The Sigils of sha-Arthan

I've recently completed a gazetteer of the Eshkom District, one of the twenty regions that make up the Empire of Inba Iro, the sample starting area for Secrets of sha-Arthan. This gazetteer will appear in an upcoming issue of Fight On! (though I've already shared it with my patrons). A lengthier, more detailed version of it will appear later this year as part of a new 'zine I'll be releasing, about which I'll talk in the coming weeks. 

For the moment, though, I wanted to share a few pieces of art the ever-amazing Zhu Bajiee produced for this project. Unlike previous pieces of artwork, these don't depict characters or monsters from sha-Arthan but rather symbols of some of the factions within the setting. The first of these is this one, used by the House of Magdor, the current ruling dynasty of Inba Iro. Named after Magdor, the great-great-grandfather of the current King-Emperor, the House seized the Solar Throne almost two centuries ago when his Chomachto army conquered da-Imer, the First City. 

The House of Magdor

Of course, not everyone was pleased by this seizure of power, most especially the former Ironian dynasty and its allies, some of whom have clung to power in certain districts of the Empire (Eshkom being one of them). Though outwardly loyal to the House of Magdor, they have formed a secret alliance known as the Sunbound that works behind the scenes to overthrow the Chomachto and regain the Solar Throne. 

The Sunbound

The temples of the Eternal Gods are quite powerful within the Empire, few moreso than that of Akor, the goddess of silence and secrets. Akor's temple once acted as guardians of Inba Iro's known vaults, but that role was recently stripped from them, a move that has created a rift between it and the Solar Throne. Fortunately for the King-Emperor, the temple is itself divided, with one faction favoring the Sunbound and another desiring rapprochement in the hopes of regaining its ancient rights.

The Temple of Akor

The Unmakers are a loose collection of cults whose leaders see the Makers as having been detached, corrupt, and, above all, stifling to the development of sha-Arthan and its inhabitants. Though suppressed in nearly every realm of the True World, sects of Unmakers nevertheless thrive in the shadows. The Hollow Prophets are the largest and most powerful such sect within the Eshkom District.

The Hollow Prophets

Because of their proscription, these cults make regular use of way signs – simple, deliberately cryptic graffiti that mark safe meeting spots, hidden caches, and homes of sympathizers, allowing cultists to navigate a hostile world without drawing attention to themselves or their activities.

Way Sign of the Hollow Prophets