The Bovyans

The descendants of Solaris' mortal son, Geros Bovyan, these men are larger, stronger, healthier and more intelligent than the average human. Despite their superiority, they will inevitably die during their 33rd year. Beyond their size, all physical characteristics will resemble the race of their mother.
There are no records of Bovyan females. Women can only become pregnant with a Bovyan child once in their life; future pregnancies are invariably miscarried.
Bovyans have no magical capability.

History Origins:

In the immediate aftermath of the Hellstorm, the Sun God Solaris appeared before Geros Bovyan and revealed himself to the man's father. He bestowed upon Geros the sacred duty of restoring order to the Arkothi Empire.
A gladiator in Arkothi province of Tile in Central Arkos, Geros found his way to the village of Lagrina. It was a frequent target of bandits during the chaotic years of the Long Winter, and Geros vanquished them all. As was the custom from the middle of the Hundred Years of War, when many males were killed, males took many wives; Geros was no exception, and he sired may sons.

The Bovyan Curse

Though gifted with divine strength, speed, and intelligence, Geros was tricked by the Orc God Tivar. As a result, he unwittingly accepted a curse that shorted his and his descendants' lifespan to just 33 years.  Furthermore, they could only sire male children, and a woman could only carry one boy to term.

Geros' First Decendants

Tile was a weak state, and was often bullied by its neighbors. About 20 years after Geros Bovyan’s arrival, it was invaded by the State of Shale. Geros’s family went to war and played a pivotal role in not only expelling the invaders, but also capturing the Shasita, capital of Shale. Ikole and Shile, whose ruling families were related to Shale and were close allies attacked Tile and were first repelled and then later occupied. Other States, bound by complex alliances, were drawn in to the conflicts and were summarily repelled.
Within 20 years, Tile had become a major power in Central Arkoth, and the Bovyan Clan was invited to become the Palace Guard in the Capital of Tisite. Other strong states remained, and to create a buffer, Tile allied with or subjugated (and sometimes both) other states in the area. By 3480, it occupied the entire Three Lake Basin Area of Arkoth.
However, Tile’s Kings had become increasingly greedy and corrupt, and the people were tired from constant warfare. The Bovyan Palace Guard, rose up and overthrew the King. After establishing a Ruling Council, eighty of peace ensued with the Bovyan Order of Knights providing protecting and justice.
After several centuries, the Bovyan population had started to decline. The strong institution of marriage did not allow for healthy population growth. The Bovyan Directory’s First Consul, who advocated bringing all of Arkoth under control in order to guarantee peace and prosperity for the people, but in order to do so, the Bovyans must reproduce faster. Wars of aggression followed, instigated by a brutal warrior culture that placed the State above family and treated the women of controlled territories as no more than breeders.

Rituals & Customs: • The Mating One of the heinous practices of the Bovyans. All girls in the controlled territories are sent to Bovyan Barracks when they come of age. She is forced to mate with several Bovyan soldiers until pregnant. Once she gives birth, she will never see her own child again, but must serve as a wet nurse to other Bovyan babies for 6 months. At the end of this service, she is sent back to her home.
• Childhood Bovyan children are watched over by nurses until they are old enough to walk. They are then subject to harsh mental and physical conditioning, and later to the skills of war craft.
• Coming of Age When Bovyan children reach the age of 14, they must undergo a coming of age rite. After passing, they are inducted into the Bovyan army.

Key Figures: • Consuls of the Directory (ruling council) The ruling council of Tileri and the political structure set up in the lands it conquers. (Every 6 years, a boy of noble stock (the children of the Directori and local noble families) competes in the Directorial Games to join the Prospecti—a pool of potential Consuls). In addition to their rigorous military training, these boys also learn about economics, diplomacy and other areas of state-craft, and all attend the meetings of the Directory. Whenever a Consul dies, the Prospects elect a new Consul from their body. (Consuls rotate areas of jurisdiction). • The Keepers A group of conservative scholars who interpret Geros’ Testament.
Heirlooms: • Shield of Bovyan Made of Durastrium from Geros’ scout ship. • Medal of Geros Made from a the fuselage of Geros’ scout ship, which contained the fuel system. • Geros’ Testamant Geros spent the last few months of his life writing about his origins and where he ended up, in hopes that one day it would find its way back to Earth so that his family would learn what happened to him. It was written in English, which was unknown to the Arkothi. The original is kept in the Shrine of Geros in Tilesite, where The Keepers have over the years “translated” and interpreted it to justify the first the formation of the Bovyan Knights and later the Tileri Empire.

Naming Traditions

Masculine names

-os
-as
-us

Family names

Bovyanthas Bovyanthi

Species: Human
Average Height: 6'2 (6'6" for Prospecti)
Average Weight 230 (250 for Prospecti)
Skin Tone: varies
Hair Color: Varies
Eye Color: Varies
Magical Affinity: None