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Vereriaz Compendium
Table of Contents:
The Zari and Their Creators: To be worked on
The Races and Their Cultures: To be worked on
Bestiary: To be worked on
Locations: To be worked on
Historical Events: To be started
Mythology: To be started
Magic and Its Workings: To be started
The Zari and Their Creators:
In the stories that take place in Vereriaz, the universe was initially two entities: Fate and Magic. They are also known(more aptly so) as Thought and Action respectively. These two beings encompassed all existence, and they encompassed all creation. They were the universe; the universe was them. The two had decided to experiment though. They wished to see creation and what it could bring about. They wished to examine life, so they made space in which life could exist. This space was not comprised of the form of either Thought or Action; it was empty. With thoughts of beauty in mind, Thought asked Action to create stars, and Action did as was asked to do. Action was the creator, but Thought was the one who taught about the composition. Galaxies, solar systems, stars, planets, and moons all were crafted by Action with the directions of Thought.
Thought realized through trial and error that only some of these planets were fit to bear life as only some of them had the proper conditions for such. On these planets, Thought and Action had created Zari. The Zari are beings that know much in a particular subject and are innately tied to this subject. The Zari are the creations most connected to their creators, and they are the guiding hand for many of the planets of which life and Zari exist. The Zari themselves are not truly creators. In nearly every case, there will be six Zari: Creation, Life, Gravity, Days, Fate, and Death.
Onto Vereriaz itself, there were seven Zari with the usual six as well as Action. Aristal represents Creation; Vydizi represents Life; Giledith represents Gravity; Imeran represents Days; Narath represents Fate; Zul represents Death; Kahumot represents Action. Aristal is the artist as he creates that which he envisions. Vydizi is the pacifist, wanderer, and prisoner as life is curious, chained, and peaceful to itself. Giledith is a protector and linked to all things like gravity links all things together. Imeran is ever-changing between his many states like the constant war between the brutal day and the comforting night. Narath is the scientist as he hypothesizes actions based on observation. Zul is the gardener as death continues yet another life. Kahumot is the naive and unknowing, for he has been locked away from the beginning.
Aristal is the guiding hand for artists. He exists to create, and so he creates. He built the beginnings of the painted city of Sarmetreis himself. Many of the art styles in Vereriaz were originated by Aristal. The Destari look up to him as their main deity. Aristal does not support violence, but he does not oppose it as strong as Vydizi. Aristal lives mostly in isolation and keeps up with the events in the world only to find inspiration for his art.
Vydizi is the bleeding heart of the Zari. He believes that people can live a life without suffering. This belief makes Vydizi come at odds with Narath as Fate would predict that there would have to be suffering in life. His cries for life had created the Ka’Thuri, the four sapient species, the Floodplains of Rith, and many other things. After the creation of the Floodplains of Rith, Narath had Vydizi imprisoned as he was disrupting the workings of Fate and natural consequence. In appearance, Vydizi is the most similar of the Zari to the Destari, but his head does not have the exoskeleton. His feathers are vibrant and lively in their coloration.
Giledith is the protector out of the Zari. He believes that all people and events are tied to one another as they “gravitate” towards each other. His followers tend to be guardians of others, and his paladins are peacekeepers throughout all of Vereriaz. Giledith’s theory of gravity being a force beyond merely the connection of things to the world is the most renown idea of his. He believes that all events have their own gravity, and motivation is pulled or stemmed from this gravity. This would mean that all events and their consequences are brought on by a force as intrinsic as gravity rather than to be taken literally as gravity itself.
Imeran is of split personalities. Throughout the day, he believes solely in the truth regardless of its effect. During the night, he wishes for the best and will lie to comfort. The actions of one personality annoys the other, and Imeran is often at war with himself due to the bipartisan nature of his personalities. The split nature of his character is prevalent in Teneris as each island is tied to a time of day and the characteristics linked to that time of day.
Narath is the logical scientist of the Zari. He believes that all events can be predicted by looking at the past and the personalities of the people calling the shots. This is how Narath views Fate; he believes that Fate is the ability to accurately predict exactly what will happen by looking at the factors to such a future event. He lives in an immense archive where he has tried to obtain documents that encompass all of Vereriaz’s history.
Zul is the tender of the gardens of the afterlife. In Vereriaz, the typical death results in the conscious and the deceased’s life force going to a garden from off from most things. In this garden, the anima, conscious, and soul combine to create a new plant in the garden. With special rituals at one’s death, this may be avoided though.
Kahumot never really knew that he was a Zari as Narath had him locked away in a far off island surrounded by Ka’Thuri. Kahumot also doesn’t appear in almost any of the mythology; he is pretty much unknown to everyone. You might come across a chance reference to him at occasionally.
The Races and Their Cultures:
Destari: The avian people of Perasith. The Destari were created in the image of Vydizi and to represent the better qualities of life. The skull face that they bear was the result of Zul requesting that death be represented in the creatures of life as death renews life. They are frequently followers of the teachings of Aristal, Narath, Giledith, Vydizi, and Imeran. The Destari are the best at magic, but their hollow bones make them fragile soldiers. They look like this(full feathers for the body excluding the shin and foot which are scaly), and the shapes to the main design’s left are a representation of a Destari in their own art style which was developed by Aristal. They tend to live in coastal cities begrudgingly alongside the amphibious Tanrith.
The Destari hold a belief in predestination in one’s duty in society; this is achieved through birthmarks that appear on the skull of a Destari hatchling. If a Destari is birthed without a birthmark, then he or she is considered an anomaly(despite being quite common) but is not prevented from entering any field of study(they often become Armigers and Guardians of the Destari Temple). Their designation of skill by birthmark is not wrong; Narath had discovered that the birthmark of a Destari hatchling does, in fact, represent his or her most obvious talent.
The Destari also uphold research and knowledge as their chief pillars to society. Those who follow Narath observe all forms of life and learn from their observations. Armigers of the Destari Temple scour Vereriaz in search of religious artifacts for a more developed understanding of the cultures of Vereriaz through history. This focus in knowledge has led to the Destari being more specialized in the field of magic than the other species of Vereriaz. This intense focus on knowledge springs from their origins where they were intended to be representative of the best qualities of life with the eternal desire for improvement being one of the greatest qualities of life.
Tanrith: The amphibian people of Perasith. They look like this. Their amphibious nature makes them perfect climbers. The Tanrith are the oldest of the four “races,” and they were created to reduce the threat of the Ka’thuri serpents. This task led to them employing all aquatic life to their advantage. Bioluminescent jellyfish would serve as lights, coral reefs as homes, seaweed to cultivate, and others. Everything in their environment serves a function.
The Tanrith believe strongly in an opposing idea from the Destari. The Tanrith believe that one makes their own talents through their decisions, and they consider forcing someone into a profession to be commandeering their life. Free choice being their chief concern had spawned from their rebellion against the task of depopulating the Ka’thuri for the sake of the survival of the Tanrith themselves.
Self-enlightenment is a chief pillar of Tanrith culture. The Tanrith view it as that by understanding one’s self that they may empathize and more easily understand the world around them. Due to their strong ties with nature, the Tanrith often achieve this self-enlightenment through a transcendentalist method. It is not uncommon for the Tanrith to explore the world to externally represent their struggle to explore their inner being. The other chief pillar in Tanrith culture is their self-expression after they have come to understand themselves; the Tanrith display for others to witness their personal journeys.
Arimiphites: The insect people of Arimen. Their appearance is currently being designed, but this is the latest design. The Arimiphites are representative of the better qualities of death, so they are often the tombkeepers of Vereriaz alongside the designers of said tombs. They uphold this strong pride in tombs due to their devotion to Zul. The Arimiphites’ exoskeleton provides them with a natural layer of defense that often makes the Arimiphites the most defensive of the four species. Spread about their exoskeleton, there are transparent and highly reflective crystalline “gem-like” stones that are said to be the solidified forms of the first raindrops to grace Vereriaz.
Arimiphites hold a strong belief in that the afterlife is the perfected form of life or at the very least can be. Due to this, Arimiphites often live their lives awaiting their eventual death as to embrace the afterlife and Zul’s presence. This belief in the afterlife also causes them to place heavy emphasis on the creation of tombs and the protection of the deceased within said tombs.
Judgement is a major idea to the Arimiphites as they view that people are judged in both life and death, so their life is often spent in efforts to be judged favorably as to avoid an unfavorable life and therefore afterlife. To favor themselves in these judgements, Arimiphites uphold living a peaceful existence with the world around them as peace is present in both the ultimate life and the ultimate death. They will, however, get riled up if they believe that there was an unjust judgement placed on someone as such an action could damn the judged to an afterlife that they do not deserve.
Salin: The reptilian people of Arimen. They look something like this. The Salin are physical powerhouses that were meant to perform the intense physical labor of the other three species as well as solve conflicts through a competition amongst the Salin. The Salin had disdained these positions, so the Salin fought back the most intensely when the Tanrith rebelled against depopulating the Ka’thuri. The source of the species’s name even coming from a warrior from that war.
From their time as laborers and gladiators, the Salin still uphold strong faith into the idea of honor. The Salin believe that anyone that strikes an unarmed person is subject to be struck as to strike an unarmed person is dishonorable. Any such attacks or unfair advantages rain down the anger of the Salin who were subject to these so frequently in their past. Due to this, the Salin believe very strongly in the idea of fair opportunity and vehemently punish any who disagree.
This desire for honor is held strong even in their funeral and sacrifice rituals. Those who are sacrificed are given to Salin in hopes of redeeming themselves, so their bodies may never reach Zul before regaining their honor. Those who have fallen honorably and lived honorably are given the words to move on to meet Zul in the afterlife who will grant them eternal bliss for their honor.
Bestiary:
Coastal Wetlands Creatures:
Ishval Crab: Crustaceans that stories tell came from the meteor, now named Ishval, that Giledith had locked into Vereriaz’s orbit and slowly descended into the planet’s surface and after which it began to bear life. Many of these stories suggest that the Ishval Crab are part of the original meteor given life by Giledith’s brave action. Outside of the mythology, Ishval Crabs are gray in coloration and large enough to easily carry two Tanrith and the supplies that they’d carry with them. The Ishval Crabs’ claws are long, and the insides of the claws are filled with serrated edges. These claws are normally bound soundly to prevent any fiascos. For this reason, they are a favorite mount of the Tanrith as the Ishval Crabs are also amphibious which allows for great convenience for the Tanrith riders.
Ishval Crabs are often kept in pairs or small groups by their Tanrith owners. It is within these conditions that the crabs find their mates and reproduce. It is unknown how their mating rituals and courtship function in wild conditions as finding a wild Ishval Crab is practically unheard of. After they die, their shells are handled carefully to be hardened even further to be utilized as armor by the Tanrith warriors.
Sikrog: Sikrogs are scaly and share a few traits with reptilians, but they are mostly found in the waters of a swamp. Despite their scales, they seem to share more traits with amphibians than reptiles. Sikrogs are known for their powerful tail and legs unsuitable for land travel. Sikrogs are also known to be incredibly patient animals and are willing to wait hours for their prey to be in the right spot for an easy meal. Sikrogs often eat the smaller amphibians and reptiles of the swamp, and they have few predators. Sikrogs often live in small groups which mate among themselves.
In Tanrith mythology, the Sikrog is viewed as the ultimate hunter, and it was once said to be a creature that could kill a Ka’thuri if the serpent fell into the Sikrog’s trap. The claims of such feats had made the Sikrog a sacred animal to the Tanrith, and it remains so to this day. An example of this is that any Tanrith that wishes to become a hunter is to observe the patience, trapmaking, attentiveness, and ferocity of a Sikrog if they truly wish to become a hunter.
Ikil: Small crustaceans, Ikil are a frequent delicacy among the Destari. The Ikil are often about the length of a Destari’s forearm and hand. They are known for their deep blue coloration with turquoise or cyan highlights with some parts fading to a bright purple. They have eight legs, two large claws, a thorax, an abdomen, and a tail. Ikil eat smaller fish and crustaceans. Ikil are known to compete for mates, and they show no loyalty to their mate after the child has been born. The Destari have tried to domesticate these creatures for easier access to a common food source.
In Destari mythology, the Ikil are believed to be the second suggestion of Vydizi after the creation of the Ka’thuri. The concept he had in mind with the Ikil is believed to be that they would serve as food for the coming Tanrith who would depopulate the Ka’thuri. This is how the Destari reason the great taste of Ikil meat that has caused it to be one of the most desired creatures by the Destari. Ironically, the Tanrith do not pay much mind to the Ikil as they do not impress the Tanrith, but the Tanrith do eat them on occasion.
Divoxl: Small and dull green amphibians that possess wide boomerang-shaped heads for defensive purposes as well as a hydrofoil to make swimming far easier. On the inner backside of their heads, Divoxl have flowery gills that are pink in color. They possess long, thin bodies that can easily regenerate any lost body part. They also have a long, flat tail to aid in swimming. Their eyes are on the top of their head, and they usually lie under the water and eat plankton and tiny crustaceans occasionally. They have to have well-developed legs to survive well on land as well. Divoxl hatchlings live alongside their parents in the water, and their eggs are often hidden under the sands below the water of the beachhead.
Divoxl are known pets of Tanrith for their small size and ease of feeding. Divoxl are believed to be Tanrith that have failed in “The Great Task” of depopulating the Ka’thuri, so the surviving Tanrith also have added this to their reasoning behind keeping the creatures as pets as they believe that they can redeem the failures by caring for them. The Tanrith even threw a party when their Divoxl dies as they believe that the Tanrith warrior’s spirit that inhabited the animal has come to rest.
Yte Fly: Small insects that come in two main known breeds: Fertile and infertile. The fertile Yte flies possess large red compound eyes. Their antennae start at about three-fourths of their eyes’ height and quickly bend down from there to the start of their mandibles. Their three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings sprout from their thorax. The infertile versions are the result of a male Yte fly being incapable of fertilizing all of the eggs laid by their female mate, so the unfertilized eggs seem to mutate the mother’s traits to function as both the mother’s and the father’s traits which results in unusual traits like vastly different wings, antennae, eyes, etc. The infertile version is oddly enough the more famous of the two. A common mutation that the infertile version bears is a change to the wings that results in a fluttering flight pattern instead of the fertile version’s quick rotation of wing flapping between its four wings.
The Yte fly is considered a pure agent of Zul, serving as his messengers and eyes. The people of Vereriaz believe that they report the well-being of living creatures to Zul, and they assist in the transfer of the anima, conscious, and soul from the bodies of the deceased to Zul’s Garden. The bright colors of the infertile version of the Yte fly remind the people of Vereriaz of the resultant beauty from the horrors of death which helps to ease their pain and their loss as they can know that the loss that they’ve suffered will result in a new beautiful creation as the Yte fly so promptly reminds them that death renews life.
Desert Creatures:
Wall-Jaw: Large, flat, and wide insects that usually lie stationary with most of their body submerged by sand. They get their namesake from the fact that their mandibles are the only part of their body normally visible and are structured similarly to walls built by the native Arimiphites. This visual similarity is the main source of food for a Wall-Jaw as it lures unsuspecting travelers into the depths of its maw. Some have claimed that they have even had antennae that had the form of an Arimiphite which made its guise all the more deceptive and more importantly all the more deadly.
The Arimiphites believe that the Wall-Jaw is representative of deceit and the greed that drives it. For this reason, the Wall-Jaw is a despised figure throughout the mythology of the Arimiphites, and it is often the foe of patriarchs and matriarchs of colonies and tribes or others that would find themselves in possession of vast fortunes. In these myths, those who succumbed to the beasts’ lures would find themselves judged most unfavorably and damned to live the afterlife as they have lived in life in squalor and to starve to a death that will never come.
Oasis Lizard: Immense lizards that often just rest before the desert star bearing down upon them. They are named after a phenomena that occurs between their shoulders due to a deep recess between them. Inside this recess, water from the rare rainfall would build up as the lizard itself would absorb the heat that would evaporate the water. As the water builds up, vegetation would begin to grow through the scales of the lizard. The lizards often eat anything large that nears them as they are not prone to move often which does lead to a group of the lizards resting all near each other as to avoid moving much to find a mate.
In Arimiphite mythology, the Oasis Lizard is viewed as a stalwart being, but it is subject to the curse of inactivity. According to these myths, Oasis Lizards were originally Salin that had grown complacent in their torpor. Many doubt the legitimacy of that myth due to the immense difference in size between the two creatures.
Dead Man’s Dream: Highly poisonous insects that inject weary and sleeping travelers with a deadly neurotoxin that sends neural pulses that tell the body to stay asleep. As the victim sleeps, the insect injects an acid to corrode the insides of the creature for easy consumption. These insects are typically found isolated away from others of its kind, but those in the wild are known to amass into a horde to breed. The eggs are then kept in safety by the females. When the larvae are born, they usually reach the pupal stage with the assistance of the male.
In Arimiphite mythology, the creation of the Dead Man’s Dream is said to be because of a nightmare that Zul had had in which an insect was forcing him into a comatose state while eating him alive. The nightmare was so vivid and powerful that the beast of Zul’s nightmare had come to live and stalked the desert throughout the night. Due to this, Zul and the other Zari refused to sleep as to prevent their nightmares from creating more monsters.
Daithet: Peculiar insects that actually undergo photosynthesis to create their own food source similar to plants. While they do contain the green pigment chlorophyll, they do not share the green coloration of plants and their leaves as they contain a large amount of a sand-tinged pigment that masks the green chlorophyll. They as a species have largely been domesticated by the Arimiphites for a source of food. In the wild, Daithets roam in colonies in search of oases. Few in a colony are capable of sexual reproduction, so there is little competition to reproduce.
In Arimiphite mythology, the Daithets are said to be the answer to Vydizi’s plea for a peaceful animal, an animal that would not kill or harm plants or animals to live. The Daithets are believed to be the source of all life in the desert due to their unique trait and ability to scour for oases that allow them to have a surplus of food at almost all times which had drawn more creatures to the desert like the Oasis Lizard who often eats an entire Daithet colony for its occasional meal. They are also believed to be how creatures can survive the brutal, cruel daylight bearing down them so harshly due to the belief that they can eat light.
Fiklor: Small crustaceans that live beneath the sands. Fiklors possess ten legs spread across their thorax and abdomen, but the front two pairs of legs are the only ones which it uses for digging. Fiklor use all of their legs when swimming, but the back three pairs of legs are mainly used to ward off predators. Fiklors are known to roam in colonies. Female Fiklors twist their abdomen to envelope the egg sac which gives the appearance that the eggs are being cradled by their mother. Fiklor are most commonly found by others in wells.
The Arimiphites view the Fiklor as the embodiment of nurturing youth, but this calling of nurturing is considered minor to that of the tending of the dead. Arimiphites do, however, try to follow the model of a Fiklor family which maintains a single male that remains with their sole female mate for their entire life. As male and female Fiklor die in the same place after their eggs have hatched, many Arimiphites call the burial of a husband and wife together to be a Fiklor tomb.
Mountainous Creatures:
Maufol: Mammals that live on the rainy side of the mountains that split Arimen. Maufol are known to live usually higher up on the mountains into areas in which it is deadly for most of the people of Vereriaz to enter due to the cold temperature, but the Maufol migrate to the base during the harsh mountain winter which allows for some examination. The Maufol are surefooted with hooves built to easily traverse rough terrain agilely. They are dark brown in coloration with some even being pitch black, and they have large horns that protrude upwards in a spiraling from their skull. Their mating cycle takes place when they live higher up in the mountains, so it is unknown how they court and mate currently.
The Salin have only a few beliefs about the Maufol due to rarely encountering them, but they are still decently represented in Salin mythology. They are usually considered a good omen if they are found, and they often are tied to the idea of luck. Due to their ease with traversing difficult terrain though, the Maufol represent adaptiveness to the Salin. In harsh environments, a Salin is told, “To be like a Maufol and adapt.” To add onto this, it is a common belief that the Maufol were created when Aristal first made a painting of a mountain.
Oceanic Creatures:
Ka’thuri: Colossal sea serpents that were one of the first creatures to live on Vereriaz. They weigh around 125 tonnes and measure out to be 100 ft in length. The largest Ka’thuri is believed to be 150 ft in length. The Ka’thuri often swim about singularly, but they will collect at region of the ocean known as Serpent’s Nest when mating season comes. The region gets its name from the fact that the Ka’thuri would nest their young in a very thick coral reef surrounded by stationary creatures that possess sharp barbs along their tendrils akin to the Jellies of the Day to protect them from the Tanrith who were tasked with destroying the Ka’thuri eggs before they hatched. Their immense, serpentine bodies are covered with thick scales and surrounded by schools of fish and other aquatic life. Individual scales and teeth are used by the Tanrith for armor and weapons. They use the skeleton for construction of aquatic homes. These serpents were the ones that the Tanrith were obligated to depopulate, and both lost many of their kind in this struggle. As well, the Ka’thuri are aggressive if a grouping of any of the races is large enough to be noticed by a nearby Ka’thuri.
In the mythology of Vereriaz, the Ka’thuri is an unusual point of agreement among the four species. The Ka’thuri are believed to be representative of the integral flaws with Vydizi’s ideals; two of the chief flaws being overpopulation and starvation from reduced food sources and the aforementioned overpopulation. They represent overpopulation by their lack of competition and no predators due to their vast size, so they easily begin to overpopulate by merely following their instincts. This representation of overpopulation is what created the Tanrith’s “Great Task” of depopulating them, and the starvation would be the result of the Ka’thuri overpopulating as they raise the sea level and consume all that lies before them until they have nothing to eat. These ideas also are mimicked in the mini-ecosystems that cover the Ka’thuri’s massive body as they prosper into schools of fish only to find themselves without parasites or any crustaceans on the serpent’s body to eat.
Jellies of the Day: Bioluminescent jellyfish that receive their name not from their attraction to the light of day but the fact that they produce their own source of light at all times. Many can find their eternal presence to be depressing as it reminds them of the hardships that are bound to be found in life. Jellies of the Day are guaranteed to be found in blooms if they are not encapsulated by the Tanrith in a container filled with water to serve as a torch.
In Tanrith mythology, the Jellies of the Day are said to swarm around the Isle of Light in Teneris to ensure that it is eternally stuck in light. They were said to be created when Imeran had thrown a rotten fruit into the ocean. Their creation from an object of decay is represented through their cnidae which are deadly to all four of the species if it punctures the skin or exoskeleton. The idea of decay is also apparent in their connection to light as the people of Vereriaz view light as brutal, impersonal truth that disregards one’s desire for happiness.
Tohqul: Shelled reptiles that are known to be largely aquatic animals. Their four legs have adapted to this aquatic life by becoming large, strong flippers. It bears a long, finned tail that it uses to further help it move in the oceans. Their mouths are filled with serrated teeth that find little difficulty getting through smaller crustaceans’ exoskeleton and easily reach them with their incredibly long necks. When threatened, the Tohqul can enter their shield-like shell which discourages most predators from eating them due to the difficulty of eating through the shell. One would think that this enlarged shell would make swimming more difficult, and it does but less than expected as the water has an easy flow through the entirety of the shell. The Tohqul are known to be loyal mates, and mates often stick together after the masses of Tohqul separate after their mating season has ended. Males tend to have brighter scales and shells with frequent colors being orange, yellow, green, and aqua. The females are larger and tend to be a dull blue-green.
In Tanrith mythology, the Tohqul would guide Tanrith soldiers to safety when they underwent “The Great Task” of depopulating the Ka’thuri. They would often lead them to coral reefs and other such sanctuaries from the vengeful Ka’thuri. It is believed that if not for the guidance of the Tohqul that the Tanrith would have been extinct due to their duty. It is believed that Giledith had made the Tohqul to prevent the consequence of the Tanrith dying, but it is debated if he had made it himself or if he asked Aristal to paint it. Nonetheless, the Tohqul are a beloved part of Tanrith society serving as the main symbol of Giledith for their people, the Giledith followers that serve as peacekeepers, and a frequent pet or companion.
Aalirul: Serpentine, or eel-like, fish that are known for their blindness, and they must rely on smell to find prey. Aalirul are known to enter a frenzied state if they smell the scent of blood. Their gills are close to their mouth and on their head. The snout of Aaliruls are renown for being long, flat, and blade-like, and their chin is similar in nature but to a lesser degree. Their jaws are parabolic in shape, and their mouths are filled with teeth. Aaliruls are prone to losing teeth frequently, so their body must consistently make new teeth. Their underbellies are scaly.
Many believe the Aaliruls to be a lesser and deformed cousin of the Ka’thuri. For this reason, the Tanrith show little to no mercy towards the Aaliruls whom they believe would eat them and overpopulate in an instant, and they would not be wrong in believing that. Aaliruls are ruthless predators in all known accounts, and they share those traits in the stories about them. Some stories say that the Aaliruls spawned from the destroyed Ka’thuri nests during the time of the Tanrith’s “Great Task,” which would suggest that unhatched Ka’thuri eventually become Aalirul. The general consensus is that the Aalirul represents violence and blind anger hence its literal blindness and easy-to-enter frenzy.
Teruyl: Decently sized fish that are about the length of a Tanrith’s hand and forearm, the Teruyl fish help protect Ka’thuri eggs from natural predators, Tanrith soldiers of the “Great Task” and Tanrith poachers. The Teruyl fish do this because they later receive the protection of the Ka’thuri once it has begun to mature to the point that few creatures will disturb it. The Teruyl fish then may eat the parasites that cover the Ka’thuri’s scaly body for food and receive protection in turn. The fish themselves are carnivorous and possess sharp enough teeth for a small school of them to overwhelm an unsuspecting Tanrith(the larger groups would be handled by the Ka’thuri). They are teal in coloration with yellow stripes along their body. Their fins have an inward curve at their ends.
Due to their protection of Ka’thuri eggs and their mutual relationship with the Ka’thuri, the Teruyl fish are the Tanrith’s exemplification of greed, gluttony, and over-population. They are tied to the idea of greed by protecting the Ka’thuri to later feast on the many parasites that try to dig deep into the scaly body of the Ka’thuri. With the Ka’thuri’s protection, the Teruyls prosper beyond what is sustainable as their innate greed and resulting gluttony overtake them. The number of fish in the school tends to inflate to the point that the fish lack enough food to go around which causes some of the school to starve to death while the other fish revel in eating. The Tanrith view this as a crime against Vydizi, and the fish are to be killed if found which helps to hinder the mature Ka’thuri.
Ephris: Crustaceans larger than a Tanrith, according to Tanrith cagers, that live in the depths of Vereriaz’s oceans. The only known accounts for finding them has been through the stories of Tanrith cagers that unfortunately grabbed up one of these beasts. Ephres are renown for their single eye, sharp teeth, and vicious claws. If an Ephris frees itself from one of these cages, then it is all but guaranteed that the cagers will be one cager short. The Ephres use their claws for guidance while swimming alongside its thin tail that slowly is tapered from its torso. Cagers also claim that the creature simply disappears from vision after its initial shock wears off, but this claim has yet to be able to be studied.
Due to living so deep in the world and being unknown to many in their true appearance short of the many tales from Tanrith cagers, the Ephres are often used as a symbol for the deep and unknown hungers that lie within one. Their frenzy at the cagers being symbolic of the drastic measures that those afflicted with this insatiable desire begin to develop until it eventually consumes them akin to how the Ephris in its shock usually consumes at least one of the cagers.
Prairie/Shrubland/Savanna Creatures:
Yayl: Quadrupedal mammals that are lightly furred. Their fur varies in color from red to orange to a yellow-tinged tan. Their feet end in cloven hooves, and their horns are in the shape of a bird descending to the ground with small protrusions that suggest they will become similar to antlers or once were similar to antlers. Yayl live in herds and mate freely within their herd, and they avoid predators by outrunning them.
In Destari mythology, the Yayl is viewed as an unknowing creature that has no care to advance its knowledge. The Destari view the Yayl not only as cowards for fleeing from any physical conflict, but they also are viewed as simple and savage. The Yayl are supposed to represent what happens to people who refuse to learn from the world around them.
Tidoln: Tiny insects that infest the shrublands, prairies, and savannas of Vereriaz. Tidolns are about the size of one of a Destari’s long fingers. They have a total of six legs, but they only use four of them for walking. The most posterior legs are used exclusively for jumping. Tidolns have an unusually long snout for an insect that ends in its mandibles with its antennae sprouting out about three-fourths of the way down the snout. Its wings assist it in jumping as well as in traditional insect flight. Its body is long and relatively cylindrical for an insect.
Tidolns are considered to be pests and representations of the dangers of overpopulation when they are in their swarm phase for which most know them from. Stories of Tidoln swarms sweeping the cities of Perasith are told, and they detail how the immense number of the Tidoln ruin the sustainability of life for the inhabitants of the city as well as the Tidoln themselves as the Tidoln swarm would consume everything that they could find their way into. Many take this as an affront to the ideals of Vydizi, so nearly all of the people of Vereriaz prefer to be rid of them. The Tidoln manage to survive despite the attempted extermination of their species.
Yte Fly: Refer to the Coastal Wetlands entry on the Yte fly.
Rainforest Creatures:
Linjic: Small avian creatures that are built similar to monkeys. Their arms however are wings that have claws where a typical bird has its alula. These claws alongside their talons from their feet allow Linjices to climb the trees of their rainforest home with ease, and from the canopy of these trees, Linjices can fly freely to wherever they wish. Their bodies have been built to allow for this extreme mobility. Linjices live in groups, and the males compete in races to the canopy from the ground to determine who gets a certain female.
The Salin view this avian with distinctive pride as the Linjic represents a free spirit to them, so they view this avian as the representation of their freedom. The other species do not show much care for the creatures, and they are viewed as tricksters and pests in the mythology of the other species.
Rifcoh: Small reptiles that are quite specialized in their capabilities. They are known for their ability to appear to be invisible by blending into their surroundings due to their skin possessing specialized cells that contain many pigments under their transparent skin. They can be easily felt due to their bodies possessing many sharp scales to dissuade any predator from eating them. When easily visible, their skin defaults to a tan coloration, and they are known to have a head and dorsal crest that are roughly semicircular and jagged in shape respectively.
Rifcohs are believed to be the representation of an easy life that is nondisruptive with the world around them. For this reason, many of the Salin view them as an idea of what would have happened to them if they had become complacent with their unfortunate status in the world, weak and forced to hide. When the Salin find Rifcohs, they are supposed to kill them to relieve them of their own complacency with the wrongdoings in the world.
Hiruwi: Winged reptiles that are known to eat Linjices. Their arms are built to be wings and end with claws. The hand has long fingers, and they are connected to large flaps of skin that permit the reptiles’ flight. The flaps of skin go from the fingers to the feet. Between the feet, another pair of flaps go from the tail to the feet. Hiruwi have a long head with many spiny scales and a throat pouch to store caught prey when hunting. Hiruwi are known to be loyal to a single mate that they compete for when it is their first time to reach their mating site.
As the Hiruwi eat Linjices as their main source of food, they are viewed with disdain and yet respect by the Salin. The Hiruwi is typically representative of power, yet it is not all that large. The Salin believe that the Hiruwi are the Salin that have become power-hungry and tyrannic. The Arimiphites believe that the Hiruwi was made by Narath to keep the Salin in their place as the means of maintaining peace by serving as the means of resolving conflict through gladiatorial fights.
Xijuh: Small reptiles with membrane suspended between their peculiarly elongated ribs that extend outward from their body. This membrane allows the Xijuh the ability to glide which they utilize. They don’t live up in the canopies like the Hiruwi or Linjices, and they eat insects like the Linjices. Their heads are short and are frilled which they use to help them glide. Their four legs are capable of walking and climbing as is necessary for the Xijuh to glide. The Xijuh is also known for their bright color, but those are more frequent in the males. Females are often larger and dull green in coloration while males are smaller, brighter green, and often have many exotic colors like vivid purples, reds, pinks, turquoises, and oranges. Xijuh compete for mates every time mating season comes around, and the bond shared between mates is kept only as long as needed.
The Xijuh are known to still abide by the concept of gravity, so they are believed to be enforcing Giledith’s word onto the Hiruwi and Linjices. For this reason, the Xijuh are known to be protectors to the Salin even with their consumption of the free spirit. The Salin’s warriors often keep a Xijuh as a pet and find themselves amazed at how sharp their pets’ claws are. To solidify the idea of their status as a protector, the Salin mythology states that Giledith had created the Xijuh to protect the Salin’s freedom as he had empathized with their plight like Vydizi had.
Daluoh: Large reptiles that the Salin utilize as mounts and are impressive in their length. They are quadrupedal with thick scales that form a natural chainmail. Daluohs are bright green and red in coloration, but purple, yellow, orange, and blue are known to be potential secondary colors. The secondary color is quite dominant in the Daluoh’s dewlap. Daluohs’ mouths are filled with serrated, blade-like teeth and can release a venom through their vicious bites.
In Salin mythology, the Daluoh are meant to represent loyalty as the Daluoh have remained loyal to the Salin through all of their shared difficulties. The Daluoh are among the most beloved animals of the Salin and owning one is considered to be a tremendous honor. The Daluoh and Xijuh are thought to be relatives due to their similar status in the Salin society. Seeing as the Daluoh were made by Vydizi to lessen the solidarity and hardships of a Salin’s life when they were forced gladiators to keep the peace, the relationship between the two is plausible as Vydizi and Giledith are known to be friendly towards one another.
Yte Fly: Refer to the Coastal Wetlands entry on the Yte fly.
Swamp/Floodplains Creatures:
Joyot: Small freshwater fishes that live in the waters of the Floodplains of Rith as well as the other swamps of Perasith and Arimen. These fishes have a spiny front part to their dorsal fin that gives way to the larger smoother half of the dorsal fin. Its anal fin is smooth and circular. Its tail fin is semicircular in shape and quite strong for its size. Its paired fins are small and smooth. The fish is deep purple at the top with the majority of it being a light, dull purple that is highlighted with speckles of vivid yellow. Joyot eat tiny crustaceans and plankton.
The Destari of the Floodplains are known to frequently consume Joyot in their diet which gave the Destari inconvenience due to the spiny dorsal fin. The Joyot are known to be creatures that migrated to the Floodplains of Rith after its creation rather than one of the new animals that were more frequent in number. The Joyot have little mythology tied to them, and they have little importance culturally speaking aside from their prevalence in food of the Destari cultures of the swamps of Vereriaz where it is viewed as a food of life.
Marr: Small, hairy insects that infest the swamps of Perasith and Arimen. They are about the size of the most outward part of a Destari’s thumb. The Marrs are known for their large red compound eyes and long beak. Their antennae start at the peak of their head over their eyes and begin to curve from there; they make almost a semicircular pattern as the ends reach over the tops of their eyes. They use their wings and forewings in flight. Their tail comes to a point and remains covered with hair like its thorax and abdomen.
The Marrs are believed to have once been faithful followers of Zul, for they executed the property of creating life through death or decay by their taking of others’ blood. However, it is believed that they have become tainted by their own flaws that they have come to be imperfect in their case. Now as they draw the blood of others, the Marrs endanger the lives of those whose representation of life sustains theirs. For this reason, the Marrs are viewed as a threat to the livelihood of all who live near them.
Taeryol: Large amphibians, believed to be the largest in Vereriaz, that tend to drift across the bottom of the Floodplains of Rith. The Taeryols are usually seen by Tanrith explorers of the depths of the Floodplains, but the Taeryols do surface to mate every few Vereriazian years. The Taeryols have very long heads that encompass about a fourth of their length and possess powerful jaws that could easily remove a Tanrith’s arm from its body. At the base of a Taeryol’s head, a Taeryol shares the Tanrith’s flowery-looking external gills that form an almost crown-like rim wrapping around the topside of the immense amphibian’s head. The Taeryols’ arms and legs are capable of walking, but they are small enough that they are not very intrusive on the Taeryols’ swimming abilities. Their tails are also quite massive and make only a little less than half of the Taeryols’ monstrous size. Their tails have a large tail fin that extends outward on the top and bottom end of the Taeryols’ tail. Taeryols do not encroach or threaten the Tanrith almost at all, but they are not incredibly fond of the Tanrith poking around in the depths of the Floodplains.
Taeryols are believed to have been created in the creation of the Floodplains, perhaps having once been cousins of the huge Oasis Lizards of the deserts of Arimen. Taeryols are considered to be protectors of the Floodplains of Rith if the Ka’thuri were ever to enter them. Its powerful jaw being able to bite into the thick scales of a Ka’thuri and draw blood. As a protector of the Floodplains of Rith, the Taeryol is considered representative of benevolent change where one might venture that the Ka’thuri is the antithesis of such an idea. Being a known enemy of the Ka’thuri, the Taeryols are considered to be a sacred animal to the Tanrith and worshippers of Vydizi.
Yte Fly: Refer to the Coastal Wetlands entry on the Yte fly.
Temperate Forest Creatures:
Bat Thingy: To be worked on.
Yte Fly: Refer to the Coastal Wetlands entry on the Yte fly.
Volcanic Creatures:
Maruk: Silicon-based reptiles that are inactive in areas without volcanic activity due to the relatively low temperature for them. When a region that had volcanic activity ceases to have it, the Maruk in the region will rest while covered in the hardened volcanic rock. It is due to this and the deadly conditions of the Maruks’ habitat that makes them incredibly difficult to study and examine while active. From examination of their hardened form, it has been discovered that Maruks are quadrupedal, approximately fifteen feet in length, and seem to share many external traits with reptilians leading to their classification as reptiles.
The Maruks are believed to be creatures that are primordial in regards to the existence of the planet of Vereriaz which would make them as old as the Zari themselves. This belief has caused many to view the Maruks as bringers of both creation and destruction just as the volcanic activity in which they thrive in creates and destroys. In this sense, one belief as to the creation of the Maruks is that they were spawned from Aristal’s first painting of a fire which explains their ties to the ideas of creation as well as flame.
Asuvil: Birds that are known to have incredibly heat resistant or possibly immune eggs that keep their eggs in areas hot enough to kill most threats. They are not silicon-based like the Maruk, but they are able to remain high enough up to avoid most of the heat of the volcanic activity. They typically only come towards the end of this volcanic activity and eat fish from the nearby oceans, so they have long, slender beaks. Their feathers’ true coloration is white, but the ash and soot from their habitat has lead people to believe that they are black or dark grey.
As the Asuvil are the pioneer animals to enter areas at the end of or after volcanic activity, they are believed to be animals with the guidance of Vydizi. The idea being that Vydizi personally had made them to help others known when such a dangerous area has become safe. For that reason, the Asuvil are sacred animals by all four of the sapient species and often portrayed as wise advisors in the mythology of all four of them. The Asuvil are believed to be the counterpart of the Maruk to some degree. The Maruk designate the start and ongoing status of volcanic activity, and the Asuvil designate the end of such activity.
Locations:
Sarmetreis, the Painted City: Sarmetreis is the largest city in Perasith and home to Aristal, the Zari of Creation. Sarmetreis is home to all four of the sapient species and on the coast facing towards Arimen. The city’s nickname comes from the fact that Aristal and the city’s many artists will oftentimes paint walls of the city for their work of art. The city itself is a sprawling mass that has an ever-changing external appearance. Maps of the city often rely on the shape of key buildings rather than their color or an image on their facade. Those unaccustomed to the constant shifts in appearance of the many crooks and nannies of every alley.
The most famous part of Sarmetreis being Aristal’s Gallery which is an immense hall filled with the artworks of people of all of the four sapient species in all forms. To have one’s work be placed in Aristal’s Gallery is considered to be the ultimate achievement of an artist or artisan. Aristal’s Gallery is believed to hold every piece that he has ever made, and many documentors have made their own notes on the immense breadth of the Gallery which covers paintings to poetry to costume design.
Floodplains of Rith: The Floodplains of Rith are a large region that have been blessed by Vydizi to be beset by eternal rain which has led to the area overflowing with water. The Tanrith have found this place to be a haven, but the Destari also easily survive as they make homes in the canopies of the immense trees that are spread about through the plains. The Salin can survive decently, and a specific subspecies of Arimiphites have come to live in the Floodplains as well that can walk and balance themselves on the water’s surface.
The mythological explanation behind the existence of the unusual region is that the area was once faced with a terrible drought that was killing the area’s populace. When Vydizi had seen this blight, he had placed a blessing of life on the region which is believed to be how the water skater-esque Arimiphites had managed to appear so quickly from the usually slow but natural process of adaptation through random mutation.
< Message edited by Razen -- 8/11/2014 15:29:28 >
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