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[Avalon]

The Review

Kalortah

Overview

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Alyssia

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Oram

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Zana

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Arlo

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If you have any questions or concerns regarding this review - drop me a PM.

Thank you - hope you enjoyed the thread!

[Avalon]

Up to Date!!!

[Avalon]

Vhalar 25, Arc 721

[Avalon]

Intervention

[Avalon]

Cylus 18, Arc 722

A letter arrives, looking very much like all the others on the outside. Within? Well, that's a different matter entirely...

Title/Name -

You are sticking your nose into matters that don’t concern you, you're being a voice of change and we are warning you now. Stop. By your hand, and the hands of others, Scalvoris is becoming something it has never been and was never intended to be. It’s unnatural and against everything in the old writings.

This abomination cannot continue. Do not disregard this letter or the intent behind it or you - and those you hold most dear - will pay the price.

We are watching. We are everywhere. We will act, without hesitation. Do not cross us.

OOC Information

Alright, let's get the show on the road. Your rank and profile in Scalvoris has attracted someone's attention. You are not required to participate but that doesn't change that your pc did get a letter so keep that in mind.

Here's some additional information for you!

• Here is the link to a special tracker for pcs that wish to react/investigate/etc: Plot Tracker!
• Council Members : All member of the council (pc and npc) received the letters.
• The letter arrived in whatever manner/way your pc gets their normal mail. If you have questions about this, please let a Scalv mod know.

[Avalon]

Ashan 122, Arc 722

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[Avalon]

Society

Marriage & Divorce

Scalvorians have a lot of strange rituals and customs with a number of regional differences and idiosyncrasies. In terms of marriage, there are two distinct types of marriage ceremony; the traditional and the modern. Some things are common to both.

Proposals: Men or women can propose, and no is always an option. Arranged marriages are almost unheard of on Scalvoris. Proposals are an individual thing, with the proposer asking with as much, or as little, ceremony as they choose. There is a tradition (as above) that the Immortals' Scent festival on 3rd Vhalar is a lucky time to propose. The only usual tradition is that the one who proposes buys or makes two identical boxes and gives one to their betrothed, keeping the other for themselves. The traditional ribbons and ropes will be stored in these 'betrothal boxes'. The box should be small and intricately carved and should represent the very best that the proposer can afford or create.

Weddings: The island of Scalvoris is a very diverse place and this is reflected in their wedding celebrations. No two ceremonies are likely to be the same, which the natives are very happy with. However there are some things which are usual.

Customs

• The marriage ceremony involves multicoloured ribbons and ropes ~ one of the couple chooses the ribbons, the other the ropes. Each one must be meaningful to the couple and represent a memory, wish or promise. They are stored in the 'betrothal boxes' given when proposing.
• Exactly one trial before the ceremony is to take place, the couple exchange their betrothal boxes with the ribbons or ropes inside them, explaining what they mean. They then work together to braid them into one long piece.
• The night before the wedding, the couple eat a simple meal with whoever is going to perform the ceremony.
• The three of them (couple + officiator) then spend the night together awake (note the superstition that it is bad luck to discuss the wedding that night).
• If the couple get married in Cylus, the gifts given must be of greater value.
• The couple greet the dawn together on the morning of the ceremony. It is usual for them to exchange small but personal gifts as they do so.
• The first guest to arrive is given a gift by the couple.

Superstitions

• It is bad luck to mention the wedding the night before.
• To be wed in the "World's End Festival" on the 45th Ashan is considered good luck.
• It is unlucky to be married during Zi'da.

Gifts

Traditional gifts include:

• Gold
• Silver
• Glass
• Wooden carvings

It is considered unlucky / inappropriate to give:

• Clothing
• Anything made from cloth / material
• Anything made from paper
• Money

Attitudes

As a rule of thumb, Scalvorians don't really care who is marrying who so long as everyone involved is doing so freely. They are very against forcing someone to marry, although they'd suggest that the thing to do then would be to enslave them if you could, marriage should be a voluntary choice.
Therefore, same sex couples or polygamous marriages are considered exactly the same as any other wedding.

Despite the above similarities, Scalvoris has two very distinct kinds of wedding.

Traditional Scalvorian Weddings

The Ceremony

The ceremony is conducted by someone chosen by the couple. It is a brief and often rowdy affair with a fair amount of audience participation. The couple stand together, hands held and their hands are tied together by multicoloured ribbons and ropes. They are considered to be properly wed at the moment that the ribbons and ropes are cut and land on the floor. Lewd jokes are expected from this point on and at the end of the ceremony the couple are lifted into the air by their guests and carried to where the party is going to be held. It is the job of the person who officiated the ceremony to pick up the remains of the ribbons and ropes.

The Party After

Whenever means allow, the marriage is more of a party than a solemn ceremony. Copious amounts of alcohol are a given. Those who can afford it also often stage slave fights. These fights are almost always to the death, and its agreed that a marriage with more deaths (providing its not of those being married!) is luckier. An anthropologist could trace this back to a time when sacrifices were the norm, but at this point it's done because it's always been done.

Traditions & Superstitions

• If the ribbons and ropes will not cut, it is bad luck.
• If the guests drop one or both of the couple, their marriage is considered null and void
• If the officiator does not collect up the ribbons and ropes, or they blow away, the couple will be childless or their children will be cursed.
• It is good luck for the ribbons and ropes to cut with one slice.
• It is good luck if the guests carry the couple without incident.
• The more deaths during the party after, the more blessed the couple will be
• The couple should put the now cut ribbons and ropes under their bed, to promote fertility. Once an arc they should cut a small piece off and leave it as an offering to one of the Immortals

Modern Scalvorian Weddings

The Ceremony

The ceremony is conducted by someone chosen by the couple and revolves around the symbolism of the giving of body, mind and soul. Each of these is dealt with separately, so the ceremony is in three parts.

• Marriage of Body ~ the physical form is represented by the ribbons and ropes traditionally exchanged. The couple have one hand tied to each other.
• Marriage of Mind ~ the mind is represented by vows, written on parchment and spoken during the ceremony.
• Marriage of Soul ~ the soul is represented in an exchange of items during the ceremony. These are personal to the couple and their relevance is explained.

The ribbons and ropes are not cut but instead the couple have one hand tied to each other for the remainder of the trial. They must eat and dance with their hands tied together which often leads to more than a few mishaps, especially once the alcohol starts to flow. At the end of the ceremony, the parchment with the vows written on is burnt and the ashes from that fire are placed into one of the betrothal boxes for the couple to keep. Many couples choose to also keep a copy of the vows themselves, often in the other box.

The Party After

Food is bountiful and drink flows, there is dancing and music.The nature of the party is really up to the individuals who plan it, but see the "Traditions & Superstitions tab, also.

Traditions & Superstitions

• The couple should not remove the ribbons and ropes from their hands until the following morning.
• If the ribbons and ropes fall off before they dance for the first time, it is bad luck
• It is traditional to invite a stranger to the wedding ~ this is said to bring good luck. The invitation is pre-written to "Jon", for reasons unknown, and then given to the stranger.
• It is perfectly acceptable for the couple to ask people to bring food or drinks.
• The idea of death bringing luck is an anathema to this sort of ceremony, so it is considered fortuitous if no fights break out / no one dies.

Divorce: In the event of divorce, which is also perfectly acceptable and more common in Almund than elsewhere, things under the new government regime have gotten a lot more clear. As and when a couple choose to divorce, they sign some papers and split everything they have half and half, or as they agree. If the divorce is sought by only one of the pair or they can not agree on how to split their property, they must go before the judge. It is as likely that the judge will simply rule that all their property belongs to the island, to a charity or to someone else, so couples tend to work it out between them.

[/quote]

[Avalon]

History

Early History

The history of Yaralon that is one more upon the people than the city itself, a history brought on by Raskalarn and her growing Eternal Empire. In the first century or so of the Great Restoration (Arc 0-700), Raskalarn was invading much of the northern half of the Eastern Continent. There were very few settlements beyond scattered villages at this time, and Raskalarn's forces swept through them with ease. Many people were displaced, escaping her bloodthirsty sword, scattering into the winds.

One particular group of these displaced nomads made their way down to the southern coast, finding themselves in a particularly inhospitable land where food was scarce, monsters aplenty, and death was the only constant anyone knew. So it became that fighting tooth and nail just to get by became a daily occurrence for these lost nomads. The didn't dare head east, for the barren Hot Lands appeared to be a much less savory option to the savanna they toiled upon. South led straight into the sea, and while small boats for close range fishing were occasionally used, it was an unconquerable barrier.

Heading west is where they truly ran into their first big problem. The nomads came across a city, the first actual city any of them had ever laid eyes upon. Volanta. The forces of Volanta, acting on information provided by their scouts, refused entry to these nomads for fear of their association with Raskalarn's growing invasion. And so, these nomads were truly on their own, trapped between a rock and three hard places.

So they dug in. They adapted. Learned to survive on this cruel land that appeared to be twisted and corrupted and poisoned by the largest concentration of Major Fractures in the world. This land weeded out the weakest of their people, and only the most adaptable, strongest, endured. As the Eternal Empire continued to grow, more and more displaced nomads of different origins joined up with them. Many of these people would later become known as the First Company. The First Company consisted of the strongest warriors, huntsmen, and leaders from the nomads. The first permanent camp was established, and the people never thrived, but did survive.

Around the transition between the first and second centuries, Raskalarn's forces attempted to invade both Rharne and Volanta. And both times, they were repelled, the first true losses in the campaign. These losses made the Eternal Empire's capital, Koralasir, vulnerable as it was still in the progress of being built and fortified. And Volanta planned to act on this vulnerability with a counter attack of their own. And so they marched, heading along the southern border of the continent so as to strike the Eternal Empire from an unexpected direction, and destroy them once and for all.

This campaign brought them near to the lands the First Company claimed as their own. The nomads recognized the invaders for what they were, and what their intent was, and saw an opportunity that many others might've let slip by. Through the use of their hyper specialized skills and tactics they'd come to develop while merely surviving on their lands, they fought, using the land, the monsters, everything they had to their advantage. Surprise had been on their side, food was on their side, but the biggest part was that these nomads had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. They were able to push back the oncoming invasion, in a battle that was weighted heavily against them at nearly 100:1.

The Volantan forces crushed, returned home. The First Company decided to continue to play at their advantage. They carried every corpse from the Volantan Campaign northward, marching toward Korlasir in a move that decided the fate of what would come to be Yaralon. They arrived at the city, armed but not hostile, presenting the corpses as tribute, and demanding an audience with Raskalarn herself. The Immortal, amused by their bold nature and curious as to how these ragtag warriors bested an army that had defeated her own, granted the request.

The First Company demanded payment from the Eternal Empire, for having stopped the invasion that would've most certainly crushed Korlasir. This payment was granted payment in the form of weapons, food, and other raw materials. But one warrior did not feel that was enough. Isandra Haze stepped forward, accusing Raskalarn's forces of being too weak to fight their own battles, that the Eternal Empire was a sham to think they could invade every land upon the world. Isandra demanded more of Raskalarn, for being helpless, and went so far as to demand a dual with the Immortal.

This mortal was pushing her back, forcing her to grow stronger within the fight itself. After several long breaks of this dual, it became evident that Raskalarn was gaining the upper hand. The Immortal considered striking the woman down, following it up with the destruction of the entire First Company, cut them down, here and now. But within them she saw the potential of a truly great enemy, one that simply needed time to grow stronger than any other out there. But within them she saw the potential of a truly great enemy, one that simply needed time to grow stronger than any other out there. She knew Rharne and Volanta would fall in time, at her hands. But she wanted to see this challenger rise up, a contender worth fighting against.

And so, Raskalarn granted more resources along with two unyielding conditions. The first, none of those present were to ever speak of having come to the Eternal Empire's aid. It was an embarrassment upon Rasklarn, and one she did not wish to have spread amongst her enemies. The other condition was that the lands the First Company were looking to build upon would be the final battlefield for the Eternal Empire. Once Raskalarn has conquered the world, she would set her sights there, and expected them to meet her in battle with the greatest strengths this world could muster.

And so, the First Company returned home, laden with riches and resources, and began to build their city, starting with a massive wall, to help better keep out the monsters of their corrupted land. Many of the founders of the First Company went on to start their own mercenary companies in this new city of Yaralon. These companies were sent out into the world to aid other cities in the region with their own battles, against the Eternal Empire, against one another, against the wilds themselves. The Yari people became known for the finest mercenaries in the world, known for two things above all else; their unyielding honoring of contracts, and their shrewd, specialized warfare.

Developing Era

As Yaralon grew, they kept their lands isolated to the corrupted savanna, seeing no need to push beyond their grasp. Many companies built villages outside of the city's walls, in order to serve as base camps when attempting to harvest resources from the wilds, as well as the many Major Fractures in the region. These villages, while less protected than the city of Yaralon, also served as recruitment and training points for the individual companies.

Due to the extremely low amount of food generation that occurs in the Yari lands, the strength of the mercenary companies was key to feeding the city. This led to those not within the companies to develop extremely practical skills and companies, leading to the rise of the Guilds. The quality of their produced goods was top notch, for anything less was not tolerated. Subpar equipment, tools, led to unnecessary deaths, and the population of Yaralon could not afford failure, for failure could lead to the starvation of the entire city.

With the rise of the crafting guilds, soon came the merchant emperors. Most of these individuals were born and bred within Yaralon, but any merchant that managed to survive the harsh journey into Yaralon soon found a trove of opportunity and riches waiting for them. And in the fourth century, Yaralon truly began to prosper. As the world grew closer and closer to Ziell's prophecies, more and more battles were needing to be fought and won, on all sides of conflict. Yaralon grew into a pinnacle of practical wealth. Their money was flowed back into their companies, into their guilds, into their companies, always pushing forward so as to be ready for battle against the Eternal Empire, for the final battle against Raskalarn herself.

With the arrival of the eighth century, and Ziell's prophecy at hand, Yaralon smiles upon the wealth they expect to see. For it was the Age of Prophecy, a prophecy of change, and with change comes violence. And with violence, battle. And where there is battle, there's always a Yari man or woman, smiling in their love for combat and the coin that follows.

Recent History

The first great changes in nearly six centuries have begun as a result of Ruin's Dawn. After a period of peace, by Yari standards, new groups, cultures, and beliefs are beginning to gain a foothold in Yaralon. There are those among the Merchant Empires and Mercenary Companies who are campaigning for a more central government to bring and maintain order across the land. Equally, there are others within the same groups who hold tightly to the old ways. Traditionalists find themselves in open conflict more and more often with this group of Revitalists. Thus far there have been no significant changes to the structure but religion has come under close scrutiny. Many who seek to revitalize the land base their argument in economics. They fight for control under the guise of improving the economic standing of the city by pulling its focus away from their immortals. Ruin's Dawn has shown the Yari that Immortal's can be killed and if they can be killed, they can be defied. After all, if they have to rely on immortals, is their fate really their own?

Additionally a small cult has began to rise worshipping the dragon Vielkrontier. They possess no shrines or formal sanctuaries but instead operate within the shadows. Many believe that this cult is the power behind the Revitalists. No one has any evidence of it.

Timeline

Arc	Major Event
0-50	Raskalarn is invading the northern and western parts of the continent, adding to her growing Eternal Empire.
50-75	People escaping the invasion head south, finding inhospitable lands not well suited for mankind. Constant nomadic life is necessary for survival.
75-100	A ragtag band of warriors, huntsman, and scouts found a permanent camp on the coast where only the strongest, or dumbest, go in order to hunt and fight.
100-102	Scouts report a massive city to the north being built, attacks upon Rharne and Volanta to the west by the Eternal Empire having failed.
102-103	Volanta sends forces through the inhospitable lands in order to surprise attack the weakened forces while Korlasir is being built in order to deal a deathblow to the Eternal Empire.
103-106	The band of warriors and nomadic people use the experience of living on this land to fight the Volantan forces and stall them.
106-107	The Volantan forces are defeated wholly. The nomadic people march on to Korlasir. They present the corpses of generals from the invading army, and demand payment for having defended the Eternal Empire during their time of vulnerability. Raskalarn, impressed by the ability of a force so small, with so few resources, having defeated an army that defended itself from her invasions, gives payment in the form of as many weapons, food, and supplies the nomads could carry. The leaders of the nomads demand more, claiming intervention would not have been needed had the Empire not been so weak in the first place. Following a dual between Raskalarn and a human woman, Isandra Haze, a more sizable reward was given, as were a few conditions. The nomads' lands would be the final point of invasion for the Eternal Empire, after the rest of the world falls; The nomads are never to speak of having come to the Empire's aid to anyone.
107-125	The nomadic people use the wealth and resources acquired to found the beginnings of Yaralon on the southern coast, just outside of the Empire's grasp.
129	Yaralon is founded as the final stones in the wall are lain.
130-150	Yaralon begins sending its best warriors to nearby nations to fight their battles in exchange for payment in food or treasure.
151-718	Yaralon continues to grow in strength and prosperity. Many nations have enlisted their mercenaries at one time or another in order to guarantee victories.
718-721	Yaralon Proper goes dark. Trade continues to flow in and out but information ceases to leave. Those who participate in trade refuse to discuss the situation in the city. Those in outlying towns have difficulty accessing the city.
721	Ruin's Dawn occurs. The Ghost Burho of Yaralon, as well as one of it's walls, was heavily damaged by Vielkrontier's awakening and departure from the city. The multi-headed Dragon is now roaming the area around the city, though this hasn't had much impact on daily life in the city, due to the Yari viewing him more as a challenge than a threat. Vielkrontier has made no aggressive action against the city, though anyone foolish enough to challenge him hasn't lasted long. Labrae and her children were forced to evacuate the Ghost Burho, and have taken up temporary residence in another part of Yaralon, though there's rumor that Labrae may take her children and leave for a less dangerous area.