OOC Info A Guide to Kalinor

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Table of Contents

1. OOC Information and Rules

2. Wiki Resources

3. FAQ: The City of Kalinor

4. FAQ: Symenestra Culture

5. FAQ: The Symenestra Race

6. Symenos

7. Kalinor NPC List

8. The Webs of Kalinor

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Why do people visit Kalinor?

Surface dwellers usually visit Kalinor to trade. The Symenestra live in a cave in the middle of nowhere, and thus there are a lot of things that they are lacking.

They do however have silk, gems and metals that the surface dwellers desire.

Sometimes surface dwellers also come to Kalinor to share their knowledge with the Symenestra – or to study them.

Symenestra value knowledge more than most other things.

Women usually come to Kalinor as surrogates – and never leave. Only women from the following races will not be harvested: Konti, Nuit, Zith and Jamoura.

Symenestra come to Kalinor because it’s the only Symenestra city in Mizahar and the only place where they are truly safe.


Why do people not visit Kalinor?

Kalinor is a cave in the middle of nowhere full of strange venomous creatures that abduct women and kill them.

It’s dangerous.

It’s dark.

It’s hard to even move if you aren’t a Symenestra. There are no streets. All the houses are just connected with ropes.

Symenestra are racist. Surface dwellers and halfbloods are considered inferior and impure. If you are anything but a fullblooded Symenestra, you will always stand out.

On top of that, the food sucks. Symenestra maintain a mostly liquid or semi liquid diet. Sometimes they drink blood!

For the women of most races being in Kalinor is lethal.


Why should you visit Kalinor?

You should visit Kalinor because there is no other city like it in all of Mizahar. Kalinor is different from the cities of the humans. It’s colorful, it’s beautiful, with houses that hang from the ceiling and caves full of unusual, wondrous things. Kalinor is full of exotic looking people that desperately try to ensure the survival of their race and are hated all over Mizahar because of it. There are unique opportunities waiting for you if you are brave enough.

What is expected from you if you decide to visit Kalinor?

▪ You are expected to familiarize yourself with the Lore of Kalinor. ▪ Furthermore you are expected to post in the Kalinor Character Registry. ▪ Once a season you are expected to update your CS to reflect changes to your ledger, your skills and your lores. ▪ And finally you are expected to put a minimum amount of effort into your post.

What can you expect once you have arrived in Kalinor?

▪ Frequent moderation: If I moderate a thread for you, you can expect two posts per week. Sometimes, when I have time or feel particularly inspired, I will even post more often that that.

▪ Personalized threads: If we have a thread together, I will do my best to tailor it to your PC’s personality and skills. Furthermore, if you have an idea for a plot that you want to run in the city, I will do my best to make it possible.

▪ Constant development: I am constantly looking for way to improve Kalinor and making it more appealing to the PCs. NPCs, new locations and new aspects of Symenestra culture are regularly being added.

If there is something that you are missing in Kalinor however, send me a PM so that we can talk about it!

▪ An impact on Kalinor: I believe that PCs should be able to shape the future of the city. I’m not the kind of moderator that desperately clings to his beloved locations and NPCs and refuses to let you affect them in any way. If you are a PC in Kalinor, you can change things. You can become somebody of importance, like Nissabella Rose for example, who was made Moth Queen.

▪ A job: If you want a job in Kalinor, send me a PM, and I’ll arange something for you. There are a variety of different jobs to be had in Kalinor. You can be a doctor, a dancer, a weaver, a musician, a guard, a mage, a harvester, a silk moth breeder … the possibilities are endless!

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Wiki Resources

Welcome to Kalinor, the city of the Symenestra!

Before you start posting here it would be a good idea to read the following Wiki articles that will give you a brief overview of Kalinor and the Symenestra race:

▪ Kalinor
▪ Symenestra
▪ Viratas
▪ Silakrov

After that feel free to check the following posts in this thread. The FAQ answers a lot of questions that haven't been adressed in the Wiki - at least not in that much detail.

There is also a list that contains the names of the most important NPCs in Kalinor, with links to the respective Wiki articles.

If you still have questions after reading the Wiki and the FAQ, feel free to post in the OOC thread or send me a PM!

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● What is above Kalinor?

Above Kalinor are mostly rocks.

● How deep underground is Kalinor?

Kalinor is about seven hundred feet underground.

● How long does it take to reach Kalinor anyway?

It takes about twenty minutes to reach Kalinor.

● How hard is it to enter Kalinor for a surface dweller?

It is very hard. There are several entrances, but all but one are inaccessible to anyone but a fullblooded Symenestra. You have to climb through underground tunnels and caves, and most surface dwellers just aren’t very good at climbing. The Woven Gate is virtually the only point of entrance for a surface dweller, and even there you need to convince the guards to pull you up into the city.

● How dark is it in Kalinor?

It’s very dark in Kalinor. There is a noticeable lack of natural light. Symenestra can see well in the dark, but as a surface dweller you’ll have a hard time.

● What do the houses in Kalinor look like?

 
The houses in Kalinor don’t look anything like what you are used to. They aren’t square, they aren’t angular, and they don’t stand on the ground. Instead they are roughly pear shaped or shaped like a drop and hang from the ceiling. They don’t have windows, and the entrance is located at the very top of the house. From there stairs usually led down, towards the living quarters. Symenestra homes usually don’t have a lot of rooms, but niches in the walls where the individual members of a Web store their things or sleep. The houses are made of stalactites or stones, and they are connected to each other by thick cords of silk.

● Is all of Kalinor populated?

A lot of houses on the edge of Kalinor are empty due to the ever dwindling population of the city. These houses are not always safe. There are other things than Symenestra that live in the cave – dangerous things that want to hurt you.

● What’s under Kalinor? Is it dangerous there?

The bottom of the cave in which Kalinor is located is very dangerous. Unless you are suicidal or look for some kind of dangerous adventure, you should not go there. Symenestra don’t recycle their waste, and they don’t do anything special with it. They just dump it onto the cave floor. If you try to get down there, you’ll must likely hurt yourself or catch a nasty disease. There are also monsters down there.

● Is there a place to learn magic in Kalinor?

There is no place to learn magic in Kalinor. Symenestra don’t go to a school to learn it, they do a lot of research and ask around, and if they are lucky they might find a mage that is willing to take them under their wing.

● Is there a lot of crime in Kalinor?

Crime is very rare in Kalinor. Kalinor is actually one of the safest cities in Mizahar – if you are a Symenestra. There are usually only about ten property related crimes and one or two violent crimes a year.

● How approachable is the ruling couple? Can every Symenestra talk to them?

They can be talked to, but Symenestra won’t approach them with mundane concerns. Representatives tend to voice collective concerns. Most Symenestra have interacted with them in some fashion however.

● Does Kalinor trade with other cities?

Yes it does. Trade tends to be limited in scope however. There are no permanent trade routes.

● I have the impression that Kalinor is all black and white and grey. Is that true?

That is actually not true. The Symenestra prefer intense jewel tones.

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● How do Symenestra pay for things?

They use barter or mizas, just like everybody else.

● Do Symenestra go to school? How does the school system work?

There is a school for Symenestra children that continues until age fifteen. The children go to school for approximately five hours a day. Attendance is only mandatory until the children have learned to read and write, but non-attendance is looked down on. The school focuses on literacy, history and symbolic systems (logic, math. etc.) The rest is spent in private lessons, leisure or trade. Symenestra tend to specialize in several skills with tutors or family members once they have finished school.

● Which weapons do Symenestra use?

Weapons tend to be long range or polearms. They prefer distance and only use proximity for the final blow (usually a venomous bite). One of their preferred weapons is the Symenestran lash, a cross between a whip and a garotte. The end of the lash is metallic, and one edge is razor sharp.

● Which races do Symenestra use as surrogates?

Symenestra use all races that can give them a Symenestra child as surrogates. That includes Kelvic. They don't use Konti though. Symenestra don't want Konti daughters.

● How do Symenestra go about harvesting women? Do they travel in large groups?

Sometimes they will travel in larger groups, but most often they travel alone or in pairs so as to not attract unwanted attention.

● Which tactics do they use?
 
Every Symenestra uses different tactics. Some use deceit or con artistry, others use drugs, hypnotism, blackmail, brute force or a combination of all these. After the surrogate is captured, she is usually sedated so as to make the transport back to Kalinor easier.

● How many surrogates come to Kalinor per year?
 
About a dozen.

● Do Symenestra harvest anything besides women?

The harvest knowledge. When they go to the surface to gather knowledge, they call it a 'gleaning', an intellectual harvest. They often bring guests with them from such harvests to get to know them better. Those guests are then asked to contribute to the library in the Cribellum.

● What do Symenestra do with their dead? Do they bury them?

Symenestra don’t bury their dead because they live in a cave. Instead they treat the bodies with special mixtures to keep them from decaying, wrap them in silk and take them to the Temple of Viratas. The bodies of all Symenestra that ever died in Kalinor are kept there. Dead surrogates on the other hand are discarded like trash, dumped on the bottom of the cave and never talked about again. The monsters that live on the bottom of the cave eat them.

● Are Esterians popular?

No, they aren’t. Not at all. They dare revile the sacrifices that the surrogates and Kalinor in general make and assume that no solution for Kalinor’s dilemma is in sight. The typical Esterian also doesn’t particularly care about the plight of the surrogates. They are more concerned with the purity of their bloodline.

● How many Symenestra women give birth to their own children?

Usually it’s only about two per year.

● How do Symenestra justify the Harvest?

There is of course the fact that it’s about the survival of their race. Your own people is always more important than some strangers from the surface. Besides, lots of women die giving birth, and if they die they’ll get reincarnated anyway.

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● Do male Symenestra have a beard?

No, they don’t. They don’t have a lot of body hair either.

● When do Symenestra become fertile or infertile?

Both genders become fertile at around fifteen, a little later than humans. Fertility begins to decline at fourty. By fourty-five Symenestra are usually infertile.

● I've heard that Symenestra are avid blood drinkers! Is that true?

No, it isn't. Blood only makes up a small part of their diet. It's a poor substitute for real food. For a Symenestra drinking blood is like drinking juice for a human. You can't survive on it.

● But Symenestra are cannibals, right?

No, they aren't cannibals either. It's not impossible that there are a few sick, sadistic Symenestra that kill humans and eat them, but most Symenestra prefer animals and fruit - and they'd rather let the humans have their babies instead of eating them.

● What does Symenestra venom do?

Unlike other kinds of venom Symenestra venom doesn't simply make people sick. If the venom is strong, and enough of it is used, it turns organic material into some kind of soup. It also has the potential to slowly corrode metal.

● Why do Symenestra not simply ingest a little bit of venom every day to become immune? That would solve all their problems!

 
Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Each Symenestra's venom is different, and thus drinking venom would either make you sick if you are lucky or turn your insides into some kind of mushy stuff in the worst case.

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Symenestra are unfailingly literate, and fluent in both the common tongue and their own language: Symenos. Their ability to charm and persuade verbally is a key tool in the hunt for surrogates, as they would rather coax than fight and risk damaging a healthy surrogate.

Symenos is a softly spoken language that creeps off the tongue. Some find the sound of it entrancing while others think it eerie.

The Symenos word "Symenestra" is unique in that it can be both an adjective or a noun, singular or plural. This is a purposeful use that demonstrates the Symenestra idea of the unifying power of blood and heritage. Common speakers tend to use Symenestran as an adjective and Symenestras as the plural form, adjusting it to their language patterns.

Symenos is an agglutinative language, meaning that words are formed by joining morphemes.

Unlike Common it doesn't have articles, meaning that for example "ranekh" can mean "a moth" or "the moth". It also doesn't have a plural marker. Whether a word is singular or plural can usually be deducted from the context.

Adjectives are placed behind the noun, not in front of it.

A future tense doesn't exist.

Symenos' most outstanding feature is its elaborate system of titles and honorifics.

Here are a few that are frequently used:

● Mabda – a respectful term for an older or married woman, literally "good mother"

● Dovna – a respectful term for a male, usually for a superior. Implies a position of command.

● Sibea – An admiring term for a woman. Implies beauty and manners.

● Enda - A common term for young, unmarried women.

● Versda -- A term for younger men. An abbreviation of "good brother".

● Bitta - An endearing term for a little girl or baby.

● Dra - "little" used on small children endearingly or adults and halves mockingly.

● Pryza - A term good friends would use for one another. Literally "gift"

● Krova - A catch-all term for any Symenestra. Usually used when in the presence of other races or for a peer in a professional capacity. "Of the blood".

If the speaker is familiar with the audience's first name, he will add the last syllable of the name to the end of the title. For example, a friend of Daratur Balsam would call him Pryzatur. Or Soraya Avenca would be called Sibeaya by a complimentary young man.

If the first name is not known, the title stands alone or precedes the family name for extra formality.

"Dra" is the exception to these rules when relating to a half Symenestra. In this case, it is always used alone or preceding the full first name.

* Credit for the first three paragraphs and the titles goes to Colombina.

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Members of the Government

● Nessora Hyacinth: female half of the ruling couple
● Avadon Hyacinth: male half of the ruling couple
● Silenva Hyacinth: daughter of the ruling couple
● Enella Orchid: friend and assistant of Nessora
● Daratur Violet: priest of Viratas


Businessmen and Businesswomen
● Laudavyn Aconite: head of the Aconite Web & manager of the Meadows Public House
● Havier Avens: owner of the tavern „Hunter’s Gather“
● Alessa Anthurium: weaver, co-owner of „The Weft and Warp“
● Avarys Anthurium: her cousin, co-owner of „The Weft and Warp“
● Elyna Calycanth: a weaver working for them
● Seleana Orphine: another weaver

Healers and Doctors
● Svorador Hellebore: head medic at the Purging
● Swyph Quercus: hypnotist, works at the Nest
● Alassa Datura: surgeon at the Purging

Hunters
● Valydor Scarlet
● Saara Orchid
● Dra-Ina Vine

Members of the Ochya
● Vass Vervein: leader of the Ochya
● Demyan Anice: gate guard
● Alanys Aster: member of the Ochya

Others
● Selaria Anice: Moth Queen, sister of Demyan Anice
● Sanairas Larkspur: hypnotist & madwoman
● Rowina Arctium: teacher at Mene Madras
● Lephora Orphine: Kalinor's most powerful mage
● Soraya Orchid: one of the two current Moth Queens
● Dra-Nesyria Plicata: one of the librarians of the Cribellum.

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Aconite
Laudavyn Aconite (NPC) - the head of the Aconitum
Dovinya Aconite (PC) - an acolyte at the temple of Viratas
Veduvan Aconite (NPC) - Dovinya's father
Vadas Aconite (NPC) - Dovinya's brother
Nalessa Aconite (NPC) - Dovinya's sister

Amaranthus
Calvino Amaranthus (NPC) - a librarian at the Cribellum

Anice
Selaria Anice (NPC) - the Moth Queen of 511 AV
Demyan Anice (NPC) - Selaria's brother

Anthurium
Avarys Anthurium (NPC) – owner of the Weft and Warp, dancer
Alessa Anthurium (NPC) – owner of the Weft and Warp, Avarys‘ cousin

Arctium
Rowina Arctium (NPC) - a teacher at Mene Madras

Aster
Alanys Aster (NPC) - a member of the Ochya
Drusilla Aster (PC) - a seamstress

Avenca
Valydor Avenca (PC)

Avens
Havier Avens (NPC) - the owner of the tavern Hunter's Gather

Calycanth
Elyna Calycanth (NPC) - a weaver at the Weft and Werp

Carum
Nyela Carum (PC) - a doctor

Chrysanthemum
Sinvala Chrysanthemum (PC) – a dancer
Daradan Chrysanthemum (NPC) – Sinvala's father
Silana Chrysanthemum (NPC) – Sinvala's mother

Clementia
Zarovin Clementia (PC) – a member of the Ochya
Vanas Clementia (NPC) – Zarovin's father, an assassin
Olesia Clementia (NPC) – Zarovin's mother, died in childbirth
Aria Clementia (NPC) – Zarovin's father’s second wife, a weaver
Evonnia Clementia (NPC) – Zarovin's sister
Ariana Clementia (NPC) – Zarovin's sister

Curare
Nisana Curare (PC)
Valvessa Curare (NPC) - Nisana's mother
Navisya Curare (PC) - a hunter
Tevander Curare (NPC) - Navisya's father
Lissith Curare (NPC) - Navisya's mother
Kelswyn Curare (NPC) - Navisya's older sister
Aessila Curare (NPC) - Navisya's younger sister
Dominyon Curare (PC) - a hunter, Navisya's cousin
Aaliyon Curare (NPC) - Dominyon's father
Savaminda Curare (NPC) - Dominyon's mother
Decimon Curare (NPC) - Dominyon's brother
Namalia Curare (NPC) - Dominyon's wife
Sysellia Curare (NPC) - Dominyon's daughter
Aetheral Curare (NPC) - Dominyon's son

Datura
Snaeha Datura (PC) - a doctor at the Purging
Veldron Datura (NPC) – Snaeha's father
Narissa Datura (NPC) – Snaeha's mother
Dorav Datura (NPC) – Snaeha's older brother
Duston Datura (NPC) – Snaeha's younger brother
Alassa Datura (NPC) - a doctor at the Purging

Hellebore
Svorador Hellebore (NPC) - the head medic of the Purging
Duvalyon Hellebore (PC) - Svorador's son, a doctor
Semelia Hellebore (NPC) - Svorador's daughter

Hovikonu
Sedelencatanka Hovikonu (PC) - a follower of Krysus and Rhysol

Hyacinth
Nessora Hyacinth(NPC) – the female half of the ruling couple
Avadon Hyacinth (NPC) – her husband, the male half of the ruling couple
Silenva Hyacinth (NPC) – the ruling couple's only daughter
Alanys Hyacinth (PC) - a dancer
Valadriv Hyacinth (NPC) - Alanys' father
Sinali Hyacinth (NPC) - Alanys' mother, once of the Orchid Web, an aerial dancer

Hysalv
Dhalvasha Hysalv (PC) - a doctor

Ivy
the "Old Man" (NPC) - the head of the Ivy Web, one of the oldest residents of Kalinor
Ilara Ivy (NPC) - his older granddaughter, a hunter
Isador Ivy (NPC) - his grandson, a dancer
Iluna Ivy (NPC) - his younger granddaughter, a girl of sixteen

Ixora
Nayana Ixora (PC) - a weaver at the Weft and Warp

Kabre
Viridae Kabre (PC) - a hunter
Dimidae Kabre (NPC) - his father
Neisesi Kabre (NPC) - his mother
Demeril Kabre (NPC) - his brother
Seivis Kabre (NPC) - his sister, died giving birth to Seivis

Kapok
Selena Kapok (PC) - a surrogate groomer

Larkspur
Venidus Larkspur (PC) - a preacher
Sanairas Larkspur (NPC) - Venidus' sister, once a powerful hypnotist, now dead
Denidiv Larkspur (NPC) - Venidus' brother

Lilac
Naisa Lilac (PC) - died giving birth and became an Ethaefal
Deso Lilac (NPC) - Naisa's husband
Desia Lilac (NPC) - Naisa's daughter

Magnolia
Sosicly Magnolia (PC) – a weaver at the Weft and Warp
Enasis Magnolia (NPC) - Sosicly's mother
Veladra Magnolia (NPC) - Sosicly's brother
Savidis Magnolia (PC) - Sosicly's other brother

Nepenthes
Siciline Nepenthes (PC) - a weaver
Lanvira Nepenthes (PC)

Nerium
Shai Nerium (PC) - a tailor
Lavidis Nerium (NPC) - Shai's mother

Oleander
Avocet Oleander (PC) - an artist

Orchid
Enella Orchid (NPC) – the advisor of Nessora Hyacinth
Soraya Orchid (NPC) – Enella's niece, the second Moth Queen of 512 AV, a dancer at the Cobweb
Saara Orchid (NPC) - Enella's other niece, assistant of Daratur Violet, once marked by Viratas
Volinir Orchid (PC) - a slave in Ravok

Orphine
Lephora Orphine (NPC) – Kalinor’s most powerful mage
Alyssandra Orphine (NPC) - Lephora's oldest daughter
Alyssa Orphine (NPC) - Lephora's middle daughter
Alyona Orphine (NPC) - Lephora's youngest daughter
Seleana Orphine (NPC) - Lephora's niece, a weaver

Orthilia
Luvadros Orthilia (PC)

Phlox
Llyvi Phlox (PC) - a weaver
Dravil Phlox (NPC) - Llyvi's father, a weaver
Evalaya Phlox (NPC) - Llyvi's mother, a weaver, died giving birth to Llyvi

Plicata
Solanir Plicata (NPC) - the head of the Plicata Web
Denosia Plicata (NPC) - Solanir's wife, died giving birth to Vesirio
Dra-Nesyria Plicata (NPC) - Denosia's daughter by a Vantha, a librarian at the Cribellum
Vesirio Plicata (NPC) - Solanir's and Denosia's son, a boy of twelve


Quercus
Swyph Quercus (NPC) - a hypnotist that works at the Nest

Rose
Nissabella Rose (PC) - the first Moth Queen of 512 AV, a dancer at the Cobweb
Vidario Rose (NPC) - Nissabella's father
Silvara Rose (NPC) - Nissabella's mother
Valdys Rose (NPC) - Nissabella's brother

Rosewood
Evandiel Rosewood (PC) - now goes by the name of Durvekral Wormwood
Andelen Rosewood (NPC) - Durvekral's father, killed by him
Delia Roseoowd (NPC) - Durvekral's mother


Scarlet
Valydor Scarlet (NPC) - the head of the hunters

Vervein
Vass Vervein (NPC) – the head of the Ochya
Veldrys Vervein (PC) – a doctor and chosen of Viratas, Vass‘ nephew

Violet
Daratur Violet (NPC) - a priest of Viratas
Vetari Violet (PC) - Daratur's adopted son, a fortune teller