Being a Matis¶

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 leader?¶

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.
• Zoraï: The Zoraïs are infidels and their paganism ought to be checked. Even so, it was a Zoraï warrior who saved the present king. With all due respects, many of us resent this 'debt' to the Zoraïs 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 Zoraïs 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 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.