The Steachi are a humanoid race originating from the western land of Krallum and have created a society dominated by faith and magical innovation. Steachi has a special connection to magic, producing some of the most skilled mages to walk Nostra.
Appearance
In most ways, the Steachi are identical to regular humans. The key difference is their eyes, which have unnatural patterns and a distinct glow. Their eyes can come in the colors purple, yellow, orange, cyan, blue, and green, along with varying shades of each color. These unique eyes have two primary benefits for the Steachi; enhanced vision and increased affinity to magical energies. Steachi eyes degrade much slower than those of other races and can see clearly at much greater distances than other races. As a result, Steachi marksmen are famous for their incredible accuracy with their shots and hitting targets at ranges that would be nearly impossible for others. However, the Steachi shine brightest in the arcane arts, as their eyes allow them greater control of magical energies. How their eyes are capable of these feats is poorly understood by even the Steachi themselves.
History
Origins
The humans who would eventually become the modern-day Steachi settled in Krallum sometime between 50 to 200 AE. The only documents recounting the history of the early humans of Krallum are from Occulist scripture. The Occulists describe these early inhabitants as lost and scattered, worshiping the earth and the natural world in an attempt to make sense of their lives. It is believed by many researchers that all traces of this ancient civilization was wiped out by the newly emerged Steachi, though whether this was through violence or integration remains undetermined.
During the early Ancestral Era, the humans were visited The Nyalivic, a mysterious and powerful being from beyond
Nostrina. According to the Occulist legends, the Nyalivic offered insight and clarity to unbind them from their limited way of life and expand their minds. All the humans had to offer was their servitude to its grand plan, which the humans accepted. Living in both fear and awe of the Nyalivic's power, the humans heeded its every word, even if it would cost them their lives. The humans built the city of Otkrinod to honor and venerate the Nyalivic and its grand plans for
humanity. Individuals willingly offered themselves to be used in its divine experiments to push human evolution forward, even if it meant a grisly end in the underground chambers where the Nyalivic partook in its work.
The Nyalivic's experimentation would eventually yield results, as the first successful Steachi would be created. Occulists refer to the first Steachi as The Pathlighter, the first human to be granted the gifts of the Nyalivic and would enact its grand plan by spreading its gift to the rest of her kind. The eyes of the Steachi would be spread to the rest of Krallum by a disease known as Azakklon, which would be intentionally spread by those inflicted. Once every human in Krallum was changed into a Steachi, the Nyalivic would seemingly disappear from Nostrina entirely and seal the Ascension Chambers in Otkrinod from any curious individuals.
Physically altered and given a new purpose in life, the Steachi would begin forging a new future for their kind. For a time, Krallum was home to the most advanced civilization on Nostrina, being centuries ahead with magical and technological innovations compared to other places around the world. The Occulist faith began to spread across the land, revering the Nyalivic and guiding its followers onto the path of releasing themselves from the curse of mortality. With the faith spreading across the land, the Occulist Church also formed, acting as the theocratic leaders of Krallum. The Church's first significant act was to guard over the Ascension Chambers in Otkrinod and establish the city as the capital of Krallum.
As Steachi mages tested the limits of magic, they would soon make contact with the Aeunta, higher beings who offered newfound power at the cost of Anika and souls. Considering both the opportunities and dangers presented by the Aeunta, magical institutions and the newly emerged Occulist Church created guidance for the Steachi for interactions with these beings. Most notably would be the creation of the Guiding Aeunta, a designated the Aeunta the people of Krallum were allowed to interact with. The six Guiding Aeunta would slowly be incorporated into the Occulist faith to be venerated for their aid to the Steachi.
The Drasavic Blasphemy
As with all things, Krallum's golden age would come to an end in 679 AE, when a powerful mage named Natanna Drasavic and her followers broke into the Ascension Chambers in search of the secrets that remained in the dark tunnels. Natanna's attack on the garrison guarding the chambers was swift and efficient, leaving the guardsmen little time to react to the onslaught. Before any reinforcements could arrive, Natanna and her followers broke the seal protecting the Ascension Chambers; how she managed to do this still remains unknown.
One can only speculate on what she found down there, but the results of her discoveries would prove catastrophic for the people in Otkrinod, as a black smoke erupted from the ground and enveloped the city. This was only the beginning, as this smoke would carry a blight known as Drasalest, which caused the minds of the afflicted to degrade and their bodies to shift into horrid abominations. The black smoke hung over the city for a time before dissipating entirely, though it was far too late for those trapped in the cities walls. News of the disaster would reach the ears of the Occulist Church, who set out to contain the blight by quarantining the area surrounding the city. Makeshift barricades worked long enough to construct a magical barrier that enclosed the entire city, preventing anything from leaving and spreading the blight.
With the capital city of Krallum lost, the Occulist Church had taken a massive blow that affected the rest of Krallum. To prevent another incident like this from occurring again, the Occulist Church became far more zealous than it had ever before. Inquisitions were sent out to hunt and kill any potential heretics who may threaten Krallum. At the same time, mass hysteria overtook the land as the people began accusing one another of being heretics. The golden age of Krallum had ended as religious zeal overtook the once-prosperous nation. Advancements in magic had slowed to a halt as magical institutions were put under heavy scrutiny by the Church. This period of hysteria lasted until 712 AE, where the new leaders of the Occulist Church pulled back the power of Inquisitors to prevent further unnecessary death. All magical institutions would now have to be managed and watched by the Church, with any unregulated mages being hunted down and punished by Church officials.
Natanna Drasavic would become infamous among the Steachi, becoming the Occulist Church's symbol of blasphemy and its dangers to its followers. The barrier contained Otkrinod would become a massive drain of resources of Krallum, though any thought of dedicating fewer resources to the barrier is almost heretical. Some claim they've heard the voice of Natanna calling them to serve her, though these claims were dismissed by the Church.
Starlight Crusades
In 1272 AE, Arch Minister Dalibor Pejakov enacted a massive military campaign called the Starlight Crusades. The goal of these ambitious crusades was to claim the entirety of the Händler Sea for Krallum and bolster Krallum's economy by conquering other lands. Pejakov first set his sights eastward upon the region which would eventually become Luet, unleashing an onslaught upon the unprepared denizens. Luet's western coast was quickly taken by the Steachi, though the inland areas gave them far more resistance; however, these regions would eventually surrender to the invaders. By 1278 AE, the Krallumites had secured Luet as a part of their new empire. Over the years, the Steachi invaders would intermingle with the native humans, slowly replacing the human population with Steachi.
By 1297 AE, the Arch Minister began his plans to invade the regions north of Luet, which would allow Krallum to claim the entirety of the Händler Sea as he had initially set out to do. The harsher climate of these lands proved far more challenging than they had anticipated, though by continuing to push on, the Steachi established a foothold along the coastline. The people of this land proved to be unexpectedly tough for scattered nomads, as guerilla tactics combined with the hostile terrain put the invaders at a disadvantage. However, after nearly four years of fighting, the Steachi would secure the western regions of what would eventually become Shemlya. Conflicts with the native tribes still sprung up every now and again, but the Steachi colonies stood firm and gave Krallum complete control of the Händler Sea.
Krallum would maintain control over the Händler long past Dalibor's death in 1323 AE, until the winter of 1385 AE, when Shemlya declared its independence from Krallum. Shemlya's fight for independence was short, as the Steachi had allied with the nomadic tribes they were once enemies with and pushed out Krallum's forces completely. After Shemlya had claimed its independence, talks of freedom from Krallum began creeping into the citizens of Luet. Arch Minister Daranov dismissed the potential of losing Luet as he was confident in his army's ability to quell any rebellion. Daranov's arrogance gave an underground group known as Dura's Eagles a perfect opportunity to establish nationwide plans to overthrow the Krallumite occupiers. With aid from Shemlya, Dura's Eagles enacted their plans and launched a nationwide revolt against the Krallumites. The occupying force was overwhelmed, allowing Luet to claim its independence from Krallum in 1392 AE.
Arch Minister Daranov was ousted for losing Shemlya and Luet, completely undoing Pejakov's accomplishments decades prior. The two newly independent nations would create their own unique cultures and establish a name for themselves in the global landscape. However, the once human-populated nations were now almost entirely dominated by Steachi, and the Occulist faith had become the main religion of its populace. Krallum may have lost Luet and Shemlya, but the Occulist Church had still spread its influence to these lands and nearly wiped out the cultures of their inhabitants.
Culture
Society
The Steachi are broken into three main ethnic groups in the second era: the Krallumites, the Luets, and the Vetsha.
The Krallumites live in their ancestral homeland of Krallum and adhere to the practices of their ancestors. The Occulist faith plays a significant part in the lives of the Krallumites, as the Occulist Church holds considerable power over the people of Krallum, often rivaling the influence of the king himself. Massive ornate cathedrals tower over their gothic cities, with shrines and chapels dotting the landscape in praise of the Nyalivic and Guiding Aeonta. The often dreary feeling of Krallum comes from both the landscape and the people who live there, as many Krallumites, especially those living in rural settlements, are quite unwelcoming and hostile towards outsiders. Krallum is ruled by a theocratic government that rules the land with a firm grip.
Thanks to generations of assimilation with the empire, the Luets share much of their culture with Barbaross. Devout Krallumites consider the Luets to be false Steachi who have forsaken their identity for Barbarossan gold and loyalty. Followers of the Occulist faith are rare in Luet, as most citizens have adopted the Barbarossan philosophy of Rudeginism, which guides its followers to create a grand unity of humankind. The Luets have adopted many practices and customs of the Barbarossans to the point they are virtually the same. This assimilation has resulted in the Luets becoming pariahs among their kind for falling to the Empire's temptations.
In the frigid land of Shemlya live the Vetsha, a divergent group of Steachi who've adapted to living in the cold north. The Vetsha are far more rugged than their southern counterparts, tempered by conflicts from neighboring countries and the brutal weather of their homeland. Unlike the Luets, the Vetsha retains many of the cultural practices of their Krallumite counterparts, although they have opted to solely worship the Nyalivic, dropping all forms of Aeonta worship. This change wasn't without pushback, however, as groups still clinging to their traditional faith have formed nomadic clans on the fringes of Shemlya, vowing to return Shemlya to the old ways. Shemlya is the only Steachi dominated nation ruled over by a monarchy, with the Vetshan Occulist Church under the king's control.
Language
The Krallumites speak the Starzik language, which uses a unique alphabet only shared with its descendant languages. The Leuts mainly spoke a variation of Starzik known as Luetic, though this language has been slowly phased out in favor of the Barbarossan tongue. Only old, conservative Luets still speak their old tongue, bitter and angry about the assimilation of their people. Lastly, the Vetsha mainly speak their native Vetshan language, but select groups may use Starzik alongside it.
Art and Architecture
Krallum is known for its imposing gothic cities, with the Occulist cathedrals standing above the rest of the city like a crown jewel. Some theories suggest that the Steachi of Krallum influenced the architecture of the
Cardinal Elves in San Cardel in some ways. However, with little record of Krallum's early history, it's hard to give this idea credence.
Luet contains a mix of both Krallumite and Barbarossan stylings in its buildings. The rustic Barbarossan style is most prevalent in the east near the border with the empire, while many older styled structures can be found along the county's western shore.
The Vetsha have the most unique style of the three nations, with vibrantly painted structures with domes, sloped roofs, and ornate decorations. Instead of massive cathedrals that dominate the cityscape, small to medium-sized churches crowned with brilliant domes serve as the place of reverence.
In a similar manner to the elves of San Cardel, the beautiful but strange stained glass artwork depicting the Nyalivic and the Guiding Aeunta cast an eerie glow upon the halls of Krallum's cathedrals. Paintings and sculptures depicting strange beings and creatures supposedly from beyond this world watch over the city streets. Literature has been a flourishing artform in the lands of the Steachi, as books written by Steachi writers have made their way all across Nostrina, with many being widely celebrated works of art.
Religion
In Krallum and Shemlya, the primary religion is Occulism, which reveres the Nyalivic and the Guiding Aeonta: Salra Tenna, Koratt, Horda Svantai, Álotaká, Khalran, and Otrenum. The open worship of the Aeunta, or the Demon Lords as many call them, has tarnished the reputation of Occulism in the eyes of outsiders and played a significant part in the religion's downfall in Luet. This reputation matters little to the faithful, who continue to seek wisdom and power from the Guiding Aeunta and resist the temptations of the Blinding Aeunta.
Much of Occulism's iconography involves eyes, as they believe that the Steachi were gifted their eyes from the Nyalivic as a means to unlock new possibilities for their kind. Occulists believe that the Nyalivic and the Guiding Aeunta have put the Steachi onto the path to escape the curse of mortality. Blindness is seen as a mark of shame among Occulists, who use it as punishment on heretics and enemies of the faith. Blind children are killed upon its discovery, as those without sight cannot follow the divine path.
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