Those Who Reside in Ethecorra.

As I have once said; the creatures you thought mere myth walk beneath sunshine and moonlight in Ethecorra. They swim through the deepest oceans and walk through the Veils. Some, if you ask them, will say that a vampire is pure myth; others will show visible fear at the mention of those creatures. Some will fear the word witchcraft, and only whisper it, whilst others will claim it as their way of life.

Allow me to introduce you to some of the people of Ethecorra.

The dominant species of Ethecorra is humens. Their culture is fascinating, defined by their faith and religion, Numenism, as well as their belief in the Father-God, who created them, and the Brotherhood, who hold the Pillars of Mandate given to them by the Father-God. The Brotherhood sit at the pinnacle of government and religion within Montarvia. Their lifespan is somewhat similar to what you are familiar with, and their lives are filled with the societal expectations of obedience and purity. For humens, desire is a sin and pleasure is restricted, seen as a corrupting force that can lead only to ruin if not tightly controlled.

It is unknown how many humens live in Ethecorra, though estimations put it in the millions.

Vampires, as you know them, are called the Bloodbound in Ethecorra. Created by the Blood Mother and the Blood King, they are vampiric creatures that feed on blood just as much as they consume food. I would say that their immortal lives are used to indulge and revel in desire and pleasure, but they are far more nuanced than that. Their dominant faith, Inmortuism, teaches that pleasure is sacred and sin is holy. The Bloodbound would argue that, in a life where immortality stretches out before them, the very idea of pleasure is what makes life worth living. It gives them a reason to continue their existence, even if they are not technically alive any more.

They were exiled from Montarvia during the Great War that ended with the signing of the Silva Paratum Treaty in 2800 AV. Yet, today, there are whispers of them beginning to populate Montarvia once more…

There are two types of witches within Ethecorra; those who have a sensitivity to the Veil and commune with the Leyweave, and those born of Calithea’s womb, the Goddess who first taught humens how to communicate with the Leyweave. Their religion, Veilbournism, teaches the art of attuning and communicating with magic and the Leyweave, as well as traversing through the Veils to the esoteric Realms. The collective name for witches, the Veilbourns, comes from this religion and the use of the Veils.

They were banished from Montarvia thousands of years ago, and remain hunted to this day. To speak of witchcraft within Montarvia is to risk arrest; to be found practising communication with the Leyweave is to risk execution. Travel outside of Montarvia is strictly forbidden, due to the magic that Calithea placed upon the waters that surround the continent, sealing the oceans from being travelled without express permission.

There are more, of course. I cannot define an entire planet by three intelligent species; that is unfair to the remainder of those who traverse the seas and land. Perhaps their stories will be told another time.

~ Nerien.