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Pre-Revolutionary Melkhaios:
A Practical Guidebook to
the City of the Watcher
by Prof. Aleck M. Woad
 
a map of the city (not to scale) the "Triplemen Key" to Melkhaios found in the Archive of Thoth by Aleck Woad
AKAZ A huge talking wolf with black fur and eyes like flames; proprietor of the Sign of the God-Dog; General of the Huntlie armies in the Giver war against the Herax. Also the name of an ancient mythical being. Akaz of the Sign of the God-Dog claims to be the same Akaz that figures prominently in myths and legends from before the Great Breach. Some say (not within his earshot) that he is only an ordinary werewolf with a case of megalomania, or at most a Huntlie-King. I don't know. I have seen him work powerful magic, and he possesses extraordinary knowledge; but I don't know the limit of the powers of a Huntlie-King. Myth tells of a being called Akaz, older than the gods, born to the Sun Dragon and Earth Dragon at the beginning of time. Identified with such cosmic forces as fate, death, judgement, and/or destruction, he is known variously as "the Hand of Fate", "Akaz the Summoner", "Akaz Sign-Maker", "the Wolf of Kaios", or simply "the God-Dog". Legends depict him as a complicated figure: trickster and champion; boogeyman and smiter of the wicked; wise man and ogre. The fragmented written history that remains on the Isle of Kaios tells of him serving as a close ally to Kaios Spirit-Tamer during the years before the Great Breach. The Wild Folk and slave-races of the Isle of Kaios regard him as a fearsome hero; the Townies and Herax speak of him as a bringer of chaos and strife. APRAXOS Court sorceror of General Goromath; mastermind of the conquest of Melkhaios and the Herax war upon the Givers. 
Minister Apraxos illustration by Nicholas Kaa Walker ARCHITECTURE IN MELKHAIOS * Kaios-era (true stone-welding by free Ifrits) * Post-Kaios era (jigsaw pseudo-stonewelding by thaumaturges) * Modern (post-Great Breach): Herax (enslaved elementals) Normal (dumb elementals) Blue Wiggly (dumb elementals) Diggly & Green Wiggly (fieldstone tech w/rubble & squatting in ruins) Huntlie (camping in ruins; cairns of rubble stacked in precarious pillars) ARCHIVE OF THOTH Curiously enough, this is the name for the archive housed in the central tower of Kaios University. It connects (through a hard-to-find interdimensional portal) to my own beloved Archive of the same name. ("Thoth" on Kaios-X is apparently a god of knowledge and wisdom not unlike our own, though I unfortunately never had occasion to meet him.) See Tasters. BAY OF THE WATCHER Before the Little Breach, Melkhaios Valley lay as a vast bowl of lush farmland dotted with villages and shrines. Now, the ruins in the coastal shallows remain inhabited, mostly by Green Wigglies. The depths belong to the Deepings, however. Wigglies don't swim there, and surface-dwellers hug the shore in their boats. After the Little Breach, the body of water now occupying the valley and half the city was first known as the Bay of Wrath. Upon his conquest of the city the ever-humble General Goromath (aka "The Watcher") renamed it the Bay of the Watcher. I never travelled much upon the bay. The maps I've seen depict it with an extremely narrow mouth, at the far side from Melkhaios, where the Sea of Cataclysm broke through the Umber Hills. The mouth is bridged by a towering fortress, inhabited by a mighty sorceress who scoffs at Goromath and the Senate [see Gomothrax]. The merchants of Melkhaios conduct trade only around the Bay; the sorceress - by force, magic, and prohibitive toll - prevents anyone from passing out to the open sea. (I've heard Normal merchants say they must face an exorbitant toll to cross the bridge at Gomothrax, whereas the Roadies pass freely back and forth; but this may just be one of their typical anti-Roadie rumors.) BELL-FOUNDRY Many roofs in the sunken half of the city become visible at low tide, but only three buildings break the surface at high tide. The spires of the Temple of Fat Man perpetually mark the furthest part of town from shore; and halfway inland from them are two flat, circular roofs with ornamented crenelations: the Archive of Thoth at Kaios University, and the roof of the old Bell-Foundry, in what is now Blue Wiggly Town. After the Breaches, the Committee of the Worthy sealed the Bell-Foundry airtight, attached docks to it, and created what they called the Bell-Foundry Subcommittee, a "quasi-non-governmental organization" whose exact purpose I never managed to discern. Before its enchantment was broken, the building served as a combination embassy, feast-hall, warehouse, and salt processing plant. Blue Wigglies have always preferred to attend to their business with surface-dwellers on shore; but if air-breathers had reason to treat with Blue Wigglies on their own turf, this was where it happened. BELL-RINGERS "A clamor assaulted Alex's ears. Bell-ringers shouted over one another to attract customers, some of them wearing signs, or swinging bells in both hands, or dancing with bells tied to wrists and ankles. A small crowd surrounded two men, arguing, both in long coats hung with dozens of bells...." -- from City of the Watcher, Chapter Three: "Blood Eagle." BITCHES AND CURS Common slang for Huntlies, who are commonly characterized as werewolves. Townies consider these words vulgar, although I have heard them used freely in private. Heraxuse them routinely for violent derogation. Digglies and Green Wigglies speak them aloud without shame or malice, and often use "bitches-&-curs!" as a mild vulgar exclamation. I have, very rarely, heard Huntlies use the words with each other in anger. See also Dog-Ape. 
The Bitchwood Witch-House from Lost in the Archive illustration by Andrew Goldfarb BITCHWOOD The small forest overlooking the dell of Alexandria, New Jersey bears the name "Birch Wood," presumably due to its untamed thickets of slender, silvery birch trees. Eighteenth-century trappers learned to make birch beer from their Leni Lenape neighbors; and as late as 1970 I'd get birch beer and ice cream floats with Doomer and Cripple down at the Old Barn, with soda made from local birches. Kids these days would probably think it tasted like medicine. As I recall, late in that very summer of 1970 some unknown wiseacre altered all the signs from "Birch Wood" to "Bitch Wood." On the Isle of Kaios, the forest that surrounds Mount Kaios is known as "Bitchwood" - so named after the feral people who inhabit it, the Huntlies: werewolves by reputation, who are sometimes known as Bitches and Curs. The parallel name is likely more than just coincidence, since I myself once travelled on foot from one Bitchwood into the other. Akaz says that on most every world where there's a Sign of the God-Dog, it appears on the edge of a Bitchwood, if not right in the heart of it. But there's no God-Dog in Alexandria, and no building at all in those woods except the abandoned old Witch-House. Perhaps both Bitchwoods are part of the same interdimensional forest, seeded* over the centuries through a single common nexus point. I asked Heap-of-Ravens (one of the less cryptic Huntlies I met on my travels), and all he said was, "Bitchwood is Bitchwood, there is no difference." * I offer no interpretation as to the mode of interdimensional travel for acorns and pinecones. Maybe carried by Huntlies shapeshifted into swallows. BLUE WIGGLIES See Wigglies. BLUE WIGGLY TOWN North of Division Street, stretching from the Temple of Fat Man to the foot of Capricornice Ridge, lies a neighborhood of refurbished ruins called Blue Wiggly Town. Unlike the rest of the sunken half of Melkhaios, the streets of Blue Wiggly Town are free of rubble, and the buildings stand fully rebuilt and remodelled - largely with the aid of stone-shaping magic; plastering doesn't work underwater. The Blue Wigglies are understandably proud of this achievement, although I've often found their talk of it boastful; I've even heard some assert it as a symbol of their racial superiority. Hardly. The stoneworkers of the city trace their magical lineage back to the sculptors of Capricornice Ridge, who have always been Digglies and Weirdos.* Blue Wigglies like their privacy. The borders of Blue Wiggly Town are thickly patrolled by well-paid Green Wiggly half-citizen police, and the area is practically roofed over with watch-sharks and Ghoti-Birds. I found it even harder to sneak into and out of than the Forbidden City of the Herax, and I wouldn't try it again unless I could turn into a shark myself. * Known as the Sons of the Maker; some of them are descended from the survivors of the wreck of the stone ship Maker. I saw the Prow of the Maker under Capricornice Ridge: a curved gable of hollow stone, surmounted by the shape of a great stone hand. BONE COUNCIL A traditional form of meeting on the Isle of Kaios, preserved from ancient times by the Keepers. Participants sit in silence around a "Sacred Bone" (a talisman or fetish, made of bone or fashioned in the shape of a bone), taking turns picking it up, or passing it around, according to various rules. Only the holder of the "Bone" may speak. Different communities have different traditions for how the Council is conducted, but the basic form is consistent. According to legend, the first Bone Councils used the bones of Kaios Spirit-Tamer himself, and a number of relics exist that are reputed to be such. "...I spied a large convocation of Keepers in the Room of Pillars. Locals, Tasters, Roadies, and even a contingent from Gomothrax sat around what looked like a copper shinbone. I waited, hunched behind the pillar of the Book of Souls, but nobody picked up the Bone, and nobody said a word. "I spent several long minutes reading sentence fragments on my side of the pillar. Hiding from librarians doesn't command one's attention quite as firmly as hiding from Herax; I actually lost track of what I was doing. Immersed in the text on the pillar, I read my way clear around to the other side, into plain view of everyone. I froze for a moment. Then I read the rest of the way around the pillar, bowed, and left." - from Time Travelling Blues BOOK OF THE CANNIBAL-KING The final "book" of prophecy attributed to Kaios Spirit-Tamer. These prophecies are carved upon tall stone pillars, the text starting at the bottom and wrapping around in an ascending spiral. Each pillar contains a complete prophecy, carved by his stone spirits while he narrated his visions. The pillars originally stood in the courtyard surrounding the Palace-Temple, but General Goromath tore them down when he conquered the city. Many were lost. The Keepers of the Archive of Thoth protested their destruction and salvaged many pillars and fragments, which now stand in the topmost chamber of the great tower of Kaios University The Book of the Cannibal King, the only prophecy revealed by Kaios after his departure from the city, was brought down from Mount Kaios by his Huntlies on the eve of the Great Breach. It describes a savior-warrior, the Cannibal-King, who will come conquer Melkhaios and restore it to its intended state. According to modern legend, General Goromath is the Cannibal-King. He does possess a power resembling the Sovereign Shield (the main identifying mark of the Cannibal-King). However, the physical remains of the original Book of the Cannibal-King pillar are very fragmentary. Master Apraxos published a translation (The Cannibal King) around the time of Goromath's conquest of the city, which clearly supported the Goromath theory; but, given his agenda as Goromath's court sorceror, I doubt his objectivity as an editor. BREACHES See Great Breach; Little Breach. See also Final Breach. CANNIBAL-KING See BOOK OF THE CANNIBAL-KING. CAPRICORNICE RIDGE After the Great Breach, earthquakes split the city of Melkhaios in half. The western half dropped dozens of feet in elevation, and became submerged by the waters flowing in to form the Bay of the Watcher. The cliff at the fault line is known as Capricornice Ridge. Not long after the Breach, the Senate of Melkhaios ordered a causeway built upon Division Street to facilitate travel between the upper and lower parts of the city. The other streets eventually got furnished with stairways, switchback trails, ladders, or nothing; most of Capricornice Ridge remains difficult to access. The numerous caves of the cliff face provide refuge for hermits, vagabonds, ravens, and, according to whispered tales, not a few evil spirits. Some say the ravens are Huntlies in animal form (which most people reckon as more or less evil spirits). Among the eccentrics who inhabit the cliff, you'll find a number of sculptors and masons (the Sons of the Maker) who can commune with the spirits of the stone and thereby shape it to their will. As a result of their efforts, much of the cliff face bears bizarre stone ornamentation, and even entire buildings, which could never have been built without the aid of magic. In days gone by, the Sons of the Maker were much in demand; their first generation built the Division Street causeway, and their craft went into much of the early rebuilding of the city, until the thaumaturges of the Church of Tomorrow devised their spells for enslaving elementals. CHURCH OF TOMORROW The main Herax training-hall and meeting-hall, with a grand oratory balcony overlooking the parade-ground. The thaumaturges who work for the Herax also conduct their magical research and training here. CIRCOMANGKUS A magical amulet, used by Master Apraxos to control the mutable environment within the Circus of Burnt Skulls. One controls the mutable floor, one the fires, one the floating rafts, etc. CIRCUS OF BURNT SKULLS "Bas-reliefs covered the outer wall of the Circus, depicting musicians, athletes, and what Alex assumed to be actors. He now saw that the chains draped around the main gates, partly obscuring the words CIRCVS OF BRIGHT SKILLS, were actually ropes threaded with hundreds of charred skulls..." - from City of the Watcher, Chapter Three: "Blood Eagle." CITIZENSHIP & GOVERNMENT Kaios Spirit-Tamer founded a city without government. He put forth principles of community and conflict-resolution which apparently - when observed in good faith - obviated any need for organized leadership or formal social institutions. Kaios himself, though still a prominent citizen, was no ruler; abiding by his principle of consensus, he accepted no more say in matters than any other inhabitant of the city. Today's powers-that-be regard this era of the city's history as a shaky beginning which nearly led to catastrophe. The Keepers of the Archive remember it as a sublime anarchist utopia. The change came gradually, long before the Great Breach or the coming of the Herax. As the artists and craftspeople of Melkhaios grew in reputation, merchants came to the city, bringing with them very different principles of civic organization. They plied the favor of the people with cunning arguments and exotic goods from abroad. Before long, the principle of consensus was deemed impractical, and replaced with majority rule; not long after, that majority abandoned self-government entirely in favor of government by elected representatives. A vote decreed the original civic meeting hall demolished, and ordered its replacement with the palatial Senate. The Senate technically remained open to the public, but the new rulers - glib and charismatic merchants - swiftly developed an elaborate methodology that the typical citizen found incomprehensible. Before long, the masses lost interest and left political matters to the politicians. There are four classes of citizen in Melkhaios: Non-Citizen, Half-Citizen, Full Citizen, and Herax. * Herax: total legal immunity, no vote * Full Citizen: full rights; no legal immunity; vote to choose representatives * Half Citizen: no vote, limited rights * Non-Citizen: no vote, no rights Full Citizens include Normals and Blue Wigglies. Half-Citizens include Roadies and Keepers, who assert their rights with their unique powers and abilities, and provide sufficient service to society that they earn the tolerance of the Senate. Non-Citizens include Digglies and Green Wigglies, who, although they perform services indispensable to civilization, are essentially slaves. There is potential for upward mobility: some Digglies and Green Wigglies earn Half-Citizen status by working for the government, in roles such as policeman, tax collector, informant, or Second Army soldier. The category of Non-Citizen technically also includes Huntlies, who nobody dares to interfere with; Deepings, who are semi-mythical; and Givers, who are killed on sight. COMMITTEE OF THE WORTHY The senators of the Blue Wigglies, considered the moral paragons of the Wiggly "race." They also happen to be the wealthiest Wiggly merchants. DEATH CAMP OF YL Nobody seems to know where it is, or even really what it is; everybody just knows that it's the last place you want to end up. The Death Camp of Yl ("eel") is General Goromath's trump card. Cross him - or his Herax of Tomorrow -- and it's where you'll end up. Enough people of Melkhaios disappear without trace to make it a credible threat. Most tales put the Death Camp in some remote part of the island, although a few paranoid tale-spinners place it actually within the city, or under it. Yl Death Camp is Goromath's weapons factory. Yl functions as its power plant. It feeds upon the suffering of others; such is the source of its power. In exchange for a steady supply of subjects, Yl lends a portion of its energy to Goromath's enchanters, thereby enabling Master Apraxos and his minions to create those magnificent flying warships. The unfortunates who live in the Camp have their souls gradually devoured by Yl; then it feasts upon their bodies, or gives them to its servants, or feeds them to their fellow captives. In his Book of Souls, Kaios says, "Whosoever willfully profits from the suffering of others deserves no mercy." Does Yl choose to feed on suffering? Is sadistic pleasure intrinsic to its functioning? (See Rites of Augermath.) Or, for Yl, is it merely like sunlight and water to a plant? Does it even comprehend its effect on us? [Should we care? -Ed.] DEEPINGS These cannibal fish-men figure as the monsters in many a children's horror tale. Some consider the Deepings nothing but a legend, but even skeptics studiously avoid the Deeping Ward. DEEPING WARD The nethermost ruins of the submerged city, including the Old Market and environs. Avoid. Even the Ghoti-Bird patrols swim around it rather than over it. More broadly, folks use this term to refer to the entire dark depths of the Bay of the Watcher - i.e., all but the coastal shallows. DIGGLIES One of the slave-peoples of the Isle of Kaios, presumably so named for their agrarian origins. Once free farmers of the outlying valleys, now they toil in the fields of the Normal overlords or in the Megalon Mines. Digglies also do most of the land-bound manual labor in the city, as smiths, cobblers, masons, servants, factory hands, etc. Digglies have no rights under the law. Their meager liberties come only as a side effect of their value as property. Those who earn Half-Citizen status possess limited rights - but only as a different type of property (see Citizenship & Government). Few Digglies can read. Their oral culture, however, is rich, colorful, and elaborate. Most Digglies own little more than their songs, tales, and complex, improvisational styles of speech. Normals routinely disparage Digglies as idiots for their illiteracy and odd mannerisms, while remaining deaf to the richness of Diggly culture. Some Wild Folk argue that Normals have only commerce for culture and commodities for style, who use language as a tool for nothing but marketing, gossip, or litigation. DIGGLY-WEED Startlingly similar to cannabis sativa in its appearance and effects. They say the original strain comes from the village of Corpsewater, where it grows around an enchanted spring. D.O.C. "Day Of Conquest." This is the Herax calendar, displayed atop the Church of Tomorrow on a huge wooden scoreboard, where it can be seen from most anywhere in the middle city. DOG-APE Slang for Huntlies; generally considered unspeakably vulgar. Even in private I've heard it spoken in hushed tones, with a quick look over both shoulders lest a Huntlie be somewhere within earshot. In private, I also observed Huntlies using the term to refer to one another, causally and playfully, in ordinary conversation. DROWNDER Wiggly slang for anyone who cannot breathe water. DROWNDER'S PRAYER TO FAT MAN Melkhaios slang; has the same connotation as the American phrase "A snowball's chance in Hell." The well-kept secret, however, is that there actually is such a thing. Reciting it enables a surface-dweller to breathe water, and even move through water more easily. Woe to him who crosses Fat Man while under the benefit of this spell: it may be long swim to the surface. The Herax know the Prayer. However, when they tried using it with a column of infantry (enspelled by General Goromath to overcome their fear of water), they learned the hard way that Fat Man doesn't like them. A final word of warning: the Prayer to Fat Man is a real prayer. Be judicious about who you pray to. DROWNDER'S PRAYER TO THE NYMPH OF THE SHRINE See Nymph of the Shrine. 
The Corpsewater Nymph from City of the Watcher illustration by Micaela Petersen EARTH DRAGON Goddess of the earth, who birthed the First Dreamers and was wracked in the Great Breach. EMPIRE OF THE ECLIPSE A world-spanning empire, ruled by the gods, during a mythical golden age when death and suffering were unknown. Brought to a sudden end by the Great Breach. FAT MAN The oceanic god or demon of the Wigglies. Wigglies tend to keep tight-lipped about their religion, although they freely mention "Fat Man," whom they expect to "return" or "awaken" at some point. Green Wigglies sing songs of him coming to free them from subjugation; Blue Wigglies, by contrast, say he represents the chaotic aspect of existence, and his awakening will herald the end of the world (see Final Breach.) Surface-dwellers are never permitted inside the Temple of Fat Man. When I snuck in, all I saw was a huge, exceedingly creepy statue of a dragon-thing. I lit out of there quick. FINAL BREACH The end of the world. Rumors vary. FIRE-TENDERS The Wild Folk who tend the Wargus-Fire. FORBIDDEN CITY OF THE HERAX The precinct of the Palace-Temple, Church of Tomorrow, and House of Women, now surrounded by high walls of fitted rubble.* This neighborhood is home to the Herax army and the never-seen Herax females. Except for prisoners, slaves, prey, and rare guests, none but Herax are permitted within. Above the wall's guard-towers, dramatically adorning them like gems on a crown, hover large spheres of unmelting ice, enchanted by Master Apraxos to imprison the Ifrits; at night they glow. * Raised by slaves during the first century of General Goromath's rule. GENERAL GOROMATH See Goromath. GHOTI-BIRDS Because the Herax possess an unreasoning fear of water, Master Apraxos created these scaly servants to aid them both upon and beneath the waves. In the centuries since the appearance of the first ghoti-birds, their handlers have husbanded them into dozens of different breeds. The typical ghoti-bird possesses both fully-functional gills and fully-functional lungs, along with barely-functional wings (great for swimming) and a wicked beak. Most are smaller than a man, but the most feared ghoti-bird, the flightless "Deck-Reaver," stands eight feet or taller. It has claws like an allosaurus, a hawk-beak the size of a shovel, and nearly the intelligence of a dog. The Deck-Reaver can launch itself like a dolphin out of the water and land on its feet on the deck or in the rigging of a ship; hence the name. The typical Herax street patrol consists of spearmen with Deck-Reavers. These ill-tempered creatures have been known to lash out at bystanders without provocation. The Herax have numerous other breeds to serve as guards, trackers, messengers, even scouts. Independent ghoti-handlers also found a market among wealthy Normals and Blue Wigglies, for whom they breed pets that resemble varying combinations of parrot, lap-dog, and ill-tempered cat. Examples include the Hopper, the Tall Dainty, and the Incessant Hooter. Beaks and claws are customarily removed. Perhaps the most revolting ghoti-bird is a Blue Wiggly creation known as the Green Waddler, which, like a living golliwog, has been bred with physical features thought to caricature those of a Green Wiggly. Blue Wigglies make no effort to hide their popular custom of training Waddlers to fight one another to the death. They feast joyfully upon the defeated, and scoff at those who disapprove. On multiple occasions during my stay on Kaios-X, I heard a song called "The Dogs of Melkhaios" sung in variations by Digglies, Green Wigglies, and Roadies. Apparently based at least partly in truth, the song tells of a ghoti-bird breeder who, using Hoggo-magic, fashions a specialized creature to hunt down the stray dogs of the city. The morning after he releases his breed into the streets, his corpse is found in the New Market, mangled and partly eaten, with the bodies of his creatures carefully arranged around him in a spiral of gore. "Spin, spiral, spin," goes the chorus, "Ain't nobody kills a dog." I have also heard rumors, which the Herax emphatically deny, that Deepings and Huntlies have captured and retrained Herax fighting-birds. GIVER DRUMS This quaint shop in the merchant quarter specializes in the hand-held signal drums used by the Givers*. The shop started as an outlet for drums salvaged from Givers killed on the battlefield or captured and taken to the CIRCUS. The instruments became such a fad among Normals and Blue Wigglies that demand quickly outstripped the supply. Now the stock consists of imitation drums crafted by Diggly slaves; genuine drums are rare collectors' items. The fake drums look much like the real ones, but lack the unique tonal qualities that make the Giver drum an effective short- and medium-range signaling device. A competing shop across the street from it, Real Giver Drums, started out supplying authentic drums when Giver Drums first began selling imitations; however, Real Giver Drums soon began selling imitation drums as well. * Givers communicate complex messages with their code of intricate percussive patterns. Every Giver warrior carries a tiny drum, not much larger than a fist, constructed according to mysterious methods that give them astonishing sonic qualities. Some say Giver drums are enchanted. The sound carries surprisingly far, given the drums' small size; yet foes seem to find its source bafflingly difficult to locate. 
Blood Eagle prophet of the Givers from City of the Watcher illustration by Andrew M. Reichart GIVERS These highly warlike cannibal tribesfolk reputedly spend as much time feuding with one another as they do fighting off the ever-encroaching armies of General Goromath. Givers heavily adorn their bodies with tattoos, scarification, and especially brandings, and file their teeth to sharp points. Like the Herax, they are nigh-impervious to pain; which, combined with their natural ferocity, makes them terrifying fighters. Unlike the Herax, Giver females wage war alongside Giver males, and no particular distinctions seem to be made in their culture on the basis of sex. Blood Eagle told me about various Giver tribes. Here's what I can recall: Keepers of Shamash. The priests and enchanters of the Givers. Usually dispersed among the various tribes, or patrolling the Burn (the Giver holy land, around the Seat of Shamash). They sometimes gather together as an elite military force. Givers of North Giver Canyon. A mighty clan that has long held the northern half of Giver canyon. Their elaborate systems of caves and tunnels make the canyon into an immense fortress. A Herax castle sits in a spur of the Canyon, however, holding the North Canyon Givers in a sort of perpetual inverted siege. Even so, this tribe holds the South Canyon Givers as a close second to the Herax on their list of enemies. Still eat Giver-Tot. Givers of South Giver Canyon. The south half of the Canyon is just as riddled with caves and tunnels as the north half. The South Canyon Givers possess a powerful guerilla force, upon whom only the North Canyon Givers have taken a serious toll. They also still eat Giver-Tot. Burn Wash Givers. Situated in the arroyo and hills west of the Burn, this tribe watches over the Giver holy land. They revere Shamash absolutely. Blood-Eagle originated from this tribe, and these were the first of the Givers to renounce Giver-Tot. They proudly defend their lands with spear-throwers: they salvaged some from Herax ships, and modeled upon them similar machines in bone, sinew, and metal. This artillery can sometimes pierce the armor of a Herax warship, making them a real threat when equipped with fire-enchanted spears. Hence the Herax keep the Burn Wash under constant supervision from a safe distance, but avoid direct assault unless truly necessary (such as the Givers' ill-fated attempts to fortify Mount Shamash). Rock Givers. Distinguished by their catapult-style artillery (fashioned from Cripple-Land trees), these folk inhabit the hills between the Burn and the Cripple Lands. They spurned Blood-Eagle's first attempt to convince them to stop eating Giver-Tot (to no-one's surprise, since they are renowned for their heartlessness, and are said do mate with the Oggerhoggs of the Cripple Lands). However, when Blood-Eagle and the Keepers of Shamash escorted Lahmed and his freed Giver-Tots to Cripple-Land, Lahmed converted the Rock Givers, and took their Giver-Tots away with him. Proud Givers. The Givers of the Jaw possess the prow of the Giver of Fire and Flame, the warship whence the original Givers came. They also retain certain rituals and mannerisms said to be ancient traditions of the Empire. Their leader, General Pyru, claims to be Goromath's personal adversary from time immemorial. Pyru's authority doesn't actually extend beyond his peninsula; Givers revere the prow, but not necessarily him. However, he has decreed the refusal to eat Giver-Tot a capital heresy, and his principle has its adherents in other tribes. The prow still works. Herax keep their distance from the Jaw. However, Pyru has not managed to use it to effect except as a defensive weapon. GIVER-TOTS The stunted humanoid slave-race of the Givers. Used as beasts of burden, combat training fodder, sex slaves, and food animals. I never met any, though I saw some from a distance. According to most accounts and descriptions I heard, they are incapable of speech and seem to lack any spark of individual will, but Blood Eagle claimed otherwise, and called for their emancipation. GOD-DOG See Akaz, Sign of the God-Dog. GOMOTHRAX The enchanted fortress bridging the mouth of the Bay of the Watcher. Originally built by Master Apraxos, before the Great Breach, in order to keep an eye on - and intimidate - early Melkhaios. Now it is ruled by a reclusive sorceress, rumored by some Keepers to be a First Dreamer (like General Goromath). No one knows how she got ahold of the place. I heard that Gomothrax means "oath breaker" in the Ancient Tongue. I have also heard that it means "hex breaker." GOROMATH Eight feet tall and built like an ox, General Goromath sharply attires himself in a neat black uniform. The Herax consider him their God. Indeed, he hasn't aged a day in the hundreds of years since his conquest of Melkhaios, and he has demonstrated a handful of extraordinary supernatural abilities (such as the Sovereign Shield). But Goromath is simply one of the seventy-eight "first dreamers," or "yeti," sired at the dawn of time by the mating of the Shimmering Sun and the Earth Dragon. Not mortal in the ordinary sense, but definitely killable.* Goromath resembles an oversized Herax, with his angular face and brawny build. His main distinguishing feature, aside from his immensity, is his left eye: a sphere of black and red stone. * We know this because many of the First Dreamers perished in the Great Breach. GREAT BREACH Somewhat over four hundred years ago, the viziers of the Empire (remembered now as "Oggo and Hoggo") tried to elevate their Emperor Marduk, with mighty rituals of sorcery, to replace the creator-god of Kaios-X. They cast a cage around the Shimmering Sun, hoping to harness its power, but succeeded only in causing it to plummet into the earth. The continents broke apart and sank. Supposedly only the Isle of Kaios survived; Kaios Spirit-Tamer kept most of the island above sea level, and saved Melkhaios from destruction, with the help of the spirits of earth, wind, waves, and volcano. Many of the inhabitants of the Isle of Kaios came as refugees from the Empire, landing here by accident or design (see Deepings; Digglies; Givers; Herax; Roadies; Wigglies, Green). Others are descended from the original inhabitants (see Huntlies; Normals; Wigglies, Blue). All - or almost all - have mutated, physically and otherwise, as a result of the energies released at the Breach. After the Breach, the sun spent decades buried in the earth or under the sea (the Years Without Light). Eventually it rose again and resumed its path across the sky. Now mortals must scrape out an existence among the ruins of the empire, under what is known as the Twofold Curse. Akaz joked to me once that he rigged the Great Breach just to rid the world of the Empire of the Eclipse. Oggo and Hoggo, he said, were dupes. Akaz says a lot of things that it's worth being skeptical of, though. Locally, the Great Breach is often confused with the Little Breach. GREAT STONE FACE Gigantic, brooding self-portrait carved by Kaios Spirit-Tamer into the side of Mount Kaios on the eve of the Great Breach. Looming always in the distance, it looks down in perpetual disfavor upon the city of Melkhaios. GREEN WIGGLIES See Wigglies. GREEN WIGGLY TOWN The caves and huts along the base of Capricornice Ridge. HANDS OF MERCY HOSPITAL The grand front entrance (for paying customers) leads the sick or injured in hurried, formalized, assembly-line care by thaumaturges, alchemists, and their scurrying assistants. The rear entrance, called the "Proof of Mercy Gate," opens into a large room filled with benches, where those who cannot afford to pay wait for hours, or days, to be healed by a student of the School of Mercy. HERAX The First Army of the Empire of the Eclipse were known in their heyday as the Hellrakers, or "Herakers," for short; the word further mutated after the Great Breach. Their General Goromath led them, in their flying warships, safely through the aftermath of the Great Breach, then to conquest on the Isle of Kaios. Though some of the original First Army survive in Goromath's inner circle, several generations of Herax have been bred, fought, and died since the Breach. The Herax claim to be the last surviving true stock of the original undying populace of the Empire; they call everyone else in the world a degenerate mutant, and say only the Herax themselves are heir to the immortality that will return to them once Goromath restores the Empire. Herax social interaction involves routine and ritualized bullying, which reinforces a rigid socio-military hierarchy. Conflict-resolution typically consists of a contest (of insult or strength) or duel (with fists or weapons). Pastimes are often cruel. However, the casual observer might not perceive the complex code that governs Herax violence. In the Forbidden City of the Herax, I heard elaborate rationalizations and justifications being taught to young Herax in the Church of Tomorrow. Their culture is complex, and even subtle. Herax males tonsure their hair to a circular patch at the crown of the skull, wearing the remaining hair long as a sign of status. They ritually braid their hair before battle or contest; in cases of defeat or dishonor, the hair (or scalp, or even head) is cut off and taken by the victor. Hence long hair implies prowess, and veterans bedeck themselves and their quarters with trophies as symbols of might. The Herax keep their females hidden in the House of Women. Rumors of them abound, some stories conflicting wildly. Many tales describe the females as a degenerate sub-race, with the will and intellect of herd animals, stabled in factory-like harem-pens. Yet I also heard stories that the females possess a telepathic hive-mind with which they control the males; or even that there are no females, and Master Apraxos uses spells to make new Herax (out of wood, or metal, or corpses, according to the different versions reported to me). According to reputation, Herax feel no pain. From my limited personal observation, I'm inclined to believe they possess not just a resistance to pain, but a dull sense of touch overall. An example: I once cut the keys from a Herax guard's belt with his own knife. His knife was dull, and I truly expected him to feel me doing it, but he didn't. HERAX OF TOMORROW The Herax elite. HOGGO Common nickname for the sorceror Haugothrax, apprentice of Three-Eyed Lady Oshta (along with Kaios Spirit-Tamer and Oggo). In folklore all across the Isle of Kaios, Oggo and Hoggo appear together as a pair of demons who caged the Sun Dragon and caused the Breaches. Haugothrax means "opener of minds" or "breaker of minds" in the Ancient Tongue. HOUSE OF THE WATCHER The castle of Minister Apraxos, in a cavern deep underneath Mount Kaios. 
The Skull of Kaios in the House of the Watcher from City of the Watcher illustration by Gabriel T. Byrne HOUSE OF WOMEN Originally a sort of abbey, built by Three-Eyed Lady Oshta as her contribution to the experimental city founded by her apprentice Kaios Spirit-Tamer. The House of Women now hides behind the walls of the Forbidden City of the Herax, as some sort of hive or barracks, where the Herax females are said to be kept. HUMANS There are no humans, as such, on the world of Kaios-X. The various humanoid ethnicities can sometimes be different enough from one another that you would think them separate species, although each group also possesses wide variation within it. All these folk trace their origin to the First Dreamers (or "yeti," a race of immortal paragons), diverging in the wake of the Great Breach, a mere 418* years ago. Oggo and Hoggo's magestic misfire destabilized the very fabric of reality, one effect being this variation in physical form. "Chaos mutation" is the term used in common scholarship. Blue Wigglies, Normals, and Herax all claim to be unmutated, original yeti stock. I heard rumors that Givers also consider themselves the true descendants of the First Dreamers; but Blood Eagle plainly called the Givers half yeti and half fire elemental, so such rumors may be just Herax propaganda. The variety in appearance of the folk of Kaios enabled me to go unnoticed, despite being from another biosphere entirely. With the right clothing and accent, I could pass for Diggly, Normal, or Roadie, and once I was even mistaken for a Huntlies cub. Breeding between the different enthicities of the Isle of Kaios is commonly said to be impossible, and miscegination is intensely tabooed among all folk but the Herax (who invariably follow ritualized rape of "sub-race" women with ritualized murder and cannibalism). However, I heard whispered rumors that offspring are actually possible among all ethnicities - even the most dramatically different, such as Givers and Wigglies - but they are always killed upon birth because of the taboo against interbreeding. * 420 by some accounts. HUNTLIES "She stood seven feet tall; feathers, flowers, and bird-bones adorned her knotted locks of hair. She raised the bucket from the well, and as she drank deeply from it I recognized the ropes she carried as four or five Herax war-braids, with wet scalps still attached..." - from Time Travelling Blues HUNTLIE-KINGS Sing your song like a singer sings But whistle and run from the Huntlie-Kings Diggly children's rhyme Sing your song, song your sing, Whistle past the Huntlie-King. Normal children's rhyme Deeping fishy, Huntlie crow, But Huntlie-King I just don't know. Green Wiggly children's rhyme Deeping fishy, Huntlie crow, But Huntlie-King you'd best not go. Blue Wiggly children's rhyme Sing your song for a song to sing, But whistle and ride past the Huntlie-King. A Deeping's a fish and a Huntlie's a crow, But a Huntlie-King I just don't know. Roadie children's rhyme I categorically deny the existence of these so-called "Huntlie-Kings." General Goromath, 203 D.O.C. We have signed a treaty with the Huntlie-Kings, offering them nominal sovereignty over the region known as "Bitchwood." General Goromath, 333 D.O.C. IFRITS Children of the Earth Dragon and the fire-god Shamash; erstwhile patron-spirits of the Givers. In ancient times, Kaios Spirit-Tamer credited them with the idea to build the Palace-Temple of the Sun. They were all (?) captured by Master Apraxos, at the outset of the Herax war with the Givers; they are now imprisoned in spheres of unmelting ice, hovering above the guard-towers of the Forbidden City of the Herax. A Roadie fable tells of an Isle of the Ifrits which also survived the Great Breach. 
an Ifrit from City of the Watcher illustration by Micaela Petersen ISLE OF KAIOS The only known remnant of the Empire of the Eclipse, the rest of which tumbled into the sea or was blasted into space during the Great Breach. The isle of Kaios survived the Breach only with the intervention of Kaios Spirit-Tamer, friend to the elementals, who prevented the eruption of Mount Kaios and calmed the great waves and winds. Before the founding of Melkhaios, the isle was allegedly inhabited only by animals and spirits. KAIOS-X My default nomenclature for the world of Melkhaios. Prevailing themes (empire, apocalypse, etc.) are present in other worlds (cf. Earth-X, Daggen-X, et al.), although no directly cognate worlds have been reported by anyone in our order or anywhere in the Archive. KAIOS SPIRIT-TAMER Kaios, third apprentice to Three-Eyed Lady Oshta (following Augermath, or "Oggo," and Haugothrax, or "Hoggo"), founded the city of Melkhaios during the heyday of the Empire of the Eclipse. He departed the Empire to make his home upon a large, remote island, where he and his followers lived among the spirits. By his design they fashioned the most beautiful city in the world, where mortals and spirits abided together in harmony. Eventually the taint of the Empire made its way even into fair Melkhaios, and Kaios lost faith in his utopian dream. He retreated into his Palace-Temple. There he prayed for illumination; he received visions and prophecies, but the more he expounded upon them, the more the populace disdained him, favoring instead the ways of the Empire. Eventually they so scorned him that he left the city entirely, taking refuge in the higher reaches of Bitchwood, upon the slopes of Mount Kaios. Kaios lived in solitude in a cave near the summit of the mountain, with only his dog Akaz for company. He shunned visitors and spoke only with his most trusted spirit-allies. One day, the sun dawned upon a titanic carving of his face, frowning down upon the city from the mountainside; and on that day came the Great Breach. Many relics exist which are said to be his bones. See Bone Council. Akaz objects to the epithet "Spirit-Tamer," asserting that Kaios never sought to tame anything. "Taming is for Townies," he said. KAIOS UNIVERSITY A single huge building in the sunken half of the city, with eight wings radiating from a central tower. The Keepers diligently maintain enchantments to keep the tower dry; that's where you'll find their Archive of Thoth. The tower roof rises above the waves even at high tide. Blue Wiggly scholars and Keepers populate the eight flooded wings of the University. Each wing has its own school (founded post-Breach), which engage in endless social and intellectual rivalry. Blue Wiggly academia consists chiefly of analysis, revision, refutation, and reaffirmation of old Blue Wiggly theories. In fact, originality is discouraged as frivolous, egomaniacal, or even fundamentally impossible ("everything has already been said"); scholars are regarded as worthy based on the variety, juxtaposition, and quantity of old material they are able to cite. The Archive, by contrast, traces its lineage to the original University and Kaios Spirit-Tamer himself. Their simple principles derive chiefly from Kaios's early pamphlet, "Simple Principles," written even before his departure from the old City of the Eclipse. Despite their longer-standing tradition, the scholars of the Archive engage in more innovative and exploratory (and amicable) modes of scholarship, rather than clinging to old texts and debating minutiae. Keepers of all ethnicities populate the University Archive. (Here's where the gate from our Archive of Thoth enters the world of Kaios-X. The two buildings have architectural details in common, so it's hard to be sure quite where the one ends and the other begins.) I believe the Blue Wiggly schools, and their respective specialties, are best described in the following lyrics from a popular Green Wiggly kelpie-song*: Tadpole**, how you going to know how to think? To the 'Versity, to the 'Versity, don't you think? Kaios built it and all the brains are there. Tadpole, Tadpole, here you go: The Ministry of Proof will interpret for you Their mysterious divinations; Or listen to Discursives tanjinkialize Their rationalizations. The Skull-Splitters will bend your ear With thoughts so hard your brain will fight And flee out through your ear; In the Athwart School - Learn how to disagree with everything; The Temperant - How to agree with nothing. But the Archives in the middle, that's where Greeny could go- If only I could read! If only I could read. Keeper say, Keeper say: "Don't drip on the books!" [all:] DON'T DRIP ON THE BOOKS! The Dictators of Style, with care and precision, Microanalyze your thinky and Criticize it with precision. The Buckler School, always polite With hidden insults; The Trustworthy, always kind With secret schemes. But the Archives in the middle, that's where Greeny could go- If only I could read! If only I could read. Keeper say, Keeper say: "Don't drip on the books!" [all:] DON'T DRIP ON THE BOOKS! * "Kelpie-Weed" ("Kelpie" for short) is a favorite intoxicant among Green Wigglies, usually prepared in the form of a fermented green mush that tastes like watercress cooked in beer. It creates a physical lassitude, mental acuity, and vocal boisterousness; hence the prominence of loud singing in Green Wiggly above-water culture (a trait generally regarded as grotesquely uncouth by Townies). ** Common Green Wiggly term for a Green Wiggly child; also used colloquially between adults. Blue Wigglies find the term repulsive, and cite it as evidence of Green Wiggly degeneracy. KEEPERS The Keepers of Ancient Lore are monks of Three-Eyed Lady Oshta. As Oshta is goddess of knowledge, so the Keepers are scholars; as Oshta is goddess of magic, so the Keepers are researchers and teachers of spells. Unlike other users of magic (see Oggerhoggs), the Keepers enjoy widespread trust. The humble spells of Oshta create safe, predictable results -- unlike the wild and malignant magic wielded by her betrayers, Oggo and Hoggo. Keepers vary widely from locale to locale, and individual to individual; but they all vow to teach magic only to those who will use it for the common good. It's relatively rare for someone to know a spell that isn't directly related to his trade. In Melkhaios, you even need a separate permit or license for every spell you know, and unauthorized use of magic can land you right in the Circus of Burnt Skulls. Normal Keepers practice spells that aid commerce and manufacturing. Their knowledge is limited to practical spellworking; they possess the status of skilled laborers. By contrast, Blue Wiggly Keepers are considered the cream of their aristocracy, and devote their time to speculation and debate in the submerged rooms of Kaios University. Diggly and Green Wiggly Keepers are illiterate storytellers and hedge-wizards. Roadie Keepers have a reputation for powers of divination. LITTLE BREACH Common term for the incursion of the Bay of the Watcher, when it flooded Melkhaios Valley during the devastation of the Great Breach. MAGIC IN MELKHAIOS See Keepers; Oggerhoggs. MEGALON MINES Mines in the roots of Mount Megalon, the mountain just south of Mount Kaios. Here the slaves of the Herax dig iron and coal for the armies and industries of General Goromath and his allies in the Senate. MELKHAIOS The utopian city founded on the Isle of Kaios by Kaios Spirit-Tamer. MERROWS Legendary protective spirits of the Oshta River. Some say the Merrows are like Wigglies; some say they are like Deepings; some say they are like aquatic Huntlie-Kings. Some say they have been tainted by the poison in the river. Tales vary widely, and if the Merrows do exist, they are few and extremely shy. MINISTER APRAXOS See Apraxos. MOUNT KAIOS Central mountain of the Isle of Kaios, whereupon Kaios Spirit-Tamer carved the Great Stone Face. NEW MARKET "Clusters of plain, square booths sprawled at the foot of the Senate: the New Market of the Normal merchants.... Alex saw short, wiry Diggly slaves, heavily laden, jostling one another to stay clear of browsing Normal shoppers. Merchants displayed racks of clothing, cases of jewelry, jars of spices. Walking past a table laden with fruit, Alex shoplifted something that looked and tasted like a black apple...." - from City of the Watcher, Chapter Three: "Blood Eagle" NORMALS The self-proclaimed aristocracy of Melkhaios. The Normals seem to consider themselves the sole inheritors of the legacy of the Empire of the Eclipse, claiming to be the pure, unmutated ethnic stock of the "yeti" of old. (Hence the title "Normals," which they apply to themselves with pride.) Although they comply with the reign of General Goromath and his Herax, they still think of themselves as the true rulers of Melkhaios. In fact, they regard the Herax as ignorant servants, whose innate savagery has been successfully channelled into their roles of soldier and policeman. Despite the luxury and privilege they enjoy, I observed a tendency among Normals to persistently complain about whatever didn't suit their immediate, often-changing desires and opinions. NYMPH OF THE SHRINE A powerful spirit of the Bay of the Watcher; guardian of the Shrines of the Nubiles.
The Undine traditional Green Wiggly "soul portrait" tattoo design depicting the undine Ha'alalo-laha'ala copied by Andrew M. Reichart OGGERHOGGS Evil spirits, witches, vampires, chaos-mutants, etc.; an oggerhogg is any creature that uses "Death Magic" or "Chaos Magic" (colloquial terms for the magical techniques innovated by Oggo and Hoggo, respectively -- as contrasted with the more harmonious style used by Three-Eyed Lady Oshta and Kaios Spirit-Tamer). OGGO Common nickname for Augermath. Author of the Rites of Augermath. I heard that Augermath means "sculptor of souls" in the Ancient Tongue. See Hoggo. OLD MARKET "The Old Market swam in murk. Piles of rubble swept around us in great curving mounds, forming a maze or labyrinth. The Deepings kept us low so we couldn't see over the walls. We passed shrines, icons, and ornamented standing stones, but the Deepings never let us stop to look at them. We passed occasional other Deepings, who stared at us blankly with their huge, empty eyes...." - from Time Travelling Blues OSHTA RIVER The river that bisects the city of Melkhaios. Named after an ancient goddess; see Three-Eyed Lady Oshta. PALACE-TEMPLE OF GOROMATH Centralmost fortress of General Goromath. His Herax soldiers worship him here, deep within their Mount Kaios, at the highest point of the city, directly beneath the Great Stone Face; originally built by Kaios Spirit-Tamer as the Palace-Temple to the Sun. It is perhaps his greatest architectural achievement in the city. RACIALISM Here's an interesting excerpt, from a document which opens with the statement: "In the Name of the Bright King, who shall rule over all the world...." The Bright King is the Normals' euphemistic name for the messianic figure in their revision of the Cannibal-King legend, and the inspiration for the "Ultra-Normal Movement." As typically described, he resembles neither the Cannibal-King of the real story, nor General Goromath, the messiah from the rewrite by Apraxos. I wonder if he's merely a figment, or if (as with Goromath) there's an actual person, who is co-opting the legend. "Summary of Racial Traits and Natural Status" from Towards a Racialist Senate by the Racialist Party of Melkhaios The Classes of Men : Normals - The true people, the original yeti stock. The aristocracy of Kaios, distinguished by their refined intelligence. Blue Wigglies - Mutated by Fat Man to survive the Breaches, these folk earn our respect by their willingness to adhere to proper custom. They are worthy servants, who even possess a quaint imitation aristocracy in their underwater realm. The Classes of Submen : Digglies - A degenerate subrace of the Normals, debased by their worship of nature-spirits and consequent vulnerability to chaos mutation. Green Wigglies - As Digglies, stemming from Wigglies. Roadies - Like the Digglies, except their nomadic "culture" is so secretive and plotting by nature as to resemble an ongoing conspiracy. Tolerated for their value as caravaneers; they would serve us better if we put them all to work in the mines. The Classes of Manlike Animals & Oggerhoggs : Givers - The offspring of yeti and desert salamanders, these inhuman monsters must be stamped out before they fulfill their goal of setting fire to the entire world. Huntlies - Offspring of yeti and dire wolves. The time is not yet at hand for the Bright King to come and scour them from the face of the world. We must be patient, and bide our time until we are equipped to root them out of their woodland holes and chop down their entire accursed forest. Deepings - Offspring of Wigglies and feral ghoti-birds, these mute and unthinking monsters prowl the Bay, terrorizing our ships and restricting our free trade. Not even the Herax are equipped to fight them, although loyal ghoti-bird patrols keep them away from the shallows and the river. When the Bright King comes, he will set the entire Bay to boil, and our world will be cleansed of these vile creatures. Herax - These bestial manlike creatures are not descended from yeti at all, but were manufactured in Goromath's image by his servant, the Witch-Lord Apraxos. Despite their repugnant appearance, they are loyal warriors and will serve the Bright King well when he comes to unseat Goromath and rescue us from his tyranny. Of course there are conflicting views; for example, some Normal racialists believe the Herax are paragons of order, and hence must represent the truest yeti stock. Here's another alternate view: from "The Natural Status of Yeti and Sub-Yeti, As Proof of Blue Wiggly Primacy" by Reth Ma-er Enthi-le True Statos Chart of Peoples Blue Wigglys Herax Normals --- Roadies Digglys Green Wigglys --- Givers Huntlies Deepings Commonly Attested Statos Herax Normals Blue Wigglys --- Digglys Green Wigglys Roadies --- Huntlies Givers Deepings RELIGION Digglies revere and fear a variety of nature-spirits, some benevolent, some malign. Most of these figures are either tied to local sites in the Diggly homelands (such as Zan-Zerkin of Zan-Zerkin's Ridge, or the Queen of Worm Lake) or connected to essential elements of Diggly life (such as Good Plow, Cora of the Hearth, or the Strong Twins of the Palisade Gate). Some of their most cherished divine figures, however, are more abstract (such as Three-Eyed Lady Oshta, goddess of magic, or Akaz the God-Dog, god of fate). Giver religion remains a mystery that most prefer not to imagine, though it is popularly believed that they bow to Oggo Bringer-of-Death. According to Herax propaganda, they are led by a warrior-necromancer who wields the skull of Oggo, summoning Oggo's spirit to do his bidding. Givers also revere the volcano-god Shamash, about whom little is known. Herax bow to none but General Goromath. Huntlies are a mystery, though they presumably worship animal and plant spirits. It is known that Akaz the God-Dog himself protects them; therefore, though they inspire fear, they are treated with respect. Normals worship a wide variety of gods, though since most of their deities are presumed to have died in the Great Breach, their worship consists merely of routine social ritual. The most notable figure in popular mythology is Kaios Spirit-Tamer, revered not only as the mighty sorceror who saved the island from destruction during the Great Breach, but is also remembered as having founded the city of Melkhaios "a thousand years" before the fall of the Empire of the Eclipse. Occasionally one of the "primitive" spirits of the Digglies and Wigglies enters into the public attention, engendering a brief trend of casual reverence and then evaporating into a minor cultural clich© (such as the custom of saying "If it's fine by Akaz" after making a declarative statement about an uncertain future event, e.g., "We'll sell the rest of our stock at the market tomorrow, if it's fine by Akaz.") There are also usually a few faddish cults around, vying for popularity, their mystic trappings adorning ordinary social and political maneuvering. Roadies pay homage to many of the same spirits as the Digglies, as well as their own (such as True Wheel, Yaa Mule, the Divinator of Horizons, and the Divine Hospice). Roadies have a reputation for superstition and mysticism that leads most to regard them with distrust and suspicion. Blue Wigglies eschew religious faith, regarding it as primitive. They maintain the Temple of Fat Man, however, and participate in frequent and regular semi-secular rituals like those of the Normals. Perhaps more importantly, the Temple channels Green Wiggly religion into a structure that the Blue Wigglies control. Green Wigglies revere spirits similar to those of the Digglies and Roadies, including local spirits (such as Keeper Mysterioso, Honker & Puzzler, Pesk-Orn of Pesk-Orn Bay) and spirits relevant to Wiggly life (Lucky Net, Shark Killer, Undertow). They also worship a messianic figure known as Fat Man, who allegedly arose to protect them during the Breach but was slain. They await his return.... RITES OF AUGERMATH Thaumaturgical techniques for feeding upon the life-force of other living creatures; the basis for necromancy, blood magic, vampirism, psychic vampirism, braineating, ghoulery, etc. Simple methods involve ritually consuming the subject's physical body parts, and usually result in powers such as longevity, enhanced strength, superhuman healing ability, etc. More complex techniques enable the practitioner to draw power from subtle sources such as his victim's emotional suffering. Needless to say, the Rites of Augermath are about the worst thing imaginable. Discovered and designed by Augermath, better known as Oggo. N.B. Essentially identical to the Rites of the Shells from Amarantis. ROADIES Nomadic traders who travel continually by mule and wagon around the trails and roads of the Isle of Kaios. Ethnically similar to the Digglies. SEA OF CATACLYSM The stormy ocean surrounding the Isle of Kaios. No one knows what lies beyond it. Legends tell of adventurous souls who set out to sail and explore, but none ever returned. SECOND ARMY This cannon-fodder infantry, used by the Herax in their war with the Givers, consists of conscripts, slaves, prisoners, and half-citizen volunteers [see Citizenship & Government]. Most of the Second Army consists of Digglies, with a generous helping of Normals and Weirdos. Green Wigglies are typically only usable for coastal operations, though they are sometimes sent on one-way trips inland. In the charge, the less motivated members of the Second Army receive encouragement from handlers, who goad them forward with whips and spears. SENATE Ostensible governing body of the city of Melkhaios, consisting of representatives of the merchant houses of the Normals and Blue Wigglies [see Committee of the Worthy]. General Goromath lets them manage most civil affairs, as long as they maintain the status quo which keeps him well supplied with slaves for the Second Army, Death Camp of Yl, Megalon Mines, and Circus of Burnt Skulls. When openly disobeyed, Goromath has been known on more than one occasion to kill Senators, with his bare hands, on the floor of the Senate. SHAMASH Volcano-god of the Givers. See Ifrits. SHIMMERING SUN The Sun. Also referred to as the Sun Dragon; colloquially, simply called It; and known to some by his name in the tongue of the First Dreamers, "Khaios." (How this word differs from "Kaios" - aside from the spelling - I have not yet been able to discern, although I have been told that both Kaios Spirit-Tamer and Melkhaios were named after Khaios.) By all accounts, It is the creator-god of Kaios-X. From a glossary I found in the local Archive of Thoth: The word "Khaios" is translated as meaning "As It thought," as remembered in the prayer, "Everything is as-It-thought." The Sun is thereby commonly referred to as "It." Some myths say that, just as the stars of the night sky are the souls of the living reflected in the Astral Plane above, so is the Sun simply the reflection of the Creator, who walks by day among us in human form. Cynics say those myths are remnants from the Empire, when it was so; but now the Sun in its cycles is simply the echo of the Creator's initial manifestation in this world, which came to an end in the days of the Great Breach. Clearly the Creator is not with us now. Some Tasters argue that the Creator does walk the earth again, and that you should treat every person, or even every living thing, with the respect that you would show to the Creator himself. Indeed, who can say whether you have met the Creator in disguise? Other Tasters agree that the Creator is not with us now, but that the reappearance of the Sun after the Years Without Light is a future echo heralding His return. Some say the Book of the Cannibal-King presages that return. See Earth Dragon. SIGN OF THE GOD-DOG An eccentric building of multiple architectural styles, seated at the center of the eastern branch of the Spiral Ride. Its proprietor, Akaz, seems to consider it a pub, inn, and meeting-house, though it was mostly empty most of the times I was there. The Sign of the God-Dog contains an unknown number of doors that lead, at least sometimes, to other places on the island, and even into other worlds. SILT-WALL Over the centuries since the Breaches and the immersion of half the city, the Oshta River has buried several blocks in silt. This rich earth makes for excellent cultivation of kelp, etc., and the vast, factory-like farms are the pride of Wiggly agricultural science. Less a source of pride for the Committee of the Worthy, however, is the threat all this encroaching silt poses to the mighty Temple of Fat Man. Their huge (and ever-growing) wall, known simply as the "Silt-Wall," does keep the silt from choking the Temple doors. Unfortunately, its aesthetic appeal does not match its effectiveness. Its sheer massiveness dwarfs the Temple, even though it isn't taller than the Temple (yet). In contrast to the ornate elegance of the Temple, the stark, immense Silt-Wall presents a eyesore that never seems to leave your peripheral vision, even if you try to ignore it. 
The Skull of Kaios from City of the Watcher illustration by Andrew M. Reichart SKULL OF KAIOS According to scripture, Kaios Spirit-Tamer prophesied the following riddle: My Father is a Cannibal-King My Mother is a Bell that goes Ding My Sister is a Bucket of Paint And I'm just a Saint You will find as many interpretations of this passage among the Keepers as there are Keepers. An extreme example: It would seem evident that the 'cannibal-king' in line one is the same as the messiah prophesied in the Book of the Cannibal-King; but not everyone even agrees that far. There is even less agreement about line four, though most do conclude that the 'I' referred to is (as usual in his writings) Kaios referring to himself. The 'father' role in line one enjoys heavy disputation. My favorite interpretation is one Akaz told me he heard from a weird old Keeper in a cave up on Capricornice Ridge. Keeper Spiral Horn evidently claimed that the heavy pendant on his talisman-necklace was a neckbone of Kaios himself, and that it gave him divination-dreams. He said it told him that Kaios sprang from the imagination of a small boy on another world, who then grew up to be the Cannibal-King himself. He didn't say would grow up to be, he said grew up to be. Keeper Bazdin of Kaios University calls line one metaphorical; Kaios is describing his own essential nature, as the manifestation of the ideal of conquest, expressed in the allegory of the Cannibal-King. Bazdin is a major proponent of the theory that all Kaios's so-called prophecy is only metaphor and allegory. Keeper Saznak of the Roadies says that the person referred to in line one is Kaios's literal father, who, according to certain myths, was the Shimmering Sun. Saznak maintains that the Book of the Cannibal-King is an allegory of the Sun, in its dragon-god aspect, manifesting in Kaios Spirit-Tamer as a revolutionary political principle; and for this reason Saznak avoids Melkhaios and Herax-lands in general. Keeper Jozinbozin of Pesk-Orn partly agrees, but interprets that the Sun was once the ruler of a race of gods who devoured one another to gain the power to cast their mighty spells; hence "cannibal-king." Jozinbozin's take on the Book of the Cannibal-King sounds particularly strange. He claims that the messiah predicted in the Book is a mortal manifestation of the Sun, who devotes his life to the principle of revolution but is doomed to failure. His analysis is similar to Christian theology and scripture in numerous strange particulars, making it difficult for me to remember that he has, of course, never heard of Jesus or the Bible. As a notable example, his analysis of the Cannibal-King's rant to the Normals quotes from a fragment of the Blasted Pillar, one of the most damaged of the Books of Kaios: Isnae writ, My house shall be call'd of all races a house of prayer? but y'all have made it a den of thieves. ...Which is Mark 11:17, almost verbatim. Evidence of weird resonance between Earth and Kaios for some future walker to investigate.... Lines two and three are where it really gets silly, with Keepers generating pet theories right and left with out perceivable basis in reality, scripture, or common sense. Keeper Sozolorin of the University has a nice rendition, with the goddess of the Hollow Earth (Kaios's 'mother') continually resonating with the rhythm of the moment of creation (hence 'bell that goes ding'), and with Three-Eyed Lady Oshta (Kaios's 'sister') as the source of the veil which hides the mysteries of magic (and hence, translated through several chapters of heavily-footnoted flowery prose, a 'bucket of paint'). My favorite, though, comes from Givers Keeper, as reported to me by BLOOD EAGLE. Giver Keeper said both 'bell' and 'bucket' were the Skull of Kaios itself, and that the Skull possessed specific magical powers when (a) struck like a bell, or (b) used as a little cauldron for brewing unguents. He says the Skull is the 'mother' of Kaios in the sense that it is the womb wherein his brain grew, his brain being the seat of his self. The explanation about the 'sister' part made no senseto me; Blood Eagle lost his temper and refused to explain further. SOVEREIGN SHIELD One of the identifying traits of the messianic leader prophesized in the Book of the Cannibal-King; traditionally attributed to General Goromath. The precise nature of the Sovereign Shield remains vague; it seems to be an innate magical power, rather than a physical object. According to scripture, whoever attacks the bearer of the Shield has their weapons reflected back upon them. Its power is often interpreted as far greater and more abstract, however: karmic doom is brought down upon any who attempt to harm the Cannibal-King, even indirectly. (Akaz told me "there are several people with False Sovereign Shields running around," but that "the good thing is that a False shield, like the one Goromath has, only works against a direct attack. Indirectly, I can do whatever I want.") The Keepers' lore centers on the "Map of Spheres," a diagram of interlinking magical spells and powers. Some observe that the role of the Cannibal-King corresponds to "The High King," Key IV on the Map of Spheres. Spell IV, the corresponding spell identified by Three-Eyed Lady Oshta, is named the "Coat of Mirrors"; it causes projectile weapons to reflect back upon those who cast them. The Keepers are hardly in agreement on this point; many of them object that such a mundane explanation demeans the majesty and sanctity of the Keys. SPIRAL RIDE A labyrinthine pathway that coils between stacked mounds and cairns of rubble. According to legend, the Spiral Ride was built as a religious site by pious Huntlies and Deepings after the Breaches, in homage to great Akaz, whose tavern, the Sign of the God-Dog, rests at the center. Superstition has it that dangerous spirits and Oggerhoggs still inhabit it. Most everyone avoids this way. Not only because it possess a sinister reputation; it is maddeningly long and meandering, it lies half underwater, and it leads basically nowhere except to the God-Dog and the False Shrines of the Nubiles. Most surface-dweller males walk the Ride once each way, typically in adolescence, stopping in at the God-Dog for a few pints of courage on their way to seek the Shrine, stopping back in at the God-Dog to try to brag of their exploits. Fables and history alike warn against clambering over the mounds to cut across the Ride, with stories of very bad luck befalling such "cheaters." Common folktales tell of a schlemiel named "Too-Bold Tanjinks" or "Too-True Tanges," who navigated directly by the smoke of the God-Dog's chimneys, only to have a tall cairn topple over to crush his bones just as the pub came into sight. History also tells of the contingent of Herax footmen and Ghoti-Birds who marched on the God-Dog and disappeared in a mist; or of Herax war-boats trying to fly over the Ride, only to crash into the ground, where they yet remain, set upright into the mounds like altars, adorned with the bones of their crewmen skillfully arranged by unknown hands. SUN DRAGON See Shimmering Sun. TASTERS The Keepers of the Archive of Thoth, who espouse certain unorthodox principles - most notably, refuting the Twofold Curse. They choose to embrace the half-broken world around them, despite the omnipresent and endless suffering, destruction, and death. Their fellow Keepers generally treat them with tolerance, if not always respect, but most folk characterize them as having their heads in either the clouds or sand. Tasters generally characterize themselves as a combination of realist and hedonist. Their symbol, which they often wear painted or tattooed upon their skins, is a red circle representing both the Shimmering Sun and the Nanda, a sweet berry that grows only on the slopes of Mount Kaios. (An old Taster saying goes, "How can life be bitter when you have a nanda?") THREE-EYED LADY OSHTA One of the First Dreamers; she is colloquially known as the goddess of magic. A chief scholar during the heyday of the Empire of the Eclipse, she defined the magical powers of the First Dreamers in terms of individual spells, and determined how to teach magic to mortals. Oggo, Hoggo, and Kaios Spirit-Tamer were her three apprentices. She has not been seen since the Great Breach, and is presumed dead. TOWNIES A general term for the Normals of Melkhaios and the surrounding lands, and the Blue Wigglies of Melkhaios. Used also by Digglies and Green Wigglies as a derogatory term for members of their own kind who serve their masters too willingly. Used by Givers and Huntlies to mean simply anyone who lives indoors. TWOFOLD CURSE The basic metaphysical tenet of Kaios-X ever since the Great Breach. The Breach introduced both death and chaos into the world; the principle of the Twofold Curse can be succinctly described as: life is short, and life is filled with suffering (whereas before the Breach, life was unending and blissful). The Tasters like to point out the contradiction inherent to this complaint, which they illustrate with the prayer-joke: "This food tastes terrible - and the portions are too small!" WARGUS-FIRE The eternal flame maintained by Akaz and his followers, near the Circus of Burnt Skulls. See Fire-Tenders. WATCHER Common nickname for General Goromath. According to legend, his magic eye grants him clairvoyance, whereby he can surveil anywhere on the Isle of Kaios. It is known that the Herax possess a hive mind, under his control, and it is rumored that he can see through the eyes of any Herax warrior. Arguably, the true Watcher is actually Master Apraxos. WEIRDOS Rogue Normals who rebel against the devoted conformity of their kindred and strive to let their individuality manifest freely. Unfortunately, most Weirdos, as faddish as the rest of the Normals, end up following very well-trodden paths of nonconformity, never recognizing how limited their rebellion really is. Most Weirdos, after a prolonged adolescence, drift gradually away from their alternative conformity, adopting Normal values and mannerisms and retaining only token mementos of their Weirdo heyday. WIGGLIES Amphibious humanoids with blue-green skin. They breathe water through fibrous tendrils which grow from their nostrils. In the so-called "Green Wigglies," these grow into beautiful fanlike fringes, like strange and extravagant whiskers. The "Blue Wigglies" perceive these growths as hideous and animalistic, however, and each adult Blue hacks off his or her fringes. They grow back, but the Blues trim them whenever they reach an "unsightly" length. (See Wiggly-Razor.) Blue Wigglies emulate Normals, employing Normal-style merchant tactics, and possess abundant wealth as a result - perhaps exceeding even that of the Normals themselves. Blue Wigglies dominate trade on the Bay of the Watcher, since Normal merchants fear the Deeping Ward. As the roads are often more perilous than the Bay, and the Roadies are seen as unreliable servants, most Normals sell locally, while the Blues get rich on long-distance trade of perishables and rare goods. Blue Wigglies consider themselves the only civilized people on the island - in fact, they consider themselves the only real "people" at all - and make no effort to conceal such beliefs. They speak openly of all others as "sub-yeti" - even Herax, even to their faces. The Herax and Normals tolerate the Blue Wigglies' snobbery by simply being too self-obsessed to take it seriously. How perverse, then, that Blue Wigglies cut their gill-fronds, since the practice not only makes them look more like surface-dwellers, but it makes them in fact more like surface-dwellers. The rudimentary fronds in their nostrils provide some water-breathing ability, but they simply can't stay underwater nearly as long as they could otherwise. A Green Wiggly can live for a hundred years without ever breathing air; although going without immersion for a month or so will kill it dead. A Blue Wiggly will dry up on land just as fast; but if it doesn't spend a little while each day getting some good lungfuls of air, it'll get headachy and fatigued. A continuous week underwater will make it sick; and after a month or so fully submerged, a Wiggly with trimmed fringes will suffocate and die. The Blue Wigglies seem willing to go to great lengths to differentiate themselves from their unshorn kindred. The only real differences I was ever able to perceive between "Green" and "Blue" Wigglies are social and cultural. Even skin tone is nearly uniform, compared to the variation among humans. I couldn't differentiate between a Green and a Blue based on color; only on attire, manner, and length of gill-fronds. Green Wigglies are essentially a slave race, who serve the Blues as fishers, farmers, sailors, laborers, and menials. They possess an elaborate oral culture of slang, song, rhyme, and riddle, not unlike Diggly culture. In fact, Digglies and Green Wigglies share many particulars of culture, whether from common pre-Breach origin or modern interchange on the Isle of Kaios. Green Wigglies fashion tools and jewelry of exquisite design out of bone, stone, and shell. "Blue" Wigglies who neglect or refuse to trim their gill-fronds are deemed Greens and outcast, whether the cause be insanity, rebelliousness, or simple fear of the physical pain of the cut. Outspoken rebels (who are rare) have their tongues cut out, their fronds pulled out by the roots, and are set out to dry on poles atop the Bell-Foundry. With a westerly wind their dying moans can be heard from shore. Some young adults go through periods of wearing their fringes at a slightly unseemly length, deliberately provoking concern and ire in their elders; but they either revert to a close trim as their role in society grows more distinct, or (very rarely) they turn renegade and are cast into slavery as a Green. Renegades (or any Greens, for that matter) who trim their gill-fronds are not thereby considered Blues; on the contrary, they are deemed abominations and killed on sight. WIGGLY-RAZOR A short, slim, triangular blade of very thin, flexible steel. Blue Wigglies use them to trim their gill-fronds. Males of all ages carry their Wiggly-razor on their harness; they often duel, but because of the size of the blade, duels are rarely fatal. Scars from knife-fights are worn with pride. Females keep their razors hidden demurely at home. WILD FOLK Huntlies, Deepings, and Givers. Also more broadly used in reference to spirits, such as Ifrits and other elementals. The most extreme Weirdos may also be thought to fall into this category. The seacoasts thrive with wild Green Wigglies, who are said to mate with Deepings. YEARS WITHOUT LIGHT The decades immediately after the Great Breach, before the Shimmering Sun rose again into the sky. |