Etharis

Life of a Valika:

A Valika hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of her life crawling on all fours. Parents spend time telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, young Valika learns to speak and survive on her own. A young Valika and her siblings inherit all the tools, weapons, and gifts left by their parents. Every young Valika is expected to fend for herself. It leaves its birthplace and finds its own corner of the wild where it hunts, catches fish, and makes ends meet. With each passing year, a Valika hones their survival skills. It makes friends with its neighbors while respecting their privacy. At some point, a Valika feels a quickly overwhelming urge to venture far from home and see more of the world. It gathers its belongings and sets off into the wild, to be met months or years later with tales of its exploits and new abilities. When a Valika nears the end of its natural lifespan, it finds a mate and reproduces. Valika lay their eggs (from as few as 10 to as many as 50) in a fortified area surrounded by easily defendable stone walls. If no such connection exists, they build one. The parents spend the rest of their lives guarding the grounds, defending their offspring, and sharing knowledge for a lifetime before they die. When the kids are old enough to leave the grounds, they gather the weapons and tools their parents left behind and set off.

Luststone

For this ritual, a smooth flat pebble into which a magical symbol has been cut is heated in a cauldron together with a jug of high-proof alcohol and a cup of fresh rabbit's blood. One after the other, a thimble full of tears, a piece of the heart of a murdered person, a handful of dried rose petals and the testicles of a ram cut into small pieces are added. The hot stone is then removed from the liquid with tongs and cooled in a bowl of spit and urine of the person to whom the victim is to fall.

The pleasure stone is hidden in the victim's bed or night bed. As soon as the victim sleeps here for one night, he or she falls into the target's clutches. The magic of the pleasure stone is stronger than a normal love spell and makes the person affected permanently bondage, regardless of how badly he is treated by the person being worshipped and what he demands of him. Under the influence of the pleasure stone, the lover is ready for anything, up to murder or his own ruin, even though it may take some time before remorse or misgivings are overcome. To break the spell, the pleasure stone must be smashed with a hammer in the presence of the enchanted person and the banishing must succeed. Even if the spell is broken, the victim is not yet free, but loses all will to live and falls into despair. It can only be freed from this state with soul healing.

The growing up.

One year after birth, the boy Valika has to assert himself by fighting against some of his siblings and some creatures of the jungle. Each Valika wears a red scarf around his neck, which identifies him as a newcomer. At the beginning of their journey, they are given some provisions and equipment by their dying parents. Whoever of the siblings can get hold of the most of it will have an easier time later on. A fight breaks out between the siblings to see which pieces of equipment they can take from their parents. This regularly leads to serious injuries and death. During this conflict, however, the first set off into the unknown, which they only know from stories. In the jungle they have to prove themselves against the monsters that live there and only those who arrive in one of the Valika camps with the heads of three different beasts are accepted as part of society. Now he has his own stories to tell about his battles against these beasts. The more dangerous the defeated beasts were, the higher the reputation one gains later on.

Beliefs:

Valika don’t have their own pantheon of gods, but they often worship the gods of other races. It’s not unusual for a Valika to hear stories or legends related to a god and choose to worship that deity. Valika believe that night and day watch over them and other creatures. The moon is the eye of night that watches over them in darkness, and the sun is the equally vigilant eye of day. Valika feel most at peace when one or both of these “eyes” are looking down on them. They become more nervous and uneasy when neither orb is visible in the sky. Valika tend to be most uncomfortable underground, where neither the sun nor the moon is visible to them. Blessed are the days when both the sun and moon are visible in the sky at the same time. Valika often choose such days to leave their homes and begin a wilderness expedition, or perform some other task they know to be dangerous.

Adventurers at Heart:

Valika have a saying “We wear our homes on our backs.” The shells they carry around provide all the shelter they require. Consequently, Valika don’t feel the need to root themselves in one place for too long. A Valika settlement is primarily used as a kind of moot, where tortles can socialize with one another, share useful information, and trade with strangers in the safety of greater numbers. Valika don’t regard these settlements as places worth defending with their lives, and they will abandon a settlement when it no longer serves their needs. Most Valika's like to see how other creatures live and discover new customs and new ways of doing things. The urge to procreate doesn’t kick in until the end of a Valika's life, and a Valika can spend decades away from its native land without feeling homesick. Valika embrace a simple view of the world. It is a place of wonder, and Valika see beauty in the ordinary. They live for the chance to hear a soft wind blowing through palm trees, to watch a frog croaking on a lily pad, or to stand in a crowded human marketplace. Valika like to learn new skills. They craft their own tools and weapons, and they are good at building structures and fortifications. They marvel at the works of other civilized creatures, and can lose themselves for years in a city, studying its architectural wonders and learning skills they can put to use when building forts to contain their offspring. Although they spend a considerable portion of their lives in isolation, Valika are social creatures that like to form meaningful friendships. They have no inbred animus toward people of other races. In fact, a Valika will often seek out friendships with non Valikas to learn new customs and new points of view.

The desire for adventure:

*The desire to risk one's life to get an adrelanine boost is so common among the Valika that the absence of this desire is considered abnormal. These Valika are considered Abnormals and are often called Ival. They are mostly the ones who stay in the places and guard them. Since they fulfill an important function in society, they will probably not be expelled, but other Valika treat them with mistrust at first.* *This boost of adrelanine in the Valika activates the reproductive organs and only then can they begin reproduction. When the act is done, the Valika are usually so exhausted that they only have a year to live. Wounds heal more and more slowly over time and the aging process increases rapidly.*

The acquisition of another culture:

*A culture of necromancers close to that of our lands, the Valkadian sacralize their personal power and growth, as well as their quest for knowledge and their own great lineage. They tend to tell tales of great adventures just like the Valika.* *The thought of bringing one's own power to the fore appeals to some Valika. Which leads to more and more Valika striving for more power over time. Delay power as many opponents as possible as effectively as possible. We must show the Valkadian that we are worthy of them and can be as powerful as they are. that we are equal neighbors.*

The disposal of waste:

*Since the Valika are not immortal and the corpses of the Valika are looted, only the corpses with their hard shells remain. Some Valika have made it their job to dispose of these corpses to minimize the threat to corpse plants. One way to get rid of these corpses is to throw them in the water or throw them on land. Unfortunately, burning the corpses is too risky, because this attracts corpse plants. The question that arises is whether or not the necromancers would be happy about such dead bodies.*

The Feast of the Resurrection.

Out of a need, a new tradition has formed. The need that with an increasing population, the number of corpses also increases and thus the risk of corpse plants running amok. Once a week on the day of Siedag, the bodies of the deceased Valika are bound together and brought to the mainland by a few brave people. There lives a people who create and use the undead. These people resurrect our dead and allow them to continue their adventures. Thus, even after their death, the dead can continue to influence the world not only through their stories. On the day of Siedag, a great fire is built and burnt down in all outposts of the Valika. Everything that is broken and no longer usable is thrown into this fire and destroyed so that the ashes can serve as a breeding ground for new life. The eternal circle of the energy flow that pulsates through the veins of this world and only ends when this world ends.

The problem with the corpse plants:

*In the nameless jungles of the land of Etharis there are some dangerous plants. These dangerous plants include the corpse plants. These are intelligent plants that feast on the bodies of deceased creatures. In and of themselves they play an important role in the island's ecosystem and they are mostly peaceful as they feast on the dead. However, if they find and consume too many dead bodies in a short period of time, they can go into a blood frenzy. When in a blood frenzy, they seek out more and more corpses and start killing other living beings to feed their insatiable hunger. Depending on how many corpses the plant consumes, the potential danger from such a plant is either very low or so great that you need Valika's hands to defeat one of these creatures.*

Hunting for the corpse plant Every now and then it happens that a so-called corpse plant on the main island grows too big. A corpse plant is a plant that moves with the help of its tendrils and feeds on the various energies that a dead body emits. Should a corpse plant come across too many corpses in too short a time, it goes into a blood frenzy and preys on everything it can consume. No matter if alive or dead. This time, too, the rumours of a new corpse plant in a blood frenzy are doing the rounds. A hunting group of experienced hunters equipped with oil arrows, which are ignited before being shot, and nets soaked in salt water are to destroy the plant or at least keep it at bay. The group sets off into the deep jungle at dawn. Scouting parties cautiously go ahead and watch for signs of the plant. The most dangerous thing about fighting this plant is that you don't want to risk a forest fire, which would probably lead to the death of the corpse plant, but would also result in the death of countless Valika.

And so they seek this plant to increase their fame, so that stories will be told about them forever and ever. When they finally found it, they set to work as quickly as possible to immobilise the plant with the nets, which only works semi-successfully. The plant is three metres high and squeezes through the trees, and as soon as you're not careful you're in the body of the enormous plant and are slowly but painfully crushed. One of the unfortunates manages to ignite one of the oil arrows in the body of the plant, whereby the fire begins to burn outwards and thus kills the corpse plant, but he himself is also cooked.

The Cho-Cho Festival

Every year at the same time, the so-called Cho-Cho's begin their mating ritual. Cho-chos are small, green flightless birds that build their nests high up in the tree tops. They are one of the Valika's favourite animals, as they climb the 30 to 50 metre high trees every time they want something to eat or want to reproduce, thus risking their lives. Because that is the only place where they can find food. As a result, there are very few of these birds, because every time they climb a tree, they put their lives in danger. That is why people have decided to help these birds. Every year at the Cho-Cho festival, small wooden spiral staircases are built around some of the trees that are too small for a Valika, but big enough for a Cho-Cho to reach the top safely. At this festival, some Valika decorate themselves with the feathers that have fallen out of the Cho-Cho's to show their tribute to them. There are many berries and roots to eat. Meat is taboo on this day and the following week. There is dancing and music together. And many a Valika looks for a partner on this day to build his own nest.

Goblin Met

At the beginning of each month there is a goblin collecting action. As the name suggests, goblins are collected. Goblins are small, black-hearted, black-blooded, not very intelligent, selfish humanoids who like to hide in caves and other dark places. Weak individually, but can become a problem in large numbers. They lust after all that glitters and sparkles. Goblins are lazy and undisciplined, which makes them poor servants, workers and guards. Driven by greed and malice, goblins can't help but celebrate the few times they have the upper hand. They dance and do aerial leaps for sheer joy when they have achieved victory. After their feast is over, the goblins delight in tormenting other creatures and engage in all kinds of wickedness. Goblins are ruled by the strongest or smartest of them.

As the goblins reside in large numbers in narrow caves, gathering them is always a dangerous undertaking. A risk that the Valika are happy to take, because a delicious dark drink can be made from the goblins and a little honey. The goblins are soaked and slit open after they have been caught. This converts part of the blood in the goblin into sugar. After a day, the goblins are fished out of the water and crushed above it in a press. Some hops are then added to the brew, which also converts the last of the blood into sugar. The sugar is then slowly converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by yeast fungi and honey is added for its healing properties. The brewing process takes about four to six weeks

Idary mineral

Idary is a magical mineral mined in the mines of Etharis. It appears in geodesic clusters of translucent, sharp-edged crystals that reflect octarine light. The eerie stones hum softly in dissonant tones and glow brightly at night or when exposed to magic. Deposits are found throughout the depths of the islands of Etharis. A typical Idary fragment is about the size of a finger. Crystals can be the size of a fist or slightly larger, and geodes can be as big as a pumpkin. Massive lumps can grow larger than a human.

Idary properties:

All Idary specimens, regardless of size, have the following properties:

* Immune to necrotic, poisonous and psychic damage.
* Resistant to acid, cold, fire and lightning damage.

Idary Harvest

Idary found in Etharis can be harvested carefully with mining equipment such as shovels, pickaxes, hammers and chisels. Massive chunks are impossible to extract without heavy equipment or powerful magic. The slaves who work the mines of Etharis are partially exposed to Eldritic pollutants when within the haze or arcane radiation emanating from the Idary. These dangers cause a condition called contamination that can cause both debilitating symptoms and otherworldly mutations. The contamination is measured in different stages. When a certain level of contamination is reached, the affected person can transform.

Symptoms of Contamination

A plagued creature can suffer from any one to all of the symptoms.

* Decreased regeneration, loss of skin, hair, fingernails and toenails
* Signs of illness
* Immobilization
* partial mutations

Mutations

Only special magic can remove the contamination. Creatures don't recover naturally. An effect that removes a contamination may also remove a mutation. When all contamination symptoms end and all mutations are removed, then skin, hair, fingernails, and toenails that went through mutations will grow back normally. However, a regeneration spell or similar magic is required to restore other body parts (such as teeth, limbs, or eyes) lost to the contamination. Appendages or limbs developed as a result of mutations wither and fall off when the contamination is removed, and other deformed body parts are restored to their original form. death and dying in temptation.

If a creature with a contamination dies, it will rise again 24 hours later as an undead.

Monstrous Transformation

A creature that is very tempted can trigger its transformation into a horrid monster. Once triggered, the transformation ends in about 10 seconds. After that it is permanent. Only chance determines what, if anything, remains of the original creature's personality and memories. Regardless, the creature falls insane as a result of the transformation.

Reversal of transformation

The ways to undo a monstrous transformation are too unknown. A monstrous transformation is widely believed to be permanent, although some still search the mines for answers. The transformation is otherwise irreversible by anything except divine intervention. However, an intelligent monster that is being treated over time can conspire to infest or subtly corrupt its keepers.

Possible uses for Idary

Idary has great arcane potential. Besides trading, the crystals are used for various purposes:

* spell component. Idary can be used as an arcane focus or material component for any spell.
* magic items. Idary is an extraordinary material to create magical objects of all kinds. Fragments, shards, crystals, and geodes can be used to craft unusual items.
* Stable Idary. The process of crafting magic items with Idary makes the crystals stable. Unless otherwise indicated, people will not be harmed or risk contamination when touching or handling stable Idary. Stable Idary can be damaged and destroyed like a normal magic item.
* idarydust. Idary dust is made by grinding the crystals into a fine powder. This milling process is extraordinarily dangerous. Idary dust can be used in alchemy as part of a spell, part of spells, as a reagent for brewing potions, or as ink for spell scrolls.
* Improvised weapons and ammunition. Idary Fragments can be used as ammo for a slingshot or made into a makeshift mace. Idary used in this way can be damaged or destroyed very easily. Stable Idary is rarely used here, exposing the victims of such weapons to contamination.

Bones of evil

This ritual requires a rat beaten to a pulp with a hammer, a dozen blowflies, a mixture of dried mushrooms and a beer mug full of slurry. You also need a finger-sized piece of brain, heart and liver from an animal that has died of a plague, as well as a thigh bone into which magical symbols have been carved beforehand. All the ingredients are thrown into a cauldron with a bucket of marsh or bog water, heated slowly and left to simmer for an hour. The mixture must be stirred regularly while reciting magic verses. Afterwards, the evil magic is concentrated in the bone and can work for up to eight days. To do this, the bone must be buried about 20 cm deep in a stable, a pen or in a place where animals regularly stay. All animals of the species from which the bone originates, as well as closely related species (e.g. cattle/sheep/goats, chickens/ducks/geese, horses/donkeys, pigs) fall ill within a day and then die in agony after another day if no one takes care of them, or after 2-3 days if their owners suspect a normal illness and take appropriate countermeasures. The Bone of Evil is mainly used to harm farmers. Diseased animals can be saved individually with Cure of Disease. To break the evil spell once and for all and cure all afflicted animals, the bone must be found and smashed into small splinters with a hammer or axe. Afterwards, the remains of the dark magic must be removed.

Grimmstone

For this ritual, the hair, fingernails, spit or similar bodily substances of the person to be hated are soaked or dissolved in a bowl of water. A smooth flat pebble into which a magical symbol has been cut is then heated in a cauldron together with a jug of high-proof goblin mead, a cup of fresh marten blood, a handful of dried belladonna and toadstools, a thimbleful of tears shed in anger, a piece of the heart of a person who has become a murderer out of passion and the finely chopped tongue of a rabid dog, wolf or fox. The hot stone is then removed from the liquid with tongs and cooled in the bowl of water.

The grimmstone is hidden in the victim's bed or night's lodging. As soon as it sleeps here for a night, it develops an abysmal hatred for the target. Under the influence of the grimmstone, the victim tries to harm the target with all his might. How he does this depends on his nature. A bully will prefer a direct physical attack, while a schemer will pull the strings from the background and slowly but surely ruin the target of his hatred socially. To break the spell, the grimmstone must be smashed with a hammer in the presence of the enchanted person. As soon as the spell is broken, the victim suffers a shock and falls into madness. They can only be freed from this state with soul healing.

Thunderstorm water

For this ritual, a fire is lit from the wood of a tree felled by lightning and rainwater collected during a violent thunderstorm is brought to the boil in a cauldron. The heart of an electric eel, a spoonful of fine copper shavings, a handful of charred acorns and a goblet of blood and a finger of someone struck by lightning are added to the liquid. The mixture is boiled for an hour and stirred with a large oak spoon. Finally, the ashes of the firewood are stirred into the cooling liquid. The mixture is poured into 10 large clay jugs. When the thunderstorm water is boiled from a jug, a thick cloud of vapour is formed which drifts straight upwards. In the open air or if the steam is allowed to escape through a chimney or a draught hole, a violent thunderstorm will come up within 1-3 hours, with squalls, lightning and thunder in the area of action. The amount of precipitation depends on local and seasonal conditions and can vary from torrential rain, sleet and snow showers to complete drought. Depending on the wind conditions, the thunderstorm can also spread out of the area of impact into the immediate vicinity.

Shackle of the Haunting

This ritual creates a spirit that haunts a place or person until it is banished with them. To set the target, dust or earth from the target location or a little spit, hair, blood or other material from the target's body is needed. This material is mixed together with a handful of bone meal from a murder victim and two spoonfuls of owl's blood and heated in a ladle over the candle flame of a ritual candle. Finally, the leader spits into the liquid, pours it into a bowl made from the skullcap of a deceased witch and soaks in it a strand of hair braided into a narrow ribbon from an executed murderer.

If the hair ribbon is placed in the bed of a dying person before the next morning, braided inconspicuously into his hair or hung over his ear, his soul finds no rest after death and returns as a ghost. He appears every night in the chosen place or near the chosen person. Whether he just shows his face there, disturbs the night's rest of those present or even goes on the attack depends on the type of victim. The spirit of a poor widow will behave differently than the spirit of a young bully or the spirit of a sadistic murderer. However, even aggressive ghosts do not kill their target on the first night, but play with the victim. They only attack until the first hit and then retreat to return the following night.