Meat on the Bones

This is where I'll put those little details that flesh out the world as they occur to me. Some of these may be expanded into proper articles, or added to future or existing articles, but for now they live here. It's sure to be updated a lot.

Common Expressions

The arm swings the sword, but the heart strikes the blow: Fairly self-explanatory, this expression was made part of common parlance in Brother Jaskar's Fall of the Deliberative, one of the definitive histories of Axylus when commenting on the astounding battle strength of the relatively small Chrysanta Bear's Daughter.
Health to the Five and One: Often shortened to simply "the five and one", this is a common cheer or salutation in the Kingdom. It is a declaration of both fealty and fellowship between the duchies. The five in question are the five dukes, while the one is of course the king.
Staying Atop the Wheel: Meaning "keeping up with the times." A reference to the Golden Wheel of Ages of Golaurus, this expression sees fairly regular use in both the Kingdom and the Holy Empire. Common permutations are: "fell off the wheel", "the wheel turns whether we stand atop it or no" and "he who cannot stand atop the wheel is either left behind or crushed beneath it."
Sacrilegious Expressions: In the Kingdom, not all aspire to the piety of the Brennian knights or the cloistered monks who sing praises to the gods. Sometimes profanity just tastes sweeter on the tongue when flavored with a dash of the sacred.
"The old hairy bitch" is a fairly obviously profane name for Mother Arthea. Typically invoked when one is caught in a rainstorm.
"The mangey white dog" refers to Lord Rhewennon, particularly in his role as claimer of the dead. Commonly used by the bereaved who are inclined to resent him.
"Kissed by the golden lady" to have genital herpes.
When one refers to land as "stag pissed", they mean it is fallow or barren, as if Dhameos had ruined the soil by pissing on it.

Commonly Used Drugs

Drinking alcohol and taking drugs is not prohibited under Kingdom or Queendom law, though being under the influence is not considered an excuse if one breaks the law while intoxicated unless it can somehow be proved that the perpetrator was drugged against their will. In the Holy Empire, ingesting any mind-altering substance more potent than wine is highly illegal and may even carry a death sentence for repeated use.
Alcohol: Beer, wine, cider and mead are widely available and popular throughout the continent, with Prenwood cider and red wine from Llyneos being particularly prized. Wine drunk by peasants is typically made from pomace, with grape wine being too costly for poorer folk. Stronger drink can be found north of the Rhuthro, though it is somewhat uncommon in the Kingdom except as medicine. Brandy and Gin are commonly prescribed for head colds and insomnia. Some tribes in the Queendom have created a clear, strong drink called llyncia. Distilled from a very sweet kind of bean which grows well in the northeast of the continent, it has been a popular fixture of the Queendom for centuries. Only recently have soldiers serving along the eastern border of the Kingdom begun to adopt the drink and bring it home.
Cannabis: Though now outlawed in the Holy Empire, it was in a small kingdom that once lay within its boundaries that hemp was first cultivated and used. In the days of the deliberative, the drug spread across the island and remains in use throughout the kingdom, particularly in the duchy of Morglen. It is especially popular in the free city of Mhorthos, where residents are fond of smoking it in from hash pipes of varying degrees of ornateness. Having an exquisitely crafted hash-pipe to offer a guest the use of is an important part of hospitality among Mhorthan nobles. Not having any such to offer a guest is considered miserly to a scandalous degree.
Hallucinogens: The Khivit, a striking deep blue flower that grows in southern Namaius, when its petals are dried and brewed into a tea, produces a feeling of mild euphoria, drowsiness as well as visual and auditory hallucinations. If one sleeps while under its influence, the dreams it brings are extremely vivid and rife with allegory. For this reason, in addition to its recreational uses, the leaves are prized by those few priests of Llacharia who divine prophetic meanings from their dreams.
For those without the coin to import drugs from across the sea, there is another option albeit a more dangerous one. Widely used in the Queendom, but not unknown outside of it. A venomous tree-snake produces a toxin, which kills by shutting down the nervous system. Before the brain begins to shut down the essential functions, it produces powerful hallucinations. Taking the antidote concurrently with the venom allows one to experience the hallucinations without fear of their heart and lungs being paralyzed... at least in theory. The resulting cocktail, called nimhwynn, is taken by the warriors of some tribes before going into battle to make them fearless, and by the brehons of others to induce sacred visions.
Other drugs: Khat, opium, coca leaves and some caffeinated teas are all known in Axylus, though save for the last, none of them are widely used. In some cases this is because they are difficult or costly to obtain. Coca and khat must be imported. Opium can be grown in Axylus, but it is seen as a drug for only the lowest of beggars and those who have given up on life. In the Kingdom it is said that opium spoils the heart so that Lord Rhewennon will not want it.

Trade With Other Continents

Xanthus: The chaotic ports of Axylus' sister continent are a roiling cauldron of combustible elements. Merchants haggle with pirates, imperiling their lives in pursuit of profit. Foreign traders dock with warships as escorts, the cost and risk offset by the truly staggering amount of money changing hands. Slavers buy captives from raiders to be trained and sold to wealthy nobles. Some of the finest smiths in the world ply their trade in these bustling dangerous cities, for Xanthian steel is coveted throughout the world and many Axylian lords will not bear any other arms.
Namaius: The world's most populous continent is home to more than two dozen nations, most of which have harbors which welcome trade with Axylus. The rest of the nations save two maintain a presence at these ports. Particulrly notable of these is the country of Zemas, the northernmost nation in all the known world, where great white bears are hunted for their pelts which are coveted throughout the world for cloaks and carpets. To the far west of that continent lies Juros, a country known for its whalers. Ships which range this far may buy some of the purest and cleanest burning lamp oil to be found anywhere. Finally, one of the most lucrative exports from this continent come from Jarkour in the south, and that is the dried petals of the kivit flower.
Basho: Small and isolated, Basho is still visited fairly frequently, for it produces goods that can be found nowhere else. From a clam which is only found in their jealously guarded waters, can be made a dye of deep red color which cannot be imitated. Further, their clothmakers breed a worm which produces a silk so fine and soft that a bolt of Bashoan silk commands a gold price rather than silver.
Ringhat: The craggy continent of Ringhat contains the small nation of Rhodia; the largest colony of Brennia-worshipping people outside the continent of Axylus. Though their faith is somewhat different than the Brennian Church, it does contain striking similarities, and the wooden devotional images carved there are much sought by churches and kinglander nobles who fancy themselves more cosmopolitan. The rest of the continent consists of four populous nations, all famous for their woodworking.
Gherkhad: The nomadic tribes that roam the Gherkhadi continent are willing to trade with merchants knowledgable enough to find the continent's natural harbors. Here, berries grow that are more poisonous than any which grow on Axylus, which are prized by assassins, but also healers, as their juice, used in miniscule doses, is an essential ingredient in many medicines. Further, the double curved bow was said to have been invented here, and many still swear by the bows carved and strung in Gherkhad.
Meterre: Though it is one of the furthest places in the world from Axylus, and the three nations produce little of unique virtue, at least where trade is concerned, the pleasant ports of sunny Meterre are still visited by Axylian ships if only because so many are willing to pay for passage there. For those with the coin to travel so far, Meterre is a popular destination for its lovely scenery, pleasant people, and delicious cuisine.
Yeri: Alone among the world's great continents, Yeri does not trade outside its own borders.

Popular Games

Cards: A deck of Axylian playing cards has four suits: roses, leaves, ice and flames. There are ten numbered cards of each suit, including the ace, as well as three "face cards". These are the Marquis, the Duchess and the Duke. Each deck also contains the sun and moon cards. Popular games include Raid, a trick-taking game for 4 or 6 players, where teams of 2 or 3 try to build up their piles of suited cards for points, but may try to "raid" their opponents pile by putting one of their face cards at risk, and 'Candor and Lies', a game for 2-10 players consisting of short hands where opponents try to form particular combinations which will garner the most points.
Dice: The ubiquitous six-sided dice are not unknown in Axylus. The most popular Axylian game is called "Tilts" where armed with three six-sided dice each, two opponents ante and then “do battle” for three turns, rolling their dice and collecting points equal to whatever they roll. At the end of each turn, the characters have the option to up the bet based on the point totals at that time, if one does so, his opponent can either match the bet or concede. After the third turn, the character with the most total points wins the pot.
Board games: The most popular strategic board game in Axylus is called "Frenin Rex" or simply "Fren" for short, is played on a board of 144 squares, with both players starting with identical "armies" of pieces consisting of one general, one champion, four knights, two ballistae, four archers and twelve footmen, each with different rules governing their movement and the circumstances under which they can be captured. The two central squares of each row nearest the player are that player's "castle". Victory is achieved in three ways: the player moves their general or champion into their opponent's castle, they capture both their opponent's general and champion, or their opponent concedes.

Sects of the Brennian Faith

And do you think that unto such as you A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew God gave a secret, and denied it me? Well, well—what matters it? Believe that, too. ― Omar Khayyâm

Though by far the largest political divide on the continent of Axylus stems from the divergent beliefs of the Brennian Faith and its theological cousin, the Path of the Wheel, there also exist several schisms between different factions within the faith.

The Emulationists
The largest of the three major sects of the Faith, is perhaps unsurprisingly, the one which best aligns with the political power structure of the Kingdom. The emulationist school of thought holds that the Brennia left behind a record of their lives and deeds in The Key of Tir Uchel, as a model for their onetime servants; humanity, to model their lives after. They preach fidelity, filial piety, courage and living according to one's nature. As mentioned, these virtues tend to map nicely onto the feudalist hierarchy of the Kingdom and so, typically enjoys the most support from the nobility, and all the access to wealth and influence that accompanies that support.
The Preservationists
While the emulationists espouse the value of following the moral example of the Brennia, the preservationists hold that the most important aspect of the faith, which should order the lives of the faithful and take their beliefs into the realm of tangible reality, are the rites, prayers, rituals and festivals over which the Church presides. Naturally, this view gives a great deal of latitude and authority to the Church and its agents. As such, it is popular in less cosmopolitan areas where religion holds more sway, and the nobility must make accomodations should they wish to have the cooperation of its great unifying power.
The Resurrectionists
While the emulationists and preservationists disagree on much, on the fundamental point that the vanished Brennia are just that. They have gone, intentionally or not, leaving Axylus in the care of humans. On this point, the resurrectionists would beg to differ. In practice, they tend to resemble either rival sect, showing their devotion through good works and the adherence to ritual. The reason for their practice however differs significantly. They believe that the reason for their devotion is to make way for the return of the Brennia to the earthly realm, and to Axylus. What they believe this great return will entail varies between the different congregations who espouse it, but a few patterns of thought are common. Most tend to believe that those who do not honor the Brennia will perish, and that all the dead whose hearts were found toothsome devoured by Lord Rhewennon O' Calon will be allowed to return to the living and perhaps even become as immortal as the gods they served.

Known Wonders

While Tir Uchel has vanished beneath earth and sea, there remain some bits of Brennian architecture, as well as things made by men possessed of knowledge now vanished from the world, and stranger things besides, in Axylus even today.  
The Great Gate of the Clasp
In the first days of man, before the coming of the Shattered Imperator, there existed enclaves of humanity that remembered much of the craft they learned in Tir Uchel, then not so long lost. History does not recall why they saw fit to seal off the great pass into the Gorget Mountains but seal it they did. They raised a wall, more than a hundred feet high, and twenty feet thick that spans the entire fifteen-mile pass. The wall itself is of stone, and as it has stood for thousands of years, that such a massive structure still stands might be wonder enough.  Yet the mighty gates are more wondrous still. A massive set of double doors, wrought from solid iron, run eighty feet high and eighty wide. They are eight feet thick, the weight of each door incalculable. All the same, if two sentries act in concert, it is a simple matter to open the great gates merely by pulling the huge levers on either side, engaging the ancient and powerful machinery that manipulates the doors. In more modern times (within the last four hundred years), a mighty castle, called The Clasp, has been erected on the northwestern side of the gate to protect the levers, and by extension, hold the pass. It was traditionally held by the Marquis of Llyneos, and is today the seat of the duke, the ancestral castle of Valcref having been taken by the king. Should any army penetrate far enough into the Kingdom to march on Valcref, they must first contend with this fearsome obstacle or find some other way past the forbidding crags of the Gorget Mountains.
Athair Tree
In a vast forest in the eastern part of the Queendom, broods a giant who, though quiet is not quite silent.  Soaring more than four hundred feet into the sky, the holy tree has stood for at least two thousand years and might stand for two thousand more.  The earliest