Gyanda Maloran, the Third Archknight

Gyanda Maloran, the Cursed Mage of The Magister's Rage

Gyanda Artix Maloran is the youngest son of Karian Maloran, the leader of the Hem Order and a former leader of the Blackstone Order, best known as Matilda the Bear. His relationship with the latter has been strained for many decades because, while she hoped he would be the first of their children to follow in her footsteps as a templar, Gyanda would become the fourth in his family to enter Hem Academy. While he was eager to walk the same path as his father and the two elder brothers he worshiped, fate had other plans. An ancient curse was placed on his ancestor, Artix Maloran, for helping Helen Winstrom and Nicholai Desmond in defeating Maula during her first excursion into Comalan. This curse inflicted his mind with the spirit of one the Death Goddess' champions from the past who could inhabit and control his body nearly at will. The Demon Knight Garanda would kill several of Gyanda's classmates with his hands, forcing the young oni's expulsion from Hem Academy.

Disenchanted by the inaction of the other Gods in light of his tragic problem, Gyanda grew resentful of them and the society which venerated them. This made him vulnerable to the influence of Samson Amul, the leader of a secret coven of blood mages. The actions that he took while led by his anger and his legendary feud with the Demon Knight are best covered in the memoirs he wrote after a traumatic experience with Erdas, the God of Suffering, forced him to confront the truth of his past misdeeds. His conscience cleared, Gyanda began to lead his old coven of blood mages in a movement to bridge the gap between all practitioners of their forbidden magic and the rest of civilized society. With the Crimson Coven behind him, he brought blood magic into a state of public legitimacy for the first time in history with their discipline's unique ability to cure the Curse of Suffering. This dastardly plague, which nearly wiped out the ancient country of Necros prior to their unification with Coronos was found to be most efficiently treated by a technique developed by Gyanda.

Gyanda as he appears in his Starlight Crusade uniform. Years after his feud with Demon Knight Garanda, he leads Resta's soldiers as captain of the spaceship Morta.

While traveling with the Crimson Coven, Gyanda was dismayed to find that his wife had been captured by the sho'kai, a race of aquatic invaders from the nearby planet Mennon. With her and several other people stranded across the stars, he would join Tir Apollo in spearheading a rescue from across two planets, known as the Starlight Crusade. In this conflict, Gyanda plans to brave the unprecedented trials that face him on the worlds of Allene and Mennon and confront Erdas once more so he can finally lay his demons to rest.

Alize and Hera

On the left is Hera, Windlord, musician, and proprietor of Mung's Musical Menagerie in Rashara. On the right is her partner Alize, a mage who traveled to Rashara from Tanis several decades past. The pair live in an apartment above the Menagerie. Read Part 1 of a story about these two at our Patreon!

Sigil of Salica

This is a pendant which depicts the symbol mortals most commonly associate with Salica, Goddess of the Storm. The symbol represents the Goddess' familiar-- Karashartal, the mother of all krakens. Pendants like these usually drape the necks of Restan clergy who have been fully anointed in the Doctrine of Storms. Once earned, it allows priests to demonstrate their mastery of Salica's teachings to strangers and serves as a status symbol at the Blackstone Monastery, where masters frequently return to seek an education in the next of the gods' Doctrines.

Pendants like these are universally reviled outside of Resta, as only a citizen of the "Chosen Land" would ever see the need to wear their religion like a piece of jewelry. Besides this, the gold used to make the amulet and chain, as well as the magical threads used in the embroidery, make these pendants very expensive. Among the many reasons for a templar to protect an anointed priest in their pilgrimages, one of the most common is that the value of such a prize is a lure for robbers and bandits. The money one can make from selling this, or any other theological pendant from the Blackstone Monastery, would be enough to buy a house anywhere in the world.

Mia Gold, The Champion of Salica

Long ago, on a clear night in the coastal town of Solan, the local Governor and his wife were brutally murdered. The case was never closed because the only witness to the slaughter was the couple's young daughter, who was far too traumatized to access her memory of the incident. Torn away from her family and slowly losing grip on her sanity, young Mia Gold would find refuge in the arms of her godmother, Dinorah Winstrom. Lady Dinorah would go on to assume the former office of Mia's late parents and take in their distraught daughter as her own ward. It was then that Mia learned that her adoptive mother was the leader of a secret society of noble assassins, whose purpose it was to punish those who plant the seeds of evil in the innocent and guide those who suffer from evil before those seeds can grow. With a mind full of wrath and violent imagery, Mia embraced this new family so she can turn her newfound urge to kill toward a more productive purpose. By day, she is teenage noble with an unassuming smile, but by night, she is a Scarlet Starling. 

Mia's training as an assassin has made her proficient with a plethora of deadly weapons that compliment her stealth, including blades, a garrote, and various poisons. She specializes in disguises which allow her to veil her identity and intentions so she can safely approach her targets in public. This attention-grabbing style of assassination speaks of her pride as a Starling, of whom she has complete faith in their ideology. But this pride lends itself to her greatest weakness: her dogmatic loyalty to her fellow assassins has allowed a lifetime of psychological damage to wither her senses of morality and empathy unchecked. This leaves her with a confrontational personality, a quality that combines with her deadliness to cause distrust in even her allies. Even those to whom she manages to get close find her to be stand-offish, impulsive, and humorless. But those who appeal to her sense of nobility find someone who works her hardest to protect people from the pain she's felt.

Elidol Dawnstrike, the First Avatar of Chaos

Art by Volt

Elidol Dawnstrike is a creature referred to by his creator, Richard Broger, as a flesh golem. With the combined souls of the Demon Knight Garanda and his own son and a body that resembles that of his former host, Elidol is a man who's constantly confused by his own existence. He maintains the memories of the various identities that compose his own soul, making his greatest gift insight into the lives of Gyanda Maloran and his creator. As a result, he possesses their skills and knowledge as well as the strength of the Demon Knight. This combination of power and experience make him the strongest of the Avatars, even without the gifts he's received as Chaos' Avatar.

In personality, he contrasts with the violent rage of Garanda and the timidity of Hector Blackstone, instead exhibiting the positive qualities of both. The result is a charismatic man who's charmed many women and men alike in his short existence. He practices the alchemy of Hector's former life as a trade, although the stubborn nature of Garanda has influenced him to trend towards transmutation instead of his original preference for brewing potions. Although he tries to be easygoing most of the time, he struggles to control his anger, which has caused him to invoke fear in the many who have not personally met him.

It may be some time before we see much of Elidol here on World of Comalan, but Elidol Dawnstrike remains an important part of Comalan's Third Age history all the same.

Zara, the Adjutant of Kerun

Zara, the Adjutant of Kerun

Zara was named adjutant by his dear friend and confidant, Voltairine Maloran, with whom he shares a long past that is mired in mystery and rumor. In recent years, he is known by his association with the Phoenix Blade and the kinship he found with its leader, a fellow Midanian named Takaa. He has made many friends in his travels, and it is common to hear stories involving him from the clubs of Rashara to the seedy pubs of Dalaska. He is generally known for his kind, if eccentric nature, and his love for flowers and animals. He has more than once been compared to the legendary Talib, who circled the world several times after pointing to a line of stars in the sky and vowing to follow wherever it pointed.

***

Zara took a deep breath as he felt the air around him move. It had continued to pick up as the sun dipped lower behind the rolling Galean hills. He noted the slight breeze and took it into account as he aimed carefully, looking down the shaft and adjusting the angle of his arrow. He released the shot and smirked in approval as the point stuck the center of the target, prompting an eruption of cheers and whistles from the small, drunken crowd that had congregated nearby. 

Volt watched, wide-eyed, as she hung on the shoulder of a handsome oni who had joined their caravan. The man seemed preoccupied with her, but she was engrossed in the impromptu shooting contest that had broken out. She turned her gaze to Zara’s opponent — a bearded, golden haired human with a refined Restan accent. He frowned as he eyed Zara’s perfect shot, and took several moments to line up his own. Everyone fell silent, careful not to distract the shooters and inadvertently tip the game in anyone’s favor. 

With a whirr, the man’s arrow stuck the center of the target, prompting another round of cheers from the crowd, who seemed to be taking nobody’s side in particular. They were simply glad for the entertainment. Zara smiled charmingly at the man. “Nice shot, mate.”

The Restan snickered, looking Zara up and down derisively. “The target is a bit close. And a bit still for what I’m used to.” He fumbled casually with his bowstring before fixing his gaze on Zara again, narrowing his eyes. He seemed particularly disgusted with the poppies Zara had braided into his locs. 

Zara ignored the man’s aloof manner and simply nodded in agreement. “In that case, let’s have a bit more fun with it, yeah?” He nodded to Volt, who cocked an eyebrow curiously before grinning and running off towards their wagon. The Restan eyed the woman with interest before she disappeared. Zara continued to study the man, noting his reaction to Volt. The woman emerged a few moments later, carrying a bushel of apples. Zara grinned approvingly as she approached him, giving the Restan man a coy glance. The tall Midanian reached into the bushel and pulled out one of the apples before leaning in towards Volt and kissing her on the cheek before covertly whispering something in her ear. A subtle smile curled her lips as she backed away. “Ready?” Zara asked the Restan man with a playful smirk, tossing the apple between his hands.

The man returned Zara’s smirk haughtily and raised his polished bow. “When you’re ready, Sir,” he replied. 

Zara pulled his arm back and tossed the apple high into the air. His eyebrows perked as it disappeared with a crunch, the arrow taking it out as it peaked. “Nice one!” Volt cheered and whooped loudly for the Restan, giggling and prompting the first genuine smile from the man. She tossed him an apple, and he looked to Zara. Zara nodded.

Zara raised his bow as he followed the apple’s path through the air. He pinpointed it, and moved his arrow a hair’s width to the left. His arrow grazed the side of the apple, prompting a groan from the crowd. “Damn!” he swore, snapping his fingers. “Guess I’m a bit more out o' practice than I thought!”

The Restan man snickered. “Too bad. I suppose fending for oneself is no substitute for proper training.”

“I guess not! Better luck next time, Zara!” Volt called to him with a vacuous tilt of her head. She giggled and stood up, filling a tankard of mead and taking it to the Restan man with a smile on her face. Zara eyed the pair and set down his bow and quiver, doing his best to look dejected as the crowd began to disperse. He shot a covert smirk and wink to Volt when he was sure the Restan’s back was turned. 

***

Volt grinned as she drove their wagon through the darkness, the trees thickening around them as they followed the road north.

“He’s tied up nice and tight, yeah?” Zara asked with a laugh as the air whipped against his face. 

“You know I’m good at knots!” Volt replied. “And anyway, he’s out cold. Prolly will be till we get him back to Resta!”

Zara sighed and leaned back, smiling as he ran his fingers over the finely-crafted bow the Restan man had been shooting with a few hours earlier. “Damn, this is a nice piece. That dick don’t deserve it. Guess that’s one o’ the reasons we do this, though,” he mused, spotting a small line of engraved text on the weapon. “Esia,” he whispered. His eyebrows perked.

“Keep it!” Volt called over to him with a smile as her braids whipped behind her. “It’s just a little bit o’ justice, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Zara sighed soulfully as he gazed down at the item for a few more moments before pulling his gaze up towards the night sky.

Volt sighed, her own smile fading as she spoke with an uncharacteristically serious tone. “At least he won’t be able to hurt no one else anymore. I hope the spellwarriors don’t find out, but it kinda seems like those ladies have done this sorta thing before. At least, I hope so.” She slowed the wagon down as she started to catch a chill. “Karatal can be rough.”

Zara stowed the bow in his pack before folding a blanket behind his head as he continued to stargaze.“Yeah, but you’re right though. They seem like they know what’s up.” 

***

An arrow whirred towards a target and pierced it dead through the center as a few sunbeams poked through the grey sky over Midania. 

“Ooh! Nice shot!” Volt called with a whoop as the sable-haired woman lowered the bow with a surprised smile.

“You’ll have to thank that funny Midanian for me,” she replied as she lifted the bow and ran her fingers over the delicate spirals that were carved into the ruddy wood. “This is a nice item. Not surprising, since it came off that blonde bastard. Shame he couldn’t use all that money to buy a damn conscience, though.”

Volt snickered as she leaned against one of the pillars holding up the rickety building behind her. “Well, he doesn’t need neither where he is now. As for the bow, Zara seems to think it’s rare or something.”

“Well, we’ll be careful,” the woman replied, raising an eyebrow. “We always are.”

James Hawke

Art by Volt

When, as the Avatar of Crane, Richard Broger brought the hidden knowledge of the Windlords back to Galeon, one of the first to line up for this gift was a little-known immigrant who dreamed of seeing the day the Windlords would become an important force in Galeon once again. When James Hawke stood before the Avatar and his apprentice to receive the memories of his ancestor, he learned that he had inherited the knowledge and skills of Abir Dragonscale, the Windlords' last grand master. With both the legacy of the most skilled warrior to enter the halls of Aeros Academy and a lifetime spent promoting the Windlords' cause behind him, James assumed his ancestor's mantle naturally. He was captured in action by Broger shortly afterward when the Avatar betrayed his world in favor of a sinister deity by the name of Erdas. In his short time among true windlords, however, he accomplished what many never thought possible when he killed a kilgor by the name of Aldin with a specially-prepared poison. In effect, he had become the first man on Comalan who has ever killed a god.

As the Windlords' grand master, James has mastered all of the group's secret techniques, but since so few other windlords choose to learn such skills, he is regarded in particular as a specialist in their combat techniques. He is skilled with the use of wind in complement with his hand-to-hand and knife-throwing skills. In close quarters combat, he might throw his opponents off balance with a forceful push of wind, while he maintains the option of creating blasts of wind that cut with the precision of a blade against more distant foes. Completing his range of attack, he can control the air within his line of sight with enough precision to throw his knives accurately for up to 2 miles. Apart from his combat prowess, he is also known to be the most accomplished at the Windlords' catching whisper technique. With sufficient focus, he can listen to any conversation within the same city.

 In terms of personality, James exudes boundless confidence, but secretly struggles to be the most skilled in everything he tries. Since being dragged to the sea planet Mennon, he has supported his companions through broad surveillance. This solitary responsibility has taken his toll on him, as the various conflicts between his friends and the planet's native sho'kai have filled his daily life with stress. Many windlords have had to contend with the fact that their needs in a modern Galeon are vastly different from what was best for their order in the days of Eris. James shares these views, and wonders if he is the best choice to lead his comrades. He spends much of his downtime thinking fondly of his longtime closest friend, and how the Windlords have flourished under her guidance.

Kartal and Ada

Art by Volt

Tonight's post is an older drawing of Kartal Marle and his wife Adamora (Also known as Telandra Dawnstrike). They are the parents of Kaleth, but are deceased in the timeline he experiences in The Boy Who Shouldn't Exist. In the normal timeline, they are married but separated; the consequences of a terrible mistake.

Clint Blackstone, the Champion of Crane

Clint Blackstone, as he appears during the events of Death Touch, artwork courtesy of Volt

Clint Blackstone was born on Blackstone Farm, a large estate located close to the Restan edge of Lake Whitetree. He is the oldest son to Alfred and Gloria Blackstone and was followed by his younger brother Richard Blackstone, who is known in the Third Age as Broger the Betrayer, and his younger sister Elvira, a noted Restan genealogist whose life goal is deciphering the convoluted links between Resta's largest families. Although his siblings were allowed to follow their academic pursuits thanks to the privilege that their family's wealth afforded them, Clint took great pride in the family farm, which has been Resta's largest farm for as long as anyone can remember. He worked in the fields alongside the farmhands for most of his youth, believing that the security of his family didn't go much further than the success of the farm.

But when new technological investments updated the family business, Clint found his responsibilities taking up less and less of his time. This led to him spending more and more time practicing with his new rifle. As the months went on, he began to find his aim rapidly improving until he realized that he understood the wind and other factors influencing his accuracy well enough to guarantee a hit with each shot he fired. Clint would put this newfound skill to the test one day as ridgewolves wandered into the farm in search of chickens. Even their speed and unpredictable movements were no match for his aim.

With nothing urgent tying him to the farm, Clint would take his gun on the road, continuing to hunt ridgewolves. He had no particular desire for their pelts since he didn't need money, but instead felt that the overpopulation of this particular species was enough of a threat to the rest of Resta's wildlife to warrant putting his skill with a gun to use. He began to invite employees of the farm and members of Seres' local community on his hunts, a frequent tradition that began to be associated with Blackstone Farm instead of himself. This indirectly led to the formation of The Greymont Institute, a wildlife protection service commissioned by the Restan Crown to promote a healthy Restan ecosystem through population control and fundraising for preservation efforts with trophy hunting.

But Clint had stopped hunting in these groups long before the Greymont Institute was chartered. While he believed that their work was an important solution to Resta's wildlife crisis, he felt that the cause had grown too big for him. Seeking a new challenge, he began to explore the Lightning Ridge mountains. While contending with a new threat in the form of the region's giant snakes, Clint would meet a spellwarrior in training named Seth Midas. The two of them would bond over the shared lesson of what comes of visiting Lightning Ridge alone and become fast friends.

From that day, the two of them would get together every time Seth stepped out of Hem Academy's ivory tower. Between forming a team for the RGT, a yearly tournament that is held in honor of Resta's Festival of Chaos and the brief, but passionate affair the two shared, it was clear to them both early on that they would be inseparable for the rest of their lives.

Clint views his role as Crane's champion with disbelief because he doesn't seem to exemplify knowledge compared to his siblings. But the reason for Crane's favor toward him is made evident in the way he solves every problem in front of him. He is a rational thinker with razor-sharp intuition, who is known to learn unusually quickly. While his aim with the rifle will always come in handy, his mind is his sharpest weapon.

Ellie Skye

Ellie Skye, Master of the Windlords and Vice Captain of the Starlight Crusade's flagship, the Selon Res.

When the Windlords rose from the curse of obscurity and returned to their former glory, Ellie Skye was among the first to volunteer. She revealed a lot about herself in a very public interview with Galeon's national newspaper, The Saluki, an act that inspired criticism and bafflement from the intelligence community. She claims that her tell-all article was done to promote a future of transparency, but has secretly reaped a professional benefit from her newfound fame. When savvy targets recognize her, she is able to distract them while a lesser-known windlord carries out their mission in secret.

As a Legacy, Ellie has acquired both the knowledge and experience of her ancestor, former Master Windlord, Eisa Lightbane. As a high-ranking windlord, their training transcends their order's three distinct discipline of dragon, veil, and shadow styles. However, Eisa's speciality was in the shadow style, which means that he, and by extension Ellie, are most comfortable with the use of magic to support their stealth abilities. This pairs well with Ellie's proclivity towards parkour, allowing her to avoid confrontation rather easily.

As pictured, Ellie's weapons of choice include a collection of wind mantras, which are scrolls that contain inscriptions used by windlords to perform powerful wind magic. Given her ancestor's prodigal talent with this form of magic, she alone knows how to use them without any incantations. Furthermore, Eisa's advanced knowledge has extended to the realm of using the wind to move certain particles in the air in such a way as to manipulate the flow of light. This ability allows Ellie to hide herself from view when spotted and create illusory holes in walls through which she is able to look. However, she is limited by her lack of physical and magical conditioning compared to her ancestor. Thus, she often relies on other windlord techniques and her tranquilizer pistol before pulling out her most complex magic.

In terms of personality, Ellie is an optimist who hides a lot of pain from her early life in Resta. While she may not always seem to take anything seriously, there is a competent and shrewd decision-maker concealed beneath her bubbly exterior.

Forms of Titan: Lucky

Lucky, a form of Titan (Art by Volt)

Among the gods' familiars, Titan is unique in that it has a multitude of possible forms. For today's update, we introduce the one resulting from bonding with Serenity's stone guardian, Amologra, and a geoli. As Lucky, Titan is able to ignore time itself as he moves around, giving him the appearance of an unmoving statue that seems to warp from location to location as he runs. In addition to his time-bending movement abilities, his stone body makes him heavy, which makes his tail whips particularly strong.

When interacting normally with time, Lucky shows the temperament of a friendly, docile dog. As a committed canine statue, he is one of Titan's few nonverbal forms, preferring to communicate as a dog would instead. The influence of Amologra's personality and the fey disposition of geoli towards Geos make him particularly loyal to two people in addition to Titan's own mistress, Nidarys and her Avatar.

The Comalanian Written Language

The Alphabet

Consonants 

There are 12 primary consonants in the common script. This may seem like a small number, especially considering the lack of things like digraphs (sh, ch, th, etc. — consonants that, when put together, produce a new sound). Consonant sounds in Comalanian have their own unique symbols, and will not change when combined with other consonants.

The reason there are only 12, as opposed to the 21 present in English, is because Common has a group of sounds sometimes called secondary consonants that are basically considered variations on certain consonants in the primary group, rather than their own unique letters. These sounds use the same symbol as the primary consonant they are derived from, but with a small mark added to indicate the change in sound. In certain Galean texts, these tick marks are omitted, and the reader is left to infer the correct sound through context.

Consonants present in Comalanian and their English counterparts.

If you look carefully, you’ll notice that all the secondary consonants are hardened versions of their corresponding primary consonant. Because ancient Galean used far more soft consonants than hard consonants, the soft versions of these basic sounds are considered the default, while the hard versions are considered variations. Also, you'll notice that there are two letter variations of the letters S and N. The second of each of these shown is the way one would write the letter when it occurs at the end of the word. These are called Final letters.

Vowels

There are six distinct vowels in the common script. Each sound has its own unique symbol, and each symbol has its own unique sound. Unlike our vowels, which can sound very different depending on context, vowels in the common tongue are almost always intended to be spoken in a single manner. 

Another reason that Common lacks some of the consonants we have is because certain consonants (like W or Y) can be (and are) produced simply by combining vowels. 

Vowels present in Comalanian and their respective sounds. These are positioned underneath consonants.

Words 

Below is an example of the above script being used to write some important words in the Comalanian Language. Pay attention to the placement of vowels in comparison to consonants. You'll notice that sometimes letters are lengthened or connected via a ligature in order to create certain sounds. Also, there is a specialized symbol that serves as a "silent" letter when a word begins with a vowel. See if you can spot it. 

The names of the Familiars of Chaos, Salica, Serenity, and Crane - in both English and Comalanian.

History and Influences

Restan linguist Hugo Winstrom's foundational text The Common Tongue of Mortanis and the Southern Isles provides, along with several anecdotes and observations about dialects, accents, and other variations in language across the known world, the following helpful summarization of the basic nature of the common written language. 

The modern common tongue is largely an amalgamation of the original languages of each of the original peoples of Mortanis. Therefore, it’s important to understand some things about each old language in order to understand what was contributed to common from each region.

The Galean region is the source of most of the consonant forms found in the common tongue. This region had one of the most developed and sophisticated written languages in the ancient world. Despite the contribution of so many forms, the ancient language looks extremely different than the common tongue. This is because while the common tongue is written linearly, from right to left, the ancient Galean language was written in a non-linear, modular form, with its myriad vowel sounds and intonations indicated solely through context or the position of a consonant in a word or sentence. 

Tanis is the source of all vowel forms in the common tongue, as well as a few consonant forms. The original language of the elves is particularly notable for being a highly deconstructed and simplified form of the ancient language of the Kilgor, deliberately handed down by Lady Serenity. As with Galean and consonants, the vowel forms contributed look very different than they do in their original form due to their combination with different consonant forms and different positioning.

The linear structure, directionality, and relatively straightforward nature of the common tongue is largely the result of Restan influence. Unlike Galean, which is highly context dependent and layered with meaning, the original Restan was a fairly simple alphabetic language with both basic vowels and consonants. Despite using different letter forms, the common tongue emulates this to a greater extent than it does the structure of either Tanisian or Galean.

The Heronite language has contributed the least to the common written script, in a visual sense. In ancient times, the written language of Pyris was largely pictographic. Their script was considered primitive and underdeveloped by their Restan neighbors to the south, despite being arguably far more complex and sophisticated. Even so, the original Heronite language did manage to influence the common script in a fairly indirect manner - certain consonant sounds common to the Heronite tongue are now denoted in the script through marks that modify the original Galean letter forms. 

Galeon

Artist's rendering of Galeon, built from stone and tile inlay along a wall in the Fides Ampitheater.

Galeon, formerly known as Eris, is Mortanis' southernmost nation, bordering Resta to the northeast, Tanis to the northwest, and the Lost Sea to the south. Geographically, Galeon is highly notable for its diversity of climate, and the fact that it boasts some of Mortanis' most fertile land. From olives and grapevines in the fertile west to greens and rice in the central wetlands, this agricultural center doesn't consider food a commodity, but rather, a public good that belongs to all. Many citizens in this land, where Crane is venerated, consider a society where basic needs are guaranteed to not only be the most humane, but the most rational.

Galeon is known for its culture of acceptance and open-mindedness, which has often made it a haven for those who experience repression or discrimination in their home nations. That being said, many of Mortanis' more conservative citizens have found traveling to the land to cause a high degree of culture shock. Restan traditionalists tend to see Galean culture as overly permissive and frivolous. The Heronite nobility has even used the threat of Galean influence to sow distrust of anti-feudal elements in their own citizenry. Among the most austere Heronites, Galeon is a symbol of decadence and degeneracy, destined to someday destroy Comalan with its "meddling" with the natural, God-created world.  

In the early days of Eris, the land was governed by what was known as the Council Republic, in contrast to the very loosely governed direct democracy that Galeon exists as today. It was to the credit of the Windlords, who used the power of their order to champion transparency and undermine the rule of the Council, that Galeon would become the nation as it exists today. The national capital of Galeon is Fides, a bustling city on the largest hill in the country. While there are some idealists from outside Galeon who see this democratic system as utopia realized, the actual people of Galeon are divided thousands of ways with regards to their own system. Issues of diplomacy, justice, and even the existence of the democratic system itself are still hotly debated among the Galean citizenry. Any outsider who spends more than a week in the Fides Ampitheater will come away hard pressed to consider the system utopian.

As a largely Intalan nation, it comes as no surprise that Galeon is Mortanis' center of science. The country contains a large number of schools and research centers accessible by anyone, as knowledge and its fruits are, like food, considered a public good. Like the Tanisians, Galeans consider equal access to education to be crucial to a healthy nation. This philosophy has yielded things like the famed Galean Monorail, which provides cross-country travel with ease. While most Galeans benefit greatly from many of these scientific advances, the field of scientific ethics has gained popularity in recent years as some question whether science can sometimes go too far. 

While most of the populace venerates Crane, Galeans value religious diversity, and have found great benefit in embracing religious minorities. Unique religious practices have grown from the merging of other religious traditions with Galeon's largely Intalan culture. For instance, Salican travelers from Resta would find the traditions and practice of the Galean-Salican retreat of Moon Lake to be quite unfamiliar, but still enlightening. Galeon is also the source of the Theian sect of the Serene religion, which seeks to synthesize Serene and Intalan beliefs into one humane, rational philosophy.

***

Society

• History of Eris - A societal and political history of the region, from its origins to the creation of the modern nation of Galeon.

• The Windlords - A thorough look at the Windlord Order.

• Galean Theatre - Some information on the performing arts in Galeon.

Folklore and Festivals

• Galeon's Winter Festival - The folklore and traditions behind Salica's holiday, as celebrated in Galeon.

• The Festival of Autumn - A little about Crane's holiday, as celebrated in both Resta and Galeon.

• Talib's Arrow - A short explanation on one of Galeon's most famous folk tales and the hero behind it.

• Shamira's Comet - A beloved Galean folk tale, and an explanation of the holiday inspired by it.

Locations

• Isle of Qwara - About the mysterious island off the southern coast. Nobody ever goes there.

• The Rashara Operahouse - A cultural treasure, the most prominent landmark in the coastal city of Rashara. 

Tir Apollo, the Avatar of Crane

Tir Apollo, the Avatar of Crane

Tir Apollo, the Avatar of Crane, is Galeon's most popular Avatar, respected greatly as an academic and for her pull with the Windlords, who are also highly thought of in the region. She is also revered by the Tanisians for her heroic actions during the sho'kai invasion, to the point where a popular restaurant bears her name. Tir's most controversial position among the people of Comalan is her continued support of her predecessor, Richard Blackstone - more specifically, her personal concern for him and belief that he can be rehabilitated. This has caused many to, at best, question her ability as his successor, and at worst, question her motives. Despite this controversy, those who have met her or worked with her personally consider her to be both confident and trustworthy.

***

Tir was born in the Crowmont territory of Heron to her father Alim, a Galean machinist and inventor, and Leora, a Galean-Heronite writer and seamstress. Alim had moved to a small mountain village in Heron to live with his wife. They had a loving family until Leora disappeared when Tir was eight. She was presumed dead, and Alim told his daughter that she had died of an illness as she slept. 

Tir and her father were very close, and she often felt that he was the only other person in their village who understood her. He avoided telling her stories about Galeon, fearing that they would only make her feel unhappy with the small village that they lived in, but Tir was smart - from a young age, she loved to read, and had learned many things that her father didn't teach her. She was also highly rational for someone so young. She often chose not to discuss certain things with him in order to spare his feelings. 

As she grew older, Tir found she had an affinity for machinery and engineering, picking up the skill quickly under the instruction of her father. Engineering was how they made their living in the small village they lived in, constructing lamps, ovens, and lumbering equipment for the people there. All Tir knew was that the people there valued her and her father deeply. 

Despite the affinity Tir felt for the place she had grown up in, as she entered her teens and twenties, she felt more and more of an urge to leave. She desperately wanted to go to Galeon in order to train in one of the Intalan temples there, and to experience the life she could have had if her father had not stayed in their Heronite village. Seeing how restless his daughter had become, Alim could no longer keep her with him, despite how much he would miss her. He told her that it would be alright if she left, and so she did. 

Tir traveled to Galeon and found she had an instant affinity for the place. She traveled to the Temple of Crane in order to train in the art of foresight, and it was this action that started Tir on the journey that would acquaint her with the first Avatar of Crane, Richard Blackstone, which would eventually lead to her becoming his apprentice and taking his place as Avatar.

Tir in her Starlight Crusade uniform, of which she serves as Fleet Commander, as well as the commanding officer of the Selon Res.

Atunis Astersong, the Avatar of Salica

Atunis in his Starlight Crusade uniform, in which he served as the Captain as the Karashartal.

Atunis Astersong, the Avatar of Salica and brother of the Adjutant of Crane, Eione Astersong, is widely considered one of the most personally approachable and sincere of the Avatars. He cares deeply about his charge and is a devout follower of the gods, leading him to consider his charge a heavy responsibility. As a result, he works hard to make sure he lives up to it - something reflected in public opinion of him. Also, somewhat unrelated to his performance as an Avatar, he is renowned for his beauty.

***

Atunis is very pious, being the child of two priests of Serenity. It is what they taught him in the Theia Seminary, the institution they ran and taught at on Iris Isle. He grew up in the church and was a quiet, well-behaved child, unlike his younger sister, Eione. He spent much of his time in his father's study, reading books about history and mythology. When he grew too old for schooling, he worked in the seminary, primarily as director of the choir. From early childhood, he struggled with bouts of anxiety and depression, but with the support of his parents and the clergy at Theia, he was able to live a fulfilling life in a very nurturing, uplifting environment. 

After the armies of Geos stormed the shores of Iris, he stayed with his parents to help protect the Island, the Seminary, and the Bishop’s Pinnacle. He was terrified at first, but the arrival of a righteous band of Templars to help defend the isle both comforted and inspired him. He became fast friends with one in particular - a Galean named Zaraan. He got his first taste of combat after enthusiastically joining the band in their training regimen and finding he had the makings of an adept swordsman.

After finishing his work on Iris, Atunis moved on to experience the adventure and prestige that came with being a full member of the Templar Order, inspired by the friends he made in the Order on Iris. He did not get far past training, finding that he did not have the temperament for the organization. That, and an upsetting personal clash with one of his commanders made it nearly unbearable for him to stay. After he left the Order, disillusioned, his despair pushed him into a hasty decision to enlist with a clerical expedition to the Vortex Archipelago. He was determined to reaffirm his self worth by volunteering for a dangerous mission in service of the gods. 

This rash choice turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The friends he made while protecting the clergy helped him relearn how to trust others, as well as himself. He found a renewed sense of purpose. Upon his return to Resta, however, he found that his old demons began to haunt him once more.

Atunis credits Lady Salica with the chance meeting that introduced him to Kartal Marle - the templar who would eventually become Atunis' best friend. Kartal had just experienced a grave personal tragedy that he couldn't deal with alone, and Atunis desperately needed a friend and a purpose. It was this occurrence that would eventually lead to Atunis being named the Avatar of Salica, a position which he accepts with mixed emotions - pride and devotion, certainly, but also anxiety and self doubt. 

Atunis Astersong, the Avatar of Salica

Aennin Moonstep, The Avatar of Maula

For those who have caught today's new story, you maybe wondering (or not at all) who Aennin is and why I've decided to tell his story. This picture depicts the adult that this new protagonist is meant to become. He is Aennin Moonstep and he is the Avatar of Maula.

I know you're used to seeing bios accompany character art (which is once again drawn by Volt) , but I've decided that his story needed to be told in It Comes for Those Who Don't Run instead. Born in the year 204 of the Second Age, this elf from Orion's Point is cynical and comfortable with death. Follow "It Comes" to see how he became that way and rest assured that at the end of that painful road, Aennin lives large in Resta's Foldo Temple, catered to by the many adherents of Maula who worship his unique connection to the Death Goddess.

Ekera of Sister, Avatar of Serenity

Ekera of Sister, Avatar of Serenity

Ekera, despite being seen as an enigmatic, and sometimes fearsome figure, is a well-loved and trusted avatar not only to those of her own faith, but with those who follow other gods. While her ways have garnered some criticism from the most orthodox followers of Serenity, she is most notable for being an avatar who successfully blends the tenets of other faiths with the Serene, making her popular with the interfaith community. 

***

Ekera was born on the island of Sister and was raised to be a proud member of her community. She valued her family, community, and the well-protected ecosystem of the island. Growing up, she found she excelled in physical activities and was also powerfully gifted in the use of Serene magic, so she committed herself to serving her community as a protector who would guard her island and its people from anyone who would threaten them. Ekera had a very straightforward plan for her life — she wanted to protect her island, build a family, and live out her final years as a respected healer. However, this was not meant to be.

One seemingly ordinary day, Ekera was patrolling the edge of the wilds when she spotted a team of strange men attempting to disembark the island with a large tiger in tow, who seemed to be bound in some kind of magical chain and in clear distress. Ekera, who was sworn to protect her island and all of her creatures, attacked the men in a rage. Though she managed to take out three of the invaders, the others were able to escape in what looked to be a large, gilded ship emblazoned across the side with the words Siren of Solan. Ekera returned to the community, ashamed of her failure, but determined to make things right again. She gathered enough supplies for a long trip and headed out on the first ship bound for Resta.

From Solan, Ekera was able to track the kidnappers to a wealthy estate in the Restan countryside, where she found a menagerie filled with a variety of exotic animals — including the tiger that had been stolen from Sister. It was heavily guarded, but she fought her way through the defenses in order to free the creature, along with several other caged animals. Just as the pair was about to escape, however, they would find themselves confronted by the wealthy Restan man whose menagerie she had liberated, along with more mercenaries she could count. She and the beast took out dozens of fighters together in a glorious battle that ended with the tiger tearing out the rich man’s throat before it and Ekera were overwhelmed and killed by the remaining soldiers. 

As she died, Ekera thought that this would be her final waking moment before moving on to the afterlife. This would explain the surprise she felt as she awoke several hours later in the back of a moving wagon, covered by a sheet of burlap. At first, she thought she may have survived the battle somehow, but she quickly realized that she was no longer a living person, but was a sai’mul — one who has died without passing into the afterlife. 

This realization devastated Ekera. She was severed from her connection to the divine magic she once valued so deeply, and she knew that not only could she never return to Sister, she would be separated from her family and community even after they passed to the next life. For several days, she simply wandered, seeking out places that reminded her of home, while trying her best to avoid other people. She made a small camp in Lightning Ridge, where she contemplated what she should do. Despite feeling disconnected from the gods she had once revered so highly, she almost felt as if they had given her an answer as she spotted a pair of poachers stalking through the ridge, wheeling a large cage of chinchillas — likely to be bred and sold, or slaughtered for their pelts. Ekera liberated the chinchillas and handily scared off the poachers. 

From then on, Ekera spent her years caring for the place she now considered her home. She appreciated the company of the animals around her, but she was still pained by the disconnect she felt from other humans. She wore a hooded cloak to conceal her features whenever she felt in danger of encountering other people, and rarely spoke to anyone. This way of life continued for nearly a decade. 

Ekera continued to quietly search for ways to regain her connection with the gods enough to perform Serene magic once more. This search would take her life on another unexpected turn when she visited the lab of Richard Broger, who was known for researching the nature of sai’mul and various types of soul magic. It was here that she met Elidol Dawnstrike, the man who would become the Avatar of Chaos. The pair bonded over their undeath, and Ekera would soon be pulled into the quest that would lead her to become the Avatar of Serenity, granting her what she had originally sought in her initial journey — a renewed connection to Serene magic. Her relationship with Elidol, as well as her status of Avatar, led to a new sense of purpose for Ekera, as well as a stronger sense of connection with other people. 

Eione Astersong, Adjutant of Crane

Eione Astersong, the Adjutant of Crane

Eione Astersong, current Adjutant of Crane and sister of Salica's avatar, Atunis Astersong, is one of the more controversial figures to be given the title. She has a checkered past and, in the eyes of many, has built herself a reputation for being untrustworthy and unpredictable. Nevertheless, the Avatar of Crane, Tir Apollo, decided to put her trust in the fallen priestess, perhaps believing her to be capable of redemption. Some say her curiosity and cryptic motives will lead to an inevitable betrayal, while some, including Tir Apollo herself, believe that focusing her intellect, drive, and insatiable curiosity towards a higher purpose has the potential to make her a vital asset to the Avatar's goals.

***

Eione was born on Iris in the seminary that was run by her and Atunis’ mother and father, two priests of Serenity. As a small child, she frequently misbehaved, teasing her brother, running off alone, and exploring in places that she should not. Living amongst disciplined, pious priests in training had an influence on her, and she soon learned how to act in a manner that pleased her family.

Though at a glance she seemed to be a pious priestess of Serenity, the temptation to explore and learn of things unbefitting a young girl in her position persisted within her. She remained in the seminary for many years before she seized the opportunity to escape the life that was so unfulfilling to her. A particular human mage, Yann, visited the isle in search of magical artifacts. Eione, already being a gifted potion maker, disguised herself as his apprentice and left the island with him, traveling all the way to his far away tower in the desert edge of Galeon. 

Of course, it was not long before her protective brother managed to track her down with the help of his friends. She refused to leave with them, however, and Atunis resignedly left her with the mage, where she continued to study her craft, soon outgrowing Yann’s teachings and leaving his tower to explore. In her travels, Eione met several members of and was recruited into the noted mercenary troop, the Phoenix Blade. Eione moved to the Phoenix Blade headquarters, developing close relationships with several of the members and proving herself an integral part of the team. She encountered her brother once more on a mission with the Phoenix Blade. As usual, he disapproved of her decision to participate in something so dangerous, but knew he could do little to change her. 

She also developed a more secretive relationship with a member of a dangerous cult, and began contemplating joining the group to gain knowledge of the arcane secrets of Comalan’s darker forms of magic. Soon, she began to juggle her two lives, managing to keep her affiliation with the cult secret until a Templar commander who was investigating the cult, Venaticus Desmond, realized she was helping the cult evade the authorities. After the Templar wound up dead, it was discovered that Eione had conspired in his murder.

At trial, Eione was granted mercy due to her close familial relationship with the Avatar of Salica, and was sentenced to live under the custody of the Avatar of Death, Aennin Moonstep, who she has reluctantly served ever since.