Bridge Worlds: Soterion

by Randy Blackwell

  With all of the natural water, Phlox has flourished as a city of fountains. There are extensive city projects to add, adjust, and improve more than 500 different fountains, water heads, wells, and other water sources. The city has an extensive sewer system, and provides residents with hot and cold running water for showers. The city streets are kept clean and, as best as possible, sanitary. For many of the lower class, water is provided for by area wells and bath houses. For the middle class and higher, water can be brought into their homes by a series of stone channeling. Housing with indoor water is designed around the water system because the “piping” is stone.

  Between hot springs, fresh mineral water, indoor water, and a magnificent view of Mt. Ghurundel, Phlox is a desired location of travel and vacation. For these reasons and other reasons to follow, Phlox has developed into the main trade city of the region. Rich in resources, many professionals dwell here and practice their trades that include dye, wool, linen, leather, and metals. There is a wide range of professions that include potters, tanners, bakers, blacksmiths, jewelers, weapon smiths, cobblers, stonemasons, farmers, and slavers.

  Trade and wealth have turned into the main thrust of the city. There has been a strong surge of registered guilds. Guilds are usually merchant based (some with their own guards/ military), but can include trades, professions, hobbies, interests, and what not. Each guild is run like a mini government. After filing proof of their existence with the city, which gives the guild legal protection, the guild may then interact with the city in a manner consistent with their authorized function.

  Phlox is ruled by a king. The king is anointed by the temple from one family line. The High Priest, as directed by Adonai, also called The One (God), anoints the king. The king then chooses (or may keep) his nobles (ruling aids) to run the city and the kingdom.

  All citizens are required to be in the King’s army for a season. Once released, then all citizens are in the King’s reserve. Every male citizen (either natural or adopted) is trained with a weapon and is capable of defending the city. Non-citizens are not allowed in the army (but may serve the guilds).

  As such, citizens are guaranteed lodging in The Commons. Citizens are given a coin marking their citizenship. If the coin is lost, they must return to their house (family) elder to be identified as a citizen before the government. Once the elder has verified citizenship, the person is issued a new coin.

  Phlox has a three o’clock in the morning curfew. All residents must be in homes and off the streets. Citizens may go to the commons for rest or to their purchased homes. Noncitizens must be able to purchase lodging for the night. Those who cannot afford lodging, or the homeless, are cast out of the city into what is called the Lot. While the streets are vacant, the city opens the street water valves and the city streets are cleaned. (This is usually the first job non-citizens obtain on the path to become a citizen.)

  The Lot is a small shack like area in front of the city gates. Here, the homeless, the jobless, and others considered undesirable sleep. Many dwellings here are tents or other protection while others simply sleep without shelter.

  Slavery is allowed within Phlox because the law only applies to citizens. Anyone not naturally born to Suchikos can be a citizen if one acknowledges their God. One may also become a citizen by adoption (which can happen at any age). However, there is a clear distinction between being adopted and becoming a citizen. A citizen by choice is protected by the law but do not have the rights as a citizen. These rights include guaranteed housing, food, and clothing. Born citizens and adopted citizens are guaranteed the necessities of living. Acknowledged Citizens are cast into The Lot if they are too poor for housing or shelter.

  The protection of the law allows for citizens to avail themselves to the courts in matters where they are wronged. The law protects life (and offers consequences for taking that life), protection of reputation, honoring contracts, protection of items, and other issues. This is not to say that all non-citizens are at the mercy of scoundrels, but the courts will not address issues of non-citizens. The city guard will still break up fights, stop crimes when they are occurring, and keep the peace. But the guard will not investigate the death of a noncitizen, recover stolen property of a non-citizen, and the like. Non-citizens dwell at their own risk or avail themselves for protection by guilds.

  Guilds in Phlox have been on a steady increase. There are a multitude of different guilds or houses from all parts of the world, with their own customs and proceedings to set themselves apart. Each has a different way of doing business with different ways to “seal the deal” or finalize a contract. Though confusing, it is good for the economy. Those who con- cern themselves most with economics do everything possible to open up ways of trade. The whole region, if not the world, comes to trade in Phlox. It would be best to greet them with open arms and understanding of their ways.

  With so many different regions represented in Phlox, the King established a common currency. This currently is specially stamped for accuracy in weight value. This stamp seals the coin in a way to show any filing or adjustment to the coin in an obvious way.

  The city has an accurate system of weights and measurements. With an established currency, all business in the city is conducted in one coin, the Drachma. Foreign currency is traded in for Phlox currency at the city bank. The bank keeps a set amount of foreign currency on hand for exchange purposes. Any coin obtained above that amount is then smelted, purified, and minted in the coin of Phlox.

  Among running water, Phlox has an advanced sewer system. Sewer and other water runoff empties into the sewer plane inside Phlox lands but outside the farming fence. Scrubbers line the “mains” (the main line of sewer from the city to the sewer plane). These scrubbers are designed to break up solid waste material and recover lost or discarded items. Scrubbers are cylindrical devises using the sewer water’s own momentum to power turning spikes within the scrubber to break up matter. Small items can fall through a screen and contained until retrieval. Larger items get lodged within the scrubber when the spikes are unable to break up the matter. Workers who monitor the scrubbers then will remove it by a series of chains and pulleys, open the container and remove whatever has blocked the scrubbers from working. Once a month, the workers remove the scrubbers for maintenance and removal of small items that were contained. A final screen of small chain links catches any other valu- able items that may have been discarded.

  Wastewater is then “piped” into a rotation crop field. After a year, the wastewater is piped to a different field while the primary field is tilled, worked, and planted in grass. No domestic animal is allowed to graze on the field until the years first burning. The burning is when the grass is allowed to grow, is cut, and burned. This process cleanses any disease that may exist from the waste water system and then fertilizes the ground for future use.

  Races of Suchikos

  The Adam

  Description: 5 to 7 ft tall, All natural hair colors, All natural eye colors, Olive Color Skin, All body types

  Enemies: Kalat, Drakoni

  Racial Dislikes: None

  Natural Abilities: Additional skill points per level (12 for character levels 1 through 4 and 18 skill points for level 5 and after). May choose new class/guild every 5 levels.

  Cultural Facts

  Adam are the most versatile race of Soterion. What makes them able to adapt quickly is unknown, but is has ben speculated that it has something to do with their culture that is so rich in tradition. Adam generally fall into two camps, those who adhere to the law of the temple and those who don’t. Recently, it is hard to tell who is who. Adam who violate the law are punished severely, most often death. Those who escape death are never allowed home. Knowing that they are denied the grace of the temple makes life hard for expelled Adam.

  Origin: The origins of the Adam is wrapped in mystery. All is known is that they were the only race and culture to exist outside of Emerailda. Though there are no historical records, Adam culture and tradition dictate
s that they are the direct creations of the one God for His purposes.

  The words of King Erestar Lurin

  “The Adam have a beautiful and wonderful culture full of rich tradition and wonder. There is more to them than any race of Soterion, yet they remain simple. Great things will come from the Adam.”

  Average life span: The average Adam lives 120 years.

  Child – 0 through 13 years

  Adolescent – 14 through 20 years

  Young Adult – 21 years through 34 years

  Mature Adult – 35 years through 64 years

  Older Adult – 65 years through 84 years

  Senior Citizen – 85 years through 99 years

  Elderly – 100 years through 120 years

  The History of Suchikos

  None know when Suchikos was settled by the Adam (pronounced Aw-dawm which

  means human in the ancient common tongue).

  LOST KNOWLEDGE

  Settlement of Suchikos - There are many stories and myths around the foundation of Suchikos. But that is all they are, stories and myths. The real truth is not really known. The Adam have lived there since before anyone can remember and it is speculated that Suchikos was settled long before the fall of Emerailda with the Adam living as a secluded society. The Adam are the only race that is organized under one religion which involves a sacrificial sys- tem to an all knowing and all seeing God who they call Adonai. This system is as old, if not older, than Suchikos and has been passed down by tradition.

  998 B.E. Suchikos declared a Kingdom - Before its declaration as a Kingdom Suchikos was a network of villages spread across a vast region and united by family, culture, religion, and tradition. There were two groups of leaders who rose and fell throughout the ages. The first group was the Paliyl. Paliyl were said to be the judges of the one true God of the Adam. Later came the Chozeh. After the last of the Paliyl died the Chozeh were appointed as the voice of the one true God. After the Adam were introduced to the other nations, there was an outcry for a King to be appointed to them amongst the people. A Chozeh named Bachar (meaning chosen in the ancient Adam language) went before the one true God with the petition of the people. Later Chozeh Bachar anointed and crowned King Ta'avah the first King of Suchikos. The King’s first act was to declare Phlox as the capital of Suchikos. Phlox was the most metropolitan area and location of the main temple of worship. His second act was to recognize the smaller creatures that had recently arrived to Suchikos (later known as Daqad) as the same race as the Adam. King Ta'avah granted them citizenship but they were not allowed past the outer courts of the temple as they were not recognized by the priests as the chosen of Adonai.

  994 B.E. The Daqad declaration - Alagaar Eben returned to Suchikos and began teaching all of the “Adam” that were three feet tall (like him) how to speak to the rocks and glean in- formation from them. One of them even tried to teach a normal Adam but it wasn’t possible. It was at this point that it became clear that they were a different race from the Adam. They began calling themselves the Daqadam (for they were tiny men). The name was shortened to Daqad later.

  993 B.E. Civil War/ the Schism - Adam have always believed in keeping the purity of their race. This went back to the Laws of the Temple which were older than the Kingdom itself. Tradition mandated that those Adam who defiled the purity of the Adam lineage by breeding with other creatures would be put to death by public stoning. General Qatan Nexem (brother to King Ta’avah) was the first General of the Suchikos army. Being only 5 feet tall, Qatan was short for an Adam. He favored a Daqad maiden by the name Nophek Atenizo. She was known for her emerald green eyes and long flowing brown hair.

  Though many Adam had fancied her, none would even go near her for the fear that the priests of the Temple would come down upon them. Qatan was a master strategist and was known for always finding a way to get what he wanted. He sent flowers to and visited Nophek in secret. After meeting a dozen times, they agreed to write letters to each other so that they would not get caught. They kept it a secret for a year until Qatan could stand it no more. Qatan began to slowly turn his soldiers against the Temple. Every few days he would plant a thought in the minds of his men about how controlling the Temple was and how the army should make the laws, not the temple. Qatan knew that it was only a matter of time before word got to the Temple and he would be accused of trying to overthrow its rightful power.

  Qatan, in his position, gained the King’s favor. On several occasion the King offered Qatan anything that was within his power to give. But Qatan would only tell his brother to wait for that day to come. The General began secretly having ships built and once they were ready they were docked at the port of Nefros. Before the Temple had a chance to get word of Qatan’s actions, he made the first move. He sent Nophek one last letter with fake plans of how they could run away with each other in secret. He put it in an envelop, sealed it with his seal, and purposefully sent it to the wrong address. The address he sent it to was two houses over, one of the most radical zealots in Phlox. Qatan planned it so that he would be with his men at the same time that the letter was delivered. He knew that it would not take long for the zealot to call for the Temple guard to have him arrested. Everything happened as he planned it.

  The Temple guard rushed the soldiers training grounds as Qatan was directing his men in combat practice. One of the guards read the decree from the Chief Priests that Qatan was to be arrested and publicly stoned. Qatan’s men seized the guards with hesitation and tied them up leaving them in the soldiers’ quarters. A day later the entire temple guard (three hundred guards), half of the temple priests (70 priests), and a lynch mob of seven hundred Phlox citizens surrounded Qatan and his men. But Qatan was ready. He had Nophek by his side and the ships in Nefros ready, but first he and his men needed to carve their way to the King. He and his soldiers sheathed their weapons as the crowd drew closer and when Qatan gave the signal, he and his 500 soldiers rushed the priests. Those priests that did not move out of the way were trampled under foot. Fourteen priests were killed in the maneuver. The crowd raged after the men as they fought their way through the city.

  By this time all of the citizens knew what was going on. Some citizens (Daqad and Adam) joined Qatan and his men but others came out in the streets with weapons to attack them. From the streets of Phlox to the palace doors was a massacre. Citizens were killing each other. Mass chaos broke loose in Phlox as the streets ran with Adam and Daqad blood. Qatan made his way to the King’s court where the Chief Priest was standing at his side. After a heated argument between the Chief Priest and Qatan the King broke in. He admitted the favor that he owed Qatan. The King said that no citizen of Suchikos would be allowed to marry a Daqad, but he was willing to honor his debt to Qatan if possible. Qatan then made his request, “Banish me and any who wish to follow me… never to return to Suchikos again. I have five ships waiting in Nefros. I and those who wish to follow will sail or ships to the west and you will never see us again.” King Ta'avah granted his wish. He sent out the order for all fighting to stop and that all those who wished to uphold the Law would remain in Phlox but all those who agreed with Qatan’s decision would leave with him to Nefros and sail away under the same banishment that Qatan faced. One tenth of the population of Phlox (Adam and Daqad) plus several hundred from other cities followed Qatan to Nefros. They sailed away and have not been seen since

  961 B.E. Daqad leave for Marasimlah - Soon after

  the Daqad distinguished themselves as a different race

  from the Adam, Alagaar Eben gathered all the Daqad

  together and left Suchikos to find a new home. The

  Daqad head north and make camp on Marasimlah

  where they decide to make their home.

  ARCANE KNOWLEDGE

  260 B.E. – 232 B.E. The Rise of Lord Maveth Dirk

  Maveth was an ugly child. He was the first of three

  children and was neglected by his parents for his

  horrifying visage. Dirk always smelled of death
, had

  ghostly white skin, raven black hair, and eerie yellow

  catlike eyes. As he grew, he developed a hatred for

  his own race and the Adonai which they worshiped.

  As a young man, Dirk studied the history of the Kalat.

  He stumbled upon an old tome written by the Elder

  about Emerailda and the secrets if that ancient society.

  Dirk left Suchikos and traveled to the Emerald Forest

  where he traveled into the inner-most forest. It was

  there, that some say, that Dirk embraced the darkness

  that lives there. Soon after bodies started missing from

  graves all over the Kingdom. Lord Maveth was mak

  ing his army. Lord Maveth attacked Suchikos with all

  his might. Thousands of undead Adam attacked Phlox

  and all the other major cities of Suchikos.

  Suchikos could not gain ground because the minute

  one of their soldiers fell, that same soldier would rise fighting for the other army as one of the undead. Lord Dirk Maveth entered the throne room of the palace in Phlox and murdered the King. He then went through the palace killing off the royal family one by one. But the King’s son (Pacal) escaped and fled to Fort Nefros where he took a boat westward. Erestar Lurin found him wandering a deadly maze years later and brought him back to Drakonge where he was hidden and protected by the Raphad. The Necromancer ruled Suchikos with an iron fist. He enslaved the Adam and brought in the Kalat to help him occupy Suchikos. All of the Kingdoms except Drakonge mounted forces against him only to have their own army crushed by the forces of undead and Kalat.

  Pacal united Caelsis and Drakonge as one force against Lord Maveth. He mounted a force of Raphad and Nepsah that was very deadly. Nepsah acting as invisible scouts and Raphad as brute and blunt force. An army like none ever seen and rode for Phlox. Swarms of Nepsah infiltrated Phlox and returned explaining all the weak points in the evil forces guarding Phlox. The Raphad smashed in through the walls and attacked only Kalat avoiding undead where they could. Pacal purged through the battle into the palace where Lord Maveth was waiting for him on the throne. Lord Maveth smiled at Pacal as he began to lift a bottle of poison to his mouth. Pacal threw a dagger at Lord Maveth’s hand. The dagger struck through Maveth’s hand and the bottle hit the floor as its contents evaporated. Pacal carved out Maveth’s tongue and had his hands bound so he could no longer cast spells. Then Maveth was put in a cell buried deep below the earth where food is lowered to him to this day.