Baifa Monü Zhuan
- Intent: To add lore to one fo the lesser known continents of Atrisia
- Image Credit: How to properly source your images
Land of Empires: Ruinded Continent - Avokhar
- Rober E. Howard: Lectulanda.com
- Gifs from Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- EnGadget.com: SHadow of the Tomb Raider Art
- Rise of the Tomb Raider Wallpaper
- The Crimson FIre
[*]Canon: N/A
[*]Links:
- Atrisia[ Wookieepedia ] | [ Codex Entry ]
- Atrisian Tiger
SETTING INFORMATION
- Landmark Name: Ukiyo-E
- Classification: Ocean, Swamp, Mountain, Canyon, Lake, Grove, Forest, Jungle
- Location: Atrisia
- Affiliation: N/A
- Size: Massive Continent
- Population: Moderately Populated
- Demographics:
Atrisian's called in many lands the Oni. described as eight feet tall, thin and muscled with skin like milk chocolate, hair black with diamonds strung through it, scented oils, eyes of gold and sharpened teeth. These are exaggerations for the most part and fables to describe at the time and often isolated continents inhabitants. They are taller then most atrisian's, their skin darker, their eyes in more exotic colors but they are human. - Taeki: Primal and primitive Atrisian's left over from some of the more primeval socities. The practice body modification and ritual sacrifice to the ancient death gods of Atrisia.
[*]Accessibility: Hard to reach, the ancient bridges and areas where it connected to the continent. THe bridges have been destroyed or submerged but when the tides are low they can be seen and crossed. Sheer cliffs with only a small handful of passes into the continents heart. Ancient statues designed as warning markers of where you are going surround the continent. From there it is pretty open once you are past the mountains with vast forest and jungle, mountains and rivers. Thick with trees and animals while the population and old cities are mostly ruined.
[*]Description: Large and covered in lush jungles, sweeping cliff faces that jut from the surface and obscure deep rivers. Massive mountains with ancient structures that are covered and retaken, broken down and covered with dangerous creatures. From massive snakes, crocodiles, bats, bugs, carnivorous fish, wolves, tigers, bears, lions, parasites that eat bone, flesh, brain tissue. The cities that are still inhabited are battling against the jungle reclaiming and growing into them.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Well of Souls: Ancient, forbidden by most and lost within the mountains of the jungle. The well of souls as it is called is where the sun god was slain in ancient lore. A deep well filled with old stone work and wooden platforms used by the Taeki.
THe coastline: Tall and dangerous with caves and alcoves around the continent. The waves crash in and smash most vessels in the water. Accessibility from the air is highly recommended.
Izaniyaki Cliffs: Large in the southern part of the continent and obscuring the city of Thoris. THe cliffs are a rite of passage for the Oni to climb and retrieve the feathers of a hawk bat.
The jungle: Lush, vibrant and filled with danger it is the primary feature with some sections of desert like environment, massive trees that are filled with a canopy casting the dark continent in even darker shadows. With dangerous creatures under it. Hostile wildlife, plagues, parasites and heat. Even in the shadows it is hot and there are greater dangers within the caves, tombs, crypts and ruined cities of the jungle.
Temple of the Sun God: The temple of Chujo the sun god and one of the few places on the continent that is untouched. Much like the temple of the moon it was built in a place where the legends of it fit more with the construction. THe suns rays are almost perpetual within the small region of it and a city thrives able to meet with the outside world of Atrisia.
Storm Cliffs: Large and obscuring the ancient temple of the moon, Shonagon's temple and home where the Taeki elder resides. The ancient and ritualistic death cult have turned the cliffs into a death trap among itself with dug out traps and blades.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
[Ancient is the best way to describe Ukiyo, the first inhabitated continent as many believe within the history of Atrisia. It was settled by some of the earliest and most primitive settlers of Atrisia, developing the basis for many of the creation myths such as the Sun god and moon goddess. Shonagon and Chujo who created with their blades the ocean. From their union the nine continents of the world were created with the first one Ukiyo.
Then from her came the mountains and streams, the trees and finally the creatures of the world. The pair ruled their world secluded and in harmony for a time until they grew bored and Chujo sought for his amusement another. Finding amusement as he created human's. Bringing them to the world and hiding them at first from his wife Shonagon. Her maelstroms were said to be massive and soon it was discovered.
In her anger she slew her husband, casting him into the well of souls while corrupting her husbands creations into the Taeki. With his last breathe Chujo declared that he would ensure there was a thousand lifes birthed a day to replace the corrupted she took from the light. Shonagon said she would ensure the cycle would continue a thousand a day birthed and corrupted to forever replace each other throughout the centuries.
That is how the legend goes in the few murals that have been uncovered, the ancient settlements, the temples, the stone buildings are overgrown and the Oni the remnants of the ancient Tiantai followers who had sealed away the continent from the world making their own city to worship and preserve lives. The Taeki on the other hand being sealed away developed their own society worshiping the darkness.
They reveled in it, they became part of it as the continents majority of time was spent in darkness with a shadowed sun. Moons from Atrisia and the position casting it into the shadows. From it a more dangerous environment has developed and what is in legend considered an exodus. The Tiantai called it a cleansing, they took that which was dangerous and would feed upon the developing beings and locked them away to guard the entrance to the underworld.
The TIantai left the continent itself and leaving behind their children to protect it. The Oni faced against the Taeki for the time. With their civilization on the last days, it was believed the gods were at war and something happened. An incident that shattered and resonated through the force within the unknown regions. The Muurshantre Extinction was the event but it was seen as an omen that the Taeki used to further the dark influence of themselves on the land.
Constructing temples as the jungle seemed to become corrupted they became twisted as well as their beliefs going more and more into the darkness of the cult. Death worshipers, ritual sacrifice and raising themselves among the creatures around them. THe more dangerous the creatures the more they emulated them taking on regalia, bones, body modifications to try and have fangs and claws.
The history of the Taeki is intrinsically tied to the continent as they shaped it and from them came the rebels. Deemed the Oni, the demons of their people, the good ones, the ones who retreated away from the cults and lived within the light of the Sun god and sought to join with the long legendary beings who had raised the continent to lock them all away from the ocean. Who constructed the temples that were being overtaken by the tombs.
THe continent sat there for centuries upon centuries becoming more and more a source of plague and sickness, with creatures continuing to slowly become more and more dangerous predators until it in some ways was a mini Dxun to compare ot to anyplace in the galaxy. Sei Murasaki explored it after the continent was brought into the Kital Phard empire through a wrestling match between the Jade Empress and clan leader of the Oni.
The few Oni who were brought around to meet with the others. They were visited rarely, the continent fell msotly to being there within the Atrisian empire and then later commonwealth. Neglected while being left to its own devices under the various emperors and empress. It was revisited rarely with more recent activity coming when the First Order and KNights of Ren came from the sky. THeir blanketing of the planet stirred the Taeki from their caves.
Other things coming, the construction in Jar'kai, unrest in the provinces and more all brought attention to the Oni who worked to call for aid from the likes of [member="Shoma Ike"]... while the politics were important. the Oni had lost a great deal of their people in the netherworld and darkness. plagues being a dangerous problems but the riches of the lands attracted the bravest of souls who would come to them. The threat of the Taeki was likely not of interest to the Ren but keeping them aware of the dangers was something that could be important.
