Ehlu (ˈᴈʎu)
Lifeblood of the world.
Ehlu is the Xihthil word for "magic." It courses through every fiber of the world. It's in the air, the earth, and even in the blood of all creatures. It's like a well that only needs to be tapped for its potential to be realized. Magic is what gives life to Kima. Some people are naturally able to draw from that well. Others work to develop that skill. Others still are never able to access it at all.
The magic of Kima is split into three schools: lohzi, ziuol, and ohxlizi. They're also known by their common names: temporal, chimera, and energy, respectively. A fourth, unofficial school is that of zibholg––also called blood, life, or death magic. Finally, old magic, or primal magic, is called zikihlś.
Table of Contents
Drawing Power
In order to use ehlu in the first place, it must be drawn from a source. Fortunately for the residents of Kima, it exists everywhere. It's easier to access, or more potent, in certains forms than others. It is, ultimately, just energy, and can be treated as such. In large or slow-moving objects, like trees, boulders, or great bodies of water, it's a steady resource but not incredibly powerful. A mage may need to draw a lot of ehlu from a source such as that to produce stronger feats. These are the kinds of sources young mages are first introduced to, ensuring that they won't accidentally harm themselves or others with overload. Some sources have little ehlu but are also not potent. These are usually just smaller forms of the first mentioned source, like flowers, small rocks, or puddles. Notably, only natural, non-manmade materials possess ehlu. Once an ore has been forged, or stone has been cut, or wood chopped, it loses most of its magical properties. What's left is miniscule and not worth using as a source.
On the other side of the spectrum are power sources such as fire and electricity. These can be incredibly powerful, but are short-lived and difficult to contain or control. For inexperienced mages especially, it is good to have a "spotter" of sorts around when learning to use these sources, otherwise they risk hurting themselves with an overload of power.
Ehlu can also be drawn from living creatures, ranging from insects all the way to humans and even ehluim. This, however, is zibholg, and is widely frowned upon. It's also important to note that a mage cannot draw from themselves.
Consequences of Power Drain
- Drawing Power
- Expelling Power
- Health Effects
- Zikihlś/Primal Magic
- Ehloh
- Olukuz ("Deafening Metal")
- Sayume ("Dragonglass")
Drawing Power
In order to use ehlu in the first place, it must be drawn from a source. Fortunately for the residents of Kima, it exists everywhere. It's easier to access, or more potent, in certains forms than others. It is, ultimately, just energy, and can be treated as such. In large or slow-moving objects, like trees, boulders, or great bodies of water, it's a steady resource but not incredibly powerful. A mage may need to draw a lot of ehlu from a source such as that to produce stronger feats. These are the kinds of sources young mages are first introduced to, ensuring that they won't accidentally harm themselves or others with overload. Some sources have little ehlu but are also not potent. These are usually just smaller forms of the first mentioned source, like flowers, small rocks, or puddles. Notably, only natural, non-manmade materials possess ehlu. Once an ore has been forged, or stone has been cut, or wood chopped, it loses most of its magical properties. What's left is miniscule and not worth using as a source.
On the other side of the spectrum are power sources such as fire and electricity. These can be incredibly powerful, but are short-lived and difficult to contain or control. For inexperienced mages especially, it is good to have a "spotter" of sorts around when learning to use these sources, otherwise they risk hurting themselves with an overload of power.
Ehlu can also be drawn from living creatures, ranging from insects all the way to humans and even ehluim. This, however, is zibholg, and is widely frowned upon. It's also important to note that a mage cannot draw from themselves.
Consequences of Power Drain
Of course, all sources have their limit. It's easy to drain fire and electricity since they don't have much ehlu within them to begin with. The fire will go out or the electricity will fade, as they are only pure energy in the first place. In fact, mages who specialize in draining the ehlu from fire are often called upon to fight wildfires. It's a challenge to drain the larger sources. When it does happen, it produces an effect that has been studied by scholars for ages. Plants usually just die. Water and earth, however, typically react by transforming into a fine gray dust, almost like ash. There's another effect, as well. It's incredibly rare, and only happens when a massive amount of magic is drained from a material in an instant. When this happens, it creates petrified trees, dries even wide rivers and lakes into dust, and turns stone into valuable olukuz ore. No human has been able to recreate this, and its existence is only evident by the sites where this kind of devastation has already taken place, such as the Barrenwood and the Olukuz Mountains.
As one might imagine, completely draining a creature with the use of zibholg is essentially draining its life force, killing it.
Expelling Power
Once a mage has absorbed power from whatever conduit they choose, it must be expelled. To hold magic within one's self is incredibly dangerous and can harm the mage if done for too long. Thus, the three schools of magic come into play.
Ohxlizi/Chimera Magic
Ohxlizi is the manipulation of the senses. Mages in this school are masters of illusions, invisibility, telepathy, dreamwalking, and in extreme cases, mass suggestion. They can make food taste like something else, cause someone to feel hot or cold, create images that aren't really there, and a litany of other effects. This is the first one that apprentices learn, but takes a long time to fully master.
The mechanics of this school are fairly simple––for the most part, a mage simply needs to visualize what they want to happen, and it will. This is because nothing produced with this method is actually real, and is more abstract. However, some important knowledge is still necessary, such as an understanding of how light works in order to successfully achieve invisibility. One of the most powerful feats of the chimera school is the ability to create an illusion so convincing, along with a healthy dose of suggestion, that a person believes it's real enough that they feel the physical effects of it––such as an illusory wall that actually blocks potential intruders.
Lohzi/Temporal Magic
Lohzi is the manipulation of the physical world. It involves telekinesis, healing, transformation and morphing of items or people (to an extent, of course), weather alteration, and seeing through magical effects, among others. It is important to note that magic cannot create things out of thin air, but it can transfigure them.
Mechanically, temporal magic takes the most scholarly knowledge. It's not as simple as imagining that a papercut is suddenly healed. Attempting that route can lead to incorrect mending, internal bleeding, or the unintentional transfiguration of something within the body. This idea can be applied to any aspect of the temporal school. If a mage seeks to mend a ripped article of clothing, they must understand how it would be sewn back together if magic were not in play. For feats that are not possible manually, such as manipulation of the weather or the changing of straw into gold, the mage must understand how those states come to be naturally.
Ziuol/Energy Magic
Ziuol is the manipulation of raw magical energy. It is most commonly used by battlemages, and includes things such as shields of force, blasts of energy, light creation, electricity, and other effects. It is also the school that manifests during magical overload. It can be the most destructive of the schools. While it typically has the hardest learning curve, it's often fairly easy to master as its mechanics aren't as complex. It merely involves envisioning the direction of the magic, and having the willpower to make it follow one's directions. True masters of this school are marked by their creativity.
Health Effects
The act of drawing magic, and then expelling it in the form of spells, isn't just mental. It's physical, and requires strength and stamina training like any sport. Too much magic use can exhaust a mage, and in extreme cases, cause negative health effects and sometimes even death. Similarly, magical overload can happen when a mage draws more ehlu into themselves than they can handle, or holds onto it for too long. It must be expelled, and usually erupts in a violent discharge of raw energy.
Blight
The Blight is a condition that occurs as a result of zibholg. It has many different forms and appearances, all connected by their shared cause. These symptoms range from mild to truly horrific, random to a point, but related to how much the afflicted has practiced blood magic, or been a victim of it, in their lifetime. It is essentially a case of the body consuming itself as its life force slowly wanes. In victims of zibholg, once Blight has taken hold, it will continue to spread, even if the victim survives the initial power draw (if not entirely drained). This is because the body is constantly fighting to survive, but without the necessary energy to do so. Advanced cases of Blight can be a living death. Below, see a list of symptoms common in victims:
- Bags under the eyes
- Gaunt, skeletal features
- Hair loss
- Leathery, necrotic patches of skin, typically a dull black or gray in color
- Lack of energy
- Weakness in extremities
- Hearing and/or vision loss
- Higher risk for diseases
- Brittle bones
- Decay of finger and toenails
- Rotting teeth and gums
- Accelerated aging
- Deterioration of the mind
- Total organ failure
The Blight can also affect practicers of zibholg, though the symptoms are different. Some believe that it's the gods' way of marking those who take part in this kind of magic, though a more realistic reason is likely that the ehlu drawn from sources during zibholg is incredibly potent. Even in careful practice by zibholg mages with ethical standards, the human body has a hard time handling that much power, and it inevitably gets turned, even minisculy, on the mage. The symptoms of Blight on blood mages is below:
- Iris discoloration (note: mages' irises already often change color when practicing any school of magic, so this is not uncommon)
- Sclera discoloration, usually black or gray
- Loss of senses of smell and/or taste
- Hearing and/or vision loss
- Discoloration of extremities, usually bone-white or a leathery black such as with a burn (starts in fingers or toes and can spread, many afflicted also lose their sense of touch in these areas)
Irresponsible zibholg practice can also lead to the more extreme symptoms of Blight found in victims, such as mind deterioration and organ failure––though this is possible with massive magical overload from any school.
There is no cure for Blight, only treatment for the lesser symptoms.
Zikihls/Primal Magic
Besides the three schools and zibholg, there is another, older school, which is that of zikihlś––primal magic. Theories of this magic are only theoretical and pulled from ancient Avarcian texts, as no human has been able to wield it.
For humans, and the Avarcians before them, magic must be pulled from a source and then expelled. But magic is not unending. It is, ultimately, finite, as the continents outside of Kima discovered long ago when they lost their access. The act of drawing magic removes it from the greater well. When it's discharged, it returns, but diffused. It can take decades, even centuries, for it to reenter the well at its original potency and amount. Thus is the conundrum with the human way of using magic: there will eventually come a point where the amount of magic being drawn from the well is more than is present in the well itself. Kima has only survived so long because of the presence of the Ehloh.
Zikihlś, however, is an entirely different way of approaching fundamental use of magic. According to the Avarcians, it's practiced by ehluim. It was once practiced by the Avarcians as well, but they lost that ability when they began expanding across Kima. Primal magic doesn't involve draining from a source and then expelling. Rather, it is the manipulation of the magic itself. With this method, nothing is being drawn, discharged, or diluted. Most ehluim understand how to do this instinctually, and thus, cannot teach it. The drawback of this method is that it is slower and requires more willpower than the "human" way. There also isn't much of a way to increase one's skill through study or training––ehluim with inherently more stamina, strength, or willpower will naturally be able to do more with the ehlu than those lacking in those areas.
Ehluim
Derived from the Xihthil words meaning "magic folk", ehluim is a broad term for any non-human, magical creature living in Kima. Many ehluim are sentient, though that is not a requirement for the term's use. While most ehluim within the Elil Woodland, safe from prying humans, the Śulugi Wilds and the Ohm Grove are also common places to find them. Certain species are highly sought after by hunters for their valuable magical parts. Those that aren't are usually creatures that have better use as work animals, or are considered sacred and protected.
Saya
Saya is the Avarc word for "dragon", a species of greater ehluim. While no living soul has ever seen one, the stories are limitless. Dragons are birthed from the bellies of volcanos, none more terrible than Mount Zibholg. Dragons destroyed the world and caused the Collapse. Dragons breathed fire so hot that they made the continents of Eiros. The gods created dragons and were so horrified at what they'd done that they started the Collapse to try again. It's unknown how many of these are true, as the only evidence of dragons that scholars have found are their skeletal remains littering the continents of Unakimth and Kima.
As gleaned from ancient depictions of the creatures, dragons are unfathomably huge, and they only increase in size as they age. The oldest and most powerful are the largest. Some have feathers, some don't, and some have a mixture of both. Regardless, they all have a chameleon-like effect to their appearance. Their scales, or feathers, seem to shimmer and dance, and are difficult to look at for too long. Their manes, if present, flow with the wind such as a horse's. Their mouths are lined with razor-edged teeth, their claws are powerful and dextrous, and their wings double as their front legs. Some have lion's tails, others horse's, or lizard's, wolf's, or bird's. They are beautiful and terrible at the same time, and they are the most powerful magic-users to ever exist.
Dragons are, indeed, born from erupting volcanos. The most famous is Mt. Zibholg, one of the only remaining active volcanos in the world and the one to produce the most powerful of dragons, supposedly because of its proximity to the Ehloh. It erupts roughly every 3000 years, forming a draconic life in its heart out of molten lava, rock, and magic. When a dragon is born, it is about the size of an enxe. It takes about 2000 years to reach average size. Dragons must live in a magic-rich environment. Their position as greater ehluim also marks them as a protector of all that is natural and precious. The reason so few dragons are born now is because of the lack of ehlu in continents outside of Kima, and the dwindling flow in Kima itself.
Enxe
Appearing to be a cross between an ox, a horse, and a bird of some kind, enxe are a species of ehluim that have become a popular working animal among Kimans. Their name is derived from the Xithil words for "large beast", as its size is the most notable thing about this creature. On average, enxe stand at about nine feet tall, can weigh 2000 lbs, and live for decades. Wild enxe are notoriously hard to tame, and it often takes entire groups with the help of a mage to help control them. A special kind of collar, charmed by a mage, is used to keep them docile once captured. Unfortunately, a side effect of this collar is that the behemoth loses its ehlu potency, dulling its coat and feathers. Only found on Kima, they are widely raised among farmers and the military alike, and their exports sell for a lot of gold in Unakimth.
Eggs, milk, meat, leather, horns, and feathers can all be farmed from enxe. The eggs are typically a foot tall and can feed a family of four for a couple of days. The milk is sweet and thick, making it a favorite treat among children. The meat is lean and filling, and an entire enxe can take weeks to fully consume. While leather armor made from deer and cattle is plenty sturdy and protective, enxe leather is especially tough. The horns of an enxe are valuable and used to make decorative pieces, accessories, and charms. Those of a wild one are most sought-after, as they’re imbued with magical energy that can be preserved and used later. The feathers from an enxe’s crest are thought to bring good luck to archers, but only if taken from a living animal. The enxe’s great height and temper make this a much harder task than it sounds. A feather taken from a wild enxe is even more valuable, because, similar to the horns, it has magical properties. A wild feather will have a rainbow sheen to it, while a domestic feather will be dull.
Enxe are found all over Kima except for Faelkaen, as it's too cold for them, and the Faelkish look down on the methods used to domesticate them anyway. The people of Øghe are the only known province able to tame enxe without the charmed collars.
In addition to farmers, some militaries also make use of enxe. They’re surprisingly fast for their size, and their sturdiness and power can make or break a victory on the battlefield. However, they can also be a liability if their charmed collar is somehow broken or removed. Military enxe are often outfitted with more than just a collar to try and minimize this risk.
Uoclaepoiyk
Often just referred to as the translated name, "the harvest elk" or the "uoc elk" is one of the largest creatures in Kima at nine-and-a-half feet on average at the shoulder. What really makes it tower over all the rest, however, is its antlers. All harvest elk, regardless of sex, possess impressive antlers that are shed in the spring. A Faelkish and Øghean staple tradition is the Annual Hunt of the Uoclaepoiyk, which involves a ceremonial hunt of a harvest elk at the end of the fall without the use of magic. The felled animal becomes a food source throughout the winter. The beasts are notoriously difficult to take down without the use of magic, but are also considered sacred in the Yaeani faith, as it's believed that they were one of the first living creatures to be created. Harvest elk are all but extinct in the other parts of Kima that they once roamed, and are forbidden from Faelkish and Øghean hunters except during the Hunt.
Kkus
From the Avarc word for "demon", kkus are a species of ehluim that few have actually seen. Most often spotted (or rumored) around places of significant death, such as old battlefields, ruins, or places lacking ehlu such as the Barrenwood, most Kimans see them as nothing more than folktales.
The creatures are described as somewhat humanoid in appearance, with the general silhouette of a person, but taller. They're hunched, meaning their true height could be so much as eight feet tall when standing upright. They can possess up to four arms that hang low to the ground, dragging until they decide to attack. At that point, they become deadly, razor-edged weapons. It is not believed that they have eyes or noses. Their mouths are described as hanging open, slack-jawed, through which an unearthly, tortured sound is unleashed. Their bodies can be emaciated, sickly, and even charred.
Different religions and cultures believe in different origins for the kkus. The Yaeans believe that they are the mutated souls of evil people deemed unworthy by Čihbhaen to enter the afterlife. The Raemana think that kkus are those who were not afforded a proper burial, forced to remain on land instead of rejoining Raem for judgement. Some mages wonder if kkus are practicioners and victims of zibholg who went too far and became twisted, a theory supported by Avarc writings.
A potential subspecies of kkus that lives specifically in the Śelugi Wilds of Oru are the Children of the Wood. They live among the other ehluim, seemingly in harmony. They are revered and feared by the people of Oru, and are considered to be the forest's protectors. They can twist the very fabric of reality within the forest, turning travelers around and casting terrifying illusions. Those who enter and never returned are said to have either been killed by the Children, or to have joined them. Either way, they’re gone forever. Some say they eat human flesh, have bark for skin, and have mouths lined with sharp, bloody fangs. Others say they’re eight feet tall, lanky, with arms that reach the forest floor, and huge, soulful eyes that draw travelers in to be entrapped forever––striking resemblance to the description of kkus. They’re described as having leaves for hair, claws on their fingers and toes, naked, with antlers, horns, or multiple arms. It’s unknown which of these tales, if any, are true. However, the similarity to the kkus has caused the Children to be lumped in with them, whether or not it's accurate.
Ehloh
The Ehloh is a massive mučih tree in the heart of Fuñta that is the source of all Kiman magic. It's speculated that it once was responsible for magic throughout the world, though Kima now remains the only continent with direct access to the well. The Ehloh's roots stretch throughout the entire continent, allowing ehlu to spread and creating a teleportation network for mages. Since ehlu is connected to these roots, it cannot be tapped after leaving the continent. This includes in the sea.
The Council of Magistry marked the Ehloh tree as sacred land, forbidding any kind of conflict near its grounds and establishing a constant sentry.
Olukuz ("Deafening Metal")
First discovered in what is called the Olukuz Mountains of Bual, many consider olukuz to be the antithesis to magic. It's also called "deafening metal", derived from the Xihthil word for "deaf." It can even actively absorb ehlu from potent sources and living things around it, making it especially devastating to ehluim and powerful mages. Depending on the purity and the amount of the olukuz, it can even affect those with a lesser magical connection, though not nearly as drastically. Because of the method in which olukuz is created, and the effects of the material itself, the level of destruction in places where it's found is often so great that life there cannot survive.
In those without much atunement to ehlu, prolonged or great olukuz exposure can cause fatigue, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. In mages, however, even small amounts of exposure can cause intense negative health effects, and can even kill. The intensity of the effects are directly proportionate to the magical ability of the mage. There is an experimental cure for olukuz poisoning that involves removing nearly all of the afflicted mage's ehlu with blood magic, lessening the effects of the olukuz. Unfortunately, there haven't been very many cases of success, and the procedure removes the mage's magical abilities.
Olukuz is too soft to be used exclusively on weapons and armor, but it can be combined with other, stronger metals to achieve the same effect. Wounds caused by olukuz-infused weapons are impossible to heal by magical means, and even a minor injury can be fatal in the right circumstances. They always scar. A relatively new invention, arrows and daggers tipped with olukuz flakes, can even poison the blood of a magical target, leading to a slow and agonizing death, as the flakes remain in the bloodstream even after the arrowhead is removed. Olukuz-infused armor is inpenatrable by magical means, but care must be taken with it, lest the wearer suffer the effects of olukuz exposure.
It's important to mention that perhaps the saddest victims of olukuz have been the Buali miners forced to extract it from the mountains. They are afforded no protection from its exposure, and many suffer long-term illness because of it. Even the smiths who forge it into usable material, weapons, and armor wear protective gear.
Sayume ("Dragonglass")
Translated from Avarc, dragonglass is only known material that can be infused with ehlu. It acts as a vessel, and mages are known to carry dragonglass jewelry, beads, and other objects around with them to store magic or to prep spells. Mages can activate dragonglass just as they would draw from any source. Non-mages can do so by shattering it.
The natural state of dragonglass is actually a liquid called sacerkuar, or dragon's breath, often referred to as "liquid magic." It can be found in small reservoirs near volcanos, or where there used to be volcanos. In Kima, it has been discovered in the Visw Basin of Oru (though that source is nearly depleted) and in Faelkaen's capital city of Śiael (where it's heavily guarded by the Circle). It's also speculated that there is likely a source near Mount Zibholg.
The properties of dragon's breath and dragonglass make it a valuable commodity in Kima and across the Unakimth Ocean. Along with Kima’s massive magical potential, it's why the continent is so important to mages and mage-hunters alike. It's also incredibly dangerous, with acidic qualities, and can only be handled via magic so that the handler does not actually touch the material until it has been hardened into dragonglass. Additionally, the only material that can contain liquid dragon's breath is dragonglass. Special smithies called brightsmiths––mages with smithing skill––are the only ones allowed to forge dragonglass.
In its liquid state, dragon’s breath appears almost iridescent in color. It is a viscous liquid with an opaque appearance, almost like lava, the reason for its name. When forged into dragonglass, it retains its iridescence and only gains a solid color once enchanted. This color can change depending on who enchanted it and what with. Brightsmiths typically forge it into things like pendants, bangles, earrings, beads, and other forms of jewelry. Some have inquired about forging armor or weapons from it, but its solid form is too fragile to do so. The liquid form can also be used to make tattoo ink for cihpaeśi––magical tattoos used by Xihthilans and those of the Yaeani faith, as well as mages.
Of course, all sources have their limit. It's easy to drain fire and electricity since they don't have much ehlu within them to begin with. The fire will go out or the electricity will fade, as they are only pure energy in the first place. In fact, mages who specialize in draining the ehlu from fire are often called upon to fight wildfires. It's a challenge to drain the larger sources. When it does happen, it produces an effect that has been studied by scholars for ages. Plants usually just die. Water and earth, however, typically react by transforming into a fine gray dust, almost like ash. There's another effect, as well. It's incredibly rare, and only happens when a massive amount of magic is drained from a material in an instant. When this happens, it creates petrified trees, dries even wide rivers and lakes into dust, and turns stone into valuable olukuz ore. No human has been able to recreate this, and its existence is only evident by the sites where this kind of devastation has already taken place, such as the Barrenwood and the Olukuz Mountains.
As one might imagine, completely draining a creature with the use of zibholg is essentially draining its life force, killing it.
Blight
The Blight is a condition that occurs as a result of zibholg. It has many different forms and appearances, all connected by their shared cause. These symptoms range from mild to truly horrific, random to a point, but related to how much the afflicted has practiced blood magic, or been a victim of it, in their lifetime. It is essentially a case of the body consuming itself as its life force slowly wanes. In victims of zibholg, once Blight has taken hold, it will continue to spread, even if the victim survives the initial power draw (if not entirely drained). This is because the body is constantly fighting to survive, but without the necessary energy to do so. Advanced cases of Blight can be a living death. Below, see a list of symptoms common in victims:- Bags under the eyes
- Gaunt, skeletal features
- Hair loss
- Leathery, necrotic patches of skin, typically a dull black or gray in color
- Lack of energy
- Weakness in extremities
- Hearing and/or vision loss
- Higher risk for diseases
- Brittle bones
- Decay of finger and toenails
- Rotting teeth and gums
- Accelerated aging
- Deterioration of the mind
- Total organ failure
- Iris discoloration (note: mages' irises already often change color when practicing any school of magic, so this is not uncommon)
- Sclera discoloration, usually black or gray
- Loss of senses of smell and/or taste
- Hearing and/or vision loss
- Discoloration of extremities, usually bone-white or a leathery black such as with a burn (starts in fingers or toes and can spread, many afflicted also lose their sense of touch in these areas)
Zikihls/Primal Magic
Besides the three schools and zibholg, there is another, older school, which is that of zikihlś––primal magic. Theories of this magic are only theoretical and pulled from ancient Avarcian texts, as no human has been able to wield it. For humans, and the Avarcians before them, magic must be pulled from a source and then expelled. But magic is not unending. It is, ultimately, finite, as the continents outside of Kima discovered long ago when they lost their access. The act of drawing magic removes it from the greater well. When it's discharged, it returns, but diffused. It can take decades, even centuries, for it to reenter the well at its original potency and amount. Thus is the conundrum with the human way of using magic: there will eventually come a point where the amount of magic being drawn from the well is more than is present in the well itself. Kima has only survived so long because of the presence of the Ehloh. Zikihlś, however, is an entirely different way of approaching fundamental use of magic. According to the Avarcians, it's practiced by ehluim. It was once practiced by the Avarcians as well, but they lost that ability when they began expanding across Kima. Primal magic doesn't involve draining from a source and then expelling. Rather, it is the manipulation of the magic itself. With this method, nothing is being drawn, discharged, or diluted. Most ehluim understand how to do this instinctually, and thus, cannot teach it. The drawback of this method is that it is slower and requires more willpower than the "human" way. There also isn't much of a way to increase one's skill through study or training––ehluim with inherently more stamina, strength, or willpower will naturally be able to do more with the ehlu than those lacking in those areas.Ehluim
Derived from the Xihthil words meaning "magic folk", ehluim is a broad term for any non-human, magical creature living in Kima. Many ehluim are sentient, though that is not a requirement for the term's use. While most ehluim within the Elil Woodland, safe from prying humans, the Śulugi Wilds and the Ohm Grove are also common places to find them. Certain species are highly sought after by hunters for their valuable magical parts. Those that aren't are usually creatures that have better use as work animals, or are considered sacred and protected. SayaSaya is the Avarc word for "dragon", a species of greater ehluim. While no living soul has ever seen one, the stories are limitless. Dragons are birthed from the bellies of volcanos, none more terrible than Mount Zibholg. Dragons destroyed the world and caused the Collapse. Dragons breathed fire so hot that they made the continents of Eiros. The gods created dragons and were so horrified at what they'd done that they started the Collapse to try again. It's unknown how many of these are true, as the only evidence of dragons that scholars have found are their skeletal remains littering the continents of Unakimth and Kima.
As gleaned from ancient depictions of the creatures, dragons are unfathomably huge, and they only increase in size as they age. The oldest and most powerful are the largest. Some have feathers, some don't, and some have a mixture of both. Regardless, they all have a chameleon-like effect to their appearance. Their scales, or feathers, seem to shimmer and dance, and are difficult to look at for too long. Their manes, if present, flow with the wind such as a horse's. Their mouths are lined with razor-edged teeth, their claws are powerful and dextrous, and their wings double as their front legs. Some have lion's tails, others horse's, or lizard's, wolf's, or bird's. They are beautiful and terrible at the same time, and they are the most powerful magic-users to ever exist.
Dragons are, indeed, born from erupting volcanos. The most famous is Mt. Zibholg, one of the only remaining active volcanos in the world and the one to produce the most powerful of dragons, supposedly because of its proximity to the Ehloh. It erupts roughly every 3000 years, forming a draconic life in its heart out of molten lava, rock, and magic. When a dragon is born, it is about the size of an enxe. It takes about 2000 years to reach average size. Dragons must live in a magic-rich environment. Their position as greater ehluim also marks them as a protector of all that is natural and precious. The reason so few dragons are born now is because of the lack of ehlu in continents outside of Kima, and the dwindling flow in Kima itself.
Appearing to be a cross between an ox, a horse, and a bird of some kind, enxe are a species of ehluim that have become a popular working animal among Kimans. Their name is derived from the Xithil words for "large beast", as its size is the most notable thing about this creature. On average, enxe stand at about nine feet tall, can weigh 2000 lbs, and live for decades. Wild enxe are notoriously hard to tame, and it often takes entire groups with the help of a mage to help control them. A special kind of collar, charmed by a mage, is used to keep them docile once captured. Unfortunately, a side effect of this collar is that the behemoth loses its ehlu potency, dulling its coat and feathers. Only found on Kima, they are widely raised among farmers and the military alike, and their exports sell for a lot of gold in Unakimth.
Eggs, milk, meat, leather, horns, and feathers can all be farmed from enxe. The eggs are typically a foot tall and can feed a family of four for a couple of days. The milk is sweet and thick, making it a favorite treat among children. The meat is lean and filling, and an entire enxe can take weeks to fully consume. While leather armor made from deer and cattle is plenty sturdy and protective, enxe leather is especially tough. The horns of an enxe are valuable and used to make decorative pieces, accessories, and charms. Those of a wild one are most sought-after, as they’re imbued with magical energy that can be preserved and used later. The feathers from an enxe’s crest are thought to bring good luck to archers, but only if taken from a living animal. The enxe’s great height and temper make this a much harder task than it sounds. A feather taken from a wild enxe is even more valuable, because, similar to the horns, it has magical properties. A wild feather will have a rainbow sheen to it, while a domestic feather will be dull.
Enxe are found all over Kima except for Faelkaen, as it's too cold for them, and the Faelkish look down on the methods used to domesticate them anyway. The people of Øghe are the only known province able to tame enxe without the charmed collars.
In addition to farmers, some militaries also make use of enxe. They’re surprisingly fast for their size, and their sturdiness and power can make or break a victory on the battlefield. However, they can also be a liability if their charmed collar is somehow broken or removed. Military enxe are often outfitted with more than just a collar to try and minimize this risk.
Often just referred to as the translated name, "the harvest elk" or the "uoc elk" is one of the largest creatures in Kima at nine-and-a-half feet on average at the shoulder. What really makes it tower over all the rest, however, is its antlers. All harvest elk, regardless of sex, possess impressive antlers that are shed in the spring. A Faelkish and Øghean staple tradition is the Annual Hunt of the Uoclaepoiyk, which involves a ceremonial hunt of a harvest elk at the end of the fall without the use of magic. The felled animal becomes a food source throughout the winter. The beasts are notoriously difficult to take down without the use of magic, but are also considered sacred in the Yaeani faith, as it's believed that they were one of the first living creatures to be created. Harvest elk are all but extinct in the other parts of Kima that they once roamed, and are forbidden from Faelkish and Øghean hunters except during the Hunt.
From the Avarc word for "demon", kkus are a species of ehluim that few have actually seen. Most often spotted (or rumored) around places of significant death, such as old battlefields, ruins, or places lacking ehlu such as the Barrenwood, most Kimans see them as nothing more than folktales.
The creatures are described as somewhat humanoid in appearance, with the general silhouette of a person, but taller. They're hunched, meaning their true height could be so much as eight feet tall when standing upright. They can possess up to four arms that hang low to the ground, dragging until they decide to attack. At that point, they become deadly, razor-edged weapons. It is not believed that they have eyes or noses. Their mouths are described as hanging open, slack-jawed, through which an unearthly, tortured sound is unleashed. Their bodies can be emaciated, sickly, and even charred.
Different religions and cultures believe in different origins for the kkus. The Yaeans believe that they are the mutated souls of evil people deemed unworthy by Čihbhaen to enter the afterlife. The Raemana think that kkus are those who were not afforded a proper burial, forced to remain on land instead of rejoining Raem for judgement. Some mages wonder if kkus are practicioners and victims of zibholg who went too far and became twisted, a theory supported by Avarc writings.
A potential subspecies of kkus that lives specifically in the Śelugi Wilds of Oru are the Children of the Wood. They live among the other ehluim, seemingly in harmony. They are revered and feared by the people of Oru, and are considered to be the forest's protectors. They can twist the very fabric of reality within the forest, turning travelers around and casting terrifying illusions. Those who enter and never returned are said to have either been killed by the Children, or to have joined them. Either way, they’re gone forever. Some say they eat human flesh, have bark for skin, and have mouths lined with sharp, bloody fangs. Others say they’re eight feet tall, lanky, with arms that reach the forest floor, and huge, soulful eyes that draw travelers in to be entrapped forever––striking resemblance to the description of kkus. They’re described as having leaves for hair, claws on their fingers and toes, naked, with antlers, horns, or multiple arms. It’s unknown which of these tales, if any, are true. However, the similarity to the kkus has caused the Children to be lumped in with them, whether or not it's accurate.
