© 1994 by Scott Gray and Sharon Tripp. These pages may not be reproduced for profit. They may be copied, provided they are not altered and the authors' names remain attached.
Previous section | Next section | ContentsThe campaign described below is set in a fantasy world loosely based on Earth during the crusades of the thirteenth century. The setting is Uruk, a land analogous to the middle east. The campaign tone is that of low fantasy. Elves, dwarves, and trolls do not populate the world. Magic, while it exists, is not common. The characters are not, generally, on quests of great cosmic importance. The world should resemble the world of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe or of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur.
The world history, as most characters will know it, follows: (BR stands for Before Revelation, AR for After Revelation, in the calendar of the Guiders)
1000 BR - 600 BR: The rise of the Ellenic city states. The city states were separate. The governments of the city-states varied; oligarchy, magocracy (rule by mages), democracy (direct, not representative), monarchy (both hereditary and elected), etc. Many great books were written during this period. This period marked the rise of literature and science. All moderns speak their language. Some other languages may exist, but they are independently learned, are rare, and are just as common in any areas and among any people.
600 BR - 100 BR: The rise of the Republic. The Republic originally was entered into by several city-states of their own free will; the Republic had a senate (each city-state in the Republic sent a representative) and an emperor. The role of the Republic was to prevent war between the states. Each state which joined was required to give two-thirds of its ships, and two-thirds of its standing army to the control of the Republic. The Republic grew large, and served the interests of its city-states well -- preventing war with other city-states. The Emperor and Senate had become assured of the perfection of the Republican system by 400 BR, and began "enforcing enrollment" of the other city-states, going to war and claiming the areas for the Republic.
100 BR - 100 AR: The rise of the Guiders. A new group, referring to itself as the "Guiders" had their own philosophical ideas about the world. They proclaimed magery as evil, citing how few magic spells are useful to any but the mage, the debilitating effects which magery has on the practitioners and the resulting dependence upon fleshshapers which some mages found. Empathic healing was deemed good (though it can be perverted to fleshshaping, possibly by combining healing with aspects of magery). The faith wasn't in a deity, but in a philosophy of self-discipline. Those who trained themselves constantly in the arts of war, the healing arts, hunting, and certain trades, were respected. The tenets of the Guider's faith require moderation; nothing is to be taken to extremes. In the year now referred to as the "year of revelation," the emperor Scaevola accepted the tenets of the Guiders, and disallowed worship of the old faiths.
100 AR - 200 AR: The fall of the Republic. The Republic had already disintegrated socially, with the Senate having lost all power (and use, apart from as hosts at state functions) before the Emperor's revelation. The Emperors by this time had become so caught up with the Guiders (some devoting all their time to Guiders' sermons and spending money on Guider celebrations, others writing extensively on Guider philosophy) that the state was scarcely being governed. As barbarian hordes pressed in from the north, many of the recently acquired colonies rebelled for independence. In 162, the capital city of Brescia fell to the Joddian invaders.
By the early third century, most of the raiders had either returned to Jodd with their spoils or settled down in the conquered areas, mostly in the lands which would later become known as the Guided Imperial Republic.200 AR - 500 AR: The age of wars. All the newly freed city-states were fighting with one another, and some still had to do battle with the barbarians. None of the city-states returned to democracy or magocracy. All had been accustomed to the style in which the emperor had allowed local government -- rule from above. Each town or city found itself with a "first citizen" running its armies and affairs. As these "first citizens" made arrangements with others, to prevent war or go to war, they became known as "lords." A feudal structure was being built. The power of kings remained low, as did dukes, marquises, counts, and barons. Power remained primarily with the local lords. Those who were not of the first estate (the secular, the aristocrats), or the second estate (the spiritual, the Guiders) were of the third estate -- serfs and peasants. A handful of merchants (usually foreign) were "outside" of this feudal system. Though the serfs had no rights, per se, their lot was not entirely unhappy -- usually a single lord ruled over no more than one-hundred families; as such he knew them all by name and, unless the lord was truly heartless, learned to care for each. One of the least bloody but the most important wars during this age was the war over the hierophancy.
500 AR - 950 AR: During this period, to the east, was the beginning of the Tepharite faith. The prophet Tephar was born in 634, becoming a powerful Magi and General, vanishing in 696. The western Guiders saw the Tepharite faith as an isolated oddity at first, and generally didn't notice (though they sent emissaries, etc.), only showing concern when the religion and nations of Tephar continued to expand after the death of Tephar himself.
In the Guided nations the relations between various ranks of aristocracy were formalized, the relations between serfs were formalized, the organization and hierarchy of the Guiders was formalized, and the relations between these three was formalized. Standing social and legal arrangements were set.
950 AR - Present (995): The Mission. Hierophant Gregory III declared that it was the mission of all young men and women to turn the heathen areas of the middle east into nations which respect the ways of the Guiders. Uruk, especially, was targeted for the mission; the local rulership was the least firmly entrenched, it was tactically well positioned, and in a land which was so strong in magic that the Guiders were especially concerned about magic going unchecked.
It was, Hierophant Gregory III claimed, the mission of the nations to send armies to the area, and occupy heathen cities. Glad of the excuse to add foreign resources to their wealth, most aristocrats jumped at the opportunity. Many of the serfs who served in the army were drafted to service -- not wanting to be taken from their families -- but the great majority were volunteers, interested in personal profit to be gained from looting, the honor to be gained as a soldier, or simply from the belief that the Hierophant's command was a good and holy one.
In the year 957 the formula for gunpowder was developed in the Guided nations by Marius Rosetti. It was not until 965 that a Lurian Diegan designed the first workable firearm.
The Guider capital city:
Scarcella: Formerly the province of Diega, which was taken over by invaders from Jodd in 153. Once the Joddians had claimed all the land they were going to take, the area became a relatively peaceful farming community once more, and was of little note for the next several centuries. In 378, when it was decided that the seat of the Hierophancy should be placed in a neutral territory (many other countries were upset during the few centuries that Aragon was the seat of the Hierophancy, and that the majority of Hierophants during that period were Aragonians), the area was rebuilt through a combined effort of all the sects (Diegan, Tuck, Sorenson, as well as Greshian, a sect which has since lessened greatly in numbers and importance) and named in honor of the Hierophant Ferdinand III, whose mundane name before ascension was Ramone Scarcella. Scarcella, located at the conjunction of Luria, The Guided Imperial Republic and Khardokkia, has remained the capital city of the Guiders since its creation.
The current hierophant is Gregory IV.
Modern nations which accept the tenets of the Guiders include:
Aragon: Figurehead royalty, the real power being with the barons, lords, and knights. King Martiano was pleased by the possibility of the Mission, as such a great national purpose would, he felt, increase the power of the monarchy relative to the aristocracy. The nation has a strong navy. Although there has been some North-Tendo Tepharan influence in the southern portions, Aragon is the most emphatically loyal to the Hierophant.
The current ruler of Aragon is Queen Annetta.
Ellenes: A fairly powerful nation in the days prior to the Republic, Ellenes is still nominally a Guided nation, although it is now partially under Benzoate control.
The Guided Imperial Republic: A loose conglomeration of baronies, it arrogantly equates itself with the Republic. It is ruled by an "Emperor" with little power, and chosen by imperial electors. Most of the real power lay with the rulers of the individual baronies, who generally style themselves as Kings, Queens, or whatever they please. Each monarch is an elector, as are the mayors of independent cities (those that aren't part of a kingdom and do not pay taxes), the high preceptor of the Guiders, and the guildmaster of the united merchants' guilds.
The current ruler of the Guided Imperial Republic is Emperor Geoffrey IV.
Guillon: Few residents of Guillon think of themselves as members of the kingdom, but instead of their native town or province. The food tends to be very rich, and they produce excellent cheeses and wines.
Guillon is technically ruled by Eulene Tetreault, who ruled well for five years before going off to fight in the Mission. (She is currently the most important general of the Mission.) Now, her uncle Gertham rules in her absence. He is not very well liked by the people of Guillon, who feel that he intends to seize the throne for his own.
Kelby: A nation ruled by a single monarch, in 899 the monarch (Burton II) was forced by rebelling aristocrats to sign over final authority of certain matters (justice, declarations of war, etc) to the aristocrats, in a document now known as the Charter of the Kelby Assembly. This has actually, in the long run, given the monarch of Kelby more power, as (s)he serves as final arbiter between the Assembly and the highest court, and the aristocrats have little to gain from further rebellion; and so elaborate "traditions" of the Kelby monarchy have become the norm. The people of Kelby, including merchants, aristocrats, and serfs -- but not members of the Guiders -- regularly take oaths in their monarch's name. They have the finest navy, and so have served as troop-transport for much of the Mission; though sextants and other tools of navigation have not been invented, so that they may only follow the coastline when ships travel.
The current ruler of Kelby is King Bertrand.
Khardokkia: The differences between social classes are stronger in Khardokkia than in any of the other Guided nations. The lords usually own more property than in the other Guided nations, and choose a mayor to administer each settlement. Most Khardokkian lords require greater portions of their serfs' production than in other Guided nations; and serfs almost never see any currency (or land outside their villages) in their lives. There also exist a large number of Gypsies, entire families who travel about the countryside and swear no fealty nor pay taxes to any one lord or mayor. They are generally not popular with the governmental types because of this, and unpopular with most serfs, who view their behavior as improper and licentious.
The current ruler is Queen Ysabet Argons. Her younger sister Princess Yana Argons is next in line for the throne.
Luria: A nation of cities and merchants. The royalty has more power than in most kingdoms, as the king and dukes have exclusive ownership of roads and ports -- giving them great power in the mercantile cities of their own and other countries. Most of the aristocrats spend only half the year at their estates, spending the rest of their time pursuing their own economic goals and at the royal courts. The aristocrats are more pompous than, and royalty less pompous than, those of other nations. The Lurian attitude about the Mission varies -- some are hinging some of their business interests on possible success (spice trade, etc). The King is neutral, and no person is drafted to serve in the Mission, but a number of volunteer troops from Luria have joined other armies going to the Mission.
King Ernano of Luria is in an awkward position. He is an Aragonian who married the Lurian Queen Vercina. When she died several years ago, Ernano was left as her heir. The Lurian people were not at all happy about this. His own relatives were not happy when he declared Rosalinde, the queen's niece, as the next in line to the throne. Ernano has retained his position as king for the past several years, and his reign has been fair enough that any threat of rebellion over a foreigner king is past.
Benzoate Empire: The Benzoate Empire was formed centuries ago when the various tribes of the Benzoate region were conquered and brought together under one leader. Emperor Xiarchos is the current ruler.
Although the Benzoates follow the Way, it is considered by those of the Guided nations to be a perversion of the Way, not the true Way. The Benzoate Guiders structure is somewhat similar to that of Donskoi, with religious authority held by a Council. The emperor is the head of the Guider Council; this is the main verbal disagreement between the Hierophant and the Benzoate Council -- that both the temporal and spiritual swords of the Way should be wielded by one man. The Benzoate Council claims that this dispute is only to distract attention from the main dispute between the Hierophant and the Benzoates -- that the Benzoates hold land which several nations very influential with the Hierophancy consider their right.
The nobles in the Benzoate Empire still romanticize their clannish past, and trace their lineages to tribal chieftains. In some instances the proof of lineage is weak or non-existent, however. Tribal titles are often given as honorifics to the normal titles of knight-at-arms or lord.
Donskoi: Donskoi has officially embraced the Way from when the first word of Scaevola's revelation reached this province of the Republic. Donskoi accepted the Way quicker than most portions of the Republic, and remained heavily Guided throughout the years after the collapse of the Republic. However, such an early conversion, combined with the geographical isolation of Donskoi from the rest of the Guided nations, has caused the Way to be learned and passed somewhat differently than it has in the western Guided nations.
Donskoi is recognized as "Guided," though the political structure of the Donskovite Guiders is separate and distinct from that of the Western hierophancy. Five high preceptors, who elect new members to the council when one passes on, are the highest authority among the Donskovite Guiders. The Donskoi Council also appoints preceptors, who in turn are responsible for mentors. There are not any recognized sects among the Donskovite Guiders, though they do have a number of monasteries. The Donskovite Guiders also recognize the titles of Martyr and Savant, which must be awarded by unanimous vote of their Council.
There are a number of points of disagreement on the Way between the Donskovite Council, and the West's Hierophant. The biggest distinction is that the Donskovite Council believes that the Way must be chosen for people not by themselves, but by their political leadership. In Donskoi, the Czar(evna) is responsible for oaths and decisions on behalf of all of his/her people according to the Donskovite Council of Guiders. When the Donskovite Guiders hold religious ceremonies, the common people act only as witnesses to the local ruler's actions on their behalf; rather than as active, individual participants, as in the western Guided nations.
The current Czarevna is Petra Lozovskaya, who rules from the capital city of Vlostk.
Jodd: Jodd is only nominally a nation, with a single monarch. The monarch serves more as an ambassador and figurehead to other nations who expect to be able to make treaties with a monarch, on behalf of the families and Clans of Jodd. The monarch serves for life, and a new one is chosen by whatever means have been determined by contract and treaty between the Clans.
Though there is no body or code of laws in Jodd, there are extensive treaties between the families, and certain codes of honor which are universally accepted.
The residents of Jodd have nominally accepted the Way, though few citizens are particularly conscious of it. Some families even continue to worship their own religions which predate the Guiders, side by side with the Way. This casual attitude towards the Way has caused great distress in Scarcella. The Hierophant recently appointed Rachelle Ladeaux as Preceptor of Jodd, in an effort to bring structure to the Guiders in Jodd. So far, this has pleased neither the Joddians nor Ladeaux.
Anaian Kingdoms: The collective name for 17 small kingdoms located in the steppes and mountains to the east of Marukh. At any given time 10-12 are part of a coalition formed against the threat of Marukh and others. The coalition varies constantly, and is only truly unified in times of war (and even then often not; there have been instances of kingdoms refusing aid to their neighbors in the coalition without some promise of personal gain).
Because of its history of being created from four separate kingdoms and its significance in the Tepharan faith, Ankharad has been permanently granted four votes in the coalition. Ankharad is one of the core group of kingdoms which has always been part of the coalition.
The majority of the kingdoms follow Tephar, though several practice other faiths in addition to it. The Kingdoms include: Alistan, Alwain, Ankharad, Cistok, Ghenan, Hennan, Inan, Ilya, Jenen, Khair, Naiir, Potmah, Runistan, Sumirkaan, Suwain, Taikent, and Yaadat.
Kharobi: Kharobi is ruled by Queen Aeshet, who rules with the assistance of appointed governors in outlying areas. The monarch chooses his/her own successor, but traditionally does not choose one of his/her own children (by way of consolation, a ruler's sons and daughters are often made advisors or generals). The capital city of Kharobi, Gileodos, dates to the colonization of the area by the Republic; serving as the Republican colonial capital from 145 BR to 125 AR. The Library at Gileodos has survived to this day, and is still one of the best resources for information about the Republican era and the early Guiders. In the 750s Kharobi was converted to the faith of Tephar, though there remains a small Guided population. Though the locals follow the Tepharat, the use of magic has been long frowned on in the area, and the state makes magery illegal. The Hierophant sends regular emissaries to Kharobi to cultivate favor so that the Guiders may continue to use the Library, to support the legal strictures against magery, and to support local followers of the Way.
Leres: In the 820s Leres was converted to the Tepharat by a wave of emigrants from the east (Kharobi and the Twin Kingdoms) who came to spread the faith. Prior to the conversion by the followers of Tephar, Leres had been a loose coalition of bandit kingdoms who overworked the peasants and made raids on other nations. Modern Leres is ruled by a religious leader, known as the Imam; the title signifying that he is a direct male descendant of Tephar. The title of Imam has been passed from father to son for the past three generations in Leres. In Leres no distinction is made between spiritual law and secular authority, so the Imam is de facto King. Each town or province is ruled by its own local leaders, who turn over one fifth of their armies to the Imam's command. The current Imam, the mage Ghasim, has declared the Guided nation of Aragon to be an enemy, and has outlawed trade between Leres and Aragon.
Marukh: Marukh consists of several kingdoms ruled by emirs, which serve at the discretion of the caliph. The caliph rules in his own name, for his (and his family's) own property and honor; still the empire is centralized, in an effort on his part to keep his empire running smoothly. More independent areas, likely to rebel or shirk on taxes, tend to have their emirs removed and replaced by governors. But the government's goal and ambition is to increase its caliph's reputation, lands, and wealth -- though particular kingdoms or emirates are expected to rule with the people's interest and culture in mind in order to prevent rebellion.
Northern Tendo: In the northernmost parts of Tendo there are three major nations (Leres, Kharobi, and the Twin Kingdoms). There are also a number of independent city-states along the coastal areas, some of which even now show Republican influence; the greatest of these is Towe. Most of northern Tendo has accepted Tephar.
The Twin Kingdoms of Apshuvet and Sur'syot: Ruled by His Royal Highness, Enlightened in the Tepharat, Lord of the Land and Protector of the People, Heir to the Silver Throne, King Haddat VIII the Benevolent.
The Twin Kingdoms were converted to Tephar in the 730s/740s by Khana, when King Haddat IV ruled. Legend has it that King Haddat IV was in love with Khana, and was a gambler -- Khana wagered a promise of marriage to him against his promise to outlaw the old gods on one throw of the dice -- which she won.
Uruk: The area of Uruk encompasses several cultures. Among its members are nomads, who travel sometimes as far as Tendo, Kempou, and the Benzoate Empire. The cities in the region have been built mainly by enclaves which have, at various times of history, been colonies of one or another empire (including the Republic, the Benzoates, and a brief empire under Tendo many hundreds of years past). The Tepharan faith has been followed almost exclusively in most areas, up until the recent invasion; the occupied cities now have strong Guider influence, although very few of the residents have changed to this new faith.
At present, the cities of Uruk are ruled by Warlord Eshalkian. Uruk is divided into three districts, Kabri, Qurain, and Alereh, each managed by a separate governor. Each governor has full authority and is required by Eshalkian only to pay taxes and supply troops. Eshalkian is known not only to support the use of magic, but to have magicians serving him. Among the residents at his court is Isanare, the current High Priest-Magus of the Urukian Tepharites.
Uruk has forty separate treaties of non-aggression with Marukh, one for each of the wars which have started along its borders over the past 200 years. Border skirmishes occur nearly daily. The cities and residents along the border hate and fear their counterparts across the border, but whenever there is no war between them, relations between Marukh and Uruk are good.
Gypsies: Although the Gypsies are primarily situated in the Guided nations, some tribes can be found in the northern parts of Tendo, primarily around the Middle Sea regions. The origins of the Gypsies are unclear; many claim that they are originally of Khardokkia, which has the largest concentration of Gypsies. Most Khardokkians believe that the Gypsies come originally from Guillon.
Gypsy tribes are made up of extended family, with occasional strays picked up. A tribal leader is addressed with the term "Mother" or "Father."
Freed of the feudal class structure found throughout the Guided nations, the Gypsies have a number of career opportunities not otherwise open. They serve as messengers, merchants, and traveling entertainers.
Although they consider themselves "Guided," there are a number of differences between the Gypsy interpretation of the Way and the Hierophant's interpretation. The Gypsies do not believe that magic is necessarily evil; simply that it is very dangerous. Because of this major difference in belief, Gypsies themselves are often regarded as dangerous by many in the Guided nations, and Gypsy families are sometimes persecuted.
Gypsy marriages last for life (there is no annulment among the Gypsies), but do not preclude one or the other from taking other spouses.
Nomads: The nomad tribes are found primarily in Uruk and Marukh, although they range as far as the Anaian Steppes to the east and the Twin Kingdoms to the west. They follow the Tepharan faith. The nomads make their living as traders, mercenaries, and raiders.
Unlike the Gypsies, nomad tribes usually own land. Most often, a tribe owns one or more oases or wells in Uruk, Marukh, or Apshuvet. The very young and very old members of the tribe, along with a number of fit adults, stay at the oasis. Travellers who wish to use the oasis are charged for the privilege. The remainder of the adults are part of trading caravans or raiding parties, providing for themselves and those at the oasis through trade or by taking the fruits of other tribes' trade.
Individual nomad families often have agreements with particular rulers, allowing them to travel through and/or trade in their lands. Sometimes the right has a high price, and the nomads serve as laborers or mercenaries for a time; but often the trade is deemed mutually beneficial. The nomads are looked down on by most urban peoples in the Tepharan nations, and they are feared as potential bandits by the rural folk. However, they are grudgingly tolerated as a fact of life in most places.
Kempou: The Kempouian historian Zhaeng Tae, who lived in the first century by Guider reckoning, tells a legend about the forming of the Kempouian bureaucracy. None are certain over the veracity of the account, but it is presently considered part of Kempou's official history. The Emperor Sokun Kang, driven mad by the abduction of his eldest daughter Mei Lin, declared that no one should ever gaze upon the face of his only remaining daughter, Sokun Ky Ly. Those who did so would have their eyes torn out -- this happened at least twice. When the emperor died, Ky Ly was his only surviving heir. The girl knew very little about the world outside her sheltered existence. She quickly became no more than a puppet leader, the real power of the empire being seized by individual advisors, secretaries, and persons who gained the ear of Ky Ly and authority to act in her name. From this the current bureaucracy grew.
The Kempouian religious belief is in a multitude of greater beings, called annunaki. Each annunaki is associated with a star, except for the five greatest ones, which are associated with planets. The five great Annunaki are also said to take the form of dragons. Enlightenment comes through following the example of a particular annunaki. It is expected that over the course of one's life one will need guidance and assistance from more than one of the annunaki, changing the shrines and rites one practices to other annunaki on need. Each path to enlightenment is different for each person, though generally entails doing the tasks which one's life has allotted for one, in terms of familial responsibilities as well as profession and duty to one's lord. The first emperor, Seungtaek, is said to have written down the names and natures of all the annunaki; however, over time the list has been fragmented and lost, and only some of the annunaki are now known. Some philosophers have dedicated their lives to trying to discover the lost annunaki, that they may learn the lost paths to enlightenment.
Kodekai: Although in the last several generations there has been a great deal of strife between warring factions in this nation, it appears that over the past several decades one warlord has risen to the fore and consolidated the power of most of the largest Shogunate (noble houses). The Kempouian view of the myriad paths to enlightenment have had considerable influence in Kodekai, and most works of philosophy or science in Kodekai are based upon Kempouian schools of thought. However, the political structure of Kodekai is very different than that of Kempou. Whereas in Kempou the government is structured in a top-down fashion and administered by bureaucrats, Kodekai is structured in a feudal fashion like that found in the Guided nations. The peasants owe fealty to the samurai, who serve shogun, who in turn owe fealty to the warlord. The warlord sometimes styles herself the "Kris" (a title which is roughly the equivalent of "Emperor"), which angers the more independent shogun and samurai, though the civil wars against the Warlord have been, to date, only small guerilla efforts.
Shan Waj: Shan Waj has a very strict caste structure. The caste system helps promote Shan Waj's peculiar religious views, which in turn uphold the caste structure. A person who is born a peasant will stay a peasant through out his/her life; as will warriors, priests, etc., remain at the same level of status through out their lives. This is due to the very strong belief in reincarnation. The belief is that, based upon the actions of one's previous life, the gods will reward or punish in this life. What sorts of professions one can engage in, punishments for crimes, and other aspects of life are based upon which caste a person belongs to. For instance, someone from the slave class who commits a serious crime will usually be given worse jobs and watched over more carefully in the future (such as being sent to work in the mines, chained to the other slaves); a noble who commits a serious crime will generally be given an honorable death. It is felt to be fairest in this manner, for if a sentence is passed mistakenly, the gods will sort it out. Those who have committed horrible crimes will be reincarnated into the lowest of forms.
The people of Shan Waj believe that a pantheon of 757 gods created Verlien, the world, and the creatures of the world. The gods created messengers, and caretakers of the world, called the veija. The veija are an otherworldly race, the servants of the gods, whose outlook is alien by human standards. Just as the veija were created as servants to the gods, annunaki and demons were created as servants to the veija. The proof that annunaki and demons are servants is the uncomplicated morality of each -- created for specific purposes, rather than for the more complicated (and aesthetic) aims of their masters. The gods and the veija, on the other hand, exhibit a range of morality and can be very capricious, even by human standards.
It is recognized that the gods are more likely to place worthy spirits in the ranks of the higher castes, which tend to have veija blood. The upper castes believe magery and the affected by iron disadvantage, which is shared by the veija, to be proof of their heritage. Sometimes an individual from a lower caste exhibits the affected by iron disadvantage, and this is used as evidence for faulty records in determining an individual's or family's caste. The highest caste practices, and considers it honorable to practice, adept, conjuring, divination, and enchanting schools of magic. The schools of illusion, necromancy, sorcery, and transmuting are considered base, and only to be practiced by the lower castes.
When, several centuries ago, word of the teachings of Tephar reached Shan Waj, it was mostly disregarded. Tephar was viewed as being of the lower class, as he was a known necromancer, and even exhibited the affected by silver disadvantage. However, a number of people of the Shindra (the second to highest caste) took it to heart. They freed their slaves and tried to create communities based upon the idealogy of Tephar. The newly freed slaves were not opposed to this, and also took up the faith. Many of the earlier Tepharan communities were failures, but now there exist a large number of Tepharites within Shan Waj.
Southern Tendo: There are few formal governments in the southern portions of Tendo, which is peopled mostly by tribal communities. Not much is known of southern Tendo in the Guided nations, other than wild rumors and stories.