YESOD
Yesod, the Realm of Foundation, is a river, or even rivers; a crimson river winding endlessly through a world of bright skies and jubilant alien animal calls, celebratory tribal drumbeats. The emerald sky is dominated by an huge scarlet moon, from which the river bleeds. Forests of tendrils, fleshy growths, thick green roots and chattering mouthes spring from the river's clotted banks, growing into a sprawling, gibbering maze.
Where all the rivers meet is the Fountainhead, the Wellspring of all life. From the Fountainhead, all life springs. Every animal existent, every animal yet to exist. Every physical Concept, every monster or myth, every cryptid or hybrid. Everything that lives rises from the swirling whirlpool, the thundering falls.
The Fountainhead is the celebration of life. The world is constantly jubilant, overjoyed at the existence of flesh. Dreamers and Winged that live there are creatures of the-here-and-now, always celebrating the joy of existence, the pleasures of flesh. Here reality's limitations are discarded; all life celebrates as equals here, regardless of species or history.
All life is equal, and fantastic.
When its not the constant bacchanalia and lifelong parties in the fleshen jungles, Dreamers come to Yeshod to experience the past. The thick, metallic red waters are made of pure emotion, all feelings and experiences. Drinking the Dream's flowing blood opens the mind to possibilities, gives visions of what-can-be.
But submerging within the waters... has stranger effects. The river reads The Dreamer like a book, and presents a world of its own design, scarlet & viscous. Pasts are relived, histories confronted. Entire areas are recreated in blood, even facsimiles of friends and enemies in raw red flesh.
"Redlining" like this is incredibly dangerous, and can result in death, either from being consumed by the river, or the sheer experience of confronting your past.
Thick flotsam growing in the river gathers at shores, creating blockages and dead ends. These clots grow into Dregscapes, throbbing enormous islands of flesh, tree-like oversized hairs, and even discarded items, half-eroded buildings and maddened flesh puppets, all leftovers from Redlining. These Dregscapes are nightmarish realms of half-remembered, viscous leftovers. Many cryptids escape the Fountainhead into these clot islands, hiding in forests of hair, puppet people and rotting growths shaped like buildings.
At least one of the rivers ends in a waterfall.
No-one knows where it leads.
* What It Represents
"Yesod can be seen as the vehicle, from one thing or condition to another (the power of connection)."
"It plays the role of collecting and balancing the different and opposing energies of Hod and Netzach, and also from Tiferet above it, storing and distributing it throughout the world. It is likened to the 'engine-room' of creation."
Yesod is where base, living ideas become breathing, real creatures.
* Roads
#IV Emperor
#XIV Art
#IXX Sun
#XXI Universe
* Population
Almost everything is represented in Yesod. Winged & animals of every kind, animalistic or physical Concepts. Dreamers here are physically obsessed, or tethered to either experiences or the past. Junkies, hedonists, naturalists.
* Power Structure
Much of the population exists in Bacchanalian revelry, with zero political cares.
However, watching from above are the Wyld Council; the Winged linked directly to the Dream's bloodline. The law makers are known as The Green; Woodpeckers and Pheasants decide who below can Redline, and who cannot, and their Sparrow, Finch & Robin agents report well.
The bloody enforcers are known as The Red; Moorhens pass life or death judgement, their Cappercaelie and Shrike enforcers permanently ending the machinations of those deemed unworthy to Redline...
They are at war with Interzone.
* Indigenous Creatures
Millions of unique, fictional animals plucked out of human imagination thrive in the Fountainhead. Amongst the mythological (dragons, hippogriffs, unicorns), and cryptids (sasquatch, kraken, ningen, jackalopes), are creatures completely born of new ideas. The acidic "blobs" ooze through the forests, looking for victims, while shoals of Gillmen swim through the blood rivers, harmless unless threatened.
Huge radioactive lizards, enormous apes, their three-headed space dragon nemeses and heroic giant moths live on the isolated Dregscape known as Man-eater Island; don't worry, it's a misnomer.
It's actually a peninsula.
The worst creatures by far though are the Mugwumps; seemingly endless giant, black, enormous centipedes with enormous pincers. Attracted to the imaginative, these predators are needlessly cruel and violent, seemingly enjoying simply tearing through flesh for no reason. They can vanish into any space, and emerge from any other, making them unstoppable hunters. They seem indigenous to the Dregscapes.
* Ties To Moonchild
Some say the Moonchild has been seen here, drinking from the waters...
* Places of Interest
Of note is the willingly occupied Dregscape known as the Interzone, a political haven, claimed by junkie intellecualists for junkie intellectualists. The Interzone's "Poet Cromulant" is the vocal anthropologist Agent Lee - he is always willing to talk over a slice of black-meat, but to get to his home you must survive the murderous monsters known as Mugwumps...
Deep in the forests, a lady called Number One, surrounded by her team of green cat ladies, gathers socially minded free thinkers for a several year mission...
A village of seperatist, conservative animals live on their own village-like Dregscape. Notable members include the ruling pachyderm Babar, the speed demon Mr. Toad, and the left wing nudists known as the Moomins. There may be political dissent in the village...
* Costume
Clothing in The Fountainhead is haphazard. Considering the sweltering heat and Bacchanalian celebration, most is light, practical and comfortable. Many wear more "tribal" paraphernalia with their outfits. Some Dreamers just wear their everyday, out-of-place clothes, with the collars open and sleeves rolled up.
The Wild Council dress in rags, robes and leathers.
* Choices for Character Creation
Sleepers tied to Yesod are either adrenaline junkies, hitting harder and nastier than most...
...or hardened by experience, pleasant or not, tougher than most...
...or have explored the Dregscapes, gaining a Brief about the Fountainhead.
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