Tyedu: The Frozen North

Located on the farthest northern reaches of Avlis' main continent, Tyedu is a snowy tundra populated by creatures who have adapted to a fierce way of life as a means of survival. The snowy expanse of this nation is dotted by all manner of cold-loving creatures, though it is also home to what is legendarily reputed to be a divine-blooded race of humans.

Though they look much the same as normal humans, the "Spirit-kin", as they call themselves, are often very well built and of strong stock. Most will point out that they are this way because their harsh environment selects only for the strongest of individuals to go on to reproduce, however the Spirit-kin tell a different story:

Long long ago, when the gods were newly made and there were no people on Avlis to speak of, a war broke out. A great creature of infinite evil was in conflict with nine warrior gods, and the whole planet shook as they battled overhead. Day after day they would ascend to the sky to engage in deadly combat, and night after night blood would rain down onto the ground as the gods retreated to heal their wounds. Though no mortal creatures suffered from this incessant skirmishing, there were many spirits who roamed the land back then, and they were paying a heavy price. Large numbers of them were consumed in the fray and wiped out forever.

It is told that one of the warrior gods involved in the fighting was a man of balance and equity who participated just as viciously against the Great Evil, as the other gods for such was its power. On one particular night, the god descended on the spirits living in the northland. He had come to regenerate his wounds incurred from the day's battles, and he brought with him many attendants, his own creations. These attendants were beautiful beings that called themselves "Mikonators". Always standing over seven feet tall, their powerfully muscled frames supported large feathery gray wings that protruded from their backs. Both the male and female varieties of Mikonator were equally elegant and regal. The Mikonators lived only to serve this god, and he had created many of them for that task.

On this night, when the god descended with his troop, he sent some of his Mikonators out among the spirits in the area to protect them. He knew that landing in this area would almost assuredly bring annihilation to the spirits the next day, for he would almost certainly be attacked right there on that spot by the Great Evil. Thus charged with the task of defending the spirits, the Mikonators held their position in the morning when the god rose to do battle... but he never came back for them.

Many of the pairs were annihilated the next day, but some survived. Obeying their master, the Mikonators that remained never left their spirit companions, and slowly over time they became very close to each other. Many of them created offspring through their unions. These offspring were enchantingly beautiful and possessed great power, though they were not technically divine as a full god would be. Over the ages, these offspring wandered the northern land that was their home, never desiring to stray far from their parents. In time, most of the original spirits perished in one way or another through various mishaps and conflicts, such as the Great War which came long after. But gradually, the ever expanding human population of Avlis reached that area from the land that is now called The Kurathene Empire and they made it their home.

These humans encountered the offspring of the Mikonators and the spirits, and they were awed by them. Many of these offspring are still worshipped as gods by the humans even to this day. The other gods of the world are largely forgotten there, for they never took interest in that land. Why should the people there give them anything at all? By the same token, the spirits adopted the humans, and over another long period they too interbred with the inhabitants, producing the Sprit-kin of today.

This superstitious folk are very loyal to their local spirit, whom they venerate as a god in all respects. Some of the Mikonator-Spirit offspring of the area who influence a large number of Spirit-kin can feel the effects of having many worshippers, and some have ascended to minor godhood in their own right. Though these spirit-gods may rule over different areas or geographical features, such as rivers, mountains, or a stretch of plains here and there, they all acknowledge the hard lifestyle that their followers live, and they demand that everyone stay fit and strong. All of these spirit-gods have that in common, though their actual philosophies can vary greatly.

Whenever there is a small harsh area with a lot of inhabitants trying to survive, there is inevitably conflict among them. The spirit-gods also know this and they allow it, for it makes their people stronger. Spirit-kin who follow the same spirit-god and live in the same general area are often regarded as tribes. Their actual style of government may vary. Some may have a council of elders, and some may have a hereditary chief. But all conduct business with their neighboring tribes in order to spread their resources around most efficiently to ensure survival of their unit. Some tribes will live near water and trade fish for fur. Others will hunt a specific type of animal and trade the meet and furs for other goods. Intermarriage between tribes can also happen to seal peace agreements or alliances, though these tend to wither over time.

Tyedu has very little national identity. The only time they will be seen acting as one nation of spirit-kin is when they are threatened from the outside. Not too many of the Kurathene nobles to the south covet their land, but when it does occur, the noble is swiftly rebuffed by a unified force of spirit-kin who then go back to their own daily squabbles and matters afterwards.