The Sirrusha

The grizzled wood-elf with the scar above his eye sets his tea down with melancholic quiet.

"So, you've heard tales of the scaly marauders plaguing Tahirah? I'll tell you what the legends leave out. The Sirrusha -- the Children of Sirrush -- are dragon-kin, bred in the First Age by a Dragon and his lover in the northlands. It was said the father of this dragon-bride gained a kingdom for allowing such an unwholesome union."

He looks around and motions you in closer.

Art by Obrotowy (DeviantArt)

"The Sirrusha were pushed out of the Kingdom of Khandar near the close of the last age. When the Majirahan's took the Green Oases for their own, and pushed the Naga Kingdom out, the Nagas fled to Khandar and declared it their new home. The Sirrusha were...less agreeable. They're fiercely territorial. People declare the Nagas a myth of the Majirahan, a warning of greed, but I think they're real. The Sirrusha wouldn't have left and invaded Alandia--Tahirah--without reason."

He sighs, drinking his tea. The scent of jasmine wafts on its steam.

"The Sirrusha lost that bitter conflict, moving south and taking Alandian lands. They took the city of Belathia, slaughtering countless elves. Other border towns in the Shingalah Forest fell, and only through the relentless watch of the Emerald Guard do we remain safe, but it costs a lot. I tell you, if the Queen-Mother had half an ounce of magic as the stories give her, we'd be free of this all....

Their armor is made of thick scales and hide, which they adorn with precious metals taken from Khandar and the northern Isshan Mountains. They adapt the hides and shells of other monsters into shields. They are cunning and fierce, fighting to the death more often as a sign of pride than stupidity.... Or perhaps those are the same thing... Their magicians--wu jen--are canny spellslingers, able to shift into crocodiles and slip away, if you believe the legends."

He makes a face, finishing off the dregs of his tea.

"Sometimes the Sirrusha know the value of an alliance, though. They can be persuaded with honor and logic to their reptilian brains. But more often any ambassadors sent their way are displayed on spikes as warnings to trespassers, especially given Sirrusha only know dragon tongue, which is rare in these parts. Needless to say, if you venture into the Shingalah Forest, the Sirrusha are every much a threat now as owlbears and harpies. Moreso, if you count the fact that the Old Spirits of the woods are corrupted by their malignant ways."

The Wood-Elf Kingdom of Tahirah

Note: Information in blog posts supersedes info I may have given PCs earlier, as I may have edited/changed names or places. Also, these Atlas posts are designed to increase player knowledge in the world and serve as help for individuals with access to this knowledge. IN-CHARACTER knowledge must still be gained by interacting with the game world.

The wood-elves hold a distinction of being a long-lived and reclusive mortal race, shoring up in the western valley of the Middle World sometime during the Second Age, before the migration of the Celestials. The kingdom's name comes from the Majirahan people, who took a long time to explore west and found the verdant forests and jungles on the other side of the Sacanno Mountains mesmerizing. Tahirah means "The Jeweled Land."

Because the areas west of the mountains receive abundant rainfall, the region is dense with vegetation and herbs. The wood-elves are the only elven people in the Middle Kingdom, since the legendary High Elven peoples left the world at the close of the second age, taking with them great knowledge of magic and history when the old kingdoms dissolved into the smaller regions of the modern age.

GEOGRAPHY
Getting to Tahirah from the western lands geenrally means crossing the Sacanno Mountains through the Rigun Pass, a great tunnel hewn by the dwarves of Garm 700 years ago.  One could travel via the north, a treacherous route that involves navigating the wild northlands and coming south through the Gurigashon Marsh, infested by Bheka raiders, and is dangerously close to the dangerous Lost Khandar, where the Naga kingdom was pushed back at the close of the second age.

Cairona is the gateway city between the kingdoms of Majirah and Tahirah, a trading hub, and a defense point against monstrous invaders, notably the frog-like Bheka and the Sirrusha, cunning lizardfolk. The city is protected by a militia of Majirahan and Tahirahan mercenaries, but it's come under the command of Captain Nakamoto Genpachi, who was sent by the eastern Empire of Taishan to bolster defenses and deal with threats from a rising group called the Haritacondra.

From Cairona a road goes south to Mushun, the last cosmopolitan hub, which sits at the junction of the Shingalah Forest and the Erieth Wetlands. This marsh is tended by Majirahan priests, who turn the elven Al'shams herb into cooling-salve, a protective lotion from the desert heat. Deep in the wetlands is the old shrine of Althea, which once housed the Priestesses of Jujara, the Old Nature God, but fell two hundred years ago. Visiting it is taboo.

The main road continues westward through edge of the Shingalah Forest, which contains the ruins of cities that have fallen to the Sirrusha in the last decades. It is also home to wild beasts which most mundane travelers cannot face. The road joins Mushun with Kali. Kali serves as an introduction to the elven cities, with its tree-house quarters, fisheries, and livestocks. The elves are fond of raising fowl (chickens, peacocks, and ducks), and small herbivores (goats).

A road travels north to the town of Elora, notable for woodcrafts and fisheries, and producing elven guardsmen. Elora is on the border of the lands lost to Sirrusha invaders, and so is usually in a state of martial law. Further north is the once great city of Belathia, which the elves abandoned fifty years ago when the Sirrusha lizard people invaded from Lost Khandar.

Within the Fey al'In Woods, the capital, Tahirah, called by the elves Alandia, is a wonder of forest craftsmanship and ancient magic. The wood elves have lived here close to 900 years, and the city is a pinnacle of their love of nature and architecture. In older parts of the city, buildings are still carved with the visages of woodland Spirits and nature gods, and newer parts are often bolstered by magic to give the city an ethereal, wondrous feel.

Traveling south through the woods leads to Lake Alaris and the Feypool, an old magical shrine that connects the elven community to the Spirit (Fey) lands. The shrine is the main temple to the goddess Ishtar.

CLOTHING AND CULTURE
The wood elves wear high decorative kimono, tied back when they travel over long distances. They favor bright colors in city life--blues, reds, and golds, and their travel clothes are often green or grey. White is reserved for religious sects. They often wear their hair in Asian-style knots or up-dos, to avoid it getting caught in branches and the like. While most townsfolk will cut their hair, spiritual mendicants see it as a transgression against Nature, and often sport long hair and beards, which they will bind for travel.

They highly value music in the form of string instruments and woodwinds, feeling these mimic most the aerial spirits that first nurtured the elves when they were born in the Middleworld. Their ceremonies involve great costumes and colorful masks, often praising the Natural Order and stories of the Nature Spirits rather than those of Celestials.

Consider the cultures of Korea and rural China for imagery of the wood-elf people.


RELIGION
The elves claim to be the children of Ishtar, the Star Maiden. Ishtar is one of the seven daughters of the Jade Emperor of the Celestial Court, and she fell in love and married the hero Shen after his battle with Tiamat. Jealous of Shen's bride and accomplishments, the God of the Underworld, Shisano, took Ishtar to the Underworld.

Shen began a long quest to find his missing wife, and eventually faced off with Shisano in a great duel. However, Shen could not defeat a god who was the embodiment of death, and was slain by Shisano, who claimed the power to take the immortal life-force of the Celestials. Ishtar, upon seeing her husband die, began weeping in sorrow. This funereal sorrow drove Shisano to the brink of compassion, and he lifted Ishtar to the starry heavens, where her tears fell upon the earth. Her tears became the first elves, born from the sorrow of the Celestials, which gave them a long lifespan.

The elven religion views Ishtar as the matriarch of its beliefs, their spiritual mother, and see their Kings and Queens as descendents of her bloodline. Festivals revolve around when Ishtar's constellation (The Weeping Bride) can be seen in the sky, as well as lunar cycles. These celebrations often involve elaborate costumes and magical displays.

Other embodiments of their religion are the nature Spirits of the Fey al'In woods, who first helped elves harness magic and taught them the joys of the wild land. Many of these spirits could still be found in pockets of the wild lands, and so the elves produced the first Josetsu, the Druids who became stewards of the nature Spirits, the land, and the people of the Middle World.

In some circles, Shisano is revered, for his actions led to the birth of the elves, and priests who follow him pay him homage for their long lifespan.


POLITICS
The wood-elves are governed by a monarch who can trace his or her lineage back to the first elves born of Ishtar. The kingdom is currently ruled by the beautiful queen Shahrzad, called the Mahd-e Ola, the Divine Mother, or literally “Sublime Cradle of Life.”

Shahrzad came into power upon the death of her husband, the disliked King Aldamir, who was seen as overly patriotic and self-serving. Legend has it that twenty years ago Shahrzad wooed him with stories and magically forced him to abdicate the throne to her. While some in the kingdom see the Mahd-e Ola as an usurper of the throne, she is liked by most of the people, who feel a strong connection to the queen and their homeland.

The Tahirahan army is composed of highly-trained soldiers called the Jeweled Guard (Tahijura), and is known for being rather ruthless and cunning, and loyal to the Mahd-e Ola to a fault. The elven army is often dispatched north to quell uprisings by lizardfolk and other monsters of Lost Khandar, the wildlands to the north.

 ECONOMY
Tahirahan Elves are notable for woodcrafts such as fine archery supplies, staves, and rods, and they are the only region capable of producing (and recharging) magical staves and wands. The wood-elves are not too fond of heavy armor, however, but rely on the dwarves of Garm for metals necessary to produce their elven blades.

Tahirah is rich with herbs and medicines, having top-notch healing houses and clerical services. The Fey al’In Woods and areas around Lake Alaris are the only source of the Al’shams herb, which is processed to make cooling salves and lotions for the desert climates west of the Saccanos. Because of this, the kingdom of Majirah tries to maintain the best of terms with Tahirah and considers the elves a true—albeit distant—ally.

Adventure 3: The Marsh and the Manticore

Our heroes awoke the next morning to find Rajasaru rbeaking fast with a halfling, who called himself Ichirou. Ichirou was interested in traveling, claiming he had useful treasure-hunting skills, and the party accepted him.

The group left Pharat, traveling south to the city of Cairona, which sits at the base of the great Sacanno Mountains and is the gate to the western regions, notably the wood-elf kingdom of Tahirah.
The journey took them south through the dark Gurigashon Marshlands, where Rajasaru told them to avoid the Bkeku, a violent frog race. While sleeping in the wetlands, Elaria, Failn, and Ardeshir heard cries for help, and rushed to investigate
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They encountered what appeared to be a man sinking in a bed of quicksand, but soon discovered that was an illusion created by Tataka, the Bog Witch. Tataka sought to ensnare the well-meaning heroes and throw them down her endless well into the Apsu, feeding their souls to the void.

Eventually Anden, Steiger, and Ichirou arrived on the scene, and the group dispatched their sorcerous foe. They looked through her cave-lair, taking some valuable items, and then collapsed the entrance, blocking access to her wretched well.

After three more days of travel, the group arrived in Cairona, finding a commotion in the town center. There a group of city guards were caging a gryphon, an act that made Steiger mad. While the group held him back, Anden and Ardeshir talked to the captain of the city guard, Nakamoto. Nakamoto had been sent to Cairona from the Empire of Taishan to band its militia together and fend off a group of thugs called the Haritacondra, who had been raiding Cairona for the past three months with the aid of a manticore. They wanted to lure them out with the gryphon as manticore bait, but the group said they would solve the problem without the loss of an innocent beast. Rather than await their foes on the turf of Cairona, the group concocted an elaborate plan to hide amongst the goods the Haritacondra took from the town.

They were taken by the manticore to a mountaintop hideaway, where the group made quick work of their enemies. They found among the Haritacondra thugs more of the strange coins, like those found on the goblins, and took the tail of the manticore along with other goods. They returned to Cairona with the aim to set out to Tahirah.

RECAP:

•  The Bheku are a violent race of frog humanoids.
• Tataka the Bog Witch serves the darkness of the Apsu (the Void), feeding souls to it to gain power. She was dealt with and her lair blocked.
• Cairona is the last stop before heading out to the western frontier or south to the elf kingdom of Tahirah. It is a large trading city of wood elves, Majirahan humans, and dwarves from Garm.
• The western lands have been plagued by a military group called the Haritacandra. They wear green sashes and fight for the freedom of the land from the myopic and selfish greed of civilizations like the Majirahans.
• Captain Nakamoto Genpachi was sent to help quell the threats from the Haritacandra and protect Cairona. He is from the eastern Empire of Taishan.
• After slaying the manticore and its Haritacandra handlers, the party found more strange silver coins among the Haritacandra.

The Layers of the Cosmos

This main cosmology is believed by the greatest number of inhabitants in the Middle World. Different groups focus on different elements, and of course it has been the crux of many religious debate (and war) over the ages.

Listen, for the legends speak thusly:

IN THE BEGINNING there was the cosmic void. The Creator saw this and began to shape it into the world: a place where life could grow and flourish and understand the beauty of living. Erupting from the cosmic furnace, the Sea of Fire, the Creator fashioned the Earth. But this world’s elements were at odds, imbalanced, so he created Bahamut, who swims through the void carrying the World upon his back.

From the void the Created World began to form, and with its formation the Spirits and gods, the Celestials. These spiritual embodiments were able to tap into the power of the world and cosmos that made the Creator fearful. So he created Falak, the great serpent, to keep them in check. The Celestials crafted their own kingdoms in the clouds, and the Creator fashioned the Garden of Paradise for souls to know him and experience peace. Thus was born the Middle World, between the heavens and the abysses.

The realms are:

1. The Empyrean Throne, where the Creator dwells in the great Light.

2. The Gardens of Paradise, where mortal souls may rest in the light of the Creator, by the Tree of Life. It is protected by the great bird, Simurgh. The wood-elves of Tahira see this as their final resting place, where they are reunited with their god-mother, Ishtar.

3. The Celestial Stage. This is where most of the gods and greater beings, the Celestials, retreated to when they left the Middle World. Pious souls may join them here in service. Both the Majirahans and Taishan faithful see their gods here, who enact a cosmic play that affects their daily lives.

4. The Middle World, the realm of mortal being and action.

5. Bahamut, the Great Fish. It swims through the oceanic void, carrying the Middle World on its back. The elves believe that Bahamut is the source of magic.

6. The Apsu, the great watery void of darkness. It is here that Tiamat was banished by the Celestial hero Shen in the First Age.

7. The Sea of Fire, the great cosmic furnace wherein Falak is entombed until the End of Time.

As time passed and the Spirits and Celestials grew more independant, the Creator fashioned the mortal races, who would come to understand the beauty of the creation through living and eventually dying. From clay he created humans. From wood, the elves*. The dwarves were hewn from stone, the Halflings from soft earth, and the gnomes from gems. The jinn were created from fire and air. All of these creations were given the choice of free will and mortality, so that they could choose to know the Creation or be burdened with ignorance.

At some point in these early eras, the dragon Zarkham seeded the dragons Tiamat and Tien Lung upon the World. The Creator sought to ensure balance between the two dragons, and so gifted Tien Lung with celestial wisdom to counter Tiamat’s chaotic nature. But Tiamat and Falak bonded and spawned the draconic lines, and for this the Celestial hero Shen was tasked to slay Tiamat. Tien Lung carried his sister’s remains into Apsu, the void, where Tiamat now lies entombed.

Pride, greed, and vanity bore into the dragons (who coveted the world the Celestials and mortals had), and the Celestials became distressed with the mortals, who sought to harness magic and the power of the world and spirits. The great empires began to fight each other, and the Celestial gods and worldly Spirits began to withdraw from the Middle World, leaving the mortal races to further fend for themselves and not know the heavens until death. This marked the close of the second great era.

The creatures, spirits and natural beasts alike, left behind during this transition grew into the monsters and fiends that roam the Middle World, often jealous of what mortals have done and eager to regain a sense of power.

 It is believed that a soul who does evil and is heavy with sin will descend in the layers of the cosmos, thus wandering the Apsu and going mad or burning in the starry fires where Falak dwells. A soul that is pious and unburdened will rise, to dwell with its chosen gods or, in the best of circumstances, with the Creator at the Empyrean throne.

*NOTE: While this cosmology fashions the elves--like the other mortal races--from nature, the elven belief is different. This is explained in "The Wood-Elf Kingdom of Tahirah."

Brief Map Overview

Here is a brief "world map" overview for you to mock. There will be close-ups on various parts as we continue, starting with where you currently are (between Majirah and Tahirah) and those two kingdoms.