Thangien (than-gee-an)

Warrior folk with righteous might...
The denizens of Planet Thanged are a proud warrior folk who place high value in the righteous battle and defying all evils which threaten their world. Empowered by generations of experience and backed by their four major Goddesses, they are a fearsome folk to face in battle. Descended from Humans displaced from Earth onto Thanged via Transgalactic rifts, Thangiens know all too well the dangers dictatorships and tyranny pose, and have vowed to resist these evils at all cost.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Often considered a form of "uber-human", Thangiens appear as idealized humanoids of nearly perfect athletic fitness. You will never see a fat or skinny Thangien. They are jokingly referred to as "space vikings" or "space Spartans".
The structure of the Thurukian system extends the Thangien year, or cycle, to two years Earth-time; as a result they age much slower than their ancestors. Barring sickness or death by combat, a Thangien can live between 150 and 200 years Earth-time. Deres is believed to have been the oldest Thangien on record at the time of his passing at nearly 199 years old, with his youngest granddaughter an adult by then. Yainae is estimated to be nearly 144 years old.
Thangiens are distinguished from humans not only by their excellent physical condition, but their brilliant colorful hair and piercing eyes. Unlike humans who possess more plain pigmentation, Thangien eyes seem to glitter like gems with deep, bold colors. This is attributed to prolonged exposure to the Twin Suns. Facial hair is uncommon among males despite tracing some Anglo-Saxon ancestry.
Thangiens average between 5'6" and 6'6" with males being leggy and broad-shouldered and females being agile and slim. Originally possessing tanned skin from their days as Freelanders, Thangiens have a much lighter complexion in recent eras due to their having settled in Bainshaebo.
In their time living on the planet, Thangiens have adapted a curious ability to avoid certain forms of attack. Should a blade manage to pierce the reinforced cloth of their combat uniforms and target their chest cavities, they are able to subconsciously move their internal organs out of harms way. While this allows them to last longer in battle, they are still vulnerable to perforation, bisection, dismemberment, and other forms of catastrophic physical trauma.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Even the most average Thangien appears stunning by human standards with chiseled features and proud chins. While sideburns are common, beards, mustaches, and goatees are rare being traced through family lineage to a recent ancestor from Oldworld. They have narrow nasal bridges and high brows.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Thangiens primarily dwell in the single great city of Bainshaebo in the middle of the Plains of Kundain between the Winding White and Eastern Jungles in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. Aside from foraging for resources or freelanding as a rite of passage, Thangiens do not feel the need to expand or establish new colonies/cities.

Average Intelligence

Most Thangiens possess artistic leaning be it stonework, architecture, or metalworking. Their most brilliant minds tend to avoid battle and remain within the comfort of the Traedeskaton, Raaezen, or Peirolyth, but quick wit and situational awareness are required for warriors out in the field. Thangiens must be able to assess a battle and plan accordingly in the heat of combat.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

What's in a Name: Try Three!

Thangiens place heavy emphasis on heroic deeds and status, utilizing many titles when referring to an individual of great renown. A "civil name" consists of their family name followed by their birth name i.e. Chi Chi Lina, Danae, Ru Ru Tiki Aurora, Ram Ram Tairu, Torke. Civil names appear redundant but have a somewhat heraldic connotation being based around family mottos tracing to ages past or indicating recent deeds: Chi Chi Lina=Life for Another Life, Ru Ru Tiki= First of the First.
Names of non-Thangiens or individuals without an associated family or House are provided with abbreviated names formed from the first three or four letters of their name (depending on vowel placement) and the suffix of "Takin", which denotes a person of renown or respect i.e. RyoTakin, RoweTakin, CyeTakin.
Singular individuals known for great achievements are often bestowed with "mythic names" based on their particular history i.e. Danaetanera (Stormwalker/Stormrider), Azurotago (Skyblade), Ronatane (Wicked-slayer).

Major Organizations

Riders Citadel

The seat of government for the Watch-Rider and the Council of Houses. Twenty of the most powerful Houses make up the Council and advise the Watch-Rider in matters of state. The Watch-Rider arbitrates disputes and entertains visiting diplomats.

Peirolyth

Fire-stone Academy and personal domain of Eyurodin. The Lady of Flames can often be seen laboring in person at the High Forge. The most talented metal-crafters hone their skill at the facilities within.

Mazzan

The extensive breeding pens used first to breed beasts of burden now focus on the breeding, care, and training of Pegasi. Overseen by Dar Dar Vanes, Norin.

Traedeskaton

Arena of Body and Mind, this sophisticated mega-hospital serves the entirety of the populace of Bainshaebo. Kin Kin Aega, Coval serves as chief physician and medical director.

Raaezen

The great archive and repository of all written history and lore accumulated throughout Thangien history. Governed by no one in particular, Orn Orn Grast, Khanphe oversees an offshoot division in the form of his llaudaun troupe.

Thananagreia

The citadel-chapel and Home of the Gods, this marvel of architecture dwarfs all other landmarks combined. The enigmatic Silver-Haired Maiden acts as an oracle and medium between the Four Queens and the general populace.

Beauty Ideals

In his wanderings, Deres came across what would later become known as the G'thru plant. When pulped and distilled, the extract could be used as a hair conditioner. Thangiens realized it had the effect of greatly altering their natural haircolor by penetrating the scalp and permeating the root itself, resulting in myriad, vibrant colors based on the original hair color. Blond often becomes lavender, brown becomes blue, red becomes deep and bold, strawberry blond yields multiple colors like a rainbow, orange becomes brighter, black becomes much darker, dirty blond produces yellow, auburn turns into green, and platinum blond produces the rare silver prized by the Silver-Haired Maidens.
Instead of avoiding using the plant altogether, Thangiens incorporated it into their society in order to distinguish themselves in battle. Not all Thangiens use it out of personal preference i.e. King Torke. It is not advisable for a non-Thangien or someone fond of their current hair color to use G'thru extract, as the color alteration is permanent and cannot be reversed. Not even shaving would restore the original hair color, so if someone happened to be unfortunately pranked, they would require heavy quantities of hair dye to mask the color alteration.

Gender Ideals

Thangien society, while primarily matriarchal, affords both men and women equal status and responsibility with men acting as protectors and providers of the family and women governing the household, but history has shown women can become exceptional warriors as well. Female heads of Houses are referred to as Everlasting Mother because they tend to live the longest among their family, or in Yainae's case, outlive siblings entirely. Males are often called watch-protectors in times of conflict and are able to master combat technique much quicker than females. Females, while combat capable, tend to gravitate more towards artisanry due to their more creative way of thinking.

Courtship Ideals

Thangiens prize strength, valor, and deeds when seeking to Pair. If two suitors contest for the hand of a single maid, a Trael de Nuca is invoked which involves a duel to the death for the honor of Pairing. In the past such Traels occurred anywhere in the city, but as of Ander's defeat of Roland, Witheren hosts such duels at the Pit of Spikes where the loser is insured a cruel and humiliating fate. Thangiens are monogamous and mate for life, and adultery is readily punished via vthiasaking. Forced or arranged marriages are discouraged as it contradicts Thangiens' independent spirit. Since females remain fertile well into their fiftieth cycle (one-hundred years Earth time), households generally strive for as many children as possible, as not all are guaranteed to survive past adulthood due to the many Traels. Pairing ceremonies are generally held on the estate of a prominent house, but in recent history three Pairings have been heavily publicized: Ander and Yainae, Aurora and T'plaureth, Dais and Danae.

Relationship Ideals

Thangiens are quick to anger and slow to forgive, but can prove staunch allies in times of conflict. They celebrate bravery and abhor cowardice and turn their nose up at indecision. To them, death is not a source of regret, but a cause for celebration, and view battle as the truest test of character. Having been estranged from the Oldworld for so many millennia, it is easy for customs to get lost in translation as resolving problems through conflict is almost a second nature to a Thangien. Friendly and fierce, heroic and humble, a Thangien will not hesitate to mete out retribution for the smallest slight on behalf of a close ally. For all their advancement, they are quite impulsive and brash, tending to slash first, stab again, castrate their foes, then try to ask questions.

Average Technological Level

Generally Thangien technology centers around military and medical with an emphasis on perfecting metalwork. On the surface they appear to be of no higher than medieval-level knowledge, but their relatively simplistic lifestyle masks extraordinary advancements. The discovery of naturally-occurring dererium alloy at the Northern Ring Glacier unlocked hundreds of applications such as deep-space stasis pods, space-proof armor, improved food storage and medical care in the form of recovery pods, and Eyurodin's magnum opus: Pegasi. While Thangiens loathe firearms of any sort, they allow for Pegasi to fire projectiles via their war saddles in order to compete with Thunthen ships. The creation of Pegasi is attributed solely to Eyurodin, who also fashioned the immense Transgalactic Gates that allow for travel between planets and solar systems. Thangiens do not use any form of space-faring craft, preferring to rely primarily on the Pegasi and their capabilities. While this impairs exploration and expansion of deep space, a single Rank of seven Pegasi riders can easily overwhelm a squadron of skilled Thunthen pilots.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Being largely centered around Bainshaebo leaves little room for consonantal shift among the Thangien people themselves. Their written language, Thanctiorn, closely resembles classical Roman alphabet with characters comprised of crescents in homage to the Twin Moons. The spoken Thangien tongue is very distantly related to ancient Latin with a smattering of Gaelic and Mesoamerican. During her first contact, Danae was able to recognize a Latin phrase and provide the second half of it in Thangien. Words are added frequently to the standard lexicon to denote significant events or encounters. Yapign/Yablign/Yaplign are various ways of denoting cowardice and expressing disgust. Thablisk literally translates into "every kind of stupid" but is used interchangeably as an all-purpose insult with as many as thirty-six separate swears linked to it. Fendahu shares use by the Thunthen, and translates to "cat-lord" or "royal-cat" when describing the denizens of Fienlor.
A variation of Thangien used to be spoken by Bangukians, but has since been lost with the incineration and near-total extinction of their race.

Common Etiquette Rules

• A sword is as much a part of everyday life to a Thangien as an umbrella, so they carry them just about everywhere. They do not approve of others, even friends, handling their personal weapons without express permission.
  Formerly being of a nomadic culture they grew to appreciate food when offered and will lick their plates/bowls dry in often embarrassing fashion. They will celebrate a good meal with a loud belch without hesitation.
  Drawing a sword holds as much value between them as a handshake.
  They frown on needless apologies, believing it to be a sign of weakness. Petty theft is considered as great a slight as far more severe crimes, and just as punishable via vthiasaking. Thangiens will not hesitate to vthiasak anyone they perceive to be a criminal.
  In duels, Thangiens abide by the principle of "Il paura duor", meaning "I play with an empty hand" to indicate they fight with all cards on the table and nothing in reserve.

Common Dress Code

After the creation of reinforced fabric by Deres and Eyurodin, Thangiens took to wearing what the refer to as combat uniforms in their day to day life. Each uniform is uniquely designed to suit the wearer with traits based on their profession. A warrior will have shorter crests on the shoulders to provide for greater range of movement. A housewife might sport a short skirt in addition to high shoulder crests to denote their status as caretakers. Crafters wear either double layers to protect against heat or transformable chest garments depending on the situation.
They do not wear only one outfit, however. A Thangien can don variations of the same outfit patterned after the occasion, such as a more ceremonial look for a high-profile meeting, or a dressier style for a special event. No two combat uniforms are alike. Reinforced fabric is capable of blunting even the strike from a Thunthen's claws or tail club, so this allows Thangiens to balance combat speed and protection. Everlasting Mothers will wear much thinner fabric, preferring elegant robes and veils in the walls of their estates. The earliest designs of combat uniforms can trace their core styles to the garments worn by the Four Queens with high shoulder crests attributed to Roth, vests and gloves ascribed to Eyurodin, heavy boots and pants derived from Witheren, and robes and cowls inspired by Ritho.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Unlike most Oldworld civilizations, Thangiens do not have a creation myth. To them, the world simply has always been and existed long before they arrived. Being displaced from the Oldworld many of their customs and architectural styles can trace lineage to Greco-Roman, Mesoamerican, and Nordic cultures. Thananagreia distantly resembles the Parthenon of Antiquity, while the Traedeskaton looks similar to a Mayan step-pyramid. While many customs and practices are retained from their ancestors on the Oldworld, other concepts have become a staple of their history and social structure as a result of influence from the Four Queens.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

• A Richtho bush maintained in a House garden is believed to be a sign of good luck.
  Thangiens prefer soups and stews for their meals, viewing them as easier to metabolize while travelling.
  Pregnancy before marriage is not frowned upon, quite the contrary, an impending child is seen as a great blessing.
  All Houses have what is described as a "contemplation circle" in their main social area. It resembles a circular sofa set deep into the floor with a small grate-covered firepit at the center. This is meant to pay homage to the distant days of the Freelanders.
  At a @Pair ceremony, instead of exchanging rings the bride and groom will slash each other's wrists then bind their arms together with a white cloth. After their blood has sufficiently saturated the cloth, the presiding official will drop the cloth into a fire with the reaction of the flames consuming cloth viewed as an indicator for the fortunes of a future child. A thick resinous salve is smeared upon the wounds, and while possessing the fast-healing properties of Richtho leaves, instead thickens the resulting scar to serve as a reminder of their vows.
  A bride will toss the flower she wears much like tossing the bouquet, but among Thangiens, the person who catches the bloom is destined to find love but only after much trial and a great harrowing.
  Houses with more than four children surviving into adulthood are considered extraordinarily blessed. Each child is assigned a role based after the Four Queens with the Protector representing Roth, the Retributor serving as Witheren, the Crafter symbolizing Eyurodin, and the Mother acting as Ritho.
  The Blood Dawn is a festival held once every fifty-to-sixty years Earth-time, when a conjunction of the Twin Suns occurs, producing hellish red light. A cross between Mardi Gras, Carnival, All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and Day of the Dead, the festival is marked by extensive feasting, drinking, pageantry, singing, dancing, prayer and meditation, and general celebration. Thangiens believe the door to the Afterworld opens and thus are able to commune with spirits of departed loved ones.
  While Thangiens seldom remove their combat uniforms even when relaxing, they will remove their footwear before entering a household if it is significantly dirty.
  Since there is no consistent seasonal cycle and thus no winter, Thangiens do not celebrate Christmas.
  At an age between five and ten cycles, or ten to twenty years Earth-time, Thangien parents encourage their children to embark on a solitary trek abroad as a rite of passage. This is called freelanding, in homage to their nomadic past. While most freelanders survive the ordeal with relative ease, a rare few do not return. This is sometimes compared to rumspringa.
  While a Trael de Nuca (Trial of Love) is fought to compete for a mate, a Trael de Vaor (Trial of Worth) can be decided on a whim to address any insult, however small. Unlike a Trael de Nuca, a Trael de Vaor can end in a draw or a bloodless victory if a combatant is sufficiently subdued and spared.

Common Taboos

• A weapon broken needlessly is viewed as selfish.
  
• Crime of any sort is punished swiftly either by execution or vthiasaking
  
• Worship of Phitdaitiarona is discouraged and stamped out at all turns, but cells persist in secret throughout the city.
  
• Handling a sword without permission of the owner is considered rude. In contrast, an artisan will not hesitate to dismantle the weapon of another in order to examine it thoroughly.
  Blaspheming against the Queens is frowned upon.
  Wasting food is discouraged. Thangiens will eat only as much as they need and maintain their health to ensure they require little.
  Firearms are considered illegal with the exception of armaments mounted on Pegasi war saddles.
  Tampering with one's physical body either through surgery or chemical alteration is considered an insult. Genetic modification is abhorred as a result of the Genesis Plague.

History

Dawn of Men

Roughly ten-thousand years ago Earth-time, aboriginal humans stumbled through dimensional rifts and found themselves on a strange verdant world. Scattered and afraid, they gradually explored this strange land lit by two suns and two moons and formed nomadic tribes that roamed the grassy plains, shores of the mighty river, and waded the muck of the vast swamps.
Early oral traditions state that they were led at first by two brothers named Thangor and Thuruk. Thangor, while physically weak, possessed great cunning and leaned towards diplomacy. Thuruk in contrast believed in right through might and strict martial training to uplift the weak and reinforce the will of the people against any immediate dangers. The Brothers constantly bickered over which direction to take the burgeoning tribes, and ultimately Thuruk grew tired of his weaker brother and slew him. He named the world Thanged as a monument to his brother while claiming mastery of the suns for himself. Thus the stars became known as Thuruk 1 and Thuruk 2. The moons he named Jhuno after Thangor's widow, and Jhunin, after his own wife.

First Contact with the Four Queens

For over two-thousand years the tribes ranged from the seemingly endless salt marshes of the southern hemisphere to the extensive glaciers that walled off the northern pole. They dubbed themselves Freelanders, choosing a pastoral life at first. Then one season as they trekked through the grassy plains that bordered the massive river, they came upon a curious structure far out onto the plain. As they approached, they encountered four beings that appeared as females of their kind, but clad in strange garments and of an unusual stature. Their eyes appeared reversed with black irises and colored pupils, and when they spoke their voices alternated from a deep booming roar to a gentle triple-echo. The tallest of them, with silver hair and steel-gray eyes, called herself Wrawthe and explained that she and her companions were Geods from beyond the stars. The other three beings introduced themselves as Wuerhen, Oorotin, and Rhiyo.
The Freelanders soon learned these beings possessed extraordinary powers. If a child stumbled into the river and risked drowning, Rhiyo would lift the babe from the water with but a thought. If a rock stood in the path of a caravan, Oorotin would hurl the mallet she wielded and shatter it effortlessly before recalling the tool through the air into her palm. If a wild beast threatened to pilfer stores of food, Wuerhen would cleave it in two with her serrated halberd. If a man slew another for petty reason, Wrawthe would disintegrate him with a glare. The Freelanders prostrated themselves before these beings and worshipped them as gods.

The Foundations of Bainshaebo

Taking note of their constant struggle for survival and nomadic lifestyle, Wrawthe proposed the creation of a great walled city for the people to dwell where all their needs would be tended to. Oorotin summoned forth the greatest artists and most cunning minds to draw up plans, and from the collaboration of Kundai and Bainshae, mapped out a great swath of land between the forests to the east and the great river to the west. Perfectly situated with abundant water and fertile land, the Freelanders set to work tracing out the borders of what would be an immense city. Knowing how impractical it would be to ask the people to haul stone blocks from the glaciers in the north, Oorotin showed the people how to create reinforced stone brick using lake-bed silt and river gravel. Women and children set to dredging clay from the river banks and harvesting grasses from the plains.
With permission from Wrawthe, Oorotin led the most skilled laborers into the structure out on the plain. It gleamed with a metallic sheen and stood on four curved legs with a four-sided pointed structure at the top. Inside the spacious structure, Oorotin set up the first forges in what would later become known as Peirolyth, "Stone-Fire Academy". Re-purposing scrap metal from the interior of the structure, she created anvils and taught the artisans how to bend and shape metal. Upon seeing the firelight of the High Forge against her platinum hair, the Freelanders dubbed Oorotin the "Lady of Flames".

Disaster with the Natives

While progress on the city proceeded smoothly, a party of creatures venturing over the plain came upon the construction site. These beings were the Natives, the strange bipedal equine creatures that primarily dwelt in the eastern jungles. They sported golden hooves and fingertips and long wispy tails with white tufts, and white fur covered their bodies. A single golden horn jutted from the forehead. They had never seen a human before, having in the past kept strictly to the jungles. Curious at first, the Natives observed from a distance how the humans dredged the waters of the great river and plucked grasses from the plains. The clamor of industry and the size and scope of the project underway slowly kindled resentment in the Natives. Despite seldom venturing from the jungle, they viewed these humans as intruders to the world itself and plotted to remove them by force.
Under cover of night, the Natives crept into the tents housing most of the engineers, including Kundai and Bainshae, the chief architects at the time. Using knives fashioned from stone, the Natives slew each and everyone in the tents then stole away into the night. When the brutal murders were discovered in the morning, Oorotin screamed in despair and smote her mallet against the High Forge, sending great sparks into the sky. The sparks lingered in the heavens, giving rise to the belief that they became stars, and the Freelanders named her mallet Starforger. Beside herself with rage, Oorotin cast about trying to find the perpetrators. Wuerhen pitied her and agreed to run the treacherous Natives to ground. Wrawthe spoke to the two of them and urged calm and reason, arguing that there must have been a reason for this unprovoked attack.

Rage of a Mother

Despite their savage behavior, the Natives were considerably more sophisticated than the Freelanders. They had constructed intricate structures of stone in the jungles and possessed extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, including medicinal herbs. For all intents and purposes they coexisted peacefully with the environment, but to them the mere presence of humans on the land seemed as a defilement. When the Four Queens journeyed to the border of the Eastern Jungle, Wrawthe stepped forth and demanded to know why they had attacked engineers and artisans, who had no combat expertise and had committed no sin. The Natives responded that the land belonged to them and them alone, and that humans had no place in the world. They were strangers, invaders, and needed to be excised. Wrawthe countered that humans were stranded on the world and could not possibly return to their home. The Natives refused to accept this and demanded all humans-and the Four Queens-leave immediately.
Rhiyo, the youngest of the Queens-dubbed the Morning Mother by the Freelanders for her efforts caring for children-stepped forward and argued that the planet had more than enough space to accommodate both species. The Freelanders had dwelled on the world for two thousand years prior without ever having come in contact with the Natives, and not once had conflict arose between them. The Natives stubbornly refused to listen to her arguments and screamed and spat curses at her, vowing that if the trespassers would not leave, they would seek out and slay each and every human down to the very last woman and child. Rhiyo could not understand how such beautiful creatures could have such ugly hearts. She pleaded with them, extolling the virtues of compassion and love. Their fanaticism could not be assuaged, however, and they sprang forward with spears and knives.
They stabbed and slashed, thrust and swung, but their crude blades could not so much as tear a thread of the Morning Mother's robes. Her calm face contorted with fury and she held her hand out, sending the attacking Natives back with a gesture. Instead of retreating before this display of power, more and more Natives filtered out from their stone dwellings and surged towards the Morning Mother. Wrawthe, Oorotin, and Wuerhen watched amazed as the typically docile Rhiyo let out a terrific cry and swept her arm to the side, levelling great swathes of the forest and crumbling all of the Native's stone palaces.
A handful of Freelanders had followed the Queens, worried for their safety, and witnessed this terrible event. Rhiyo had-with but a thought- pushed back the borders of the jungle a great distance. Rhiyo's rage had yet to cool and she felt no pity for the females and young of the Natives. Instead of feeling dread, the observing Freelanders took this as a sign that the wrath of a mother who felt her children threatened proved terrifying indeed. Having exacted their vengeance, the Four Queens returned to the construction site where Rhiyo wept for the slain engineers alongside Oorotin and Wuerhen. The Freelanders took to calling her the Mourning Mother as a result. In honor of the murdered architects, Wrawthe dubbed the grassy plains Kundain, and the city itself Bainshaebo.

"She laid waste to their civilization; so thoroughly that never again would they rise as a great power. Forever after would the unicorn-folk harbor a deep, seething hatred of all Human-born."-Tar Uhnin to Ren Skyrider.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 24

*****

Wrawthe's Edict

After centuries of hard work, the walls of the city had been completed. In order to avoid a repeat of the conflict with the Natives, Wrawthe decreed that the newly-dubbed Thangiens-no longer Freelanders-never venture from the city walls with the exception of harvesting food or water. Within the walls, the people created sprawling villas and dwellings out of brick and the interior of the great city slowly took shape. A cumbersome network of ladders and lifts served as the only means in and out of the city walls. While a slight inconvenience, the Thangiens did not seem to mind as it kept their bodies strong and their minds focused on their labors. Portions of land were reserved for the growing of crops within the city walls. Wrawthe looked upon the city and found it to be good.

Wicked Black Wound: Goddess of Wickedness

It is unknown precisely when she arrived, but a fifth goddess appeared to the people. Calling herself Phitdaitiarona, she openly expressed resentment toward Wrawthe and the other Queens, accusing them of abandoning the world from which they came in order to seek out a cozy life in exile. Despite Wrawthe's entreaty to join their burgeoning pantheon, Phitdaitiarona refused and pledged that if Wrawthe held herself as a goddess of light, then she would be a goddess of dark and oppose everything Wrawthe stood for. In a terrible display of power, Phitdaitiarona wrenched loose a planetoid from the Vault of Stars and fixed it in Thanged's orbit, dubbing it Gaughran, the Rogue's Moon. She established it as her base of operation and ever afterward would work in secret to undermine the Four Queens.
Unwilling to outright attack Phitdaitiarona, Wrawthe decided to use her malice to her advantage, as a god of supreme good needed an adversary to oppose. Despite this, worship and adoration of Phitdaitiarona is punishable by death and adherents are swiftly persecuted. Nearly every evil deed to have unfolded throughout Thangien history can in some form be attributed to the subtle encouragement of the Goddess of Wickedness

The Cresta and the Wheel

Among the many beasts of the plains, none proved as majestic and wild as what the Thangiens dubbed the Grand Cresta. Standing taller than a human at the shoulder and sporting a single great curved horn sloping over the back of the shoulder and neck, Grand Crestas seemed the stuff of legend. Incredibly vicious and impossible to corral and tame, most Thangiens avoided the Crestas out of respect. One farmer believed at a young enough age and with proper care and feeding, a Cresta could be domesticated and utilized as a beast of burden. After much effort he managed to find a Cresta foal and carried it into the city walls via the lifts. He spent many hears hand-feeding and speaking to it, attempting to kindle a bond with the yearling.
After years of diligence, the farmer believed he had succeeded in raising the first ever domesticated Grand Cresta. He gathered his neighbors around and carefully fitted the Cresta with a harness and hitched it to a wagon. He gave a triumphant shout that proved short lived, as in irritation, the Grand Cresta lashed out with its hind legs and kicked the wheels off of the wagon with such force they broke through the western wall completely. The commotion caught the attention of the Four Queens, who hurried to examine the ruined wall. Oorotin ran her hand over the shattered brick, and while in any other situation she could have mended the structure with ease, she admitted the will of the Grand Cresta seemed to permeate the wall itself, refusing to be sealed.
The farmer reluctantly set his prize pet loose to roam free upon Kundain and Oorotin set to constructing a great gate to guard the breach. Amused, Wrawthe admitted this meant the Thangien spirit could never truly be caged. The opening allowed citizens easy access to the mighty river and a view of the Twin Suns as they rose in the west. However, Wrawthe's edict against despoiling the land remained in place, and Thangiens could only forage for resources, instead of drilling or mining.

Deres, the Father of Metal

Five thousand years after the first humans arrived on Thanged, and two thousand after the city of Bainshaebo rose from the Kundainian plains, Thangien civilization slowly took shape with a focus on military discipline, artistic endeavors, and medical advancement. Wrawthe had noticed additional humans kept arriving throughout the years, each with different customs and cultures contributing to the greater fabric of the Thangien people. She suspected that the Transgalactic Rifts remained active, but worked only one way. While it was still possible for a human to stumble through, they could not return from whence they came.
In order to contain the population and prevent sprawling development beyond Bainshaebo itself, Wrawthe and Wuerhen collaborated to devise a complex series of rules and standards by which Thangiens would settle disputes or punish criminals via combat, often to the death. Wuerhen, now known as the Maiden of Blood, relished the thrill of combat and instilled ferocity into her charges. Wrawthe, called by Thangiens the Queen of Triumph, promoted discipline and sophisticated swordplay, passing on the techniques known as Rait'chian, or "Art of the Sword".
However, despite their efforts to curtail exploitation of the environment, eventually the people would exhaust available resources. Peirolyth had been scavanged of any and all non-essential metal, and attempts to pan the mighty river for ores proved fruitless. While forests had slowly regrown to the south and east over the years, Wrawthe's edict meant Thangiens could not cut down any trees and only harvested what fallen branches and twigs they could. This presented a problem, and a brilliant young man named Deres viewed this as a challenge, believing himself to be born to solve problems.
At no more than ten cycles-twenty years Earth-time- he set off on an expedition to map the surrounding environment. He named the great river the Winding White for its violent foaming waters and followed the river south to the vast expanse of swamp and marshland in the southern hemisphere. No matter how far he trekked to the west and then to the east, the sloppy environment seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. He concluded that the saltwater marshlands covered nearly the whole of the southern hemisphere, and while unsuitable for drinking, he managed to harvest a great deal of plant specimens both medicinal and versatile. He returned up north and followed each tributary he could find.
One such lesser river led to a fantastic pond just outside Bainshaebo's northern wall. The bottom seemed covered in gems of all colors, shapes, and sizes, polished smooth by the chaotic flows of the Winding White. Amazed by its beauty, Deres named it "Gual de Phu Aclu", Lake of Sparkling Treasure. Recording it on his map parchment, he continued further north and followed another tributary which ended in a massive lake with a single large island in the center. It gleamed like a brilliant blue eye. Unable to devise a proper name worthy of capturing this lake's majesty, he left it unnamed and marked it on his map.
After a brief stop back at Bainshaebo to resupply and deposit his specimens, he set off yet again this time towards the north. The further north he went, the colder it got, and even the great walls of Bainshaebo seemed tiny in the distance. He wrapped himself in fur and woven cloth and braved the biting storms, unwilling to turn back or surrender to the elements. He invoked the names of the Four Queens, which his chattering teeth pronounced as Roth, Witheren, Eyurodin, and Ritho. Knowing he had to persevere against all odds, he prayed to Roth. Knowing he needed fire in his belly and a strong will to survive, he prayed to Witheren. Knowing the Thangiens needed precious resources to advance and sustain themselves, he prayed to Eyurodin. Knowing he needed to return to his family alive, he prayed to Ritho.
After many months of travel and mapping the shores of the Winding White, he arrived at a colossal wall of stone and ice that dwarfed even the grand walls of Bainshaebo. He walked to the west and east and the ice appeared just as expansive as the Southern Salt Marshes. Colorful lights danced across the sky at night, and stretched past the top of the wall. Believing a greater secret remained to discover, he carefully scaled the ice and rock of what he dubbed the Northern Ring Glacier. After many days of battling buffeting winds and bitter driving snow, he arrived at the top and gazed out into the expanse.

Basek de Rhakka: Towers of Untamed Flame!

Through the thick snowy storm, Deres thought he spied a light in the distance. Carefully creeping down the interior wall of the glacier, he clambered towards the source of the light believing at first a new civilization dwelt within. He noticed the air becoming increasingly warm, and great waves of steam and fog rolled up in his face. As he approached the source of light, the fog began to clear and he could not believe the horrific landscape which stretched before him.
Rivers of fire, blackened soil, delicate crusts of stone riding upon the flames, sprays of liquid fire just as violent as the waters of the Winding White! Deres barely avoided stepping into one such river and stood transfixed at the border between ice and flame. In the distance he could see colossal mountains that smoked and smoldered at their crowns. The ground shuddered violently and Deres watched aghast as one such mountain let loose a terrific gout of liquid fire that seemed to scrape the sky.
Unable to move any closer due to the extreme heat, Deres settled instead for jotting down notes and painting hasty images. As he sat on the ground he spotted a curious gleam and noticed bits of stone that shone with a curious sheen. Far above in the night sky, rivers of light seemed to greet and caress the eruptions coming from the mountains. The sheen from the stone seemed quite similar. Deres gathered up as many chips of shining stone as he could comfortably carry and returned back up the wall, leaving behind the burning mountains. Descending back down the Northern Ring Glacier, he decided to take a detour east.

Caevas: Claws of the Wind

Keeping a wary eye on the edge of the forest, Deres quaffed all manner of stimulating drinks he could brew with nearby plants to keep from having to make camp within sight of the edge lest vengeful Natives chance upon him as he slept. With the walls of Bainshaebo in eyesight, he quickly made his way towards home. The sky turned dark and rain assailed him seemingly from all sides. He tilted his head up to observe the wind direction and cloud patterns. Clouds seemed to crunch together, forming hanging spikes like icicles, or the caves he read about in ancient stories. The wind grew stronger and Deres took refuge in a grassy wallow. Peering over the edge, he watched astonished as the clouds seemed to reach down towards the ground and rake across the land, tearing grass and soil asunder. The wind-driven funnels approached the forests and Deres watched in horror and fascination as even the mightiest of trees fell before the storm. After a time the storm retreated further east before disappearing altogether.
Deres approached the closest of the fallen trees, examining its girth and wood structure. He found it to be of good solid grain and hacked loose a piece to take with him. Putting his return trip on hold, he followed the wind up north and took note of how it seemed to cycle back south then to the east. After several weeks of travel, stopping only to nap and replenish his rations, he observed the same occurrence that buffeted the plains and forests. Risking a jaunt to the edge of the forest, he took note of older stumps from trees uprooted in the past, some old and rotted, some as recent as a few months prior. He theorized these storms to be seasonal, and that such naturally occurring chaos could provide an ample source of hardwood without risking the ire of Roth or the bitter Natives. He called the spiky-appearance of the clouds caevas, "cave-ceiling".

Deres Triumphant

After a full year of travel, and after nearly walking the circumference of the entire planet itself, Deres returned at last to the great gate loaded with natural wealth. Greeted by his family, he recounted the wonders he had seen: calcite caves in the Northern Ring, bubbling springs of black fluid in the Southern Salt, the dreadful Caevas of the Eastern Jungles, and the spectacular lake west of the Winding White. The Four Queens came to welcome him home and he greeted them by the new names he'd devised. Instead of being insulted, they approved of their new titles and embraced their new roles. He presented the pouch of shining stone fragments to Eyurodin, who took them to Peirolyth and began examining them in the High Forge.
In the time he'd been away, the Four Queens had completed work on additional superstructures within the city: Mazzan, a great pen for housing, caring, and breeding of draught animals, Raaezen, the colossal archives to house all history and scholarly works, the Pavilion to serve as a common market and social hub for the city at large, and finally the Traedeskaton, devoted to battling illness and injury, an arena of the body and soul.

Dererium: Deres' Metal

Eyurodin, Lady of Flames, grew ecstatic as further study of the stone flakes yielded the existence of metal. She smelted the flakes in the High Forge and fashioned a single ingot of dark iridescent metal. Sparks flew high into the sky as she labored and worked the ingot into several shapes and implements. The metal proved to be highly durable and malleable, yet when cooled and tempered, nearly indestructible. Striding forth from the High Forge, she approached Deres at his home and inquired to the nature of the metal and how to obtain it. He recounted his nightmarish vision of the Towers of Untamed Flame and how the lights of the sky seemed to pour into the fire itself. Determined to obtain more metal for study, Eyurodin journeyed to the Northern Ring herself, vanishing in a streak of light that sped through the sky.
Upon her return with additional quantities of ore, she determined that energy produced by the Twin Suns scraping the Basek de Rhakka imbued the liquid flame with incredible properties. Collaborating with Deres to devise reinforced cloth capable of withstanding extreme heat, she instructed crafters among the populace to harvest reeds and black water from the Southern Salt. With this additional source of protection, she obtained permission from Roth to send expeditions frequently to the Northern Ring Glacier to harvest more of this fantastic metal. Tagging along on the first of one such expedition, Deres discovered a location where the Winding White emerged from the Northern Ring where he discovered additional sources of ore that seemed to seep out underground through a network of caverns. While this new source proved safer, braving the perils of the Basek de Rhakka yielded greater amounts, so only the strongest of warriors made the journey while women and children panned the river source for ore.
Realizing the potential of this miraculous metal, Eyurodin dubbed it dererium, honoring Deres as he had by honoring them with new names. This discovery ushered in a new era of prosperity and advancement, as black water yielded additional uses and the reinforced cloth provided strong armor.

Ritho's Gift

Encouraged by seeing how far the Thangien civilization had come thus far, Ritho revealed a secret she'd held since before she arrived with the other Queens. Journeying up to the Lake of Sparkling Treasure, she planted the first of many seeds she had carried with her for millennia. The seeds grew fast and the plants produced large wide leaves. When applied to wounds such as cuts or abrasions, provided an almost immediate healing effect. When steeped into a tea, yielded a bright green drink that tasted ghastly but gave relief to internal ailments. Deres joined her and planted samples of the plants he'd gathered in his travels. This would later become the garden of Tirmutua. The healing plant itself proved able to grow in nearly any type of soil, and Ritho distributed seed pods to every household in the city. Thangiens called the plant Richtho: "Ritho's Gift".

Rebellion and Roth's Dilemma

Despite the peace and prosperity ushered in by the discovery of dererium, a secret cabal of warlords plotted to seize control of the city and usurp the will of the Queens. They began recruiting disaffected denizens who chafed under the strict discipline of Roth and the wanton bloodshed of Witheren. Criminals and cowards, plunderers and perverts, brigands and batterers alike rallied under this banner and those they could not bribe they bullied into subjugation, torturing them horrifically. While Roth could've put them down with but a thought, she realized if she stepped in and interceded in every crisis, coddling the Thangiens like children, they would lose their fighting spirit and will to survive. Ritho and Witheren coordinated with the opposition and circulated a chant called the Warrior's Anthem to bolster the spirits of the resistance. Thus even under the most excruciating torment were captured Thangiens able to withstand domination. Roth told the other Queens to restrain their powers so that instead of seeing the mighty Gods laying entire city blocks to waste, the people would see the valiant Four Queens striding into battle at their side.

Deres' Despair and Eyurodin's Covenant

The chiefest of the warlords, Yapign, sent his thugs into the city districts, taking hostages among crafters including Deres. Recognizing his renown and skill, Yapign demanded Deres craft a blade without equal and provided facilities and dererium ingots with which to work. Not wishing his skill to be used for evil, nor for his talent to die needlessly, Deres prayed to the Lady of Flames for salvation. Eyurodin came to him at night and spoke comfortingly, making a pact with Deres. Deres accepted her wisdom and set to forging this spectacular weapon with gusto, presenting the finished blade to the warlord. Knowing Yapign planned to slay him regardless of the outcome, Deres kept his head bowed. Sure enough, Yapign turned the blade upon Deres, swinging it down upon his head. The blade stopped, halted mid-strike, and Yapign recoiled upon seeing Eyurodin standing before him holding his wrist at bay. Seizing the opportunity, Deres wrest the blade from Yapign's grasp and parted his head from his shoulders. None of the warlord's minions dared raise arms against the Lady of Flames. Deres left safely in the company of Eyurodin, who had personally kept her covenant: let no weapon forged by hand bring harm unto its maker! Yapign's name and-variations of-ever after became synonymous with cowardice.

Unlikely Intervention: Thunthen Arrive!

Infighting would drag out for another five cycles, or ten years Earth-time. While Roth could've easily put down the offenders, and often Thangiens petitioned her to, she encouraged them to fight with full fury and tolerate no slight. These became the principles of Furiadore and Enturate. As the resistance's resentment towards the warlords grew, so did their ferocity. The gleaming white brick that comprised Bainshaebo's roads and walls ran red with blood, culminating in a final confrontation at the Pavilion. Unable to defeat the Queens, yet unwilling to relinquish their grasp on power, the warlords vowed to slay as many of the populace as possible. As the two sides advanced, something unexpected-even by Roth- occurred.
A boxy-looking object descended from the sky, flying over the city. Startled, the warlords let their attention slip, giving the resistance the opening they needed. They surged forth, slaying all in their path and impaling many a tyrant's head on a blade that day. Perplexed by the new arrival, Roth took her leave of the gory aftermath and victory celebration and strode out to meet these newcomers.
To men, these beings resembled great dragons of ancient myth and legend carried through with them from the old world. The tallest stood almost as tall as Roth herself. They sported orange-yellow skin and curving white horns and long white claws on their fingertips. Thick spiked shells hung on their backs and long tails with spiked clubs swung out from behind their legs. They looked like dragons but walked on two legs. Roth acted as an intermediary between the Thangiens and these beings, who called themselves Thunthen. Thuthethakka was a common farewell phrase used by Thangiens, translated as :"When next our blades clash". Thangiens interpreted "Thunthen" as "Dagger-Claw" in their language.
The Thunthen seemed curious about the presence of humans on the planet. They explained they came from a neighboring planet in the solar system in search of resources and had previously thought the world to be devoid of sentient life. While Thangiens treated the Thunthen cordially, even indulging them with food and drink and celebration of their victory over the warlords, Roth knew a potential conflict could arise. She sensed despite compassion and generosity from the Thangiens, the Thunthen saw only a ripe opportunity. Deres shrugged off such concerns and seemed more intrigued with Thunthen mastery of spacefaring technology.
He spent the better part of the day examining their landing craft, and for all the sophistication of the engines, found flaws in the metal itself. While it could traverse the sky and travel between worlds, it would require constant repair and maintenance. He provided examples of dererium crafts and even gifted the Thunthen leader the sword he'd seized from the chief warlord. Surprised by Deres' intelligence, the Thunthen party leader accepted the gift graciously and prepared to depart. While Deres regaled them with tales of his exploits, Eyurodin took mental note of the technology used in their landing craft, sensing a need for future adaptation. The Thunthen expedition took off, watched closely by Roth.

Taming the Pegacorns

Deres deduced the Natives and Grand Crestas traced their lineage towards unicorns, graceful equines while dainty in appearance possessed extraordinary healing powers via their horns. He theorized they had likewise been displaced from the old world through Transglactic Rifts and occupied the farthest reaches of the Kundainian Plains, remaining aloof. While Grand Crestas proved too wild to tame, and unicorns too frail to support a rider, Deres suspected Thangiens would need some method of transportation to compete with the Thunthen as well as traverse the vast world. While travelling with his grandchildren, he came across herds of winged equines he dubbed 'pegasids'. While unicorns remained wary of humans, pegasids proved easy to bribe with food and thus several specimens were taken back to Bainshaebo and housed in Mazzan. After some testing and examination, pegasids proved easily able to carry the weight of a Thangien, and efforts began to domesticate them. While Deres saw potential he wondered if somehow the power and grace of unicorns could be combined with the flight and resilience of pegasids.
After weighing the risk, he asked his youngest granddaughter Vthia to tame a unicorn. Giddy at the prospect, she approached a herd and sat in the grass until a mighty unicorn-far bigger than any she'd seen- approached her. Her eyes widened when she heard a voice in her mind as the unicorn introduced himself as Unor. He understood her purpose and need and agreed to accompany her to Bainshaebo. Rewarded with all the fanfare and pageantry of a lord, Unor was housed in a place of honor in Mazzan, siring the first generation of pegacorn: hybrids between unicorn and pegasid which possessed the flight capabilities of a pegasid and the intelligence and powers of a unicorn. Thus did Unor become the father of all pegacorns.

The Spectra Pits and Deres' End

After many decades, Deres sensed his life nearing its end. Despite all his myriad accomplishments, he regretted the thought of not living long enough to see Thangiens take to the stars. As he whiled away his days in his villa, news came to him of another party of Thunthen explorers landing outside Bainshaebo. The visitors asked for him specifically, and upon being led to the elderly Deres, issued their proposal. On their homeworld, Planet Thunthen, they had discovered the existence of fiery mountains similar to the Basek de Rhakka on their own world. They thought they could find dererium there as could be found on Thanged, but the metal yielded from Thunthen's fiery blood proved very unstable to work with. It could not be worked on its own and the Thunthen theorized it needed to be combined with other metals to form a stable form, but they had been unable to figure out which metal to use as any attempts they made ended in failure. They dubbed this new metal spectra, since while it seemed to be created by similar processes as dererium, it remained a mystery. They offered Deres safe passage to Planet Thunthen and a place of reverence if he could solve this puzzle. Eager to make one final discovery, Deres accepted their offer. Eyurodin begrudgingly allowed him to depart, warning him that he would only find death outside of Thanged. She bid her longtime friend and greatest pupil farewell.
The Thunthen shuttle traversed the gap between worlds, and Deres looked out the porthole wondering what other forms of life existed in the system. They landed on the inhospitable Thunthen homeworld, which reeked of yellow stone, and while the Thunthen had easily adapted to the harsh environment, Deres required a breathing apparatus to withstand toxic fumes and hot gas. The Thunthen led him to the Spectra Pits and demonstrated the molten metal's tendency to "devour" any metal they attempted to alloy with. Deres took note of the streams of light in the sky, and explained that while the solar winds of the Twin Suns did infact create dererium on Thanged, the unique composition of molten rock on Thunthen created something far different. He suspected spectra needed to consume other metals in order to stabilize itself. Even dererium ended up being cannibalized when introduced to a sample of molten spectra. Deres theorized that only metal imbued with special energies could withstand being exposed to molten spectra and successfully bond. He expressed disappointment that he could not give the Thunthen the answer they sought.
Accounts differ as to what happened next. Thangiens believed from then onward that the Thunthen had thrown Deres into the Spectra Pits as punishment for his failure. The Thunthen themselves insist on a different tale: that Deres had leaned too close to the edge of the pits, and either expired then and there at the natural end of his life, or had become so addle-minded in his old age he simply tottered right in. In any case, Deres met his end in a manner befitting the Father of Metal. Thangiens would harbor deep resentment towards the Thunthen as a result of this debacle.

Vthiasak: Vthia's Sentence

Now grown with many daughters of her own, Vthia, granddaughter to Deres, set out freelanding one season in search of additional resources. Accompanied by her seven daughters and a company of warriors, they charged into the Eastern Jungle in search of hardwood and medicinal herbs and fungi. Deres did not raise Vthia on the stories of the Natives, and thus Vthia thought the unicorn folk to be benevolent hermits. Her youngest daughter took ill with a fever no known plant could cure, not even Richtho tea. Vthia and her company came upon a village made of wood built around a stand of tall trees. They dismounted their pegacorn steeds and pushed open the gates but found the village to be empty. They found implements such as pots and utensils and still smoldering campfires. Deducing it to be a Native village, she left her youngest daughter behind with a retinue of guards with orders to offer gifts to the Natives in the event they returned and ask if they knew of any remedy to this fever. Taking her leave, she and the rest of her company went in search of provisions, intending to return in the morning.
When Vthia and her company returned, they found the village still empty, but the guards she'd left behind had been slain, along with her youngest daughter. Screaming with grief, Vthia vowed bloody vengeance against the Natives. She searched every dwelling but found no trace of them. The company rode back out into the forest and set up a watch in secret just outside the village walls. At night they saw the light of campfire and heard voices. Mounting their steeds, they charged in screaming through the entrance. Once more the village appeared empty. Vthia left a small group of warriors behind to keep watch for the Natives and set off into the forest again. Upon returning in the morning they once more found the village empty and the guards slain. Flummoxed and enraged, Vthia debated simply setting fire to the entire village, but she knew Witheren and Ritho would not be satisfied with anything other than complete and total vengeance.
One of her daughters, a clever girl and a devout follower of Eyurodin, suspected the Natives must use a hidden system of lifts to evade sight. She examined the trees forming the perimeter of the village and sure enough discovered a complex network of pulleys and ropes disguised as vines and mushroom shelves. Vthia ordered her men to pitch tents inside the village walls and take refuge within, leaving only small campfires burning out on the ground. All of the Thangiens entered the tents and appeared to retire for the night.
Moving stealthily and with murderous intent, the Natives descended on their lifts and crept into the village. They approached the quiet tents and prepared to pull the flaps open and slay those who dwelt within. Much to their surprise, they found the tents empty.
Without warning, Vthia and her daughters sprang out of concealed pits they'd dug and caught the Natives unaware. As the Natives scrambled to flee to their lifts, warriors grabbed the wicked Natives by their ankles and pulled them down to the ground, setting the pulleys aflame. Vthia's men rounded up all of the Natives and held them bound in the center of the village. The Natives begged for mercy, but Vthia pointedly reminded them they had slain her youngest daughter and many of her warriors for no other reason than they existed. They did not allow them the courtesy of open combat nor the opportunity to defend themselves. The Natives mocked and taunted Vthia, and she contemplated simply slaying them all. Vthia knew Witheren demanded blood, and Ritho demanded retribution for her slain daughter, but Vthia devised a far more creative and impactful punishment.
She ordered every Native female, young and old, put to the sword, and all Native males, young and old, gelded. Vthia's vengeful daughters carried out executions on the female Natives with sorrowful glee, avenging their youngest sister. Vthia herself carried out her sentence on the males with her bare hands. Without any means of reproduction, the village would slowly go extinct even if absorbed into another tribe. Vthia left the village standing as a testament to her wrath, and thus coined the term vthiasak: Vthia's Sentence, the means by which criminals and conspirators are punished with bloody manual castration. This event would forever cement the raw hatred between human-born Thangiens and Natives.

"Thangiens will seek peace with Thunthen before my people ever abandon their hate..."-T'plaureth to Ren Skyrider.

— Fight Alone Ch. 15

*****

Rise of Danaetanera III: First of the Great Queens

Seven thousand years Earth-time had passed since the emergence of the Thangien civilization. After Deres' death and Vthia's bloody ordeal, Roth grew concerned that the people would suffer without cohesive leadership. While Vthia's violent solution alarmed Roth, Ritho argued that she acted as a grieving mother and that a female could serve as the best possible leader. Witheren agreed, since while a female could exercise restraint and critical thinking, they could also be stirred to great fury if pushed too greatly, and this made a woman perfect to serve as a leader should any danger arise be it from the Natives or the ever ambitious Thunthen. Roth and the other Queens had taken gradual steps to distance themselves from direct intervention, taking more ceremonial roles, but still intervening if great need arrived. Roth knew she needed a champion to act as an instrument of her will.
She studied up and coming warriors and among them took note of a maid who often spent time freelanding out on the plains in search of threats. She approached the maid one day and asked if she would take upon herself a great burden: to become a Queen in her own right. Since Thangiens did not trace leadership through lineage, this new queen would act as a direct representative of the Queen of Triumph and reign with divine authority. The maid weighed the offer briefly before arguing that as warriors, Thangiens needed to resolve disputes in blood. She proposed to be pitted against any who coveted the role of leadership, as equals, and only if she proved herself strongest, would she be worthy of Roth's blessing. Roth agreed and announced that a battle royale would take place in the Pavilion to determine the first monarch of Bainshaebo.
Unsurprisingly, only a handful of other maids and a smattering of men stepped forward to participate. Viewing the mere act of having spoken with Roth as a blessing itself, the maid bested all other combatants and emerged as the sole victor. In public view of the entire populace, Roth anointed the maid-third of her name- as the first queen to govern Bainshaebo, and thus all of Thanged. The maid became known as Danaetanera III.

Thananagreia: Citadel-Chapel and Home of the Gods

Confident in Danaetanera's leadership, Roth contemplated her position going forward. While she and the other Queens agreed they would need to intervene if a dire need arose, they decided it be best to withdraw from public life entirely in order to strengthen the people's resolve. Eyurodin commissioned her most brilliant student of the time, Muriab, to draw up plans for an immense structure to be built on one of the last remaining empty plots of land in the city. A second structure would be built infront of it to serve as the seat of power for the city ruler. Muriab labored long and hard to design a structure worthy of the Four Queens, but at his advanced age long hours of planning took their toll and he took ill. Roth ordered him carried out on a litter to the construction site to see his vision brought to life. She stood at the entrance to the site with the city populace gathered to observe.
In a great display of power, Roth stretched out her hand and willed the architect's vision into existence, summoning immense solid stone pillars and thick walls from the earth. The vast roof formed in a single slab above the populace and instead of landing upon them, hovered through the air sliding into place above the pillars. In the interior, Roth conjured forth the unique colossal stained-glass windows that would portray the Queens' likenesses to visitors. On the opposing wall she created the immense mural depicting the spheres of influence wielded by the Four Queens and their history. At the very rear of the interior, Roth created a final mural illustrating their earliest histories. At the entrance of the structure, she fashioned a wedge-shaped monument out of green marble. This would become Thananagreia, the colossal shrine to the Queens.
Roth set next to fashioning the great tiered palace and colonnades that would become the Riders Citadel, the de-facto ruling palace for leaders of Thanged. Upon completing her labor, she turned to Muriab, seeking his approval. He smiled the contented smile of a life fulfilled and passed away peacefully in his seat. Roth issued a decree that any maiden of silver hair would be tasked with serving as messenger of the Queens and act as her voice to the people. Eyurodin, while impressed with the newly-created citadel-chapel, preferred to remain in Peirolyth as her domain. Witheren, not content to remain indoors, sought to fashion her own palace within the bowels of the world and departed for a time. Ritho maintained vigil within the halls of the Traedeskaton, comforting the sick and dying, or mothers in the throes of labor. Roth took up residence within Thananagreia and continued to watch over the people of Bainshaebo from its highest balconies.

Das Anazhar's Challenge and the Blood Walk

Peace reigned for many years under Danaetanera III's administration and the populace flourished within the walls of the capital and only city of Bainshaebo. Danaetanera proposed the creation of a merit-based status system by which families would be ranked and granted power and prestige either through combat prowess, intellect and cunning, or diplomatic skill. Instead of leadership being decided through combat or bloodlines, only the most esteemed of families would gain the right to rule the city. Danaetanera's House of St'lur became the first Grand House. Eschewing calling herself a queen or any formal title, she elected to instead call herself Watch-Rider in homage to her youth of freelanding. Successive monarchs would likewise refer to themselves as Watch-Rider as well as king/queen.
One day, the skies roared to life and a great many Thunthen ships of all shapes and sizes descended from on high, setting down on the plains. Alarmed, Thangiens prepared for battle as a precaution: this many ships would not have come for pleasantries. A mighty Thunthen stepped forth and introduced himself as Das Anazhar, Supreme High Overlord of the Thunthen people. He commanded Thangiens lay down their arms and surrender. Danaetanera III strode out to parley with him, wielding a simple dagger. As the citizens watched, she slit her own wrists and began walking along the length of Bainshaebo's outer wall. Perplexed by her action, Das Anazhar followed at her side watching as she shed a single drop of blood with each footstep. When she had fully walked the perimeter of the city, she turned to Das Anazhar and stated that through each drop of blood she secured the lives of her people. Exhausted from her effort, she collapsed to the ground. Much to both Thangien and Thunthen surprise, Das Anazhar lunged forward and caught her in his arms, cradling her lifeless body. Onlookers reported that he seemed moved to great sadness by this sacrifice.
Das Anazhar walked over to Danaetanera's oldest daughter, Alahaedra, and left the dead queen's body with her. Just as quickly as he had arrived, he ordered his forces to depart. Planet Thunthen would not make another effort to attack for nearly three thousand years. Alahaedra would succeed her mother as queen and decreed the event immortalized in historical record and custom as the Blood Walk. Scholars debate whether Das Anazhar truly felt compassion for the deceased queen or whether he realized her sacrifice would stir Thangiens to fury, and that any effort to attack after would only result in a bloody war of attrition. In any case, Danaetanera III had purchased peace at the cost of her own life. Alahaedra commissioned the construction of a tomb on the island at the center of the great lake west of the Winding White. The lake became known as Lake Danaetanera, and long bridges span the surface of the water for pilgrims to traverse and pay respects to the mightiest of the great queens.

"Das Anazhar didn’t withdraw out of the ‘goodness of his heart’. No… he foresaw destruction for both races. I think deep down he believed the Thangiens would make better allies than enemies…"-Plaedarr Bloodhun to Khanto Earthrider.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 30

*****

The Horror of the Genesis Plague

Time passed relatively uneventful as Thangien culture evolved and flourished. Rulers after Alahaedra would enjoy peace and prosperity secured by Danaetanera III's sacrifice. Cassatina, Draeta, Vaita, Ahlzlo, Ayemeras, Uwynta, Taiera, Luerin, Wuetyl, Ehzza, Luezzit, Tuvassa, Keiyma, Ooulro, Eyhme reigned in the thousand years following the Blood Walk. After the passing of Eyhme, her daughter Payina took up the mantle of Watchrider, seventeenth of Danaetanera III's line. Unlike her noble predecessors, Payina obsessed with maintaining her youth and tasked a physician of the Traedeskaton, Sening, with unlocking the secrets of eternal life. Ignoring warning visions from Roth and Ritho, Sening pursued this task with fervor, studying all manner of toxic plants and organisms found within the Eastern Jungle and Southern Salt Marshes. After many months of study, Sening believed he had found the cure to the ultimate ailment of old age. He devised a concoction he believed would allow the body to regenerate upon death, indefinitely extending the already extensive lifespans of the Thangien people. Without testing his findings on live subjects or even himself for that matter, he unleashed his 'gift' upon the populace at large. He believed he had bestowed eternal life upon people.
Instead, he unleashed untold pain, decay, and misery. Roth emerged from her demesne in Thananagreia to find the people wracked by a horrible sickness. Dubbed the "Genesis Plague", victims suffered horrible sores, rotting growths, and weeping pustules all over the skin. The plague instilled great strength and heightened aggression and could be spread by so much as a single scratch. After a long period of time-ranging from a few months to over a year-the virus sustaining the disease would cease to exist, allowing the body to regenerate, free of the virus. Despite this, not many afflicted had the patience to wait that long, and sought to infect others to vent their frustrations. Healthy residents cowered in their homes, unable to venture into the streets for fear of being infected by deranged victims.
Payina herself succumbed to the plague, and in her delirium, believed herself beautiful and immortal. Disgusted with his mother, her oldest son Wuelro impaled her in the back with a spear and set fire to her corpse. Taking charge of the situation and unwilling to slaughter vast swathes of the populace, he ordered great sanitariums constructed within the ancient calcite caves Deres had discovered beneath the Northern Ring Glacier in eons past. Eyurodin provided encasing armor of dererium to those brave enough to watch over the afflicted. These became the first of the wardens, tasked with supervising recovery of afflicted. Victims were chained until the time came when the virus would leave them and their bodies would regenerate. The wardens had to find ways to keep infected inmates from re-infecting those who had regenerated.
They constructed a system of hanging rails and harnesses by which they would suspend victims, then, sever their arms and legs at the elbow and knee joints. The severed limbs were capped with metal studs which would fall off when the body eventually regenerated. It took more than three decades for all of the plague victims to be freed of the disease, and during Wuelro's reign, it was decided upon by all Thangiens that never again would they practice bio-engineering, and that those who dared do so would be punished by death. Thangiens do not speak of the Genesis Plague, and when asked why they hate genetic engineering they will not answer, but records remain in the deepest vaults of Raaezen of one of the worst humanitarian disasters to have ever occurred on Thanged. The fate of Sening himself remains unknown, whether Roth smote him for his crimes, or whether he retreated into hiding, perversely driven to preserve knowledge of his "gift" for the distant future.

Aftermath and Fall From Grace

Despite his achievements in controlling the spread and damage caused by the Genesis Plague, Wuelro would be the last of the House of St'lur to reign as Watchrider, as people associated his line more with his maddened mother Payina than with Danaetanera III of old. After pressure from prominent houses, Wuelro agreed to the formation of the Council of Houses. Twenty of the strongest families in the city would discuss matters relating to economy and defense, advising the Watchrider in times of need. Towards the end of his life, Wuelro abdicated from position of Watchrider and devoted his remaining years to repairing the status of the House of St'lur. Phassat, Kyiempin, Taemo, Iympa, Ahlsorral, Gyeaba, Wuelma, and Ktoya led the House of St'lur in the centuries after his passing, but the family fell into further disfavor, declining to Third House.
Eventually leadership of the House of St'lur would fall to Yainae. Last survivor of the once illustrious house, her siblings either squandered their lives needlessly in Traels or died from sickness or injury. If not for the legacy of Danaetanera III, the House of St'lur would have fallen even further in rank. No suitors sought her hand or alliance with her House. She remained alone for many cycles, watching over a dusty empty estate that had once birthed so many storied heroes. It would take many cycles for her to find a chance at redemption.

"Prestige is very important to them. Old Yainae wasn’t exactly in the best of financial shape before Ander arrived, and the heroics of him and his children catapulted the House of St’lur to where it is today."-Captain Caroline Wendell to Darian Dreamrider.

— Cataclysm War Ch. 8

*****

Contact with Oldworld and Glimpse of the Entide

Roughly two hundred cycles ago, or four-hundred years Earth-time. Eager to establish contact with the Oldworld and reunite Thangiens with their human ancestors, Eyurodin discreetly undertook construction of the first Transgalactic Gate. Adapting technology found within Peirolyth's hidden data banks and using vast quantities of dererium, she completed the anchor band and orbital spires and successfully powered the gate. Her project half-way completed, Eyurodin went on a prolonged absence, presumably to finish the second half of the bridge. Within a year, she announced she had completed the first gate network. Eager to see how the Oldworld fared, scouts ventured through using pegacorn's ability for point-to-point teleportation.
Instead of a peaceful world, the scouts found the Oldworld under assault by a terrible foe. Calling themselves the Totalitary, the Enemy claimed humanity needed to be saved through subjugation. Returning through the gate, the scouts relayed what they had seen, stirring Roth and Thangien warriors to mobilize. In the largest muster in history aside from the Battle of Banguk, warriors armed themselves with suits formerly worn by wardens and proofed their bodies against the harshness of space. Memner, the self-styled Sky King, appointed himself Watch-Protector of the people and led his vast host through the gate, intending to turn the tide.

Fate of the Sky King and Destruction of the Gate

For all their valiant efforts fighting against a vastly technologically superior foe, the heroic riders could not prevail against the Totalitary's sheer numbers and staggering ruthlessness. Memner briefly made contact with humans on the ground, believing the Thangiens could turn the tide through sheer force of will alone. He ultimately met his end, seemingly vaporized by a weapon fired from one of the colossal city-ships. Shocked by the downturn in battle, Roth commanded all riders retreat through the gate. Eyurodin activated the self-destruct mechanism, shattering the anchor band and orbital spires and leaving the wreckage to drift in space forever. They would not learn the fate of the Oldworld for many centuries after their retreat.
The outcome humbled the Queens, who had spent so many millennia cultivating a culture of valor and combat prowess among the Thangien people. They had proven willing to face the Thunthen in the past, but the Totalitary presented a far graver challenge being an elder race. The setback demoralized the people greatly, and in the time between then and recent years they forgot the capabilities of pegacorns to navigate space. Through the Silver-Haired Maiden, Roth devised a prophecy she called End Tide, a cosmic end-of-days which the Thangiens would be forced to confront the Enemy once more. Eyurodin began work in secret crafting new armaments and defenses. She realized more than ever Thangiens must harden their wills and strengthen their spirits to prevail against an enemy for which the mere concept of free thought and will was an affront.
Roth secretly made petition to the current Supreme High Overlord of Thunthen and informed them of the relentless and technologically advanced Totalitary. While sympathetic to her argument, the Supreme High Overlord-a descendant of Das Anazhar-lamented that civil strife wracked his people, and thus could not pledge assistance. He warned that Thanged must prepare to face Thunthen before worrying about the Totalitary.

“We don’t believe in Fate, but we do believe in the existence of Powers in the universe: great, ancient Powers and not all of them benevolent.”-Bak Thraplek to Auji Lightrider.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 23

*****

Enter the Far-Star-Traveller

Nearly thirty cycles ago, or sixty years Earth-time, a man arrived at the main gate of Bainshaebo, the first Oldworlder to appear in centuries. Disoriented by the idyllic environment and the light of the Twin Suns, he desperately sought aid to return home. Lonely Yainae approached him and kindly explained he could never return home, and that he now dwelt on Thanged. Distraught, the man sat listlessly on the stone fence surrounding the House of St'lur. Yainae invited him inside and offered him accommodations. He introduced himself as Aleksander Vanstandtvoort and spoke of the world he came from. A great terrible war had broken out across the world, and in the heat of battle in the sky, his craft plunged into a strange glowing scar in the air. Crashing in the Eastern Jungle, he set out in search of fellow combatants only to find a craft belonging to an enemy. Fearing this enemy had already come to the city before him, he explained in detail to Yainae the depths of evil unfolding on his home world.
Intrigued by his tales, Yainae listened as Aleksander spoke of many nations and cities, a world wracked by war, nations subjugated and consumed while others stepped forward to stand against the darkness. He spoke of an "aircraft" he formerly used to fly and had abandoned in the jungle. After some struggle acclimating to life on Thanged, Aleksander eventually adopted Thangien attire and let his hair grow long while retaining his distinctive handlebar moustache. Finding his name cumbersome to pronounce, Yainae devised a new name for him: Ander Vai-Stel-Vethu "the Far Star Traveller". Some time later a party of gatherers returned to the city hauling the wreck of Ander's fallen aircraft. Without a way to repair or rebuild it, he lamented of ever being able to fly again. Yainae comforted him that he would find other ways to fly.

Taming Skybolt Sunhammer

One day while perusing the stalls of the Pavilion, Ander befriended two young men: Norin and Torke. They teased that despite his efforts at blending in he still stood out as a Oldworlder due to his facial hair. The good-natured ribbing did not last as the market stalls came under attack from two unlikely assailants: two mighty pegacorns, one with golden fur, the other with bluish-silver fur. While taking shelter, Norin described them as the brothers Skybolt Sunhammer and Sunbolt Skyhammer, unruly twins who had escaped their enclosures at Mazzan. Not content to be hand fed and cared for on a daily basis, the two brothers seemingly delighted in pilfering any fruits and vegetables they could find, scattering nearby Thangiens with mighty wingbeats. Intrigued at the sight of the flying equines, Ander vowed to secure one for his own.
He hatched a plan to lie in wait at a stall baited with exorbitant amounts of food. The next day when the brothers came in search of food once more, Ander sprung his trap and snared Skybolt Sunhammer by his leg. Enraged at this affront, Skybolt took to the air, pulling Ander with him in a hectic flight above the city. Skybolt refused to land or relent and Ander refused to release his grasp on the snare. Skybolt remained so focused on trying to bite Ander he failed to notice a stone arch ahead. Ander, dreading head-on impact, released his grasp and dropped to the ground relatively safely. Skybolt failed to ascend in time and crashed through the arch, landing in the streets. Ander sought him out and was horrified to see Skybolt had injured his hind leg. Guilt-wracked over his actions, Ander personally administered Richtho leaves to Skybolt's leg and set it with a splint. Agreeing to abandon his plan to capture the pegacorn, Ander prepared to leave in peace.
Impressed by his honor, Skybolt insisted on staying with Ander. Discarding the crude harness he'd prepared, Ander hauled himself astride the pegacorn and held on for dear life as Skybolt took to the air and soared effortlessly above the rooftops of Bainshaebo. Exhilarated, Ander realized he'd finally found his way to fly. Upon landing and reuniting with Norin and Torke, Skybolt's brother Sunbolt wailed in despair for his brother, believing him lost. Skybolt whinnied a plea, urging him to join them. Sunbolt refused at first and flew off into the distance. Torke, youngest son of the First House of Taurit, coveted Sunbolt as a regal steed and vowed to secure his friendship. After much effort and many days of being bucked and thrown, Sunbolt at last relented, partnering with Torke as Skybolt had partnered with Ander.

An Enemy Emerges

Ander's antics with Skybolt caught the attention of the enemy pilot he feared had also arrived on Thanged. As he slept within his chamber in the House of St'lur, Ander awoke, alarmed upon hearing noises coming from the window overlooking the garden. Combat instinct urged him to conceal himself in the shadows and he watched as an intruder slipped into his room and stalked towards the bed, plunging a dagger into the covers. The attacker pulled back the covers to see only a pillow placed as a decoy, and Ander leapt from the shadows of the room and wrestled with his assailant. The enemy managed to escape, but not before flashing Ander a sinister salute he recognized all too well from his home world.
Yainae entered to find the room in disarray and Ander bleeding from minor cuts on his arms and shoulders. Fearing for his life and seeking comfort, she invited him to stay in her room. Weary from his injuries, Ander agreed and that night the two realized their latent love.

Trael de Nuca: Trial of Love

Weeks later, the enemy pilot Roland Ekrich revealed himself to Ander and boasted that he had already ingratiated himself within the Sixth House of Raman, beguiling and marrying one of the daughters and renaming it House Eklan. Gloating about seizing control of the city for his wicked leader, Roland taunts Ander by promising to steal his 'woman' too. Disgusted by his uncontrolled ambition, Ander errantly challenges Roland to a duel for the hand of Yainae and throws a gauntlet at Roland. Roland gleefully accepts and stipulates the duel will take place the next day.
Scolding Ander for his brashness, Yainae states that duels on Thanged are fought with blades, not firearms, and thus Ander cannot use his service pistol. Norin and Torke instruct him in the basics of Rait'chian, and after many hours of practice, Ander becomes accustomed to swordplay. At the appointed hour the two duelists meet at an empty lot adjacent to the Riders Citadel. Ander draws his sword and prepares to engage.

Treachery and a Cry Like No Other

Dismissing the rules of a Trael de Nuca, Roland pulls out his own service pistol and shoots Ander in the ribcage, just barely missing his heart. Confident in his victory, he casts the pistol aside and taunts Ander, swinging his sword lazily. Weak from blood loss and furious over this cowardice, rage kindles in Ander and he presses the attack against all odds, screaming and slashing at Roland. Roland effortlessly parries his erratic blows at first, but then Ander's strikes become more frequent and forceful, each strike forcing Roland back a step. Ander swings his sword back then brings it down for a powerful strike and lets out a terrific cry.
Observers to the battle watch in shock as Ander summons forth a massive wave of bluish light that envelops and crushes Roland completely and utterly, shredding him from existence and creating an enormous deep pit in the ground. Ander recovers from shock and recoils at the sight and realization of what he just did. A voice speaks up behind him and Witheren approaches, making her first public appearance in decades. She explains that he summoned a Metra Wave, the ultimate technique of the school of Rait'chian, normally reserved only for masters of the art. Through his rage and frustration he tapped into the Fabric of Being and called forth immense power. Witheren instructs him to follow her to Thananagreia, and realizing his wounds have miraculously healed, Ander obeys. With a glance, Witheren uses her power to fashion the pit Ander created with his Metra Wave into a sophisticated dueling arena later dubbed the Pit of Spikes.

Doom Foretold and Return of an Old Friend

Ander finds himself in the halls of the great citadel-chapel and in audience of the Four Queens. After brief introductions, Roth approaches him and states he is to be a great hero to the Thangien people, but at the cost of his own life. She speaks to him of the Thunthen's impending return and instructs Ander to lead the Thangien people into battle. Ander reluctantly agrees and Roth sends him away with a parting message: The House of St'lur will rise once more. Ander returns to Yainae and informs her of the soothsaying. Yainae then notifies him she is pregnant.
A strange ship arrives just outside the city and passengers disembark. Yainae describes them as pirates, but Ander recognizes a familiar face among them and rushes over to greet Gage Wendell, a fellow pilot from the Oldworld. Gage offers to take Ander back home, to which Ander declines, arguing it would be cruel to return to his former life after so many decades being assumed dead. Perplexed by his decision, Gage reluctantly abides by Ander's wishes and leaves him with a parting gift: a unique sword named Gold Wing. Ander agrees to Pair with Yainae and formally becomes part of the House of St'lur, taking the family name of Chi Chi Lina, Ander.

Return of the Dagger-Claw and Siege of Bainshaebo

After one cycle, or two years Earth-time, Yainae gives birth to Azuro, Ander's firstborn son. At this time the first Thunthen troopships seen since Das Anazhar's aborted invasion arrive in Kundain and set up a blockade at the main gate. Ander rallies warriors to his side and instructs them to use pegacorns to escape the city walls and circle the plain to come in for a broadside attack. Replicating a historical mounted charge on his home world, he makes use of pegacorn's flying abilities to catch attacking Thunthen off-guard and crushes the attacking force. A dying Thunthen calls out to him, recognizing him as an Oldworlder. With his last breaths, the Thunthen states that the ways of Das Anazhar are no more and that a new power, the Daggur clan, rules on Planet Thunthen. He tells Ander of his son before finally expiring.

Unlikely Ally

Years later, Yainae becomes pregnant once more and gives birth to Aurora, Ander's first daughter. While surveying defenses, Ander is approached by a solitary Thunthen who introduces himself as Bak Thraplek. Describing himself as a Dasphat, a descendant of Das Anazhar, he explains to Ander the chaotic political situation that unfolded on Planet Thunthen during the years of long peace on Planet Thanged. Realizing he is the son of the Thunthen he slew during the siege on the city gate, Ander reconciles with Bak and agrees to accompany him on a diplomatic mission to secure allies among other planets. Ander rediscovers the true extent of pegacorn capabilities as Skybolt is able to traverse the Vault of Stars by channeling power to creating an air shield. Following Bak's shuttle, they travel first to neighboring Fienlor and Aguar, home of the cat-like Fendahu and aquatic Kikua. While the two species are willing to aid Thanged, they do not possess the technology to travel in space and can only provide material aid. Against Bak's wishes, Ander insists on travelling to the shadowy exoplanet of Runjen beyond Thunthen orbit. Ander unsuccessfully asks for assistance from the reclusive Reptilloids and as a result leaves empty-handed.
Ander returns home to learn that Yainae is pregnant with her third child. She gives birth to Danae two years later. During this time, Torke leads an uprising against the current Grand House, whose Watch-Rider advocated for supplication to the Thunthen rather than staunch opposition. Torke's House of Taurit ascends to Grand House and he takes the mantle of Watch-Rider Torkenantakin. Norin takes over leadership of Mazzan and breeds pegacorns in preparation for war. Yainae soon becomes pregnant once more at the onset of all-out war.

Battle of Banguk: a Solar System in Tears!

Eight cycles ago, or fifteen years Earth-time, Sur Daggur, Supreme High Overlord of the Thunthen fleet, enacts his plan to bring his massive weapons of war against Planet Thanged. Commanding his personal fleet composed of the Roaring Mountain, Hammer of the Stars, Grinding Teeth, and Maw of Flame, Sur Daggur intends to crush Planet Thanged once and for all, "correcting the mistake made by Das Anazhar". Much to his surprise, he is met in space by hundreds of thousands of pegacorn riders. Wearing the enclosed armor originally designed for wardens in ages past, Ander leads all the riders of Thanged against Sur Daggur's fleet. Able to maneuver more nimbly than the staple D-Class Fighter, pegacorns slowly turn the tide in favor of Thanged. Unable to attack the planet surface directly without incurring the wrath of the Four Queens, Sur Daggur orders the Maw of Flame aimed at nearby Planet Banguk. The superweapon deploys its deadly incendiary probes, setting the planet surface aflame and wiping out nearly 99.9% of the population within minutes before Ander's forces can intervene.
Ander lets out a terrific cry, much like the scream he produced during his duel with Roland, and unleashes a Metra Wave at the Maw of Flame. Sur Daggur steers the Roaring Mountain into its path, protecting his prize superweapon at the cost of his own life. Unsatisfied, Ander directs Skybolt to deposit him on the hull of the Maw of Flame. Cutting open an airlock, Ander storms inside and searches for the bridge room. Upon entering, he is confronted by Mal Daggur, son of Sur Daggur. Unable to muster another Metra Wave, Ander settles for close-quarters combat. Despite his valiant efforts, Mal Daggur overpowers and murders him, desecrating and devouring his body, leaving behind only his sword, Gold Wing.
Bak secretly recovers the sword and whisks it away to Thanged, presenting it to a heartbroken Yainae. Spying little Danae watching from behind Yainae's skirt, Bak forms a pact with her to return the sword to Danae when she comes of age. He says farewell and departs, awaiting a future opportunity to topple the Daggur Clan. Not long after, Yainae gives birth to Ander's final daughter, Australa.

"Though you might not believe it, there are those of us Thunthen who also wept for the Far Star Traveler."- Bak Thraplek to Danaetanera.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 23

*****

Pegacorns Devastated by Plague!

Two cycles ago or five years Earth-time: Mal Daggur directs his scientists to devise a genetic contagion that will permanently destroy the pegacorn species that proved such a nuisance in past conflicts. Sending his finest warriors to Planet Thanged in secret, they distribute the contagion which eventually infects the vast majority of the pegacorn population. Norin sequesters the last handful of healthy pegacorn in a sealed environment in Mazzan. The contagion has no effect on pegasid or unicorns, but new pegacorn can no longer be bred. Unable to find a cure, Thangiens risk losing their greatest friends and allies.

Arise Pegasi!

Eyurodin emerges from Peirolyth and instructs all pegacorn still clinging to life brought to the High Forge immediately. Using technology adapted from the ancient structure itself and perfected by the Lady of Flames, Norin and his aides are able to transfer the consciousness of a pegacorn into a mechanical body, called a pegacorn-simulacra, or Pegasi. The first of these new Pegasi, Paigasurin, or Pegasus, successfully survives the procedure and is able to continue living. Eyurodin and Norin work hastily to save the remainder of the pegacorn population. Mal Daggur learns of this new development and sends his agents once more to infiltrate the city. They ambush Pegasus in his paddock and affix a device to his neck that floods his mechanical body with a chemical designed to accumulate matter. The chemical turns him into a giant, consuming half of the Mazzan complex as a result. The pegacorn enclosure remains intact. Roth seals Pegasus in a crystalline tomb to subdue him but is unable to restore him to normal.

Pegasus in Exile and a Cry from Across the Stars

Roth makes the decision to send the entombed Pegasus from the planet into deep space. Not wishing such a noble creature to travel alone nor condemn an innocent world to destruction, Ander's daughter, Danae offers to accompany him as a warning. Hesitant, Roth agrees and Danae is sealed within a stasis pod. The two are sent into space, doomed to travel aimlessly...or so they think.
Not long after their departure, Roth hears a sound, a resonance echoing through the Vault of Stars and an anguished cry of despair. Witheren hears it as well, sensing it comes from Ander's home, the Oldworld. Without a second thought, Roth uses her power to shift the course of the two exiles in space, changing their destination to the Oldworld: Earth. Witheren questions if the Humans there are ready to face such a threat. Roth is confident they can. Two years pass before Danae and Pegasus reach Earth....

Historical Figures

Thangor and Thuruk

The Celestial Brothers who ruled the Freelanders in the earliest days.

Jhuno and Jhunin

Sisters and wives of the Celestial Brothers.

Kundai and Bainshae

Couple attributed with drawing up the blueprints for Bainshaebo's walls. Murdered by Natives.

Deres, the Father of Metal

Considered Thanged's greatest artisan and inventor to have ever lived aside from Eyurodin herself.

Vthia

Granddaughter of Deres, coined the punitive term vthiasak.

Danaetanera III

First of the great queens that reigned absolute before implementation of the Council of Houses.

Memner the Sky King

Ambitious warrior attributed with leading Thanged's forces against the Totalitary in an ill-fated offensive.

Aleksander Vanstandtvoort/Ander Vai Stel Vethu

Soldier displaced from Oldworld, became Thanged's greatest hero in history.

Chi Chi Lina, Danae

Ander's second daughter, renowned for rescuing Pegasus and reestablishing contact with the Oldworld.

Common Myths and Legends

The Cresta and the Imp

An ancient fable passed down through the Freelanders with unknown origins. It entails the efforts of the beasts of Thanged to resist conquest by an otherworldly foe and ultimately appeal to Cresta to defeat the wicked imp minion.

Roth and the Secret of Deadsleep

In the earliest days, Thangiens did not live more than a few decades. Roth viewed this as a problem and taught the people how to meditate as they slept in order to prolong their lifespans, becoming accustomed to death as a result.

Thangor's Revenge and the Dread Winter

Myth concerning a period of bitter cold unseen of by humans on the typically temperate world. Attributed to a wrestling match between the Celestial Brothers.

Ritho and the Natives

Retelling of the disastrous first encounter with the unicorn folk of the Eastern Jungles. Told as a warning to not dismiss women as weak or mothers as strictly gentle.

The Silver Tree

A cautionary tale derived from Oldworlder stories of a covetous grandmother jealous of her daughter-in-law's good fortune who plots to steal her child with the aid of a wicked sentient tree able to traverse the land at will.

The Cresta and the Wheel

Partially accurate retelling of the creation of the main gate of Bainshaebo as well as the namesake for one of the most signature moves of the school of Rait'chian.

Xiar, the God Hound

Story of a greedy farmer who prayed to Witheren for a mighty guard dog and got more than he bargained for. Cautionary tale against greed and selfishness.

The Frozen Father

A legend attributed to the early Freelander days where a man lost at the Northern Ring pushes his body to the limit, desperate to return to his family. Witheren rewards his fierce spirit by renewing his body, buying him the time he needs.

Starforger

Eyurodin's hammer named for its supposed ability to create new stars in the night sky. Incredibly heavy, not even the strongest Thangien warrior alive can hold it without nearly losing his hand.

Bloodletter

Witheren's wicked serrated halberd with which she uses to set loose a tide of blood from her foes.

Blessings of the Queens

Somewhat humorous tale of a suitor fighting to obtain the hand of a woman of renowned beauty. Upon praying to each of the goddesses, including Phitdaitiarona, at the end he arrives to find his bride-to-be is spectacularly hideous.

Roth and the Aguarians

Myth devised to explain Thanged's lack of major bodies of water. Roth felt the people needed additional land for crops, and thus relinquished most of Thanged's water to the Kikua of Aguar, creating the Southern Salt Marshes.

Vthia's Sentence

Retelling of the account of Vthia's encounter with Natives, the death of her youngest daughter, and her quest to exact the perfect form of vengeance.

The Blood Walk

Retelling of Danaetanera III's sacrifice and bargain with Das Anazhar.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Humans/Oldworlders

Amiable. Thangiens welcome their estranged kin with open arms, and though some customs easily get lost in translation, vow to aid their kin against any foe.

Thunthen

Adversarial. Strained by the death of Danaetanera III and Deres and subsequent conflicts. Roth secretly hopes they will abandon their warlike ways and join forces with the Thangiens against an even greater foe.

Fendahu/Fienloran

Moderate trade. Thangiens purchase medicinal herbs in exchange for metal tools.

Kikua/Aguarian

Moderate trade. Thangiens provide Aguarians with rare gems used for ornamentation and courtship in exchange for herbs.

Banguk

Extinct. Once enjoying trade and friendship with their neighbors, the Battle of Banguk saw the nearly the entire race exterminated. Only species to have ever used telepathy as a means of communication.

Reptilloid

Reclusive. Only Ander ever attempted to make contact with the Dead World.

Fronian

Estranged. Believed to be descended from foolhardy travelers seeking riches entombed in icy skins.

It is never an easy thing…to acknowledge one’s mistakes. You tell yourself ‘it was fate’, or that it was ‘destined to fail’. Roth never let us forget the price of our arrogance...Ander’s coming showed us that Oldworld had survived the nightmare from which we fled…but not until much later would we learn how. Silver-Haired Maiden to Raeo Flamerider.

— Foes From Another World Ch.20

"Know this, Sean Waverider: We of Thanged do not overly concern ourselves with the safety of our friends...For Roth provides in mysterious ways..." -Danaetanera to Sean Waverider.

— Aftermath Ch. 13

Scientific Name

Homo Bellator

Origin/Ancestry

Homo Sapiens

Lifespan

100-125 Earth Years

Average Height

5'6"-6'6"

Average Weight

150-200lb for males, 110-170 for females

Average Physique

From the earliest days of the Freelanders, the aboriginal humans spent every day battling the elements for survival. They needed to be hardy to survive out on the plains full of exotic beasts such as kirya cattle and Grand Crestas. Even after settling in Bainshaebo, Thangiens remain quite active in all aspects of their life, maintaining low body-fat ratios and solid muscle tone.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Aside from dying their hair with G'thru extract, Thangiens strictly forbid the use of body modifications such as tattoos or piercings, viewing them as self-aggrandizing in society.

Geographic Distribution

• Kundainian Plains

Related Organizations

• Northern Garrison
• The Council of Houses
• The Four Queens
• The Metraind

Related Ethnicities

• Freelanders

Related Myths

• Entide
• Sening's Legacy
• The Silver Tree
• Vthia's Vengeance

Related Materials

• Dererium
• White Stone

"Disheartened by the loss of their king, and finding the battle turning ill against them, they fled through their great gate and destroyed it behind them, lest the Enemy give chase and follow them to their home world...It is a shame that they-who are so quick to anger and slow to forgive-would never forgive in themselves…"- Tyatatiante.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 14

"Heaven fucking forbid that anyone says anything wrong about the Thangiens, who can do no wrong!"- Sean Waverider to Azurotago.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 23