About the Sei

They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.   -Edgar Allan Poe

The Sei capital city of Ellasi within the Dawn Empire was built around what the locals call the Moraloka, an ancient tree coursing with magic. Rumored to have been one of the founding members of the Saraki family, this city-sized tree supports several well-cared for wooden buildings with intricate carvings that have stood through many generations. New construction is rare within Ellasi, with the populace preferring to carefully preserve existing gardens and buildings.
The Sei have a deep respect for the flow of the Aether and the balance of life, with their laws centring around respectful stewardship and maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the aetheric creatures they nurture. As such relations with the Gen are often strained, despite the Gens’ natural curiosity in how the Sei have “acquired the service” of aethers to provide warmth and light, irrigation of their crops, and breezes for their airships to stay aloft.

The Dawn Empire

A vast empire covered much of southern Cottus, the Dawn Empire is ruled by an unbroken line of Anointed Emperors and Empresses since the early 450s, possibly spurred by the Thundering of 451NE far off the Dawn Empire’s eastern coast in the Storm Isles.
The Imperial succession is not strictly hereditary, but with the heirs being selected from a pool of candidates according to omens, meritocracy and nobility of blood. Candidates are collected in childhood from among the nobility though there have been a few candidates of lesser birth in the mix following strong omens. These selected children are moved to the Imperial Palace within the crown of the Moraloka to be educated in matters of state, magic, warfare and environmental stewardship.
The Anointed Emperor/Empress is supported by a senate of hereditary  'Dawn Princes and Princesses', patriarchs, matriarchs and appointed representatives of the various noble families across the Dawn Empire. Each seat is also tied to the governance of one of the Empire’s many small provinces, colonies and protectorates numbering at 57 Prince and Princesses strong.
The Dawn Empire has a strong navy unique not only for its impressive organic form ships but also its small, swift airships born about the world by domesticated Aethers of Air in the form of winged horses. The usage of these airships is only permitted by Imperial decree and the breeding and training grounds of these winged horses is guarded as heavily as The Dawn Empire guards its manacite mines.

The Moraloka and the founding of Ellasi
According to legend, once the fires of change faded, Shaman Naeth of the Quartet walked Terra, cooling her skin and sowing her fields and forest, while Aechus the Keeper tamed the Aethers and restored balance to Terra’s moods. Where the two crossed paths, a dryad was born, the first of her kind. Named Moraloka Saraki by the two greater beings, the dryad planted her henge on the site of what is now Ellasi. Moraloka studied under the tutelage of both Aechus and Naeth, becoming wise and influential among the first peoples of the land. Under her guidance, the Sei were made stewards of creation, charged with both the curation and protection of the newly reborn Terra. As Moraloka’s influence grew, so too did her henge, until the Tembusu grew enough to support small villages and eventually the sprawling beauty of Ellasi in its boughs.
The first Anointed Emperor, a male Dryad named Gyan Zin claimed the Saraki name for his family after communing with the Moraloka famously in 453NE. The vision of global expansion and aetheric harmony apparently granted to the Anointed Gyan Saraki is part of the driving force behind the Sei super-power.

Flag of the Dawn Empire
A horizontally banded flag of peach, white, daffodil yellow and pale blue with a centred daffodil yellow circle and white tembusu tree silhouette, the colours of the Dawn Empire evoke the horizon of the sea at dawn while emphasising the importance of both the sun and the Moraloka tree to the Empire.
The colour bands of the background are top to bottom: 5/12 peach, 1/30 white, 1/15 daffodil, 1/30 white, 5/12 pale blue
The height of the centred sun circle is 11//12 of the total flag, with the tree being 1/2 the height of the flag


Provinces and Colonies of the Dawn Empire
As of 1795, the Dawn Empire has 49 unified provinces (not listed) across the southern half of Cottus, 2 colonies and 6 protectorates through the rest of Terra., as well as numerous small outposts.

Angelus : The capital city of Kayken lies on the western coast of Angelus. Spanning two islands and a sliver of Gyges’ west coast, Angelus thrives on “passive” fisheries and magical research with the ruins-laden Angel’s Graveyard, the deep oceanic channel that splits the colony. Established as a result of the Dawn-Titus War.

The Berra Cinqumvirate : Five small kingdoms under the protection of the Dawn Empire, the Cinqumvirate maintains some autonomy despite their leaders being renamed as Dawn Prince and Princesses. With a mixed population of Kinfolk and Sei, the jungles of the Cinqumvirate turned to the Dawn Empire for assistance during the assaults of Agreve during the War of the Sky King (1102-1106 NE). Their southern coast is now dotted with magically grown watchtowers raised from the forests and rocks themselves to watch for further activity across the sea.

Makutsk : A fairly independent protectorate of the Dawn Empire, Makutsk bought the backing of the Dawn Empire with its wealth of useful ores and crystals. Like The Berra Cinqumvirate, Makutsk was diplomatically enticed into the fold with the catalyst being its cultural sister, Ananth, being colonized by Titus and renamed the Viceroy of Frobisher.
While the general populace is often confused and a bit at odds with the Dawn Empire’s environmental reforms in the local mining industry, the overall health of the northern kingdom has improved dramatically and several of her pine forests have been reborn over the last century and a half. Originally of mixed Ketski and Gen demography, they now also boast a large population of locally born Sei.

Nimbus : A tiny colony west of the empire and south of the Ketskian Republic established in 1756. Formed to study the evolution of Rebirth, Nimbus features the only Dawn Prince to officially not come from formerly royal or noble stock. A chemist by trade and adept in both Spirit and Aether, the “Peasant Prince'' Mikhail has become a bit of a folk hero, due to the daily dangers of Nimbus, and his own intelligence, inventiveness and natural physical presence being of solid Gobkin stock. Aside from their magical research, Nimbus relies on imports and foraging off the land, discovering what is and isn’t safe to eat in the proximity of Rebirth. Their research saw the early containment of an extraplanar purple fungus through a partnership with a Greater Fire Aether.

Non-Imperial Sei Territories
Airigat - originally colonized by the Sei during the conquests of Yunnan between 1371-1415, Airigat was cut off from the Dawn Empire during the Dawn Titus war and became an independent magocracy with wildly different values from its parent nation.


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Passive Power: Daytime Fast Healing: Between 6am-6pm you take an additional +1HP from all sources of healing, whether magical, chemical or physical in nature.
Weakness: Nighttime Slow Healing: Between 6pm-6am,  you take one less healing from all sources, whether magical, chemical or physical in nature, to a minimum of 1.

Sylph
Considered the more graceful and beauteous half of Sei society, Sylphs try to live in harmony with nature and reflect this in their clothing, adornment and habits. Some Sylph have taken to tattooing bark or leaf like patterns upon their flesh as a reminder of their unity with the earth, a trend started by the prominent Saraki family. Seasonal adornments such as flower crowns or leaves braided into their hair, are quite common among the Sylph.

Resources: Med Tech x2, Food, Ammo
Costume Requirements: Pointed Ears of any length
Purchasable Bonuses:

• Evade: Once/day, may avoid any 1 attack that comes from your front 180 degree arc.
  
• Meditative State: Daily, Allows you to restore all your HP by meditating for 10 minutes uninterrupted while outside of combat (unless prevented by another condition, such as a disease, chemical or magical effect).
  
• Displacement: Once/day, May call “Displacement” to avoid any Blackjack attempt.
  

Gobkin
Often seen as brutish or conniving compared to the classically elegant Sylphs, the Gobkin are no less honourable than their racial cousins. Marked by greenish skin, which varies from mint to almost black, the Gobkin are known for their strength, hardiness and determination. The most well-known of their families are the Moki, celebrated for their military and agricultural service, and the Odobo, feared for their callous nature and excellent business acumen.

Resources: Med Tech, Scrap, Ammo x2
Costume Requirements:  Pointed Ears, 75% exposed skin greenish or high quality mask
Purchasable Bonuses:

• Hardy: Adds +5HP to your base health
  
• Sturdy: Once/day you may resist a Knock Down Attempt
  
• Formidable: You are naturally stronger than most with +1 Strength.
  

Dryad (requires LC expenditure)
It is said that when the Moraloka blesses an union, a Dryad may be born. These rare Sei are marked by wood grain and bark patterns from birth, and are usually given in service to the Moraloka in Ellasi though some flourish without imperial influence. Considered a gift from the divine and thus lucky, Dryad are usually treated with honour, even if peasant-born.

Resource access: Med Tech x2, Food x2,
Passive Power:
Henge: Every Dryad has one tree that they form a special connection to; they can not travel away from this tree for more than a month or they will slowly wither and die over 30 days. While within arm’s reach of this tree, they gain an additional +1 Regeneration/min in addition to the Sei’s usual +1 regeneration between 6am to 6pm.
Weakness:
Co-dependent: Dryads immediately enter Mortally wounded if their Henge suffers 50 damage; they must also pick a new Henge within 7 days or Relinquish the character. Should you choose to attack a Dryad’s tree, you must inform ST camp first.
Costume Requirements:  75% exposed skin done to look like wood or bark, must have pointed ears
Purchasable Bonuses:

• Meditative State: Daily, Allows you to restore all your HP by meditating for 10 minutes uninterrupted while outside of combat (unless prevented by another condition, such as a disease, chemical or magical effect).
  
• Sturdy: Once/day you may resist a Knock Down Attempt
  
• Entangle: Daily,  By touching or throwing a packet, the dryad calls roots to trap the target’s feet in place. This requires the Dryad to hold a closed fist in the direction of their target and may last up to 10 minutes. Only one target may be Entangled at once.
  
• Resist Magic: Daily, Allows you to resist any 1 non-ritual magic effect. The effect is considered used.