Caladara - brainstorming

[TheStranger]

Caladara is my constantly-evolving homebrew setting, consisting primarily of a single continent dominated by an empire in which the various races are synonymous with castes within the empire. I've outlined the roles of elves, dwarves, and humans, but I'm not sure what to do with halflings and gnomes. And I'm always interested in other ideas, feedback, and improvements.

Elves:
Elves make up the Caladaran ruling class. Every elf is a landed noble in one of nine houses. They're not intended as a PC race in this setting, and they're mechanically different from PHB elves. First, they are immortal, and very few in number - a new elven child can be born only when an elf dies, though that is not general knowledge. Second, they are returned to their fey roots - otherworldly, mysterious, and alien. The politics of the elven houses reflect that; they are very nearly the politics of the fey courts, brought into the mundane world. As rulers, the elves may arbitrary or just, cruel or benevolent, but they generally hold themselves somewhat apart from the mundane affairs of their subjects. Still, they clearly have a vested interest in maintaining the existing power structure, and they work to maintain the overall power of the empire even as they strive to gain power relative to the other houses.

Dwarves:
Dwarves are the military caste in Caladara. They maintain isolated mountain communities in their ancestral homelands, but the bulk of the dwarven population serves the elven nobles as soldiers, guards, and police. Dutiful almost to the point of absurdity, the dwarves unquestioningly serve their elven lords in whatever capacity is required, and are the reason that such a small elven caste is able to maintain its rule over a vast empire. The stability of the empire rests on the continued loyalty of the dwarves, but the elves seem unconcerned, and history confirms that dwarven loyalty is unfailing.

Humans:
The most numerous race in Caladara, humans are also the lowest caste in Caladaran society, making up the ranks of farmers, laborers, and other unskilled or semi-skilled workers. Which is not to say that humans cannot be wealthy or successful, or that a given human cannot be extremely skilled in a given endeavor, but they are constrained by their caste, and many humans who attain some notoriety in Caladara do so through less-than-legitimate means.

So I'm not sure what to do with gnomes and halflings. Merchants? Artisans? Scholars? Leave one or the other out entirely? I think orcs, goblins, etc. will exist, but will be "savage" races that aren't incorporated into Caladaran society. It would be interesting to have gnomes as outcasts as well - maybe I'll do that.

Also, I'm toying with different ideas about why the castes are what they are. How did a small number of elves come to rule over the entire empire? Why do the dwarves serve them so loyally? Here are my current thoughts, although I'm not 100% satisfied with this.

The War, and the Bargain:
When the world was young, the dwarves were the first race to be created, and they were born with a love of stone and metal. While the other races still lived only in scattered settlements in the forests and plains, the dwarven clans grew powerful in their mountain homes. So when the elves came to Caladara, the dwarves were the only race that was ready for them.

Nobody knows who opened the gateway to faerie, but the elves poured through in great numbers. Strange and cruel, they hunted humanoids like animals, killing or enslaving any who opposed them - and those who tried to appease them, as well.

It was some time before the dwarves were roused to the defense of the other races, but when they did decide to oppose the elves, they were the first to do so effectively, and the other races soon learned from them. But the elves were many, and individually strong, and had powerful magic that the other races could not match. So the war raged on.

As the war continued, the dwarves saw their numbers dwindling, while a steady stream of elves continued to pour through from faerie. For a time, the dwarves were able to gain an advantage by committing more and more of their population to the battle, but they saw that they would lose eventually. So, without telling the other races, the leaders of the dwarven clans offered the elves a deal.

The elves would rule over Caladara, but they would do so in the manner of mortals. They would rule as lords, rather than toying with mortals as a cat with a mouse, and their honor would be measured by the prosperity of those under them. Their numbers would be limited, but they would enjoy unquestioned superiority over the other races. For their part, the dwarves would commit themselves and their descendants to upholding elven rule. If they failed, the bargain would end, and the elven invasion would resume.

The elves, not knowing how close the dwarves were to defeat, and assuming that no mortal race could keep such a bargain for long, accepted, on the condition that the dwarves not tell the other races of the bargain they had made. The greatest dwarven mystics and elven mages performed a ritual that mostly closed the gateway to faerie, so that an elf could cross into this world only when another elf died. The dwarven soldiers turned on their former allies, and aided the elves in building an empire.

Centuries passed, the empire grew to span an entire continent, and the war was forgotten by the shorter-lived races. The elves remember, of course, and the dwarves pass their burden down from generation to generation, so that each dwarven soldier knows that, should he fail in his duty, the world will be plunged into war.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Feedback? Criticism?

[Lord of Shadows]

An interesting scenario. I can see the problem of finding a purpose for other races. Some thoughts:

I'm not sure who is being referred to as the "shorter lived races" in the War story, but guessing that it must be Humans, Halflings and Gnomes. Although it is true that they do not live as long as Elves and Dwarves, there would likely still be a memory of Dwarves as traitors and as those who are not to be trusted. Why the Dwarves turned would be a great mystery. Some collusion between the Dwarves and the Elves would be a natural conclusion to draw, though as long as both Dwarves and Elves remain quiet on this it would stay a mystery.

There would also be those who secretly plot, scheme, and plan to overthrow their Elven lords. There probably have been many such plans over the years, some causing great concern to the Elves and some not. With their more powerful magic the Elves would probably know ahead of time about most underground movements.

Is there any race that is in direct opposition to the Elves? This could be the place for the Gnomes. Perhaps since the bulk of the Dwarven population has become mercenaries on the surface, this has opened up the deep places in the earth for occupation by the Gnomes. The intervening stone and other matter could possibly make it harder for Gnomes to be spied upon using magic, and so they live and work in relative peace from the top-worlders. This would also make their lands prime real estate for those who want to defy the Elves, although the Gnomes don't want a war, so they resist these advances publicly while making their own plans in secret.

As for the Halflings... perhaps their society was destroyed by the War and they now live in small clans that travel the lands, never staying in one place, doing odd jobs and crafting some items to sell, sort of a Gypsy lifestyle. They could also be spies and assassins. They are looked down upon by all the other races, except when they need a "dirty job" or something.

Is there a chance of any prophesy or foretelling that predicts the fall of the Elves? This is something that those trying to overthrow the Elven lords would grab on to, even if it was fabricated (such as by the Elves themselves, perhaps?). As Fey, there would always be someone working against them, whether it be mortal or other Fey who are jealous.

That's all for now...

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[Malachi Lemont]

Nice job on creating this world. I like how you subtly but tastefully subvert some of the standard expectations about fantasy worlds. For instance, I like the idea of Dwarves being somewhat respected rather than downtrodden. The rigid caste system sounds like it's ripe for tense situations to develop. I'd like to hear some more about individuals in this world who try to break out of their caste - and what kind of consequences they face.

If you're looking to add more levels of social stratification, perhaps there could be a priestly caste that is separate but closely related to the Elven nobility. You could also have some sort of non-noble landowners who manage the farms outside the city. Also, since the Humans are apparently the most numerous, you could emphasize the differences between the urban and rural human populations - Craftsmen vs. Farmers.

Really, there are lots of directions you could go with this, and any of them could be fascinating. I'm looking forward to seeing how this setting develops!

[Freddrick]

It sounds like you have a great setting, I hope your group treats it well.

For the Halflings I second the idea of making them Gypsies. I don't thihnk I can describe my ideas any better than ShadowLord did.

For the Gnomes have them be outside the caste system. The gnome are from a kingdom the Elves are about to conquer (gnomish innovation has managed to keep them at bay so far) and have sent an envoy to speak with the highest ruler to try and join the empire but as a city state. As such gnomes have not be cast into the system and are treated based on their actions and abilities but are treated as non people until they have established themselves.

What exactly are you not happy with about the history? and do you want us to keep it in spoilers so nothing is given away to potential players?

-Freddrick

[TheStranger]

Thanks for the feedback, let me respond to a few things.

First, to clarify my thoughts on the dwarves "betraying" the other races, I see them (and they see themselves) as having taken it upon themselves to make a tough choice to avoid total defeat. Maybe they didn't have the right to make that decision for the other races, but they were the only race with enough of a centralized power structure to see the writing on the wall and do something about it.

Also, it's the dwarves who are the primary enforcers of the caste system, although each caste might protect its own interests. The way the dwarves see it, the existing social structure is the only thing keeping the elves from hunting everybody like animals instead of ruling in a more or less benevolent manner. They consider it both a sacred duty to uphold their bargain, and a source of racial pride that they have kept it for so long already.

The thing I don't like about that history, though, is that it makes the elves unequivocally the villains of the setting. If I had a good reason for elves to be the ruling caste without having waged war on the world first, I might prefer that. At the moment, I don't have any ideas, though. (Don't worry about spoilers, BTW.)

Halflings always end up being the gypsies. I think I'll make gnomes the gypsies (just to be contrary), and put halflings as a merchant/artisan caste instead. I can't leave them both out of the caste system, because I want a strong "burgher" caste to keep humans solidly at the bottom of the ladder.

[TheStranger]

A note on half-elves:

Elves, due to the magic that controls their link to faerie, can only be born when another elf dies. Furthermore, the Lord of the Sun (elven king/emperor-type person) chooses which elves will be given the boon of having the next child, which boon is a frequent prize in elven politics. Or perhaps only the apparent prize, as the elf feints towards that, but aims at another goal entirely. Anyway, to prevent any accidental children, elves are expected to avoid any activity of the sort which might give rise to unsanctioned pregnancies. Compliance with this particular edict is far from universal, but a common penalty for unsanctioned children is that the parents are killed to make way for the child that would have been sanctioned. So elves frequently find... other outlets.

Glossing over the best part details, half-elves are common. Legally, they are humans; only a full elf is an elf. Some might be tacitly acknowledged by their elven parents and taken care of in some way, and others are welcome on at least the human side, but others find themselves shunned by both their elven and human families.

Physically, half-elves are identical to elves (which look like LotR movie elves), but live only a normal human lifespan. Later generations have progressively less-pronounced elven features, but the first generation takes strongly after the elven parent. However, true elves have a vaguely unsettling, otherworldly aura to them, a manifestation of their link to faerie. Half-elves lack this aura, so can seldom pass for elves around anybody who knows what to look for. Not that this stops some from trying, but it usually ends badly unless they have the foresight to magically replicate the aura (and then it usually ends badly, but not as soon).

[Freddrick]

The thing I don't like about that history, though, is that it makes the elves unequivocally the villains of the setting. If I had a good reason for elves to be the ruling caste without having waged war on the world first, I might prefer that. At the moment, I don't have any ideas, though. (Don't worry about spoilers, BTW.)

Consider this: The World was under assault from the Unseelie Fea instead of the Seelie Elves. Keep your ideas for the Dwarves joining the fight and realizing they are in a losing battle of attrition just like you have now. The Dwarves approached the Elves for a way to seal the portal and stop the flow of the Unseelie hordes. As part of the agreement the Elves get to be the kings and emperors, ruled by mortal laws, supported by the Dwarves. Should the Dwarves fail at their task the Elves can then rule as they see fit. After the portal was sealed the armies now lead by the combined forces of the elves and dwarves hunted down the remainder of Unseelie now trapped on this plane.

Unbeknownst to the Dwarves and Elves, the same magic that keeps a limited number of Elves on the plane also impacted the Unseelie the same way. The survivors have been regrouping, rebuilding, and recruiting to try and reopen the gate and start the invasion anew.

This way the Elves aren't totally evil, the Dwarves aren't betrayers and the humans still get crushed by the man.

-Freddrick

[Lord of Shadows]

First, to clarify my thoughts on the dwarves "betraying" the other races, I see them (and they see themselves) as having taken it upon themselves to make a tough choice to avoid total defeat. Maybe they didn't have the right to make that decision for the other races, but they were the only race with enough of a centralized power structure to see the writing on the wall and do something about it.

That may be how they see themselves, and how you see them, but you (and they) know "the secret," while all anyone else knows is that the Dwarves were helping repel these invaders until one day they turn sides and - as additional evidence for treachery - they are now the enforcers of the Elven rulers. Anyone who knows what freedom is, which these people presumably do since they were fighting the invasion, will see that as nothing but blatant, outright treachery. Some may have doubts about what the Dwarves and Elves are really up to, but I can't see people in general being very... "understanding" of the tough spot the Dwarves perceived they were in. Even if they were told "the secret," at this point they might not be convinced.


The thing I don't like about that history, though, is that it makes the elves unequivocally the villains of the setting.

Yup... they and their Dwarven bullies...


Halflings always end up being the gypsies. I think I'll make gnomes the gypsies (just to be contrary), and put halflings as a merchant/artisan caste instead. I can't leave them both out of the caste system, because I want a strong "burgher" caste to keep humans solidly at the bottom of the ladder.

One setting I worked on (see signature) has the Halflings as the Masters of the Seas, Buccaneers and Pirates. And also as experts at navigation since they are the only ones who can figure out the complicated tides (the world has 5 moons). And they are also Merchants, Traders, and Explorers. Just something to think about. Oh, Gnomes in that setting are mysterious arcane experimenters, divided into two groups, Aether (flying ships) and Nether (underground). Nothing much too exciting there for your setting, but the Halflings are interesting.


Consider this: The World was under assault from the Unseelie Fea instead of the Seelie Elves. Keep your ideas for the Dwarves joining the fight and realizing they are in a losing battle of attrition just like you have now. The Dwarves approached the Elves for a way to seal the portal and stop the flow of the Unseelie hordes. As part of the agreement the Elves get to be the kings and emperors, ruled by mortal laws, supported by the Dwarves. Should the Dwarves fail at their task the Elves can then rule as they see fit. After the portal was sealed the armies now lead by the combined forces of the elves and dwarves hunted down the remainder of Unseelie now trapped on this plane.

Unbeknownst to the Dwarves and Elves, the same magic that keeps a limited number of Elves on the plane also impacted the Unseelie the same way. The survivors have been regrouping, rebuilding, and recruiting to try and reopen the gate and start the invasion anew.

This way the Elves aren't totally evil, the Dwarves aren't betrayers and the humans still get crushed by the man.

-Freddrick

This is a great twist, especially if the Elven-Dwarven arrangement is not kept a secret, or at least is given a positive "Spin." There could have been a Grand Council (like the gathering at Rivendell) where the Leaders of the Free World agreed to seek help from the Elves against the Unseelie. The Dwarves were the most powerful/oldest/whatever of the free races and so were the ones selected to approach the Elves with the bargain: help us seal the portal and we will give you the Keys to the Kingdoms. The Elves were interested, but being too few to rule effectively they countered with wanting the Dwarves to become their "Homeland Security."

The caste system could be something that came along later, imposed by the Elves on the people in order to maintain "security." (After all, Tyranny often comes disguised as "Security").

The common people, meanwhile, initially were thankful for "The Deal," but are starting to have second thoughts as the Elves increasingly impose their will across the land backed up by the Dwarves, who are too honor-bound to the Elves to do anything about it (something the Elves undoubtedly realized would happen).

This portrays the Elves initially as saviors (the "Spin"), but then as the polish wears off the silver, so to speak, things are getting more unsettled.

Gnomes have been portrayed as Fey in some settings, perhaps they are the Unseelie in this world, trapped here now, some are evil and are trying to re-organize the conquest while others are just trying to get by, and may not be quite so "evil."

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[Alexkubel]

I can't help but compare the setting to one Dimension that my players took an different roll then normal, rather then trying to crush the foe, they accepted the fact they and the Dwarfs who they fought alongside could not win. Enter the Elves these where rebels, after some trade, specifically an Mp40 and some munitions along with some negotiation they managed to sort out what would amount to victory but the caste system that resulted, they knew they could not change, which is similar in structure to the one here.

the point of mentioning this is a suggestion: the Elves are actually the Traitors, they betrayed the other Fay with the deal, and this won the war.

[dancingfiend]

I think Alexkubel's suggestion works really well as it keeps the theme that the elves were the guilty party in the war while not being villainous, however it also explains why the elves need to stay on top.

If the elves where ever overthrown then the way to the fae would be open once more and then it would simply be domination rather than a few dickish leaders with a caste system, for as bad as the caste system is full out and out slavery would be much much worse.

It also means that there is little animosity between the elves and dwarves, the dwarves keep them in power because these elves need to be in power and the elves don't want the gate opened because then they loose their position inherent to being elves they have right now.

The only thing is you'd need to figure out if this is common knowledge or, how I think you actually want it, figure out why the elves and dwarves keep this pact a secret since rubbing this in peoples faces would be a pretty good justification for why they rule.

Perhaps the pact weakens the more know about it and the divide being made common knowledge would nullify it? The dwarves only know that a deal was made, but not the actual effect of the divide it created maybe?

It allows the dwarves to know and explains why they dont tell everyone what they did, if they had to explain how it would weaken the effect.

Just offering possibilities, it is your world you should remember you have the final say.

edit. just realized that you could say that for every person on this side that knows the terms of the divide, another elven life can be sustained, making even the pc's finding out what the pact was might bring an elf into the world from the other side they need to kill (possible adventure hook)

[TheStranger]

Thanks again for the help. I like the idea of two groups of elves/fey. However, I do want there to be some inherent conflict between the elves and the dwarves. I also like the idea that there's some question as to whether the dwarves' devotion to their chosen duty is noble or cowardly.

I think I'll use the seelie/unseelie idea to some extent. I'm also going to say that the bargain was made at a time when both sides underestimated their own bargaining power, and that all the races joined in making it.

So the new version goes like this: after many years of conflict, the mortal races collectively began to feel like they were fighting a losing battle. While they were holding their own, and even winning on some fronts, almost the entire mortal population was committed to the war, and they could not possibly replace warriors as fast as they were falling. Meanwhile, the fey were finding themselves unable to make progress, and the mortal forces were dangerously close to taking possession of the standing stones that allowed them free access from faerie.

This was the state of affairs when a delegation of fey calling themselves elves approached the mortal leaders with an offer. These "elves" were beautiful in appearance, and did not have the bestial traits that marked many of the fey. The elves claimed that they were a minority faction among the fey who held the mortals in higher esteem, and they offered a deal. They wanted to rule in the mortal world, but they would do it honorably, subject to the rule of law. They would assist in driving their brethren from the mortal world, and would protect against further incursions.

The mortals, though they were nearly certain that this was a trick of some sort, felt that the terms were mostly reasonable if they could hold the elves to them. So, amongst themselves, they chose the dwarves as enforcers of the bargain; their long lives and racial predisposition to duty made them ideal to ensure that the elves upheld their end of the agreement. And so the details were worked out, and the bargain was magically sealed.

Incidentally, it was not until later that the caste structure was enshrined in law. In giving the elves the authority to make law, the mortals had perhaps not realized how much they were giving up, or how rigid the law of the elves would be. But although there was a great deal of resentment, and even some open revolt, from the human and gnomish populations, the dwarves had no choice but to enforce the right of the elves to rule, and eventually they forced the other races to accede to the caste system.

This intentionally leaves a few questions unanswered:
- What exactly was the relationship between the elves and the other fey?
- What is the magic that seals the bargain? How does it work? Is it even real?
- Are the fey still a threat, or have the mortal races advanced enough to defend themselves?

However, I still need to decide what the in-setting knowledge of this history is. It's ancient history at best, so it's certainly not common knowledge. I'm inclined to think that the elves have encouraged a mythologized version of events and declared anything else to be heresy. In the elves' version, the world and the mortal races were created by the god Erun. Erun's brother, Maret, was jealous, and sent his servants, the fey, to destroy Erun's creation. It was then that Erun sent his servants, the elves, to preserve the world and serve as its guardians. But that needs more depth, so I'm turning it over to youse guys.

[Lord of Shadows]

- What exactly was the relationship between the elves and the other fey?

The easy answer is that the "Elves" are Seelie Fey... This assumes that in whatever "place" these Fey came from, the Unseelie outnumber the Seelie by a large amount. Perhaps the Seelie are even outlawed and hunted in that world, much the same as the Unseelie hunted the humans here, and sought escape.


- What is the magic that seals the bargain? How does it work? Is it even real?

I would imagine a "key" of some sort.. The Elves may have a great Relic (or perhaps Artifact if less divine influence is desired) that must be put into place in the Circle to activate it. I ran a campaign once where the party had to find a Quarterstaff and it insert into a hole in the center of a Circle to activate its magic. The Quarterstaff appeared normal in every way, except when examined by those who knew what to look for.


- Are the fey still a threat, or have the mortal races advanced enough to defend themselves?

Well, assuming that some "dark" fey were marooned on this side of the portal, they would have gone into hiding and be trying to subvert the bargain. Whether or not this world can defend itself could be the campaign arc for the characters to decide in the course of their adventures.


However, I still need to decide what the in-setting knowledge of this history is. It's ancient history at best, so it's certainly not common knowledge. I'm inclined to think that the elves have encouraged a mythologized version of events and declared anything else to be heresy. In the elves' version, the world and the mortal races were created by the god Erun. Erun's brother, Maret, was jealous, and sent his servants, the fey, to destroy Erun's creation. It was then that Erun sent his servants, the elves, to preserve the world and serve as its guardians. But that needs more depth, so I'm turning it over to youse guys.

Hmmm... A long time would have to have passed for that to become the "common knowledge" version. The near destruction of the world would be something that would reverberate across several generations that followed, despite the Elves rewriting of history. Even then, there would be legends and tales of a time gone by...

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[Alexkubel]

hmmm... interesting, it seems all to compatible with the world I used and based my suggestion off, meaning my players could find a plot arc in simply getting annoyed at the deal and/or some misunderstanding.

from my point of view, the other Fey would view elves as lesser, because they work with mortals.
I don't have a suggestion, in the Dimension my players went though they left before such bargains where struck.
depends, I am in favour of no, because the fey returning would be a big change.


One last thing, what allowed my players to actually change the course of battle, and make the Elves realise if they allied with the mortals they could still win. was the fact each bullet, each shell would cause irreparable damage to population of the fey, those that they slew could not be replaced.

[Malachi Lemont]

Once again, I like how this is coming along. I thought about making a similar setting that also has humans at the bottom of the ladder, but I thought it would be cool to put Dwarves at the very top for a change. I wanted to explore the idea of having multiple nations ruled by rival Dwarf families, who rely on the Orcs as their law enforcement. I'm not sure where the other races would stand in that case.

[TheStranger]

Once again, I like how this is coming along. I thought about making a similar setting that also has humans at the bottom of the ladder, but I thought it would be cool to put Dwarves at the very top for a change. I wanted to explore the idea of having multiple nations ruled by rival Dwarf families, who rely on the Orcs as their law enforcement. I'm not sure where the other races would stand in that case.

I don't know about the other races, but I love the idea of two orcs playing good cop, bad cop. Or an orcish police force riffing on CSI. Or the "loose cannon" orc cop that gets results so everybody ignores the trail of collateral damage a mile wide (hmm, that one actually makes more sense with orcs). Basically, inserting orcs into law enforcement tropes = win.

In my setting, I'm thinking the war was over a thousand years ago, maybe a couple thousand. More than enough time for it to be mythology, rather than history. The elves remember, and maybe the dwarves, but they're not talking.

But I would like some help from the playground with fleshing out the "official" version of events. I like my simple "rival brothers" mythology, but I want to add some depth to it (and I don't like it so much that I'll reject a better idea). I want to keep it close enough to the truth that it could conceivably be more or less true (which is why I intentionally didn't define the relationship between elves and fey). I'd like for it to form the basis of the setting's religion (which I also need to flesh out). And I'd like it to reinforce the idea that elven rule is benign, and preferably supported by divine right.

So, thoughts from the playground on elements I can add to the story of Erun and Maret? How about ways to flesh that idea out into a full-blown religion?

[Haldir]

A caste of peacekeepers is necessary in any society, but dwarves could fill the role just as well.

Make sure your elves are sufficiently bookish. They'd need lots of accountants and administrators to be the ones in charge of a bunch of different races.