The majority of play on the Sharteshane BBS takes place in the country of Sharteshane, of course, and usually in the city of Hanghorse. Before attempting to play in this setting, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with it.

SHARTESHANE'S HISTORY
The country of Sharteshane is a tall, thin stretch of land on the eastern coast of the Kasslyne continent. Its northern borders are overrun with ancient, tightly-packed petrified woods, and its southern are shaped by the northern spoke of the jutting Bicorn inlet. These natural fortifications have protected the country since its formation 1200 years ago, after the war of the Twenty-One Tribes. The spoils snatched up by one of the less ambitious tyrants vying for domination of the Kasslyne continent back then, Sharteshane was dismissed as a worthless spit of land by most, situated as it is largely on volcanic rock with few arable fields to its name. Even timber is hard to come by due to the unique properties of the soil which petrify the great majority of its vegetation. A harsh climate produces thick snowfalls by winter and little rain in the summer months. Despite all of these shortcomings and many more, Sharteshane has prospered over the years thanks to the wiles of its succession of clever kings.

Capitalizing on rich fishing and whaling grounds just off the coast, dozens of fishing villages cropped up on the rocky shores of Sharteshane and a lucrative trade of oils, salted fish, whalebone, ambergris, and sundry sea gifts was struck up with the surrounding countries. Although Sharteshane has long had to rely upon its neighbours' exported grain, its unique cattle - bred to thrive on fungus in the lichen fields to the southwest - made beef a cheap luxury and further bolstered the country's wealth. It was this burgeoning economy that first attracted the Gefendur worshippers from the north, fleeing religious persecution and finding freedom in this harsh, but promising land. Unlike many of the thirteen countries of Kasslyne, Sharteshane's kings never aligned themselves with the pair of divine Twins worshipped by the rest of the land. These four gods - twin brothers and twin sisters - created the world in the belly of the dominent deity, Yerta, the Eldest Sister. Many sects of the Gefendur faith exist on the Kasslyne continent, but it was the Sororal sect that came to Sharteshane a thousand years ago, focusing on Yerta and her darker sibling, the rebellious Tirna, the Youngest Sister, who it's said jealously despised the new man-pets of her brothers and sister and tried to feed Yerta leaves from the soft-eye plants to kill the life in her womb.

TAWHOQUE (tah-HOKE)
About a millenium ago, in the lower quarter of Sharteshane, the Gefendur capitol of Tawhoque gradually arose. Tawhoque once stretched for miles and was lauded throughout Kasslyne as a miracle of modern engineering. Carved of stone from the great quarries near the Bicorn or shaped of the impossibly sturdy stone trunks of the petrified tarnet trees, half the city existed belowground in massive caverns scooped out of the diamond-hard volcanic earth. Lighting this endless network of chambers were the waters from a lambent spring located deep beneath Tawhoque, a source of "lambence" - potable water naturally infused with a luminescence. Advanced Hydrotechnology has been a specialty of Sharteshane's engineers since the country's inception; Tawhoque's lambent waters were pumped through the subterranean neighbourhoods by an extraordinary plumbing system, and lifts and unwieldy gates were driven as if with magick by the harnessed pressure from the welling, endless springs. Lambence has always been a source of scholarly speculation, and mages naturally established schools and workshops in Tawhoque, populating the city with huge numbers of masters and aspirants both. However, it was the Gefendur inhabitance that labelled the city a sacred centre, and Tawhoque became the uncontested mecca of the national faith.

Seven-hundred years ago, the Gefendur Temple of the Sisters was built upon a manmade island a quarter mile off Tawhoque's shore. The sea, of course, holds a special significance to the people of Sharteshane and their method of worship has always reflected this reverence towards that maternal, heaving blue. It was doctrine that temples always be islands surrounded by at least a hundred feet of water but it was this extravegantly constructed Temple of Tawhoque that brought pilgrims in droves to behold a miraculous feat of craftsmanship: Built entirely of tarnet stone, the temple loomed into the sky like one of Baelar's legs, glittering with thick seaglass lain with yellow amber and the opulant blue sap of the soft-eye plant - lethally poisonous in its liquid form, this sap dries into a durable, translucent substance, and of course holds special meaning to Gefendur that know their scripture.

One-hundred twenty-three ago, Sharteshane found itself at war with unscrupulous Rachshane to the west over control of a few choice island colonies off the coast. Despite the unspoken rules of magical engagement and a long-established continental treaty, Rachshane employed the use of terramancers in its attacks upon the coastal nation. In a cataclysmic maneuver, a troupe of terramancers breached the border and worked their way to the legendary city of Tawhoque. They were discovered long before they were in range and their escorts slaughtered, but a trio of mages managed to don glamours and stow themselves in a weapons cart where they were, unwittingly, rolled right through the gates. Magically raising the acidic content of the lambence that flowed through the city, it was only a few days before the stone supports that separated top from bottom collapsed - the entire upper section of Tawhoque plummetted through the earth and onto the subterranean neighbourhoods, killing thousands of innocent people. The few survivors fled and the marvellous city was abandoned to the ghosts.

Sharteshane lost the war but a few decades later, Rachshane was conquered by Hanret, to the south, and the stolen colonies were sneakily reclaimed in exchange for a yearly tribute. Nothing could replace all that was lost with Tawhoque however, and in the last one-hundred years since the city crumbled, Sharteshane's prosperity has seemed tempered with misfortune.

HANGHORSE
After Tawhoque became a profaned and haunted place that even grave-robbers wouldn't touch, pirates saw opportunity in its sheltered harbour and well-preserved docks and wharf. These pirates cruised the rich trade routes off the coast and islands, and found Tawhoque a convenient place to lay when on the run from the Sharteshane navy patrols which very much enjoyed routing out the pirate menace. To cater to the freebooters, forethinking mercers traveled to the ruins, opening taverns, boarding houses, restaurants, and saucy brothels. Only a few decades after the last scream had died beneath ruined Tawhoque, a new and thriving village was born atop the mass grave. The infamous Hanghorse clan (they kept a fresh equine carcass strung over their bowsprit as a figurehead) were the predominent crewe in the new harbour for years and because of it, the village adopted their dubious name as its own.

Over the years, a slow but steady stream of scholars and worshippers have trickled into Hanghorse, attracted by studies of Tawhoque both scientifically and spiritually prompted. Seventy years ago, the King sent the first governor to the reincarned city and declared it a royal property, as all "official" cities of Sharteshane must be deemed. As a property, it is under the military aegis of the nation, is ruled by a governor that reports directly to the King biannually, and boasts a city militia under the direct command of a governor-appointed captain - all supported through tariffs set on exports and a monthly property and berthing tax. Although church and state have always been carefully separated, in Hanghorse it seems the Gefendur order holds more sway than the governor or the thoroughly-bribed militia. From their lofty tower at the fringe of the city, the Eye of Redemption - a zealous, militant Gefendur cult - work to preserve the underground ruins of Tawhoque from treasure seekers and the curious, and to uphold the purity and balance so sacred to the truly devout. They might claim that the glorious city's downfall was its own fault for declaring themselves independant from the Twinned gods.
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THE GEFENDUR RELIGION - CREATION and the PLAN
The Gefendur Scriptures tell us that beyond the heavens and deep enough into the earth flows the blood of the Eldest Sister, the Mother, Yerta. This living plane we toil and struggle through is one held lovingly in her womb. All knowledge here is breathed of her breath. The salt oceans are the amniotic fluid suspending all life. It is not until we die that we are "born", released into the Nothing, the Outside, the place apart from this womb where answers and truths are not obscured by the belly of a well-meaning Mother.

In the beginning, existence was a nothingness of emotional states called the Keening, all swirling and battling with each other in a bubbling, caustic miasma. Eventually the lighter states such as happiness and benevolence ascended, while the heavier states, anger, hatred, and envy, settled into a plateau. In the middle space, the trailing strands of emotion commingled and four balanced beings came into existence simultaneously - the four gods, twinned boys and twinned girls. These four entities became the shapers and movers of this formless world, fashioning the unbound emotions into elements and materials full of power. Their own incorporeal forms were found to be inadequate distractions and so they crafted for themselves the finest flesh in a multitude of shapes. They were felines at first, then canines, then equines, then raptors, and finally they discovered the human form and were pleased enough to say no other shape was more perfect. Tangible then, able to touch and feel, the void of Nothing lost its appeal. Play-battles ensued, ephemeral affairs, that one day culminated in the Eldest Sister's capture by her Eldest Brother, Riv. Planting his seed within her, he watched as she began in her womb to Create the reality of what they had only fancied, a place of chaos vying with harmony, of change, beginnings, endings, and beauty. Thus the world of men was nurtured in her belly. The Eldest Sister, supreme among her siblings, the wisest and fairest of the four, said, Brothers, you reign this Outside world and watch over those worthy to join us and those unworthy whom you shall destroy.

In their millenia of warring, the gods had spawned divers new emotions and in this plane where states were made tangible through will, these emotions manifested into beasts both horrific and beautiful that stalked "Heaven" in an eternal hunt. The Twins control these monsters by feeding them the souls of those dead that exhibit an excess of emotion - wrathful men, recklessly blithe women, the hateful, the warmongering, etc. - while those ambivalent souls who have kept themselves pure by balancing their emotions are shepherded into a Second World that coexists with the ethereal plane. This place is a parody of reality. There is no second death here, no suffering, no chaos, and the souls of the dead live out new lives for as long as they wish, absorbing new knowledge, until they are ready to leave this "protected" land and rejoin the gods in the more dangerous ethereal plane. Very few souls are strong enough to reach this final state of mind - most lose focus, strength of purpose, will, and drive - and fade peacefully into oblivion during their time in the Second World. These "completed" souls as they're called, are harvested by the Twins and fed back into Yerta, to create new life in the living world. The dead that desire it and prove worthy of the reward with faith unwavering and patience perfected, join the gods in the ethereal plane as Saints, avatars of emotion, or lesser deities that return to the womb to aid the less enlightened.

Yerta's perfect plan did not suit the Youngest Sister, Tirna, and she protested giving their attention to these small insignificances of flesh. To her surprise and dismay, in the midst of her strenuous disagreements, Tirna was devoured by the Eldest Sister who, because she is the wisest of the four, understood that Tirna's arrogance and selfishness would best be conquered by her witnessing first-hand the arrogance and selflessness of these imperfect men. The Youngest Sister found herself scattered in the world-womb and after that decision, her spirit remained forever apart, longing for a home in whatever man-shapes she encountered. It is because of her longing to understand man and her siblings, that prophets are born into the world, possessed of her divine spirit and able to communicate with the gods; to hear the Mother and know her wisdom.

THE GEFENDUR RELIGION - PRACTISE
The greatest virtue to the Gefendur is equanimity. Allowing yourself to be conquered by your emotions vitiates the power of the thinking mind and the functioning body. Meditation is a common practise among the Clergy and so is the use of particular herbs, smoked in order to obtain an unflappable, mellow state of consciousness. Purity of body and mind are vital to achieve the Gods' favour. Because of this, half-breeds and certain "unclean" races are persecuted and even hunted down and slaughtered by devout Gefendur warrior-priests. Despite the various interpretations of the four Gods that are scattered throughout the thirteen countries of the Kasslyne continent, there is not a lot of tolerence for other faiths in the Gefendur Church. Mere verbal spatting between the faiths has escalated to all out holy war more than once in the past.

The first two days of the week are reserved for worship - Sunday for the sisters and Monday for the brothers. Two hour services at dawn each of these days consist of prayer and song, a sermon from the presiding priest, and the sacrifice of different creatures and foodstuffs depending on the time of year. At least once a year, typically on Yerta's feast day celebrated at the beginning of spring, the highest clergy of the diocese gather to sacrifice a prepared twin to Tirna, to appease her dislike of humanity and prevent her from coaxing capricious Nature towards drought, flood, or pestilance. The act is symbolic of the Eldest Sister's deglutition of her younger sibling, and it is customary for the attending clergy to partake of the sacrifice's flesh before the body is committed to flames. These sacrifices are not bloody ceremonies. The twin is a willing offering having been taught all his/her life of the glory of the deed; he/she is poisoned with plant extracts after a week of celebration and his/her body almost immediately burned. This traditional practise has come under harsh criticism in recent years, but the sacrifice is still strictly performed and the public ritual is always extremely well-attended.

It should come as no surprise that twins are sacred in the Gefendur faith. Regardless of their station, newborn twins are taken from their family to be raised in a Temple. Both are educated in the faith and the eldest is prepared for a life in the priesthood while the youngest is taught the meaning of sacrifice and prepared for the glorious day he/she is offered to the holy Twins. Only a twin can receive Tirna's 'gift' of prophesy and only twins can hold the highest positions in the Church.

THE GEFENDUR RELIGION - THE TWINS

• Yerta the Eldest Sister
  The mother goddess, who nurtures the living world in her womb. She is recognised as the wisest and most benevolent of the four. In most stories from Scripture, her manner is harsh but she always acts in the best interest of mankind. It is usually accepted that she possesses foresight although in some stories she is said to have a pet fawn so fleet of feet that it has travelled to the end of time and back and it whispers the future in her ear.
  Yerta is associated with childbirth, childrearing, the earth, plantlife, wild animals, and death.

• Tirna the Youngest Sister
  The reckless goddess, the child, who is closer to mankind than any of the other gods. She is considered an "imperfect deity", an aberration, but still above the earth-crawling children in Yerta's womb. She is not evil, but imperfect, and is seen as a sort of bridge between the terrestrial and the celestial. Tirna was -murderously- displeased with the decree of her sister and tried to feed Yerta leaves from the soft-eye plant to kill the life in her womb. The plot was foiled of course, and Yerta devoured her sister instead, banishing her to her belly and the mortal world within. Ever since, Tirna has longed to appease her siblings once again and turned her attentions to aiding mortals. She possesses chosen prophets, gifting them with foresight, strength, and certain magical powers. These prophets are culled from among mortal twins, but even those twins born without her blessing are seen as sacred and the concept of duality is one held very dearly by followers of the Gefendur faith. Banished eternally to the mortal world to pay for her mortal caprice of ill temper, Tirna is a tragic figure of a god and the Gefendur faithful find her far easier to relate to than the aloof Yerta and her brothers. There is another take on the Youngest Sister however, which claims she is not repentant for her crime so much as eternally enraged. Considering the proliferation of sacrificial worship in Sharteshane, this concept seems far more popular than the one that paints Tirna as a cowering penitent.
  Tirna is associated with mortal frailty, sickness, starvation, and natural catastrophe.

• Riv the Eldest Brother
  Riv is the "father" of the living world, as it was his seed that gave life to the arid earth in his sister's sacred womb. Traditionally depicted as an angry, tempestuous tyrant, he still bows unquestioningly to Yerta's commands. Riv has the demeanour of a blustering husband in the holy stories, and Yerta infalliby must shield the living world from his temper. He is, however, a beautiful singer. It's his song that awakens Yerta every morn, opening her eyes and bringing light to the world. Although it is the Eldest Sister that judges souls, Riv is their guide through the realms of the dead and he often decides their fate when it is questioned. For this reason, he's often exhorted by the families of the deceased who aren't quite certain how their loved one will fare in the afterlife.
  Riv is associated with the sea, throbbing eternally against the female earth, and many ships carve his form into their prow and keep a shrine to the divine Father somewhere shipboard. Birds are sacred to him, as well as the creatures of the deep, especially the singing whales. Many sailors will have his symbol tattooed somewhere on their body. He's the avatar of virility, manhood, power, and all things macho.

• Baelar the Youngest Brother
  Baelar is the warrior god, the perfect soldier and mage, whose mind and body bear no discernible barrier betwixt each other. The least important of the four Siblings in Sharteshane - a largely commercial country that has participated in few major wars - in times of conflict he is worshipped almost exclusively. Othertimes, he is a symbol to mages, both masters and aspirants, though soldiers will often ask a priest to bless their swords in Baelar's name. A careless, distracted sort of deity, Baelar is thought to influence the outcomes of battles arbitrarily, favouring those troops most willing to die one day, and the next giving his blessing to the cowards. All the same, soldiers (and anyone wishing to succeed in a difficult task) will sometimes wear an iron ring on a chain around their neck and over their heart - a traditional archer's target - in a facetious attempt to confuse the fickle god.
  Baelar is associated with the heavens and all things intangible - magick, writing, mathematics, and the sciences. There are a number of Universities in Sharteshane with a statue of the wargod in their courtyards but most students would rather look to one of the saints, or to the Mother, than have blind faith in such an unpredictable god. The stars are the swordpricks he makes in the Mother's belly when he is agitated, it's said, and the moon was the result of Yerta's frustrated smashing of her brother's head into her navel.

THE GEFENDUR RELIGION - THE EYE OF REDEMPTION

Be advised!
Just because a member of the Eye is not present does not mean that, in a public place, you are safe. The paranoia and fear caused by these enemies of the impure make informers out of every honest, gods-fearing citizen in Hanghorse. In short, we ask that you play along. If your character is a half-breed, of a villainous race, or just plain evil, it wouldn't be wise for them to reveal their face in public, where their presence will attract hordes of sword-and-magic-wielding warriors of Gefendur. This threatening Order is an attempt to make the atmosphere in the Sharteshane hub more interesting, and more challenging. So play along and keep this spirit intact, it'll be appreciated.

Introduction
The Eye of Redemption is a powerful force in Hanghorse and the surrounding districts, eternally opposing religious change and the outside influence of non-believers. As of late, they have made it their goal to combat the bizarre influx of travelers migrating to Hanghorse (and as such are at odds with the tourist bureau). They have adopted a zero tolerance policy to undead and unholy creatures as well as to those races known to be specifically evil: Drow, goblinoids, and unnatural halfbreeds. Of all the subsets of the Gefendur order, "The Eye", as they are often called, are perhaps the most dedicated, zealous, and devout.

History
The Order itself is relatively young, having sprung up only in the last 200 years. After the fallen city of Tawhoque was taken by Rachshane, the Eye humbly began as a militant group of priests and Gefendur devout banded together to resist the occupation. The effort proved largely futile but they gained much fame in later years by banding together with Hanret troops and serving as an integral part of Tawhoque’s liberation. Success led to recognition as an established Order and they were deemed guardians of the Gefendur faith by the high clergy of the sacred Circle. Their headquarters now is in the very heart of the Tawhoque ruins of Hanghorse, but their influence continues to reach further and further into Sharteshane.

In their present form, the Eye is at times a nuisance to the State and even to the Gefendur faith itself. However they serve a vital purpose by policing the populace and ridding it of undesireable elements - most of these elements the sort that bring unwanted crime into the city (Drow, halfbreeds, and the "unwieldy races" are statistically more likely to break the law than pure and honest humans, elves, dwarves, and elementals); because of this, it is uncommon for the state or Gefendur to interfere or question the actions of the redemptionists. The Eye's influence is wide-spread, and their members are among the most powerful and influential individuals in all of Sharteshane. The Church or State would find it difficult to remove the Eye and the effort has never seemed worth the potential loss of lives and votes.

Hierarchy
The Eye of Redemption is split into four "Spheres", each Sphere containing roughly one-hundred fifty knights and officers. Each Sphere is led by a Praetor, who acts as General and chief tactician to his or her division and plays liaison between their Sphere and the Circle of Four. The Circle of Four consists of two pairs of the eldest (or otherwise wisest) surviving Hanghorse twins. They commune directly with the gods and in theory provide much of the Eye's direction and leadership. In addition to the Circle (some might more accurately call it a square), a small staff of clergy resides in the Red Tower, playing PR between the Eye and the Hanghorse government and the Palace.

Each of the four Praetors has a chosen assortment of adjutants who each lead lesser squads of their own within the main Sphere. These adjutants in turn assign themselves or are assigned lieutenants. Within each squad there exist specialist mages, mounted warriors, and long range weapon specialists to bolster the knights trained in general combat and sorcery.

Notable Eyeballs

Dauph Windham - Possibly the most famous Redemptionist to ever slay a zombie, Dauph recently left the Eye for mysterious reasons. His name continues to evoke awe and reverence in any Hanghorse citizen or rookie Redemptionist that hears it, however.

Praetor Lucien - Praetor of the First Sphere. Lucien is arguably the most influential member of the Eye, supervising its largest Sphere and holding seniority above all but the Circle itself.

Second Adjutant Helena Calabrisi - Praetor Lucien's third-in-command, Helena is a fiery, slightly rash swordswoman with an acrobatic flair and a nearly legendary reputation for speedy footwork.

Praetor Gindarus Bizet - Praetor of the Second Sphere. Gindarus is a remarkably brutal but very fair enforcer. He has a special dislike of questionable races and species and, in the past, has campaigned for stricter policies against them.

First Adjutant Triste Alured - Alured was declared responsible for arson in the Borgo - Hanghorse's poorest neighbourhood - that killed upwards of two-hundred people. Alured was also slain in the blaze but subsequent investigations called into question nearly his entire squad. Three executions came of post-Borgo investigations and a number of Redemptionists were exiled.

Praetor Maximillian Arbert - Praetor of the Third Sphere. Arbert is a beloved leader, respected by those inside and outside of his Sphere.

Initiation
Only those of true Gefendur devotion are given the option to attempt the trials for initiation into the Eye and they must have the sponsorship of a current member. There are few rare occasions however, when the leadership of the Eye receive a vision from the twins themselves, revealing one who is to join their Order and battle Evil at their side. On these rare occasions there is no need for sponsorship. More often than not those who attempt the trial of initiation die - over two-thirds in fact - leaving only the strongest of body and mind to don the colors of the Eye. Superficially, the trial appears simple enough: devour five leaves of the soft-eye plan and survive its effects. However, for roughly half of those who apply, the soft-eye poison kills them within hours; the rest are left to endure the intense hallucinogenic effect of the massive dose. Locked inside the Asylum, given a dagger and a copy of the sacred Scriptures of Gefendur, the initiate is left to deal with the demons sprung from his own mind. Four days later, his sponsor returns to retrieve either the new member, or his body. If the initiate has proven his will is as resilient as his physical form, thorough his drug-induced hallucinations he will receive the holy gift of Tirna - prophetic vision - and be welcomed into the Order with pomp and ceremony.

For most, the trial of initiation will be the only time the bitter poison of soft-eye leaves is ever sampled. Only the high priest and clerics of the Eye are allowed the holy rite of Tirna’s Gift: a single leaf is ingested, bringing forth hallucinations and prophetic visions gifted by the goddess herself. Through these visions the redemptionists govern themselves by the direct decree of their patron Tirna. It is her will for them to use their strength to make happen the forceful redemption of all sentient creatures. It is her will alone that could ever stop them.

Abilities
Some debate the existence of gods and many of the Eye's detractors question whether the source of the priests' powers is of good or evil. The nonbelievers say that the manifesting of mystical energy is a purely mortal application of the natural energies of the world, that these powers are explained merely in terms of faith, and that there is no god hiding behind a curtain granting them. There are others who even claim that the belief itself manifests these powers, and not the backing of a deity. But this is of no consequence to the faithful; for those that wield the might of the gods, there can be no doubt whence their energy stems. They wield powers granted by Tirna herself and their leaders utilize the gift of prophesy by her grace and none other's.

The acolytes of The Eye of Redemption do not rely on the power of the goddess alone however. Martial training is an integral part of their everyday life. Opposing the forces that would try to undermine the Gefendur order and the gods themselves is a deadly task. They engage in careful study of all things herbal and cabalistic. Many are but sages, while others are talented natural healers, and some even study the secrets of alchemy. The armoury of the order is famous for its size - when an enemy of Gefendur is defeated by the Eye their possessions are confiscated, purified, and added to their collection. Some pieces, however, are found to be so tainted with evil that they are destroyed and never allowed to fall into the hands of evildoers again.

Depending on their level of skill and experience with the Order, priests are granted certain powers for use sparingly by their goddess. Various traditional spells are utilized to strengthen the warrior-cleric for his battle and to help him resist the powers of evil. A favored spell of the Order, for example, is the Fires of Redemption. This is a spell that engulfs a weapon in a blaze of Holy fire - not true fire. It will not hurt the faithful, but will cause great amounts of damage to creatures of evil or demonic origins. Even when these creatures are normally resistant or healed by fire, this spell should hurt them for it damages with Holy energies, not heat energies.

A useful power of the more experienced members of the Order is the ability to sense evil. This is a tricky ability however, and usually only the highest officers in the Eye are able to use it to its full extent. More inexperienced members sometimes spend hours trailing a human from whom Evil radiates only to find they've just lost a game of stickball and are plotting to steal their best friend's girlfriend for revenge. Discerning true evil intent from normal, mean-spirited human nature takes experience. Unnatural beings, such as the undead, demons, and the like are a far simpler matter and the Evil-sensing ability sharpens in their presence. These beings radiate an innate evil that saturates their unholy being. With demons and devils particularly, nothing good exists in these creatures; they are epitome of unholy, and as such very easily sensed by those who possess the scrying power.

The Code of the Eye of Redemption

Protect the homogeny of the Order.

The Eye attends only to crimes against the Order and the Gefendur religion. Crimes of the State and of a secular nature are not the Order's concern. We will not meddle with the city Watch unless it proves necessary. The High Four - the ruling Council of the Eye - is responsible for making the determination.

Known good races are not our concern unless they pose a threat to the Order. We will not trouble the faithful, the good-hearted, the innocent, the pure. We will be courteous to good citizens for they are the favoured of Sister Tirna and they are whom we seek to protect from corruption, moral decay, and the diabolical intentions of Evil.

Known evil races are a threat and will be dealt with accordingly, sparing no amount of force or resources.

Non-Gefendur clergy and worshippers will be tolerated in the walls of Hanghorse, and remain undisturbed. However if they preach their heretical religion or practise proselytization of any kind, they will be expelled and possibly fined or imprisoned, depending on the severity of the corruption.

Unknown races of unknown alignment will be questioned and catalogued, by any force necessary. They will be assessed and evaluated for any negative influence they may inflict on the Order and the faithful.

Because of limited man power, the jurisdiction of the Eye only extends to the walls of Hanghorse, not including the shoreline, where we shall patrol up to the sea. That area known as "Pyrate's Cove" will remain unmolested.

The ruins of Tawhoque are sacred and will be guarded against grave robbers. However, gold and men shall not be unnecessarily wasted to ferret out whatever creatures lurk in the ruins' deepest layers unless these creatures attempt to come to the surface. Let the dead lie. The ruins are a grave, and a place of punishment where the arrogant of Tawhoque forever scream.

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LIFE IN HANGHORSE - Races
Hanghorse is full of contrast: Poor fishermen, affluent scholars, punctilious politicians, lawless rogues. While nearly any sort of craftsman and professional can be found here, there are only a few acceptable races in Sharteshane - the rest are feared and will have a difficult time of it. Humans dominate, followed by Elves, Dwarves, and the Elemental races - undines, sylphs, salamandars, and gnomes. These last four beings are unageing, considered personal creations of the Twins, and are holy creatures in general (or so it's believed).

Resources
The soil in Sharteshane is cursed (or blessed depending on who ya talk to) and there are very few trees that can grow in it and maintain their wooden trunks. Most undergo an odd manner of petrification - their trunks continue to grow, but take on the rigidity of stone, becoming the country's main building material. Because of this, wood is scarce, expensive, and reserved almost exclusively for necessesities like ships and weapons. Lambence has replaced fire as a lightsource, and heat for personal comfort and food preparation is magickally produced.

The Old District is the only area of the city that's remained largely unchanged from how it appeared over a century ago, when Hanghorse was the capitol of Tawhoque. This neighbourhood's occupied by the Governor, scholars of means, and other rich bastards. Peppering the rest of Tawhoque's stone ruins, new buildings are fashioned mainly of tarnet canvas or leather on thin, rattan frames. Most people live in the old buildings. In the heaviest days of pirates, irreverent freebooters commandeered ships and ran them aground, hacked off their masts, and supported them with rocks to fashion shelter against the country's harsh winters. These ship-buildings still exist near the waterfront as true novelties - the idea of living inside something so expensive and valuable as a sailing vessel is mind-blowing to most of the populace.

Magic
Magic itself is so common and has so many everyday applications that it's ceased to exist as a mystical force for most citizens, and is seen as just another way to do things. Healer-mage shops dot the city, artificers make a killing, and magic is taught in village classrooms right alongside history and grammar. Higher magics require study in a specialized University outside Hanghorse however, and few outside the nobility and clergy can afford this career choice. Fishing is by far the most common profession.

Underground
Hanghorse has become a common stop for cruising passengerships and new arrivals to Sharteshane. As the story of the riches to be scavenged in the Tawhoque ruins have spread, the treasure hunters have only multiplied. The ancient lambent springs were recently excavated and the waters found to be tainted a sickly crimson, as though with the blood of the thousands that died so unjustly years ago. In addition to this, tiny specks of gold were discovered welling to the surface in these red waters and a minor gold rush has speculators swelling Hanghorse's boarding houses. This is all a great annoyance to the Gefendur of course, who long to keep this sacred gravesite consecrated.

With the excavation of the springs, a safe passage was found to underground Tawhoque and a small section of the accessible cavern is used as a marketplace. This sheltered chamber is particularly valuable in the winter although its perimetre is heavily guarded - neither the governor nor the Gefendur want people wandering off into the expansive ruins of dead Tawhoque. Ghost stories proliferate and some speculate that the vile art of necromancy was practised here centuries ago... Zombies are whispered of and even liches and wraiths...

Currency Standard
As a prominent trade city, Hanghorse has adopted the standard currency system in use throughout much of the world: Copper, Silver, Gold. These coins are physically smaller than most of their counterparts, stamped on one side with the King's seal and the other with the symbols that have earned them their nicknames: a barque on copper, a curling fish on silver, and Yerta, or "mum" on gold pieces.

There is also the gem system, which should be learned by newcomers as these pretty bits are often the only currency accepted in major business transactions. Rubies and Emeralds - reds and greens - are the highest form of currency in Sharteshane. A ruby is worth seventeen gold pieces and an emerald is worth seventeen rubies. In the purchase of property, vessels, higher livestock, and rare items, traders will seldom accept ore, insisting on these Crown-sanctioned bits of gem. Cut into circular, faceted shards, they're intricately engraved and enchanted to glow like lambence in an effort to foil counterfeiters.

Money-changing is available in the Underground Market, dawn to dusk, every day but feastdays.

Standard weekly wages:

Tavern wench	3s2c+room, board, and tips
Dockhand	4s
Seamstress	4s
Rookie Guardsman	1g
Bartender	6s+tips
Asylum attendant	1g2s
Senior guardsman	2g4s
Guard Captain	5g

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