Derenta

What was once an abandoned land by a dead god was found by a group of Caspanas that sought shelter from mortals that misunderstood and hunted them. Ever since then they have made it their mission to find other Caspanas, which lead them to eventually become probably the largest herd in the whole of Mereldia. With over a thousand Caspanas, spread on a land of over 4200 square kilometers it is absolutly impossible for everyone to know everyone anymore, though the herd dynamic is still very strong so that they act like one big extended family.

Hunt or Be Hunted - The Witcher 3 OST

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Derenta as a whole is large enough to fit Nordberg - Mereldia's biggest city - ten times! With that, it is more than capable of fitting over a thousand horses. It does pose a problem when it comes to locating certain herd members, which is why the herd leaders and the rank leaders of the Warriors and the Scouts reside on the Central Plains most of the time. One really shouldn't underestimate the land's sheer size when wandering around. You can wander for days without encountering anyone, especially in the mountains and the northern forests.

This is also why Derenta, as safe as it may be with the barrier sourrounding it, is not fae-free. You can encounter minor faeries when wandering around, especially when you draw near the forbidden areas. Such would be the Old Forest and the Swamps. It is very likely to encounter a faery there. Faeries that can become incredibly dangerous to those that are not trained and/or used to dealing with them properly. Many foolish ones have found their death in these woods, making trespassing be punished severely!

The land is surrounded by a barrier that is kept up by the guards at all times. No one can pass this barrier without the active help of a Guard, because even drawing near it makes one lose all sense of orientation. The barrier zone is 1 km wide on each side of it and Guards patrol it at all times, making sure that no holes have formed and helping herd members across when they need to get out of Derenta. Outsiders are not let in.

More specifications on the different parts of Derenta can be found here.

Life in Derenta

The Verensa Herd consists mainly of Caspanas. While there are exceptions, those are more very uncommon. If you are in the Verensa Herd, then you did not join it, but you were born into it. Newcomers are incredibly rare these days, especially since Caspanas are hunted since the Summer Solstice of the year 802. Derenta provides a safe place for the Caspanas that live there, so that they don't have the fear to be hunted by the Heranors (a family of Aos Sí) or mortals. To keep such a large herd organized though, a certain hierarchy has to be enforced to create order. It looks as follows.

Lead Stallion

Lead Mare

Advisors

Rank Leaders

Elites

Regular Members

Apprentices

unassigned herd members

Younglings

Outcasts

Has the last word in everything

Has the same rights as the herd leader except that she can't exile members

They are experienced and wise members that advise the leaders

Each commands one of the four major ranks

Members with incredible skill that were honoured with the elite rank after commiting a remarkable deed

Those that are Warriors, Scouts, Guards or Healers

Those that are still in their training to become Warriors, Scouts, Guards or Healers

Herd Members that are too old to be counted as Younglings but still have not started their training yet

Children that have not started their training yet

Those that have committed crimes that were too minor to exile them but too major to let them live on shamelessly

The ranks of regular members are the ranks most of the herd are sorted into. These four ranks are the foundation of how the herd functions at all, letting them do their part to further the general welfare. While the four ranks are technically to be regarded equally, there also is a certain hierarchy among them.

The Warrior

The Warriors are the top rank of the four regular ranks. It also is the most popular one, due to it being full of honour. Warriors are excessively trained in fighting and in discipline. They act as the military of the herd and follow orders. While independence is welcome, it is also expected that a Warrior follows the orders of their superior without question. Warriors usually have a proud character and do not mess around much. They pride themselves with discipline and maturity. Free spirits among their ranks are rare. They also usually die through the ruby dagger because most of them have a strong urge to prove their worth and loyalty.

The Scout

The Scouts are arguably the most witty, cunning and intelligent ones of the herd. Their training involves by far the most subjects and details. Scouts often have trouble to get through all the exams at the end of their training, but when they succeed, they have been trained in Camoullage, Cunning, Economics, Lore, Combat, Telepathy, Stealth, Language (different accents), Creatures (knowledge of them and their skills), Botanic, Shields, Weapon Usage and Detection. To that come two exams that test one's main magic and one's secodnary elements respectively.

Their task is to be able to mingle with mortals in cities and gather information. Some are even stealthy enough to gather information on faeries. They are masters of diguise and most are also quite good actors, falling into their assigned undercover roles with ease.

It is also the Scouts' task to find new members and bring them to the herd. This almost doesn't happen at all these days anymore though, so they mostly focus on their missions.

The Guard

The Guards are the only ones of the four regular ranks who never leave the land. They stay in Derenta and are mostly busy with keeping the Barrier spell up that keeps the land hidden from prying eyes (no one can find the land on their own!). Those spells include several seals that have to be checked regularly and be renewed to make sure that Derenta remains a secret and that it remains unapproachable. But no one is perfect and so sometimes it happens that one of the several hundred seals fails and that exactly this gap allows a foreigner (demon, fae, etc.) to enter the land. When this happens, the guards are there to fight the stranger off or to even kill them. The same happens with the witless predators (which are allowed in the land) when they come too close to the Central Plains. In training, Guards are almost identically educated as Warriors are, just with the addition of high-level barrier spells and seal-crafting.

The Healer

Healers are to remain in the herd territory and to cure the injured. They have an excessive knowledge of all kinds of plants and potions, as well as methods of how to treat injuries of course. They are very skilled in their subject and can heal almost anything when it is not too severe. Mares are additionally educated on how to help with the birth of foals.

Sometimes Healers wander to cities in the company of at least one Warrior and one Scout to purchase ingredients for potions and other medicine, which they cannot get elsewhere. Other than that, their only chance to get out of the land is to accompany Warriors on an extremely dangerous mission where the need of a healer is almost guaranteed.

More detailed descriptions of all ranks can be found here.

The Curse's Awakening & Training

Every foal in the herd is taught from a young age that the curse is a honour one has to earn. The leader has to deem those with still dormant curses worthy for them to be allowed to die and awaken the curse with their death. While it takes some serious concentration and skill, Caspanas are able to sense if a horse bears a dormant curse, which makes mistakes impossible to happen. The herd leader affirms this himself before allowing a young one to awaken their curse.

The conditions to get the leader's blessing for it are certain traits of maturity. Bearing the curse is a huge responsibility and the leader has to be sure that a young horse can take it, without posing a risk to themselves and others. The general age of when the curse is allowed is 5-6 years. In very rare cases it even is 4 years (admins' permission is needed for that) and in some even 7 or more, depending on how fast one matures.

When the curse is permitted to be awoken, the awakening itself will happen in a ceremony.

The Appreciation Ceremony

The Appreciation Ceremony is held for every youngling that comes of age to find their purpose in the herd. When a Youngling proves themselves to be ready to serve their purpose, the Appreciation Ceremony will be held. It can be chosen from two different kinds of Appreciation Ceremonies:

The Ruby Dagger

On this ceremony, a ruby, that is shaped into a dagger, is summoned by the Leader. A treasure only he can summon. It is used solely for this ceremony, in which usually the father of the Youngling kills them with the dagger. If the father is absent or even dead, the leader takes on this task. The Youngling, that bears the Caspana Curse, will then come back to life and with that has their curse awakened. To bear the awoken curse is considered an honour, which is why only members, that have proven themselves to be worthy and responsible, are allowed to be granted their magical powers that come with the curse. Usually, the family and friends of the youngling are present.

Death by Choice

On this ceremony, the youngling decides on their own how they want to die and from what they, therefore, want to be reborn. The death choice has to be discussed with the leader, since in some death scenarios it might be harder for the curse to awake and would not result in the wanted reawakening of the horse, but in a permanent death instead. The Youngling then, in the company of their family and friends, commits their own death and returns to the herd afterwards.

Those ceremonies are only held after sunset, because the herd believes the night to have more power and that it, therefore, would make the curse more powerful when it awakes at night.

Every horse always get their very own ceremony and does not share it with others, except if they wish so. The awakening of the curse is their personal honour and therefore it is for them alone.

The Appreciation is only the first step in becoming a fully involved member of the herd. After the curse has awoken, the youngling has about a moon of time to test out their magic and to think about what they want ot become. In this time, the initiation magic will wear off, so that when it wore off, the youngling can choose their rank. To get a tutor after the initiation phae is crucial for the young Caspana's wellbeing because without guidance in this stage of their life, they can easily turn out uncontrollable or even insane. [read about the curse's phases in the glossary to find out more]

When the initiation magic has calmed down, the next ceremony is held.

Black Night

The Black Night is the first New Moon night after a Youngling's Appreciation Ceremony / the first New Moon night after their initiation magic eventually faded. In this night, they have to choose their rank. In contrary to the Appreciation Ceremony, this one is held for all freshly awoken younglings at once by the leader. He will suggest a rank to each youngling, one he think to fit them best based on what he saw of them and what their parents' ranks are. This suggestion is meant to make the youngling think about their decision one last time, but eventually, it is fully left up to the youngling themselves to decide which of the four ranks they want. The suggestion of the leader does not have to be followed.

The rank choosing is something most of the herd takes part in. While it's not mandatory, but it's still polite to come and watch. The members that attend will then form four groups, each sorted by their rank. After the youngling chose their rank, they will join the rank group they chose and be welcomed by them.

The next day after the Black Night ceremony, the new apprentices will gather in front of their respective rank leader. The rank leader will then assign a tutor to each apprentice. This tutor is an experienced rank member with the same magic root and element as the apprentice. They will teach the young one everything they need to know in a span of three years. In this time, the tutor will become like family to the apprentice, often in an older sibling or aunt/uncle kind of way. Relatives are never picked to be tutors and apprentices because the relation could lead to conflict. The apprentice and their family meanwhile also have no say in who the tutor will be. Of course the family can voice wishes to the rank leader, but those wishes do not have to considered or granted. Everyone with at least five years of experience on the field can volunteer to be a tutor, though they cannot choose their apprentice either.

The match of a tutor and an apprentice is usually a good one though. The rank leader looks not only for matching magic, but also for complimenting characters, so that the two will get along as best as possible. This is important because they will spend almost every day for three years together.

The training for every rank and magic element is different, but what all have in common is the annual trips to the summer camps. Those are each specific to the magic element, so that thos with the same magic element travel to the same location and train there for the duration of summer (two moons). This enables training in an ideal environment for their main element and mingling with other apprentices and tutors of other ranks.

The locations for the camps are the followng four:

More information on the individual summer camps can be found here.

After the three years of training are over and the exams are passed, the former apprentice is then regarded as a full rank member of the herd. They are still a rookie though, which means that they need experience on the field. The following two years are therefore required to be spent with completing missions. First just easy ones within the borders of Derenta and later low-risk ones outside of Derenta. The difficulty and and risk of the missions then rise with skill and experience.

Note: Only Warriors and Scouts go on missions! Guards and Healers stay in Derenta after finishing their training!

Water

Fire

Earth

Air

Selkie Shore

Thundering Mountains

Qleehn Wood

Arid Peaks

Herd Rules

A horse is NOT allowed to commit suicide before the leader has not agreed on letting them have their Appreciation Ceremony. If this however happens, the horse receives the rank of an Outcast | if the death happens by accident, no punishment ensures.
Doing harm towards fellow herd members is not tolerated in any way. Spars are allowed, but serious fights to the death are strictly forbidden. Serious harm and any harm towards children can even be punished with the rank of an Outcast.
The killing of fae and demons is to be left to the Warriors (outside of Derenta) and the Guards (in Derenta). No one else is to come near those dangerous creatures otherwise (out of safety reasons).
Leaving Derenta without getting permission from a rank leader is forbidden and will be punished when committed.
Any relationship with anyone from outside of the herd is not welcome. Relationships with the enemy are even highly forbidden and will be punished with a banishment. This, however, only refers to the fae. A relationship with a mortal is tolerated, when also rare since most mortals do not accept Caspanas.
The leader is not to be questioned and has to be obeyed at all times!
All younglings with the Caspana Curse are required to have their Appreciation Ceremony when the leader decides that they are of age.
Every herd member that is not an Outcast, is to be accepted and tolerated for who they are, especially those few without the Caspana Curse.
It is forbidden to cast barrier spells that unables one from using magic outside of practice.
Do not wander too close to the barrier if you are not a Guard and do not have a good reason to get close to the barrier. Generally, everyone has to be lead through the barrier by a Guard, otherwise, they will get lost in the barrier spell and wander around aimlessly.
Everything one acquires on a mission (money and items) have to be given to Guards at the storage. In the herd everything belongs to everyone. There is no ownership over things. If one does manage to sneak things past the Guards and hide them, then once found out, there will be no punishment, but those things are then confiscated and brought to the storage.
Anyone who is not a guard is forbidden to wander into the areas of Derenta that are off-limits. Violation of this rule leads to punishments like being downranked to an Outcast for a moon or something equally dishonourable.
Any and all information regarding the Heranors is to be given to the Leader immediately. If one withholds information, it is considered as an act of treason.
Revealing oneself as a Caspana in front of mortals, when it is not absolutely necessary, is strictly forbidden and can, depending on the consequences of this action, even lead to banishment from the herd.
Anyone who had ever had something to do with a Heranor, especially physically like a fight is to be put under constant surveillance due to there being the possibility of them having some sort of spell on them that would tell the Heranors where the herd is. Keeping silent of such an interaction is also considered treason and will be punished with exile.
Do NOT tell a Youngling of the Post-Initiation Stage of the curse!

Your Character

We highly recommend you to make your character a Caspana, since non-Caspanas are the exception. If you very desperately want to have a non-Caspana as a character, please consult with the admins via a note to the group
Read through the glossary entry about the Caspana curse when creating your character, so that mistakes in the design and behavior can be avoided
Your character has been born in the herd. Characters from outsie the herd are not accepted.
Your character can only be one of the four ranks listed above (Warrior, Scout, Guard or Healer)
Your character will probably never have seen a Heranor, but only heard of them.
Members of the Verensa Herd visit cities from time to time, even though they are far away. Especially Healers, who are getting herbs or potions they cannot find or create in Derenta.
They are subtle and keep a low profile. Heranors and other fae are not actively sought out, but optimally even avoided. A fight only occurs when absolutely necessary.
Keep in mind that your character's tutor is a very important person in their life. The three years of training, therefoe, are very important. Do NOT pass it off in just a few sentences!
Caspanas need a lot of meat to keep their magic going and when running low on energy they might succumn to hunting instincts. So make sure that your character does hunting regularly (every 4 days is minimum).
While Lilafly's characters (the herd leaders, rank leaders and advisors most especially) can be used in your character's backstory, please keep their involvement neutral. Djuro (the herd leader) can be mentioned when the Appreciation Ceremony and the Black Night are mentioned and the rank leaders can be included when the assignment of the tutors has to be written, but those characters will not have judgements! Your character is not more or less special than any other herd member and therefore will not receive extra treatment. In short: don't god-mod Lilafly's characters.

Extra Lore and Ressources

With this, you have read all the most important stuff there is to know about Derenta and the life there. If you want to know more than just these basics like how the first Caspanas found the land, how the Heranors became their mortal enemies or what faeries and demons can be found roaming Derenta then please consult the glossary.

Below you can find some links to glossary entries about Derenta and the herd. Reading them is not mendatory, but they might help you if you struggle with coming up with something more detailled for your character's life.

Caspana Curse | What the curse is and how it works (this is mandatory)
Clothing Ethics | Which clothes are worn where and by who? | This is important for missions!
Witness and Sentient | The difference between "people" and "animals".
Important Characters | Characters which your character MUST know.
The Derenta Timeline | A list of noteworthy historical events that happened since the Verensa Herd was founded
Geography | A collection of maps of Mereldia, its countries and its cities.