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Hettar/C'trel	takkyon@dartmouth.edu	[ I N I E L ]

INIELIC LANGUAGE 
(Non-linguistic-techno-geeks are advised to skip.)
The Inielese in fact speak a different language entirely from the rest
of the continent, seemingly possessing a great number of its basic
linguistic roots from the tongue of demons.  Study of Inielese linguistics
is an extremely difficult task, simply because the language is *very* old
and extremely complicated.  Inielic (or, to use the term of the langage
itself, Ilfedh) nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all formed from the same
basic roots.  The Inielic verb "to run" ("olosei"), for example, is formed
from the same root as is the noun "runner" ("oloseiem") -- and, depending
on the situational modifiers and the context it is used in, "oloseiem" can
also be interpreted as "messenger", "fugitive", or "athlete".  This tends
to be somewhat rare in formal situations, where more specific nouns are
used, but is extremely common in casual-style conversation.  The listener
must thus be very conversant with the meaning of modifiers and intonations
to interpret the message correctly.

General Ilfedh pronounciation guide:
a : Usually short English a.  Long a is rare (use "y" instead).
e : Short e or "eh".  Long e (as in "eek!") is uncommon in Ilfedh, except
for use in proper names.
i : Short i ("ih").  Long i ("eye") is unused.
o : Long and short forms both used.  Short tends to be dominant.
u : Short u ("uh") at the beginning of words.  Long u ("you) tends to be
used only in the middle of words.
ie/y: Considered a single verb in Ilfedh.  Usual pronounciation is "ay". 
The Y and IE characters in Ilfedh are identical.  Y is not used in its
normal, long form.  "ie" combinations are almost never prounounced "ee",
thus "oloseiem" /oh-low-say-m/, not /oh-lo-seem/ or /oh-low-say-ee-em/.

st : T *only* appears with s or h in Ilfedh.  This combination is
considered a single character in the Ilfedh alphabet.
ts : The other combination in which t appears with s.  Pronounced as in
"tsk", often with a long u implied on the end, thus becoming a sort of
"tsuu". 
th : remarkable only for being one of the three allowed uses of t.
dh : Only combination in which d appears in Ilfedh.  Pronounciation is as
"th", but with the d implied at the beginning of the sound (just how loudly
voiced it is varies from town to town and person to person).
x : Standard pronounciation is "ch", thus "xedhel" /che-dth*-ll/.

The characters d, g, j, k, q, t and z do not appear by themselves in Ilfedh
at all.  These sounds simply do not exist in the language.  Inielic
language is generally spoken in soft, quiet tones, and most often with an
abundance of sibilants.  Inielese do not shout or even raise their voice
when speaking (except when under extreme stress), instead expressing their
displeasure through further verb and noun modifiers.  They have thus gained
something of a reputation for inscrutability in the rest of the world, as
it seems to be impossible to cause an Inielese to lose his temper or
composure.

Inielese nouns can also be difficult because there are three types of noun,
-reh nouns, -em nouns, and -vel nouns, each of which has nine cases.  For
example, the polite noun "uvelreh", meaning "empire", has the following
forms:

        Nominative (subject): uvelreh
        Genitive (of x): uvelfedh
        Dative (to x): uvelval
        Accusative (object): uvelom
        Ablative (by x): uvelnas
        Mittive (from x): uveladh
        Assistive (with x): uvelnal
        Benetive (for x): uvelvedh
        Contentive (in x): uvelxl  

 Ilfedh does not differentiate between singular and plural nouns (or
pronouns, for that matter).  -em and -vel nouns have different case
endings, of course, but one cannot reveal *everything* about Ilfedh...it
is, after all, a dark and mysterious language known by few outside Iniel.

Verbs are similar in that tense differentiation is made by adding an ending
to the  verb stem.  Ilfedh has eight basic indicative tenses (the
subjunctives are obtained by adding suffixes), present, imperfect, perfect,
and past perfect (in both active and passive).  Ilfedh contains no future
or future perfect tense, nor any method for suggesting knowledge of the
future.  The best one can do is to use a modifier of possibility  or
desire, i.e. "Couldn't it be x?" as opposed to "It will be x.".  This is
indicative of one important element of the Inielese psyche, the desire to
live for the present and the belief in the unpredictability of the future.

In similar vein, there is no second person tense in Ilfedh, only first and
third (singular and plural are, as in nouns, undifferentiated).  This
reflects the intense feelings of xenophobia harbored by most Inielese; one
may be either "I/we" or "he/she/it", a part of the group or an outsider. 
The middle ground is not considered to exist.  This naturally leads to
heavy use of the first person plural by Inielese, i.e. "Why don't we go to
the store?" as opposed to "Would you go to the store?", where the meaning
is *not* specified but implied through context and modifiers.  (In the
above case, "store" would likely have both dative and benetive suffixes,
dative coming first, or, more likely, with the dative used as a prefix and
benetive as a suffix; the implication here is "(to) the store
(for...(me))".)  Such cases inevitably cause problems for new speakers of
Ilfedh who frequently misinterpret the remarks as literal suggestions.  In
some cases, such as a suggestion that x go to bed, this can lead to amusing
results.  Fortunately, most Inielese who have any reason to be associated
with outsiders speak at least the rudiments of the tongue of the Ohs
Empire; many are excellent speakers, with only a slight accent.

RELIGION
Iniel (Anfedh to natives) is perhaps best known for its heavy emphasis on
demon worship.  Religion is not institutionalized, as a rule; some larger
towns and cities have public worship areas, but by and large the accepted
practice is for each individual to pay his respects to the _marrem_, the
common term for demon in Ilfedh, as he chooses.  Rumor has it that there
are exactly 13 Inielic demon-gods, although each reportedly commands
legions of major and minor demons.

These demon-gods, or Hrass'cipi, are of varying power and influence
(although each is far more powerful than any single mortal or demon, they
are measurably weaker than Ea's true deities).

When an Inielic child of noble birth reaches 13 years of age, he or she is
expected to complete a bizarre and dangerous ritual to attract the
attention of one of the demon-gods, who from that point serves as his
patron (He or she will still give the other 12 nominal worship; commoners
tend to worship them collectively).  Some do not opt to perform the ritual,
and some (few) fail to attract the attention of any, but these do not, by
and large, live long.  Patron demons provide advice, services, and whatever
else their level of power and their opinion of the worshipper in question
dictates, but they rarely if ever do things without expecting some return. 
The return may be minor or even imperceptible to the demon's pawn, but it
is nonetheless there (in contrast to the demonologists, who more often
threaten and demand in order to get what they want from the demons -- a
dangerous proposition at best).  There is a widespread tendency among noble
Inielese to sacrifice valuable objects, animals, slaves, etc., to their
patrons in the hope of receiving more favors.  For unknown reasons, the
demon-gods seem to become patrons in inverse proportion to their power
level; thus, the weakest of them is usually the patron of the most, and the
most powerful, the fewest (in point of fact, the strongest of the
demon-gods had not deigned to become a patron for almost two centuries
until he chose Brennan Elannon, now the Hierarch Prince of Iniel).  It is
*only* through mortal servants that the demon-gods can express any power at
all on the mortal plane, so they are usually quite willing to grant favors
to their loyal servants.  Such powers are not usually anything like the
"physical" magic of most common sorcerers; they tend toward
mind-manipulations, such as causing hallucinations, disrupting sense input,
manipulating emotions, and other such techniques. (A full description of
such magic is forthcoming.  The above should not be taken as gospel.)

THE INIELESE PEOPLE
Inielese tend to have slim, tall figures, pale skin, and dark brown or
black hair, although redheads are not especially rare.  Blondes or those
with extremely light brown hair are rare and unusual.  Eyes tend to be
large, with colors ranging from pale, almost white blue to very dark, dirty
browns; violet, pale gold, and orange eyes are not at all rare among the
Inielese, although blues and greens seem to be the most common.  The
average Inielese male stands slightly over six feet and weighs about one
hundred and fifty pounds; women are a bit shorter, at 5'10" average, and
weigh considerably less.  The Inielese as a rule are arrogant, extremely
xenophobic, proud, disdainful of those they consider beneath them, slightly
paranoid, and prone to elaborate plotting and backstairs deal cutting. 
They tend to think in convoluted fashion, rarely enter into direct
conflict, and never trust the simplest solution.  They consider their race
as a whole inherently superior to any others on Ea and display a thinly
veiled contempt when encountering such.  

POLITICS AND SOCIETY
The sociopolitical system is fairly complex and stratified.  At the top is
the Matriarch, of course, her immediate family, and the other members of
whichever family whose head is the current Matriarch.  Each Matriarch,
thanks to mysterious  and demonic magicks, has a tremendously long lifespan
(400+ years is not uncommon), a gift shared by many of the noble families. 
When the Matriarch dies, civil war erupts between the families of the Lords
of Iniel until one retains hold of Velissihl long enough to declare the new
Matriarch and "spread word to all the lands of Iniel".  (In practice, the
major towns and villages suffice.)  For this reason, troops other than the
Matriarch's are strictly prohibited in Velissihl. Just below this are the
other hereditary feudal lords and ladies of Iniel, a huge and diverse bunch
in terms of goals, power, and history.  Such lords range from the
descendents of families that have ruled the same lands since before the
Matriarchy ever arose, to petty lords who rule no more than an acre or two
of land and owe their titles mainly to generous former Matriarchs.  

Theoretically, at least, all lords are equal, and each normally bears only
the title "Lord (or, more likely, "Lady") of Iniel".  Realistically,
however, a fairly small group of families (>20) dominate the government of
Iniel.  These tend to be families controlling large areas of land, large
treasuries, large coalitions of minor lords (which are usually very
temporary, and can arise for any number of reasons), or all of the above. 
Additionally, a variety of additional titles are held, in some cases
hereditarily, and some cases on basis of competence, by the highest of the
Lords.  Such titles ("Supreme Chancellor", "Lord High Marshal", and
"Hierarch Prince" are the translations of but a few) usually carry not only
prestige and power, but often a grant of land or similar benefit.

Some of the more powerful families include: 
Beltyn: A family of cutthroats and murderers, the Beltyns would be far more
influential if they could put a stop to their continuous infighting and
concentrate more on their enemies.  So frequently do internal feuds and
murderous vendettas rip through their ranks that an Inielic joke is to
refer to something as "As lasting as a Beltyn Lord" -- that is, not very
lasting at all.

Chanthalas: The Chanthalas are shrewd merchants and scholars, exceptionally
skilled at manipulating the economy for their own greatest profit.  One of
the wealthiest of all the families, they are, alas, laughably incompetent
in the political arena, and only their wealth allows them to remain as
influential as they are.

Dharamos: An old and distinguished family, it is said that the Dharamos
line has produced more Matriarchs than any other.  The legend may or may
not be true (and the Inielese certainly aren't saying), but the reputation
-- and the vast territories -- of the family make them one of the most
powerful in the  Matriarchy.  The current Lady Dharamos, Lasella Dharamos,
is Lord High Marshal.

Elannon: At the moment, by a considerable margin the most powerful family
of the Matriarchy.  An old family, if not as old as Dharamos, and rich in
territory and intelligence, the Elannon family has tremendous influence. 
They seem to have some mysterious source of wealth, for despite low tax
rates they are among the richest in the empire.  Though led in name by
Marennia Elannon, it is Hierarch Prince Brennan Elannon who really rules
this family.

Erevul: An unremarkable family but for their influence.  Erevul is among
the younger families, having been granted title a mere three-quarters of a
milennium ago.  They have acheived their eminent position primarily due to
hard work and good luck, rather than any special talents or advantages.

Presper: This family tends to be rather erratic; they range from those with
one or two minor quirks to those who are completely mad.  When rational,
they are quite brilliant, and often make large short-term political gains,
but eventually someone lapses back into madness at an inconvenient time and
wipes out the accomplishments.

Ryhinn: This is the family of the current Matriarch, Arenna Ryhinn. 
Unfortunately, they have lost much of their power since she became
Matriarch, and to make matters worse, none of the family have even
moderately strong Hrass'cipi.  As a result, although they still retain the
position of Matriarch, the Ryhinn are most often forced to go along with
the strongest of the families in an attempt to regain their strength.

All families are ruled by a matriarch, although, as is the case with
Elannon, this rule may be in no more than name.  In general, women are
heavily favored by the entire social and political system, so much so that
women are often selected for jobs or ennoblements over better-qualified men
(more than 85% of Inielese nobles are women).  Although it is possible for
a man to rise to high position in Iniel, it is very, very rare.  Such a man
would have to be far more talented and powerful than any of his female
contemporaries, even more so as one reaches the highest levels of nobility.

Below the lords are scholars (including demonologists) and craftsmen,
followed directly by merchants, farmers and laborers, and, at the bottom of
the hierarchy, servents and slaves.  The last are not considered persons at
all, being primarily from other lands (the Inielese are notorious for
raiding neighboring lands in order to capture slaves, sacrifices, or both;
children are preferred for the latter purpose, adolescents for the former),
and killing one merely mandates that the killer pay the slave's owner the
cost of replacement. Theives and assassins are considered "craftsmen", and
as such, are the social equals of any artist or professor, although for
obvious reasons, they usually avoid revealing their status.

GEOGRAPHY
Iniel is a roughly oval-shaped land, bordered on the east by, as the
Inielic term for them translates, the Demons' Spine mountain range, and on
the other borders by the Osseral and Ralladhin rivers.  In between, Iniel
consists primarily of misty, humid swamps and thick, dense jungle, with
some clear areas to allow for agriculture, a large number of small towns
and villages, and a few major cities.  Velissihl, the nominal capital of
the Matriarchy, lies slightly to the southwest of the center of Iniel.  It
is here that the actual ruling is done, and thus most politically active
Inielese live here.

Most of Iniel, though, is still a mixture of treacherous swamp and thick
jungle abounding with disease, horrifying beasts, and, according to some,
enormous treasures left by some pre-Inielic civilization.  It is speckled
with hundreds of thousands of underground caverns, many all but impossible
to find, and in these caverns are the fabled mines of Iniel, from whence
spring the land's seemingly limitless wealth in gold, silver, and gems. 
Huge portions of land have yet to be explored and mapped in detail; quite
probably there are thousands more as-yet-untapped mines hidden somewhere in
Iniel.  The far northeast of the Matriarchy, in fact, is such dense,
treacherous swamp and jungle, and so well-endowed with all sorts of
monsters, that nearly a hundred square miles of it was declared by a
previous Matriarch as "forbidden territory" -- all entry into the area is
strictly prohibited, although few have to be persuaded, despite rumors that
this area was the center of pre-Inielic civilization.  Granting territory
in this area is a very popular way for Matriarchs to rid themselves of
lords they consider annoying, since, although no income whatsoever can be
derived from it, taxes must nonetheless be paid.
    
Brief (sorta) History of Iniel: (PT: Pre-Taeis, the period before the Ohs
Empire was founded by Taeis Dubogula; AT: the period after the founding of
the empire.

5000 PT: Human tribes begin to migrate into what will soon become Iniel,
and soon spread rapidly over the area.

3000 PT: 'Proto-Iniel' is covered by a patchwork of separate independent
states, each separate by dozens of miles of jungle.  Over the next
millenium, the states will gradually begin to unite into loose
confederations.  The first and strongest is ruled by Aruvan Dharamos.

1925 PT: The leaders of the five largest states (Peretir Dharamos, Ulen
Allaire, Tanevel Nevronar, Evali Vedrian, and Rellidan Elannon) sign the
Unification Accords, forming what is modern Iniel.  Marellya Nevronar is
declared the first Matriarch to tremendous acclaim.  She is succeeded on
her death in 1843 by her daughter, Illyana Nevronar.  These two, during
their respective reigns, begin a tendency toward female domination of the
government, even going so far as to declare the Matriarchy (which had been
originally intended as a Matriarchy/Patriarchy, depending on who held the
position at the moment) a female-only position.  This trend will continue
and grow until the present day.

1776 PT: Matriarch Illyana Nevronar dies, without having left an heir. 
After several days of wrangling over the subject of the new Matriarch, the
leaders of the five confederations agree to disagree, and civil war breaks
out.  Things rapidly degenerate as the smaller states use this excuse to
resolve disputes and attempt to gain negotiating leverage.

1770 PT: The bloodbath finally ends as the Dharamos family captures and
holds Velissihl long enough to decree their matriarch, Alleva Dharamos, as
Matriarch of All Iniel.

92 AT: The Velissihl Accords are signed, once again unifying Iniel after
almost five and a half centuries of separation.  The treaty names Danara
Dharamos as Matriarch and includes a clause ordering the resconstruction of
Velissihl for use as capital of Iniel.  Reconstruction begins at once.

114 AT: The rebuilding of Velissihl is completed, and the Matriarch takes
up residency in the Court of the Serpent, beginning Iniel's time of
greatest prosperity.


306 AT: Slightly concerned by the growing strength of the Ohs Empire in its
pushes to the south, Matriarch Baria proposes sending a delegation to meet
with the rulers of this supposed "Empire" in hopes of learning more about
it.  The measure is denounced by most families of the Matriarchy, and Baria
withdraws the suggestion.

480 AT: Baria Ryhinn dies, and is succeeded by Reia Elannon, who proves
similar in many ways to her long-dead ancestor Renata.

528 AT: The ritual of summoning Hrass'cipi is discovered by leaders of the
demon cult, who begin to teach it to the sons and daughters of their
respective families.

581 AT: An internal struggle of some sort wracks Iniel for several years,
eventually ending in the assassination of Matriarch Reia and the
declaration of demon worship as the official religion of Iniel.  The new
Matriarch, Ilyaya Chanthalas, proves a competent, if unimaginative, ruler.

762 AT: Ilyaya Chanthalas dies, and is succeeded by the former Lord High
Marshal, Kerryn Dharamos.  Matriarch Dharamos immediately begins
preparations for war with the tribes to the north, which have been growing
stronger and more threatening in recent years.

766 AT: The northern barbarians launch a preemptive invasion of Iniel. The
swampy terrain, hot and humid weather, and continual spoiling attacks
launched by the Inielese Special Tactical Battalions make them regret their
decision very rapidly, and within a year their advance has been halted.

768 AT: For the first time, demons are summoned to fight for the Inielese
forces as the northern barbarians are driven back across the Osseral river
and out of Iniel.  

772 AT: Having driven the barbarians far to the north of Iniel, Dharamos
declares the campaign concluded and recalls her forces, not bothering to
occupy the conquered land.

1015 AT: Kerryn Dharamos dies in her sleep.  She is destined to be the last
such Matriarch to do so for more than a millenium.  Her successor is
Livadha Elannon.

1143 AT: Following the accidental death of Derrin Ryhinn, eldest son of the
Ryhinn family's matriarch, an unfortunate misunderstanding and some
ill-timed political squabbles combine to rip apart the 1100-year old
alliance between the Elannon and Ryhinn families.  The Ryhinn response is a
vendetta that leaves dozens of Lords and Ladies on both sides dead,
including the unlucky or imprudent Matriarch, Livadha Elannaon. 
Eventually, after scores of charred assassins and almost as many knifed
corpses, the two families cease active hostilities, but by no means
reconcile.  Taryn Beltyn becomes Matriarch.

1206 AT: Just over 50 years into her reign, Taryn Beltyn is assassinated by
a jealous member of her own family.  In the ensuing civil war, the Beltyn
family spends more time stabbing each others' backs than attempting to
regain the Matriarchy, which, as a result, goes to Sulana Dharamos.

1433 AT: The Ohs Empire begins its attempt at conquest of the Paeni clans. 
Some few Lords and Ladies, concerned by the imperialistic tendancies of
Ohs, suggest that the Matriarch do away with them while they are occupied
on one front already.  Rather than listen, Sulana has the group executed
for daring to suggest that Iniel might need worry about a ragtag collection
of upstart barbarians.  Several weeks later, Sulana is assassinated by
relatives of several of the executed nobles.  Her successor is Imura
Xalenthil.

1586 AT: The Ohs Empire invades Iniel, to the surprise and shock of the
Matriarch.   Severak villiages are razed and their populations executed by
overzealous commanders.  Matriarch Imura sends the ISTB (Iniel Special
Tactical Battalions) to harass the invaders, which they do with such
efficiency that thousands of Imperial troops die in several days while
killing no more than a few hundred ISTB troops.  Eventually, reinforced by
the Matriarch's Own Elite Guard and a small force of major demons, the ISTB
launches a series of hit-and-run raids that devastate the Imperial Army and
force its retreat from Iniel.

1594 AT: After the death of the Dragon Emperor of Ohs, his successor
determines to reinvade Iniel, and sends 650,000 troops to subdue and
humiliate the nation.  Inielese forces fall back quickly, offering little
resistance except for the usual harassing raids.  Encouraged, Tarnil Seina
Dubogula moves her command headquarters just inside the borders of Iniel
and takes personal command of the operation.

1595 AT: Judging the Ohs Empire troops to have stretched their lines too
far, Imura Xalenthil orders a series of counterattacks all along the line
of advance, taking maximum advantage of the familiar terrain.  ISTB teams
contribute to the chaos by destroying supply depots, assassinating
officers, and disrupting lines of communications.  Within a month, the
Imperial forces are confused, demoralized, and disorganized, a situation
which worsens when a demon lord (not a demon-god, but a demon more powerful
than a major demon by a considerable factor) appears in Tarnil Seina
Dubogula's pavilion twenty miles into Iniel and rips the Dragon Empress to
shreds, then adds a company of troops to its diet when they attempt to
prevent the its departure.  The Imperial troops retreat from Iniel in
disarray.

1625 AT: The Dragon Empress of the Ohs Empire poisons the Osseral river,
hoping to revenge the defeat suffered 30 years before at Iniel's hands. 
Nearly a quarter of the population dies from eating fish contaminated by
the poison before the tactic is discovered, including Matriarch Ressil. 
Her immediate successor, Celanni Elannon, immediately begins gathering a
force of powerful demonologists.

1626 AT: Matriarch Elannon's plans finally bear fruit as a combined group
of over 500 demonologists tear open a dimensional rift in the center of
Tarn Ohs, the Imperial capital.  77 major demons and a dozen demon lords
escape from the rift before Imperial sorcerers can close it, and procede to
ravage the city over the next three days and nights.  More than half the
population of Tarn Ohs is killed, including a substantion fraction of the
elite military forces defending the Empress, and the city is essentially
destroyed.  Finally, Empress Meia Dubogula falls on her own sword in shame,
and the demons return to their own dimension.  The events of the last forty
years, however, have near-fatally strained Iniel.  As a result, the people
and the nobility as a whole sink into the langour and decadence which has
marked them ever since.

1812 AT: Celanni Elannon is slain by an assassin of the House of Ryhinn. 
Even the resulting war shows something of the apathy the Inielese continue
to feel.  Riala Ryhinn becomes the new Matriarch.

2061 AT: Matriarch Ryhinn dies of an overdose of narcotics, the use of
which has grown increasingly prevelant in recent decades.  The death
provokes a short furor, largely destroys the narcotics industry, and almost
immediately fades away.  The new Matriarch is Ethara Dharamos.

2072 AT: The 4000th anniversary of the Matriarchy's establishment passes
virtually unnoticed by the population of Iniel.

2224 AT: The Ohs Empire dissolves into civil war, a situation which is
ignored by the Inielese, despite the perfect opportunity it presents for
revenge.  The prevaling argument is that they simply aren't worth
dignifying with the effort.

2248 AT: Ethara Dharamos dies in her sleep, the first Matriarch to do so
since Kerryn Dharamos in 1015 AT.  Ethara is succeeded by Dayana Erevul.

2577 AT: Matriarch Erevul dies, after a 329-year reign that qualifies as
the longest, and possibly most boring, in Iniel's history. Her successor,
Ardulace Lathinel, proves little more energetic.

2823 AT: Nedylinn Chanthalas becomes Matriarch after Ardulace Lathinel dies
of a heart attack.

3005 AT: Arenna Ryhinn ascends to the Matriarchy.  A young, energetic
woman, albeit one with an exceptionally weak Hrass'cipi, of barely 25 years
at the beginning of her reign, she commands the full support of her family,
and seems prepared to lift Iniel out of its milennium and a half of apathy.

3007 AT: A severe policy miscalculation on Matriarch Arenna's part results
in vendettas with the Dharamos and Radhaen families.  The Matriarch loses
the support of most of the nobles and watches the few members of her family
with powerful Hrass'cipi, political influence, or both, die off one by one.
 By the end of the carnage, she is virtually powerless.

3010 AT: Brennan Elannon, oldest son of the current Elannon matriarch,
maneuvers Arenna Ryhinn into an intractable political position and, in
return for the support of his family in getting out of the situation,
demands the post of Hierarch Prince, an appointment that gives his family
large amounts of additional land, as well as control over the a number of
government agencies, including the ISTB, ISIA (Iniel Special Intelligence
Agency) and others.  Combined with the current strength and influence of
the Elannon family as a whole, this makes Brennan de facto ruler of Iniel.

3021 AT: The present.  Brennan retains his grip on the Matriarch and
continues to secure his family's power.  Arenna Ryhinn, trapped in a
position of responsibility with none of the power she needs to make the
changes she sees as vital to the survival of Iniel, plots and schemes to
rid herself of the Hierarch Prince and return her family to its former
ascendancy.  Meanwhile, a young woman claiming to be of the Nevronar line,
which had been thought lost before the Ohs Empire was formed, has appeared
and is attempting to reclaim what she insists are her lands by right. 
Rumors of dark horrors emerging from the forbidden lands to the northeast
increase in frequency every year.  To the west, the Ohs Empire still waits,
restless and eager to absorb Iniel's riches.  And the Inielese themselves
must be lifted out of their apathy if they are again to become a great
nation...

Darkbeard	 msweeney@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu	    [ F I C T I O N ]


DARKBEARD THE PIRATE

Fiction:  A Week Full of Mondays

	The seas were calm and the sky was dark as the Cutthroat stole through
the once stormy waters.  All sails were up, yet the ship wasn't going that
fast... the fact that there were holes in the dark canvas didn't help much,
but in actual fact it was really the fault of the wind, or the lack thereof.
	Sitting at the front of the ship was a swarthy figure clad in black
cloths with dark patches of different colours spotted here and there.  He
wore a dark burgandy sash over his shoulders and otherwise sported a black
hat peaked at the top with a wide brim.  In his hand he held a curved short
sword, in his other hand, a leg of mutton.  Periodically he would use the
sword to sheer meat of the leg, then stick it in his mouth.  (the meat, that
is).
	Standing beside the dark man was a shorter, more youthful man...
hardly a man, actually, more a boy.  He wore dirty clothes which draped all
over his very slim body as rags on a ragpile.
	The first man stroked his beard.  "Arr, lad, be ye hungry?"
	The second looked up.  "Yes sir... very hungry indeed."
	The first man stroked his grizzled beard.  "Ye be a very slim boy,
wouldn't ye think Mikon?"
	The second nodded.  "Slim as a rail, Captain Darkbeard."
	Darkbeard pondered.  "I'd say more than twice as slim as me, wouldn't
ye say?"
	Mikon nodded again.  "Indeed... very slim..."
	Darkbeard grinned.  "Therefore... I'd say ye only have to eat half as
much as me, wouldn't ye say?"
	Mikon raised an eyebrow.  "You're the Captain..."
	Darkbeard grinned.  "Good... then I'll eat this time, and next time
we can both eat... that makes sense to me.  The deck needs a swabbin' get to
it."  Then the swarthy Captain went back to chewing on his mutton and picking
his teeth with his sword.
	Mikon obliged.
	Soon, the Cutthroat was sailing into the harbour at Khuryani Harbour,
located southwest of Uma Castle.  The flags were flying above the small craft
as it sailed through the mist.
	"Arrr, watch where ye park this thing," Darkbeard warned.  "Last time
I trusted ye with the dockings we got towed."
	"But sir... last time it was you who..."
	"Don't be talkin' back to me," Darkbeard warned.  He looked up to the
southwest, where somewhere in the mist there stood Uma Castle.  "I be
thinkin'' of Liaera..."
	"Aye, Captain?"
	
	"Indeed... do ye think she'd go for a scruff like meself?"
	Mikon sighed.  "Captain... I do very much doubt she'd go for a man
like you..."
	Darkbeard clubbed Mikon with the hilt of his sword.  "Ye weren't
supposed to say that... you're supposed to tell me ye think she would!"
	"But sir... she's so regal and beautiful... and you're but a
pirate..."
	"A WHAT???"
	"A pirate sir... rob from the rich, give to yourself..."
	"I've ne'er been so insulted."
	"But sir... truth is a virtue... all you ever worry about is booty...
and you are a scruff... look at yourself!"
	Darkbeard growled.  "Have you ever heard the expression, "The truth
hurts"?"
	Mikon shook his head.
	Darkbeard pounded Mikon in the head with the hilt of his sword five
times, until the small man was spinning around in circles.  "Well it does."
	Mikon groaned.
	"Next time, lie a little." the Captain recommended.
	The Cutthroat was soon docked at one of Khuryani's piers.  Darkbeard
and Mikon climbed the small summit to the top of the peak.
	Then Darkbeard stopped.
	Mikon nearly ran into him.  "What is it, Captain?"
	"I smell something."
	"What?  The sea?  Your stinky underarms?"
	"I smell treasure."
	Mikon sniffed the air.  "All I smell is your breath."
	Darkbeard growled.  "Haven't ye ever heard to keep your ponderin's to
yerself?"
	They climbed some more until they reached a small unguarded building.
 They then crept inside, stole down the hall somewhat, and hid inside a small
closet just beside the door.
	"Now what?" asked Mikon.
	"Now... we wait."
	"For what?"
	"For whoever's gonna be walkin' up and down the halls to do so, so
that we can go!"
	"But sir..."
	"But what?"
	"But... you're saying, we'll wait until someone walks down the hall,
and then when they leave, we can go?"
	"Right... we'll wait for whoever wants to go walkin' up and down the
halls to get it overwith... then we can go!
	Mikon groaned.  "What if nobody comes?  We'll wait all night!"
	"Good point... okay, let's go!"
	Mikon waited for Darkbeard to walk.  But he stood stock still.
	"What is it Captain?"
	"Okay, we can go."
	"After you, then?"
	"No please, laddies first."
	"But you're the Captain!"
	
	"Hey, but weren't you the one that they said could see in the dark?"
	"Who said that?"
	"I just did."
	"Come on sir!  Where's the fearless leader spirit?"
	"I think I left it on me boat, want to go back?"
	Mikon groaned.  "Okay... if you won't go first... what if we go
together?"
	"Good idea!"
	"3... 2... 1... go!"
	No movement.
	"Nice try laddie."
	"Okay, for real this time.  3... 2... 1... go!"
	Darkbeard and Mikon started through the door.  Unfortunately, it
wasn't big enough for the both of them, and they slammed into the door frame.
 There was a loud THUMP!!
	"SHHHHH!!!"  Darkbeard hissed.
	Sooner or later, after both getting through the door, Darkbeard and
Mikon stole down the hall.  The walls were dark, though there were some
pictures spotted here and there that the two could make out.  One was of a
tall barn-type building, surrounded by piles of food.  Another was of farmers
working the fields.  Yet another was of a group of smiling men and women
standing by a fire.
	"Nice place," Darkbeard sneered.
	"Where's the main mint, Captain?"
	"Next hallway... I think."
	They next hallway was even darker than the first.  The two crept down
it... silent as could be... even Darkbeard's huge form made no sounds as he
snuck down the corridor in his thick, salty boots.
	"This is it!" Darkbeard whispered excitedly.  He pointed to his left.
 There was the door with the word "Mint" written on it in bold black letters.
	Darkbeard looked around.  "No guards!  Tonight's our lucky night!"
	"Why no guards?" Mikon pondered aloud.
	"I don't know... perhaps it's their day off!  Let's go!"
	Darkbeard took out his lockpick and started working on the door lock.
 There was a small clinking sound as the lock sprung open.  Darkbeard grinned
evilly and in he went.  Mikon followed.
	"Look at all these bags of money!" Darkbeard cheered.
	The inside of the mint was filled with tall bags filled as full as
they could be, and then tied up at the top.  Darkbeard grabbed two bags, and
Mikon grabbed two as well.  Then they stole away from the building, as fast
as they could go!  The bags were rustling inside as they ran... the money
could be heard scritching against the sides.
	
	"Imagine how much rum we can buy with all this dough!" Darkbeard
grinned.
	"Or how much beer we can buy at the Soti Bothark..."
	"ACK!"  Darkbeard spit.  "Beer... I hate beer!"
	"All you ever drink is rum, Captain!"
	"Rum is all I ever need."
	Mikon sighed.
	The two reached the ship.  The Cutthroat hardly even looked like
itself in the dark... the mist was shrouding the skull and crossbones flag up
top, and the walls were darkened by the cool fog.
	Darkbeard clambered on board and threw his bags to the side.  "Cast
off!"
	Mikon ran to the ropes and untied them quickly.  Then the Cutthroat
was sailing off to sea.
	"Eeep!" Darkbeard shrieked.
	"What?"
	"The steering column!  Someone stole it!  We can't steer!"
	"Steering columns at the back," somebody said.
	"Arrr, thank ye!"  Darkbeard grinned, and took to the back.  Then,
"waitaminute.  Who was that?"
	A tall man strode forward.  "My name's Kaeil, Captain of the
Seahorse."
	"And what ye be doin' on me ship?"
	"This is my ship, good sir... the Seahorse."
	Darkbeard looked up.  A flag of Uma was flying on the mast. 
Darkbeard screamed.
	Soon, the Seahorse, as well as Darkbeard and Mikon, caught redhanded,
was docked near Castle Uma.
	(Actually, only the Seahorse was docked... but anyways)
	And sooner than you could say "Antidisestablishmentarianism",
Darkbeard and Mikon were standing before... the Lady Liaera!"
	She sure looked beautiful.  She was wearing a long, flowing white
robe down to her ankles, with jewels of varied sizes on her wrists and
fingers.  Mikon's mouth dropped at her beauty.  After Darkbeard had finished
admiring all those gorgeous jewels and finally noticed the lady, his mouth
dropped too.
	"What's this I hear..." she began.  "Looting one of Uma's buildings?"
	"Er... not really," Darkbeard grinned.  "You see... I was... well...
we were... um..."
	A man walked in carrying the bags stolen from the mint.  "The
evidence, ma'am."
	Liaera walked over to one of the bags.  "And what do we have here?"
	"Oh... those!  Well... you see..."  Darkbeard groaned.  "Well..."
	Liaera ripped open one of the bags.
	A pile of mint leaves poured out.
	"Mint leaves?" said Liaera.
	"Mint leaves?!?" exclaimed Darkbeard.
	And indeed... Darkbeard and Mikon had not looted the mint... but a
room full of mint leaves!
	"Say madam..." Darkbeard began.  "Did I ever tell you you were
beautiful?"
	"I think you might have told me that last time I saw you... when we
caught you skulking around the main harbour."
	"Well... you are," Darkbeard grinned, showing his dirty teeth.  "A
real vision of loveliness."
	"Why thank you."
	"Indeed," Darkbeard went on, getting into it.  "I don't think I've
ever seen such an image of perfection... me heart stops."
	"How flattering."
	"Anyways... about these mint leaves...?" Darkbeard began.
	"Yes?"
	"Well... ye see... my laddie here likes to have a little mint with
his tea... and well, ye see... I figured... bein' it his birthday and all..."
	"Listen Captain," said Liaera.  "If I ever find you skulking around
Uma again I will make sure to it that you are punished!  Is that clear?"
	"Um... yes ma'am..."
	"I don't know why I put up with garbage from pirates like you..."
	Darkbeard jumped up.  "Pirate!  Well, I never!"
	Mikon poked Darkbeard in the ribs.  "Um...  careful there Captain..."
	"A sailor tries to make an honest business by hisself and gets blamed
for bein' a pirate... it's preposterous... I got me ship and me crew and not
much else and people like you who own castles and all start gettin' funny
ideas..."
	Liaera smirked.  "Go on..."
	And so the story ends... with Darkbeard off the hook once more... the
Cutthroat free to sail the open seas... and the world unsure of where the
dreaded pirate Darkbeard will strike again!

				T H E  E N D

LANGUAGE IN THE OHS EMPIRE (v.4)

Pronunciation:
	jh	s as in measure (in standard linguistical terms, it is zh)
	jn	said as a dipthong
	lj	said as a dipthong
	a	ah
	o	oh
	e	eh
	i	ee
	u	oo
	oh	said like "ho" except said deeper in your throat, with
			a stronger "oh" sound, somewhat like huffing the
			sound
	ssh	said as a dipthong, start by making an "ss" sound then
			merge it into a "sh" sound
	ae	ah-eh, not quite a dipthong, still two distinct sounds
	eo	eh-oh, not quite a dipthong, still two distinct sounds
	ie	ee-eh, not quite a dipthong, still two distinct sounds
	ue	oo-eh, not quite a dipthong, still two distinct sounds
	x	z, the only word this is used in in modern usage is
			"xund", or "unicorn"
	g	g as in goat
	ts	ts as in cats
	th	always soft, as in thin (as opposed to the th in there)
	c	gutteral ch is in the Scottish pronunciation of ch in
			loch, a very uncommon sound
	ah	said like "ha" except huffing slightly as you say it,
			making it softer
	ih	said like "he" except huffing slightly as you say it,
			making it softer
	j	j as in jester
	

	NOTE: there is no stress, pitch is used to emphasize or convey
		subtler emotion


Grammar:
	The language has no real distinction between a noun and an adjective.
An -i ending is usually the ending of a word or compound word. So, two words,
huni (meaning horse, association with horses, or horse-like) and dasi (meaning
soldier, fighter, or warrior) could be combined to hundasi or dashuni (note
that "dashuni" would be pronounced das-huni, not dash-uni). Hundasi, thus,
means horse-warrior, or a mounted soldier.

	In addition, there is no real pluralization, so hundasi could mean
a single horseman or an army of them, or horsemen in general. Expressing
plurals relies on attaching to it a word indicating number, either the exact
number, or, more commonly, a general one roughly analogous to English's
"few", "some", and "many", though somewhat more precise.

	Compound words can be made up of more than two parts. So, the word
raki (meaning bow) could be added to hundasi to form the word "hunrakdasi"
or "rakhundasi" or "hundasraki". In actual practice, it should be noted that
only one of these possible combinations is used for a particular word. So,
a horseman is always referred to as "hundasi", not as "dashuni", though if
you were to use the latter compound, you would be understood, although it
would sound odd to the listener.

	Generally, those words which do not take the -i ending are arranged
in a slightly different manner. They are grouped as if they were an adjective
in front of a noun. This is also sometimes used to emphasize a particular
aspect of the compound word. So, the commander of the horsemen in an army
(tarni means lord, approximately) would likely be referred to as the Tarn
Hundasi. Note that in this case, the -i ending was stripped from tarn. The
most relevant aspect of the compound word, if one exists, is placed near the
beginning, so Tarn Hundasi would emphasize that the more important aspect
was the Tarn-ishness, and only after that they were of horsemen. One could
also call such a person a hundastarni, with this de-emphasizing the fact that
they are a commander, and placing more importance on their connection with
horseman-ness.


	Verbs do not have, by themselves, any tense or reference to the
subject. There is one form, and the only way you can tell its tense is by
context or by the presence of another word that indicates when it happens.
Noun/Adjectives can be made into verbs by the addition of an ending "sh",
that, if the Noun/Adjective ends in a consonent, is instead "ash". Forming
a verb this way usually indicates "the process of". So the word for mask,
"sha", could be made into the verb "to mask" by adding -th to form "shash".
	
	In important note is that there is no verb "to be", rather in the
absence of another verb, it is assumed.


	All verbs, even those without Noun/Adjective roots, end in -sh.


	The word order is: subject - (indirect object) - object - verb
(Poetry, by the way, is almost always designed so as to rhyme from the
_beginning_ of a phrase, rather than the end.) Clauses can be added on
one after another with only a short pause seperating them from one another.

	Adverbs are not used at all. To indicate, for example, that an
action is done "quickly", one merely adds the necessary word onto the
subject. "Kabi", meaning "quickly", added to "oshash" or "to become
civilized", would create the verb "to become civilized quickly", or
"kaboshash".


Vocabulary:
	The following is a list of the vocabulary that I have come up with.
I intend to update it and expand it as I have time.

	ANIMALS
dubogula - dragon
xund - unicorn
preothai - a non-poisonous spider about 1 foot in diameter that builds
		amazingly intricate and extensive webs.
uma - a large sea turtle about 12 feet in diameter that has been used as
		a beast or burden.
kapati - a flying, poisonous snake. The poison is paralytic.
huni - horse
pai - a small bird, somewhat like a sparrow
resethi - seagull
likai - mouse
bothark - a huge, lumbering omnivorous creature about 20 feet long covered
		by huge bony plates and several lines of spikes on its face.
		Though not bright, it is exceedly vicious, and very strong.
		They are sometimes used in much the same way as bulls are in
		Spain.
kedishi - jackal
prei - spider
kapi - snake
manisi - cat
tibi - fish
jhasi - human
kebi - rat
sasshai - sheep
elenbi - cow/bull
nename - goat
pochai - pig/hog

	CLOTHING:
kutari - a long-sleeved tunic commonly worn by nobles or on formal occassions.
		Usually has woven into it stylized representations of animals
		or other simpler designs. It extends over the hips.
panakutari - a short-sleeved kutari that is designed to be worn with a sath.
sath - a white dress-like garment worn underneath a panakutari. It extends
		to the wrists and down to the ankles. While it can be worn
		by both sexes, it is usually only worn by women. Like a kutari,
		it is slid over the head.
umari - pants. They split on either side for a few inches, and necessitate an
		underbelt to hold them on. An overbelt is usually worn over
		the kutari itself.
tasmatashi - soft leather boots of a kind commonly worn in the Ohs Empire. The
		soles of the feet are made of specially hardened leather that
		is segmented into several overlapping pieces to make the entire
		footwear easier to walk in. It can go as low as the ankle or
		as high as just below the knee.

	NATURE:
sejn - cliffs or escarpment
marn - sea or ocean
separai - swamp, fens, or marshland
lebai - water
ani lebai - river
ani - movement or flow
korgo - earth or soil
batami - wind
shimiasi - sand storm
iasi - sand
gari - rock
ejhakiladani - inferno
ejhake - warmth or heat
dani - fire
potam - fertile soil or loam
talati - forest or woodland
lati - wood

	COLORS:
soti - rust red or blood red
tosoti - orange
kosoti - orangish-pink
ketina - light blue
lei - deep blue
paryani - yellow
ithilyai - purple
gloi - black
parai - white
shintisayaki - gold
kothoi - tan or brown
kelji - light green
hanalji - forest green

	MILITARY:
raki - longbow
mavi - skilled or skillful
mavraki - elite longbow soldiers of the Ohs Empire
dasi - soldier, warrior, or fighter
hundasi - elite dragoons of the Ohs Empire
shei - weapon used by the hundasi, it is a double-ended sword-spear with
		four spikes angling out of a right angle below the blade
		on one of the ends.
losshi - army (100,000 soldiers or 10 daumshi)
dalosshi - host (all of the losshi raised for a campaign)
losshil - grand host
pakimi - battlegroup (10 soldiers)
dapakimi - cohort (100 soldiers or 10 pakimi)
umshi - legion (1000 soldiers or 10 dapakimi)
daumshi - regiment (10,000 soldiers or 10 umshi)
imnak - sword (two-handed grip, relatively short lengthed blade)
thei - axe used in the Ohs Empire, has a triangular blade, one side of which
		lays face-on the shaft.
panathei - axe the size of a small dagger
korojhi - spear, used only in the Imperial armies, not in any of the House
		forces.
yomak - blood

	ENDINGS:
-l/il - the most
-ka - lacking or without

	TIME:
atana - year of 320 days
mesthia - time it takes for Ea to pass by a particular point on the Jovian
		planet it circles - works out to about 40 days.
para - week of 8 days
yundi - day

	ENTERTAINMENT:
radi - dancer or entertainer
mavi - skilled
mavradi - acrobatic dancer-mimes who wear masks and are noted for their
		incredible skill at dancing/acrobatics and their habit of
		never speaking and going masked most of the time.
sha - mask
jhugoloroiri - travelling jugglers/stage-magicians
papadai - the colored rubber balls used by jhugoloroiri in their acts
foditei - court bard, serves a respected position, often also a Lord's
		advisor, and often as well as the historian and even at
		times as a teacher of ethics and morality.
tastraba - drum
pelipe - flat-harp

	SORCERY and the MYSTERIES:
shadu - spirit, soul, or animus
shaduka - one who is without soul, souless
sae - mana, the intangible power omnipresent that sorcery taps as a source
		of enery
saemavi - a sorceror
saemavil - the most competent sorceror; the title is usually reserved for
		the ritual-master of the House of the Unicorn.

	DESCRIPTIVE NOUNS:
panai - short or brief
spiristi - tall, high, or proud
spiristika - humble
sshasi - happy or pleased
sshasika - grim
chayuli - angry
chayulil - enraged
chayulika - calm
falji - long distance or time
kabi - quickness or quickly

	CONSTRUCTIONS:
kohn - home, den, or place-of-retreat
vatani - fortified place, castle, or wall
amani - road
zelati - bridge

	PARTS of the BODY:
eshi - back of head or skull
patani - face
mei - eyes
saspi - ears
koton - belly or abdomen
garaki - chest or ribs
haspiki - fingers or hand
temdi - arms
karei - tongue
listhimiki - legs

	PRONOUNS:
hami - me, I, us, or we
tomi - you
kari - he, she, it, them, or they

   ** To make pronouns possessive, merely integrate them into
      object that is being possessed. So "my horse" would be
      said, "hunhami" **


	INDICATIVES:
oi - this or these
ai - that or those

   ** These can be used alone, as in, "I want THAT," or they
      can be used in combination with a word. So in the phrase,
      "I want THAT TUNIC," the object would be "kutaroi" **


	INTERROGATIVES:
kanaputai - what
manaraputai - who
tokiputai - where
hokonoputai - why
patanaputai - when
teloijhuputai - how or in what way
na - ending after a verb to indicate that the sentence is a query

   ** "Whose" would be formed by combining "manaraputai" and 
      the appropriate object. So "whose house" would be
      "kohnmanaraputai" **

   ** "Where is this", for example, would be "tokiputai" and
      "oi" for "This is where?" or "Oi tokiputai na?" **


	CONJUNCTIONS and OTHERS:
pa - and
ka - or
chan - if
eba - no or wrong ("nothing" would be "ebai")
kaba - yes or correct ("something" would be "kabai")

	POSTPOSITIONS:
kot - while
sham - to
peloki - from
chessh - within
ben - on
taman - under
kras - over
yas - around

   ** These all function as prepositions, except
      for that they all are placed at the end of
      a word or clause rather than the beginning
      as it is in English **


	TIME RELATIONS:
charn - before or earlier (past)
karn - after or later (future)
tok - now (present)
barana - still

	CONDITIONS of BEING:
lanami - sleep or sleeping
gebrani - growing
panagebrani - shrinking
palari - falling
ko - thought or thinking
loi - entrance or entering
lamani - gift or giving
ahsi - glowing
ahsika - dampened
manai - possessing or holding (implies non-permanence and/or non-ownership)
matai - pregnant
esatsi - sick
elebi - love or loving
nalabi - doing
dardani - sight or seeing
pelebi - play or playing
ueni - movement or moving

   ** Distinguishing whether someone "is grown" as opposed to
      someone "growing" is done by using different sequences.
      "Growing" is used as a verb, by adding "-sh" to the root.
      That someone "is grown" is done by using the "grown" as
      the object and adding a present tensesual marker ("tok").
      So, to say that "I am grown" or "I am grown, now" you
      would say, "Tok hami gebrani". "I am growing" would be
      said, "Hami gebranish". **

	OTHER WORDS
pahn - bowl
ohrti - tong-like eating utensil used in the Ohs Empire
daparathei - knife (intended mostly for an eating utensil)
borga - horns
kepichi - saddle
hadri - map
pohthi - banner


More Grammar:

	Possessives: Possessives can be accomplished in two different ways.
The first has already been explained, and is only used with pronouns. Horse,
"huni" and me or my, "hami" can be combined in this way to mean "my horse",
or "hunhami". The second way is slightly more complex.
	The expression 'la- is stuck after the possessor and before the
object. Furthermore, the -i ending on the possessor is deleted (which is
where the ' comes from. So, "my horse" could, in addition to "hunhami", be
expressed by saying: ham'la-huni. This can be extended even farther, for
example, if you wanted to say "my horse's saddle" you could say either
"hunham'la-kepichi" or "ham'la-hun'la-kepichi".
	In cases where the noun does not end in -i, there are two ways to
deal with this, depending upon whether the word ends with "la" already or
with some other ending. If the word ends with "la", such as in the word for
dragon, or "dubogula", than the 'la- expression is changed to be-. To indicate
"the dragon's horns" you would thus say: dubogulabe-borga. Note that the
apostraphe is not used, as there is nothing to be replaced.
	In all other cases where the word ends in something other than -i,
the expression becomes merely la-. So the phrase for "the drummer's horse"
would be: potastrabala-huni.
	The expression 'la- is in fact an expression of location, as opposed
to expressed ownership. If you wish to make the distinction between owning
something as opposed to merely possessing it, use the empression 'za- in place
of 'la-. In cases where the word ends in "za" already, the za- is retained,
unlike 'la-.

	Examples: to say "The horse you are riding is mine" in order of
			most frequently used to least...

		1) Huntomi ham'za-huni.
		2) Tom'la-huni ham'za-huni.
		3) Huntomi hunhami.
		4) Tom'la-huni hunhami.

Vocabulary (continued):

	CELESTIAL BODIES
ea - the name of the world
pelava - the name of the yello-green gas giant planet that Ea circles
zara - the sun (it appears smaller than our own due to the distance)
puloi - the small moon that orbits between Ea and Pelava
krasshei - the third moon of Pelava (including Ea)
mern - the fourth moon of Pelava (including Ea)
merna - the fifth moon of Pelava (including Ea)
toarn - a moon

	NUMBERS
ebai - nothing, none, or zero
sor - one
hak - two
be - three
nem - four
pajhni - five
lar - six
laman - seven
sutei - eight
fan - nine
osshla - ten
pulassha - hundred
hinasshra - thousand
kloi - (multiplier indicative)

    ** Examples: 10 osshla
		 15 osshla pajhni
		 32 be-kloi-osshla hak
		 109 pulassha fan
		 820 sutei-kloi-pulassha hak-kloi-osshla
		 3116 be-kloi-hinasshra pulassha osshla lar **

    ** Examples of Counting: Four moons.
		 There are four moons.
		 (Moons four are.)
		 Toran nem.

		 Look at the four moons.
		 (You moons-four look.)
		 Tomi torannem meish.
		     NOTE: "meish" is "mei" (eye) + "sh" (verb-ending) **

Lorm/Shaav/Nerassh'tan/Lakar    tuff@ellis.uchicago.edu        [ O H S ]


RITUAL IN THE OHS EMPIRE:
________________________


The Ohs Empire as a whole is very proud of its own history,
accomplishments, and civilization. To a certain extent, to a citizen
of the Empire, anyone outside the Empire is a "barbarian", and worthy
of little or no respect. This is true even for the commoners, who, at
least in principle, consider the life of a peasant within the Empire
better to living "like a barbarian".

The Empire has a long history, over 3000 years of varying stability
covering over half a dozen dynasties (whether or not one counts the
contraversial "Kapati Dynasty"...) In this time, a number of elaborate
rituals have grown up and around various institutions and and
ceremonies. Much of this is embodied in certain strict linguistic
forms of response. This is true of all the Empire, though less so
outside of the five Great Houses and more so in the House of the
Unicorn, or the House of the Xund.

Ritual can for practical purposes in describing the Empire be broken
up into three levels of formality and three categories of forms. The
levels of formality are: High, Mid and Low. The categories of forms
are: Gestural, Speech and Dress.

Every situation that requires a specific response or one of a set of
responses has a version or level for each of these. In general, the
stricter or more exacting requirements increase as one increases the
level of formality.


GREETINGS:
When greeting someone for the first time.

Low-Gestural (to a superior or equal):
	nod slightly, closing your eyes as you do so
Low-Gestural (to an inferior):
	nod slightly
Low-Speech:
1st person:	"Karn ham'la-shadu sor anish"
		(May our souls flow as one)
2nd person:	"Hami, tomi oi lamanish, sshasish"
		(I am pleased that you give me this)
	
Mid-Gestural (to a superior or equal):
	bow your head, closing your eyes as you do so
Mid-Gestural (to an inferior):
	bow your head
Mid-Speech:
1st person:	"Hami [House or Family name if have one]"
		(I am of the House/Family of [name])
		"Karn ham'la-shadu sor anichayulikash"
		(May our souls [attain] calmness [together])
2nd person:	"Hami, [House/Family], tomi oi lamanish, sshasish"
		(I, of family [House/Family], am pleased that you
			offer me this)
1st person:	"Ham'la-lamani ebaish"
		(My gift/offering is nothing)
2nd person:	"Tom'la-lamani kabalsh"
		(Your gift is everything)
    [each bows their head again, closing eyes if to equal or superior]
Mid-Dress:
	House colors, if of a house, should be worn and in plain
evidence. Insignia, if any, should also be worn on the left breast and
right thigh.
	
High-Gestural (to a superior):
	bow your head, closing your eyes as you do so, also bring your
	hands, palms inwards, and raise them to your shoulders,
	touching them with the tips of your fingers
High-Gestural (to an equal):
	bow your head, closing your eyes as you do so, also bring your
	hands, palms inwards, and touch their tips in front of you
High-Gestural (to an inferior):
	bow your head, bringing your hands to your shoulders, then as
	you raise your head, holding your hands briefly out, palms
	upwards
High-Speech:
3rd person:	"Hami tomi-sham oi jhasi lamanish"
		(I offer this person to you)
1st person:	"Hami ai jhasi manaish"
		(I take that person)
		"Ai manaraputai na?"
		(Who is that person?)
3rd person:	"Oi jhasi [full name]"
		(This person is [full name])
[turns to person just introduced and repeats ritual with other person]
3rd person:	"Hami tomi-sham oi jhasi lamanish"
		(I offer this person to you)
2nd person:	"Hami ai jhasi manaish"
		(I take that person)
		"Ai manaraputai na?"
		(Who is that person?)
3rd person:	"Oi jhasi [full name]"
		(This person is [full name])
[looks upwards, bringing both hands together into a double fist]
		"Tok oi jhasi, Ahara Ohsi-sham, shakash"
		(These people are now unmasked to Ahara Ohsi, the patron
			 goddess of the Ohs Empire)
High-Dress:
	Full House colors must be in evidence with insignia in the
proper places (left breast and right thigh) and a white belt (no
buckle, tied) must be worn.


When greeting someone already met.

Low-Gestural:
	nod slightly
Low-Speech:
1st person:	"Sshasi"
		(I am glad)
2nd person:	"Shaka"
		(I am unmasked)

Mid-Gestural:
	bow head
Mid-Speech:
1st person:	"Hami sshasi"
		(I am glad)
2nd person:	"Ham'la-shadu shaka, pa hami sshasi"
		(My soul is bare before you, and I am glad)

High-Gestural:
	bow head
High Speech:
1st person:	"Chan tomi ssashi, hami chayulikal"
		(If you are glad, than I am at peace w/ myself)
2nd person:	"Hami, hami tomi dardanish, ssashi"
		(I, in seeing you, am glad)
1st person:	"Hami pa tomi shaka-kot uenish"
		(You and I move together unmasked)


FAREWELLS:
Farewell until next time.

Low-Gestural:
	place fingertips upon forehead
Low-Speech:
1st person:	"Karn"
		(Later)
2nd person:	"Karn"
		(Later)

Mid-Gestural:
	place fingertips upon forehead and bow head as do so
Mid-Speech:
1st person:	"Tok uenish"
		(I go now)
2nd person:	"Hami chayulika"
		(I am sad)

High-Gestural:
	place fingertips of both hands on forehead and bow head
High-Speech:
1st person:	"Tok uenish, hami shash"
		(I go now, masked)
2nd person:	"Hami, tomi uenish, chayulika"
		(I, that you go, am saddened)


Farewell forever:

Gestural:
	hold their head between your hands
Speech:
1st person:	"Tom'la-lamani ebai"
		(Your gift is as nothing)

[or]

Gestural:
	close eyes
Speech:
1st person:	"Ham'la-shadu esatsish"
		(My soul sickens)
2nd person:	"Ham'la shadu ebai"
		(My soul is as nothing)


GIVING GIFTS:
Giving gifts in the Ohs Empire is an extremely delicate and
significant act for both giver and receiver. No matter what, the
giving of a gift is a formal affair, and is never undertaken lightly
for any reason, for the mere act of giving a gift, or of receiving
one, is fraught with implications.

Giving a gift represents a placement of extreme faith and trust in
the receiver. It is considered in many ways to be a complete unmasking
of the soul, or rather, an expression of one's own deepest feelings.

The giving of gifts is always accompanied by one of a certain series
of gestures; which of these gestures is used in a particular
circumstance being largely an issue of personal taste or occassionally
regional divisions. The most common is the passing of your hand in
front of your face from your forehead to your chin. Another relatively
common variation involves the giving party to place the palm of their
right hand over the right side of their face, close their eyes, and
bow their head. Finally, a much-less used form involves the giver
placing their ring and middle fingers lightly on their closed eyes.

The receiver has two options when a gift is offered up to them. They
can respond by saying, "Tamani", or "It is accepted". Alternatively,
the receiver can remain silent until the giver withdraws the gift by
saying, "Tok yundi, shaduhami gaba", or "My soul this day is dead",
or, occassionally, simply, "Shaduhami gaba", or "My soul is dead". To
give an impression of the magnitude of gift-giving, the refusal of a
gift statistically results in suicide of the rejected party 10% of the
time. This is not to say that this happens very often at all, rather,
it demonstrates both the rarity and magnitude of even the simplest
gift.

The basic forms involved in the offering of a gift are as follows:

	"Hami shadu shakash"   (My soul is unmasked)
		Note: Used between intimates

	"Tomi-sham oi lamanish"   (To you, I give this)

	"Ani shadulabai zelatish"   (May the river of souls be bridged)

	"Ham'la-yomak tom'za"   (My blood is yours)
		Note: Popular among the House of the Dragon

	"Ham'la-kohn tom'za. Ham'la-karei tom'za. Ham'la-sha tom'za.
		Ham'la-yomak tom'za"   (My home is yours. My tongue
		is yours. My body is yours. My blood is yours)
		Note: This is an offering of fealty to a lord
		Linguistic Note: "sha" or "mask" can also mean "body"
			This is because of the way the Ohs look at
			reality and the material world, as a mask over
			the shadu, or soul


Also of great importance is the gift itself. Often this has symbolic
meaning, often personal symbolic meaning between the gift-giver and
gift-taker. There are, however, a few things that have fairly
standardized symbolic meanings.

A single stem of grass: this is not given in the standard manner,
	but is usually left as a message. It is only a "gift" in
	the sense that it is a warning that another course of action
	might be preferable. It is a severe threat. Very often, it
	is left in such a manner that the receiver does not tech-
	nically know who sent it.
A shaft of wood a foot long, elaborately engraved: this is the
	birthright of every child in theory, and for every year the
	child attains, another engraving is done. On the child's
	17th birthday they receive it and are allowed to take it in
	hand for the first time in their life. The rod itself is
	called a person's "bakep" or "shadu panalati" (soul-rod or
	soul-stick).
Kepi stones: kepi stones are a very common type of smoothed river-
	stone rarely larger than a person's fist. They are faintly
	green in color. Kepi stones are given in groups, the number
	given indicating the degree of attachment. Giving one,
	(called a gift of sor-kepi) means very little, other than
	that you to not wish to be the person's enemy. Giving two,
	(called a gift of hak-kepi) is a proposition of moderate
	friendship. Giving three, (called a gift of be-kepi) is
	an expression of a sturdy or lasting friendship (though not
	necessarily one of any depth.) Giving four, (called a gift
	of nem-kepi) is an expression of deep friendship or lasting
	affection and commitment. Giving five, (called a gift of
	pajhni-kepi) is an expression of love to an intimate. It
	should be noted that you can give the same number of stones
	to the same person more than once.

Gifts can also be given expressfully to mock a person or make fun of
them. Telling the difference between a gift sincerely meant and a gift
meant as mockery is very obvious to the parties involved, but may be
obscure to an onlooker who is not aware of the specifics of the
situation, the people involved, and such forth.


CEREMONIAL RITUAL:
Ceremonial ritual is a major aspect of life within the Ohs Empire. Not
only are ceremonies present for all major events in a person's life,
but also for public celebrations, mournings, pseudo-religious
observances, and many other aspects.

WIthin the general category of ceremonial ritual their are two
sub-categories. The first pertains to ceremonies that are performed at
specific time intervals, like every year. The second pertains to
ceremonies like coronations, marriages, deaths, births, and one-time
only days of celebration (which is a common way to reward someone who
has done significant service to the Empire.)

Marriage:
The ceremony of marriage is an extremely lengthy and drawn-out affair
in the Ohs Empire, particularly among the noble Houses and, to a
lesser extent, the more powerful non-noble families within the
cultural bounds of the Empire.

One aspect of culture in the Ohs Empire is the native insularity of
the various Houses - since any child born from parents of two
different Houses is not only automatically considered a bastard, but
also unable to claim either House, this has resulted in marriages for
the purpose of cementing alliances between the Great Houses simply
being a impossiblity. Within each House, however, clan-intermarriage
is acceptible, even the norm. Even within the strictest Houses,
marriage is rarely seen as a means of economic tool and never, or very
nearly never, as a political tool.

Marriage itself is not a singular aspect, and can be divided into at
least three (or in the case of some Houses, more) distinct periods of
time, each involving their own ceremony and ritual.

	EBAI-SHAM-SOR (From Nothing to First):
This period can best be compared to the courtship rituals of our own
world and cultures. While it has no specific beginning, it is often
marked by the giving of the pajhni-kepi stones. In ancient times, the
Ebai-Sham-Sor ended with the birth of the couple's first child, though
in modern usage this is not necessarily the case. In any case, the
Ebai-Sham-Sor ends when one (not the one who gave the pajhni-kepi
stones is such occured) gives their partner a shai'lialai flower. At
that point, the couple stays together for the next three days, neither
one speaking. At the end of this, the Ebai-Sham-Sor is considered to
have ended.

	SOR-SHAM-HAK (From First to Second):
This period traditionally lasted until the couple's first child
reached one year of age, but in has come to last until one year
following the end of Ebai-Sham-Sor, regardless of the presence of a
child. During this time, either party is free to leave without stain
to their name. In such a case, the party who wishes to back out gives
instead of the normal pajhni-kepi stones the stones painted red to the
one they wish to part with. In fact, this particular ritual is
sometimes used in other stages to signify the breaking of a
relationship, though it is an established tradition in this stage and
an importation in other stages.

	HAK-SHAM-BE (From Second to Third):
At this point, a ritual is performed, either in a garden or,
occassionally, in the wilderness. The ritual itself is called the
"Shakashi" or "Unmasking", and involves only the couple in question
and a single observer who dons a pure white mask (much like that that
the famous mavradi dancers wear). The observer says nothing and is
allowed to do nothing - they are merely the witness, some scholars
believing that the observer (called the "Dardanizo") is supposed to
represent either Ahara Ohsi or the sentient universe itself. The
couple is dressed in an elaborate series of robes and sashes, the
sashes being red for the man, yellow for the woman, and the robes
white with certain ritual symbols drawn in black in various places.
These outfits are called "Ormbai", and cannot be borrowed - you must
have one made especially for you, or, as occassionally happens, you
can have one gifted to you, though this not while the original wearer
is still alive.


Death:
The importance of death to the Ohs cannot be underestimated. While the
particularities of each House often serve to lend tinges or colorings
to the attitudes of the various peoples of the Empire, to all, death
is an extremely important aspect of one's existence.

While the rituals themselves vary immensely, death is seen as a
barrier to break through, a challenge to cross. The perception of
suicides, then, is often one of fearful admiration, for no matter how
powerful a tarn is, the tarn is still alive, and one who has committed
suicide has passed a barrier that no living tarn has done.

The Ohs do not believe in an afterlife of the sorts commonly
portrayed. They do believe in a completely different existence on a
completely different plane, not better, nor worse, simply completely
unknown. They also believe (rightly) that occassionally souls are
reincarnated, though the Ohs believe very strongly that every such
reincarnation is the deliberate action of a god, and is done for
purposes which will affect the entire Empire, even the entire world.

Those who are proved to be reincarnated are treated with a tremendous
amount of respect, even awe, and though they can hold no normal
political or military position, such is the respect afforded to them
that a request from one is sometimes considered reason enough to
betray one's own lord. Such cases of reincarnations that can be proved
(or are even recognized) are extremely rare, and very difficult to
determine. One who is reincarnated is given the title: "Gabaka" or, in
the case of the one reincarnated having been extremely well-known in
their earlier life, being called "Dagabaka", or "Great Deathless One"
or "Lord Deathless One".

The color of death to the Ohs is gloi-ithilyai, a very odd color made
in clothing by alternating the threads of black and purple threads,
then treating the entire cloth in a liquid mixture of the resin of a
plant called "kilyinanainmo" that grows in profusion along riverbanks
that has narrow, drooping leaves that glisten with a faint mettalic
tinge that rubs off on anything (and is actually somewhat poisonous,
though unless one were to take a bath in it every day for a decade,
there is little danger.)

One ritual that is in common with all the death rituals involves the
moment of death itself, after which a sash of gloi-ithilyai is brought
and wrapped like a blindfold around the dead person's eyes.

TaeisMUSH...


tuff@ellis.uchicago.edu			          FTP Info at...
dwb@att1.mankato.msus.edu			       bigred.cit.cornell.edu
diederich.a.k@p9955.wlu.edu
_____________________________________________________________________________

General Guidelines:

	1) TaeisMUSH is a fantasy themed world, and though it is not
		based upon a particular author's work, NO non-theme
		objects, rooms, character names and such forth are
		permitted.

	2) TaeisMUSH is heavily plot-driven, with a vast number of
		interwoven plots, almost all of these player-initiated.
		The intention is not for there to be a single climactic
		event, necessarily, but to represent a flow of history
		in the world, Ea. As such, we are planning to run this
		for as long as we can.

	3) Unlike the vast majority of MUSH/MUSEs, TaeisMUSH is going
		to operate with a system of economics, a working,
		functional combat system, a system for miltary simulation,
		character development, including skills and attributes,
		weather, time, diseases, sailing.

	4) The key to TaeisMUSH is that its intention is to be DYNAMIC!


The World, Ea:

	The known and well-documented lands of Ea consist primarily of a large
continent that reaches up from the southern pole and a rather large archipelago
that is situated to the northeast of the continent.

	The archipelago consists of 13 main islands, and is the home of the
Petrocean Empire, the second most powerful political and military force in
the known world.

	The continent is the home to the largest. On the central plain is
situated the heart of the Ohs Empire, a vast leviathon composed of five Great
Houses and a number of subject territories and provinces. With a history of
nearly 3,000 years, it is the longest, most enduring, and most powerful
empire to ever exist in the known lands of Ea.

	The western fifth of the continent is a vast tractless forest known
as the Western Wilde, home to the Paeni Clans. The Paeni are nominally
subject to the Empire, though this in fact is not a domination that many
in the Empire would care to count on. The clans themselves have an extra-
ordinarily high rate of lycanthropy, as high as 10-15% in certain of them.
The Paeni themselves live in intricate, interconnected tree-cities that rest
within the boughs of the huge Greatwoods of the Western Wilde.

	To the east of the heart of the Ohs Empire lies a mountain range
that follows the eastern coast up onto a penninsula that reaches above the
continent. On the eastern coast, near the north, four kingdoms, roughly
feudal in nature, lie. The Eastern Kingdoms, as they are called, have in the
past often been subject to rule of the Ohs Empire. Now, they are technically
vassals, but in fact they are by this point almost completely self-ruled,
though some in the Empire mutter about making the rule in name rule in fact
again.

	South of the Eastern Kingdoms, on a thumb of land that pokes into
the eastern sea, lies the undisputed commercial center of the known world -
the city of Stormgate. The independant city in fact serves as the almost
exclusive tie between the Ohs Empire and the Petrocea Empire, and wields its
economic influence with a hand mighty enough to stave off the hungry desires
of the Ohs Empire to claim it as their prize.

	On the western side of the mountains, near their ending in the south,
a region of swampland surrounded almost entirely by rivers on the west is
Iniel. The Inielese, a matriarchal, demon-worshipping society has resisted
time and time again the advances of the Ohs Empire to absorb it. Never has
it been successfully held, and even the attempts to penetrate the intensely
xenophobic Inielese have proved devestatingly expensive to the Empire.

	The southern border of the Ohs Empire is a vast range of mountains
known as the Southern Wall. The Southern Wall is truly incomparable to
nearly any range of mountains in our world, save in sheer height the Tibet.
Unlike the Tibet, however, the mountains are far steeper, and rise from the
central plain of the continent to their tallest heights in a space far
narrower than the Tibet. Endless caverns and tunnels run through the roots
of the mountains, tunnels which even in a million years no human could
explore even a fraction of. Reaching deep into the earth, they hide mysteries
that have laid buried in the range's rocky embrace for millenia.

	South even of the Southern Wall, a region of endless forests, then
further south than that, empty miles upon miles of tundra stretches out
from the foothills of the Southern Wall. Barbarian tribes, known to themselves
as the Milannorim, lead a nomadic warrior lifestyle, the various tribes
battling among themselves with ceaseless ferocity. A long-dead prophesy speaks
of the day when a Chief-of-All-Tribes will rise up and unite the Peoples,
and sweep down across the Southern Wall to raze the Empire to the ground, and
some, even now, whisper that that time is coming soon, and that the one who
will lead the tribes already walks the earth, and that the Empire trembles at
his coming....


The Ohs Empire:

	The Ohs Empire is composed of the Five Great Houses, each of which is
named after an animal. Certain personality traits, due to inbreeding, have
become representitive of each House, though of course there is reasonably
wide variation within the Houses.


	The House of the Dragon is known for their ferocity and dedication
to war and conquest - they are known as the First House, as it was a member
of their House whom brought together the Empire about 3,000 years ago, the
first emperor, Taeis Dubogula.

	The House of the Unicorn is known for their pursuit of the art of
sorcery and in their firm belief and dedication to ritual. They are known
as the Second House, and are the second most powerful House after the Dragon,
though they are widely disliked for several reasons, most notably that it
was the last emperor of the last Unicorn Dynasty that caused the Empire
several thousand years ago to fall apart for over two hundred years.

	The House of the Preothai is known for their insatiable desire to
build, and it is they who are responsible for the building of the great roads
which link the Empire and it is they who have built many of the greatest
monuments such as the Tael'shadi that stands on a rock poking out of the waters
of the great bay west of Sejn Ohs. They are by far the most generally liked
of the Houses, and have proved their competence many times in the past in
many more dynasties than any of the other Houses can claim. They are known as
the Third House.

	The House of the Uma is known for their love of the sea, and it is
this House that sails the vast majority of the Empire's fleet. Their ability
at sailing is unsurpassed by any save the navigators of the Petrocea Empire.
They, next to the House of the Dragon, are the most warlike, and in days long
past, before the Empire was even formed, they had built an Empire along nearly
the entire rim of the great bay north of Marn Ohs and west of Sejn Ohs. They
are known as the Fourth House.

	The House of the Kapati is known for many things, their arrogance,
their tendency to plot against members of their own House as often as against
other Houses, the fact that in the 3,000 years of the Empire, that the one
time they managed to grab the Imperial Throne, one of their own sent an
assassin after the new Emperor, cutting him down in his own throne room. They
are also consumate spies, and are unmatched in their cunning and cleverness.
They are known as the Fifth House, and are generally sneered upon by every
other House but the House of the Preothai, who usually merely raise an eyebrow
at their activities, but say nothing...

_____________________________________________________________________________

Taeis Intro File (this)
Taeis Update of Major Characters taken and email addresses
Taeis Administrative Structure (note that it is different from standard MU*)

Gods of Ea (cosmology - the real story behind the religions)
Sorcery in the Ohs Empire
High Sorcery in the Ohs Empire*
Necromancy*
Demonology

Dragons (3 files)

Iniel (matriarchal demon-worshippers)
Milannorim (barbarians beyond the Southern Wall)
Petrocean Empire (islandic empire)
Ohs Empire Timeline (timeline for the Ohs Empire)

Names within the Ohs Empire (guidelines and examples of common names)

Petrocean Language (includes dictionary)
Dragons' Language (2 files, including dictionary)
Ohs Language

Fiction: Suicide of Meia Dubogula


* not ready for distribution yet
note also that there are several unlisted files which will soon be put on
	the list here and announced, including one piece of fiction (not by me)

_____________________________________________________________________________


	At this point, the number of documents has begun to multiply at such
an astounding pace that after quite literally crashing several peoples' mail
spoolers, I am going to alter the system slightly. This file is the basic guts
of TaeisMUSH, and I will continue to update this as it become necessary. This
will also serve as the introductory briefing and at the end, an updated
listing of what files are available publically. If you do write anything,
please feel free to send it to me and I can put it into the standardized file
format and will put it on the list. If you are missing a file, please feel free
to send me a note and I'll send the one or ones you are interested in. Also,
we hope to have most, if not all the files available via FTP at bigred.cit.
cornell.edu soon, and are toying with the idea of a newgroup for Taeis, though
this may very likely prove to be an unrealistic goal.


		Geoff Tuffli
		The Green Griffin