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>>88465392

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>>88465397

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>>88465410

1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84774616/
2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84847594/
3#1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84864673/
3#2 - 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/

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 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87267880/
35 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87388478/
39#1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87472712/
38 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87550989/
39#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87627406/
40 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87795959/
41 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87956630/
42 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88125000/
43 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88278726/
44 - Someone archive this thread
45 - Someone 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

Thread 44 archived.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88372296/

do we have a global map of the cities?

>>88465385
In a highly useful coincidence, my next lore dump was going to be on drow religion anyways...

Azan Faith has its own page. Northman/Zemylander Pantheon is outlined on thread 38, but never got into the wiki. Basic outlines for other religions can be found in individual nation pages. Some stuff on the fey religion can be found on the thread 41 lore dump on the fey which also isn't on the wiki

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>The Drow Pantheon

Like many of the more prominent races and cultures, the drow have a pantheon of gods who are typically depicted as being drow themselves, and whose teachings align with one of the several drow cultures. Cynics note that most, if not all, of these gods strongly resemble other gods of other racial and cultural pantheons.

Few drow pay their respects to all the gods on this list, as many of their teachings vary greatly from one another, and they come from several distinct cultural groupings.

In contrast to many other “fey” cultures, the drow origin stories and mythology don’t focus on the original creator gods and their methods, or the upper tier of faerie lords and their complicated relations with one another. Instead each drow subculture is heavily fixated on 1-3 drow gods, and meeting their expectations and/or fulfilling their obligations. As a result, drow religion is often very hierarchical and demanding, and its is common for certain city-states to have a “state religion”.

>The Drow Gods:

>The Spider Goddess/Spider Queen/Megwan/Lolth/Zinze/Spinner Queen

According to legends, she is an outsider god (or perhaps demon lord), who, upon entering this world, managed to create the drow race by winning the support of several faerie lords and using them to create a new breed of elves able to thrive underground. Given the well known ability for powerful faerie lords to modify existing races, these legends are often seen as credible by non-drow scholars. Nearly all drow acknowledge the Spider Goddess as the orchestrator of their creation, but that doesn’t mean they feel the need to respect her in any way.

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>>88468793

Those that do follow the Spider Queen see themselves as her chosen children formed in her own image, natural born predators that can do what they wish to the lesser races, and too good for the drudgery of menial labor. Followers of the Spider Queen nearly always have slaves for work they see as beneath them, though crafting, mercantile endeavors, and artistry are seen as honored professions (assuming one is successful at them).

Many of the Spider Queen’s followers embrace sadism for its own sake, seeing it as their right as the superior race, and as being driven by the impulses that the Spider Queen bred into them during their creation. Even when new labor slaves aren’t required, they frequently raid the communities of other races for new victims for their tortures.

Despite their biases and sadism, followers of the Spider Queen can be surprisingly tolerant of drow of other faiths and of other races, as long as such individuals are filling roles they themselves want to avoid. They are the dominant religion in nearly half the Drow City-States, and a number of other underground drow cities in the west, but followers of other drow gods can be found in nearly every region they control.

The Spider Queen’s religion is usually matriarchal, with the leading females of each noble house also filling the dual role of senior priestesses. Competition in all aspects of life is heavily encouraged, but infighting isn’t as common as popular belief suggests, as too assassination and sabotage weakens the drow race as a whole, and discredits their claims to superiority.

Prior to the creation of the Drow City-States, most followers of the Spider Queen dwelt in underground cities throughout the west.

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>>88468815

>Gogotha/Gorgotha/Gogothi/Succubi Queen/Succubus Goddess/Gozzer

The drow know that Gogotha has followers among other races, but still often depict her as a horned drow and worship her through their own cultural lens.

The main appeal of Gogotha worship for certain drow is that they can indulge in their darkest impulses and be rewarded with power for doing so. Cults of Gogotha are rewarded with dark powers in direct proportion to the intensity of their degeneracy.

Cults are often matriarchal, but this isn’t a rule and Gogothan cults can take all sorts of forms. In a few cities, certain noble houses openly worship Gogotha, but hidden (or open) cults among a city’s merchant class, landowning class, raider class, and/or criminal class are more common.

Followers of Gogotha consider the Spider Queen to be their creator, but that following Gogotha to be the logical next step in order to fully embrace the dark desires that the Spider Queen gave to them (a viewpoint that makes a certain sense to many Spider Queen followers). As a result, followers of the Spider Queen are the most likely to get along with followers of Gogotha, though there are many instances of them fighting one another.

Due to their cruelty, unpredictable power, and lack of self control, followers of Gogotha operate in secret in many drow cities. A few cities where Gogotha becomes too powerful collapsed when they lose control of their demons and/or become to self-indulgent to maintain a functioning society.

However, there are still a few Gogotha dominated underground cities below the Witch-Elven Empire. The historic ties between the two are unclear, but in modern times the two fight as often as they work together. Most Gogothan cults in the Drow City-States are believed to have in some way originated from those underground cities. In the south, a few drow worship Gozzer, who is often believed to be either Gogotha, or at least a demon associated with her.

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>>88468914

>Infernus/Volcano God/Infernus the Volcano

Worshipping Infernus appeals to the impulse some drow have to put aside self-indulgence and embrace militant racial imperialism. Drow followers have a well deserved reputation for being grim, pragmatic, and workmanlike, in contrast to the impulsive self indulgence embraced by many other drow creeds. Often their hard labor and craftsmanship is compared to the dwarves, though all but the most radically aggressive dwarven clans are dismayed by the fanaticism and win-at-all-costs mentality of the typical Infernus follower.

Infernus followers tend not to get along with other drow, and instead gather in their own cities, typically near volcanoes. However, most drow cities have a small Infernus cult, which usually directs excess followers to the nearest Infernus dominated city. Infernus also does well with serious minded spellcasters and artisans in many drow cities.

Within Infernus dominated cities, followers tend to follow the matriarchal noble house structure common to most drow. Positions in the priesthood are meritocratic, however, the nobles and the clergy generally work well together to oversee a hardworking and brutally efficient society. Although Infernus dominated cities typically use slaves, most drow in these cities also perform manual labor, which is seen as an act of devotion rather than something to be avoided.

Much like Gogotha, Infernus can be quite generous with his/her gifts to those who express sufficient fanaticism, though Infernus prefers frequent large scale elaborate rituals and ceremonies to the wild orgies and torture sessions favored by Gogotha.

Posting the last bit for >>88444516

However, many of these changes would pale in comparison to the ripple effects that the destruction of the Ogre Kingdoms brought. The history of the swamps near northern and central Giantstep is difficult to study, since the darkness of the bogs makes all but the most mad and suicidal of individuals want to traverse it (or even be near it). Around 2.228 ABE, it is believed that a series of ogre tribes managed to establish dominion over the inhabitants of the swamps, creating what was called at the time the Ogre Kingdoms. These nations were a constant threat to the nearby lands, raiding and pillaging in great numbers, with the swamps turning into an impenetrable defense that blocked all attempts of retaliation. However, around 2.2426 ABE, a massive exodus of ogres came out of the bogs, running away as fast and as far away as they could against the entity that had seemingly ruled over them in the past. It is believed that, the enigmatic Bog Witch, in a couple of years, managed to reconquer her domains in the swamps and marshes of Giantstep. And while the Bog Witch would prove to be more interested in her own domain that in the rest of the world, the effects of the great exodus of ogres would have a immense effect in the history of the world.

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>>88468943

Ironically for the god/goddess whose followers are most keen to advance the power of the drow race as a whole, Infernus doesn’t seem to openly favor the drow over his/her followers of other races, like the barbarians of Volcano God Island, certain dwarven clans, or even a few civilized human cultures (for example, the Cleansing Flame of Moreelse probably has some ancient link to Infernus worship). However, the drow are the most numerous and organized of the Volcano God’s followers, and as long as he/she continues to provide power in exchange for worship, he/she will be a popular god with the drow.

One of the few areas of disagreement between Infernus Cults is what Infernus looks like. He/she is depicted as female by most subsects, but as male, or a genderless non-humanoid embodiment of raw power, in other subsects. This is not a major point of contention though as nearly all agree that Infernus himself/herself as never seen how he/she is depicted as important.

The followers of Infernus see the followers of the other drow gods as weak or prone to infighting. However, they sometimes take it upon themselves to unify the other drow for the “advancement of the drow race”. The most notable example of this is when they speaheaded the “Drow Uprising”. Prior to the uprising, most of the Infernus followers dwelt deep beneath Scimitaria in underground cities, but there were also some other underground cities across the west, and a scattering of followers in the south.

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>>88468979

>Ash Goddess

A wild and unpredictable being that has long lorded over the ashlands of central Scimitaria. She is most likely a Faerie Lord of considerable power, but is often treated as a god by the drow and fey of the ashlands. She was sometimes a member of the Western Elven Empire and the First Elven Empire, but never did more for these alliances than granting safe passage and harassing their enemies. Like many Faerie Lords, she became increasingly disengaged from the mortal world, and by the time the dwarves and Azanese started pushing into the ashlands, she was nowhere to be seen, though some of her followers were still quite powerful and led an effective guerrilla campaign against the dwarves, Azanese, and later even the Drow Empire and its successor states. However, the Drow City-States eventually ground down her more dedicated followers and the remainder (most of whom were drow) came to an unofficial accord with the city dwellers.

The Ash Goddess’s followers are known as the ashlanders and they live a harsh, stoic life out in the ashlands. A few small (and often partially ruined) cities serve as meeting points for some of the larger ashlander tribes. Although the ashlanders typically wear heavy clothes and masks to keep out the burning volcanic ash, many are magically attuned to their homeland to such an extent that they are nearly immune to any potential ill effects to ash exposure.

Although the Ash Goddess rarely makes contact with her followers these days, the ashlanders see her as a creator figure of sorts who modified them both culturally and literally in order to better survive the ashlands. Individuals who are particularly adept at ash magic will generally also fill the role of shaman, and are expected to learn and impart the creed of the Ash Goddess, such that it is (basically just the usual might-makes-right and respect the power of nature teachings that many Faerie Lords live by).

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>>88468998

> Eili/Eilistraree/Moon Goddess

Eili is the drow goddess of harmony, magic, and music. She was the main drow god for surface dwellers in the west prior to the “Drow Uprising”, but also has some underground followers in the west, as well as being fairly popular in the south.

She is often seen as the most “good” of the drow gods, as her followers have often clashed with the more cruel of the drow. However, Eili’s teachings are ambiguous due to thick layers of mysticism and symbology, thus allowing Eili’s followers to commit morally grey acts when needed.

In pre-Uprising times, Eili’s followers filled a valuable niche within the Western Elven Empire by bridging the gap between the more powerful and reckless of the Faerie Lords with those who wanted a more organized civilization. Most of Eili’s followers fought against the other drow during the “Drow Uprising” and were taken as slaves or went into exile abroad. However, some of Eili’s followers sided with the invaders instead, or came up from the underground along with them.

Eili’s followers has many different subsects, reflecting that her religion evolved in different directions in the south and in the west, and on both the surface and underground. However, some traits are common to all subsects. Eili’s followers are matriarchal, with clergy often holding noble titles as well. Her creed emphasizes “cosmic stability”, which appeals to a range of individuals from mages seeking answers to existential threats, to farmers hoping for predictable weather. Her ceremonies are often ethereal and mystical, in order to encourage her followers to think belong their mundane, day-to-day concerns.

Eili has a lot in common with other moon gods like Irem and Uana, as well as certain other gods like Shiora, Aoghm, and Kagal. She is often credited with the creation of life and magic, but Eili’s followers are divided on how much of a role Eili had in making the drow themselves.

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>>88469071

>Vivec/Viv/Gilgam/Poet God

Viv is a popular hero-god among the southern drow whose worship has also spread to the western drow. He is said to be an ascended mortal from ancient times, a close comrade of the similar hero-god of Gilgemash, who some consider to be the same god.

Unlike many other drow gods, the clergy of Viv aren’t matriarchal, nor do they typically have strong ties with the noble houses. Instead the most faithful of Viv form religious orders that base themselves in temple complexes and alternate between studying sacred texts and going out into the world and trying to emulate Viv’s risk-taking lifestyle.

Viv’s sacred texts are a massive compilation of poetry he wrote as a mortal, each of which is both an adventurous tale, and a philosophical lesson. His more dedicated followers often have their own adventures which they write poetry about.

Viv’s followers aren’t very organized, and instances of Viv communicating with his followers or granting them power are very rare. Perhaps because they aren’t seen as a major threat, Viv’s followers get along with most other drow gods fairly well. Viv is most popular among lower and middle class males, as well as merchants, pirates, raiders, and freelance mercenaries. He is mostly associated with the southern drow, but is growing more popular in some coastal cities in the Drow City-States as well.

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>>88469094

>Asra/Star Goddess/Clan Goddess

Asra is a hero-goddess of the southern drow who is credited with developing much of their social structure. In some ways, her teachings are a watered down version of the Spider Goddess’s, in that they acknowledge the innate ambition and competitiveness of the drow race while providing structure to allow it to thrive despite the efforts of other races.

Asra tends to be the default goddess for the matriarchs of the southern drow, both nobles and ordinary families. Positions in the clergy are often hereditary, with nobles being advised by clergy of noble birth, and commoners led by common born clergy. Asra’s teaching tend to emphasize social stability and charity, which makes her clergy perhaps the most relatable to many human faiths.

Although Asra’s faith started in the south, it has also spread to a number of the more tolerant parts of the Drow City-States, particularly among the lower and middle classes who generally can’t afford the excess favored by some followers of Gogotha or the Spider Goddess.

There are many similarities between the creed of Eili and Azra, including an interest in astromancy and cosmic balance. However, there is some tension between the two faiths due to the widespread belief that Azra was once a follower of Eili back when she was a mortal, which essentially makes the faith of Azra a lesser offshoot of the faith of Eili. Also, depending on the region, Azra’s followers are much more tolerant to slavery, racism towards other races, and fostering competition between drow, then followers of Eili.

Followers of Azra tend to get along well with followers of Viv and the Cog God, which makes sense as they developed alongside one another in the south. They also get along better than expected with followers of the Spider Queen and Caijin, due to similar creeds of self-reliance.

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>>88469115

>The Cog God/Nchua Ei

The Cog God is the third of the southern hero-gods who is said to ascended to godhood in ancient times. A scholar and inventor, his creed has appeal to a small but select group of elite craftsmen, mages, and inventors.

Particularly devout followers of the Cog God tend to organize themselves into secretive orders dedicated to furthering a particular type of knowledge, but most followers simply pay their respects to him in a manner of their own choosing.

The Cog God is mostly popular in the south, where his worship has also spread to a number of non-drow races, but he also has some popularity in the Drow City-States. His followers in the Drow City-States have a somewhat cursed reputation, as anytime they try and establish their own city where they can research in peace, it somehow gets ruined or raided under unlikely circumstances. The Cog God’s followers don’t get along well with many of followers of the other drow gods, but can get along with nearly anyone who is interested in the pursuit of knowledge.

>Vhar/The Exile God

An obscure hero-god from Scimitaria. The circumstances of his alleged ascension are unknown, and much of his origin and creed are forgotten or shrouded in mystery. Despite this, his worship has cropped up periodically throughout recorded history among drow who were exiled or voluntarily left their birth culture. In modern times, his main followers are drow (and some sea elves) living in exile in northern Scimitaria and a few other parts of the west. They tend to be a secretive group. Some still fear retribution from their homeland, others have an extensive criminal record from when they were still adjusting to the differences between Azanese influenced human cultures, and the more violent of the drow cultures.

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>>88469156

>The Sea Slug God/Caijin

It is unclear whether Caijin is an outsider god, an unusual (and unusually powerful) Faerie Lord, or something else entirely. But what is known is that he has long taken a strong interest in the drow race. Said to have once been mostly concerned with little known aquatic races in the northwest, he carved out a niche among the ancient surface drow as the patron of sailors and oceanic raiders. Over time, his most devout followers in northeast Scimitaria became their own race (the exact mechanisms by which this occurred are unclear), but scattered clans of drow pirates and sailors continued to worship him.

Caijin’s creed has similar traits to many of the other drow gods including self-reliance and hostility to outsiders, though they don’t take things to quite the same extremes as followers of Infernus of Gogotha. Although most of Caijin’s followers are sea elves, drow and sea elves are seen as essentially the same in the eyes of Caijin.

Within the Drow City-States, followers of Caijin tend to get along best with those of Viv, the Spider Goddess, and the more violent of Eili’s followers. Some of Caijin’s more civilized followers also get along well with Azra’s followers.

Caijin’s followers tend to follow the same matriarchal noble structure of most drow, but positions in the clergy are almost exclusively male.

Several small drow coastal cities and towns in Scimitaria affiliated with Caijin have survived by repeatedly shifting their allegiances between the Western Elven Empire, the Azanese, and the Drow Empire/Second Elven Empire when needed, but remain independent cities at heart, where freelance raiding and seaborne trading form the backbone of the local economies. Caijin also does well with any drow who rely on the sea, such as merchant sailors, pirates, and fishermen, regardless of who the dominant gods are in their home city.

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>>88469178

>Faerie Lords

Some drow still follow the “old ways”, worshipping the gods indirectly through one of many Faerie Lords. Many of these Faerie Lords have ties to the Spider Queen, Gogotha, or Eili, but drow can sometimes be found among the followers of nearly any type of Faerie Lord, from unseelie to naturalist to enlightened to pacifist.

Some scholars believed that large numbers of drow dwelt within the underground portions of the Fairy Realm, and that they provided large armies in support of the “Drow Uprising”, but little evidence of this theory has ever been found, and it is now mostly seen as an excuse for military failures during the invasion.

>Miscellaneous

Some drow worship a wide range of other gods, including the Azanese Faith in the west, or animal spirits in the south.

going to do thereby next

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Ok, so I'm now in the historical map that deals with the fall of the Khenomeric Empire and the rise of the gnoll. Not that much happens outside that, so it's going to focus in that.

But I realized there is no political map of the Khenomeric Empire. So before I start this, I'll probably try to do two maps about the khenomeric empire: one at the height of its power, and one at the end, so we could work the history of the fall more precisely. Proposing new cities would be nice as well.

Do we have maps that I've missed? Names of important cities? Where is Khoraqualumum?

And about the rest of the events:
-Religious revolution in Azan. Birth of the New Faith. That causes Siuverland to secede, and probably part of the Swaying meadows.
-Start of the Changrilese Decay. The Ogchuck and part of the Golden Hills separate from Changrila.
-Greater Elanxa continues its expansion futher into Zemyland and Littlestep.

Am I missing something?
-

>>88468731
northman pantheon and the fey added to wiki

>>88469525
by the time the Khenomeric Empire falls, it is supposed to be a fair bit smaller than the current Gnoll Empire, I don't think we have anything other than that

>>88469647
One thing, the fey was already in the wiki.
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Fey

I'm marking the new page as duplicate. Please check if the info is in the wiki already before posting it.

>>88469674
Looks like only half of the post made it on there, the stuff I did keyword searches on is missing

I will add the missing half to the existing page in case something has been linked to it already

>>88469788
I did not add the bits that were under discussion, since some were arguing that some of the species in the lore dump did not really qualify as fey.

>>88469810
The whole point of the "The Fey" lore dump was to clarify that "fey" isn't just a racial category, but also one of socio/religious/political affiliation

The biology anon can organize the "Sentient Species of Giantstep" page in whatever manner that makes the most sense to him, but pretty much all the species listed under "lesser fey" have been referred to as fey at some point or another. "The Fey" lore dump helped clarify under what circumstances different races are sometimes referred to as fey.

>>88466910
What?

>>88470399
A world map with the cities. Asking for >>88469525

>>88470061
>The whole point of the "The Fey" lore dump was to clarify that "fey" isn't just a racial category, but also one of socio/religious/political affiliation
We're going to need to clarify this at some point.

>>88473298
"The Fey" post (in its entirety) did a fairly good job at explaining it, and it builds off of what was on the Western Elven Empire page and various relevant nation's pages

If there is something specific people don't understand, let me know

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A reminder that we still have to add some capitals.

>>88476736
Also, can someone confirm that the capitals in yellow are correct? Thanks.

>>88468793
>>88468815
>>88468815
>>88468914
>>88468943
>>88468979
>>88468998
>>88469071
Is this in the wiki?

>>88469509
Nice.

>>88476736
Capital of the Platinum Princedom is Voyvoda

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Ok, first draft of the map of the Khenomeric Empire. I've searched for all of the provinced mentioned by name, and I've tried to draw their borders as accurately as possible. However, most of their territory is not described at all, so I've just o eyeballed it. Also, there is a bit of an issue with the Khenomeric Empire's geography, and it's the lack of rivers. Should we add more rivers to it?

The empire right before the Great War of the Gnoll is much smaller, and the surviving provinces have fractured.

Any suggestions?

>>88481918
Ok. Added.

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>>88483034
Expanded the map a bit. Added a couple of names to the provinces, and I located the city of Khoraqualumum, near the lake named the Watering Hole.

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A reminder that we still have to add many descriptions for the sentient species.

>>88485269
There's a coastal city named Cothelk.

>>88485269
Great

The Neeugs was very complete as it is, so I'm writing the finishing touches to it.

>The Mystery of the Neeugs
The small strip of land between the Onyx Mountains and the jungles of the Chakobsa is a seemingly unassuming land, with an environment full of prairies and small forest patches. However, all who travel there will immediately feel the unnatural silence reigning in the plains. After a while of pondering what’s wrong, they will realize that the silence is caused by a near total lack of animal life. There are no creatures above the size of beetles: no birds, no rabbits, no horses, no bears, no wolves, no deer… Even the alchemical creatures from the Strange Meadows tend to avoid the land, though they are slowly populating the eastern parts of the Neeugs. Travelers who cross the Neeugs will also realize that there are many towns and cities, all devoid of life. The empty streets and houses are, nevertheless, well maintained, and do not show any signs of disrepair. Those who do not know what dwells in these cities will enter them to explore the strange phenomenon of seemingly disappearance of the entirety of the human population. If their curiosity beats their sense of self-preservation, they will stay the night to avoid camping in the wilds. And by the time dawn breaks, many of them will have disappeared, never to be seen again.

>>88496375
Those who do know what dwells within the cities of the Neeugs will try to warn the foolish explorers, though their strange stories may sound foolish or even insane, at best a creative plot of the locals to try to keep away strangers from some sort of treasure. The tales of the towns near the Neeugs are filled with stories about the abandoned cities, only they are not abandoned. The strange beings that inhabit them are not spirits or creatures of flesh and blood. The inhabitants of the cities are the seemingly ordinary items around them: walls, statues, benches, store signs, doors… The strange sightings of living items are attributed to the existence of the trees of life, spread at seemingly random patterns throughout the world, and undistinguishable from regular trees until it’s too late. That in of itself it’s not the mystery, however. While a nearly unknown phenomenon for the layman, most wizards and alchemists will know the stories about the effects of the living trees, though the effects of the divine wood are rarely seen, even by experienced wizards. The question then lays in the obvious: who built the cities? And why beings of living wood group there? And how?

>>88496393
The sightings of the cities has given the experts little to no clue. From the outside, the cities look completely normal, with an architecture reminiscent of the idyllic towns of sidarian lands. And yet, the sidarians swear they are not the builders of the cities, and that they avoid stepping on the borders of the Neeugs as much as possible, only entering when hunting down a particularly dangerous alchemical creature. Many dark tales surround the Neeugs’ empty towns, and there have even been attempts to burn down the settlements, only for fate to intervene in one way or another to stop the would be arsonists. In particular, the biggest town in the Neeugs is Rah-Peece, named that due to the many boards with strange writings all over the settlement, with the only intelligible part being its name. At the center of a great plaza, full of flowers of many colors, lies a massive wooden structure, pyramidal yet at the same time hollow, which reaches the height of many of the world’s greatest castles. What the significance of this structure is, we do not know to this day.

>>88479314
Added.

Where was the original wooden man from? The lore states something about a "kingdom" but doesn't specify anything more

>>88499773
It was not specified, probably to make it sound like a myth.

Where's the lore map?

Where is the frozen lake lore?

>>88476736
Capital of the Bayukmen is Blackwater March

>>88505041
Added.

>>88505028
Was there more lore than what there is here?
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Frozen_Lake_and_Isle_of_Cold

I'm still adding names to the khenomeric provinces, but I feel that there is little to no rivers in the area. Should I add more rivers? Would there be an issue with the lore?

How's the bestiary going?

>>88512591
Needs updating badly.

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One idea that has been living in my head rent-free for a year is to date the most theologically correct instance of theopoeia.
Silk.
>Serica, Saeta, or Si
>silk-making invertebrates such as the spider and the butterfly are holy to her
>associated with: webs, trapping, binding, and bondage; economy and civilization; luxury, comfort, beauty, art, and money; sensual fantasies and lust; surgery, medicine, and healing; weaving and fabric; cocooning and metamorphosis
>her holy object is silken armor
>failure to worship causes spider bites to turn bad
>her path is the Silk Road

>>88508985
Jesus christ who wrote that shit

>>88465385
>AI """""art"""""

>>88485269
I'd say the Runaan Desert is probably nominal control only because it's pretty unliveable for humans so there's no real reason to go there and I doubt the Runaan would accept human overlords

>>88514045
We have had a lack of artists for this project since the beginning, so this is better than nothing.

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Ok, I've named most of the provinces of the Khenomeric Empire at its peak. I've decided to not put names to most of the yellow areas that are just lands where they were expanding towards. Any suggestions for the lands of the south?

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>>88517959
The magoclergy layer was hidded, fixed it here.

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Ok, so I've finished with the provinces of the Khenomeric Empire at its peak. I'll try to do the ones during its fall now.

what's the most region in this setting?

>>88521304
>what's the most region in this setting?
What?

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>>88520897
Finished the map of the khenomeric provinces before the Great War of the Gnoll. Moving on to the cities.

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>>88520897
Here are the cities. I've tried to follow things such as rivers and other geographical elements, and I've left out some cities that are implied to have appeared after the Khenomeric Empire. Any suggestions?

What place do you want to see more lore of?

>>88525133
Outside of the places that still need lore, the Empire of Elanxa feels very bare bones for what's one of the big empires of the setting.

Where's the lore map?

>>88523518
Kowloon (Anachonia) should appear on the map instead of Lunatik 9

At one point, Anachonia was the capital of the Kowloon Province, which at its peak included much of the light yellow area and Drowchont, though by Magoclergy times, power in the area shifted to Drowchont, which probably is what resulted in Kowloon breaking up into smaller provinces

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>>88532089
Ok, the yellow areas shouldn't have cities shown anyway, so I'll hide it for now. Still, I'll take this bit into account for later.

Also, I added some military outposts that would become cities later down the line, mostly in the borders and Nitarisha.

I'll write something for the Republic of the Automata.

Ok, some quick lore writeup for the Republic of Abandoned Automata.

>History
The history of the Republic of the Abandoned Automata can be tracked to the years before the Battle of Empires. The armies of the Khenomeric Empire had invested greatly in magical weapons and tools of war, needed to control the growing power of the Magoclergy over the empire. This led to the creation of many golem and automata, through the combination of magic, alchemy and even astromancy (the use of aether being essential for the manufacture and maintenance of the constructs). Many within the Magoclergy saw these magical constructs as the element that would finally grant the Khenomeric Empire the total control over the world: an army of constructs that would feel no pain, would never tire, would be easily replaceable, could be manufacture in enormous quantities and whose loyalties would never waver. However, the lack of reliable supplies of aether made and the length of time needed to design and build a single automata soldier made the Magoclergy scrap this idea, though they became a part of the khenomeric armies as powerful line breakers.

>>88536509
However, that did not mean that the production of automata slowed down. Whereas military grade automata were complicated and slow to produce, the khenomeric nobility quickly became fond of domestic automata, much easier to produce and maintain. Their capabilities, however, were reduced, mostly limited to a couple of tasks, and they were used as an element of prestige rather than for their actual services. Many of these automata were designed abandoning the human figure, getting inspiration from nature. During the expansion to the west that would led to the Battle of Empires, the Magoclergy used some of their specially designed automata to watch over some of the most dangerous areas of the empire, especially in the provinces that were the private domains of the Magoclergy. These automata were designed to fight whatever horrors the magoclergical experiments brought forth, and were designed to work independently, without the constant watch that other automata and golems needed. This not only meant more intelligence, but also a primitive conscience and reasoning capabilities. As a failsafe, however, they were designed to obey their orders utterly or immediately become inert. Their greater autonomy made them excellent leaders for regular soldier golem and automata, just in time for the start of the war against Azan and the Western Elven Empire.

>>88536525
The Battle of Empires became an apocalyptic clash between the three most powerful empires at the time, and the khenomeric automata played a big part in the fighting. Most of the automata were sent to the frontlines as linebreakers, thousands of armored automata charging the azanese lines while the khenomeric wizards threw spells behind them. Their role as linebreakers meant that most of the automata were destroyed during the initial stages of the fight, and by the time dark ritual unleashed untold destruction upon the land, near the entirety of the military automata had been destroyed. The retreating khenomeric armies tried to bring back the remains of the salvageable automata, but most of them ended up abandoned in the mountains north of the Valley of the Fallen Giants, since they were slowing down the armies quite a lot, and the khenomeric commanders feared the enemy would chase them down during their retreat.

>>88536538
The fall of the Magoclergy and the banning of magic in the empire meant that the automata suddenly became forbidden. The instructions on how to make them were destroyed and many of the owners of automata were ordered to destroy their servants. However, many of them had formed part of their houses for decades, if not centuries, and as such, many individuals had developed an attachment to them. And so, instead of destroying them as they were ordered to, they instead instructed their automata to exile themselves from the Khenomeric Empire. While many of these were discovered, hunted down and terminated, enough of them survived untouched, mostly due to the authorities being much busier with hunting down wizards than automata, especially after the start of the growth of the Forest of Getting Lost. What happened next is discussed by historians: many of the individual automata began coalescing into small groups, which began to unite as well in their travels, until a mass of automata began crossing the Ogabo Desert. Why and how these automata detected each other and joined together is a matter of speculation, since almost all documents regarding about the creation and behavior of khenomeric automata was destroyed during the purges. Some speculate that the automata have a natural ability to detect their own kind through great distances, something that is somewhat sustained by the march toward the “Automata Graveyard”, where most of the military automata’s remains were.

>>88536547
Once there, the automata began repairing each other, a process that took many centuries, since the lack of materials and knowledge meant that many of the fallen automata were cannibalized to repair the salvageable ones. Once the more autonomous automata were operative again, however, the machines began the construction of what seemed to be a city. Many speculate that the automata, needing to fulfill their assigned tasks, and in the absence of humans to serve, recreated the spaces they used to live in. The automata that required to do civilian work created a city to simulate the activity of a city that needed their services, and the military automata needed something to defend. They also reclaimed the military ruins left near the Battle of Empires, like the Ancient Terakotta Wall. The automata began rebuilding and redesigning it, expanding it much further than its original length, and beginning to cover the areas near the swamps of Northern Giantstep, since the creatures and monsters from the swamps were a threat even for the artificial beings.

>>88536561
The growing autonomy of the automata was something of mystery for most nations at the time, though the presence of a nation of automata did not become known until much later, due to the remoteness of the lands from the major powers and its closeness to the Cursed Battlefield. It was discovered by the witchelven during its expansion to the east, where an entire raiding team was utterly annihilated by the military automata. The war between the witchelven and the automata ended with the opening of the Sodomia Breach, which increased the dangers than the automata needed to overcome.

More like /tg/ makes a seething

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MASTODON ISLES

>History

As far as anyone can remember, this island chain has been inhabited by an elephant-like species, known as Mastodons, for millenia. Around two thousand years ago, when the first humans from Gvilderstaaten arrived to these islands, they initially thought they were uninhabited, and thus established many settlements on the islands' numerous rocky shores.

They were met with surprise when they saw humongous creatures emerges from caves (they later found out they built their cities inside those cave systems) and come near their settlements. Knowing they would never be able to defeat such foes in battles, the settlers left in a hurry, only to return decades later, this time with arms.

Many millitary expeditions with aim to subject the Mastodons were launched, and even though this species is not one for war or conflict, their sheer size, physical strength and national unity meant that they had no trouble repelling the invaders. Decades and then centuries passed, and humans from Gvilderstaaten, Zapalovach and the Isle of Wizards saw that trying to conquer the Mastodons was a fruitless effort. Thus, a new era of diplomacy and trade blossomed, and many merchants and diplomats sought to establish friendly relations with these gentle giants.

Trade posts were built in many of the islands, and many Mastodons learned the trade tongue of northwestern Giantstep. Seeing as many humans and hobbits were awestruck at the beauty of their archipelago, and particularly the numerous hot springs that were dotted around the land, the Mastodons took advantage of this and built many bathhouses and resorts, bringing in massive wealth to their realm, as even to this day many aristocrats from all over the world will spend a fortune to enjoy the many amenities of the island and quietly retire blissfully while living in one of the many resorts dedicated to wealthy foreigners.

>>88539485
>Government

In ancient times, the Mastodon Isles were divided amongst many different seneschals, usually with each one governing their own island. According to many historians that have studied the historical archives of the Mastodons, the "Seneschal Era" - as it's known - came to an end shortly after the first human invasions. What came afterwards is known as the "Lönchenpo" period, which extends even to this day.

The Lönchenpo, which roughly translates to "Religious King", is the leader of the Mastodon Isles, and fashions himself as an Emperor. He is advised by nine ministers, known as the Nine Gezins, and is both a religious leader as well as a political one, authorized with both passing laws, as well as foreign diplomacy. The seat of the Lönchenpo can be found on the largest island of the archipelago, Amdo Khaman.

>Economy

Apart from tourism, which is the largest industry in the isiles, due to the various hot springs and bathhouses, Mastodons are widely known as excellent blacksmiths, forgers, builders and even architects. Even though Mastodons are not fond of travelling outside their home islands, whenever they do is when they are paid huge sums in Gvilderstaaten, Scimitaria or Azan to do contractual work for kings, emperors and other patrons of the arts.

Mastodons are also sought out for in the west for their fighting prowess. However, due to their generally peaceful nature, Mastodons are very rarely willing to fight as mercenaries, so the few that do are highly valued. Even more so are Mastodons that are taken by slaves. No slavers that have landed on the shores of the Mastodon Isles have ever returned, so the only times Mastodons have been caught as slaves are during sea raids of merchant vessels that are transporting Mastodons, usually belonging to Gvilderstaaten.

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>>88539927
Fuck my life, I was done with writing the rest of the lore but a power outage meant I lost all of it. Time to rewrite.

>Geography

The Mastodon Isles have come to be known by foreigners as "The Islands of Black and White", due to the black sand beaches and white limestone cliffs that are found in this archipelago. These volcanic islands are filled to the brim with volcanoes, gigantic cliffs, geysers, calders, crater lakes and sulfur pools.

>Religion

The religion of the Mastodons is simply known as "The One Faith". Mastodons follow strict doctrines, imposed by their religious leaders (Tajra Genjins, or "Chief Monks"). The belief of the One Faith is that through prayer and meditation one can achieve harmony with nature and themselves, and ascend to the point where they escape the cycle of reincarnation.

The Mastodons that follow the "Enlightened Path" meditate using hypnotic, low frequency huming music, with the combination of psychedelic incenses, with the aim of reaching spiritual clarity.

This religion was developed in the Mastodons' Isles and many merchants from all over the world have brought religious icons and statues back home, spreading this faith to many ports in the West.

>Foreign Relations

The Mastodon Empire maintains a principle of strict neutrality, pledging to never interfere in foreign wars. This neutrality pact extends to diplomatic and mercantile matters, which means that at all times, merchants and diplomats from all over the west can be found at the Isles' shores.

>Demographics

>Mastodons

Mastodons are intelligent creatures, that resemble bipedal elephants, with long snouts and two sets of heavy tusks. Their skin can vary from dark grey to white, and they stand at three times the height of the average human or elf. Mastodons make their homes inside large, underground caverns and grottoes.

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>>88540866
These subterranean dwellings are the cause of admiration and amazement of architects and engineers all over the world. They feature gargantuan, daedalic structures of scarily accurate geometric proportions, carved out of stone, and often include many complex and strange contraptions that are useful for both security, as well as decoration. Not only that, but Mastodons apparently have devised a way to secure these underground cities against the many earthquakes that plague their islands.

The Mastodons, due to their long snouts and strangely shaped vocal chords, speak in a manner that's extremely difficult for any other race to understand. They use a series of prolonged vowels, hums and consonant clicks made by flapping their large tongues and other nasal sounds. To this day, few foreigners have ever learned the Mastodon language, and even fewer have come to speak it.

Even though Mastodons have the longest lifespan out of any known race, with some living beyond five hundred years, their numbers are very low, due to their slow reproduction. Mastodon females can only give birth once or twice in their lives, and Mastodons typically reach sexual maturity at 150 years of age. The Mastodons, despite their large size, depend little on food, as their extremely slow metabolism means that they eat large meals only once per week, which usually constitute of large broad leaves or fish.

Although Mastodons make up the majority of these islands, they can be rarily found outside their underground cities, with maybe one or two of them living in a coastal settlement, inside a giant sized residence designated for Mastodons.

>Other

Apart from Mastodons, Humans from Zapalovach, Gvilderstaaten, Waldemaria, the Isle of Wizards, Scimitaria and even Mossovoy can be found in small, coastal settlements or bathhouse resorts where merchants, nobles and diplomats come and go as they please. Additionaly, hobbits, gnomes, elves, dwarves and orcs can sometimes be found alongside the

>>88539485
>>88536509
Is this in the wiki?

>>88541170
Not yet.

>>88541134
Going to sleep now, will write about Culture tomorrow.

>>88541267
Ok

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>Thereby

>History:

The region that is now known as Thereby has been home to a high concentration of gnomes as long as anyone can remember. It might have been the original homeland of the gnomes prior to them coming under the influence of the Faerie Lords, while others believe at least some of the Faerie Lords predated the gnomes, and were involved in their creation. Either way, it is likely that most, if not all gnomes, can trace their roots back to the region, even if one must go back millennia.

There have been many large scale migrations out of Thereby, usually at the behest of one or more Faerie Lords, which have led to gnomes living in throughout the northwest, Scimitaria, the northern coast, and Zemyland, among other regions. Over the past two millennia, there have also been a series of smaller scale migrations to human ruled nations due to economic reasons, not unlike the hobbits, though on a lesser scale.

Thereby and gnomes living in the northwest have generally been strong supporters of the First Elven Empire and the Western Elven Empire. They aided in the “colonization” of Scimitaria to support the Western Elven Empire, but as Scimitaria gradually fell to Azan and Azanese-allied dwarves, most of the gnomes migrated back to Thereby, along with some friendly dwarf clans and other allies.

>Government:

There is no formal government in Thereby. The gnomes, dwarves, hobbits, and other inhabitants generally organized themselves into clans with populations in the low hundreds. There are a few towns and small cities that act as trade hubs, mining hubs, or religious hubs, but most of the population is essentially rural.

The Faerie Lords are the true rulers of Thereby, and most clans are affiliated with at least one. Although the Faerie Lords don’t provide a lot of day to day governance, they have a great deal of moral authority, and they are also who the inhabitants of Thereby turn to in times of trouble.

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>>88544742

>Economy:

Thereby is surprisingly industrialized despite its rural nature. Although many clans focus on agriculture, a very high percentage dedicate themselves to mining (both metal and jewels), gem cutting, metal forging, and the crafting of mechanical devices.

Goods crafted by gnomes can fetch a high price in foreign lands, but within the Lands Behind the Hedge aren’t seen as too special or valuable. As a result, inhabitants of Hereby profit well from trading between Thereby and human nations.

>Foreign Relations:

Elfwood, Windwillow, Hereby, Whereby, Baalps, Evergreen Pastures: These regions are all traditionally allies of Thereby, so relations are strong, though grudges between certain Faerie Lords sometimes leads to violence between certain factions within each of these nations, particularly the gibberlings beneath the Baalps and certain other unseelie and wilder fey. The gnomes found in these regions are generally allies of Thereby.

Gvilderstaaten and Isle of Wizards: There are a few gnomes living in the human lands of the northwest, mostly living in these two nations. Generally gnomes aren’t as interest in human style mercantilism as certain hobbits, and often rely on hobbits for outside trade, but a few gnome merchant clans have formed with holdings both within and outside the Lands Behind The Hedge.

Sniden, Zapalovah, Land of Fake Humans: There are some gnomes living in these lands, but they are often seen as the descendants of exiles or unseelie fey, so don’t have strong ties with Thereby.

Forest of the Sunflowers: The inhabitants of Thereby once enjoyed decent relations with the strange subrace of dryad that lives in these lands, but some clans of gnomes and dwarves allied themselves with the human nations that sought to despoil this region. Unwilling to risk civil war, many other gnome clans kept out of the conflict, and as a result, gnomes and dwarves are not looked fondly upon by the few remaining sunflower dryads.

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>>88544785

Dominion of the Bog-Witch: The inhabitants of the Bog, particularly agents of Mutaa, sometimes stir up trouble for the inhabitants of Thereby.

Mastodontan States – Occasionally wealthy gnomes and dwarves will sometimes visit the Mastodontan States.

>Geography:

Much of Thereby is an idyllic landscape of gently rolling hills, meadows, and small forests. The dwarves and hobbits have some surface farms and communities, but the gnomes do most of their agriculture underground, near their communities and mines.

As the dominant race lives mostly underground, Thereby appears even more sparsely populated (by Azanese human standards) than it actually is. However, locals know that more than a few hills conceal a maze of tunnels, mines, homesteads, and hidden entrances, all of which are designed with the gnomes three foot stature in mind (or sometimes the slightly larger hobbits and dwarves). Although not as grandiose as certain dwarven or elven cities, the underground villages of the gnomes do (generally) feature beautiful carvings of stone or wood in every support beam, fireplace mantle, or door frame.

>Demographics:

Gnomes – The most common race in Thereby. Clans tend to specialize in different fields like agriculture, mining, or crafting, but have a reputation for invention and quality regardless of what they do. Some human scholars divide gnomes into different races based on their preferred environment (garden gnomes, forest gnomes, swamp gnomes, etc.), but these distinctions often borderline meaningless except on occasions where Faerie Lords and similar beings have tampered with the biology of the gnome in question (or his/her ancestors).

Hobbits – Hobbits and gnomes get along fairly well and often live nearby one another, with hobbit villages providing trading services and surface grown food in return for gems and other crafted goods.

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>>88544799

Dwarves – Although some dwarves have long lived in the region, others arrived in several large migrations as dwarven clans affiliated with the fey lost their holdings elsewhere, particularly in Scimitaria. Dwarves in Thereby have much in common with the gnomes, but are more willing to live on the surface, so they also sometimes fill a similar niche to hobbits.

Other Fey and Fey-Associated Races – Brownies can be found in decent numbers, but are often overlooked due to their small size. Dryads, elves, and she-ep are common along the Hedge border. Some gnome-dwarves, fake humans, goblins, and a few hags can be found in the seedier areas.

Humans – There are some humans in Thereby. Many are merchants, but others are long-term inhabitants with deep roots in the region.

>Religion:

Religion is less organized here than in human lands, with more focus on stories and following the example of certain Faerie Lords than a structured religious organization. However, the top tier of Faerie Lords are very powerful, and in addition hold much moral and political authority over their followers. The senior followers of most Faerie Lords are known as druids, and have been granted (or sometimes already had) magical abilities that help them promote the tenets of their particular Faerie Lord.

- Fendrick Boldbodin – The Faerie Lord with the most influence over the gnomes (and also some dwarves and a few hobbits), he is a peaceful sort, more interested in crafting and innovation than warfare. However, his concern for the environment led him to be a strong supporter of the First Elven Empire and the Western Elven Empire at times.

- Stoutheart – Another popular option. This giant badger (or bear) is popular with miners and militias of several races in the Lands Behind the Hedge due to his emphasis on hard work and community defense.

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>>88544811

- Digger – A fairly popular, but controversial option. The Digger (who often appears as a gnome, dwarf, giant mole, or something in between) is known for his greed and fanatical determination to find more shinies. Popular with gnomes, dwarves, hybrids between the two, as well as some fake humans and goblins.

- Arbul Applebloom – Mostly followed by hobbit farmers.

- Nikkla – This gnome-like Faerie Lord is the patron of hermits, scholars, and peaceful loners of several races.

- Crimisa – Along with a few others, Crimisa has a decent following among the elves, dryads, and gnomes that patrol the Hedge. Particularly along the northern border they are often willing to turn a blind eye to unseelie fey as long as they help keep troublemakers out of Thereby.

- Drumphry – This scholarly Faerie Lord has some followers among the gnomes, dwarves, and hobbits.

- Jeberjebus and Adonis – Usually seen as strange foreigners despite being Faerie Lords. Almost never followed by full clans, but do attract small followings of free-thinkers and radicals.

- Nichtmair and Pumpkin Jack – These unseelie Faerie Lords are grudgingly tolerated due to their past defence of the region from humans.

- Long John Crustysocks and the Snatcher – These wilder Faerie Lords sometimes pass through Thereby on their nomadic journeys of trouble-making. Their followers are mostly criminals.

- The Bog-Witch and Mutaa – Although seen as borderline demon worship, a few scattered and hidden cults to Mutaa operate in Thereby.

Aside from the Faerie Lords, there is also some demon worship in Thereby, where the secretive nature of many of its inhabitants makes it easier to hide cults.

- Glutton God – Hobbit followers of the Glutton God find it easier to operate in Thereby than in Hereby. They are also sometimes joined by followers of other races, particularly dwarves.

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>>88544831

- Gogotha – Something about Gogotha appeals to the more reckless nature of many fey, particularly those who were modified by unseelie fey in the past. Small cults of Gogotha are scattered about, including the so-called “Dungeon of Evil” where Gogothan gnomes conquered a remote hobbit burrow near the border with the Fake Humans and have been raiding both sides of the border ever since.

Most humans in the area are merchants following the Azanese Faith, but most long term inhabitants follow Faerie Lords, with a few trouble-makers following the unseelie or wilder Faerie Lords, particularly near the northern border.

>Military:

Hobbits and gnomes are too small to fight against humans in conventional warfare, but both can be surprisingly skilled at guerrilla warfare. Gnomes tend to be found of using the mazes of tunnels and hidden exits around their territories to launch ambushes with crossbows and magic. Gnomes affiliated with the more violent Faerie Lords also have a penchant for using knives, hatchets, and picks against foes who are sleeping or trapped.

A peculiar mount of choice for certain gnomish scouts is the Thereby Chicken, an ill-tempered flightless that towers nearly six feet tall.

Dwarves are naturally much tougher fighters than the hobbits or gnomes, but in Thereby, even they prefer ambushes and light infantry tactics to the heavy infantry tactics they are famous for in other areas. This is mostly due to the cultural divide between the wilder fey-affiliated dwarves and the discipline of the Azanese and Staligurd dwarves.

Luckily it has been a long time since Thereby has faced a large scale invasion, but raids by the gibberlings, followers of the Bog-Witch, the man-ogres, and the fake humans are not unheard of, nor is banditry within Thereby, usually by the followers of unseelie or wilder Faerie Lords, or demon cults.

>>88544844
>>88544831
>>88544811
>>88544799
>>88544785
>>88544742
Adding to the wiki.

One thing I have to point out, the western continent is Scimitarian, not Scimitaria. It's in the 3rd thread.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84877899/

>>88544742
>Thereby and gnomes living in the northwest have generally been strong supporters of the First Elven Empire and the Western Elven Empire.
>the First Elven Empire and the Western Elven Empire.
Aren't they the same thing?
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Western_Elven_Empire

>>88544785
I do like the bit that the gnomes are more mechanically inclined that even the dwarves. Maybe they are very good at making intricate mechanisms, since they are better suited to small and precise works. Maybe they could be particularly good clock makers?

>>88546377
Isn't Scimitarian an adjective/demonym?

Is the Abandoned Automata lore done?

>>88546850
no

>>88546850
I'm writing it right now.

>>88546838
It's both the name and the denonym.

>>88541134
>Culture and Society

Mastodon society is based around clans, or extended families, that each inhabit a specific area in their underground cities. These families are usually led by the eldest female, and are considered sacred by Mastodons; one individual is expected to be loyal and serve his kin above anyone else.

Mastodons place a great importance on writing poems, stories and hymns, usually carved on large stone tablets, that are larger than even the Mastodons themselves.

Even though Mastodons are wise, intelligent, peaceful and patient creatures, they are known for holding grudges, which might be attributed to their incredibly good memories. It is said that a Mastodon might remember a misdeed done to him even two centuries have passed from that event, often with almost perfect graphic detail. This could explain why historiography has such deep roots in the Isles.

Continuing with the Republic of the Automata

>Society
The society in the world of automata is a strange one. Automata have built big cities all around their territory, but after further examination, one can quickly realize that most of the things in the cities are superfluous for the automata’s needs. There are food stores, yet the automata do not need to eat. There are hospitals, yet automata do not sicken. There are bathhouses and latrines, yet automata have no need for that. The automata create exact replicas of human cities, with a design and form somewhat distorted due to time, but without a single human in sight. The wizards from the Ancient Order of Most Practical Wizards who have gone to the region to investigate it reached the conclusion that all these seemingly pointless activities actually cover the main need of the automata: accomplishing their original purpose. The simpler automata are compelled to do the task they were designed for, whether or not there are humans around to enjoy their benefits. Thus, the more intelligent and sentient automata have designed a system to simulate city activity as much as possible. This is also crucial for the military automata, since their design needs something to defend. Most of the automata designed only for aggression and attack have been lost to time, destroyed to the point of irreparability. The defensive automata have survived in great numbers, due to their tasks not needing to risk constant damage.

>>88547597
Thus, there is little to no economy. Whatever the automata produce is swiftly discarded, only for the automata in question to continue the production in a never-ending cycle. Travelers who have crossed the territory describe mountains of artisanal products finely crafted and in perfect condition, abandoned by the automata in massive landfills, only for other automata to take the reusable materials back to the cities where they can be made into the exact same items, in a never-ending process. Many automata have been seen building great mansions, empty of all life, just so they can have a place to clean up over and over. The works on the Ancient Terrakota Wall are not just for defensive purpose, but to allow certain types of automata to continue their function. The only area in which there seems to be no automata labor whatsoever is in agriculture, for the simple reason that even at the peak of the khenomeric power, dedicating automata to something as lowly as farming or agriculture was a great waste of resources. Some have been seen planting trees, but only with the purpose of obtaining wood for their tasks. While many nations and groups would be interested in accessing the dumping grounds of the automata, the total isolation of the region makes any kind of trade with the outside world impossible.

>>88547609
There is a considerable amount of discussion between academic circles about the sentience levels of the automata. While automata have proven to be intelligence, and they have developed over time in ways their original creators possibly didn’t intend, many automata show little conscience of themselves. The simplest automata only do their assigned tasks, stopping only when they need repairs or when they are being interrupted by something from the outside. The more complex automata do have a sense of self-recognition and creativity, but in ways that seem uncanny for most living species. Automata have little to no need for interaction, even with other automata. The research done by the Ancient Order of Most Practical Wizards showed that some of the destroyed automata had been active and “awake” ever since the Battle of Empires, seemingly trapped in eternal bodies, unable to move for thousands of years. And yet, their faculties and senses do not seem to be affected by this long period of isolation. Most automata have enough faculties for basic levels of conversation, mostly due to them being made for roles that needed interaction with humans, like social events, domestic work or the military. However, they produce a sense of uncanniness in those who speak to them, since they never know whether the automata are truly alive.

>>88544742
>>88544844
Excellent art choices. The added lore is decent aswell

>>88547597
What is their religion?

>>88548695
Would they even have one?

>>88549815
From the wiki

>Religion

The City has the highest population of Primal Purpists in the western Republic.

>Arts and Culture

Occasionally, pilgrims from the Creator Society and independent artists will come to the city to produce artwork capturing Moteri Hāya.

What is the creator society?

>>88550382
Oh yeah, I've missed that bit. Let me re-read this again and I'll come up with something.

>>88546387
>Aren't they the same thing?
For the most part. As explained on the page you linked, the First Elven Empire wasn't very centralized or stable, and sometimes the Western Elven Empire was a distinct entity

>>88550382
>Purpists
The fuck is a purpist?

>>88550382
Maybe there are two kind of religions among the Automata?

>>88547616
Continuing with the religion part.

>Religion
The most puzzling thing of all about the automata society is that they seem to have developed a sense of spirituality and religiosity. At first it was thought it was a part of their design, a simple formality added to the minds of the automata back when they lived amongst their human creators. However, once experts began comparing the behavior, rituals, values and deities adored by the automata greatly differed from those in the ancient Khenomeric Empire. The theological implications aside, this is also part of the developing self-conscience of the automata society. Whatever compels the automata to seek religion is still a hotly debated topic between experts.

>>88551691
The automata do not have a unified religion. Every city has developed dozens of different faiths, each of them only having a couple hundreds of active followers, with their own individual rituals and customs. Only the more advance automata and those designed for social functions show signs of any religiosity, with the remainder of them not particularly focused on anything but their tasks. However, that does not mean the religious signs and buildings are rare, on the contrary. The building of religious icons and structures serve to give many automata an activity to work on, even if they do not really practice the faith itself.

>>88551711
The different religions, however, do follow a similar pattern. Usually they involve the praise of a singular god entity, represented in their art as somewhat humanoid. Whenever the automata would talk about the deity in question, it would be spoken of as a thoroughly cold and logical entity, designed to give the automata their lives and tasks. The figure would be represented as either male, female or an indistinguishable mix of both, and would be adored with all manners of titles, neither one really forming a coherent whole. However, once the automata begin creating works of art for the deity, they will invariably represent it as distorted: slightly asymmetrical proportions, eyes somewhat clouded or deformed, hands twisted or with extra digits, or parts of the body where they don’t belong… When confronted about this phenomenon, especially when it is well known that the automata can create peerless works of art, the given answer is that, since they are not perfect beings, they cannot represent the perfect figure, and as such they willingly add these imperfections to the figures.

Where's the lore map?

will do windwillow/not-redwall next

will write some lore about the frozen lake

What the fuck is a purpist?

I have thought for some lore but I'll need to go against/tweak the Soomi foreign relations' part for the frozen lake.

Btw, what do we know of the Khenomeric Pantheon?

>>88552762
>Btw, what do we know of the Khenomeric Pantheon?
Don't quote me on this, but I think someone wrote about it and was never added to the wiki.

File: Frozen Lake2.jpg (99 KB, 1200x600)

99 KB JPG

>The Frozen Lake and Isle of Cold

South of the Chill Steppe, one can find a huge body of water that's permamently frozen, known simply as the Frozen Lake. This lake is large as a sea, and large spikes of ice, as tall as a tower, can be found protruding from the lake's surface. At the center of the lake lies a lone island, known as the Isle of Cold, although no one knows what lies on it. Travellers have reported that strange, gleaming lights can be spotted shining from the Isle of Cold, particularly at night, and that people that have come too close to the island's shores have mysteriously vanished with no trace, and as such, the island has earned itself a sinister reputation.

Even though the Isle of Cold and the Frozen Lake are avoided by travellers, also due to their proximity to the Frostlands of Khelek, the Soomi of the Chill Steppe are not afraid to use the Frozen Lake's resources, which provides them with most of their fish and water.

>History

What little we know of the Frozen Lake's history comes from the archives of the city of Ellesis, which is now known as Anchovia, and various other ancient sources located in ruins scattered around the Merfolk Empire's remnants.

Before Uun's curse befell the Merfolk Empire, the Frozen Lake was a temperate lake (which went by the name of "Nemorensis Sea") and was actually the core of the Kingdom of Solara, of which the Isle of Cold (then known as "Nemi") housed the city of Aricia, capital of the Kingdom.

The Solarans were a human civilization that were profficient with magic, more than most humans of their era, and had managed to magically keep the Nemorensis Sea warm at all times. The Solarans had managed to conquer the lands that now constitute the Khelek Frostlands and the Chill Steppe, although the lands of the former were largely avoided.

>>88553856
Then came Uun's curse, plunging the region into permafrost and blizzards, giving creation to the Isle of Cold and the Frozen Lakes. The former inhabitants and Kings of Solara were gone, with only ruins left in their wake, their ghosts sometimes still roaming parts of the Frozen Lake.

>The Mystery of the Isle of Cold

Some scholars theorize that the mystical properties of the Isle of Cold are caused by a magical anomaly created by some of the Solaran mages, just before their land was cursed. Some say that remnants of a large portal are able to warp anyone that gets too close, while others maintain the belief that this magical anomaly was the result of unbelievable amounts of magical energy contained within the Isle of Cold, which results in the immediate demateralization of unweary travellers.

The Soomi, however, have come to revere the Isle of Cold, believing it to be the home of Uorhmë, their version of the Khenomeric god Uromez, who they depict as a towering man dressed in a thick fur coat and riding on top of a giant ram. The ghosts and spirits of the cursed Solarans are thought to be ancestor spirits, and the Soomi are the only people who do not show to be afraid of them.

>>88550382
Honestly the wiki entry for the Automata is strange. Contains so many unknown terms that never appeared before that

>Primal Purpists
>Creator Society
>Capital of the Life Function Regime
>Great Communication Five
>pro-Functionalist
>Wallsite Four
>Republican System

and a bunch more. Either the old lore of the automata needs a rewrite or the new lore needs to accomodate the older lore (I'm more in favour of the former, if other people are okay for it. I wouldn't want to be the guy that connects all the dots)

>>88553985
As the one who wrote the newer stuff, I was thinking of just leaving it a mystery, with the Order of Wizards studying the automata and having no real understanding of this strange society.

In my mind, the automata are purposefully obtuse, since they need to accomplish duties they willingly create problems to solve them. For example, I imagine they would have a lot of papework and bureaucracy just to have something to do. Or they would build a house just to destroy it, to then start all over again, over and over.

>>88553856
>>88553873
>>88553873
Neat

File: Khenomeric Empire Map v.10.jpg (526 KB, 1881x1877)

526 KB JPG

Finished the cities of the Khenomeric Empire before the end. Just changed the size of some of them, and some are capitals now, but the decay made the cities not grow that much from their peak.

>>88552807
>I think someone wrote about it and was never added to the wiki.
Does anyone know in which thread is this?

Is the autosage still around?

I'm going to write a section that ties up some loose bits of the Automata's lore

>Republic of the Abandoned Automata

>Factions

Reports from the Ancient Order of Most Practical Wizards indicate that some Automata align themselves with certain factions. These various factions and groups serve religious, cultural, millitary, and other purposes, with each individual automata seemingly belonging to each faction from its creation, as if programmed to do so.

Some of these factions include the Primal Purpists, a religious group that views Primal Elves as deities, the Creator Society, a faction that seeks to replicate human "high art" (usually scavenged from leftovers around the Terracotta Wall), the Great Gears, which are the leading Automata of the Build Function, the faction responsible for building and repairing other Automata.

>>88561637
Last but not least, many Automata are split between being pro and anti-Functionalists. Pro-Functionalist Automata strictly follow the task they were originally designed to do. Most simpler automata fall under that category, as well as most Automata that belong to the War and Build Functions. Anti-Functionalist Automata are the opposite, and will occasionally go against their intended purpose or commands, although some believe that their original design meant for them to go against those from the very beginning. Such Automata usually find themselves in the Creator Society or other similar artistic factions. Scholars of the Ancient Order of Most Practical Wizards still debate to this day whether the pro-Functionalist Automata can be considered as sentient or not, or whether a more simple Automaton, intended for manual labor and inherently pro-Functionalist can actually inherit anti-Functionalist beliefs. Some claim that there are Automata who are not pro-Functionalist by design or purpose, but it is them acting out their original task due to respect or adoration for their creator's, something that was observed during the Battle of Mendatabya Arbata.

>>88562405

And some extra bit of history:

After the Automata joined their forces and settled to an area that constituted about half of what the Republic amounts to today, no single government existed, and each Automaton sticked with their own kind (meaning, the ones that served the same original purpose as themselves, which usually constituted simple manual tasks).

The details of the Automata's history are mostly clouded in mystery, but what we know from the Ancient Order of Most Practical Wizards is that the Automata's society (if one could call it that) eventually consolidated into two states, the Life Function Regime, and the Republic. The Life Function Regime had a more strict hierarchical society, with most Automata being pro-Functionalists, while the so called "free thinkers" of the Automata mostly inhabiting the Republic.

The Republican Automata, as it seems, led a series of missions, aiming to "convert" the automata of the Regime into abandoning their pro-Functionalist ideals, and join the Republic (although, it seems that the simpler Automata did not gain any sort of advanced consience or anti-Functionalist thoughts, but were merely driven to believe so). These missions were known as the Great Communications, and after the fifth one, the millitary leaders of the Regime (which were the de facto leaders of state itself) joined the Republic as well, the two states now being as one, leading to the establishment of the unified Automata state that can be perceived today.

>>88562421
Should there be more lore written for the Terracotta wall?