Carim

> "*I see a mighty woman wielding a lantern whose flame is the imprisoned light of freedom...and her name? The Mother of Exiles.*"
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Carim, also known as the Shadow, is a land of monstrosities whose native inhabitants are no exception. It is the south-westerly region of Carthus, bordering Lonqai and the Dregs beyond the Bleeding Sea.

It is roughly the same size as Lonqai, to which it is locked in a war known only as the Endless War.

Those of Carim are little more than myths to the average outsider. How could a society of Elves wish to free themselves from eternity?

Carim is known for its warriors, their unique philosophy and addiction to violence.

## Geography

Carim is an unremittingly somber land of hills, darkly wooded forests where the skies are always grey and the wind moans down valleys. The Head of the Bone Mountains make up inland Carim, while shaded woods surround them in the aptly named Shadowlands.

Carim has a much more barbaric way of living, where many subsist inside clans on the reaches of society.

The Smoking Sea borders with Lonqai.

## Trade

Carim is a land of the self-serving, where trade with the outside world is rare.

While Carimasi smithing is usually reserved for themselves, their weapons are some of the finest in the world, requiring both ample dexterity and strength to wield effectively. They are fond of brittle, black iron that is soaked in acidic bile. This brittle metal strengthens through combat and thus is favoured by any Carimasi both for its potential and as a sign of a veteran. They are known for their curved swords, scimitars and shotels.

To trade with Carimasi and survive is one ordeal, but to leave with their armour or weaponry is another entirely.

## History

Carim has always been a mystery, not only for its creation but for the events leading to the sickness and plague that has seemingly infected every inhabitant of Carthus.

## Locations

### Towns and Cities

* The City of Bells, Tehom - A vast underground city of caves, famous for its smiths.
* Cozen-Indigo - A coastal town used as the entryway to Carim from sea.
* The Shadow Fort

### Regions

* Kheqara - Of ashen desert and wasteland.
* Leng - Of miasmic plateaus and wandering volcanoes.
* Uzq - Of drowned and flowering rainlands.

### Places of Import

* The Black Stair
* The Trail of Dead Emperors
* The Necropolis

## Inhabitants

### Carimasi

The denizens of Carim, while still retaining the visage of Elvenkind, bear striking differences to the rest of their kin. Like most of Carthus, what life is like inside Carim is up to speculation for a Carimasi will never tell you the truth. What you can tell from just looking at them, though? They revel in the shock and awe of combat.

Carimasi skin is pallid, as pale as bone, and their dark-rimmed eyes appear to be deeply-set in their sockets. This only compliments their often bright-coloured eyes, from shades of yellow to bright purple and green. Even their skulls suggest a vastly different structure than the standard offered by the rest of Starsong; a mouth so wide it spans well into the cheek area of the face, grimly reminiscent of a Glasgow smile. Furthermore, they appear to have black blood running in their veins.

Apparently, despite all that, they're quite a pleasant folk. Their accents are a result of having an ever-present smile carved into their skulls, giving them a sly and sinister way of speech.

### The Ghostwise

The Ghostwise Halflings are the odd cultural mimics of the Carimasi, where they have no real personality of their own besides being smaller cousins of the local Carimasi.

### Thralls

Thralls are indentured servants to the Carimasi and thus they acquire slaves through raids. Thralls are not slaves however as they cannot be bought with gold or traded for; they are only obtained through violence. Thralls operate under different rules; a thrall's child will not be a thrall themselves, but they must be dedicated to the Mother of Exiles.

Thralls are often educated becoming scholars, craftsmen, tutors and scribes.

## Culture

### Society

Life is short in Carim, and the Carimasi know this. Only the strong will survive. It is not peaceful nor pleasant but it makes a tough man even tougher and sends the foolish to an early grave. It is a land of shadow that lays low the weak and heralds the strong. Those who brave the Leviathans to come to Carthus have a saying about Carim; "Make peace with your Gods before you come to Carim, for you will not find them here."

While inland and outland Carimasi have some differences, there is far too much in common. They revel in the shock and awe of combat, famed for their pain tolerance and cruelty both. They are a blunt, direct people who respect only the strongest among their communities. Self-reliance is a virtue in Carim, while weakness and cowardice are grave sins.

The Carimasi are forged by harsh conditions; they are known for their hardiness, their martial prowess, survival skills and ability to track and stalk beasts, men and monsters. Carimasi children are taught this from birth, but they begin learning to fight from age seven. Their fighting style is world-renown as they do not teach in the typical sense; their fighting style is born from experience bought in blood. Survival and technical skill mean nothing compared to the Carimasi spirit and their indomitable will. One doesn't make an enemy of a Carimasi unless they are willing to fight for one's life, as when a Carimasi fights, a Carimasi kills.

The entire Carimasi attitude makes them polite to one another, as impoliteness means to invite a sword to one's throat. Of course no Carimasi fears death.

### Freedom Through Death

Simply put, Carimasi see Starsong as purgatory and the World Beyond (also known as the Sixth World) as the true life spent in the true world. To reach this world you must die; but this is where the philosophy is split into several schools of thought. Do you need to bring bodies with you to cross to the other side, to die in battle? How do you treat others and yourself when self-preservation should be an afterthought? When is the right time to die? Do you freely pardon all you meet from this mistake called life?

Who decides whose life is sin when your own should be spent in the true world? How can any Elf sever themselves from true immortality?

#### You Keep What You Kill

Since Carimasi believe that this life is only a temporary gateway to the true world, then material possessions, property and even positions belong to nobody. The killer of a Carimasi earns what they take by ending another's life. Carimasi can quickly climb up the ranks of the empire by killing those of higher rank. Outsiders can perform this rite too except for active combatants such as the Lonqaians.

Some take the "keep" part literally and will refuse to remove blades or arrows piercing their flesh, choosing to heal around them and keep them as trophies of battles fought and won.

#### The Mother of Exiles

The Mother of Exiles is a Carimasi concept; she is the figurehead of their way of thinking. She welcomes all exiles and guests of life into her arms of death. All are welcome to join her, as when as outsider invokes Her name then they are free from being pardoned. Iconography of her is forbidden and she is only worshipped through action; no artworks of her exist except for a single statue standing in the capital.