- God Name: Kaellarak
- Title: God of Deception, Plots, and Shadows
- Gender: Typically Male
- Alignment: Lawful Evil
- God Appearance: Kaellarak frequently takes on the form of a monstrous spider-humanoid hybrid, although he is capable of appearing in a more human form. His face seems to vary in regards to showing age, sometimes he looks like an ancient and other times very youthful. Normally his eyes glow a bright yellow, and various growths of spider-like appendages or writhing tentacles sprout, as if of their own will, from his already hideous body.
- Origins: An Archaic Deity that can remember the rise of every major race and country on Pandeum, Kaellarak has meddled with his playthings from the very beginning. He has been the terror in the shadows and depths of Mortal subconscious for time immemorial.
- Personality: The God of Deception, Plots and Shadows seeks only to further his own plans and goals, but his true intentions are often so convoluted with lies and half-truths that they are completely indiscernible. Although he supported the Divine Treaty that ended the Great Rebellion, he personally led many a foolish young God to their early demise, and whispers abound that he even turned on his own Archaic Brethren. Unsubstantiated by lack of proof or living witnesses to any deeds he may have done in those years, Kaellarak maintains an air of mystery, doubt, and fear. Like the spiders he claims patronage of, he creeps through the darkness with hidden intentions and only reveals himself when he sees fit.
- Opinion of Mortals: "Puppets, strung by the intricate and entrapping Web, mere tools to be used in furthering my Plots and fulfilling my Deceptions. Disposable filth."
- God’s Domain: Hung haphazardly from a series of tangled webbing are the Pyramids of Reflection, within which are stored the souls of both his most devoted followers as well as pathetic Mortals foolish enough to find themselves in Kaellarak's grasp at their time of death. Those in the Upper Reflection see only visions of bliss, lust, and sated appetites, while those in the Lower Reflection are entombed and immobilized by thick webs while being tortured and drained by visions of despair, longing, and starvation. Souls in the Lower Reflection have their life's essence sucked from them and absorbed by those in the Upper Reflection until the Lower souls completely disappear. Serving Kaellarak's purpose however, even these Upper Souls of his most devout are not safe, but his true intentions toward them remain unclear.
- Avatar Name: Drozhisz'ahk, not a name, but a title that signifies he is the Patriarch of both Drow and Zhiszu
- Avatar Appearance: Believed by the Drow to be the peak of evolutionary fusion of their own race with the Insectoid Zhiszu, Drozhisz'ahk possesses all of the most desirable features in the eyes of his society. His head tagmata(comprising of his humanoid abdomen, arms and head) and thorax tagmata(or segments), and six legs are entirely armored by a thick, chitinous exoskeleton. His coarse-haired abdominal tagmata is lined with hardened plates along its' sides that cover his lung slits, capable of shutting completely when need be. He has six black eyes with gleaming silvery irises, and six small appendage-like extensions sprouting from his head that resemble a crown. Long silver Drow-hair hangs loosely about his head, covering the sensitive hearing canals on either side. Drozhisz'ahk lacks lips entirely, soft flesh having been replaced by armor-like carapace even on his face, but does have a tongue inside his fanged-filled mouth and can speak well enough for other races to understand him. The exoskeleton of his fingers tapers off into deadly points, similar to the way his legs end in sharpened segments.
- Anatomy: With respiratory and digestive systems in his two frontal tagmata that can operate independently from his abdominal(rear tagmata) systems, he can survive the loss of the back section. However, the abdomen contains his silk-producing organs as well as reproductive system, and would have to be regrown over time. The Drozhisz'ahk has araneomorphic fangs(meaning that they are angled, and bite in a 'V' pattern, starting at the tops of the 'V' and apexing at the bottom) that curl neatly into his mouth behind both cheek regions and out of the way of his tongue and more Drow-like frontal teeth. A pressurized venom gland in the back of his throat is linked to his two fangs, and is capable of spitting short jets of venom at targets ten yards away. His three sets of eyes all serve a different purpose, with the lower pair being most like ordinary Drow(or other humanoid Mortals) with color differentiation and attention to small details, the central two more suited to near pitch-black environments, and the upper set strictly attuned to picking up on even the slightest of movements. The upper eyes are linked directly to his nervous system in order to maximize reflexive action to movement.
- Personality: Bred and born seven years ago to be the primary military leader and tactician of the unified Drow-Zhiszu kingdom, the Drozhisz'ahk is not an individual and has no desires outside of those expressed by Kaellarak and whatever serves the best interest of His domain.
- Magic Abilities: Born to become Kaellarak's Avatar and bred in accordance with The God of Deceptions' will as determined by the Skirak(weavers or web-spinners), a religious order of female Zhiszu that can sometimes see into the future by reading it from the webs they weave, the Drozhisz'ahk will never grow to be older than his prime age, and will never die from any natural ailment.
-From the Spawning Pool-
~Hivemind~ While most all Zhiszu share some form of mental connection while within eachother's proximity, only the Sovereign Matriarch and Patriarch can link to the minds of all Zhiszu. Drozhisz'ahk uses this ability to instantly coordinate the Zhiszu forces of the Dominion from anywhere.
~Regeneration~ The perfect creature, according to all in the Drow-Zhiszu kingdom, Drozhisz'ahk was bred with specific focus on regenerative qualities. Spawned from a concoction of mixed genetic materials engineered by Kaellarak personally, Drozhisz'ahk heals rapidly from injuries, can regrow lost limbs over the course of a few hours, and regenerate his entire abdominal tagmata over the course of a couple days.
-From the Deity of Deception, Plots, and Shadows-
~Suppression~ An ability of will, and an embodiement of the Kaellaraknian theory in which shadows must inevitably extinguish light, so too does the Drozhisz'ahk extinguish magical talents of those nearby. Always surrounded by this Aura of Suppression, most Mortals will find it impossible to manifest their powers in his presence. Except for the most powerful of magic-users, Drozhisz'ahk can at least diminish magical attacks towards himself to the point that they are not significantly harmful. - Terrain Preference: Most primary Drow and Zhiszu population centers are found underground. Drow have expansive cities that spread across massive subterranean caverns and through complex tunnel systems, while the more primitive Zhiszu often burrow into similar caverns or create their own tunnels and chambers. It is not uncommon for Zhiszu colonies and Drow cities to be right next to or on top of one another, oftentimes with sections that are a melting pot of the two societies. Temperature and climate matter little to these dwellers of the subterranean world, be it desert or tundra above, below is always the same. Chasms and fissures shatter the surface-lands of the Dominion while hollow spires and watchtowers jut upward like jagged teeth on the horizon, serving as access points into the hidden world below.
- Name of Kingdom/Empire: The Drow-Zhiszu Dominion;
- called Kaniik-drozhisz by the Zhiszu, may more simply be called the Dominion, with the Drow sometimes referring to themselves as Kanii in order to differentiate from Drow outside of the Dominion. - Capitol:
~Gathod Elenath~ The main population center of the Drow, it is a subterranean city dimly lit by ghostly lights. There are four districts in this massive cavern. Starting furthest from Narthanuin Daeris('Beacon of the Shadow Queen', the Palace of the Queen and Royal Family), is the hybrid stretch of intermixed Drow and Zhiszu living spaces. Residences of most of the common-folk are found nearer to the first walled plateau, upon which lie the high-society manors and important buildings like temples and barracks. On the final and tallest plateau, the palace and its' grounds look down on all the rest. - Major Cities: WIP
- Society:
-People:~The Drow~ Sometimes called 'Dark Elves', Drow are an ancient Elven people that have always lived in the Northern regions of Pandeum. They are largely devout to Kaellarak, and were sworn enemies to the Dwarves in the time before the Great Rebellion. Their skin tones vary from light blue to jet black, commonly their hair is silver or white, and their eyes come in a variety of colors. Like most Elves, they are of fair complexion and beautiful proportions, with graceful and elegant bodies. Drow are known to be more hardy than common Elves, however this appears to come at a cost; Drow do not have any special affinity to nature or Natural Magicks, and are restricted to using only the destructive forces of Flame and Shadow. Those of the Dominion tend to be shadowmancers the majority of the time, however Drow can be found throughout Pandeum with various allegiances and talents. Surface-dwelling Drow in the Dominion tend to be more open-minded towards outsiders and foreign religions, while those that dwell in the expansive cities below tend to be fanatical religious zealots to the spider-like God of Shadows. - Drow Heroes: WIP
- Name: Daeris Manedhes, Queen and High Priestess of the Dominion.
-Rank/Reason: Ambitious, ruthless, and self-righteous to a fault, Daeris Manedhes would do anything to ensure her continued power. She would see the world burn if it stood in her way. - Name(s): (the three female Drow, from left to right)Bainthaurel, Goeoleth, and Lymernil, daughters of Daeris
-Rank/Reason: Heirs to the Throne in order opposite as above, all Priestesses of Gorfuinthel. Each of them more ambitious than the last, terrible to those whom block their way or inhibit their desires, these three use their royal mother's power to get whatever they want, and they lack harmless passions. - Name: Daedhelon, Prince of the Dominion
-Rank/Reason: As a male, Daedhelon will never take the throne. However, the ambition of his other relatives is not lost on him. Raised in the arts of war with the best training the Dominion could offer, he is a brilliant military leader that wants to see the Drow(and himself) attain glory and expand the borders of the Dominion. - Name: Thiadwen, or simply 'Thia', Ranger of the Surface-world
-Rank/Reason: Illegitimate daughter to murdered parents, a high-society father and a peasant mother, Thiadwen never had much faith in the Dominion to begin with. However, when she saw an opportunity to become a ranger and escape the darkness of subterranean Gathod Elenath, she took it. Now she protects those few Drow who live on the surface and keeps the Dominion's borders secure.
-Personality: Although hardened by living the life of a poor peasant-girl in the massive capitol of the Dominion, Thia is kind at heart. She craves a chance to see the world and experience the freedoms of new lands, but the wages of a Ranger don't amount to much. Besides, she knows that much of the world see the Drow as war-mongers and practitioners of macabre magics. And, she has a vendetta that keeps her firmly in place in the Dominion. She knows who her father was, and who was responsible for her parents' deaths. Daeris Manedhes. Her fathers' wife.~The Zhiszu~ A collective body of large insect and arachnid beings that possess varying levels of intelligence. Their population dwarfs that of the ancient and cultivated Drow who make up the other half of the Dominion, however their true numbers are rarely seen as they live underground most of the time. With rapid birthing rates and a hivemind mentality, they have both the numbers and the will to throw away individual lives for the sake of continuity. The bulk of their population is made up of unintelligent drones that can serve as either workers or soldiers. Approximately a third of their population is advanced enough to roughly equal the intelligence of the other sentients of Pandeum, however not all among these are capable of producing any understandable vocalizations. The sentient among them are valued far above the lessers, and tend to more closely resemble humanoids in accordance with their level of intelligence. Cannibalism is not uncommon. - Zhiszu Heroes:
- Name:Drozhisz'ahn, a Razhis'ahl ('Rae' - 'to bring' combined with 'Zhiszu' - 'the people', together meaning 'to birth', plus the female honorific 'ahl, "Birthing-Mother") and the Matriarch of the Drow-Zhiszu Dominion, female counterpart to the Drozhisz-ahk
-Rank/Reason: Bred in similar fashion to the Drozhisz-ahk, the Drozhisz-ahn is also a more highly evolved hybrid of Drow and Zhiszu, though less adept as far as battlefield adaptations. She shares the Hivemind ability with her male counterpart, but uses it in a less militaristic fashion. As a Razhis'ahl, she spends much of her time birthing live young or laying eggs, depending on which mate was selected for that specific birthing cycle. There are four birthing cycles per year, and all together they cover the expanse of roughly four-fifths of the year, with short recovery periods between each cycle/pregnancy.
-Personality: Created in almost the same way as the Drozhisz'ahk, by a specifically engineered mixture of genetic materials put together by Kaellarak, Drozhisz-ahn has a close bond to her God and obligation to near-continually birth more children. However, she is more of an individual than the Avatar. Bound to stay in only a few different places like all Razhis'ahl, for her safety and the safety of her young, and limited in mobility by her massive abdominal tagmata, her mind is more prone to wandering and wondering. She craves the sights and sounds of the outside world and foreign cultures, even though she views them as inferior to her own. Although she is capable of commanding her lesser Zhiszu and Drow alike, and could forsake a cycle of birthing if she chose, she remains committed to her duty to her people and her God. - Name: Karrion, whose real name is nothing more than a series of clicks, hisses and screeches that range from completely inaudible to utterly unbearable by human(or other sentients') standards, is one of the finest Variik'ihz(meaning 'tactician') the Zhiszu have to offer.
-Rank/Reason: His notably more humanoid shape(as contrasted to the breed he is most closely related to) is a clear-cut sign that he possesses significantly greater intelligence than most Zhiszu. Although Karrion is markedly more exposed than his heavily armored kin, he is a savage on the battlefield; cold, calculating, he is an example to all other Variik'ihz.
-Personality: Fiercely loyal to his people and the Dominion as a whole, there is nothing he is unwilling to do for the right cause. However, he is a moral creature, despite all appearances and prejudices others may have of the Zhiszu. Like many of his less-intelligent brethren, Karrion does not worship any Deity, but whereas his counterparts may be incapable of comprehending religion, he simply ignores it.
-Anatomy: While Karrion does have a thick exoskeleton covering many parts of his body, his underside/front(depending on whether he is standing upright or not, he usually is) is dangerously more exposed than most other beetle-like Zhiszu. His intelligence and enhanced level of evolution compensate for this. Like the majority of Zhiszu, he cannot fly, being far too large for his thin membrane wings to lift him, which are only for show. His central pair of limbs are extremely recessed, having grown mostly useless except for in close range combat, since they are still very sharp. He has a pair of eyes painted onto both the inside and outside of his back carapace, they are not naturally occurring. Karrion is capable of mating, although the likelihood of him producing offspring as evolved as himself in the right female is low. - Name: Shensi, arguably the most mentally evolved Variik'ihz of the Dominion
-Rank/Reason: Shensi has a keen intellect and understanding of tactics that may very well be unrivaled by any in the Dominion, including the Drow. It is capable of processing new information so quickly that it never even gets the opportunity to feel surprised by unforeseen or unusual events. With a mind so well-developed to make it capable of utilizing telekinetic abilities, Shensi's name is known by every Drow and sentient Zhiszu.
-Personality: It lacks gender and reproductive system, and acts apathetically towards just about everything. All it lives for is its' purpose, which is bound to the will of its' people. - Name: Rosh
-Rank/Reason: While treated in the same fashion as a Variik-ihz, Rosh lacks great ability in controlling the Hivemind. He can only command lesser Zhiszu in his very immediate vicinity, in a radius not much greater than ten yards. However he has not earned his infamy for no reason. Rosh is a beast in all things, from appetite to bloodlust, and has proven his worth time and again.
-Personality: "Rosh wants your meat!" He speaks in the third person...
-Anatomy: Rosh can breed, and does so often. His offspring only come out big and dumb though. His frontal tagmata/torso may lead some to believe he is a hybrid, but no, he is just a link in the ever-varying chain of Zhiszu evolution. He dwarfs most of those that cross his path, with his head ten feet off the ground and weighs half a ton. His twin stingers are loaded with all kinds of good stuff. Well, venom mostly. Good for him though.
~Zhiszu Hybrids~ While they are still referred to simply as Zhiszu, those whose genetic material is a mixture of some sentient beings' with that of the Zhiszu are markedly different. They usually have a high level of intelligence, are capable of producing normal vocalizations, and may be completely unable to breed. Despite that last, they are viewed by most Kanii-Drow as the epitome of evolution or fusion and thought to be favored by Kaellarak. Some Drow, however, do not see it that way, and view them either as equal sentient Mortals or as tools of the Dominion. True Zhiszu, if you can call them that, tend not to differentiate between themselves and Hybrid Zhiszu. They often seek out those capable of breeding in order to spawn the most intelligent young possible, as the Zhiszu decide their leaders from the most intelligent. Hybrid Zhiszu will often find themselves with a following of less-intelligent Zhiszu that will do their bidding and eventually help the Hybrid to form the telepathic Hivemind connection if they did not already have it. - Hybrid Heroes:
- Name: Iareth, Variik'ihz
-Rank/Reason: Typically responsible for keeping outsiders from the south out, Iareth has developed a bloody reputation, as she resorts to violence on contact.
-Personality: A cutthroat and a savage, but beneath her rough demeanor and monstrous form is a woman that never got to be a girl, or someones cherished child or sweetheart. She doesn't normally open up about it though.
-Anatomy: While capable of bearing offspring, and frequently propositioned by Zhiszu and Drow alike, she has, as of yet, no interest in having children. She was born as she is, a perfect mixture of Drow and Zhiszu, and feels great resentment about not being given a choice in the matter. Her frontal tagmata almost perfectly mimics the upper half of a Drow, mounted onto the vicious body of a scorpion. Her hair is actually an amalgamation of leg-like appendages that reflexively tense up, writhe, or vibrate when she experiences certain emotions. - Name: Scythe. another whose real name is far too complex to bother speaking to non-Zhiszu, one of the most savage and well-known(not to mention easily recognizable) Variik'ihz
-Rank/Reason: Believed by many to have been Kaellarak's second choice for the Drozhisz'ahk, Scythe is a formidable warrior and tactician, with full Variik'ihz-level skill in interacting with the Hivemind and a reputation for leaving no survivors when dealing with would-be invaders or trespassers into the Dominion.
-Personality: A slave to efficiency and perfection of all ones' pursuits, as well as a devout worshipper of the God of Shadows, Scythe is the exemplary Hybrid.
-Anatomy: Perfect evolution and fusion all in one. Fully capable of reproducing, but picky in the females he chooses, and correct humanoid proportioning coupled with deadly Zhiszu combat adaptations, it's no wonder he is the most well-known Hybrid in the Dominion. Hands and digits that resemble those of humanoids' to a fault, mouth, eyes, nasal inlet for the respiratory system, and six and a half feet tall, Scythe is what Zhiszu want to be. The limbs on his back are fully functional, capable of extending upward to be perfectly straight in relation to his spine, and in downward motion they form a deadly arc until they jab straight forward. His elongated antennae provide a feel for his surroundings that hearing and smell could never approach. He has both an interior and exterior skeleton, which makes him very tough and much heavier than he appears. - Name: Mariko
-Rank/Reason: Having only recently been cursed to be the monster that she views herself as, Mariko has travelled to Dominion lands, where she knew there to be insectoid hybrids like herself.
-Personality: She's just a poor, sweet girl. Isn't she? WIP, probably more development IC
-Economy: WIP
-Politics: Politics of the Dominion are normally handled by the Drow Queen, or Daeris, but since the birth and coming-of-age of Kaellarak's Avatar, the Drozhisz'ahk, he may decide to intervene in what was once exclusively the realm of the Daeris as he pleases.
~The Drow Monarchy~ The Daeris or Queen of the Drow reigns supreme over her people. A Daeris must always learn the ways of the Gorfuinthel, a sisterhood of Priestesses skilled in the use of shadowmancy and various dark magics. The only person who can usurp the Daeris is the High Priestess, but typically the reigning Daeris is also the reigning High Priestess. The Daeris of today and her family have held the throne for nearly three thousand years.
~Zhiszu Hierarchy~ Knowledge is power. The most intelligent Zhiszu are always granted leadership positions, however they have historically wanted little to do with the world outside of the Dominion. The Zhiszu, in general, have always been faithful to Kaellarak, and therefore have always been solid allies of the Kanii-Drow. The Zhiszu have rarely, if ever, been the ones to cause a war, but when the Drow fight so do they. With the coming-of-age of the Drozhisz'ahk, and by the whispered commands of their Spider-God, activity underground has grown irregularly active. Sightings of Zhiszu above-ground have increased significantly throughout Dominion lands, and even near the borders of neighboring countries. The Zhiszu grow restless.
Other: What else do you want to tell us?