Wilders

For the Children of Light, nature is a dark and shadow-filled kingdom populated by terrible creatures and dangerous monsters - it is a scary place. But the ‘pagans’ co-exist with nature - their belief is that the Children of Light are stupid and blinded by that light.

The ‘wilders’ are a smaller group of pagans who move around in nature in such a way that they actually become part of nature, rather than being mere observers. They are, at the same time, both beautiful and terrible, peaceful and vicious, gentle and ruthlessly wild. But where nature is never knowable, the pagan wilders are always knowable in at least one way - they are cruel and dangerous to people who do not understand them or know their ways.

The wilders are a pagan group, they live between the ordinary physical world and the other-world of spirits and dreams. They are as diverse as the sea and the land and the sky; yet each chooses a single path in nature, to the exclusion of all others. All but the youngest of wilders are always strongly associated with a single aspect of nature, such as darkness or fire, and it is possible to regard them as spiritual manifestations of that aspect.

In all, six aspects have been identified to date: Darkness, Forest, Water, Fire, Cold and Wind. There is no reason to believe there are no other aspects, but only these aspects have been identified in the past 150 years.

The Wilder Environment

Wilders are so much like nature it is difficult for a non-wilder (whether a Child of Light or pagan) to actually see a wilder in its native aspect - they blend so perfectly with the surrounding nature as to be unseen. Often they are noticed only as a movement from the corner of the eye, or as a strange bump in the landscape; maybe a dank, nasty smell, or even a sudden neck-chilling emotion.

Because the wilders are unseen, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people (i.e. non-wilders, whether pagan or Children of Light) to take action against them. The exception is the spirit third-eye mystery scholars, who clearly see the wilders and thus can choose the conditions often when they enter into conflict with them.

It is critical that adventurers understand that as long as a wilder is in its native, untouched aspect, any conflict that arises will give great favour to the wilder. But this advantage is lost when the wilder leaves their native environment, or if the environment becomes ‘Touched by the Light’. Not all members of the Church of the Elements will shine the Light of the Children of Light, but when it is present, it will burn the wilders and turn the circumstances against them.

The Wilder Goddesses

Just as humans have their queens, so too the wilders have their Goddesses - one for each of the six identified aspects. In the pagan Eskara, they are simply known as Goddesses, but across the northern lands they are also generally known as Mistresses or Ladies. Or there may be a specific name that based Queen or Mother or Witch, but these simple names do not convey the power of the Goddesses which can be immense. These beings are cruel, sometimes completely incomprehensible in their actions, and overwhelmingly selfish. But to those who are ready to worship and comfort her with blood sacrifices, a Goddess will share her secrets which can bring great power.

Of the three pagan groups in the northern regions, the Gaesati have the the most passive relationship with the wilders though they do fear the Goddesses and try to avoid their anger. The Goblin Peoples guard and respect the six Mistresses and maintain a suitable distance, but they also strive to learn some of their secrets. It is the the Eskarans who fully embrace the power of the Ladies, offering fear and worship and often giving over their minds and bodies that they might fully serve the will of their chosen Goddess.

A wilder Goddess is a supernatural extension of nature. She has her own secrets and powers of witchcraft, and she will share these with mortal her worshipers that they might continue and expand their worship of her. The wilders have learned that making a sacrifice to a Mistress is a relatively safe way to contact her to learn her secrets. There are many tales of wilders who have visited (or tried to visit) the home of their goddess, with or without an invitation, and the stories suggest that this is a much more dangerous way to connect.

All of the wilder Mistresses are pleased with those who resist the Church of Elements (the church of the Children of Light), but the Ladies are strong and independent of the others. Each of these nature ‘queens’ is pleased when one of her followers proclaims her doctrine over that of the other Ladies.

The Six Wilder Aspects

The six identified Wilder aspects are described below along with examples within the aspect (e.g. a low-wilder and a strong-wilder), along with a description of the Goddess or Mistress of that power. Also included is as much information as is known about the home of the Goddess, but for the most part this is rooted in folklore.

It should be noted that these are only examples - wilders come in many looks and sizes and there is no reason to assume that the list below is comprehensive (and every reason to believe it is incomplete).

All wilders will blend into their native environment - a goblin (darkness spirit) will not be seen in the night, a Curran (water spirit) will not be seen in the stream, and a Knickerknock (air spirit) is only a part of the blowing wind.

It is known that wilder magic is better handled by females than males, and for this reason most wilders are female. In the discussion below, feminine pronouns are used, but male goblins and bone spirits (for example) are known to exist. Similarly the Nagas are described as snake-women, and the Stormwings as bird-women, but snake-men and bird-men also exist.

That said, the stronger wilders will almost exclusively be female, and of course the Mistress or Goddess of each aspect is always female.

The Aspect of Darkness

Wilders in the aspect of DARKNESS have the greatest range of size and shape. They tend to be simple creatures with ever present hungers for blood and bone.

The Mother of Darkness values courage, but it must not be brazen or sultry - her servants must always maintain an aura of dignity and mystery. She prefers those who make grim threats and follow through on said threats in a timely manner. Quite surprisingly, she also seems to have a weak spot in her heart for true love and carries a strong hatred for those who betray genuine love or separate lovers.

Goblins

Goblins is a catch-all word for the creatures of darkness itself. It does not matter that come in small and large shapes, for their exact size cannot be determined in the dark. But they can sometimes be detected in the dark - by their ember like red glimmering eyes and possibly by carnassial teeth that flash in the light of a campfire or stars.

Goblins are simple creatures and they can be easily fooled. They are cowards and are quick to flee into the darkness. But they are also a bloodthirsty race and it seems that their thirst is never quenched. As a group they will take small risks for their next meal, this can make it dangerous for a lone traveler to travel through the dark forests. Light is known to be the best protection against goblins.

Note: The wilder goblins are not to be confused with the Goblin peoples of the north (pagans).

Bone Spirits

Bone Spirits, sometimes called hooks, are frightening creatures of death and putrefaction that delight in sucking bone marrow from the newly dead. This can only be experienced in a physical form, so the bone spirit will seek out a body as a temporary host. It is easier for them to set their ‘hooks’ into bodies that are long-dead, but to move freely the body must be largely whole (i.e. not yet decomposed); so the bone spirits are known to haunt the northern marshlands which provide the carcasses of many drowned traitors.

They can, if they wish, move without a physical body and in spirit form they are known to attack unsuspecting sleepers in their dreams, turning a gentle slumber into a terrible nightmare which will then build the power of the spirit.

Mother of Darkness

The Mother of Darkness (Mater Tenebraum) is the oldest and most well-known of the wilder Goddesses. Across Eskara she has many names; most often she is called The Witch, or by a name from those who claim to have glimpsed the sharp end of her long nose (Hook-Nose) or felt the hardness of her iron teeth (Iron Tooth). She is unnaturally tall and clothes her lean body in a ragged robe that swallows her face in the depths of its hood.

The Mother of Darkness lives in a house in the middle of a dark forest in the far north. Eskaran tales say the house is surrounded by a high wooden fence with a gate made of bones. There is said to be a skull with a glimmering eyes perched on each fence post, these skulls cry out a warning to warn her of intruders.

Like some of the other wilder mistresses, she likes human sacrifices with a known preference for children. She does not like the Church of Elements, so the sacrifice of a Child of Light is especially pleasing. She dislikes all forms of light, laughter and any evidence of frivolity.

She is bloodthirsty and cruel and reportedly so fond of infant flesh that even the bravest woman trembles at her name. Yet she is also known to have helped those who please her.

She is said to be the mistress of the sources of life and death, she who knows the secrets of the past and the future.

The Guild

The Wilders of Aegic are the descendants of the the people caught out in the wastes when Aegic froze. They have survived for generations by living off the icecrawlers which in turn have fed from the frozen herds. Recently the tribes and crawlers have been dying off as the food is exhausted. A few lucky tribes have followed the ice crawlers that blundered into Icesus.

The wilders do not have a home in the valley, no kingdom is willing to share its territory, so they continue their nomadic life in the slightly warmer and more bountiful valley. They have no guild, but simply train from one another wherever they might be.

Wilders are known to be brutal fighters for whom survival of the tribe is the only goal. When axe wielding wilders storm into battle, naked save for the bloody designs painted on their flesh it is only the distant observer that can tell the tale of the horror.

The Wilders of Aegic can be found outside the southern citygates of Vaerlon.