And once again Jazz is here to make *another* new holdfast! Yippeeeee! Okay anywho, here we go! :3
Entryway to the Crown Estate Commission
[IC]
A steady echo of footsteps rang through the entry halls of the Crown Estate Commission, more marching than walking. Coming into view of the commissioners was a small group of people, no more than five, though few had ever seen their kind in these areas. Their armaments in black and gold, let alone the distinctly canine appearance their helmets sported, drew more than a few odd looks. On being met by the greeter, they halted and a single individual stepped forward.
Their armor was more ornate, glimmering slightly with the telltale signs of Elwydium enchantment, the helmet sporting an array of crests in gold. Once the greeter had finished their introduction this seeming leader of the group gave the others a nod, having them fall back to an at ease position by the entrance, before removing the ostentatious helmet.
As it turned out, the head underneath the helmet was equally canine in nature. A Ka’ata, to some a Cynocephalus, or simply Jackal. If she was aware of how much she might stick out among the others present in the room, she gave little sign of this. Instead she smiled, and in a somewhat stilted rendition of the common language of the Warren, as if it was only recently an acquired language, gave a perfectly polite explanation that no, she was indeed not in the wrong place, though appreciative of the greeter’s concern, and very much required an audience with the Magistrates.
Once allowed to the desk of a free Magistrate she bowed a cordially acceptable depth to the representative of the crown before introducing herself as Ifirhnarhshanaf Arailhumixak, envoy of the Order of Eleshaxhi to the Queendom, and here to present an official writ from the Council of Masters, requesting official recognition so that the peoples may work together in the face of the resurgent threat from Chaos. Though she understands that her people’s naming conventions are somewhat hard to pronounce to others, and thus she will also answer to Ifinaf, or simply Darkglove. A scroll was presented to the Magistrate, and upon unrolling it, fine calligraphy in ink shimmering in hues of gold was revealed.
“To the esteemed officers of Her Majesty Aynia, Seasonal Queen.
Greetings are extended, on behalf of Grandmaster Ita’ikaturnank Karhakotet, and her advising Council of Masters, in their capacity as the mundane representatives of the Goddess Eleshaxhi and enforcers of her will.
It is with relief that the Council of Masters of the Order of Eleshaxhi observes that the return of Chaos is treated as the dire news that it indeed is. Since time immemorial, our ancestors have prepared for this moment, and though we thought we must face it alone, our hope now is that we may find an ally against this threat to the very existence of our world.
Therefore we recognize your strength, and seek official recognition in the eyes of the Seasonal Queen. Though we have been skeptical of newcomers to these lands over the past age, we now see that you mean but to better this world in what capacity is available to you, and we hope we may stand together in the face of evil.
A brief report of the Order’s resources is listed with this document. A deeper cooperation must be built over time, and our envoys will be able to give a more detailed description as needed. Should our status be confirmed, our envoys will immediately begin preparations for establishing an embassy.
Our warriors stand ready to fight alongside yours. Together, we shall defend these lands from the abyss that once more dares to threaten us.
In the name of Eleshaxhi.”
The document closes out with a long list of signatures and titles, as well as a list of resources and a description of the Order’s holdings and people. Once done reading, Ifinaf informs the Magister that she will be eagerly awaiting the Commission’s verdict.
[OOC]
Info for actual application
Name: Order of Eleshaxhi
Introduction: the Order has dwelt in the arid lands of Alhamx Taklank since ancient times, building temples and desert fortresses while retelling stories of wars against Chaos. Up until the recent reemergence of this old foe they kept the Queendom at arm’s length, but have now started pursuing a more active diplomatic stance.
The holdfast is inhabited in an overwhelming majority by the Ka’ata, a jackal-like species descended from gnolls, and is ruled by a theocratic military order and its most senior officers. Grandmaster Ita’ikaturnank Karhakotet currently rules the order.
Structure of governance: a theocratic military order, foremostly governed by a Grandmaster and their assisting council of Masters, each being high-ranking warrior priests. Further down the ranks there’s a split between the clergy and military branches, where the clergy attends to the matters of state.
There is a subset of the population that lives in exile. While most of these do not survive long or end up rejoining the wider order after serving penance, some end up living in separate communities. Though these are diverse and often quite small, a larger overall system of exiles has emerged that governs itself as a contrast to the order, rejecting its strict hierarchy and staunch traditions in favor of a philosophy focused on liberty and equality.
Custom Races:
- Ka'ata: bipedal black jackals, descended from gnolls in the distant past. They have strong senses of smell and hearing, but otherwise possess largely the same capabilities as a baseline human. Their most unique trait is a high affinity for mind-affecting magic, mostly manifesting as a general sense of “vibes” and an intuitive understanding for others of their kind. Most are untrained and even unaware of this potential, leaving them open to manipulation from someone more well-versed in the arcane ways, which is also exploited by higher members of the order to maintain cohesion and obedience.
Population composition: Though not necessarily xenophobic, the Order of Eleshaxhi has a strong preference for Ka’ata, and only members of this race can hold official rank within the order. Having been very isolated for a long time, they have grown accustomed to relying solely on their own kind and view outsiders with equal measures of curiosity and suspicion. Until recently, other races were mostly unheard of in the Alhamx Taklank, but following the emergence of the Queendom and subsequent broadening of diplomatic relations, some trade hubs have emerged as relative cultural melting pots where many of the other races of the warren can be seen.
Ka’ata often struggle while interacting with other races, finding significant cultural clashes in many aspects of daily life, not to mention their approach to conflict and war. Being a very traditional and honor-driven people, they often find the more individualistic or opportunistic cultures of the warren enigmatic and somewhat distasteful.
All values are approximate
Total: 84,000
Ka'ata: 81,000
Other: 3,000
Military:
Being governed by a largely martial religious order, a substantial portion of the population holds some position within the military structure, or at least has some level of martial training in their background. Conversely, many of the active duty military personnel do also have some other societal function beyond simply martial duties, such as a warrior priest conducting religious services, or a knight serving as both law enforcement and tutoring the next generation of order members. Only the prestigious Temple Guard formations remain focused solely on martial matters in peacetime.
Citizens that have undergone the order’s training but are no longer actively part of the order’s day-to-day operations are moved into a class of reserves, where they are allowed to keep their gear as well as some privileges still afforded to order members in exchange for being available to be called upon in case of emergencies or war. They are not part of any active fighting formation, but maintain a level of readiness through regular training and occasional participation in drills and exercises. They are tasked with keeping their home area safe in conjunction with standing forces such as knights and priests, and are more of a defensive element than something the order can draw soldiers from. However, should the regular order members take heavy casualties the reserves serve as a convenient manpower pool to draw qualified and often somewhat experienced mobilized troops from.
Approximate numbers:
- Standing army: 5,000
- Temple Guards: 800
- Order Knights: 3,000
- Warrior priests: 1,200
- Reserves: 15,000
Goods:
- Natural goods
- Elwydium (Itakaul Likshqarhfank in the local tongue, or Itakaul for short, literally translating to "the glowing metal")
- Iron
- Gold
- Sandstone
- Processed goods
- Magical reagents (largely cut Elwydium crystals used as stores for magical energy)
- Glass
Alhamx Taklank is an arid place painted in reds and oranges, with a quite complex geology. The surface layers of the desert consist of mostly sandstone as well as dust and sand with a high iron content. Since ancient times the Ka’ata have used the iron in the sand to forge their tools and weapons, and in the process of melting this ore have also created a strong tradition of glassworks. Deeper underground other minerals abound, particularly gold, which is used extensively for ornamentation, but also more recently to barter with outsiders. The land has also been blessed with Elwydium, which has long been used in a multitude of items and artifacts to power magical processes of various kinds. In fact, it is not too unusual to stumble upon ancient ruins in the desert that still bear its hallmark glow, indicating mechanisms still in operation despite their owners long since having moved on. However, should one indeed find a place such as this, it is best to at most observe its sights, for the Ka’ata do not take kindly to the robbing of their ancestors, and there is no telling what the warriors of old may have hidden away to safeguard their fortresses.
- Lacking goods
However, there are also downsides to living in the Alhamx Taklank. Rainfall is sparse, and although it falls in great amounts on the few occasions that it does come, this is much too intermittent for any life to depend upon it. Thus, trees are a rarity across the territory, mainly occurring in oases or along the major river, though the main temples do maintain gardens stemming from their deep wells and the water they provide. None of these sources are however sufficient to fully meet the needs of the order and it has been a longstanding problem to acquire more wood.
Food likewise is an issue for the same reasons. Although the order has a long tradition of irrigation and well digging, the fact remains that they live in a largely desertified area and cultivation will always be difficult outside of select areas. Any surplus has always been a luxury and the fickleness of the harvests has resulted in more than a few episodes of starvation across the holdfast’s history. Hopefully with the advent of more extensive trade networks this problem can be remedied.
Subforum description:
An order of religious warriors living in the deserts of Alhamx Taklank, focused around fortresses and temples hidden among the cliffs and dunes.
Final notes: The Order of Eleshaxhi does not officially swear loyalty to the Seasonal Queen and her Queensland, though they recognize its strength and gladly serve alongside it against the forces of Chaos. The Grandmaster and Council of Masters defer to the authority of the Seasonal Queen unless given good reason not to.
TLDR
Religious jackal people living in a desert like their honor a bit too much. They’re just Jedi I realize now, oops, but they got their hands on a book on egyptology and then also found one on bushido. Got that swish bling going, but help there's no food out here! Also the Queen is cool ig, but you’re not my real mom and can’t tell me what to do!
edit:
![[Image: map.jpg?ex=67d20046&is=67d0aec6&hm=3ae2b...height=663]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/221695025816403969/1349135957604962406/map.jpg?ex=67d20046&is=67d0aec6&hm=3ae2beb91217342841dd08af9e9405693e1d71665cb098c7f8383cbb28b9529c&=&format=webp&width=883&height=663)
aww frick m8 i bloodeh went an forgot the whole map didnt i eh
edit2: okay, so, i beansed up the eldwynium stuff a little, so basically this is what i was going for, a kind of crystallized magic type deal
![[Image: maxresdefault.jpg?ex=67d20143&is=67d0afc...height=502]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/734892570127106098/1349137022064918639/maxresdefault.jpg?ex=67d20143&is=67d0afc3&hm=6312d16134a148f51b5efff11916dd72ad23e703e809c804c5cd1c84e4ac75ec&=&format=webp&width=892&height=502)