By many races and nations of Nybelmar the Chyrakisth are seen as the ultimate nightmare taken form. Wherever they walk death and destruction is sure to follow in their wake. Many thus put them on an equal level to demons, but despite their cruelty and wrath - which is far beyond anything a human mind could come up with - they're still mortal beings.

Picture description. A Chyrakisth torturer, eyeing his victim and deciding upon the instrument to apply to get some information... Image by Seeker.

The origin of the Chyrakisth is mysterious but most stories tell that they're the outcome of a vile endeavor of Menemronn to cross orc and elf. The goal had been to harness the destructive power of the former and destroy the innocent purity of the later race and thus bring imbalance and total chaos to Caelereth. The old scrolls tell about his most trusted servants, the Unjeinrhem, the "Tribe of Dusk". Which is supposedly just another term of the Chyrakisth of Old whose sole and only goal on Caelereth was to bring eternal darkness to the world. After Menemronn's defeat they scattered and at places were so utterly destroyed by Menemronn's power that no other species could survive there for long, they even strived and became a menace that makes travel through Nybelmar by foot - even today - a dangerous - if not suicidal - business indeed.

Appearance. An unknown Kaýrrhem elf once described the Chyrakisth as a perverse combination of ugliness and beauty, like empty shells of elegance filled with the darkest evil imaginable and this picture suits these creatures extremely well.

Chyrakisth are creatures full of contradicting extremes, sometimes to a degree that makes one wonder how they managed to survive at all.

The Chyrakisth are high built, of slender appearance though the chest of the males seems awkwardly athletic compared to their limbs. There are only few individuals smaller than 2.1 peds and thus they tower over about any other race with a weird mixture of strength and elegance. The most obvious features of their orcish heritage are two pairs sharp teeth giving away their carnivorous heritage. In contrast to that they have a delicate face structure with high brows and cheekbones. Their eyes are of an intense red and their skin and hair of ill-looking paleness, nearly a white grey with a slight tint of green or blue. Their ears are a twisted mix of orcish and elven features, elongated compared to most elves.

The Korweynites tell that their evil hearts cannot stand the sun and indeed it seems as if they despise it but if this is really because of their bad consciousness is doubtful. More likely is that their eyes react so sensitive to light that they can see in the night like normal men at a sunny day and thus the bright light of the sun blinds them.

A Nybelmarian poet describes the Chyrakisth Orcs as follows:

IF ONLY A NIGHTMARE
BY DAGON FAI'UR

Heed the warnings and beware,
Zsharkanion serves death and destruction
Raining down from the peaks.
Unyielding, burning hatred...

They are creations of gruesome beauty
Rivaled with ungodly strength.
Born of the blackest incarnations
Yet possessing an elven grace.

In the realms of Zsharkanion
There is no real beauty,
Only beings that know no passion,
Have no emotion, and fight with un-ending aggression.

In the realms of Zsharkanion
Breeds the end of humanity.
In the realms of Zsharkanion
Breed the Chyrakisth.

Coat of Arms/Sign. The different sects use iconographic symbols of various demons, fictive and known kinds on shields and helmets. The symbol is usually not painted but carved into the blank steel of their shields accompanied by grotesque and horrifying abominations of humans or animals.

The symbol of the Obsidian King who rules a great number of sects in the Zsharkanion Peaks has as his sign a representation of Mari turning into the demon-like appearance of Menemronn crying in agony and glee.

Territory. One might encounter the Chyrakisth at many places in the interior of Nybelmar but their seats of power are the Zsharkanion Peaks west of "Terruin Zsharath", also known as the "Ashlands", the ruins of the old dwarven cities, "the Zsharkion Faerioth" north of it. Long ago they also settled in the "Dolion Meriath" and Ehebion. But the Murmillions drove them out of their lands in early times and the Kaýrrhem hunted them when they learned about their enclaves in the "Dolion Meriath". However, one can still encounter them in warbands or small clannish groups in all the lands between these locations, namely "Paellaeion Ulinoth", "Pallaeion Vavaeth" and in the west in the "Pallaeion Vaenath". The whole interior of Nybelmar they perceive as their personal hunting ground where they hunt, murder and pillage anything they please. And indeed they have few opponents to fear and only few wanderers dare to travel the lands east of the Zsharkanion Peaks or the far plains of the east coast.

People. The Chyrakisth are separated into sects or families ruled by the strongest mages and warriors, both occupations equally distributed among both genders. Each sects believes in its own supremacy over all other sects of the Chyrakisth and lives as an own, independent community.

The Chyrakisth are extraordinary fighters, as agile as any elf and as strong as an orc. But above all they’re feared for their evil heart and devious intelligence. Their destructive potential seems to be their greatest strength and weakness at the same time as the sects don’t hesitate to turn against each other. However, as warriors, mages, assassins and archers they don’t have to fear anyone's opposition in Caelereth.

As their primary objective is always war either to gain power among the sects or destroy the other inhabitants of Nybelmar the Chyrakisth hold a great number of slaves from the other races, usually prisoners from raids against caravans, settlements or even cities at the frontier. They regard the other races not higher than any other animal which is proven by their gruesome habit to eventually consume slaves just like any other meat. However, capable of dark magics they are are able to infiltrate the minds and souls of those that they hold captive and use them for their own dark purposes. The slaves often do all the dirty work that needs to be done, especially dangerous tasks like working in the mines or extending the buildings of the sects.

With the usage of drugs and dark witchcraft the Chyrakisth even managed to totally corrupt some of these slaves so they willingly and fanatically serve their evil masters, sometimes send as spies into the cities of the civilized races.

Picture description. Chyrakisth Warbands are travelling to this remote place in the Zsharkanion Mountains, on a pilgrimage, claiming that they can feel Menemronn's power infusing their souls every time they see these stones. Image drawn by Atris.

The Chyrakisth are not monogamous, the relationships changing with the rank of each individual. The highest ranking male being aligned to the highest ranking female and from there down the hierarchy. Given the violent society these relationship obviously change regularly. The offspring from these relationships is raised by the women only until they can walk, from there on they become part of the hierarchy and have to fight for their place in the sect, at first against those of their age, later when they reach adulthood they need to challenge older warriors to advance.

Housing. The Chyrakisth live in various houses ranging from dirty leather tents to elaborated fortresses in secluded mountain valleys in the Zsharkanion Peaks or further north. The permanent dwellings are usually extended to be strongholds, difficult to attack. The size and also its decorations determine the rank and prestige of a given sect, the bigger the stronghold the higher its reputation among the other sects. The permanent dwellings thus form some kind of loose realm especially in the Zsharkanion peaks. The only way for nomadic sects to become settled themselves is to conquer or found an own stronghold.

Clothing. The Chyrakisth weave a flexible cloth made of thin metal wires, as sturdy as chain mail and as light as linen. The clothing of the Chyrakisth consists of lots of metal bracelets and necklets who serve decorative purposes but also are used as a secondary protection under their armour and they obviously expect to be attacked at any time. However, the bracelets and especially a high necklet that covers the whole neck and throat with decorated metal rings also serve another purpose, to protect vulnerable spots when fighting for influence in a sect occurs.

Diet. The Chyrakisth feed exclusively on meat, preferably raw and bloody. Most other food is only eaten because of its taste not because they can digest it. This is also the reason why the Chyrakisth can be encountered in such a vast expanse of territory because they cannot supply the whole population by breeding cattle or hunting around their cities.

A disgusting habit of them is also to drink the blood of captured slaves, mostly humans or elves, which they often look upon as not higher than any other cattle they consume. While usually they don’t kill these slaves in these cases there is also one of the most barbaric procedures commonly used in ceremonies or holy rituals. They induce a special poison into the victim that makes it die under terrible pain and make their blood intoxicating to the Chyrakisth, the suffering victim not treated any better than a bottle of wine and then thrown away. For many years those reports were thought to be exaggerations of the already barbaric rites of the Chyrakisth, inventions of traumatized minds until such reports were confirmed by several independent sources.

Cannibalism is also rumored to happen between competing sects, however that they don’t have any qualms to eat the flesh of any other sentient species is obvious.

Weapons. Bows and sword of nearly elven design but often more sturdy and added with cruel hooks and teeth are the main Chyrakisth weapons. They however resort to many less obvious tools as well like poisoned darts, daggers and inflammable potions.

On the plains you'll mainly encounter a warband of them in full suits of splint mail with masked helmets that have a woven material of silver or other material to protect the bearer against the sunlight. Also to mention is that all their weapons and armour is designed in a fashion to terrify their opponents. Their shields bear occult and grotesque faces of monsters and demons, their armour is with many spike and dangerous looking blades, their weapons bear terrible inscriptions to doom anyone beyond death. At night the Chyrakisth must be feared even more as then there's no sun to hold them down.

Occupations. The Chyrakisth are multitalented which is not surprising as all their craft is focused on destruction. Most Chyrakisth act as warriors and hunters but everyone also studies the arts of magic and witchcraft according to their talents. In the least that equips every Chyrakisth with a wide knowledge about poisons and potions.

Masters in witchcraft and alchemy are highly respected, nonetheless because someone who manages to anger such an individual the chances of surviving the next meal would extremely diminish. The leaders of a sect are always the highest ranking male and female who rule the sect with the consent of the most influental warriors and priests.

All lower occupations are dealt with by slaves and servants, the Chyrakisth care little for doing physical work besides fighting.

Government. In the Year of Darkness the leader of the tribe in the Zsharkanions Peaks proclaimed himself the Obsidian King, claiming the throne of Menemronn as his successor. The Santerran have prophecies that this was why Asthalon the Black had to abandon his kingdom to seek this legendary artifact and hide and guard it till the end of all times against the Obsidian King. The best reason found for his name is that he supposedly always wears an obsidian mask as sign of his kingship. The mask shows the features of Menemronn and is an artifact of dark magic on its own.

The best description of the general government of the Chyrakisth is to see them all as competing sects all following a similar belief. As such there's always struggle among the mighty rulers of these factions for the right interpretations of signs and prophecy and the true path on the way to complete what Menemronn began. These sects are the closest of a family in Chyrakisth society. Beyond that only chaos reigns and every individual tries to gain either own fame or increase the position of their sect. Thus it's mainly his own sect as well as promises and threats that keeps the Obsidian King in his position. The ascension in a sect is regulated by duels between individuals. In theory one Chyrakisth can challenge any other individual of his own gender and higher in the hierarchy but highranking individuals have the right to demand someone lower in the hierarchy to fight in their place against a low ranking Chyrakisth that is below their honour, the obvious challenge being to not fight too many fights that exhaust one in a high position but fight enough fights to prove that one is still worthy of his place.

This rule applies to both genders, the only exception being pregnant females. Those fights are executed with fangs and claws only, however under normal circumstances the raw hands are already dangerous enough so special bracelets and necklets protect lethal parts like throat and arteries at arms and legs.

Production/Trade. Besides nightmares and fairy tales there's little the Chyrakisth produce for the outside world. One can assume that they're pretty self-sufficient but they do not barter with other species.

Natural Resources. In many rumours it is speculated that the Chyrakisth reopened the mines of the Deepdwarves and now have abundant resources of silver, iron and other minerals. They don't seem to appreciate gold, they use it equally to copper which can be all found either in the vicinity of their cities or deep below. To what extend the mining operations go is shrouded in the mists of their unapproachable mountain strongholds.

Holidays, Festivals and Observances. At each new moon when the night is entirely dark the Chyrakisth are said to perform a series of cruel blood rituals, all aimed at determining the future. It is also at these occasions that someone can ascend to adulthood. Little is known except that these rituals supposedly involve the killing of one or more prisoners of other sentient species as a vow to uphold the goal to destroy all impure life.

History. After the year 8.953 b.S. the Unjeinrhem disappeared or were hunted down by humans, elves or dwarves and slain like animals. Not many seemed to have survived the defeat of their master but centuries thereafter it appeared that they mostly went into hiding, often at places of great power to Menemronn. They rebuilt in secrecy and didn't appear till they were nearly considered a myth. Only the Aelónrhem tell about the "devils of the plains" but after the years of Restoration the evil servants of Menemronn the Unjeinrhem were thought to be destroyed. However, soon after the glorious victory Kyras betrayed the humans and elves and hid various Unjeinrhim in Murmillion lands seeking their knowledge and wisdom about Menemronn’s sources of power to replace the last Chosen of Nybelmar.