#Boucassan

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage VIII: Cultural Studies (Hydris)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

Today we continue our studies of lands beyond our own. Last time, we examined one of the peoples of the far south – the Citalen Republic, young among the great powers yet no less mighty. Now our eyes turn to the north, to a land even more ancient than our own.

(art by Ilija on twitter)

I speak of the realm of Hydris. The northern most of any society that might well be called ‘civilized’ – though some are loathe to apply such a term to the wild and anarchic Hydrisians. Despite this apparent lawlessness, there are two important points to remember:

First, Hydris was at one point ruled by Boudicca herself while she was still a mortal woman. To date, she remains the only monarch to have ever ruled all of Hydris. Even to this day, her cult holds considerable political sway, enough to keep the myriad of jarls in line.

Second, Hydris is ancient beyond reckoning. It predates the fallen empire, assuredly. Some accounts hold that it was born when first mankind stepped onto this world in the dark mists of our distant past. Some may scoff, but Hydris outlasts all others.

If no king sits upon a throne, then who reigns?

In truth, the realm of Hydris naturally owes much to the city of Hydris. All across the land, jarls – chieftains elected by acclaim in rituals overseen by the Sisters of Boudicca – manage the day to day affairs of its people and the use of its warriors. The city itself is ruled by four such jarls, to whom all others pledge fealty.

The jarls are kept in check by three powers. The Sisters of Boudicca, before whom all are equal and all are held accountable to the laws of Hydris. The Mystics, a secretive order of Spirit mages who keep lore and enforce the Sisters’ edicts. And the Sages of Kwaycha, advisers and leaders to Hydris.

For no conversation of Hydris can be complete without mention of the Pact. As old as the city itself, it binds the humans of Hydris and the elves of Kwaycha in everlasting alliance. Over long centuries, their cultures have become intertwined. Elven Mind mages speak to human chieftains and their words are heard with rapt attention.

Two centuries ago, a third joined the Pact – the Dwarves of Maldrun Hall, who joined after Hydris aided them in reclaiming their lost homelands under the mountains. Their skill in craft has only strengthened the Pactlands, most notably in the city’s famous defenses, the Painted Walls.

It is likely that all you will see of Hydris are its warriors and traders, who are often one and the same. Hydrisian longships are a ubiquitous sight at any port across the continent, ours included. In the chaos of the fall, their boisterous and laughing sailors were the only lifeline between distant lands.

There is much more to say of the Hydrisians, but I will leave that to your own studies.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[botherkupo]

kofi request for @jarl-deathwolf​​

This one is based on the symbol of Boucassan (from jarl’s original novel). Keep reading if you want more context

The symbol of Boucassan represents the two deities of justice.

Cassan stands for justice from above. Judgment meted out against the guilty and laws that protect the weak from the strong.

Boudicca stands for justice from below. Standing firm against corruption and refusing to turn a blind eye to cruelty.

Bouscassan is will and determination, fire like that which forged the bronze of their sigil.

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage II: On the Gods (Boucassan)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

Welcome back. Now, a noble must know more than mortal affairs. Statecraft is the core of your duties, but not the total of them. Today we turn our attentions higher, to the gods themselves.

Many are the deities and spirits worshiped across the continent. But we shall limit ourselves simply to the Five Who Are Ten. These are the closest to our hearts, and our staunchest of allies. As a leader of your people, you will be expected to lead rituals to beseech and appease them.

Each of these gods are a bonded pair, with each tied to an element of the Cycle. One is linked to the positive, and the other the negative. Hence, five gods turn to ten.

First to discuss shall be the ones most closely intertwined with your role as noble. The gods of law and justice, Boucassan.

(art by @botherkupo)

Boucassan are tied to elemental Spirit. They are unbreaking and unyielding – all the better to stand firm against the evils of the world. They are Boudicca and Cassan.

Cassan, the Fair, the Inevitable, the Lord of the Even Scales - God of Justice From Above. He is bonded to the negative Spirit – protective and cold.

Cassan is said to be a judge beyond corruption. Only words and deeds sway his verdicts. Though stern, he is merciful and wise. He is the will behind honor and the force behind justice.

He is the one that guarantees oaths, especially those of fealty. His laws govern the rules of war and the conduct of the great lords. Rule with honor and mercy, and you may count him among your friends. He loathes those that abuse the power of their station – be judicious, be safe. Cassan-blessed are gifted with long and prosperous rule.

Boudicca, the Chainbreaker, the Heroic Spirit, the Lady of Valor - Goddess of Justice From Below. She is bonded to the positive Spirit – aggressive and burning.

Boudicca is the fury of the mistreated. Where cruelty and malice waxes strong, she appears. In hearts, in minds… at times, even physically. More than any other deity, she is fond of manifesting her power in the world. It is said that no one who fights evil ever fights alone, for even if no one else stands with them, Boudicca shall.

More so than Cassan, Boudicca is a goddess that must be actively appeased through diligent ritual and sacrifice. She is eager to aid the lesser against the greater. The surest tonic against her fury is the love of your people.

It is wise not to speak at length upon the gods; too much in one setting may draw their eyes upon you. And it is unworthy to waste their time with idle musing upon their nature. We will return to these lessons at a later date.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage X: On the Gods (Lumanox)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

In prior lessons I spoke of the gods of justice, Boucassan, and then the gods of nature, Dagwos. We reach the middle of our lessons into the divinity – and so reach the heart.

Today I speak to you about Lumanox, the gods of life and death.

As Boucassan embodied Spirit, and Dagwos represented the Green, Lumanox is Body. The ebb and flow of life force as it moves through growth and decay.

(art by @wily-art)

Nox. The Grandmother. The Singer of Lullabies. The Lady of Loss - Goddess of Death. Her presence is felt in the waning days, when vibrant sunlight gives way to the chill of the moon. She waits for those not much longer for the world, takes them by the hand so they do not get lost. There she takes them to rest in her cottage in the realm between realms until they move on to wherever the afterlife may take them.

Nox embodies death as the cool night at the end of a hot day; a chill breeze upon a brow sweaty from labor. Not a thing to fear, but neither a thing to rush forward to meet. She comes for all, in the fullness of time. She is acceptance and endurance in life. Serenity and grace in the face of tragedy.

Luman. The Barefoot King. Old Kindly Eyes. The Lord of Doves - God of Life. Merciful Luman is patient and steady as the ground beneath your feet. When Luman reigned as mortal man, he gifted his shoes to those poor he came across and walked the breadth of his realm barefooted. And so the priests smile and give their lesson - be kind, be charitable, but know your limits.

Luman is unyielding hope, the promise of dawn and all its possibility. For with each day comes the choice to do better, to be better than who we were when night came before. He is friend to children, kind and merciful. He is a healer and mender – of bones and flesh, and of the ties between people.

The priests of Lumanox can be found in all corners of the continent, for the gods of compassion seek always to find suffering and ease it whenever possible. And they are welcomed – as doctors and givers of last rites.

Now it is time for us to practice the greatest of Lumanox’s virtues – patience. For now this lesson is at its end and we will return to them at a later time.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage VI: On the Gods (Dagwos)

Celdos reveal, your Grace.

We return to your lessons on the higher realms and the deities. Though it would happen that today we do not need to venture far for the gods in question.

For today we must speak of eternal Dagwos, another of the Five Who Are Ten. Here, we speak of the gods of nature and the World Bones.

(art by @iloe)

Staying in the good graces of Dagwos is vitally important as their domain covers all that the realm depends upon for its prosperity. Tide and soil. Breeze and ember. Vine and sinew.

As Boucassan represented Spirit, so too does Dagwos reign over one of the Cycle elements. Their domain is the Green, and they are Dagma and Wose.

Dagma, the Green Man. Sapfather. Lord of Laden Branches. He is the First and the Fatherless – his great roots are said to have cloven the hard stone of the world, that lesser things than he might grow in the rubble. His domain is over root and vine, leaf and bough. All that springs from the earth and water are of his realm.

The Felfolk name him Longhand, a jovial, fatherly deity who taught them woodcraft in long ago days. The Denosans call him the First Spirit, from whom all wisdom springs. Though benevolent, Dagma takes a long view. An individual matters little against the tribe, or the species.

Wose, the Mother of Monsters. The World’s Heartbeat. The Horned Beast. She is the first in the line of mothers that stretches back to the dawn of all things. She is the instinct and energy of the world, the air and the fire. It is said her one gift to mortals is the strength enough for the life ahead of them. All that runs and crawls, fly and swim is part of her domain.

She sleeps, aware but unmoving through the ages. From this slumber comes the Dream of Wose, homeland of faeries and other Green spirits. Close to the mortal realm, but always just out of reach… until it isn’t. Be cautious in places heavy with the Green.

As lord of the land, you are expected to act as a caretaker and guardian of your land, to ensure it may be passed down to those that come after.

The hour grows long and the day short; we will return to these lessons another time.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

The Lands of the Cycle

(map drawn by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)

Magic

Overview

The Green

Body

Mind

The Grey

Spirit

The Gods and the Faithful

Boucassan, the gods of justice

Dagwos, the gods of nature

Lumanox, the gods of life and death

Cultural Studies

The Citalen Republic

Hydris

Character Dossiers

Mila Secunda Ohante Numitore | Quote

Alric 'Nuwanqu' Lightsworn | Quote

Aderyn of the Fells | Quote

Julian the Scoundrel | Quote

Bjorn 'Chayllur' Lightsworn | Quote

Thane Wulfrik

Lady Ingeborg

The Huscarls

Jarl Haakon

Richomeres

Dame Hildegard