Off the Shelf: War Stories

Hello all,

If any of you bothered to follow this for a while and somehow haven't forgotten while I've been away, I did take something of an unplanned hiatus these past few months.  During that time I haven't been not creating, I've just started a new job, dealt with lots of housekeeping stuff, and generally been very tired and struggling to find a balance and focus for creating.  As of now, I intend to return to the whole blog thing and use it as a driving tool to keep my creativity flowing and give it an outlet as I am not running any RPGs at the moment (though playing in several, which are awesome).

Anyway, with that out of the way, here's an old war story which I've told many a time at my FLGS to any who'd willingly listen. 

This is an old war story a friend of my grandfather used to tell when he got real drunk some nights.  It concerns the US air base at Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands during WWII.  Some of you may recall that as the base that the Enola Gay took off from on its well-known fateful bombing mission, but this was before that…



You see, Tinian was an air base like most others, and like most others, the bombers from there flew countless sorties over enemy territory during the course of the war.  What sets it apart, however, is a startling trend regarding its planes.



The Commandant of the base for most of the war was Lieutenant General Walter B. Gutierrez.  “The War Bird,” as he was called by most of his troops, was fierce, brave, and almost fanatically loyal to his country, his mama, and the Holy Catholic Church.  Because of this, he noticed something peculiar when looking at flight and mission reports.



You see, three particular bombers, those with tail numbers Alpha-one-niner-oh-India-Sierra, Alpha-two-niner-three-Charlie-Hotel, and Whiskey-one-six-niner-Mike-Bravo, always came back from their flights largely unscathed by enemy fighters and anti-air guns, with their crews always in good health and strong fighting spirit.  The War Bird always referred to these three planes affectionately as the “blessed bunch.”



Well, several other planes weren’t so lucky, and among those that the mission reports included among the losses, those that came back too damaged to every fly again, with their crews in shambles, if they returned at all, were those with tail numbers Delta-one-oh-two-Charlie-Charlie, Delta-three-four-niner-Alpha-Hotel-Delta-one-six-seven-November-Alpha, and Delta-oh-oh-niner-Foxtrot-Bravo.



Looking at these casualty lists, the War Bird Gutierrez wracked his brain to try to figure out what connected all these tragic losses, what could possibly be happening that so many planes of the same series all went down.  Eventually, being the good catholic that he is, he came to the only inevitable conclusion one can make in such a situation.  This was the work...of El Diablo.



Yes, that’s right, Satan himself must be possessing these planes, or else their crews, and with Beelzebub at the stick, a fiery wreck was only an inevitable outcome.  All the planes of the Delta series were cursed… It seems that truly...the Devil was in the D-Tails...

So there you have it, a dumb joke to hopefully inject some fun into what should hopefully be a phenomenally lazy day, the Sunday of a long weekend.  If any of you have any fun RPG-related "War Stories" à la that wonderful video series from Seth Skorkowsky, feel free to drop a comment below.

Coming next week will be a rather ambitious project of mine, or at least as much of it as I can manage, in which I will first detail a fantasy tavern where adventurers might meet, then introduce a party of adventurers (with general descriptions generated randomly by the Archives of Nethys Pathfinder Character Background Generator, then elaborated on by yours truly), and finally, a series of system-agnostic (or possibly D&D 5e-statted) dungeons, which will feature in-character write-ups of my sample party daring to delve into their dangers.  Stay tuned if you're interested.

And with that, as always, may your road lead you ever onward to adventure, 

-Armstrong

Tales of the Table: Seven Gods, Seven Tribes

So, here we are, nearing the end of a very busy (for me) January.  It’s been several weeks between posts, but that’s due in a large part to just how long this one has taken to coax out of the misty paths of my brain and into the concrete, if ephemeral, form of a blog page.  This is the result of yet another creativity contest over on the Veris Design Role Play Discord server, a place definitely worth checking out if you need a little spark to rip a hole in the coffee filter of your own creative juices…

So, without wasting any more time, I present to you my thoughts on, and entry for, their latest contest on Deity-design, the world of…

Seven Gods, Seven Tribes

“In the beginning, when all was black, an explosion cracked the sky.  Volcanoes erupted, the Earth was corrupted, by the sound that terrifies.  From the chaos came savage man, to feast on the flesh of the beasts he Slew. And as the cavemen discovered the fire and the thunder, the strongest of them knew…”

-A Sound of Thunder, It Was Metal

Long ago, in the dawn of time, there was nothing.  Then, the world came to be. How it was created is not known, but that it came into existence is the one vital truth, for the world itself created all things.  This world first formed, some say, as a cloud of ash, which over time settled into rocks, oceans, and hot molten land. The beginning of time was a time of turmoil and great upheaval as the lands themselves were formed.  The natural phenomena that govern the world fought one another for dominance, and in this struggle, they became personified. Thus it was that the gods came to be. Each one of them is associated with the particular one of the seven fundamental forces from which they were formed.  The four natural elements, Water, Earth, Fire, and Air, as well as the fundamental materials of existence, Æther, Void, and Time, to each of these there is a deity, and to each deity a domain. Each of the seven gods was given, in addition to these divine domains, a place in the world to make their own.  So it came to be that the peoples of this world came to be, each created by a deity in their own image, and thus each reverent to their creator. Over time they grew and multiplied, these new sentient beings, masters of their world. Rarely did they contact each other, for their realms are separated by nearly insurmountable natural barriers.  A handful of astral travellers have made the journey however, and thus it is that we have gained the following knowledge of the peoples and pantheon of the world of Seven Gods and their Seven Tribes...

The Seven Gods, and their Seven Tribes

Ishin-tik’el, The Azure Queen

Domains	Water, Life, Blood
Tribe	The Ehxtepetl, natives of one of the most deceptive biomes in the world of the Seven Gods, who make their homes in lush jungles that grow atop the solid limestone which makes up the majority of their territory on the northern edge of the southernmost continent of the world.  Theirs is a land covered by dense forests which hide a startling array of rivers, brackish lakes, inlets, and cenotes, many of which connect to each other or to the sea. The Ehxtepetl make their homes on artificial islands within the largest of these lakes. Arguably the most “civilized” of all the Seven Tribes, the society of the Ehxtepetl consists of a number of independent lake-island city-states, with each one controlling as much territory as its island farmland, mighty aqueducts, boats, and causeways will allow.  Disputes and even wars are common between the kings of these city-states, though casualties are low, as the main aim of warfare is rarely motivated by the gain of territory, but instead by the acquisition of sacrificial captives. The Ehxtepetl themselves are physically among the smaller of peoples of the Seven Tribes, with lithe frames due to an existence filled with swimming, boating, and the construction and maintenance of artificial island farm plots.  They are of a tawny complexion, dark of hair and eyes, and often richly adorn themselves with jade jewelry, elaborate fish-bone scrimshaw, and the iridescent feathers of local birds. They are said to be a proud, yet solemn people, who enjoy the many trappings of their opulent society, but all the whie remain vigilant, lest the Gods die and the world end, as they believe has come to pass before, and will once again...
Symbol	The Heart of the Deep
Depiction	Ishin-tik’el is commonly depicted in the form of a woman of turquoise complexion, emerald eyes, and wet, flowing, jet-black hair.  She is almost always shown holding a golden ewer inlaid with turquoise, jade, coral, and jetm from which pour forth the rainbow-colored waters of life, from which it is said all other water is created.
Sacred Animals	There are three sacred cults dedicated to Ishin-tik’el, each led by a circle of the most senior warrior-priests, and each named for one of the three animals most sacred to the Azure Queen.  The Cult of the Leviathan pays homage to the massive arthrodires which swim the waterways of their land by marching into battle clad in scaled armor and helmets made from the skulls of juveniles of the giant placoderms, caught by initiate soldiers as a right of passage after they have taken their first battle-captive.  The Cult of the Great Gharial, with their toothed war-clubs and hide shields, are the keepers of the sacred war drums, which sound the advance at the beginning of every battle, the blessing of which is said to ensure a swift victory. Finally, and perhaps the most mysterious is the Cult of the Underwater Panther. They are the only ones among the Ehxtepetl who do not incorporate any part of any animal into their panoplies.  Instead they pay homage to their own animal namesake, the pseudo-legendary Underwater Panther, the beast that cannot be slain, by wearing cuirasses of sacred cloth, patterned with spots, and elaborate helmets of wood and golden ornament carven with visages of the strange feline features of their animal totem. In battle, they arrive to strike the decisive blow, chanting magical incantations and blowing clay whistles -whose terrifying sound is meant to emulate the angered cries of their totem animal and signal doom for all who oppose them- before descending on the enemy in a mighty charge of obsidian-bladed sword-clubs, often ending the battle right then and there in a clatter of the wing-like banners that they wear upon their backs.
Priests	As mentioned above, Clerics of Ishin-tik’el almost always belong to one of the three sacred cults of warrior-priests, whose primary function in battle is to obtain captives, who are sacrificed in elaborate rituals atop the mighty pyramids which dominate the skylines of the island city-states of the Ehxtepetl.  The spilling of each captive’s blood, the sacred water of their life, upon the ritual altar, is said to sustain Ishin-tik’el and allow her, the life-giver, to ensure that the world remains alive by pouring her own sacred waters out upon it. In society, Clerics of Ishin-tik’el occupy positions of high social status, with even an initiate rivaling the wealth and standing of a high-ranking non-priestly soldier.  Many serve the kings directly, functioning as advisors and administrators. All are aware, however, that their status comes at a price, for all begin their initiation into the priesthood by taking a sacred vow.  Should their Azure Queen call for it, whether after a defeat in battle, or to save their city from a year of bad harvest, in times of great turmoil, a priest’s duty may likely be to volunteer for sacrifice in order to grant the great Goddess the power she needs. Clerics of Ishin-tik’el are well versed in elemental magic, gaining access many powerful water spells not seen elsewhere in the world of Seven Gods, including the ability to magically control water and change its flow at their will.  Additionally, each one possesses the ability to sacrifice some of their own water, performing a sacred incantation and losing a portion of their own blood, exhaling it as a cloud of red dust. By doing this, they are able to further empower their own spells, those of their allies, or, if enough energy is so spent, be granted a minor miracle by their deity, allowing for such things as the prevention of a catastrophic flood, the parting of a sea, or the bringing of crop-saving rain to an entire city.

Karú, Mother Earth

Domains	Earth, The Hunt, Wildnerness
Tribe	The Awa-Naiira, whose name, in their own language, means “Walkers” are the tribe of the Earth Goddess, Karú.  They are a nomadic people who constantly traverse their homelands in their roving villages, constructed on platforms mounted atop the backs of tamed Titanosaurs  The grazing habits of their colossal mounts necessitate the constant pilgrimage from the edge of the great jungles to the foothills of the western mountains, south to the edges of the land, and back again in an endless cycle. Physically, the Awa-Naiira are rather striking.  They are among the shortest of stature and most lithe of frame of all the peoples of the Seven Tribes.  Most are of an olive complexion, bronzed by the sun of their homeland. Their hair is as dark as earth and their eyes are often a bright emerald green.  They favor simple styles of dress, with the most common garments being robes of linen or other plant fibers, dyed with two or three-colored patterns by the application of pigments derived from epiphytic orchids grown in planters aboard their platform dwellings. The society of the Awa-Naiira is perhaps the most egalitarian of all the Seven Tribes, with men and women often having the same general status in their society across all tribal communities.  Though in general, men tend to more often become hunters and builders, and women rear children and tend to the planters, such societal roles are not strictly restricted to one sex or the other, and either can become a chieftain, a shaman, or a rider.
Symbol	The Seismic Horn
Depiction	When depicted in physical form, Karú is most commonly represented as a single pair of eyes, one humanoid and one saurian, peering out from the mouth of the legendary cave in the Northern mountains where she is said to dwell.  She is also sometimes depicted as a truly colossal dinosaur, either a Carcharodontosaurine Theropod who every night eats the sun and every morning births it anew, and an enormous Titanosaurine Sauropod who bears the very world upon her back.
Sacred Animals	The animals held most sacred by the worshippers of Karú are those upon which her children’s very existence is based.  The slow, far-roaming Titanosaurs upon whose backs they dwell represent her creation, giving, and nurturing nature towards her children.  The mighty and terrifying Giganotosaurs which hunt all creatures great and small are the manifestations of Karú as the ravenous, eternally insatiably hungering queen of the hunt.  Finally, the horned Abelisaurs which the Awa-Naiira occasionally tame to guard their home herds and as mounts for hunting across the vast plains are the living proof of Karú’s desire to see her chosen tribe prosper as masters over all her creation.
Priests	The worship of Karú is directed by clergy who a shamanic tradition in which each tribal herd-community has between one and three active shamans at any given time.  When one’s time comes to be called upon to return to the un-creation of darkness and plentiful pleasant fruit, it is said that they will see a holy vision within the preceding month.  This vision will allow them to sense the presence of the spirit of Karú in a young tribe member, particularly a strong young man or woman who has tamed a particularly large or fierce Carnotaurine. The duties of a community’s shaman are that of an advisor to the chieftain, an overseer of regular rituals governing the building of homes and birthing of Titanosaurs, as well as the most sacred rites, such as those in which a weak young or frail old titanosaur may be sacrificed to appease Karú and provide food for her Giganotosaur offspring. Shamans of Karú are particularly adept in elemental Earth magic, being granted spells which may allow them to manipulate and shape the very ground to their will.  They are also masterful hunters and huntresses, with the preternatural ability to track and lure in potential prey. Each shaman is likewise endowed with the power to perform a ritual of thanks to Karú during any fruit harvest or kill of a hunted animal, blessing the life force which they and their tribe are about to consume, and allowing it to heal wounds, cure diseases, and grant those who eat food thus-blessed a supernatural fortitude in battle.  Finally, shamans of Karú possess a nearly God-like ability to either slay or tame creatures of truly prodigious size, such as their tribal mounts and the monstrous predators with which they share their homelands.

Šíra-gulu: The Crimson King

Domains	Fire, Innovation, Rebirth
Tribe	The Udneshash, dwellers of the Eastern deserts, volcanic peaks, and dune highlands of the vast, but largely inhospitable Eastern continent, are the chosen folk of Šíra-gulu.  Despite the striking beauty, but savage nature of the land they call home, the Udneshash not only survive, but prosper, as one of the most highly developed societies of the Seven Tribes.  The Udneshash build their mighty cities underground, within the domed peaks and “fairy chimneys” of long-extinct volcanoes near their landmass’ Western coast, and tunneled deep into the bedrock beneath the shifting sands and moving oases of the dune-sea known as the Grand Erg.  Much like the other similarly metropolitan Tribe, the Ehxtepetl, the Udneshash dwell in a patchwork of perpetually-warring city states. In their case, however, the Udneshash do not fight for religious reasons, but rather for territory, carefully-guarded technologies, and vital resources such as sources of water and the mysterious black rocks which they burn as fuel in their great furnaces. In physical appearance, the Udneshash are the most varied of the Seven Tribes, with a distinct dichotomy between the Eastern and Western branches of their Tribe.  Western Udneshash stand roughly a head shorter than members of most other Tribes, but are broader of frame and generally heavier than all but the Tammayasy. They are powerfully built and possessed of aquiline facial features, often possessing hooked noses, strong jaws, and, in males, thick beards.  They are dark of complexion to cope with the intense sun when venturing above the surface. Their hair is thick, tightly curled, and jet-black. They favor arranging it in elaborate ringlets bound with bands of gold and bronze which match the color of their bright amber eyes. They favor similarly adorned styles of dress, including fanciful, often somewhat revealing pleated robes with gold or bronze cloth woven into them in elaborate patterns.  Likewise they often make use of accessories, such as eyeglasses and mechanical chronometer pendants, which casually flaunt their technological prowess and ingenuity. The Eastern Udneshash tend to be shorter and leaner than their Western counterparts, likely owing to the nature of their deeper subterranean habitats.  They are often of an ashen, greyish complexion and possessed of silken hair of almost pure white, with eyes in shades of lavender and carmine. In dress, they favor simple robes and kilts of fungal fiber fabric, occasionally patterned with designs symbolic of their main business, upward mining to discern the locations of moving oases.  The one ostentatious aspect of their clothiery is their love of silver and gemstone jewelry, which even the lowliest of their common-folk wear in abundance.
Symbol	The Wreath of the Ever-flame
Depiction	Šíra-gulu is most often represented in the form of a great serpent, wreathed in flame and  with fangs of imperial topaz that shine like the brightest sunset, or a flame in the night.  The Crimson King may also be depicted as a flame itself, symbolizing the light of life and knowledge, burning bright to ward off the dark.
Sacred Animals	The Great Serpents of the desert are sacred to the Udneshash, as they represent the physical form most often attributed to Šíra-gulu, as well as the serpentine and wild nature of the flames that allow the great furnaces and marvels of innovation, which the Udneshash have created, to function.  Jackals are another animal sacred to Šíra-gulu, as their nature as pack animals is symbolic of the bonds of a city state, and their association with night and carrion serve as reminders that the flame of life and inspiration must constantly strive to remain lit. Finally, the mighty Therizinosaurs that dominate the roving oases on the Grand Erg are seen as defensive bastions in much the same way as the fortified cities of the Udneshash, as their formidable claws render them capable of defending themselves against even Great Serpents and Tarbosaurs.  Said Therizinosaurs may sometimes even be tamed by the Udneshash for use as livestock to drive mighty mills, or as shock units in battle.
Priests	Priests of Šíra-gulu are a secretive sect of Clerics who primarily perform their ritual duties behind the closed doors of underground temples, as well as one of the few structures which the Udneshash build on the surface, the Towers of Flame.  Priests, as most of the Udneshash, are pyrolatrists, devotees of the sacred flame, and the life and innovation which it produces. Clerics of Šíra-gulu are adept at the use of elemental fire magic, and can use their very breath to produce flame from nothing.  It is no wonder then, that members of other Tribes may refer to them as “fire-eaters” or “steambreathers.” Devotees of the Crimson King often specialize in one of two disciplines, that of protection or that of war.  Protector Fire-priests concern themselves with constant reflection and prayer within the towers of flame, studying and perfecting the arts of healing. With their power over elemental fire, they are able to stitch, seal, and cauterize wounds, to purge the corruption from lepers and those who have gone septic, and even precisely heat the bodies of the sick in such a way as to draw out and remove disease.  It has been said that the most powerful among them possess a power greater still, the ability to resurrect the dead in holy flames. War Priests of the Flame take a different path than Protectors, instead devoting themselves to the studious mastery of the destructive weaving of flames in battle.  Through intense study of doctrines perfected by the first of their kind, as well as endless experimentation, War Priests of the Flame are able to render their bodies nearly completely impervious to fire or the ill effects of excessive heat.  In addition to this, they possess the ability to shape flames into weapons of surgical precision and deadly power. The most senior War Priests of the Flame are even able to temporarily transform themselves into beings of living flame capable of reducing entire enemy armies to ash.

Tenring, Father Thunder

Domains	Air, Travel, Pastorialism
Tribe	The Tashtuur, a nomadic people native to the vast steppes and grassy plateaus of Tenring’s domain.  Moulded to the very image of the sky God, the Tashtuur are a people born of Elemental Air. Physically they are fair of complexion,  with dark, silken hair, and far lighter than their solid builds suggest. They well-adapted for both the cold of the steppes in winter and a life in the skies, which they traverse on the backs of their preferred mounts, giant Azhdarchid Pterosaurs.  The Tashtuur migrate on a yearly basis, travelling great distances to follow the massive reindeer herds they keep as livestock over their natural migratory routes.
Symbol	The Endless Knot
Depiction	Tenring is most often physically depicted as a mighty leopard made of clouds and the very stuff of the firmament.  Most of the Tashtuur simply regard him as an entirely formless metaphysical entity, instead favoring holy icons featuring motifs of Azhdarchids, reindeer, and horses.
Sacred Animals	Perhaps most sacred to Tenring are the Azhdarchid Pterosaurs in the saddles of which the Tashtuur make most of their existence.  These creatures, with their broad wings, capable of crossing the vast distances of some of the world’s largest empty spaces are seen as the physical children of Tenring, and thus are respected and revered as Gods themselves by the Tribe which keeps them as mounts.  Additionally, the reindeer which form the herds of the Tashtuur are seen as symbol of abundance and plenty in the world. Their vast herds, often numbering in the tens of thousands, represent the eternal cycle by which the world is bound, the constant migration from the lowlands to the highlands with the season, then back again, as embodied by the symbol of the Endless Knot.  Finally, the Cloud Leopards that dwell upon the high steppes and mountain passes of the lands of Tenring’s creation, are themselves a symbol of the freedom and strong will of the Tashtuur, a people on the wing, untamed and unrestrained like the mighty cats. It is for this reason that the most popular musical instrument of the Tashtuur, a type of two-stringed fiddle, often features as carved peg-box in the shape of a Cloud Leopard.
Priests	True Priests of Tenring are rare among the Tashtuur, and for good reason.  Many communities will contain one or more healers or shamans to perform daily rites such as marriage or the treatment of disease, but these are merely initiates.  To truly attain the status of a Cleric of Tenring is a process which many consider dreadful, yet natural, like the decay of a reindeer carcass from what was once a vibrant living creature into a pile of sun-bleached bones. When an initiate of the faith nears the end of their natural longevity, they may choose to pass peacefully into the after-world, or they may instead elect to take on the mantle of a full Priest.  In order to do so, they participate in a form of ritual suicide. First, they are given a great feast where they are celebrated by their entire clan for their bravery and self-sacrifice. Then, they are borne by their physically strongest living relative, or a clan leader in the absence of such a relative, to the peak of one of Tenring’s five sacred mountains.  Once there, they are left to sit and meditate, slowly releasing all earthly desires and ambitions and freeing themselves from being a burden on their clan. Eventually, their physical bodies will die of exposure, yet their souls will be bound by the elemental air of Tenring’s will, and they will arise again as a Priest. It is for this reason that Priests of Tenring are so rare, and most often live as hermits upon the steppes.  To look upon, they are shriveled husks of revenants, and even their speech is that of howling wind. If they dwelled within a clan they would likely prove too frightening in their mere presence to be of as much use. Instead, they roam far and wide, only visiting the yurts of a Tashtuur clan when the need is great for their works.  In such times of crisis, they may make use of their truly awesome power. A Priest of Tenring is, by nature, highly powerful even from the beginning, and all possess a control over their element which is completely unrivaled among any of the Seven Tribes.  Priests of Tenring are able to replicate any sound they have heard before as a clear facsimile, and may carry their own voices over the wind for miles to communicate with each other. In addition, they are one of the few magic users of any kind with the ability of unfettered flight.  Many Priests of Tenring are indeed neutrally buoyant in air, and may rise and fall on its currents, effortlessly translating their position across the world instead of being bound to walk or ride upon flying mounts like their kin-folk. Finally, what some consider the greatest and most terrible ability of an Air Priest, and one which even the most devoted worshippers of Tenring deny possessing in order to stave off those who would seek to learn it, is the ability to instantly take a life by ripping all the oxygen from a creature’s blood.  This ability is meant only to be used for acts of mercy, and thus great efforts are taken by most Air Priests in order to preserve its secret and prevent it from being learned by those who would use it maliciously. Occasionally, however, a Priest of Tenring may become corrupted, and in such cases entire kingdoms need beware...

Dashma, The Golden Note

Domains	Æther, Balance, Light
Tribe	The Dhorjjing, the chosen folk of Dashma, make their homes atop the highest mountains in the world of the Seven Gods.  In their homelands upon the “roof of the world” the Dhorjing dwell in isolated communities of stacked dwellings and narrow alleys, conically arranged and centered around a monastery wherein dwell the Clergy of Dashma.  The Dhorjing are unique in that, while only select members of their society may become Clerics of Dashma, nearly all members of society are in some way involved in worship and meditation on the concept of Dashma. Physically, the Dhorjing are small, lithe, and possess little body hair.  Though naturally pale, they are often slightly golden in complexion due to the high levels of caroteinoid pigments in the mountain fruit, stream fish, and red rice, which in addition to the meat and milk of Great Mountain Yaks make up the majority of their diet.  Their eyes tend to be uniformly brown, and their hair is dark and straight. They tend to dress in plain robes dyed in shades sunset tones. Women tend to wear their hair long and unbound, or tied with simple cord, and it is customary for men to shave their heads either completely, or to retain a single short, simple braided queue.
Symbol	The Ætherial Lotus
Depiction	Dashma is never considered as a humanoid being, and rarely even represented as a physical entity.  When this is done, Dashma is typically drawn as a simple ring of three concentric circles, occasionally mantled or surrounded by stylized depictions of lightning bolts or Sky Dragon wings.
Sacred Animals	The animals sacred to Dashma are the Great Mountain Yaks whose meat and milk provide food for Dashma’s chosen people, the Golden Lemurs whose curiosity and jovial nature symbolize the path to attaining enlightenment, and the giant, Accipitriform, Sky Dragons whose ferocity represents the tenacity of the Dhorjing to defend their homeland should it be threatened.  The harmonious existence of all three in the ecology of the high mountains in which the Dhorjing dwell is, to them, symbolic of the balanced nature that one should seek out in one’s own existence in order to achieve enlightenment.
Priests	One does not become a Monk or Nun of Dashma by chance.  One is born into the role, as all clerics among the Dhorjing are themselves the reincarnated forms of those who came before.  So the cycle continues, broken only when a cleric reaches enlightenment and their soul becomes one with the being of Dashma. When this occurs, Dashma is said to bring forth a new soul into the world, and a particularly virtuous lay-person shall then be reincarnated as a new monk. Monks of Dashma typically dress in silken robes in shades of red, yellow, and orange, holy colors inspired by the sunrises and sunsets as they are visible from the Dhorjing’s mountaintop homes. Through tireless meditation on the ways of, and their place in, the vastness of the cosmos, Monks and Nuns of Dashma become one with the liminal passages between realms.  As such, they are able to utter a mantra of the Golden Note, and in so-doing render themselves, for a time, ethereal and immaterial. While in this incorporeal state they are able to maneuver through otherwise impassable spaces and even through solid barriers.  In the rare occasions that the highly pacifist Dhorjing are involved in a battle, this ability can be used to great effect, especially combined with the other great ability of Clerics of Dashma, the ability to synthesize novel materials from the very stuff of the universe.  Many of such rare battles has been turned by the sudden appearance, behind enemy lines, of a few Monks and Nuns of Dashma and a small multitude of recently-created falling stars...

Mbo’yai, the Howling Void

Domains	Void, Duality, Darkness
Tribe	The Tammayasy, dwellers of mountain ridges, extremely arid deserts, and lowland jungles beneath them on the Western edge of the world, are the chosen folk of Mbo’yai.  Making their homes in perhaps the most expansive territory of all the non-nomadic peoples of the Seven Tribes, the Tammayasy connect their mountaintop enclaves, jungle cave cities, and isolated desert outposts with a network of roads which is seen nowhere else in the world of the Seven Gods. The Tammayasy are an industrious people whose unique homeland allows them to grow perhaps the widest varieties of crops of all the Seven Tribes, cultivating jungle fruits and cave fungi at low altitudes, stimulating stone fruits and richly nutritious tubers at high altitudes, and sweetly intoxicating cacti in their desert borderlands.  Additionally, their use of giant ground sloths as battle-mounts and construction equipment allows them to create impressive feats of cyclopean architecture, and to defend their cities against the many monstrous creatures that inhabit their wild homelands. Physically, the Tammayasy are perhaps the largest of the Seven Tribes, tall and stocky with strong builds, angular facial features, and a natural posture conducive to resting in a deep squatting position so as to conserve body heat.  Their skin is known to be comparatively more waterproof than that of any other Tribe, and their complexion ranges from a dark bronze in lower altitude inland areas to so pale as to be nearly translucent in the uplands and coastal regions.  Most possess thick, straight hair of a dark brown or black and eyes of a pale blue-grey. Most are striking to look upon, as their natural climate resistance means that many eschew most clothing despite the often inhospitable cold or heat of their homeland.  What clothing they do wear is typically dyed with fanciful black and white patterns depicting motifs of animal spirits. Additionally, many Tammayasy tattoo themselves, typically on their arms, legs, shoulders, and backs with elaborate geometrical pictograms.  The tattoos often represent one’s heritage, and tell the story of one’s life, or that of their family group. The Tammayasy likewise favor simple jewelry made from particular metals and stones symbolic to one’s personal ancestry.
Symbol	The Root of Darkness
Depiction	Mbo’yai is, like Dashma and Taiikjos, often regarded as more of an abstract concept than a specific entity.  When depicted in physical form, Mbo’yai is usually shown as a monstrous creature combining the features of its three sacred animals, with the powerful clawed arms of a Giant Ground Sloth, the body of a mighty Deep Dragon, and the barbed tail of one of the Darkwater Stingrays that dwell in the Western rivers
Sacred Animals	The Giant Ground Sloths which the Tammayasy have domesticated to aid in construction and as mounts in battle are sacred to Mbo’yai as one aspect of the God’s attributed physical form.  In particular, they represent the idea that all of creation was born from nothing, and are often seen as a symbol of security and fertility. To encounter one crossing one’s path in the wild is seen as a sign of a coming good harvest.  The Darkwater Stingrays, which dwell in the Western rivers of the otherwise driest deserts of the World of the Seven Gods, are likewise sacred to Mbo’yai. They, with their poisoned barbs and tendency to adhere to the riverbed if hooked by fishermen, symbolize the pervasive and inescapable nature of oblivion in the lands of the Tammayasy.  The reminder that everything is of the void, and will return to the void, is one of the core tenets of the worship of Mbo’yai. In addition, the respected and feared Osteoglossiform Deep Dragons that dwell throughout the lands of Mbo’yai’s creation are seen as the ultimate symbol of the incalculable power of the Howling Void. In particular, their favored hunting tactic of inhaling to draw prey in from the surface of the water is often used as a metaphor for the tendency of things created to return to  un-creation at the least expected moments.
Priests	Priests of Mbo’yai are, like those of Tenring, revered by society, but rarely seen within it.  The title of Priesthood is one acquired by birth, in a manner of speaking. When an otherwise healthy child is stillborn within a community, Priests will be summoned to perform a ritual in which the soul of one who was taken before their time can be bound to the body, and thus the child given life, to be raised into the Clergy by its members.  As such, Priests of Mbo’yai can be said to have the power to raise the dead. It is, however, unlike the rebirth by flame that the most powerful Fire Priests are said to possess, in that it is not a true resurrection. Instead, it may only be performed on stillborn children or those whose souls returned to the void before a great task was accomplished.  The result is a purpose-driven revenant whose soul will return to peaceful oblivion once their task is accomplished, or, in the case of a priest, when they have performed a number of such rituals deemed appropriate by the Howling Void itself. When not performing the ritual of creating Void-touched Priests, Clerics of Mbo’yai often prefer to remain within their Spirit Lodges on the outskirts of Tammayasy society.  It is there that they ponder the great questions of the world, and make offerings to their God, often in the form of food sacrifices given to places where Deep Dragons are known to dwell. In addition to the power of life-giving, Priests of Mbo’yai are the foremost astral projectors of the Seven Tribes.  What Priests of Tenring and Monks of Dashma possess in power to navigate the skies and land, Priests of Mbo’yai do with the power to traverse the vast and unknowable vistas of the void, the stars, and other planes. In battle, Priests of Mbo’yai are rarely physically present, instead remaining within their spirit lodge and performing the necessary rituals to project manifestations of themselves onto the field or to summon unknowable eldritch things from beyond creation.

Taiikjos, Old Man Time

Domains	Time, Dreams, Revelry
Tribe	The Aiikari, dwellers alone, masters of time, who make their homes in the far and isolated northern reaches among the boreal forests and primordial swamps, are the chosen folk of Taiikjos.  Old Man TIme’s creation is a land untouched by the ravages of much of the world’s catastrophes, and a land preserved by its inhabitants. The Aiikari themselves are known, by all those who encounter them, to be a jovial and jocular people, completely unburdened by many of the stresses of the world.  They are seen as the very epitome of a blissfully insular folk who live in the moment and do not concern themselves with the wicked ways of the world. Physically, the Aiikari are average to tall of stature, broad of frame and strongly built, a hardy folk of rosy and sometime sunburnt complexion due to their habits of cavorting about their northerly home, and their practice of steam bathing and lake swimming.  Nearly all of them possess eyes like sapphires, and those who don’t share the same dark brown eyes as many of the Seven Tribes, leading some to assume relation. They prefer to dress in warm woolen garments, often decorated with motifs of trees, birds, and sometimes odd creatures not seen alive for thousands, or even millions of years.  Adult Aiikari men are almost never without their trademark personal knives, made of patterned steel and handled with antler and birch bark. Women are known to carry similar blades, usually combined with bone combs or mushroom brushes, and typically appointed with polished fish bones. The majority of the Aiikari practice craft-related professions, such as blade smiths, woodworkers, scrimshanders, or brewers.  Whether this is due to their homeland’s natural abundance of fish, berries, pine nuts, and wooly oxen truly reducing the burden of food production, or merely a cultural appreciation of such trades is not fully known.
Symbol	The Token of Time
Depiction	Taiikjos, despite being known as Old Man Time, is rarely depicted in physical form.  Most representations of Taiikjos typically take the form of the Solar symbol known as the Token of Time, or of a stylized harp or zither made from the jawbone of a pike of great size.
Sacred Animals	The three most revered animals in the homeland of the Aiikari are those which are considered sacred to Taiikjos.  The Great Grey Owlbear, a larger version of a common woodland creature, is seen as representing the isolated nature of the lands in which the Aiikari dwell, with its omnivorous diet and opportunistic hunting habits being seen as symbolic of their own culture’s in-the-moment attitude.  The strange Avian Dragonic beasts known as Heron-Hydras are thought to be a creature of the future world, which Old man Time has allowed to be manifest into this world as a reminder of the place of the Aiikari in the endless cyclical procession of time. The truly Titanic Pike which inhabit many of the lakes of the lands of Taiikjos’ Creation, not seen elsewhere in the world for millennia, are thus viewed as creatures of the past, returned and restored to this world by the will of time.
Priests	Shamans of Taiikjos are neither created nor destroyed.  There are a finite number of them, and their identities rarely ever change.  All often appear as aged and wise individuals, though as manifestations of the will of time itself, they never actually age.  To be a Shaman of Taiikjos is to exist throughout time simultaneously, and to use the powers of a magic drum to travel through the eons in a persistent trance, learning the secrets of the past, present, and future, and using them to benefit your people.  A Shaman in Aiikari society is a celebrated hero, the subject of songs, and a central fixture in most communities. Should one ever be so stupid as to attempt to fight a Shaman of Taiikjos, one should be prepared for such devastating manifestations of power as being slapped back into childhood, literally blown to the stone age, or to be on the receiving end of a song, sung so powerfully that the target may be physically flung into a nearby swamp.  Fortunately, a Shaman of Taiikjos is, by nature, not possessed with a desire to meddle in the affairs of most, and instead of lethal force, will most often opt for a strategy which simply removes an aggressor in such a way that they will not return, and the Shaman and their community may return to crafting, eating, drinking, and lighting the cold wintry nights with story and song...

So there you have it, a mini-setting geared around the Seven Gods and Seven Tribes of my designed pantheon, built from scratch over the course of a (very busy) month. Feel free to drop a comment below if you enjoyed this and want to see a whole series of posts about this world. If anyone wants to vote for their favorite Tribe, a coming post may well be a deeper dive into more detail about one of them, with more information on their society, way of life, and maybe even 5e stats. Either way, hopefully there's some useful idea in here that you may want to mine for your own settings and games.

As always, may your spirit path lead you ever onward to adventure.

-Armstrong