The Ollath
Intro
The darkest pits of the place mortals call Hell is home to the Archons. These almighty evil spirits revel only in torment and suffering, and they are not without servants.
Once members of the Tanelim crusade into Hell, the Ollath are the ones who came face to face with the overwhelming evils they had once sought to conquer, and knelt before them. Their wills corrupted and their morality proven worthless in the face of such power, they turned against the crusade and forced it back into the mortal world in the name of their new masters.
Now, however, the Ollath are in a new kind of hell, the Casket to which they have been imprisoned. This bleak world has been the setting for the establishment of their new, wicked society, in which they politic, pray, and plan their revenge.
It has been 20 years since the Ollath originated. Players may be original Ollath that betrayed the crusade, or young characters born shortly after.
Play an Ollath if you want to...
be an apostate in service to terrifying dark powers.
do forbidden sorcery, binding the minds of the dead to your own body, giving you their skills.
fight against your former comrades, who judge you to be the ultimate traitors.
be motivated by the basest human urges and emotions.
be divided by internal ambition, and the desire to please the Archons better than your fellows can.
The Ollath are not...
History
(OC Note: For context, you may wish to read the Tanelim History section first).
Ollath history is very short. Just over twenty-one years ago, when the Tanelim crusade into Hell was on the verge of breaking, a few dozen dissenters met in secret to discuss the idea of surrendering to the Archons. Soldiers, born to a damned existence, sick of a war that could never end, and tempted by a peace bought with lifelong submission before evil, attended, as did a few of the healers and physicians, but it was the priesthood that was most over-represented. These first apostates had seen the real truth; that fighting the Archons would be the death of them all, and that unheard-of power could be the reward for betraying their old faith. This meeting was presided over by the, now infamous, Cardinal Leontia. She persuaded those present to convert as many crusaders as possible to the cause, as secretly as they could. She then proposed that she would keep a list of the names of every crusader who had agreed to defect, and bring it personally to the Archons when the time was right.
Weeks passed and whispers spread through the desperate ranks of a plan to join the enemy. Driven half mad by fear and inexorably drawn to the promise of fresh power and a chance to survive, scores signed their names. Half a year after the first meeting, Cardinal Leontia walked alone into the dark, bearing the scrolls with the traitors' names, and was never again seen.
Hours later, the forces of the Archons suddenly surged forth, tearing with new ferocity into the front ranks of the crusade. Those newly sworn to the Archons all heard a choir of disjointed voices in their minds, exhorting them each to participate in a devastatingly well-coordinated scheme of small betrayals. The first of the Ollath showed their true colours by stabbing their commanders in the smalls of their backs, tearing down makeshift fortifications, and setting fire to the healing tents. Unable to withstand such a furious assault from both enemies and former friends, the front lines began to retreat, and soon the entire crusade was routed. The ancient portals the Tanelim used generations ago were hurriedly rent open, and the noble crusaders fled in droves. Those who stayed to buy time for their friends, and those who were too slow, were forever lost.
For the months that followed, the pursuing Ollath continued to harry the disorganised remnants of the crusade as it marched wearily back to its old homeland. The cleverer and more ambitious elements of the traitorous priesthood found themselves hearing the voices of the Archons in their dreams, whispering the magical secrets that the Ollath use to this day; the art of taking a dead person's mind from its otherworldly resting place and temporarily binding it to ones own consciousness. This sorcery was taught out amongst the Ollath, and through it, they became strong. Fearful of being subject to Ollath depredations, and tempted by their ever-increasing spiritual potency, yet more crusaders left to serve the Archons during this time.
Increasingly desperate, suffering more casualties daily, the Tanelim contacted the Phalreans. Together, they managed to trap the Ollath in the Casket of Nightmares alongside the Werewolves and the Decaying Ones.
Since then, the Ollath have been dwelling in their prison, growing in their understanding, and fear, of their Archon masters, perfecting their sorcerous arts, and preying upon the minds and souls of the Tanelim and other mortals whenever they can.
Beliefs
The Ollath worship the Archons, not out of a deep spiritual reverence, but because the Archons are powerful and the Ollath wish to kowtow to them. This policy has worked well for them thus far, allowing them access to the powers of Sorcery, but the Ollath always want more.
There are no such things as “priests” in Ollath society, as the Archons seem uninterested in any form of organised worship more complex than grovelling, although Sorcerers are considered somewhat closer to the Archons than are other Ollath. The only religious behaviour expected of the Ollath is the nighttime prayer. Before going to sleep, each Ollath must kneel and pray to the Archons, apologising for their own weakness and inferiority, listing the achievements they have performed during the day and deriding how worthless and unimpressive they are, and pleading to be allowed to survive one more day. It is rumoured that missing your nighttime prayer means that the Archons will soon arrange a gruesome and untimely death for you, but this has never been substantiated.
Little is known about what the Archons want, precisely. What is understood is that they enjoy killing and psychological torment, and despise anything resemblant of a moral code. It is assumed that they are the direct enemies of the Benefactors, but nothing is known about how the two types of entity relate to one another. Recently, the Benefactor Sulian, the patron of peace, travelled across realities to become a new Archon. The implications of this are yet to be truly felt.
Culture
Customs
The culture of the Ollath is newly born, and quite anarchic in nature, with only a brief period of shared history and a religion borne of deep and abiding terror to hold the people together. As such, their customs are in a state of flux. Many maintain a great deal of order and schedule in their daily lives, abiding by strict times for meals and such. This is generally considered a leftover habit from their old military lives, but some Decaying One 'philosophers' have observed that it may be a way to maintain a sense of structure and purpose in the heartless void of the Casket.
A major theme in Ollath society is the signing of contracts. Any promise or obligation between Ollath is written down and signed, typically with witnesses. This harkens back to the list of names handed by Cardinal Leontia to the Archons, known as the Traitors' Accord, and contracts in general are seen as sacred. Using them serves two primary social purposes. First, it tempers the treacherous tendencies of the Ollath by encouraging them to betray one another only in ways subtly permitted by gaps in contractual wording. Second, it reduces fuzzy, morality-based forms of obligation and social glue down to cold, black and white legalese, uncoupling the Ollath entirely from the weak and worthless world of 'ethics' so readily inhabited by their Tanelim cousins. Abiding perfectly by the dictates of a contract, and still gaining the upper hand on another person, is considered a mark of cleverness and of a powerful mind, whilst violating a contract is seen as the last resort of a careless individual without the foresight to plan for all contingencies when writing an agreement.
Naked ambition, selfishness, and malevolence is another common factor in Ollath society. The worship of the Archons requires a total abnegation of moral feeling, which some of the softer-hearted apostates find difficult, although to admit as much publicly would be suicide. Unprompted acts of generosity are laughed at, even condemned, and it is much more likely for Ollath to bully, manipulate, and steal from one another unapologetically. Of course, the Ollath remain fundamentally human, and sometimes have trouble pushing aside feelings of empathy, remorse, justice, and restraint. It is shameful to display any such sentiments publicly, and some Ollath wrestle to be the sharp political weapons they are expected to be.
Art
For the Ollath, the purpose of creating art or performing music is to demonstrate your own intelligence. An Ollath can gain a measure of prestige by writing clever stories, poetry, or songs (often patter songs with a swift lyrical onslaught), typically with themes of cunning deception, political machination, or tragic defeat of some kind. Alternatively, they might perform technically complex instrumental music, or create abstract art with a hidden meaning which is difficult to grasp. Some Ollath become very involved in creative competition and artistic one-upmanship with one another, whilst others watch and laugh, caring more about the pursuit of real power than about how many hidden metaphors they can pack into fourteen lines of iambic pentameter.
Since the betrayal, many Ollath are very prone to experiencing vivid and terrifying nightmares, which they believe are sent by the Archons themselves. Depicting scenes from nightmare, either visually or through poetic verbal description, is considered a high form of artistry, and a type of religious observance.
In terms of humour, Ollath have come to enjoy tricks and games at other people's expense. Some devote endless energy to cruel deceptions designed to cheat others out of things they value, or to build up their hopes before grinding them down. This tradition has led to most Ollath becoming paranoid and untrusting.
Marriage and Funerals
Having thrown off the traditional Tanelim beliefs about love and family, marriage amongst the Ollath is a highly political matter. Simply put, marriage is a contractual agreement to attempt procreation (or the adoption of stray orphans), to educate any children, and, incidentally, act for one another's mutual benefit and protection. Romance is irrelevant, and meaningless, hedonistic relationships before and outside of marriage are not unusual. Ollath are often on the lookout for individuals whose skills and qualities complement their own, and find subtle ways to test those attributes before approaching a potential partner about marriage. This too must be done carefully, because approaching someone who deems you to be weak or unsuitable will get you cruelly denied. As such, finding ways to advertise ones own strengths and capabilities to a prospective partner is common, as is the secret exchange of information on who is interested in marrying whom.
Marriages are performed with little ceremony; the marriage contract must be signed by both partners, and is often overseen by a Lesser Judge (see Politics). However, the writing of the marriage contract in advance is typically a long-winded and fraught process. Precisely worded agreements to protect one another, provide particular services of certain kinds, and to be able to withdraw support and aid in particular circumstances, are haggled over at length. Provisions are often included for how a contract may be permissibly ended, and arrangements for the custody of offspring in this contingency. Property is almost never shared as part of a marriage contract; the pair might be wed, but they are still individuals looking out for their own interests above all else.
Funerals are a much simpler matter, and serve primarily to stave off the fear the living have of their own mortality. In the event of a death, those who knew the deceased will gather together and discuss that person's weaknesses, and the mistakes they made that led to their death, to reassure themselves that they are too strong and clever to fall to their deaths in such a way. No custom exists regarding funerals for those who have died of old age, as no Ollath has yet done so.
Nation
Politics
The Ollath have no government and no laws, and the only rule is that imposed by the signing of contracts. Ollath who work together for a time are likely to contractually agree not to harm one another or each other's interests, to a point, but will cheerfully and openly exploit loopholes whenever they can. As such, few Ollath form long-term associations; the longer another Ollath knows you and operates alongside you, the more chance they have to figure out how to outwit and betray you.
When a large group of Ollath meet for some purpose, a few formalities arise. Firstly, they typically meet and sign a contract of mutual non-aggression, to keep a basic degree of peace. Such agreements are often loose and misinterpretable, in order to induce everyone present to actually sign them. Secondly, those present elect a Greater Judge, who holds that title for a specified period, who has ultimate authority in contractual disputes between the electors. This Greater Judge may appoint any number of Lesser Judges, who may make judgements on any dispute, but matters of importance can be elevated to the attention of the Greater Judge, whose authority outweighs that of their delegates.
These meetings are typically short, as the paranoid and scheming Ollath are uncomfortable with political behaviour of such an open, public, and all-inclusive nature. They are typically glad when those gathered begin to disperse, ready to begin the real business of secret politicking and backroom deals.
A significant power also afforded only to Greater Judges is to declare an Ollath to be Without Contract. In essence, this removes the individual from the compact made twenty years ago on the signing of the Traitors' Accord. This is declared only in extreme cases, typically after an Ollath has broken their written word multiple times, and causes them to no longer be under the effects of any contract, and unable to sign new contracts with anybody else. The primary result of this is that such an individual is no longer protected by any agreement, and can be killed and looted by anybody without repercussions.
War
The Ollath fight to acquire power, usually in the form of mortal souls, which they use for their twisted magic, and to slaughter the Tanelim for the pleasure of the Archons. Commonly, an Ollath who once served as a soldier on the crusade will focus on perfecting the arts of physical combat, for which they have come to prefer two-handed weapons or ambidextrous fighting. Sorcery, on the other hand, has become a popular pursuit amongst those who were once priests. A warrior or a sorcerer will tend to serially form temporary associations with individuals who followed the other path, forming agreements to assist one another for a time, such that their skills might complement one another's. These partnerships occasionally last for several years, or even become marriages, but it is rare for an Ollath not to be on the lookout for a better choice of partner.
Relations
The Ollath have no allies, but try to ensure that everyone else is too busy fighting one another to pay attention to them. They enjoy killing Tanelim, but are not above using Decaying Ones or Werewolves as catspaws to do the fighting instead, so long as they can claim the spoils afterwards. Whilst they are sometimes useful, the Ollath consider the Decaying Ones and Werewolves to be intellectually inferior and, consequently, weak.
The Ollath have nothing but contempt for what they regard as the sentimental and unintelligent ways of the Koth, but maintain a grudging respect for the magical prowess of the Phalreans.
Magic
Ollath magic-users are called Sorcerers, and they practice the arts taught to them by the Archons themselves. Using the fresh spiritual energy of the recently dead, they summon the minds of those who died longer ago, and tether those minds to their own. In this way, they can tap into the skills, and occasionally the knowledge, of the deceased. This has certain consequences. Binding a different mind to your own causes whispers of their own thoughts and memories to echo through your consciousness. Often, the mind is confused and resentful at having been pulled from its final resting place (wherever or whatever that may be; the dead usually have difficulty articulating their memories on this topic). In spite of this, most Ollath find the sudden rush of power gained through Sorcery to be exhilarating.
Sorcerers must, before binding a mind, give magical sacrifice to the Archons in order to be bequeathed with access to such minds. This takes that form of an offering of a magical resource, such as Glowroot. Once a mind has been accessed in such a way, the Sorcerer may bind it to a willing recipient, in a ritual that involves the writing and signing of a contract between caster, target, and the Archons themselves.
It is theorised, in fearful whispers, that a sufficiently powerful sorcerer could bind an Archon instead of a mortal mind. There are a few whispered stories of Ollath who have attempted such a feat, but they always end with the sorcerer meeting a swift and horrid death.
Names
Most Ollath have three names; a common name, a true name, and a Tanelim name that they have since cast aside.
Common names are made up of a forename and a signifier. Forenames should be taken from Dutch forenames. Signifiers are monosyllabic words, chosen at adulthood and each one ostensibly unique to the individual.
Common name examples: Karel Tain, Dyn Lisbeth, Melchior Starn.
True names are a self-chosen descriptor of several words, which is the name by which the Archons know the Ollath, used secretly and only in prayer. To reveal your true name to another person is to indicate that you consider them of equal rank to the Archons, which is obviously heresy.
True name examples: One Unworthy to Stand in Shadow, She Who Shall Surrender Only to Death, Embracing of Dark Truths and Darker Lies.
Costume
The darkest pits of the place mortals call Hell is home to the Archons. These almighty evil spirits revel only in torment and suffering, and they are not without servants.
Once members of the Tanelim crusade into Hell, the Ollath are the ones who came face to face with the overwhelming evils they had once sought to conquer, and knelt before them. Their wills corrupted and their morality proven worthless in the face of such power, they turned against the crusade and forced it back into the mortal world in the name of their new masters.
Now, however, the Ollath are in a new kind of hell, the Casket to which they have been imprisoned. This bleak world has been the setting for the establishment of their new, wicked society, in which they politic, pray, and plan their revenge.
It has been 20 years since the Ollath originated. Players may be original Ollath that betrayed the crusade, or young characters born shortly after.
Play an Ollath if you want to...
be an apostate in service to terrifying dark powers.
do forbidden sorcery, binding the minds of the dead to your own body, giving you their skills.
fight against your former comrades, who judge you to be the ultimate traitors.
be motivated by the basest human urges and emotions.
be divided by internal ambition, and the desire to please the Archons better than your fellows can.
The Ollath are not...
- Satanists. Despite the use of the word Hell in the setting, references to real-world religions and their devils/afterlife are not appropriate in character.
- Penitent. The society the Ollath have built is not merciful to those who openly regret the choice to follow the Archons, or any atrocity performed in their name.
History
(OC Note: For context, you may wish to read the Tanelim History section first).
Ollath history is very short. Just over twenty-one years ago, when the Tanelim crusade into Hell was on the verge of breaking, a few dozen dissenters met in secret to discuss the idea of surrendering to the Archons. Soldiers, born to a damned existence, sick of a war that could never end, and tempted by a peace bought with lifelong submission before evil, attended, as did a few of the healers and physicians, but it was the priesthood that was most over-represented. These first apostates had seen the real truth; that fighting the Archons would be the death of them all, and that unheard-of power could be the reward for betraying their old faith. This meeting was presided over by the, now infamous, Cardinal Leontia. She persuaded those present to convert as many crusaders as possible to the cause, as secretly as they could. She then proposed that she would keep a list of the names of every crusader who had agreed to defect, and bring it personally to the Archons when the time was right.
Weeks passed and whispers spread through the desperate ranks of a plan to join the enemy. Driven half mad by fear and inexorably drawn to the promise of fresh power and a chance to survive, scores signed their names. Half a year after the first meeting, Cardinal Leontia walked alone into the dark, bearing the scrolls with the traitors' names, and was never again seen.
Hours later, the forces of the Archons suddenly surged forth, tearing with new ferocity into the front ranks of the crusade. Those newly sworn to the Archons all heard a choir of disjointed voices in their minds, exhorting them each to participate in a devastatingly well-coordinated scheme of small betrayals. The first of the Ollath showed their true colours by stabbing their commanders in the smalls of their backs, tearing down makeshift fortifications, and setting fire to the healing tents. Unable to withstand such a furious assault from both enemies and former friends, the front lines began to retreat, and soon the entire crusade was routed. The ancient portals the Tanelim used generations ago were hurriedly rent open, and the noble crusaders fled in droves. Those who stayed to buy time for their friends, and those who were too slow, were forever lost.
For the months that followed, the pursuing Ollath continued to harry the disorganised remnants of the crusade as it marched wearily back to its old homeland. The cleverer and more ambitious elements of the traitorous priesthood found themselves hearing the voices of the Archons in their dreams, whispering the magical secrets that the Ollath use to this day; the art of taking a dead person's mind from its otherworldly resting place and temporarily binding it to ones own consciousness. This sorcery was taught out amongst the Ollath, and through it, they became strong. Fearful of being subject to Ollath depredations, and tempted by their ever-increasing spiritual potency, yet more crusaders left to serve the Archons during this time.
Increasingly desperate, suffering more casualties daily, the Tanelim contacted the Phalreans. Together, they managed to trap the Ollath in the Casket of Nightmares alongside the Werewolves and the Decaying Ones.
Since then, the Ollath have been dwelling in their prison, growing in their understanding, and fear, of their Archon masters, perfecting their sorcerous arts, and preying upon the minds and souls of the Tanelim and other mortals whenever they can.
Beliefs
The Ollath worship the Archons, not out of a deep spiritual reverence, but because the Archons are powerful and the Ollath wish to kowtow to them. This policy has worked well for them thus far, allowing them access to the powers of Sorcery, but the Ollath always want more.
There are no such things as “priests” in Ollath society, as the Archons seem uninterested in any form of organised worship more complex than grovelling, although Sorcerers are considered somewhat closer to the Archons than are other Ollath. The only religious behaviour expected of the Ollath is the nighttime prayer. Before going to sleep, each Ollath must kneel and pray to the Archons, apologising for their own weakness and inferiority, listing the achievements they have performed during the day and deriding how worthless and unimpressive they are, and pleading to be allowed to survive one more day. It is rumoured that missing your nighttime prayer means that the Archons will soon arrange a gruesome and untimely death for you, but this has never been substantiated.
Little is known about what the Archons want, precisely. What is understood is that they enjoy killing and psychological torment, and despise anything resemblant of a moral code. It is assumed that they are the direct enemies of the Benefactors, but nothing is known about how the two types of entity relate to one another. Recently, the Benefactor Sulian, the patron of peace, travelled across realities to become a new Archon. The implications of this are yet to be truly felt.
Culture
Customs
The culture of the Ollath is newly born, and quite anarchic in nature, with only a brief period of shared history and a religion borne of deep and abiding terror to hold the people together. As such, their customs are in a state of flux. Many maintain a great deal of order and schedule in their daily lives, abiding by strict times for meals and such. This is generally considered a leftover habit from their old military lives, but some Decaying One 'philosophers' have observed that it may be a way to maintain a sense of structure and purpose in the heartless void of the Casket.
A major theme in Ollath society is the signing of contracts. Any promise or obligation between Ollath is written down and signed, typically with witnesses. This harkens back to the list of names handed by Cardinal Leontia to the Archons, known as the Traitors' Accord, and contracts in general are seen as sacred. Using them serves two primary social purposes. First, it tempers the treacherous tendencies of the Ollath by encouraging them to betray one another only in ways subtly permitted by gaps in contractual wording. Second, it reduces fuzzy, morality-based forms of obligation and social glue down to cold, black and white legalese, uncoupling the Ollath entirely from the weak and worthless world of 'ethics' so readily inhabited by their Tanelim cousins. Abiding perfectly by the dictates of a contract, and still gaining the upper hand on another person, is considered a mark of cleverness and of a powerful mind, whilst violating a contract is seen as the last resort of a careless individual without the foresight to plan for all contingencies when writing an agreement.
Naked ambition, selfishness, and malevolence is another common factor in Ollath society. The worship of the Archons requires a total abnegation of moral feeling, which some of the softer-hearted apostates find difficult, although to admit as much publicly would be suicide. Unprompted acts of generosity are laughed at, even condemned, and it is much more likely for Ollath to bully, manipulate, and steal from one another unapologetically. Of course, the Ollath remain fundamentally human, and sometimes have trouble pushing aside feelings of empathy, remorse, justice, and restraint. It is shameful to display any such sentiments publicly, and some Ollath wrestle to be the sharp political weapons they are expected to be.
Art
For the Ollath, the purpose of creating art or performing music is to demonstrate your own intelligence. An Ollath can gain a measure of prestige by writing clever stories, poetry, or songs (often patter songs with a swift lyrical onslaught), typically with themes of cunning deception, political machination, or tragic defeat of some kind. Alternatively, they might perform technically complex instrumental music, or create abstract art with a hidden meaning which is difficult to grasp. Some Ollath become very involved in creative competition and artistic one-upmanship with one another, whilst others watch and laugh, caring more about the pursuit of real power than about how many hidden metaphors they can pack into fourteen lines of iambic pentameter.
Since the betrayal, many Ollath are very prone to experiencing vivid and terrifying nightmares, which they believe are sent by the Archons themselves. Depicting scenes from nightmare, either visually or through poetic verbal description, is considered a high form of artistry, and a type of religious observance.
In terms of humour, Ollath have come to enjoy tricks and games at other people's expense. Some devote endless energy to cruel deceptions designed to cheat others out of things they value, or to build up their hopes before grinding them down. This tradition has led to most Ollath becoming paranoid and untrusting.
Marriage and Funerals
Having thrown off the traditional Tanelim beliefs about love and family, marriage amongst the Ollath is a highly political matter. Simply put, marriage is a contractual agreement to attempt procreation (or the adoption of stray orphans), to educate any children, and, incidentally, act for one another's mutual benefit and protection. Romance is irrelevant, and meaningless, hedonistic relationships before and outside of marriage are not unusual. Ollath are often on the lookout for individuals whose skills and qualities complement their own, and find subtle ways to test those attributes before approaching a potential partner about marriage. This too must be done carefully, because approaching someone who deems you to be weak or unsuitable will get you cruelly denied. As such, finding ways to advertise ones own strengths and capabilities to a prospective partner is common, as is the secret exchange of information on who is interested in marrying whom.
Marriages are performed with little ceremony; the marriage contract must be signed by both partners, and is often overseen by a Lesser Judge (see Politics). However, the writing of the marriage contract in advance is typically a long-winded and fraught process. Precisely worded agreements to protect one another, provide particular services of certain kinds, and to be able to withdraw support and aid in particular circumstances, are haggled over at length. Provisions are often included for how a contract may be permissibly ended, and arrangements for the custody of offspring in this contingency. Property is almost never shared as part of a marriage contract; the pair might be wed, but they are still individuals looking out for their own interests above all else.
Funerals are a much simpler matter, and serve primarily to stave off the fear the living have of their own mortality. In the event of a death, those who knew the deceased will gather together and discuss that person's weaknesses, and the mistakes they made that led to their death, to reassure themselves that they are too strong and clever to fall to their deaths in such a way. No custom exists regarding funerals for those who have died of old age, as no Ollath has yet done so.
Nation
Politics
The Ollath have no government and no laws, and the only rule is that imposed by the signing of contracts. Ollath who work together for a time are likely to contractually agree not to harm one another or each other's interests, to a point, but will cheerfully and openly exploit loopholes whenever they can. As such, few Ollath form long-term associations; the longer another Ollath knows you and operates alongside you, the more chance they have to figure out how to outwit and betray you.
When a large group of Ollath meet for some purpose, a few formalities arise. Firstly, they typically meet and sign a contract of mutual non-aggression, to keep a basic degree of peace. Such agreements are often loose and misinterpretable, in order to induce everyone present to actually sign them. Secondly, those present elect a Greater Judge, who holds that title for a specified period, who has ultimate authority in contractual disputes between the electors. This Greater Judge may appoint any number of Lesser Judges, who may make judgements on any dispute, but matters of importance can be elevated to the attention of the Greater Judge, whose authority outweighs that of their delegates.
These meetings are typically short, as the paranoid and scheming Ollath are uncomfortable with political behaviour of such an open, public, and all-inclusive nature. They are typically glad when those gathered begin to disperse, ready to begin the real business of secret politicking and backroom deals.
A significant power also afforded only to Greater Judges is to declare an Ollath to be Without Contract. In essence, this removes the individual from the compact made twenty years ago on the signing of the Traitors' Accord. This is declared only in extreme cases, typically after an Ollath has broken their written word multiple times, and causes them to no longer be under the effects of any contract, and unable to sign new contracts with anybody else. The primary result of this is that such an individual is no longer protected by any agreement, and can be killed and looted by anybody without repercussions.
War
The Ollath fight to acquire power, usually in the form of mortal souls, which they use for their twisted magic, and to slaughter the Tanelim for the pleasure of the Archons. Commonly, an Ollath who once served as a soldier on the crusade will focus on perfecting the arts of physical combat, for which they have come to prefer two-handed weapons or ambidextrous fighting. Sorcery, on the other hand, has become a popular pursuit amongst those who were once priests. A warrior or a sorcerer will tend to serially form temporary associations with individuals who followed the other path, forming agreements to assist one another for a time, such that their skills might complement one another's. These partnerships occasionally last for several years, or even become marriages, but it is rare for an Ollath not to be on the lookout for a better choice of partner.
Relations
The Ollath have no allies, but try to ensure that everyone else is too busy fighting one another to pay attention to them. They enjoy killing Tanelim, but are not above using Decaying Ones or Werewolves as catspaws to do the fighting instead, so long as they can claim the spoils afterwards. Whilst they are sometimes useful, the Ollath consider the Decaying Ones and Werewolves to be intellectually inferior and, consequently, weak.
The Ollath have nothing but contempt for what they regard as the sentimental and unintelligent ways of the Koth, but maintain a grudging respect for the magical prowess of the Phalreans.
Magic
Ollath magic-users are called Sorcerers, and they practice the arts taught to them by the Archons themselves. Using the fresh spiritual energy of the recently dead, they summon the minds of those who died longer ago, and tether those minds to their own. In this way, they can tap into the skills, and occasionally the knowledge, of the deceased. This has certain consequences. Binding a different mind to your own causes whispers of their own thoughts and memories to echo through your consciousness. Often, the mind is confused and resentful at having been pulled from its final resting place (wherever or whatever that may be; the dead usually have difficulty articulating their memories on this topic). In spite of this, most Ollath find the sudden rush of power gained through Sorcery to be exhilarating.
Sorcerers must, before binding a mind, give magical sacrifice to the Archons in order to be bequeathed with access to such minds. This takes that form of an offering of a magical resource, such as Glowroot. Once a mind has been accessed in such a way, the Sorcerer may bind it to a willing recipient, in a ritual that involves the writing and signing of a contract between caster, target, and the Archons themselves.
It is theorised, in fearful whispers, that a sufficiently powerful sorcerer could bind an Archon instead of a mortal mind. There are a few whispered stories of Ollath who have attempted such a feat, but they always end with the sorcerer meeting a swift and horrid death.
Names
Most Ollath have three names; a common name, a true name, and a Tanelim name that they have since cast aside.
Common names are made up of a forename and a signifier. Forenames should be taken from Dutch forenames. Signifiers are monosyllabic words, chosen at adulthood and each one ostensibly unique to the individual.
Common name examples: Karel Tain, Dyn Lisbeth, Melchior Starn.
True names are a self-chosen descriptor of several words, which is the name by which the Archons know the Ollath, used secretly and only in prayer. To reveal your true name to another person is to indicate that you consider them of equal rank to the Archons, which is obviously heresy.
True name examples: One Unworthy to Stand in Shadow, She Who Shall Surrender Only to Death, Embracing of Dark Truths and Darker Lies.
Costume
- Ollath primarily wear black, with highlights of bright, neon colours, Purple and green, or orange and blue, are popular combinations but other bright colours are common.
- They wear flared clothes. Half capes, flowing skirts, sleeves which flare out, and outrageous collars. They are very fashion conscious and like looking “dapper”
- They don’t really wear patterns, instead they go for bold stripes and flashes of colour. Colours which are hidden until you walk, or move or make a gesture are considered incredibly fancy and very much approved of. Generally they will minimise their colours to one or two, preferably clashing, colours in an outfit, more than that is considered garish.
- Jewellery is common, they wear long glittery necklaces and large rings in colours which compliment their outfit. It is common for Ollath to cover their skin in black tattoos, usually of stars and swirls.
- Ollath wear their hair slicked back, and out of the way.
- Ollath are similar to Phalreans, in that they wear a lot of black, and capes. HOWEVER. Ollath will only ever wear half-capes, whereas Phalreans wear long capes, and Ollath wear bright clothes, in contrast with the Phalrean pastels.
- Ollath are similar to Koth, in that they both wear face markings and long necklaces, HOWEVER Ollath face markings are always black, and their necklaces are made of glittering gems, wheras Koth wear bright face markings, and their necklaces are made of wood and stone.