak when it has the power to do so. It could be that its aims are more peaceful, that all it wants is to gather knowledge and vicariously experience different lives through its deeplings—or that its main goal is to propagate itself to either worlds, either by producing offspring that will migrate through the [[skyfall]]s or by extending its own substance to span multiple [[rew (Charos)|rew]]s. In the end, though, nobody knows for sure what the Deepmind's aims are, except the Bathybius itself.

There is a theory, in fact, that the Bathybius does not have a single goal, because it is not a single entity. Most people assume that when the Bathybius takes other creatures into itself, they are fully assimilated both physically and mentally, the Bathybius having a single mind and personality that is only augmented by the additional thoughts and knowledge it takes in. But there are those who hold that while the creatures that [[desis|merge]] with the Bathybius are ''physically'' absorbed, they retain their own separate individualities, that the Bathybius is in effect not a single entity, but a [[agmen|collection of discrete minds]] in a single formless [[body]]. This, they say, explains why the plans of the Bathybius seem so inscrutable, and why some of its deeplings seem to act against it; while they mostly act in concert, the story goes, its component minds do sometimes come into conflict and act at cross purposes. Still, this remains a fringe theory, and there's little or no evidence to support it; most indications point to the Deepmind possessing a single seity. It is, however, conceivable that some traces of those it absorbs do remain within it and may still even possess some vestiges of [[consciousness]], even if they are subordinate to and powerless to influence the vast intellect of the Bathybius itself.

==Origins and taxonomy==
There are many theories about the origin of the Bathybius. Perhaps it came about through some chance accumulation of [[ambient magic]], when [[randomness|random]] fluctuations produced a localized concentration of [[dream energy]] that [[spontaneous generation|spontaneously generated]] a new magical creature that grew over time to immense size. Perhaps it was formed by some natural [[desis|coalescence]] of smaller [[organism]]s. Perhaps it was the result of some [[magic]]al experiment.

Probably the most popular theory about the Bathybius, however, given the absence of any obvious antecedents or affinities on Dadauar, is that its origins lie elsewhere. Certainly there are no such entities in the oceans of most rews of [[Qabede]]—but that doesn't necessarily mean that the Bathybius on Dadauar is unique. Maybe there are such entities on some other [[world]]s, as well, and maybe, in fact, the Bathybius on Dadauar originated as a piece of an older version on some distant world that made its way here through the world-spanning [[skyfall]]s. Or maybe, as vast as it is, the Bathybius as it's known on Dadauar is only a part of some much [[sangate|vaster organism]], spread out over many worlds... or maybe it's one of a number of similar organisms, each of which have their own purposes and goals, and which may someday get into a [[war]] in which Dadauar may get caught in the middle.

Because the nature of the Bathybius is not well understood, neither is it certain how, if at all, it is related to other known [[life form]]s. Nevertheless, [[etorist]]s have made a tentative [[etorical taxonomy|taxonomic]] classification. The Bathybius has been given the [[binomial name]] of ''Bathybius profundi'', ''Bathybius'' having been designated the [[type (taxonomy)|type]] (and only known) [[genus]] of the [[family (taxonomy)|family]] ''Bathybiidae''. Higher classifications, however, are dubious. Even its [[universe (etory)|universe]] is undetermined, depending on whether it [[biological evolution|evolved]] naturally (in which case it belongs to [[organism|Biota]]), or was created artificially ([[scaft|Doli]]), or is the result of some magical phenomenon ([[galdor|Lases]]).
[[Category:Oceanic life forms of Dadauar]][[Category:Genii locorum]][[Category:The Bathybius|The Bathybius]]

Batirine

2026-01-15T07:20:03Z

Clé: Updated link

{{Automatic taxobox
| taxon = Zabulastra
}}

'''Batirines''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈbætᵻriːn/}}) are [[scaft|artificial creature]]s made of pure [[dreamstuff]] as servants and agents of the [[onirarch]]s of [[Dadauar]]. Batirines are not mindless [[automaton|automata]]; while some are more [[intelligence|intelligent]] than others, they are all [[agency|self-willed]] and capable of acting on their own initiative. For the most part, however, batirines are loyal and reliable servitors, though it does occasionally happen that one may go [[rogue batirine|rogue]] and betray its master.

==Etymology==
The [[word]] "batirine" comes from the [[Lilmi]] [[word]] ''bathirinya'' {{IPA0|([ᵐbæʈiˈɹiɲ̟a])}} meaning "[[ghost]]" or "[[devil]]". This term certainly was not initially used by the onirarchs themselves, but by their subjects, and it reflects the dread with which these [[life form|creatures]] were initially (and to some degree still are) regarded.

The [[inventor]]s of the batirines originally called their creations ''gesinde'' {{IPA0|(*/gəˈzɪndə/)}}, singular "gesind" {{IPA0|(/gəˈzɪnd/)}}, after an [[Old Drithidian]] word for [[servant]]—a [[cognate]] of the [[English]] word "[[Wiktionary:gesith|gesith]]", a [[history|historical]] term for a companion of an [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] [[king]]. Perhaps mindful of the [[pejorative]] origins of the word "batirine", some onirarchs still prefer this word instead, and try to encourage its revival. Others have more recently drawn upon the name given by [[etorist]]s to the [[etorical taxonomy|taxonomic]] [[order (taxonomy)|order]] of batirines, "Zabulastra", to [[neologism|coin the word]] "zabulaster" {{IPA0|(/ˈzæbjuːlæstɚ/)}} that they hope will supplant "batirine". However, the [[connotation]]s of this word are little more positive, though the onirarchs promoting it may not be aware of the fact; inspired by the [[etymology]] of "batirine", the name "Zabulastra" means very roughly "artificial devils" (from the [[Latin]] ''[[Wiktionary:zabulus|zabulus]]'', an alternate [[spelling]] of the more common ''[[Wiktionary:diabolus#Latin|diabolus]]'', meaning devil, and the [[neuter]] [[plural]] of the [[suffix]] ''[[Wiktionary:-aster#Latin|-aster]]'', to signify an imperfect semblance). In any case, neither "gesind" nor "zabulaster" has widely caught on, and "batirine" remains by far the most commonly used term for these beings.

==Creation==
Batirines are produced through a complicated and time-consuming process in which, however, the direct involvement of the onirarchs or other [[dream wizard]]s is necessary only during the first stages. Unlike in that of most [[Onirylon|scafts made of dreamstuff]], in the manufacture of batirines the infusion of [[life]] happens in the early part of the procedure. The creation of a batirine begins with the weaving of an [[illusion]] of the batirine that will ultimately be made. The illusion must be [[realmspace|three-dimensional]] and complete in every detail, including its interior structure. This phase of the process, called [[patterning]], is the most difficult and exacting, though it takes up only a fraction of the time.

Once the patterning is complete and tested, the illusion is brought to life, though not usually to [[consciousness]], a step called [[inspiration]]. Once that is complete, the illusion is gradually overlaid with dreamstuff, until this material permeates every part of the original illusion. This part of the process is called the [[setting]]. If the batirine has any special [[power (celemology)|power]]s that must be separately [[conferment|conferred]], the next step is the [[invirtuation]], in which these powers are granted, by similar means to the [[investment]] of a [[talisman]]. After the invirtuation, or directly after the inspiration if invirtuation is unnecessary, the final step is the [[quickening]], when the finished batirine is awakened to full consciousness.

Generally, once the inspiration is complete and the setting has begun, the direct involvement of a [[mage]] is no longer necessary; once started, the setting will continue on its own, though it may take several [[week]]s to conclude. After the setting is complete, a mage's intervention is necessary again for the invirtuation and the quickening, but these are much faster procedures. Some of the onirarchies have found ways to [[automation|automate]] even these steps, and have constructed [[batirine mill]]s that are capable of churning out batirines without any direct effort from the onirarchs, though the mills do require occasional maintenance—and can be tempting targets of [[sabotage against the onirarchs|sabotage]] by [[resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|rebel forces]].

==Structure and appearance==
Though batirines may look like solid and seamless blocks of dreamstuff, they are not as consemblable as they appear. Their internal structures are not as complex as that of a similarly sized [[biology|biological]] [[organism]], but certainly much more so than that of an [[animated statue]]. Most batirines are covered in a hard [[integument (batirine)|integument]] with a slick, marmoreal texture, its thickness varying by the type of batirine. In most cases, this external layer is indeed of a piece and jointless, moving and flexing not by [[mechanism|mechanical]] means but by [[magic]]al [[transfigurement]]. Within this outer investment, however, most of the internal dreamstuff is still [[solid]], but slightly lighter and more brittle, and honeycombed with channels and cavities. This interior substrate is called the [[pumex]].

The cavities in the pumex hold various [[organ]]s that contribute to the batirine's functionality. Not all types of batirines have exactly the same complement of organs, but there are some specific organs that are found in most types. The [[processor (batirine)|processor]] is the seat of the batirine's consciousness and thought processes, somewhat analogous to an organism's [[brain]]. The [[condenser (batirine)|condenser]]—of which large batirines may have more than one—collects ambient [[dream energy]] and makes it available for the batirine's use. The [[actuator (batirine)|actuator]] is responsible for the transfigurement of the batirine's integument. Moving through the smaller channels in the pumex are filiform fibers called [[scolecion|scolecia]]. These carry dream energy between the organs, and are often likened to the [[blood]] of an [[animal]]. They are directed by small organs throughout the body called [[governor (batirine)|governor]]s.

Often the appearance of the batirine's integument is left unaltered from raw dreamstuff, giving the batirine a shimmering, [[opalescence|opalescent]] appearance. Some onirarchs, however, prefer to alter their batirines' [[hue]]s and [[luster]]s, giving them a uniform [[color]] or pattern or placing [[symbol]]s or insignia upon them to show their allegiance. Another fairly common practice is to add frills, [[horn]]s, and other [[appendage]]s that serve no purpose except the [[aesthetics|aesthetic]], and perhaps to make the batirine more imposing.

==Abilities==
There are no especial [[power (celemology)|power]]s or abilities common to all batirines, save perhaps their durability. The integuments of most batirines are about as [[hardness|hard]] as [[granite]], and about as difficult to damage. Furthermore, as abiotic beings, they are of course insusceptible to [[disease]]s, [[poison]]s, and [[parasite]]s that could inflict biotic [[organism]]s.

However, many kinds of batirines are given additional powers. Common powers of batirines include [[augabole]], [[noödoche]], [[invisibility]], and [[dispection]]. While established varieties of batirines have associated suites of powers they are usually given, there is no requirement that all batirines of a given type conform with this standard, and it's common for individual batirines to have powers different from or additional to the usual complement.

===Weaknesses===
While batirines may not be vulnerable to many of the maladies that can beset [[human]]s and other biological organisms, there are other disorders to which they are subject. Among the [[vitium|vitia]] that can affect batirines are [[quickworm]], in which the scolecia seem to gain independent [[life]]; [[hyperallage]], in which the actuator becomes uncontrolled and the batirine's shape continually changes unpredictably; [[ectexis]], in which the outer layer of the batirine's integument [[liquefaction|liquefies]]; and [[apostenosis]], in which the channels of the pumex narrow, making it difficult for the scolecia to move through it.

The fact that batirines are made of dreamstuff means that they are pregnable to [[spell]]s and [[paracarminical magic]]s that act upon the material. The ''[[dreamstuff detection]]'' spell can help casters identify batirines disguised as human; the ''[[forceful dissolution]]'' and ''[[dreamstuff distortion]]'' spells can damage their forms. The ''[[batirine disruption]]'' spell was designed specifically as a [[weapon]] to use against batirines, and is capable of destroying them completely.

==Varieties==
There is no limit to the forms that batirines can take, and there are many types of batirine that are unique to a particular [[sovereign state|nation]], or even to the household of a particular onirarch. Even without counting the one-of-a-kind batirines that may be created for some special purpose or on some megrim, there are [[hundred]]s of different types of batirine, and the [[number]] may run into the [[thousand]]s. Still, below is a list of some of the most common and widespread varieties.

; [[Caretaker batirine|Caretaker]] : As the name implies, caretaker batirines are designed to look after people or places and tend to their needs.
; [[Dread batirine|Dread]] : Dread batirines are specialized in instilling [[fear]], and are used when onirarchs think terror is the best tool for a task.
; [[Enforcer batirine|Enforcer]] : These stocky, roughly [[cylinder|cylindrical]] batirines serve as the primary agents of [[law enforcement]] in many [[onirarchy|onirarchies]].
; [[Eye batirine|Eye]] : The small, [[wing]]ed eye batirines act as [[espionage on Dadauar|spies]] and monitors for the onirarchs.
; [[Fabricator batirine|Fabricator]] : Fabricators produce [[talisman]]s and other goods for the onirarchs, sometimes including other batirines.
; [[Gargoyle batirine|Gargoyle]] : Gargoyle batirines both watch for trouble and dive in to handle it if they see it.
; [[Guardian batirine|Guardian]] : Resembling larger, stouter versions of enforcers, guardian batirines generally guard specific objects or locations.
; [[Healer batirine|Healer]] : These [[cone|conical]], [[tentacle]]d batirines tend to the [[illness|ill]] and the [[injury|injured]] (that is, the ill and the injured among the onirarchs and their agents).
; [[Jailor batirine|Jailor]] : Living [[prison]]s, jailor batirines hold captives inside their own bodies [[devinction|devinctively]].
; [[Master batirine|Master]] : Though their primary duty is to coördinate the actions of other batirines, master batirines are fairly formidable on their own.
; [[Menial batirine|Menial]] : Menial batirines serve as domestic servants in onirarchs' households, though they may have potent combat abilities they can bring to bear if called upon to defend their masters.
; [[Pleasure batirine|Pleasure]] : The only common batirine to have a fully [[human]] form, the pleasure batirine can fulfill its nominal duty in various ways.
; [[Possessor batirine|Possessor]] : Small and innocuous on their own, possessor batirines can [[lepsis|take over the bodies]] of humans and other [[life form|living creatures]].
; [[Sea batirine|Sea]] : Not as common as the xastrine batirines that crawl over the [[pelagic reef]]s, the graceful sea batirines flit over the surface of the [[water]] on the onirarchs' business, often carrying human or batirine passengers on their broad backs.
; [[Seeker batirine|Seeker]] : [[Transfigurement|Protean]] and [[transcoloration|chameleonic]], seeker batirines are sent by the onirarchs to infiltrate [[resistance to the onirarchs|rebel]] headquarters and other important but inaccessible locations.
; [[Tabulator batirine|Tabulator]] : Frequently (but not always) immobile, the tabulator batirine primarily serves to perform complex [[calculation|calculations]] and [[simulation]]s that would be too involved for a human mind to easily handle.
; [[Tower batirine|Tower]] : The size of a [[building]], a tower batirine is an immobile but powerful sentry with [[magic]]al [[power (celemology)|power]]s to enforce the onirarchs' will.
; [[Warden batirine|Warden]] : The warden batirine controls the building or [[vehicle]] it's built into, effectively making it into a [[living structure]].
; [[Xastrine batirine|Xastrine]] : Named after the [[spider]]like [[xastre]]s they resemble, xastrine batirines are the onirarchs' primary aquatic agents.

==History==
The first batirines were apparently created in the [[year (Dadauar)|year]] 351 in what is now [[Xhenda]], but was then claimed by [[Drithidiach]]. Most of the original batirines were similar to today's enforcers, though some other kinds were created. A woman named [[Ja-Rai Ajja]] is usually named as the principal architect of the batirine, but it's unclear to what extent she was personally responsible for their design and to what extent she merely took credit for the work of subordinates and less figuresome colleagues. In any case, whether or not the development of the batirine was really all her doing, she managed to parley the deed and her increased eminence into considerable [[politics|political]] puissance. While Ja-Rai never officially held a high office in the [[government]] of Drithidiach, she exercised an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes influence, and by the end of her life may have actually had more say over the [[sovereign state|nation]]'s governance than the [[High Magistrate]] who nominally ruled it.

Undoubtedly the use of batirines would have spread beyond Drithidiach in time in any case, but there were three factors that accelerated the process. First, not content with her power in Drithidiach, Ja-Rai shared her creations with other onirarchies as well, in exchange for favors and influence there. Some Drithidian officials saw this as a betrayal, but Ja-Rai had too firmly entrenched herself in the power structure by then to fear any reprisals. Second, a [[K'eng]]an [[dream mage|mage]] named [[Tsuai Hieh]] [[reverse engineering|reverse-engineered]] a captured batirine and figured out how to emulate Ja-Rai's procedure for creating them. Finally, the rise of the [[Drithidian Empire]] exposed other lands to batirines that were previously unfamiliar with them. In any case, by about the year 800, nearly every extant onirarchy had numerous batirines in its service.
[[Category: Creatures created by the onirarchs of Dadauar]][[Category:Holonirans]]

Resistance to the onirarchs

2026-01-15T07:18:45Z

Clé: Clé moved page Resistance to the onirarchs to Resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar: There may be onirarchs on other worlds that also have resistance against them...

#REDIRECT [[Resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar]]

Resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar

2026-01-15T07:18:44Z

Clé: Clé moved page Resistance to the onirarchs to Resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar: There may be onirarchs on other worlds that also have resistance against them...

Though most of the populace in the [[onirarchy|onirarchies]] of [[Dadauar]] submit to the rule of the [[onirarch|dreamlord]]s without serious complaint, there are those who oppose the onirarchs' rule. These rebels tend to gather into organized resistance cells, the better to aid each other and pool their resources to be able to fight more effectively the overwhelming power of the onirarchs. There may be, of course, those who come upon their opposition to the onirarchs independently, and who choose to fight the onirarchs on their own, but such lone rebels usually end up either recruited by the resistance or neutralized by the forces of the dreamlords, depending on which finds out about them first. (Those who know about the resistance but choose not to join with them usually meet with the latter fate, unless they're extremely capable and/or lucky.)

There may also be many who resent the rule of the dreamlords but choose not to rebel against them because they see no possibility of successfully bringing them down. There is certainly cause for seeing the rebels' cause as hopeless; the onirarchs have vast power and resources at their disposal that the rebels cannot hope to match. But while perhaps some members of the resistance have unrealistic optimism, there are also some who understand what they're up against and have little expectation of overthrowing the onirarchs overnight, but hope they can at least whittle down their power and build the strength of the rebellion to lay the groundwork so that someday, perhaps far in the future, the might of the onirarchs can be overcome.

==Joining the resistance==
Generally, a would-be rebel does not seek out the resistance and volunteer to join. For one thing, the onirarchies generally try to either paint the rebellion as a destructive and sinister force, or keep its very existence a secret from the general populace, and while it is certainly not entirely successful in this endeavor, still most citizens either are unaware or only vaguely aware of the resistance movement, or if they are aware of it do not see it as something they would want to be associated with. Even if a malcontent does learn of the existence of the rebellion and sees through the onirarchs' propaganda (though, to be fair, the onirarchs' claims aren't entirely false; as mentioned above, some of the rebel cells ''are'' very destructive and anarchic in nature), he won't have an easy time finding a resistance member to approach. After all, the resistance has to stay hidden to keep safe from the onirarchies; they don't advertise their membership or the locations of their headquarters. Furthermore, even if someone ''does'' somehow find a member of the resistance, or even find out where a cell meets, and asks them to join, he's not likely to be immediately welcomed into their ranks; the resistance is likely to be very suspicious of the newcomer, and apprehensive that he might be a spy, and they won't let him in unless he finds some way to prove his intentions. If he doesn't figure out some way to demonstrate his sincerity, he's not likely to be allowed to leave the meeting alive—the rebels won't want to risk his giving away the location. If, however, such a person ''does'' manage to convince the rebels of his earnestness, he may rise to become an important force within the resistance; the ingenuity and determination he has to have had to find the rebels and to persuade them of his trustworthiness will serve him well in the ongoing struggle.

Given the difficulties, therefore, in a person's setting out to join the resistance and finding them of his own accord, most resistance members are recruited into their ranks. If a resistance member learns of someone he has compelling reason to believe might be sympathetic to their cause and capable enough to contribute to it, he may approach that individual himself with an offer. The individuals approached may be friends and acquaintances of resistance members who have shown signs of dissatisfaction with the current system, people who have engaged in minor acts of rebellion on their own, or even people who have witnessed some terrible deed committed by agents of the onirarchs, the reasoning being that having seen firsthand what the dreamlords are capable of might be enough to wake in the person the desire to oppose them. Of course, there is the danger that such people are plants by the onirarchs feigning their discontent to lure the rebels into a trap, so the approach is usually done only after a period of observation and investigation to ensure they are genuine. However, this must be balanced against the danger that the onirarchs will get to the potential recruits first; certainly the dreamlords are savvy enough to recognize potential resistance members, and ruthless enough to find ways to remove them before they live up to that potential, and the longer the resistance tarries in verifying the candidate's ''bona fides'', the greater the danger that the onirarchs will notice them and deal with them. A balance must be struck, and exactly how long an investigation should be carried out before approaching a potential member is a frequent subject of arguments among the rebel ranks.

Many resistance cells choose to approach possible recruits in disguise, through means magical, physical, or both. That way if the individual approached turns down the offer, he has learned nothing about the resistance that may endanger them if it gets back to the onirarchs. However, other cells don't bother with such subterfuge; their members make the offer to the candidates openly and in their own identities. In those cases, the members who make the approach are protected in other ways; people who turn down their offers usually end up disappearing. Sometimes they are kidnapped and forcibly inducted into the rebellion by brainwashing or by magical mind control—though those who are conscripted in in such a manner will never be respected, or rise high in the ranks—but in other cases, or if the attempts at compulsion fail, they may be disposed of in other manners. However, those who anticipate such a possibility and accept the offer only to avoid that result may not be in much better shape; if they don't really believe in the goals of the resistance, sooner or later the other rebels will realize that, and decide the faithless member can't be trusted, and he may meet the fate he sought to avoid anyway.

Aside from those who have openly shown discontent with the onirarchy, the rebellion also tends to target people who seem to be independent thinkers, who are open to new ideas and less susceptible to propaganda and rumor. Even if these people may not be strongly opposed to the onirarchs, they may be sufficiently free of the dreamlords' indoctrination to be persuaded to join the cause. However, this same independence of thought is a property valuable to the onirarchs as well, so if they find such a person, rather than remove him because of the danger of his joining the rebellion they might also try to recruit him as one of their agents.

==Resistance cells==
There are a number of different resistance cells, all working more or less independently. Occasionally two or more separate cells may work together, but this is relatively rare, in large part because different cells tend not to trust one another. Different resistance cells tend to use different methods in their fight against the dreamlords. While some resistance cells are solicitous of the safety of the onirarchs' inculpable citizens, many of them are set only on defeating the onirarchs at an cost, and have little care for whatever collateral damage may be incurred. Some of these cells perhaps do more direct harm to the people in their area of operation than do the onirarchs themselves.

There are rumors that some resistance cells are plants by the onirarchs, who use them to contact and infiltrate the genuine cells. It's even posited that the onirarchs may even grant these fake cells some apparent minor victories to add to their credibility. While it has yet to be definitively established that such government-run false resistance cells truly exist, the possibility of their existence adds yet more to the distrust resistance cells tend to feel toward each other. (In fact, it has been proposed that even if the onirarchs didn't really start fake resistance cells, they may have intentionally started ''the rumors that they did'', expressly in order to foment this distrust...)

==Life in the resistance==
Resistance members use different tactics, depending on the cells they belong to and on the purpose they've chosen to fill within those cells. A few rebels pursue their cause openly, trying to serve as an example for others and a hero to rally round. Such obvious targets draw the fire of the onirarchs, however, and rarely last long—though there are those who go into this knowing the danger and expecting to become martyrs. Most of the rebels aren't so overt. Some pose as ordinary citizens, going through the motions and working for the onirarchs, while covertly working against them in what little spare time they can arrange. Others hide themselves completely, living in secret refuges and only coming out when necessary, the better to work their plans away from the eyes of the dreamlords.

Those who try to live outwardly ordinary lives are sometimes said to be "integrated", as in integrated into the greater onirarchical society. Integrated resistance fighters have less time to devote to the resistance than do those who live their lives in hiding, generally able to spare a few hours only by cutting back on sleep—most citizens in an onirarchy sleep significantly more than they physically need to anyway. They make up for their limited time commitment by being in a better position to see the day-by-day operation of the onirarchy, and to be in a position to meet other citizens and possibly find potential recruits. Some integrated rebels try to make more time for the rebellion by working fewer hours, as well; most onirarchies do not require their citizens to work, so the consequences of choosing to work less are simply having less money, and the rebels may be content to settle for an even humbler dwelling or fewer possessions than most citizens, in order to have more time to devote to the cause. However, this is risky; the onirarchies are suspicious of anyone who seems to be arranging free time for themselves. Most people, after all, care little for their time in the waking world and live only to dream, and someone who is interested in doing other things in the waking world, if he's not already a resistance member, is the kind of independent thinker who may be in danger of becoming one (but who may also be a valuable asset to the onirarchs...)

Some resistance cells place a high value on education, and have even set up [[resistance school|secret schools]] underground or otherwise away from the onirarchs' eyes, to give people the learning that they can't get from official channels. Some of these schools have become popular even among those who have no interest in fighting the onirarchies but who still want more education than the dreamlords will give, and are more or less open to the public, while taking careful means to keep their locations secret from the onirarchs and their agents.

==Magic==
While the practice of magic by anyone other than the dreamlords and their designated agents is outlawed in most onirarchies, the rebels, by their very nature, do not feel bound to the onirarchs' laws. Magic is practiced by the resistance fairly widely, if not well—obviously they do not possess the vast stores of [[dream energy]] accumulated by the onirarchs, and furthermore resistance [[mage (Ses)|mage]]s have to find ways to prevent the dreamlords from siphoning off their dream energy as they do everyone else's. Some resistance cells have managed to arrange for mages among their number to be able to draw on the dream energy of the rebels who do not practice magic themselves, giving them more dream energy than they would be able to summon alone, but still not approaching the energy the onirarchs get from their entire populaces.

Still, even with their relatively limited resources, resistance mages do make some valuable contributions to their cause. Aside from sometimes serving as magical artillery in raids, they produce various [[talisman]]s that the resistance finds very useful, including [[ghost suit]]s, [[monkey bag]]s, [[rebel's mask]]s, and [[reclaimer]]s.

Some rebels use magic in other ways than spellcasting, taking upon themselves various [[geis|geasa]], or pursuing some particular [[métier]]. Some cells mandate that all their members take upon themselves the same geis or follow the same métier, making it a condition of membership, but even among other cells such magical [[dark]]s are fairly common. They provide a way to thumb a nose at the onirarchs by using magic without dealing with the problems of spellcasting, they serve as badges of honor and marks of distinction demonstrating the rebels' devotion to the cause; and of course they give the rebels a bit of extra magical power to use in the fight. Rebels have created a few geasa specifically themed around the fight against the onirarchs, which have become very popular among the resistance, such as the [[Geis of Pure Touch]], the [[Geis of Pure Speech]], and the [[Vandals' Geis]]. Other geasa popular among the resistance but not created by them include the [[Geis of Remembrance]] and the [[Nightmare Geis]].

==Law==
The resistance rebels against the laws of the onirarchs, but resistance cells do have codes of their own. The details vary widely between cells, but some components recur: betraying resistance members to the onirarchs, naturally, is a severe infraction of the code, and for most resistance cells refusal to obey an order from a superior is also a violation. For some resistance cells, these are the ''only'' significant crimes, but others add such crimes as speaking to or abetting agents of the onirarchs or using talismans produced by them, and some particularly careful cells may also outlaw the harming of innocents.

Punishment among the resistance is more likely to be physical than that meted out by the dreamlords. The resistance may levy fines to their offending members, but have little means of enforcing them, and often beatings and lashings and similar corporal sanctions, up to and including maiming, are the disciplinary measures of sorts. For repeat offenders and for those guilty of betraying the resistance and of other severe crimes—as well as for captured agents of the onirarchs—the punishment of choice frequently extends to execution. Some rebel cells design elaborate means of disposing of troublemakers, such as weighing them down and tossing them into the ocean to be absorbed by the [[Bathybius]]. Resistance cells with access to spellcasters may use magical methods to deal with their worst criminals include mental enslavement and the conversion into imprisoned [[dreamthrall]]s of their few mages.
[[Category:Onirarchy]][[Category:Organizations of Dadauar]][[Category:Rebel organizations]]

File:FRATerrain.png

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Clé: Rough terrain map of the Free Republic of Avelax (for use in a blog post)

== Summary ==
Rough [[terrain]] [[map]] of the [[Free Republic of Avelax]] (for use in a blog post)
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

File:FRAProvinces.png

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Clé: Rough map of the provinces of the Free Republic of Avelax (for use in a blog post)

== Summary ==
Rough map of the [[provinces of the Free Republic of Avelax]] (for use in a blog post)
== Licensing ==
{{CC-by-sa-3.0}}

Free Republic of Avelax

2026-01-13T20:52:54Z

Clé: Whoops... title should be bolded, not italicized

The '''Free Republic of Avelax''' is the largest and most populous [[sovereign state|nation]] on the [[rew (Charos)|rew]] of [[Dadauar]], and arguably the most powerful. It is commonly referred to as the FRA, as the Republic, or simply as Avelax, the last despite the ambiguity with the [[Avelax|continent of the same name]]. Though nominally a [[democracy]], the Free Republic is in practice as partialistic and peremptory as any other [[onirarchy]]. The [[onirarch|dreamlord]]s of the Republic may contrive to give their citizens the illusion of self-rule, but they do so only in order to keep them complacent and maintain their control.

The most common [[demonym]] to refer to citizens of the FRA is "Freeman", plural "Freemen". The same [[word]] is also employed as an [[adjective]] to refer to anything related to the Republic. This is done regardless of the word's literal meaning, which may lead to apparent [[oxymoron]]s when one speaks, for instance, of "Freeman prisoners".

==Geography==
The Free Republic of Avelax occupies most of the mainland of the [[eponym]]ous [[continent]]. The [[Xien Peninsula]] to the [[south]] is held by other [[onirarchy|onirarchies]], and the southern part of the [[Talacho Peninsula]] to the [[west]] pertains to the nation of [[Mapland]], left alone by the FRA—for now—mostly because the steamy [[swamp]] and [[jungle]] covering the area make it not worth the trouble to occupy and develop. Aside from that, only a few relatively small areas of the continent are not claimed by the Republic: the nation of [[Onraa]] and the [[Ivinii|Ivinian]] [[colony (politics)|colony]] of [[Kasie]] on the [[north]]ern [[coast]]; the nation of [[Ekerben]] in the [[Aoala Mountains]] to the [[east]]; and the [[Godhill]], a small but troublesome area that the Republic leaders grudging agreed to cede as international territory so that other nations would help deal with it.

Between the two [[peninsula]]s, the two capes on the north coast claimed by other nations, and the [[Isthmus of Calacca]] that connects Avelax to [[Burcady]], the Free Republic has five discrete sections of [[coastline]], and borders three seas—the [[Golden Sea]] to the [[southwest]], the [[Sea of Firiti]] to the [[southeast]], and the [[Akararal Sea]] to the north—plus the [[Camilout Ocean]] at the far west. Some parts of the coast have common names they are called by: the stretch of coastline between Onraa and Burcady is the [[New Coast]], that between Ivinii and Onraa the [[Lobster Coast]]; the southern part of the southwestern shore is the [[Hidden Coast]]; the part of the southeastern shore south of the [[river mouth|mouth]] of the [[Thesephe River]] is the [[Lonely Coast]].

The Free Republic of Avelax extends into all three major [[climate zone]]s. Most of the nation is [[temperate climate|temperate]], but the western third of the Republic's territory is in the [[tropics]], and the [[east]]ern edge of the continent near the Aoala Mountains is [[pagerics|pageric]]. The majority of the population lives in the [[heartland (FRA)|heartland]], the part of Avelax lying north of the [[Ngo Mountains]] excluding the Talacho Peninsula. While much of this area was once [[forest]]ed, it is now heavily urbanized, the only parts of the heartland not covered in [[city|cities]], [[agricultural land|farmland]], or [[infrastructure]], aside from some small and scattered [[park]]s and [[nature reserve|reserves]], being the heights of the [[Verecan Mountains]] where the land is too steep and rugged to be worth building on. The fringes of the country, however, are less developed. While the Free Republic has built cities and other structures in its portion of the Talacho Peninsula, much of the area remains virgin jungle, and likewise the [[Red Forest]] west of the Ngo Mountains and the [[Atahajji Desert]] to its east remain similarly underdeveloped compared to the heartland. Even in the heartland, the felled forests may not be entirely gone; sometimes people traveling through a city unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a spectral vision of woodland, a phenomenon known as the [[Phantom Forest]].

==Government==
In principle, the Free Republic is ruled by a [[Premier of the Free Republic of Avelax|premier]] and a [[National Assembly of the Free Republic of Avelax|National Assembly]], the latter comprising one member from each of the Republic's forty-five "[[provinces of the Free Republic of Avelax|autonomous provinces]]". Both the premier and the assembly are elected by the people, in keeping with the façade of democracy the Freeman onirarchs are careful to maintain. However, they are elected from candidates chosen by the onirarchs. It is a body called the [[People's Council of the Free Republic of Avelax|People's Council]], comprising the fifty or so most powerful onirarchs in the nation, that holds the real power. The candidates for premier are chosen by the People's Council, invariably from their own membership, and even after being elected the premiere consults frequently with the rest of the People's Council and usually follows their wishes. The existence of the People's Council is not exactly a secret, but it is heavily downplayed. The average citizen of the FRA, if they have heard of the People's Council at all, knows of it only as an obscure advisory body of little apparent importance. The membership of the People's Council is not public, but most of the members are well known to the populace, not directly because of their membership in the People's Council but because they hold other important [[government]] positions, often as ministers or governors. The selection process for the premierial candidates is sufficiently obfuscated that it's far from obvious that the People's Council has anything to do with it, and if a civic-minded citizen did try to look into the matter they would be likely to falsely infer that the candidates in some way arise organically from the populace. A particularly determined investigation might discover the involvement of the People Council, but such an investigation would be likely to attract the attention of the onirarchs—much to the investigator's detriment.

While the Free Republic's purported democratic principles are mostly a pretense, though, this isn't to say that the election is ''entirely'' meaningless. All candidates are drawn from the People's Council and will pursue the interests of the onirarchs, but they are not identical, and may have some genuine differences in opinion or philosophy that may be reflected in their policies. In fact, the previous premier, [[Derome Crale]], furnishes a marked example of this. Like many premierial candidates, Crale campaigned on promises of equality and making things better for the common people; unlike most premieral candidates, he turned out to actually mean it. While he could not entirely defy the will of the People's Council, he used what leeway he could wrangle to ease some of the burden of the common people and grant them more rights and assurances. Unfortunately, his successor, the current premier [[Eulaige Hahorbath]], is much more typical and much less sympathetic to the nation's populace. While she affects a benign, grandmaternal manner, Hahorbath has little interest in the people's welfare, and has walked back many of Crale's reforms.

While the premier and the National Assembly make the highest-level decisions (surreptitiously subject to the People's Council), most of the actual administrative business of the nation is carried out by the [[ministries of the Free Republic of Avelax|ministries]], each headed by a [[ministers of the Free Republic of Avelax|minister]] appointed by the premier—and also almost always chosen from the membership of the People's Council. While the premier does have the authority to dissolve or rename ministries or create new ones, this power is exercised infrequently. Currently the Free Republic has twelve ministries: the [[Ministry of Commerce (FRA)|Ministry of Commerce]], the [[Ministry of Defense (FRA)|Ministry of Defense]], the [[Ministry of Development (FRA)|Ministry of Development]], the [[Ministry of Faith (FRA)|Ministry of Faith]], the [[Ministry of Finance (FRA)|Ministry of Finance]], the [[Ministry of the Homeland (FRA)|Ministry of the Homeland]], the [[Ministry of Justice (FRA)|Ministry of Justice]], the [[Ministry of Memory (FRA)|Ministry of Memory]], the [[Ministry of Peace (FRA)|Ministry of Peace]], the [[Ministry of Provision (FRA)|Ministry of Provision]], the [[Ministry of the Seas (FRA)|Ministry of the Seas]], and the [[Ministry of Service (FRA)|Ministry of Service]]. Not all the ministries deal with matters obvious from their names; the Ministry of Memory, for instance, concerns itself primarily with recordkeeping, and the primary purview of the Ministry of Peace is [[propaganda]].

At the regional level, each province is headed by a [[governor (FRA)|governor]]. Similarly to the premier, the governor is elected by the people of the province—but similarly to the premier, they are elected from a list of candidates provided by the onirarchs. Specifically, each province has a [[Satellite Council]] that plays much the same rôle in the provincial government as the People's Council does in the national; members of the Satellite Councils, like those of the People's Council, are powerful [[dream mage|mage]]s, although generally less powerful than those on the People's Council. The Satellite Councils select the candidates for governor for their respective provinces, as well as the candidates for the province's seat on the National Assembly. All these candidates are drawn either from the Satellite Council or from the People's Council.

While the provinces are called autonomous, in practice the governors do of course answer to the premier and, more importantly, to the People's Council. Nevertheless, they are afforded a certain amount of independence, and governors are allowed to pursue policies that differ from the national norms, as long as they don't push things too far. Although the provinces vary widely in size—from [[Cadarei]], the largest province, with an [[area]] of about 2.15 million square [[meter|kilometers]], down to [[Creitcrafel]], the smallest, with an area of about 2,500—they are all in principle equal, with an equal representation on the National Assembly and receiving equal treatment from the national government. In practice, of course, the richer provinces and those with especially useful resources or just cannier governors do have more sway and can often finagle special treatment. Potentially the most influential province is [[Casselat]], which lies near the center of the nation and the continent, but its influence is unofficial and unknown to most of the populace. While the nation's nominal [[capital city|capital]] is [[Morgadara]], located in the province of [[Fergerren]] at the [[mouth (river)|mouth]] of the [[Varanuin River]], it is in Casselat that most of the real governing takes place. Although the [[Premierial Palace]] is in Morgadara, and the National Assembly meets there, those meetings are mostly for show. For the most part these officials' business in Morgadara is only to carry out policies already decided on by the People's Council—and it is in Casselat that the People's Council most commonly convenes, particularly in the twin cities of [[Herebar]] and [[Intbar]]. Shrewd governors of Casselat can leverage this position to win their province extra concessions or benefits.

===Law Enforcement===
Like most onirarchies, the Free Republic of Avelax relies entirely on [[batirine]]s for [[law enforcement]], as well as to fill in for a [[military]] when necessary. [[Enforcer batirine]]s patrol the cities; [[eye batirine]]s watch for trouble; [[guardian batirine]]s are stationed at important sites. The Freeman government arms its batirines with various [[weapon]]s, particularly favoring [[executive rod]]s, of which the Free Republic has created a few novel varieties, named unmouthably after semimythical [[Great Plague|antipestile]] rulers: the [[Aageldrach rod]], the [[Gaerliet rod]], the [[Uathnion rod]].

The onirarchs of the FRA have also created some bespoke batirines unique to the nation. [[Detainer batirine]]s resemble enforcers but have a lighter build and longer [[leg]]s; they are quicker and more agile than enforcers, at the cost of a somewhat decreased durability. Sometimes accompanying squads of enforcers and sometimes forming units of their own, detainers are often able to capture malcontents who would be able to evade or outrun the slower enforcers. The government claims the [[lizard|lacertine]] [[hunter batirine]]s are designed to find and neutralize the most dangerous criminals; they're actually mostly used against the [[resistance in the Free Republic of Avelax|resistance]]. Similar in shape to hunter batirines but very different in function, [[awaiter batirine]]s are effectively mobile [[bomb]]s that the Republic uses to extort other nations—mostly undeveloped nations, since such a blatant threat against another onirarchy would likely lead to a [[war]] that the Republic doesn't want just now.

The most common punishment in the Republic, as in many other onirarchies, is [[dream redirection]], although [[imprisonment]] is available as an option for those who don't respond to this. Officially, [[execution]] is not a legal option as a criminal penalty in the Free Republic—but the Freeman government is certainly not above covertly arranging the disappearance of those it finds particularly troublesome.

==Economy==
The Free Republic of Avelax is the world's largest importer of food. While there is some farmland in the FRA, it isn't nearly enough for the Republic's alimentary needs, especially since almost none of it is devoted to [[staple food|staple crops]]; the onirarchs prefer to use the land's limited farmland to produce [[luxury goods]] they can sell elsewhere. Among the Free Republic's most significant [[agriculture|agricultural]] exports are [[artichoke]]s, [[asparagus]], [[cashew]]s, [[cinnamon]], [[fennel]], [[ginger]], [[grape]]s, [[jasmine]], [[jawandle]], [[lavender]], [[lemongrass]], [[loquat]]s, [[macadamia nut]]s, [[ninarn]], [[pepper vine]]s, [[persimmon]]s, [[pollfruit]], [[pomegranate]]s, [[salsify]], [[vanilla]], [[walanger|walanger loaves]], and various [[berry|berries]] and exotic [[flower]]s. Next to [[Seseal]], the FRA is also one of the nations that has most embraced [[aquaculture]], which adds to its exports [[fish]], [[seaweed]]s, [[crab]]s, [[sea cucumber]]s, and of course the [[lobster]]s that give the Lobster Coast its name. To facilitate subaquean labor, Freeman onirarchs have invented a device called an [[airhelm]] that allows air-breathing people to breathe underwater, though of course much such labor is also done by [[undine]]s who need no such aids.

The Republic's main export is [[magic]]al [[telesm]]ata, the sheer size of the nation and the amount of [[dream energy]] available to its [[onirarch]]s making it able to produce many magical goods much more efficiently than most nations can manage. Streampaths were invented in the Free Republic, and the FRA remains its largest manufacturer, selling them to other nations in [[prefabrication|prefab]] pieces that join together when put in position. The FRA is also the main manufacturer of [[sustenance tank]]s and one of the major suppliers of [[tabulator batirine]]s, [[flittercar]]s, and [[enforcer wagon]]s. As in most onirarchies, the use of magic is banned in the Republic without a [[Magic licenses in the FRA|special license]], and those licenses are issued almost exclusively to the onirarchs themselves. The onirarchs may grant magic licenses to someone who shows promise of exceptional skill in [[indution]] and put them to work making telesmata, but most of these items are created either in automated [[Charmeries of the FRA|factories]] or by specialized batirines called [[incanter batirine|incanter]]s.

Not all the FRA's exports are agricultural or magical. The Republic has valuable [[mineral]] reserves in its mountains, and [[mine]]s [[barbasy]], [[copper]], [[iron]], [[lead]], [[marble]], [[silnibar]], [[sourstone]], and other [[metal]]s and [[rock]]s that it sells abroad—mostly to undeveloped nations, since the onirarchies with their access to [[metallic dreamstuff]] have less need of such materials.

===Internal economy===
The Free Republic provides its people with free (if spartan) [[housing]], but unlike some other onirarchies, it does not provide [[food]] or other necessities. This means that every citizen of the Republic must have a source of income in order to eat, but the Freeman government makes sure there are enough jobs available to keep all its citizens employed—in fact, if the government finds out about a Freeman who is sustaining themselves by scavenging through [[garbage|trash]] or relying on the generosity of others, their agents will ''find'' a job for them. Those who seem particularly suited for the positions may be placed where they play a part in the system themselves, as [[inspectors of the Free Republic of Avelax|inspectors]] or [[employment placement personnel of the Free Republic of Avelax|employment placement personnel]]. Some Freemen are actually employed doing useful tasks, although tasks that could in principle be done by batirines, such as farming, cleaning, and manufacture. Others are given meaningless makework jobs that serve little practical purpose, keeping unnecessary records or maintaining useless gadgets. The point is less to make sure Freeman citizens are productive than to keep them busy so they don't have the leisure to reflect too much about their circumstances—as well as to give the illusion of self-sufficiency so they are motivated to maintain the ''status quo''. It is not technically illegal to be unemployed in the Free Republic, but it is very strongly discouraged, and anyone who continually refuses to work is likely to end up arrested on trumped-up unrelated charges. The exceptions are people who are unable to work due to [[disability]], or who are over sixty [[year]]s old, at which age they are permitted to [[retirement|retire]]. The government does give a small allowance to the disabled and the retired; after all, the onirarchs still benefit from their dreams, so it vails them to keep them alive.

The official [[currency]] of the FRA is the [[tule]]; the median annual wage of a Freeman worker is about five thousand tules. The Republic has done away with [[coin]]age or any other form of tangible [[money]]; a citizen's net worth is instead tracked by a network of tabulator batirines, and tules exist now only as an abstract [[unit]] of monetary value with no physical representation. [[Trade terminal]]s are common in the cities where people can interface with this network to make transactions, transferring money between individuals or from an individual to the government. Payment for employment is automatically credited to a worker's account on a [[week]]ly basis. When this system was first implemented, people interfaced with trade terminals through [[trade implant|implant]]s in their left [[index finger]]s, but advancements in design of trade terminals have made these implants unnecessary, and modern terminals are able to recognize individuals by their [[soul (Gomara)|soul]]s without the necessity for any such addition. Though the retirement of physical currency was nominally done for the sake of convenience, in practice it means that the Freeman government has knowledge and record of every transaction made within the nation, and that Freeman citizens have no purchase power outside the Republic where this system isn't used. This has motivated the [[black market in the Free Republic of Avelax|black market]] and the resistance to develop their own system of currency, with which they can trade without the onirarchy's oversight. This shadow currency, known as [[pall money]] in apparent allusion to the mysterious [[Avelachian Pall]] that once mantled the continent, is made of [[dreamstuff]] stolen by Resistance [[dream mage|wizard]]s from the onirarchs' creations.

The cities of the Republic have many [[retail stores of the Free Republic of Avelax|stores]] at which the residents can spend their earnings. These stores are typically highly specialized; rather than just selling food, a particular store will sell only [[fruit]], or only a particular kind of [[cuisine]], and rather than just selling [[clothing]], a particular store will sell only [[shirt]]s, or only [[shoe]]s. There are stores that sell luxury items such as [[candy|candies]], [[perfume]]s, and decorative [[work of art|objets d'art]], but they are not regularly frequented by the typical Freeman citizen, who may treat themself to the occasional extravagance if they find themself with a little money left over after fulfilling their basic needs, but is content to spend most of their small income on food, clothing, [[personal care products|toiletries]], and simple [[furniture]], devoting most of their free time to [[dreaming in the onirarchies|dreaming]] and so feeling little need to voluptuate their waking environment. There are those less complacent Freemen, however, who either by taking on extra work or by leveraging their skills and talents into higher-paying jobs, are able to earn enough to regularly afford to buy such nonessentials and live less frugal lifestyles, possibly even renting more spacious accommodations than the small [[apartment]]s provided by the government. An especially industrious Freeman may even be able to afford to own their own store—while most stores in the Republic are owned by the government, citizens can apply to rent their own storefronts and run their own establishments, which despite the high fees involved can be a very lucrative endeavor. Of course, while citizens of the Republic may have the opportunity to improve their means and raise their stations, doing so inevitably invites the attention of the onirarchs. Such ambition may imply a potentially disruptive dissatisfaction with existing conditions, and those Freemen who run their own businesses will be carefully monitored—and very possibly eventually either recruited as agents of the onirarchs if they seem sufficiently useful, or quietly eliminated if they show signs of sympathy for the resistance.

==People==
The people of the Republic are of mixed [[ethnicity]] and [[species]], but predominant are the [[Balian]]s, a light-skinned [[human]] people originally from the continent of [[Burcady]], who crossed the [[isthmus]] into Avelax just under two thousand years ago, driving out most of the indigenous [[Kenever]] people. But Avelax has had [[immigration|immigrants]]—voluntary and otherwise—from many other places, and is home to a considerable mix of people; the Balians form a slim majority, but there are many significant minorities. This is especially true in the outskirts of the nation; in the heartland of the Republic the Balians' majority is stronger, while in some of the outlying provinces they may actually be outnumbered by other peoples.

Nor are all of the Freeman citizens human. [[Gnulu]]s make up a little under four [[percent]] of the Freeman populace, particularly the half-[[slug]] [[b'rac]], the half-[[weasel]] [[hhuzen]], and the half-[[moose]] [[davine]]s indigenous to the continent. Less common nonhuman [[folk]]s found in the Republic include [[wunderkind]]er, [[bardaric]]s, [[chitch]]es, [[velt]]s, and [[whispling]]s, the last apparently the descendants of people magically altered by the Pall. The Verecan and Ngo Mountains are also home to strange monocular [[humanoid]] creatures called [[thyvar]]s that seem to be [[ellogy|ellogous]] but that the Freeman government generally prefers to ignore, at least for the moment. (The also alpestral [[zjalak]]s have likewise been suggested to be possibly ellogous, but their case is much more dubious.)

There are also many Freeman citizens who were born human, but have been altered by the onirarchs into [[dreambuilt]]. Many [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s carry out the Republic's aquaculture, while [[ogre dreambuilt|ogre]]s and [[spiderling]]s work in fields suited to their capacities. Unlike in some onirarchies, the Freeman government does not routinely rig [[child]]ren, but only makes these modifications to [[adult]]s who are supposedly able to give informed consent. However, this consent is typically obtained through coaxing or coercion; it is still largely the case that the government decides which of its citizens are to become dreambuilt to achieve its purposes.

As with batirines, the Freeman onirarchs have created some types of dreambuilt unique to the nation, perhaps the best known of which is the [[dreamsucker]], which looks fully human but has a magical implant that draws the [[dream energy]] of those [[sleep]]ing nearby and channels it to a [[dream mage|wizard]] linked to the dreambuilt. While of limited utility inside the Republic, since the onirarchs already siphon off the dream energy of its citizens anyway, dreamsuckers are often placed in the surrounding undeveloped nations to harvest dream energy from there.

===Language===
The official [[language]] of the Free Republic of Avelax is [[Orlian]], the language of the Balian people who founded the Republic. All government documents and signs are in Orlian, and those who do not speak the language are disadvantaged even more so than most of the oppressed populace. Next to Orlian, the most widely spoken languages in the Republic are [[Kenever (language)|Kenever]], [[Maplander]], [[Gcole]], [[Chuen]], [[U']], [[Qeqe]], and [[Loua]].

==Culture==
Although people of many different origins and ethnicities have settled in the Free Republic, the government strives to impose on them a unified culture and set of values. Nevertheless, ethnic enclaves do exist, especially in the outskirts of the Republic outside the heartland; the government may disapprove of them but has not completely eradicated them. For the most part, Freemen, perduced by their leaders, place a high value on structure and conformity, while at the same time at least paying lip service to freedom and individuality. While few if any Freemen would put it this way, the overall idea is perhaps that people of the Free Republic have the rights and liberty to choose to live however they want, but given that liberty they will naturally want to choose to live as everyone else does and as their leaders encourage them to live.

===Architecture and urban design===
Like those in many onirarchies, the [[city|cities]] of the Free Republic of Avelax are characterized by tall, cylindrical buildings made of dreamstuff, mostly in various shades of [[red]]. The tops of the buildings of the Republic are usually [[dome]]d, and [[balcony|balconies]] are common but [[window]]s are rare. There is seldom any enclosed connection between buildings; even travel between neighboring buildings is usually done through [[streampath]]s, or perhaps if there is a lot of traffic between the buildings in question through [[travel circle]]s. Many buildings ''do'' have doors on the ground floor leading outside, but they are seldom used; many Freeman never set foot outdoors. The city's buildings are seldom laid out in any orderly arrangement, but scattered apparently randomly, but since almost all travel between buildings is done through streampath or travel circle most of their inhabitants have little reason to care about their physical arrangement or relative positions. Sometimes, of course, in cities that predate the rise of the onirarchs, the modern city plans still show some traces of the cities' original layouts.

The cities of the heartland flow into each other with little way to tell where one city ends and another begins without consulting a [[map]]. There are parts of the heartland given over to farmland or to infrastructure such as [[batirine mill]]s, but no one enters those areas except those assigned to work there, and most people may be only vaguely aware of their existence. Outside the heartland, urbanization is less complete and the cities are less sprawling, but streampaths connect these cities too to each other and to the heartland, and people still commonly get by without ever leaving the buildings.

To facilitate the specification of addresses within a city, each city of the Free Republic of Avelax is divided into two overlapping sets of [[block (Free Republic of Avelax)|block]]s. These blocks are rarely compact in shape, but usually long, narrow, and often tortuously curving, the better to ensure that each block of one set overlaps with as many blocks of the other set as possible. The blocks are given names, generally following patterns or protocols that may differ between cities; it is common, though far from universal, that the names of blocks of the primary partition—the one stated first in an address—are [[adjective]]s, and those of the secondary partition [[noun]]s; another frequently used scheme is for the names of primary partition to be nouns and the second to be [[number]]s.

===Cuisine===
As controlled and uniform as Freeman culture is in many ways, its cuisine is one aspect in which it can rightly boast of variety. As in most onirarchies, highly processed foods such as [[durway]]s, [[flavor stick]]s, and [[foamcake]]s are common, but more traditional food is available for those who want it. [[Shop]]s and [[restaurant]]s in the Republic sell [[food]] ingredients and prepared [[dish]]es from all over the world, from [[Alfenane]]r [[podge pie]]s to [[Rronga]]n [[seafire stew]]. While the recipes are not completely authentic, and Freeman culinarians may make their own changes and take some liberties, still the food in the Republic is more diverse than in most other onirarchies.

For all its eagerness to adopt foods from other nations, however, the Republic has never developed much of a characteristic cuisine of its own. Certainly the Kenever who once inhabited the area had their own magiristic traditions, as did the Balian settlers from [[Chrate]] who founded what would become the modern nation, but foods from these kitchens, while obtainable at some rare specialty stores, are today neither widely available nor popular in the Republic. If there is anything distinctive about Freeman cuisine, it is its fondness for [[fusion cuisine|fusions]]. As much as there are establishments that sell staples and delicacies from all over the world, there are also those that combine two farflung dishes into something new, and it is perhaps this that the Republic can best claim as its major contribution to cookery.

===Art===
While the Freeman government does not patronize or otherwise encourage the creation of [[art]], nevertheless there are of course those who are sufficiently driven by artistic impuluses to engage in artistic pursuits on their own time, and some notable artistic movements and individual works of art have appeared in the Republic despite its leaders' disinterest. Notable [[sculptor]]s have arisen in the vicinity of the Verecan Mountains, many following the [[Carathian School]] that emphasizes using the natural patterns and grain of the [[rock]] the [[sculpture]] is carved from. Freeman music, not unlike its cuisine, often combines [[instrument]]s from many different nations; some [[musician]]s have also revived use of Kenever instruments such as the [[eolar]] and the [[honeycomb (instrument)|honeycomb]]. A genre of [[fiction]] that arose in the Republic is the [[godtale]], a story usually set in the historical past and describing the details of [[god]]s—though given the Republic's typically onirarchal disdain of the gods, godtales are almost invariably either tragedies or farces.

===Education===
General [[education]] of young children in the Free Republic is neither compulsory nor subsidized by the state. Tutors and private [[schools]] do exist for those who want their children to have a broad base of learning, but there is little demand for them and they are in correspondingly small supply. What the government ''does'' both provide and require is education in [[trade schools in the Free Republic of Avelax|trade schools]], to prepare its young citizens for their future lives as productive workers.

The government does not mandate ''which'' trade school a [[child]] will go to; that is a decision of the child and/or their [[parent]]s. Local government functionaries called [[proponent]]s may work with the [[family|families]] to settle on a suitable trade, but this varies widely by province; in some provinces the proponent's "suggestions" have almost the force of law, while in others the provincial leaders think it not worth the bother to meddle with their citizens' career choices, and there are no proponents at all.

Different trade schools admit students at different ages; students who aspire to careers that require more extensive education enroll earlier than those that require a more modest training program. Those going into careers as [[laborer]]s or [[farmer]]s may enter the trade schools in their mid teens, while those who hope to attain positions as agents of the onirarchs may have to begin their training as young as seven. The more education a job requires the better it tends to pay, however, so those children who commit early on to a position that requires them to enter trade school young are rewarded for their foresight—assuming they are able to stick with their studies.

===Clothing===
[[Clothing]] in the Free Republic of Avelax tends toward the practical and unostentations. Men and women alike usually wear [[blouse]]s and loose [[trousers]] in earth tones and neutral [[color]]s, or [[sleeveless shirt]]s and [[short trouser]]s in hot weather. [[Hat]]s are uncommon, except for broad-brimmed [[sun hat|field hats]] called [[monder]]s that Freeman farmers and others who work outdoors wear on particularly sunny days.

In cold weather, especially in the [[mountain]]s and in the [[east]]ern, pageric part of the nation, Freemen venturing outdoors wear heavy outerwear over their other clothing to keep warm. This most commonly takes the form of long, shaggy [[coat]]s called [[valat]]s and heavily insulated [[jackets]] called [[brelgen]]s. While the physical designs of valats and brelgens are fairly standardized and exhibit little variation, they do vary considerably more in [[color]] and [[pattern]]s than most Freeman clothing, meaning the colder regions of the country are the most colorful, at least as far as their people's garb.

[[Footwear]] is where Freeman attire varies the most. It is said, and is to a large degree true, that you can tell a Freeman's profession by what's on their [[foot|feet]], from the heavy [[boot]]s of farmers to the polished, pointed red [[Wikipedia:slip-on shoe|slip-ons]] worn by [[clerk]]s and the [[buckle]]d [[shoe]]s of shopkeepers. When not at work, Freeman may of course change into different shoes, but generally even then they wear shoes that are similar to their work shoes but perhaps more comfortable.

Technically, there are no [[law]]s in most provinces of the Free Republic against public [[nudity]], and Freemen are not legally prohibited from going around topless or even fully naked. However, while not illegal, public nudity is generally considered socially unacceptable and scandalous. Furthermore, as with any deviation from the norm, someone who appears naked in public may invite the scrutiny of the onirarchs, who mistrust any sort of noncomformity. Oddly, there is perhaps an even stronger cultural taboo against appearing [[barefoot]] in public than against being otherwise naked, unless one is [[swimming]]—and even then, many Freemen prefer to wear [[bathing slipper]]s.

===Family===
[[Marriage]] in the Republic is quick and easy, requiring little more than registration at a municipal clerk's office. There is no restriction on the [[gender]]s of the nuptialities, and [[polygamy|polygamous]] marriages, while unusual, are permitted. [[Divorce]] is also common and routine but discouraged if the couple has any young children. Unlike in many onirarchies, in the Republic [[child]]ren stay with and are brought up by their [[parent]]s, rather than being taken and raised by the state. This fact is often brought up in the government's propaganda to compare the Republic favorably to other developed nations; here parents are given the freedom to raise their children as they will. In fact, to motivate parents to raise more citizens for the state, the government subsidizes childcare, giving parents a stipend to pay for food and other expenses for their children.

After the children grow up and move out, however, [[family]] ties in the Republic are weak. Very rarely do [[adult]]s live with their parents or with any other family members aside from their own children and [[spouse]]; [[sibling]]s may keep in touch with their parents and/or each other and perhaps occasionally visit, but it is not uncommon for a Freeman to have never met and to know nothing about any relatives other than their parents, siblings, spouse, and children. Freemen feel no obligation to care for elderly parents, since they are already provided for by the government, which gives them an apartment like all citizens, and finds work for them to do to support themselves if they are able to do so and have not yet retired.

===Religion===
The Freeman government does not outlaw [[religion]]; citizens are free to [[worship]] any [[gods of Dadauar|gods]] they want to. However, very few Freemen actually ''do'' worship any gods, because the government has done a very thorough job of suppressing religion not through laws but through propaganda and social pressure. The onirarchs take pains to ensure that the gods are portrayed as impotent, outmoded, and somewhat ridiculous, and this has been effective enough that even though they are legally allowed to do so most human Freemen in the heartland would no sooner openly worship a god than they would wear shoes on their [[ear]]s. There are, of course, exceptions, but they face not only general opprobrium but also the suspicion of the onirarchs.

This is less true in the outskirts of the nation, and among its nonBalian and nonhuman population. Many of the people of the Talacho Peninsula still worship the same gods they honored before the advent of the Republic, which are by and large the same gods worshipped in Mapland. The people of the Atahali Desert, too, still largely honor their old gods. Even in the heartland, while most Kenever have assimilated to Freeman culture, there are some who defiantly keep to some of their ancestors' ways, which includes worshipping their ancestors' gods. As for the nonhumans, many gnulus have gods of their own, and the davines in particular still hold religious ceremonies at their mountain [[temple]]s.

===Dreaming===
As typical for onirarchies, the citizens of the Republic most look forward to the time they spend dreaming. The onirarchs of the Republic have created a [[dreamworlds of Dadauar|dreamworld]] for their subjects called the [[Eight Realms]]. As the name implies, the Eight Realms comprise eight separate [[plane]]s; five of them are publicly accessible to everyone, while the other three require some payment or service to the onirarchs—another way the Republic encourages its people to play by its rules.

Those sentenced to dream redirection, of course, do not go to the Eight Realms in their dreams. Different onirarchs have different preferences as to where to send their enemies in their dreams, with the [[Bleakness]], the [[Forest of Teeth]], the [[Hungry Slough]], and the [[Spiders' Playground]] being among the preferred [[nightmare world]]s.

===Resistance===
Despite the best efforts of the onirarchs, the Free Republic is bedeviled by a [[resistance to the onirarchs|resistance element]] that fights against their rule. Many Freeman rebels have established lairs in Avelax's extensive [[underfold]], but others manage to live among the other citizens and keep a low enough profile to avoid being caught. While their goal may seem unreachable set against the overwhelming might of the powerful dreamlords, the resistance does what they can to chip away at their power, sabotaging key infrastructure and trying to counter the government's propaganda.

While they may be far from achieving their ultimate aim of bringing down the onirarchs, the rebels of the Republic have managed the occasional minor victory. One of their more unusual and lasting feats was the creation of a [[sleepless rat]], a type of magical [[rodent]] that eats dreamstuff. Sleepless rats have now spread over much of the continent, gnawing away at the onirarchs' works and withstanding attempts to exterminate them. They may be little more than a nuisance to the dreamlords, but they are a nuisance the onirarchs would prefer to be without, and a constant reminder of the presence and activity of the resistance.

As in most onirarchies, the resistance in the Free Republic is anything but unified, with innumerable discrete resistance groups acting independently and often at cross purposes. Some of the largest and best-known resistance groups of the Republic include the [[Dreambreakers]], all of whose members take up the [[Vandals' Geis]] (and often other [[geis|geasa]] besides); the [[Mother's Men]], a group made up mostly of Kenever (though with some nonKenever sympathizers); the [[Troglodyte (FRA)|Troglodyte]]s, who are rumored to have established or be in the process of establishing a whole civilization in the underfold beneath the Republic; the [[Underground College]], who promote knowledge and education; and the [[White Cult]], known for their extreme methods and unconcern with collateral damage.

==Relations==
The Free Republic of Avelax has no close allies, but its size and power mean it also has no enemies that pose a real threat to it. For the most part, it has a policy of neutrality toward its fellow onirarchies, trading with them and co&oumlperating when it is mutually beneficial, but not openly intervening in any conflicts between other nations. (''Covert'' intervention, on the other hand, is not off the table if it serves the Republic's interests.) The Republic has cultivated fairly good relationships with [[Ren Gao]], whose aid it occasionally enlists in trying to root out rebels in the underfold; with [[Ikiki]], with which it entrusts much of its trade; and with [[Risinien]], one of its largest trading partners. (In Ikiki's case, however, this otherwise good relationship is tempered by concerns that the Republic's objectives may include someday moving to annex the smaller onirarchy.)

On the other hand, there has long been a measure of antipathy between the Republic and the nation of [[Ovla Ba]]. This seems to have started more due to personality clashes between the two nations' respective past leaders than due to any geopolitical causes, although it may be that the Republic covets Ovla Ba's bountiful food supply. The Free Republic also has strained relationships with Ivinii, which it resents for occupying the colony of Kasie on land the Republic wants for its own, and with [[Drithidiach]], in dealings with which the Republic's leaders affect an air of amiability but which they privately dislike because they are epprehensive that the [[Drithidian Amnesty]] and succeeding events in that nation may set a precedent they don't want followed.

Freeman relationships with the undeveloped nations are less fraught, if perhaps more paternalistic. The Republic happily trades with these nations, usually sending them useful magic in return for food, and frequently offers aid dealing with disasters or challenges these nations face. Of course, this apparent generosity is mostly granted with the goal of increasing the Republic's influence over these nations and inducing them to act in the Republic's interest, but the effort has been successful enough that many people in the undeveloped nations regard the Free Republic as a benevolent patron. The Republic's immediate neighbors are exceptions; the fear of an invasion by the Republic is seldom far from the minds of the people of Ekerben, Mapland, and Onraa.

==History==
With the exception of the Talacho Peninsula, most of the area now controlled by the Free Republic of Avelax was covered for thousands of years by the [[Avelachian Pall]], and its history before the Pall is murky at best. After the Pall, however, the dominant inhabitants of the area were Kenever, a fair-skinned people of uncertain origin. Though other peoples spread into the center of the continent from areas that had been spared from the Pall, the Kenever were the most widespread and numerous ethnicity. They were, however, apparently an open-minded people, and for the most part got on well with the other folks they encountered.

The genesis of the Free Republic came in 427 [[Drithidian Calendar|D.C.]] when a large expedition of Balians arrived in what is now the province of [[Oradallen]], led by a woman named [[Eridar Drazgen]]. Fleeing persecution by the incipient onirarchy in [[Chrate]], they had sailed around the south end of the Aoala range in search of a new home, and found it here, declaring their newfounded nation the Free Republic of Avelax, after the continent where it was located and their liberation from those who had just taken power in their land of origin. They quickly built cities and established a foothold in this new country, but they were not long satisfied to remain in this cold area, and began to spread west.

As the newcomers encountered the Kenever and the other existing inhabitants, sometimes they integrated with them, but more often they drove them out and took their territory by force. These Chratish settlers had not represented the poor and downtrodden of their old nation, but rather had included the former rulers and patriciates, whom the new onirarchs had overthrown but who had brought much of their wealth and their magical resources with them in their flight. The indigines, sparsely populating a land that had only relatively recently recovered from the Pall, were no match for the magic and weapons that the settlers had brought from their homeland, and within a few hundred years the Free Republic claimed almost all the territory south of the Verecan Mountains and north of the [[Ngo]]. By this time word of the new nation had spread and many immigrants began to pour in from other troubled lands, further increasing the Republic's burgeoning population.

While the Free Republic had been founded with the intent of escaping the onirarchy in Chathe, however, and nominally championed freedom and equality (its unequal treatment of the Avelachian natives notwithstanding), not all of its citizens were so idealistic. Coalescing about a ringleader named [[Imidir Cach]], a confederacy of wizards plotted to take power in the Republic just as the usurpers had in Chathe. After years of planning and laying groundwork, Cach and his confederates finally struck in 752, empowering themselves with dream energy stolen from their fellow citizens and using it to seize power. They were careful to do so in such a way, however, as to preserve the pretense of democracy, and their successors have managed to keep up this deception since.

The expansion of the Republic had largely stalled at the Verecan Mountains to the north at the [[Rananuin River]] to the west, as the natives had fallen back and fortified the surrounding areas, improving their defenses. But once the onirarchs were in power, their powerful magic let the Republic press further, first taking a large swathe of territory west of the Upper Rananuin and then crossing the [[Darwell Waste]] and beginning to spread into the land north of the Verecans. The Republic soon reached the New Coast and then spread west from there; some of the battles were hard, but they took almost all the land between the Verecans and the Akararal Sea, saving only Onraa, which proved too hard a nut for them to crack at the moment, and Kasie, an attack on which would mean a [[war]] with a fellow onirarchy which the Republic was not prepared for. Meanwhile, the Republic also sent forces further west from the Rananuin, eventually reaching the [[Golden Sea]]. So much of an impression did the tropical [[beach]] on the sea's northeastern shore make on the head of the expeditionary force, [[general officer|General]] [[Ractam Calloram]], that he called the area [[Paradise (FRA)|Paradise]].

Now in control of all of what is today consider the heartland of the Free Republic, the onirarchs paused to consolidate their gains for only a few decades before continuing their conquests. Hungry for more land and power, they sent armies not only west and south into the Talacho Peninsula and to the sides of the Ngo Mountains, but also overseas, taking much of the [[Stone Coast]] and southern Burcady as well as part of western [[Jahanna]] and the northern coast of the [[White Main]]. From a relatively small group of settlers fleeing their homeland, the Free Republic had now expanded into a true [[empire (politics)|empire]], with significant holdings on four of the world's five continents.

The [[Avelachian Empire]] would, however, be short-lived. The onirarchs might have been powerful, but they had spread their power too thin and claimed more than they could hold. This was especially true in face of the opposition of the other onirarchies, who bristled at the Republic's ambition. Between border skirmishes with neighboring nations and uprisings from within, the leaders of the Republic were eventually forced to withdraw from all their transoceanic territories, and after some two hundred years of embattled existence, the Avelachian Empire was no more. (At least by name; while it is not called such, the modern Free Republic is arguably still an empire, albeit no longer a transcontinental one.) The Free Republic ''did'' keep all the new territory it had gained in Avelax itself, but it reluctantly relinquished all its claims on other continents.

Since then, the onirarchs of the Free Republic have mostly focused on building up their nation's wealth and infrastructure and cementing their control over their people. That does not, however, mean that their imperial aspirations have entirely abated. Having no other adjacent territory it can easily claim on the land, the Free Republic has recently started expanding into the water. Officially established only twenty [[year]]s ago, the Republic's newest province, [[Ontrehen]], is entirely underwater, at the mouth of the Akararal Sea; it is inhabited largely by [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s and by aquatic folks such as [[bulurang]]s and [[dantili]]s, though there are also some enclosed [[Underwater cities of the FRA|underwater cities]] where [[land|terrestrial]] folks can dwell. Apparently the Republic does not intend to end its expansion with Ontrehen; there are three other marine areas where it is clearly laying the groundwork for similar development, though they have not been officially designated provinces of the Republic yet: [[Area 39|northeast of Ontrehen]], [[Area 43|off the Lobster Coast]], and [[Area 42|off the New Coast]]. Although the leaders of the FRA have not publicly stated the reasons for their marine expansion, certainly others have guessed at motives beyond simply growing its footprint. If the Republic claims the entire mouth of the Akararal, it could establish a lucrative control of passage in and out of the sea. If it claims all the sea around Onraa, that could make it easier for it to finally annex the recalcitrant nation. And controlling the east end of the Akararal Sea could give the Republic a clear path to some of the undeveloped nations on western Burcady that it might hope to conquer—and by spreading across the mouth of the Akararal it could conceivably threaten Ovla Ba as well, though any attempt to seize its territory would of course mean a [[war]] between the onirarchies.
[[Category:Onirarchies of Dadauar]][[Category:Nations of Avelax]]

Free Republic of Avelax

2026-01-13T20:48:59Z

Clé: Major rewrite and expansion

The ''Free Republic of Avelax'' is the largest and most populous [[sovereign state|nation]] on the [[rew (Charos)|rew]] of [[Dadauar]], and arguably the most powerful. It is commonly referred to as the FRA, as the Republic, or simply as Avelax, the last despite the ambiguity with the [[Avelax|continent of the same name]]. Though nominally a [[democracy]], the Free Republic is in practice as partialistic and peremptory as any other [[onirarchy]]. The [[onirarch|dreamlord]]s of the Republic may contrive to give their citizens the illusion of self-rule, but they do so only in order to keep them complacent and maintain their control.

The most common [[demonym]] to refer to citizens of the FRA is "Freeman", plural "Freemen". The same [[word]] is also employed as an [[adjective]] to refer to anything related to the Republic. This is done regardless of the word's literal meaning, which may lead to apparent [[oxymoron]]s when one speaks, for instance, of "Freeman prisoners".

==Geography==
The Free Republic of Avelax occupies most of the mainland of the [[eponym]]ous [[continent]]. The [[Xien Peninsula]] to the [[south]] is held by other [[onirarchy|onirarchies]], and the southern part of the [[Talacho Peninsula]] to the [[west]] pertains to the nation of [[Mapland]], left alone by the FRA—for now—mostly because the steamy [[swamp]] and [[jungle]] covering the area make it not worth the trouble to occupy and develop. Aside from that, only a few relatively small areas of the continent are not claimed by the Republic: the nation of [[Onraa]] and the [[Ivinii|Ivinian]] [[colony (politics)|colony]] of [[Kasie]] on the [[north]]ern [[coast]]; the nation of [[Ekerben]] in the [[Aoala Mountains]] to the [[east]]; and the [[Godhill]], a small but troublesome area that the Republic leaders grudging agreed to cede as international territory so that other nations would help deal with it.

Between the two [[peninsula]]s, the two capes on the north coast claimed by other nations, and the [[Isthmus of Calacca]] that connects Avelax to [[Burcady]], the Free Republic has five discrete sections of [[coastline]], and borders three seas—the [[Golden Sea]] to the [[southwest]], the [[Sea of Firiti]] to the [[southeast]], and the [[Akararal Sea]] to the north—plus the [[Camilout Ocean]] at the far west. Some parts of the coast have common names they are called by: the stretch of coastline between Onraa and Burcady is the [[New Coast]], that between Ivinii and Onraa the [[Lobster Coast]]; the southern part of the southwestern shore is the [[Hidden Coast]]; the part of the southeastern shore south of the [[river mouth|mouth]] of the [[Thesephe River]] is the [[Lonely Coast]].

The Free Republic of Avelax extends into all three major [[climate zone]]s. Most of the nation is [[temperate climate|temperate]], but the western third of the Republic's territory is in the [[tropics]], and the [[east]]ern edge of the continent near the Aoala Mountains is [[pagerics|pageric]]. The majority of the population lives in the [[heartland (FRA)|heartland]], the part of Avelax lying north of the [[Ngo Mountains]] excluding the Talacho Peninsula. While much of this area was once [[forest]]ed, it is now heavily urbanized, the only parts of the heartland not covered in [[city|cities]], [[agricultural land|farmland]], or [[infrastructure]], aside from some small and scattered [[park]]s and [[nature reserve|reserves]], being the heights of the [[Verecan Mountains]] where the land is too steep and rugged to be worth building on. The fringes of the country, however, are less developed. While the Free Republic has built cities and other structures in its portion of the Talacho Peninsula, much of the area remains virgin jungle, and likewise the [[Red Forest]] west of the Ngo Mountains and the [[Atahajji Desert]] to its east remain similarly underdeveloped compared to the heartland. Even in the heartland, the felled forests may not be entirely gone; sometimes people traveling through a city unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a spectral vision of woodland, a phenomenon known as the [[Phantom Forest]].

==Government==
In principle, the Free Republic is ruled by a [[Premier of the Free Republic of Avelax|premier]] and a [[National Assembly of the Free Republic of Avelax|National Assembly]], the latter comprising one member from each of the Republic's forty-five "[[provinces of the Free Republic of Avelax|autonomous provinces]]". Both the premier and the assembly are elected by the people, in keeping with the façade of democracy the Freeman onirarchs are careful to maintain. However, they are elected from candidates chosen by the onirarchs. It is a body called the [[People's Council of the Free Republic of Avelax|People's Council]], comprising the fifty or so most powerful onirarchs in the nation, that holds the real power. The candidates for premier are chosen by the People's Council, invariably from their own membership, and even after being elected the premiere consults frequently with the rest of the People's Council and usually follows their wishes. The existence of the People's Council is not exactly a secret, but it is heavily downplayed. The average citizen of the FRA, if they have heard of the People's Council at all, knows of it only as an obscure advisory body of little apparent importance. The membership of the People's Council is not public, but most of the members are well known to the populace, not directly because of their membership in the People's Council but because they hold other important [[government]] positions, often as ministers or governors. The selection process for the premierial candidates is sufficiently obfuscated that it's far from obvious that the People's Council has anything to do with it, and if a civic-minded citizen did try to look into the matter they would be likely to falsely infer that the candidates in some way arise organically from the populace. A particularly determined investigation might discover the involvement of the People Council, but such an investigation would be likely to attract the attention of the onirarchs—much to the investigator's detriment.

While the Free Republic's purported democratic principles are mostly a pretense, though, this isn't to say that the election is ''entirely'' meaningless. All candidates are drawn from the People's Council and will pursue the interests of the onirarchs, but they are not identical, and may have some genuine differences in opinion or philosophy that may be reflected in their policies. In fact, the previous premier, [[Derome Crale]], furnishes a marked example of this. Like many premierial candidates, Crale campaigned on promises of equality and making things better for the common people; unlike most premieral candidates, he turned out to actually mean it. While he could not entirely defy the will of the People's Council, he used what leeway he could wrangle to ease some of the burden of the common people and grant them more rights and assurances. Unfortunately, his successor, the current premier [[Eulaige Hahorbath]], is much more typical and much less sympathetic to the nation's populace. While she affects a benign, grandmaternal manner, Hahorbath has little interest in the people's welfare, and has walked back many of Crale's reforms.

While the premier and the National Assembly make the highest-level decisions (surreptitiously subject to the People's Council), most of the actual administrative business of the nation is carried out by the [[ministries of the Free Republic of Avelax|ministries]], each headed by a [[ministers of the Free Republic of Avelax|minister]] appointed by the premier—and also almost always chosen from the membership of the People's Council. While the premier does have the authority to dissolve or rename ministries or create new ones, this power is exercised infrequently. Currently the Free Republic has twelve ministries: the [[Ministry of Commerce (FRA)|Ministry of Commerce]], the [[Ministry of Defense (FRA)|Ministry of Defense]], the [[Ministry of Development (FRA)|Ministry of Development]], the [[Ministry of Faith (FRA)|Ministry of Faith]], the [[Ministry of Finance (FRA)|Ministry of Finance]], the [[Ministry of the Homeland (FRA)|Ministry of the Homeland]], the [[Ministry of Justice (FRA)|Ministry of Justice]], the [[Ministry of Memory (FRA)|Ministry of Memory]], the [[Ministry of Peace (FRA)|Ministry of Peace]], the [[Ministry of Provision (FRA)|Ministry of Provision]], the [[Ministry of the Seas (FRA)|Ministry of the Seas]], and the [[Ministry of Service (FRA)|Ministry of Service]]. Not all the ministries deal with matters obvious from their names; the Ministry of Memory, for instance, concerns itself primarily with recordkeeping, and the primary purview of the Ministry of Peace is [[propaganda]].

At the regional level, each province is headed by a [[governor (FRA)|governor]]. Similarly to the premier, the governor is elected by the people of the province—but similarly to the premier, they are elected from a list of candidates provided by the onirarchs. Specifically, each province has a [[Satellite Council]] that plays much the same rôle in the provincial government as the People's Council does in the national; members of the Satellite Councils, like those of the People's Council, are powerful [[dream mage|mage]]s, although generally less powerful than those on the People's Council. The Satellite Councils select the candidates for governor for their respective provinces, as well as the candidates for the province's seat on the National Assembly. All these candidates are drawn either from the Satellite Council or from the People's Council.

While the provinces are called autonomous, in practice the governors do of course answer to the premier and, more importantly, to the People's Council. Nevertheless, they are afforded a certain amount of independence, and governors are allowed to pursue policies that differ from the national norms, as long as they don't push things too far. Although the provinces vary widely in size—from [[Cadarei]], the largest province, with an [[area]] of about 2.15 million square [[meter|kilometers]], down to [[Creitcrafel]], the smallest, with an area of about 2,500—they are all in principle equal, with an equal representation on the National Assembly and receiving equal treatment from the national government. In practice, of course, the richer provinces and those with especially useful resources or just cannier governors do have more sway and can often finagle special treatment. Potentially the most influential province is [[Casselat]], which lies near the center of the nation and the continent, but its influence is unofficial and unknown to most of the populace. While the nation's nominal [[capital city|capital]] is [[Morgadara]], located in the province of [[Fergerren]] at the [[mouth (river)|mouth]] of the [[Varanuin River]], it is in Casselat that most of the real governing takes place. Although the [[Premierial Palace]] is in Morgadara, and the National Assembly meets there, those meetings are mostly for show. For the most part these officials' business in Morgadara is only to carry out policies already decided on by the People's Council—and it is in Casselat that the People's Council most commonly convenes, particularly in the twin cities of [[Herebar]] and [[Intbar]]. Shrewd governors of Casselat can leverage this position to win their province extra concessions or benefits.

===Law Enforcement===
Like most onirarchies, the Free Republic of Avelax relies entirely on [[batirine]]s for [[law enforcement]], as well as to fill in for a [[military]] when necessary. [[Enforcer batirine]]s patrol the cities; [[eye batirine]]s watch for trouble; [[guardian batirine]]s are stationed at important sites. The Freeman government arms its batirines with various [[weapon]]s, particularly favoring [[executive rod]]s, of which the Free Republic has created a few novel varieties, named unmouthably after semimythical [[Great Plague|antipestile]] rulers: the [[Aageldrach rod]], the [[Gaerliet rod]], the [[Uathnion rod]].

The onirarchs of the FRA have also created some bespoke batirines unique to the nation. [[Detainer batirine]]s resemble enforcers but have a lighter build and longer [[leg]]s; they are quicker and more agile than enforcers, at the cost of a somewhat decreased durability. Sometimes accompanying squads of enforcers and sometimes forming units of their own, detainers are often able to capture malcontents who would be able to evade or outrun the slower enforcers. The government claims the [[lizard|lacertine]] [[hunter batirine]]s are designed to find and neutralize the most dangerous criminals; they're actually mostly used against the [[resistance in the Free Republic of Avelax|resistance]]. Similar in shape to hunter batirines but very different in function, [[awaiter batirine]]s are effectively mobile [[bomb]]s that the Republic uses to extort other nations—mostly undeveloped nations, since such a blatant threat against another onirarchy would likely lead to a [[war]] that the Republic doesn't want just now.

The most common punishment in the Republic, as in many other onirarchies, is [[dream redirection]], although [[imprisonment]] is available as an option for those who don't respond to this. Officially, [[execution]] is not a legal option as a criminal penalty in the Free Republic—but the Freeman government is certainly not above covertly arranging the disappearance of those it finds particularly troublesome.

==Economy==
The Free Republic of Avelax is the world's largest importer of food. While there is some farmland in the FRA, it isn't nearly enough for the Republic's alimentary needs, especially since almost none of it is devoted to [[staple food|staple crops]]; the onirarchs prefer to use the land's limited farmland to produce [[luxury goods]] they can sell elsewhere. Among the Free Republic's most significant [[agriculture|agricultural]] exports are [[artichoke]]s, [[asparagus]], [[cashew]]s, [[cinnamon]], [[fennel]], [[ginger]], [[grape]]s, [[jasmine]], [[jawandle]], [[lavender]], [[lemongrass]], [[loquat]]s, [[macadamia nut]]s, [[ninarn]], [[pepper vine]]s, [[persimmon]]s, [[pollfruit]], [[pomegranate]]s, [[salsify]], [[vanilla]], [[walanger|walanger loaves]], and various [[berry|berries]] and exotic [[flower]]s. Next to [[Seseal]], the FRA is also one of the nations that has most embraced [[aquaculture]], which adds to its exports [[fish]], [[seaweed]]s, [[crab]]s, [[sea cucumber]]s, and of course the [[lobster]]s that give the Lobster Coast its name. To facilitate subaquean labor, Freeman onirarchs have invented a device called an [[airhelm]] that allows air-breathing people to breathe underwater, though of course much such labor is also done by [[undine]]s who need no such aids.

The Republic's main export is [[magic]]al [[telesm]]ata, the sheer size of the nation and the amount of [[dream energy]] available to its [[onirarch]]s making it able to produce many magical goods much more efficiently than most nations can manage. Streampaths were invented in the Free Republic, and the FRA remains its largest manufacturer, selling them to other nations in [[prefabrication|prefab]] pieces that join together when put in position. The FRA is also the main manufacturer of [[sustenance tank]]s and one of the major suppliers of [[tabulator batirine]]s, [[flittercar]]s, and [[enforcer wagon]]s. As in most onirarchies, the use of magic is banned in the Republic without a [[Magic licenses in the FRA|special license]], and those licenses are issued almost exclusively to the onirarchs themselves. The onirarchs may grant magic licenses to someone who shows promise of exceptional skill in [[indution]] and put them to work making telesmata, but most of these items are created either in automated [[Charmeries of the FRA|factories]] or by specialized batirines called [[incanter batirine|incanter]]s.

Not all the FRA's exports are agricultural or magical. The Republic has valuable [[mineral]] reserves in its mountains, and [[mine]]s [[barbasy]], [[copper]], [[iron]], [[lead]], [[marble]], [[silnibar]], [[sourstone]], and other [[metal]]s and [[rock]]s that it sells abroad—mostly to undeveloped nations, since the onirarchies with their access to [[metallic dreamstuff]] have less need of such materials.

===Internal economy===
The Free Republic provides its people with free (if spartan) [[housing]], but unlike some other onirarchies, it does not provide [[food]] or other necessities. This means that every citizen of the Republic must have a source of income in order to eat, but the Freeman government makes sure there are enough jobs available to keep all its citizens employed—in fact, if the government finds out about a Freeman who is sustaining themselves by scavenging through [[garbage|trash]] or relying on the generosity of others, their agents will ''find'' a job for them. Those who seem particularly suited for the positions may be placed where they play a part in the system themselves, as [[inspectors of the Free Republic of Avelax|inspectors]] or [[employment placement personnel of the Free Republic of Avelax|employment placement personnel]]. Some Freemen are actually employed doing useful tasks, although tasks that could in principle be done by batirines, such as farming, cleaning, and manufacture. Others are given meaningless makework jobs that serve little practical purpose, keeping unnecessary records or maintaining useless gadgets. The point is less to make sure Freeman citizens are productive than to keep them busy so they don't have the leisure to reflect too much about their circumstances—as well as to give the illusion of self-sufficiency so they are motivated to maintain the ''status quo''. It is not technically illegal to be unemployed in the Free Republic, but it is very strongly discouraged, and anyone who continually refuses to work is likely to end up arrested on trumped-up unrelated charges. The exceptions are people who are unable to work due to [[disability]], or who are over sixty [[year]]s old, at which age they are permitted to [[retirement|retire]]. The government does give a small allowance to the disabled and the retired; after all, the onirarchs still benefit from their dreams, so it vails them to keep them alive.

The official [[currency]] of the FRA is the [[tule]]; the median annual wage of a Freeman worker is about five thousand tules. The Republic has done away with [[coin]]age or any other form of tangible [[money]]; a citizen's net worth is instead tracked by a network of tabulator batirines, and tules exist now only as an abstract [[unit]] of monetary value with no physical representation. [[Trade terminal]]s are common in the cities where people can interface with this network to make transactions, transferring money between individuals or from an individual to the government. Payment for employment is automatically credited to a worker's account on a [[week]]ly basis. When this system was first implemented, people interfaced with trade terminals through [[trade implant|implant]]s in their left [[index finger]]s, but advancements in design of trade terminals have made these implants unnecessary, and modern terminals are able to recognize individuals by their [[soul (Gomara)|soul]]s without the necessity for any such addition. Though the retirement of physical currency was nominally done for the sake of convenience, in practice it means that the Freeman government has knowledge and record of every transaction made within the nation, and that Freeman citizens have no purchase power outside the Republic where this system isn't used. This has motivated the [[black market in the Free Republic of Avelax|black market]] and the resistance to develop their own system of currency, with which they can trade without the onirarchy's oversight. This shadow currency, known as [[pall money]] in apparent allusion to the mysterious [[Avelachian Pall]] that once mantled the continent, is made of [[dreamstuff]] stolen by Resistance [[dream mage|wizard]]s from the onirarchs' creations.

The cities of the Republic have many [[retail stores of the Free Republic of Avelax|stores]] at which the residents can spend their earnings. These stores are typically highly specialized; rather than just selling food, a particular store will sell only [[fruit]], or only a particular kind of [[cuisine]], and rather than just selling [[clothing]], a particular store will sell only [[shirt]]s, or only [[shoe]]s. There are stores that sell luxury items such as [[candy|candies]], [[perfume]]s, and decorative [[work of art|objets d'art]], but they are not regularly frequented by the typical Freeman citizen, who may treat themself to the occasional extravagance if they find themself with a little money left over after fulfilling their basic needs, but is content to spend most of their small income on food, clothing, [[personal care products|toiletries]], and simple [[furniture]], devoting most of their free time to [[dreaming in the onirarchies|dreaming]] and so feeling little need to voluptuate their waking environment. There are those less complacent Freemen, however, who either by taking on extra work or by leveraging their skills and talents into higher-paying jobs, are able to earn enough to regularly afford to buy such nonessentials and live less frugal lifestyles, possibly even renting more spacious accommodations than the small [[apartment]]s provided by the government. An especially industrious Freeman may even be able to afford to own their own store—while most stores in the Republic are owned by the government, citizens can apply to rent their own storefronts and run their own establishments, which despite the high fees involved can be a very lucrative endeavor. Of course, while citizens of the Republic may have the opportunity to improve their means and raise their stations, doing so inevitably invites the attention of the onirarchs. Such ambition may imply a potentially disruptive dissatisfaction with existing conditions, and those Freemen who run their own businesses will be carefully monitored—and very possibly eventually either recruited as agents of the onirarchs if they seem sufficiently useful, or quietly eliminated if they show signs of sympathy for the resistance.

==People==
The people of the Republic are of mixed [[ethnicity]] and [[species]], but predominant are the [[Balian]]s, a light-skinned [[human]] people originally from the continent of [[Burcady]], who crossed the [[isthmus]] into Avelax just under two thousand years ago, driving out most of the indigenous [[Kenever]] people. But Avelax has had [[immigration|immigrants]]—voluntary and otherwise—from many other places, and is home to a considerable mix of people; the Balians form a slim majority, but there are many significant minorities. This is especially true in the outskirts of the nation; in the heartland of the Republic the Balians' majority is stronger, while in some of the outlying provinces they may actually be outnumbered by other peoples.

Nor are all of the Freeman citizens human. [[Gnulu]]s make up a little under four [[percent]] of the Freeman populace, particularly the half-[[slug]] [[b'rac]], the half-[[weasel]] [[hhuzen]], and the half-[[moose]] [[davine]]s indigenous to the continent. Less common nonhuman [[folk]]s found in the Republic include [[wunderkind]]er, [[bardaric]]s, [[chitch]]es, [[velt]]s, and [[whispling]]s, the last apparently the descendants of people magically altered by the Pall. The Verecan and Ngo Mountains are also home to strange monocular [[humanoid]] creatures called [[thyvar]]s that seem to be [[ellogy|ellogous]] but that the Freeman government generally prefers to ignore, at least for the moment. (The also alpestral [[zjalak]]s have likewise been suggested to be possibly ellogous, but their case is much more dubious.)

There are also many Freeman citizens who were born human, but have been altered by the onirarchs into [[dreambuilt]]. Many [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s carry out the Republic's aquaculture, while [[ogre dreambuilt|ogre]]s and [[spiderling]]s work in fields suited to their capacities. Unlike in some onirarchies, the Freeman government does not routinely rig [[child]]ren, but only makes these modifications to [[adult]]s who are supposedly able to give informed consent. However, this consent is typically obtained through coaxing or coercion; it is still largely the case that the government decides which of its citizens are to become dreambuilt to achieve its purposes.

As with batirines, the Freeman onirarchs have created some types of dreambuilt unique to the nation, perhaps the best known of which is the [[dreamsucker]], which looks fully human but has a magical implant that draws the [[dream energy]] of those [[sleep]]ing nearby and channels it to a [[dream mage|wizard]] linked to the dreambuilt. While of limited utility inside the Republic, since the onirarchs already siphon off the dream energy of its citizens anyway, dreamsuckers are often placed in the surrounding undeveloped nations to harvest dream energy from there.

===Language===
The official [[language]] of the Free Republic of Avelax is [[Orlian]], the language of the Balian people who founded the Republic. All government documents and signs are in Orlian, and those who do not speak the language are disadvantaged even more so than most of the oppressed populace. Next to Orlian, the most widely spoken languages in the Republic are [[Kenever (language)|Kenever]], [[Maplander]], [[Gcole]], [[Chuen]], [[U']], [[Qeqe]], and [[Loua]].

==Culture==
Although people of many different origins and ethnicities have settled in the Free Republic, the government strives to impose on them a unified culture and set of values. Nevertheless, ethnic enclaves do exist, especially in the outskirts of the Republic outside the heartland; the government may disapprove of them but has not completely eradicated them. For the most part, Freemen, perduced by their leaders, place a high value on structure and conformity, while at the same time at least paying lip service to freedom and individuality. While few if any Freemen would put it this way, the overall idea is perhaps that people of the Free Republic have the rights and liberty to choose to live however they want, but given that liberty they will naturally want to choose to live as everyone else does and as their leaders encourage them to live.

===Architecture and urban design===
Like those in many onirarchies, the [[city|cities]] of the Free Republic of Avelax are characterized by tall, cylindrical buildings made of dreamstuff, mostly in various shades of [[red]]. The tops of the buildings of the Republic are usually [[dome]]d, and [[balcony|balconies]] are common but [[window]]s are rare. There is seldom any enclosed connection between buildings; even travel between neighboring buildings is usually done through [[streampath]]s, or perhaps if there is a lot of traffic between the buildings in question through [[travel circle]]s. Many buildings ''do'' have doors on the ground floor leading outside, but they are seldom used; many Freeman never set foot outdoors. The city's buildings are seldom laid out in any orderly arrangement, but scattered apparently randomly, but since almost all travel between buildings is done through streampath or travel circle most of their inhabitants have little reason to care about their physical arrangement or relative positions. Sometimes, of course, in cities that predate the rise of the onirarchs, the modern city plans still show some traces of the cities' original layouts.

The cities of the heartland flow into each other with little way to tell where one city ends and another begins without consulting a [[map]]. There are parts of the heartland given over to farmland or to infrastructure such as [[batirine mill]]s, but no one enters those areas except those assigned to work there, and most people may be only vaguely aware of their existence. Outside the heartland, urbanization is less complete and the cities are less sprawling, but streampaths connect these cities too to each other and to the heartland, and people still commonly get by without ever leaving the buildings.

To facilitate the specification of addresses within a city, each city of the Free Republic of Avelax is divided into two overlapping sets of [[block (Free Republic of Avelax)|block]]s. These blocks are rarely compact in shape, but usually long, narrow, and often tortuously curving, the better to ensure that each block of one set overlaps with as many blocks of the other set as possible. The blocks are given names, generally following patterns or protocols that may differ between cities; it is common, though far from universal, that the names of blocks of the primary partition—the one stated first in an address—are [[adjective]]s, and those of the secondary partition [[noun]]s; another frequently used scheme is for the names of primary partition to be nouns and the second to be [[number]]s.

===Cuisine===
As controlled and uniform as Freeman culture is in many ways, its cuisine is one aspect in which it can rightly boast of variety. As in most onirarchies, highly processed foods such as [[durway]]s, [[flavor stick]]s, and [[foamcake]]s are common, but more traditional food is available for those who want it. [[Shop]]s and [[restaurant]]s in the Republic sell [[food]] ingredients and prepared [[dish]]es from all over the world, from [[Alfenane]]r [[podge pie]]s to [[Rronga]]n [[seafire stew]]. While the recipes are not completely authentic, and Freeman culinarians may make their own changes and take some liberties, still the food in the Republic is more diverse than in most other onirarchies.

For all its eagerness to adopt foods from other nations, however, the Republic has never developed much of a characteristic cuisine of its own. Certainly the Kenever who once inhabited the area had their own magiristic traditions, as did the Balian settlers from [[Chrate]] who founded what would become the modern nation, but foods from these kitchens, while obtainable at some rare specialty stores, are today neither widely available nor popular in the Republic. If there is anything distinctive about Freeman cuisine, it is its fondness for [[fusion cuisine|fusions]]. As much as there are establishments that sell staples and delicacies from all over the world, there are also those that combine two farflung dishes into something new, and it is perhaps this that the Republic can best claim as its major contribution to cookery.

===Art===
While the Freeman government does not patronize or otherwise encourage the creation of [[art]], nevertheless there are of course those who are sufficiently driven by artistic impuluses to engage in artistic pursuits on their own time, and some notable artistic movements and individual works of art have appeared in the Republic despite its leaders' disinterest. Notable [[sculptor]]s have arisen in the vicinity of the Verecan Mountains, many following the [[Carathian School]] that emphasizes using the natural patterns and grain of the [[rock]] the [[sculpture]] is carved from. Freeman music, not unlike its cuisine, often combines [[instrument]]s from many different nations; some [[musician]]s have also revived use of Kenever instruments such as the [[eolar]] and the [[honeycomb (instrument)|honeycomb]]. A genre of [[fiction]] that arose in the Republic is the [[godtale]], a story usually set in the historical past and describing the details of [[god]]s—though given the Republic's typically onirarchal disdain of the gods, godtales are almost invariably either tragedies or farces.

===Education===
General [[education]] of young children in the Free Republic is neither compulsory nor subsidized by the state. Tutors and private [[schools]] do exist for those who want their children to have a broad base of learning, but there is little demand for them and they are in correspondingly small supply. What the government ''does'' both provide and require is education in [[trade schools in the Free Republic of Avelax|trade schools]], to prepare its young citizens for their future lives as productive workers.

The government does not mandate ''which'' trade school a [[child]] will go to; that is a decision of the child and/or their [[parent]]s. Local government functionaries called [[proponent]]s may work with the [[family|families]] to settle on a suitable trade, but this varies widely by province; in some provinces the proponent's "suggestions" have almost the force of law, while in others the provincial leaders think it not worth the bother to meddle with their citizens' career choices, and there are no proponents at all.

Different trade schools admit students at different ages; students who aspire to careers that require more extensive education enroll earlier than those that require a more modest training program. Those going into careers as [[laborer]]s or [[farmer]]s may enter the trade schools in their mid teens, while those who hope to attain positions as agents of the onirarchs may have to begin their training as young as seven. The more education a job requires the better it tends to pay, however, so those children who commit early on to a position that requires them to enter trade school young are rewarded for their foresight—assuming they are able to stick with their studies.

===Clothing===
[[Clothing]] in the Free Republic of Avelax tends toward the practical and unostentations. Men and women alike usually wear [[blouse]]s and loose [[trousers]] in earth tones and neutral [[color]]s, or [[sleeveless shirt]]s and [[short trouser]]s in hot weather. [[Hat]]s are uncommon, except for broad-brimmed [[sun hat|field hats]] called [[monder]]s that Freeman farmers and others who work outdoors wear on particularly sunny days.

In cold weather, especially in the [[mountain]]s and in the [[east]]ern, pageric part of the nation, Freemen venturing outdoors wear heavy outerwear over their other clothing to keep warm. This most commonly takes the form of long, shaggy [[coat]]s called [[valat]]s and heavily insulated [[jackets]] called [[brelgen]]s. While the physical designs of valats and brelgens are fairly standardized and exhibit little variation, they do vary considerably more in [[color]] and [[pattern]]s than most Freeman clothing, meaning the colder regions of the country are the most colorful, at least as far as their people's garb.

[[Footwear]] is where Freeman attire varies the most. It is said, and is to a large degree true, that you can tell a Freeman's profession by what's on their [[foot|feet]], from the heavy [[boot]]s of farmers to the polished, pointed red [[Wikipedia:slip-on shoe|slip-ons]] worn by [[clerk]]s and the [[buckle]]d [[shoe]]s of shopkeepers. When not at work, Freeman may of course change into different shoes, but generally even then they wear shoes that are similar to their work shoes but perhaps more comfortable.

Technically, there are no [[law]]s in most provinces of the Free Republic against public [[nudity]], and Freemen are not legally prohibited from going around topless or even fully naked. However, while not illegal, public nudity is generally considered socially unacceptable and scandalous. Furthermore, as with any deviation from the norm, someone who appears naked in public may invite the scrutiny of the onirarchs, who mistrust any sort of noncomformity. Oddly, there is perhaps an even stronger cultural taboo against appearing [[barefoot]] in public than against being otherwise naked, unless one is [[swimming]]—and even then, many Freemen prefer to wear [[bathing slipper]]s.

===Family===
[[Marriage]] in the Republic is quick and easy, requiring little more than registration at a municipal clerk's office. There is no restriction on the [[gender]]s of the nuptialities, and [[polygamy|polygamous]] marriages, while unusual, are permitted. [[Divorce]] is also common and routine but discouraged if the couple has any young children. Unlike in many onirarchies, in the Republic [[child]]ren stay with and are brought up by their [[parent]]s, rather than being taken and raised by the state. This fact is often brought up in the government's propaganda to compare the Republic favorably to other developed nations; here parents are given the freedom to raise their children as they will. In fact, to motivate parents to raise more citizens for the state, the government subsidizes childcare, giving parents a stipend to pay for food and other expenses for their children.

After the children grow up and move out, however, [[family]] ties in the Republic are weak. Very rarely do [[adult]]s live with their parents or with any other family members aside from their own children and [[spouse]]; [[sibling]]s may keep in touch with their parents and/or each other and perhaps occasionally visit, but it is not uncommon for a Freeman to have never met and to know nothing about any relatives other than their parents, siblings, spouse, and children. Freemen feel no obligation to care for elderly parents, since they are already provided for by the government, which gives them an apartment like all citizens, and finds work for them to do to support themselves if they are able to do so and have not yet retired.

===Religion===
The Freeman government does not outlaw [[religion]]; citizens are free to [[worship]] any [[gods of Dadauar|gods]] they want to. However, very few Freemen actually ''do'' worship any gods, because the government has done a very thorough job of suppressing religion not through laws but through propaganda and social pressure. The onirarchs take pains to ensure that the gods are portrayed as impotent, outmoded, and somewhat ridiculous, and this has been effective enough that even though they are legally allowed to do so most human Freemen in the heartland would no sooner openly worship a god than they would wear shoes on their [[ear]]s. There are, of course, exceptions, but they face not only general opprobrium but also the suspicion of the onirarchs.

This is less true in the outskirts of the nation, and among its nonBalian and nonhuman population. Many of the people of the Talacho Peninsula still worship the same gods they honored before the advent of the Republic, which are by and large the same gods worshipped in Mapland. The people of the Atahali Desert, too, still largely honor their old gods. Even in the heartland, while most Kenever have assimilated to Freeman culture, there are some who defiantly keep to some of their ancestors' ways, which includes worshipping their ancestors' gods. As for the nonhumans, many gnulus have gods of their own, and the davines in particular still hold religious ceremonies at their mountain [[temple]]s.

===Dreaming===
As typical for onirarchies, the citizens of the Republic most look forward to the time they spend dreaming. The onirarchs of the Republic have created a [[dreamworlds of Dadauar|dreamworld]] for their subjects called the [[Eight Realms]]. As the name implies, the Eight Realms comprise eight separate [[plane]]s; five of them are publicly accessible to everyone, while the other three require some payment or service to the onirarchs—another way the Republic encourages its people to play by its rules.

Those sentenced to dream redirection, of course, do not go to the Eight Realms in their dreams. Different onirarchs have different preferences as to where to send their enemies in their dreams, with the [[Bleakness]], the [[Forest of Teeth]], the [[Hungry Slough]], and the [[Spiders' Playground]] being among the preferred [[nightmare world]]s.

===Resistance===
Despite the best efforts of the onirarchs, the Free Republic is bedeviled by a [[resistance to the onirarchs|resistance element]] that fights against their rule. Many Freeman rebels have established lairs in Avelax's extensive [[underfold]], but others manage to live among the other citizens and keep a low enough profile to avoid being caught. While their goal may seem unreachable set against the overwhelming might of the powerful dreamlords, the resistance does what they can to chip away at their power, sabotaging key infrastructure and trying to counter the government's propaganda.

While they may be far from achieving their ultimate aim of bringing down the onirarchs, the rebels of the Republic have managed the occasional minor victory. One of their more unusual and lasting feats was the creation of a [[sleepless rat]], a type of magical [[rodent]] that eats dreamstuff. Sleepless rats have now spread over much of the continent, gnawing away at the onirarchs' works and withstanding attempts to exterminate them. They may be little more than a nuisance to the dreamlords, but they are a nuisance the onirarchs would prefer to be without, and a constant reminder of the presence and activity of the resistance.

As in most onirarchies, the resistance in the Free Republic is anything but unified, with innumerable discrete resistance groups acting independently and often at cross purposes. Some of the largest and best-known resistance groups of the Republic include the [[Dreambreakers]], all of whose members take up the [[Vandals' Geis]] (and often other [[geis|geasa]] besides); the [[Mother's Men]], a group made up mostly of Kenever (though with some nonKenever sympathizers); the [[Troglodyte (FRA)|Troglodyte]]s, who are rumored to have established or be in the process of establishing a whole civilization in the underfold beneath the Republic; the [[Underground College]], who promote knowledge and education; and the [[White Cult]], known for their extreme methods and unconcern with collateral damage.

==Relations==
The Free Republic of Avelax has no close allies, but its size and power mean it also has no enemies that pose a real threat to it. For the most part, it has a policy of neutrality toward its fellow onirarchies, trading with them and co&oumlperating when it is mutually beneficial, but not openly intervening in any conflicts between other nations. (''Covert'' intervention, on the other hand, is not off the table if it serves the Republic's interests.) The Republic has cultivated fairly good relationships with [[Ren Gao]], whose aid it occasionally enlists in trying to root out rebels in the underfold; with [[Ikiki]], with which it entrusts much of its trade; and with [[Risinien]], one of its largest trading partners. (In Ikiki's case, however, this otherwise good relationship is tempered by concerns that the Republic's objectives may include someday moving to annex the smaller onirarchy.)

On the other hand, there has long been a measure of antipathy between the Republic and the nation of [[Ovla Ba]]. This seems to have started more due to personality clashes between the two nations' respective past leaders than due to any geopolitical causes, although it may be that the Republic covets Ovla Ba's bountiful food supply. The Free Republic also has strained relationships with Ivinii, which it resents for occupying the colony of Kasie on land the Republic wants for its own, and with [[Drithidiach]], in dealings with which the Republic's leaders affect an air of amiability but which they privately dislike because they are epprehensive that the [[Drithidian Amnesty]] and succeeding events in that nation may set a precedent they don't want followed.

Freeman relationships with the undeveloped nations are less fraught, if perhaps more paternalistic. The Republic happily trades with these nations, usually sending them useful magic in return for food, and frequently offers aid dealing with disasters or challenges these nations face. Of course, this apparent generosity is mostly granted with the goal of increasing the Republic's influence over these nations and inducing them to act in the Republic's interest, but the effort has been successful enough that many people in the undeveloped nations regard the Free Republic as a benevolent patron. The Republic's immediate neighbors are exceptions; the fear of an invasion by the Republic is seldom far from the minds of the people of Ekerben, Mapland, and Onraa.

==History==
With the exception of the Talacho Peninsula, most of the area now controlled by the Free Republic of Avelax was covered for thousands of years by the [[Avelachian Pall]], and its history before the Pall is murky at best. After the Pall, however, the dominant inhabitants of the area were Kenever, a fair-skinned people of uncertain origin. Though other peoples spread into the center of the continent from areas that had been spared from the Pall, the Kenever were the most widespread and numerous ethnicity. They were, however, apparently an open-minded people, and for the most part got on well with the other folks they encountered.

The genesis of the Free Republic came in 427 [[Drithidian Calendar|D.C.]] when a large expedition of Balians arrived in what is now the province of [[Oradallen]], led by a woman named [[Eridar Drazgen]]. Fleeing persecution by the incipient onirarchy in [[Chrate]], they had sailed around the south end of the Aoala range in search of a new home, and found it here, declaring their newfounded nation the Free Republic of Avelax, after the continent where it was located and their liberation from those who had just taken power in their land of origin. They quickly built cities and established a foothold in this new country, but they were not long satisfied to remain in this cold area, and began to spread west.

As the newcomers encountered the Kenever and the other existing inhabitants, sometimes they integrated with them, but more often they drove them out and took their territory by force. These Chratish settlers had not represented the poor and downtrodden of their old nation, but rather had included the former rulers and patriciates, whom the new onirarchs had overthrown but who had brought much of their wealth and their magical resources with them in their flight. The indigines, sparsely populating a land that had only relatively recently recovered from the Pall, were no match for the magic and weapons that the settlers had brought from their homeland, and within a few hundred years the Free Republic claimed almost all the territory south of the Verecan Mountains and north of the [[Ngo]]. By this time word of the new nation had spread and many immigrants began to pour in from other troubled lands, further increasing the Republic's burgeoning population.

While the Free Republic had been founded with the intent of escaping the onirarchy in Chathe, however, and nominally championed freedom and equality (its unequal treatment of the Avelachian natives notwithstanding), not all of its citizens were so idealistic. Coalescing about a ringleader named [[Imidir Cach]], a confederacy of wizards plotted to take power in the Republic just as the usurpers had in Chathe. After years of planning and laying groundwork, Cach and his confederates finally struck in 752, empowering themselves with dream energy stolen from their fellow citizens and using it to seize power. They were careful to do so in such a way, however, as to preserve the pretense of democracy, and their successors have managed to keep up this deception since.

The expansion of the Republic had largely stalled at the Verecan Mountains to the north at the [[Rananuin River]] to the west, as the natives had fallen back and fortified the surrounding areas, improving their defenses. But once the onirarchs were in power, their powerful magic let the Republic press further, first taking a large swathe of territory west of the Upper Rananuin and then crossing the [[Darwell Waste]] and beginning to spread into the land north of the Verecans. The Republic soon reached the New Coast and then spread west from there; some of the battles were hard, but they took almost all the land between the Verecans and the Akararal Sea, saving only Onraa, which proved too hard a nut for them to crack at the moment, and Kasie, an attack on which would mean a [[war]] with a fellow onirarchy which the Republic was not prepared for. Meanwhile, the Republic also sent forces further west from the Rananuin, eventually reaching the [[Golden Sea]]. So much of an impression did the tropical [[beach]] on the sea's northeastern shore make on the head of the expeditionary force, [[general officer|General]] [[Ractam Calloram]], that he called the area [[Paradise (FRA)|Paradise]].

Now in control of all of what is today consider the heartland of the Free Republic, the onirarchs paused to consolidate their gains for only a few decades before continuing their conquests. Hungry for more land and power, they sent armies not only west and south into the Talacho Peninsula and to the sides of the Ngo Mountains, but also overseas, taking much of the [[Stone Coast]] and southern Burcady as well as part of western [[Jahanna]] and the northern coast of the [[White Main]]. From a relatively small group of settlers fleeing their homeland, the Free Republic had now expanded into a true [[empire (politics)|empire]], with significant holdings on four of the world's five continents.

The [[Avelachian Empire]] would, however, be short-lived. The onirarchs might have been powerful, but they had spread their power too thin and claimed more than they could hold. This was especially true in face of the opposition of the other onirarchies, who bristled at the Republic's ambition. Between border skirmishes with neighboring nations and uprisings from within, the leaders of the Republic were eventually forced to withdraw from all their transoceanic territories, and after some two hundred years of embattled existence, the Avelachian Empire was no more. (At least by name; while it is not called such, the modern Free Republic is arguably still an empire, albeit no longer a transcontinental one.) The Free Republic ''did'' keep all the new territory it had gained in Avelax itself, but it reluctantly relinquished all its claims on other continents.

Since then, the onirarchs of the Free Republic have mostly focused on building up their nation's wealth and infrastructure and cementing their control over their people. That does not, however, mean that their imperial aspirations have entirely abated. Having no other adjacent territory it can easily claim on the land, the Free Republic has recently started expanding into the water. Officially established only twenty [[year]]s ago, the Republic's newest province, [[Ontrehen]], is entirely underwater, at the mouth of the Akararal Sea; it is inhabited largely by [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s and by aquatic folks such as [[bulurang]]s and [[dantili]]s, though there are also some enclosed [[Underwater cities of the FRA|underwater cities]] where [[land|terrestrial]] folks can dwell. Apparently the Republic does not intend to end its expansion with Ontrehen; there are three other marine areas where it is clearly laying the groundwork for similar development, though they have not been officially designated provinces of the Republic yet: [[Area 39|northeast of Ontrehen]], [[Area 43|off the Lobster Coast]], and [[Area 42|off the New Coast]]. Although the leaders of the FRA have not publicly stated the reasons for their marine expansion, certainly others have guessed at motives beyond simply growing its footprint. If the Republic claims the entire mouth of the Akararal, it could establish a lucrative control of passage in and out of the sea. If it claims all the sea around Onraa, that could make it easier for it to finally annex the recalcitrant nation. And controlling the east end of the Akararal Sea could give the Republic a clear path to some of the undeveloped nations on western Burcady that it might hope to conquer—and by spreading across the mouth of the Akararal it could conceivably threaten Ovla Ba as well, though any attempt to seize its territory would of course mean a [[war]] between the onirarchies.
[[Category:Onirarchies of Dadauar]][[Category:Nations of Avelax]]

F.R.A.

2026-01-13T20:44:30Z

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Freemen

2026-01-13T20:44:08Z

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#REDIRECT [[Free Republic of Avelax]]

Freeman

2026-01-13T20:43:47Z

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#REDIRECT [[Free Republic of Avelax]]

Pollaster

2026-01-13T08:26:56Z

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#REDIRECT [[Pollasteron]]

Pollach

2026-01-13T08:26:19Z

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#REDIRECT [[Pollachon]]

Panaster

2026-01-13T08:25:36Z

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#REDIRECT [[Panasteron]]

Pantach

2026-01-13T08:24:58Z

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Nelde

2026-01-02T05:03:31Z

Clé: Tamamna has been renamed

The '''nelde''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈnɛldeɪ/}}; plural ''nelder'', {{IPA|/ˈnɛldɚ/}}), is an [[ellogy|ellogous]] organism of [[Herit]] which has developed a civilization covering numerous [[planet]]s. Nelder develop from three separate organisms, a fact that has a number of consequences for their biology and culture. For one, their exceptional life cycle, which results in nelder not having parents in the usual sense, means that nelder generally lack the sorts of ties of relation that exist among other species and do not form traditional family units.

==Description==
Nelder are slightly larger than humans, with round bodies that taper in the rear into blunt tails. On the anterior end, a long neck connects to an ovoid head, with a mouth in the front; two large eyes on either side; two more eyes on top, one in front of the other; and multiple sensors on various types on tendrils on the bottom. A mass of hair-like tentacles surrounds the dorsal eyes. The nelde's overall posture is generally somewhat hunched over, its neck starting horizontally from the anterior end of its body, and then arcing downward to attach to its head, which it generally holds so that its dorsal eyes are looking forward

The nelde has eight jointed limbs plus two tentacles, the latter sprouting from the area roughly corresponding to a [[human]]'s shoulders. Four of the nelde's limbs are situated at the front of the nelde, and are known as its ventral limbs, or legs; the other four are on its sides, and called the lateral limbs, or arms. The lateral limbs are much larger and longer than the ventral limbs, and are the limbs that the nelde stands and walks on. The ventral limbs are better articulated for fine manipulation, but are too short to reach very far from the creature; it often uses its tentacles to grab objects and pull them near its body where it can use its ventral limbs to handle them.

==Life cycle==
Perhaps the most unusual thing about the nelde is its unique life cycle. A nelde is actually formed by the [[henosis|fusing together]] of three different organisms, the [[mapar]], the [[laman]], and the [[nu]], in a biological process called [[yanwe]]. Each organism is capable of existing on its own, and indeed most specimens do just that, and live out their lives as discrete individuals, but when one of each of the three comes together they instinctively clutch each other and beginning to undergo the process of the yanwe that will eventually unite them into a single nelde. The process of the yanwe takes several days, during which the organisms remain in close contact. Neither the mapar, nor the laman, nor the nu is particularly intelligent on its own, but during the yanwe their brains combine as do other parts of their bodies, and further fold and complexify, making the combined nelde far more intelligent than any of its component creatures.

The mapar, the laman, and the nu inhabit rather different, albeit slightly overlapping, areas, and seldom would one of each species happen to find the others on its own. However, once some nelder exist, the formation of others is facilitated, because the existing nelder can help it along, intentionally putting together one of each species in order to form new nelder. Moreover, they can more or less selectively breed new nelder by deciding which particular mapari, lamani, and nur to combine.

==Anatomy==
Due to its remarkable life cycle, the nelde has a comparably remarkable anatomical structure, with many organs reduplicated, or organs of its component creatures molded and repurposed in the combined creature. Most of its digestive system comes from the laman, with its two stomachs with an intestine between. The other two components, however, contribute some glands that contribute to the digestive process. The circulatory system of the nelde is necessarily piecemeal, the vessels of the three component creatures expanding and interweaving.

==Habitat==
The nelder are originally from a planet that humans call [[Eru]]; in the language of the nelder, the name is difficult if not impossible for humans to pronounce, but approximate transliterations are sometimes attempted, the most widely accepted of which is the awkward-looking "Xxqan". In the wild, nelder probably originally evolved on the forested coasts of their planet's largest continent, the only place where mapari, lamani, and nur would be likely to encounter each other naturally. Of course, since the onset of their civilization, they have since spread throughout their planet and colonized many planets beyond.

==Society==
Nelder do not rely on haphazard meetings between mapar, lamani, and nur, but rather tend to intentionally bring together trios they feel would make a good combination as a nelde, either because of some individual superiority they have to the rest of the species or because of some traits they feel would complement each other well. Lacking families in the usual sense, nelder do however sometimes have some sort of quasipaternal feelings toward other nelder whose yanwes they are responsible for arranging. Despite not living in family units, nelder are nevertheless social creatures, and tend to form into groups of two to six close friends who live together and support each other.

==See also==
[[Nelder in the Dupliverse]]
[[Category:Ellogous species of Herit]][[Category:Spacegoing species]][[Category:Henotic organisms]]

Nelde

2026-01-02T05:03:08Z

Clé: Tamamna has been renamed

The '''nelde''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈnɛldeɪ/}}; plural ''nelder'', {{IPA|/ˈnɛldɚ/}}), is an [[ellogy|ellogous]] organism of [[Herit]] which has developed a civilization covering numerous [[planet]]s. Nelder develop from three separate organisms, a fact that has a number of consequences for their biology and culture. For one, their exceptional life cycle, which results in nelder not having parents in the usual sense, means that nelder generally lack the sorts of ties of relation that exist among other species and do not form traditional family units.

==Description==
Nelder are slightly larger than humans, with round bodies that taper in the rear into blunt tails. On the anterior end, a long neck connects to an ovoid head, with a mouth in the front; two large eyes on either side; two more eyes on top, one in front of the other; and multiple sensors on various types on tendrils on the bottom. A mass of hair-like tentacles surrounds the dorsal eyes. The nelde's overall posture is generally somewhat hunched over, its neck starting horizontally from the anterior end of its body, and then arcing downward to attach to its head, which it generally holds so that its dorsal eyes are looking forward

The nelde has eight jointed limbs plus two tentacles, the latter sprouting from the area roughly corresponding to a [[human]]'s shoulders. Four of the nelde's limbs are situated at the front of the nelde, and are known as its ventral limbs, or legs; the other four are on its sides, and called the lateral limbs, or arms. The lateral limbs are much larger and longer than the ventral limbs, and are the limbs that the nelde stands and walks on. The ventral limbs are better articulated for fine manipulation, but are too short to reach very far from the creature; it often uses its tentacles to grab objects and pull them near its body where it can use its ventral limbs to handle them.

==Life cycle==
Perhaps the most unusual thing about the nelde is its unique life cycle. A nelde is actually formed by the [[henosis|fusing together]] of three different organisms, the [[mapar]], the [[laman]], and the [[nu]], in a biological process called [[yanwe]]. Each organism is capable of existing on its own, and indeed most specimens do just that, and live out their lives as discrete individuals, but when one of each of the three comes together they instinctively clutch each other and beginning to undergo the process of the yanwe that will eventually unite them into a single nelde. The process of the yanwe takes several days, during which the organisms remain in close contact. Neither the mapar, nor the laman, nor the nu is particularly intelligent on its own, but during the yanwe their brains combine as do other parts of their bodies, and further fold and complexify, making the combined nelde far more intelligent than any of its component creatures.

The mapar, the laman, and the nu inhabit rather different, albeit slightly overlapping, areas, and seldom would one of each species happen to find the others on its own. However, once some nelder exist, the formation of others is facilitated, because the existing nelder can help it along, intentionally putting together one of each species in order to form new nelder. Moreover, they can more or less selectively breed new nelder by deciding which particular mapari, lamani, and nur to combine.

==Anatomy==
Due to its remarkable life cycle, the nelde has a comparably remarkable anatomical structure, with many organs reduplicated, or organs of its component creatures molded and repurposed in the combined creature. Most of its digestive system comes from the laman, with its two stomachs with an intestine between. The other two components, however, contribute some glands that contribute to the digestive process. The circulatory system of the nelde is necessarily piecemeal, the vessels of the three component creatures expanding and interweaving.

==Habitat==
The nelder are originally from a planet that humans call [[Eru]]; in the language of the nelder, the name is difficult if not impossible for humans to pronounce, but approximate transliterations are sometimes attempted, the most widely accepted of which is the awkward-looking "Xxqan". In the wild, nelder probably originally evolved on the forested coasts of their planet's largest continent, the only place where mapari, lamani, and nur would be likely to encounter each other naturally. Of course, since the onset of their civilization, they have since spread throughout their planet and colonized many planets beyond.

==Society==
Nelder do not rely on haphazard meetings between mapar, lamani, and nur, but rather tend to intentionally bring together trios they feel would make a good combination as a nelde, either because of some individual superiority they have to the rest of the species or because of some traits they feel would complement each other well. Lacking families in the usual sense, nelder do however sometimes have some sort of quasipaternal feelings toward other nelder whose yanwes they are responsible for arranging. Despite not living in family units, nelder are nevertheless social creatures, and tend to form into groups of two to six close friends who live together and support each other.

==See also==
[[Nelder in the Dupliverse]]
[[Category:Ellogous species of Tamamna]][[Category:Spacegoing species]][[Category:Henotic organisms]]

Djarvin

2026-01-01T23:53:25Z

Clé: /* History */ Too many howevers

'''Djarvin''' is a large and wealthy [[sovereign state|nation]] on the [[west]]ern [[coast]] of the [[continent]] of [[Orelan]] on the [[world]] of [[Curcalen]]. Long and narrow, it spans the entire continent from [[north]] to [[south]], more than 6600 [[meter|kilometers]] in length but only about 1600 kilometers wide. Surrounded by [[water]] on all sides except the [[southeast]], it is a major maritime power; Djarvish ships ply the seas as far away as [[Emerald Bay]] on the opposite side of the world. It also has a reputation as a center of learning, with Djarvish [[university|universities]] having a high reputation all over Curcalen. But perhaps what it's most famous for are the [[galliards' guild]]s whose members are sent on missions of exploration, succor, and liberation; not only are these guilds' teams seen operating all over the world, but many people from other places with a thirst for adventure or a drive to do good travel to Djarvin specifically to join them. Today one of the most diverse nations of Curcalen, Djarvin is home to people of all ancestries and ethnicities.

==Etymology==
The [[name]] of Djarvin comes from the [[language]] of the [[Ituni]], who on settling this land called it "Han D'Jar a Vin", "Land of [[Bird]]s and [[Water]]", after two notable things they found plentiful here that were much scarcer in their [[desert]] homeland. As the language of the land's inhabitants evolved and was influenced by other cultures, the name went through various forms such as "Han Jaravin" and "Han Djar-Vin" before eventually landing on something close to "Han Djarvin". The meaning of the latter part of the name became mostly forgotten but the "Han" was still recognized as "land", so this was interpreted as "Land of Djarvin", and when the people of the area formed into a unified country "Djarvin" was taken as its official name.

==Geography==
Djarvin occupies a thin strip on the western edge of Orelan, along the [[Ivarian Ocean]]. Northern Djarvin is bordered on the [[east]] by the [[Tower Sea]], the narrow arm of land between the sea and the ocean being known as the [[Arantine]] [[Peninsula]], or simply the Arantine.

Djarvin is a nation of diverse [[geography]]. Two parallel [[mountain range]]s run from north to south, the [[Shell Mountains]] to the west and the much longer and taller [[Abulaji Range]] to the east. The [[Great Valley]] between them is a patchment of [[temperate forest]] and [[grassland]]s. Much of the area along and near the Ivarian coast is ulvose [[fen]], though here too there are forested areas, largely giving way farther north to the [[savannah]] of the western Arantine. The eastern Arantine, beyond the northern end of the Abulaji Range, bears a patch of [[sand]]y desert called the [[Kufra Desert|Kufra]], while the northern tip of Djarvin is largely rocky [[highland]]s with patches of [[cloud forest]], and some areas of [[tropical forest]] along the coasts. Djarvin's northernmost point is [[Cape Dread]], a [[headland]] that forms the western edge of the [[Silver Strait]] that is the Tower Sea's connection to the [[ocean]].

==Government==
One of the features Djarvin is best known for is its unusual form of [[government]]. The highest [[executive branch|executive]] body in the nation is the [[Heroes' Council]], made up of [[adventurer]]s, [[explorer]]s, and others who have distinguished themselves by great deeds, risking their own welfare for the sake of the nation. The deeds that qualify them as heroes don't have to involve defeating foes in physical [[combat]]—though they often do—; a few council members won their seats by intellectual or [[diplomacy|diplomatic]] means: inventing useful [[spell]]s or [[device]]s, calming uprisings, lifting powerful [[curse]]s.

Anyone can nominate a member for the Council—the nominations go to a clerical department called the [[Office of Renown]]—but before a candidate is seriously considered for membership, they must have received at least a thousand nominations, by different people. (The Office keeps a careful list of all nominations it receives.) After that, during a probationary period that usually lasts three [[month]]s but can be extended if the Office of Renown deems it necessary, the prospective Council member is investigated by an agent of the Office of Renown called an [[Illuminator]] who essentially plays the role of [[Wikipedia:devil's advocate|devil's advocate]], carefully researching the candidate's past and present dealings to turn up any signs that they may not be who they appear to be or may have any affiliations or proclivities that may make them unfit to serve on the Council. While the Illuminator does not have the authority to single-handedly scuttle a would-be Council member's appointment, they do present their findings to the current members of the Heroes' Council, who, after hearing from the Illuminator and perhaps setting aside some time for debate and deliberation, hold a [[vote]] to decide whether to admit the newcomer into their number. The new member must be approved by a two-thirds majority of existing council members; then, and only then, do they become a full member of the council.

In principle, the system of the Heroes' Council ensures that the highest authorities of Curcalen are those who truly have the good of the country at heart, and have shown both this and their ability to effect change in the past. Purportedly, the Heroes' Council is by its very nature unaffected by any external influence, and motivated only by the nation's welfare. Only a few people are aware (though more may suspect), however, that nearly all the councilors are truly in the pocket of one of the sorcerous [[covin|covin]]s that exercise power behind the scenes. All the major covins have at least a handful of councilors doing their bidding, and a few minor covins have managed to get their own agents seated on the council as well. There are only three councilors who are independent of the covins: [[Hi La Yetj]], [[Gadi Orcazo]], and the charismatic [[Selori Naen]], who secretly serves not the covins but the [[demon (Usm)|demon]]s of [[Merinele]].

On the subnational level, Djarvin is divided into fourteen [[province (Djarvin)|province]]s. Each province is led by a provincial [[governor (Djarvin)|governor]], who is directly elected by the populace. The Heroes' Council has the power to dismiss a governor at will and call for a new election (in which the just-amoved governor is not eligible), but they very rarely exercise that power unless the popular sentiment in the province is clearly strongly against the governor, or the governor has engaged in some particularly flagrant misdeed.

Aside from the Heroes' Council, the other major parts of the national government are the [[High Assembly]] and the [[Court of the Stone]]. The members of both of these bodies are selected by the provincial governors, who in addition to running their provinces are each empowered to appoint three representatives to the High Assembly and one to the Court of the Stone. [[Constitution of Djarvin|Constitutionally]], the [[High Assembly]] is the nation's highest [[legislative branch|legislative]] body and the Court of the Stone its highest [[judicial branch|judicial]]. However, in practice, such is the renown of the Heroes' Council that it generally has its way even in matters not officially within its purview, and the High Assembly and the Court of the Stone have little actual power, their members being mostly figureheads who rubberstamp the Council's "suggestions".

==Economy==
Djarvin has a thriving [[economy]] that relies largely on its [[trade]] connections; through [[magic]] and marinage, its [[merchant]]s travel all over Curcalen buying and selling. This is not to say, however, that it [[manufacture]]s no goods of its own. Djarvin's chief exports include [[textile]]s, [[weapon]]s, and [[waterware]], the last a class of vessels and other objects produced out of [[water]] through [[paracarminical magic|paracarminical]] processes that originated in [[Ritao]] but have been adopted and adapted by Djarvish craftsmen. Djarvin is also known for its contributions to the [[art]]s, especially [[music]]; several now widespread musical styles and [[instrument]]s originated in Djarvin, and Djarvin has more than its share of famous [[composer]]s both past and present.

[[Agriculture]] does not play a large role in Djarvin's economy, but some [[farming]] does take place there, mostly in the Great Valley. Still, [[meat]], [[grain]]s, and [[fruit]]s are among the nation's most important imports. There are, however, some exotic [[nut]]s and [[spice]]s such as [[icenut]]s and [[saffron]] that are grown only—or mostly—in Djarvin and that do bring in a nonnegligible part of the nation's income, the small volume of their trade made up for by the high prices they fetch. On the seamier side, however, there are also some dangerous [[drug]]s that originate in Djarvin and find their way elsewhere, most notably [[skullweed]] and [[drone dust]], despite the efforts of the Heroes' Council to quash this illegal trade. Thanks to its long coastline and extensive seafaring experience, Djarvin has a strong [[fishing]] industry and does export a significant amount of [[fish]] and [[shellfish]].

Djarvin could be said to trade not only in material goods, but in knowledge as well. Djarvish travelers bring back from their journeys not only valuable objects and materials, but documents and learning, and centers of learning have sprung up in Djarvin where this science and scholarship can be shared. Perhaps the most illustrious such establishment is the [[University of Lüm]], but [[Blackbridge University]] and the [[Kaji Academy]] are not much less celebrated. This too, however, has its dark side, as not all the relics and writings that have been collected in Djarvin's universities and [[museum]]s were brought there by honorable means or with the permission of the people from whose lands they were taken, and there are frequent calls for the repatriation of many such treasures.

===Galliards' Guilds===
Perhaps even more notable than the universities as a sort of abstract export, however, are the exploits of Djarvin's "[[galliards' guild]]s". These originated shortly after and as a reaction to the formation of the Heroes' Council. Several prominent merchants and other people of wealth and influence decided that if heroes were to play such a prominent and respected role in the land, then it made sense to make a conscious effort to cultivate new heroes—to bring together bands of what amounted to apprentice heroes who would be sent on tasks that would not only make the world a better place but also help these aspiring heroes to hone their skills and make a name for themselves, the better to reach a status as true heroes worthy one day of serving on the Council. Thus were born the organizations that would one day become the galliards' guilds, though it took some time for them to settle on that name. Of course, the motives behind their formation were not altogether altruistic; the nabobs who founded and funded these guilds no doubt hoped to increase their own respect and influence by doing so—and perhaps in the long run to have leverage over members of the Heroes' Council who owed them favors.

Over time the galliards' guilds multiplied and expanded until now there are at least a hundred such guilds of varying levels of notoriety and capability. Despite the name, most of them are not true [[guild]]s, in the sense of coöperative associations of practicers of a trade; most of the galliards' guilds are still ultimately controlled by moneyed individuals who provide their funding and give them their orders. Still, the purpose of the guilds is to help their members become heroes, so it's in their leaders' interests to send them mostly on missions that do resound to the benefit of the world, or at least of parts of it, the better to build goodwill toward them and help them win coöperation from local leaders. The Djarvish government takes pains to assert that [[galliard]]s—members of the galliards' guilds—are ''not'' mercenaries; that their missions are centered on exploration and on righting wrongs and not on mere combat, and they do what they do for the sake of gathering knowledge and doing good deeds, and not just for money. In fact, however, this isn't always true; ''most'' guilds may to some degree or other truly strive to hold themselves to these lofty ideals, but there are some galliards' guilds that really are little more than swords for hire.

While people interested in joining the galliards' guilds have emigrated to Djarvin from all over the world to do so, naturally some have decided instead that they could just found similar such guilds in their own homeland. In that way, organizations similar to the galliards' guilds, though perhaps called by different names, have begun to spring up in other lands as well. Still, even if Djarvin no longer has a monopoly on galliards, it is in Djarvin where the galliards' guilds are most numerous and most famous, and it is this nation with which they remain most closely associated.

==History==
The oldest known inhabitants of what is now Djarvin were various different groups of hunters and gatherers who either made settlements on the coast or in the valleys or wandered nomadically across the deserts or grasslands. These people left no written record, and what little is known of their early [[history]] comes primarily from [[archæology|archæological]] evidence and from oral traditions of questionable reliability. A thousand years ago, however, [[Ituni]] sojourners from the [[Malari Desert]] to the east crossed the Abulaji Mountains for the first time and found this land. Finding the greener valleys and coastlands almost paradisaical compared to their place of origin, the Ituni settled this new land, subjugating or assimilating its native inhabitants. Over time, the new people, now a mix of Ituni and the natives they had displaced, developed the land, built new settlements, and developed new [[technology|technologies]] and practices, including increasingly advanced agriculture and [[ship]]building—previously the natives of the area had made small boats, and even the Ituni had occasionally used simple [[raft]]s to travel up and down the few [[river]]s in the Malari, but now the proto-Djarvenish people started building larger and more elaborate ships that could travel long distances along the coast and even venture into the open ocean.

Civilization first came to what is now Djarvin in the form of a collection of contentious [[city-states]], formed when the population of the area became large enough to support social classes and stratification. The relative power of these city-states shifted significantly over time, but over hundreds of years the coastal city-states, enjoying greater resources and [[trade]] opportunities, came to predominate and mostly subjugate the inland states, and a handful of states rose to dominate the rest. The sites of dozens of such city-states are known—some today in [[ruin]]s, others having developed into modern [[city|cities]] at the same sites—but there are six that were especially large and even today are most famous. These standouts of the city-states are now often called the [[League of Six]]—though this is a bit of a misnomer since they were never in any real way a league. The League of Six were not all allied with each other, and indeed some were bitter enemies. Even those that ''were'' allied didn't necessarily stay that way; alliances—as well as rivalries—shifted and changed over time.

Of the cities that made up the league, one, [[Alus]], is now underwater—a victim, many believe, of a [[magic]]al attack by an enemy state, though some think the disaster may have been the result of an accident by Alus's own [[wizard]]s. Another, [[Erery]], is now a desolate ruin said to be haunted by [[undead]], [[sening]]s, and worse. The other four were never uninhabited except one, and that one only briefly, and are still major population centers today: [[Lüm]], [[Tlala]], [[Wamahata]], and [[Macaar]], the last of which is now Djarvin's [[capital]].

The end of the independent city-states came about not because of any compact between the leaders of the states, but because of a compact among the common people. The [[king]]s of the city-states had become increasingly demanding and tyrannical, and their exploitation of their subjects, especially those living outside the major cities themselves, had grown increasingly unbearable. And finally the people could bear no more, and conspired to overthrow their oppressors. The rulers' power was great, but not great enough; the battles were hard, but the rebels won the day. They seized the hoarded wealth of the city-states' kings, and resolved to put it to better use than the previous administration had.

This did not mean the land was united; the power of the city-states was broken, but no overarching power immediately took its place. The territory once claimed by each city-state was either divided into smaller areas under local rule or thrown into [[anarchy]]. The time in the immediate wake of the kings' ouster was a hard one, though in a different way than it had been while the kings still ruled; for all the city-states' regrate, they had played an important role in production and distribution of resources, and with them gone there was widespread [[poverty]] and mass [[starvation]]. Still, in time the people rebuilt and found ways to provide for their needs without the despotic authority of the kings. This is not to say that there were no threats of a return to [[autocracy]], but when an aspirant claimed the title of king of Tlala and seemed set on returning the city-state to a semblance of its former ways, the tyrantry of the city-states was too fresh in the memories of the populace for them to tolerate his ambitions and he was swiftly removed from power. During this time, the coastal areas of Djarvin further developed their shipbuilding and sailing industries, and increasingly began sending ships to faraway shores to discover new resources and forge trade relations. It is Djarvin's maritime tradition that is largely responsible for it becoming the cosmopolitan nation it is today. Djarvish ships in distant lands needing to recrew would recruit from the local populations, and on the ship's return to its home port many of its new crew members settle there; gradually Djarvin became, and still is, a diverse melting pot of people from all over the world, including many [[human|nonhuman]] [[folk]]s such as [[navanar]]s, [[fank]]s, [[urippu]], and [[laither]]s.

Still, it became difficult to ignore the advantages of the [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]] that the land no longer enjoyed now that it composed hundreds of separately administered regions rather than large territories controlled by a few city-states. Few wished to return to the days of the autarchic kings, but there was an increasing hope that perhaps the area could be brought together under a more agreeable form of [[government]]. The person most credited with the eventual unification of Djarvin is the famous explorer [[Hualek Quazal]], though it could be argued that the idea was already in the ''zeitgeist'' and that if she hadn't taken the lead someone else would have. In any case, largely at Quazal's direction, the multiple small states of what is now Djarvin finally came to an agreement and were forged for the first time into a single nation, and Djarvin in its current form was born.

==Relations with other states==
Djarvin shares a land border with three other nations, all to its east. It engages in extensive trade with all three and maintains reasonably good relationships with them, though it counts none as a close ally. From [[Ritao]], Djarvin imports [[rice]] and [[pottery]]; from [[Huchal]], [[grain]]s, [[wool]], and [[meat]]; and from [[Kukulok]], various [[metal]]s.

Much the same could be said about Djarvin's relationships with most nations it doesn't border. Djarvin does not cultivate alliances, and rarely gets involved overtly in [[war|armed conflicts]] (though Djarvish galliards may lend support to one side or the other), but has ties all over the world through trade and the activities of its galliard guilds, and is on generally friendly terms with most nations, but rarely really cordial. That isn't to say that there are ''no'' states with hostility toward Djarvin. [[Ehereq]] and [[Bahabba]] resent what they see as Djarvish plundering of its ancient sites (as do a few other states to a lesser degree), while [[Lagahe]]'s leaders chafe at the galliards' thwarting of their expansionist ambitions. In contrast, [[Reckland]] is a particularly enthusiastic supporter of the galliard guilds, and more than any other state has tried to emulate the system itself, while [[Ilgavane]] considers it an especially valued trading partner, particularly prizing some of the exotic [[shellfish]] and fine textiles and [[dye]]s that Djarvin provides.

==Notable locations==
In addition to the former city-states, important [[city|cities]] of Djarvin include [[Geridon]], a city in southern Djarvin where much magical research is performed, famous for the extensive nearby [[ice cave]]s; [[Port Heaven]], a city on the Tower Sea that has become Djarvin's most popular tourist destination; [[Shadewater]], a city located at the end of the [[Groaning Gulf]] that is on the main travel route between Djarvin and Ritao; and [[Lych]], an unusual experimental "living city" made of [[flesh]] and [[organ]]s [[summoning|summoned]] from other [[plane]]s. Some sites of interest outside any major city are [[Poko Zazala]], a strange ancient [[ruin]] of unclear original purpose; the [[Everfair]], a sort of permanent [[carnival]] in the Great Valley; and the [[Panthyra]], a structure housing a collection of [[portal]]s to many different planes for use by intrepid galliards willing to explore those exotic locations.

A notable location of natural origin is [[Needle Lake]], a large [[freshwater]] lake in the highlands of the northern Arantine. Others include [[Witch Canyon]] in the Kufra Desert; [[Mermelo Beach]], with its famous [[purple]] [[sand]]; and the [[Wood of Ages]], a forest made not primarily of common trees but of giant [[fern]]s found nowhere else on Curcalen.
[[Category:Nations of Orelan]]

Build:Main Page

2025-12-23T05:34:37Z

Clé: Eh, LEGO space should use LDraw format, not Bricklink Studio specifically...

The '''Build''' [[Meta:namespace|namespace]] of the [[Meta:Wongery|Wongery]] is for resources you can use to create physical models of [[life form|creatures]], objects, and places described in the Wongery. So far there are four [[Meta:subspaces|subspaces]] in the Buildspace:
; [[Build:LEGO]]
: LEGO models presented in [[Wikipedia:LDraw|LDraw]] files
; [[Build:origami]]
: Instructions to fold [[origami]] representations of Wongery items
; [[Build:paper]]
: [[Wikipedia:paper craft|Papercraft]] models of Wongery items.
; [[Build:3d]]
: [[Wikipedia:wavefront .obj file|OBJ files]] (and maybe other formats) of Wongery items suitable for [[Wikipedia:3D printing|3D printing]].
None of these spaces has any content yet, but that will change over time. (I actually already have two LEGO models finished—a [[xastre]] and an [[enforcer batirine]]—I just haven't uploaded the files yet.)

Build LEGO:Main Page

2025-12-23T05:33:45Z

Clé: Whoops... forgot the pipe

This subspace will contain designs for [[Wikipedia:LEGO|LEGO]] models of creatures, locations, and other things from [[Meta:Wongery|Wongery]] [[Meta:article|article]]s, in [[Wikipedia:LDraw|LDraw]] format. There's no content here yet, but... I'm working on it. (I'm just also working on other things that are slightly higher priorities.)

Build LEGO:Main Page

2025-12-23T05:33:28Z

Clé:

This subspace will contain designs for [[Wikipedia:LEGO|LEGO]] models of creatures, locations, and other things from [[Meta:Wongery]] [[Meta:article|article]]s, in [[Wikipedia:LDraw|LDraw]] format. There's no content here yet, but... I'm working on it. (I'm just also working on other things that are slightly higher priorities.)

Build LEGO:Main Page

2025-12-23T05:32:33Z

Clé: Created page with "This subspace will contain designs for LEGO models of creatures, locations, and other things from Wongery articles, in LDraw format. There's no content here yet, but... I'm working on it. (I'm just also working on other things that are slightly higher priorities.)"

This subspace will contain designs for LEGO models of creatures, locations, and other things from [[Wongery]] articles, in [[Wikipedia:LDraw|LDraw]] format. There's no content here yet, but... I'm working on it. (I'm just also working on other things that are slightly higher priorities.)

Dadauar

2025-12-18T08:29:58Z

Clé: Nomenclature change: aquanaut to undine

[[Category:Worlds with one sun]][[Category:Worlds with three moons]][[Category: Worlds with five pages]][[Category:Worlds of Qabede]][[Category:Dreampunk worlds]][[Category:Dystopian worlds]]'''Dadauar''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈdædəwɑːr/}}) is a [[world]] of [[Qabede]] where [[tyranny|tyrannical]] [[dictatorship|dictators]] tap into [[dream]]s for puissant [[dream magic|magic]] they use to rule over the very people whose dreams they get their power from. These dream rulers, called [[onirarch]]s, generally keep themselves apart from the people, existing on another level that rarely interacts with the lower [[class]]es.

==Geography==
[[File:Dadauar_Map.png|thumb|right|400px|A very rough map of the world of Dadauar. This will be replaced by a better map later.]]Dadauar is a [[disk]] 22,244 [[meter|kilometer]]s in [[diameter]]. About three fifths of the world is covered with [[water]]; the dry land is mostly found in five [[continent]]s scattered along the disk's [[surface]]. As in many other [[rew (Charos)|rew]]s, Dadauar is rimmed with [[ocean]] that plummets off the edge in an enormous [[waterfall]], to eventually hit other worlds far below. At two points along the edge of the disk, a curtain of water rises up, the result of a [[skyfall]] on the opposite side of the disk. This [[skyrise]] is known as the [[Starwater]]. One feature that Dadauar has that most similar worlds ''don't'' have is a smaller [[satellite]] disk floating some distance away. Called [[Chethe]], this disk is seldom visited by the inhabitants of Dadauar proper. It is the presence of Chethe that gives Dadauar its name; the name "Dadauar" comes from the [[Lilmi]] word ''yatyatyawarr'' ({{IPA0|[jæˈd̜æd̜awar]}}) meaning "having a [[child]]".

In the central position of Dadauar's five continents is [[Burcady]], which is also the largest of the continents. Only slightly smaller is [[Avelax]], connected to Burcady by the broad [[Isthmus of Calacca]]—and in fact were the border between the two continents to be drawn slightly to the [[east]], Avelax would be larger than Burcady. (This isn't to say that the border is entirely arbitrary; it passes through the [[highest altitude]]s of the [[Macarta Mountains]].) Burcady is also joined on the east by the narrower [[Isthmus of Carqan]] to the roughly semi-[[ellipse|elliptical]] continent of [[Jahanna]], which in turn is joined on the [[north]] by the [[Green Isthmus]] to [[Eordi]], the smallest of the five continents. Only slightly larger is [[Matuni]], the northernmost continent and the only one to have no land connections to any other continent.

The great [[body of water]] that circumscribes the continents is conventionally divided into five [[ocean]]s, though the borders between the oceans are in some cases ill defined. The largest ocean, [[west]] of Matuni and [[northwest]] of Avelax and Burcady, is the [[Camilout Ocean|Camilout]]. Proceeding counter-clockwise, [[south]] of Avelax and Jahanna is the [[Duhhian Ocean]], east of Jahanna and Eordi is the [[Veiled Ocean]], north of Eordi and east of Matuni is the [[Nubilous Ocean]], and north of Matuni is the [[Northern Sea]]—the only part of the surrounding ocean to be called a [[sea]] rather than an ocean because of its smaller size. Dadauar also has a number of significant internal seas: the [[White Main]] lies south of Matuni and north of Burcady and Eordi; the [[Restless Sea]] is between Burcady and Eordi; and the [[Serpentine Sea]] is located between Burcady and Jahanna. Between Avelax and Burcady are the [[Akararal Sea]] to the north and the [[Sea of Firiti]] to the south. Finally, the [[Golden Sea]], on the western coast of Avelax, is the largest body of water, aside from the Northern Sea, to border only a single continent.

Five [[skyfall]]s impinge on Dadauar from above. The two longest, the [[Wough]] and the [[Longwater]], each run roughly northwest to [[southeast]] and fall over two continents—the former over Burcady and Jahanna, the latter over Matuni and Eordi. The [[Malwater]] spans the distance between the Wough and the Longwater a bit [[northeast]] of the center of the rewel, while the [[Ganacar]] extends south of the Longwater along the eastern edges of Eordi and Jahanna. Finally, the [[Great Sischon]]—despite its grandisonous name the peneminimal of the five skyfalls, second only to the Malwater—plunges into the Duhhian Ocean, the only one of the five to not fall on any of the continents, or to not touch any of the other skyfalls.

The climate of Dadauar's surface is governed by the [[dreammist]]s above, which tend to be [[cold]]est in a line running roughly [[north-by-northeast]] to [[south-by-southwest]] down the center of the [[rew (Charos)|worlddisk]]. Conversely, the [[west-by-southwest]] and [[east-by-northeast]] edges of the disk have the hottest [[temperature]]s. The temperatures do vary over time, but in such a way that as the temperature of the center gets colder, the temperature of the edges gets warmer, and vice versa; there are two [[isothermal]] lines where the temperature remains roughly constant.

The [[obverse]] of Dadauar's rew is a world called [[Eldi]].

==Astronomy==
Dadauar has a single [[sun (Charos)|sun]], three [[moon (Charos)|moon]]s, and six [[knyst]]s. The sun has no common name, though [[astronomer]]s call it [[Wunar]] when it's necessary to distinguish it from the suns of other worlds. It travels east to west above the world—by definition, in fact, since it is the path of the sun that is the basis for the definition of east and west and by extension of the other [[compass direction]]s. While the sun's path is undeviating, its orientation does slowly vary. It oscillates about the east-west [[axis]] with a [[period (mathematics)|period]] of about 162 [[day]]s, during half of which the northern [[semidisk]] receives more light, and during the other half the southern. Its oscillation about the north-south axis is much faster, with a period of about 0.997 days.

All three of Dadauar's moons follow very similar [[orbit]]s, roughly [[southwest]] to [[northeast]], passing over the Golden Sea near one end of their orbit, and the Jahannan nation of [[Giaden]] at the other. (Coincidentally, this path takes the moons directly over two of Dadauar's most powerful onirarchies, the [[Free Republic of Avelax]] and [[Drithidiach]], as well as over the [[Neutral Zone]], the meeting-place of the [[World Alliance]].) Two of the moons remain very close together, and for that reason are often referred to as the [[twin moons]], though they do have individual names—the moon in the front is [[Kali (moon)|Kali]], that in back [[Nali]]. The third moon, [[Gadanna]], lags the twin moons by about two [[seventh]]s of an orbit. Also called the "lone moon", Gadana is unusual in that it does not appear perfectly [[circular]]; there is an indentation on one side turning it into a [[lune]]. In many cultures, the twin moons are considered [[omen|heralds of good luck]] and the lone moon of bad—a superstition that long predates the onirarchies but retains some currency even in developed nations. All three moons have both an [[orbital period]] and a [[luminary period]] of about 24 days.

Unlike Dadauar's moons, the knysts all pursue different orbits, and none of them passes over the center of the rew. The largest knyst, [[Burdimey]], comes the closest, passing within about a thousand kilometers of the center. Farthest is [[Uulubul]], which does not stray farther than six thousand kilometers from the rew's edge. In between are the remaining knysts: [[Deldela]], [[Gurrubil]], and [[Uurul]]. Some of the onirarchs are aware of the nature of the knysts and know that they are [[portal]]s to other worlds, but only the [[government]]s of [[Ikiki]], [[Noric]], and (especially) [[Tanahire]] have so far shown any serious interest in exploring beyond those portals and colonizing those worlds.

The [[star (Charos)|star]]s of Dadauar are [[star (Charos)#isochronic stars|isochronic]], which means that they form [[preterient constellation]]s. Among the best known such constellations are [[Mongundur]], [[Wurala]], [[Minjarb]], and the [[Pentagon (constellation)|Pentagon]]. Another noteworthy astronomical phenomenon is the [[Sysigia]], the [[conjunction (Charos)|conjunction]] over [[Niruna]] of three of the four brightest stars in the sky. The stars of Dadauar have a period of about 6.34 days.

==Social structure==
The dominant [[sovereign state|nations]] on Dadauar are those ruled by the [[onirarch]]s, mighty [[mage (Ses)|mage]]s who draw their power from the [[dream]]s of their populace. The nations ruled by onirarchs can be called [[onirarchy|onirarchies]], but on Dadauar are more often referred to as "developed nations". Not all nations on Dadauar are onirarchies; there are many (the so-called "undeveloped nations") that retain other [[government]] forms. The onirarchies, however, are the most visible nations, and certainly the strongest, [[magic]]ally, [[economics|economically]], and [[politics|politically]]. With such vast magical powers at their disposal, the onirarchs can create all sorts of [[talisman|magical devices]] and undertake ambitious building projects, covering their lands in huge tracts of tall and densely populated [[city|cities]], filled with magical marvels and various methods of rapid [[transportation]].

While resentments and rivalry do exist between the onirarchies, at the moment all the onirarchies are at peace—at least in the sense that there's no open [[war]]fare, though there's plenty of [[espionage in Dadauar|espionage]] and other covert acts of hostility, and the occasional minor skirmish officially denounced by the onirarchs (who however may have unofficially incited them). This has not always been the case; there have been wars between the onirarchies before. As recently as six [[decade]]s ago a border dispute between [[Mamlaas]] and [[Ovla Ba]] grew into the [[Green War]], and three decades prior [[Muligatin]] defeated and absorbed the smaller onirarchy of [[Qun]].

Although the onirarchs are quite effective in keeping their people compliant, there are those who refuse to go along. [[Resistance to the onirarchs of Dadauar|Resistance cells]] are a constant thorn in the onirarchs' sides, and one they put a great deal of effort into suppressing. Some onirarchies have more trouble with rebels than others: it's difficult for the resistance to gain a foothold in [[Plakhán]], [[Risinien]], and [[Xolia]] for different reasons, and [[Drithidiach]], [[Ivinii]], and [[Trimian]] are less bothered by rebels than many developed nations simply because they're somewhat less oppressive than other onirarchies so there's less to rebel against. Still, no onirarchy is entirely free of the resistance element. Most of the rebels form small independent cells, but some organize across nations into larger groups—though even these have little hope of approaching the magical puissance of the onirarchs.

As for the undeveloped nations, they vary widely in their culture and form of government, but even they cannot escape the shadow of the onirarchs. Some of the undeveloped nations are only nominally independent, their leaders actually puppets of an onirarchy. But even those undeveloped nations that ''are'' truly independent must deal with trepidation as to how long they will remain so before some onirarch covets their territory. Furthermore, most of the undeveloped nations do rely on nearby onirarchies as trading partners—supplying the less powerful nation with magic and manufactured goods in return for food and raw materials not as easily or cheaply available within the onirarchy itself.

==Time==
The Dadauaran [[year (Dadauar)|year]] is commonly defined by the temperature cycle, which lasts about 334.3 [[day (Dadauar)|day]]s. The most widely used [[calendar]] is the [[Drithidian calendar]], named after Dadauar's [[Drithidiach|oldest surviving onirarchy]]. In this calendar, the year is divided into thirteen [[month]]s, which vary widely in length for historical reasons. A [[leap month]] is added at irregular intervals whenever the consensus among the leaders of the most powerful nations decides that the discrepancy between the [[calendar year]] and the [[thermal year]] has grown too large, which has occurred on average about every sixty years; this happened most recently twenty-six years ago, so another leap month isn't likely to occur soon.

The table below shows the months of the Drithidian calendar.

{| class="wikitable"
! {{abbr|No.|Number}} !! Name !! Length in days
|-
| 1 || [[Xehn]] || 17
|-
| 2 || [[Lurach]] || 24
|-
| 3 || [[Iaset]] || 30
|-
| 4 || [[Tchet]] || 23
|-
| 5 || [[Balass]] || 32
|-
| 6 || [[Oxo]] || 27
|-
| 7 || [[Deder]] || 8
|-
| 8 || [[Iun]] || 28
|-
| 9 || [[Sachal]] || 33
|-
| 10 || [[Aghi]] || 24
|-
| 11 || [[Herret]] || 32
|-
| 12 || [[Kiukadi]] || 35
|-
| 13 || [[Whar]] || 21
|}

Days in the Drithidian calendar are referred to by [[cardinal number]]s, counting backwards with day one at the end of the month. The first day of the year, for instance, is the Seventeen of Xehn. Years are numbered from the foundation of Drithidiach; the current year in the Drithidian Calendar is 1402. (A year prior to the year zero is followed by a "[[V]]" for "vor" (the Drithidian [[word]] for "before"); years without a V are assumed to be after Drithidiach's founding.)

While widespread, the use of the Drithidian calendar is not universal, especially in the undeveloped nations. Some cultures, in fact, use calendars based on entirely different definitions of the year. There are calendars in use that use not the thermal year of the temperature cycle, but the [[solar year (Dadauar)|solar year]] encompassing one full north-south oscillation of the sun—about 340 days. There are also [[lunar calendar (Dadauar)|lunar calendar]]s where the days are counted by the cycles of the moons, and which either define the year by a certain number of lunar cycles (most often twelve) or dispense altogether with anything analogous to the year of other calendars.

==Creatures of Dadauar==
Most of the [[panaster]]ic [[flora]] and [[fauna]] common elsewhere in Qabede are also found on Dadauar, but the world also has many unique [[life form|life]] of its own. Among the best known are the [[jungle]]-dwelling [[gacuan]]; the [[galabus]], a dangerous [[pagerics|pageric]] [[predator]]; the surprisingly [[intelligent]] [[mountain]]-dwelling [[zjalak]]; and the ubiquitous [[skittleworm]]. Dadauar is also home to an unusual [[class]] of terrestrial [[ctenophore]]s, including the [[photosynthesis|photosynthetic]] [[icestar]], an important [[basal species|base]] of the [[food web]] in Dadauar's frigid regions. Some of Dadauar's endemic [[animal]]s have been [[domestication|domesticated]]: the curious [[cerkinule]] and the winged [[zarm]] are kept as [[pet]]s; the spiny [[kranyak]] and the amorphous [[sorn]] are raised for their [[meat]] and the [[jinaleer]] for its meat and [[egg]]s; the slangrel [[celotrane]] is frequently trained as a tracker.

===Ellogous life===
The most widespread and common [[folk]] on Dadauar is the [[human]], but not the only one. [[Grager]]s of various sorts make their homes there, though on Dadauar they are more commonly called "gnulus". Several prominent kinds of gnulu have mustelid [[julay]]: the half-skunk [[taan]] and the half-weasel [[hhuzen]]. Others are part [[gastropod]]: the half-[[slug]] [[b'rac]] and the half-[[snail]] [[ctsorven]]. Falling into neither category are the half-mouse [[wech]] and the half-raccoon [[masker]]. Aside from humans and gragers, other [[ellogy|ellogous]] folks of Dadauar include the reclusive [[niqqu]] and the hulking [[palargan]].

There are many [[artificial creature]]s on Dadauar, as well, created through the onirarchs' power. The onirarchs create whole entities out of a magical material called [[dreamstuff]], fashioning servants called [[batirine]]s to do their bidding. Batirines are created in a variety of forms to serve different purposes, from the tiny [[eye batirine]]s that serve as unobtrusive scouts and spies to the enormous [[tower batirine]]s that loom above the cityscapes. The onirarchs also infuse humans and other creatures with dreamstuff, warping their forms or giving them strange new abilities and creating modified creatures called [[dreambuilt]].

===Marine life===
The [[oceans of Dadauar]] have unique life of their own, such as the great [[ganulia]]s that glide along the surface and the [[chirochan]] that haunts the depths. One notable feature of Dadauar's oceans is the [[pelagic reef]]s, [[reef]]s that are not rooted on the [[ocean floor]] but float within the [[water column]], home to many [[benthos|benthic organisms]] that would be found on the seafloor in other worlds. These pelagic reefs are made up primarily of [[bryozoan]]s with adaptations that allow them to vary their [[weight (Ses)|weight]]s to keep to a consistent [[depth]], though other reef-forming [[organism]]s like [[coral]]s, [[sponge]]s, and [[algae]] grow atop the bryozoan substrate.

The seas are not without ellogous species, though little is known about them to the surface dweller. In addition to seadwelling gnulus like the [[zoho]] and the [[bulurang]], the seas have other folks like the [[dantili]] and the [[esoma]]. Nor are they free from the onirarchs' creations; while the onirarchs have not colonized the seas as extensively as they have the land, they do have servitors there. [[Sea batirine]]s, [[xastrine batirine]]s, and [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s do the onirarchs' bidding in the [[water]]y deeps.

There is good reason why the benthos of Dadauar inhabits the pelagic reefs rather than the seafloor—and why the onirarchs cannot easily conquer the oceans. The depths are the domain of an entity called the [[Bathybius]], or Deepmind, easily the largest single life form of the rew, and perhaps the only one to rival or surpass the onirarchs in power. A massive collection of [[ellogy|ellogous]] [[slime]] that lies at the bottom of the world's oceans, the Deepmind is known to [[rophesis|absorb]] other creatures into itself, increasing both its [[mass]] and its [[intelligence|mental power]], as well as occasionally [[anapleusis|sending off bits of its own substance]] called [[deepling]]s to work its purposes on land—though exactly what the Deepmind's purposes ''are'' is not entirely clear.

==History==
{{main|History of Dadauar}}
Human civilization on Dadauar is thought to date back about fifty seven thousand years. By far the most useful source of information on its earliest history is a document called the ''[[History of the Disk]]'', by the [[Empire of Milthade|Milthadian]] [[historian]] [[Zilian the Fat]]. It is almost entirely through Zilian's work that modern Dadauarans know anything of early empire and events such as the [[Empire of Keddek]], the [[Talvane Empire]], and the [[Crimson Wars]]. While Zilian's objectivity and accuracy have been called into question, modern historians still rely heavily on their accounts for lack of any better sources. (Magical [[divination]] could perhaps answer some of the outstanding questions, but is rendered difficult by the fact that the onirarchs hold a monopoly on powerful magic, and seem uninterested in using it to investigate Dadauar's history—or perhaps they already ''have'' used it for that purpose, and have simply refused to share their findings.)

About a [[millennium|thousand years]] after Zilian wrote, the population of Dadauar was drastically amoindered by a deadly pandemic now called the [[Great Plague]], which killed off more than 99% of the rew's human inhabitants, and left the outdurers weakened and disfigured. As humanity gradually recovered, the descendants of the survivors blamed the gnulus for the disaster (even though the gnulus had not themselves been unaffected by the plague), and for about eight centuries the gnulus would endure severe prejudice and persecution. This animosity would eventually subside, only to resurge almost three millennia later and persist for another eight centuries.

As Dadauar recovered from the Great Plague, many empires rose and fell. For a thousand years the rew was divided between the [[Tidicary Empire]] and the [[Empire of Kasar]]; these fell and were replaced by the [[Myquitar Empire|Myquitar]], the [[Hemesei Empire|Hemesei]], and the [[Galgudi Empire]]s in the [[Age of Three]]. About six thousand years ago, a group of [[dream mage|wizard]]s called the [[Congregate]] developed a means of augmenting their power by draining [[dream energy]] from others. They used this power to take over the [[sovereign state|nation]] of [[Aqqal]] on the [[Ibadi Peninsula]] (the site of present-day [[Ovla Ba]]), and the regime they established is now widely considered to have been the first onirarchy.

The reign of the Congregate was short-lived, however; despite their power, they fell to infighting and fedifraction. The next onirarchy would not arise for another three millennia, in central Jahanna. While this onirarchy, [[Hsün]], would not last, some of the imitators that sprung up in its wake were more successful. Gradually, the onirarchies multiplied and spread their influence over the rew, a process that is still continuing today—unless the resistance can put a stop to it.

==Magic==
The onirarchs are set apart by the fact that they harvest the energy of many [[dreamthrall]]s to fuel their magic, but they are not the only ones to employ this [[arcanum]]. The use of magic of any sort without a [[sorcerous permit|permit]] is [[law|illegal]] in most of the onirarchies—and those permits are very seldom granted to anyone but the onirarchs and their most trusted [[servant]]s—, but the practice of [[dream magic]] is widespread in the undeveloped nations. And, of course, there are those within the onirarchies who use magic ''il''legally. The resistance, especially, sees no reason to abide by the onirarchs' restrictions, and [[rebel wizard]]s use their forbidden magic to fight the onirarchs who forbid it. Some of the resistance even hope to turn magic itself against the onirarchs, basing this plan on theories that [[dream magic as a living entity|magic itself is a living thing]]. However, so far little progress has been made along these lines; it's not even clear how the rebels could [[communication|communicate]] with magic to convince it of the [[justice]] of their cause.

There is a great diversity of [[spell]]s workable through dream magic, which can be categorized through a system of [[carminical taxonomy (dream magic)|carminical taxonomy]]. Many dream mages focus on particular [[path]]s of spell (the highest-level taxon), or even particular [[circle (carminical taxonomy)|circle]]s. However, there is more to dream magic than spells; onirarchs and other mages also make use of many [[paracarminical magic]]s. [[Geas]]a, obligations taken on in exchange for magical [[power (celemology)|power]]s, are popular among the resistance. Many onirarchs, on the other hand, make heavy use of [[dream shard|shard]]s and [[token]]s. A shard is a talisman that contains a part of a wizard's [[soul (Gomara)|soul]], allowing the mage to [[sense]] its surroundings and cast spells through it. Some of the onirarchs employ [[living shard]]s, implanting fragments of their own soul in unfortunate subjects whose minds and personalities are gradually overtaken by the wizard's own. Wizards can cast spells through tokens as well, but more importantly tokens gather [[ambient magic]] to further bolster their masters' power. On most worlds, dream mages keep their tokens secret for fear they might be turned against them, but some onirarchs in Dadauar are confident enough in their defenses to erect ostentatious "[[megatoken]]s". These include the [[Gray Obelisk]] in the city of [[Par]] and the [[Lord's Statues]] in [[Seseal]].

Though dream magic is the most common arcanum of Dadauar, it is not the only one. Some of the most powerful onirarchs have developed their own arcanum called [[yanyiry]], though they keep the details a secret. Some rumors have it that the onirarch of Drithidiach, or one of their predecessors, has developed yet another arcanum; other rumors say that the people of the cold country of [[Cayaati]] may have their own system (or systems) of magic as well. Other minor arcana depend on local phenomena, such as [[muralism]] that draws on the [[enchantment]] of the [[City Proscribed]] in [[Avelax]], and [[daiabadi]] that taps the power of the [[Everstorm]] in the eastern Camilout.

==Religion==
As the power of the onirarchs ascended, that of the [[god]]s declined. This was, of course, especially true within the onirarchies, where most of the people have their material needs provided for and look forward mainly to their dreams—and in their dreams they do not [[worship]] gods, or if they do it is gods of Magogenia and not of Ses. But even outside the onirarchies, the influence of the gods is decrescent. The onirarchies sometimes like to claim that their success is setting an example for the undeveloped nations and helping them see that they don't need the gods to get through their lives, but of course there's more to it than that. The onirarchs have, in fact, been actively working to discourage [[religion]], both by [[propaganda]] and by direct sabotage of [[temple]]s and other religious structures and institutions and undermining or assassinaton of [[priest]]s and other important figures.

This is not a matter of the onirarchs having a [[philosophy|philosophical]] objection to worship of gods. Rather, the onirarchs know that they and the gods are naturally in conflict, and their attacks on religion are just their way of reducing the competition. After all, the onirarchies are always seeking to expand their territory, so even if it was only within the onirarchies themselves that religion was suppressed, the growth of the onirarchies necessarily means the imminution of religion. It's predictable that the gods would object to that.

And they have; the antagonism between the onirarchs and the gods has not been unidirectional. Most notably, in the year 1860 the god [[Nuropus]] personally destroyed the [[president (Alfenane)|president]] of [[Alfenane]]. In retaliation—and no doubt to discourage other gods from similar tactics—, several other onirarchs joined forces and succeeded in destroying Nuropus. Since then, there have been no further [[deicide]]s or similarly spectacular sallies, but the battle between the gods and the onirarchs is still very much ongoing, albeit more subtly. Those who know of this colluctation refer to it as the [[Soul War]].

Nevertheless, despite the onirarchs' best efforts, religion has not yet been entirely eradicated. Not only are the gods still worshipped in most undeveloped nations, though to a lesser extent than they have been in the past, but many resistance fighters have devoted themselves to the gods precisely ''because'' the onirarchs forfend it. Thus even within the onirarchies, secret [[shrine]]s exist tended by religious revolutionaries—or by faithful priests who still respect the gods even if they otherwise have little sympathy for the resistance.

Xastre

2025-12-18T08:29:04Z

Clé: Whoops pipe this to other article

{{Automatic taxobox
| taxon = Tritholidae
}}

The '''xastre''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈzæstɚ/}}) is a huge, eight-[[leg]]ged [[life form|creature]] of [[Dadauar]]'s [[ocean]]s, one of the top [[predator]]s of its environment. Though they are nowhere very numerous, xastres are found throughout the seas on the [[pelagic reef]]s and the shallower parts of the [[ocean floor]]s, though not, of course, at the deepest reaches where the [[Bathybius]] lies.

==Etymology==
The name of the xastre comes from the [[Old Balian]] [[word]] ''xàstr&emacr;'', which in turn is an [[augmentative]] form of the word ''xàst'', meaning [[spider]]. A derivation is sometimes claimed from the name of the ''[[Wiktionary:xyston|xyston]]'' ([[ancient Greek]] ''ξυστοόν''), a kind of [[spear]], in reference to the [[animal]]'s hastiform weapons. This, however, is a [[folk etymology]]; there is no connection between those words, and the resemblance is [[coincidence|coincidental]].

While "xastre" has become the most common [[name]] used for the creature, and in most widespread [[language]]s on Dadauar it's called by some borrowed version of this word, a few do use other names for it. A now archaic word of [[Drithidian]] origin still occasionally seen in old documents is "spinnelfisk" ({{IPA0|/ˈspɪnəlfɪsk/}} or {{IPA0|/ˈʃpɪnəlfɪʃk/}}). Other now little-used names for xastres include "lonchite" and "sneser". Xastres are sometimes called sea spiders, though this name is ambiguous since it is also used for much smaller [[chelicerate]]s of the [[order (etory)|order]] [[sea spider|Pantopoda]].

==Description==
An [[adult]] xastre's [[body]] is about one to six [[meter]]s long, depending on the [[species]], and consists of three [[tagma]]ta, each roughly [[cone|conical]] in shape (the [[apex]] of the cone pointing in the [[anatomical directions|dorsal]] direction). From front to back, these sections are called the [[head]], the [[sternon]], and the [[araea]]; the last is by far the largest. They have ten thin but strong long, segmented [[leg]]s, covered with [[seta]]e, three pairs of legs attached to the sternon and two to the araea. The frontmost pair of legs is highly modified, the tips of the legs thickened and hardened into stabbing appendages called [[quiris|quirites]] ([[singular]] ''quiris'') that the xastre uses to strike at its prey.

A xastre's head bears six [[eye]]s, the two largest of which are [[compound eye|compound]]. Before the eyes are two filiform [[antenna]]e. The [[mouth]] is located on the bottom of its head, and is surrounded by several [[mouthpart]]s: a hard anterior plate called the [[hypostome]], two large, forward-pointing [[deplector]]s, and four small but dextrous [[maxilla]]e. None of these mouthparts is used offensively, but once the xastre's prey is killed or subdued by its quirites it is held in place by the deplectors while the maxillae tear off small pieces and feed them into the xastre's mouth.

==Anatomy==
The xastre's vital [[organ]]s are concealed and protected by a hard [[chitin]]ous [[exoskeleton]] that also helps the creature hold its form. Numerous [[apodeme]]s extend from the exoskeleton inth the animal's interior to act as additional supports as well as anchoring points for the xastre's [[muscle]]s. The xastre has an [[open circulatory system]], with [[hemolymph]] bathing its internal organs, but it does have a long, [[tube|tubular]] [[heart]] running dorsally from front to back, with branches splitting off to reach the farther parts of its body. The main parts of the xastre's [[nervous system]], on the other hand, are mostly ventral, with a series of [[nerve cord]]s running back from the [[brain]] at the bottom of its head, swelling at intervals into [[ganglion|ganglia]]. Above the nerve cord and below the heart is the xastre's [[alimentary canal]]. The xastre has three [[stomach]]s, one in each tagma; the exact reasons for this are not well understood. In the head is the [[or&oelig;cus]], in the sternon the larger [[medi&oelig;cus]], and in the araea the still larger [[ampl&oelig;cus]].

Like most aquatic [[arthropod]]s, the xastre uses the [[gill]]s to [[respiration|breathe]]. Developed from branches of the legs, the gills are feathery appendages that extract [[oxygen]] from the [[water]] flowing through them. Although there are two pairs of gills in the sternon, the most and the largest gills are located in the araea, much of the volume of which is given over to spacious [[branchial chamber]]s. The sternal gills seem to be largely vestigial; they are not infrequently lost to [[disease]] or [[parasite]]s, and xastres without them are not appreciably impaired. Because the araeal gills are much more important, they are also much better maintained; specialized appendages within the branchial chambers called [[særopod]]s keep the gills groomed and cleaned.

==Taxonomy and evolution==
Though xastres have been compared to both [[crab]]s and [[spider]]s, they are not closely related to either, though like crabs and spiders they are [[arthropod]]s. They are conventionally placed in the [[family (etory)|family]] Tritholidae within the [[order (etory)|order]] [[Aglaspidida]]; the exact relation of this order to the more familiar [[crustacean]]s and [[chelicerate]]s remains uncertain. They are, however, relatively closely related to the [[extinction|extinct]] (on [[Earth]]) [[trilobite]]s.

Although xastres share with [[insect]]s the division of the body into three [[tagma]]ta, the origins of these tagmata are distinct. In an insect, the [[head]] is made from the fusion of six ancestral [[somite]]s; the middle section, or [[thorax (insect)|thorax]], of three, and the [[anatomical axes|caudal]] tagma, the [[abdomen (insect)|abdomen]], of eleven. The forerunners of insects possessed an additional segment, the [[telson]], but it was lost at some point during their [[biological evolution|evolution]]. While the development of xastres is known in less detail, there is enough understood about it to recognize some significant differences. The head of the xastre seems to be formed of only five somites, and the ancestral telson, rather than disappearing, instead merged with the rear two segments of the proto-xastre's abdomen to form the xastre's araea. The most immediately obvious outward sign of the different formation of the tagmata is that insects have legs attached only to the thorax, whereas xastres have legs on both the sternon and the araea.

==Varieties==
There are at least thirteen known [[species]] of xastre, divided into three [[genus|genera]]: the [[type genus]] ''Tritholus'' and the genera ''Arigonophorus'' and ''Phalangiomimus''. The most abundant species of xastre is the [[common xastre]], ''Tritholus vulgaris'', though it is common only relative to other xastre species. Also called the "rugose xastre" after its cockled [[carapace]], this species typically reaches about four [[meter]]s in [[length]]. The largest xastre species is the [[marginal xastre]], ''Tritholus antygus'', but the most aggressive is the [[great white xastre]], ''T. anthrophonus'', so named not for its color but for the fact that it's found primarily in the [[White Main]]. (The similarity of its name to that of the [[great white shark]] ''Carcharodon carcharias'' is [[coincidence|coincidental]].)

Other well-known species include the brightly [[color]]ed [[jewel xastre]], ''Phalangiomimus iridus''; the venomous [[pernicious xastre]], ''Arigonophorus loegius''; and the [[shelf xastre]], ''P. crocales'', a relatively small species notable for its ability to survive for some time out of [[water]] and its habit of venturing onto land to hunt.

==Ecology and behavior==
Xastres are [[apex predator]]s, positioned at the top of their [[food chain]]s. They possess an [[intelligence]] comparable to that of a mammalian predator such as a [[tiger]] or a [[wolverine]], and often seem to show remarkable cunning. For the most part, xastres are solitary creatures, and very rarely is more than one seen at a time. (The [[wolf xastre]], ''Arigonophorus cynegesii'', is an exception; the smallest known species of xastre, these are unique in being pack hunters.) Most species of xastre specialize in hunting [[animal]]s about half their (linear) size, though they frequently take on larger prey if they see some circumstance that gives them an advantage, and may resort to smaller prey if hungry and desperate. Notably, this puts [[human]]s in the size range of the preferred prey of most xastre species, and indeed there have been numerous documented cases of xastres attacking humans—and no doubt would be many more if it weren't that humans rarely venture into the oceanic depths where xastres are found. Xastres also pose a significant threat to human-sized [[organism]]s that ''are'' more commonly found in the ocean, such as [[bulurang]]s and [[undine dreambuilt|undine]]s.

Like other arthropods, xastres undergo regular [[ecdysis|molting]], discarding their old carapaces to make room for growth and forming new, larger carapaces to replace them. During its teneral period, the soft-shelled xastre is especially vulnerable and may find a suitable crevice to hide in, although their quirites do not molt at the same time as the rest of their carapce, so even then they are not entirely defenseless. The molt of the quirites occurs just after the rest of the molt has completed, and occurs to one quiris at a time, so the xastre is never without one quiris with which to hunt prey or defend itself. (Usually it is the left quiris that molts first, though there doesn't seem to be any particular reason for this.) The cast-off shells of xastres form a significant resource exploited by other marine organisms, including [[bone star]]s and [[twiddleworm]]s; while the xastre's [[cuticle]]s are heavily [[biomineralization|mineralized]], they do have some [[protein]] content, and their sheer size ensures they contain enough nutritive value to sustain [[colony (etory)|colonies]] of such [[conchophagy|conchophage]]s. The [[coneslug]] makes its home in a discarded xastre [[tergum]], and there's a rare sort of [[undead]], the [[spindlegast]], that exclusively [[incolation|inhabits]] and [[animation (celemology)|animate]]s xastre [[exuvia]]e.

==Reproduction==
Xastre reproduction is initiated by the fertile [[male]] releasing its [[sperm]] into the surrounding [[water]]. The [[female]] absorbs it through a posterior vaginal orifice called a [[gonotreme]], and the sperm is stored in the [[spermatheca]] until it's needed to [[fertilize]] [[egg]]s. The male and female xastres do not remain associated after the fertilization process; indeed, the male may leave immediately after releasing its sperm and before the female has even taken it in. About four [[week]]s later, the female lays clusters of eggs. These clusters are coated in hard [[shell]]s and look like irregular [[rock]]s; the juvenile xastres are able to release special [[chemical]]s to [[dissolution|dissolve]] the shells from the inside. The [[mother]] does not stay with the eggs, and the xastre hatchlings are on their own, although even a newly hatched xastre is still a match for most creatures it's likely to encounter.

Ametabolous, xastre do not change their overall shape as they [[growth|grow]]; a xastre hatchling has the same basic form as an [[adult]]. Some of their relative proportions do change slightly, however; juveniles do tend to have proportionately larger heads and thinner legs than adult xastres. In many species, the color also changes as they grow, as may the [[texture]] or [[pattern]] of the [[cuticle]].
[[Category:Arthropods]][[Category:Benthic life forms of Dadauar]]