Kingdom Name:Nistha, which literally translates into beneath (From Javanese)
Carved into one of the largest mountains in the expanse is the bustling city of Berany, which tilts down into the gaping black hole that is Nistha. Originally founded as a mining community, Nistha soon took on a mind of it's own, growing into a cave system that extended deep beneath the expanse and outward farther than even it's king knows. It is a huge and flourishing country, providing a variety of ores, jewels, fossils and artifacts mined from deep under the Expanse as a shortcut for anyone courageous enough to brave the beasts that live in the dark. Although they haven't threatened anyone above them yet, the country runs on expansion, and it's only a matter of time before they turn their eyes upward in the search for more.
Leaders:King Alric Righton, although arguably the country is run by his slew of advisers. He has three daughters and a son, the youngest of whom is named Jordina.
Alighnment: Neutral Evil, they work for their own good, and their own good only, regardless of the cost to others.
Races: Mixed races, lots of humans and dwarves, but really anyone feeling a little greedy would be right at home.
The People: The rich, powerful and ambitious tend to live in Berany, but things are very different as you go further down. Where the country is relatively close to the surface things tend to look pretty good, but the farther down you go, things get iffy. The king pushes for expansion outward and downward, straining a lower class that is already struggling to survive. It's difficult to get light farther down, and work is dangerous, so it seems rebellion would be common were it not for the fact that wherever rebellion sparks the area seems to become infected with plague and the army does what's best: They collapse all tunnels leading into the area and work around it. It's rumored that the royal family is behind it, but no one can control disease.
History: When it became clear that the mining colony had become independent from it's ruling countries they claimed sovereignty, and the supervisor of the mines, Josiah Righton, claimed himself king with little notable dispute. Although his position was originally taken as a joke, the Righton family quickly made it clear that they meant business when they took charge. After a series of unsuccessful rebellions it became generally accepted that the Righton family was in charge. Since then the country has been growing at a furious rate and the Rightons have kept their throne by fighting tooth and nail.
Carved into one of the largest mountains in the expanse is the bustling city of Berany, which tilts down into the gaping black hole that is Nistha. Originally founded as a mining community, Nistha soon took on a mind of it's own, growing into a cave system that extended deep beneath the expanse and outward farther than even it's king knows. It is a huge and flourishing country, providing a variety of ores, jewels, fossils and artifacts mined from deep under the Expanse as a shortcut for anyone courageous enough to brave the beasts that live in the dark. Although they haven't threatened anyone above them yet, the country runs on expansion, and it's only a matter of time before they turn their eyes upward in the search for more.
Leaders:King Alric Righton, although arguably the country is run by his slew of advisers. He has three daughters and a son, the youngest of whom is named Jordina.
Alighnment: Neutral Evil, they work for their own good, and their own good only, regardless of the cost to others.
Races: Mixed races, lots of humans and dwarves, but really anyone feeling a little greedy would be right at home.
The People: The rich, powerful and ambitious tend to live in Berany, but things are very different as you go further down. Where the country is relatively close to the surface things tend to look pretty good, but the farther down you go, things get iffy. The king pushes for expansion outward and downward, straining a lower class that is already struggling to survive. It's difficult to get light farther down, and work is dangerous, so it seems rebellion would be common were it not for the fact that wherever rebellion sparks the area seems to become infected with plague and the army does what's best: They collapse all tunnels leading into the area and work around it. It's rumored that the royal family is behind it, but no one can control disease.
History: When it became clear that the mining colony had become independent from it's ruling countries they claimed sovereignty, and the supervisor of the mines, Josiah Righton, claimed himself king with little notable dispute. Although his position was originally taken as a joke, the Righton family quickly made it clear that they meant business when they took charge. After a series of unsuccessful rebellions it became generally accepted that the Righton family was in charge. Since then the country has been growing at a furious rate and the Rightons have kept their throne by fighting tooth and nail.
These are just some of the ones I wrote out, and there are a lot more of them than I originally meant to make... I'm more than happy to add more to it if anyone has suggestions. Seriously, just say what you want on the list, I'll be happy to oblige))
Creatures
Morlocks- A subterranean people who at some point got stuck deep in the caves. They’re big and hulking, but not necessarily smart. They lived off of animals that were already living in the caves and took to keeping the eloi like cattle. They have large eyes and a covering of white hair. The morlocks rarely have any pigmentation but those who do are defended ferociously as treasures to their community. Morlocks now tend to work as miners in the lowest regions of Nistha.
Eloi- A race of plantigrades (Animals with longer hind legs, like rabbits) covered in straight grey hair that is thickest on their heads. They have humanoid hands, and mouths, but lack eyes of any sort. Their noses are out before their faces, and resemble that of a star nosed mole. Despite their excellent sense of smell the eloi would be rather helpless if it weren’t for the way the morlocks kept them like sheep.
((The above two are based upon but not faithful to H.G. Wells’s morlocks and eloi))
Balrogs-Tall menacing creatures capable of shrouding themselves in darkness, fire and shadow and rivaled only by dragons in their destructive ferocity. They aren't normally an issue, but sometimes people get greedy and there are some places that would better be left untouched.
((Based upon J.R.R. Tolkien's Balrogs))
((Suggested by Terel))
Cave Crabs (Skitters)- A species of crab very similar to the Japanese spider crab in build, but with a perfectly smooth creamy white exoskeleton. They have rich meat, but they move very fast and have claws that can deliver a painful pinch strong enough to break a finger. Children in areas where they live often make a game of catching skitters and bringing them home as a special treat for dinner.
Glowing Cavesnail- A type of snail that lives in the caves and posseses a very hard shell that glows for hours after being exposed to light. They’re harvested for their shells every spring and the glowing material is used in cheap jewelry. Their shells can be up to three inches in diameter.
Parasitic Cavesnail- A tiny carnivorous snail that will attach to other animals and suck their blood like a tick. They aren’t particularly dangerous, and they don’t carry many diseases unless a past host had something transmissible through blood, but they are really annoying.
Blind Spider- An eyeless spider the size of a house-cat known to take pets and small children. Though they aren’t very dangerous on their own, they sometimes travel in packs of up to 10, and are capable of bringing down adults. They tend to be alone and notably small near cities, but out past the city lights, it’s abnormal for them not to travel in packs and actively hunt lone travelers.
Shelled Spider- Many cave dwelling creatures will eat glowing cavesnails, which is why the shelled spider, which lives near the mouths of caves and cities in Nistha have evolved to have a shell very similar to that of the glowing cavesnail near its mouth to attract prey. Shelled spider’s shells are more flexible than the cavesnails. They can grow up to seven inches.
Giant Cave Centipede- A gigantic species of Centipede that can grow to the size of a horse, the giant cave millipede uses echolocation to find prey. It makes a distinct clicking noise, and only lives in the darkness between cities. Their armor and hundred and one legs, the front four of which are hooked on the ends and capable of injecting prey with a paralyzing venom, make them a formidable foe unless you can manage to tab them in the mandibles or the chinks where there armor splits to allow for movement.
Lesser cave shrimp- A species of albino shrimp that lives in many of the underwater lakes and rivers, they’re relatively defenseless, but they live in huge swarms, making them a reliable food source for people and animals alike. Sadly they’re not very big.
Greater Cave shrimp- A species of albino shrimp that lives in many of the underwater lakes and rivers, they’re relatively defenseless, but they have a great capacity to become invisible to most forms of echolocation. They’re a decent size, and a stable food source when you can find them.
Big Eyed Cave Lobster- As the name implies, they have abnormally large eyes. These crustaceans eat various molds and smaller animals. They actually do not require as much water as normal lobsters, and are often found miles and miles from underground lakes and rivers where most cave lobsters thrive. They’re otherwise pretty normal lobsters.
Stream Spider- A small crab that lacks pincers and is often mistaken for a spider, hence the name. It has a clear shell and lives in the streams.
Blindfish- An edible fish that seems to live in every body of water in Nistha. It’s eyes are a delicacy, but they’re a pain to get out whole. The eyes are fully functioning, but they’re under a layer of skin. Blindfish are around six inches long.
Muscle Catfish- A catfish with a perfectly clear skin that allows all of its muscles to be seen, they’re capable of a potent electric shock from their whiskers.
Blind Cave Eel- A species of albino eel with no eyes. Often mistaken for the blind cave snake.
Lesser Cave Salamander- Small blind albino salamanders with feathery red external gills. They live mostly on cave shrimp of various kinds.
Greater Cave Salamander (Salamander Dogs)- It appears to be a larger version of the lesser cave salamander, save for the fact that it’s legs work like those of a dogs and it’s got a mouth full of much scarier teeth. They live in packs in the wild, and are one of the few animals known to take on the giant cave centipede of it’s own consent, but when domesticated they are very sweet to their adopted pack of humans. They are active salamanders with an endless appetite. Very good with children, walking is suggested once a day.
Blind Cave Snake- A species of albino snake with no eyes that prefers to live in water. It’s not poisonous, but it is a powerful constrictor if you’re smaller than it.
Cave Dwelling Rat Snake- A beautiful snake whose diet consists mostly of bats, rats, frogs and any other small animal that gets into the cave.
Iridescent Feathered Snake- A friendly white snake that grows iridescent feathers in a crest around its face, on its tail, and down its sides. They glide about very pretty in the capital, and are popular pets among the elite.
Cave Lions- Large ferocious albino cats with no eyes, large ears and black tongues. They live in small groups of no more than 4. Though they don’t normally go into cities, they aren’t afraid to go right up to the borders of the ones further down.
Cave Hyenas- 200 pound monsters built to take down the larger creatures in the caves. They have thick, dark fur and large eyes. If they think they can get into a city with little risk, they will.
Plants
Cave Nettle- A flowering moss with minor painkilling properties. The flowers are small, pink and very pretty.
Moonmoss- A glowing blue moss that can be ground into flour.
Shadow Pears- A tree that grows upside-down from stalactites and produces a tart, pear like fruit with black flesh.
Ground Plum- A moss that grows on cave floors and produces a sweet fruit rather like a plum in shape and texture.
Creatures
Morlocks- A subterranean people who at some point got stuck deep in the caves. They’re big and hulking, but not necessarily smart. They lived off of animals that were already living in the caves and took to keeping the eloi like cattle. They have large eyes and a covering of white hair. The morlocks rarely have any pigmentation but those who do are defended ferociously as treasures to their community. Morlocks now tend to work as miners in the lowest regions of Nistha.
Eloi- A race of plantigrades (Animals with longer hind legs, like rabbits) covered in straight grey hair that is thickest on their heads. They have humanoid hands, and mouths, but lack eyes of any sort. Their noses are out before their faces, and resemble that of a star nosed mole. Despite their excellent sense of smell the eloi would be rather helpless if it weren’t for the way the morlocks kept them like sheep.
((The above two are based upon but not faithful to H.G. Wells’s morlocks and eloi))
Balrogs-Tall menacing creatures capable of shrouding themselves in darkness, fire and shadow and rivaled only by dragons in their destructive ferocity. They aren't normally an issue, but sometimes people get greedy and there are some places that would better be left untouched.
((Based upon J.R.R. Tolkien's Balrogs))
((Suggested by Terel))
Cave Crabs (Skitters)- A species of crab very similar to the Japanese spider crab in build, but with a perfectly smooth creamy white exoskeleton. They have rich meat, but they move very fast and have claws that can deliver a painful pinch strong enough to break a finger. Children in areas where they live often make a game of catching skitters and bringing them home as a special treat for dinner.
Glowing Cavesnail- A type of snail that lives in the caves and posseses a very hard shell that glows for hours after being exposed to light. They’re harvested for their shells every spring and the glowing material is used in cheap jewelry. Their shells can be up to three inches in diameter.
Parasitic Cavesnail- A tiny carnivorous snail that will attach to other animals and suck their blood like a tick. They aren’t particularly dangerous, and they don’t carry many diseases unless a past host had something transmissible through blood, but they are really annoying.
Blind Spider- An eyeless spider the size of a house-cat known to take pets and small children. Though they aren’t very dangerous on their own, they sometimes travel in packs of up to 10, and are capable of bringing down adults. They tend to be alone and notably small near cities, but out past the city lights, it’s abnormal for them not to travel in packs and actively hunt lone travelers.
Shelled Spider- Many cave dwelling creatures will eat glowing cavesnails, which is why the shelled spider, which lives near the mouths of caves and cities in Nistha have evolved to have a shell very similar to that of the glowing cavesnail near its mouth to attract prey. Shelled spider’s shells are more flexible than the cavesnails. They can grow up to seven inches.
Giant Cave Centipede- A gigantic species of Centipede that can grow to the size of a horse, the giant cave millipede uses echolocation to find prey. It makes a distinct clicking noise, and only lives in the darkness between cities. Their armor and hundred and one legs, the front four of which are hooked on the ends and capable of injecting prey with a paralyzing venom, make them a formidable foe unless you can manage to tab them in the mandibles or the chinks where there armor splits to allow for movement.
Lesser cave shrimp- A species of albino shrimp that lives in many of the underwater lakes and rivers, they’re relatively defenseless, but they live in huge swarms, making them a reliable food source for people and animals alike. Sadly they’re not very big.
Greater Cave shrimp- A species of albino shrimp that lives in many of the underwater lakes and rivers, they’re relatively defenseless, but they have a great capacity to become invisible to most forms of echolocation. They’re a decent size, and a stable food source when you can find them.
Big Eyed Cave Lobster- As the name implies, they have abnormally large eyes. These crustaceans eat various molds and smaller animals. They actually do not require as much water as normal lobsters, and are often found miles and miles from underground lakes and rivers where most cave lobsters thrive. They’re otherwise pretty normal lobsters.
Stream Spider- A small crab that lacks pincers and is often mistaken for a spider, hence the name. It has a clear shell and lives in the streams.
Blindfish- An edible fish that seems to live in every body of water in Nistha. It’s eyes are a delicacy, but they’re a pain to get out whole. The eyes are fully functioning, but they’re under a layer of skin. Blindfish are around six inches long.
Muscle Catfish- A catfish with a perfectly clear skin that allows all of its muscles to be seen, they’re capable of a potent electric shock from their whiskers.
Blind Cave Eel- A species of albino eel with no eyes. Often mistaken for the blind cave snake.
Lesser Cave Salamander- Small blind albino salamanders with feathery red external gills. They live mostly on cave shrimp of various kinds.
Greater Cave Salamander (Salamander Dogs)- It appears to be a larger version of the lesser cave salamander, save for the fact that it’s legs work like those of a dogs and it’s got a mouth full of much scarier teeth. They live in packs in the wild, and are one of the few animals known to take on the giant cave centipede of it’s own consent, but when domesticated they are very sweet to their adopted pack of humans. They are active salamanders with an endless appetite. Very good with children, walking is suggested once a day.
Blind Cave Snake- A species of albino snake with no eyes that prefers to live in water. It’s not poisonous, but it is a powerful constrictor if you’re smaller than it.
Cave Dwelling Rat Snake- A beautiful snake whose diet consists mostly of bats, rats, frogs and any other small animal that gets into the cave.
Iridescent Feathered Snake- A friendly white snake that grows iridescent feathers in a crest around its face, on its tail, and down its sides. They glide about very pretty in the capital, and are popular pets among the elite.
Cave Lions- Large ferocious albino cats with no eyes, large ears and black tongues. They live in small groups of no more than 4. Though they don’t normally go into cities, they aren’t afraid to go right up to the borders of the ones further down.
Cave Hyenas- 200 pound monsters built to take down the larger creatures in the caves. They have thick, dark fur and large eyes. If they think they can get into a city with little risk, they will.
Plants
Cave Nettle- A flowering moss with minor painkilling properties. The flowers are small, pink and very pretty.
Moonmoss- A glowing blue moss that can be ground into flour.
Shadow Pears- A tree that grows upside-down from stalactites and produces a tart, pear like fruit with black flesh.
Ground Plum- A moss that grows on cave floors and produces a sweet fruit rather like a plum in shape and texture.
Wow, you've put a lot of thought and detail into this! That is awesome! Gold star to you, bud!
I got just a little carried away after I found a Wikipedia page on cave fauna
Wow, this looks very very cool. Beware of Balrogs, however, those kinds of things always seem to appear when Greedy Minerstm delve too greedily and Dig Too Deep.
And since this is the Expanse, there will of course be eldritch horrors beyond mortal comprehension slumbering somewhere down there. Like any culture worth its salt, my Terelains have all sorts of myths about the horrors waiting in the dark depths beneath the earth.
And since this is the Expanse, there will of course be eldritch horrors beyond mortal comprehension slumbering somewhere down there. Like any culture worth its salt, my Terelains have all sorts of myths about the horrors waiting in the dark depths beneath the earth.
The same with mine. From monsters, to illusions, to horrors, to ghosts, to demons... There is ever a god in the form of a creey little boy who wanders the watery underground caves/catacombs.
My favorite are the muscle catfish and the cave hyena. But the other creatures are very natural, in a way. Overall, it is a varied list of natural-ish animals. Sometimes, in high fantasy settings, it is pleasant to have natural aspects.
And Now I'm going to have the urge to make a mythos. This should be interesting.
Balrogs join the list as the third creature down.
And thank you on that. I was worried some of the list was a little to boring.
Balrogs join the list as the third creature down.
And thank you on that. I was worried some of the list was a little to boring.
Oh my, now you have Balrogs... okay whatever you do do not call one of your kings Durin. That's just tempting fate xD
The Terelains believe that long before the dawn of recorded history in the 'First Era' the Elder Gods of their pantheon went insane and enslaved the Elder Races and did many nasty things, including the creation of entire races of monsters and demons that made up their armies during the Rebellion of the Elder Races. According to Terelain myth the Elder Races were victorious in the war and destroyed the terrible beasts and abominations the mad gods had made, the few survivors fleeing to the 'dark places, where even now the Shadow dwells' - like underground.
Naturally such myths are questionable, especially since of the five or six Elder Races that supposedly existed only the Dragons and Terelains are left and there's no evidence for any of the others. But it's stories like these that have kept the Terelains from mining out the Renala Mountains. There's a deep fear of the things they think sleep in the depths...
Lets hope there's no truth to the old tales, or you might find worse than Balrogs down there :p
On the other hand, I bet there's a lot of mineral wealth under those mountains the Terelains have been too superstitious to tap into.
The Terelains believe that long before the dawn of recorded history in the 'First Era' the Elder Gods of their pantheon went insane and enslaved the Elder Races and did many nasty things, including the creation of entire races of monsters and demons that made up their armies during the Rebellion of the Elder Races. According to Terelain myth the Elder Races were victorious in the war and destroyed the terrible beasts and abominations the mad gods had made, the few survivors fleeing to the 'dark places, where even now the Shadow dwells' - like underground.
Naturally such myths are questionable, especially since of the five or six Elder Races that supposedly existed only the Dragons and Terelains are left and there's no evidence for any of the others. But it's stories like these that have kept the Terelains from mining out the Renala Mountains. There's a deep fear of the things they think sleep in the depths...
Lets hope there's no truth to the old tales, or you might find worse than Balrogs down there :p
On the other hand, I bet there's a lot of mineral wealth under those mountains the Terelains have been too superstitious to tap into.
Mythos and unconfirmed beasts.
Mythos
Nistha is rather young for a country and as such doesn’t have as many myths a it could, however other countries have stories about the caves, and the mythos is growing every day.
The Terelains believe that long before the dawn of recorded history in the 'First Era' the Elder Gods of their pantheon went insane and enslaved the Elder Races and did many nasty things, including the creation of entire races of monsters and demons that made up their armies during the Rebellion of the Elder Races. According to Terelain myth the Elder Races were victorious in the war and destroyed the terrible beasts and abominations the mad gods had made, the few survivors fleeing to the 'dark places, where even now the Shadow dwells' - like underground.
Naturally such myths are questionable, especially since of the five or six Elder Races that supposedly existed only the Dragons and Terelains are left and there's no evidence for any of the others. But it's stories like these that have kept the Terelains from mining out the Renala Mountains. There's a deep fear of the things they think sleep in the depths...
Lets hope there's no truth to the old tales, or you might find worse than Balrogs down there.
(Terel)
The Wanderer- Some claim he’s the ghost of a child lost in the caves, others say he is a god who lives in the watery caverns. Whatever the case, the child has been seen on numerous occasions and his presence brings on a sense of dread.
(idea from virusghost18)
Many years ago while Nistha was small, awful creatures known as Drakkons dug the caves, tormenting the settlers deeper down. The brave king Lear sent many knights to fight the Drakkons, but few returned. Finally a grand old Drakkon dubbed Grisgane took to attacking the capitol. He was an awesome source of terror for the Nisthians,and no one dared fight him. A young goldsmith by the name of Jayne went to fight him alone, daring to challenge the mighty beast in a suit of shining armor. Grisgane took to the girl upon seeing what she had fashioned from the stones of the earth and rather than fight her, took her captive. Jayne humored the Drakkon, fashioning beautiful golden armor for the beasts but always leaving one area open, a small section on the throat. Knights soon took the message and the Drakkon were quickly exterminated. Although Jayne was never seen again it is rumored that she was gifted immortality, and cares for a sole remaining Drakkon in a cave deep below the surface. A statue of her in armor stands in the castle courtyards.
Unconfirmed Beasts
It's not uncommon for miners to come up with fantastical stories when they find themselves alone in the dark, some poor souls come back from the deepest depths of the caves rambling about horrible and awesome creatures that lurk there. Although the creatures found in larger mining expeditions do seem to get more and more terrible as miners move downward worse things live beyond the reach of the light.
Azarza (The Unblinking)-A terrible seething beast with a hundred mouths and a thousand eyes. The Unblinking is rumored to live in the sealed off ruins of what was once a great city in the shallower regions of Nistha. The beasts eyes stare into all directions, never blinking and some say that it sees all that happens, has seen all that has happened and will see all things to come. It's mouths speak great knowledge, but it is only shared at a terrible price.
Dagon- A huge creature that lives in the depths of some underground lakes. It has four writhing tentacles , the torso of a man, four skeletal arms and the face of a female angler fish. Communities that fish out a dagon are given two choices, worship the beast as a god and reap the benefits, or die.
Drakkons- Massive beasts that resemble dragons with no wings, short necks, and enormous claws. They are capable of tearing through even the hardest stone walls. The king would pay good dime to anyone who could capture and tame the legendary beasts for training to be used in the mines. Despite the fact that there are hundreds of tales of brave knights battling with them, they haven’t been seen since the early days of Nistha.
Golems-Small skeletal beasts with large eyes and sharp teeth. Some suppose that they are miners who dug to deep and were driven to madness. They fear the light, but in the darkness, they attack in a frenzy like piranhas.
Rakes- Humanoid creatures with no hair and large hollow black eyes on an otherwise featureless face. It walks on four mangled limbs and has pale grey skin.
Salamanders (Capital S)- White Salamanders the size of horses whose spit is acid and whose skin is so cold that it burns.
Stagnite- An awful ugly creature that has grown into the cave walls, it is immobile even to speak, but it’s brain is intact and preserved. The poor creature is to hang there indefinitely in eternal agony, only capable of release when some unfortunate traveler touches it and is forced to take it’s place.
Water Dog- An amphibious quadruped whose back is lined by brilliant red spikes. It has slimy grey-blue skin and four green eyes. The beast is only visible to the dying, but those lucky enough to cut the beast will know that it’s blood is gold. Said blood can be used as a healing agent.
Mythos
Nistha is rather young for a country and as such doesn’t have as many myths a it could, however other countries have stories about the caves, and the mythos is growing every day.
The Terelains believe that long before the dawn of recorded history in the 'First Era' the Elder Gods of their pantheon went insane and enslaved the Elder Races and did many nasty things, including the creation of entire races of monsters and demons that made up their armies during the Rebellion of the Elder Races. According to Terelain myth the Elder Races were victorious in the war and destroyed the terrible beasts and abominations the mad gods had made, the few survivors fleeing to the 'dark places, where even now the Shadow dwells' - like underground.
Naturally such myths are questionable, especially since of the five or six Elder Races that supposedly existed only the Dragons and Terelains are left and there's no evidence for any of the others. But it's stories like these that have kept the Terelains from mining out the Renala Mountains. There's a deep fear of the things they think sleep in the depths...
Lets hope there's no truth to the old tales, or you might find worse than Balrogs down there.
(Terel)
The Wanderer- Some claim he’s the ghost of a child lost in the caves, others say he is a god who lives in the watery caverns. Whatever the case, the child has been seen on numerous occasions and his presence brings on a sense of dread.
(idea from virusghost18)
Many years ago while Nistha was small, awful creatures known as Drakkons dug the caves, tormenting the settlers deeper down. The brave king Lear sent many knights to fight the Drakkons, but few returned. Finally a grand old Drakkon dubbed Grisgane took to attacking the capitol. He was an awesome source of terror for the Nisthians,and no one dared fight him. A young goldsmith by the name of Jayne went to fight him alone, daring to challenge the mighty beast in a suit of shining armor. Grisgane took to the girl upon seeing what she had fashioned from the stones of the earth and rather than fight her, took her captive. Jayne humored the Drakkon, fashioning beautiful golden armor for the beasts but always leaving one area open, a small section on the throat. Knights soon took the message and the Drakkon were quickly exterminated. Although Jayne was never seen again it is rumored that she was gifted immortality, and cares for a sole remaining Drakkon in a cave deep below the surface. A statue of her in armor stands in the castle courtyards.
Unconfirmed Beasts
It's not uncommon for miners to come up with fantastical stories when they find themselves alone in the dark, some poor souls come back from the deepest depths of the caves rambling about horrible and awesome creatures that lurk there. Although the creatures found in larger mining expeditions do seem to get more and more terrible as miners move downward worse things live beyond the reach of the light.
Azarza (The Unblinking)-A terrible seething beast with a hundred mouths and a thousand eyes. The Unblinking is rumored to live in the sealed off ruins of what was once a great city in the shallower regions of Nistha. The beasts eyes stare into all directions, never blinking and some say that it sees all that happens, has seen all that has happened and will see all things to come. It's mouths speak great knowledge, but it is only shared at a terrible price.
Dagon- A huge creature that lives in the depths of some underground lakes. It has four writhing tentacles , the torso of a man, four skeletal arms and the face of a female angler fish. Communities that fish out a dagon are given two choices, worship the beast as a god and reap the benefits, or die.
Drakkons- Massive beasts that resemble dragons with no wings, short necks, and enormous claws. They are capable of tearing through even the hardest stone walls. The king would pay good dime to anyone who could capture and tame the legendary beasts for training to be used in the mines. Despite the fact that there are hundreds of tales of brave knights battling with them, they haven’t been seen since the early days of Nistha.
Golems-Small skeletal beasts with large eyes and sharp teeth. Some suppose that they are miners who dug to deep and were driven to madness. They fear the light, but in the darkness, they attack in a frenzy like piranhas.
Rakes- Humanoid creatures with no hair and large hollow black eyes on an otherwise featureless face. It walks on four mangled limbs and has pale grey skin.
Salamanders (Capital S)- White Salamanders the size of horses whose spit is acid and whose skin is so cold that it burns.
Stagnite- An awful ugly creature that has grown into the cave walls, it is immobile even to speak, but it’s brain is intact and preserved. The poor creature is to hang there indefinitely in eternal agony, only capable of release when some unfortunate traveler touches it and is forced to take it’s place.
Water Dog- An amphibious quadruped whose back is lined by brilliant red spikes. It has slimy grey-blue skin and four green eyes. The beast is only visible to the dying, but those lucky enough to cut the beast will know that it’s blood is gold. Said blood can be used as a healing agent.
The People of Nistha
Nisthans tend to be a very pale people even in Berany, where the people live mostly above ground. Albinism is actually quite common among the Nisthans, but more common is pale skin, white hair and colored eyes of some sort. The upper class tends to be just slightly darker than those who live underground, though still frightfully more so than outsiders, they also are more likely to posses colored hair, which is a sign of beauty. They also tend to have slightly larger eyes than people from outside the country, and very delicate features.
Dwarves are common, though more so among the lower class since they make such good miners. They are short, stocky individuals of great strength, but otherwise not dissimilar to humans.
Shapeshifters are one of the less common groups in Nistha, though they often excel through the ranks wherever they are. They have the ability to turn into a specific animal (technically making them animagus if you're picky but shapeshifter sounds cooler). Among Nisthans at least, the ability cannot be learned; it's hereditary and recessive. Normally shapeshifter's forms will be that of a cave dwelling mammal whose size is the same as that of the person. In human form they keep many attributes of their animal such as sense of smell, likewise their animal form may be affected by their human form in things like it's pigment, the existence of eyes and such.
So Culture....
To start with the Nisthans have a love for magic, they just aren't normally keen to learn kinds that don't relate to their professions. Doctors learn healing spells, fisherman learn spells that attract fish and so on so forth.
Things vary greatly throughout Nistha because of the huge gap between the upper and lower class, so the breakdown will go through the four major levels; Berany, just below the surface, the lesser level and the depths.
Berany is the capitol and the only city that is completely above ground, it sits towards the middle of a huge mountain known to be quite perilous to climb. The city is carved into the stone and though the beautiful work is notable, many places are still marred with the claw marks of Grisgane.
Within the mountains and just below the surface of the Expanse is the area where a little less than half of the country's population lives. This area accounts for about twice the depth of the ones below it, but is easily differentiated from them by the economic standing of it's citizens. This is roughly the middle class of Nistha, home of merchants and lords towards the top and farmers, soldiers and gold/jewel/etcetera miners towards the bottom. At this level you have pretty happy people who are rather content with their lives. In some areas there are even holes in the earth through which they can see the sky. This economic area grows deeper and deeper as years go by, but so does Nistha
WIP
Nisthans tend to be a very pale people even in Berany, where the people live mostly above ground. Albinism is actually quite common among the Nisthans, but more common is pale skin, white hair and colored eyes of some sort. The upper class tends to be just slightly darker than those who live underground, though still frightfully more so than outsiders, they also are more likely to posses colored hair, which is a sign of beauty. They also tend to have slightly larger eyes than people from outside the country, and very delicate features.
Dwarves are common, though more so among the lower class since they make such good miners. They are short, stocky individuals of great strength, but otherwise not dissimilar to humans.
Shapeshifters are one of the less common groups in Nistha, though they often excel through the ranks wherever they are. They have the ability to turn into a specific animal (technically making them animagus if you're picky but shapeshifter sounds cooler). Among Nisthans at least, the ability cannot be learned; it's hereditary and recessive. Normally shapeshifter's forms will be that of a cave dwelling mammal whose size is the same as that of the person. In human form they keep many attributes of their animal such as sense of smell, likewise their animal form may be affected by their human form in things like it's pigment, the existence of eyes and such.
So Culture....
To start with the Nisthans have a love for magic, they just aren't normally keen to learn kinds that don't relate to their professions. Doctors learn healing spells, fisherman learn spells that attract fish and so on so forth.
Things vary greatly throughout Nistha because of the huge gap between the upper and lower class, so the breakdown will go through the four major levels; Berany, just below the surface, the lesser level and the depths.
Berany is the capitol and the only city that is completely above ground, it sits towards the middle of a huge mountain known to be quite perilous to climb. The city is carved into the stone and though the beautiful work is notable, many places are still marred with the claw marks of Grisgane.
Within the mountains and just below the surface of the Expanse is the area where a little less than half of the country's population lives. This area accounts for about twice the depth of the ones below it, but is easily differentiated from them by the economic standing of it's citizens. This is roughly the middle class of Nistha, home of merchants and lords towards the top and farmers, soldiers and gold/jewel/etcetera miners towards the bottom. At this level you have pretty happy people who are rather content with their lives. In some areas there are even holes in the earth through which they can see the sky. This economic area grows deeper and deeper as years go by, but so does Nistha
WIP