Imavant, Roof of the World

    The valleys and peaks of Imavant are home to creatures that speak and think but are not men.

    After the defeat of the Serpent Kings, the Gods returned to their original plan of developing humanity. But the god Zaldohin did not wish to see the other two kin, the simian and the lupine, fall into nothingness. And so he created the Preserve, here on the highest place in the world, near the gods themselves. And he appointed the Deathless Wardens to be their eternal protectors. The two species must not die off. This is the Wardens' pledge.

    The Lupine clans scattered throughout Imavant, hunting deer in the rich valleys and squabbling amongst themselves. Humans typically call the varying types of this kindred "dogmen". The apes grew in wisdom and built their hallowed city of Shanidel. Some call them yeti.

    The Wardens patrol the bounds of the realm. Anyone approaching from the outside is warned. If they do not heed the warning, they are fought. The Wardens, who appear otherwise human, have exceptional skill and can perform acrobatic feats that seem physically impossible. They may also manipulate matter and energy to some extent. They do not appear to age, but this is said to be due to a fruit cultivated at their headquarters, on a sacred and forbidden peak. They appear to be wholeheartedly devoted to their mission.

    The boundary lines of the Preserve are marked by a series of great stones, often carved with faces. Some of the faces seem more or less human, others are strange and unearthly, of no known species. No two faces are alike. Each stone is just in eyesight of the two next to it, in a great ring around the mountains. Very few humans have been allowed past this ring.

    The tribes of dogmen are allowed to fight among themselves to a certain point. If it seems that the warfare threatens the survival of the species, the Wardens will step in. Conflict between yeti and  dogmen is entirely forbidden. It is doubtful that the high walls of Shanidel could be scaled or breached by the dogmen anyway. The majority of the yeti seem to have no interest in the mundane world beyond their walls, preferring to spend their time studying lore or meditating on deep mysteries.

    Both dogman and ape are bound to honor Zaldohin for allowing their species to continue. They give thanks to him upon attaining adulthood, upon being wed, upon the birth of their own children, and upon their deathbed. Besides these things, Zaldohin has no formal worship or sacrifices. The few humans who have interacted with the Wardens have not been able to determine which of the ancient gods the name Zaldohin refers to. It has, thus far, not been found in any known human records or traditions.

    The dogmen are free to leave, but not to return. The Wardens will not allow the Imavant to be a safe house for raiders. Tribes and packs of dogmen have often emigrated and sought to establish a foothold in the outside world. Some have managed to do so, more have failed. 

The Black Cypress

    Although not a true cypress, the Black Cypress has been termed such by Terran visitors due to certain superficial similarities. The Martian name is not shared with visitors due to a local religious belief. In fact, Martians will avoid speaking of the tree at all, and if they need to draw attention to one, they will simply gesture in its direction. The reasons for this are obscure and beyond the scope of this article.

    First time visitors to the Sands are struck by the tall, slender trees which grow scattered about the dunes. How these plants manage to thrive in such an arid environment is a matter of debate. Some argue that the tree gathers what trace amounts of water it can from the air and whatever recent rainfalls may hit the area. Others believe that the deep roots of the tree reach hidden reservoirs. A still more controversial claim is that the tree has developed to live not off of water, but a black viscous substance found in pools below the surface, similar to the tarry sap the tree occasionally extrudes.

    During its lifespan, the cypress may have a noticeable impact on an area, as sand piles around its root system and forms a strong dune. Desert shrubs may grow in the organic material it sheds. Shaodan lizards have been known to dig burrows in the relative stability of its root system, using their petrifying spit to harden the tunnel surfaces. Skyrays drift lazily among its branches in ponderous mating rituals.

    When the cypress has exhausted what nutrients it can extract from the soil, the tree rapidly desiccates and detaches from its root system. It becomes very lightweight, and uses its last bit of energy to create thousands of tiny seeds. When one of the powerful windstorms that periodically sweep the sands comes by, it will pick up the lightweight trunk and carry it off to another area, scattering seeds in its wake. This also makes Martian sandstorms particularly dangerous, as in the blinding cover of the storm one is in danger of being hit by a flying tree.

[Author's Note: Images generated via the Image Creator on Bing. The concept of tall, slender black trees among white and pink sand dunes was inspired by the photos in this article.]

Ayis, the Primal Blade

    Bent past the breaking point, the apes rebelled against the Serpent Kings. And so, war came to Argathras.

    Weapons had not yet been conceived by mortals. The war was fought with fist, fang, and claw-- and crude but terrible magic. The apes fought valiantly; but for every battle won, another was lost. The struggle seemed unending, and the apes feared the dying of the light even in the dawn of the world.

    In desperation, they called upon the gods who had given them thought and purpose. The greatest of their shamans summoned the chieftains of their dog-men allies, and journeyed to a sacred fane in the heart of the jungle. There, upon an altar of uncut stones, they piled fallen branches and fragrant herbs and lit them ablaze. It is not known what nameless things they offered on that altar, strangled and broken. But at the end, when the flames had died away, the gods answered with fire of their own.

    In the midst of the ashes lay a sword, gleaming grim in the dim light. A scarlet gem lay in the hilt, pulsating like a heartbeat. "I am Ayis," whispered a voice in every mind. "Show me your enemies."

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    Ayis, the Primal Blade, is an avatar of the platonic ideal of "Sword", made manifest in the physical realm. It is a straight, pointed sword of an unknown material resembling iron. The grip of the handle appears to be bone. The sword does not break, bend, chip, rust, or corrode.

    Because it is the original, of which all blades are an imitation, or perhaps because of some virtue the gods placed in it, all bladed weapons are reluctant to meet it in combat. Any bladed weapon gets a sizeable penalty attacking or being attacked by it-- swords, knives, spears, halberds, arrowheads. Non-bladed weapons such as a club or a bullet are not penalized. The gods probably built in a way to keep it at bay from them or theirs if necessary. Picture a god whistling and the sword immediately comes to heel. It will not allow itself to be raised against a god.

    Ayis has something akin to consciousness, however its entire mind is of an alien nature, being totally bent on the purpose for which it was made. A sword may sing, but it does not compose songs. Ayis' whole delight is in warfare and slaughter, and it rejoices in shedding blood. The grim set of its mind is communicated with the one who carries the sword. The longer a mortal bears Ayis, the more in tune their souls become, until it becomes difficult to say which one is the wielder and which the weapon. Such mortals become great tacticians and strategists, with a genius for all forms of warcraft. However, their wrath and their violent tendencies are greatly intensified, and they may be as dangerous to a friend as they are to their foes.

    If Ayis pierces the heart of a living being, the minerals and certain organic material within the corpse will gradually coalesce into a lesser copy of Ayis. Like Ayis, these "corpse blades" are nigh-indestructible. However they do not share its other powers. Early humans uncovered the blades, grown within the remains of many serpentine corpses. These swords became the model and pattern of swords that humanity crafted thereafter. Because of these things, Ayis is also called Father of Swords.

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    After defeating the hosts of Nog, the apes built a house for Ayis. They built it around the altar where the Sword first appeared, using unhewn rocks which somehow fit together with barely a seam. In time, men found the shrine and entered. They could not read the strange signs painted upon the walls, but the Sword's name rang in their minds as soon as they laid eyes on it. Only one man survived the quarrel over who would pluck the blade from its resting place.

    A thousand years of warfare followed. The sword changed hands mostly by means of murder, betrayal, or theft. At last, by fate or providence, it came into the possession of a pious king. He returned it to the sanctuary, and bade his mages lay such spells upon the door that no thief would enter. But that was long ago, and who can say how long such magecraft lasts? Meanwhile Ayis sleeps, dreaming crimson dreams.