The kelpie and occasional common horses of the Nereid remain rather mysterious to the other factions of Chevalin. Having come to the land after the 10 years war, they plot quietly in the swamps, only showing their faces when necessary. They have a distaste for equines of all other factions, though they remain curious about, and thankful to the Children of the Witch.
Magic Types Allowed: Mind and Spirit Only.
Species allowed: Kelpie and Common Horse
Checkpoints
5. A kelpie must be in minimal glamour to leave the territory, and must not let any other faction know what they are.
6.If a horse of another faction sees a kelpie’s true form, there are only three choices for a Nereid: Kill on sight, destroy their memory (if one has the power), or kidnap them and bring them to the herd.
6.Respect the Children of the Witch for they give us our powers, but never respect their Witch, their walking god, for she is not our own. Never let them know who you truly are.
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A Nereid will never turn its back on its faction. The Nereid come before any friendships or romances across borders.
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A Nereid will denounce Light magic (Moon and Sun), and seek only the Dark (Spirit and Mind) magics of the great Black Witch.
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All disagreements that cannot be settled verbally will be settled with tooth and hoof.
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Any common horse looking to join the Nereid must go through a naturalizing process and complete a task set by the queen to be considered a member.
Customs and Rituals
The Black Witch Moon: Held every year on the Black Witch Moon, the morning is spent mourning the loss of Baba Yaga and the original Kelpie, and the night is spent raising morale and praising the walking god. Food and drink is shared among all, including Moon Nectar, a Nereid made alcoholic drink with hallucinogenic properties.
Scars and Manes: The Nereid see scars as trophies and symbols of the hardships they have overcome. After losing a battle however, the Nereid will cut their mane short. The longer the mane, the stronger they appear. It is considered prideful and shameful if one refuses to cut their hair, but since it is not written in to law, there are no real consequences.
Marked Ones: They say three things must happen for a newborn filly to be considered marked. First her coat should resemble the night, being dark in color. Second she must not squeal or cry. lastly she must be blessed by a Naethuil, whom will land on her body within the first night after birth. These marked fillies will be given the chance to become queen, if theirs dies during their lifetime.
Naming of a new Queen: When a Queen dies, a formal burial is held to mourn the queen. She is wrapped in seaweed before she is walked out to sea. However, the moment her body touches the ocean from whence it came, the naming of a new queen must begin. The marked mares of the herd will travel to one of the Nereid fighting pits and begin to fight. On this night, no tail or mane will be cut. On this night the chosen mares will fight until one is left standing, careful not to kill their defeated sisters. Once the new queen is named, those who fought will chant her name, clean their new queens wounds, and she will help them to clean hers.
Coming of Age: When a Nereid completes their training as an apprentice, it is time for them to join the ranks of the adults. The ceremony is held at dusk, and always during a full moon. Prior, the youngster must have successfully hunted a small land animal and returned with it alive. It will be sacrificed, and the blood used to mix body paint made from various dried flora. Family (or close friends if the family is deceased or otherwise unavailable) will then paint intricate symbols on the youngster’s hide. Once complete, the youngster must then enter the ocean, submerge completely and swim until they are washed clean of the blood-paint. Upon returning they are officially an adult.
Flora-Bond: When a couple of any sex announces their love to the rest of the faction, they cut one of their own body flora and tie it into the mane or tail of their beloved. Over time, the flora grows into their body, becoming a permanent part of their new spouse. Legend says that the life of the flora remains symbolic of their love, and dies only when there is none left. There has never been a bond between a kelpie and non-kelpie.
Funerals: When a Nereid dies, their family or close friends will prepare the body. Starting with braiding fresh flowers into the mane and tail, before wrapping the deceased in seaweed, with even more flowers in between layers. The next day at dawn four horses are chosen to walk the body into the ocean, before letting it sink beneath the waves. Then family, friends, or anyone who feels like paying their respect, will return to the deceased's home to spent the rest of the day celebrating their life. Usually through games, stories, laughter and feasting.
Greetings: When a member of the Nereid meets another equine they use a traditional two part greeting. That way, even in full glamour, they can still identify other kelpies. This greeting goes as follows; Horse A: "May the Black Witch guard you." Horse B: "And Kelpie guide you."
Unique Vocabulary(Culture):
The Nereid have a few terms that are used, that other herds may be less familiar with, they are the following.
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Tithe: What the Nereid use to refer to any sacrifices they make, be it animal or equine kind.
Example: ‘On this moon where they honored the spirit of the Black Witch, a tithe in blood would be made.’
Pronunciation: as ‘tithe’, ‘tie-th’ with a silent e
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Sigil: A proposed sign of the Black Witch.
‘They all muttered in hushed voices, awed and perhaps fearful, and some there claimed the unusual event was a sigil of the Black Witch in a tone of reverence.’
Pronunciation: as ‘sigil’, ‘si-juh-ill.’ Or alternatively, ‘si-gil.’
Naethúil: Small fireflies that glow with yellow and green Aetherial magic native only to the south west of Chevalin. .
Example: ‘A deep hush settled over the mare as a single Naethúil came to alight upon her newborn daughter’s head, winking like a sickly-hued star that had been set onto her brow.’’
Pronunciation: nay-thool
History
The history of the Nereid starts with the birth of the first, and only, Kelpie and Unicorn half breed. Born was a pure black half breed that was frightening and alluring at the same time. Kelpies, pure beings at this time, were unaware that this filly would be their undoing and reveal of their true forms. Baba Yaga, the black filly, was the first half breed of any of the beasts, as Pegasus and Unicorns had kept to their own when it came to creating offspring. However, despite the coexistence of the Unicorns and the Kelpies, Baba Yaga was not so eagerly received.
Seen as a bad omen, for her unique pure black coat, Baba Yaga was shunned, the filly first feeling despair in her heart where seething anger would soon harbor. As she aged, Baba Yaga saw how others viewed her, yet Unicorn tried to accept the young mare. Unicorn herself took the half beast under her guidance to teach the child that was shared by both mares. Despite the combined herds' beliefs, the two leaders lived and ruled peacefully together - until Kelpie saw how her children were treated by those of Unicorn. Unicorns began shunning Kelpies, forcing them away since the birth of Baba Yaga, who was now a few hundred years old. Baba Yaga saw this and sought out Kelpie, who agreed that they deserved better. However, when they sought council with Unicorn, the white beast denied anything wrong and was blind to the pain her people were causing the Kelpies. Enraged, Kelpie felt contempt boil in her belly, whisking Baba Yaga away quickly.
Kelpie began shaking, her lip quivering and her body pulsing with the dark magic that lived within her since creation. Her glamour faded, her image becoming absolutely terrifying. Baba Yaga shrieked, shying away from the now monstrous looking beast before her, what once was a beautiful mare, long gone. Kelpie huffed, snapping her jaw viciously, her appearance more akin to the serpents of the sea than an elegant Kelpie. As her anger subsided, She was able to bring back the glamour that had hidden her form so long, the new found power becoming her plan. Kelpie groomed Baba Yaga, teaching her to control her shifting and use it to her will. No other Kelpie knew of their secret forms, and Kelpie was going to use that to her advantage. After Baba Yaga mastered her true form and was thoroughly against Unicorn due to all of Kelpie's teachings and persuading, the time came.
Unicorn, ignorantly oblivious to Baba Yaga's secret training, was still inviting the black mare to her for teachings. One day, when the two mares were at the shores alone, the black mare lunged out, revealing her true form as she struck. Unicorn let out a shrill squeal, the black mare's morphed maw clutching the unicorn's throat. The white beast struggled, kicking out her hooves, but her efforts were useless. Kelpie, who had been lurking in the sea, rose up to stare at the dead leader. She could save her people now, and make sure that they were never hurt, having Baba Yaga at her side. But, the ordeal alerted other Unicorns, the white children outraged at the betrayal of those they took in. With a combined effort, the Unicorns did all they could: chase the wretched Kelpies into the ocean. After every last Kelpie was banished to a city in the choppy waters, the Unicorns used their magic together to seal and sink the city, sending it far below, into the depths of the deepest abyss, hoping to rid the world of Kelpies forever.
Forever however, was not in their stars. Rather when the unicorn Vellamine completed the spell of destruction, all that the kelpies were bound by shattered. They too found themselves on the outskirts of the newly reformed Chevalin. However, as they sought to gather themselves they noticed something was missing, their beloved leader Kelpie, and their hero Baba Yaga had not come with them to Chevalin. Perhaps they could not come to the less magical world? Perhaps the city had trapped them, no kelpie in Chevalin knew. But what they did know, is that this strange magic tainted world would be the land they would find their revenge in, so they waited. Quietly over the years they organized and watched, careful not to stray to far from their home in the swamps, learning what they could about the unicorn, pegasi and horses of Chevalin.
Over the years, they have trapped many a common horse, swaying their opinions, building their ranks, when they truly reveal themselves is only a matter of time, though many other factions whisper of a new species, of monsters in the night, of those that use dark magic, and show themselves when you least expect it.
Timeline
454: 10 year war starts
464: 10 year war ends, Vellamine inadvertently releases the kelpie city from the oceans of Aetherian, albeit with the loss of Kelpie herself and Baba Yaga
466: A delot named Meraud is named queen, and vows to claim revenge on unicorns in the name of Kelpie for their imprisonment beneath the waves.
472: Meraud organizes the herd by creating the behemoth rank, preparing for war once they cross through to Chevalin
478: First celebration of Black Witch Moon is observed
485: Meraud dies during a bloodsport gone wrong
485: Indrani, a cunning fyren, is crowned queen
490: Indrani leads her herd through the portal to Chevalin, in a much quieter and stealthy way than her predecessor planned
493: Unable to trust the herds of Chevalin, and not wanting to risk an attack, Indrani creates the Ophidian to gather intel on them.
509: Indrani’s niece Lorelei is born Marked
521: Indrani’s eldest niece Mukta becomes a Ophidian meddlefoot, and leaves with the queen’s blessing to spy on another herd. Namely the Olde Order
527: Rumors spread that Mukta might be having an affair with a horse from Olde, and is spending less and less time among the Nereid
529: Indrani passes away after a 44 year reign, Lorelei named queen
529: Mukta dies suddenly not long after her sister’s rise to power under murky circumstances. Lorelei, fearful that the Order might have learned about kelpies from her sister, starts small raids on them. Kidnapping common equine from Olde to learn what they know
530: These attacks come to an end when the King and Queen step in and are accidentally killed. Lorelei, now assured that they don’t know about the Nereid, and not wanting to change that, pulls back and waits.
531: Lorelei instates the number one rule for the Nereid, which until now had been an unspoken law, the herd becomes before any relationships across herd lines
545: Current year
Laws of the Nereid
Ranks
Apprentice: So young, so naive… that will soon pass. Once they reach 10, apprentices are given a mentor, of either Ophidian or Behemoth rank, and they are to learn as much as possible from them. The apprentices are the future of the herd, but are not coddled over such a belief. It is an honour to have such an influence over the future of the Nereid, in mentoring an Apprentice. There are many different teaching styles among both the Ophidian and Behemoth ranks, so choose wisely as there is no going back once your decision is made.
25: Is assigned a mentor, chooses path to behemoth or ophidian!
50: Access to special apprentice prompts that earn bonus WG
75: Gifted a bat companion.
100: Changes ranks, is upgraded to an Ophidian or Behemoth. Rank meter is set to 0, but all privileges are kept.
Ophidian*: The Ophidians are used most often as tools of deceit, taught to manipulate others and betray their trust without so much as a blink of their eye. Their role within the herd is that of a spy or strategist. They are often asked to infiltrate other herds to get the information they seek, and even lure others onto the side of the Nereid.
25: Is allowed an Apprentice, please note the group for available assignments.
50: Gifted a free Jewel set.
75: Is given a +2 to any spell casting rolls in an event..
100: Gifted a frog companion.
Behemoth: Selected for their generally more muscular bodies, these equines are trained to do the most questionable of deeds. Their primary role is to protect the Queen, acting as her tanks in war. If their queen is a bee, the behemoth are her drones. Trained through years to show, and perhaps feel, no fear.
25: Is allowed an Apprentice, please note the group for available assignments.
50: Gifted a free tattoo kit.
75: Is given a +2 to a physical offence rolls in an event.
100: Gifted a salamander companion.
Queen*: For one to become Queen and undisputed leader of the Nereid, one must prove themselves worthy of such a task. Her word is law and cannot be ignored. So, it must be ensured that she will put her people’s needs above her own. Once the title has been given, the Kelpie Queen becomes known as the most fearsome of all kelpies, she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Since the disappearance of the original Kelpie, the herd has used the queen as a staple of support.
0: Begins with Gift and One Accessory, or two accessories.
25: Gifted a free Protection Hex.
50: Character is given a +2 to any stealth rolls in an event.
75: Gifted a copperhead snake companion.
100: Automatically reaches stage 4 of their gift.
Status is extremely important in Nereid, noting the strength and power of their fellow brethren. Please note that while you can choose any status for your character, if there is a * next to it, you must ask permission first as they are limited.
Bondyen*: This is reserved for the best of the best within each rank, they have never lost a fight in their lives, and have the most strength, and lethality.
Morwen*: This is reserved for females who once fought to be queen, they are given high respect within the herd and retain this title unless they become Lach Vale.
Feros: Has an extremely long mane, revered as a skilled fighter in the faction. If they did lose ever, it was a close loss, or both fighting agreed it was a tie. If they have lost more fights than usual, they have done a grant many heroic acts to prove their strength otherwise.
Konjan: This kelpie has a medium length mane, they haven't lost a fight in a while, but its been closer than they would have liked.
Anatant: This equine's mane is short, but they do not always loose their fights, rather they may have even had a long mane once.
Lach Vale: This equine has never won a fight, and is the weakest within the faction. His or her hair is often kept roached, and if he or she is deemed worthless enough, their tale docked to show their cowardice. Tails are also docked if one ever refuses to fight.
Nereid's faction special details your character's mastery or specialty within their rank. This may detail how they best support their herd, and how they act within it's ranks.
Mastery: A particular way of doing something in which your character specializes, be it a certain way of fighting, speaking, or going about their day.
Free Specialties:
Most specialties are something your character can earn when they purchase different skills from the shop, but to start, you may choose one of these. A character can change their specialty at any time.
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Bloodback: Limited to Behemoths, these characters have a special lust for blood, believing killing is the best answer to a problem, preferring to leave nothing alive in their path.
Siren: Limited to Ophidian, your character may pursue the loveliest of voices, using song to entice others to them.
Meddlefoot: Open to all ranks, meddlers prefer to act as spies, even trying to leave the faction for an extended period of time when their glamour is good enough.
Firebringer: Open to all ranks, fire bringers have taught themselves to make fire with the aid of flint and stone, whenever it is available. They are often responsible for hollowing out trees for homes, or lighting caverns. Flint and stone is available for purchase in the store, but must only be bought when you intend to make a large fire. Small lights and hollowing out trees on the daily is fine without buying the item.
Fleet-fighter: Relies on speed in a fight, using their agility to get out of sticky situations, or use a stronger enemies strength against them.
Mastery
Faction Status
Faction Values
The Nereid are a complex herd, to say the least. To those a part of it, being a Nereid is more than just being the member of a herd. To this faction, it is a promise for a better life, a promise for vengeance, and a family pulled together by that promise. It is almost certain that most members of the Nereid would easily sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the Nereid. It is through this one sees that the Nereid are dedicated to their herd, their cause deeply rooted in their hearts.
The Nereid are like an enormous clock, it only works if all the little pieces’ mesh together and work in perfect harmony. Unity and devotion are important parts of the Nereid society. As without these values, what would they accomplish? They prove themselves through shows of power, and bravery. Going through the pain of scarification is just one way a Nereid shows their solidarity to the rest of the herd.
While they see themselves as a unified family, currency must still exist. And for the Nereid, this comes in the form of trade and barter. They found that this system is more peaceful than stealing from your fellow Nereid, as that tended to grow conflict.
Faction Universals
Views on Beauty:
Scars, celebrated as symbols of past triumphs, are seen as beautiful decoration of the body. To survive after accumulating many or harsh scars, one is seen as both powerful and beautiful: their body a symbol of all the have overcome. Nereid obsession with power doesn’t end there however, as they use their hair as another way to show off their status. Using creative ways to hold up long hair is seen inline with their beauty standards, and it is often elaborately tied or braided.
Primitive type piercings are seen on many a body, and a piercer is given respect within the faction. Their piercings are generally limited to small studs, or sharpened sticks or bones. In addition to decoration, these horses prefer sleek, shiny, bodies with darker coats, all of which can be helped with palm nut oil harvested from the rainforest. Within this faction, the type of gills and flora that one has is seen as a marker of their physical worth. That being said, gills that are monochromatic to the eyes and flora are seen as both rare and gorgeous, analogous sets are seen as average, and those that are mismatched with many an odd color are seen as ugly. Rare flora is seen as more aesthetically pleasing than common flora like seaweed and lilies.
Games and Popular Pastimes
Games are rather popular among the Nereid, though many other herds might not consider their games to be friendly or playful at all. Rather, games in Nereid are usually seen as an excuse to practice technique or show off strength. The faction is extremely competitive, though loyal, causing in many friendly rivalries throughout the herd. Some of these games and shows of strength include:
The Chase: A native animal is caught, and an elaborate obstacle course is built. The animal is then released in the obstacle course, and a set of Nereid will give chase. This takes a lot of time and strength to set up, and is usually reserved for festivals or holidays.
Bloodsports: Often, larger, scarier, animals will be caught, starved, and trapped in a pit. Nereid will go into the pit to challenge and battle.
Tuhwarren: Seen far more commonly than those written above, In Nereid "Tuhwarren" two teams hold the sides of a rope in their mouths on opposite sides of an abyss, or canyon. The first team to have a member fall in loses. Of course, water abyss' are more popular, in hopes that whomever falls will live to play another game.
Pastimes are equally as “barbarian” including hunting live animals, and sparring with fellow Nereid. Perhaps their only saving grace to show that they do indeed care for each other, is the way in which they bathe each other and care for their wounds after a game or fight.
Education:
Almost all of the teachings of the Nereid are based on fighting and survival. Education, in the traditional sense, is of little importance to a culture that so greatly values power. If it is not immediately necessary to the betterment of the herd the Nereid rarely teach it. That which does occur is based almost entirely on herd lore and knowledge of the natural world. A large amount of education is up to the individual to discover, and all knowledge passed between horses is done orally. The herd does not use writing for any aspect of their education.
Religion:
The Nereid are devoutly dedicated to their former leaders: the original kelpie and Baba Yaga. They believe both of them will return one day, and lead them to the vengeance they crave. This is practiced in their everyday life and push towards power.
Arts:
Their art often reflects the macabre nature of the Nereid culture. Blood is often used as a paint or dye, and much of their art consists of tattoos and scarification. They take part in skull cleaning, and may wear these skulls as a display of their hunter’s prowess. They are skilled at pelt tanning, and will create tents to shelter themselves of the most dangerous and large creatures.
Gender Roles:
Gender roles are separated into three categories among the Nereid: Garon (male), Fyren (Female) and Delot. Fyren are seen as the more dominant of the three genders, both their speed, strength, and beauty seen as an advantage. Garon are expected to behave as drones, and while they should be as strong and menacing as their female counter parts, should be submissive to orders given by Fyren. Delot are those that are not what they seem, born one gender, but behaving like another.This third gender is recognized among the faction, but are not always given the respect they deserve. Likewise, sexual relationships are fairly open, homosexual and bisexual ones treated similarly to heterosexual ones. However polyamorous relationships are strictly forbidden.
Familial Roles:
For many, the herd is seen as their family, leading to a rather interesting family dynamic. The feeding and housing of a foal is left entirely up to it's parent(s), while the herd at large will help with discipline and teaching as needed. Some parents take a much more involved role in their child's upbringing, and others leave them in the wind.
Technology:
For the Nereid, practicality and resourcefulness is favored over aesthetic; through exploiting their surroundings, seeing value in what most horses would consider refuse, and an innate understanding of their natural resources, the Nereid are undisputed masters of survival where everything has its use. Despite the rough, unrefined and primitive craftsmanship, there is no dispute concerning the wicked proficiency of the variety of snares and other painful—or wholly deadly—traps the Nereid are able to cleverly conceal within the environment, and while the Nereid prefer to use the hooves and teeth they were born to, simple weaponry is not unknown to them. Otherwise, the Nereid understanding of medicine is notably remarkable, as their comprehension of the uses of each plant within their home yields many natural remedies just as often as poisons. However, where their greatest ingenuity lies is in the ability to manipulate their environment—something no other faction can boast. The Nereid can create shelters with stretched hides, hollow trees, alter the course of rivers, and chisel out limestone caves to their liking, a skill never witnessed nor remotely duplicated outside their tightly-closed and secretive ranks.
Faction Relations
The Olde Order
Despised due to their connection to unicorns, they are seen as a weak relic from another time. Their status’ seeming unbearably caste like. Their queen and king proof of their lack of real power, they are still however, seen as the Nereid’s biggest threat.
Children of the Witch
Always viewed warily as all other herds are, there has been a slow growth of respect for the Children of the Witch among the Nereid. Their witch is still viewed as a false god, but their skill at unlocking gifts has made them an invaluable asset. Some are still distrusting towards them though, angry that they took in such weak Kelpies instead of letting them die in the wilderness.
Emberblood Nation
The Nereid aren’t entirely sure what to think of the Nation. While they have a natural disdain for other herds, especially for the unicorns within them, they see similar values amongst the Emberblood. Their communal society and simple technology strike a familiar chord, but their electoral system and adherence to their Oaths make them seen as soft and easy prey.