The World of Termite

Termite is a homegrown gaming system made by David Donachie. It features characters who are Termites, Ants, Squirrels, Gerbils, Rats, and more.

The world of Termite is Demilphas, created by Raven the Destroyer, the Lord of Entrpy and destruction, one of the Celestial Gods, from the body of the Cosmic Dragon. Raven sought to match the other lords of creation, instead the world became his prison, and ever since he has struggled to be free of his own creation and work revenge onall things that live. Standing in the way of these overwhelming forces of darkness are the mortal people of Demilphas, and the lesser Gods (chief of which are the four Sun Brothers, Sunrise, Sunset, Morning and Evening, The Mountain King, Waves, Body, Breath and the Wind Dragon Kings) whose children those mortals are. Behind the daily bussiness of kingdoms and peasants, of fields, crops and religeous observances, of thieves and adventurers, those who know the truth are locked in an endless war to prevent Raven's escape and the destruction of the world.

The History of the start of the world and the creation of the living races is as follows:

0DV "At the beginning of the world, before time was made, there came the Outer God known as Raven the Destroyer. In the darkness of the Void he fought with the Dragon until the Dragon was slain, and from his flesh he made the world, and from his bones he made the world. For turnings he laboured, and in those days each turn was ten times ten turnings. For ten times ten turnings he laboured, and ten times ten more until the world was formed, and then for the same time he made it more, until it was done.

400,000,000DV Then he thought to rule this world, and make it his toy, but the other Gods of Askalon, beyond the stars, trapped him within his own world and raged to be so trapped, by the dark earth and the bright sun above. As long as he had laboured he raged, until at last he turned his attention towards the world his prison. There he saw that the Gods had been born of the air, from the Dragon's breath, and the Umbrals from the earth, from the Dragon's flesh.

800,000,000DV This was the dreamtime, and the Gods and the Umbrals divided the world between them. The Umbrals made the flesh of creatures to set upon the world and the Gods breathed life into them. They agreed that they would populate the world and make it flourish, so long as the Gods swore that they would make no creature that thought on its own upon the surface of the earth, for that was the land of the Umbrals. The Gods and the Umbrals laboured for many years, and the world turned upon itself for 10 ages, as it had turned 8 before, and the Gods and Umbrals laboured all this time and 5 more, for they had great machines upon earth in those days.

2,300,000,000DV And as they laboured Raven turned to his forges within the earth, and he brewed dark dreams and horrors, for he was determined that all those who lived upon his prison, from the first day until the day of Armageddon, would never find peace. All those things that lived he laid his curse upon, and all things were to perish. Each of the Demon Princes he forged within his fires, and souls of the world were his metal. And the world turned in a circle that was ten times ten of our turnings as each of the nine was made.

2,300,090,000DV And then he laid evil in the hearts of the Gods, and they coveted followers and worshippers, and each of them made a living creature, and they were called the First. And the Umbrals saw the First and were angered, and they made war upon the Gods, and time was born, and the world was shattered. For a hundred turnings and five more they warred, and the Gods warred with the Gods and the Raven exulted. At last the Heart of the Umbrals was shattered and their remnants warred over the fragments until they too were shattered, and the Heart was no more.

2,300,100,000DV And then the Umbrals were no more, and their people wandered upon the earth five turnings, until they sought the shelter of the earth, and the sky, the deep waters and the night of the woodlands. Raven exulted, but the world was not unmade, and the Gods knew that they would never see peace while the curse lay still upon them.

2,300,105,000DV Then the Gods divided themselves. Those who saw power in the curse of the Raven sought his side, and they called themselves the Gemstones, and they named themselves the Gods of Chaos. Those Gods who saw shame in their own war, and nightmare in their broken world called themselves the Gods of the sun, for that was the lock of Raven's prison, and they named the world Demilphas, the broken place. And the Gods divided the First between them, and those who went with the Gods of Chaos were called the Goblins and the Goblin Kin, while those who went with the Gods of Light were called the Follk, and they knew that they must forever hold the line against the servants of the Raven, or the whole world would be destroyed.

2,400,105,000DV Then the world turned an Age and a new time was born, and that was the end of the Age of Creation, and the Follk became as they are now, though they wandered the earth and the Gods were dumb."

On the surface of the world lies one vast continent, in the shape of a Dragon, and upon it the roughly medieval society of the Follk, who look a bit like giant ants, squirrels, gerbils, etc. (There are 6+ varients, all of which can interbreed, and they live across the surface of the world.), and the Follk Kin. On this continent lie many kingdoms, chief of which is the Northern Empire of the Follk, ruled by its all-powerful priesthood, and centered about the Heartstone, the last fragment of the great Gem of the Umbrals, and the means by which the Gods of Light gain power on the world. The Follk share this world with their evil kin, the Goblins, and those remnants of the Umbral races, Elves (Dark Elves, Light Elves, Fire Elves, and Grey Elves), Dragons, Duregar and Deep Ones, as well as many other lesser races (many actually related to the Follk) such as Ogres, Trolls, Ratmen, Asrai, and the Formori, creations of the evil Deep Ones.

The Chief races can be briefly characterised as follows:

Dark Elves: The evil denizens of the Underdark. Made from living obsidian and diamond they plot against themselves and all the races of the surface, who they blame for the fall of their Umbral ancestors.

Duregar: Just as evil as Dark Elves, far more insular and even more powerful. Where sunlight is pain for the Dark Elves it is death for the Duregar, thus they never leave their deep palaces.

Fire Elves: Dangerous creatures of the deserts who live only to destroy. They are made of gold, flame and diamond.

Follk: Major dominant Race.

Goblins: Common, and dangerous, in the wild parts of the Empire and most other places, nearly as common as Follk. There are many sub-breeds of the Goblins, such as the white Tulgo, the black Svartz of the Underdark and the Night Goblins.

Grey Elves: The Grey Elves are the most mortal of the Elven breeds in appearance, and at the same time the most strange, for they almost never leave their forests or mountains except in disguises which are never penetrated.

Kee-Or: 4-armed snake people, common in the South where they have a large Empire. The Kee-Or are the major race of the Follk-kin.

Light Elves: Powerful creatures made from crystal and glass who live above the clouds, studying magic and largely ignoring all other things.

Roan: Really a sub-class of Follk, live in mountains. Also called Mountain Rats. They are short, unpleasant, and religiously fanatic.

Sred: Spider-like desert creatures, very nasty. Serve the Fire Elves.

Trolls: One-eyed regenerating creatures. Stupid and not too common, sometimes serve the Goblins.

Umbrals: Mythological race, first to emerge from the corpse of the Dragon.

The game of TERMITE is skill and dice-based, with:

STRENGTH (Hit points)
AGILITY
INTELLEGENCE
ATTACK
DEFENCE

as the main characteristics (as well as, MAGIC POINTS and MAGIC DEFENCE).

It is a heroic and fantastic game where death is easy, combat flamboyant and a Healer always on hand. Magic is very common in TERMITE, indeed most characters will have some, but to varying degrees. (Note that this is representative of adventurers only, most peasents/citicens have no magic, and also have an unreasoning fear of it. ) Thus it is unsurprising that Mages and Priests hold the real power on Demilphas.

Back to the Termite Page

0DV	"At the beginning of the world, before time was made, there came the Outer God known as Raven the Destroyer. In the darkness of the Void he fought with the Dragon until the Dragon was slain, and from his flesh he made the world, and from his bones he made the world. For turnings he laboured, and in those days each turn was ten times ten turnings. For ten times ten turnings he laboured, and ten times ten more until the world was formed, and then for the same time he made it more, until it was done.
400,000,000DV	Then he thought to rule this world, and make it his toy, but the other Gods of Askalon, beyond the stars, trapped him within his own world and raged to be so trapped, by the dark earth and the bright sun above. As long as he had laboured he raged, until at last he turned his attention towards the world his prison. There he saw that the Gods had been born of the air, from the Dragon's breath, and the Umbrals from the earth, from the Dragon's flesh.
800,000,000DV	This was the dreamtime, and the Gods and the Umbrals divided the world between them. The Umbrals made the flesh of creatures to set upon the world and the Gods breathed life into them. They agreed that they would populate the world and make it flourish, so long as the Gods swore that they would make no creature that thought on its own upon the surface of the earth, for that was the land of the Umbrals. The Gods and the Umbrals laboured for many years, and the world turned upon itself for 10 ages, as it had turned 8 before, and the Gods and Umbrals laboured all this time and 5 more, for they had great machines upon earth in those days.
2,300,000,000DV	And as they laboured Raven turned to his forges within the earth, and he brewed dark dreams and horrors, for he was determined that all those who lived upon his prison, from the first day until the day of Armageddon, would never find peace. All those things that lived he laid his curse upon, and all things were to perish. Each of the Demon Princes he forged within his fires, and souls of the world were his metal. And the world turned in a circle that was ten times ten of our turnings as each of the nine was made.
2,300,090,000DV	And then he laid evil in the hearts of the Gods, and they coveted followers and worshippers, and each of them made a living creature, and they were called the First. And the Umbrals saw the First and were angered, and they made war upon the Gods, and time was born, and the world was shattered. For a hundred turnings and five more they warred, and the Gods warred with the Gods and the Raven exulted. At last the Heart of the Umbrals was shattered and their remnants warred over the fragments until they too were shattered, and the Heart was no more.
2,300,100,000DV	And then the Umbrals were no more, and their people wandered upon the earth five turnings, until they sought the shelter of the earth, and the sky, the deep waters and the night of the woodlands. Raven exulted, but the world was not unmade, and the Gods knew that they would never see peace while the curse lay still upon them.
2,300,105,000DV	Then the Gods divided themselves. Those who saw power in the curse of the Raven sought his side, and they called themselves the Gemstones, and they named themselves the Gods of Chaos. Those Gods who saw shame in their own war, and nightmare in their broken world called themselves the Gods of the sun, for that was the lock of Raven's prison, and they named the world Demilphas, the broken place. And the Gods divided the First between them, and those who went with the Gods of Chaos were called the Goblins and the Goblin Kin, while those who went with the Gods of Light were called the Follk, and they knew that they must forever hold the line against the servants of the Raven, or the whole world would be destroyed.
2,400,105,000DV	Then the world turned an Age and a new time was born, and that was the end of the Age of Creation, and the Follk became as they are now, though they wandered the earth and the Gods were dumb."

Dark Elves:	The evil denizens of the Underdark. Made from living obsidian and diamond they plot against themselves and all the races of the surface, who they blame for the fall of their Umbral ancestors.
Duregar:	Just as evil as Dark Elves, far more insular and even more powerful. Where sunlight is pain for the Dark Elves it is death for the Duregar, thus they never leave their deep palaces.
Fire Elves:	Dangerous creatures of the deserts who live only to destroy. They are made of gold, flame and diamond.
Follk:	Major dominant Race.
Goblins:	Common, and dangerous, in the wild parts of the Empire and most other places, nearly as common as Follk. There are many sub-breeds of the Goblins, such as the white Tulgo, the black Svartz of the Underdark and the Night Goblins.
Grey Elves:	The Grey Elves are the most mortal of the Elven breeds in appearance, and at the same time the most strange, for they almost never leave their forests or mountains except in disguises which are never penetrated.
Kee-Or:	4-armed snake people, common in the South where they have a large Empire. The Kee-Or are the major race of the Follk-kin.
Light Elves:	Powerful creatures made from crystal and glass who live above the clouds, studying magic and largely ignoring all other things.
Roan:	Really a sub-class of Follk, live in mountains. Also called Mountain Rats. They are short, unpleasant, and religiously fanatic.
Sred:	Spider-like desert creatures, very nasty. Serve the Fire Elves.
Trolls:	One-eyed regenerating creatures. Stupid and not too common, sometimes serve the Goblins.
Umbrals:	Mythological race, first to emerge from the corpse of the Dragon.