File: if the world was flat - p(...).jpg (4.29 MB, 6144x3000)

4.29 MB JPG

>>87388486

File: if the world was flat - d(...).jpg (3.61 MB, 6144x3000)

3.61 MB JPG

>>87388499

File: if the world was flat - i(...).jpg (5 MB, 6143x3000)

5 MB JPG

>>87388518

1st for hithlone

1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84774616/
2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84847594/
3 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84864673/
4 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84877899/
5 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84890048/
6 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84918731/
7 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84930206/
8 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84943450/
9 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84963046/
10 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84990296/
11 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85001905/
12 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85025361/
13 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85034498/
14 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85074457/
15 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85181021/
15#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85273765/
16 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85357735/
17 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85442583/
17#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85499731/
18 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85554910/
21 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85580942/
22 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85686282/
23 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85775039/
24 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85865971/
25 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85981957/
26 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86150840/
27 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86258892/
28 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86355397/
29 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86504173/

>>87388566
30 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86662491/
31 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86786745/
31#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86924239/
32 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/87072460/
33 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/87171716/
34 - Is this thread archived?
35 - Someone needs to archive this thread

Google Doc Link for the timeline. As updated as it can be.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Weiu2IWHLvwzuWaCnggBT0nYVzJvvHEeD0ec3KB16WI/edit?usp=sharing

Where's the lore map?

>>87388478
I think the few 'big' nations like the Witchelves, Gnolls and Island of Wizards need to be expanded upon.

They are so large and important they should have more lore including subfractions etc.

>>87388478
>What are some bits of the world that could use some extra lore?
More stuff with the different Azan Dynasties
We have rough summaries of all ten I think a few could use more expansion

>>87389045
Agreed. Here are some parts of the witchelven wiki page that need expansion:
>The City of Mors
>The Red Necropolis
>Torture - The Second Art
>Murder - The Third Art

Anyone wanna do more on the Orange Marquissates?

>>87388478
technically this is thread number 38

At what point are we going to add new landmasses? I kinda like the Loria system (adding different sized landmasses based on rare gets)

>>87388486
>>87388499
>>87388518
>>87388547
A hex map for this setting would be pretty fucking rad.

>>87388579
thread 34 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87267880/
thread 35 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87388478/

>>87392339
based

>>87390848
>At what point are we going to add new landmasses?
It's in the OP, no new landmasses.

File: orange marquisates jpg.1.png (1.17 MB, 3358x1420)

1.17 MB PNG

>>87390745
We still have to name the marquissates' cities. I want to write some stuff for them, but I'm focused on completing the lore map right now.

File: Woodcutter Cities V.2.png (2.12 MB, 7332x2372)

2.12 MB PNG

>>87392908
Also, now that we're talking about it, I'll post the other incomplete maps.

File: Bagdassi V.1.png (509 KB, 5432x1824)

509 KB PNG

>>87392919

>>87392689
Why not?

>>87393027
plenty of underdeveloped areas left

idea for later: make a list of Azanese emperors

>>87393139
So? We just need to add them at the appropriate size and speed. Preferably slowly and not too big. There's no reason not to do both. You can work on old stuff despite new stuff getting added you know.

>>87393246
the people who want to add new stuff this late in the game are inevitably those who want to insert their own pet project/self insert nations that either have little to do with the existing nations, or will try to overshadow existing stuff

if you have a few ideas you want to try out, you should make a province, city-state, region, etc., for an appropriate existing nation, while still respecting the themes of said nation

the point of these threads are to build off other's ideas, not serve as a dumping ground for stuff you don't think you will be able to use anywhere else

>>87393027
Because that's gay as fuck

>>87393246
A new country being added out of fucking nowhere instantly alters all the lore of surrounding nations.

We don't have a need for another 10 0-fluff low efforts shitposts added. We need to fluff out the few remaining 0 fluff nations that exist.

>>87390848
why would we add new landmasses 7 months into the project? lol

>>87393246
I guess you weren't around autia

Where is Manpreg island?

>>87394819
Autia added shit pretty much without any system or restrictions. If we only add a landmass after someone gets quads for example and limit the size of new lands I could see it work.

>>87394807
Alright what would be a good limit? One year -> One new Continent the size of the isle of wizards?

>>87396043
>>87396013
The world is pretty extensive as it is, there are TONS of things to add. There is no need to add more landmasses, plus we'd have to tweak and retcon a lot of the lore to make it possible. Better to add detail than to add bloat.

>>87396013
there are like 200 nations in this setting lol, lack of content is the least of its concerns

>>87394849
Gonna write something for the great garbage patch.

Also the wiki is missing a lot of stuff on the Sea of Bile bit. the Sea of Bile page has like 2 sentences while an Anon in an earlier thread expanded upon all the smaller seas and wrote about the wildlife inhabiting them. The Sea of bile has a full lore written that was lost for some reason.

> Summary
The Great Garbage Patch is a group of vast floating islands of refuse, debris, and waste that drifts on the winds and currents of the sea. It is said to have originated from the industrial and economic activities of the neighboring city of Luden and the Merfolk empire before it's collapse. The garbage patch is a dangerous and unpredictable place, home to treacherous currents, unpredictable storms, and deadly creatures that feed on the trash and debris that accumulates on its surface.

Scavengers and treasure hunters brave the treacherous waters of the garbage patch in search of valuable and exotic artifacts, ranging from ancient weapons and tools to mysterious and powerful magic items. Many of these treasures are believed to have originated from the ruins of the Merfolk Empire or another world alltogether, which lies to the south-west of the garbage patch, and are said to contain powerful magic and ancient technology that has been lost to the world for centuries.

The garbage patch is also home to a variety of strange and dangerous creatures that have adapted to life on the floating island. Some say that the patch is home to giant squids and sea monsters, while others claim that it is home to twisted and mutated beasts that have been born from the toxic waste and pollutants that have accumulated on its surface.

Despite the dangers and difficulties of navigating the garbage patch, some have made their homes on the island, living in crudely constructed huts and shelters made from the debris that washes up on its shores. These people, known as the "trash-dwellers," are a hardy and resourceful people, who have learned to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the garbage patch. They are a tight-knit community, fiercely protective of their homes and resources, and are known to be fiercely independent and self-reliant.

The three islands:

"The Scrap Heap" - The largest of the three islands, it is known for its towering piles of rusted metal and broken machinery. It is home to a community of scavengers and outcasts who have made a living by salvaging what they can from the refuse. The Scrap Heap is also known for its dangerous, unstable terrain, with treacherous cliffs and deep crevasses filled with debris.
"The Dump" - The second largest island, is a sprawling expanse of rotting organic matter and discarded food waste. It is home to a variety of vermin and diseased creatures, and is considered by many to be a death trap. The Dump is also known for its powerful and unpredictable currents, making it difficult to navigate.
"The Filth" - The smallest of the three islands, is a toxic wasteland of alchemical waste and hazardous materials. It is uninhabitable by most forms of life, but is occasionally visited by alchemists and other individuals seeking rare and valuable materials. The Filth Isle is also known for its dangerous storms and unpredictable weather, making it a treacherous place to visit.

> Wildlife
The Garbage Gull - a large, mutated seagull . Its beak has grown longer and sharper, allowing it to dig through piles of garbage for food, and its feathers have become oily and waterproof, protecting it from the polluted waters. It feeds on fish and smaller sea creatures that have become trapped in the garbage, as well as any organic scraps it can find.

The Scrap Serpent - a giant, eel-like creature that inhabits the deeper parts of the Great Garbage Patch. Its body is made up of scrap metal and other hard materials, allowing it to move through the garbage with ease and defend itself against predators. It feeds on smaller fish and sea creatures that are attracted to the garbage, and its scavenged metal body is a valuable source of materials for scavengers.

The Filth Fiend - a small, rodent-like creature that is known for its agility and speed. Its body is covered in a thick layer of filth and grime, making it nearly invisible among the piles of garbage. It feeds on small insects and other invertebrates that live within the garbage, and its droppings are a valuable source of fertilizer for the few plants that can survive in the patch.

The Trash Titan - a massive, lumbering creature that is the top predator of the Great Garbage Patch. Its body is made up of a variety of different materials, including wood, metal, and cloth, and it is capable of crushing smaller creatures with a single stomp of its foot. It feeds on the larger sea creatures that have become trapped in the garbage, and its body is a valuable source of materials for scavengers.

The Muck Manta - a large, winged creature that glides above the Great Garbage Patch, feeding on the smaller sea creatures that are attracted to the garbage. Its wings are made of a durable, oily material that allows it to soar through the polluted air, and its body is covered in a thick layer of muck and grime that protects it from the harsh conditions of the patch.

The Soot Drake - a small dragon-like creature that is known for its ability to breathe fire. Its body is made up of a sooty black material that allows it to blend in with the polluted skies above the Great Garbage Patch. It feeds on smaller creatures that have become trapped in the garbage, and its fiery breath can be used to melt and shape metals and other materials.

The Oilweed - a hardy plant that can survive in the polluted soil of the Great Garbage Patch. Its roots are able to extract nutrients from the oil and other pollutants that have seeped into the soil, and its leaves are coated in a thick, oily substance that protects them from the harsh conditions. It is used by scavengers as a source of fuel and as a means of purifying water.

The Garbage Vine - a twisted, gnarled vine that can grow through the piles of garbage in the Great Garbage Patch. Its leaves are oily and tough, able to withstand the harsh conditions, and its stem is thick and durable, allowing it to support the weight of the garbage around it. It provides a habitat for small creatures and insects that live within the garbage and it's used by scavengers as a way to move around the patch.

The Glowing Fungus - a luminescent fungus that can be found growing on the piles of garbage in the Great Garbage Patch. Its bioluminescent spores are able to attract small sea creatures, which it then feeds on. It's used

The Moldy Cap is a type of mushroom that grows on the piles of rotting organic material that make up the garbage patch. It is able to break down the garbage and convert it into fertile soil.

The Ash Mold is a type of mold that grows on the ash and soot that covers the garbage patch. It is able to consume the ash and soot, converting it into a nutrient-rich soil.

The Rust Fungus is a type of fungus that grows on the rusting metal of the garbage patch. It is able to consume the rust and convert it into a nutrient-rich soil.

The Slime Slugs are a type of slug that thrive on the mounds of rotting organic material that make up the garbage patch. They are able to consume vast amounts of garbage and can grow to immense sizes.

The Ash Bats are a species of bat that have adapted to living in the heavily polluted air of the garbage patch. They have thick fur that protects them from the ash and soot that fills the air and feed on the insects that thrive in the pollution.

The Garbage Blossom is a type of flower that grows amongst the garbage. It is able to absorb pollutants and other toxins from the garbage and filter them into a sweet smelling nectar.

The Oil Eels are a type of eel that have adapted to living in the heavily oil-polluted waters surrounding the garbage patch. They are able to filter out the oil and other pollutants from the water and use it as a food source.

> The locals
The locals of the Great Garbage Patch are a hardy and resourceful people, who have adapted to the harsh and toxic environment of the islands. They are a diverse group, made up of various fantasy races such as goblinoids, kobolds, and even some troglodytes.

Appearance-wise, they are a motley crew, with skin that ranges from a sickly pale to a dark, soot-covered grey. They often have missing or misshapen limbs and fingers, as well as other physical deformities caused by the toxins present in the garbage. They often wear clothes made from old rags and tattered fabrics scavenged from the garbage.

Their culture is centered around survival and resourcefulness. They worship a variety of gods and spirits associated with garbage, such as the "Trashlord" and the "Midden Queen". They also have a great respect for the wildlife of the islands, which they see as fellow survivors in this harsh environment. They often have symbiotic relationships with certain creatures, such as the Garbage Gulls, who they feed in exchange for their assistance in finding valuable scraps.

Their cuisine is highly unconventional, consisting mostly of scavenged scraps and garbage. They will eat almost anything, including spoiled and rotting food, and often ferment or smoke meats and fish to make them more palatable. They also consume various fungi and plants that grow in the garbage, such as the "Garbage Cap" mushroom and the "Trashweed" plant. To outsiders, their food is often revolting and unappetizing, with a strong smell of rot and decay.

> The towns of the garbage patch
Scavenger's Haven: Located on the larger of the three islands, Scavenger's Haven is a bustling port town built on the ruins of an merfolk harbour which surfaced out of the garbage. The town is surrounded by towering piles of garbage and debris, with narrow alleys and winding streets leading to the town square where a large market is held. The main source of income for the inhabitants is salvaging valuable items from the garbage, and the town is known for its black market where illegal and exotic goods can be found. Local hazards include dangerous creatures that lurk in the piles of garbage, and the risk of cave-ins and other accidents while salvaging.

Trashmound: This small village is located on the southwestern side of the larger island. It's surrounded by a towering mountain of garbage, which the villagers have built their homes into. The village is known for its strong community spirit, where everyone pitches in to maintain the village and protect it from dangers. Local hazards include deadly creatures hiding in the garbage and the risk of collapse from the weight of the garbage mountain.

>>87397220
kek I love it. Aren't there any rat people of Luden?

Flotsam: This town is located on the smaller eastern island, surrounded by a vast expanse of garbage-strewn water. The town is built on floating platforms made from salvaged wood and debris, connected by a network of rickety bridges. The inhabitants of Flotsam are expert boatmen and divers, making their living by salvaging valuable items from the depths of the garbage-filled sea. Local hazards include dangerous sea creatures and unpredictable currents and storms.

Festering Pit: This small village is located in the center of the larger island. It's surrounded by a vast pit filled with rotting garbage and waste. The villagers make their living by scavenging valuable items from the pit and by processing the waste into fertilizer and other useful products. The village is known for its strong smell and the high incidence of disease and illness among its inhabitants. Local hazards include dangerous creatures that lurk in the pit and the risk of sickness from the noxious fumes.

> Overall governance
there i no governament which controls the whole garbage patch. There have been attempts by Luden to claim it's theirs, but those are just words.

the garbage patch is like the wild west of floating garbage with no central government. Only towns and villages who grew out the trash cooperating with each other as the garbage tide shits and they find themselves close to one another.

>>87397300
I'd wager no; Luden is very close by. Any rat which could would much rather go there than stay in the Garbage patch.

Heck there might be an agreement that the locals return any 'rats' they find to Luden after all that's where most the trash comes from. So abandoned babies, thrown away corpses etc. from Luden all end up in the garbage patch. Or escaped criminals going there to hide.

As such any ratman living or dead can be sold to the Luden at a high price. As a ratman in the garbage patch it's as if you had an eternal bounty on your head that's why few tourists or explorers of the ratfolk variety ever go there.

Some records say that an envoy from the Gnoll empire went there and all the Seguerial Slaves he brought along dissapeared overnight and that attempting to spread gnollamaggots locally resulted in the formation of tiny malformed Gnolls now refereed too as "Fennecgnolls' due to their small appearance, red fur, animal-like intellect and diet consistent solely of insects.

>>87396013
Adding landmasses depending on dubs, trips and quads could be fun, but at the start of a project like this not 7 months in.

Just finished the Purple Shell Coast.

>The Purple Shell Coast
At the western side of the Cornfloor Peninsula, there is a many kilometers long coastline, uninterrupted as far as the eye can see. Covered in palm trees, it is the natural limit of the Kinh Hee Palm Grove, with many species of coconut trees and dates growing in the pearly white close to the pearly white beach sands. The weather is sunny most of the time, with the exception of the rainy seasons, and even then, most of the heavy storms come from the eastern side of the peninsula, so they arrive weakened at the western side.

>>87397821
does the purple shell coast and the palm grove technically belong to the red lotus congregation?

>>87397821
The coastline is famous for harboring a noteworthy species of mollusk, the king’s sea snail. The king’s sea snail are large snails, the size of a human head, and develop a massive conical shell all throughout their live. They are completely blind, only being able to move around though the many appendages covering their body, which grant them an impeccable sense of touch. Their meat is considerably poisonous, and while a human could eat one and survive once properly cooked, the painful stomach aches it would cause would make him not to try it ever again. For smaller beings or creatures with a weaker constitution, it could cause severe damages or even death. Thus, they have been able to populate the entire area around the coast. They mostly live in the coral reefs near the shores, which extend for miles parallel to the coast.

>>87397554
I'd only use quads and so on as trips and dubs are too common.
>could be fun
seconded
>at the start of a project like this not 7 months in.
Why?

>>87397843
We've had this discussion more than a dozen times before. There's another project going on right now if you want to write about your own nation lol

>>87397834
No, the Red Lotus keep claiming it, but they have absolutely no way of conquering, keeping and controlling it. Every time they invade, they are pushed back by the drow and the changrilanese fleet.

>>87397842
Twice a year, the king’s sea snails go to the beaches in the tens of thousands to reproduce. They males compete with each other by generating a massive amount of purple spew, a show of strength and virility to attract a mate. This would happen for two entire weeks, until all females find a mate and they all go back to the sea. The sheer amount of purple spew leaves the normally white sands of the region with a distinctive purple hue, hence the name of the region, the Purple Shell Coast.

>>87397852
>We've had this discussion more than a dozen times before
If people are that interested in adding new land maybe we should consider it to be a possibility in the future desu

>>87397875
The locals of the area have learned to take the inked sands and distill it to obtain the purple pigment. This has been used in the area for millennia to color any kind of textiles, from clothes to sails. Many drow vessels use the purple ink to paint their sails, creating different patterns to show to which drow city they belong. The local population of the Purple Shell Coast live near the shores, either as fishermen or gathering the fruitful produce of the palm trees. Most of the local dwarven towns live off the production and processing of the king’s sea snail spew into inks and hues. During the few weeks the snails are in heat, all other activity in the region ceases, and all men, women and children will be put into the processing of the spew. They have to, as the massive amounts of sea snails generate enormous amounts of purple spew, and the demand for it is just as great, being a popular pigment in Scimitarian and Western Giantstep.

>>87397911
The value of the inks and hues produced in the area has made the region quite prosperous, though the lack of adequate areas where to build a port are great. The great amount of coral makes big vessels hard to maneuver without being damaged, and the overall peripheral position of the region in regards to international trade is quite unfortunate, since most of the sea trade routes are either northwards or eastwards. This means that most of the trade is through land, with caravans moving the valuable materials to the Drow City States, from where it is then sold and redistributed. This is not without dangers, as there is some piratical activity within the area, especially coming from the drow city of Duskraen, which targets the shipments of ink from time to time.

>>87397909
The previous arguments against it still stand. Better to focus in adding detail to the places we have rather than adding more land with little to no depth.

>>87397942
Why can't we do both?

>>87397909
No and samefagging won't change that. There is two other /tg/ makes a setting projects up now which just started go bother them.

Isle of Wizards
Village of Barry
population 170 (Human - Barry, 1; Human clone - Barry, 23; Human simulacra - Barry 110; non-celibate Barry clones, 4; Human wizard apprentices, 20, Amazon, 1; Anthropomorphic Insect - Greg, 1; remainder of the permanent population are farming families)

Barry is very busy with multiple fields of magical research and decided to produce multiple iterations of clones in order to aid in said research, take care of mundane tasks and assure a steady inflow of resources to support said research.
His clones are perfectly autonomous, not slaves, though subordinate to the original Barry. Over time the clones produced cheaper clone alternatives, known collectively as simulacra in order to spare themselves the drudgery of mundane tasks and focus on research, much like their progenitor. Some simulacra are simple golems embedded with personality fragments, others have more sophisticated construction and varying degrees of true autonomy and magical aptitude.
Barry once promised his grandmother that he would settle down and have children and that promise weighed heavily on him as he would rather focus on magical research. He devised a compromise and married an Amazon, maintaining a platonic relationship with his wife, but relying on clones to fulfill his duties as a husband. These clones are on a roster and typically oversee non-magical research and projects when not playing house.
Barry also has a friend simply named Greg, because the Insects true name is unpronounceable with a human tongue.
Barry has many apprentices, most of which he has never met personally. Instead his clones have devised a roster where they take turns offering instruction and giving pointers to these students. The majority of these students wear simple scholars robes like Barry and many of them have used magic to alter their appearance to be more like Barry. The pressure of group conformity.

>>87398467
Major exports: Fast grown grains, cloned meat and livestock, basic automata.

While Barry may have come close to perfecting cloning himself, his experiments on other life have yielded less than inspiring results. Diminishing returns effects cloned livestock severely, almost halving their lifespans and making them prone to illness. While it is an abundant source of low quality animal products, Barry hopes to improve the efficiency of his magical agriculture in order to better support his research into more esoteric fields.

>>87398467
>be me
>greg

>>87397909
by "people' you mean the one guy (probably you) that keeps suggesting that idea every 10 threads?

>>87397164
>The Glowing Fungus - a luminescent fungus that can be found growing on the piles of garbage in the Great Garbage Patch. Its bioluminescent spores are able to attract small sea creatures, which it then feeds on. It's used
>It's used
Used on what?

>>87400214
Ah I pasted from the doc wrong:

> used in illuminating the houses of the locals and the streets.

Between this and the last thread, I think we have reached more than 100 creatures for the bestiary. We have to check we've added them, though.

>>87393175
We could use a list of names for the big empires and kingdoms. Especially Azan (since its history is quite complex) and the Khenomeric (which have a ton of history yet barely any names).

I want to write the list of the Drunigzar kings, maybe tomorrow or the day after that.

>>87394849

SonQo Temples and Orc'eire are halfway done, what do they lack?
Are the Hithlone villas part of Hithlone?

>>87398075
project harder

>>87400969
Also, the herbarium needs an update, there are tons of plants not yet added.

Bump

Are there bits of lore you know aren't on the wiki yet?

>>87405564
Bestiary aswell

>>87398075
>two other /tg/ makes a setting projects up now
We all know they'll die before they reach the fifth thread and that's still a pretty generous estimate.

File: 695484944.jpg (70 KB, 400x642)

70 KB JPG

>>87365397
>The Gruntlings
The remarkably ugly Gruntlings inhabit some of the hill and mountain regions of Scatoley, where they live in natural cave systems. They are extremely insensitive to odors and don't smell particularly good themselves, allowing them to defy Scatoley's inhospitable fecology. They are distant relatives of the Boglins, although they are significantly dumber and more aggressive. Their main occupation is raiding merchant carriages but they also pass the time with occasional rape and pillaging villages. They smear their rusty weapons with feces, easily found throughout Scatoley, causing life-threatening infections in their victims even if they manage to escape from an ambush. Since they rarely come across human flesh, their main source of food are the giant boars found in Scatoley, which they hunt in groups with slingshots and crude spears.

>>87402223
I think one person mentioned that maybe something could be said about the dwarves that inhabit some of the temples.

Writing the lore for the Sea of Wheat. Let's see how it goes.

>History
South of the Grënndell’s Sea, there lies a massive area, covered entirely by wheat fields. The geography is quite regular, flat plains dominating all the landscape, with the occasional gentle hill breaking the straight line of the horizon. Rains are not that frequent, but the land rarely is at risk of a drought. The wheat in the area is not an introduced species, it is a local variety of wild wheat that grows naturally in the area. And while it is not as productive as other types of wheat, it is infinitely easier to work with, as the locals simply have to wait for their natural cycle to complete and just harvest the fields. This has allowed the local populations to live very leisurely lives, only really needing to keep an eye on the wheat fields to avoid possible parasites, diseases or fires.

>>87411398
The area was quickly absorbed by the Khenomeric Empire, which set their eyes on the region to turn it into the empire’s breadbasket. Seeing the massive fields and the ease with which wheat grew there, the khenomeric leaders thought it would be an easy task, though reality would quickly prove them wrong. Not only was the land not suited to grow crops of a higher yield, but the population violently refused to partake in any change to their fields. First the khenomeric representatives and agronomists, chased away from the wheat fields when they started cutting down local wheat to replace it with more productive varieties. The khenomeric authorities, confused by their reaction, sent envoys to try to understand what had happened. These too were chased down with pitchforks and torches. After a couple of attempts of diplomacy, the region became so violent against khenomeric authority that the royal family had to send the military in full force to pacify the region, something unheard of in the Khenomeric Empire, which was kept under control with much smaller forces.

>>87411417
After pacifying the region, it was decided that the plans to turn the region into the main food source of the nation was unviable, and they were left alone as a backwater province. Its only real importance after that was its position in the Grënndell’s Sea, key to expand towards Littlestep. The Sea of Wheat stayed mostly neutral to the rise and fall of the Magoclergy, and the members of the order themselves kept their distance to the Sea of Wheat in turn. This has puzzled many historians, since the Magoclergy was notorious for their ruthless need to control all the empire, and keeping such a big area to its own devices, an area infamous for its previous rebellion, was extremely out of character. Some people speculate that the magoclergy knew something about the region’s religion and rituals that kept them away from the area, but whatever it was, it is only speculation now.

>>87411428
After the birth of the Forest of Getting Lost and the creation of the Northern Khenomeric Empire, the Sea of Wheat was tasked once again to be the breadbasket of the empire. And once again, problems arose, though not to the extent as the last time. The Northern Khenomeric Empire was nowhere as big or as populated as the ancient Khenomeric Empire was, and the different regions that composed it were becoming more and more independent by the year, so there was not that much pressure to improve the wheat output of the land. Still, all attempts to change the wheat type that grew there, or to introduce another crop to complement production, were rejected, frequently with violence. The locals did not have any objections to sharing their wheat with the rest of the empire, and were very generally agreeable and welcoming when not trying to change their fields.

>>87411428
In the debates about magic and wizardry within the Northern Khenomeric Empire, the inhabitants of the Sea of Wheat were firm believers of druidic groups. Their own society had many druidic elements, and the adoration of the land was paramount of them, so they got along quite well with the druid movements outside of their land. It was in this context when they first got the famous agricultural behemoths that now roam the land. During one of many attempts of the alchemists of Tarot to gain political favor, the alchemists were showing the representatives of the lands of the Sea of Wheat around the vast markets of Ouroboria, when a police sting happened near them, causing quite a commotion. Apparently, some rogue alchemists had been creating war beasts, something taboo and forbidden by the law of Tarot. The local authorities demanded that all the monsters were put to the sword, to avoid them going loose. The Sea of Wheat representatives saw the misshapen creatures, still in their infancy, and in a stroke of pity upon the ugliest one. They asked the local authorities to forgive the beasts, something they were granted under the condition that they had to take care of them in their own lands, and the tarotian authorities would not take responsibility for whatever happened to them. The delegates of the Sea of Wheat took the creatures to their home and, to the surprise of everyone, the beasts turned out to be quite docile and obedient. They slowly populated the region, becoming its most recognizable sight after the fields of wheat themselves.

Are snoloths sloth people or snail people?

>>87411588
Maybe both?

>>87411588
Snail people

>>87410319
So according to the sentient species list, what are gruntlings?

>>87413810
Οrc/Goblinfolk

File: king's sea shell.jpg (431 KB, 1024x1024)

431 KB JPG

A picture for the king's sea shell.

>>87414957
Ugly.
Could also be a Snoloth. Maybe it's a cousin? Like how a gibon is to a human?

>>87411398
>>87411417
Not a fan of how again the world just seems eternally static.

The sea of wheat was there 6000 years ago when the Khenomerics found it already and was always like that.

Makes the whole setting feel shallow

>>87416041
Some places have changed a lot throughout history, some places have barely changed at all.

>>87419462
Funny dog

>>87416009
We would need to describe what a snoloth is before that.

>>87422428
It's a snail person

Alright, I'm back from a hiatus. What's the most important nation (apart from the Tribes) which are without lore? I'm in the mood for some writing.

>>87424988
Without lore, you mean that it has very little lore to work with, or if it has actually zero lore?

>>87425006
I think War-Wei should be erased

>>87425006
Kowloon got some extended lore not long ago.
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Kowloon

Same for the Golden Sea of Wheat, but that still needs a lot of development.

>>87425022
Why?

>>87425006
Hmm... I thing the floating Goddragon tomb has no lore. They're technically speaking ba vassal of the Gnolls not part of it so maybe that should come back

>Tuarapon

>History

Traces of civilization have been found deep in the rainforests of Tuarapon, indicating that the toxic fumes that have engulfed most of the island were not always present there. Since Asvaran explorers and alchemists first visited the island, with word spreading around the world about the many mysteries that it beholds, small trading towns have sprouted along the northern coast of the island, where the fumes are not present, and are vassals of Asvaran. These towns are mostly made up of humans from Asvaran and Ortuga, but some Zulutaurs and Badgassi have also found themselves in there. The settlers of Tuarapon only wander in the interior of the island whenever a wealthy alchemist or merchant stops by and pays them to retrieve a certain alchemical ingredient. In fact, these jungle expeditions make up a large part of the island's economy, although most of those end in failure, with people either not returning to the towns at all, or returning with diseased lungs and skin, often resulting in a slow death, as even the sturdiest of gas masks can

>Flora and Fauna

Most of the plants and animals of Tuarapon are endemic, not being present anywhere else in the world, even in the neighbouring island of Sutaman. They have adapted to the environment and are resistant to the toxic fumes.

Most of the animals in Tuarapon either live underground, or have developed specific defensive mechanisms against the fumes. One of those is the Slippery Tuarapon Toad, which is a large amphibian with a very thick layer of mucus that is extremely toxic, even to the touch. Another one is the Saramaga, a species of salamander that has an skull around its head, resembling an exoskeleton. Notable plants include the umbrella tree, preventing the fumes from escaping above the canopy and restricting them inside the rainforest, and the parasitic vine, which can find a way and grow inside a mammal's mouth, penetrating its lungs and oesophagus and causing death.

>>87426134
Strangely enough, Tuarapon's jungles are devoid of large predators, with the largest animal being the size of a tortoise or a small boar.

More stuff for the Golden Sea of Wheat.

>The Culture of Wheat
The world of the people living in the Sea of Wheat revolves around their crop, which is not surprising. The local wheat is able to grow naturally and without extensive supervision, only needing to check if the lands needs enrichment or if there is a risk of disease or parasite. As nature itself takes care of food production for the most part, the locals have developed very leisurely lives, which has created a culture with a lot of arts and festivities, since they have time to spare. Festivals, celebrations and carnivals are common, always thankful to the seed gods for the bountiful harvest and the healthy growth of the wheat.

>>87426592
The population of the region is quite high, since many people have gathered there due to the promise of easy crops. This has led to the founding of many different towns and cities, each one with their own different holidays revolving around wheat. The land is ruled by these independent city-states, which influence a couple of towns near them. Despite their universal adoration to the local crop, not all populations have the same attitude towards their wheat. In particular, we can differentiate three distinctive regions within the Golden Sea of Wheat: the cities and towns around the Yellow Lakes, the ones in the inner plains, and the ones in the coast.

>>87426612
The cities and towns around the Yellow Lakes are the original population of the region, and the ones who were there first, way before than the first khenomeric colonization. They were the original creators of all the rituals and the local language, and they have a very traditional view of their crops. Their branch of faith defends that nature should be left alone, with the gods providing harvest when and how they see fit. As such, they are the most pious of the local inhabitants. They have built many shrines in the shape of windmills, covering the lands around the lakes with temples of different sizes. They offer animal sacrifices to the temples (both farm animals and fish from the lakes) at the beginning of each month, draining the blood to fertilize the lands around the shrines in a symbolic ritual, whereas the wheat priests consume the body. The religiousness of the people around the lakes makes them spend quite a lot of time partaking in sermons and rituals, and also preparing the wheat effigies for the different celebrations in the area. They also believe in maintaining a balance with nature, and as such, they will avoid having too many children, with families with more than three kids being somewhat badly looked upon. The fourth child of the family usually has to move away from the land, generally establishing themselves in the inner plains.

>>87426633
The cities and towns in the inner plains are later arrivals, coming from various parts of the Khenomeric Empire to expand the crop harvest. These people quickly bonded with the locals, seeing that there were enough resources for the newcomers as well, though they never really adopted their level of zeal the original population had. They still worship the local cults of wheat, but not with the same intensity. Many of these groups were poor farmers without land, coming to the region invited by the khenomeric authorities to expand the crop yield. The majority of those people were kicked out during the first stages of the conflict between the local wheatians and the khenomeri, but enough stayed to occupy the inner plain areas, and nowadays they form the majority of the population. This was helped by the many marriages between the local population and the new arrivals, with many of these locals being fourth, fifth or later children who had to move to the lakes to other areas of the region. This mix of cultures has made the locals in this area more open to change and innovation, and they are the ones who actively till and work the land. To that end, they will use their great agricultural behemoths to plow huge swaths of land at the same time, which are tamed from birth to work the fields or to serve as beasts of burden for transportation, moving millstones, pushing specially designed ploughs… During the holiest of celebrations, many of these people will go to the Yellow Lakes to partake in the rituals of the wheat priests.

>>87426653
The cities and towns in the Grënndell’s Coast are part as well of the arrival of migrant population during the days of the Khenomeric Empire, but unlike the ones in the fields, their inhabitants came mostly during the times after the Northern Khenomeric Empire was created. Due to the increased importance of sea trade to the overall empire, the authorities of both parts of the empire pushed to develop all coastal areas as much as possible, to improve the logistics as much as possible now that land transport had been cut in half. These towns share the least amount of cultural elements with the locals (though, once again, will not tolerate any attack to the wheat), with examples such as wearing masks that only cover half the face, instead of the full-covering masks of the other regions. They also do not speak the local wheatian tongue, but instead a variant of khenomeric. Their closeness to the sea has made them sailors more so than farmers, being in charge of keeping the region in contact with the rest of the world. Many of them also become travelling merchants, selling the goods acquired in the coastal cities throughout the rest of the region. Their more open nature makes the more traditional and zealous habitants of the region to look at them with some distrust, but this also makes them the more adequate people to interact with outsiders. They still follow the wheat traditions of the land, though. A particularly noteworthy custom is that, every full moon, they will line the coast with thousands of wheat scarecrows and then set them alight once the moon is at its highest, lighting up the night with all of the burning figures.

>>87426668
The locals are generally welcoming to those new inhabitants who want to integrate, but they will see any attempt to change their way of life as a deep insult. In particular, they resent two particular jabs to their culture: any criticism to the wheat masks and any suggestion that their wheat should be replaced by other plant. The wheatians wear masks made out of wheat to cover their faces. These masks are worn every time wheatian exit their home, and it’s of poor manners to ask someone to remove it for any reason. Most of the time they fully conceal their face, with the exceptions of the youth, especially those looking for a marriage partner, which wear masks covering half their face vertically, and the people in the coastal cities, which only wear masks covering the upper half of their face.

>>87426680
The lands follows a rigid wheat-based religion. The cults of wheat are led by the wheat priests, men and women raised in the deepest secrets of the region to protect the harvest through deep prayers and thanksgiving rituals. They have been trained in the many druidic ways of caring for the land and communing with nature, all with the purpose of taking care of the fields. In between the two Yellow Lakes, there lies the most sacred building for the wheatians, the Great Windmill. It is a windmill of such size that legends tell it was build over a construct made by giants eons ago, and whose construction was barely finished around 1.902 ABE. Many generations of wheat priests had been born and died during its construction, and participating in the building of the great temple was seen as an act of devotion. Nowadays, it keeps a concise record of all the wheat harvests that have happened since times immemorial, an archive that was collected from all towns and cities of the region and that is zealously guarded by the wheat priests. During the astrological equinoxes, chosen by the few astromancers living in the region, the priests will bring tons upon tons of grain to the windmill, which will then be grinded by the colossal millstones, moved by the biggest agricultural behemoths. Thousands of bakers will then make bread with it, which will then be eaten by the masses during the night, all while thousands of wheat effigies are burnt during the night.

>>87393175
Would be pretty sizeable, especially since even in universe the list of who "counted" as an Emperor has been pretty fluid the farther in time you go back.

>>87426700
>The Agricultural Behemoths
The agricultural behemoths are an alchemical species of mammal that lives in the Golden Sea of Wheat. Since the wheatian representatives in Tarot save them from being put down, they have found a home in the fields of wheat. Despite their threatening looks and them being created as war beasts, their gentle nature and ease to domesticate meant that the population quickly bonded with the behemoths. They were herbivores, eating great amounts of grain every day, as well as the sicker wheat plants that need uprooting anyway. Their high calorie consumption is compensated by being quite slow and passive, resting most of the day. Their massive amount of refuse they produce is used to restore the more exhausted lands. Their reproduction is a very slow process, only mating once every couple of years, and with a gestation period of more than a year. The calf is then protected by the mother during ten years, which is the only time the wheatians can see an agricultural behemoth mad, as the mothers are highly protective of their spawn. Generally, though, they will let the local wheatians get near the calf after a year, once the more intense maternity instincts have mellowed out, and this will help the newborn become more calm around people. They can live quite long lifespans, with some of the oldest reaching the 300 years, and since they keep growing through their entire lives, they can reach absurd sizes. The biggest behemoths are given to the wheat priests as a show of gratitude and faith. They paint holy wheat symbols in the behemoths’ skin. During the holidays, the agricultural behemoths are dressed with wheat decorations, which are put on their backs to avoid them eating the decorations.

If Snoloths are snail people, how come they live at the center of Giantstep? It's surrounded by deserts and badlands, it's a pretty dry place, snails can't live in drier climates.

>>87427637
Don't tell them what to do biggot

File: Shit Witch Coven.png (493 KB, 512x512)

493 KB PNG

>The Coven of Shit Witches
The Coven of Shit Witches is a communal association of women who, contrary to the laws of Scatoley practice scatomancy despite their female gender thereby actively rebelling against the patriarchy of the brown university. Women are strictly forbidden by the Scatology Statutes to practice scatomancy, and violators face harsh penalties ranging from public flogging to execution by the stake, witch's chair, or other martial instruments of death and torture. Because of these cruel punishments, the Witches of the Scatomantic Coven, as they call themselves, practice their version of scatomantic craft in secret. In addition, their version of scatomancy differs significantly from that of the men and they have even been able to make breakthroughs in some areas that are unknown to the scholars of the brown academy. Female Scatomancy is a mixture of classic scatomancy, occult rituals and black magic. It is less formalistic, objective and theory-heavy, but more practical, intuitive and closer to witchcraft than to an empirical science.The witches follow a crowleyian philosophy (named after the infamous scat witch Alessandra Crowley). This philosophy revolves around the idea that human beings each have their own True Will, that they should discover and pursue, and that this exists in harmony with the Cosmic Will that pervades the universe. This process is referred to as searching and discovery of one's True Will to be "the Great Work" or the attaining of the "knowledge and conversation of the great Mother". Shit Witches are devotees of a dark feminine deity manifested as Livra, and monists who seek emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. This freedom is a realization of the self's identity with the absolute. Because of this monistic doctrine, the Shit Witches maintain that all opposites are ultimately illusory.
[...]

File: Alessandra Crowley bathin(...).png (574 KB, 512x512)

574 KB PNG

>>87429436
The purpose of embracing pollution and degradation through various customs is the realization of non-duality through transcending social taboos, attaining what is essentially an altered state of consciousness and perceiving the illusory nature of all conventional categories. The favored method of doing so is through the performance of ceremonial turd rituals partially obtained from an ancient grimoire, sex magick aswell as practices such as naked dancing around burning dung heaps, eating rotting (human) flesh, bathing in the fetid pools of the Stink Marshes (also naked of course), corprohagy and similiar desensitization exercises. The moral code of "Do What Thou Wilt" is believed by Shit Witches to be their ideologies ethical law. It is their aim to explore and push the boundaries of this formula into the extreme.
To outsiders these women can seem terrifying and almost animalistic in their unruly wild nature, which has made the Stink Marshes an avoided and feared place over the years. Rumor has it that even the most unwashed scatomants do not enter the places where the witches are said to live alone and even a full dozen of them wouldn't set a fingle foot into the Stink Marshes at night.
The Scatomancers regard the Shit Witches as a dangerous cult that has fallen away from the true meaning of scatomancy and has perverted the scatomantic art and reduced it to barbaric absurdity. Their relationship with the witches is characterized by a mixture of paranoid fear and blind aggression, which has already led to women suspected of scatomancy being executed first and found guilty afterwards which doesn't really correspond to the otherwise very thoughtful and academic nature of the brown scholars.

File: Stink Marshes.png (575 KB, 512x512)

575 KB PNG

>The Stink Marshes

File: 1669219925325512.png (1.72 MB, 6143x3000)

1.72 MB PNG

>>87425101

>>87429977
So, Scimitarian only has the SonQo temples and Orc'Eire to finish, and after that the island bits. Littlestep has Kunt, Poker and the Prison Islands, Zemyland just has the Corteau Canyon, and then there's Giantstep. Giantstep has the east nearly done outside of the region near the Frozen Lake, northern Giantstep has the divine lands and the Fungest to finish, the southern Giantstep is nearly done outside of a copule of islands, the west of Giantstep has still around half of the places in need of lore, and the center of Giantstep is pretty much untouched.

Not bad at all, really. I can see the three minor continents done before the end of february, if we focus on those.

Are people still bothering with adding stuff to the wiki?

>>87430903
Check the recent changes page of the wiki, it has near daily updates.

>>87430903
>>87433680
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Special:RecentChanges

>>87430903
We are missing quite a lot of images, though.

>>87434131
yup. specially the bestiary page, really needs images added.

>>87434438
has anyone had any luck with AI pictures?

>>87436417
I've uploaded some, but only after a hell of a lot of attempts. The best thing with AI is to write something, get something completely differen from what you asked, and write lore about the image you got.

>>87436417
What do you think about pixel art for some of the cities/nations that we can't get proper art for?

>>87438655
Pixel art is still art.

Finishing the stuff for the Golden Sea of Wheat.

>Gastronomy
A man cannot life out of wheat alone, and the wheatians know it. Despite their fervor towards wheat, the wheatians have developed a very diverse cuisine, though most of the variety comes from the many meats they can produce. Since wheat is a natural plant in the region and it grows in such quantities, the wheatians have more than enough grain to feed quite a lot of stable animals, from chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigs, goats, sheep, cows, horses, domestic worms… They can easily be fattened to acceptable levels and bred in considerable numbers, something that helps the trade of the region immensely, not having to depend entirely out of trading wheat. The wheatians have developed a very carnivore diet, always accompanied with some of the best breads, pastas and sweets known this side of Giantstep. Fruits and vegetables outside of wheat are quite rare, since the land is exclusively geared towards the production of wheat, and something else can only really grow in potted agriculture, only viable to a private level. The wheatians import a lot of fruits from the north, compensating this void on their diet.

>>87439232
Eating an agricultural behemoth is usually discouraged, since they breed so slowly they are not an appropriate food source. They are eaten on the rare occasion one of them dies of natural circumstances and its meat is still edible, but otherwise they are left alone. According to many who have tasted it, their meat tastes surprisingly similar to a mix between bull and horse meat.

>>87439251
>Foreign Relations
The people of the Golden Sea of Wheat are relatively friendly with their neighbors, being indeed the biggest food producers around. Wheat and meat trade is a common thing between the wheatians and the rest of the region, and the wheatian docks are a very frequent stopping spot for ships crossing the seas between Littlestep and Giantstep, since sailors who have spent weeks or months in the sea could use to rest in an area where food is plenty. Of course, beware of any who dares to alter the ways of the wheat, since they will get booted from the land rather quickly. This has led to the wheatians to get a reputation of having a fiery temper behind their gentle smiles.

>>87439316
In particular, there get along the best with two particular areas. First, the lands of the Fyrd were mostly colonized by people from the Golden Sea of Wheat. The wheatians themselves think of the people from the Fyrd as their dumber relatives, with many wheatian families sharing some blood ties to those of the Fyrd, but otherwise they share many elements and traditions. The fyrdians have abandoned for the most part their adoration of wheat, since the region mostly produces bog-yam, but otherwise the two groups are really similar. Many fyrdians return from time to time to the Golden Sea of Wheat, since the Fyrd is too small and too conflictive for many of its inhabitants.

>>87439355
The wheatians also get along very well with the druids of Faarowt. The wheatian religion and their wheat priests follow a form of druidic tradition, and this makes them have a lot in common with the druids from Faarowt. The wheatian priesthood is more urbanite and more used to living away from nature, but they are still druids regardless, and the wheatian and the faarowt do meet each other to discuss matters of nature and magic.

>>87439370
So, are the cities under the golden sea of wheat independent/self governing or under one central government?

>>87439456
According to a previous lore dump:
>The land is ruled by these independent city-states, which influence a couple of towns near them.

>>87439701
Nice, I'll write the Snoloth Country next.

>>87438655
What about pixel art for all nations?

>>87439316
>behind their gentle smiles.
More like behind their masks gentle smiles

>>87439786
Fair enough.

>>87439701
By the way, what's in the white mountains between the Kinga and the Gökmavi? The physical map says it's the Suritas Range, but is something there to write lore about?

>>87439732
It's the most important nation in the lore so please handle it with great care.

File: 0971aedfb6a7e51b2c4b99210(...).jpg (80 KB, 800x800)

80 KB JPG

>>87365397
>The Porcs
The Porcs are native to the Lump Mountains and the Coprolite Mountain range of Scatoley, where they mingle as marauders and raiders. Some of them get hired as mercenaries for the Scatomancers and the defense of the East Wall in Grobianism, although their relationship with the Brown Scholars has ranged from skeptical-neutral to hostile. Aiding the scatomancers, viewed by most of the porcs as invaders and imperialist oppressors, is seen as a treacherous and reprehensible act. On the other hand, they pay well, and most porcs are morally extremely flexible, to put it kindly. Spineless easily corrupted opportunists who would sell their own mother for a sack of flour to put it rudely. The porcs are a simple-minded species who construct crude, pointed-stick dwellings with little furniture in them on whose muddy floors they eat and sleep. Their only talent, besides stinking, drinking and being mean, lies in the processing of the rotten swamp wood of the latrine tree, which is one of the few trees that grows in Scatoley and whose outward appearance is reminiscent of a large tree with its crown stuck in the mud, which is why only the gnarled, thick roots that proliferate in all directions can be seen standing up instead of branches. From the wood of this ugly growth they make crossbows, tools and halberds, the tips of which they fashion from forged coprolite (a porous metal found in the coprolite mountainrange). Their all-time favorite drink, which they ferment in large barrels made of latrine wood, is Stinkbroth, a foul-smelling amalgamation of liquor and beer that uses fecal gases for it's production which should be enough for anyone with common sense not to try it even without having to smell it first. How this species reproduces is a mystery to scientists, as no one has ever set eyes on a female porc.

>>87388478
What are the most developed and detailed areas we have?

>>87439701
Siuverland was done ages ago

>>87440643
>What are the most developed and detailed areas we have?
Probably Azan empire or Dominion of the Bog-Witch. I guess Drunigzar and Scatology Land are contenders as well

>>87440643
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Special:LongPages

Look at the longest articles. By far the most detailed place is the Bog Witch, with the Gnoll, Drunigzar, Furlaniya, the Red Lotus and others close behind.

Azan and Changrila are much more detailed than they seem, since a lot of their lore is outside of their pages (Azan's history is in their former territories' pages, Changrila's history the same plus their civil war is in the Red Lotus page...).

>>87441028
Azan Empire also has a lot of stuff not on the wiki

>>87441375
Like what? If you can tell me in which threads I can find it, I'll add them to the wiki.

File: snoloth incomplete v.1.jpg (544 KB, 1885x986)

544 KB JPG

Ok, so before I start writing the lore, does this look like a snoloth? After a bit of mix and matching in photoshop and paint, this is what I came up with a snoloth may look like, a goddawfully ugly mix of snail, sloth and slime.

>>87439825
Probably not. There is the clockwork castle, but it has a decent amount of lore anyways.

>>87442370
The sloth parts were never a thing. It's a snail person. The shell would be proportionally bigger as their chieftains wear skull of the ancient giants over their shell

>>87442436
Source? The wiki page has very little about snoloths.

>>87442453
Was there some retarded retcon while I was gone? Snoloths were added when I made a post asking to add a nation of snail people

>>87442553
I mean, the snail part is clear. But I didn't just want to make them snail people by just adding a human torse centaur-style. I wanted them to look more bestial and primitive looking, hence the sloth upper half. Plus, sloths and snails are very slow creatures, so I figured they fit together.

>>87442576
I thought more standard muluskuloid. So a snail with tentacle arms. If it has to be slothlike at least make them slimy nut hairy

>>87442657
>If it has to be slothlike at least make them slimy nut hairy
Oh sure. If that's not in the image, you can blame it on my crummy photoshop skills.

>>87441520
okay, there is more than I realized on the wiki, though like >>87441028 said, their lore is scattered across many separate pages, I would still say they have the most detail given they are central to many nation's history, de facto ruler of several existing nations, have a few unique plants and animals, and are the source of many furlaniyan traditions

the stuff that is missing is pretty minor

thread 9 - list of some south azan communities with descriptions
thread 15#1 - a take on the imperial family - though doesn't align with some other lore
thread 24 - only part of the scholar's revolution was uploaded
thread 25 - the histories of windwand and firebrand actually provide a lot of info on azan's history, they have their own pages, but it may be useful to make them more prominent on the azan history page somehow
thread 26 - small lore snippet on thazanon
thread 29 - atai - though the mention of slavery somewhat contradicts previous lore that slavery is illegal in azan
thread 29 - the four high councilors, though I am not a huge fan of this one (two simple and clean for a byzantine inspired nation, also the four elements trope has already been used for tarot)
thread 34 - brief description of two past emperors
thread 34 - the seven sacred swords - two of them already have pages, but may be worth giving its own header and including what is known about the other two swords so far

>>87444353
there is also a stanza from "the book of azan" on thread 28 that may be worthwhile putting on the azan faith page

>>87442657
>I thought more standard muluskuloid
seconded the sloth thing feels like a retcon

File: 1 - Pilgrim of the Harmon(...).jpg (55 KB, 736x858)

55 KB JPG

>Harmony Goddess’ Realm (additional notes)

>History:

(already done by someone else)

>Government:

Much of the population lives in or near one of the five main temple cities, each of which is essentially an independent theocracy. The smaller resting stations/shrines between the main ones are also theoretically independent, but rely on the nearest temple city for guidance.

>Economy:

Most inhabitants have given up capitalism, but still fill some sort of productive role as they walk further along the path of enlightenment. Most tend to fruit gardens and rice farms, while others maintain the temple cities, guide pilgrims, fill bureaucratic roles, etc.

Most commercial interactions with the outside world occur at the temple city of the Tempered Body, where foreigners often visit to consult with healers, for a cost. The funds go to temple, who sometimes use them to purchase foreign goods.

Some foreigners will also pay to take carts to the temple city of the Calmed Mind to consult with philosophers and artists and such.

>Foreign Relations:

The faith of the Harmony Goddess has gained a cult-like reputation, and are shunned in many nations, and outright persecuted in others. It doesn’t help that the Harmony Goddess is one of the few gods that still sometimes make major interventions even in modern times. Despite this, the Realm attracts people from across the world, and many minor sects continue to practice in their home nations.

Realm of the God of Action (Great Kingdom of Nes and Fitt) – The God of Action and the Goddess of Harmony have long been antagonistic to each other, though some believe the two gods are siblings or otherwise connected. It is said that the God of Action sometimes snatches followers of the Goddess of Harmony to violently test them in his hidden subrealm.

File: 2 - Minor Temple.jpg (444 KB, 840x1080)

444 KB JPG

>>87446588

Frostlands of Khelek – The followers of the Harmony Goddess are aware some ancient evil lurks here, and one of the reasons for establishing the Chill Temple was to keep an eye on it.
Tarot, Lunatik 9, Kowloon, Seven Castles, The Chill Steppe, Drouchont – These nations find the creation, expansion, and possibility of further expansion of the Harmony Goddess’ Realm alarming, but feel they can’t do anything about it. The Seven Castles and The Chill Steppe in particular have pilgrimage routes and temples built directly in their territory, which is a major sore point.

Dia’Ul – The followers of the Harmony Goddess have gotten skilled at driving off the monsters of Dia’Ul, to the point that one of their pilgrimage routes goes straight through Dia’Ul. Though admittedly only experienced and combat capable monks travel that route.

Elanxa – Also fears the Realm to an extent, but still occasionally launches raids against them.

Avangar, Poker, Vilga – The expansion of the Avangar Empire has caused waves of refugees to flee to the Realm, though only those that are serious about converting to the faith are allowed to stay for long.

Erlkonig – This faerie lord/demigod was once a moderate threat to Zemyland, but ever since he was driven into exile his powers have dwindled to nothing and he now lurks in a dense patch of jungle within the Realm, far from hostile monks or potential victims.

>Geography:

The Harmony Goddess’ Realm is mostly covered in near impenetrable, quick growing jungle. This was not always the case. The region once had a climate similar to neighboring nations, but following several attacks on the Temple of Contemplation and Peace, unnatural jungle formed a barrier around the temple and its outlying settlements and began slowly expanding outwards. This expansion stopped a few decades after the destruction of Old Elanxa, when the jungle reached the northern coast, though some fear it will one day begin growing again.

File: 3 - Jungle Road.jpg (91 KB, 1000x460)

91 KB JPG

>>87446598

Although the jungle may seem dense and humid, and full of dangerous predators, those who walk the pilgrim paths feel calm and relaxed, and are rarely troubled by predators or pests.

Most pilgrims will be challenged directly by their goddess at least once as they travel the road of the pilgrim. Often these challenges don’t actually occur on the road, as “the road of the pilgrim” is about the spiritual journey rather than the actual journey. These challenges are occasionally dangerous, but almost never fatal, and are usually meant to boast confidence or force the pilgrim to confront character flaws.

The five main temples are:

Tempered Body – The second major temple city complex to be completed, work began not long after the destruction of the metropolis of Old Elanxa (located on an island off the coast nearby). This temple city serves as a filter of sorts, using months of lengthy calisthenics sessions, absence of vices, and a limited diet to help winnow out those who lack commitment or have ulterior motives. Even once someone is initiated into the order, they will still likely stay in the city for years doing basic tasks, memorizing scriptures, and doing more calisthenics. However, not everyone who comes here wants to join the order. Some just want to spend a few weeks in a calm and vice-free environment to deal with trauma or stake off addictions. Others come for healing, trade, or to pay for a trip to Calmed Mind to discuss scholarly issues there.

File: 4 - The Pure Soul Temple.jpg (290 KB, 1366x768)

290 KB JPG

>>87446616

Calmed Mind – The third temple completed, not long after Tempered Body. It, along with Tempered Body, formed a pipeline of sorts, ensuring only the most promising individuals made it to the Grand Temple. Here, pilgrims are trained in a wide range of scholarly, philosophical, psychological, and artistic fields. The first steps are to come to terms with ones own needs and desires, and then understand others needs and desires. Following this, pilgrims switch over to natural sciences, mathematics, theology, alchemy, astromancy, planar physics, and other fields needed to understand the world around them.

Pure Soul – The fourth temple completed, it is actually build around an older complex razed during the time of the Magoclergy. It was likely rebuilt to provide pilgrims with an additional step between Calmed Mind and the Grand Temple after it was found that after years (sometimes decades) spent focused on scholarly matters at Calmed Mind, some pilgrims had begun placing too much importance on acquiring knowledge rather than selflessness and harmony. At Pure Soul, pilgrims go back to basics; spending much time doing calisthenics, often in isolation for months, before undertaking missions for those in need, some of which occur abroad and/or involve danger. Many pilgrims also do combat training here, and fighting off the occasional raid by the Elanxans gives them another opportunity to prove their selflessness.

Grand Temple of Contemplation and Peace – see existing lore

File: 5 - The Chill Temple.jpg (69 KB, 760x600)

69 KB JPG

>>87446616

Chill Temple – The last major temple created, a long time after the others. Its location was partially chosen to watch over the threats posed by Kokaine and Khelek, though it serves as a command post of sorts for operations all around the world. Only the most capable pilgrims come here, those with significant physical and martial ability, intellect and knowledge, complete selflessness and a desire for harmony. Some also have some divine spellcasting abilities. It is located in a particularly desolate part of the Cold Steppes and is home to a small staff of researchers and spymasters. It is only visited by field agents, provision suppliers, and certain pilgrims the Goddess feels would benefit from travelling there for various reasons.

Aside from the main temples, there are a number of smaller temples that serve as tomb complexes, centers of outlying farm villages, or roadside way posts.

>Demographics:

Humans – Most of the population is human. The original inhabitants of the area were cousins of the people of Tarot and Drouchont, along with some Northmen along the coast. Over time, other folk from around the Khenomeric Empire began arriving, and then, from around the world. Some of the humans bear a resemblance to the Thuleans, though it is unclear if there are any ties between the two peoples. The Thulean-ish humans began appearing around the time the jungles appeared, and there are no known records where they migrated from.

Miscellaneous – Followers of the Harmony Goddess appear in the strangest places, so many other races can be found here.

File: 6 - Pilgrim Performing Ba(...).png (267 KB, 420x585)

267 KB PNG

>>87446658

>Religion:

The Goddess of Harmony was once a part of several ancient northeast pantheons, but now most of her followers focus on her alone, and are now mostly concentrated in the Realm, plus some in the Seven Castles, though small pockets of her followers can be found just about anywhere.

Some believe she has taken alternate forms in a few other cultures, including the main god of the bombus, and Winter Night, a faerie lord honored by some Northman and Westerling cultures.

Although officially a pacifist religion, it has a dangerous, cult-like reputation in many parts due to the tendency of pilgrims and other followers to allow it to dominate every aspect of their lives. The fact that the Harmony Goddess has a reputation as being one of the more active of the gods also doesn’t help their reputation much.

>Military:

Despite what some believe, many of the pilgrims are willing and capable of fighting. However, martial training doesn’t really start until a pilgrim reaches Pure Soul, which many never do.

The elite of the pilgrims are based out of the Chill Temple and keep an eye on a number of regional threats to the natural harmony of the world including Dia’Ul, Kokaine, and Khelek. Aside from their martial and intellectual abilities, many have divine magic that allows them to banish creatures of unnatural nature like undead or demons.

To a certain extent, the land is capable of defending itself. Jungle creatures like big cats will leave pilgrims alone, but seem to instinctively attack those who would harm pilgrims. Likewise, stinging and biting insects seem to naturally gravitate towards thieves and other minor troublemakers.

doing frostlands of khelek next

>>87444755
>>87442553
>>87442436
Fair enough, I'll scrap the sloth thing.

>>87446588
>The faith of the Harmony Goddess has gained a cult-like reputation, and are shunned in many nations, and outright persecuted in others. It doesn’t help that the Harmony Goddess is one of the few gods that still sometimes make major interventions even in modern times. Despite this, the Realm attracts people from across the world, and many minor sects continue to practice in their home nations.

I don't agree with this part. The faith of the Goddess of Harmony seems to be quite widespread, and there aren't that many places that outright confront it outside of the followers of the God of Action.

>>87446588
>capitalism
didn't knew we had post industrial revolution societies in this setting

>>87448452
We could use something like "money based economy" instead.

>>87448547
mercantilism

>>87448724
Fine by me.

File: snoloth incomplete v.2.jpg (234 KB, 1298x1077)

234 KB JPG

Ok, so I went back to the drawing board with the Snoloth. Since my sloth-snail hybrid was not that well liked, I went with the more basic snail person. I added a couple of jellatinous limbs so as to allow them to grab stuff (tentacles is a bit too much in my opinion, they are too slow to coordinate something as complex as tentacles).
Also, very simple eyes which can be retracted.

Anything else that could be added to them? I feel they are too simplistic as it is.

>>87444353
>thread 24 - only part of the scholar's revolution was uploaded
What's actually lacking in the wiki page? The scholar's revolution is all between thread 24-25, and I don't see anything that's not in the wiki already. What bit am I missing?

>>87444353
>thread 9 - list of some south azan communities with descriptions
Aren't those in Furlaniya? It says Azan, but the map shows otherwise, I'm not sure how to take that.

>thread 26 - small lore snippet on thazanon
So should I make a page to add stuff of the goddragons? Which, btw, is it goddragon or gragongod?

File: Screenshot_20230121_14564(...).jpg (829 KB, 1080x2160)

829 KB JPG

>>87448857
>Aren't those in Furlaniya? It says Azan, but the map shows otherwise, I'm not sure how to take that.
? NTA but if you're talking about pic related, those are all on the Azanese side of the border. Look at the final Furlaniya map which has the full annotations, large parts of it show bordering regions of Azan, Azhar Nar, Changrila and Fort Pharoth. Only the territories affiliated with the 5 big city states technically count as Furlaniya.

Also I'm currently making a list of Azanese emperors and can someone walk me through what race each dynasty was? It's all fairly scattered and confusing. For example the 1st dynasty I assume are draco-tieflings but all of the 2nd dynasty lore weirdly emphasises that they were the draco-tieflings as if its supposed to be like a contrast to the first.

>>87448770
I'd add some hands to grab stuff but otherwise great job drawfren!

>>87449084
I didn't draw it, I just took a cartoon snail, changed the head and added the arms. It's the best I can do, since I can't draw worth a shit, and my photoshop skills are limited. Thanks anyway.

Also, I was thinking that they are some of the most primitive beings in the setting, so much so that they don't even have hands. Their extremities are just blobs of slime and muscle that can grab and manipulate stuff more through their sticky properties (and maybe suction cups?) than actual dexterity.

>>87449055
Oh yeah, you're right. My bad, adding them right now.

>>87449124
>>87449055
Also, the Scholar's Revolution already was in the wiki... in its own page. The bit in the Azan page was incomplete, so I just added the pieces remaining there.

If the Scholar's revolution bit is in the azan page now, I think we should delete the page of the scholar's revolution, so as to not have two identical pages.

>>87448770
I like it. It portrays their nature as the ultimate centrists well

>>87449070
Maybe the first dynasty was straight up just Dragongods it lesser dragons?

Alright I started building this page:
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Azanese_Rulers
Any reccomendations for categories or errors spotted so far? I'll see if I can finish all of the emperors today. Also we're going to need a lot of portraits.

>>87449605
Nice. Remember to post everything that's new in the thread first.

>>87449711
I'm doing a lot of janky fitting together to make the list more coherent, I'll just list any significant changes when I'm done. DW I'm respecting all of the established lore we have (that I'm aware of) but I am adding some fluff to it like adding in some random reign dates to make the list feel more alive and trying to apply a broad Hellenistic system for the actual naming of the dynasties.

>>87449780
Nice. But if you're adding the dates, please post them here, so that everyone else in the thread can discuss them, just in case someone notices something worth mentioning.

Posting the lore of the Snoloth Country. Let's see how it goes.

>The Empty Moors
Near the center of the continent of Giantstep, the land can reach incredible levels of aridity. Since all of the winds that bring rain with them have discharged their waters long before reaching the center of the continent, barely any water falls in the area, giving birth to places such as the Ogabo Desert and the Kinga Badlands. The presence of the Suritas Range also means that all the rains that could fall from the closest sea, the Inner Sea of the Frog, are blocked by the mountains, and during the summer periods, the water usually follows the path southwards, leaving the center with barely any refreshment from rivers.

>>87450169
And yet, there is a small stretch of land between the Murky Lakes and the Ogabo Desert covered in patches of yellowish green. A very thin vegetation covers the land that, by all metrics, should be a deserted wasteland. This is because of its underground system. Due to geological activity, a lot of subterranean waters end up in the aquifers under the area, which has led to some spots where water pressure has caused some to trickle to the surface. However, this is by no means drinkable water. The underground of the area also holds many pockets of sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, hydrogen, natural gas and many of its derivate compounds. So when the water comes out, it usually comes mixed with these chemicals, alongside with quite a lot of gasses. And since there is little to no rain, the chemicals just pool in the surface in great natural ponds. Walking around the place is a dangerous proposition, since the ground is very thin at very unsuspecting places, where a careless traveler might step on a seemingly safe spot and have the land crumble under him, drowning him in deadly muck. And if the lack of clean water is not enough, the area is hard to breathe, with many of the gasses being heavier than air and accumulating near the pools of chemicals. Sometimes a change of wind can bring with it an inodorous gas that could paralyze or even kill a man without him noticing until it is too late.

>>87450181
This has turned the area into a rather deadly place, where the few plants, fungi and other living organisms had to adapt to ridiculous levels of chemical exposure. Some of the bushes and grasses in the area have developed massive root systems to try to find unpolluted waters, and all of the plants and fungi have developed an innate resistance to pretty much all chemicals and toxins. All plants growing there are poisonous, without exception, not because they have evolved to be so, but simply due to the sheer amount of chemicals accumulated within them.

>>87450199
There is barely any animal life in there. Outside of some insects, mollusks and simpler organism, the area is not suited to sustain a complex ecosystem. Sulphur worms grow near some of the toxic vents, somehow synthesizing nourishment from whatever bit of organic waste that falls near them. Microscopic algae and plankton cover all water in the surface, being the only organism that absolutely thrives in the more polluted places, and in fact they have adapted to the deadly region so much that they cannot reproduce without high amounts of chemicals in the water. Over time, they began colonizing areas outside of the water, covering all stones and patches of land that could be covered, competing with the hardened bushes and grasses in a surprisingly complex evolutionary battle. The animal part of the ecosystem is pretty much all based around many different kinds of mollusks. Hundreds of water slugs and snails have evolved to feed on the algae and plankton, and many snails and slugs evolved to hunt the herbivores in turn. The ecosystem of the region is poorly understood by outsiders, since the difficulties of just staying there make learning the ways of the region an extraordinary hazard.

Looking forward towards somebody expanding on the Glass Mountain lore.

And now the Snoloths' biology.

>The Snoloths
In this region, only a single sentient species has been able to not only survive, but also thrive. The Snoloths are sentient mollusks, with a body mostly resembling of a snail, but with a complexion and biology unlike any of the other sentient people in the world. Their body can reach the 4 meters of length, and mostly consists of a singular limbless mass of muscular meat, the majority of which is protected inside a shell, which can take different shapes and sizes depending on many factors. Under this mass of meat, they have a massive muscular structure that is used by the snoloth to crawl around, being its only real means of locomotion. In their front half, a torso of sorts is able to go straight to reach a height of near 1.8 meters, mostly due to the elasticity of their gelatinous body. From that torso, the snoloth can sprout a couple of “pseudo-limbs”, which number may vary depending on the size and age of the snoloth. These are not very complicated appendages, lacking the complex hands with digits other species have, but its blubbery meat can turn into different shapes according to the individual’s need. They can also grow what can be described as “suction cups”, allowing them to grab items with relatively skill and precision.

>>87451563
At the top of their torso, the snoloths have a massive head, the same width as their torso. This head is devoid of most features, with the exception of a pair of eyes, a mouth and two olfactory tentacles. Their eyes are quite simple, so much so that the snoloths are quite blind, though their eyes are located at the end of extensible tentacles, which can be expanded and moved around to make up to the poor optics of their eyes, to get closer to whatever they want to examine. They can move their eyes independently from one another, with a field of vision of 360º. Their mouth is very simple, only having enough muscle to allow them to bite whatever they are eating. To mulch it appropriately, inside of their mouths they have thousands of microscopic teeth, designed to grind down whatever they are eating. This allows them to eat pretty much every soft matter, from plants to meat, but things such as carapace or bone are too much for them, having no real way to grind them down. This process is also very slow, so snoloths will dedicate many hours of the day simply eating. This process is so slow that snoloths have developed the ability of eating while sleeping. They also can never choke on their food, since their muscular body will adapt to whatever they are eating, so far as its dimensions aren’t many times bigger than the snoloth’s. Under their mouths, they have two olfactory tentacles, which are able to detect very minute differences in the composition of the air, essential in an environment full of toxic gasses. The snoloths can retract these features, alongside their entire torso, at blinding speeds if they feel threatened. However, doing so is very taxing, so they will only use their fastest speeds in cases of life or death, hiding within their protective shell.

>>87451574
The snoloths boast of a massive shell, which takes more of a third of their total body weight. Within this shell, they can fully hide themselves, something essential for them since their homeland has no real building material, and as such, their shell is the only place they can use to protect themselves from the elements. Their shell has been hardened by the elements, and while it is not as hard as hardened, is incredibly resistant to chemicals and any corrosive element. The snoloths can retract their entire body within their shell, covering the exit with a very dense mucus that allows the snoloth inside to keep its internal temperature and humidity level. The diameter of the shell can reach up to 2m, and while its shape is mostly a flattened spherical spiral, there is a wide range of forms present in the species. If the shell is ever cracked, the snoloth will begin to emanate a slime from the wound, which will solidify near instantly in contact with air, and once hardened it has the durability of cement, protecting the snoloth’s inner organs.

>>87451596
Their body is a remarkable resilient structure. While its inner biology is quite simple, its organs are remarkably small, and that allows the snoloth to have multiple, redundant organs. This is theorized to be due to the need for backups in case of chemical poisoning, with organs such as lungs, intestines, stomach and even heart being able to shut down in case of damage, to then activate the backup organs and live as if nothing but a mild headache or stomachache had happened. The snoloths are known to have two hearts, three pairs of lungs, at least three stomachs (some have more) and four kidneys and four livers working overdrive to clean the body from noxious substances. Most of these organs are always safe within the shell, with the only major organs not present there being the brain and the gonads. Most of their outside body is made of the muscular structure used to crawl around, and the snoloths have developed the ability to contract and move around their circulatory systems and organs to different parts of their body. A snoloth can be seen with a spear going right through his head, and it wouldn’t inconvenience him at all due to him having moved his brain to his torso before the impact.

>>87451609
Their body is also covered in an incredibly dense cover of slime and mucus, which has the ability to preserve the water within their bodies and even absorb moisture from the air, something vital since water is a commodity in the region. This slime is highly toxic, since they excrete most of the poisons and chemicals they absorb through their skin, mixing with the slime and making anything that enters in contact with a snoloth die a painful death, as the toxin concentration can reach extraordinary levels. And as if all that wasn’t enough, snoloths have incredible regenerative abilities, being able to just regrow chunks of their body, and even entire organs, if given enough time. The only thing that they can’t regrow easily is their shell (which takes a very long time to heal once damaged) and their brain, which is irreplaceable.

>>87451626
The snoloths are hermaphrodites, they have male and female sexual organs. However, they cannot reproduce by themselves, they need to mate with other snoloth to be able to reproduce. When two snoloths want to mate, they will move their reproductive organs to their front extremities. Once moved, they will then grab each other’s appendices until both of them end up fertilized, in an embrace of sorts. Witchelven explorers and raiders who have seen this process live have deemed it as “disgusting”, “sinful” and other pejoratives of that sort. A year after the act, the snoloth will give birth to live snoloths. It is now known that snoloths do lay eggs, but due to the extreme pollution in the environment and the relative fragility of the embryos, the snoloths willingly keep their eggs inside of their body so as to protect their spawn until they are big enough to survive outside. Snoloths have between 2-3 children when they give birth. During early childhood, their shell is very frail, so the parents will make sure they do not get into trouble that could hurt their organs. Snoloths usually only reproduce during the few days of the year when rain falls from the sky, generating enough moisture for child rearing.

>>87451650
Snoloths have a very slow metabolism, having a much slower heartbeat than any other sentient species, and also having much slower reactions than any other race (with the exception of emergency retraction in the case of danger). Their habitat is scant of resources, and they need to save as much energy and water as possible. This has allowed them very long lifespans, easily reaching the 200 years of age, with some elder snoloths able to reach twice that number. However, a snoloth will quickly die if it’s withhold from water, they need to keep their moisture levels high at all times. And while their biology is design to preserve body liquids, and even absorb moisture from the air, their metabolism crashes quickly when they don’t have enough water. This makes snoloth behavior to be as leisurely as possible, to avoid exerting themselves and losing body moisture. Their locomotion is also designed to save water. Instead of moving through by generating a coat of mucus and sliding on it, like regular snails, the snoloths’ body is designed to move through sheer muscle power, with the massive muscular structure under their bodies capable of moving them around. The only time they generate slime to move is when the environment is too irregular or the inclination is too high. In this cases, they will excrete a very viscous and sticky substance to glue themselves to the surface, or to protect their undersides from harm. This allows them to crawl 90º inclines with ease, though they are not built for stealthy movement, since not only this takes a comprehensively long amount of time, but the amount of slime is left visible for all to see.

File: Cherrystag.png (688 KB, 375x797)

688 KB PNG

From the private notes of Baron Clochard of Florinth:
>One day I was hunting in the part of the Forest of Getting Lost that is located southwest of Florinth.
>I already had all my lead shot.
>Suddenly a large and powerful deer came out of the Forest.
>I quickly loaded my handgonne (a fantastic machine that I once obtained from the Bladegrass Dwarfs) with black powder and aHandful of cherry stones I found in my pocket.
>I shot with these the stag in the middle of the forehead between the antlers.
>The shot stunned the deer, he was already staggering – but then he ran slowly away.
>A year or two later I was hunting in that same part of the forest again.
>I beheld before me again a large and powerful deer with a big cherry tree between the antlers.
>I immediately remembered my previous hunt.
>I aimed the gonne and killed the deer with it one shot.
>So I got roast and cherry sauce at the same time, because the Tree was full of fruit.
>The cherries were big and sweet.
>I had never eaten better cherries in my life.
>It is said that the same magnificent stag had previously mated with innumerable hinds, which gave birth to fawns which were just like him in his constitution and had small cherry sprouts between their antlers aswell
>This new species of deer can still be found and hunted in said area to this day

Fucking snoloths, how do they work?

>>87450260
The ancient giants put chicals in the water which turned the fricking snails gay

>>87451667
Snoloths are surprisingly competent. No wonder that the Snoloth Hyperempire was the only power to once rival the Goddragons

>>87449070
Probably they are all draco-tieflings to at least a certain extent aside from the 4th dynasty

the windwand and firebrand pages have a lot of key info on the dynasties not on the azan empire page

>>87449605
cemak seems to be the house in charge by late third dynasty, but that may just be a typo on the windwand page

>>87449780
keep in mind some rulers could potentially have very long lives due to dragon heritage and/or magical ability

File: 1579106352909.jpg (510 KB, 1919x1367)

510 KB JPG

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Azanese_Rulers
Okay, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, (4th) and 7th are finished. Someone else take the wheel on the other ones. I'll do tldrs of the lore I tweaked shortly.

While doing this I remembered why I didn't do this list sooner. Unlike most places in the setting that had one anon come up with everything, Azan was written organically, which means that there's loads of irreconcilable timeline errors specifically between the 4th and 6th dynasties. + I honestly don't really understand what anything around the scholars revolt means so I invite someone more familiar to take over.

>>87452394
>cemak seems to be the house in charge by late third dynasty, but that may just be a typo on the windwand page
Yeah that's definitely a typo, the Cemakids were the 2nd dynasty and they inbred themselves to death and got replaced with the Arianids.
>keep in mind some rulers could potentially have very long lives due to dragon heritage and/or magical ability
Yeah I actually stopped asigning dates because of this. Feel free to reformat the ones i left.

For any anons that don't specialise in Azan lore but still want to contribute: try to find cool portraits for all of the emperors that could fit their descriptions - currently only 2 emperors have them.

>>87452849
Is the 8th dynasty the current one? Do we know the current ruler? Azan lore is something I never looked into too deeply

>>87452880
8th is the Battle of Empires dynasty. Despite only having afaik 1 or 2 emperors mentioned basically everything that defines Azan happened during this dynasty. They deleted the Drow, fought the Battle of Empire, then fought the emerging Witch Elves, reformed the state religion into the New Azan Faith, had Changrila secede...

8th, 9th and 10th dynasties have very little lore despite being the more recent ones, which is pretty funny

Do we know anything about the God-Emperors of Changri-la?

Alright here are all the lore changes I made for the list, listed

1ST DYNASTY
>named the dynasty Azanid after the founder Aza. Azanid -> sons of Aza
>invented emperor Henne to showcase Siti's union of titles. This later proved redundant when I found out about the existence of Jakar but whatever. Feel free to fill in some lore
>Wing and Claw factions renamed to "courts" to give more a Japanese and Chinese Northern/Southern Courts vibe which I feel fits better
>I connected the "Death Dances" civil war, the battle of Blossoms and the rise of Cemak together into a narrative. The civil war between Aza's descendants ends in a massive massacre where the important pretenders die ala Bosworth Fields and a relatively minor noble becomes emperor.

2ND DYNASTY
>sons of Cemak -> Cemakids
>connect the weakness of Azan during the Death Dances civil war with the rise of the first elf empire
>insist on late Cemakids being inbred and literally degenerated in the original sense of the word

>>87453004
There's a few tidbits here and there, notably in relation to the lotuses and drow.

This sure is impressive, so when are people going to start working on the system for this game that will be played by people who play games?

Gonna write about Moreaux next

File: azanese emperor v.1.png (340 KB, 334x447)

340 KB PNG

>>87453150
Nice. But please, if you're going to add stuff, please post it first in the threads, so there is a chance to discuss it before it's in the wiki.

Also, now that we're at it, here's an efige of an azanese emperor. Faces in coins seem like the best way to remember the oldest emperors, since the artworks might have been lost or damaged.

File: azanese emperor v.2.png (383 KB, 333x511)

383 KB PNG

>>87453324
And another one.

File: azanese emperor v.3.png (307 KB, 313x424)

307 KB PNG

>>87453350
And another one. The portraits done in Dream are awful, but they do coin faces surprisingly well for some reason. Better than Craiyon.

>>87453150
3RD DYNASTY
>sons of Adrian -> Adrianids
>in the lore the revolution that topples the 4th dynasty is supposed to be a pretty violent one, yet the house of Nur-Valencia somehow survives and remains a semi-powerful noble house in the lore. I explain this with Thea, the first empress of the 4th dynasty, "saving" the Adrianids by sending them into a cozy internal exile until the crowd's bloodlust passes in exchange for abducting all imperial titles in perpetuity and renouncing their imperial name.

4TH DYNASTY
>only one known emperor, Thea, who is sort of implied to have been killed by her own cousin, starting the 5th dynasty
>this is extremely silly since the 2nd and 3rd dynasties are full of brothers and cousins fucking each other over yet the overall dynasty remains the same. Having a dynasty for only one ruler feels very strange.
>picked a random dynastical name for Thea because she didn't have one, ended up settling for Leonid (sons of Leo/n), feel free to alter this

5TH & 6TH DYNASTIES
>big clusterfuck, didn't really try to try or organise much here, just listed a few facts we know

7TH DYNASTY
>renamed from Bellicarians to Bellicarids to fit with the naming scheme. Their ancestor was called Li which I assumed is Changrilese so his name translating to something like Belli into standard Azanese is something I could see
>invented Contra-Imperator Bao Xe and Lord Phillipos as some example warlords that the 7th dynasty could be descended from
>gave Li the Hardy the title of Warrior of Antara, inferring from his description as "the mythical ancestor of Antaran warriors
>assembled the emperors into a way that makes some cause-and-effect sense but there isn't really anything in the lore indicating in what order they reigned
>typified Hwenezzar II as an Aynur Doctrine follower because in the lore he liked visiting a festival associated with it although it's not explicit if he did this for religious reasons or if he just liked the weather or whatever
That's it

>>87453359
>>87453350
Very cool coins, I suggest you just straight up upload them to whatever dead emperor you like best
>>87453324
>Nice. But please, if you're going to add stuff, please post it first in the threads, so there is a chance to discuss it before it's in the wiki.
I get that and I agree, but I wouldn't really call this writing lore, this is more like trying to tie together known facts into a coherent narrative, as you can see it's pretty dry and boring.

We still have the natural horrors and wonders list to flesh out.

File: azanese emperor v.4.png (312 KB, 325x511)

312 KB PNG

Thea I. "The Saviour"

>>87453324
Azannos XI. Bronze coin.

>>87453350
Azmuth II. Gold coin.

>>87453359
Amir I. Gold coin.

would necromancy be outlawed in Azan?

>>87453442
>I get that and I agree, but I wouldn't really call this writing lore, this is more like trying to tie together known facts into a coherent narrative, as you can see it's pretty dry and boring.

Agreed, Anon basically just compiled all the info and tweaked it to make sense, and they informed us after

I see Firebrand and Windwand on the wiki as the only named "seven sacred swords" are there any others or is this correct, I think it would be interesting to scatter the rest around the world and noble courts, maybe break a few

>>87454020
There's Luminor but it was never described in detail

>>87453204
Idk, when are you? You're not one of those loosers who want something done and demands others do it for them rather than doing it yourself, right?

>>87453324
Doesn't look very dragon-tiefling

>>87454673
How are those supposed to look like? Legit question, we have physical descriptions of very few races, and even less so of hybrids.

>>87453384
This makes perfect sense. Egyptian dynasties lasted anywhere from centuries to 1 guy who was overthrown within a decade.

Lineages also are likely patrilineal.

So if Kyle starts the Kylykid dynasty, all his descendants would be of that dynasty and cousins fucking each other over would not switch dynasty as long as they descended from Kyle.

If Thea was the dynasty founder and was overthrown by her cousin or even brother it'd be a separate dynasty.

>>87453384
Missed a part. If she was the start of a dynasty which went nowhere just making it the Theanid dynasty would make most sense.

>>87454695
I imagine like dragonborn, but not furry rather human with minor draconic traits... Which I guess are Tiefling -like.

So I presume horns. Lizard eyes. Oddly coloured skin with maybe patches of scale. Tueflings also can have wings and tails as the level they varry from base human can be very modular. The lowest-blood nobility for example could have just slightly red tinted skin while high royal bloodlines have more lizard shaped heads clawed fingers tails+wings etc.

As said hard to tell. But that's what you get if you replace demonic traits on a Tiefling with draconic ones.

>Half-Drow, Half-Hobbit with Dracotiefling and human admixture
Dios mio,,,,,, la creatura azanese,,,,

>>87454827
Those are probably sent straight to the land of fake humans...

>>87452950
>8th is the Battle of Empires dynasty
5th is the BoE dynasty, but a lot of the other stuff happens during 8th

>>87453384
>only one known emperor, Thea, who is sort of implied to have been killed by her own cousin, starting the 5th dynasty
>this is extremely silly since the 2nd and 3rd dynasties are full of brothers and cousins fucking each other over yet the overall dynasty remains the same. Having a dynasty for only one ruler feels very strange.
Sophia was probably from another power block of noble clans, and likely only related through marriage. Thea wasn't the only Emperor of 4th, just the last

>Their ancestor was called Li which I assumed is Changrilese so his name translating to something like Belli into standard Azanese is something I could see
In the image that was posted with them, they are Greek-looking

>>87454020
>>87454198
there is also Moon's Edge
https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/86355397/#q86469211

>>87454673
>>87454695
>>87454784
Images for emperors and other draco-tieflings usually show them as looking like normal humans, or having minor draconic traits (images of dnd pureblood yuan-ti or tieflings used).

>>87453932
I imagine necromancy would be something outlawed in pretty much all the civilised world.

File: 1 - Shrine to Ulek-Mol.jpg (281 KB, 1332x850)

281 KB JPG

Frostlands of Khelek

>History:

The Kingdom of Khelek is believed to be one of the oldest nations, with some of its earliest ruins believed to be over 10,000 years old. Like other nations in those now forgotten times, it developed slowly, and was largely isolated from the other bronze age civilizations scattered across the world. No one remembers anymore why their civilization collapsed, but according to legend, it may have involved an attempt to either summon or create an entity known as Ulek-Mol.

The legends state that the eighth king of Khelek discovered Ulek-Mol in what likely is now the Dren’Ul Peaks. This king was granted lichdom in return for constructing a number of ritual sites that weakened the fabric of reality and allowed some of Ulek-Mol’s unnatural cold to seep into the region. Several generations later, the priesthood of Ulek-Mol, perhaps led by this same lich, performed a ritual that plunged the area into unnatural cold, and wiped out the Khelek civilization.

However, the tales of Khelek are mostly considered to be legend, though some identifiable ruins remain from that time.

The time period during which this area was inhabited by the Merfolk Empire is better understood. It is believed that the divine will of Uun suppressed the unnatural cold of the Frostlands, allowing the Solara kingdom to settle the surrounding region, though even they avoided certain parts of what was once Khelek.

Solara lasted for several millennia before Uun turned his back on his worshippers and cursed them all in unique ways. The kingdom of Solara was cursed with unnatural cold, and the spirits of the dead were trapped forever in agonizing chill.

It is unknown whether Uun’s curse on Solara was in some way linked to or inspired by the much older ritual that brought down the Kingdom of Khelek. However, it is believed that with Uun’s departure, Ulek-Mol began to roam the region once more, looking for souls to absorb...

File: 2 - A Ghost.jpg (69 KB, 850x567)

69 KB JPG

>>87458508

>Government:

The Frostlands don’t have any real government to speak of, it is cursed land, home only to ghosts and demons, and travelled only by the desperate, ignorant, or greatly skilled.

It is said some of the creatures of this realm serve Ulek-Mol and actively hunt down living beings in order to attempt to bind more souls to his will. Most ghosts (those created by Uun) simply torment the living out of spite though.

>Economy:

None.

Solara once traded with neighboring nations, and perhaps Khelek did as well, but these days nothing lives in the Frostlands.

>Foreign Relations:

The Frostlands are avoided by any with a shred of common sense. The Brown Wizards, Seagard, and assorted scavengers living in the ruins of the Merfolk Empire avoid travelling there at all. The nomads of the Chill Steppe and the pilgrims of the Chill Temple will sometimes send their most capable war parties to scout out the region. Most of the victims of the Frostlands are from Anchovia though, who are desperate enough to sometimes scavenge, hunt, or hide along the edges of this cursed region.

>Geography:

The Frostlands are unnaturally cold, even colder than the Chill Steppe and the Frozen Lake, likely as a result of Uun’s curse combining with Ulek-Mol’s demonic taint.

Most of the land is rocky barren hills covered in snow and ice, though around the edges there are some hardy forests and moorlands.

>Demographics:

Most of the inhabitants are ghosts of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Solara, cursed by Uun to wander the region in a never ending search for warmth.

Some of the ghosts and a few stranger creatures date back to the Kingdom of Khelek. Some of them are bound to the will of Ulek-Mol and seek to gather souls to fuel his power. Luckily they can’t seem to use ghosts for this purpose, and must instead hope they stumble upon living trespassers before Uun’s ghosts drive them off.

File: 3 - A Frost Demon.jpg (493 KB, 1920x2132)

493 KB JPG

>>87458513

>Religion:

The closest thing to a religion in the modern Frostlands is the ice spirit known as Ulek-Mol and the creatures bound to his will. To the few scholars who are aware of his existence, he is generally categorized as a demon, though not much is known about him.

>Military:

The ghosts created by Uun are disorganized, spiteful things driven only by a need to torment the living to distract themselves from their own miseries. They are essentially indestructible, but can be driven away by certain types of magic. And although they rarely intend to kill, their unnaturally cold and soul-fraying presence can make spending too much time near them lethal.

The ghosts and demons bound to Ulek-Mol operate with greater purpose. They seek to corner and immobilize their victims for long enough to harvest their souls for Ulek-Mol. The demons are diverse and strange creatures, but the ghosts often strongly resemble those created by Uun, to the point that only those with strong arcane ability can sense the subtle touch of demon that marks the ghosts of Ulek-Mol.

I will help with the Azan Emperor list next

>>87454827
El dragolino en el trono...

Here's the snoloth lore. This was fun to write.

>Society and Culture
Snoloth culture is very primitive. Snoloths move around their lands as hunter-gatherers, eating anything edible they can find. This is harder than it looks, since many of the plants and animals in there have such a concentration of toxic chemicals within them that the effort of processing it could be more energy consuming than whatever nutritional value they could gain. They also move around in search of unpolluted waters, since they absolutely need moisture to survive. Their bodies can filter most chemicals, but they would still rather avoid the strain to their bodies that causes. Snoloths travel alone, since food is not as plentiful to sustain big groups. As such, the snoloths will only form groups right after the scant rainy days every year (or every couple of years if they are unlucky), allowing the plantlife to burst into explosive life. When snoloths find groups, they will see if they can find a partner to mate with. The mating process is always preceded by mutual courtship, in which both partners test each other to see if they would appropriate progenitors. They will judge each other by how well fed they are, the shape of their shell and the amount of trophies glued to it. Many snoloths hunt snails to survive, and they will stick their conches to their shell as a show of success. Once a familiar unit has been formed, it will only last until the children are capable of surviving on their own, which is relatively soon. Snoloths consider outsider concepts such as marriages as absurd, having no real place within snoloth society.

>>87459954
Snoloth have developed a very crude weaponry. Since there are no trees in the Snoloth Country, wood tools do not exist, and the lack of vertebrates also cause the absence of bone tools. Instead, snoloths make tools out of stone, which is hardened and stuck together through their own slime and gunk. They are mostly used to dig around in search of water, and their weapons are nothing but hardened clubs. These are not to be underestimated, however, since behind those clubs lies a massively muscular body, with enough force to crack bones with ease. Still, it’s rare to see snoloths using weapons, since their proficiency with those is very limited, and they are useless against other snoloths anyway. Snoloth fights have been described as some of the most brutal spectacles in the world. Since each snoloth has little chance of breaking their opponent, they will move their stomachs to the front of their body and just spew acid to each other, biting each other to try to eat each one another. Cannibalism is common, but these fights are rarely fatal, more due to the snoloth’s miraculous biology rather than to a lack of ferocity from the combatants.

>>87459964
Snoloths are divided into many different groups depending of the shape of their conch, though their lack of an actual society makes most of this distinctions pointless and only relevant in the eyes of a snoloth. The snoloths are very superstitious about their shells, and take great care of them, cleaning as much as possible and painting ritual symbols and icons on them. Those who survive a cracked shell are looked upon with a mix of distrust and admiration, since it means they are dangerous enough to endure one of the few things that could kill a snoloth: a cracked shell.

>>87459972
The snoloths follow a very animistic religion, praying to the spirits of the toxic fumes so they can allow greenery to grow unpolluted. They will make offers of snail conches in seemingly random areas as a sign of respect and worship, which has led to veritable mountains of snail shells, still growing after many centuries. In particular, the spirit of the spiral is the most common worshiped spirit, and it could be considered their main deity. The spirit of the spiral makes the world go around, moving time forward while at the same time keeping the seasons moving along one after another in predictable patterns.

>>87459977
>The Snoloth Raids
The land of the Snoloths is a barren and toxic wasteland, barely able to sustain a stable population of them. As such, snoloths are constantly trying to expand their borders. During the drier periods, the snoloths have gathered from times immemorial and moved towards the southern and eastern borders of their moors. Tens of thousands of snoloths move each year to the lands of the Urgun Plateau, the Murky Lakes and other regions in search of greener pastures. It is not well known what causes the individualistic snoloths to suddenly group up in the thousands, but it is believed to be a natural response to a lack of food within the moots. Naturally, a population movement like that puts a string on the local economy. The snoloths raid grasslands and crops in great numbers, becoming a thread to the local agriculture as they can pretty much eat everything they can swallow. At first glance, this would seem impossible, as the snoloths’ speed and size would not only make them awfully easy to spot, but the local population would also have more than enough time to prepare countermeasures for the incoming invaders.

>>87459982
The reality is more complicated than that, as snoloths are notoriously hard to combat without the proper tools. A pitchfork, spear or any edge weapon is pointless against a snoloth, who can simply move their organs out of the way and continue eating. Trying to break the shells is also pointless, while not invulnerable by any means, it can definitively outlast a farmer’s tools, and even a local smith will have problems with his tools agains the snoloth shell. Fire could be effective, but their slime is able to withstand high temperatures as well, and even if it does not, getting fire near the concoction of chemicals a snoloth from the moors carries could end up in an explosive end. They could build walls lined with salt, but it is not particularly easy for farmers to wall their entire crops, and it could be even more expensive than the loss of the crops. Thus, the snoloths can pretty much crawl slowly to the fields, eat everything that they can unopposed, and leave the local authorities decide to send appropriate aid to the farmers (which, taking into account these would be border farmers, might not be a priority big enough for them to even bother).

>>87459991
This has turned snoloths into surprisingly effective raiders. It is said that, before the Azan Empire was formed, they could reach all the way into the Oront Mountains and the Widows’ Lakes before going back to their home. Once Azan became an established power, however, their reach shrunk considerably. A fight between a proper army and a snoloth horde is a curious thing to see, as armies abandon things such as reconnaissance, cavalry or any rapid reaction forces, and just walk towards the snoloths to convince them to go back. Their presence usually means that the snoloths, seeing a proper fight, will refuse any risk to themselves and just turn back peacefully. Nowadays, with the Azan Empire shrunk a lot from its heyday, it is the Witchelven Empire and the towns from the Urgun Plateau the main recipient of the snoloth raids. In particular, Snoloths have proven to be very successful at attacking witchelven outposts, since the witchelven find the snoloths repulsive, and the borders between the Snoloth Country and the Witchelven Empire are quite empty.

>>87460009
Many snoloths will overlap their reproductive cycle to match with a raid. Since the most vulnerable part of a snoloth’s life is their childhood, many families go to greener pastures to feed their spawn as much as possible, so as they gain enough size and strength to survive the chemicals of their homeland. Attacking a snoloth’s offspring is a remarkably bad idea, though. Snoloths are extremely protective of their spawn, and they will burn themselves out of exertion if they must to protect their children. And considering the sheer amount of muscle a snoloth has in their body, they have a strength that could bend iron and break stone, more than enough force to squash any potential threat.

>>87460016
>Foreign Relations
The Snoloths are in one of the harshest places in the entirety of Giantstep, and the sheer toxicity of their home means there can be no foreign representation in the moors. As such, only Snoloths permanently live in the Snoloth Country, since any other creature would die of poisoning after enough prolonged exposure. The only places where other sentient species could be seen is in the border, where the chemicals in the environment are less dense. The snoloths, however, are incredibly resistant, and the only reason they haven’t expanded more outside of their moors is the pressure from the local populations to avoid keeping masses of snoloths eating their crops and fields. There are a few minuscule communities of snoloths spread around Western Giantstep, from back when Azan wasn’t really established, living mostly isolated from the rest of the society, only ever interacting when they cross into a neighboring field. These snoloths have lost their chemical toxicity, since they aren’t poisonous by themselves, but rather the toxic buildup from their homeland makes them toxic. This also makes this snoloths live upwards to 1000 years, since their hyper-regenerative organism isn’t burdened by the lethal concoctions of their home.

>>87460024
This long lifespan is particularly appreciated in intellectual circles. A lot of members of the magical communities of Azan and its former provinces are snoloths, since even if their intelligence is not as great as other races, the sheer amount of experience can compensate for it. Many young wizards will be taught under snoloth master wizards, to be taught the value of patience, as well as to preserve their wealth of accumulated knowledge. In the Isle of Wizards, the Ancient Order of the Most Practical Wizards values its snoloth members greatly, as they are some of the oldest (if not the outright oldest) of their order, and they hold a wealth of information. They do need help accessing archives and libraries of sort, though, since their slimy appendages could damage the delicate parchment and paper of the ancient tomes.

>>87460030
The vast majority of the snoloths, though, live within the Snoloth Country, near the center of the continent. The most frequent interactions they have with their neighbors is when a snoloth raid is formed. It is said that, back in the days when Azan was at its peak, many azanese merchants and alchemists dealt with the snoloths to access some of the rarest and more dangerous chemicals in the area, in exchange of great amounts of foodstuffs.

>>87460036
Nowadays, the presence of the witchelven blocks all possible contact with the region. The witchelven despise the snoloths. They are absolutely repulsed by every aspect of them, finding their biology, their way of life and their mere existence as “disgusting”, “sinful” and “degenerate”. They can do little about them, however. The snoloths are awful at slave labor, and fighting snoloths is seen as something below witchelven raiders. Their usual hit and run tactics are pointless when just walking around is enough to outmaneuver the snoloth raiders, something that takes the thrills from the attack. Light skirmishers are also pointless, since the snoloths’ resistant bodies can take one hell of a punishment and simply keep eating, just moving their organs inside their shell while they eat. Using poisoned weapons is even more pointless, as their bodies are used to much worse. Preemptive attacks to the Snoloth Country is not possible, the witchelven forces would die before doing anything of worth. The only real thing the witchelven forces can do is to send wizards and elite forces, something that many of this groups will outright refuse to obey, since sending the cream of the crop of the proud witchelven to dirty their hands with snoloth slime is far beneath them. And so, these forces will only show after the snoloths have gone back to their home, to tally the damages and inform their lords. This is a great shame for the authorities of Mors, but due to the relatively unimportant damages they cause, they don’t put that much effort into solving it.

>>87460046
The raids to the Urgun Plateau are something entirely different. The more dispersed forces of Ghülam and Bashur'ut can actually push back the snoloth raids, since the militias are composed of farmers who know well how much a snoloth can eat if left unchecked. They will get their hands dirty to flip the snails on their shells and just pour salt on them until they surrender and leave. However, they have managed to settle a deal with the snoloths, which basically amounts to the urgun farmers to willingly offer the snoloths any bit of unusable leftover from the harvest. The snoloths can pretty much eat anything, and they are not picky eaters, so getting what in other circumstances would be just stubble to burn in exchange of not going further is fine by them. As such, snoloth raids never go further than the lakes, where the farmers bring their waste for the snoloths to eat. The presence of the sweet water is also a bonus, since clean water is an absolute delicacy for the snoloths, and they will drink as much as they can before going back to their homes.

>>87460049
Snoloths do not bother to attack the regions to the north and to the east. The Ogabo Desert and Kinga Badlands are simply too dry for the snoloths to survive, and trying to raid the swamps of the Bog Witch is suicidal. On the other hand, it’s rare to receive attacks from those directions, as there is little of value for the populations of these places in the Snoloth Country. Even the monsters and horrors from the bogs and swaps cannot survive the chemical concoctions in the air, and keep their distance. From time to time, a giant monster will dare to cross the polluted lands of the snoloths and die, creating a feast for the snoloths who find it.

>>87460060
Snoloths are terrified of travelling through sea. While salt is not lethal to them as it is for most snails, they find any skin contact with sand extremely painful, as their bodies go into overdrive to preserve the moisture within. Their slimy exterior usually protects them from direct contact with rock salt, but against a great mass of salt water, their bodies simply cannot come up with a solution and collapse into a coma. And of course, snoloths cannot swim. Snoloths can hold their breath for quite a lot of time, which they use to cross rivers and lakes by simply going through, but the sea is something they simply cannot overcome. If a snoloth goes into a ship, you can expect it to keep itself inside of their shell for the entire voyage until the voyage is done. This is why snoloths keep themselves far away from the coast and cities near it.

>>87458508
>>87458513
>>87458526
I really like what you've done to Khelek.
Would love to hear more.

Newfrend from the other project here.
What would be a quick rundown of the giantstep nations similiar to this >>87458850 ?

>>87461125
Azan - not byzantines
Gnoll Empire - not Zulus who are not! Egypt
Khenomeric empire - not Egypt (dead)
Witchelves - not! Dark Eldar
Gökmawi - not steppe raiders
Drow City-states - not HRE?
Florinth - Florence/Venice

File: 4582-1360416482-d0c43bc4f(...).jpg (214 KB, 550x741)

214 KB JPG

>Gargantfly
The Gargantfly is one of the most feared predators in Scatoley. It is a housefly the size of a Roc that has two powerful jaws instead of a proboscis. Like their smaller relatives, they feed primarily on carrion and feces, but will occasionally attack live prey in order to carry it alive and wriggling to their nests for their young. Fortunately, unlike their smaller relatives, these creatures breed very slowly. A female Gargantfly only lays a clutch of three eggs every seven years, from which arm-length maggots hatch, which usually eat each other until only the strongest is left. Such a gargant maggot needs 13 years and a lot of food to become a full-grown Gargantfly.
A full-grown Gargantfly has enough power to carry a live ox. A Gargantfly is a relatively rare sight in Scatoley, as Gruntlings prey on the protein-rich maggots and the adult flies only nest in the highest of the dung mountains. Attempts by some Scatomancers to train these dangerous creatures into flying mounts have largely failed. Only about a half a dozen Scatomants have ever managed to fly a gargant fly, with two-thirds of those falling or being eaten somewhere on the way.

>>87461446
>Gnoll Empire - not Zulus who are not! Egypt
I wouldn't say zulus at all...

>>87461125
copy-pasting from an older posts with a few additions, it doesn't include everything, but it includes a reasonable amount:

>Inspired by Italy/Italian city states
Hithlone, Triarchy, Last Remnants
>France
Lorient, Lemon Kingdom
>Arabs
Azhar Nar
>Persians/North Africans
Nasr Satrapies
>Adriatic Coast
Furlaniya
>Ingurland
Ingurland, Luden
>Irish
Orc'Eire
>Netherlands/East Indies Company
Gvilderstaaten
>Russia/Ukraine/Belarus
Zapalovah/Northern Kingdoms/Elanxa
>Nordics
Hyperborea, Alltaf Tribes
>Desert Tribes (Bedouins, Tuareg)
Ogabo Desert, Nerim, Bhakkari Tribelands (??)
>Native Americans (?)
Kinga Badlands
>Aztecs
Chakobsa
>Mayans
Jeraxih Tribes
>Sumerians
Gilgemash
>Subsaharan Africa
Mona Ki Ngi Xica
>Carribean
Nosso Lar (africans), Ortuga (Pirates)
>Byzantium/Greeks
Azan, plus its colonies like Asvaran
>China/East Asia
ChangriLa
>Japan
Sea Elves
>Turkic Tribes
Ogchuk Fiefdoms
>Tibetans
Tenzin People
>Armenia/Caucasus
Otamlar
>Hordes, Urgun Plateau
Central Asian
>Carcassonne
Oront
>Portugal/Greek
Drunigzar
>Southeast Asia
Nogar
>mix of European influences
Florinth, Tarot, Blesire, Calcabra, Aurous, Belsirya, Isle of Wizards, Orange Marquisates, Moreelse

And then we have the fantasy realms

>Hobbits
>Gibberlings
>Brownies
>Gnomes
>Drow
>Witch Elves (from warhammer)
>Snoloth - snail folk
>Vodyanik
>Werewolves
>Aine Saevherne - large ice elves
>Biblion - library themed stuff
>Kresteneg - crablike folk
>Badgassi - badger folk
>Zulutaur - zebrataurs
>Terrania
>Star People - western themed aliens
>Gautlan - dwarves
>Kinog - Caribbean with dnd races
>Elfwood - elves and other fey
>Ogre states
>Ra'Ga - crabfolk
>Bayukmen and a few others - swamp people
>Several druid nations of various sorts
>Bog-Witch - nation of evil swamp creatures
>Scarred Phantoms - assassins

>>87461446
>>87461125
Gnolls are a horde of barely (if at all) civilised beasts. They are the hordest of hordes in the setting.

>>87461446
>Drow City-states - not HRE?
Drow are a mix of everything

Most of the lore for them is based on a mix of dnd, tes, plus various other fantasy spins on drow

But there have been some attempts to tie some of them more to the faerie/druid inspired Elven Empire

And a few sources use more obscure real world historical titles like doge

>>87460046
had a chuckle reading this. Fucking snoloths, how do they work

What would be the better drinker, a dwarf, a hobbit or a snoloth?

>>87461446
>Gnoll Empire - not Zulus who are not! Egypt
Mona Ki Ngixica are the not zulus. Gnolls are more fantastic horde monsters.

>>87462064
A Snoloth.

>>87461125
scimitaria best continent (apart from the drow)

>>87461446
I mean the Drow are literal DnDshit

>>87461527
The Zemylanders are also a mix between nords and east slavs

We could use another compass, since so much lore has been added since the last ones.

Someone please write an extension on Biblion!

>>87465299
Checked and seconded. One that includes one of each nation would be pretty RAD

I think we need simple visualisation charts for some of the species kinda like >>87458736 in order to etablish an aesthetic canon kinda like a style guide

A quick writeup of the Labyrinth Prison.

>The Wardens of the Guilty
In the middle of the Labyrinth Bay, there lies a small archipelago consisting of two islands. These seemingly unimportant islands were only a curiosity for the local fishermen and traders of ancient times, more focused on trying to reach the two straits around the bay, a much shorter travel to cross from Giantstep to Littlestep. This all changed when the Khenomeric Empire reached the coast of the Labyrinth Bay (its original name now forgotten). A much more advanced entity than the local populations, the Khenomeric Empire was focused on expanding its holdings through all directions, and had reached the twin islands in 714 BBE. They built a lighthouse in them to help the growing ship traffic in the area, but oddly enough, other than a small garrison and the personnel guarding the islands, the khenomeric authorities never really considered the islands as part of the empire. According to historical records, the empire was in a bureaucratic fight over the administration of the island, since they was no stable population in the area, and therefore could not be taxed. On the contrary, ownership of the islands would mean having to pay for the maintenance of the soldiery and the lighthouse. Despite these expenses not being particularly significant, the fight between provincial administrations meant that this area was never registered as part of the empire, despite the archipelago being de facto occupied by the khenomeric army.

>>87465418
This technical legal loophole made it a perfect place for the Magoclergy’s dark experiments. Since the beginning of their rule, their aims to expand faster and faster the empire, as well as to control every single aspect of it with an iron fist grant them a lot of enemies. Many of the prisons in the imperial capital, as well as in the provinces, were beginning to fill with the amount of political prisoners coming. The members of the Magoclergy began designing a prison that would serve both as a way to punish the dissidents, to avoid them escaping from their grasp, and to serve as a thorough example to others to not mess with the Magoclergy. They set their eyes on the twin islands in the Labyrinth Bay, and began planning the construction of the ultimate prison. Since the region was technically outside of the law of the empire, the Magoclergy could engage in dark and devious activities free from the inquisitive eyes of any administrative organization that could have at least raised an eyebrow at them. Free of prying eyes, the Magoclergy quickly began building a prison unlike nothing the world had seen before: An underground dungeon, connecting the two islands under the sea, and below that, a seemingly never ending amount of cells to imprison the inmates. To maintain this level of depth, the Magoclergy used many enchantments to keep the underground from collapsing beneath the sea. The upper levels were reserved for lesser crimes, or at least for criminals that could be persuaded into favoring the Magoclergy. Further below, the many dissidents and guerrillas against the Magoclergy were put to inhuman tortures, from using them for sacrifices and experiments or testing the limits of the human body’s tolerance to pain. They would also put to dig deeper and deeper into the ground, expanding the amount of space for prison cells, thus increasing the size of the prison in a seemingly endless process.

>>87465439
However, keeping a growing population of prison inmates, especially those with a similar political view and a collective hatred for their jailers, is not easy. After multiple riots and mutinies, one of which almost ending in a complete takeover of the islands, the Magoclergy began searching for unnatural ways to keep the prisoners under check. They began dark summonings to bind them into the mortal realm. These demonic entities would be put in charge of the jails in exchange of feeding of the inmates’ souls, pain and suffering for as long as they lived. In particular, they began summoning spirits and demons with a particular affinity towards punishing the wicked, those who would relish the task given to them and to make sure they never relent in their will to bring penance pain and suffering to those considered criminals. The horror tales about the dark prison of the Magoclergy spread throughout the empire, but it had the opposite effect, pushing the rebels to more and more daring acts of defiance to stop the atrocities. Furthermore, this was one of the things that made the khenomeri nobility more weary of the Magoclergy’s reach. After the Battle of Empires and the War of Supper, the fall of the Magoclergy was swift and comprehensive, since they barely had any allies left.

>>87465447
Legends say that the few members of the Magoclergy, weakened and on the run, went to the Labyrinth Prison to seek refuge from their pursuers… only to be taken by the demons as prisoners, since they had been branded as criminals by the Khenomeric Empire. Rumors run around that these few members of the Magoclergy are still alive millennia after, kept alive by their once servants so that they can pay eternal penance for their crimes, suffering the worst punishments the demons can come up with for all eternity.

>>87465459
Since the fall of the Magoclergy, the Labyrinth Prison has only grown and grown. The rising political instability and the increasing amount of nations have made the Labyrinth Prison a very handy way to dispose of the most dangerous criminals they have. Many nations only sentence to the Labyrinth Prison to the most horrid, vile and irredeemable villains, while others use it to punish more common crimes, as a way to scare the population from crimes such as treason, illegal alchemy, necromancy… The demons from the labyrinth are happy to receive the newcomers, instinctively feeling what wrongs have committed and designing a punishment fitting to them. All while they keep digging and digging further, to increase the space available, even if it has been many centuries since the prison was even half-full. They cannot act against those considered innocent, so if a ship has to stop in the islands for whatever reason (something beyond rare, since the horror stories from the islands are well known for millennia now), the demons will not approach them.

>>87465472
The old khenomeri lighthouse still shines the dark waters to this day, now with a red tinted light. Sailors pray every time they see the light, mourning for whatever souls lay trapped within the labyrinth wall...

>>87446588
Who shuns the Harmony Goddess outside of the followers of the God of Action?

Ok we really need a story now of an old Snoloth Wizard and a young apprentice, maybe Hobbit or Human, traveling the world. I think maybe it should start with the Snoloth weakened and injured due to a magical duel who was teleported to the land of hobbits where he(or she because they're hermaphroditic) is rescued by a hobbit family with one of them wanting to become a wizard. Bad guys could be a witchelf, a lich, or one of the bog witch's daughters

I added the Realm of the Goddess of Harmony lore to the wiki

>>87465629
>Who shuns the Harmony Goddess outside of the followers of the God of Action?
any blatantly evil nation
any theocratic nation
anyone who doesn't like the idea of gods actively meddling in the world
neighboring nations worried the jungle may expand into their territory
devout of other religions
nationalists
racists
people who don't like their family members joining cult-like close knit groups that often encourage members to emigrate to theocratic cities halfway across the world

>>87466080
Nice.

>>87465629
I do

>Additional notes – First Dynasty

Azan II – eldest son of Aza, an able administrator, the Empire expanded rapidly east and south during his reign via settling nearly empty regions and marriage alliances with prominent unaffiliated tribes

Siti – 1608-1546, eldest daughter of Azan II, she consolidated the northern nobility by arranging a number of marriages between draco-tieflings and humans

Henne – 1546-1489, eldest daughter of Siti, she initiates a number of wars against more primitive peoples living along the Empire’s borders, including the ogres to the east, the orcs to the southwest, the Feathered Court in the Terusia Peninsula, and the Frog Princess to the northeast

Jakar – 1489-1401, eldest son of Siti, he finishes the conquest of the Feathered Court, but ends up spending the last years of his reign fighting a civil war against his cousin Sert, a religious hardliner who wanted to launch a crusade against the fey of Scimitaria. Due to now forgotten events during the civil war, Jakar, Sert, and all six other direct descendants of Aza end up dead without heir.

>Additional Notes – Second Dynasty

Cemak I – 1401-1338, a cousin of Aza and a noted spellcaster already centuries old by the start of his reign, he was a senior advisor to all the Azanid Emperors, and his ties to Aza himself and his neutrality in the civil war made him the perfect ruler to reunify the Empire

Cemak II – 1338-1304, great grandson of Cemak II, he lacked the arcane abilities of his predecessor, but circumstances required him to be a great general. The traitor Rex Augustine had been resurrected by dark magics and some of the most massive battles between Azanese and fey took place along the Terusia Isthmus during his reign. It is said Cemak II and Augustine slew each other in battle, thus solidifying both their legends millennia later.

>>87470572

Celeme – 1304-1288, daughter of Cemak II, her impulsive decision to marry a minor Nasrian noble alienates many of the draco-tiefling families, as well as common born who place great faith in the divinity of the dragon bloodlines. It is believed this marriage introduced a divine curse on the Cemakid line, though modern scholars believe the blame is on some rare clash in genetic characteristics.

Amir I – 1288-1268, son of Celeme, unfortunately his genetics heavily favor his human side. A bland, uncharismatic man, he becomes obsessed with the legacy of his ancestor Cemak I, and marries his aunt in order to “strengthen the bloodline”.

Amir II – 1268-1264, son of Amir I, a genetic flaw causes him to die relatively young, further rattling the waning faith in the Cemakid line. Unwilling to take sides among the fractious draco-tiefling nobles, and fearing the results if he married a minor noble, he marries the only other living Cemakid, his cousin.

Anora I – 1264-1222, daughter of Amir II, despite her human-like appearance, she ages slowly and had great magical ability. A charismatic but eccentric mystic, she managed to convince the majority of her court that her strange behavior brought the favor of Bronzar back to the Empire. Whether this is true or not, the Empire did flourish during this time, including significant victories against the fey. Anora married all three of her brothers in turn, only for each to die of genetic flaws not long after marriage.

Anora II – 1222-1201 – granddaughter of Anora I, her parents were the twin children of Anora I. Declared insane at a young age, she was locked up in an asylum, though lived another four centuries and was an advisor to some of the more eccentric Adrianid Emperors.

Amir III – 1201-1184 – only daughter of Anora II and a strange abomination made from the tissue of Cemak I, Amir III was a freakish thing used as a puppet ruler by cabal of nobles and mages.

>>87470583

>Third Dynasty – Additional Notes – also I changed the time period to 1184-733

Adrian I – 1184-934

Adrian II – 934-903 – granddaughter of Adrian I, she was an unpopular ruler who favored her drow side even more than Adrian I. She heavily favored magic users and nobles of Vestan and drow origin at the expense of the Azanese Church. Killed by an Azanese zealot.

Adrian III – 903-888 – only child of Adrian II

Adrian IV – 888-852

Adrian V – 852-841 – second child of Adrian IV, she was the first Adrianid to be chosen based on magical merit rather than being the first born. A skilled alchemist, she unfortunately petrified herself in an accident. Her remains/statue was buried with full honors, only to be dug up months later by her daughter-clone who spent the rest of her life trying to undo the petrification. The statue went on to have a storied life as an advisor to a madman, a clothes rack, a torture device, and other stranger fates, before being shattered with mallets by Leovus supporters in 733 BBE.

Adrian VI – 841-837 – daughter-clone of Adrian V. She was the only Adrianid to show a strong interest in the Azan Faith. Unfortunately, her unpopularity with the Azan Faith (shared by most Adrianids), and inability to revive her sister resulted in her suicide without issue.

Adrian VII – 837-833 – cousin to Adrian VI, his decision to marry a spider worshipping drow from the underworld confirmed many people’s suspicions on his moral suitability. Killed by an Azanese zealot.

Adrian VIII – 833 – third child of Adrian VII. Although a powerful mage, most of the Azanese faithful much preferred the main rival for the throne. Adrian VIII was slain in a coup two days after his coronation.

Adrian IX – 833

Adrian X – 833 – secretly poisoned by his only remaining brother three days after his coronation

>>87470595

Adrian XI – 833-792 - a skilled mage who like two of his three brothers made strong alliances with the Azanese Church (though none of them had the slightest personal interest in religion), his drow heritage was nearly invisible, and he dropped many of the more unpopular drow traditions brought in by his predecessors. Died in a brothel.

Adrian XII – 792-785 – second child of Adrian XI, a militantly hedonistic nihilist, she was nearly always drunk or high and often took multiple lovers in the same day, yet still managed to purge the Church of anyone with a shred of moral conviction, and her own extended family of anyone with a shred of magical talent. Disappeared unexpectedly into the northeast bogs at the height of her power.

Adrian XIII – 785-772

Adrian XIV – 772-764

Adrian XV – 764-743

(Adrian XVI is skipped as it is considered an unlucky number by the Adrianids)

Adrian XVII – 743-741

Adrian XVIII – 741 – only sibling of Adrian XVII (who died without heir). A deeply introverted, paranoid, and likely insane ruler with a “shoot the messenger philosophy”, he much preferred dabbling in dark magic to ruling, and was likely completely unaware his court had no real power outside the small hobbit city where they lived. The remaining Adrianids removed him from power.

Adrian XIX – 741-733 – a distant cousin of Adrian XVIII and a skilled diplomat, she managed to end the civil war and retain the throne by agreeing to keep her court in the north, and giving much of her powers to draco-tiefling nobles. This buys nearly a decade of peace, but for some it is too little, too late. Tired of being ruled by those seen as foreign imposters, some of whom openly broke the most ancient taboos of the Azan Faith regarding the use of dark magic, the hard line branches of the Azan Faith, long dormant, surge back to life, forcing Adrian XIX to concede more and more power.

>>87470607

Adrian XX – 733 – following the death of his mother during a revolt, Adrian XX tries to give up even more power to the draco-tieflings. Unfortunately, the faction he tried to negotiate with are secretly demon worshippers. When word of this gets out, it triggers a massive revolt among those who can’t stomach being ruled by demon worshippers in addition to dabblers of dark magic.

Fourth Dynasty (733-547 BBE)

The fourth dynasty is started by Leovus (later Emperor Leovus I), a minor noble, military general, and a man of deep religious convictions. Tired of seeing pagan fey nobles acquiring more and more positions of power within the ruling elite in return for empty pledges of loyalty, he becomes a political agitator and occasional rebel during the rein of Adrian XV onward. However, it is the revelation that some draco-tieflings are in league with demons that causes him to fully commit himself to the rebellion and become its leader. Riding a massive wave of religious support, he swiftly seizes power, reorganizes the Empire as a theocracy, purges the demon worshippers, and drives out anyone tied to the old regime, particularly fey and magic users.

Despite losing many of their territories in the fey inhabited lands, Leovus I reasserts power in Siuverland, and in many southern and eastern provinces that have gone rogue or outright separated. As a result, his rule represents a peak in Imperial power not seen for centuries, nor matched again for centuries afterwards.

Unfortunately his descendants prove incompetent, often exceeding his zeal, but lacking his political or military sense. Various fundamentalist, xenophobic, nationalist, and populist movements compete to use the Church as a mouthpiece for their own believes, and the Empire crumbles into theocratic infighting and outright civil war.

>>87466546
The Black Goo

>>87465895
I'm in in case we're doing the collective writing thing again

>>87465895
>teleported
I think somewhere down the line it was established that teleporting without very rare and specific portals isn't a thing in this setting.

>>87471370
Teleportation, as well as flying, need to be exceedingly rare and difficult. Otherwise, it causes a lot of problems down the line.

>>87471727
Seconded the only working one way portal I'm aware of is the Miasma Pond and that one is effectively unknown

Please remember to not just upload text but also some of the images posted with it to the wiki aswell. Nobody want to read through pages of plain text without some illustrations.

>>87461527
We need to make a complete list of this in order to have a TL;DR of sorts for people that are new to this setting.

>>87470572
>>87470583
>>87470595
>>87470607
>>87470628
Nice!

Onwards!
>>87472712
>>87472712
>>87472712