Encyclopaedia Elyden Entries #34 - Okkham

Here's the 34th Encyclopaedia update for your perusal, based on the latest Atlas map, depicting the region of Okkham. I've added the update as a PDF too.    

Please let me know what you think and let me  know if there's any mistakes or typos as these entries are heading straight to the Encyclopaedia at the end of the month :)        

You can keep up with these entries by looking for the  'Encyclopaedia Entries' tag.   If you have any queries about any of the following entries, please don't hesitate to ask :) _______________________________________________________

AIMAECZH: coastal settlement in the S - E of the region of Khurtae in the Okkhami peninsula in the eponymous nation. It is known for its shrimping (Pop. c. 5,500). 

BUTIR: coastal settlement in the far S - E of the region of Khurtae in the Okkhami peninsula in the eponymous nation. It is known for its fishing (Pop. c. 7,000). 

CISTERN OF MÉAT PUDON, the: ancient subterranean aqueduct crossing the Okkhami Mountains in the E of Sammaea, linking the cities of Da Arae and Oroaegh, in Okkham and Waelmigh, respectively. The cistern itself is a wondrous feat of engineering and dates back to the early Fourth Age of life. It extends beneath the mountain at a perfectly level plane for 235-miles, and has thus far survived major damage, despite its age. The waterway is illuminated by shafts hewn through the natural rock that allow a degree of sunlight to penetrate the darkness, though the c-most part of the cistern, for a distance of some 50-miles is utterly dark and ships need their own source of illumination. 

The cistern is well-travelled, with trade moving up and down its length, linking the disparate nations together.  

CITY OF THE BLUE MOON: fabled lamasery believed to exist in the W of the Okkhami Mountain range in the eponymous nation, in the E of Sammaea. Mentioned in ancient Fifth Age accounts and myths from the region, it has since passed on to legends common across most cultures across Elyden, with fact becoming indistinguishable from myth. 

In most accounts, it is a place of wise loremasters, who drink from a Firmamental font that grants them long life and great wisdom, though they have removed themselves from the affairs of the world.

Its exact location is unknown, and if the Okkhami people know of it they seem to do their best to keep such knowledge away from outsiders (Population unknown).  

COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION: main governing body of the Okkhami Federation, ruling from the city of Diatassaron.

CRUCZHAE: small city in the N of Okkham, in the N - W foothills if the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 14,000).

CZHBAEZAE: fortress in the far N of Okkham, guarding the trade route N into the W of Waelmigh.

CZHBAHEPAE: fortress in the N - W of Okkham, guarding the entrance into the Bay of Diatessaron.

DA ARAE: fortified city in the c N of Okkham. It is noted as one of two cities (the other being Oroaegh, in Waelmigh) that are linked by the subterranean Cistern of Méat Pudon that traverses the Okkhami Mountains (Pop. c. 40,000).  

DEPHON: main currency of Waelmigh, also used in Okkham, as well as Serrok and Pnessa amongst merchants and major markets. It’s official mint was in c. 2794 RM, after the unification of the Divided Empire. See Vol II: Currency and Coinage in Elyden.

DIATESSARON: 1. Small bay in the N - W of Okkham, into which the mouth of the r. Ektasic flows.

2. Main ruling city in Okkham, and home to the Council of the Federation. It emerged in c. 3300 RM from a much smaller settlement that was renowned for its natural remedies and medicine, an industry that survives today, even though it is better known for its large domed council hall and many diplomats and ambassadors from cities across the Federation and beyond (Pop. c. 380,000).

DREAMING GOD: deity worshipped by the people of Okkham. The god emerged in c. 3425 RM from religious teachings that grew in the city of Ramifera following the growth of the dreamscape of Ekon Ossyl over the previous decades. The teachings revolved around the appearance of a white figure that populated the collective dreams of those in the vicinity of Ekon Ossyl, and appeared to them in visions, spreading across Okkham and beyond (in the form of a mystery cult). See Vol IV: Deities and Pantheons   

DREAMING GOD, CULT OF: religious cult that emerged in Okkham in c. 3425 RM following the appearance and growth of the dreamscape of Ekon Ossyl decades earlier. The religion and its teachings spread across Okkham over the next decades and even appeared in nations such as Noavatur, and Waelmigh, in the form of a Mystery cult. 

The cult appeared in the wake the guru Thoczheil teaching his disciples on the hills of Umstraloasi, after which it rapidly spread across Okkham. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults. 

DUSTSYL: city in the E of Okkham (Pop. c. 37,400).

EBANN: settlement in the E of Okkham, in the foothills of the Nesae Mountains (Pop. c. 5,000).

EBATURA: fortified city in the N of Okkham. It is a major base to the Knights of the Budding Orchid (Pop. c. 4,000). 

EBERDEVIA: settlement in the far E of Okkham, known for its falconers (Pop. c. 4,500).

ECZHESE: coastal city in the W of Okkham, overlooking the Bay of Diatessaron. It has a large deep harbour where foreign merchant vessels lay anchor, bringing goods from abroad (Pop. c. 50,000).

ECZHNOEL: fortified city in the E of Okkham, close to the border with Walemigh. It is a major centre of trade, with merchant caravans a common sight entering and leaving the city from its E gate (Pop. c. 45,000).

EKON OSSYL: dreamscape that emerged in the c of Okkham in c. 3395 RM, its epicentre around 10-miles N - W of the city of Ramifera. Though the land itself shows little signs of its influence, the dreams and thoughts of those close to it are linked by visions of a white figure, floating above the ground, its face unseen through the nimbus of blinding light. This figure later became known as the Dreaming God, and came to be worshipped first in the cities of Ramifera and Hasla Ersyl, but which then rapidly spread across Okkham, as well as Waelmigh and Noavatur, where it became a mystery cult.

The dreamscape is today considered holy ground and is the site of pilgrimage to members of the Cult.  

EKTASIC: r. in the N - W of Okkham, flowins W for 250-miles from sources in the Okkhami Mountains, before emptying in the Bay of Diatessaron.  

EMTRAE: fortified settlement in the W of Okkham, along the Rasure Coast. It is a producer of the drug leth (Pop. c. 10,000).

ENASYL: settlement in the c of Okkham, W of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 7,500). 

ENETSIC: r. In the c of Okkham flowing W of 250-miles from sources in the Okkhami Mountains before meeting the coast at the S - E of the Sea of Stygas. 

EPHAQ ILLOT: ancient statue in the c N of Okkham, in the W foothills of the Okkhami Mountains. It takes the form of a gigantic seated figure and is made of an ancient unidentified metal that is resistant to corrosion. Its surface is tarnished, and it stands at an angle, half buried beneath the soft ground the area. It is covered in epiphytes, foliage and mosses and is rumoured to guard a great necropolis, though if this is true, its exact location has been forgotten, as is the culture responsible for the construction of the statue, which has been attributed by Korachani explorers to a Demiurge, and is thought to date back to the Third Age, if not earlier.

ERUCZHAE: major fortress in the E of Okkham, overlooking the border E with Waelmigh. Patrols from the fortress guard the E-border of Okkham.

EXPOTRA: settlement in the c N of Okkham, W of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 8,400). 

GOROCZHAN: fortified coastal city in the far S - E of the Okkhami peninsula, in the nation of Okkham. It originated as a failed Korachani colony in c. 2820 RM, when the peninsula was divided in two and the S - E-most part was an isl. known as Khurtae, and was largely uninhabited. Coastal settlements were raided for slaves by the invading empire, but the colony was abandoned within a decade, and the slaves maintained it, and the name, originally Gorachan, became corrupted, and it slowly grew into a prosperous city.

Following the wane of the Sea of Khusra, the city was regraded, with new structures moved closer to the coast, and the harbour relocated multiple times. Today it is the only major settlement in the headband of Khurtae and is center of governance in the region (Pop. c. 48,200). 

GREATER NICODEMIUS: largest of three isls. making part of the Isles of Nicodemius, around 300-miles off the S-coast of Okkham.

HASLA ERSYL: small city in the c of Okkham (Pop. c. 13,500).

HIYUSTSYL: small city in the c N of Okkham (Pop. c. 17,500). 

ISLES OF NICODEMIUS: isl.-chain 300-miles off the S-coast of Okkham. The isls. are a part of the Federation of Okkhami states, though are of little worth to the Federation. 

ITAE: small lagoon-like sea off the E-coast of Okkham, forming the N - W-most part of the Sea of Khusra. 

JORYLESYL: coastal settlement in the S - E of Okkham, to the E of the peninsula of Khursae. Its main industry is fishing (Pop. c. 5,000). 

KARALAE: small city in the c E of Okkham, in the W foothills of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is stone mining (Pop. c. 15,000).

KHURTAE: S - E-most tip of the Okkhami peninsula, presently covering some 1,000 square-miles. Originally an isl. it became linked to the mainland via the Ohhami peninsula in c. 3000 RM. 

KNIGHTS OF THE BUDDING ORCHID: knightly order that had its roots in Noavatur in c. 3120 RM. The order was opposed to the teachings of the Unchanging God and dedicated itself to protecting those who were disregarded by the church and persecuted by its adherents. They set up hospices and hostels in Noavatur between c. 3128 - 3153 RM, though as they grew in influence the Church of the Unchanging God saw its position threatened and they were discouraged from aiding those who the Unchanging God had deemed unworthy.

The tenets of the Knights of the Budding Orchid were challenged and in 3154 RM an edict was passed outlawing outside assistance towards the pariah castes that the Church had ostracised. The intent was clear - to diminish the influence of the Knights. 

The Knights defied the order and continued aiding those who needed it most, until in 3155 RM the Church moved against them. Skirmishes broke out in major cities as church troops and mercenaries clashed with the knights. Eventually the Noavaturi army intervened and by the end of 3155 RM many knights were dead, with the rest pushed out of their holdings, forced into exile.

They scattered, with many settling in the W of Waelmigh and Okkham, where they established a base in the lands of Kric in the W of Okkham, from where their influence would spread. Over the years they would become indoctrinated into the cult of the Dreaming God, becoming a militant arm of its church by c. 3400 RM. Though they still provided succour to the needy, they became campaigners and missionaries of the church, travelling S across the Sea of Lethea, where they would spread word of the religion to lands such as Abacardat, Uhbataur, and Zhariah, where their military campaigns brought them much wealth despite the relative lack of successes in spreading their faith.

Their newfound wealth gave them the power with which to operate independently of church funding, allowing them to spread to most cities across Okkham, where they remain to this day as hospitaliers. Nurses and doctors of the order are granted the title of knight, though largely gone are the days of cusading and campaigning abroad. The order still maintains troops in its largest fortresses and hospitals across Okkham, which can be called upon to bear arms in times of need. 

Their largest stronghold is now in the city of Ebatura, though they also maintain a large coastal fortress in Ratedos.

KRIC: region in the N of Okkham, known for its sloping plains and, farther to the N - E, hills, that lead to the rocky foothills of the Okkhami Mountains. 

LAZACZHAE: small city in the E of Okkham, on the E-face of the Okkhammi peninsula (Pop. c. 15,750). 

LENCZHSYL: small coastal city in the E of Okkham, on the E-face of the Okkhammi peninsula. Its main industry is clamming (12,000).

LESSER NICODEMIUS: smallest of three isls. making part of the Isles of Nicodemius, around 300-miles off the S-coast of Okkham.

LISC: fantastical region in the E of Okkham, characterised by gigantic geometric stone and metal shapes, as though they were dropped from a height and allowed to rest for millennia. Today many are weathered and collapsed, and all are overgrown, in many cases with dozens of feet of earth and soil above them, above which are trees and epiphytes obscuring cavern-like entrances to the negative spaces between the blocks. 

The region is rife with wildlife, both flo. and fau. though it is otherwise uninhabited by large mortal settlements.

Little is known of the origins of the region though it is largely unanimously accepted that it  is the product of a Demiurge’s actions. 

LITACZH AESAMAY: the S - W-most coastline of Okkham, overlooking the Sea of Lethea. The coastline stretches for some 250-miles and is renowned for the algae that infest its waves and shore, glowing a deep purple. What little research that has been made into the nature of the algae has indicated the source of their natural luminescence is the amnesic waters of the Sea of Lethea.  

NESAE: mountain range in the c of Okkham, stretching S from the W-face of the Okkhami mountains.

NICODEMIUS: 1. isl. 300-miles off the S-coast of Okkham. It is part of the Isles of Nicodemius, that is a tributary of Okkham. 

2. Fortified settlement and harbour on the above isl. (Pop. c. 15,000).

NSEKEAT: settlement in the c of Okkham, in the W foothills of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 10,000).

ODEI: small settlement in the S - E of Okkham, along the isthmus that connects the peninsula of Okkham to the headland of Khurtae. It is part of the Sasaczhot canal and controls its S-most gate, leading to the Sea of Lethea (Pop. c. 2,500).  

OGOROLAE: small city in the E of Okkham. It is known for the large proportion of people who are afflicted with a stable form of gigantism, making them between 6’5” and 7’6” tall (Pop. c. 17,500). 

OKKHAM: 1. Mountain-range dominating the W of Waelmigh, and most of Okkham, to which it serves as a border.

2. Long peninsula extending S - E into the N-waters of the Sea of Lethea, in the E of Sammaea. It is named for the eponymous mountain-range and the nation takes its name from the peninsula.  

3. A relatively young area, becoming officially recognised as a Federation in 3569 RM, following decades of struggle as an independent region that broke away from the far larger Waelmigh in 3337 RM. Today it is divided into 17 distinct districts, each of which has various representatives in the council that is based in the city of Diatessaron, which is a hub of diplomats and envoys. 

It is known as a place of exotic industries to outsiders, with the silk trade being the most widespread. However, the manufacture and trade of the amnesic drug leth, is perhaps the most notorious amongst foreign nations. It is manufactured in an arduous process that takes around 4-years, from the collection of the most pervasive waters of the Sea of Lethea, to its completion and bottling in ready for shipment across Elyden from the city of Zo Mae.   

Its people are dark-skinned, and industrious, working hard to maintain the link between the many different districts of the Federation. They are known for their large stature, and it is said that some districts of the Federation are known for humans who commonly grow over 7-ft. tall. Rumours abound as to the source of their great stature, few of which are flattering or likely true. See Vol III: Extant Nations and Realms.

OMEUS: fau. large insect endemic to tropical lands to the N - E of the Sea of Lethea, most common in Okkham, Waelmigh, Pnessa, and the W of the Porphyrin peninsula. It forms a chrysalis about 8 -10 inch, which is considered a delicacy in Okkham and Waelmigh, where it is cooked with spices & mashed roots. Foods of Elyden.

ORAMOR: settlement in the c of Okkham, to the W of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 6,000).

OREAE: settlement in the S - E of Okkham, along the isthmus that connects the peninsula of Okkham to the headland of Khurtae. It is part of the Sasaczhot canal and controls the gate leading to the Sea of Khusra (Pop. c. 2,000). 

ORUNA MOTH: fau. giant moth endemic to the jungles of Okkham. With a wingspan close to 30-cm swarms of their blue-winged moths are a spectacular sight in the upper canopies of the jungles. Their caterpillars are used on a large scale in the silk industry in Okkham. See vol II: Classification and Taxonomy of Life. 

OSSHYL: small city in the c of Okkham (Pop. c. 18,000).

OZOLL: 1. r. in the E of Okkham flowing S for 4000-miles from sources in the Nesae and Okkhami Mountains, before reaching the wetlands of Ozoll to the N - W of the Sea of Khusra.

2. Salty marshlands making up a 75-mile stretch of the r. Ozall Peczheat, close to its estuary. 

OZOLL PECZHEAT: large valley in the c E of Okkham, between the Nesae and Okkhami Mountains, to the W and E respectively. The r. Ozoll flows through it. 

PILLAR OF MAZALICZH: large basalt-like pillar in  the c of the Okkhami peninsula, thought to date back to the Third Age of life or earlier. The pillar give the impression of being a column of petrified black flames some 100-ft. high and 10-ft. wide. It is unknown whether it was once made of flame or if it was initially constructed this way, though the oldest accounts, dating back to the early Fourth Age, describe it as it stands today. 

Those who are sensitive to the Materia Omna describe sensing the arcane tempers in the region being chaotic, making shaping close to the pillar difficult and erratic.    

PYMESYL: settlement in the c of Okkham, in the W foothills of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 7,250).

RALCZHET: large lighthouse in the E of Okkham, guarding the Bay of Itae in the far N - W of the Sea of Khusra. The lighthouse is also a college to the order of tideshapers, whose shapers are are necessity in many coastal settlements of Okkham.

RAMIFERA: large city in the c W of Okkham, along the course of the r. Enetsic. It is known for its large mangroves and other expansive trees with aerial roots, many of which are used as the basis of architectural construction. 

It was the birthplace of the Cult of the Dreaming God, in c. 3425 RM, and remains a religious centre to this day (Pop. c. 48,000).

RASURE COAST, the: expansive stretch of coast in the W of Okkham, covering some 350-miles of shore, overlooking the Sea of Lethea. The name was given by Korachani explorers in c. 620 - 630 RM after learning of the amnesic effects of the Sea of Lethe. To this day, the coast remains largely uninhabited due to the sheer potency of the waters here, which permeate flora and by extension fauna, making the region inhospitable to mortal life.

Despite this, there remain a few opportunistic settlements that produce leth- an amnesic-inducing drug that is made from the waters of the ea of Lethea.  

RATEDOS: fortress of the Knights of the Budding Orchid, in the W of Okkham.

RATTEN: small settlement in the S - E of Okkham, along the isthmus that connects the peninsula of Okkham to the headland of Khurtae. It is part of the Sasaczhot canal and controls one of the lochs along its course (Pop. c. 1,000). 

REHNOSS: 1. bay off the W-coast of Okkham, separated from the S - E of the Sea of Stygas by a peninsula of rock. The r. Teresic empties into this bay and it sees heavy sea traffic, with vessels coming and going to the eponymous city, 5-miles from the mouth.  

2. large city in the W of Okkham, along the course of the r. Teresic. It is known for its harbours and shipyards (Pop. c. 140,000).  

REHTAB: settlement in the c of Okkham (Pop. c. 6,200). 

SASACZHOT: 1. Canal in the nation of Okkham, constructed between 3627 - 3642 RM,  linking the Sea of Khursa with the Sea of Lethea, speeding up sea travel and commerce in the area. The canal is 15-miles long and maintained by the eponymous city. 

2. large city in the c S - E of Okkham, around midway along the Okkhami peninsula. Between 3627 - 3642 RM a  large canal was cut across the peninsula linking the Sea of Khursa with the Sea of Lethea, and the city became a hub of naval transport and trade. Millennia ago, the site where the city later appeared was home to a natural channel - the peninsula was smaller than today due to the higher water level, and the  E-most portion (today dominated by the waters of the Litasch Aesamay) was a large island that was slowly linked to the mainland between 400 - 1200 RM, following the rising Elyden’s sea levels (Pop. c. 70,000).  

TACZHHEAL: settlement in the c of Okkham (Pop. c. 10,000).

TAPOB: settlement in the N of Okkham, in the far N - W of the Okkhami Mountains. Its main industry is sericulture - the production of silk from caterpillars of the giant Oruna moth that is endemic to the lower mountains of Okkham (Pop. c. 8,000).

TAPRUL SOCZHDAE: settlement in the c of Okkham (Pop. c. 8,000). 

TCZHEEAE: fortified settlement in the W of Okkham, along the Rasure Coast. It is a producer of the drug leth (Pop. c. 8,000).

TERESIC: r. in the c of Okkham, flowing 250-miles W from sources in the Nesae and Okkhami Mountains, before emptying into the Bay of Rehnoss.

THOCZHEIL: (B. 3373 - D. 3449 RM). Guru and founder of the Cult of the Dreaming God in Okkham, following the appearance of the dreamscape of Ekon Ossyl in c. 3395 RM. His teachings spread across Okkham between 3418 - 3425 RM, after which it became recognised as a state religion. 

TIDESHAPER: caste of shaper common in Okkham, in the E of Sammaea, whose purpose is to help regulate and control the sometimes extreme tides, that risk destroying many of the nation’s industries. They train in the lighthouse of Ralczhet before travelling across Okkham to settle in a coastal settlement where they can put their skills to use.

UAKA THOTHAMUR: small city in the W of Okkham (Pop. c. 13,000).

UBAMEPHUN: ancient stone city in the c N of Okkham, dating back to the early Fourth Age. It is thought to have once been the center of a resurgent civilisation following the Fading of the Third Age, though little is otherwise known of it.

It is expansive and during its peak would have been home to tens of thousands of people, and likely existed for some length of time, as evidenced by the large subterranean necropolis that exists beneath a hill to the N. 

Today it exists in the rainforests of Okkham and is overgrown and barely recognisable beneath the dense foliage and mosses that have reclaimed it.

UMMAR: small settlement in the S - E of Okkham, along the isthmus that connects the peninsula of Okkham to the headland of Khurtae. It is part of the Sasaczhot canal and controls one of the lochs along its course (Pop. c. 1,000). 

UMSTRALOASI: religious site in the W of Okkham, 15-miles S - E of the city and religious centre of Ramifera. The site is located in the wooded hills leading N - W to valley through which flows r. Enetsic and is famed for the thousands of round clay statues that are important to the Cult of the Dreaming God. Each statue is around 1-ft. high and is an anthropomorphic representation of the myriad spirits of the Cult. The statues are added to by visiting pilgrims and have come to cover the entire hillside, though older statues have crumbled or are now displaced by the rampant root growth in the area. The statues are all covered in a thick layer of moss and are said to guard the hills, where the guru Thoczheil taught his first disciples the teachings of the Cult of the Dreaming God. in 3418 RM, after which it would spread across Okkham, becoming a state religion in 3425 RM.  

UPOCZH: small settlement in the S - E of Okkham, along the isthmus that connects the peninsula of Okkham to the headland of Khurtae. It is part of the Sasaczhot canal and controls one of the lochs along its course (Pop. c. 1,000). 

USIC: small coastal city in the S - W of Okkham, overlooking the Rasure Coast. Its main industry is the cultivation and purification of the drug lethe from the Sea of Lethea. It maintains well-equipped patrols that scour the coast for 20-miles N and S, attacking anyone hoping to illegally replicate their industry (Pop. c. 13,500).

USUTHAE: small settlement in the S - E of Okkham, along the isthmus that connects the peninsula of Okkham to the headland of Khurtae. It is part of the Sasaczhot canal and controls one of the lochs along its course (Pop. c. 1,000). 

VARIX: small city in the far N of Okkham. It is a major trade presence in the area, and has a permanent trade-route N into the W of Waelmigh. It is situated along both sides of a steep river, which are linked by large bridge on which are situated its administrative structures. Buildings hug the cliffs, to the sea level, where river boats ply their trade (Pop. c. 20,000).

VIATOR: travellers and wayfarers common in Pnessa, Waelmigh, Serrok, and Okkham. They serve as trusted messengers who are essential to the everyday running of the nations. 

ZALEAT: small city in the c of Okkham (Pop. c. 19,000).

ZELOET: coastal settlement in the c of Okkham. Its main industry is clamming (Pop. c. 8,000). 

ZEOT: small city in the E of Okkham (Pop. c. 20,000).

ZO MAE: coastal city in the c of Okkham, overlooking a narrow inlet in the lagoon-like Sea of Itae. It is home to a major harbour and is a trading post, spreading trade goods S both over land and across the Sea of Khusra (Pop. c. 50,000). 

ZRIEL OBAKKH: (B. 3509 - D. 3575 RM) demagogue and resistor whose actions brought about the coalition of 17 disparate states, which together became known as the Okkhami Federation in 3569 RM. He remains a cultural hero amongst the states of the Federation to this day. 

ZURBAPH ODA: small city in the N of Okkham (Pop. c. 18,300).