Mist Men
by hughpierre
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Serpentism
Great importance is attributed to the sky. Because dragons only lower themselves to the ground when they're about to die and regular ascend beyond sight. It is believed that they spend most of their time interacting with clouds, stars and any known or unknown cosmic phenomenon. Worshipers believe that the divine pervades and interpenetrates every part of the universe and extends beyond space and time. The main serpentine branch as recognized across most states is the worship of Quetzalcoatl. That is, worship of the feather dragons themselves as deities. Sky bound Gods, whose shadows they cast on the earth while overhead; whose huge feathers we can touch and whose bodies, men can partake of. Seen in this light, the creatures are symbolic of a blending between the heavens and the earth: existing within both in equal measure.Shared customary codes and values
Kiri Worth
Since the beginning of the Kiris' migrations, the cultures of the Mist have evolved to nearly revere these creatures as harbingers of prosperity.During Peace
In their times, public works are encouraged, productivity increases dramatically and, most notably of all, a sense of prideful unity perpetuates through the people.During War
This has lead to grief for many a conquering armies. For the men of the Mist learned long ago how to mount and gallop silently across fields and lakes towards the enemy in large flanking motions impossible to anyone else. Whole settlements become mobile; and up and move further from the mist with the Kiri. Animosity that might otherwise flare in such internal movements are gentled among themselves because the migrates are being carried to their new hosts by the Kiri.Average technological level
Riding Kiri
Tax Pants
Specially made trousers padded in the crotch area and stiffened along the legs.Riding Manners
Rhythmic motion from the rider's hip downwards that have to be memorized and instinctive to prevent razor cut from the kirin scales.Metal Working
Extraction
Surface mining are typically used for more shallow and less valuable deposits and are the most common to be seen inside Mist. Underground mining are more expensive and are often used to reach deeper deposits; financed by entities larger than a town. Placer mining is used to sift out valuable metals from sediments in river channels, beach sands, or other similar environments. This practice is most common along both sides of Mist's shores.Purification
Smelting is to extract the metal from the ore by roasting the rock at high temperature which segregates into layers.Alloying of Metals
Melting weighed out ingredients in a heat resistant pan, with sometimes solid ingredients being mixed-in to gain minor properties, and pouring the contents into a cooling mold or sand. These are wide spread and smaller scale enterprises, typically conducted by specialized commoner families.Metal Crafting
Open-molded casting with gilding and filigrees is common for making small metal sculptures, sheets, pendants, beads and bells with gold and tumbaga ornaments comprising the usual regalia of persons of high status. Lost wax casting, where a duplicate metal sculpture is cast from an original wax sculpture, to create a smooth and suspended metal shell encasing an interior clapper. Heat hammering produces high yield strength, low hardness and high ductility through strain hardening at high temperature, while cold hammering gives a brittle metal through strain hardening at a room temperature and sand-polished at the end for ornamentations.Focus Stones
Focus Stones are catalysts that reduce the energy required to transmute one element to another, with a focus on changing metals. How they are made is a tightly held secret of the many Tetlachihuiani's financed by various warlords.Common Dress code
The people dressed according to sex, age and economic status. The men prefer trousers and tunics, whilst the women dress in strap dresses worn over undergarments. Ordinary clothes are made of traded materials, like wool and flax, woven by women.
Art & Architecture
Keanian Ruins
It was the style of the Hornkin to build their structures with a simple frames and complicated exteriors. From studying their remains, architects repurposed features of arches, precast assembly, base construction, basement excavation, barrel vaults and blockwork contributes to the Free-Stand Style.Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Salt Spells
While the Brine Marshes are the rightful source of Salt Spells as a discipline, Mist also develops unique spells through their own Tetlachihuiani. As a direct result of the higher than normal salt content in the air, the Tetlachihuiani create spells that can only be cast within Mist.Funerary and Memorial customs
Cremation
An open-air pyre is an ancient tradition among mist men dating since keanian time. This was a practice imposed onto them given that their Hornkin masters were not sentimental towards them and the land being so mineral rich that a body would be preserved in the soil.Common Taboos
The small mountain ranges that flank the valley are forbidden for the mist people to enter.
Hearts Mountain
Situated on the western side of this valley, the mountain contains a circular crater said to be populated with malicious sprites.Zagrostone Belt
Situated on the eastern side of this valley, the belt consists of a cavernous ravine amidst bucking regions of Meiz, Salt Place and Zagrostone.Common Myths and Legends
Keanian Era
Slavery and Emancipation
Descendants of modern mist men are popularly thought to be of enslaved people to the Keans. When Eeat's influence finally collapsed, these moved deeper into the valley or took over the ancients constructions designed by Keans and built by humans.Ruins
Hearts Mountain
- Snake Temple
- Butterfly Effigy
- Sprite Might
- Heart's Core
Central Valley
- Dima Trial
- Moss Chamber
Zagrostone Belt
- Mistgates
- Dark Arch
Modern Era
There is no shortage of monsters, real or imagined, that prowl the cracked land in Mist. Persistent mists and fogs also permeate the air from all sides of the hanging valley.
Tragedy drawn from human suffering is said to deliver a form of catharsis to the listener. From that, the fall of the many dynasties of mist is considered a rich source of that.
Historical figures
Noteworthy Warlords
Smoking Toad
A warlord of the Mist Shores who is credited with keeping the various dominions of the shores united through the turmoil of the valley.Big Cat
A previously exiled leader from the central basin to the Zagrostone, and back again.Copy Cat
A former criminal from the Belt who rose to the regency of his adopted home.Banisz
Banisz was the only child of a rich and noble family of the Mist. Who knocked back several rival claimants to territorial supremacy, invaded the Triple Alignment, kicked out the Tinged from Mist, beat back the Sang's counter invasion and was captured, by the then Black Ghost.Major organizations
Warlordism
Warlordism is the dominant feature of politics in Salt Mist where regional warlords exercise military, political, economic and social control over territorial boundaries along constructed along tribal or kinship lines. Dynastial claims are constantly changing due to temporary alliances or inter-regional conflicts. One reason for this churn of the political bodies is the Kirin arrivals that unbalance the military potential every fifty years. And with that, regions that had been able to coalesce into a sustainable long-term identity identified themselves by their ruling dynasty. For example, people living under the Neksayoli Dynasty called themselves the Neskky and spoke a language called Nessy. However, there would often be little distinction between these people and their neighbours. As such the Neskky would have similar cultural and linguistic ties with the Auluvul who spoke aulvel while under the Auluvell Dynasty over the border.
Diverged ethnicities
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
Related Items
Related Myths
Related Locations
STR | (Choose the lowest roll as modifier) |
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CON | |
DEX | |
INT | |
WIS | |
CHA | |
Armour | 2d6 |
HP | 3d6+6 ([min+max]/2) |
Speed | 2d10+10 ft |
Warlord Timelines
Within Mist, the reign of historical clans has been the measure of the passage of time.
Foggy Times
Soyeaneian Dynasty
Describes a mythical time of independence from the Keans following their extinction
From the many tales, it is unclear if it was a time ruled by the foggy cloud clans, sprites or a dying sect of benevolent surviving Hornkin.
From the different regional versions, it is likely that there were many independent state at the time
Middle Period
Saiven Empire
One of the few mist valley spanning entities to have truly united the mist men
Yentis Empire
Yentis was a successor state to the Saiven Empire that thought too much of itself.
Āmēyalli Reign
One of four kingdoms, and longest lasting, to have bought the mist men from Mist Shore to Tenula and Hearts Cliffs to Zagrostone under one rule and over a pit
Tzinaka Tzohnaka
Organised as a vassal kingdom to the invading molten king. One of the few entities to totally encompass the whole of Mist
Early Kingdoms
Yotha Kingdom
Nothing much can really be said for Yotha's legacy. Its just the first tribe to pull itself together after the occupation
Wegary Dynasty
A triunity that fell under the sway of the Wegary and had a foot on both cliffs to piss on the basin floor
Chiba Kingdom
A defensive alliance of smaller kingdoms along the basin and Zagrostone cliffs
Hueyi Cuetzpalin Kingdom
The lizard kingdom was the most recent entity to encompass the whole of Mist Valley that later rulers look to for example
Tlacuīcaliztli Rock
It's still there, the Rock. I think the mining town atop it, is the same place where the Mosquito Man used to hunt
Later Dynasties
Auluvell Dynasty
Auluvell could defend itself. Do not doubt. But it built itself like an inverted pyramid
Neksayoli Dynasty
The Neksayoli did pretty well for themselves. Though they ultimately fell, they did manage to take all their enemies with them
Chīchīltic Chāhuiztli Canton
An unconventional consortium of storekeepers and peddlers
Iztāc Teōcuitlatl
Ruled through a theocratic government, as generous to others as is its heavy attention on Camazotz and Obsidian Butterflies
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