Bridge Worlds: Soterion

by Randy Blackwell

  9 lives--if they are killed, they may come back to life 9 times. If a character dies in combat, he must sit out of that session of combat and cannot be harmed until that session is over. Shiny Things--Kat-Ken are obsessed with bright and shiny objects and take a -1 penalty in dealing with someone who is offering a shiny object in return for something else.

  Cultural Facts Kat-Ken tend to be snobbish. They do not deal well with authority. Their loyalty is normally to the highest bidder. It is very hard to befriend a Kat-Ken but such friendships, once made, endure for life.

  Origin: Unknown An ‘Am Mayim Noble

  There is still some cat in those creatures. Once when I was swimming, I caught one peering at me as if I were a fish in a fishbowl. He lost interest in me the moment I splashed him with water,.thoughwater, though he did tell the guards and tried to have me arrested for unnecessary splashing.

  Life span:

  Average life span: The average Kat-Ken lives 250 years. Child – 0 through 13 years

  Adolescent – 14 through 20 years

  Young Adult – 21 years through 45 years Mature Adult – 46 years through 100 years Older Adult – 101 years through 169 years Senior Citizen – 170 years through 210 years

  The Am Mayim

  Description: 5-7 feet tall, all human hair colors, all human eye colors, all human skin colors, All human body parts

  Racial Dislikes: ‘Am Mayim do not like the Kat-Ken.

  Natural Abilities: Breath Water (innate), Super Swimmer (starts with swim skill of 10), Water Might (+1 to all attributes in water and -1 on land), Create Air Bubble (may create an air bubble around immediate body that can provide air for 2 hours), Detect Invisible (can see anything that is invisible)

  Cultural Facts

  ‘Am Mayim look like Adam except for gills on the back of their neck and webbed hands and feet. The ‘Am Mayim were once ruled by a great and mighty King. One day many years ago he disappeared. They still sing songs in hope of his return.

  Origin: Unknown

  A Kat-ken rogue

  I reached into the water hole batting at a fish only to find it was one of the ‘Am Mayim swim- ming deep under water. As it came to the surface it grinned at me before splashing the foul water all over my. Yes, annoying creatures are they.

  Culture:

  ‘Am Mayim often consider themselves the “odd one out” in Caelsis. They tend to be

  more level headed than the Nepsah, hate the evil of the Haspen, more focused than the Katken, and less adventurous than the Remmy. Very few call the lands home. They are isolated

  within the kingdom.

  This may cause some to be resentful of surfacers, but that hasn’t happened with the

  ‘Am Mayim simply because what happens on the surface tends to stay on the surface. They

  have trade, commerce, and friends. What more could anyone want?

  ‘Am Mayim personalities have a vast range of difference.

  Life span:

  Unknown. No one has seen an ‘Am Mayim die of old age.

  An Abbreviated History of Caelsis

  LOST KNOWLEDGE

  999 B.E

  Quest for a new home The Nepsah had always been led by The Three Sisters. In Emerailda the Elder had given The Three Sisters authority over the Nepsah, for Nepsah may only be ruled by one of their own. When the Kingdom of Emerailda was dispersed, the leaders of the three major faerie races met to discuss where they would go. The Three Sisters (Ariana, Mary-Kate, and Elise) represented the Nepsah, The Elder represented the Remmys, and Alora represented the Kat-ken. Alora wanted to move southwest of Loefel Meren to the Skotos Plains. Despite her best efforts, the Elder and the Sisters insisted that they search to the furthest southeast of the continent.

  The faerie folk traveled down the Lampros River past Loefel Meren to a delta just beyond the Skotos Plains. While searching the lush land of the delta they found a small, deep lake. The water was very clear and beneath was an entire city with strange people swimming in and out of underwater buildings. The Elder, the Three Sisters, and Alora were sent for. When they came to the lake, the underwater dwellers had come to the surface. The Elder approached them and spoke with their leader (King Kludon Thalassa) in a language strange to all who were there. The Elder came back and informed everyone that the underwater dwellers called themselves the ‘Am Mayim and wanted the faeries to inhabit the land. That day a treaty was made between all faerie folk and ‘Am Mayim to live together in peace.

  996 B.E.

  King Kludon Thalassa Disappears Shortly after the formation of Caelsis, King Kludon Thalassa and his son Reuben disappeared. Not even the Remmys, renowned for finding things, could locate him. Caelsis needed leadership now more than ever. The ‘Am Mayim petitioned the Three Sisters to name one of them as the ruler of Caelsis and one to rule over the ‘Am Mayim.

  996 B.E

  Elise, the Faerie Queen The 3 Sisters were Ariana, Elise, and Mary-Kate. Ariana was known as a Flower because of her love and appreciation for all things beautiful. Mary-Kate was known as a Tinkerer because of her obsession with figuring out how things work and inventing new things. Elise, though a combination of both personalities, had a knack for making Mischief. Because Ariana and Mary-Kate loved their sister so much and saw how clever she was, they asked her to step forward as the Queen of Caelsis.

  991 B.E

  Overthrow of the throne The throne was taken from Elise by force by a Kat-Ken named Alora, who had secretly organized an army of Kat-Ken with her accomplice Skitz. The Castle was overrun by Kat-Ken. At this time in history the Kat-Ken outnumbered all of the rest of the faerie population of Caelsis.

  Alora and Skitz put a poison in the beds of all of the faeries of Caelsis, causing a dreadful illness. The entire kingdom was affected, all except Queen Elise. Elise found her sisters and bathed them in the delta of Caelsis, washing off the poison.

  Elise determined to trick Alora and Skitz. She had Mary-Kate made two special collars that would cause the wearer to act like a cat. Then Ariana made them so sparkly and beautiful that they were irresistible to any Kat-Ken. Mary-Kate also made the collars so that once they were put on, they would never come off.

  Elise crept into the castle and placed the collars on the throne. When Alora and Skitz saw the collars, they could not resist wearing them. Because the Kat-Ken had lost the intelligence of their leaders, they gave the castle back to the Three Sisters. All the other faeries were taken to the Delta and cleaned of the poison there. Alora and Skitz remained the pets of the Three Sisters and because of the example that Elise made of them, no one ever challenged Queen Elise’s throne again.

  985 B.E.

  The King and the Queen

  Queen Elise fell in love with a Nepsah named Jaimen. They married, and Jaimen became the first King of Caelsis.

  ARCANE KNOWLEDGE

  991 B.E – 251 B.E. The Great Peace

  Caelsis became the Kingdom that enjoyed the longest period of peace on Soterion.

  732 B.E.

  Queen Mariah’s Reign Queen Elise and Jaimen had three daughters. Their names were Mariah, Alexis, and Rose. Queen Elise watched her children as they grew, waiting to see which guild they would join at the age of 18. Mariah, though a Mischief, chose the path of the Aristocrat. Alexis, a Flower, became a bard singer with the most beautiful voice in Caelsis. Rose, a Tinkerer, chose to join the Rogue Guild. It was Mariah’s choice of guilds that caught Queen Elise’s eye. Elise decided to hand the throne over to Mariah.

  251 B.E.

  Queen Ariana’s Reign Queen Mariah also had three children. Their names were Ariana (a Flower), Seux (Mischief), and Senji (Mischief). Mariah noticed that both Seux and Senji were mentally unfit to rule. Thus, Mariah bestowed the throne upon Ariana.. Upon the day of Ariana’s crown- ing as Queen, Mariah’s Aunt Rose started an uprising of Nepsah in an attempt to kill Ariana and seize the throne. A fight erupted in the throne room in front of the entire court, but the guards captured all those involved in the uprising. Ariana’s firs
t act as Queen of Caelsis was to punish the rebels: the wings of the Nepsah (even Rose her aunt) were removed, and they were then banished from Caelsis. Those Nepsah who had their wings removed lost all physical color. Their hair became straight and black, their eyes sunk in, and their skin went pale. This was the beginning of the Haspen (an evil offshoot of the Nepsah who are dark and morbid creatures).

  221 B.E.

  The Banishment of Seux

  Over time Senji’s hair turned from a bright color to black, which was considered unattractive amongst Nepsah. One day Seux encountered several Nepsah taunting Senji, calling her a “Haspen” and pelting her with dirt. Seux descended upon the two Nepsah in rage. They tried to run away but Seux chased them down and killed both of them as they pleaded for their lives. The guards seized Seux, literally red-handed, and took him before the Queen. Ariana dismissed everyone as she spoke to her brother alone. She explained to him that she was supposed to give him the same punishment as a commoner for the murders; however; , she could not send her own brother to his death. Senji and Ariana said a long tearful goodbye to their brother before his wings were removed and he was banished from Caelsis. Ariana arranged for him to be dropped unconscious on the streets of Lake City in Philos. She knew that Philos was a place of new beginnings for many people and hoped that Seux would lead a happy life there. Senji became bitter towards Ariana for banishing her brother.

  224-212 B.E. War with Suchikos (see History of Loefel Meren)

  212 B.E. Treaty of Phlox (see History of Loefel Meren)

  173 B.E. The Magi Omar Metzger came to Caelsis with his companions Myles Callaghan and Sebastian Gabadam. Approaching Castle Enigma, they asked to have a private meeting with Queen Ariana. After the meeting Queen Ariana announced the formation of a new order called the Magi, an order for secret and arcane knowledge. Queen Ariana was the first citizen of Cael- sis to join the Magi. She mandated that all Magi abandon citizenship of other kingdoms and become citizens of Caelsis.

  COMMON KNOWLEDGE

  THE BATTLE OF EPHER (See History of Emerailda)

  1 P.E. (Post Epher) (See History of Emerailda) The Warriors’ Gauntlet.

  20-30 P.E. (See History of Loefel Meren) The Guild Infiltration

  40 P.E (See History of Loefel Meren)

  The year is 225 P.E. Caelsis withdrew into isolationism after the great loss of life at the battle of Epher. Queen Ariana would only officially address issues of trade with other kingdoms since Cael- sis was a hub of trade. Even in isolation, rumors of war plagued the citizens. Haspen, who hid in the swamp lands, are increasing their subversive hostility. Trade ships had reported strange creatures in the waters.

  Characters of Caelsis

  Queen Ariana

  Queen Ariana lives behind the walls of Castle Enigma. Because she is a Flower, she has made Castle Enigma the most beautiful and exotic castle on Soterion. Queen Ariana is first an Aristocrat, but she is also one of the most powerful Magi on Soterion. She has a gentle heart and is never too busy to help one of her loyal subjects, but in recent years she has had to tighten her grip as the leader of Caelsis. Ariana was born a natural leader and though she can be one of the most kind and gentle of people, she is not a Noble to be crossed.

  There have been several occasions for her to make examples of rebellious figures throughout Caelsis (including her own brother and sister). Queen Ariana takes her duty as Queen seriously. After the Battle of Epher, the Queen vowed to her people that she would never again send them off to war. Soon after, Omar appeared in Caelsis.

  Upon the formation of the Magi, Queen Ariana announced that the Magi would be the defenders of the Kingdom. Since then, the few that have dared to threaten Caelsis have discovered the unmatchable power of the Magi.

  Characters of Caelsis

  Seux

  Seux was once banished by Queen Ariana for the murder of two Nepsah. His wings were stripped and he was declared Haspen before the entire kingdom.

  Queen Ariana stood true to her duty to protect the citizens of Caelsis, but her heart was broken at done to Seux. When several years later Seux approached Castle Enigma, he was seized by the Magi Guard, who saw that Seux’s wings had grown back.

  After Queen Ariana met with Seux privately, she went before the Kingdom to declare that Seux had repented of his crimes--the sign of his true repentance was the wings on his back. None challenged her on this decision, not even the Kat-Ken.

  Since that day Seux has become the Advisor to the Queen and second in command of the Magi. Seux is known throughout Soterion as the most quirky of the Nepsah, oscillating between bouts of paranoiaof paranoia and delusions of grandeur. All agree on one thing… there is never a dull moment around Seux.

  Seux is also famous for his sense of style…or lack thereof, as some might say. Seux has purple hair (which is not rare for a Nepsah). He wears goggles that normally rest on his forehead. He wears a hooded shirt underneath a tailored vest. Seux wears chain mail gloves so that he can wield a bladed yo-yo. Some who have laughed at the sight of a Nepsah wielding a yo-yo in combat have come to regret their misjudgment.

  Characters of Caelsis

  Omar

  Omar is the leader and founder of the Magi. He is a kind Akana, but he has been known to be harsh to those Magi who try to bend the rules of the Guild. Akana all over Soterion revere him as the wisest of their kind. Omar is also known for being a master of Milchamah (a game similar to chess). He holds tournaments in Caelsis every year where the winner gets a special item made by Omar himself. Omar also has a unique status in Soterion as the most powerful commoner alive.

  The Kingdom of Philos

  Located in the mid-southern region of the realm, Philos enjoys regular rainfall, rich grasslands, and a thriving fishing industry. Surrounded as they are by flat grasslands, the people can see the approach of outsiders from afar.. And as the lake goes, so does the region. The river gives the area its only source of fresh water.

  Philos is a kingdom of many races, peacefully coexisting in common trade and a wealth of exchanged knowledge. The capital of Philos is Lake City, located on the banks of Lake Delphia. Watered by an extensive system of aqueducts (above and below ground), Lake City has an abundant source of water to serve its wide variety of inhabitants and enhance an already thriving farming community.

  The land belongs to the King, but all who wish to grow crops may do so as long as they do not interfere with other citizens. Two fences separate the farming community from the grazing community, and both follow along the Tradeway that connects Lake City with the other kingdoms.

  Herd animals roam freely south of the city. Each animal has its owner’s markings, usually a brand on the right hip or a tag in its right ear. Herders and caretakers, called “Shepps,” are hired by the Philos Coalition, the ruling counsel overseeing all livestock (and receiving a small percentage of all transactions). Shepps live in small ranch houses called “Vadaks” and oversee the animals in their areas. It is still the responsibility of the animal’s owner to herd them back to Lake City for sale;, however, the Shepps ensure the safety of the animals. These Vadaks are spread throughout the plains of Philos and are named after their manager.

  All citizens are allowed half an acre north of the city to use for personal crops. This is a right of citizenship; however, this right can be assigned to another person for a period no longer than 6 years. At the end of the period, that area is returned to the citizen. On the seventh year the ground is given rest and none may farm there, so as to ensure the purity of the crops. Many citizens assign their allotment to different farming organizations, the largest being “Armaran.” These organizations regularly pay the owner a percentage of profits for the use of the land. Other citizens, urban dwellers in particular, assign their portion with no charge, seeing that they have little use of it.

  Lake City is a sight to behold. As legend holds, the city was built jointly by one thousand Raphad, two hundred Daqad, six hundred Nepsah, fifty Yaarma, and one hundred Gabad over a period of one hund
red years. As a testament, the city entrance is marked with the Arch of Philos.

  The Arch of Philos, seventy feet high, is a beacon to all of Soterion and a symbol that all races are welcome. The sapphire-lined marble arch is held in place by granite statues of its creators. Two fifty-foot Raphad flank the entrance to the city with statues of two twentyfoot tall Gabad, two fourteen-foot Yaarma, two eight-foot Daqad, and two three-foot Nepsah in descending order. Each statue is adorned with gems. Rubies cover their feet, amber lines their belts, and diamonds mark their hands. Gold trim highlights marble steps leading into the Lake City.

  True to the promise implied by its entryway, the city basks in grandeur. The streets are made of granite, with the exception of Commerce Street, which begins at the city’s entrance and runs straight to Lake Delphia. That street is lined in platinum with aluminum oil streetlights.

  Half way down Commerce street at a location called “The Point” sits a magnificent fountain, called Maker’s Fountain. It towers almost sixty feet, while itswhile its water plume reaches upward an additional twenty feet. Stacked marble basins spill into each other, finally emptying into a huge marble pool. The ring of the pool stands three feet tall, with seven statues round about, each representingeach representing a kingdom of Soterion and each having its own fountain as well. At dusk, the light of sunset reflects down the platinum lane of Commerce Street and through the fountains in an explosion of beauty.

  By ordinance all buildings are ninety feet or taller, a decree necessary to accommodate the large Raphad populationRaphad population. Each building is made of white granite, with marble and gold entry ways.

  Lake City is alive with diversity. The majority of citizens are Raphad (mostly being in the Giant Guard, the army and police of Philos). Humans and Malakadam make up the remaining bulk of population, though there is a sizable population of Showrad, Daqad, Nepsah, and Remmy.

  Crime in Philos is low due to the law’s harshness and the watchful eye of the Guard led by Sabriel (a giant golden praying mantis which flies over the city directing all police matters and, in the event of an attack, the army). Crime is not tolerated. Those who commit crimes, with the exception of children, can be imprisoned or banished from Philos.