DESCENDANTS OF THE DEPARTED

HISTORY

Long ago, Requiem and Vayu led the island together peacefully for years. The land was a paradise. No divine intervention, not a soul to pass. Death, in short, was non-existent. The immortals thrived for the longest time, but, eventually, tensions started to rise.

As a result, the group boiled down into two categories with Requiem and Vayu leading each. When the the leaders reached their final breaking point, they began to fight. Their battle went on for quite awhile, both tired and desperate for their troubles to end. With teeth bared, they both d dove into the center. They clashed. With heads crooked, they clamped down on each other's throats. In a last ditch effort, they both pulled away and blood began to pour from their necklines. Requiem spit out the flesh, while Vayu scarfed down their enemy's tissue. Both triumphant in their measures, they fall. In no time, they grew still. Death, for the first time, arrived upon the land.

While Requiem slowly rose to the heavens, they created something called 'the above' for their colleagues. Meanwhile, Vayu focused their attention on creating a place called 'the below' for their subjects. Upon finishing the creation of their realms, the fight continued on the island. The volcano, on the command of Vayu flooded the island with lava flow. In response, Requiem used their sway to cause a thunderstorm and cool the land below. Very few survived the fury of their newfound deities, leaving former members behind to create the Descendants of the Departed.

Over time, due to the distance between the deities, the chaos started to fade. To keep both parts happy, the member preformed sacrifices and rituals in honor of their deities. As a result, the group began to thrive. By continuing these performances, the deities remain stagnant and content.

TERRITORY

The territory of the Descendants of the Departed is often barren and without any buildings. In fact, most of the territory is lackluster to an overlooking eye. The land consists of charcoal-colored lava rock covering the entirety of the island. There is almost vegetation to be seen across the black land. Most notably, the distant volcano stands out among the abyss of darkness. Upon looking closer, onlookers may find openings across the land leading into caves. Truly, what lies below is an enigma.

CAVE SYSTEM — The cave system is located underneath the island's surface, ranging from the shore to the volcano's side. These caves are also widely known as inactive lava tubes.

COMMUNAL AREA — While higher ranks often have their own caves for themselves and their family, regular members have the communal area. The area is in the direct middle of all the caves. Many members use the communal area to spend time with others, while others come here to rest during the night.

SHAMAN'S CAVE — Closest to the fighting pit lies the medicinal cave. Shamans live here, but also provide assistance to the wounded and those who seek guidance from their deities.

CHAPERONE POINT — On both the surface's edge, the volcano's bottom, and the cave's beginnings lies multiple chaperone points. There are large golden bells at each entrance which can be rung to gain the attention of a chaperone. This is usually done to receive guidance, whether spiritually or physically leading.

UNDERGROUND TRADING — In a chain of openings within the lava tubes, members can set up trading posts and shops. There is no limit on what can be sold. Talk about an underground black market, huh?

FIGHTING PIT — To keep themselves strong and train apprentices, the Descendants of the Departed uses one of it's largest caves as a fighting pit. The fighting ring is surrounded by a thin river of magma that lights up the surrounding area and exhausts opponents due to it's heat. Along with this, there is an assortment of weaponry kept outside of the pit for training and the tournaments.

SACRAFICIAL LAVA POOL — In the deepest part of the cave system lies a lava pit, rumored to be the source of many of the created lava tubes or caves as all points eventually connect to it. This lava pit is used for sacrificial rituals to the below's deity. Enemies are mainly deposited here to avoid mingling them with those worthy of going to the heaven's above.

VOLCANO — The volcano is located in the north western point of the island. Some caves come out of it's bottom and side, along with active lava tube.

THE RIM — The rim is the highest part of the volcano. When a member passes away, members drag their corpse to the rim to rot. When completely decomposed or the has flesh turned into ashes due to the heat, the family members go up to the rim and take their bones to cherish.

TRADITIONS

The Descendants of the Departed focuses on dark traditions that honor their deities. The group focuses on two deities in specific. One deity focuses on the skies above, while the other represents the hell below. To honor them, they preform rituals.

REQUIEM, DEITY OF THE ABOVE — To avoid hazardous weather changes from The Above's deity, sacrifices and rituals are preformed to satisfy Requiem. — Reference

DEATH RITUAL — When a member passes away, members drag their corpse to the rim to rot. When completely decomposed or the has flesh turned into ashes due to the heat, the family members go up to the rim and take their bones to cherish.

VAYU, DEITY OF THE BELOW — The volcano's contents and underground features of the island are controlled by Vayu, the deity of The Below. In an attempt to please them, members make sacrafices in their honor. — Reference

SACRAFICES TO THE BELOW — Enemies unworthy of being harvested are taken to the sacrificial lava pool to satisfying the deity of the below. With no goodbyes in order, the bodies are then dumped into the lava pool. The enemies are then sent to 'the below,' what many call the underworld or hell.

RIGHT OF PASSAGE — In order to go from a child to an adult, the children are required to participate in the fighting pit. Regardless of age, if they defeat an opponent in the ring, they are immediately considered a mature warrior. They are then ready to participate in raids, wars, captures, and more. While this fight is not required to be to the death, children are encouraged to aim for the kill instead of letting their opponent yield.

This tradition also goes for joiners. New members to the Descendants of the Departed do not have full member status until they complete a right of passage fight. Unlike the members born in the Descendants of the Departed, this is battle IS required to be to the death to prove their worth.

SEASONAL TOURNAMENTS — Seasonal tournaments begin sign-ups on the first day of the season and are later performed within the fighting pit. The tournament works in bracket style, pairing up members and ascending through the ranks as they win. These fights are not to the death, but are encouraged to be. If your character manages to win the tournament, they are assigned a special rank for the season and are given privileges for the duration.

BODY DISPOSAL — Deceased enemies and members are used in multiple ways. Such as:

CANNIBALISM — Cannibalism is normal within the Descendants of the Departed. Due to their lack of vegetation and animals, the group often feeds on other sentient animals.

BONES AND SKULL MASKS — Nothing goes to waste. After eating the remains of another, the bones of the dead are repurposed. Many members of the group use the bones as repurposed weaponry or armor. Meanwhile, the skulls are used as masks for wartime.

FALL HARVEST — On October 1st, the Fall Harvest begins for the Descendants of the Departed. On this day, they begin preparing for a feast that occurs on the last day of October. The feast includes indulging on rarities found on the mainland, corpses of the legendary sentient animals, and more. Depending on when autumn starts, this may also overlap with the seasonal tournament.

ECLIPSES — While it's often a once in a lifetime occurrence for many, the eclipse symbolizes perfect alignment. This is when the above and the below come to together all at once, enough for the dead to appear before their eyes. With the encouragement of the dead, the Descendants of the Departed preforms their most important rituals. Each eclipse has a different theme depending on it's name (such as a blood moon), but all eclipses include mass sacrifices.

RANKING

VIZIER — The leader of the Descendants of the Departed. Their word is law and is not to be ignored. They are in charge of declaring all out war, assigning raid targets, promoting/demoting members, leading traditions.
Valerius — roleplayed by Orion

INQUISITOR — Inquisitors are directly below the leader and are the heirs to leadership. They are in charge of hosting consistent raids, managing battles, and overseeing tasks for members. If there is no decision made before death, the inquisitors will fight for leadership.
Apocalypse — roleplayed by Dio
Meteor — roleplayed by Axiom

SHAMAN — Shamans are the religious and medical heads of the group. Mainly, they practice divination and healing. These animals oversee all rituals preformed, using their knowledge to make sure they are conducted correctly. Along with this, they heal all wounded and inform others on how to dispose of bodies properly.
CHARACTER — roleplayed by

CHAPERONE — Split into two separate ranks, one assigned to the above and the below, chaperones are the group's guide to the island and the other side. Trained directly by the leader, the chaperones get to know the caves or the island's surface front to back depending on their assignment. They are in charge of leading many members to their destinations. Chaperones are also in charge of leading others to the heavens above or underworld below by preforming their assigned rituals. They are said to have a close connection to the deities and can guide one's morality to their desired place.
Anduril of The Above— roleplayed by Teef
??? of The Below — roleplayed by ???

SEASONAL TOURNAMENT WINNER —
CHARACTER — roleplayed by

WARRIORS — Mature adults who have completed their right of passage fight are known as 'warriors.' They can conduct raids, capture enemies, and participate in traditions freely.

NEOPHYTE — These outsiders have not completed their right of passage fight. They have reduced rights within the group, such as being open to violence or abuse at any time. Raids cannot be led by these members, nor can they participate in the seasonal tournament. Often times, they'll be used as servants and are under the leader directly for everyday tasks.

ALLIANCES

The Descendants of the Departed is a group with no allies. All groups are open to be attacked. While all groups are enemies, transactional alliances or neutralities may occur temporarily to gain advantages. There are currently no temporary alliances.

LAWS OF THE LAND

— The Vizier's word is absolute. Disobeying their word is under punishment of death.
— Raids can be led by all members, minus children and neophytes.
— All acts of violence are on the table. Cannibalism, slavery, maiming, killing, and more.
— With prior grievance and mutual disrespect, members are up for slaughter. Senseless violence is unpermitted.
— All BoB rules apply OOCly and ICly.