Hello, all. I'm a complete newcomer to the whole paid DM scene, so if I seem like a fish out of water, it's probably because I am. I'm a longtime DM for my friends, have been running 5e since it was called D&D Next, and am familiar with most everything major in D&D. I tend to permit and encourage homebrewing and rule-of-cool. If your homebrew won't work (for lore or balance reasons) I can help you retool it for the world you're in. Unless you opt for a survival-style campaign, I won't annoy you with tracking the minutiae. The campaign will start at level 3, 4, or 5, depending on a group vote during session 0. Ivalen, being a large continent, has many things you can do. If you want to brave the vast forests and find out where all the Fey magic comes from, you can. If you want to delve into ruins older than timekeeping in search of powerful artifacts or long-lost races, you can. If you want to sail the seas and brave the monsters there, you can. The world is your oyster, and I'm down to run anything of the sort. And I bring you the continent of Ivalen, on the world Akorah. Magic permeates the air. A gnome, looking older than the hills he sits on, puffs at a pipe, the smoke trail changing colors from grey to electric blue and then to crimson and gold even as it rises. With a look of curiosity, he eyes a scuffle a few hundred feet off, at the edge of a clearing. A pack of wolves have cornered a large man with a horrible face scar against an impassably steep section of the hill. The man lets out a world-weary sigh as he hefts his greatclub. One of the wolves, leaping for an opening, is greeted by a swing from the club, and for a second it appears as if the wolf has met its end, until it vanishes and appears beside the man. The wolves all begin to follow suit, a coordinated threat display as they teleport to and fro in a half-circle around the man, but no man is there. In his place now, a massive grizzly, recognizable only by his horrific scar. The wolves turn to flee, and the old gnome chuckles, and beckons the party to follow him down the hill and deeper into the wood. The wilds of Ivalen are beauty unmatched, betraying the Fey influence on the lands. Trees a hundred or more feet tall, with leaves of green, gold, red, purple, or even blue. The beasts sometimes have developed Fey-like abilities, and are called Feytouched. Teleportation, invisibility, and illusion are all within the realm of possibility for the Feytouched. A hundred years ago, the continent of Ivalen was shaken by the news of a ship coming from the stars. This ship, and many others like it, belonged to who are known as the Invaders or the Fallen, depending on who you ask. The Fallen came from another world, refugees fleeing from the destruction of their home planet. They settled themselves along Ivalen's western coast, in 3 main cities, which became the foundations for budding empires. Etra became home to those wary or outright hateful toward the natives. Etra's laws are many, the Greycloaks (Ratbacks when they're out of earshot) patrol the streets, looking for any infraction. If you are human, elf, or dwarf, you can find your fortunes here. If the native folks frighten you, Etra will be your best home, away from the teeming, unwashed masses, except when you need labor done. Laborers are hired (or, if you know who to ask, purchased outright) at markets. Beautiful stone buildings, magitech artificers, and gold-trimmed clothes in red and black are common sights along their marble streets, carved with magic and polished with alchemy. Etra is by far the wealthiest city on Ivalen, but also the most xenophobic. They are led by Lord General Erron Krix. Darmet is everything Etra is not. Darmet is derided as a pirate town by Etranians, and it looks it. Darmet was settled by the sailors of the skyships that brought in the Fallen. Many of the skyships fell into disrepair, and a great deal of the houses are made from reclaimed ship parts, or even just a chunk of a ship sealed off with a bunch of planks. Darmet's laws are lax, and they actively encourage sailors to engage in privateering against Etra if the opportunity arises. Darmet welcomes all, and many natives have made fortunes at sea, in business, or at the gambling tables, another luxury Etranians are forbidden. Many in Darmet struggle to eke out a basic living, but at least the whips of the Etranian masters don't fall on them. Darmet lacks many laws that most Etranians would be appalled to lose, such as religious restrictions and hygiene laws. No matter who you are, who you worship, or how often you bathe, Darmet will welcome you, if you can hold your own and know which alleys to avoid. Their "King" is beholden to the Council of the Wise, a 10-person group made up of learned merchants, spymasters, generals and admirals, and though he could technically overrule them, King Asher knows that going against the Council will go against the people. Port Dumask was set up as a middle-ground, to avoid direct trade between Etra and Darmet due to their rising tensions. As such, it has seen a golden age. Markets, ports, and sailors are the primary moneymakers for Port Dumask, and their leader, Eyra Sunborn, is adamant that Port Dumask will remain neutral in what is seen as a looming war between Darmet and Port Dumask. As a port town, Port Dumask is mostly commercial, with agriculture taking a back foot. While the drunkest, smelliest of Darmet's lowest classes might find a bucket of water thrown at them, by and large most are welcome, so long as they have coin or strong backs. The natives themselves come in two main varieties, Baresk and Lharask. Baresk are beastfolk, and as varied as the beasts they resemble. Morcosk, bear-men, stand up to 12 feet tall and live in moneyless communes, most notably Strong Valley. Morcosk hospitality is unrivaled, and all who can carry their weight are welcomed enthusiastically. Meanwhile, the Acrod are amphibious, poison-skinned chameleons who tip their spears and arrows with their own toxin, and think of strangers, at best, as a curiosity, and at worst, prey. Between those two extremes lie a whole host of beastmen. Lharask are shifters. They, too, are as varied as the beasts they can turn into. Sylthi, snake-shifters, prefer the desert of the Great Scar or the Southwestern Marsh, while Tenka, bird-shifters, tend to prefer forests or coasts. The Lharask, too, have many other types in between. If you've made it this far, and have any questions for me, or want to join, shoot me a message or reply here. Sessions 0 and 1 are free, and after that, it will be 5 dollars a session. Paypal is preferred.