First fist book 2 conflu.., p.65
First Fist Book 2: Confluence of Fates, page 65
Leshra
Leshra is the trickster goddess of the Ergosi. Unlike the Mindean counterpart, Leshra is a respected and beloved god. Her cunning is seen as wisdom, not cowardice.
Though all other Ergosi gods despised Leshra, Elene showed her daughter kindness.
Myths and Origin Stories: Shuya
Summary of the Shuyan Creation Myth:
At first there was Shu, and Shu was all.
Shu was forever, and forever Shu existed, shining in infinite perfection, a beacon within nothingness.
Within Shu was the light, and the light was the life of men. Knowing that nothing could exist while Shu ruled the heavens, the one god broke itself into two halves, one embodied entropy and chaos, the other structure and order.
Dai and Roe, Order and Chaos, woke and found themselves the sole inhabitants of the heavens. In their hearts lay the seeds of desire to release the light that would bring about creation.
They spoke at length, but their ambitions differed. Dai wished to create worlds in which harmony ruled and all could be predicted and known.
Roe sought to revel in entropy, change, and evolution.
So, the brothers formed a pact. Dai could create anything he wished, indulging in the miracles of life and harmonious existence. And Roe would be allowed to alter each of Dai’s creations.
The two made many worlds, each more magnificent than the last. Each world formed and fell apart, leaving both brothers dissatisfied. Dai wished to create something permanent, and Roe wished to watch change and destruction play out time and again.
When Dai crafted yet another world, Roe broke their compact. Instead of altering the creation, he made one of his own.
He called that creation mankind.
Shu
The beginning and end of all things in all time. Balance and harmony itself, Shu was neither fair nor unfair, neither good nor evil.
Only through Shu’s sacrifice could the world be created.
Dai
The god of creation, growth, order, and peace, Dai refused to act directly against his brother, Roe, in any way. That is, until the birth of the ever-destructive mankind.
Mankind went forth and multiplied, only to turn on one another and savagely cut one another down in an endless cycle of war and slaughter. This pleased Roe greatly, but the suffering of man tormented Dai.
Dai kneeled upon the face of Dailan and offered to bind himself to a single man. That man became wise, learning to cultivate the power of Order itself. This man’s name was Shuyan, and he formed an army to quell the chaos sown by Roe.
Though Dai’s actions led to more conflict, the god took solace knowing that his worshippers are the most common in Shuyan. Their temples are places of sanctuary for the weak, the sick, and the unfortunate.
Roe
The god of change and chaos, Roe’s constant need for novel experiences caused him endless grief.
Creating mankind gave him all of the chaos he hungered for.
Yet after Dai bestowed his power unto man, Roe saw that his creation could be made content. These quelled humans lived in harmony. They set aside their wars and studied the land and the animals they safeguarded.
So Roe, too, kneeled and offered his own power. He granted cultivation to another man named, Krelon.
Krelon and Shuyan battled for centuries until they broke the land apart into two continents. Shuyan drifted to the south and Kaylin to the north. Before the war ended, Shuyan smote his rival, driving out the knowledge of his chaotic cultivation from the world.
Mindean Days of the Week and Calendar
Monday
Tuesday
Thirday
Fielday
Friday
Songday
Sabban
Calendar: 4 seasons, each divided into two parts, spanning 56 weeks.
Weeks 1-7 New Spring
Weeks 8-14 Spring’s End
Weeks 15-21 New Summer
Weeks 22-28 Summer’s End
Weeks 29-35 New Fall
Weeks 36-42 Fall’s End
Weeks 43-49 New Winter
Weeks 50-56 Winter’s End
Mindean Currency
Minted coins are still a rarity among the population, and coins are almost exclusively a luxury of the rich: the nobles, clergy, and merchant classes. The technology to stamp coins was stolen from the Ergosi long ago, yet much of Mindean commerce functions through barter; when direct trade isn’t feasible, Mindean commoners use chits.
Smiths produce chits from thin sheets of copper, silver, gold, and bronze. A pair of chit clamps are used to snip off bits of metal the size and shape of a fingernail.
Of the various precious metals, iron once reigned supreme. In fact, several early Mindean kings declared the use of iron or steel for anything other than a weapon or sanctioned tool to be illegal. For this reason, many antiquated needles, shears, or even doorknobs were crafted from silver or copper.
Upon the discovery of the mines in the northern reaches of Mindea, iron soon swept through the kingdom.
The scarcity of tin and the perceived lack of utility for gold created a local discordance in the value of bronze and gold compared to the other nations.
In the last hundred years, Mindean alchemy has progressed, making a demand for gold in the crafting process. This combined with the economic pressures of international trade on gold. The ore has risen in value, though in Mindea, bronze still reigns supreme.
Current Chit Exchange Rate *
30 Copper Chits = 1 Silver Chit
15 Silver Chits = 1 Gold Chit
8 Gold Chits = 1 Bronze Chit
*values change dramatically between northern and southern regions. The further south one travels, the closer bronze and gold are valued. This is due in large part to the Ergosi preference of gold over bronze despite a similar scarcity of tin in southern Krelon.
Mindea mints only three variations of coin: Silver Mark, Gold Mark, and Bronze Mark.
All marks weigh an even four ounces, which makes gold the smallest of these, with silver being the second smallest. Ironically, bronze, the most expensive metal, makes the largest and most impressive looking coins.
Current Coin Exchange Rate
15 Silver Marks = 1 Gold Mark
8 Gold Marks = 1 Bronze Mark
Mindean Martial Arts
Martial Form: Scalda (ancient word meaning to kill)
Stances
Sky: A high and fleeting posture, good for speed and evasion. Cultivator fights on the balls of their feet, always moving. Hands held open, the body kept loose.
Mountain: A diverse stance that allows the cultivator to adapt to various opponents. Feet positioned with similar distance front to back and side to side. Significant bend in the knee. Hands often positioned with lead hand open and rear hand closed.
Cavern: A low, defensive posture that offers stability. Difficult to break but also limits mobility. Legs in a deep squat, both fists forward and high to protect the face.
Scalda Techniques
Punches: Jab, Straight, Hook, and Uppercut. The four basic punches that make up the foundation of Scalda upper body offensive techniques.
Palm Strike: One- or two-handed attack that is used when moving an opponent’s body is more important than injuring them.
Elbow Strike: Performed in a variety of methods, many of which differ regionally, the elbow has and will always be devastating.
Headbutt: Most instructors prefer other attacks, but when the hands are bound, or an opponent’s face is close, the headbutt can be utilized to good effect.
Kicks: Forward, Side, Mule, and Slash. The four basic kicks that make up the foundation of Scalda lower body offensive techniques.
Knee Strike: Like the elbow, the knee is a hard and tough instrument to attack with.
Ground Combat: The Mindean Army teaches grappling, including a few basic chokes and arm breaks, but as the saying goes, “If you end up on the ground during a battle, you’ve already lost.”
Mindean Cultivation: The Five Clans
Stone Bringer Clan
Ideal: Undeniable! Unwavering! Unbreakable!
Mana Techniques
Slate Skin: Summon Earth Mana armor to protect the cultivator’s body.
Quartz Claw: Stone spikes, claws, or protrusions that can be used offensively.
Seed of Stone: Accumulating mana externally, a true master of the Stone Bringer Clan is capable of launching fragments of stone at high speeds.
Torch Clan
Ideal: Fury of the Forge
Mana Techniques
Branding Touch: Cultivator can heat their hands enough to boil water, start a fire, or burn an enemy.
Forge Flame: Expelling Fire Mana from the body, the cultivator creates a burst of fire, possibly even shaping the flames with enough practice.
Howler Clan
Ideal: On the Wings of Death
Mana Techniques
Mighty Gust: Cultivator manipulates Wind Mana to create currents of air around their body. Though the force can be considerable, range is limited.
Unholy Gale: Increasing the precision, force, and range of Mighty Gust, this technique is what drives the deadly arrows of the Howler Clan.
Druid Clan
Ideal: Sense the Wild. Speak its Name
Mana Techniques
Lay of the Land: Touching the Nature Mana throughout the world, a cultivator can predict weather, sense beasts or enemy troops, and even shield themselves from being detected to a limited extent.
Druid’s Tongue: Only a rare few possess the most powerful Druid ability, the gift of communicating with wildlife.
Mystic Clan
Ideal: Touch the Body, Mend the Soul
Mana Techniques
Healing Sense: Many Mystics never move beyond this stage, yet their services still save countless lives. This technique involves pushing mana directly into another’s body to sense illness or injury.
Healing Touch: Infusing another’s body with large amounts of pure mana, a Mystic using Healing Touch can mend most common ailments, or, at the very least, speed up recovery.
Insight: A third technique that is rarely found among the Mindeans, Mystics with Insight cannot learn Healing Sense or Healing Touch. Instead, they interact with the threads of fate. This might mean predicting an enemy’s attack, or, more profoundly, visions of possibility.
Fist and Fang Martial Form
Three Basic Stances
Fleeting Paw
Dire Paw
Crouching Fang
First Six Foundation Steps
1st - Jackal Takes the Hare
2nd - Sky Falls at Dusk
3rd - Forest in an Angered Wind
4th - Jackal Finds Her Burrow
5th - Clearing the Den
6th - Wrath of the Scouring Wind
Four Master Stances
Wind Blows Fleeting
Jackal Steals the Egg
Tail Sweeps the Battlefield
Prowl the Forest Floor
The Jackal’s Paw: Striking
Finger(s)
Fist
Foot
Knee
Elbow
Head
Shoulder
Objective: Target nerves, arteries, veins, or weak points on the body of an enemy. Striking such vital areas can produce devastating results.
The Jackal’s Fang: Biting
Mouth
Hand
Objective: Target veins, arteries, tendons, or muscles. Crushing or even severing such vital areas can produce devastating results.
Herbs and Reagents
Starry Hyssop
Description: Preferring acidic soil, this herb tends to grow only among pine trees or occasionally near patches of blueberries. Deadly when ingested raw, the Starry Hyssop has long been used for its healing properties. Its leaves, stems, and flowers reduce fever, clear congestion, and bolster the immune system. Must be prepared by an alchemist before consumption.
Mana Density: Medium
Dragon Root
Description: Unlike most plants, Dragon Root does not produce flowers or seeds. It propagates by spreading its roots and forming new plants. Each newly formed plant mutates slightly, making each distinct even though they look and behave almost identically to its predecessor. Thick, spiraling leaves the color of deepest crimson make the plant stand out. It is prized for its unbridled potency.
Mana Density: High
Bark of the Fernmoth Pine
Description: An otherwise innocuous shrub, the Fernmoth Pine is so named not due to any relation to the pine trees but for a similar aroma given off by its precious bark. With little alchemical properties, this reagent is relied on largely as a binding agent.
Mana Density: Low
Hither Husk
Description: This reagent is harvested from the pods of the Come Hither Tree. The seeds, surprisingly, have no value other than propagation of the species. The dark brown husks, on the other hand, are thought to prepare one’s core for awakening.
Mana Density: Medium Low
Sparkseed Mustard
Description: A hardy and vigorous weed related to ordinary mustard. The Sparkseed variety distinguishes itself with the addition of red flowers intermingled with the typical yellow. Though many healers use Sparkseed Mustard, it doesn’t actually heal the body; it acts as a buffer on any other toxins present, mitigating their effects.
Mana Density: Medium
Skald Weed
Description: A common weed found near saltwater with broad leaves similar to Dandelion. Favored by sailors for its nausea reducing effects, it has also been known to alleviate mothers in the throes of early pregnancy.
Mana Density: Very Low
Silverbane
Description: The white and green leaves of the Silverbane plant are treasured for many reasons. Not only does the herb temper the ill effects of mana intoxication, making it invaluable during any treatment that requires an elixir or tonic, but it is also a paralytic. Silverbane can calm the body and mind during surgery or amputation. When distilled, the resulting solution can become potent enough to stop someone’s heart—prized by healers and assassins.
Mana Density: Medium
Boulderbug Blood
Description: Blood taken from a Boulderbug mana beast, typically preserved with the addition of Powdered Lime Stone. Its utility derives from the anticoagulant properties that can assist in combining certain reagents that would otherwise clot.
Mana Density: Medium High
Azure Daisy
Description: Easy to spot due to its brilliant coloring. The flowers are cherished for their aesthetics alone. With a relatively low mana density, the Azure Daisy has no healing properties despite its inclusion in a great many tonics and potions. Its value is derived from how it breaks down toxic compounds into ones that are more easily tolerated. The flowers and upper stems are the most potent part of the plant.
Mana Density: Low
Pepper Berry
Description: A common weed that grows at high altitude through most of Northern Mindea. When disturbed, the blossoms can create a cloud of noxious fumes. Most mana beasts avoid them for this reason, but the herb can be used to flavor many dishes.
Mana Density: Low
Scorch Thistle
Description: Though innocent in appearance, this herb earns its name many times over by the fiery pods that it produces. The milk of the Scorch Thistle pods has been used in many ways. Some hill tribes spread the milk in shallow wounds as a rite of passage, their warriors braving the pain to prove their valor. Alchemists appreciate its medicinal effects. Though unpleasant to ingest in any form, Scorch Thistle milk purges the body of impurities and infection.
Mana Density: Medium High
Candice Root
Description: Found growing along streams or near waterfalls, this tiny herb is hard to spot. It produces a small, white flower in Spring’s End, which can make it easier to find. Good for fighting infection, some poisons, and various fevers, Candice Root is desired for its many healing properties.
Mana Density: Low
Drakewort
Description: This small and seemingly innocuous plant may look like Mindean Mugwort, but it differs in many ways. The underside of its leaves display yellow striations that may look like flames, an easy method of distinguishing between the two. When crushed up, Drakewort leaves and stems can staunch wounds by cauterizing them. This painful method of healing is nonetheless valuable in survival situations. Yet its fiery properties have a multitude of uses in the hands of a skilled alchemist.
Mana Density: High
Alchemy
Alchemical Formulae
Tonic of Purification
Description: Combining the purifying effects of Scorch Thistle with the immunity boosting qualities of Starry Hyssop, this concoction is designed to remove toxins and stagnation from a cultivator’s body. Best taken on an empty stomach with a healer to supervise. Exceeding the necessary dose may result in temporary or permanent paralysis, blindness, loss of various senses, impotence, or death.
Quality: Poor
Mana Density: Medium Low
Droopspine Toxin Serum
Description: The Droopspine Toxin is crafted by bringing a triple distilled tincture of Silverbane with equal parts powdered Starry Hyssop to a boil. Enhancing the Silverbane’s paralytic properties, this serum will induce a lesser Paralytic effect. Potency and duration depend on the victim’s mana resistance. Must be consumed in order to work.
Potential Quality: Poor-Fair
Mana Density: Low
Alchemical Implements
Rinmarron’s Condenser
Description: This condenser is used to convert gaseous reagents into a liquid state. Gasses introduced through the upper vent in the copper tubing are cooled in the coils, condensing to liquid form that can be collected in appropriate containers.
Warning: Rinmarron’s Condenser will explode if pressurized. Rely on the Pressure Gauge within the Alchemy Occupation tab to observe current pressure during operation. Remember the golden rule: a safe alchemist is a happy alchemist.
Spherical Hanjo Boiler
Description: This boiler was first miniaturized by the infamous alchemist Hanjo Xing. Smaller and easy to transport, it quickly became a favored implement by cultivators following the Alchemy Occupation. Water, or any reasonable solute, can be boiled in the basin. The steam that rises will draw out a reagent’s properties, venting the gaseous substance through the upper vent.
