This will be where all lore will be collected and available for everyone's quick reference. Feel free to ask questions. The thread will be stickied and this original post will be updated with info in bold. =============================================================================================================== GEOGRAPHY =============================================================================================================== Corvalun is a large landmass comparable to North America in our own world. It is inhabited by tribes of large framed, Norse like human warriors and traders; dwarves, a neanderthalic sub-human species and various tribes of giants. The continent is rugged and blessed with extensive amounts of resources. There are a plethora of dialects spoken here among the humans and neanderthals, dwarves and giants each speak one dialect per race. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <> Vorkalis <> is the name of the major continent housing Essandir and Volungrod , as well as other, less powerful nations. It is a wealthy kingdom with extensive experience in dealing with Volish invaders, having turned them back 20 years ago, and is well aware of the future threat to it's borders. There is a begrudging respect between the Volish and the people of this region due to their past skirmishes. Essandir is a land of forests and fog, probably best described as a combination of Arthurian England from legend, Martin's Westeros and a High Elven homeland that defies discovery when it's rulers so desire. In this land, there are 2 human dialects and a degraded form of another - think Cockney street urchin, and a single Elven tongue. This is a nation, not a continent - it borders Volungrod to the west. Volungrod is a land whose human majority is aooressively represented, as demi-humans are considered to be the source of all financial and moral corruption. It is a nation gearing up for war in the most full fledged way imaginable. It's possible that even a couple overheard words of a non-human tongue here could lead to imprisonment or worse. The ruling body of Volungrod has traditionally been a two pronged body, a High Marshal chosen by a popular vote and a parliamentary body of representatives from all regions throughout the nation. In the past, the two acted as a balance; each keeping the power of the other in check. Nobles are occasionally representatives, but normally they choose to work behind the scenes, sometimes through puppet officials. After the defeat suffered in the last incursion, when High Marshal Vekri was deposed, noble families began to distance themselves from the governing bodies and take action privately to continue the practices begun under Vekri. Many continued to strengthen their private forces and estate guards, as well as host gatherings of those who held to Vekri's philosophies on what constituted a strong Volungrod, all the while doing so under the promise of returning the former High Marshal to power. They put sympathetic candidates in office and fostered unrest among the general populace until there was rioting in the street calling for the release of Vekri. When these maneuvers paid off and Vekri was freed, he found himself hosted and feasted throughout the circles of Volish nobility in a whirlwind campaign designed to bind the new authority figures, the wealth of the nobility and the network of intelligence agents now in place to the Volish Imperial cause. The High Marshal always had been possessed of greater than normal arcane abilities, but his imprisonment seemed to have kindled an even greater talent for sorcery, matched by an even fiercer hatred for non-humans than before. He gathered those most loyal to his message to him and placed them in positions of trust and power, until he had his heel on the throat of the nation. Which brings us up to speed on the current governmental climate - the nation is a dictatorship with delegated lesser authorities (usually military governors of outlying areas). ============================================= Durlindon - farthest northwestern nation, borders Essandir and Talzun. The Durlin are a seafaring people who trade extensively with their neighbors and the dwarves to the north; they even have trade settlements on the coast of the borderlands. The people who settled here were once Norse-like explorers from across the sea who found the area to their liking and mixed with the native tribes here. Their economy is based on timber outfits, fishing, some farming and a fair amount of mining. Durlins are knowns as loyal friends and dedicated soldiers, having sent troops for the defense of Essandir in the first Volish incursion. >>>>>>>>>>> Talzun - surrounded by the sea to the west and south and Durlindon, Essandir, Coasgrin and Arilvon on the east and north, this nation is a widely varied melting pot of cultures and traditions. It's said that if it exists under the sun it can be found in a Talzun bazaar. Talzuni citizens are an accepting lot, seemingly without a prejudiced bone in their bodies. In the great, open outdoor dining squares of Talzuni cities, it's a common sight occurrence to see northern savages dining with orcs, elves, halflings, Servari Knights or even local nobles. The economy of Talzun is bolstered by prosperous trade; exports include fabrics, wines, leathers, livestock, weaponry and skilled artisans for hire. >>>>>>>>>>> Arilvon - the southernmost nation on this continent, bordered to the north by Talzun and Volungrod. Swamplands, bogs and rocky shores dominate the southern portion of this nation, with mining being more prominent further inland. Many Arilvonians turn to soldiering or raiding abroad as a source of income. It is no secret that this nation has received several envoys from the Volish seeking to enlist them in the war effort. >>>>>>>>>>> Coasgrin - is a middling nation surrounded by neighbors on all sides, the most important being Volungrod, due to the previous incursion that led to Volish occupation. The Coasgri people hold to a strong code of honor and greatly resent their oppression. They have a farming based economy and breed huge herds of the continents best livestock. >>>>>>>>>>>> Pasovin - this nation shares over half of it's border with the sea, but has the misfortune to have a fair portion of it's lands touching the Volungrod border. The kingdom is widely known as an artist's paradise, as the crown encourages and in some cases even patronizes craftsmen and women. They are an ally of Volungrod and as such have benefited greatly from the military build up in the last couple years. Pasovin exports all forms of weaponry and armors, as well as a fair amount of alchemical powders and oils. >>>>>>>>>>>> Servari - a landlocked nation with a strong military tradition and home of the Servarin Knights. This nation stood alone in it's struggle against the eastward looking forces of Volungrod during the last war. It's economy is based in mining, farming and breeding of livestock. The Servarin border is maintained by a system of keeps and forts that issue patrols and fiercely resist any Volish trespassing. >>>>>>>>>>>> Medikus - large, easternmost nation - neutral and resistant to any overtures from either side in the Volish war. This kingdom hopes to remain removed from the struggle and thus avoid any losses, but has sadly underestimated the greed and dedication of the Volish host. They have long relied on the strength and kindness of their Servarin neighbors to protect them. Militarily, this nation is weak, but does have a sizable navy. >>>>>>>>>>>> Borderlands - this region north of Essandir and Volungrod is disputed by orc, ogre, barbarian and goblin tribes. It is home to many abandoned ruins that played major roles in the history of the continent, but has no real economy to speak of, barring trade settlements scattered across the map. Well traveled adventurers tell tales of a large underground town within the confines of the Great Wildwood deep in these lands, where all races gather under a truce agreement for festivals and holidays. >>>>>>>>>>>> Zhambrud - northernmost land on the continent, dwarven kingdom. The industrious dwarves of this land work both above and below the surface, excelling at all fields of commerce. This kingdom is both wealthy beyond belief and steadfast in their support of their allies to the south, Essandir and Servari. The dwarves of Zhambrud are widely accepted as the finest heavy infantrymen on the continent and are often sought after as mercenary soldiers during times of peace. >>>>>>>>>>> <> Tenasa <> is a vast continent that legend says is home to the mythical "city of black glass". It's huge jungles, serpentine rivers and smoldering volcanoes surround an incredible number of tribes of humans, elves, halflings, half-orcs, and a wide variety of the more savage races. Of note on this continent are a southern tribe of halflings who resemble Polynesian islanders, a death worshipping elven culture that resembles ancient Egypt and the human city state empire of Varezel , along the north western coast which would best be compared to ancient Carthage. The number of languages spoken on this continent is staggering. Tenasa - this is a very large continent of lush jungles, towering mountains, burning deserts and churning rivers. On the maps available to you and in the books on the subject that you've managed to get your hands on, you've seen that the north and northwest portions of the continent are dominated by deserts, a sizable mountain chain and the savanna that are split by between the two major nations of Varezel and Thigryt. Progressing southward carries you into the great central jungle and the multitude of tribes and peoples who continuously raid and battle for dominance over their neighbors.The interior jungles are a mixing pot of every manner of people found on the continent; human, halfling, half-orc, orc, goblin, and every twisted form of humanoid that thrives in such warm climes. Legend has it that civilization had it's start among these dark lands in the age when dragons still soared high above on leathery wings and were regarded as gods, and the more adventurous historians and explorers who travel these lands claim to have seen the ruins and remnants of these once great cities and kingdoms deep within the jungles. Varezel - this powerful kingdom is named for the foremost of it's city states. It is the jewel of Tenasa, being the wealthiest, strongest militarily, most progressive politically and culturally and most active in trade with other nations. The Vareze are a proud people, and answer all challenges to their honor, but they are not a conquest minded nation; preferring to fight their wars only in defense of themselves or allies. The types of magic practiced in Varezel tend to harken back to the days of old when man first formed pacts with the spirits and natural forces of the world. Thigryt - the other true power on Tenasa, this kingdom traces it's lineage back to before man can claim he first stood upright in the southern jungles. The elvish people of Thigryt are a dark, richly tanned people, bearing little other than their slight build, pointed ears and almond shaped eyes with the other elvish peoples. It is whispered that their ancestors who settled on this continent formed an unholy alliance with the serpent folk who ruled the continent then and perhaps took that alliance a bit further if the strange reptilian traits that appear occasionally in their offspring are any indication. Regardless of the oddity of the blood which courses through their veins, the religions observed in Thigryt are more than enough to make any outsider question the sanity of the Thigrytian people. Death, chaos and the stars are all worshiped here in the many forms that their followers have chosen to embody them. Due to their long lives, many of the Thigrytians elect to go to their graves prematurely; being sealed away in huge, elaborate tombs while still alive. Along the south and southwestern coasts and in small pockets of walnut brown halflings, called Abjubri , who adhere to simple primitive lifestyles; dwelling in huts, longhouses and caves. They are a friendly, peaceful folk who rarely rely on strength of arms to settle disputes, but in times of need they have proven quite handy at such skills. They greatly revere their ancestors to the point of building large stone images to appease them. The Abjubri raise large herds of the squat, hardy breeds of cattle and sheep that can be found in the southern parts of the continent and make an annual harvest-type trip to the southern human port of Murikrim to trade and acquire the items they can only get through trade in the large market there. Finally, the most well known feature of the continent of Tenasa may not even be real. The oldest books on the region speak of a city of evil, beings who discovered some way to harness and control the power of the many volcanoes in the area and were served by large, winged apes. They were said to have built a vast, beautiful city of black, volcanic glass in the heart of the monstrous crater in the heart of the Ashlands . How they were able to master such instability and heat is unclear, but scholars say that the coastal tribes tell legends of them finding and imprisoning the sun god in the very crater he had fallen to earth in after battling his sister, the Moon's lover, Salohi, or "Darkest Heart". They claim the beings who ruled the city of black glass were servants of Salohi and that on certain high holy days they would have great ceremonies and rituals where thousands of neighboring tribesmen and women would be driven to the temples by the winged apes and sacrificed on profane altars slick with the blood of innocents.Legend says that these unholy rites went on for a thousand years before a strong enough chieftain arose among the jungle tribes to lead a sack of the city. The area in question lies too far into the interior for anyone to have explored it enough to verify or disavow the tales. <> Pelmgrin <> and <> Semgrin <> are our north and south pole continents, respectively. Nothing, beyond the fact that they are both huge landmasses in extremely inhospitable seas, is known about them. The oldest sages claim that they were mentioned in the texts once found in the royal library of Malongrik before the destruction that swept away most of the world's civilization. The tomes mentioned them as home to the "Dragon Gods of the Sun & the Night", but nothing else is known. <> Oseera <> is what would be considered our lands from Italy through Japan, including Turkey and Russia. There are races and languages of every type here; including a nation of elves who hold to Asian cultural lines, Russian style dwarves, Arabic halflings and all forms of humans and half-breeds. There number of languages is without number here, as are the tribal disputes. Oseera, this is a region that hasn't been fully fleshed out on paper yet, but does have several characteristics I can share with you. Probably the most interesting fact about the lands of Oseera is that there is no dominant race. There are areas that fall under the rule of a certain type of people, such as the western deserts and foothills which are ruled by various tribes of halflings, who tend to run counter to their easy going cousins in other parts of the world. These halflings, known as the Foutri, have mastered sea travel and trade along the western routes and have several port cities and settlements peppering both Khontruin Bay and the southern lands of Oseera. Moving both east and north, we encounter lands whose ownership is always in dispute. The Pantour Mountains are home to lesser clans of both humans, dwarves and mongrel races of mixed blood. For the most part, these territorial disputes are mostly a begrudging verbal argument when paths cross, since survival in the heights of the mountains requires the cooperation of all. Further northwest are the lands of the Khaushir Dwarves, who are surface dwelling, warlike clans who resemble smaller versions of our own primitive Khossack tribes. These militant clans tend to battle with their neighbors to the east, the Oseerian elves. The number of these long lived, mysterious people are dwindling and that fact is not helped by the hostility of their dwarven neighbors. The lands of the elves are extensive on this continent and span several varieties of territory; mountains, jungles, northern forests, swamps, northern steppes. The one thing that each of the regions has in common is the ancient style of Oseerian architecture the elves once excelled at. Their large temples and walled cities can be found in unusual, desolate spots now that make one question the reasons behind their original creation. Added 10/18/2014 - <> Humerndin <> is a centralized continent with only 4 real nations on it; two of which are major powers. Rogalia, a huge theocracy (based on the consolidation of power among one body representing several faiths) ruled with the aid of a complicitous military wing, and Lhaz-Umir, a land of ancient cultures fallen into decline. The two have been enemies for more than 400 years, with Rogalia launching holy wars against the former empire with the goal of the eradication of any practicers of the forbidden magical arts. The strategy was successful enough to drive any with even the faintest of talents to go into hiding to prevent capture by church sanctioned units of "witch hunters". The relations between these two nations have changed since the involvement of Rimalgran Roth and his tendency to challenge and counter church power where ever he may find it. Due to the hostility, 4 secure structures were established as sanctuaries for the advancement of the magical arts. They become the repositories of vast libraries, powerful artifacts and lore that hadn't been seized by the armies of the church. Mages, witches and sorcerers travel to these "Eldritch Citadels" for research and tutelage in the various disciplines. Church opposition to these repositories has been fierce - even going so far as to lay siege to them and execute traveling scholars they were able to capture. Not daring to face the mages in outright battle, the adopted policy seems to be to blockade trade routes and try to starve them out of their towers. As mentioned earlier, the greatest of all opponents of the church is the sorcerer, Rimalgran Roth. Especially noteworthy about this is the fact that Roth's family is highly regarded and well placed within the church's military arm. His father distinguished himself in the Witch Wars waged against the Tenassan desert colonies and was a natural choice to head the most recent crusades against Lhaz-Umir. He had great success there as well, until he met and fell in love with the daughter of a local sultan, who - fate would have it - happened to be the most powerful scion of one of the ancient witch families he'd been sent to destroy. When he discovered who his beloved was, he resigned his position and returned home to the family holdings with his new bride. Shortly thereafter, they were blessed with a son in who the blood of old ran strong. Their son, Rimalgran, was born as the most powerful mage to walk the earth since before the Godswar. Due to their service to the church, the Roth family holdings were home to the largest collection of confiscated lore, artifacts and magical writings outside the Eldritch Citadels, and the young Rimalgran had access to them. His power grew at an amazing rate and the family struggled to keep the secret of his talent around visiting church officials. With the constant exposure to church corruption, Rimalgran grew to hate it and the oppression that came with it everywhere church teachings were presented. He became a vocal and fiery advocate for those suffering church tyranny; even breaking one of their blockades of a Citadel. He continues to fund and advise opposition to the church when his travels and research allow, but he has recently begun to explorations of an unknown nature, visiting ancient temples, shrines, tombs, ruins, vaults and other obscure locations. =============================================================================================================== >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> =============================================================================================================== Dragons are relatively unknown in the current age. There are the occasional rumors of sightings, but they tend to come from far flung regions of the world and from sketchy sources. There are a lot of different views on dragons, but the real story on them did not survive the devastation of the Godswar; no one is certain if any dragons survived that conflict at all. There are legends that say that dragons were the actual creators of the world and that they became the first gods of this world. Rumor has it that the two polar ice caps were once continents ruled by civilizations who worshiped dragons who made their home there, but no one has been able to substantiate this. Entirely too much knowledge was lost during and in the time since the Godswar to be certain of anything about the great wyrms without further exploration. ++++++++++++++++ The fey world will be accessible through spots scattered across the face of the prime material plane where the boundary between this world and it is stretched particularly thin. The weak points will have been mapped in the past so it stands to reason that the information was put down in writing by some sage, probably even made up part of a classical education in institutions where the sorcerous arts were taught. The downside of that is that the knowledge is no longer so common. =============================================================================================================== Gods ===== The gods of this world live in a celestial realm that touches the prime material plane and allows contact between these beings of great power and their worshipers. They are a particularly aggressive type of being, though, and have a long and bloody history of conflicts that have spilled over into the mortal world. They correspond with the pantheons and gods of the same name in our own world. The pantheons are: ====================== Aztec Babylonian Celtic Egyptian Greek/Roman Norse ==================== AZTEC - ==================== Metztli -The moon Mictlantecutli - death Mixcoatl - war Patecatl - healing Ometeotl - creation Quetzalcoatl - life, king of the gods Tlaloc - storms Tlaltecuhtli - earth Xiuhtecutli - time Xochiquetzal - pleasure =================== BABYLONIAN =================== Anshar - darkness Anu - king of the gods Dahak - dragon of death Druaga - devil king Girru - fire Ishtar - love and war Marduk - storms Nergal - ruler of the underworld Ramman - thunder ======== CELTIC ======== Arawn - death Brigit - fire & poetry Dagda - king of the gods Diancecht - healing Dunatis - mountains Goibhnie - blacksmithing Manannan Mac Lir - the sea Morrigan - war Nuada - war Oghma knowledge =========== EGYPTIAN =========== Anhur - war Anubis - death Apshai - insects Bast - cats Horus - vengeance Isis - magic & fertility Osiris - nature Ptah - Opener of the Ways, creation Ra - king of the gods Set - evil & darkness ======== GREEK ======== Aphrodite - love & beauty Apollo - the Sun & music Ares - war Artemis - the hunt Athena - wisdom and combat Dionysus - wine Hades - death & the underworld Hecate - magic Hermes - thieves & gamblers Zeus - king of the gods ======= NORSE ======= Aegir - storms & the sea Balder - beauty & charisma Bragi - poetry & song Forseti - justice Frey - sunlight & the fey Freya - love & fertility Heimdall - the bright guardian Hel - death Loki - mischief & strife Magni - strength Modi - courage & berserk rage Odin - king of the gods Thor - thunder, battle Tyr war =================================== ===================================== ===================================== ========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================== World Specific Characteristics (House Rules) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Kobolds and Goblins take the form used in AD&D 1st Ed., Ogres take the form portrayed in D&D 3.5 2) The healing rule for rest is as follows: an 8 hr uninterrupted rest yields 1hp/lvl + your Con. modifier healing. 3) The roll of a natural 1, instead of a fumble, results in opening yourself up to an attack of opportunity from all foes within range. 4) The skill of weaponcrafters can greatly improve the quality of a weapon's damage and critical damage modifier. It is possible to find weapons with critical modifiers of 3, 4 and in the rarest cases 5x. 5) Dwarven Mithril Armor is of such exquisite craftsmanship that it renders it's wearer immune to piercing damage; bludgeoning damage does only 1/2. 6) Wands, Rods and Staves - These come in a variety of forms.Divine and Arcane casters may use magical items of the other type at the cost of a spell slot of the same level as the spell the item casts. For example, a mage could use a wand of cure moderate wounds but it would cost him a 2nd lvl spell slot because CMW is a 2nd lvl divine spell. It is also possible to use items that cast spells are already known at the same cost; allowing you to cast them in cases where they are needed but you haven't prepared them. 7) Items that grant boosts to caster level are available; their strength ranges from an increase of 2 to 4 caster levels. 8) Upon reaching 10th lvl a player can petition the local ruler, in an area where he or she has distinguished themself, to acknowledge the player's service to the region and honor their request to establish a stronghold, holdfast, keep, tower or even a simple manor within the borders. If found worthy, the player will receive a grant of land as a reward for their efforts.
