Matis

History

Early Matis tribes, settling around the wooded region of Matia, came together to form a community headed by tribe leaders. But decision making was slow and quarrelsome leading to discontent among the people. Soon the physically imposing and charismatic leader, Zachini, emerged rallying enough support from prominent community members to step forward as sole leader. The monarchy was born. It was under Zachini rule that the momos, primitive tribes, were hunted to extermination under the pretext that the inferior creatures menaced the living space of the Matis peoples. The Matis quickly extended their dominions to the extremities of the forest lands where they were kept in check by the Fyros whose audacious emperor, Dyros the Great, secured a water route from the lake lands to the desert through Matis territory. This 'intrusion' on Matis territory triggered the start of the war of civilizations.

The intermittent skirmishes went on for over two hundred years coming to a head with the Fire of Coriolis. A great inferno spread across Fyros wastelands preventing Fyros reinforcements from rallying to the defence of outposts positioned along the water route. The Matis king, Aniro III, took advantage of the diversion created by the fire to send in his armies to isolate and capture the Fyros military outposts. They were then able to overrun the lake lands of the Trykers who consequently fell into Matis slavery. But Matis domination was short lived as Fyros reprisals and Tryker rebellion soon made the aristocratic warriors resort back to a defensive strategy to retain their former dominions.

Another incident some two generations later led the Matis to enact a similar scenario. The great swarming of kitins that first hit Fyros lands allowed the Matis to again take possession of the water route and rout Fyros garrisons. Again their demise was as quick as their ascension as kitin armies piled through Matis dominions in waves eradicating all traces of hominkind in their path.

Cultural Characteristics

Highly cultivated aesthetes well versed in forest botany, the Matis are both a romantic and domineering race. They staunchly believe that, just as every particle of the universe has a function, every homin must strive for her or his true place in society. Their obsession with genetic mutations have made them Atysian Master Manipulators of plant and animal life. Their weaponry, armor and even familiar household items are living objects.

The Matis have taken root in forest areas of the new lands where they are able to find every living essence needed for experimentation. Their villages are sculpted into the majestic trees and their strange and wonderful gardens are a marvel to behold.

Aspirations

The Matis seek to rebuild their majestic kingdom of the ancient lands devastated during the kitin war, but their own intrigues often consume all their energy as each family vies for the crown. Further to this, in their natural concern for environmental quality they forever strive to perfect their knowledge of botany to better nurture plant life to prevent it ever waning.

How They See...

The Karavan : The Matis willingly see the Karavan as faithful servants of Jena who collect resources as offerings for the goddess to prepare for the future on a planet of fresh woodlands and pastures new. But most of all, they see them as a useful ally whose arms of power they would all too gladly learn to wield.

The Kamis : They are suspicious of these creatures who are opposed to their Karavan Guardians. What is more, the Kamis condemn Matis genetic manipulation of plant life.

Elias Tryton : Some witnessed the 'apparition' of Elias who appeared in a shaft of light from the canopy. Elders claim he is in fact a messenger of Jena who sent him to allow them to take refuge in the Prime Roots from kitin onslaughts of some three generations ago.

A Matis must possess the more noble traits of hominkind. A Matis must be loyal, courteous, tenacious, and most of all, reverent. By obeying our king, we are glorifying Jena, our Goddess, who bestowed on him the divine right. We believe that just as every particle of Jena's universe has a function, every homin must strive for her or his true place in society.

Jena helps those who help themselves, a Matis must never give in. By striving for success we are making our civilization strong as a whole. Only the best can reach the higher spheres of our society, only the elite can lead our people on.

By manipulating nature we are elevating our souls nearer to godliness. Indeed, homin, it is by no mere coincidence that we have become the Atysian Master Manipulators of plant and animal life. Our weaponry, armor and even familiar household items are living objects!

We have taken root in the forest areas of the new lands where we find every living essence needed for experimentation. We now need to make our new kingdom stronger and better, in the name of Jena.

If noble blood runs through your veins, come swear allegiance to your King ! Our kingdom needs winners!!

Come now, homin, if you have any questions...

Who am I ?

You are a young homin refugee. You have taken the long and perilous journey from the old lands to these new lands where we have established our new realm. After a period of training, as a loyal subject to the king you will be able to put your skills to good use and help rebuild our Kingdom.

Who are my ancestors?

Your forefathers built the most glorious kingdom on all Atys. But the ancient land of Matia was destroyed by kitins in 2481 in a terrible swarming. Your grandparents escaped to the forests where your parents and then yourself lived a harsh life under constant threat from kitins. For your own good, your parents urged you on the great road to join your people here in the new lands. After many years you have found us, we have secured territory and begun shaping our kingdom. It is up to your generation to live up to our former glory and make our civilization majestic again.

Who is our chief ?

King Yrkanis. He is our supreme lord after Jena. To him you owe your absolute loyalty. To challenge his authority is to oppose Jena, a heresy worthy of death. If you are honored enough to be assigned a royal mission, you must succeed with dignity, unless you willingly defy his divine authority. You must strive to become worthy of his trust and you too may gain rank. Rodi di Varello and Girini di Antorello are the faithful dukes that give him counsel.

What is our faith ?

Jena is our Goddess, we must abide by her Law as it is preached to us by her faithful disciples, the Karavan. They watch over us lest we stray from the right path. They allow us to give offerings and render services to her to prepare for the future in the world of promise beyond. Remember, young homin, the Karavan are invested with great power which they will share only with the faithful. It is your duty to seek Jena's favor through dealings with her disciples and you too will learn to wield their technology.

What are our values?

To succeed as a true Matis, you must build your life on the three key values :

Loyalty to King and Jena : The king holds power through divine right, his enemies are your enemies, by defending our religion you are defending our kingdom. In the same way, by disobeying him and his court you are disrespecting Jena, and are therefore guilty of heresy.
Aesthetic achievement : Our culture will have nothing but the best, we honor our goddess by making things beautiful as she made us noble.
Competition : We believe that every Matis must strive for his or her true place in society. Competition is what strengthens our character, sorts out the weak from the strong. And we Matis fight to win!

What are our prohibitions?

It is strictly forbidden to approach the Kamis (unless ordered to do so by the Karavan). They are evil demons and are against the Karavan.
Never breach the Law of Jena.
Do not wander beneath the surface of Atys, you will be in danger of waking the dreaded dragon of the apocalypse.
Never carry out missions for enemy tribes.
It is forbidden to spread dragon fire over the lands. It devours the trees and deprives us of essences for our creations.

What are our goals?

After resurfacing from the Prime Roots, our greatest challenge was to tame this land and make it noble. Our town and settlements sculpted into the trees are living proof of our success. Now we must :

develop our individual strengths and skills
build strong and loyal guilds to spread the word of Jena among the infidels and free the world of Kami possession
build alliances with the Trykers
further our knowledge to make even better tools and weapons. During the Great Swarming, much knowledge was scattered throughout the land. Discovering this knowledge and more will open the doors to the secrets of the past.

Who are our friends?

Since the Peace Treaty signed at Fairhaven in 2515, we have been at peace with the other homin peoples. But ten years of peace could never erase the scars of past infamy. Indeed our relations vary depending on the civilization.

Tryker : The past has taught us that the Trykers cannot be tamed, that they would sell their souls to the demons just to maintain their lifestyle. So be it, in the name of Jena we have learnt to live as indulgent friends rather than have them side with the infidels. Thanks to Jena our friendship has never been stronger, even though their fervor often has much to be desired for.

Zora� : The Zora�s are infidels and their paganism ought to be checked. Even so, it was a Zora� warrior who saved the present king. With all due respects, many of us resent this 'debt' to the Zora�s which tarnishes our credibility in the eyes of the Karavan. It is preferable that this does not happen again.

Fyros : The Fyros are our inherent enemy who, over the past 44 years, have moved closer and closer to the evil Kamis. We mustn't forget that in the past they have succeeded in coaxing the Trykers to side with them against us. But the Fyros now prefer to side with the Zora�s whose love for the Kami demon they share. However, we must remain vigilant that they don't try to convert the Trykers with their blasphemous talk.

Friendly tribes include : The Barkers, The Frahar Hunters, The Silt Sculptors, The Renegades, The Slavers, The Icon Worshipers, The Hamazans of the Dead Seed, The Green Seed, The Sap Slaves, The Arid Matis, The Darkening Sap, The Kuilde.

Who are our other enemies?

The Kamis : They are against us bringing order and beauty to the Jena's land. They are an evil scourge and ought to be stamped out.
The Kitins : These gigantic insects massacred many thousands of Matis and devastated our majestic kingdom in the lands of old.
Enemy tribes include: The Sap Gleaners, The Cockroaches, The Chlorogoos, The Lawless, The Scorchers, The Lagoon Brothers, The Tutors, The Ancient Dryads, The First Deserters, The Slash and Burn, The Woven Bridles.
Bandits : Watch out for outlaws, thieves and cutthroats that roam around the forests in search of easy prey.
Animal predators : Wild animals can be ferocious, many of them will attack homins on sight!

How can I help my people?

We are lacking crafters, harvesters, magicians and warriors to further expand our capabilities so we can keep ahead of the competition.

We need warriors to defend our territory and establish new living space.
We are in need of skilled crafters to produce everyday objects and weapons; and harvesters to gather the raw materials for food and manufacture.
We need magicians to enchant crafted items, protect harvesters, and heal warriors in combat and keep the enemy in check.

What can I expect of my people ?

Training from our expert trainers.
Our people is defended by guilds who may come to your aide once you've joined one.
The more you act for the good of our people the more you're noble deeds will be rewarded.

What is our new land?

Our people first took root in these wooded lands in 2483 on their resurfacing from the sanctuary of the Prime Roots in the new lands. The forest is by far the most beautiful place on Atys and to the keen eye offers every living essence needed for creation. Since 2487 we have been continually rejoined by refugees having taken the road from the old lands, the very road you have bravely taken, homin. What can I expect from Atys, our world ? Atys is a mine of fabulous natural riches, young homin, in time you will learn how to spin them into sellable wealth. As you become skilled in the ways of the world you will learn to tame the wilderness and conquer new grounds.

What they Value

Loyalty to King and Goddess
Aesthetic achievement
Class structure
CompetitionS
Magnificence and refinement

How they see the Karavan

The Matis willingly see the Karavan as faithful servants of Jena who collect resources as offerings for the goddess to prepare for the future on a planet of fresh woodlands and pastures new. But more rationally, they see them as a useful ally whose arms of power they would all too gladly like to learn to wield. Over time, their natural penchant for the powerful and the lordly led the Matis to build up a strong relationship with the Karavan who in turn readily engaged them in their fight against the Kamis. After the Great Swarming however, despite King Yasson's pledging allegiance to the Karavan anew, dissident Matis began spreading doubt within the populous as to Karavan invincibility and their true place in the design of Jena which, in turn challenged the supreme authority of the King! The brunt of the dissention was then put down in 2504 by Jinovitch, a despotic king who instigated the persecution of doubters for heresy.

Nowadays the Matis haughtily see themselves virtually as the Karavan's equal. They forever seek to gain Karavan favor because the Karavan represent an opposing force to the Kamis who incessantly impede Matis manipulation of plant life.

How they see the Kamis

The Matis are suspicious and afraid of being possessed by the weird creatures who oppose the Karavan Guardians. What is more, the Kamis condemn Matis genetic manipulation of plant life. Hence, they were only too glad when the Karavan labeled the Kamis as evil creatures, punishing those who would interact with them. Further to this the Matis monarch passed a law forbidding his subjects to perform "evil-doings" with the Kamis limiting contact with them to their capture and delivery to the Karavan.

More recently, under the rule of Jinovitch, in 2508, the Kamis were overtly persecuted in Matis lands. However, since the accession to the throne of the more liberal king, Yrkanis, the Kamis are now tolerated.

How they see Jena

The Matis worship Jena and give her offerings through her disciples on Atys, the Karavan. As well as legitimizing their monarchy, the majority of Matis customs are centered around the worship of Jena which constitutes a veritable religion.

After the demise of the civilizations in the Great Swarming of 2481, many Matis were angry at the goddess for not sending in a Karavan task force in time to save the hundreds of thousands who perished. But under the Karavan's omnipresent guiding hand, today the majority of the Matis people have come to accept that the swarming could have been sent by Jena herself in a display of her wrath at homin transgression of the divine Law, i.e. homin excavation of the Prime Roots, and homins such as the Zora�s being tempted to adore the Kamis.

How they see Elias Tryton

Some witnessed the 'apparition' of Elias who appeared in a shaft of light from the canopy during the Great Swarming. Elders claim he is in fact a messenger of mercy sent by Jena to allow them to take refuge in the Prime Roots from kitin onslaughts of the Great Swarming. It is understood that other messengers will come to elevate Matis souls. There were rumors of the coming of a major force before the Great Swarming though the scriptures have been lost.

During the years that followed, some Matis sages founded the Guild of Elias with other homin races to keep his memory alive. This guild was portrayed by the Karavan as a sect opposing the church of Jena and prohibited. In 2505, during the reign of Jinovitch many members of the guild were condemned for heresy against Jena and burnt at the stake. Since those times the guild has gone underground.

Today the Guild of Elias still resides underground on Matis territory though manages to spread the word of the coming of Elias. The Yrkanis government, following Karavan Law, has banished the guild though in reality they turn a blind eye to be able to glean information to keep in control of the phenomenon.

How they see the Trykers

The Matis had little consideration for the Trykers in the past and even led a campaign to conquer their territory and enslave the population. They held disdain for Tryker indiscipline though have since come to be wary of their wiliness in battle. All Matis efforts to instil a sense of discipline into Trykers have led to heavy consequences. Indeed, to escape Matis domination, the Trykers have time again sided with the Fyros. The Tryker-Fyros alliance is what triggered hostilities between the three peoples and brought about the revocation of the Edict of Four Peoples in 2498.

The Matis, realizing that the Trykers cannot be 'tamed', now prefer to keep on friendly terms with the flighty little homins rather than risk having them turn to the Fyros again. After all the Trykers are excellent explorers who are nonetheless allied to the Karavan. Since the Peace Treaty of Fairhaven in 2115, the Matis have relinquished land conquered to the Trykers and their mutual faith in Jena has brought the two peoples even closer together.

How they see the Fyros

The Fyros are the inherent enemy of the Matis. In the old lands Dyros the Great, the Fyros Emperor, secured a water route from the lake lands to the desert through Matis territory. This 'intrusion' on Matis territory triggered the start of the war of civilizations. The intermittent skirmishes went on for over two hundred years coming to a head with the Fire of Coriolis. A peace treaty signed at Karavia brought with it a period of relative peace despite discord over Fyros placing national interests above Karavan Law.

The skirmishes that were rife during the reign of Jinovitch have given place to relative peace with the Fairhavan Peace Treaty signed in 2515 by the present Matis King, Yrkanis. Nevertheless, the Fyros moving ever closer to the Kamis has given rise to much agitation within the Matis court many of whom call for a firmer stand against Pyr and their policy of Kami proliferation.

How they see the Zora�s

For many years the Matis had little to do with the Zora�s who have always kept their distance from the on-going conflicts between the other homin civilizations in the lands of old. However, a period of peace brought Zora� travelers from behind their boundaries to Karavia where learning was exchanged and beliefs compared. The Matis were thus able to measure the extent of the force of the Kami and learn about the possibility of another 'religion'.

The Matis consider the Zora�s as high-minded homins but whose 'pagan religion' must be kept in check. Nevertheless, it was a Zora� warrior, the father of Mabreka, who saved the life of the present Matis King Yrkanis in 2493. What is more, Mabreka gave Yrkanis asylum in Zora while Jinovitch was in rule and enabled Yrkanis to retake the throne so banishing the totalitarian monarch. Many Matis resent this 'debt' to the Zora�s which they claim has tarnished their honor and their credibility in the eyes of the Karavan.

History In Brief

It was under Zachini rule that the momos, primitive tribes, were hunted to extermination under the pretext that the inferior creatures menaced the living space of the Matis peoples. The Matis quickly extended their dominions to the extremities of the forest lands where they were kept in check by the Fyros whose audacious emperor, Dyros the Great, secured a water route from the lake lands to the desert through Matis territory. This 'intrusion' on Matis territory triggered the start of the war of civilizations.

The intermittent skirmishes went on for over two hundred years coming to a head with the Fire of Coriolis. The great inferno spread across Fyros wastelands preventing Fyros reinforcements from rallying to the defence of outposts positioned along the water route. The Matis king, Aniro III, took advantage of the diversion created by the fire to send in his armies to isolate and capture the Fyros military outposts. They were then able to overrun the lake lands of the Trykers who consequently fell into Matis slavery. But Matis domination was short lived as Fyros reprisals and Tryker rebellion soon made the aristocratic warriors resort back to a defensive strategy to retain their former dominions of before the conflagration.