April 2024 Update

[April 2024]

Greetings all, and welcome to the April (2024) update for Roguelike Games!

This month sees the first of our 'Species Spotlights' for the Moralinth: Gothic Horror TTRPG. Relevant to both the Uncanny and Gloom versions of the game, over the next few months, we will be dedicating an entire update to looking at one of the major playable species across The Known World that populate the various nations of the Empire of Estania. We will be discussing what each of these species are, how they interact with one another and others, and what their place is in the game world.

To start off with the month of April, we will be looking at a species familiar to at least some of us: humans!

Species Spotlight: Humans

The dominant species across The Known World, humans can be found in almost every nation and are the founders of the Empire of Estania. With a far larger population than any other species by magnitude, humans are simultaneously the most common sight and yet varied among all the peoples of the eighteen nations.

Known for their cooperative spirit and their ability to adapt to almost any situation given enough time and incentive, humanity persevered through devastating losses at the hands of The Blight: a near extinction-level event that would have eradicated other species. Instead, Humanity adapted and evolved, shifting its focus and priorities on an unprecedented scale and now thrives within the protection of massive Enclave metropolises.

Humans possess the capacity for great kindness, creativity, wisdom and compassion but are equally capable of acts of tremendous cruelty, callousness, intolerance and hatred. This diversity extends to how they treat one another and others, and their variable nature means no two humans are exactly alike even in close communities such as family units.

Humans' physical descriptions vary as widely as many of their other attributes with a range of skin, hair and eye colours with equally variable heights and build between them. On average, however, most humans stand between four and seven feet in height, reach physical adulthood around fifteen to eighteen years of age and typically live eighty to ninety years.

Human Ethnicities:

Humans can be found all across the eighteen nations and despite their diverse cultures, national traditions and regional differences, Imperial humans all fall into one of five general ethnic groups:

Terdovian: The Terdovian people hail from the northmost nations of the Empire of Estania, cold and windswept lands that are steeped in ancient traditions, fabled stories and in many cases superstition. The majority of Terdovians stand slightly taller than the human average and they are commonly pale-skinned and have fair hair. Three nations constitute the birthplace of the Terdovian: Terractana, a frigid and hostile land known for its bleak beauty and resilient people is the first of these Terractanians who are fiercely independent people who have lived off the land for many generations.

The second of the northern nations - Ordova - is a land steeped in legends with vast fjords and mountainous regions, dark forests and deep caverns. Ordovians are passionate and ostentatious people whose culture revolves around and venerates storytelling. The people of Ursur, the last of the northern realms, are a mysterious and superstitious lot who are tradition-focused as most Terdovians, but whose ways are often seen as stuck in the past. Their nation is a dark and shadowy place with vast swathes of untamed land that see some of the longest hours of darkness across the entire continent.

All Terdovians are accustomed to colder climes regardless of which of the three nations they can trace their ancestry back to, due to their proximity to Bythanteos, the Frigid North. Terdovians are seen by others in the empire as willful and independent people who are practical and enigmatic, but whose deep connection with tradtions makes them slow to embrace new things.

Estanic: Humans of Estanic descent can trace their ancestry back to the cradle of human civilisation, from the isle of Estana where the Empire gets its name, and to the surrounding nations of Amus, Libantas and Scoatacion. With complexions ranging from pale caucasian to light brown, the traditional Estanic people constitute the yardstick when it comes to the "average" height and build of humans. Unlike the Terdovian, Ezian, Alluan and Missirean people, the Estanic human's ancestral homelands constitute the middle of the Empire and do not border on the extreme climates of The Four Corners. The nations of the Estanic people tend to be temperate and create lush, verdant countries which tend to lead to more comfortable lifestyles for their inhabitants.

Of the nations that make up the homelands of the Estanic, their namesake - Estana Isle - is probably the most well-known. Considered to be the nexus of the entire Empire, Estana holds the lion's share of Imperial resources and its people are a cosmopolitan mixing pot of many cultures. Home to the Empress and the Imperial Army, Estana breeds a certain level of entitlement among its people which can often be quite jarring for outsiders.

Amus is a coastal nation located to the south of Estana and across the Estanian Channel. Known for its philosophers and free-thinkers, the nation of Amus is considered a diplomatic sanctuary and a politically neutral nation. The Estanic people who can trace their heritage back to Amus tend to be extremely tolerant of others and their cultural beliefs, accepting that all viewpoints are valid even if (sometimes especially if) one disagrees with that viewpoint.

Libantas is an extremely religious nation that houses the headquarters of the Clergy of The Church, and it is hardly surprising that the people of that nation are also highly spiritual individuals. Estanic humans live under the shadow of The Church, with the Multi-Faced Pantheon being tied into most aspects of their lives, and while they do not eschew modern technology and industrial progression, they are generally slower to accept and utilize such tools preferring to place their faith in the Gods.

The Estanic humans whose ancestors came from Scotacion are much like the nation they call home: aesthetically pleasing but dangerous beneath the veneer of elegance. A country that is steeped in blood through political machinations and assassinations, the people of Scotacion are taught from a young age about 'The Great Game', a dangerous and ongoing political war that has threatened to tear the nation asunder for generations. To outsiders, the land of Scotacion is a sight to behold with its many glittering spires, winding waterways and baroque architecture, but beneath the surface, it is a pit of vipers run by individuals who would gladly sell their souls for power. The average Scotacion is known for their sharp wit and grace, but to survive in their world means they are also constantly on guard for betrayal, and this can often lead to them developing treacherous tendencies themselves.

Alluan: Humans of the Alluan ethnicity first settled along the eastern edges of The Known World, colonising and bringing civilisation to the lands that would eventually become modern-day Antea, Thevur and Manyas. Able to trace their lineage back to one of these countries, Alluans share a few physical similarities such as lighter skin tones of fawn to khaki, striking eyes of frequently dark shades, and stand at a little under the average height for Imperial citizens - rarely growing past six feet.

Of the nations associated with the Alluan people perhaps the most famous across the Empire is Antea: headquarters of the feared Inquisition. A highly religious nation that promotes a materialistic approach to law and order, Antea is a place of security through regulation, and the inquisitorial arm of The Church holds even more sway than the Imperial Administration within this country's borders. People who hail from Antea come from a background of harsh punishments for misdemeanours and tend to have a strict moral code.

By contrast, the nation of Thevur is a decadent gilded cage that presents itself as an exquisite - if fading - work of art. A country working to restore itself to the greatness of its heyday, Thevur nevertheless still possesses much in the way of the architecture and social graces of its elegant and storied past, even if the divide between rich and poor often escalates to tragedy. People from Thevur tend to be extremely wealthy (or at the very least appear to be) or suffer from refugee levels of poverty, with little by way of shades of grey in between. Those who leave their country tend to fall into the former of those categories, by having the resources to fund such a journey.

The industrial capital of the Estanian Empire, Manyas is a nation entirely dedicated to the design, manufacture and development of new technologies. Caring little for the natural environment that suffers from their constant fabrications, the average Manyasian sees such matters are trivial in comparison to the potential of technological progress. Manyas humans have grown up around the technology and are comfortable filling their daily lives with such conveniences.

Ezian: The southern lands of The Known World gave rise to the Ezian people whose proximity to Afras, The Endless Desert developed a collection of darker skin tones ranging from ruddy to extremely dark brown that helps protect them from the sun's powerful rays. While rare it is not impossible to see Ezian people born with fairer skin, but such individuals have to take extra precautions when travelling in the hottest hours. Ezians span across almost the entirety of the southern fringes of the Empire, calling the nations of Timicias, Etharn and Germandeos home.

Timicias is an ancient land that has barely changed across the sands of time. Known for its antediluvian traditions, devotion to The Lord of Contracts more so than any other deity in the Multi-faced Pantheon and its dramatic pyramid-focused architecture, Timicias is a desert nation that has only begun experimenting with modern technology. With a generational dynastic society, their inclusion into Imperial rule was difficult. However, they still revere their ancestors as part of their culture and venerate their 'living ancients' whom they call the Ushabti.

Etharn is recognised as the single most wealthy nation in the entire of The Known World, even the Imperial Capital of Estana cannot compete with their economic power. With a history of rulership via hundreds of merchant princes, the main reasons that Etharn poses no direct threat to the imperial rule are two-fold: firstly the massive wealth of the nation is decentralised among its many super-wealthy who are more concerned with out-doing one another than cooperating, and secondly, such an endeavour would prove costly and time-consuming - something none are willing to commit to and leave themselves vulnerable. Etharnians are taught from birth that the acquisition of personal wealth is not only encouraged but necessary for personal growth.

Germandeos is a ruined nation famous for sparking the revolution that would lead to the downfall of the Lithan Protectorate and the rise of the Empire of Estania. Long before Estana would unite the other nations against their masters, the people of Germandeos made the ultimate sacrifice of destroying their nation in a series of coordinated bombings that forced their oppressors from their lands and ensured it would be too damaged to reconquer. The descendants of these freedom fighters still carry their lineage with pride and have an inherited hatred for slavery in all its forms.

Missirean: Among the most diverse human ethnic groups of The Empire, Missireans settled the western lands out as far as what would become known as The Black Sea. The only common physical trait found mutually in the Missirean people is that of dusky skin tones and dark hair regardless of its colour. Height, build and eye colour vary wildly with no dominant trait presenting itself.

Missireans who descend from Jepuraean settlers share traits with the land that gave rise to them: Jepuraea. A mysterious and mostly uncharted nation home to ruined fragments of a past civilisation, Jepuraea was mostly untouched and sparsely populated even before the Blight pandemic. It is a place full of superstition, legends and ancient traditions, much like the Jepuraeans themselves. Introversion and suspicion of others are common among these people, only beginning to understand others better once leaving the confines of their insular country.

Mirannians are almost the direct opposite of Jepuraeans in that they are extremely inclusive, cosmopolitan and welcoming in their treatment of strangers. Great believers in personal freedom and the achievements of the individual over adversity, Mirannians share many of their ideologies with their Germandeon neighbours to the east. Mirannias itself is a place of rolling plains and savannahs that boasts lush beaches to the north but grows steadily hotter and craggier the more one travels southward.

Lastly, the frontier nation of Lyryris in the far southwest of The Known World is something of an enigma to the rest of the Empire, in that it is seen as having many strange spiritual beliefs that do not sit well with many other countries. Referred to as the 'land of magic' by most, Lyryris is seen as having one foot stuck in the past - a perception Lyryris does little to counter. The average Lyryrian believes magic is real (even if there is little to no evidence of it, thanks to The Delusion) and continues ancient tradtions and rituals passed down through generations. With its distance from the imperial centre, it is not viable for The Inquisition to lead a crusade against such perceived heretical practices and as such, Lyryrians are generally left to practice their beliefs. Like Timicias, Lyryris is primarily a desert nation.

Humans in society:

Humanity is responsible for the entire social structure as it exists within the Empire, developed entirely around their needs. Humans hold the majority of positions of power but also toil in the streets depending on their individual or family social status. Enclaves are extremely complex communities often with populations in the millions, and only an elite few can sit at the top of such a hierarchy, leaving many more dreaming of or reaching for a better life.

The Empire of Estania encompasses all eighteen nations of The Known World including two countries not populated by humanity. Ruled over by an Empress and bolstered by The Church, the Empire is controlled and maintained by a massive interlocking web of bureaucrats known collectively as The Imperial Administration. Every nation within the Empire maintained its specific customs and tradtions, though ruling powers were replaced by Regents - the equivalent of Kings or Queens who independently ran their nation but were beholden to the Empress and the Empire as a whole. This practice continues today, with each Regent using the local law enforcement ('The Watch') and administrators to maintain law and order within their Enclaves.

The Empire is far from perfect with growing classism, rising crime and conflicts between the faithful of The Church and the progressives of science and industry, but overall does a good job considering how wide the borders of The Known World are and the Blight-infested wilderness that constantly threatened to overwhelm the Enclave sanctuaries. The current reign of the first Empress has seen some development toward breaching the gap between the genders, and humanity has done a good job of integrating the Clockworks into their society with relative ease.

Regardless of ethnic group, culture or national identity, a few key tenets tend to be present in all levels of human society: civility in social interactions, the importance of family and personal identity, restrained expressionism and emotional conduct, manners and moral values and the avoidance of vulgarity. Even the most bitter of enemies still treat one another with a modicum of civility and respect.

Humans and religious beliefs:

The Empire of Estana has one dominant religion which is present in all nations and across all cultures and is said to pre-date the human species - even though they have adapted it to better suit their needs. This belief in a pantheon of Gods has gone by many different names and represented very different teachings since time immemorial, but in the Age of Reason, it is known as The Multi-Faced Pantheon.

Led by The Church, The Multi-Faced Pantheon promotes the worship of eleven celestial beings who each oversee their divine portfolio. Before the formation of The Empire, some nations would worship only one or two of these Gods, but since the unification of all nations, this has been officially replaced by The Multi-Faced Pantheon by imperial decree. Worship of a single deity is still acceptable, so long as polytheism is also observed when necessary such as religious holidays.

The Church is the oldest 'organisation' of The Old World, predating the Empire itself by thousands of years. Led by a religious leader referred to as a Prime, The Church is broken down into three distinct branches, each of which is governed by a Cardinal.

The Clergy consists of priests, clerics, High Clergy and supplicants. The Clergy are the bridge between members of The Church and their faithful congregation and are responsible for maintaining places of worship and conducting sermons.

The Holy Forces are elite soldiers trained to fight and give their lives in defence of The Church. Armed with the best equipment and training available, the Holy Forces have also been known to bolster Imperial Infantry numbers in times of war.

Lastly, the Inquisition are the secret police of The Church, rooting out heretics and those anathemas to the teachings of the Multi-Faced Pantheon. With authority to investigate anyone save for the Prime and the Empress, their jurisdiction is almost limitless when pursuing an individual in the name of The Church.

Ancient Humanity:

The exact date when humanity moved from a nomadic tribal people to a more civilised society as they are depicted today is hard to gauge for many reasons, not least that most records have been lost to time or deliberately expunged. While such behaviour and disregard for history would be seen as repugnant by the standards of the modern imperial citizen, the same could not be said of humans from ages past.

The oldest potential recording of humans - or at the very least a human-like species - exists in ancient pictographs found in the nation of Jepuraea which show them in various scenes with strange, fantastical creatures. Historians theorise these pictographs come from thousands of years ago in a time referred to as the Age of Legends. Scientific research indicates the world of Moralinth has been through at least five of these ages: The Age of The Devourer is the furthest back any evidence goes and virtually nothing is known of this time, including how back in time it was or how many years it spans. Predating the written word, this time seemed to be indicative of some cataclysmic event that destroyed whatever civilisation came before the current species. The Age of Legends was next, with a small handful of pictographic records showing strange creatures as human-like beings existing together, though the nature of this coexistence is unclear. It is believed the Age of Legends ended around six thousand or so years ago.

Following the Age of Legends came the Age of Darkness, a time of great upheaval but a few scattered bits of evidence show the first signs of the written word and even a migration of what appeared to be tribal humans from the landmass that would later become Estana (part of the mainland rather than an island at that point) across to surrounding lands. Sadly most records of this time are incomplete, but some indicate humanity clashing with another humanoid race later understood to be the Thulians. According to their internal archives, it is believed The Church was formed during this time when a human man who would later go on to become the first Holy Prime of The Church unified the various human tribes and disparate religions under a single pantheon.

The Age of Mysticism came next and represented many important but dubiously recorded events in human history thanks to interference from The Church who destroyed or altered records to better suit their needs, throwing any historical records into question. Despite this information purge some records do exist from this time, especially in far-flung corners of The Known World such as the nations of Timicias and Lyryris. According to these records, magic was very real during this time and was studied and practised as readily as science is in modern times. It is hardly surprising then, that these two nations are still great believers in the spiritual and magical, following traditions and rituals laid down by their ancestors even to this day.

It is believed the Age of Mysticism ended over eleven hundred years ago when it was superseded by The Age of Reason. It was also somewhere around the end of this age that magic left the world, and in the six centuries since, all but these two nations have forgotten it even existed.

Humans in The Age of Reason:

The current era - The Age of Reason - has been a tumultuous time for humanity with many major events shaping the species into the form they are today. In the 1,167 years since The Age of Reason began, magic vanished from the world and the collective memory of humans, The Church underwent massive reform, and the Lithan Protectorate arose in the west and conquered all of the Known World during their four-hundred-year reign, bringing humanity to heel as little more than slaves. For sixty years humanity waged a war of resistance finally rising up in open defiance against their masters with the Germandeos Purge signalling the start of The World War: a conflict that would last two and a half centuries and end with the Lithan Protectorate being dissolved. In the midst of The World War the Empire of Estania was founded and then almost wiped out before it could even truly forge its own destiny, when The Blight suddenly manifested and took millions of both Human and Thulian lives. People all across The Known World retreated inside the safety of the massive Enclave Walls: remnants of a long-forgotten civilisation that each encircled miles upon miles of land with gigantic jet-black walls made of a substance that didn't appear on the periodic table. In response to The Blight the Emperor at the time passed an Imperial Mandate entitled The Great Exodus that saw all remaining citizens abandon their homes and communities to instead retreat inside the fortified Enclave walls. Civilisation survived, and the Empire even assisted the overthrown Lithan people with setting up their own Enclaves. When the Empire was officially formed over five hundred years ago it re-wrote the calendar to fit a more imperial format, resetting the dates to 0 IR (Imperial Reckoning) and referring to all years prior to that change as AI (Afore Imperial). The years since The Great Exodus have seen humanity slowly recover, rebuild and eventually thrive even though The Blight has never been slowed, let alone stopped. As a species, Humanity has developed through its recent catastrophes and prevailed in the face of adversity - as their current industrial revolution can attest to.

Playing a Human in the World of Moralinth:

If Moralinth were to have a default species for Players to choose for their Character, it would be a human. Humans far outnumber the other groups by a wide margin and are the dominant force within the Empire of Estania by way of influence as well as population. Humans can be found across most of The Known World, ruling and running the Enclaves on sixteen out of the eighteen nations. Only in the nation of their old enemy, the Thulians is their presence minor and limited to diplomatic personnel. The isolationist nation of Dalevya is the only country with no human presence whatsoever, though this is hardly restricted to Humanity - the Dalevyans allow no outsiders in their lands.

Humans are innovators and explorers, forging ahead in areas of industry and science but still retaining their more spiritual beliefs and tradtions in the process. Though they come from all walks of life and social status, every human possesses at least a passing knowledge of The Multi-Faced Pantheon and The Church that represents them, the Imperial Hierarchy and Administration and their role in maintaining Enclaves, and how villages, towns and cities have all been replaced with the Enclave City metropolises. Many generations are born, live and die all within the same Enclave and the majority of the population is lucky enough to never see the horrors of The Blight up close, even if all are acutely aware of the danger: something that is taught from a young age in schools across the Empire.

Trade and travel do exist between Enclave and Enclave and nation to nation, but such travel is heavily regulated and policed: travel across The Wilderness is just as dangerous as it has been for the last three centuries. Even with advances in science and medicine, The Blight remains incurable, and so extreme measures are often taken to ensure no Enclave is compromised.

Most Enclaves are cosmopolitan and have a wide number of people from various human ethnic groups present, with a person's standing in society having a greater impact than their place of origin. While the Empire has been a patriarchy since its inception, older generations tend to keep to what they were brought up to consider traditional gender roles with women usually being the homekeepers and responsible for raising children, considered the 'fairer sex' and expected to engage in less hazardous pursuits; but since the first Empress took the throne three years ago, she has brought about many reforms that challenge these ideas and grant women far more control over their lives and choices. Though women taking on roles traditionally held by men is still quite rare, nobody can question a woman's right to become an explorer, a scientist, or join the armed forces anymore.

Yet choosing to play a human in Moralinth also makes your Character an Uncanny: one of the rare individuals who not only know magic - true magic - has secretly returned to the world, but can perceive and manipulate these energies. Living among humans, clockworks and others who do not see the world as you can means leading another life outside of the norm, balancing an occupation, social engagements and family responsibilities with hunting down and eradicating Creatures of Darkness and uncovering eldritch secrets.

As well as the option of playing a human from one of the five ethnic groups of Terdovian, Estanic, Alluan, Ezian or Missirean, there exists two specific human subspecies who exist within human society: Ushabti and Gloomed Humans.

Ushabti are the product of an ancient Timician ritual that harkens from The Age of Legends which allows the spirit of a Timician noble to be reincarnated into an especially prepared host body, usually a descendant of the original spirit. Designed to extend and maintain the purity of the original Timician Dynastic families, this ancient tradition was carried on well through the disappearance of magic and now Ushabti spirits are starting to reappear in Timician society. The persona of the original host is enveloped by the spirit who lives a second (or more) life through the new host body, carrying with them all their knowledge and experience. These ancient and entitled spirits adapt to their new world but carry with them secrets from ages past, often including long-lost magical rituals and spells. All Ushabti are Uncanny, but their number is small compared to other Timician humans, a mere fraction of the population. Though Ushabti appears as their normal host body to most who look upon them, Uncanny and those with The Sight can see that the reincarnation process turns their skin and eyes a bright (and inhuman) golden hue.

Ushabti are treated with great respect and reverence among their people, with families raising whole generations as hosts hoping for the honour of being chosen to help shepherd the Ushabi spirit into the new world. The truth and importance of the Ushabti are secret outside the nation of Timicia.

Gloomed Humans are an evolutionary offshoot of humanity who are in some twist of fate intrinsically linked to The Dark and The Gloom. Even before their days as Uncanny most Gloomed Humans feel like outsiders among others, finding little joy in the light and colour the world has to offer. Prone to bouts of depression and melancholy, those who do become Uncanny at least get some solace in understanding their true nature. Gloomed Humans are not entirely human, even if they appear to be when observed by anyone who doesn't have The Sight. Able to tap into and connect with the strange shadowy realm of The Gloom, Gloomed Humans can see into different spectrums of light and have the ability to shift between the mortal realm and the lands of The Gloom at will.

Nobody, least of all themselves, knows the true origins of Gloomed Humans, but those who can see their true form using The Sight will see that a Gloomed Human is always bald and has little to no body hair whatsoever, has grey skin that appears drained of all colour, and their eyes are like pupilless coals. As a Gloomed Human ages, their skin becomes somewhat translucent and their black veins can be seen through their skin.

Gloomed Humans are slow to trust others and forming meaningful relationships, only really feeling comfortable among their kind.

Roguelike Community

FACEBOOK

The Moralinth Official Facebook Group is the place to visit for quick and concise updates for those who only want the summarised details of what is happening with Moralinth, and is a great place to see the artwork, lore snippets, and updates. We're looking to add more to it so that we can add extra information, but we need your help! What sort of things would you like to see included in the Facebook Group that isn't there already? Feel free to leave comments so we can know what is a priority for everyone - and make sure you tell your friends!

DISCORD:

For a more in-depth and interactive playground for all things Moralinth, you can head over to the Morlainth Official Discord Server. We're looking to foster the community and grow it out, and a few of the messages we've received of late have asked for more ways to interact with the game world as well as an increase in setting information. We're looking to try and grant both requests simultaneously, so keep an eye on Discord for more information! Feel free to invite anyone who you feel might want to follow the project but please remember they need to verify their account when they first join the server (you need to click the little "tick" to be granted the Uncanny role and gain access to all the Categories, Channels and Events).

Future Plans

Next month our update will see the second of our species updates, this time focusing on the constructed Clockworks: machines used for manual labour who have since gained sentience and citizenship with The Empire.

....and that wraps up our update for this month! Feel free to drop us a message or come visit us on our Facebook page or our Discord Group if you'd like! Until our next update,

Happy Gaming!

- Adam

Roguelike Games

contact@roguelikegames.co.uk