GARGOYLES

A species of winged, vaguely humanoid creatures. They have an insect-like culture, with one fertile "queen", a few males, and a lot of sterile workers. Most people only see the "worker gargoyles." They are not native to Ghea, being one of the races that fell through a Chaos Gate way back when, and have mostly kept to themselves since. Whether or not they are intelligent is open to debate. The workers are about the size of a gorilla, and have tough leathery skin and bat-like wings. They have short horns and bony projections on their skulls and down their spines which are sort of like fingerprints; no two alike. They have clumsy three-fingered hands and feet. They are not actually made of stone, but they can sit motionless waiting for prey on rock ledges, and their greyish coloring and the bony projections act as camouflage, letting them blend into the rock. Gargoyles prefer to live in caves and may construct tunnels if no natural caves are available.

Gargoyle wings are leathery and batlike, and rather small. They are not much good for flying, and at best help the gargoyle keep its balance while climbing from ledge to ledge.

No one has seen the queen or drone gargoyles in living memory, but the queen is rumored to be much larger than the workers. Gargoyles are omnivorous but prefer meat.

GATE

See Chaos Gate

GATEWAY

An advanced arena for the very best warriors. Only a fighter who is inducted to Primus may choose to fight in Gateway. The arena is actually located on the other side of one of the Chaos Gates. Warriors who choose to fight there cannot return to fight in any of the normal advanced arenas.

GHEA

The Alastarian name for the planet on which Alastari is located. Ghea is an other-dimensional analog of Earth; the geography and climate are similar (but not identical) to that of Earth during the last Ice Age. However, at some time in the indefinite past, Ghea was visited by beings of great power who created the Chaos Gates and introduced/created many other intelligent species to the world. Most of these species have, thankfully, died out.

GLACKS ISLAND

A small island in Stormcrowe Bay, a bit south of Vant Island and Stormcrowe itself. It is the main stronghold of orcs in Alastari.

GLACKS KEEP

The castle complex on Glacks Island. Glacks Keep has been the main High Orkish stronghold in Alastari for hundreds of years. They have a "Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone" relationship with nearby Stormcrowe. Glacks Keep was founded several thousand years ago by Tarl the Younger, brother of Sheila Greywand.

GODS

The gods of Ghea are a varied lot. The first creatures worshipped as gods in Alastari were the beings who discovered the myriad alternate dimensions and created the Chaos Gates which led to those dimensions at the beginning of the First Age. The exact nature of these beings is not known: they may have been space travelers, dimension travelers or, for all we know, actual gods. All that is known for certain is that they wielded great sorcerous and technological power. They created vast dwellings, cities and empires; they created entire miniature environments. They introduced many extradimensionsal races to Alastari and created other races. After several thousand years, most of them disappeared. No one knows their fate: whether they fought among themselves, were conquered by some outside force, or simply grew bored and left, they have never manifested in Alastari since. According to the elven histories, probably the most accurate, most of the First Gods migrated to other dimensions.

After the departure of the First Gods, their works began to decay. The mini-worlds they had created broke down, wreaking havoc on Ghea. For a period of several hundred years, climate and terrain fluctuated wildly across the planet as great storms, tidal waves, volcanoes, and assorted other disasters wore themselves out. Most of the exotic races the First Gods had introduced or created died out. Some of their more powerful creations survived, prospered, and were considered to be gods themselves by lesser races as the centuries went by. New religions rose and fell in the usual way of things--some centered on existing "gods," some calling new gods into being when the concentrated mystic energy of the worshippers coalesced into beings with wills of their own.

There are many gods in Alastari today. Some are ancient, with many worshippers; others are raw new deities scarcely older than the priests who minister to them. As a general rule, they fall into two categories:

Native gods: Native gods came into being on or with the world of Ghea itself. A native god may be born or created through the actions of one or more older gods, or they may spontaneously form out of large enough concentrations of mystic/psychic energy. (Large enough means on the order of thousands or hundreds of thousands of devout believers investing their faith and energy in a place or concept over several hundred years, or spells powerful enough to rip creation energy out of a parallel dimension, or like that. It is NOT easy to create a god.) The intelligence, powers, and aspect of a god depend in part upon the circumstances of its creation and who its parents, if any, are. Once created, a god is there to stay: although the faith of its worshippers may grant it more power (and thus most gods will try to gain new worshippers) the god is an independent being, capable of getting energy from other sources--exactly how, theologians are still arguing over. Once "born," a god seems to have a natural life-span and will eventually discorporate--but the lengths of time involved are inconceivably long, and continents can skate over the globe while species evolve and die before a god dies of old age. Gods can be destroyed, though again, it is NOT easy.

Outsider gods: Alastari is a crossroads for travelers from other planets, dimensions and times, and many of these travelers have brought their own gods with them--sometimes merely as a form of worship, sometimes "in the flesh." Because they are not native to Ghea or, often, the universe Ghea exists in, outsider gods are not as powerful, in the long run, as native gods--though they may put up very impressive displays of power in the short run. How an outsider god manifests in Alastari depends on several things: whether the god is actually "here" or is being summoned from another plane or dimension, the skill of the person summoning is, how many worshippers the god has in Alastari, how powerful a god it is in the first place, etc.

Gods vary widely in the amount of attention that they pay to human affairs. Generally the more powerful a god is, the less attention it pays to mortals. It is possible for mortals to summon gods, bargain with them, and so forth--but no one on Alastari, not even Sheila Greywand, can truly be said to control even the least of the gods. Alastarian gods are not omnipotent; each has definite limitations on its powers and regions of influence--but those limits are far beyond the comprehension of mortals...or immortals.

At one point in the history of Ghea a dispute between two rival factions of gods elevated into an all-out war, and the world was very nearly destroyed until Gheal stepped in and stopped the fighting. To prevent this from occurring again, the gods have entered into the Compact, a complicated agreement limiting just how they can use their powers on Ghea.

Following is an incomplete and still unfinished list of some of the gods in Alastari, and the places where they are worshipped.

Ahringol, God of the Dead. Supposedly has dominion over the souls of the departed, and has on occasion proven his power by bringing dead warriors back to life as part of a pact he made with Sheila Greywand. Commonly seen/depicted as seven-foot tall, muscular man, with pale skin and long, coarse, wild black hair. His dark clothes are rich, but decaying. His voice is deep and rich, his eyes are dead, and his neck is broken, so that his head rests on one shoulder or the other; he rolls it back and forth to look at different things. He performs his duties well as the impartial Judge of the Dead, weighing the souls of the departed and determining which afterlife (if any) they will be sent to. Ahringol is a very powerful and influential god, but even he has limits and can be constrained to follow the rules.

Ahringol has worshippers scattered all over Alastari, but there is no one sect large and powerful enough to be a real force in the land. Each sect has its own ideas about Ahringol's goals and purposes, some of them rather nasty, and the god himself rarely appears to or advises his worshippers.

Ahringol's realm, the Underworld (another plane of existence, not to be confused with the subterranean part of Ghea) has within it many climates and terrains, some hellish, some very pleasant (though overall, it is on the gloomy side). Those souls he does not transfer to some other god for special consideration are judged by him, and sent to an appropriate region of the Underworld to suffer (or enjoy) their just deserts until such time as they are born into a new life. They are not eaten.

Ahringol's servants are many and varied. Some are demons, some undead; others are both good to look upon and good in their natures. The elkarrish, who guard the cities of Alastari against any interference in the lawful progress of souls to his realm, are not native to the Underworld. (See Elkarrish) They are beings of an obscure dimension inimical to life as we know it. Though they can take many forms, their true nature is not known, and the price Ahringol paid to obtain their service was probably very high (he has never said what it was). He also employs mortals and part-mortals, such as his niece, Bambi Zamfreeni, who serves as head of his public relations department.

Ahringol enjoys comfort, and his palace is on a tropical island in the Underworld. It's kind of a spooky island, but it has its beauties, as does the palace. Visitors to the palace will notice the great brass doors at the entrance to the throne room, and the blood-soaked carpet leading up to the throne.

Ankor. The sky god of the south and northern Independent cities, husband of Ruvian. He is benevolent but strict, like a stern father; a bane of demons. Worship is usually conducted openly in variance to the worship of Ruvian--consisting mostly of the joy of life and freedom of the sky and its relationship to the earth. While Ankor's worshippers believe in Ahringol's land of the dead, they believe that when they die, their spirit is called to do Ankor's bidding in the sky.

A'Taul. An "alien" god introduced to Alastari by the manager-priest Barthanes Gallindrian. First manifested in Aruak City, where he came into immediate conflict with the local church for practicing human sacrifice. Barthanes presents A'Taul as a god of battle and he has been grudgingly accepted in Aruak as a god of gladiators. However, A'Taul appears to be dissatisfied with the conditions that Demnat required of him to stay in Aruak, and has expanded to other cities outside Andoria, Zukal in particular, where he may once more bathe his altars in human blood.

Aytarren. The god of storms and war for middle-Alastari, worshipped mostly from the center of the Delarquan Federation up through the Ardiventi Barony. Although not an elven god, known to be worshipped by the elves of the Ardiventi. Appears as an impressive, muscular man with flowing silver hair and beard, piercing yellow eyes, wearing a leather jerkin and usually carrying a halberd or spear. Usually driving a silver war-chariot drawn by "horses of fire," golden horses with flames serving as their mane and tail. Lightning bolts mark the standard borne on the chariot, as well as forming the support rail around the top. An impartial god--storms and war come to man at all times, and he is patient. Neither friend nor enemy to other gods, he is most closely associated with Mantor the Bright and Shieriah.

Chykarin, Wife of Fortune, Whore of Doom. The goddess of fate. She is really the one that listens when managers pray to the "replacement gods." She is fickle and careless and will listen or not as suits her--more probably a goddess of chance, she can still change someone's course in life on a whim. She has many spirits who serve her (who are taking on the persona of the "replacement gods") and take care of her daily tasks; she firmly believes that mankind needs obstacles, and so sets out to make as many for them as she can. She is an active god and sticks her fingers into people's business constantly. She loves walking around on Ghea and seeing to these things personally--she usually appears as a lovely woman with hair and garments swirling about her. She balances a silver ring in one hand and a plate of coals in the other, each containing a small human figure. Her hair is yellow and she is fair-skinned. Her eyes are silver. She smells strongly of wildflowers and rain--often when she is near people look up, expecting a storm.

Dannesjoh Quickhand. An early woodland god of northeastern Alastari. His holy grove is quite near Zuwayza, but is surrounded by barriers erected by the Karnhorns. This lesser gods of thieves, minstrels, and those who make their living in the forest appears as a tall and handsome young satyr, brown of hair and eye, often carrying a lyre. He is opposed to Kjarran, and is worshipped by some tribes of Shewish giants, among other woodland peoples.

Demnat, the Beast God. Also known as the Cat God. Demnat is the god of the Aruaki Clans (dwelling primarily in the cities of Aruak, Arkers, Seam, Lyratilan, Zorpunt, Tobir, Solven and Ti). He is also given respect in Iaye, Point, and Caleam, which are technically part of the Clanhold. Demnat is the patron of shapechangers, scholars and wizards; also, in some of his older aspects, the god of predatory animals, wolves and cats in particular--thus the god of things associated with those animals: bravery, hunting skill, and so forth.

Demnat is a rather active god as such things go--as the personification of curiosity, he is fond of walking among his people in disguise and finding out what goes on in his kingdom. He most often takes the shape of a typical Aruaki--a mid-sized youth with dark hair, olive skin and amber eyes. His other favored shape is that of a huge, silver-striped black tiger. His statues in the temples usually show him midway between man and cat--human body with a cat's head, paws and tail.

Demnat's personality is very feline--friendly, but on his own terms; playful, curious or amorous as the mood takes him. Has been known to dally occasionally with a human female; the children of such matings are mortal, but are always shapeshifters, even if the mother has no Aruaki blood, and are highly valued by the Demnat priesthood. Can be aloof, vain, callous, and downright vindictive to those who cross him. Fierce in battle, but definitely prefers to have the odds on his side, and will use trickery over force when possible. Can be led by curiosity into trouble, but is very good at getting himself out of it.

Demnat had his origins several thousand years ago in the Empire of Ratan, as the god of predatory animals and hunters; he was a fairly minor god in the Ratani pantheon and is very well pleased with the Aruaki's adoption of him and his elevation to major deity. He was the offspring (as legend tells) of the Ratani goddess of knowledge, Yitani, and their fire-god, Lannakh. When the Aruaki left Ratan some six or seven hundred years ago, Demnat went with them. The Ratan Empire was destroyed after a long decline some five hundred years ago in the last Chaos Wars; but a few small city-states and tribes remain far to the south who still worship the old Ratani gods.

So far as power goes, probably only a moderately high-powered dude in most of Alastari; in his homeland of Aruak...don't mess with him.

Demnat is considered friendly to Errodon and Karn, unfriendly to A'Taul, an enemy of Kjarran, and neutral to most other gods. Will definitely come down on anyone who attempts to usurp his prerogatives in Aruak, but is tolerant of other gods so long as they acknowledge his supremacy among his own people.

Errodon, the Great Spirit (elven). Considered by most to be the god of forests, the Northern elves consider him an all-father. Generally appears as a very tall, pale elf with "hair like the sun" and deep green eyes. Responsible for the peace and harmony of the forests and their inhabitants. Worshipped most intensely in areas of the Shewish Forest and throughout small pockets of Andoria, including Ardivent. The main temple of Errodon is in Andor.

Filarnon, Mover of Ships. God of the winds. Worshipped among the sailors and pirates of the island kingdoms of the Delarquan Federation and also by the elithan of Cliffhome. Manifests as a whirlwind of wings and eyes: very difficult to look at.

Gheal, the Mother. Gheal is one of the oldest and most powerful of the gods. The spirit of Ghea itself, her dominion is the balance of all living things on the planet. Gheal is worshipped under many names all over Ghea, (Gaild and Ruivan being the best known) but she is almost completely indifferent to humankind, and seldom interacts with even the other gods. Impartial, unconcerned with good, evil, law, chaos, or any of the other distinctions introduced by sentient life, Gheal maintains the "balance of nature" and acts only when the existence of the whole planet is threatened. Worshipped mainly in Convincia, though all farmers and foresters pay her homage. On the few recorded occasions when she has manifested physically, she appears as a naked, mature woman with dark skin, long, tangled black hair, and green eyes (all green, no white, pupil or iris.) She sometimes seems to be holding an indescribable glowing shape (the "soul of the world") to her breast.

Gurtarg. A dwarven god of miners. Little known on the surface; held by the dwarves to be the Craftsman of the Gods, inventor of the mines and furnaces, and the one who taught the dwarven race their skills at the beginning of time. Appears as a huge, scarred male dwarf with one eye.

Jayan. The god of trade and commerce. Possibly another aspect of Seefe, but worshipped in the Free Cities and eastern Delarquan cities.

Jehyr. The god of evil--all that is blackest and darkest in known Ghea is under his jurisdiction. Many countries throughout Alastari believe that simply mentioning his name calls his attention to you, and so he is rarely spoken of. Has no favorite shapes and few have ever seen him manifested, although rumor states he sometimes takes the form of a common priest, a handsome noble, a Vehalli woman of the Khalani, or any undistinguished and often beautiful being that no one can name and who often leaves just as the most dire tragedies occur, but this cannot be proven. He is not manifestly powerful, although myth and legend have granted him more power than he has. Can be "exorcised" by anyone with strong faith in another god, and other gods don't really care for his presence in their territories and will chase him off if they find out he's been meddling with their people. He doesn't demand worship but loves mortals who DO worship him--will use them and their stupidity with as much careless disregard as he will other mortals. Does not care what happens to mortals alive or dead.

Note: He is not the god of "cool, red glowing eyes, black cape-wearing, cover of rock albums" evil. He is the god of true evil: plagues, disasters, misery, affliction, despair and anguish. He would as soon suck the souls from those foolish enough to worship him as anyone--in fact, more so, since they're easier. He preys on those who actually call on him, who try to curse others in his name, or whisper prayers to him in the hopes of hurting other people. His power comes from those who give in to him.

Karn. The moon-god of Bonsur and Caleam. Karn may manifest as a beautiful ivory-skinned youth (male or female) with silver hair and eyes. Karn is the patron of the night and those who move in it: thieves, harlots and those in the entertainment business: dancers, actors and restaurateurs, for example; also of beauty, infatuation and madness. Karn is a fickle, changeable deity; prone to lavishing favors upon mortals and withdrawing them abruptly on a whim. Beautiful, sensual, and amoral, not to be trusted. Worshipped strongly in Tricorus.

Kjarran. Originally a god of death and terror in Serevada, the kingdom from whence the Karnhorn peoples first came, became an "all-god" to them when they arrived on these shores. Is worshipped nearly exclusively throughout the Karnhorn Empire.

He is a demanding, jealous, bloodthirsty god, exacting subservience and obedience from his people. He appears generally as a 7 to 8 foot tall giant with four arms, a three-eyed vulture's or hawk's head (the central eye giving him the ability to look directly at a subject), and is always cloaked in a sickly green mist. Often he is surrounded by the smell of decay. All four hands have long, bird- like talons, as do his feet. Loathsome to behold, he uses fear and intimidation as his first and possibly most powerful weapon. He demands ritual sacrifice in Zuwayza twice a year, and has been known to appear and partake of the victims.

Kjarran appears to the Satrap of the Empire upon occasion to issue orders. He is very contemptuous of other "gods."

Kynrr. The god of medicine, worshipped mostly in the Andorian League and other places where medicine is studied as well as magical healing. Appears as a gentle-faced woman with earth-colored eyes, carrying a mortar and pestle, with yellow hair clasped at the base of her neck with a silver clasp. Is the patron of doctors and magical healers who also study herbalism.

Kyyar, the River Spirit (elven). Manifested mostly in the rivers around Caer. A lesser demi-god with little power but is fairly widely worshipped by the rivermen on the Tellidorn and Skartarin. Appears as a lovely and ethereal female elf with silvery-clear hair and pale blue eyes. Possibly a kindly manifestation of Karn, or perhaps her offspring.

Mantor the Bright. A warrior god. Worshipped throughout southern Alastari and also in the Frafrejan cities of Andoria, although the Frafrejans emphasize the "honor and chivalry" aspect far more than the battle part. Mantor is neutral to most other gods, but a possible enemy of A'Taul (see above) who he sees as an upstart rival for his sphere of worship. Priests of Mantor teach the arts of war in their temples, and some of them are masters of Alastari's arenas.

Merth/Mireth/Mirrian. The daughter (or possibly daughters) of Trent and Gheal. A triune goddess, worshipped by different sects in each of her aspects. She is worshipped mainly in Andoria. As Merth, goddess of running water and fertility, she is a rather wild nature spirit, embodying the regenerative power of spring. She presides over conception and childbirth as well as the production of herds and fields. She is worshipped by mothers and women wishing to become mothers. As Mireth, she is the goddess of marriage, romantic love and devotion to family. As Mirrian, she is the goddess of physical lust and sensuality. She appears as a dark-haired, dark-eyed girl with fair skin, usually dressed in a goatskin tunic and garlands of flowers.

Mytori Iron Hand. The Rirorni battle god. Some say he and Mantor the Bright were originally one god that somehow became divided, with Mantor taking most that is glorious and honorable in battle, and Mytori retaining most that is cruel and savage. Zefrax Khan, ruler of the Rirorni Empire, was said to be on a mission from Mytori.

Ruhor. A minor river-god worshipped in Lapur and Monuntial. The personification of the Duskblood River and more or less confined to it. Worshipped by traders, boatmen and shipbuilders on the Duskblood, and virtually nowhere else. Some scholars maintain that Ruhor is a masculine analog of Merth. Appears as a shaggy, weed-covered humanoid with webbed hands and glittering scales; sometimes surfaces to watch ships go by. This is held to be a sign of bad luck for the ship in question, and sailors will sometimes refuse to serve on a ship with "Ruhor's eye on it." On the other hand, Ruhor will sometimes emerge from the river, approach a shipwright and (without speaking) begin to work on the ship in progress; such a ship is supposed to be especially lucky. Any captain or builder foolish enough to spurn the god's help generally regrets it.

Ruvian. The earth and fertility goddess of the south. Worshipped in caves, she is considered benevolent, but secretive. Her prophetesses are sought for their useful visions (always couched in riddles, of course). Her worship spreads as far as the Kannish language is spoken--basically, southern Alastari and small pockets around the Karnhorn Empire.

Seefe of the Endless Scroll. The bureaucrat of the gods, the patron of scribes and government officials. The mediator in any dispute between gods or gods and mortals. Seefe is the ultimate neutral; his judgments are always according to the exact letter of the law. Oaths sworn by Seefe are binding beyond death, and there are a number of famous tragedies written about those who break them.

Shieriah. A horse-god of the Rirorni Plains. Still worshipped in Khalani, and to some extent in Morya and Dullens. Signifies speed, strength and male virility; in the feminine aspect of the Great Mare, signifies wealth, luck and fertility. Sometimes depicted as a horse, sometimes as a centaur-like fusion of horse and man.

Tinnuuv, the Stone Spirit (elven). The spirit of the rocks around Caer, husband of Kyyar. The demi-god of the "living" rock, that which is still being sculpted by the waters (symbolizing his marriage to Kyyar). Worship is in decline, with most of his believers belonging to the worship of Kyyar. Appears as a very plain, dark-skinned and dark-haired elf with piercing green eyes and a cheerful face.

GREAT EASTERN ROAD or Great Eastern Route

The caravan route, several thousand miles long, that briefly splits in two to cross the small land of Alastari. Conflict over which way the caravans should go (bringing prosperity to the cities in their path) is part of the reason for the wars between the Andorian League and the Delarquan Federation.

GREY WAND, the

A magical artifact of great power, primarily used for sealing dimensional gates, although it can produce a number of other minor effects: visual and aural illusions, sound effects, etc. It has been intimated that the wand is also at least partially responsible for the immortality and resurrections which Sheila grants the Lord Protectors. This is actually a reasonable theory, as the wand, unlike most artifacts, continuously generates its own magical power, and must be discharged regularly lest it overload. Owned and operated by Sheila Greywand. The wand is rumored to be semisentient and ill-disposed towards its wielder; the standard legends about it being able to influence and eventually control the mind of those who use it apply. Whether or not these legends are accurate is unknown, for Sheila has never let it out of her possession. (Save for once, when it was captured briefly by some renegade sorcerers. It was promptly rescued and returned by a group of Lord Protectors.)