Without fanfare beyond a silvery luminescence, a presence materialized between me and Scalu. Golden skin bare but for a tunic of azure, a simple youth bearing only a spear had appeared to stand before the Dark God. Before the youth, the Jackal halted, and his mouth opened in a human exclamation of surprise. “Cay!”

And even as the youth seemed to grow in size to match Scalu in height, he held aloft his gleaming spear and spoke with a voice like music, yet it carried over the tumolt: “Take heart, people of Kulthea! Orhan has joined the fray!”

And I took heart, for at last the very heavens had come to our aid.

Andraax
“The Battle at Maegris” The Wars of Dominion, Vol 7
SE 6825 (The last days of the Second Era)

GOOD AND EVIL

‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ fall at the two extreme ends of a spectrum; most thinking beings exist somewhere in the middle ground. In addition, there are the complicating factors of the competing affliations among those that consider themselves “Good” or “Evil”. Then there are misperceptions, fine lines between actions, and the argument about which one is actually ‘the right way’.What is Good? Perhaps Gods, perhaps humanoids trying to exterminate evil? Perhaps it is the Lords of Orhan. What is Evil?’ It does not mean the small injustices one man commits against another; nor does it even mean most acts of violence or warfare. Is it the Dark Gods?

THE UNLIFE

True Evil, the evil which is fostered by the Unlife, is the drive to destroy - and to feed on that destruction. The Unlife desires not only to kill, but to draw energy from the poor spirit as it dies. Others may do ‘evil’ deeds, but they are not evil until they succumb to its power. However… once one sets a foot upon the dark path…They tap their power from the raw, unfocused power of the Unlife: the Anti-essænce. Many now believe that the Essænce itself could not exist without its shadow: it is the price Kultheans pay for their special powers.

The Unlife itself is not a single intelligent entity. It is a collective energy which may or may not possess what could be called ‘awareness;’ its servants, however, are all driven by essentially the same goal. To disrupt and destroy. The servants are often strange - often frighteningly majestic - manifestations to work towards its ultimate, unspeakable goal. Most of these tools are in the form of demons, but others can take almost any shape - depending on the purposes of the Unlife.

ORDER AND CHAOS

These terms can mean a number of things in the Shadow World universe, including (according to the scholar Taliax Chun) opposite lines of reality. However, in practical terms Order and Chaos are empirical references for the leanings of individuals and groups, helping to indicate whether their tendencies lean towards a very structured environment or one in which events are more random and disorganized. Both philosophies have merit, and the world of Kulthea exists somewhere in between what we could consider absolute Order and absolute Chaos. However, these forces are at odds with each other as much as the powers of Good and Evil.

LORDS OF ORHAN

Of all the gods and pantheons which have come and gone through the history of Kulthea, the Lords of Orhan stand alone. Priests of the Lords of Orhan draw major powers from them, whereas the Essænce-masters tap into the Flows for their energies. Their godlike abilities are without parallel.

The Lords reputedly make their home on the great moon of Orhan. The sky of Orhan is almost always shrouded in clouds, preventing easy viewing of the surface from Kulthea. Whether or not the souls of dead Kultheans go to Orhan is uncertain, but the Lady Eissa does guard the portal to another dimension, from whence she has the power to recall souls from the dead. She can also channel that ability to her devout followers.

LORDS OF CHARON

Mirroring the rather benign Lords of Orhan, there is another pantheon of immortal beings residing on another of Kulthea’s moons, that of Charón, considered an “evil” presence by some.

NYMPHS

The essænce given form and personality, the Nymphs are tied to the earth. Nymphs live on Kulthea as long as the source of their life, be it river or tree. Each is bound to a specific place and must remain within their domain. Nymphs have two forms: most are normally human-sized, and most often take the form of impossibly beautiful youths, the males sinewy yet slender, the females just blossoming with womanhood. They are usually either naked or draped in only the most minimal gossamer covering. None have any body hair, though their scalp hair is always luxuriant and thick. Or they may assume a more ‘elemental’ incarnation, becoming a watery form, a tree-like shape or other appearance depending on their nature. Some can assume a larger version of their humanoid form as well.These earthly spirits are generally benevolent as long as their home is not attacked or damaged. Even the Oceanids who reside in treacherous whirlpools are not necessarily malicious; but they are often haughty and disdainful of sailors who stray into their influence. Nymphs do have a reputation for playfulness; their amorous nature is also well known. Stories tell that they seduce attractive Elves and mortals alike. However, damaging a Dryad’s tree or polluting a Naiad’s stream will make them sickly and weak. They also cannot stray far from their focus or their powers are diminished. Some Nymphs serve particular Lords of Orhan or other gods; others are fairly independent beings. There are tree-spirits (Dryads), water-spirits (Daiads and Oceanids), and cave-spirits (Oreads), just to name a few.