Terasil: Difference between revisions

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The biodiversity of Terasil reflects its elemental alignment and geological age. Its ecosystems are home to resilient species adapted to rocky, mineral-rich environments. Life forms range from surface-dwelling herbivores to deep-dwelling predators, with many possessing unique traits influenced by the realm’s spiritual energies.

|Inhabitants=* Orasians~~: Ancient~~ beings formed from conscious ~~earthen matter~~. ~~Initially colossal~~ in form, ~~many have diminished in size over time due~~ to ~~elemental exposure. Legends speak~~ of ~~remaining giants hidden deep within~~ the ~~mountains~~.

|Inhabitants==== Orasians ===

* Duranthi:

The Orasians are ancient beings formed from conscious stone during the earliest moments of Terasil’s creation. Originally vast and immobile, their earliest forms were mountain-sized intelligences that communicated through seismic resonance and subterranean vibration. As Terasil’s environment evolved—shaped by erosion and the incursion of other elemental forces—most Orasians receded from the surface or diminished in form. Today, only a few are known to persist, believed to be embedded within the deepest chambers of the [[Citadel Mountains]], still maintaining spiritual cohesion but rarely, if ever, interacting directly with mortals.

* Minthari: A younger population descended ~~from spirits~~ of ~~greed~~. ~~Though originally driven~~ by ~~acquisitiveness~~, their ~~culture evolved~~ to ~~prioritize craftsmanship~~ and ~~community~~.

Culturally, Orasians are revered but distant. They are considered the original record-bearers, their thoughts and memory embedded into the stone around them. Rituals invoking their presence are rare and solemn, typically led by [[Duranthi]] elders and only undertaken at sites where seismic stillness is preserved.

~~Culture:~~ Minthari ~~life revolves around~~ mobility, ~~mining~~, and artisan traditions. While ~~cautious of~~ the ~~deeper realm~~, they ~~maintain~~ a ~~working relationship with~~ the ~~Orasians through trade~~ and ~~negotiation~~.

=== Duranthi ===

The Duranthi are a human-descended people native to the high valleys, ridge cities, and plateaus of central Terasil. Shaped by prolonged exposure to memory-rich stone and the spiritual influence of the Ascended Spirit Varunel, the Duranthi are marked by their stone-hardened skin, high endurance, and cultural dedication to remembrance and ritualized continuity.

Duranthi society is organized around lineage, historical accuracy, and civic restraint. Memory is formalized through vocal rites, stone carving, and structured reenactment. Social advancement is not tied to wealth or conquest, but to custodianship of preserved truth. Elder-recorders serve as living repositories, and archival oaths are taken upon reaching civic maturity. Among all peoples of Orethil, the Duranthi are considered the most attuned to spiritual inertia and the weight of the past.

Their settlements often align with geological formations believed to resonate with ancient truths—such as faultlines, memory-terraces, or echo caverns. Even everyday tools, dwellings, and paths are inscribed to function as living documents. Change, though not forbidden, is always processed through ritual context.

=== Minthari ===

The Minthari are a subterranean people whose origins trace to human lineages spiritually altered by compact with lesser spirits of ambition and desire. Initially drawn to Terasil for its mineral wealth, the Minthari developed a deep kinship with stone—not as a vessel for memory, but as a medium of transformation, extraction, and refinement.

Over time, their culture matured from acquisitive independence to one centered on mobility, craft, and spiritual containment. Today, Minthari society is marked by artisan traditions, decentralized governance, and a high value placed on negotiation, both economic and spiritual. The Minthari maintain a network of underground towns, trade outposts, and vaults woven into the Deep Roads, and serve as the realm’s primary facilitators of movement and exchange.

While they are more adaptive than the Duranthi, they share a mutual respect for structured process. Trade between the two groups is often bound by multi-generational accords and ritualized forms of record, overseen by neutral tonekeepers or archive liaisons.

|Native Spirits=Spiritual life in Terasil is shaped by a complex hierarchy of native spirits, each reflecting the elemental nature of the realm and its enduring connection to the [[primordial spirit]] Oras. These spirits range from minor, recently-formed presences to ancient entities embedded in the cultural memory of its inhabitants.

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 The biodiversity of Terasil reflects its elemental alignment and geological age. Its ecosystems are home to resilient species adapted to rocky, mineral-rich environments. Life forms range from surface-dwelling herbivores to deep-dwelling predators, with many possessing unique traits influenced by the realm’s spiritual energies.
-|Inhabitants=* Orasians: Ancient beings formed from conscious earthen matter. Initially colossal in form, many have diminished in size over time due to elemental exposure. Legends speak of remaining giants hidden deep within the mountains.
+|Inhabitants==== Orasians ===
-* Duranthi:
+The Orasians are ancient beings formed from conscious stone during the earliest moments of Terasil’s creation. Originally vast and immobile, their earliest forms were mountain-sized intelligences that communicated through seismic resonance and subterranean vibration. As Terasil’s environment evolved—shaped by erosion and the incursion of other elemental forces—most Orasians receded from the surface or diminished in form. Today, only a few are known to persist, believed to be embedded within the deepest chambers of the [[Citadel Mountains]], still maintaining spiritual cohesion but rarely, if ever, interacting directly with mortals.
-* Minthari: A younger population descended from spirits of greed. Though originally driven by acquisitiveness, their culture evolved to prioritize craftsmanship and community.
+Culturally, Orasians are revered but distant. They are considered the original record-bearers, their thoughts and memory embedded into the stone around them. Rituals invoking their presence are rare and solemn, typically led by [[Duranthi]] elders and only undertaken at sites where seismic stillness is preserved.
-  Culture: Minthari life revolves around mobility, mining, and artisan traditions. While cautious of the deeper realm, they maintain a working relationship with the Orasians through trade and negotiation.
+=== Duranthi ===
+The Duranthi are a human-descended people native to the high valleys, ridge cities, and plateaus of central Terasil. Shaped by prolonged exposure to memory-rich stone and the spiritual influence of the Ascended Spirit Varunel, the Duranthi are marked by their stone-hardened skin, high endurance, and cultural dedication to remembrance and ritualized continuity.
+Duranthi society is organized around lineage, historical accuracy, and civic restraint. Memory is formalized through vocal rites, stone carving, and structured reenactment. Social advancement is not tied to wealth or conquest, but to custodianship of preserved truth. Elder-recorders serve as living repositories, and archival oaths are taken upon reaching civic maturity. Among all peoples of Orethil, the Duranthi are considered the most attuned to spiritual inertia and the weight of the past.
+Their settlements often align with geological formations believed to resonate with ancient truths—such as faultlines, memory-terraces, or echo caverns. Even everyday tools, dwellings, and paths are inscribed to function as living documents. Change, though not forbidden, is always processed through ritual context.
+=== Minthari ===
+The Minthari are a subterranean people whose origins trace to human lineages spiritually altered by compact with lesser spirits of ambition and desire. Initially drawn to Terasil for its mineral wealth, the Minthari developed a deep kinship with stone—not as a vessel for memory, but as a medium of transformation, extraction, and refinement.
+Over time, their culture matured from acquisitive independence to one centered on mobility, craft, and spiritual containment. Today, Minthari society is marked by artisan traditions, decentralized governance, and a high value placed on negotiation, both economic and spiritual. The Minthari maintain a network of underground towns, trade outposts, and vaults woven into the Deep Roads, and serve as the realm’s primary facilitators of movement and exchange.
+While they are more adaptive than the Duranthi, they share a mutual respect for structured process. Trade between the two groups is often bound by multi-generational accords and ritualized forms of record, overseen by neutral tonekeepers or archive liaisons.
 |Native Spirits=Spiritual life in Terasil is shaped by a complex hierarchy of native spirits, each reflecting the elemental nature of the realm and its enduring connection to the [[primordial spirit]] Oras. These spirits range from minor, recently-formed presences to ancient entities embedded in the cultural memory of its inhabitants.