DariusSolluman/TinalionOthers
Mercenary Captains and Companies
The Roaring Dragons, led by Jun Tipos: The Roaring Dragons are an elite calvary company, led by one of Tinalion's relatively scarse Dragonblooded. Jun Tipos herself is a terrifying sight on the field of battle- and not simply because of her status as a Chosen. Her mount is a full grown river dragon named Swift-as-Death, nearly thirty feet long, while her weapon is the black lance Demontooth; a weapon of black jade that lets her easily spear enemies below, or deliver charges devestating enough to skewer a man in superheavy plate. She leads by example, leaving the specifics of tactics to a second in command. The Roaring Dragons charge an obscene amount of money, and rarely see action more than once or twice a year- typically, just the rumor that they've been hired is enough to bring their opponent to the peace table.
The Five Companions: The Five Companions are a bodyguard company of swordsmen, about a decade old. Despite the name, there's a few more than five companions- each of them also has a squire and personal valet, the former to take their place on the sad event of the companion's death, the later to see to their needs. The Five Companions primarily take out work as guards, of either body or caravan, and have devolped a reputation for effectiveness- if being somewhat showy. Presently, the Five Companions are Steel Hope, his brother Burning Hope, Harmonious Storms, Azure Hand, and Falling Wind.
Gods and Priests
Kaika and the Word of Release: A new cult found primarily in Tinal but spreading across the Hundred Kingdoms, the Word of Release is a fairly beneign religion. It focuses on the typical platitudes of living a good life, but differs in two significant respects; one, the reward promised is neither paradise nor upwards reincarnation, but downwards reincarnation that ends in ceasing to be reincarnated at all. Two, the Word of Release actively discourages worshiping the Gods; instead, the dead - especially those who have transcended the cylce of death and rebirth, are to be specially revered.
The Court of Summer, Ruled by the Mistress of Knives: The Court of Summer holds sway over the hot seasons of the month, waxing in strength as the calendar draws towards Ascending Fire, in which they take offical control. The Mistress of Knives is a proud and elegant woman, ten feet tall with bronze skin and four arms, each holding a knife sharp enough to cut off a man's head and let leave him living and breathing- until he tries to nod. She is traditionally worshiped by the sacrifice of a living heart cast into hot coals. A bull's heart will serve in a pinch, but she prefers that of a still living man. Her blessing brings ease and plenty, laughter and joy - her anger is oppresive and subtle, a joy so great that it burns and torments, or the wistful yearnings of things now gone. She is attended at all times by half a dozen armed guards, one for each week of the summer.
The Court of Winter, Ruled by the Onyx Dragon: The Court of Winter holds sway over the depths of cold, of the frozen and lifeless land. The members of the Court of Winter draw strength from the peak of Resplendent Wind to the peak of Resplendent Water, and are the most teneacious in retaining their grip - the forces of Spring and Winter clash more than any other. This avarice is in no small part brought by the Onyx Dragon, a slender, snakelike beast that appears to be crafted of his elemental name, rimmed in frost. The Onyx Dragon is always hungry, and where he passes famine follows as food spoils to feed his gullet. He does not hunger for mortal food, however, but instead of re-entry to Heaven; thus, he would imbalance the seasons to gain the worship he needs to bully his way back in. He has servants throughout the poor and dispossessed - anyone who hungers worships him, and anyone who starves can hear his voice. His worship consists of both gorging in a time of famine, and starving during a time of plenty.
The Court of Spring, Ruled by The Flowering Maid: The Court of Spring holds domain from the height of Respledent Water to the first day of Ascending Fire, and is both the most martial and the most peaceful of the Courts. They rest in the mortal world, the only Court to do so, taking their leisure during the time when they do not rule in Cyrea, a mountain paradise hidden from humanity, where it is always a perfect spring day. The Flowering Maid rests there between births - for it is birth and pain that bring Spring each year. She screams, and storms rage with her pain, and the babe is born. The baby is then taken far into the realm of humanity, already a young girl-child, typically hidden in an obscure Cantrev. The babe's birth awakens the Great Storm Dragon, however - it hungers to right a wrong long ago done to it by the Flowering Maid. And while it cannot hurt her directly, it can take her kin - thus do storms roll about the region during the spring, until at last, inevitably, the Great Storm Dragon finds the Spring Babe. No force of the Flowering Maid's has ever kept the Dragon from it's prey, although the practice the year round. The Flowering Maid is worshiped through sex and birth and marriage, while she holds in greatest contempt those who eat fruit that has not yet fallen ripe from the tree. Some orchids take the risk, and find their holdings ravaged by the worst of the storms of Spring, as the Maid turns her fury against them.
The Court of Autumn, Ruled by the Hawk of Plenty: The Court of Autumn holds domain from the last day of Descending Fire to the height of Resplendent Air, and is ruled by the Hawk of Plenty. The Hawk is a hunter and farmer both, and governs both the harvest and the preparation. He is a dilligent worker, and a shirking farmhand may be visited by an angry predator bird's talons, if they are seen by Hawk's many eyes. The warriors of Hawk bring things to fruit and readiness - they tell the bear to grow fat and snake to be unseen and the fish to be ready. The ice is coming, they warn. The agents of the Onyx Dragon sometimes make sport with the messengers of Autumn, intercepting these messages so they are not heard properly - those are the lean years, when harvests fail and tigers prowl hungry just beyond the gates of man. The Hawk of Plenty smiles favorably on those that sacrifice food to him - the more, the better, as such sacrifices are placed in his ladder for the year between his rulership and must feed his household. Failing to make such sacrafice can result in being cursed, however - typically in a blinding disease will strike the offender, or a cooling of their blood.
Aylott, Horse-Lord of the Melibone: Aylott is a horse god, rarely heard of even by the savants of the Hundred Kingdoms. He is worshiped primarily by the Melibonian, who believe that Aylott runs with the herds. The largest, fiercest and most loyal horses known, the The Tiger-Horses, are said to be his children, and they sacrafice the brains of outsiders by firing it in sweet grass in his name.
Fairykin and Stranger Things
The Brothers Bright and Smile: Once (if such a word has meaning) two (or one, or three million four-hundred and seventeen) of the Fae decided that they would define themselves as disliking one another. Both had (would be) high members of the Fairy Courts out (in) the Wyld. Their dislike was a passion, however- the knew only that the other was anathema to them, and they built a dreamworld of solid hate and vistas of passionate anger in their mutual dislike. In the end, they were exiled to Creation, for they would sooner take form and flesh and further definition than give up the only constant they had ever known. Brother Bright and Brother Smile emerged from the Wyld with a small cluster of retainers, and at once set upon the other with blade and word. After an hour had passed, it was clear they could also not hurt one another directly - for if they did, they would lose the source of their hate, and thus their lynchpin to shape. So, they retreated to their own secret places, and wage an indirect war the way men play chess, delighting in nothing so much as the hate of the other. Brother Bright is said to live in the depths of the Verdant Death, in a clearing where the stars always fall; while Brother Smile is said to live in the boundary of everything - between land and sea, mountain and sky. A few fools seek them out, and a few return, but mostly they and their Grims serve as fae tales to scare and delight the young.
Lord Sword, Master of the Burning Ice, Viscount of Comets, Bearer of the Broken Wing, Sworn Man to Brother Bright: A figure notible for briefly leading Amil's army against Faunel, he has been made to swear an oath he will not break to never again take from an unwilling human, and to return to Brother Bright and report what happened. However, the Eclipse also swore to never attempt to kill Lord Sword, nor to allow any member of his Circle to do so, nor to allow anyone else he knows of to try and do so. Lord Sword was one of Bright's attendents on first entering Creation, and is often used as his cats-paw for the more dangerous parts of assignments that need a certain touch.
The Ghostfires of Boar's Mire: A group of seven common fae, in appearance like a floating candleflame the size of a man's head, who feed on the fear of mortals lost in a swamp, and savor the souls of those who drown, they were enlisted by Brother Bright in his plot to begin to war between Amil and the pair of Faunel and Gan. After speaking with Unbreakable Lotus, they have pledged to guard their swamp- it was the only way he could disuade them from following.
Sailors on the Blood Dark Sea
Copper Asp, Captain of the privater vessel 'Glorious Sunrise': A Privater, stationed out of Tinal proper, although he goes on multi-month long missions fairly reguarly, Copper Asp is one of the nicest pirates you'll ever meet. And he insists you call him a priate- no matter how legal it may be, piracy is piracy, and he won't have it being cheapend with a fancy title. He's also something of a local legend- he's clashed with Linathian blacksails and monsters from the sea, and always pulled his ship and crew through. Until recently, he took assignments directly from Tinal's Council of Elders, but recently severed ties with that body.
Those Who Wander, Lost and Otherwise
Innocent: The truth behind her is unknown. What is known is that disaster follows this woman like a dog, that death stalks her like a second shadow. She travels by night, and it is said that the demons of the dark fear her gaze. Her hair is white or red or black; her skin is as pale as the moon, as brown as aged oak and as dark as the obsidian that is her soul. Some say she fights the darkness, and others that she rejoices in it. Some cantrev lords are said to welcome her with open arms, and others would pay a heavy bounty in silver for her head.
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Comments
Very nice spirit stuff. I especially like the worship of the Onyx Dragon, and the writeup for the Brothers Bright and Smile. - Quendalon
