NyalKin

This is the Intellectual property, game design & concept art for Everlost. This is Copyright © 2025 Khor Atheliem. All rights reserved.

Motto: “Five hundred miles begins with one step.”

World Building

On the Chinese zodiac, oxen are represented by the NyalKin King, which is pronounced ni̐l kƪn. Their culture is founded on medieval times, from the fall of the French aristocracy to the establishment of the republic. Six regions make up their area, one of which had a bloody insurrection and is now a republic. A monarch who resides on an archipelago rules the other places. There are many royals at his court, but only four are of note.

Factions

Master of Ships: Marquis Brise-Fer, Known as “The Beggar King” of Port Vieux.

Motto “Le Sang Verse, Le Pain Partagé.” (Blood Spilled, Bread Shared.)

Description:

A mountain of a NyalKin, but one that has been hit by a landslide. Hunched over from a permanent wound from his youth spent on some forgotten battlefield. If he ever managed to stand upright, he would probably dwarf everyone in the port.  Appearing like some kind of elderly woodland spirit with a shaggy, untamed, and dishevelled mess of hair on top of his head. He dominates his space with a deep gentleness, despite his powerful shadow. He lives a straightforward, unyielding life, yet it’s full of paradoxes. Supporting local government while being obedient to the monarchy. He believed that the chattering tongues of those in high castles destroy the world, while the sweat of the poor creates it. He has already paid for their errors with his own body’s form; he has no time for power struggles or political games. He is referred to by other royals as Le Roi Gueux, or “the beggar king.” Because he prefers to dress modestly, he is adored by his people. Many of the other royals’ own people are unhappy due to exorbitant taxes and their lords’ unchecked luxury; the other royals are envious of his peoples love for him. Both the land roots and the oceans surrounding the archipelago are protected by his port town. He is one of the monarch’s oldest and undoubtedly a devoted friend.  The port city serves as a stepping stone to a sovereign island, demonstrating the “strategic importance” for protecting the monarchy.

Master of the Forge: Viscountess Marguerite de Roche-Claire, Known as Bijou of Clear Rock.

Motto: “Silence est Force” (Silence is Strength)

Description:

Her entire royal line was assassinated in a blaze, stolen from the fire of her family’s murder, and secretly brought to the Iron Rose for Monastery. For twenty years, the local miners and nuns have protected her existence from infancy to adulthood. Her hands, saturated with ink from continuous study, and the modest gray wool clothing of a nun characterize her everyday existence. Her look and the tenderness of her childhood convey the eerie weight of an orphan who is aware that she is the last page of a lost book. She first felt uneasy about the severe demands placed on her looks when she was forced to appear in court after reaching adulthood. In contrast to all past royals, her people value her beautiful face beyond everything else. Not only are they clothing a woman, but they are also showcasing their town’s pride and workmanship as they cover her in dazzling layers of raw-cut emeralds and gold. Because her attire is created with more than just money but also her people’s affection, it always stands out at court. She frequently smiles secretly at court with the beggar king; both of them are aware that they are playing the game to protect their people.

The sisterhood

These nuns are not like others. They serve as the king’s bodyguards and are fanatics who consider protecting the monarch to be a sacred duty. In the “Way of the Horn,” they practice with hefty spears and shields fashioned from the iron they extract from the earth. They are renowned for their quietness; they communicate by sign language and never talk while on duty. The King withdraws to Roche-Noire when the other lords’ “politics” grow intolerable. It is the only location where he receives complete, silent reverence. In addition to performing charitable deeds, the sisters may be seen at temples all around the kingdom and the republic. In addition, they serve as spies, monitoring events in every region. The Viscountess receives all information, yet she rarely acts on what she learns or shares what she knows.

Master of Coin: Baron de Grise-Corne , Known as Grey-Horn of Plateau des Troncs-de-Pierre.

Motto: “L’Or Parle Plus Fort” (Gold Speaks Louder)

Description:

A spindly, shadow-coloured NyalKin ox with one horn broken, rumoured to have happened during an illegal duel. He wears a luxurious fur-lined cloak, lavish clothes, and regal jewels. Because of the Countess White Horn’s selfishness, the King implemented broad liberal reforms to give the ordinary people more authority and representation. Whispering to the king’s adversaries in court is the Baron. He wants to be the next king because he finds these developments repulsive.  He is aware that the only way he can legitimately ascend to the throne is to instigate a social catastrophe that would provide him the authority to do so. From the shadows, he collaborates with anybody to subtly weaken the foundations of the kingdom. He takes advantage of the recent liberal changes by extending definitions, establishing new social taboos, and socially constructing a falsehood of a new underclass to create social disharmony.

Design Notes:

Baron of the plateau of the Stone Trunks, a power-crazed royal seeking to gain the throne. He is behind several schemes to cause a disaster in the monarchy by attacking many social foundations. The Baron is definitely a Jekyll and Hyde figure. He appears to be a gregarious, outgoing individual, yet when he is hidden, he is a cold, cunning Machiavellian. He employs criminals to intercept letters and bribes royal servants in exchange for information that may be used as blackmail.  He employs a large cast of actors to sway public opinion. Unbeknownst to the republic, he even covertly provides funding to their extreme independence organization. Since the Baron wouldn’t harm anyone, nobody has figured out that he’s behind it all for his aspirations to become king. The Nationalist

Chevalier of

Design Notes:

Unlike the other royals, the Chevalier of the Midlands earned his title. Comtesse Aurélie des Cornes-Blanches’s behaviour had radicalized him.  The revolution in her province was sparked by her depravity and avarice. He started to doubt everything and pushed for significant, far-reaching reforms from the monarchy. The king increased the representation and power of his subjects. This young aristocrat is demanding greater reforms, rejecting their culture and challenging the interpretation of their history, to the point of self-hatred.  His arguments start from reasonable grounds, but you quickly find yourself in a position where he has manipulated you into agreeing to things that are far more than you and the average person would ever agree to. He will launch a smear campaign and spread false information to harm your reputation if you don’t agree with him. Although he thinks the Baron is his closest friend, the Baron is actually using him to further his schemes. The Progressive

Was Master of Laws: Comtesse Aurélie des Cornes-Blanches, known as “White Horns” of the lost province.

The Motto: “Ma Beauté est ma Loi” (My Beauty is my Law)

While her people suffered and many were starving, she commanded her domain with an iron grip and lavished all of the province’s wealth on lavish jewellery and palace banquets. “The Great Stampede” uprising broke out, and she was put to death by the populace. The kingdom no longer includes her territory; it is now known as the “Republic of the Lowlands.” The people now use an Assembly and direct democracy to rule themselves rather than a King. They have a strong mistrust of all royals, including the people’s beggar king. The countess’s activities have led the Republic to believe that the King is a “tyrant”. The Republic sends agitators into many parts of the kingdom to try persuade the people to launch their own revolutions against the crown. We don’t know who pays for these actions. The freedom to protest was first granted by the Kingdom, but the agitators’ strategies have since escalated. They have been declared a terrorist organization or a highly organized foreign army in parts of the kingdom. The one place in the Kingdom where they were instantly turned away was Clear Rock. Where the agitators erred by attempting to demonize the nuns and the Viscountess. The miners of the town made it apparent that Clear Rock does not welcome people of their sort.

Finished Designs

Female 1

Male 1

Basics