Xy
From Mizahar Lore
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| - | The [[Zith]] colony of [[Xy]] is located along the northern portion of the Cyphrus-Sylira border. It is said that this is where the famed ranger [[Bolai]] discovered the first recorded, civilized contact, with the Zith. Xy is one of the more ‘civilized’ colonies estimated to be made up of around 1,000 Zith and about 250 slaves. It lies beneath a ruined castle now referred to as, [[Castle Xy]]. Zith there live both in the castle as well as in the caverns below. Their slaves too are kept in the caverns where they farm fungus, gather water and continuously work on carving out tunnels and building more elaborate structures for the growing Zith colony. Some even craft items from materials brought down from the surface which the Zith then use to trade for exotic fruits, meat and other food items which they use to not only feed themselves but also their slaves. The Xy colony does not engage in as much slave hunting as many other colonies and instead rely on trading goods crafted by slaves for new slaves. The Zith themselves have also learned to create a few things of their own which they also trade. Outsiders who are not slaves | + | The [[Zith]] colony of [[Xy]] is located along the northern portion of the Cyphrus-Sylira border. It is said that this is where the famed ranger [[Bolai]] discovered the first recorded, civilized contact, with the Zith. Xy is one of the more ‘civilized’ colonies estimated to be made up of around 1,000 Zith and about 250 slaves. It lies beneath a ruined castle now referred to as, [[Castle Xy]]. Zith there live both in the castle as well as in the caverns below. Their slaves too are kept in the caverns where they farm fungus, gather water and continuously work on carving out tunnels and building more elaborate structures for the growing Zith colony. Some even craft items from materials brought down from the surface which the Zith then use to trade for exotic fruits, meat and other food items which they use to not only feed themselves but also their slaves. The Xy colony does not engage in as much slave hunting as many other colonies and instead rely on trading goods crafted by slaves for new slaves. The Zith themselves have also learned to create a few things of their own which they also trade. Outsiders who are not slaves are not allowed into the caverns but may enter Castle Xy to engage in trade. |
==Climate== | ==Climate== | ||
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==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
| - | Xy is located on the northern edge of the Cyphrus region along the border of Sylira almost in the center. A single, large rock formation sitting atop a rolling hill has the ruins of Castle Xy built into it. In the center of the ruined castle is a large pit cave that descends over 500 feet down to the caverns that house the majority of the | + | Xy is located on the northern edge of the Cyphrus region along the border of Sylira almost in the center. A single, large rock formation sitting atop a rolling hill has the ruins of Castle Xy built into it. In the center of the ruined castle is a large pit cave that descends over 500 feet down to the caverns that house the majority of the Zith colony. The castle itself is somewhat intact and dates long before the Valterrian. The remains of an old road can be seen in fractured places leading to and from the castle. |
==Infrastructure== | ==Infrastructure== | ||
Revision as of 01:35, 9 March 2012
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| Region | Cyphrus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notability | Largest Known Zith Colony | ||||
| Leader | Vile | ||||
| Population | 1,250 | ||||
| Races |
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| Languages | Zith, Common Tongue | ||||
| Currency | Barter | ||||
| Imports | Fruits, Meat, Varied Foodstuffs | ||||
| Exports | Art, Salialana, exotic molds and fungus | ||||
Contents |
The Zith colony of Xy is located along the northern portion of the Cyphrus-Sylira border. It is said that this is where the famed ranger Bolai discovered the first recorded, civilized contact, with the Zith. Xy is one of the more ‘civilized’ colonies estimated to be made up of around 1,000 Zith and about 250 slaves. It lies beneath a ruined castle now referred to as, Castle Xy. Zith there live both in the castle as well as in the caverns below. Their slaves too are kept in the caverns where they farm fungus, gather water and continuously work on carving out tunnels and building more elaborate structures for the growing Zith colony. Some even craft items from materials brought down from the surface which the Zith then use to trade for exotic fruits, meat and other food items which they use to not only feed themselves but also their slaves. The Xy colony does not engage in as much slave hunting as many other colonies and instead rely on trading goods crafted by slaves for new slaves. The Zith themselves have also learned to create a few things of their own which they also trade. Outsiders who are not slaves are not allowed into the caverns but may enter Castle Xy to engage in trade.
Climate
Surrounded by grasslands, surface of Xy experiences harsh winters with heavy snowfall while enjoying moderate summers. The area is known for strong winds and frequent storms during the Spring. The subterranean caves that make up the majority of the colony are cool and damp.
Geography
Xy is located on the northern edge of the Cyphrus region along the border of Sylira almost in the center. A single, large rock formation sitting atop a rolling hill has the ruins of Castle Xy built into it. In the center of the ruined castle is a large pit cave that descends over 500 feet down to the caverns that house the majority of the Zith colony. The castle itself is somewhat intact and dates long before the Valterrian. The remains of an old road can be seen in fractured places leading to and from the castle.
Infrastructure
The Castle
While not as imposing as it may have once been, Castle Xy is still a mighty structure, if in need of heavy maintenance. The walls, though crumbling, still stand even after the divine rampages of the Valterrian. The castle serves as a trading outpost, one of the only established ones for many miles in all directions. It is here that non-zith are allowed entry to trade and find respite from the outside world. As for the castle itself, the gatehouse, broken and missing an actual gate, stands open to those who would enter. During the hours of the day, slaves man the gatehouse and are in fact armed with a variety of weapons from bows and arrows to swords and axes. Having been born slaves and given some amount of respect from their zith masters, these select slaves are quite intent on defending their home from any would-be invaders. Inside the castle walls, more slaves can be found patrolling the grounds and performing various duties. At night, zith can be found mingling with slaves and outsiders alike.
The castle contains a number of functioning areas including the courtyard where the zith and their slaves operate a bazaar of sorts. As the zith have little interest in monetary gain, they deal almost exclusively via barter and trade. Fruits and exotic meats are highly valued by the zith as is almost any other type of foodstuff. Weapons and armor, while welcome are not viewed in as high regard as clothing or colorful knick-knacks as zith are more curious than combatant.
Another part of the castle serves as lodging for travelers who visit the castle. While travelers are welcome to visit and stay at the castle, they must be willing to barter for the privilege. The more valuable the item is to the zith, the longer they allow the traveler to stay. The quality of lodging varies from open-sky to private, sparsely furnished yet clean suites. The local tavern, one of the only real establishments of any kind in Xy, operates the lodging services.
Most of the remaining areas of the castle are left in various states of disrepair and/or serve those few zith who prefer to live above ground rather than beneath it. These areas of the castle are distinctly marked with stakes in the ground topped with battered skulls meant to warn all non-zith to stay clear.
Law enforcement in and around the castle is harsh at best. Non-zith who steal, rape, murder, trespass or otherwise cause chaos are killed without question. The manner of death depends on the severity of the offense as well as who catches the perpetrator. Slaves will execute a criminal by slitting throats or with arrows while the zith get a bit more creative.
The Colony
The majority of the zith live in a colony below the castle. A large pit-cave located in the center of the castle courtyard, drops over 500 feet beneath the surface. It is the only known way in to or out of the colony. Slaves and goods are transported via a simple rope and wood elevator while zith simply fly. Smaller caves line the outer rim of the pit with tunnels branching off in all directions. These tunnels lead to a number of chambers that house both slaves and zith alike. In the center of the pit floor is a small lake with water fed to it both from above and from deep springs below. A small number of slaves maintain crude dwellings around the lake in the form of rough stone huts. Throughout the cavernous complex are warrens where the unique fungus known as Salialana, a powerful aphrodisiac, is farmed. It is said that through many generations of living around and feeding upon this fungus, the Zith developed their rapid reproduction cycles. Whether or not this is true is unknown however Salialana is a valued by many surface-dwellers. Other types of molds and fungus are harvested in similar warrens and are used for food and trade.
The slaves of Xy also engage in crafting various types of clothing, weapons and armor as well as various other odds and ends for themselves, the zith and for trade.
History
Xy was discovered roughly 150 years ago by the famed ranger, Bolai Fionse. Although Bolai is known by many for discovering Xy, the castle and the zith living in and below it, have been around for much longer. It is unknown where the name, Xy, came from as even the oldest zith is too young to remember. From what little research has been done on it, the castle was once a major fortification in the region, surrounded by a vast settlement and functioning as a main center of trade in the surrounding region. Further details are still unknown at least to outsiders. The castle itself has only been open to outsiders for the past 10-15 years thus its existence is still widely unknown to most. As there is no such thing as a zith historian; most only live to the ripe old age of 25-30, historical knowledge of the castle and even the colony does not go much further back than that.
Culture and Government
Xy colony is currently led by a powerful zith hunter known as Vile. Vile has held the position of colony leader for the past 5 years; longer than any other zith in the history of Xy. Vile's family has been control of the colony for several generations. Their dominance has been attributed to their openness to learning from their slaves. This has led to Vile exhibiting much more wisdom in his leadership.
The Xy colony includes a rather large number of children. As an egalitarian society, both males and females can be found filling many of the same roles although any real labor is usually conducted by slaves. Thus the Zith, for the most part, enjoy a simple lifestyle. They do understand the value of tools and weapons but monetary wealth is something of a foreign concept. Status is determined primarily through skill at the hunt and the number and quality of slaves a zith owns.
The zith of Xy, like all of their kind, are all about mating. Mating rituals are an often violent and passionate affair. Males will fight to the death or until one submits in order to gain the right to mate with a female. Such combats are vicious and bloody and if the loser does live, they are often maimed and shunned from the family and colony as a whole. When a male does take a female as their mate, their copulations are passionate and loving while sometimes becoming rather rough as both partners give in to their passions.
While hunting is a popular sport, the zith have recently gained great interest in their slaves. The breeding, keeping and training of slaves has become a favorite activity among the Zith of Xy. They consider it a mark of distinction to breed strong and useful slaves. Since Zith are comparatively short-lived, the status is usually held by the family that owns the most and breeds the best. Interestingly enough, Zith are quite protective of their slaves even if they are rather harsh masters at times.
The slaves of Xy are almost all human although some half-zith are present as well. The better trained, physically fit slaves are tasked to work in the castle while their lessers work in the mold warrens. Particularly talented slaves are allowed to indulge in various crafts where their work is then traded in the castle. The older, wiser slaves, are often tasked to educate other slaves and zith alike. Although most of Xy's slaves are born and raised in Xy, new slaves are acquired to help maintain a skilled and diverse population.
It is interesting to note that by decree of Vile, zith families that grow too large must leave Xy and seek their own colonies elsewhere. Vile is one of the few zith wise enough to understand the danger of the colony growing too large and threatening the unique balance they have attained.