recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
The Faith of Atesh

The followers of the faith of Atesh worship fire in all its forms, and burn their bodies upon reaching adulthood. Small wonder, then, that the tusked men that practice it have become red themselves. Upon the death of one of the faithful, their body will be burned to join their souls back with their god. Their prophet, known now only as Red Fire- in their tongue, **Atesh Kirmizi**- led his flock far to the southeast, past all other **Naziki** invasions, and cut a bloody path down to the bleeding mountain, which he had seen in a vision to be the living heart of the world. Their god, the all-powerful **Atesh Bey**, lets forth dragons from his heart to do his will across the land, and guides his people with a firm and unforgiving hand.

His followers are zealous in their devotion, and perhaps that is justified; for from their lands and their people have poured forth nine-tenths of all the dragonriders to ever have existed. Each of these heroes has been immortalized in song and legend, and it is said that at the end of days, they will be reborn to join Atesh Bey when he frees the universe from cold and death. Their prophecies are made in smoke and fire, and their laws and words are as merciful as their god. A single misstep, a single doubt, and Atesh Bey’s grand designs, that had once favored a hero, will crash down upon them with his full might.

### ***Ceremonial Practices***

Their high holy days are few in number, and solemn; festivals of remembrance for Atesh Kirmizi, as well as all the dragonriders, when the practitioners of the faith dance over flaming coals and brand themselves with another mark- for followers of the faith do not count the years since their birth, but the number of holy days they have seen. This score is marked into their skin, and the eldest of them are covered with so many brands that their hides are as tough as leather. Also important is the solar equinox, when the sun reaches its zenith and would-be conquerors test the omens to see if this year will be the year they strike out with their warhosts.
Episode 7

**Episode 7**, titled Why Raeliana Handed Her a Handkerchief, is the seventh episode in the anime Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion.

## Summary

Raeliana attends the annual monster hunt in the Sycret Mountains, where each lady traditionally gives a handkerchief to her chosen participant, who in turn gives the lady a monster he's killed. On the first day, Noah makes a request of Raeliana...
Adam Taylor

* Manhwa
* Anime

**Adam Taylor** is a genius young knight serving under Duke Wynknight. Previously, he was employed in the army, but after a previous Duke stopped drafting youth, he was taken under Duke Wynknight. He is sometimes discriminated against for being an Alsasa. He is fond of sweets.

## Personality

Adam is a very quiet individual, who only seems to speak to people he trusts. In the beginning of the series, he appears very stoic in his demeanor, which somewhat changes by the end of the series, where he is shown to be rather gullible, evident when Noah tells him Raeliana wanted a dragon, as she had accidentally sewn it into the handkerchief she gifted Adam, after the knight had been told by a fellow knight (Ansley) that gifting Raeliana a dragon would be a disaster.

## Relationships

### Raeliana McMillan

He develops enough of a liking towards her to disobey commands from his charge, Noah Wynknight.
Raeliana McMillan

* Manhwa
* Anime

**Raeliana McMillan** (レリアナ・マクミラン, *Reriana Makumiran*) is the protagonist of Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion.

## Appearance

    Raeliana is a beautiful young woman with wavy thigh-length tawny-brown hair that is half tied in a ponytail with chin-length hair strands hanging on either side and gorgeous yellow-green eyes. In general, it is hinted that she fancies that color green as she is seen multiple times wearing a green dress. Which she sports with a blue ribbon. She has a fairly large chest yet a small but delicate waist. She is seen as a very beautiful woman, as she has some admires.

### Past Life

As Park Eunha, she had straight mid-length black hair and brown eyes.

## History

### Past Life

In the beginning of the manhwa, we learn that Raeliana was named Park Eunha living in Korea as a young student in her past life. She was waitlisted for all the colleges she had applied to (even though she studied an extra year for the entrance exams, she received average results) and was quite anxious about her future.

> *"What's life anyway?" -* Raeliana, chapter 1
>
>

On the evening of 18 February 2017, she met a strange person on the roof of the library. However, she can't remember this person's face or what they talked about. She just remembers that the end of their conversation was "fun". Then, she received a message confirming her entrance to the university. She was elated. But suddenly, the stranger, grinning, pushed her off the roof. In her last moment, she thought about her mother and brother, two of her friends, and someone saying, "You will die young". She closed her eyes, but when she opened them, she was in the world of a light novel she had read before. She found out that she reincarnated in Raeliana's body.

### Original Setting

> "*Raeliana McMillan is...*
> *...destined to die young.*" - Raeliana
>
>

Raeliana originally was a side character in the novel **Beatrice*' who was intended to die at the hands of her fiancé, Francis Brooks'*.** He fed her arsenic poisoning every night to kill her and take over the McMillan family's company in their woes of grief. Everything is a means to provide a reason for the main character, Beatrice Tranchett, a good friend of Raeliana's, to return home.

But the reincarnated Raeliana is determined to survive instead. In desperation, she goes to a powerful Duke named Noah Wynknight and offers him a contract for a fake engagement just to avoid her Doomed by Canon fate.

## Relationships

### Family

#### Aria Wynknight

Aria is Raeliana's daughter through Noah Wynknight.

#### Reno Dwell WynKnight

Reno is Raeliana's son through Noah Wynknight.
Men of the Mountains

The Men of the Mountains are the most solitary race of men. Ancient of custom and rabidly xenophobic, they rarely leave their mountain holdfasts in their ancient country of **Tressen**. And yet, these traditions have served them well, having kept them safe and disconnected from the world right up until the time when the entire world came knocking. The Men of the Mountains once ranged from the great Titan mountains all the way to the mouth of the great **River Tresse**, but were displaced and driven back into their most ancient lands by the invading **Naziki**. As a result, they have become withdrawn and distrustful of the world. Theirs is a culture that values honor above all, where men are more stubborn than even the **Karkovoi** to the south.

They do not produce much in the way of grain nor luxury, instead preferring simple lives in houses of stone, herding goats and mining for iron deep within the mountains. Their kings are old and ornery, having been reduced to Archdukes by the new regime after thousands of years of sovereignty. Many say Tressen is merely biding its time, waiting until it can fight off the yoke of Imperial oppression and then recede back into itself once more.

### ***Physical Characteristics***

The mountain men are taller and fairer than the other ancient Men of Sunrise. They stand between six and six-and-a-half feet in height. Pale blonde of hair, round of ear, and blue of eye, they are striking in appearance, and some scholars theorize that they form a bridge between the shorter races of men and the Giants in the north. In general, they are built thickly, like bears, with broad shoulders and powerful limbs. They do not wear jewelry in general, and wear mixtures of roughspun cloth and furs to protect against the cold.
Freelance Companies

There are few institutions as deeply ingrained into **Alvyrnian** culture as that of the Freelance Companies. Condottiere and mercenary companies are perhaps one of the oldest businesses in the Sunrise Lands, but Alvyrnian tradition holds that these companies are usually led by an unlanded noble. Should a commoner become the captain of a freelance company, he or she will style themselves as a Freelance noble, exchanging traditional noble holdings for the holding of the company. Their company will usually adopt their new coat of arms, though they may choose to adopt the old coat, or only slightly change it.

By contrast to the rest of the continent’s practices, the mercenary companies of the pointed men traditionally tend to be composed largely of cavalry, to the point where lesser Alvyrnian nobles sometimes disregarded raising their own riders. Hence the colloquial name for these sellswords- Free Lances, now conjugated to Freelances. Since the Empire’s conquest of the rest of the continent, their practices have spread across the southern countries, to the point where companies of Freelances are now a common sight from the **Lands of Blood** to **Puchnya**.

Nonetheless, the Companies have changed significantly over time. Once, they were a respected institution, raised by noble lords in the days when standing armies didn’t exist, to act as shock troops and heavy cavalry. Nowadays, they’re hired as little more than common mercenaries to end spats between rival merchants or quarrels between petty lords. The venture is no less profitable, even if the times have changed, but where their hands once held honor in high regard, now their hands hold coin.
Alsasa

Living in the North, the Alsasa have a small population and distinctive red eyes. They rely on hunting to make a living, and live deep in the woods. They are said to be aggressive yet talented with the sword. Suitably, many become mercenaries. Public opinion of the Alsasa is negative, to the point where rumors are often passed around, and some call them "savages". Known characters that are Alsasa: Adam Taylor.
Heika Demint

* Manhwa
* Anime
* Anime

**Heika Demint** (ヒーカー・デミント) is a supporting character who serves as High Priest of the religious organization known as 'The Order' in all media versions of Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion.

## Appearance

Heika is known to have white hair, with cold, icy eyes. His hair is often tied into a plait, usually on the left side of his shoulder. Heika's main outfit consists of a white cloak covering the majority of his body in the anime, whilst his cloak is a dark gray in the manhwa. The cloak is used as a disguise for him to be unrecognized by the public, due to his high status known by many. He often chooses to seal his vast spiritual powers via the use of a small bell that he fixes onto the end of his plait, though doing so alters his form to that of a small child.

## Personality

Heika is known to have a cold attitude towards many humans due to his past of being unable to properly socialize with others. He is also known to have a childish attitude, as shown when he converses with his disciple. Regardless of this, the majority of his disciples stay under his care knowing his true feelings and how beneficial it is to be taught by him. Heika has been known to grow a liking towards Raeliana McMillan, as shown in episode 10, where she is permitted and adopted by Heika. This suggests that he deeply cares about Raeliana, and often feels sceptical of her fiancée, Noah Wynknight.
The Red Hand

Shrouded in shadows and rumors, the Order of the Red Hand is not an officially recognized institution of the **Church**. There is no information on its vows, nor the deeds of its members. The Red Hand is an order of assassins and spymasters. Where the **White Hand** extends an olive branch, the Red Hand grasps a knife.

The Red Hand is rumored to operate out of all corners of the **Empire**, despite its low membership. Members are diverse in their origins and standings, and have no identifying symbols nor badges of office. There is no Academy, there are no recruiters, there is no way in nor out- because, for all intents and purposes, the Red Hand doesn’t exist.

Maybe all of this is just rumor, designed to create fear and obedience to the Imperial Monarch. Maybe it’s not.
Черная Коготь

Черная Коготь - особое спецподразделение Ломиндастриз. Командует Юрий Буревестник.

## Черная Коготь

### Командир

Юрий Буревестник (позывной по рации: Заяц)

## Описание

Специально подготовленный и организованный отряд, занимающийся деятельностью диверсии и являются огневой поддержкой. В отличие от обычных солдат ЛомАрмии, они имеют бандану на лице, на котором нарисованы клыки, и наличие ПНВ в каске. Хорошо прячутся и могут обойти тыл и заставить противника колебаться, ощущая, что он был окружен, их тренировка основывается на экстремальные выживания и введения партизанской войны в лесах, горах(подобные моджахедов), и в пустынях. Ими командует лейтенант Юрий Буревестник, который является не только командиром, но и агентом.

## Известные солдаты отряда "Чёрная Коготь"

Лейтенант Юрий Буревестник (позывной по рации - Заяц)

Младший Лейтенант Борис Шмаков (позывной по рации - Сокол) (Пулеметчик)

Старший Сержант Чернослав Кашпирский ( позывной по рации - Фокстрот) (Снайпер)

Капрал Рустам Федотов ( позывной по рации - Хорек) (Стрелок)

Капрал Михаил Ковальчук ( позывной по рации - Волк) (Стрелок)
Siathrich Nurial Chamers

## Siathrich

* Manhwa
* Anime

**Siathrich Nurial Chamers** is the current King of Chamers and half-brother to Noah Wynknight in Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion.

## Appearance

He is an attractive man with blue hair and gold eyes. He has lost the use of one of his legs due to him being poisoned by Noah's mother when he was younger.

## Personality

He is known to have a somewhat meddlesome and talkative personality and is known to annoy his brother, Noah and meddle in his business. He also seems to be a bit careless and always relies on the people working under him, namely, Countess O'Brien and Keith Westernberg
Killian's Empire

Though it is known to the **Alvyrnians** as Killian’s Empire, after its discoverer, the actual inhabitants of Killian’s Empire refer to their realm as Erresuma Sakon, or the Deep Kingdom. This Empire is reported to be as expansive as the Alvyrnian Empire is on land, except that Killian’s Empire exists only under the sea. Its inhabitants are **Merpeople**, who farm kelp and fish along the continent’s southern shelf, and defend themselves against greater threats that emanate out from the abyss. Constant external threats have created a uniquely united Empire, and all merpeople obey their council of archons unto death.

Very little is actually known of the merpeople. Their capital’s location has never been discovered, nor has there been any interaction between the peoples of the sea and the peoples of the land except for trade. The merpeople trade in curiosities, trinkets, and exotic goods from the sea, while the Alvyrnian Empire gives them brass tools and abundant quantities of oil- for brass is already resistant to corrosion, and keeping it oiled stymies the corruption of the metal even further. They use these tools to defend against greater threats- though what the majority of those are, none on land can say.

The most important item that the Merfolk provide the mainlanders is the substance Bolbora, or Sea-Fire. It is a sticky goop that when lit produces a burst of wind and fire; but the substance becomes inactive when taken more than a hundred feet from the sea. Whatever its secret is, whatever strange magicks are used to make it, are only known by the Itsa Isenaren. Attempts to replicate it by the Empire's Truthseekers have been unsuccessful.
The Craftsman

## Plot

The Craftsman is another inhabitant/antagonist from Very Little Nightmares

Has an ability simular to the Janitor from the original game, can reach anything

cause oh fis long arms, this strategy is used to catch the Girl in the yellow raincoat

so be careful, make sure you get very high up to make sure your safe!

## Appearance

He apears to be the first antagonist you will ecounter with

in Very Little Nightmares he apears in a room where he makes dolls

out of children, he has long arms will reach anything he see's He is not

blind like the janitor but instead he is on a wheel chair reaveling he is injured

Man on a wheel chair with long arms and a surgical mask with red looking scientist glasses.
Yakmaki

Of all the races, the Yakmaki (or burned men) may be the strangest in appearance. They are descended from tribal beyliks of **Naziki** that followed a prophet of fire down into the ashen lands of the **Bleeding Mountain**, one hundred years ago. Their culture is ultra-religious, extremely territorial, and warlike. They build few permanent dwellings, and even those are made of loose stones; instead, they camp in tents. They do possess metallurgy, however, and craft bronze and iron tools from the mineral-rich region that is their home.

### ***Physical Characteristics***

Their skin is red, and they possess pointed ears and tusks, but they also ritually burn themselves, leading their skin to become toughened like leather and scarred all over. Due to this burning, as well as natural pressures, the Yakmaki are entirely hairless. The Yakmaki are similar in stature to the Naziki; six to seven feet tall, and heavily muscled. The Yakmaki are also the most accomplished dragontamers in the world, having produced dozens of them in the last century. Like the Naziki, the Yakmaki use the Beylik system.
Vanha Viisas

The massive tree that lies at the heart of the **Elder Grove** is a central object in the spiritual beliefs of the **Fae folk**. It has never been studied by other races, and few individuals have ever even seen it. It towers over the smaller trees, four times their size, and does not appear to be the same species. How old it is, few can say- but the Fae believe it’s been standing longer than men have been counting. It also appears to share an internal connection with the entire grove, and weakens when men take axes to its farthest cousins. The mechanism for this is unknown.

At the base of the tree lies no altar, and yet it is a place of worship. The fae folk leave gifts here- of sap and earth and even the deceased, to be absorbed by the tree. Some say it gives back what it takes, others say it’s just a damned tree.
Itsa Isenaren

The Merpeople, or Itsa Isenaren in their tongue, are a fairly unknown quantity. Though they are well known to exist, they rarely travel close to shore, and few speak their language regardless. They live in their own undersea Empire, known to the land dwellers as **Killian's Empire**. They are fishlike and blue-green in appearance, with scales running the length of their body, but humanoid heads, torsos, and arms. They lack noses, have pointed teeth, no ears to speak of, and have wide, yellow eyes. Their bodies end in long, curling fish tails with wide fins. Their fingers are clawed and webbed, and they can swim much faster than any land-dweller. They only come to shore in specific locations, to do trade with the **Empire** for much needed supplies.
Simmern

Before the **High Kingdom of Idar-Morbach**, the **Men of the Forest** to the north of the **Alvyrnian** peninsula simply did not have kings, nor dukes, nor lords. They lived simple lives, deep in their forests, worshipping the same goddess as the **Cyleis** to their south. After the High Kingdom conquered the region, they became the westernmost duchy in the realm; considered to be mad men who consorted with pointed ears and forest sprites. After the fall of Idar-Morbach, the men of Simmern simply went back to their routine lives, living peaceably in the hilly woods as they had done since time immemorial. And yet, they could not live that way for long, for Simmern had become the crossroads between an Empire and its desired territories.

For the second time, the **Imperial Army** invaded Simmern, and this time, the country didn’t have the forces of the High Kingdom to defend them. Simmern fell easily, and they were forced to swear fealty to the budding **Empire**. Because they accepted defeat and vassalization with grace, they were designated as the first provincial archduchy, and their old ducal family was raised to the status of archdukes. This process would be repeated with many of the other old provinces of the High Kingdom, including **Ernhalt**, **Leipa**, and **Idar-Morbach** itself.
Elideis

WIP

### ***Physical Characteristics***

The Elideis are generally taller than their pale Cyleis cousins, and darker of skin. Their skin ranges from dark bronze to coffee, and their hair colors fall between dark gray and pure white; though most have silvery, gently curling hair. They stand from six to six-and-a-half feet in height, and possess pointed ears. Like the Cyleis, body hair is scarce, and most males cannot grow facial hair.
Tressen

One of the oldest countries in the Sunrise Lands, the kingdom of Tressen is said to have existed for thousands of years. It exists in the high, mountainous valley near the headwaters of the great **Tresse River**, which feed the lowlands below. Their culture is strange and isolationist, and it is said that of all the races of men, the inhabitants of Tressen remember most the ancient lessons on good, evil, and magic learned in the dawn times. These **Men of the Mountains** have inhabited the region, worshipping their stone gods, since time immemorial, and have successfully defended their homelands from their high roosts against dozens of full-fledged invasions. However, their land is harsh and not highly populated, and the quality of their warriors could not match the quantity of the Imperial Army. **Alvyrnia** succeeded where everyone else had failed, and conquered Tressen after three of the bloodiest invasions in the history of the east. And yet, the Imperials knew that to attack the faith and customs of the **Mountain Men** was to invite disaster. For this reason, they left the affairs of Tressen in its own hands; so long as they were provided coin, grain, and soldiers, Tressen could act on its own.
The Vigil

The Vigil is an ancient and honorable chivalrous order dating back five centuries, tasked with the upkeep of the **Triumvirate’s** **Great Wall**. In the ancient times, the Vigil took recruits from all six **Karkovoi** kingdoms, though today it largely only recruits from the remaining three. There are people of other races in the Vigil, as it accepts all potential recruits, but it is largely an unknown society outside of the Karkovoi lands. The tide of recruits from **Puchnya** has slowed to a trickle, and the forest presses ever forth while the sentinels on the wall dwindle. Though it accepts both men and women, there are roughly three times as many men along the wall as there are women.

The vow to the vigil is a vow for life. Unlike other monastic orders, there is no requirement of celibacy, and members are allowed to start families along the wall. Children raised along the wall are a prominent source of recruits, though a life spent along the wall doesn’t appeal to all.

Resources are shared and given out as the Vigil’s Great Council sees fit. Though the **Alvyrnian Empire** does not fund the Vigil, they have been given rights to tax exemption as a religious organization, and thus they are free to do with their resources as they wish. Most of their funding comes from Triumvirate tithes and donations from Puchnya- for helping the Vigil is seen as a holy duty by those who follow the **Triarchy**.
The White Hand

Another of the many facets of the **Empire’s** **Church of Unity**, the Order of the White Hand provides skilled diplomats for use by the upper Imperial echelons. Their ranks are filled with messengers, courtiers, ambassadors, and bureaucrats at equal measure. To join, one must seek out their headquarters and undertake study at their academy. A prospective member must forswear all possessions at the time of joining and undertake the Oath of Twenty; that is, to promise twenty years’ service at least to the Order. While in training, prospects practice in the arts of intrigue and diplomacy, while also learning courtly manners. A fully-fledged member of the White Hand should ideally be able to blend into the courts of any of the provinces. They all speak multiple languages, are well versed in secrecy and spycraft, as well as politics, debate, and guile. Many agents do their work undercover, while others serve as useful advisors to Kings, Archdukes, and various other nobles. Finding someone with as many courtly skills on the street is near-impossible, and thusly, despite their obvious affiliations, many people of great import still seek their counsel, despite any wariness. Agents of the White Hand, whilst in the open, wear a tasseled white-brass brooch with the emblem of an open hand on it. Though some choose to remain in the order, many retirees go on to hold positions in the Imperial Bureaucracy, where rewards are more lucrative for their many skills.

The Order’s inner hierarchy is complex. There is no one person in charge of it; Imperially-appointed officers of the Order control the academy, provincial assignments, and clandestine operations separately.
The Boundless Blight

Whatever horrible calamity befell the world, that which sowed the seed of the Blight, is unknown and lost to time. The Blight comes from the west, slowly, creeping like a great beast towards all civilizations in its wake. There is no knowledge on the workings of the blight; its trees dent iron axes, its leaves choke the sky, its roots poison the ground, and what stalks in the dark shadows can and will kill all who enter. The simple truth is that no man-made obstacle can bar the Blight forever, unless manned by untold numbers of men. Many have doubtless tried, many have doubtless died; for who knows how many realms have fallen already?

The true blessing of the Sunrise Lands are in its high mountains, which form a far more effective wall than men could ever hope to make, and do not require maintenance. Several of the races in the known world already know the Blight well; for both the **Karkovoi** and the **Naziki** fled their homelands to escape it.

However, the mountains of the east also sow the arrogance of its people; for most do not believe that the Blight is a threat, or even know of its existence. Of what consequence is a far-off sorcerous forest to a man on a fishing boat off of **Leipa**, or a farmer working his fields in **Ernhalt**, or a soldier defending against barbarous tribes in **Olm**? Day-to-day life is far more important than rumors, most reason, and thus the Empire as a whole has yet to act.
Leipa

The summer lands of Leipa are fair and even-tempered, and well suited for agriculture. Its people are gentler and more easygoing than those of their subjugators, and Leipa has a reputation for trade and a penchant for economic ventures. The men of Leipa do not hold grudges, nor are they overly-prideful. Leipa has not had its own kings since before the days of **Idar-Morbach**, and, unlike other provinces, does not take offense at the title of Archduchy. However, Leipa plays host to the most noble families by far; several thousand families, major and minor, all of whom squabble pettily, but usually bloodlessly. Assassination is seen as a far more tactful way to decide disputes than warfare.
The Lands of Sunrise

The peoples of the continent speak many languages, and many tongues, but one phrase is near ubiquitous: the name of their homelands. Here, there are only two distinctions; the lands of Sunrise, bulwark of civilization, and the lands of Sunset, filled with the grim, neverending forest known as the **Boundless Blight**.

Few on the continent can claim to be as old as the land itself. Many of the various races of men fled here from their own distant lands after catastrophe struck them; the tusked men of the **Naziki** from the northwest, the pointed men of the **Cyleis** and **Elideis** from the east, and the stout men of the **Karkovoi** from the west. For all intents, this is the world; ringed only by malice and ruin, and not much better within the walls. For thousands of years, petty kings and queens waged bloody wars for mere inches of territory, bringing vast swathes of the land to heel. However, in the past few hundred years, their sense of urgency has grown. The great forests and ill-omened seas have eclipsed their passage out from their eastern holdfast, and though their kingdoms remain mighty, something sinister stalks them from beyond wooded thickets and high mountains. Today, all the old kingdoms and chiefdoms have been united by the **Alvyrnian Empire**; the greatest empire the Lands of Sunrise has ever seen. And yet their rule is tenuous. They must unite as one, truly, all men and women, or face an extinction they cannot imagine.

But it is not in these grand chapters that our story takes place. Our story takes place on the ground, in the hearts of individuals, who know nothing of grand designs of struggle and power, and who must make their own instead.
The Way of Stone

The faith of the **Men of Mountains** is as old as they are, and as mysterious. There are no temples nor churches for the Way of Stone, nor any books; beliefs are passed on by word of mouth. While other races claim to consort with greater, ethereal powers, the Men of the Mountains do not hold with such nonsense. Their gods are the mountains that keep their lands safe from invaders, the mountains that provide cool streams to water the valleys, the mountains that throw men to their deaths for placing a foot carelessly. There is no further proof needed for divinity; than that which controls life.

The Way of Stone is an old faith, with beliefs that can still be seen vaguely in the **Church of the Storm** and the faith of **Sauinh**, both of which may have arose from it millennia ago. The adherents believe that in the dawn era, great giants the size of moving cities awoke in the far west, and dragged the sun east on their backs, creating life and beauty as they went. However, as they passed and left, the life withered without the sun. When they finally reached the easternmost point of the world, they looked back and saw their creations dying. The strongest of them, Karl the Elder, threw the sun so hard that it came around the world, over and over, every day. After they saw their creations thriving, the giants were pleased, but tired. They lay down to rest, and became still like statues, hardened into stone. They became the mountains, the great mountains that guard the east from the west, and all that they had made there was safe.

### ***Ceremonial Practices***

Holidays in the tradition of Stone are solitary, and practiced alone or in small groups. Generally, only fasting and vigils are involved; pilgrims will travel to small shrines in the mountains to pray and worship. They will do so at their own discretion, following their own rituals. A family or a village may share the same ritual days, but there are no universal holidays, and a man might make a holiday out of any day he pleases. This is the ancient way; and no upstart priests nor zealots will sway it.
Olm, Wernbach, and Bressen

Olm, Wernbach, and Bressen were originally founded as duchies in the old **High Kingdom of Idar-Morbach**. They existed in the wooded foothills of the **Bleeding Mountain**, to its west, along the sheltered shoreline. The westernmost is Bressen, most exposed to the **Lands of Blood**, located on a flat plain between the River Bresse and the Idar-Morbach heartlands. After that comes Wernbach, located in the hills and smaller mountains to the west of the Bleeding Mountain. Finally, the easternmost is Olm, located directly below the volcano, where ash regularly chokes the sky.

When the High Kingdom of Men was defeated by Altan the Terror, however, they and many other minor provinces seized their chances and declared independence. After the dragonrider’s death, they became sovereign, and one of the many, many factions that the Idar-Morbach heartlands were at war with. Each budding city-state declared itself a new kingdom, and each coronated their old dukes as kings. Despite their small size, they were unified from the beginning, and their lands were easily defensible against the lowlands to their southwest. However, the war between them and their old overlords lasted for more than half a century, and took a heavy toll on the smaller, less populous region. For this reason, they swore fealty to the **Empire of Alvyrnia** when they came knocking, in exchange for being able to keep their status as kings… however petty. With the help of the Imperial army, they finally won the war, and lived in peace at last; though of course, the war parties and raids from the **Yakmaki** would never cease.

Today, the men of this region are renowned as swordsmen and warriors. The constant attacks from their north as well as paranoia towards their southern neighbor has created a martial culture without peer among the southern lands. Despite being only a very small part of the overall imperial population, people from this region make up a large part of the Empire’s army. Their kings reign with absolute authority in their respective city-states, and do not generally have to submit to Imperial authority except to offer tax- the **Imperial Army** quotas are easily met every year in this region.
Karkovoi

Like the **Naziki**, the Karkovoi (or stout men) are not natives to the Sunrise Lands. Their ancient home was to the west, and has long been overrun by the blight. More than half a millenia ago, the stout men fled their homelands and settled along the southwestern shores, coalescing into seven kingdoms, four in the highlands, guarded by mountains, and three in the lowlands, on the peninsula now known as Puchnya. Karkovoi are short, hairy, and have a reputation for being stubborn, though not unwise. Their rulers do not hold crowns as symbols of office, but instead white rods, gilded and jeweled. Today, their territories are split between the governorate province of **Puchnya** and the **Triumvirate** kingdoms, the latter of which still holds autonomy within the Empire. They are one of the races most at risk from the **Boundless Blight**.

### ***Physical Characteristics and Variations***

The Karkovoi living on the peninsula of Puchnya (or Puknya) have tanner skin, and are known as **Nizky Karkovoi**, though in reality there are very few differences between the two. Both races stand between four and five feet tall; the shortest of the races of men, and they are built like bears. Their hair ranges from blonde to red to brown to black, and in males it grows all over their bodies.
Duliyanid Beylik

A century ago, the lands now controlled by Duliyanid Clan were the most prosperous lands the **Naziki** held- warmer than their original lands to the north, and well-watered, with high populations of clans that ranged over the plains.

The Duliyanids are recently-proclaimed Beys; having received their titles and unified their lands with the guidance of the **Empire**. Before Imperial rule, the lands that they controlled- the great river plains south of the **River Tresse**- were controlled by many Beyliks of varying size and organization. Unlike most of their kin, the Duliyanids allied with the Empire during the war, and were instrumental in bringing imperial control to the region. For their service, they were not only given the title of Beys, but also the title of provincial gouvernours, to oversee justice and policy in the name of the Empire. However, seventeen years has done little to erase what they are in the eyes of the people they rule, and there are whispers of plots and coups across the province, as the true sons of the river plan to retake their home...
Ernhalt

Before Imperial rule, before even the rule by the High Kingdom of **Idar-Morbach**, Ernhalt was an independent kingdom of the **Men of the Forest**. To its west lies a great forest, unblighted, and to its east are vast plains and pastures. Since time immemorial, Ernhalt has been one of the most productive regions in the land; raising great fields of wheat in its temperate climate, breeding the finest horses, and producing massive amounts of lumber. However, Ernhalt lacks the sheer population of the southern regions, as well as the political organization- for their society is traditional, and distrusts what is foreign. Furthermore, the country has no natural barriers to prevent invasion. It has thus been conquered three times; firstly by the old High Kingdom, again by **Altan the Terror**, and once more by the **Alvyrnian Empire**. When Idar-Morbach invaded, they did so for their great god of storms, and all but destroyed the old religious practices of the region, which now only survive in its farther, more southern neighbor of **Simmern**.

In the wake of the Empire’s conquest, Ernhalt’s old kings have been reduced to Archdukes, vassals to a greater power once more. And yet, life in Ernhalt goes on.
Lands of Blood

The region known as the Lands of Blood lies directly north of the **Bleeding Mountain**, along the Bloody Coast. It is a rocky, barren land, fairly devoid of life. Sandstorms are regular, unburnt trees are scarce, and few animals live there. The people that do live in this region are known as the **Yakmaki**, and they worship **fire and dragons**, and live in loosely-organized, feuding tribes. They arrived here over a hundred years ago, burning everything and everyone in their path, and displacing the old inhabitants; the men of the High Kingdom of **Idar-Morbach**. The petty duchies that once existed there have been forgotten, as the landscape has changed so much in the wake of constant burning that it’s now unrecognizable. The region has seldom had a single ruler, for the Yakmaki respect only power, and with the death of the conqueror, so too dissolves their hold over the region. Recently, the **Alvyrnian Empire** has stationed **imperial military** outposts in the region, but since the region isn’t politically united, and is constantly in a state of war, it’s more them adding their own army to the pile. This military occupation is led by an appointed Military Gouvernour, who is tasked with overseeing justice, taxation, and law in the region. His control is tenuous, and only nominal; and the second the Empire removes their garrisons is the second any pretense of control is lost, for the Yakmaki are naught but blood and flame.
Naziki

The Naziki, or tusked men, are a relatively new race in the Sunrise Lands. Their homeland was west of the great mountains, but is now overrun with **Blight**. Though they do not like to use the word ‘fled’, they first fled their homelands just over two hundred years ago, heading eastward into cold and hilly grasslands and pastures that are now the site of their oldest kingdom; the Kandarid Beylik. Since then, they have spread to the southeast, conquering the river lowlands and pushing as far south as the foothills of the **Bleeding Mountain**. Their society does not traditionally use the written word, and thus histories are recorded by song rather than books. They are both martial and free-thinking, and their architecture, while once only consisting of tents, has grown to rival even the kingdoms of men, with great mobile cities made of canvas and furs existing alongside massive, sedentary stone palaces and temples.

### ***Physical Characteristics***

The Naziki themselves are a tall, strong race, with blue skin, pointed ears, and tusks that jut from their gums. Their hair is black and straight, and males often wear braided beards. Generally, they stand a full head taller than most men, at 6 - 7 feet in height. They are more energetic than most races, but cannot survive as long in low-oxygen environments. Their cousins are the strange, ultra-religious **Yakmaki**, who control the war torn **Lands of Blood**.

### ***Endemic Political Systems***

Naziki organize themselves into Beyliks, which are similar to kingdoms in that a single hereditary ruler controls the populace, but Beyliks are not tied to land. A Beylik is simply the ruler and his people, and they move their tent cities once every few years to seek greener pastures, or to rest at one of the sedentary cities in the country.
Nobility

Despite **Imperial** occupation, the vast majority of the people on the continent live under some variation of the feudal system- whereby a lord controls land, and the peasants on it, and provides both security and justice to all within his realm. Theoretically.

In actuality, the systems vary from place to place, but the idea remains the same- that a single group of people may have access to privileges, land, and titles through inheritance, that are restricted for the normal populace. In the case of war, he or she may **levy** their smallfolk to form an army, which then becomes the noble's warforce; thus eliminating the need for standing armies. The generic title of Lord may be used across the entire continent, but the truth is that the ranks of nobility are a world within themselves; burgraves and marquesses, lairds and marcher lords, landed knights and dukes, prince-electors and palatines, just to name a few. Each culture has their own systems of government and titles; a **Man of the Sea** might be titled Margrave, and be responsible for the defense of the border lands, while an **Elideis** might be titled Chatelain, and be responsible for the keep and maintenance of a single holdfast. There are too many titles to list easily.

In each province of the Empire, the nobility holds its own courts. Under the Archducal system, the Archduke is still responsible for the noblemen in the region, who are his sworn vassals. The Kingdom system is similar; the Kings, like the Archdukes, confirm the rights and privileges of their nobles and oversee rule. However, in the case of Governorates, nobles often form disparate factions, all grudgingly paying respect to their bureaucratic overlords. Their cohesion, as well as their rights to land and styles, depend on which province they're in. In the **Naziki** provinces, Beys (Naziki lords) are allowed to continue with their ancient systems of tribe governance, as long as they pay tithes. In the **Lands of Blood**, nearly all the chieftains of the **Yakmaki** directly oppose the **Imperial Military's** occupation, and are thus treated as outlaws without legitimate rank nor rights in the eyes of the Empire. In **Puchnya**, the eradication of the noble classes was so complete upon the invasion of the Alvyrnians that nobility has never risen again, and instead elected bureaucrats have entirely replaced nobles. Some noble families still exist in the latter, though they are unlanded, and their old "ranks" of nobility are little more than titles and styles without real privilege.

*For reference, the old Kingdoms of Men use what are seen in the real world as German medieval stylings, the Elideis and Cyleis use French medieval stylings, the Karkovoi use Slavic or Russian styles, the Giants use Scottish or Gaelic styles, and the Naziki use Turkish styles. Reference to real-world wikipedia should prove illuminating in the case of any confusion.*
Idar-Morbach

Idar-Morbach is an old country, predating **Alvyrnia** by three centuries, and once stretched from the Shores of **Blood** to **Simmern**. Their empire, the High Kingdom of Idar-Morbach, was at its zenith during the Alvyrnians’ infancy, but was destroyed by the successive invasions of the **Naziki**. Most destructive, however, were the **Yakmaki**, who bred dragons and dragonriders; and a hundred-and-twenty years, ago, the great conqueror Altan destroyed the High Kingdom when he came down from the northeast. Though his own Empire dissolved after his untimely death, Idar-Morbach was never able to recover, and their old provinces fell into disarray and constant warfare. Now, all that remains of the Kingdom of Men is its old core province, relegated to the position of Archduchy after it was subjugated by the Alvyrnians. Its people are dogmatic, convinced of their own superiority, and lustful after the power they once knew. They also have a deep hatred for the Yakmaki; for the men of the sea do not forgive nor forget.
The Free Bank of Puchnya

There are many banks in the lands of Sunrise. Banking is a traditional institution in **Karkovoi** culture, as well as a recently-adopted practice by the **Men of the Sea**. Resultingly, there are hundreds of banks that exist within the **Empire**, but none could ever claim to be so powerful as the Free Bank of Puchnya. Its original name is the Lebedev Bank; named after its founder, who lived a century ago. It is fabled to be equally as wealthy as the Imperial Monarch, with none of the expenses- its headquarters is a massive building of gilded marble, guarded by a veritable army of skilled and well-equipped mercenaries, often veterans of **Imperial Military** service. Its agents and outposts may be found in every major city, and it signs loans to **Freelance companies**, aspiring traders, and down-on-their-luck aristocracy the world over. But being a bank means being profitable, and none can say that it is not- for in the end, it always gets its coin back. Some may say that the **Triumvirate** quailed at the sheer might of the Empire when they came to call- but others will remember that it was an envoy of the bank that brought the demands in a chest of solid gold. Perhaps other nobles like to boast of nobility and country, but there are far more sellswords than nobles- and an army can always be bought.
Alvyrnian Nobility

The Alvyrnian Peninsula is home to the pointed men, both Cyleis and Elideis, and serves as the heartland for their continent-spanning Empire. Each culture has its own traditions concerning governance and social strata, but in general, most subscribe variously to the idea of nobility; that privileges, incomes, and titles may be hereditary, and passed down from sire to offspring. This is the case on the peninsula. In general, a noble holds land and the serfs on it, and this land will pass to his or her firstborn offspring upon abdication or death. However, governance in Alvyrnia is not entirely reliant on hereditary nobility. People may be appointed by the Imperial Monarch, his or her councillors, or even high-ranking members of the bureaucracy to oversee lands, specifically for purpose of Imperial taxation and levying. Of most note in this system are major cities, which, while they are often owned in parts by various nobles, are directly overseen by councils of appointed bureaucrats who ensure operations run efficiently and sufficient tax from trade makes its way to the capital.

The Alvyrnian nobility, in a word, despises the bureaucratic system, which is a recent institution that came about roughly at the same time as the Empire's founding. Bureaucrats may be anyone, even commoners, and take away power and potential incomes from the nobility, whose power has correspondingly shrunk. Nonetheless, nobility is a powerful institution, that still controls much of the day-to-day activities of the citizens in the Empire's heartlands.

### ***Dynasties***

Nobles are organized into dynasties; lineages of people who are claimant to a title by descent from its first lord. Often, lords of land have more offspring than they have land, so many eventually become lesser dynastic branches; courtiers in the halls of their landowning cousins. Certain dynasties are ancient and famed, and may enjoy many titles and incomes, but others are recent and significantly less well-endowed. However, all noble families technically are afforded the same rights; so a minor noble may stake claims and conquest the same way a major noble would- though of course, he or she would have to be correspondingly more clever to make up for the lack of resources.

### ***Nobility-Du-Court***

Certain noble dynasties that have eyes on Imperial politics have become nobles-du-court; that is, they have left their ancestral seats to instead live in the Imperial Palace. These nobles are called ladies or lords du-court, and generally appoint councillors in their absence, such as cadet nobles or castellans, to tend to their actual holdings in a form of regency. Making a home in the Imperial Palace allows any noble to grab the attention of the Imperial Monarch- or at least, to try to. The Palace, as a resort, is a vicious political jungle, full of scheming minor and major nobles, most of whom are from the Alvyrnian peninsula- though others may come from much further away. The secret to a successful betrothal, or claim, or petition is never what you know- it's who you know. And the most important people to know are always in the capital.