Lumanille, known far and wide as the city of light,
is peopled by a very righteous group of sea elves. Most cultures of Asterland
regard the stories of the wonders of the city as myth, having no foundation
in truth. Nowadays, about the only ones to have given firsthand accounts
of the wonderous island city are the handful of sailors that have become
shipwrecked on the jagged reefs surrounding the island upon which the city
rests.
Even from a distance, the city glows a soft yellow hue
at night, which can be seen from far out to sea. The majority of the
buildings that make up the city are of a lumanescent marble native to
the region. Buildings soar to frightening heights here. The architects
and builders of the city employ the use of magic and giant golems to
shape the landscape to suit their needs. Few buildings erected are made
with human hands. The majority grow from the native rock at the command
of an elemental mage.
The city is not so much made up of buildings as the
entire city is a sort of extended structure. The city has many levels,
with more hallways than actual streets. Light wells, open areas to the
skies above, keep even the bottom levels lighted with natural sunlight,
in addition to the glowing marble that makes up most of the buildings.
The reef around the island extends far out to sea and
most ships steer far around the glow of the city. The airships and spelljammers
do not have this problem, of course. The people of Lumanille are seen
as odd, distant, and not much fun.
The Lumanite Race
The Lumanites are a breed of sea elves. They dress
in light, airy clothes mostly in white, accented with bright colors. Their
hair is a silver-blue and their skin is a very light shade of blue-violet.
The women wear their hair long. When cut, it is done by them to show shame
for something that they have done wrong. The women say little, giving honor
to others.
The men likewise wear their hair long. While they do
not have much facial hair, they often wear a goatee-type beard, which
they never cut. This may be braided or have beads or shells worked in.
Different families have shells or beads that only they wear, signifying
their close ties to the family unit and their status within their famiial
clan. The older men of the clan are shown much respect by all, especially
as they approach "ascention."
The Lumanites practice modesty in their dress. Women
wear long dresses and often even veils. One sees many with tattoos of
religious symbols as a testament to their belief in and love of Elohim,
their god.
As are all sea elves, they swim and dive extremely well,
and spend much time in the water. They practice the art of fishing with
skill, seafood making up the bulk of the meat that they enjoy.
The Lumanites have little experience in dealing with
deceit or treachery. Many that find their way into their midst have easily
duped them, cheating them out of their money, which they give freely.
If such occurance become known to the pastors or seer, the offender is
lashed and aborted from the island.
Industry
The trade is brisk between Lumanille and Futura and
some with Dietroch nobility in the more enlightened regions of the continent.
The Lumanites practice and excel in the arts of alchemy, turning lead into
gold. They also create the finest gems from the raw essence of the ground.
Like the builders, elemental mages of jewel command the elements of value
to come to the surface, to seek like material. They also mine for ore in
this manner. Most work that takes place in Lumanille is magical in nature.
The Lumanites are among the most skilled spelljammers.
They are the only race that seems not to fear the Illithids or Neogi.
Their ability with magic and anti-magic is the dread of the skies. They
have learned the secret of spelljammer helms, and have improved on them.
Their warships have the ability to become not visible, cloaking as it
were. The mages and archers of their race know no equal in battle. They
are very skilled in tactics as well, learning from the mistakes of others
and drawing upon wisdom from God to guide their actions.
The Lumanites hate piracy and will go out of their way
to slay those involved in such. The Felann brigands steer clear of Lumanite
waters. The blackpowder of the cat-folk is little match for the magic
of the fair-skinned race
There are no rich or poor. All men have things in common.
The wealth and prosperity of the island nation is great enough that all
have enough material goods to satisfy them. They are a greatful people,
and are satisfied with a reasonable amount of goods as well. Many live
their entire lives without the burden of physical toil. This is not to
say that the Lumanites are not fit or healthy, however. They feast upon
fruits and vegetables that the island bears in abundance as well as a
rich grain somewhat like rye. They believe in vigorous physical exercise
as a means to maintain health.
The Holy of Holies
Hovering above Lumanille, a floating temple fills
much of the sky. Tethered by adamantite chains anchored deep into the bedrock
of the town, the temple is a symbol of all that the Lumanites are and desire
to be. The temple is most of a mile wide and circular. Many observation
decks make up the bottom half of the structure. It is made of a sort of
alloy that even the Lumanites have lost the art of creating. It has the
hardness of steel and more. The exterior of the temple is living crystal.
Its colors range from pink to violet, the innumerable prisms casting rainbows
about the city below during daylight.
The Lumanites refer to the temple as the "Holy of Holies." They
revere it as the greatest link to things spiritual in the known world,
and so it is. Within the walls of the temple there are runes countless
ages old, picturing the races of the world working in harmony. The seer
of the Lumanites knows alone the true meaning of the Holy of Holies.
Millenia ago the races of a dying world entered a spelljammer named simply "Deliverance." The
ancient seer Jaredd built the ship with the direction of God. The righteous
of the races of that world entered the ship, never to return. Unknown
to all but the Seer, these are the origins of the Lumanites, the elves,
and the humans. All other races are native to Jera except the Felann
and a few others which came from the moon Lunelle and the worlds of Silkspace.
Entertainment
Sport is encouraged here, and very popular. Most sports
involve the traditional track events of running, jumping, and so forth.
Strategy games have always been a part of the culture for the men of the
community. Chess-like games as well as those involving cards are among
the most common. One can find a card game called Drakke in any of the gaming
establishments. The Lumanites have little or no use for gamboling, since
they have anything they desire. One could say that there were no rich or
poor among them, for they all share in the wealth.
Morals
Sloth is not tolerated here. The
Lumanites see it as a great and infectious evil that they will not
have their land plagued with. One found guilty of repeated sloth finds
himself "aborted," which
is a nasty way of saying exile. For the Lumanites, no greater punishment
exists, except excommunication and death, the punishments given to murderers.
Violent crime almost does not exist here for fear of abortion.
The common folk worship "The TRUE ONE." Any time of
the day preachers cry out in the street, calling one and all to repent
of their impurities and to come nearer unto God. The family is the basic
unit of the community, from the husband, wife, and kids to the extended
family unit, almost bordering on being clannish in nature. The women
bear many children and make devoted mothers and wives.
The arts of spiritual magic grow strong within the righteous.
The black arts of Necromancy and its ilk carry punishment of excommunication
and summary death by casting the offender into the volcano on the island,
to be purified by fire.
Lumanite Religion
Lumanite priests and pastors spend the bulk of their
time preaching and practicing the good deeds that they advocate in their
sermons. Many are fanatical in their beliefs that common good can only
be achieved by the willing contribution of all. At first glance, one could
compare their government style with communism. Though the state owns the
means of production, even their leaders see this as simply ownership by
all. The willing spirit of the people make the system work. The riches
that the land provides also helps the eutopian society flourish where others
with similar features fail miserably.
Many priest travel to far-off lands to spread the word
of peace, community, love, and charity. They set out in very small two-man
spelljammers barely big enough to sleep two men. Few return to tell their
stories. They usually spend the remainder of their lives in spreading
their peace. In most places their word is scoffed at or ridiculed, but
among the gentler races, they find welcome. The elves grasp their words
quickly, as do the gnomes and fairy. Men and dwarves seem far too busy
to be bothered with the affirs of others, though fortunately, some see
beyond their own predjudices.
The symbol of Lumanille is that of two cherubs with
their wings outstretched, shielding the world below from the light of
the sun above, symbolizing the godhead. They believe in Elohim, the king
of kings, symbolized by the sun. The cherub on his right hand is Coatl,
the creator. The cherub on the left is Nahaol, the spirit god of nature
and natural law, Elohim's emmisary with the elements. Often the symbol
will include a portion of an earth below, to show our relationship with
God.
"Temples of Light" dot the city and the lands
beyond. The structures made entirely of crystal are grown from the
purest elements of the earth. The temples echo with the soft, sweet
singing of holy spirits. The crystal resonates with the voices of the
unseen forces of good. Evil spirits dare not tread here.
Family Life
The men work hard and are gentle fathers, though strict.
Order is the rule for home life, setting the pattern for life in Lumanille.
Women are to stay in the home, where they can do the most good for the
younsters. When the children can fend for themselves in the late teens,
a woman may by law go to work, though few do. Most soon become grandparents,
children marrying soon after leaving their households, and they spend the
bulk of their golden years tending to them and strengthening the family
unit.
Few
Lumanites live to see old age. Such a thing is seen as a sign of spiritual
weakness. When one ascends to be a certain level of enlightenment,
they pass slowly into the immaterial world, becoming actually translucent
in the late stages of "ascendency." At one point, energy seems to be
drawn to the person. Flames seem to leap toward them, though they recieve
no physical harm from them. Magical energy around them drains into
their very beings. Then is the time when the elderly see themselves
as a burden, as a drain on the community. It is said that the elderly
have recieved their "calling" when magic begins to fail around them.
They bid their family farewell and set off to live in the jungle, awaiting
a thunderstorm. When one comes, they ascend "The Bosom of God," a high
volcanic mountain. The peak contains a high concentration of iron and
copper ore, making it very conductive and a lightning rod for the whole
island. Standing atop this peak, the elderly wait for their "calling
to be made sure." They draw the electricity like a magnet, which consumes
them completely. A true Lumanite makes this his eventual goal in life,
the consumption. Most live to experience it. Their families not only
accept it, but throughout the storm rejoice and celebrate the event,
secure in knowing that they will meet their loved ones departed again
soon.
