Orin Rakatha

The Mystics

In the dim and distant past, long before the Valley peoples arrived on this plane, there were many different communities on Orin Rakatha.  As these communities grew, there became a shortage of land.  This caused territorial disputes. To avoid large-scale wars, the Mystics undertook a number of measures.

Firstly, they constructed a series of Towers that were given to communities of adequate size.

• Towers are sentient demi-planes in which combat, magic and invocations do not function normally.

Secondly, they introduced the mists around Orin Rakatha.  These mists occasionally wash over the lands turning all creatures that are not protected by the Tower (or by some other means) into Hordelings.

• Hordelings are disfigured, almost-mindless creatures that believe that if they die in combat they will be reincarnated as bigger, more powerful beasts.
• They are attracted to groups of people.  The larger and more powerful the group, the greater the number and strength of the Hordelings that are attracted.
• They will invariably fight to the death.

Communities are unwilling to wage wars on a grand scale for fear of creating armies of Hordelings from their peoples, if their forces are caught in the mists.  Thus all business, politics and communication in Orin Rakatha tends to be performed by small groups.

The Towers

The Towers are now the backbone of civilized life in Orin Rakatha: they represent a safe haven for a community's continued existence. Areas are set aside in the Towers for farming and the other mundane aspects of life. 

There are more than twenty known Towers in Orin Rakatha, inhabited by a wide range of creatures of different types and beliefs. Our own community, known generally as the Kern Valley, currently inhabits three Towers, having expanded over the years from a single Tower. Broadly, the three Towers are inclined towards good (White Retreat), neutrality (Valley Alliance) and evil (Wolfhold), although internal politics make this situation much more complex.

Status and The Time of Reckoning

"Status" is a measure of how powerful a particular individual is considered to be upon the land of Orin Rakatha.  (In practical terms, your character gains his or her first point of Status once you reach rank 20, and a further point of Status every 10 ranks).  Status is considered a valuable commodity, and the Guilds will grant you teaching or certain privileges if you agree to pledge your Status to them.

If a community has enough Status amongst its members, it is permitted to hold a Tower.  So, it is possible for other races or peoples to obtain a Tower upon Orin Rakatha, provided that they are of sufficient size. Orin Rakatha contains the remnants of many races of people who have fled from their original Homeworlds, in addition to its original peoples.

An annual "Time of Reckoning" is held to determine which Towers are permitted to continue existence for another year, based upon the amount of Status pledged to the Tower leader.  On a particular day, each Tower leader (usually accompanied by a powerful retinue) will travel to the centre of Orin Rakatha - to where the Mystics are rumoured to reside - to declare the Status of their Tower.  If the Tower leader has insufficient Status, the Tower will fall and its inhabitants effectively become Towerless.  This is a dangerous state of affairs...

Towerless

Those that do not reside within a Tower are classed as “Towerless” and have no protection from the mists, hordelings or persecution by Towered folk. Only those who reside within Towers have any rights. 

Laws of the Land

In ancient time the Mystics laid down certain laws to govern Orin Rakatha. Over the centuries much of these has been lost and the Mystics have not seen fit to re-explain them, however the Laws that are still held in regard include:

• Each people of a Tower shall be known by their Colours. (It is acceptable for only half of those in a group to openly display their colours)
• None shall wear Colours that are not their own. (This law is observed by all and will bring swift destruction to any Tower flouting this law)
• Those met on the open plane not recognisable by Colours shall be held in regard as if without Tower. (If less than half of your group display Tower Colours then you will be treated as Towerless)
• Justice shall be withheld from those without Tower, they are without rights by law. (This means you cannot trade with them nor can they stay within Waystations)
• Neither Towers nor their yield shall be used to succour those without Tower. (It is not permitted to trade with or aid Towerless in any form)
• Towers shall not diminish themselves by taking up those without Tower. (This Law has been much interpreted but seems rather to restrict the amount of those taken in rather than prohibit it all together)
• Mist hordelings and the Unliving shall not hold Status. (This Law was reconfirmed in recent years at a Time of Reckoning, with Unliving thought to refer to most types of Undead and pure Elementals)