Symbols: ¥ y
Deity:
"[...]
and Tomoshibi's highest sister, Getsurei, was announced their warden. For the lengths of 20 eternities she shalt watch over them, and once the last day has come, lead them home for they will be forgiven"
~ from the religious archives of tenrai minzoku
Getsurei, supreme lord of the moon
A deity that appears in the form of a seductive Hitenguan woman, clothed in a veil that appears to be both made of moonlight. After being betrayed by her brother Tomoshibi, Getsurei was left to govern over the moon, a cold grey rock in the sky with no other purpose than reflecting light to the planet to keep it alight at night.
For this purpose, Getsurei created the rabbits, (yes rabbits) who populated the moon in masses, endlessly polishing it's mirrors with their white fur.
On the day of imprisonment, she became the one who would watch over the Hitengu that commited the eternal sin. These Hitengu, henceforth known as the accursed moon-tribe, had suffered a fate so similar to her own, that Gesturei had pity for them, and instead of being a cruel warden, watched over them with sympathy.
Race:
"
One of the most marvelous races that inhabit this continent are the Hitengu. Their white feathers and long blond hair reminded me of angels."
~ Redwood Elves Travelguide for the central continent
The cranes of the sun, The Hitengu.
Copypasted from a previous BotG:
The Hitengu have the morphology of harpies. But unlike the black Tengu, the Hitengu are of sublime angelic beauty. Their feathers are perfectly white, their hair usually blond, and their features are much more humanlike in comparison to their crow relatives.
Their standing height is at an average of 1,50 m, the wingspan is at about 3,50. To be able to fly with such short wings, their wings and chest is very muscular, easily even out-strenghting dwarves. They can however not lift heavy weights easily. The shins of the Hitengu are covered in slightly yellow scales, that end in a pair of menacing claws. Their eyesight and hearing are of supreme quality. They can only fly at low altitudes, due to their low resistance towards cold. The Hitengu are strict herbivores, and life mostly of their extensive orchards and goat-milk.
Specific for this civ: Due to the curse of Tomoshibi, all color has fled from their body. Their white skin, silver hair and pitch black eyes, together with grey, white or black clothing gives them an eerie, ghost-like appearance, which can be quite unsettling, especially inside Tenryuubito buildings, which are quite devoid of color as well.
Civilisation:
"
Henceforth you shall be banished from the face of the earth. The moon shall be your prison and it's eternal bleakness shall be your torturer and all color shall flee from your body like a plague!"
~ Tomoshibi, lord of the sun
""Mommy, why does the moon shine so much ?" "Because of the mooninites, of course""
~ Granny Bokusen
The accursed moon-tribe, the lunarians, the mooninites, who-stole-the-moon, the grey birds, the celestials.
The Tenryuubito.
Over 3 eternities ago, long before the battle of the gods took place, a single tribe of Hitengu commited a sin that seeks it's own. Under decree of the second Hinyuudou (religious leader of the earthbound Hitengu), this sin was always refered to as the unspeakable sin, that shall not be spoken out loud. Since then, it has long been forgotten what sin they are actually guilty of.
They were banished to the bleakness of the moon. For the Hitengu, who worship nature and color and life, the surface of the moon is the equivalent of hell. To make that punishment even worse, all color was forced out of their body, their skin white as bleached paper, their hair of shining silver and their eyes of complete blackness. Even the clothes they wear lose all color after just a few minutes.
They have created monumentic cities on the moon, and have replaced the rabbits, their heraldic animal, as the ones responsible of keeping the moon shine.
Always having the earth dominating the horizon, they slowly began to turn their sadness over their loss into hatred. How dare anyone who still lives on it take it for granted ? They don't tread it right, and don't deserve it.
Their eternal jealousy made them untrusting and dislike guests.
At the dawn of the godless age, they used a spell to tint every single mirror on the moon pitchblack, and no longer having Tomoshibi keeping them from returning, they invaded the earth. In a fierce war, they beat the earthbound Hitengu and reclaimed their old lands. Only few of the earthbound Hitengu still exist in this land, mostly refugees who have gone into hiding, or slaves who were sold at the vast slavemarkets of Mardukane.
They refer to themselves as Tenryuubito, the heavenly dragon people. For their neighbours they are mostly known as the Lunarians.
They have a short temper and fiercly believe themselves to be the only ones who appreciate living on the planet.
They are ruled over by 3 Lords who are all equal in status, known as the Hankenji.
They life in a feudal system, the country split up into baronies and counties.
The commons are ruled over by the barons, who are ruled over by county, who are ruled over the the Hankenji.
Slavetrade is legal in their lands, and Tenryuubito parties often raid neighbouring lands for slaves, while slaves that are tenryuubito themselves are usually sold by parents who are unable to afford another child.
Their military is equipped with average steel weapons and only sparcely armored. They are well known for their exceptionaly archers and their use of fire-based weaponry. One can be sure that after a battle with the Tenryuubito, the charred lands will smell of burnt corpses for years to come.
The Tenryuubito only have a sub-par cavalry, using long lances and the effective use of caltrops to counter enemy cavalry.
Their magic is usually paper-bound, meaning that spells are written on strips of paper, then only need to be activated. How to activate them is an art only known to the magicians of Tenryuubito and a well kept secret.
It spans many kinds of active magic, as well as enchatntments and summoning. Normal soldiers or peasants would be unable to do so. The Hijutsu of the earthbound Hitengu is unknown to them, except for one individual amongst them.
As Gesturei left the gameboard alongside of Tomoshibi, the Tenryuubito are not very religious, and only 60% nowadays believe in the existance of Getsurei. They are seclusive and as a result Tenryuubito believeing in other religions are almost non-existant.
In traditional Hitengu believe, warmth and color are taken from the world surrounding you when you are born, and upon your death, those are released and taken back to the world. When the invasion happened, the earthbound Hitengu thought the Tenryuubito to be dead. Afterall, they were emerging from hell, and each bit of color has fled their body.
Nobody cared that the Tenryuubito could still bleed - afterall, their blood is grey.
Artifacts:
"
How can something that sounds so sweet yet do such ghastly tasks...."
~Yamato Ushiwakamaru
Yokoubue Genmei, a bamboo-flute
A thin bamboo-flute of almost a meter length. It was brought to the moon by Ushiwakamaru and the only vessel of Hijutsu known to the Tenryuubito. From the outside, it's surface seems perfectly smooth, but it can be retracted to the size of a sword-handle. When used by Ushiwakamaru, it extends a shining green blade made of extremely dense light.
The sound of the flute is above average, especialy for it's age, but otherwise has nothing remarkable about it.
"
And he plunged the metal into the flesh of light itself, and lo, the god was slain"
Kirajouten, a steel sword.
In the battle against Tomoshibi prior to Ushiwakamaru's banishment, this blade drew the blood of the lord of the sun.
This alone made the blade famous beyond all measure. As a royal insignia of the Tenryuubito, it's presence on the battlefield is a great boost to the troop morale.
Many enemies fear the touch of this blade as if it would instantly incinerate them. What many people don't know, drawing blood of a god did not change the blade at all. It is an ordinary steel-sword, of great craftmanship for sure, but ordinary.
The real artifact lies within the sword sheath. Wanting to preserve the blades glory, the Tenryuubito mages did a great work enchanting it that much, that every sword that ever gets sheated in it will forever be indestructable.
"
A ship broke through the clouds, grey and ugly, and it opened it shutes and it rained upon us fire and sadness"
"Yamato's arch" an iron ship
During the invasion of the moon, a single ship made from wrought iron an enchanted by the strongest mages was responsible of moving the Tenryuubito from the moon to earth. Many attempts were made to destroy it, but it would not bulge. Due to unknown circumstances, the ship lost power one day, and since then lies half submerged in a lake in the mountains.
It is unknown wether it will ever fly, and nowadays is a place of worship.
Cities of importance:
Name of the Nation: Mioya
Yochi no miyako. X21,Y14
founded 35 nochi
The capital of the nation Mioya, dubbed "capital of the earth".
The name is abbrevated from the city that was left up on the moon, Tsuki no miyako. Placed on the ruins of the old earthbound hitengu capital, this city is build straight into the walls of a canyon.
Mardukane, X15Y14
founded 120 nochi
The greatest trade city of Mioya. Internationaly famous for it's slavemarket, trading slaves of all races and civilisations, to almost all races and almost all civilisations. Most parts of the city are built directly above water (cough, venice, cough).
Hokumen, X20Y11
founded 67 nochi
A large city cituated in the northern borders of Mioya, surrounded by gigantic walls. This is where the Tenryuubito made landfall, and where Yamato's arch is resting.
Nanganzoini (X15Y17
Founded 724 nochi
A young harbour city. Similarly to Mardukane, this city is specialized in trade, though it is a lot smaller and not as well established, it is experiencing a boom, due to it's relative closeness to the Scana, and through them, to the rest of the world
Heroes:
"
You must not life like rice, but instead, you have to life like tea. When you brew tea, the water takes on it's color and aroma. When rice gets boiled, the water stays the same, but the rice turned soft."
The jester of the full-moon, the immortal prophet, who-disobeys-the-gods, envoy of the sun, the dragon.
Yamato Ushiwakamaru
Originaly an earthbound Hitengu, and one of the first Hitengu ever created, this one is a historical figure that seeks his own. Swordsman and musician of supreme skill, he has wandered the world through times older than many races that call themselves natives. The mountains still call him youngster, but the forests refer to him as old-brother. He was the very first Hinyoodou, and many times faked his own death to begin a new life.
He has always been the favourite son of Tomoshibi, and since he has neither mortal father nor mother, but was created from the body of Tomoshibi, that is a fitting description.
He has always thought of his immortality as a curse, but never commited suicide, for he enjoys life. If there was anyone who struggled against fate, it was him. For several eternities, he was send out as Tomoshibies tool and grew to hate it.
During the reign of the 17th Hinyuudou, Ushiwakamaru fell in love with a refugee who escaped from the prison of the moon by unknown means. Keeping her identiy hidden for as long as possible, eventually disaster struck.
On his weddingday, he was hoping to reveal her identity to the world.
Why not ?
The accursed moon-tribe has long since been forgotten. A fairytale.
What he did not know was that on his weddingday, tomoshibi was watching, and he had not forgotten. As soon as her identity was revealed, Tomoshibi struck her down in front of the eyes of thousands.
The last straw was drawn, and rage that was build up for several eternities was unleashed. In a fierce battle Ushiwaka battled against Tomoshibis fleshly vessel, and was victorious. He struck down his own creator. Unbeknown to him, striking down the fleshly body of a god is not much damage, and seconds later he found himself on the moon. He was send to hell.
History
The Tenryuubito count year from 0 since the beginning of their invasion. They count as 200 nochi, meaning 200 years since the first attack. They have counted 1004 years since then.
The years before the godless age reffered to as mizen. 300 mizen is 300 years before the war.
In the year 1837 mizen, Tomoshibi created the Hitengu. Yamato Ushiwakamaru was born.
in 1776 mizen, the unspeakable sin was commited, and the accursed moon-tribe was imprisoned.
489 mizen, Ushiwamaru slew Tomoshibie's fleshly hull and was imprisoned on the moon.
0 nochi, the moon turns black.
Only a few years after the world had entered the godless age, the veil of the moon ripped, and the tenryuubito finaly got what they wanted. Revenge. In 2 nochi, they managed to capture the hitenguan capital, and in 14 nochi, had captured most important cities. What they have not reckoned with however was that the HItengu who were still alife, which was most of them, refused to leave the land for many years, and over 50 years of slow, mostly eventless geurillla warfare followed. Then another 40 years of merciless manhunt. in the year 104 nochi, the war had officialy ended and the hitengu who were left fled westwards over the ocean.
In a war that lasted 104 years, they fought continous war against the earthbound Hitengu to get back on their homeland, and from there on, war against anyone who laid claim on their homeland, and against those who didn't treat earth "with due respect".
Around 580 nochi, their ferocity had died down, and since then they are going back to Hitenguan roots. They have slowly begun building up a cooexistance with their neighbours, and have healthy trade-relationships.
History in relation to other players:Danalofs magic academy was blasted by it's own students to prevent looting in the year 34 nochi. Most of echogroth collapsed as it was not maintained.
The earthbound Hitengu, inclduing Danalofs students, fled mostly westwards over the ocean. Only few of them still exist, hidden in the mountains.
The earthbound Hitengu being archivistic in nature, none of the old wisdom Danalof had given to them was lost, and is still practised and passed on to new generations
-------
In the beginning of the lunar war, the Ratew, allies of the earthbound Hitengu, helped them in a small support capacity. But very soon, in the year 18 nochi they became aware of their own problems caused by the godless age, and abandoned the Hitengu.
As the conflict drew out, some of the smaller, less significant Artew joined the conflict as mercenaries, fighting on both sides for the sheer novelty of going to war.
After the earthbound Hitengu lost and were driven away, the Tenryuubito started sending pirate and slavetrader vessels all over the ocean, crossing Ratew territory and often attacking their settlements.
Over several hundred years, that always lead to smaller military conflicts, but never to an all-out war.
The Tenryuubito, eventually tired of losing their vessels to the ratew, made a contract in the year 344 nochi, that allowed free passage, in return for non-violence against Ratew settlements. Despite that, one can still find Artew slaves in bottles in Mardukane. Those were rarely taken by violence, but by tricking their adventurous minds.
Nowadays the traderelationships between the Tenryuubito and the ratew are sparse, as the Ratew have little interest in what the Tenryuubito have to offer and vice-versa.
The general relationship is tense, but not aggressive.
-------------------
Only few legends of Basalem have reached the Tenryuubito. Going mostly unnoticed by the interest of the general public, they found their way into Granny Bokuzen's fairytale book forchildren, where he is known under the name Basametsu.
-----------------
Menil is completely unknown to the Tenryuubito
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The Nocturin are the race most hated by the Tenryuubito. Their custom to ressurect the dead as soldiers is a sin of extreme proportions, and many Tenryuubtio are convinced that the Nocturin are genuinely evil.
The appearance of their high-priest, in ever shifting colors, is something they see as a mockery of what he stands for (in their eyes). They hate and envy him, like a bitter virgin would hate and envy casanova when he is making out with the girl the virgin is secretly in love with.
After the Lunar war was over, the Tenryuubito discovered the Nocturin in the far south, and soon started sending pirates and slavetraders that direction.
After several years of raiding, the opposition increased fiercly. In response, bigger and stronger vessels were send out, and eventually the situation escalated to a fullblown naval war in 251 nochi. Unable to defeat each other or even make a significant dent in each other fleets, a truce was made in 254, mostly because both sides could no longer bear the costs of building more and more ships.
for 200 years, there was relative peace, but in 459, the Tenryuubito against started a war with the Nocturin, wanting to clean them off the planet. They were genuinely evil, using zombie armies and having an industry that made the water turn green and brown and stinking.
Unable to defeat the defencebarrier that is the desert they live in, the Tenryuubito eventually stopped the war in 473, leaving the coastal regions charred and the cities ruined. The s´Scana were involved in this war on the side of the Tenryuubito, partially as mercenaries, but mostly as slave-soldiers.
Since then, a very, very tense peace has lasted between both nations. Diplomats are actively working in each others cities, but the lack of trust is so deep, and their views so different, that these nations will likely never be friends.
--------------------------------
The relationship with the Shehalash was always a peculiar one. Like the Tenryuubito, they are curious, but not interested in relationships other than a good trade. The Shehalash, wanting slaves for their blood and their souls in huge quantity, are one of the Tenryuubitos best customers, and likewise the Tenryuubito, having a big demand for exotic silk, are good customers of the Shehalash.
On the other, not so pleasant side, the relationship is fairly violent, if on a small scale. Tenryuubito caravans often get attacked by Ancient One's who want a few extra souls for free. Likewise, small Shehalash's smaller villages often get raided by slaver-parties. Shehalash slaves are prone to suicide, but those who don't kill themselves in the first few weeks of imprisonment usually cling to life too much, or are to curious about their future. Those survivors are rare, and thus fetch very big prices, also due to their high longevity. This makes slavers try again and again, despite the risk.
None of the civilisations seems to mind this violence, and as such the relationship is suprisingly relaxed.
----------------
The existance of the sandriders is mostly refered to as "tribes in the far southeast. Only very few Tenryuubito, except for those well-educated, know what a sandrider is. Because of their relationship with their animal companions, it is a common misconception that the southeast is inhabited by some sort of centaur-tribes.
Only very rarely a snadrider shows up one the slavemarket, as a very, very exotic good, fetching prices that are unbelievable. Usualy, they end up put in a private zoo.
-------------------------
When the moon turned black, the Artoin innitially sided with the earthbound Hitengu. However, the conflict was long and drawn out, and the Artoin saw no way for victory. Not wanting to strain their own people any longer, they retreated from the war in 35 nochi.
Innitialy, the rather unportected villages of the Artoin were a welcome source of slaves, but after many years of continous raids, militia and walls of those settlements grew in response.
Slowly growing tired of having to fight a small war against villages, just for a couple of slaves, the traders approached in a more clever way.
They buy criminals for very low prices, which makes both the Artoin and the slavetraders very happy.
Nowadays, the relationship between both nations is neutral, dominated by a strong traderelationship, not only for slaves, but all kind of goods.
MORE TO COME
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00|⌂▲▲▲⌂●●●●●█████●≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
|≈▲^▲⌂⌂⌂●●●●●●●●≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
|⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣.♣♣.....≈≈≈≈
|⌂⌂⌂⌂⌂.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈.♣♣.♣⌂⌂⌂.....≈≈
|≈.≈..≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈.♣♣♣♣⌂⌂^⌂⌂.....≈
05|≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈..♣♣♣⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂...┌≈
|≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈──────○▲▲⌂⌂..┌┘≈
|≈≈≈≈...≈≈≈.≈≈≈≈≈...♣♣⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂.┌┘.≈
|≈≈┐..⌂⌂⌂≈|..≈≈≈...♣♣⌂⌂▲▲○───┘...
|♣.|.⌂⌂▲⌂♣|...≈...♣♣⌂⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂.....♣
10|♣♣|⌂⌂▲⌂⌂♣|...≈...♣♣⌂⌂▲^▲⌂⌂....♣♣
|♣♣○⌂▲○───┘...≈...♣♣¥⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂..♣♣♣♣
|♣♣⌂▲⌂⌂♣♣.....≈..♣♣♣♣⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂...♣♣♣
|.⌂⌂▲⌂.♣.....≈≈≈┐.♣♣♣♣⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂...♣♣
|⌂⌂▲⌂⌂♣♣♣♣..≈≈≈¥└─────¥▲▲⌂⌂...♣♣♣
15|⌂▲▲▲⌂♣♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈.......⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂...♣♣
|⌂▲^▲⌂♣♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈≈.......⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂.┌──
|⌂▲▲▲⌂♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈......⌂⌂^▲⌂○──┘..
|≈⌂▲▲⌂♣♣♣⌠┌≈≈≈≈≈≈≈.....⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂....
|≈⌂▲⌂⌂♣♣⌠⌠|⌠≈≈≈≈≈⌠⌠⌠┌──○▲▲⌂⌂♣♣♣♣♣
20|⌂⌂▲⌂⌠⌠⌠⌠⌠|⌠≈≈≈⌠⌠⌠⌠⌠|⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂⌂.♣♣♣♣
|▲▲○─┐┌─┐⌠|⌠└─┬─────┘⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂..♣♣♣♣
|⌂⌂⌂~└┘~└─┘~~.|⌠⌠⌠⌠⌠⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂.....♣♣
|~~~~~~~~~~~~≈≈≈≈≈≈⌠⌠⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂...~..
|~~~~~~~~~~≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈⌠┌─○▲▲⌂⌂.~~.~
25|~~~~~~~~~≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈─┬┘⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂~~~~~
|~~~~~~~~~~≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠♠|⌂⌂▲▲▲○⌂~~~~~
|~~~~┌──≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠|⌂⌂▲^▲⌂⌂~~~~~
|~~~~|~~~~≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠|⌂⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂♠~♠~~
|⌂⌂⌂~|~~~~~≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠└──○▲▲⌂⌂≈≈≈≈≈
30|○───┘~~~~~~~♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠⌂⌂▲▲⌂⌂≈≈≈≈Changes during the godless age:The moon no longer shines. It is now a black rock circling the sky, and will likely never return to glory. Because of this, the world is extremely dark at night. untold horrors that have hidden under the earth since the creation of the moon know walk the earth at night, sowing terror.
Afterall, the moon was created for the purpose of shooing them away.
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Topic: Battle of the Gods VI OOC Thread -preparation- (Read 14005 times)