The Ashlands
Geography
This strange far western land on Ahuduir is dominated by a central mountain range with a very tall and active volcano on its southern edge. Outside of this desolate area most of the high grounds are dominated by what are known as the Ashed Wastes, regions so frequently ravaged by Ash Storms that very little can survive. Below these devastated regions tend to be the vast Fungal Forests, home of the Karoshim and some of the strangest Flora & Fauna present in the Ashlands. While more hospitable than the Ash Wastes, the Fungal Forests are impossible to live in without the right equipment, as the air is choked with spores to an insane degree.
Situated between the choked highlands and the lush lowlands are the Golden Plains and the Arid Grasslands, the difference between the two mostly being how much rainfall each region gets. The Golden Plains receive more rain and are considered to be more hospitable than the Arid Grasslands, though this could just be due to the Ashlander proclivity for lowlands. Visually the most distinct aspect of the Golden Plains are the tall golden grasses that grow here, providing a perfect place for ambush predators to stalk. The Arid Grasslands, meanwhile, can only maintain vast mats of relatively short grasses, leading to them being dominated by large herds of grazing animals.
Dominating a large portion of the central Ashlands, as well as many of the coastal regions, are the enormous trees of the Ashwoods, ever reaching upwards to catch the nutrient rich ash as it falls. This has left everything below the canopy of the trees in near total darkness, leading to strange beasts and even stranger people living amongst the roots. In these biomes the locals have resorted to farming various fungi and have domesticated some of the more useful beasts, though despite this the majority of the region's food comes from the various Firefields along the coasts.
Firefields are a strange biome in a strange land, as the grey-orange grains that grow here can only complete their lifecycle and be harvested when the entire region is subjected to firestorms, often brought on by Emberwings. This has led to the unique architecture of the Firefields, with any permanent structures built upon raised ground, and out of fire resistant materials.
Situated between the choked highlands and the lush lowlands are the Golden Plains and the Arid Grasslands, the difference between the two mostly being how much rainfall each region gets. The Golden Plains receive more rain and are considered to be more hospitable than the Arid Grasslands, though this could just be due to the Ashlander proclivity for lowlands. Visually the most distinct aspect of the Golden Plains are the tall golden grasses that grow here, providing a perfect place for ambush predators to stalk. The Arid Grasslands, meanwhile, can only maintain vast mats of relatively short grasses, leading to them being dominated by large herds of grazing animals.
Dominating a large portion of the central Ashlands, as well as many of the coastal regions, are the enormous trees of the Ashwoods, ever reaching upwards to catch the nutrient rich ash as it falls. This has left everything below the canopy of the trees in near total darkness, leading to strange beasts and even stranger people living amongst the roots. In these biomes the locals have resorted to farming various fungi and have domesticated some of the more useful beasts, though despite this the majority of the region's food comes from the various Firefields along the coasts.
Firefields are a strange biome in a strange land, as the grey-orange grains that grow here can only complete their lifecycle and be harvested when the entire region is subjected to firestorms, often brought on by Emberwings. This has led to the unique architecture of the Firefields, with any permanent structures built upon raised ground, and out of fire resistant materials.
Localized Phenomena
Ash Storms
Born from Mount Nuorpio out of the mere existence of Aion, the Ash Storms are a phenomena that have altered the Ashlands into what they are today. These storms bring powerful winds, meters of ash and powerful orange lightning across the region, devastating those that have not properly prepared. For the Ashlanders, however, these storms are no more dangerous than regular weather events in other regions, as they have spent millennia developing technology to handle such events. Lightning Rods, elemental attractors, situated on high points in settlements or at the center of a travelers camp, keeps the lightning at bay, while specially made tents keep their occupants from being crushed under the weight of the new ash.History
In 1212 BE, a devastating event would occur that shook all of Western Ahuduir, the eruption of Mount Nouripo, which would devastate the lands of Milow and kill countless hundreds of thousands, bringing most of the regional powers to their knees. In the wake of hasty anti-magic treaties and witch hunts, the newly awakened Aspect of Fire Aion had to get his bearings, as the world had changed much since he had last awoken. When the devastation he had wrought was brought to Aion's attention, he was a mix of furious and in agony, he had never wished to hurt anyone, though how could they not remember the titanic humanoid made from lava was sleeping under the volcano?
While exploring these new 'Ashlands', Aion came to discover many had survived the blast and its aftermath by retreating underground, though these pockets of survivors were rapidly running out of resources. Feeling responsible for their current predicament, Aion communicated with members of each group, offering salvation, though at the cost of their humanity. Most accepted, given their situations, and the first Ifriti were created, transformed humans given the gifts needed to survive in the Ashlands. Aion guided these individuals out of their underground homes and towards the still active Mount Nouripo, in order to gather them together and protect them as a united whole.
In preparation for their arrival, Aion transformed the remains of many of the dead into Emberwights, undead of a sort that had their now deceased souls asked for permission before taking their bodies. This new labour force would march to Mount Nouripo and begin to carve out a vast city for the Ifriti that were emigrating, creating an entirely self sustaining city in mere weeks. When the Ifriti survivors arrived, the were greeted by these undead, and invited in, with the colossal form of their savior standing in a reduced form within. Aion greeted these people, and expressed how thankful he was that they made it with little trouble and, mid conversation realized that many had prostrated themselves before him, calling him a god.
While not entirely inaccurate, Aion despised the title of deity, as he felt that only the Primordials could truly hold that honour, he was just an entity somewhere in between. Despite his wishes, the Ifriti called him god, the Ashbringer, their saviour, and began to live as they thought he wanted. Due to the fact that only a few thousand lived at this point, Aion could easily correct them when they did something he did not like, though quickly he found himself spending all his time correcting people and micromanaging them. In order to properly aid them, Aion finally caved and allowed the Ifriti to worship him as a deity, though with a few caveats. He would select a dozen individuals, those who truly understood Aion, and granted them the titles and powers of Ember Priests, the first of his clergy. Aion did this so that he could have those he trusted manage the people, so that he could turn his gaze elsewhere and work towards other goals than keeping people from stepping on each others toes.
For twenty-seven years the Ifriti lived in Nouripo City, under the protective gaze of Aion and under the guidance of his Ember Priests, though eventually, in 1239 BE members of the latest generation were filled with a wanderlust and desperately wanted to experience what the outside world was like. At first Aion did not want them to go out there, it was too dangerous with Ash Storms striking every other week, keeping the air filled with suffocating ash. Over the course of a few months those that wanted to explore showed Aion their ingenuity, by designing masks that would keep the Ash out of their faces and learning the timing of the Ash Storms, so that they could leave with enough time to escape their wrath. While still maintaining some reservations of this, Aion agreed to let them leave if they wished, though gave each individual a small magma stone to carry so that Aion could watch over them and aid them if they got into too much trouble.
These wanders would be the first Ifriti that the outside world would encounter, an outside world that did not much care for them. As these explorers ventured forth they were met with hostility, with many settlements refusing them entry or harassing them until they left. One Ifriti managed to talk with an isolated Priest of Oldwal during this time, and discovered that this hatred for the Ifriti was because their existence was associated with the death of Milow and the devastation that had come in the wake of the eruption. When the Ifriti explained to the Priest that they were the descendants of those who had survived the devastation, the Priest said that to the people of Western Ahuduir that did not matter, they had survived when others didn't, and all it cost was their humanity.
Eventually all of these explorers returned home, most worse for ware, and a budding xenophobia began to develop within the Ifriti, despite Aion attempting to dissuade them. Many started to call for a local military to defend them, as these outsiders now knew of their existence and would most likely come to be rid of them. Once again Aion initially resisted, stating that if they came he would protect the Ifriti, though they stated that this was their fight, not his, and if they relied on him forever than they would never develop. Taken aback by this argument, though proud of his people, Aion agreed for them to establish a defensive force to keep them safe from Outsider aggression.
During the next eleven years, as a military force was trained, other individuals filled with a wanderlust settled a new village on the shores of Lake Alja, protected from the storms by the first Lightning Rod. While only maybe a hundred Ifriti lived in the village, an Ember Priest was sent alongside a few dozen of the Emberwights, in order to ensure that they kept to Aions wishes and to provide additional labour for the initial construction. What this village, that they had named Aljarn after the lake, had not expected was the declaration of war from the human nation of Drakault, as they sought to remove the 'demons' from rightfully human land. No official declaration came, and the Ifriti only discovered these hostilities when Aljarn was raised to the ground, with Aion watching through the eyes of his Priest. It should be noted here that, at this point in time Aion had made his Priests promise to not use their powers against other sapients, so the Priest present in Aljarn was, under oath, unable to act against the invaders, and could only watch as their people were slaughtered. The last thing Aion perceived through the Priest was them asking the invaders why they had done this, to which they responded with 'We're just retaking rightful human land from the demons who corrupted it' before killing the Priest.
Filled with a righteous anger at this, Aion gathered his Priests and altered their Oaths to allow for self defense and defense of the community against aggression, as well as called for a meeting of the War Council. Present here were the Priests, the three commanders of the defense force and leaders of the community. Aion presented them with his disgust and anger at what had transpired, and his desire to show them and all the other nations that they were not to be trifled with. Only those present who had not seen the hostility of the Outsiders spoke against this, though when they were shown the barbaric acts of the invaders, their dissent fell silent. After this meeting, Aion took one of the greatest warriors of the Ifriti aside, a female Ifriti named Anri, who was a close personal friend of Aion, and he asked her to bare his fury in battle, as he could not partake of war outside of Mount Nouripo lest the devastation spread. She agreed to this, and became the 'Hammer of Aion', leader of his armies and barer of his Fury.
When battle was met on the slopes of Mount Nouripo, the jeers and taunts of the invaders was deafened by the strange war cries of the Ashlanders, led in chant by the Priest and their numbers bolstered by the Emberwights. Anri marched forth alone and challenged the invaders to select a champion and duel her in single combat, a challenge to which they responded with eagerly. This was a chance to show the 'demons' what humans were made of, a chance to show their assembled host that humanity would ultimately win this conflict and eradicate them. It was too bad that, when the human champion marched forth, Anri met them halfway and immediately brought her magma warhammer down on his head, crushing it instantly and slagging his remains. For the invaders, this moment took them aback, stunning them into silence, though for the Ifriti, it was the signal that they had been waiting for. In moments the desolate landscape was turning into a nightmarish apocalyptic scene, with meteors raining down from the sky, balls of flame erupting in the Human ranks, crazed berserkers fearlessly charging into the fray while mindless undead swarmed the flanks. To say it was a slaughter is an understatement, though it proved to be a good demonstration of the power held back behind the ash. When all was said and done, barely a few dozen humans had managed to escape the slaughter, while less than a hundred fatalities for the Ifriti had been suffered.
Leaving the Priests and undead behind, the 'defense' force of Mount Nouripo marched south into the untouched valleys of the Drakault, where they would topple every fortification and take every settlement, until they arrived at the capital of Drakault, the Deepcairn. Here no demands were made, no siege camp erected, no show of force attempted, as Anri marched forth and, channeling Aion's fury, brought low the walls of Deepcairn, sundering them into mere smears of slag. Marching forth to the Duke's palace, Anri and her army slew not a single individual, all of their opposition stunned into submission. At the Palace steps Anri stopped, met with the sight of the Duke and his honour guard awaiting a final battle, though she would not grant him this, instead slamming her hammer into the ground and conjuring forth a titanic image of Aion. Below is the recorded speech Aion gave at Deepcairn:
Aion stands, in his arms the lifeless body of a young Ifriti girl, perhaps only five or six. On his face an expression of grief, much like a father who held the corpse of his own daughter. After a moment, his expression was steeled, though the body remained, and he finally spoke; "Why? Why would you do such a horrible thing? Little Mivaer here was only a young child and you killed her, for what? Because you think that those who came to you from the Ash were responsible for its creation, for the death it caused? For greed over the seemingly unoccupied land? None of these excuse what you have done to my people, who posed no threat to you or yours. Everything done in the last few weeks was brought on by your actions, your aggression, and I will not allow you to remain as you are so long as you pose a threat to my people. I offer you and your this, all the lands of the Drakeault are now forfeit to the Ifriti, you can either submit and join them or you can leave our lands. Either way, you have already abandoned your precious humanity."
When faced with such a crushing defeat, many chose to undergo the transformation into Ifriti, especially as the land rapidly changed to resemble that of the Ashlands around Mount Nouripo. Those who left fled to the many neighbouring nations and begged them to save Drakault from this horrendous fate, with many already cautiously eyeing the new nation. Over the next thirty-two years the forces of the neighbouring human nations would clash with the Ashlands, and each time significant regions would be annexed and new peoples added to the growing Dominion of Aion. The final three years of these conflicts were perhaps the worst in terms of casualties and the devastation wrought, as the remnants of human opposition united under the Grand Duchy of Shimtire fought a bitter, multi-pronged campaign against the Ifriti, launching terrorist attacks against civilian settlements, waging guerilla war in annexed land and matching the divine powers of Anri and the Priests with Arcane magics. Eventually, however, these individuals were brought to their knees by Anri and the newly formed 'Hammers of Aion', Ifriti capable of channeling the elemental power of fire through their bodies. Those humans in Shimtire that survived the war and lived to witness the gifts of Aion after the submitted became so wracked with guilt over their struggle that they would become an entirely different group of Ifriti, the Karoshim.
For 428 years after the great conflicts against humanity the Ashlands shifted and changed, as Yemar's gift rapidly altered the creatures of the Ashlands, though also during this time two distinct cultures arose. The Ajurow, or Lake-born, of the central and lowland Ashlands, and the Karoshim, or Repentant-ones, of the highlands, both equally unique yet sharing so much. Additionally, during this time a number of distinct layers to Ashlander society began to develop, such as the Wishcrafters, capable of destroying or altering the world around them relatively simply, or the Aristocrats, governors of the various lands, bringing Aion's gifts to all whilst also waging constant secretive wars against one another. While the Aristocrats fought each other and the Wishcrafters toyed with reality the Hammers of Aion maintained a constant vigil on the borders of the Ashlands, within their Kasel fortresses.
In 323 LS, the next greatest struggle of the Ashlanders would be faced, as the God Plague spread forth from the lands to their East, and threatened to kill Aion. In a grand speech Aion delivered via all of his Priests, he stated that the nature of the Plague prevented him from doing anything, and that his fate was sealed. He told his people how proud of them he was, of how they had adapted to their new lives and that while they might not live exactly to his wishes, he loved them all. In response to this, a plan was formulated, against Aion's wishes, to utilize a method that had been used in the East to protect their gods, but do so in a more complete way. To do this, as the Plague spread towards Aion the people would pray harder than they ever had before, connecting themselves to Aion temporarily and siphoning the Plague into themselves, killing them and saving Aion. When Aion discovered this he tried all he could to stop them from enacting their plan, but it was too late, and thousands upon thousands of Ashlanders, adults, elders and children alike had sacrificed themselves to save their beloved god.
Wracked with grief, Aion spent the next few days silently weeping for his lost people, though he was met by the reincarnation of Anri, the First Hammer, who informed him of why his people did what they did. Aion loved his people so much, though he had blinded himself to their dedication and love for him in return. Anri told Aion that had she been privy to this plan she too would have sacrificed herself for him, as Aion had brought so much good into the world through his actions that the Ashlanders felt they had to repay him. Finally understanding their sacrifice, Aion was so touched by their act that he took a part of his immortal being and removed it from his body, separating it into seven fragments, known as the Fragments of the Core. Five would be given to the five Kalign or Great Houses of the Ashlands, one to the Hammer of Aion and one to be in joint custody of the Hammer and the Karoshim, kept at Kasel Aluvarh. These fragments would allow for Aion's people to never leave him, as they would allow all Ifriti to tie their souls to the Ash and Aion, to be reborn at a later date.
Around these fragments a government would form, the Gamarn Conclave, which would see representatives from each of the Fragment Holders come together to rule the united lands of the Ash. While the day to day of each House would be left to said house, state policy would be determined at the Conclave.
While exploring these new 'Ashlands', Aion came to discover many had survived the blast and its aftermath by retreating underground, though these pockets of survivors were rapidly running out of resources. Feeling responsible for their current predicament, Aion communicated with members of each group, offering salvation, though at the cost of their humanity. Most accepted, given their situations, and the first Ifriti were created, transformed humans given the gifts needed to survive in the Ashlands. Aion guided these individuals out of their underground homes and towards the still active Mount Nouripo, in order to gather them together and protect them as a united whole.
In preparation for their arrival, Aion transformed the remains of many of the dead into Emberwights, undead of a sort that had their now deceased souls asked for permission before taking their bodies. This new labour force would march to Mount Nouripo and begin to carve out a vast city for the Ifriti that were emigrating, creating an entirely self sustaining city in mere weeks. When the Ifriti survivors arrived, the were greeted by these undead, and invited in, with the colossal form of their savior standing in a reduced form within. Aion greeted these people, and expressed how thankful he was that they made it with little trouble and, mid conversation realized that many had prostrated themselves before him, calling him a god.
While not entirely inaccurate, Aion despised the title of deity, as he felt that only the Primordials could truly hold that honour, he was just an entity somewhere in between. Despite his wishes, the Ifriti called him god, the Ashbringer, their saviour, and began to live as they thought he wanted. Due to the fact that only a few thousand lived at this point, Aion could easily correct them when they did something he did not like, though quickly he found himself spending all his time correcting people and micromanaging them. In order to properly aid them, Aion finally caved and allowed the Ifriti to worship him as a deity, though with a few caveats. He would select a dozen individuals, those who truly understood Aion, and granted them the titles and powers of Ember Priests, the first of his clergy. Aion did this so that he could have those he trusted manage the people, so that he could turn his gaze elsewhere and work towards other goals than keeping people from stepping on each others toes.
For twenty-seven years the Ifriti lived in Nouripo City, under the protective gaze of Aion and under the guidance of his Ember Priests, though eventually, in 1239 BE members of the latest generation were filled with a wanderlust and desperately wanted to experience what the outside world was like. At first Aion did not want them to go out there, it was too dangerous with Ash Storms striking every other week, keeping the air filled with suffocating ash. Over the course of a few months those that wanted to explore showed Aion their ingenuity, by designing masks that would keep the Ash out of their faces and learning the timing of the Ash Storms, so that they could leave with enough time to escape their wrath. While still maintaining some reservations of this, Aion agreed to let them leave if they wished, though gave each individual a small magma stone to carry so that Aion could watch over them and aid them if they got into too much trouble.
These wanders would be the first Ifriti that the outside world would encounter, an outside world that did not much care for them. As these explorers ventured forth they were met with hostility, with many settlements refusing them entry or harassing them until they left. One Ifriti managed to talk with an isolated Priest of Oldwal during this time, and discovered that this hatred for the Ifriti was because their existence was associated with the death of Milow and the devastation that had come in the wake of the eruption. When the Ifriti explained to the Priest that they were the descendants of those who had survived the devastation, the Priest said that to the people of Western Ahuduir that did not matter, they had survived when others didn't, and all it cost was their humanity.
Eventually all of these explorers returned home, most worse for ware, and a budding xenophobia began to develop within the Ifriti, despite Aion attempting to dissuade them. Many started to call for a local military to defend them, as these outsiders now knew of their existence and would most likely come to be rid of them. Once again Aion initially resisted, stating that if they came he would protect the Ifriti, though they stated that this was their fight, not his, and if they relied on him forever than they would never develop. Taken aback by this argument, though proud of his people, Aion agreed for them to establish a defensive force to keep them safe from Outsider aggression.
During the next eleven years, as a military force was trained, other individuals filled with a wanderlust settled a new village on the shores of Lake Alja, protected from the storms by the first Lightning Rod. While only maybe a hundred Ifriti lived in the village, an Ember Priest was sent alongside a few dozen of the Emberwights, in order to ensure that they kept to Aions wishes and to provide additional labour for the initial construction. What this village, that they had named Aljarn after the lake, had not expected was the declaration of war from the human nation of Drakault, as they sought to remove the 'demons' from rightfully human land. No official declaration came, and the Ifriti only discovered these hostilities when Aljarn was raised to the ground, with Aion watching through the eyes of his Priest. It should be noted here that, at this point in time Aion had made his Priests promise to not use their powers against other sapients, so the Priest present in Aljarn was, under oath, unable to act against the invaders, and could only watch as their people were slaughtered. The last thing Aion perceived through the Priest was them asking the invaders why they had done this, to which they responded with 'We're just retaking rightful human land from the demons who corrupted it' before killing the Priest.
Filled with a righteous anger at this, Aion gathered his Priests and altered their Oaths to allow for self defense and defense of the community against aggression, as well as called for a meeting of the War Council. Present here were the Priests, the three commanders of the defense force and leaders of the community. Aion presented them with his disgust and anger at what had transpired, and his desire to show them and all the other nations that they were not to be trifled with. Only those present who had not seen the hostility of the Outsiders spoke against this, though when they were shown the barbaric acts of the invaders, their dissent fell silent. After this meeting, Aion took one of the greatest warriors of the Ifriti aside, a female Ifriti named Anri, who was a close personal friend of Aion, and he asked her to bare his fury in battle, as he could not partake of war outside of Mount Nouripo lest the devastation spread. She agreed to this, and became the 'Hammer of Aion', leader of his armies and barer of his Fury.
When battle was met on the slopes of Mount Nouripo, the jeers and taunts of the invaders was deafened by the strange war cries of the Ashlanders, led in chant by the Priest and their numbers bolstered by the Emberwights. Anri marched forth alone and challenged the invaders to select a champion and duel her in single combat, a challenge to which they responded with eagerly. This was a chance to show the 'demons' what humans were made of, a chance to show their assembled host that humanity would ultimately win this conflict and eradicate them. It was too bad that, when the human champion marched forth, Anri met them halfway and immediately brought her magma warhammer down on his head, crushing it instantly and slagging his remains. For the invaders, this moment took them aback, stunning them into silence, though for the Ifriti, it was the signal that they had been waiting for. In moments the desolate landscape was turning into a nightmarish apocalyptic scene, with meteors raining down from the sky, balls of flame erupting in the Human ranks, crazed berserkers fearlessly charging into the fray while mindless undead swarmed the flanks. To say it was a slaughter is an understatement, though it proved to be a good demonstration of the power held back behind the ash. When all was said and done, barely a few dozen humans had managed to escape the slaughter, while less than a hundred fatalities for the Ifriti had been suffered.
Leaving the Priests and undead behind, the 'defense' force of Mount Nouripo marched south into the untouched valleys of the Drakault, where they would topple every fortification and take every settlement, until they arrived at the capital of Drakault, the Deepcairn. Here no demands were made, no siege camp erected, no show of force attempted, as Anri marched forth and, channeling Aion's fury, brought low the walls of Deepcairn, sundering them into mere smears of slag. Marching forth to the Duke's palace, Anri and her army slew not a single individual, all of their opposition stunned into submission. At the Palace steps Anri stopped, met with the sight of the Duke and his honour guard awaiting a final battle, though she would not grant him this, instead slamming her hammer into the ground and conjuring forth a titanic image of Aion. Below is the recorded speech Aion gave at Deepcairn:
Aion stands, in his arms the lifeless body of a young Ifriti girl, perhaps only five or six. On his face an expression of grief, much like a father who held the corpse of his own daughter. After a moment, his expression was steeled, though the body remained, and he finally spoke; "Why? Why would you do such a horrible thing? Little Mivaer here was only a young child and you killed her, for what? Because you think that those who came to you from the Ash were responsible for its creation, for the death it caused? For greed over the seemingly unoccupied land? None of these excuse what you have done to my people, who posed no threat to you or yours. Everything done in the last few weeks was brought on by your actions, your aggression, and I will not allow you to remain as you are so long as you pose a threat to my people. I offer you and your this, all the lands of the Drakeault are now forfeit to the Ifriti, you can either submit and join them or you can leave our lands. Either way, you have already abandoned your precious humanity."
When faced with such a crushing defeat, many chose to undergo the transformation into Ifriti, especially as the land rapidly changed to resemble that of the Ashlands around Mount Nouripo. Those who left fled to the many neighbouring nations and begged them to save Drakault from this horrendous fate, with many already cautiously eyeing the new nation. Over the next thirty-two years the forces of the neighbouring human nations would clash with the Ashlands, and each time significant regions would be annexed and new peoples added to the growing Dominion of Aion. The final three years of these conflicts were perhaps the worst in terms of casualties and the devastation wrought, as the remnants of human opposition united under the Grand Duchy of Shimtire fought a bitter, multi-pronged campaign against the Ifriti, launching terrorist attacks against civilian settlements, waging guerilla war in annexed land and matching the divine powers of Anri and the Priests with Arcane magics. Eventually, however, these individuals were brought to their knees by Anri and the newly formed 'Hammers of Aion', Ifriti capable of channeling the elemental power of fire through their bodies. Those humans in Shimtire that survived the war and lived to witness the gifts of Aion after the submitted became so wracked with guilt over their struggle that they would become an entirely different group of Ifriti, the Karoshim.
For 428 years after the great conflicts against humanity the Ashlands shifted and changed, as Yemar's gift rapidly altered the creatures of the Ashlands, though also during this time two distinct cultures arose. The Ajurow, or Lake-born, of the central and lowland Ashlands, and the Karoshim, or Repentant-ones, of the highlands, both equally unique yet sharing so much. Additionally, during this time a number of distinct layers to Ashlander society began to develop, such as the Wishcrafters, capable of destroying or altering the world around them relatively simply, or the Aristocrats, governors of the various lands, bringing Aion's gifts to all whilst also waging constant secretive wars against one another. While the Aristocrats fought each other and the Wishcrafters toyed with reality the Hammers of Aion maintained a constant vigil on the borders of the Ashlands, within their Kasel fortresses.
In 323 LS, the next greatest struggle of the Ashlanders would be faced, as the God Plague spread forth from the lands to their East, and threatened to kill Aion. In a grand speech Aion delivered via all of his Priests, he stated that the nature of the Plague prevented him from doing anything, and that his fate was sealed. He told his people how proud of them he was, of how they had adapted to their new lives and that while they might not live exactly to his wishes, he loved them all. In response to this, a plan was formulated, against Aion's wishes, to utilize a method that had been used in the East to protect their gods, but do so in a more complete way. To do this, as the Plague spread towards Aion the people would pray harder than they ever had before, connecting themselves to Aion temporarily and siphoning the Plague into themselves, killing them and saving Aion. When Aion discovered this he tried all he could to stop them from enacting their plan, but it was too late, and thousands upon thousands of Ashlanders, adults, elders and children alike had sacrificed themselves to save their beloved god.
Wracked with grief, Aion spent the next few days silently weeping for his lost people, though he was met by the reincarnation of Anri, the First Hammer, who informed him of why his people did what they did. Aion loved his people so much, though he had blinded himself to their dedication and love for him in return. Anri told Aion that had she been privy to this plan she too would have sacrificed herself for him, as Aion had brought so much good into the world through his actions that the Ashlanders felt they had to repay him. Finally understanding their sacrifice, Aion was so touched by their act that he took a part of his immortal being and removed it from his body, separating it into seven fragments, known as the Fragments of the Core. Five would be given to the five Kalign or Great Houses of the Ashlands, one to the Hammer of Aion and one to be in joint custody of the Hammer and the Karoshim, kept at Kasel Aluvarh. These fragments would allow for Aion's people to never leave him, as they would allow all Ifriti to tie their souls to the Ash and Aion, to be reborn at a later date.
Around these fragments a government would form, the Gamarn Conclave, which would see representatives from each of the Fragment Holders come together to rule the united lands of the Ash. While the day to day of each House would be left to said house, state policy would be determined at the Conclave.
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