Osho (Old Lore)

Introduction
Osho is a prefectum in the north-east of Xyrillia, bordering Xaarat, Ilishai and the Kaianai. It mostly consists of fruitful wetlands and mountainous jungles. Its inhabitants worship life of their sacred jungles.

Dark Ages
When the first settlers of Malachs First Celestial Empire reached the Osho Highlands, they found a large and fruitful land. They first believed it to be completly wild but soon enough they discovered a primal civilisation of Mudai that had settled in its mountainous heart. Their relationship began as a simple trade union. After only 200 years the Mudai people of the Highlands joined Malachs empire.

Until its fall and long after, Osho remained nothing but a poor and rural region. It was an important location for agriculture and fishing, but besides that the lords and ladies of the west had little interest to invest more time and ressources into it. The mountains at its core where protected by dense jungles and cyclopean stone pillars. In its insides lived Mudai tribes that hadnt even heared of the Celestial Throne before the first Pratonian set foot on Sanchai.

Pratonian rule
While the rest of Xyrillia went through a bloody war and atlast fell into the hands of the pratonian invaders; Osho remained peacful and untouched. Vvind send a young general to conquer the rural offshots of the Highlands. Although he was barely competent, he manged to subject the peasents and fishers of Osho to his rule. He established a unique bloodline of Eriador of his heritage.

Almost a thousand years later the Gathali bought the mountenious core of Osho and enslaved the tribes living inside. They build several holds and hidden fortresses into the mountains to further their arcane research. One of them was Shaili which should become Oshos captial.

Fall of the Second Celestial Empire
When the Chayalic Plague struk Xyrillia for the first time, the Second Celestial Empire began to collapse. The disease itself killed more then half of the population, including the majority of the Pratonians that had enslaved the Xyrillians. After the last great Cor of Xilian fell ill, his son Rathror claimed his title, only to be enthroned a few weeks later. This set the entire nation into chaos as those that survived the plague stirved for power. Rathror himself moved to Yihan and conquered all of Saoleng. After making treaties with the Otogaoi he moved his forces northwards. First, Rathror took the rural south of Osho, before moving upon its mountainous core. He craved the arcane and occult knowledge the Gathali had amassed in ther hidden holds high up the mountains. There the Pratonian lord carved out his stronghold and ruled over both Osho and Saoleng for over 30 years, a long period in these chaotic times.

It was atlast Rathrors treaty with the Otogaoi that would lead to his downfall. In Caowei they betrayed him and launched a bloody assault across the diseased ridden south of Saoleng. Led by Kaijin the conquerer the Otogaoi horde moved upon Yihan before claiming the entire kingdom. Rathror had no chance to win against this numerically superior foe. Thus he surrendered the outer regions of Osho and gathered his forces in the Osho heartlands. The Otogaoi weaponry and horses had problems with the hot and humid climate that destroyed their bows and hardened their marches. Their cavalry was utterly usesless in the dense jungles of Osho. Thus they send a small squad led by Kaijin himself to fight and kill the tyrant Rathror. They defeated his bodyguard and wounded the Pratonian mortally, thus forcing him and his men to retreat from Shaili.

This way Osho fell under Otogaoi hands and as the Second Celestial Empire fell, the third rose from its ashes.

Bloodclad Ages
Although Keijin had conquered Osho, he was stabbed with a poisioned blade wielded by the champion Vishcar. His uncle Zuketai who aspired to claim the title Cor, decided to consolidate the Otogaoi power through taking controll over Oshos administration. He ruled the land for almost twelve years before gathering Keijins armies and moving upon Sanchai. In his ranks marched thousands of soldiers born and raised in Osho. With their aid he conquered the entire west and coronated himself the first Ethyrion, founding the Third Celestial Empire.

Reign of the Third Celestial Empire
Under the reign of Zuketai, all of Xyrillia experienced an upturn as unity and peace began to cultivate and flourish. Those who had been slaves where free again and those who lived in supression where now rulers. The Pratonian remnants in Xyrillia where slowly purged from the lands, until they had moved in hiding or disappeared completely. Zuketais reign passed and his place was taken by his daughter Lailyd. She had studied the ancient arts of malach and the masks of her Eternals. After years of research she travelled to Osho to finish her studies in the secret archives of Shaili. With this arcane knowledge she began her greatest work: The restoration of (...). She had studied Oshos particullarly strong spirits and learned of the shard of Naianai the tribes in the Highlands where still preserving. Lailyd convinced them to lend her the mask for the greatest magical ritual ever cast in the mysterious mountains. She bound the spirits of Osho to the sacred mask and created the first (...) of the second generation. This spirit godess became known as Sylvai the Fei, supreme mistress of Osho. After Lailyd had finished her work, she was confindent enough to attempt the resurrection of the ancient gods of Saoleng, Sheiley and Sanchai.

The godess and her avatars began to reform and change the culture of the people of Osho who developed a first and primal cult around the jungle and its spirits.

While the Third Celestial Empire enjoyed peace and progress, Osho remained rural and underdeveloped. The emperors of Xilian had unified all of Xyrillia after eaons of struggle and invested most of their administrative and financial ressources into overcoming cultural barries between the Prefecti. Over time they grew wealthy and strong enough to leave their homelands. The Vortex of Xyrillia was still open and the Ethyrion decided he wanted to use it for more then just trade. Under the banner of all Prefecti he assembled a mighty fleet to begin a campaign into foreign territory. They did not trust Oshos small and untrained military, yet they demanded astronomical numbers of wood and supplies. With little choice the lords of Shaili delivered. After several attempts they mangaged to found colonies and foreign Prefecti in other dimensions, most notably Apophis. All of Nawanga was now under Xyrillias controll.

The Xaarian Invasion
The contact with other dimensions brought wealth and foreign riches into Xyrillia, yet it also brought plagues and pests. Among these where the nefarious Samesi that spread across the lands like parasites. While the west was too strong and magically advanced to fall full victim to their taint and the Kaianai was too undereveloped, Osho provided a perfect base of operation. After only twelve decades the Snakeskins had taken over the entire nobility of Osho. The greatest of them was Vashani the Infernal. His titanic hordes revealed themselves openly and indulged into their corrupt and occult arts which where only enriched by the archives under Shaili.

As the Samesi threw Xyrillia into chaos and civil war again, a enemy far worse cast its shadow upon the wealthy lands of the west. Rathrors hertiage had layn hidden but did never died. The sorcerers of Xaarat had spend the time since the fall of the Pratonians to assemble an army of Bornclones and arcane abominations. They marches through the Nighlight pass and turned all of Osho into a warzone. At first the Samesi fought against the Xaarian sorcerers but soon enough they allied with one another. While the Xaarians ravaged the north and west, the Samesi marched south across Saoleng and the Kaianai. The Eythirion was hopeless to emerge victorious from this destructive conflict. Thus he turned towards accepting foreign aid and found it in Nawanga. The Onya assembled a large army of their proud warriors and warbeasts and arrived with a large fleets at the shores of Osho. With their aid the Celestial Empire managed to drive back the infernal hordes that threatened the order of Xyrillia. The Nawangians proved particularly effective agains the Samesi, their ancient foe which they had fought since centuries. After Vashani was defeated and the Xaarians where driven back into their accursed homeland, the Nawangians wished to return back into their jungles. The Ethyrion refused however. He was quite impressed by their martial mastery and feared what they might be able to take Nawanga from his grasp should they be allowed to return with the knowledge of their current weakness. Instead he offered them to settle anywhere in Xyrillia and claim it as their home. To spite him they demanded Xilian but after he refused they agreed on settling in Osho as its climate was closest to that of their home.

Over the ages they merged together with the local population while enriching it with their faith, knowledge and martial culture. This way the Oshli, the onyx colored people of Osho, where born. They embraced the cult of nature around Sylvai and turned her dominion into a rich and flourishing region. They where the first to discoved the ores and riches hidden in the central highlands and grew rich with mining, forging and trading.

Cities
While the outer wet- and farmlands of Osho brought fourth countless cities and villages, their mountainous core hardly cultivates civilsation. Most towns are build into large glaives or alongside the Gengai river. Yet there are many high up in the sky, attached to bridges made from bamboo. These span between the great stone spires and mountains that rise above the dense jungles. On the top of most of these spires stands a small temple of Sylvai with a sacred grove at its core.

Shaili 

The sacred city of Shaili lies at the heart of Osho and is one of its biggest cities. It is build inside a vale surrounded by eight great stone pillars. On the top of each stands a temple of Sylvai, each with a sacred grove at its core. The largest of these temples hosts the sacred Fey Oracle, the living incarnation of the Oshli godess. The city has grown into the shape of a star, a district growing up one of the mountain sides up to 200 meters in height. Above stretches the royal palace, inhabited by the Matriarchs and the priesthood. Each of the eight sections is connected by an onyx bridge decorated with gold and jade. The palace fills up the majority of each of the spires insides, yet most of its parts are not acessable in modern times. Deep and hidden lie the ancient archives of occult knowledge the Pratonians had build and gathered, most of which are not discovered yet. No one knows what truly lies in the heart of the palace and few dare looking, fearing what they might awake.

Rashai

Rashai is perhabs the wealthiest city in all of Xyrillia. It is build inside of a crater a fallen meteor had created. The meteor itself consists of pure Leyriel, an indestructable metal. It took its inhabitants over eighteen thousand years before figuring out how to prospect and craft it. Through pratonian sorcery discovered under Shaili, the Oshli are able to cut the metal into the desired shape. The Leyriel forges are excessivly priced, a single set of armor is worth an entire kingdom. Rashaian nobles have attempted to gain independance or join Sheiley, but the Oshli mages refuse to cut the metal for anyone else then the Supreme Matriarch of Osho. The city is fills the entire crater and uses its offshots as a natural line of defense enforced by stone and metal walls. The insides are filled with countless houses, markets and palaces. In the cities core lie the remnants of the meteor, still towering above any other building.

Jayed

The jade city of Jayed is considered sacred by its inhabitants. It is build around a large lagune. In its waters grows seaweed and pale corals like in the waters close to Yokura. The water is so teeming with life it looks like liquid jade. The lagune is protected by a large wall build inside the ocean, preserving this paradise in the sea. The priesthood bathes in its waters to gain spiritual enligthenment and uses it to conjure powerful spirits into their service. On the outside of the sacred city, a large port streches across the coastline. Around it grow slums and rundown villages like a festering wound, making it the perfect refuge for thugs, smugglers and pirates from all across the Crab Sea. Despite this crimical smut Jayed has a large nawangian quarter dedicated to healing and medicine; most notably a set of factories owned by foreign Onya where they produce toothpowder; a much requested hygene product that is sold all across Xyrillia. While it is also produced elsewhere, the flowers that the priesthood raises in the cities grooves are ideal for it which makes Jayed the key location for its production.

Tideguard

The large city is one of the largest ports of the east. While its portmarket sells and transports goods from the entire east to the rest of Xyrillia and beyond, its shipyards host and produce both trade and war ships in uncounted quantities. Tideguard is one of the main seats of the Imperial Fleet and its military. The city has more then a million inhabitants and its infrastructure is higly developed, compared to other more rundown ports along the eastern shores of the Crab Sea. People and small goods are transported on the backs of giant crabs, who also draw ships into the ports or shipyards. The city is named after the large fort overlooking it. It hosts the administration, prisons, armory and the guard of the city while the nobilty resides in a temple on a small island close to the main port. The cities guardsmen are armed with platinum lances and wear lacquered crab shells as armor. Just like their uniforms, the Walls and houses of the wealthier districts of Tideguard are laqcuered in western style to make them more durable and visibly pleasing.

Voul

The city of Voul used to be the largest mine in Osho. The miners carved out a large system of tunnels and rooms into a gigantic stone pillar, 5 kilometers in height and 3 in girth. After the mine has run dry people began to settle in Voul as it connected the jungle routes leading across Oshos overgrown core. It hosts thousands of people inhabiting the caves and balconies in- and outside the stone pillar. A complicated network of shafts makes sure the entire city is supplied with fresh air and daylight. Where the natural light does not suffice fires and glowing crystals illuminate the city. The caves reach far deeper into the stone then just the cyclopic stone pillar itself. The outsides of the city consist of a suffocated web of bridges made from wood and bamboo, connecting the main pillar with the ones surrounding it. On these bridges build hundreads of meters above the ground rise small buildings. Attached to their downsides are hanging houses for the poorer population. The jungle surrounding Voul is increadibly dense and only allows for few spaces to farm or build small villages. Despite its economic importance Voul is a sacred city. On the top of its cyclopic spire stands a temple of Sylvai, surrounding a groove of Worldtrees.

The Nightlight Pass

This key location marks the border between Xaarat and Osho. It is perhabs the most fortified place in the entire Prefectum if not Xyrillia itself. Its walls rise almost as high as the surrounding mountains themselves. They are equipped with Greatcannons, Rapidfire Ballistas and countless Volley Guns attached to the walls. Every gate or passage has several hellkettles build inside its walls to unleash boiling steam as devastating as fire upon anyone who should attempt to enter. The walls of the Nightlight Bastion are extremly thick and contain enough halls and rooms to house the entire garrison which consists of several thousands of soldiers. Only the most elite of warriors serve here, commanded by the best strategists the north has to offer aswell as almost 100 mages trained in rooting out evil spirits and their taint. The Gengai rivers flows through the bastion and forms several moats, covering wodden and metal spikes under the water. Although the Oshli keep the right to defend the pass for themselves, they allow small battalions of elite warriors from other Prefecti to aid them in the defense.

Rulership
Since the reign of Nenelata the Oshli are strongly influnced by esharic culture. They too are stirctly matriarchal, yet they do not separate the sexes as much as the Esharin. While the female form is seen as sacred for its design and connection to the mother godess, they do not see every female as worthy. In Oshli culture men and women are mostly equal as creatures formed by good and bad, as equally capable of both. Yet females can aspire to a higher state of being, a connection with nature and its spirits. It is this rare connection, commonly known as Thras Nayu, that requires female blood. Only those are worthy of determining the fates of their inferior kin. Like their nawangian cousins the Oshli employ both men and women as soldiers, yet the warriors path is stronger associated with males due to cultural influnces from their neighbours.

Food
Eating meat, eggs or dairy is prohibited in Osho. The Oshli see breathing life as sacred and spite those that end them just to quench their appetites when plants would have sufficied. It is strictly forbidden to harm or kill animals in Osho itself. Yet the priesthood does not condem the consumption of meat or milk that grew outside of their sacred lands. For that reason ports can still eat fish as long as it has been fished in the open sea and nobles import meat from the surrounding prefecti. Yet the priesthood attempts to rule out this practice although with little sucess. They themself try to eat as basic and little as possible. They strive to live only from the power of the spirits, a goal only few have achieved. Although most survive this religious diet, it turns most priests into beings as slim and fey as the spirits they worship.

While the western nobility sees large banquets and feasts as an essential amenity, the Oshli deem restraint as virtuous. Showing how little one is bound to profane needs by fasting is a common practice in Osho and a clear sign of royality and superior birth.

The protection of life usually goes so far that priests and nobles are accompanied by servants with brooms, sweeping the ground infront of them clean of any insect they might step on.

Eunuchs
While castration is not only very common across Xyrillia but even regarded a sign of mental strength and devotion in many Prefecti, Osho has outlawed this practice. They see it as an unnatural violation of the humand body and crippling of ones soul, similar to most practices of the Path of Mind. Performing a castration is a crime punishable by death in Osho and although foreign eunuchs are tolerated, they are encountered with distrust. Eunuchs are seen as people that threw away their humanity and utterly defiled the very nature of their flesh and the order of its desires and needs. While overcoming ones physical needs is something most Oshli strive for, they wish to achieve it through mental training and meditation rather then multilation.

Geungaoi
Long ago the Oshli made a pact with the red Geungaoi inhabiting the Osho Highlands. They would share the lands and the colonies would aid them in its defense. In return the priests of the Oshli would offer the Geungaoi food and ressources. Across the ages most of the once numerous Geungaoi fell ill through the spread of the Mooncraze and the remnants where usurped into a single colony. It is lead by the supreme queen Gashayla and spans almost all of Osho. Yet over the time the Geungaoi where forgotten. The priesthood still offers the yearly tribute in the designated caves, believing it to be an offering to the spirits of the deep. Only a the inner circle of Oshli priesthood and the Supreme Matriarch know this secret and guard it well, as Gashayla demands.

Religion
The Oshli worship Sylvai the Fey, Archspirit of Osho. The godess is the incarnation of Oshos wild jungles and open wetlands. In her voice roars every untamed creature and in her eyes shines the light of every unborn life in her domain. Sylvai, unlike other gods, can not take a physical form like the other gods of Xyrillia. She is bound to the Mask of Mudai. This divine piece was rescued from Caldors rebellion and contains a shard of the Eternal Nanaia. To harvest her power and contain her madness, the priests of Osho have bound Sylvai to this shard and restored the mask with Leyriel.

Once every hundread years a new avatar of the godess is chosen. It can only be female and must be of noble blood and befitting spirituality. This avatar, commonly known as the Fey Oracle, sits in a grove on the top of a stone spire close to Shaili. She rarely talks or moves, spending most of her time meditating. Only the priesthood may speak with the avatar and carry on Sylvais will. Should Osho be in need, the godess will animate her oracle and use it to defend her domain.

Sylvais archpriests are known as Sylphites, her lower priests as nymphs. They can only be female and have both political and spiritual power in Osho. A nymph is anointed in the sacred waters of Sylvais temple before claiming her title. Nymphs that rise to the title of Sylphite undergo the same procedure on the oracles spire through the animated winds high above the mountains.

Major trade goods

 * Wood
 * Iron
 * Silver
 * Gold
 * Platin
 * Ossium
 * Jade (White, Green, Black)
 * Vingian Wine
 * Soap

Minor trade goods

 * Woodworks
 * Leyriel
 * Vushul
 * Emeralds
 * Amber jewelry
 * Diamonds
 * Toothpowder

Agricultural products

 * Rice
 * Coconuts
 * Soy
 * Seaweed
 * Cabbage
 * Legumes
 * Leek
 * Ginko nuts
 * Fruits
 * Spices

Armies
The Oshli are the selfproclaimed protectors of Xyrillia. Alot of their military and culture revolves around cleansing occult taint and tracking it down. While they accept and support the Imperial Army in their Prefectum, they do not allow any of their troops to enter their sacred jungles or guard the Nightlight Pass. The Oshli know how easy the human mind can be swayed and only trust the most pure and skilled of warriors to guard such locations of immeasurable importance.

Units
Oshli units are usually more elite then and fewer in numbers then their western or eastern counterparts. While the Imperial Army makes up their main force, they still maintain an elite core of 10000 men and beasts to guard their sacred realm.

Infantry
Lashla Milita- Those that do not wish to join the Imperial Army often become Lashla militia. They are far better trained then most light infantry, yet far less numerous. They wear wool cloth or chitin armor and are armed with axes and large shields or crossbows.

Oshonti Guardians- The elite warriors of Osho join the Oshonti guardians. These are raised and trained in the tradition of nawangian Ozul and are masteres of glaive and shield. They wear wool armor enforced with steel and Zygoa chitin. They build highly mobile shield walls, armed with glaives, spears and swords as secondary weapons.

Vushul- The Vulu Kai of Osho might be weaker then their nawangian counterparts, yet they are still towering warriors whos strength is enough to crush steel with bare hands. They are the elite core of the Oshli army, protecting the sacred priestesses and matriarchs. They are clad in steel and platin armor and fight with greatswords or halberds.

Wildwood Archers- These elite warriors stalk the jungles of Osho in Zanesi fashion. They move through terrain unseen and are equipped with blade-bows that can function as spears in close combat. Some of them are armed with repeating crossbows instead.

True-shot Riflemen- Armed with increadibly long and advanced arquebuses, these riflemen are masters of stealth and hide in terrain as well as Wildwood Archers. They essentially function as very accurate snipers, firing from afar to kill commanders or disturb formations. Those used on the walls are often armed with xyrillian volley guns instead.

Warbeasts
Zikadian Firestriders- These large Zygoa find usage in all of Osho and are amongst the most common beasts of burden, even adorning the banner of the Prefectum. In battle they are used as mobile platforms of artillery. On their backs are mounted Rapidfire Ballistas or large Volley Guns. Osho Spirecrawlers- Unique to the Highlands of Osho is the Spirecrawler, a long and many limbed Zygoa that can grow to lenghts of up to twelve meters. They are increadibly fast and can use their sharp pincer-legs to crawl up rockfaces or fortified walls with ease. On their backs are mounted several Oshonti trained to ride and stay on the backs of these shelled creatures. They are especially effective in sieges or battles in mountainous terrain.

Artillery
Rapidfire Ballistas- The Oshli loathe any kind of fire or explosive weaponry. Instead they have developed a unique kind of ballista that fires and reloads with a winder mechanism. Light forms are operated by three to five men at once, larges ones by steam kettles manufactured in Saoleng. They can fire between one and two bolts per minute, at a range and accuracy that often surpasses that of gunpower weaponry.