Nytharial

## History

Before the black plague Nytharial was like many other kingdoms in the region. It had a just King, a strong church, and a renown academy. With the Nythar river (for which the kingdom is named) providing lush farmland, easy irrigation, trade routes, and seafood the people ate well and had enough food left over to sell to other kingdoms. The population was rising, standards of living were on the high side of moderate, and public unrest was minimal.

The black plague didn't wipe out half of Nytharial's citizens though. It wanted them all. As the plague ravaged the outer reaches of the kingdom the priestesses of the Church of the Cluster began to collaborate with the mages of the Ascension for a solution. As the plague reached the capitol and claimed the King, they found their answer. Undeath.

Turning people into undead on this scale was not something the kingdom could afford, however. Surviving members of the royal family were promptly turned into greater undead. Upper clergy of the Church of the Cluster and the research directors of the Ascension academy were similarly converted into appropriate undead. Peasants and Nobles stood side by side in unlikely solidarity as they faced the grim solution for not critical personnel, the ritual lottery.

A ritual was devised to save who could be saved. Ten people would stand in a ring as the chanting began. Nine of those would become mindless zombies, their identities lost, and one would join the ranks of Reanimated as an intelligent undead. Regardless of station the people embraced this risk as the death toll mounted, thankful for anything when death seemed inevitable. Nobles often bequeathed their fortunes to whoever survived their ritual circle, and peasants have honored the gesture by taking their names to continue their legacy of generosity and courage.. Priests and magi worked tirelessly for weeks performing this ritual for every man, woman, and child so the population could be preserved.

Reanimated are intelligent undead with few distinguishing features. They do not rot (in most cases) nor do they need to consume the living for survival. Many Reanimated manifest minor traits of a major undead type; Liches, Bodak, Mummies, Vampires, and so on as a form of heritage. Efforts within the kingdom continue in the wake of the disaster into the present day accumulating enough resources to restore those that were not selected for sapience, saving their people one soul at a time.

## Geography

Nytharial benefits heavily from the Nythar river, which feeds a system of tributaries that are responsible for the lush and verdant farmland that supported the kingdom back when the people ate food. The river feeds into the kingdom from the north out of the mountains, running from there south and west into the sea. A network of roads and ports along the river provides easy transportation of goods within the kingdom and effortless exports to Eylstrana and the Prismatic isles.

The Nythar carries iron from the mountains into Nytharial as well. Old river beds and underground lakes formerly fed by the river in bygone epocs are rich in the ore and vital building materials.

## Religion

The official religion of the Nytharial republic stems from their pantheon known as The Cluster. In its teachings the gods are ruled over by Deshana the Star Mother, goddess of the stars, magic and the Nytharial river itself. She is often depicted as an eerily beautiful being of copper skin with long flowing bright silver hair and eyes of blue magic. She often wears flowing black robes dotted with the stars of the night sky, as if looking into space, and is associated with eventuality and knowledge. Often her most devout followers can be seen in black robes with bright, sparkling jewelry with painted black lines below their eyes. In the teachings there are many myths of both her generosity to her followers in bestowing them with such fertile land as well as her failed romance with Fiary, goddess of cats and the afterlife.

The other primary God of The Cluster is Jor, God of the Moon and Light. While formal worship is based around Deshana, Jor holds a high place in the teachings of the church as he is the concentration of celestial forces closer to the world making up the moon as well as responsible for the land being bathed in light. He is depicted as a rather plain looking giant, pale skin and bald head with a large white beard who looks down upon the world using his light to see all those that are in his lands. Devout followers of Jor are often young and seen wearing white colors with their holy symbols made from bio-luminescent materials found in the caves of the Nytherial Republic. Jor holds a majority of the holidays within the church as there is at least one each month in his name. There are myths in the teachings of the church of Jor coming down and giving advice and new purpose to those lost in vengeance turning them away from such a destructive path.

### Minor Deities

Of the lesser deities the first would be Roshan, god of marriages and diplomacy. He is often depicted as a beautiful male figure with dark brown skin and short black hair wearing an outfit colored of burning coals. His stories often teach of communication, solid foundations for marriages and the use of marriage as a tool of diplomacy. Ceremonies including marriage often involve the burning of coals and well articulated conversations, often previously rehearsed and written by those involved.

The next would be Puko, goddess of darkness, hunting and battle, renown for her beauty she is the daughter of Deshana and depicted as having silvered skin and white hair with eyes shining like stars. Often shown wearing no clothing in most artistic portraits and writings, she is the center of the nations beliefs in both war and hunting. Often in the past using the darkness of night to stalk their pray or engage when their enemies least expect, Puko has myths of shrouding the armies of the Nythalese in darkness allowing their raids to go unhindered. She is married to the god Nakraven.

Nakraven, the god of duels and justice is a short, athletic looking god depicted with olive skin and black hair, often wearing a light armor set made of leather along with a traditional dueling sword on his side. He often is used to bless any trial by combat type occurrence that might happen to take place. Myths have said that in the past he has come down to champion those righteous that have not been given the justice they so deserve. He is also married to Puko, daughter of Deshana.

Last of the more important minor dieties is Fiary, goddess of cats and the afterlife. While some would consider her a more major diety having been written to be around as long as Deshana herself the role she plays is not as large. Depicted as a coy smiling woman often in the shadows she has dark skin and purple hair with silted eyes bright yellow like topaz. She and cats are seen as those that cross between the living and the dead, slipping away from sight into another realm only to come back on their own accord. Her fickle nature lead to the breakdown in the myths of her failed romance with Deshana, as her need to travel between worlds without notice for unknown amount of times was just too much on the Star Mother. Her duties involve both seeing after those meant to die as well as helping those return who wrongfully died. It is often seen those who worship her taking care of many of the street cats and having house cats of their own, it is even said those with slit and or yellow eyes being blessed by Fiary. In myths she has returned lost heroes to the lands of the living when they still had purpose in this world. Her holidays are often spontaneous and happen when those that find their way back from death appear.

### The Church of the Cluster

The religious practices of Nytharial Republic have been a long standing tradition of a small pantheon of worship. The clergy leans to a slightly matriarchal approach, but in no way shuns men from it's practices, the structure of the church being that of a council headed by the high priestess more known by her official title Speaker of the Stars. Below that is the regional priests and priestesses known as the Star Watchers and just below that are the more common local leaders known simply as Star Priests and Star Priestesses.

Scripture often involves many parables as well as a deep philosophy of reflecting inward on ones self to find a solution to your problems. The afterlife is seen to be a good peaceful place one goes to after living a life of knowledge and understanding that one has placed effort into. Many in the clergy often find that it is better to shy away from frivolous pursuits and spontaneous physical desires instead opting to have more meaningful interactions be it in learning, business or love. Worship is often done as groups, involving short readings and insight bestowed by a Star Priest or Priestess followed by long, silent self reflection in the presence of others.

### Coming of Age

Coming of age in Nythalese culture is usually at the age of fifteen, boys will often go into the wilds alone and spend several days or weeks communing with the stars once they reach a place of their choosing. These men will often be gifted with a portion of their families land when they return in order to create their own future. While women will often group themselves regionally to those turning fifteen, grouped by the month they were born in and going on long spiritual journeys in caravans that can last weeks or months to sometimes even years. This spiritual trek of learning about their religion from different monasteries and holy sites, is known as a Stargaze and the caravan itself is known as a Constellation, wherever it travels the needs are provided for by the locals and while each woman chooses when she wishes to leave the Constellation remains until the last two decide to end their journey. When leaving their Constellation a woman may either immediately apply to receive training as a priestess, with better odds the longer one had traveled or return to their family where they are often gifted an appropriate amount of wealth and encouraged into whatever they found to be their calling.

### Changing Times

In recent days every aspect of former traditions is struggling with an undead populace. Simple rituals involving meals or drinks are lost on a civilization that no longer wants for sustenance. The Church of the Cluster is no different. Their role in administering coming of age trials, marriage ceremonies, funerals, and births are no longer needed by a people that do not age or die. Grave concerns rippled through the clergy in the wake of the rituals done to save the Nythalese people about the role of the church moving forward.

The surge of popularity the church recieved for their role in saving the republic was ample enough to preserve them as they transitioned into these new times. The church takes a more direct role in politics now, with the Speaker of the Stars sitting on the Triumverate. It concerns itself less with administering cermonies at different stages of life, and more with refining its aspects of self reflection. If a person's life is a constelation, then surely an immortal person's life is a galaxy. The Church of the Cluster is poised to help guide an immortal civilization into deeper and more intimate insights into the self, fate, and their connections to each other.

Within the Pantheon Fiary is rising in popularity. The feline death goddess traverses pathways between life and death, and for a population trapped at the gateway she holds a more and more significant place. A new subsect of the religion, calling themselves the ushers, consider their role to be holding the door open for their goddess' travels. They believe that through undeath Fiary will grant them ultimate insights into life's greatest mystery, endings. This subsect embraces undeath and works to erode the old practises of life, encouraging people to celebrate their newfound resilience and lack of mortal needs.

## Ascension and the Observatory

While Eclipse might be the government capital of the Nytharial Republic, Ascension is the knowledge and spiritual capital of their people. The arcane academy Ascension is a massive mage's tower connected to both one of the largest libraries and most powerful observatories in any land. Both Ascension and the Observatory are tied together religiously as knowledge and magic are key beliefs of The Cluster under Deshana and her teachings. Founded by the first members of the royal family Ascension has grown from a small school of fledgling mages to a massive institute of learning and information. The Observatory has likewise become the headquarters of The Cluster, it is where the high council and Speaker of the Stars reside and where Star Priests and Priestesses are trained, between them are walkways that lead to the Library of Ascension.

Ascension is home to the majority of arcane students in the Nytharial Republic, becoming a student is a high honor bestowed only onto those truly worthy or those in the Nytharial Republic as guests. The 'guest' status is somewhat odd for some however appreciated by all, as is known, in their purchases of the living from other neighboring nations and slave traders, sometimes those who are not deathly ill, broken or sentenced to die are slipped in by people trying to profit. Unwilling to subject anyone to the ritual that is the foundation of their people these 'guests' are instead sent to Ascension to join either the school or the church in the observatory, if someone is incapable of either as a life profession they are instead sent to the Library of Ascension to work as an archivist or transcriber.

Ascension is looked after by a now council of liches, formerly and currently the school administration and teachers, their hierarchy is similar to that of a college and they work closely with The Cluster and the High Council. Students are expected to maintain strict learning habits and focus on their expansion of knowledge and arcane arts while in the school as the best and brightest in time are even offered to be lifted from their place as a necrozen or 'guest' to be offered their own phylacteries and made into a lich to serve the school in a more serious way.

The Observatory likewise houses the head of The Cluster, made up of the High Council and the Speaker of the Stars, mummies by ritual. The grounds are much less intense than those of Ascension, offering much more places for quiet, silent contemplation and many star rooms that can be meditated in. The fledgling Star Priests and Priestesses who are in training spend much of their time learning from the attached library and looking to the stars above, very little interactive training is required outside daily sermons by those higher than them. By the end of their training they are expected to know most parables and be able to elaborate as well as help those in need with any questions of faith they might have. The observatory has many stargazing rooms and devices however at the top is the most powerful telescope in any nation, and is considered a holy artifact to all the people of the Republic.

The Library of Ascension is a massive sprawling library that is built like a maze, hallways and passages flooded with shelves containing mostly scrolls and books, some art and many religious symbols. Between Ascension, The Observatory and the Library this area is the second largest city in the nation, with both housing and a small economy around it. In this library knowledge of all kinds can be recorded and filed away, it is as much a center of learning as it is a spot for religious pilgrimage. The structure of those that maintain it range from the head archivist, a wraith, to the vampires below him that manage the chief librarian roles, the necrozen and ‘guest’ librarians. There is also grave knight and necrozen security as well as necrozen, non-sentient undead and ‘guest’ groundskeepers.

## Government

Originally a monarchy things have changed recently for the Nythalese government. The plague threatening to eradicate the entire population also claimed the lives of many members of the royal family, most notably the King and Queen. In the wake of the devestation and the ritual performed to save what could be saved a new order emerged, the Triumvirate.

Headed by Dean Worshka of the Ascension Academy, Speaker for the Stars Hothia, and Princess Cyrabil the Triumvirate represents the three major powers active in Nytharial. The Dean and Speaker are the primary legislators and authority, their rousing debates lasting weeks or months with no need for sleep. Princess Cyrabil synthesizes the mysticism of the Speaker with the pragmatism of the Dean into workable policy, and handles matters of diplomacy and foreign affairs. The Princess' expertise keeps trade flowing and smooths over some of the unique, and sometimes grotesque, needs of an undead society.

Currently the Triumvirate is at equilibrium, and all three heads of state get along despite semantic or ideological differences.

## Economy and Quality of Life

The ritual that created the Reanimated, or Necrozens, turned ninety percent of the population into mindless undead. A workforce that never tires and has no consumptive needs. This workforce labors endlessly in the fertile fields near the Nythar river, and in the mines at the base of the mountains, producing a veritible fortune with stunning speed.

Food is primarily shipped to other kingdoms in exchange for gold or other materials, with enough held in reserve for Nytharial's few living citizens. Princess Cyrabil makes sure foreign powers don't blink at some of the exotic reagents purchased by her kingdom, such as artificial blood in large quantities or magically inlaid silks, and works long hours to find buyers for the sheer volume of food and ores sourced in Nytharial.

With an abundance of weath, and few citizens to share it with, the average citizen of Nytharial enjoys a standard of living that would be considered extravagant anywhere else in the world. Normal citizens often have a noble villa and small estate to themselves, with expensive furnishings and servants to tend to their needs. Actual nobles and people of yet higher station live like royalty. This plays a big role in the tight unity of the Nytharese people.