Crixus
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 9:00 am
Overview
The Ecrede, however, were not the first to discover the land of Crixus, said to have been inhabited by a small race of people known to them as the Tabai. The Tabai are known to most as the Jungle Folk, believed to have first discovered and taught Shapeshifting Magic to the Ecrede people. They are a very short people, most standing no taller than three foot, yet they do not look strange or stunted, but rather in proportion. They are fast with skin the colour of charcoal and tight, yellow eyes that glow in the dark. Their most defining features are their blood-red hair and the wrinkles that form around their eyes like the rings of a tree trunk, prevalent even at birth, they only develop more and more rings as they age.
All across Crixus the Tabai have erected small statues with glowing blue stones for eyes, set as a warning to any who venture too deep into the jungle, for an uneasy truce has developed between them and the first Ecrede to inhabit the island. For a long time the Crix’us Crew and the Tabai lived in harmony, until much later, during the Age of Man, when Humans started visiting the jungle and taking Tabai as slaves. As the existing Ecrede did little to stop this, they too were held accountable, and war broke out between the Tabai tribes and the Ecrede people.
To this day, problems still exist between the two races, with even some Ecrede taking Tabai as slaves to work in the city of Sabah. For the most part, though, the Ecrede know not to venture beyond the statues with the glowing eyes and the Tabai dare not venture into the camps of Humans. Only the descendants of Dre’dro’s Clan are free to walk between city and jungle, said to have been raised for generations to respect the Tabai race. The Tabai remain cautious, however, as they know this is not true of all folk.
History
Settled in the Age of Defiance by the Ecrede people, Crixus has a history far older than this, in fact, it was once and still is called Kalombai by the Tabai people, said to have been the first to inhabit the land. They tell no tales of favours from gods or giants, having lived peacefully for as long as they can remember. Famed for decorating sacred areas of ground with rings of stone, the Tabai, though very territorial, are also a curious lot, known for their silence and ability to watch and stalk their targets. The Tabai use the land to their advantage, most of them being experts in the art of poison and its application.
The capital city of Sabah took many years to build, with some saying that it was at least two hundred years before it stood as high and defined as what exists at present. The people of Crixus have weathered many storms and, just like their city, have managed to stand the test of time. Most live in relative peace, but some live in fear of the Tabai tribes that inhabit the surrounding jungle, a number of which they are still uncertain of.
Timeline
T3003 - Karamea creates the Tabai people and lets them loose in the Jungles of Kalombai.
T3109 - The Tabai discover Shapeshifting Magic.
D301 - The Ecrede, cast out of their home after a failed uprising, first explore the jungles of Kalombai, choosing to name it Crixus, after their clan and murdered leader, Ded’dro Crix.
D303 - Construction on Sabah begins.
D331 - The Ecrede of Crixus go to war with Clead.
D333 - The Crixus Crew are defeated in battle and the injured are sent home, most of them passing away during the journey.
D505 - Crixus and Clead form a peace alliance.
D601 - The temples of Rhum and Ethres are finally complete.
D649 - Rhum is rumoured to have visited Sabah in the form of a black jaguar. The jaguar saves a boy from the death grip of a python.
D651 - A gold statue of the jaguar is completed and erected outside the Temple of Rhum.
D652 - The jaguar becomes the national icon of Crixus.
M118 - Humans land on the shores of Crixus and travel to the city of Sabah. They take many Tabai as captives.
M120 - All Tabai abandon their city lives in favour of the jungle and the old ways.
M141 - Humans visit again, this time in larger numbers. The Tabai slay many of them, warding their jungle territory with small piled rock statues with glowing blue stones for eyes.
M308 - After a harsh Frost, Karamea is said to have visited the land of Crixus. A path of flowers bloom in her wake, winding their way into the jungle to a forgotten underground temple. A family of black jaguars are said to guard the temple, known as the Tomb of Rhum.
M776 - Ethres is rumoured to have visited the city of Sabah in the form of a python.
M781 - A gold statue of a snake, wrapped about the door leading into the Temple of Ethres, is completed.
M937 - A group of Ecrede explorers are killed in the jungle by a rogue tribe of Tabai.
M944 - The Ecrede and the Tabai go to war with both sides suffering many loses.
M1109 - The Ecrede and the Tabai agree on peace after many, many years of fighting, negotiated by descendants of the Crix’us Crew.
M1271 - Humans negotiate trade deals with the people of Sabah. They take many Tabai as captives.
M1274 - Tribes of Tabai attack the docks after witnessing Human ships sail into harbour. There are many casualties.
M1302 - A Tabai princess is married to a descendant of the Crix’us Crew, changing the Ecrede race forever. Their children are dark of skin with bright, pale eyes and wild red hair.
M1329 - The Tabai move back into the city of Sabah.
M1361 - After the death of the Tabai princess, the Tabai once again vacate the city of Sabah.
M1588 - Dragon eggs are found in the jungle and added to the treasures in the Temple of Rhum.
Legend
During a solar eclipse, the Tabai discovered the secrets of Shapeshifting, seeing all things in their alternative forms, as if walking through a dream. The sky grew dark overhead as the suns aligned with the world of Noar at their centre. The moons blotted out the suns, black and ringed red, a once in a thousand year occurrence. It was the Age of Titans and all across Kalombai, Esen filled the air.
The jungle folk found they could pull, stretch and mold the Esen into different shapes, absorbed by their very beings to allow them to do the same. From there, their knowledge of this strange magic only grew, some of them becoming so lost in the obsession to transform with such perfection, that they forgot themselves, forming instead many of the animals that still exist in Crixus today.
The Capital
Sabah is the capital of Crixus, an ancient city built from giant bricks formed of the surrounding earth by the first people who stepped foot on the northeastern coast. In the Age of Defiance, D301, Ded’dro Crix, Ka’sul of the Crix’us Clan, led a rebellion against the clans in power in the capital city of Clead, known as Peleah. The Crix’us Clan were unsuccessful in their attempt to overthrow those in charge and were cast out for their crimes against the city. Ded’dro Crix was hanged for his crimes, but the rest of his clan were allowed to go free, as long as they vowed never to return to Clead.
In the same year, the clan sailed south of Clead, stumbling upon a land of thick jungle, greener than any their had ever laid eyes on. They anchored their ships and took their rowboats to shore, settling on the coast of the land they would come to call Crixus. They erected buildings made of Crixus earth, set in blocks as heavy as two men, and built as high as at least twenty. They revoked their god, Lochren, choosing instead to follow Rhum, God of Sacrifice and War, and Ethres, God of Justice and Vengeance. Giant temples were built to please their new gods, tested for hundreds of years by rain, wind, storms and earthquakes.
Today the temples of Sabah look weathered and worn, but stand as strong as the rock underfoot. Even fire is no match for the city, more than once having burnt a path through the jungle, only to die upon the fired bricks of Sabah. The Crix’us Crew for fortunate to discover the city have been built in a valley rich with gold, both in river and earth, and have made their wealth off the land, enough to see that they ended up settling long term. Their leader, Ded’dro was immortalised in a gold statue, erected on the harbour. He stands with his hands on his hips, looking out at the sea with a smile on his face and a noose around his neck.
Travel & Villages
Bakka
Bakka is a large Tabai Village located between the two largest lakes in Crixus. It is a dangerous trek between the two cities, which few seldom undertake.
Settlements & Titles
There are no player settlements or titles to date. To have one added, submit an application to the Help Desk.
Geography
The majority of Crixus is made up of rolling hills, tall cliffs that drop down into deep caverns and smooth, rocky mountains, all covered in thick, vast jungle. The shoreline is rocky, with shallow pools surrounding a lot of the mainland, making it difficult to navigate by boat. There are a handful of sandy bays, such as the one that leads into Sabah, the capital city of Crixus, but even that has it downfalls, dotted with quicksand traps. Only the locals know the safest routes and even they can be caught out every now and then.
Deep water caves run through the belly of the mainland where rivers once ran. Underground caves litter the countryside, forming perfect hiding places for thieves, pirates, tribes and creatures alike. The most famous of these is The Maw of Man, a deep water cavern that has long doubled as a popular swimming hole for the locals. Huge, ancient trees lean over the maw, sending thick, winding roots and long, snakelike vines into the depths of the cavern, making it easy to climb in and out of.
Walking the land of Crixus is like exploring three separate worlds, that of the surface, underground, and tree canopy. Danger lurks everywhere, making the ancient city of Sabah one of the safest areas to visit. Wildlife don’t tend to stalk the jungle surrounding the city, but the odd snake, tiger and elephant are known to wander through the streets from time to time, brave enough to sunbathe on the temple steps.
Climate
The climate in Crixus is one only the locals can tolerate without complaint. Unlike the hot, dry air of Nejem, Crixus is hot, humid and wet. Most unfamiliar to the land describe the sensation as feeling damp right down in one’s bones. The humidity is hard to escape, making the waterholes a popular destination for locals and animals alike. There is some reprieve along the coast, as the ocean air blows into the city of Sabah, cooling the open ground and stone buildings.
Step beyond Sabah, however, and the heat is exhausting, the air often described as thick and suffocating in the season of Blaze. The rain brings little relief, the moisture often only adding to the humidity that leaves everything damp. Of course, it is the perfect climate for bugs, of which there is no shortage. The hot seasons are plagued by pests of all sizes, tending only to die off or burrow underground during the season of Frost, only to reappear again come Bloom.
Root vegetables and berries seem to thrive in this environment, though little else grows beyond the palm trees that litter the eastern beaches. There are a few strange, local fruits grown in the jungle the Tabai like to harvest, though most of these are poisonous or at least upsetting to many other races. Meat is the core part of any Crixus diet, something the jungle provides in abundance if one knows how to hunt, trap and catch the right type of animals to supply it.
Surroundings
Crixus is somewhat larger than Clead and Renmere, though it remains far less developed. It exists rather close to a large piece of land to the west that is relatively unexplored, echoing the same jungle mass across part of its surface. To the far east is Emanys and northwest of Crixus, is Clead. The two countries are far enough away from each other to make the idea of war feasible, though many have attempted such in the past.
Maps & Landmarks
Temple of Ethres
The Temple of Ethres is a large dome structure fashioned with openings in the ceiling that allows the light of the suns to shine in throughout the day. The temple is where the people of Sabah bury their dead and come to honour their memory in days of prayer, usually in the season of Bloom. The temple is a two hour walk from the city centre, located far enough from the busy city to allow the dead to rest. Burning incense mask the smell of those who has most recently passed.
Temple of Rhum
The Temple of Rhum is a two hundred step climb up the mountain it was built within, guarded by the creatures beloved by Rhum, the jaguar. These large cats are said to allow the locals to come and go as they please, tending to feed only on the remains of those beheaded in sacrifice to the god himself. The steps are painted with the blood of the dead, which first attracted the jaguar to the area. Many of the big cats here are believed to be Ecrede and Tabai who enjoyed shapeshifting into the form of the creatures so much that they forgot how to revert back to their original humanoid forms. Any who visit are expected to offer up a gift, usually a small nugget of gold which is added to the pile of treasures found inside. Any who take from the temple usually find themselves caught out and mauled by one of the big cats.
The Tomb of Rhum
The Tomb of Rhum is hidden deep in the jungle, somewhere between Sabah and Bakka. This underground fortress is said to go on for miles underground, littered with all types of treasures and forgotten artifacts. However, one can not simply walk into the Tomb of Rhum, though many have tried, as it laced with ancient traps, left there by its creator who remains unknown.
The Maw of Man
As a popular swimming hole, the Maw of Man is located a half day hike from the city of Sabah along a firm clay path forged by the people of Sabah. A deep water cavern that appears bottomless, the Maw of Man is not only popular with the locals, but the wildlife too. Many elephants have been seen playing in the water during the hot seasons and monkeys travel from far and wide to drink and climb the ancient jungle trees that surround the pools.
Coastline
Most of the coastline is very rocky, especially to the north, west and south. The eastern beaches are by far the most attractive to a lot of the humanoid races, boasting shallow bays of crystal clear water and lush white sand. However, come the storm season at the height of Blaze, the east coast takes a battering from the crashing waves and strong gales. Jagged rocks line the western coastline, while the rock pools on the north and south ends of the mainland are smooth, pleasant to walk on and filled with an abundance of sea life.
Culture
Life in Crixus is chaotic and often short lived, with most life expectancy ranging from anywhere between 8 and 28 years. Surviving here is tough for those who aren’t accustomed to the dangers, especially those who had lived an easy life. People in Crixus work hard to survive, not just to live. The Ecrede who settled here long ago in the Age of Defiance, came with the values that there should be no segregation between their own race, that the idea of clans only worked to suppress, not empower the people. Their motto is one people, believing that it takes a village to prosper here, and have done just that since those early years.
Though more Ecrede have joined them from the shores of Clead since their founding, the idea of clans has remained taboo. Newcomers are either expected to drop their clan identity and embrace the oneness of Crixus way, or return to the shores from which they came. Outsider are regarded with quiet caution. Crixus is popular for the gold mined from the earth, making it a hotspot for traders. The city is always busy with locals and foreigners alike, making the vibe sometimes tense. Crix’us Crew guard the gold mines, training animals and slaves to do the same.
Demographics
A recent census of the city estimated that there are just over 11,000 people living in the city of Sabah, with an extra three to four thousand surviving in the dense jungle beyond the safety of the city.
Of these totals, Ecrede makeup 54%, followed by Mix Bloods at 32%, Humans at a close 8%, N’jiin 4%, and Tasavi 2%.
Housing
Clay
Clay from Crixus cures into a very strone brick that has been used to create the majority of the buildings and temples found in Sabah and across Crixus. It is an earthy brown colour when it comes out of the ground that bakes in the sun to take on an off-green tone that eventually darkens with age. Clay is found everywhere in Crixus, located in most cases only half a foot below the topsoil that covers the earth.
Stone
Stone slabs cut from the mountains in Crixus are dragged home by elephants via a path cut and stacked with rolling logs. Stone is a difficult resource to move about the landscape, making it more valuable than wood and clay. Stone is used mainly on the cobblestone roads that stretch through the centre and main streets of the capital city. Those who can afford it also use stone tiles for flooring inside their homes.
Wood
As a popular and widely sustainable resource in the jungle, wood is used in a lot of buildings for flooring, framing, doors and windows. Staircases located inside are also made out of wood, while clay brick or stone are preferred outside. Wood is also used for boat building and the upkeep and maintenance of the city docks.
Gold
The gold in Crixus is said to be so abundant that the people of Crixus could build the city of Sabah twice over in solid gold if they so pleased. Most of the world’s coins are forged in Crixus, especially the Bah and gold Krown used widely across Noar. Crixus also forges and sell gold bars for any with the wealth to purchase them. Gold is used in some buildings as decoration, but is most prevalent in all of the statue work found around the city of Sabah, especially the temples.
Religion & Temples
Religion in Crixus is focused around the gods Ethres and Rhum. However, the Tabai are known for worshiping Karamea. Information about the temples can be found under Maps and Landmarks.
Rituals & Traditions
Blood Sacrifice
Though the people of Crixus take slaves, not all of them make the cut. The enemies of the people who inhabit Sabah especially, don’t tend to live long, sacrificed in blood rituals on the steps of the Temple of Rhum. The people of Crixus believe their god, Rhum, is most pleased by the act of bloodletting, of which there is never a shortage.
Holidays
To be added.
Marriage & Divorce
There is no marriage or divorce in Crixus. Most resort to a more primal way of life, where the strong thrive and the weak are cut from the earth. Women are free to choose who they take as partners, with families usually living together or at least near one another. The people of Sabah live and eat communially, choosing to care for one another, which includes watching over the children as a whole.
While no formal marriages or agreements have taken place since an Ecrede was married to one of the Tabai, marriage is still recognised by the people of Crixus, however, they do not partake in it. Marriage is not outlawed, only the people have grown beyond the use of such a thing.
Food
A Crixus diet consists of a lot of meat, usually chicken or fish, and whatever can be foraged from the surrounding jungle. Root vegetables grow well in the rich jungle soil, but the population has had less up with popular fruit tree varieties, such as apple, orange and plum. Mangos and coconut grow well closer to the eastern shore and have also become a staple of the Crixus diet.
Music
If the city of Sabah is known for a certain type of music, it is the pan pipes and drums, similar to that heard in Emanys, though a little more laid back. Temple drums are by far the most intimidating sound one will ever hear in Sabah, as they are usually only played before and after a sacrifice has taken place.
Language
Ethesion is the most widely spoken language in Crixus, followed by Tarri, which is spoken by the Tabai people, said to have been taught the language, as the Ontari were, by Karamea upon their creation. Common is spoken at formal meetings between the locals and foreigners.
Folktales
To be added.
Society
To be added.
Education
There is no formal education system in Crixus. People, especially children, are expected to learn by doing. Stories are used to teach lessons and warn the young against certain dangers of the jungle, as well as pass on history from old to young.
Economy & Employment
Outside of the gold and boatbuilding industries, there is not a lot of formal work in Crixus. People usually work for themselves or just to survive. There are a few market stalls set up along the main street during daylight hours, which source and sell locally grown or crafted goods.
Government & Politics
The strong protect the weak in Crixus, such has been the way since the very beginning. Though they are a lawless people, this has served the people of Sabah well, in that strength became the law. The community look after one another, working to patrol, teach, guard and protect at all times. Relationships are what the people of Crixus find important, based on mutual trust and respect.
National Army
There is no official army in Crixus, however, all men are expected to protect the people, city and jungle. Groups take turns patrolling the city, docks and surrounding jungle. Though there is no official training given to volunteers, if one makes it beyond the age of eighteen in the jungle, they are believed to be made of tougher stuff, as no one survives lightly in Crixus.
International Army
Crixus has no international army, but does have a few alliances with outside cities it trades with, sworn to protect the small jungle nation.
Law & Order
There are no official laws in Crixus.
Crime & Punishment
Anyone caught stealing from the goldmines is usually executed at the Temple of Rhum.
Factions
Ka’lu’sun
The Ka’lu’sun are a powerhouse of specially trained jungle fighters, all of whom are highly skilled at extracting, blending and using poisons to their advantage. The Ka’lu’sun are distinguishable from non members due to the red paint (sometimes blood) they smer across their foreheads while on duty. This private guard is paid to protect the gold mines and are almost one hundred members strong.
Aku’ray
Aku’ray are a small rebel gang of young men, most of whom have lost their parents and chose to band together with other lost souls. They live on the outskirts of the city, their favourite haunt being one of the old ruined temples they share with some of the local wildlife. These boys are scavengers, tricksters and thieves, but they too have an honour code and have never been reported to have harmed anyone.
Foreign Relations
Positive
Aramane
Clead
Nejem
Neutral
Vayne
Renmere
Ryon
Negative
Blackbrine
Emanys
Rathos
Magic
People are free to use whichever magic they choose in Crixus. Among the most popular are Blood Magic and Necromancy.
Slavery
Slavery goes unchecked in Crixus, with many of the city folk taking slaves from the jungle tribes. Slaves are treated poorly, some expected to live no better than dogs, tied up outside in the hot, humid jungle weather. There are no laws protecting slaves from their masters here, the slave market too is very poor, with slaves selling for no more than fifty Krowns on a good day. Crixus slaves are not marked under the same global slave marking, usually found on the neck, instead they are branded under their right eye on the cheek. One line means house slave, two lines denotes a city slave, and three marks indicates that the individual is a fighting slave.