#arsatum

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Xisuthros, Councillor of the Veela-Cambiare

Partner to Nincubura Ninkigal, standing Councillor of the Veela-Cambiare of Arṣatum, and Ambassador to the Veela, Xisuthros is from a long line of Veela-Cambiare, the distinct result of Veela and Cambiare having offspring together. As is common with Veela-Cambiare his build is in general more human - or, more accurately, Veela - than that of most Cambiare. Energetic and driven. Xisuthros is not well-suited to staying cooped up at his desk all day, but then, neither are the group he is Council Member for. Instead, he often spends time out and about with the Veela and Veela-Cambiare of Bīt-Ekleti, his Kneazlynx Praxidike at his side.

While much of his time is spent resolving conflicts amongst Veela-Cambiare and helping the few Veela of Arṣatum settle in well, this does not mean he takes no time for himself. In the past he spent a great deal of time with his daughter, Hymnoanassa, and as she has grown older and more independent he has returned to tending his garden - of fungi and Arṣatum-specific plants - when he wishes to relax, as well as weaving bootlaces into which he weaves spells. The spells woven into the bootlace-threads vary, but all serve a purpose - he and all his companions bear at least one of his bespelled bootlaces when they make the trek to the Surface, and most carry more. Xisuthros also gives these bootlaces to the Surface Veela as gifts, usually ones enchanted with protective spells.

Though often calm and caring, Xisuthros does have a temper, commonly attributed to his Veela ancestry - a fact he does not deny, but does not full accept either, pointing out that plenty of Cambiare can be illogically angry as well. When frustrated by impossible delegates and officials he may leave to let off steam, often with gardening, though he has sometimes been seen in the glass-forges the Veela-Cambiare of Bīt-Ekleti are famed for, wielding fire in his palms and twisting glass into shape. Above all, Xisuthros is not a man willing to simply and always stay still, preferring to remain active and busy - a trait which has passed to his daughter, who, even as she grows more independent and towards choosing her own path, is nonetheless active in spending time with both her parents.

Art is by the excellent @agarthanguide

(Read about this individuals name origin over Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Veela-Cambiare

A not uncommon hybrid of Cambiare and Veela, a number of Veela-Cambiare dwell in Arṣatum. Like their pure-Veela kin on the Surface, they are known for their beauty and are more likely to have true wings than most Cambiare. In Cambiare, wings are usually limited to gliding capability, if that, but the wings of Veela-Cambiare are frequently capable of full flight. Even when not, however, Veela-Cambiare are often remarkably agile, which shows: many Veela-Cambiare end up as guards, acrobats or otherwise in athletic roles. Indeed, it was Veela from the Surface that brought a lot of the more Greek influences to Arṣatum, including certain rites that were developed from certain Ancient practices, Veela culture, and Cambiare magic use.

Most notable of all of these is the parthenaea, a ritual dance developed from the historical pompe which preceded the Panathenaian Festival. This pompe usually involved a number of young girls carrying various offerings for the gods, especially girls considered pious, virtuous and virginal, in order to honour the virgin goddess the Festival was held for. However, over the years and in the context of Veela, Cambiare and Veela-Cambiare culture, it has instead become both a celebration of women, and a way by which Cambiare women prove the strength of their identity as women, due to the magical nature of the dance and the nature of Cambiare magic - strongest when an individual’s own sense of identity is strong. Historically, the dance was led by Veela-Cambiare, and in cities it still is, though small gatherings of Cambiare without any Veela presence will often hold their own parthenaea early in their year, to match the usual time it is held in the cities.

Veela-Cambiare vary in appearance far more than usual Cambiare. They have the full range of skin tones and potential inhuman features, but they can also be far more human in some respects, even lacking horns, claws, tails and the like. For this reason, Veela-Cambiare often act as ambassadors to the Surface, making the trying trek through dangerous tunnels. This is aided by those few capable of passing easily amongst humans, and the tie back to the Surface their Veela ancestry gives them; it is from these groups that many tales of Below are heard. 

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(Read about the Panathenaea Festival Here and Here. The role of young women in the Festival was usually as a Kanephoros, someone who carried offerings, but here I’ve expanded that over time with reinterpretation of ritual process by various cultures, rather as religious ceremonies have changed over the years with cultural shifts and overlap. The name of the rite practiced by Cambiare is from the Ancient Greek Parthenos meaning “Young woman” or sometimes “virgin”, and one of the terms for Athena. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Magus Mors

Like the Neuroworm, Magus Mors are magically treated larva of the Neurophages. However, where Neuroworms are intended to assimilate and become an entirely new Neurophage, Magus Mors are not. With only the barest of intelligence and altogether far too much magic, these creatures burrow into the body of a creature and attach to their spinal cord. Designed as weapons of terror and chaos by the Neurophages, Magus Mors will then impart magic to their host... at a cost. Magus Mors can make immense amounts of magic, but they need immense amounts of food to do so. When the host cannot consume enough due to physical limitations, the Magus Mors begins to devour them.

Primarily used in Arṣatum, where the majority are magical, Magus Mors are horrifying whether their host is magical or not. In magical individuals, the sudden surge of magic can make individuals feel powerful, unbeatable, and reckless. While it may sometimes be recognised as abnormal, and treatment attempted, it is often mistaken for Traumatic Magic, induced erratic magic such as is caused by Synaesthesia Arcana, or diseases such as Golden Lues. In non-magicals, the magic may be interpreted as a squib caused by suppressed magic (where there is not enough magic to form an Obscurus, and is done more due to self-doubt than self-loathing). The one case of an infected surface muggle was originally touted as proof of muggles “stealing” magic, though the muggle’s rapid decline and death was generally considered to cast doubt on the claim. 

The magic created by a Magus Mors is only nominally under the control of the host. It bursts out with emotion and, to a little degree, with intent. The innate Legilimency-like ability of Neurophages is strong in Magus Mors, and their connection to the spine gives them an intimate understanding of their hosts thoughts and desires. In this way the magic first starts responding to conscious whims, before moving onto more drastic things. After a while the magic ceases to answer to the host at all, especially if the host’s health is declining, simply becoming erratic and destructive as the Magus Mors itself realises it is soon going to die. Some speculate, due to the known sapience of full Neurophages, that the Magus Mors becomes more erratic as the host declines in the hope of being extracted and thus surviving the host’s death, though all attempts to extract a Magus Mors have resulted in the death of both host and parasite.

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(I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Neuroworm

Larva of the Neurophages, Neuroworms are specifically treated with magic in order to assimilate a suitable magical sapient when attached to them, rather than mature the full, slow way. In full, formal Neurophage settlements larva are carefully reared in large protein-rich pools, developing like tadpoles towards maturity. However, in newer settlements with smaller numbers, the larva are often treated with magic and implanted into captured sapients, hastening the maturation by encouraging assimilation of an existing physical form rather than developing an entirely new one.

Neuroworms, once implanted, attune to the body hosting them, adapting to best conquer the genetics they’re presented with. While usually highly successful, this method does hit a roadblock when faced with chimaeric individuals, such as Strzyga. Otherwise, however, the physical transformation progresses as the worm slowly subjugates and absorbs the mind of their host, eventually taking over completely, rendering the individual a full-fledged Neurophage.

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(I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.)  

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Ziptu

A kind of tarry substance both found and made Below, with the recipe taught Above to some Alchemists, Ziptu is used in the creation of magical rubber and tarmac. Below it was originally only used as a sealant for magical boats, and was historically used in a similar role on the Surface, but with the increase of muggle roads surfaced in Tarmac, the durability of Ziptu, and its ability to be imbued with strengthening magic has become more well known, and thus more tested. An increasing number of wixen-used roads in America and Europe both are using roads laced with Ziptu, after several Alchemists in South Africa proved their concept worked.

Ziptu was originally a byproduct of certain purification processes, but has since been refined to certain specific recipes (depending on available ingredients) and is often inherently laced with magic. A skilled Alchemist can “tune” these magics, so to speak, and thus improve the quality of the Ziptu for one purpose or another. Historically it was tuned to repel water for use on boats, but it has also been tuned to be fire-resistant (for use at Dragon Reserves and in Potioneering and Alchemical labs) and most recently strengthened against wear for use in magical tarmac. There is an on-going theory that it may be a versatile alternative to certain magical items which often  make use of muggle plastics, as muggle plastic often breaks down after extended use in the presence of magic, or exposure to great amounts of magic. 

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(Read about the word Ziptu over Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Tentacrab

Believed by Cambiare to have been bred from something akin to Fire Crabs by the Neurophages which keep the creatures, Tentacrabs are found only in Arṣatum. Livestock, pets and living carcass-removal, Tentacrabs usually devour the bodily remains of those Neurophages kill for their brains. While Neurophages are picky eaters - eating only the brain matter and spinal cord of those creatures they kill, though they will kill and eat these parts of almost any animal - Tentacrabs are decidedly not, devouring all of the bodies the Neurophages leave behind. Bones strengthen their carapaces, and meat not only ensures their health and survival, but also allows them to manifest additional external brains on their backs. These brains are auxiliary to their primary brain, and can be safely removed. It is these brains which let them be livestock to the Neurophages.

Provided a Tentacrab receives regular meals of meat, they can readily and easily regenerate the brains on their backs. Thus, Neurophages will leave carcasses for their Tentacrabs and then carefully select fully grown auxiliary brains to make a meal of. So long as the Tentacrab is well-fed, the brain will regenerate, and causes no lasting damage to the creatures. Of course, Neurophages cannot only eat Tentacrab brains, else there would be little by way of animal carcasses for the Tentacrabs to devour, but due to the body mass to brain ratio of many creatures, Tentacrabs tend to make up a large proportion of the Neurophage diet. Given their small size as well - not much larger than a terrier - even the small packs they travel around in are little trouble to the Neurophages, who tend to treat them with surprising gentleness.

Pathfinder 88 Yah-Thelgaad by yigitkoroglu

(I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Spade-Tailed Pipewyrm

Cave-dwelling cousins to the Bearded Mudwyr, Pipewyrms are capable of a magic which can affect gravity in their vicinity, in a manner based on similar magics to that of the Newton’s Shrike. Where the Newton’s Shrike can create a gravity well centred around it’s head, Pipewyrms instead can warp gravity where they are to fit their perspective, for around a foot diameter - around the same length as their body. This means that, although the creatures are largely aquatic, rather like the ostensibly amphibious Mudwyr, they can, nonetheless, exit the water under their own magic, and have been observed doing so, for sake of mating displays and to avoid predators, such as Salamanglers.

Pipewyrms feed on a variety of things, both magical and non-magical. Insects, algae, and some small animals are all part of their diets, and their waste tends to return back around to feed the same. They are in turned preyed on by a number of creatures, from Salamanglers to Alds and Bletsianaals. They are also sometimes trapped for their meat by Drow, Cambiare and some of the deeper-delving Dwarves who travel in Arṣatum; their meat is described as soft and delicate and one which absorbs flavours well. It is also not unheard of for Pipewyrms to be collected for study; their curious gravitational phenomena has long been studied in the hope of improving upon existing spells used to enable flight such as those enchantments on brooms, carpets and carriages.

Spade-Tailed Pipewyrm by emmalazauski

(I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Cocytus River

Sometimes called “the wailing river” or “the river of lamentation”, Cocytus is a waterway of Arṣatum, looping through an extensive series of caves around the world, with no apparent source. Some speculate that, indeed, it has none, that it was either created or once had a source, but has since simply become a congregation of water flow which has left other rivers as well as the water it once started as. Named for the noise the river gives off, Cocytus appears to scream and wail due to the rapids of the river and the type of stone and the shape of the caves. Stepping into a chamber which holds some part of Cocytus is often deafeningly loud, though areas near Cambiare settlements often have quieting spells. Drow settlements do not, however, as they appreciate the cacophony.

Historically Cambiare and Drow have both used the Cocytus to drown murderers, amongst the Cambiare, those who have murdered repeatedly and shown no sign of repentance, and amongst the Drow, those who were foolish enough to get caught. Due to the fast flow very few are capable of swimming the waters, and both groups have treaties with local Deep-Mer and Drow-Mer which ensures their help on such occasions. These Deep- and Drow-Mer of Arṣatum who live in the Cocytus are often known for the jewellery they wear, of the bones of the executed.

Cocytus River by ChangYuanJou

(Read about the Cocytus of myth Here and Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Salamangler 

Creatures of Arṣatum and some of the deeper magical caves, Salamanglers, called Bāiru’ṣurārītu by Cambiare are small amphibious creatures around the size of a domestic house cat. Carnivorous and opportunistic hunters, they will band together to bring down large prey as well as travel individually. When alone they may use their bioluminescent lure to trick small creatures into approaching, when in groups the lure and their markings are instead used to communicate. In addition to this, they can switch between land and water with ease and are capable of regurgitating a highly acidic substance, often used to incapacitate prey and make hunting them down easier.

Salamanglers are known to strip bodies to the bone; while small animals they will swallow whole, they have teeth for a reason and will rapidly devour larger bodies, especially when travelling as a group. If they have recently regurgitated acid then their teeth will still have a slight coating of the substance; when this gets into the bloodstream it can be both extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous, damaging the blood vessels. As it stands, humans and most Surface beings consider Salamanglers dangerous creatures to come nose-to-nose with when cave-diving, and Cambiare and other beings Below consider them to be phenomenal pests.

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(Read about the Cambiare name Here and Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Lampad

Fae entities which are born and live in caves, Lampads are believed by some to be cousins to Dökkálfar, Trow and the now extant Drow that dwell Beneath. Lampads are sometimes thought to be moody or mad, but in truth their species simply has a mild tendency towards depression not seen in most other varieties of Fae. This is eased when they travel in large groups, which they often do, and exacerbated when they are left alone, which groups may do as a punishment. Most Lampads live in variously subterranean Fae Courts, such as the Rust Court of London, or the Orkney Grass-Cairn, cave systems under their old stomping grounds in Greece, near to the mouth of what was the Styx, or deep in Arṣatum, where many live amongst Drow or Cambiare depending on preference.

Lampads are interesting in their method of using magic. While they can do so without wand or other foci, many will use the wooden torches they light with their magic to channel more complex acts. Lampads are especially known for their ability to induce mental unwellness in their attackers, be it depression, emotional instability, or something else entirely. They may also do this to one another, though they cannot counter their species own depressive tendencies - that is something better left to other Fae of other kinds, or to Healers specialising in emotional and mental well-being.

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(Read about Lampads in lore Here and Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Dragon Milk

A magical substance, Dragon Milk can apply to two different things which share both purpose and properties. Dragon Milk on the Surface applies to a substance found in Dragon eggs which new born hatchlings will eat immediately before and sometimes for a while after hatching. Thick and almost butterlike, it also acts as a cushion for the developing hatchling prior to hatching. In hand-reared dragonets (such as with Pygmy Dragons, or those dragonets abandoned or rejected by their parents) Dragon Milk may be extracted for culinary and potioneering use, with the hatchling instead being fed a mixture of whiskey, cow milk and chicken blood, sometimes bulked out with a meat broth.

The latter kind is the product of the Cave Lizards of Arṣatum, which is secreted from their bodies after the laying and eventual hatching of their eggs. Likewise this secretion can be used for both culinary and potioneering use, and is often harvested by way of a sponge by Cambiare. In both cases cheese made from Dragon Milk is widely considered a delicacy, although plenty also call it disgusting. In potioneering it is a potent thickener, and can allow a basic potion-balm to more than triple it’s shelf-life.

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(Read about Dragon Milk in canon over Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THE CAPTION OR THE SOURCE.)

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Bīt-Ekleti, Capital of the Cambiare

The capital of the Cambiare of Arṣatum, Bīt-Ekleti is not just the seat of many of the oldest and most powerful families (such as Nincubura Ninkigal, the current head of the Magester Council of the Cambiare, and head of the Ninkigal family after the death of her mother) but also the largest Cambiare city with the most diverse Cambiare - Veela-Cambiare, Ḫultuppu, Cambiare with and without wings, with skin from pale cream to pitch black to scarlet red to indigo blue. In addition to this it houses the great Colleges of learning, and the great Magesters who may be appealed to in the hope they may take on the child of one family as an apprentice. The city is the largest, oldest and most strongly defended in  Arṣatum, and it shows, with a myriad architectural styles found throughout.

Bīt-Ekleti is built primarily in one large cavern, allowing those within the city to see those approaching, but a myriad tunnels and halls delve into the rock around it, all heavily enchanted with help from Dwarves to ensure they remain impregnable, or as close to impregnable as possible. These areas of the city are also sectioned up, making free travel to the centre of the city, where it is easiest to travel out from, very difficult if you do not have a permit to show you either as an inhabitant of the city or a visitor. The city itself is illuminated with a number of glowing crystals - primarily purple in colour, but some in blue or red, depending on the region and the preferences of individual Cambiare in the area.

While not much food is farmed within the city, many Cambiare do have small allotments where they cultivate fungi, and others keep cages of birds or pools of fish, not just for food but also to provide living creatures for their children to practice Transfiguration on. The city itself is vast, and very easy to get lost in, but individual sections - usually large circles of houses and shops centred around one large courtyard or square - can become rapidly navigable, especially with the help of a guide. As yet, very few humans have dared travel down there, but from those who have, a surprising amount may be learned.

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(Name is from Assyrian, and you can read about it Here. You can read about the origins for the name Nincubura Ninkigal Here and Here. I’m unsure as to what exactly Image One is originally of, but Image Two is concept art for the city of Sschindylryn for Dungeons & Dragons Online’s Pinterest board. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.)

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Urud Niĝ Kalag-ga / Strong Copper

The unique, magically forged metal used by the Cambiare of Arṣatum, Strong Copper is made of a number of materials, beyond just copper, but it’s precise make up is not known - not even the Dwarves and Goblins have yet discovered it’s precise composition, and not for lack of trying. Often of a rich dark green - almost like malachite but not quite - this alloy can be stained or gilded, and often is when being used as jewellery by Cambaire. In addition to this, it’s spell-forged nature means it is often infused with a myriad spells, and can, if forged by the one using it, be blood-bound to it’s maker.

Strong Copper is used to make almost everything from weaponry to armour to jewellery used by Cambiare. Pure copper or iron is preferred for cooking pots and in some circumstances specific metals are preferred, but, by-and-large, some variant of Strong Copper is used almost uniformly. Due to it’s spell-forged nature it can be adapted to serve different purposes, and it’s own alloy nature allows it to bond firmly to the magics worked into this. Additionally, unenchanted pieces of Strong Copper can be enchanted by way of engraved runework, if one knows that particular art of enchantment.

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(Read more about Strong Copper in lore Here. Image One is of Malachite Ore from Elder Scrolls Online, while Image Two is of Refined Malachite, from the same game. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Nimbus Manta

Bioluminescent Manta Rays found in Arṣatum these creatures are speculated by some Cambiare Magizoologists to be related in some manner to Raybirds, though any connection remains tenuous. Known for their bright glow in the usually pitch-dark waters of Arṣatum, Cambiare call these creatures kamābru, meaning, roughly “wingfish”, and have long noted how the bioluminescence of these creatures is immediately gone when they leave the water. As they have never managed to find a physical cause for this mechanism when dissecting the creatures, they have come to the conclusion that it is a purely magical mechanism.

Despite thorough studies by Cambiare Magizoologists, little remains known of the life cycles of these creatures, with what is known being relayed to them by way of Drow-Mer and Deep-Mer who are able to observe them. Apparently the creatures do not stop growing and, at their vastest size, are known to eat merpeople if they are in the way.

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(Images are of mundane Manta Rays. Cambiare name is from Akkadian, read the etymologies Here and Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Cave Beasts / Ṣurīrītu

Huge creatures found in the waterways of Arṣatum, these creatures feed on Glowcust larvae which dangle from the ceilings and by scooping small organisms from the waters, in a similar manner to baleen whales. Believed by some to be a kind of wingless dragon that is, yet, not a serpent dragon, Surface Magizoologists simply do not know enough about the creatures to reliably judge. Cambiare scholars, on the other hand, use very different sets of classification, and believe Ṣurīrītu to be closely related to their own Rider Lizards, as attested by the feathery spines of Ṣurīrītu and the occasional happenstance of Feathered Rider Lizards.

Although considered reptilian and, like Rider Lizards, laying eggs, Ṣurīrītu are known to produce the same milk-like substance Feathered Rider Lizards do, which they use to nourish their offspring. Usually they are spotted from a distance, their subtle bioluminescence moving differently to the Glowcusts around them and are largely left be, as, though they will only do harm if provoked, they are simply so much larger than most creatures in Arṣatum as to mean many would rather steer clear.

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(Image is of some reconstructive art on Dinosaurs. Name is from Ancient Assyrian read more Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

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Saḫḫiru or Szarkai

Called Saḫḫiru by the Cambiare and Szarkai by the Drow, albino Drow are highly unusual and can often - though not always - pass as their Ljosalf cousins, thus making them ideal spies for the surface. Saḫḫiru are much like their Drow kin, apart from their appearance. Where Drow have grey skin through to Ebony, Saḫḫiru are uniformly pale, only emphasising the pale hair common to Drow. Eyes come in just as many varied shades as with Drow, but red and purple are most common for Saḫḫiru. Like most Drow Saḫḫiru are raised in a cutthroat environment and while, in some regards, they may be treated better, being considered a blessing for their unusual appearance and ability to spy on the surface, they are also expected to be much more vicious - any kindness they may have is often beaten out in the goals of creating those who are utterly ruthless.

Saḫḫiru are also often trained to incredibly high levels of magical proficiency, as well as skill in physical fighting. The latter is, more than many things, due to simple aesthetic preference amongst the Drow for those with the grace developed by such training, and not due to any real necessity of skill in that arena, though some Drow settlements of Arṣatum are believed to have tournaments based on physical skill. Generally, should one encounter a Saḫḫiru one is best served by getting away: incredibly dangerous, incredibly powerful, and utterly ruthless, distance is often a safer bet than attempting to fight.

Elric by A6A7

(Read about Szarkai in DnD Here. Saḫḫiru comes from the Assyrian, you can read more Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.)