Post by Lynn on Mar 30, 2007 20:53:56 GMT -5
Chapter One: Lighting Nahia
Welcome to Nahia (desire), a place of desire. It is a grim world, completely underground with barely any natural lighting. The only way one is to get lighting not made from fire is to find the precious Hilargi (moon) stone, a naturally smooth rock found in small formations. The average size of the Hilargi is ten centimeters in length and three centimeters in width. They last for 20.4 seconds of their length after dug from their natural spots. A Hilargi of five centimeters would last one hundred and two minutes. Since they were both hard to find and didn't last very long, the Itzal (shadow), or the race of people who lived in Nahia, stopped depending on them and returned to using fire.
Though, using fire wasn't as good. It often created bush fires and didn't light everything as well as the Hilargi did. So, after mining all the Hilargi from the walls, and then after using up all those resources, the Itzal went back to using fire. However, they ran out of wood or things to burn and for days simply wandered in the dark. That was, until it was found that Hilargi could be charged by placing them to another stone, the Itxaro (hope). Still, even after charged, the Hilargi weren't ever as bright as they originally were. But it was still light. Once it was found that binding Itxaro and Hilargi together could make the Hilargi even better than when they had been originally plucked from the earth, they hung those from walls to light the city.
The Itxaro last for two months, five days, six minutes and twenty-four seconds before they, too, are drained from energy. Once this was found, however, Itzal immediately began looking for a new way to light their underworldly city. Nothing, however, could, and so they stuck to mining the ground once more for Itxaro.
Chapter Two: The Cities of Nahia
Or rather, the single city of Nahia. There is only one, with a populate of six thousand, nine hundred and twenty-three people, not including those under the age of six. The city is named Amaia (the end), and is sculpted from the a pitch black rock. All the homes and towers, designed to be in a spiraling shell shape. Their windows are all arched, the roofs always domed, and doorways either bearing stone frames and arches or go from floor to ceiling.
Amaia is in the shape of a spiral, the starting point being the school. From there is the Market, then schools and business places. After that are homes, and then on the end training grounds. The Itzal have learned how to breed the large black-furred animals they call Nekane (sorrow). And they use the training ground to teach Nekane how to be good rides for their masters, the Itzal people.
The roads of Amaia are narrow, unable to fit Nekane in them. Three wheeled instruments are used to trolley larger items, though mostly small items are carried. Everyone, unless using the trolley, walks. The streets are smoothly paved, and when it becomes cold it's possible to skate down them with shoes on. They are also slightly concave, and though there is no rain, if there was they would run through the city streets like a gutter.
Just outside the city is a small grove of trees. There are three kinds; meat trees, fruit trees and nectar trees. Meat trees bear the largest of the fruits that, when skinned, have the meat of either sheep or pigs. The fruit trees carry mainly pomegranates, the city’s main fruit, but also grapes, apples, and a few other various fruits. The nectar trees hold flowers larger than a man’s head, and never bloom until picked. When they do bloom, the flowers pour forth a pound of nectar. Thus, nectar has become Amaia’s main drink. Wine, water and apple juice are also readily available, but take longer and more fruit to prepare.
Chapter Three: The Creatures of Nahia
Nekane have the hind legs and tail of a horse, the body of a rat, wings of a bat and forelegs of a monkey. Its neck is of a horse's as well, while the face is a boar. The creature known as Nekane, though made from various different creatures, transitions so smoothly it looks like a brand new type of monster. The Itzal had learned how to rope the Nekane and saddle them, then taught their Nekane to not only run at thirty miles per hour (mph), but to fly at speeds that could almost break the sound barrier. The Itzal have found a way to strap their selves in so they don’t pass out doing aerial tricks on the Nekane.
The Itzals themselves are dark-skinned humans, their pigment almost matching the blue-black stones that create their city. Their hair is always some shade of red, which actually blends into the darkness better than their skin does. Curly hair tends to be more dominant, and their eyes hold a violet hue, enabling them to see in darker situation than surface-dwelling humans may. They also have an arcane ability for “reading eyes”, able to tell truth from lies or emotions by just gazing into one another’s pupils. Their fingers and toes are twice as long as normal, and they’re average height for a full-grown woman is 7 ft. and 4 in, while the average height for a full-grown man is 7 ft. and 9 in. All Itzals carry weapons starting at age six.
There is another sort of creature here. They are never seen, but they prey off Nekane and Itzal. They are very hostile and territorial; several Itzal adventurers have been rumored to be eaten by these creatures, nicknamed the Arantxa (thorn bush).
Chapter Four: Social Life of Nahia
There are four classes to the Itzal people; Royals, Guards, Marketers, and Citizens. The Royals come from the “pure” Itzal bloodline, and are the richest. They are often scholars and rulers, also inventors and often times the best Guards of Amaia. The Guards are those trained to ride Nekane and defend the borders of Amaia from wild Nekane and the Arantxa. Sometimes rouge groups of Itzal attack Amaia, which is also where the Guard comes to defend their city. Marketers, or merchants, can also be farmers or artisans and sell or produce goods for Amaia, they’re commonly referred to as “Amaia’s backbone”. The Citizens are the vast majority of the four social classes, and are the economy as well. Buying and making trades with the Marketers, also becoming Guards and supporting the Royals when they need it.
Daily life is quite like the surface life. Children go to school, where they learn reading, writing, mathematics, fighting and Nekane riding. The adults go to work or stay at home with the Itzal children too young for school. Royals debate politics, lowering or raising taxes. The Marketers begin their day at 6 A.M. and end at 1 A.M. the next day.
The life is often depressing and drab, outbreaks within the social classes often enough to keep Guards sentry at various points within Amaia. Ribbings, muggings, fights, murder and the such are all daily events within Amaia, thus causing the need for children as young as six to begin carrying weapons or learning how to use their fists. There’s been twice when oil produced from the nectar flowers has been poured down the streets and lit afire. And there was once an account where someone let loose startled Nekane, who trampled down the streets of Amaia before breaking free into the Wilds.
Other than these outbursts, the Itzal are a quiet race that barely speak out or are rude to one another. Besides violence, they say nothing crude, or make any crude gestures. A good Itzal citizen would willingly lone his or her Nekane to another who needed it more than they did.
