The history and landscape of Aprax by Walzapir Amakiir

Introductory text

Aprax has stood for over two millennia. It’s people follow the ways of their 7 gods and especially The Phoenix Pharaoh. Nabirye the sixth Pharaoh of Aprax will soon celebrate her 500th birthday after having just celebrated 367th year of her rule. After 80 years of peace the people have forgotten the times of war. It has never been a more better time to visit Aprax as a tourist and that is why I Walzapir Amakiir will be your guide through this strange land.

Wandering Expanse

There are no straight lines in the wandering expanse. This sentiment is often true of normal desserts as walking in a straight line is deceptively hard, but in the Wandering Expanse it is true in a much more literal sense.
When walking in a perfect straight line the wanderer often finds themselves facing a very different direction than when they started. In some places this effect is so strong that you can see the sun, or stars, move as you walk. Or there might even be a distorted sky with multiple suns visible.
This distortion is not even constant making it impossible to map the area which is often left blank or has a list of what is contained in it.
As if this wasn’t confusing enough there are also supernatural sand storms. These storms sometimes take travelers and drop them off somewhere else. Sometimes not even in the wandering expanse or even in the present.

Percan the Wise

Slave rights were debated shortly after the ascension of the first phoenix queen. In the question of whether a slave should be allowed to buy and sell goods slave rights gained an unlikely ally: Percan the Wise. “What use are slaves if I’m still the one buying groceries”.

The Phoenix Lineage

The sky is one of the domains of The Phoenix Lineage. All flying creatures command a measure of respect and holiness in the eyes of the citizens of Aprax. Flight therefore is reserved for only high class citizens: Sun fire elves, fireblood tieflings, Guardian born Aasimar and high religious figures. Some others have been granted the right of flight but this has always been as a result of great deeds to the kingdom.
Dragons' innate ability to fly has always been a contentious point. They don’t want to be included in the holy creatures of the Phoenix lineage and the Elevasi religion doesn't want to include them either. It probably doesn’t help that Xuvna kills a dragon in her most prominent myth. All in all only some dragons have gained the right to fly but most do not have this privilege. Dragonborn are very low class due to the perceived split in allegiance to dragons and The Phoenix Lineage.

Amakiir on the Cast System

Authors note: For outsiders the cast system may seem unnatural but when you examine it more closely it all makes perfect sense. Does the camel not naturally traverse desserts with ease. Does the hound not track with great efficiency. Does the bird not fly reaching heights we could only dream of. Is it not natural for us to play to our strengths?
Elves are naturally intelligent and long living so they make strong leaders. Orcs are strong but less intelligent making them great at manual labor but they should not lead themselves. Dragonborn are naturally violent and greedy as the dragons they are named after and so naturally should not be trusted.
It’s useless to try and teach a dog how to fly and claiming otherwise is self-deception of the highest order.

Battle of Glass

Most historians agree that the battle of glass was the turning point in the founding of Aprax. This battle was so important in fact that the war is now known as the war of glass. The battle was between the first Phoenix queen and her followers against the orc hordes. With the new found power of the phoenix queen she broke the orc ranks. Historians describe a brilliant blinding light and heat emanated from the first queen which has since not been observed again in the later Phoenixes. The intense heat of her spells still shape the surrounding area. Giving it it’s distinct glassy extrusions. If someone ever finds themselves in the area it is certainly a sight worth seeing.

Mirrors and the Elevasi Religion

Mirrors have always had great symbolism for the dual gods Fynear and Raenyf. There is obvious symbolism in the duality of a reflection and the self. Because of this some depictions of the dual gods have one aspect standing before the mirror while the other aspect is shown in the reflection. Some depictions take this further and have half a statue coming out of a mirror while the other aspect shows in the reflection. During Luricks night some people wear reflective masks to honour this aspect of the dual gods.
These depictions could be explained by the appearance of mirrors in their myths. In some myths they left a mirror in the mortal realm to invoke change in the world while they were gone. While other myths disagree with this. In these myths the mythical mirror was gifted to Feylin and Xuvna as a wedding gift. Thus scholars still disagree whether the mirror should be interpreted as an actual mirror or more of a metaphor.

Birth and death of the Seven

In the beginning there was the light and the numerous. The Divine and the others. A time of perfect stillness, before death or change. This ended when the numerous found and attacked the light. Starting the first war against the numerous. The light fought off the invasion but was broken. What remained were seven divinities floating in the rubble of their creation. They crafted the sun and the planets from the rubble to create the world as we know it.

The creatures of the world were created as well as people. The gods walked freely among their creation and interfered with it. This was the time of myth and monsters. The Slaying of Winter , the trapping of devils, most myths of the gods take place during this time. But the numerous were not done. They had been forgotten by the gods, hiding in the far places, regrouping. They found Daovis our world and wanted the spoils of its bounty, and so the second war against the numerous began. The gods fought together with the heroes of the realms against the horde but it seemed to be of no avail.

Until… Feylin gathered the gods in front of a pyre. He believed that by sacrificing themselves and binding their essence to the world the numerous could be turned away again. None of the gods were keen on this idea however. Xuvna spoke of glorious charges and the Dual Gods desperately sought for a trick to turn the tide. There was one god however who stepped forward. The Phoenix, who loved their people above all else, was the first to step into the pyre. Their sacrifice moved the gods to action and they followed into the pyre. When there was just one left, Ymasis goddess of death, looked at the mortal witnesses and spoke the last divine words of the six. This war is not the first and not the last, you will live your lives in our image and one day return ourselves to us, so that we can be ready for when the war is again. The goddess of death stepped into the flames. One day the first will walk among you again, these were the last words of Ymasis and the six.
The plan worked and the numerous were driven away once more. The essence of the gods now filled the very core of these worlds. The gods in their reduced form now watched mortals from a far. Through their lives mortals would follow the example of the gods and absorb some divine essence by following their teachings. When death then takes them this divine essence would be returned to the gods. This way they grow ever stronger while they wait. While they wait for the next war of the numerous.

Karteth

Criminals don’t just have to watch out for the normal elvenoid guards in Aprax, there are more terrifying creatures that keep watch.
The Karteth are large silent watchers. They are investigators and truth keepers. Standing about 12 feet tall their jackal heads loom over elvenoids. They are creatures of the dual gods Fynear/Raenyf and enforce rules and promises. Their weapons of choice are two large bronze khopesh but they mostly relly on their magic and stealth to stalk the night.
It is said that it’s impossible to lie while near a Karteth and so they are sometimes called to witness a promise. If such a deal is then later broken the Karteth always find those promise breakers and makes them atone. Whether the deal was made yesterday or centuries ago they enforce the promises with whatever means necessary.

City of Dragons

City of Dragons, or bay of dragons, was founded just after the divide ended. It was made by the surviving dragons who arranged the peace meetings. The war between the metallic and chromatic dragons had left both sides weakened and the city of dragons would be the token of their alliance. The city of dragons is of course most known for housing the marble-onyx congregation, the meeting place of dragons when deciding world affairs. The dragons that formed the congregation also shaped the island and the surrounding bay into a prosperous trading town.
Although it is not formally required to be of dragon decent to hold office most high ranking officials in the city do have some draconic lineage. And full and half dragons enjoy special rights and admiration within the city.

Grand Birch Hotel

The grand birch hotel is one of the mayor attractions of Menta. Standing about 450 feet tall these twin birch trees tower over the walls of the noble district and can be seen from the outskirts of town. The two trees spiral around each other in a helix shape, with branches connecting them and housing small hotel rooms. The main lobby is built near the base in-between the two trees. It is a splendid site and the hotel managers deliver not just a great location but great service as well. This has made the grand birch hotel one of the most popular hotels for high nobles and merchants.
There have been many rumors of the origin of these trees, because as far as we know these trees don’t exist on Daovis. The most popular theory is that two birch seeds were gifted to the creator of the hotel by a Fey lord. What he paid for them subject to many a rumor. Did he give up his sense of smell, the colour of his eyes or a first born child? Or did he steal them from the fey lord, and does he now have a vengeful fey watching him from the shadows between the trees?

The Elavasi religion in the age of Bindings

Most historians of Aprax focus on the dynasty of The Phoenix Lineage. This is of course completely understandable. There are over 2.000 years of history of the greatest empire ever seen to talk about. You do however miss out on some important context of our society. You are missing out on the time before we were conquered by Dentah.

Before the giants of Dentah conquered the continent there was already evidence of the Elevasi religion. The most ancient temples to Feylin are over 4.000 years old. This was the summoner's age and the Apraxians delved deep into the mysteries of summoning celestials from the other side. Much of this knowledge was lost during the occupation and purge by the giants, but the Elevasi church recovered some of the techniques. So, once more celestials safeguard our people.

Fire Wars

After the collapse of the Dentahn empire Aprax was divided into many factions. Tribes of orcs, dragonborn that worshiped dragons, shifters from Esqua, the desert giants still claiming their old supremacy and the Apraxian Elves. These groups had many small skirmishes with each other and within themselves but nothing large scale. This changed during the 12th century when the fire wars started. The smaller groups had coalesced into powerful factions and small nations. Fighting broke out with some factions winning and losing ground, but there was no decisive winner for over 30 years. Then a tiefling started rising through the ranks of the Apraxian army. A young girl, born shortly after the fire wars started, would come to be the most famous woman of the millenia: Eate the first Phoenix.

She led the Apraxians through the fire wars and even managed to form an alliance with the giants. But she wasn’t only a brilliant tactician however. Together with her sister, a great fire sorceress, she delved into the arcane. They would delve into the secrets of the age of bindings and combine them with the elemental knowledge of the giants, to find a way to connect to the divine spirit of the Phoenix. Once Eate fused with the essence of the Phoenix their victory was inevitable. They fought on for 4 long years, which finally culminated into the battle of Glass ending the fire wars for good, driving out the dragons and shifters of Esqua and enslaving the orcs.

Flickering Light

If you are lost in a moonless night
Wandering around without sight
Beware the flickering light in the dark
For the lady in red will sniff out your spark
Flickering light a nursery rhyme dating back to the fire wars of Aprax.
Whether flickering light was based on a real historical person or some sort of spirit is still up to debate. There certainly was a general clad in red during the fire wars who first fought against The Phoenix before joining forces with her. There have however also been other sources of the myth. Some believe it comes from the enemies of The Phoenix, and the lady in red refers to the flames cloaking The Phoenix. Percan the wise notes that it could simply refer to the shapes that can be seen during sandstorms .

Whatever the source of the rhyme is, it is still thought to children around Aprax to keep them indoors at night. There have even been small cults, that revere the lady in red, that take it upon themselves to terrorize those lost in the dark.

Dual of Fire and Storm

Although the fourth Phoenix managed to connect Aprax to the City of Dragons, she was too soft for the general populace. So, after her death Sekh-Haneth-Drest rose to popularity for his willingness to fight. He was a known gladiator from the Three Muses Circles. After becoming the fifth Phoenix, Sekh let Aprax to many victories in Esqua. On this war path he got a reputation as a Pharaoh with little mercy.
Even in his old years he kept fighting. Both in the Three Muses Circles and outside it. When he fought with a group of storm giants threatening the Xuvna temple they captured the giant leader and Sekh-Haneth-Drest challenged him to a fight in the arena. The dual of fire and storm is the most famous gladiatorial duel ever fought. The clash of elements and brawn was intense. At the end the giant managed to pierce The Phoenixes heart. The resulting explosion killed the leader of the storm giants, but his impact on history will never be forgotten.

Obsidian Obelisk

The Obsidian Obelisk absolutely dwarfs all the buildings on the three Isles. Standing about 500 meters tall with a square base of 35 by 35 meters this intricately decorated obelisk is the centre of the isle of the ancients and has been researched for millennia. Many have tried to find a way in but the tower is hermetically sealed. Or it would be more accurate to say you can’t force your way in. The doors of the Obelisk randomly open from time to time. Groups that go in describe a vast network of chambers, halls and secrets and a being that watches them. It is never certain how long the doors will stay open and groups that returned too late were never seen again. Some days old devils and angels can be seen leaving or returning to the building, still following orders from long dead masters.

The Afterlife

To understand the people of Aprax you must understand the ideals they strife for and to understand that you must understand their cycle of life, death and rebirth.
After the gods sacrificed themselves to drive back the numerous they left behind much of their divine essence on Aprax. This divine essence can be absorbed throughout a mortals life by learning the skills and ideals of the gods. Then when they die they take that divine essence with them to the afterlife.
After their ashes are buried the soul awakens deep within the earth in the domain of Okrin. In these great forges they leave behind their knowledge of making, their artistic vision and inspiration. The spirits then rise to the surface where they leave their connections to their family and country as well as their devotion to the law behind with their Phoenix. Then on the night of souls, after saying goodbye to their families and friends they are met by the dual gods and their divine caravan. This line of celestial camels ferries the souls of the dead across the universe. In this journey the souls leave their tricks, charm and the quality of their word behind. The caravan first stops at the edge of the universe where the stars shine. Here Feylin takes their knowledge of magic, science and symmetry and shows the spirits the barrier that keeps the numerous out.
The spirits then travel back to the moons. First they arrive at Haiphas where Xuvna trains for the next war. They leave their physical prowess, passion and ambition behind and leave to the most feared stop. Because Lycas is Ymasis's domain. Here the goddess of death punishes those that did not respect and fear her or those that did not devote themselves to the gods. When the souls are allowed to leave they go to their final stop before rebirth: Calas. Here Nailah takes their devotion to nature, life and healing as well as their pride. Cleansing the souls to a pure form. Then when the next night of souls arrives the souls are send to the womb to begin the cycle anew.

Three Muses Circles

The Three Muses Circles is a great theatre in Avsi. It was built during the rule of Sul-Aman the third Phoenix who loved competitions and the arts. One of the grandest constructions in Aprax only bested by lights path. It was under construction for over 100 years. It is a gargantuan 4 part amphitheatre build of green wood with Gold decorations.
It takes 1.5 hour on camelback to circle the building. It holds many spectacles throughout the year. Competitive in nature like: Fights, fencing, magic competitions, professional nesting and the contest of hero’s. But also artful performances are held here like theatrical productions, dance and magic demonstrations. Gladiatorial duals are also still very popular with the duel of Fire and Storm being the most famous one. I highly recommend people visit the building if they have the chance.

Serene Stream

Aprax has been at war with Esqua many times. It is however very rare for either side to conquer a significant amount of land from the other. This is because The Serene Stream is too strong of a natural barrier. Although the serene stream sounds like a nice river to cross, it is anything but. Before even reaching the stream you would have to scale the 100-500 meters deep ravine that the serene stream has dug out. If an army could safely scale the ravine they would have to cross the raging river, often over 20 km wide. A skilled sailor can cross the river but it is always a dangerous endeavour. There are 2 places where it is truly safe to cross. First at the end of the river where the City of Dragons rules and at the bridge of the ancients. This miraculous construction is seemingly indestructible and no one knows how it was build.

The age of binding in Aprax

Much is lost about the age of bindings. Ancient murals depict flying cities and some scholars believed these cities actually existed. That the mages found ways of lifting cities in the air and that they roamed around the continent, including over Aprax.
Whether or not those theories are true, the age of bindings had a thriving fascinating culture around Aprax. Its people favoured brightly coloured garments, spent much of their wealth on art and enjoyed making vast gardens.
Sadly we can only estimate the culture's glory by looking through the long abandoned ruins.

Water true liquid gold

Water, water brings life but in Aprax it is hard to find. So is it any wonder that Nailah god of water and life is as revered as they are. Each of the cities is defined in great part by how they get their water. Geshni finds its water in deep underground reservoirs, cities lucky enough to be next to The Serene Stream get it from the great river and Avsi build lights path to collect enough water for the over a million inhabitants. Then there are two cities that have lucked out by elemental influence. In the city of Mentah the roots of the forest dig deep to some underground source of water strengthened by the Plane of Nature while the fountain of Lilies is embraced by the Plane of Water.

Fountain of Lilies

Water is not just abundant in the fountain of lilies but it is truly embraced. The whole city is flooded and its citizens wade through the water to get where they need to be. Clothing is made to dry quickly and work well even when drenched. It truly feels like a paradise the hot sun with the cool water surrounded by wondrous lilies.

Giants of Esqua

Esqua has had many conflicts with Aprax. Esqua the country wrapped in partial darkness, is a harsh cold environment. This difference in climate has often made large-scale advancement in the other’s territory difficult as the inhabitants aren’t acclimated to it. Only the Tash can easily change between them but their low numbers make it hard to use this benefit.
In Esqua the various bestial races of the north like shifters thrive quite well in the cold. They are what make up the brunt of their army, but Esqua has some siege weapons of their own. The frost and sun giants. These are the last giant civilizations in Ocros that have stuck around since the Dentah empire. The sun giants have changed warfare. Their aptitude with the sling allows them to launch rocks well over a 1000 feet. The power of their slings is so enormous that it sounds like the rumbling of thunder. This sound is feared on the battlefield as sudden death will soon rain down from above.

Sunset Library

Aprax changed rapidly when the fire wars ended. Eate the first Phoenix settled the city of Avsi as the seat of the Elevasi religion. She wrote down divine doctrines which were collected in the sunset library. Records of the fire wars, the groups that fought in the wars and previous civilizations where all kept in this magnificent sunset library. Eate in many ways build Aprax into what it is today. Sadly we will never know what she would have made had she gotten more time. Because our first Phoenixwas cruelly taken away by the orcs.

The first Phoenix was expected to live forever as the god that she was. But one night we were all proven wrong. Orc assassins from remaining tribes to the west went in under the cover of night and killed her. The ensuing chaos almost broke the new born country of Aprax. Varying factions tried to claim power and the sunset library burned down destroying much of our countries knowledge. Luckily the Phoenix came back to us to restore order. From that day on the Phoenix changes bodies every 500 years or so, in a grand cycle of renewal.

Amsu the Defiant

The orcs of Aprax have been contained for almost 2000 years. Or it would be better to say they were mostly contained. A few foul uprisings took place. they were all easily squashed accept one. During the rule of Sekh-Haneth-Drest his strict rule, although just, did create an intense environment that broke most orcs. But for Amzu it was fuel on the fire of his defiance. A great warrior who led a great rebellion. For over 20 years it seemed he was unstoppable until Sekh himself put him down. His name still became legend so a ritual was put into place to make sure he never returned.

Peaks of Might

The peaks of might houses the grand temple of Xuvna goddess of war, passion and glory. Pilgrims looking to connect to their goddess need to climb the mountain to prove their strength. But the challenge of the pilgrimage begins before there as desert lies around it. The only village of note on the way is Naneï village. A small quant village mostly known for its fresh and tasty water well.

Purpose

The history and landscape of Aprax by Walzapir Amakiir was written as a guide to Aprax. It contains information on general lore, customs, locations and religions.

Type

Guide, Generic

Medium

Paper

Location

Avsi