Naanomi
2014-08-21, 12:00 PM
I am starting a campaign for some younger players (most are first time RPers), and after walking one (my son) through character creation I realized that some of the details of my 'normal' home-brew campaign were a bit complicated; so I am throwing together a more simplistic world for them.
In part of my world building notes, I thought about a simple system where I have one God associated with each of the 5e Domain might be good, though it does make some alignment issues with some of the Domains. Still, what do people think of something like this:
In the beginning, the world was formed by a singular and distant being called Qwi-Ay. Qwi-Ay made the world and shaped the races in it, and stepped back from his creation rarely interacting with it. However, while he was a being of perfect balance and harmony, he was dismayed when his creation was not so; but rather the races of the world lived in conflict and suffering, and were weak and unwise.
Qwi-Ay was confused and saddened by his creation, and sought to destroy it. However, although he laid waste to the civilizations of the world; parts of him rebelled against his actions. Eight pieces of his power split from him and sided with the young races of the world to drive back Qwi-ay; and upon seeing this conflict within him self he left the world; and his daughters rose to take his place as Deities in charge of his creation, ones with a more active relationship with the mortal races of the world.
The Eight Goddesses:
When Qwi-Ay first conceived of his plan to destroy his creation, a piece of him rebelled against the very idea. A voice in his mind told him that the idea of destroying what he had created was illogical, and that voice took form as his first daughter Nebee. During the war against Qwi-Ay; Nebee stood at his side and stayed his hand with argument and reason, attempting to end the conflict before it began.
Nebee is depicted as an impossibly old woman wearing stodgy scholar's robes. She is often said to be the Power closest to her father, and is often said to be a distant and emotionless power compared to the passion of her sisters.
Nebee teaches that all knowledge is sacred, and should be carefully preserved. She seeks to spread knowledge amongst all people; though she does understand that some knowledge is best shared only with those who would use it wisely and that some secrets must be kept secret for the safety of the world. She encourages her followers to seek knowledge for preservation, to teach everyone who would benefit from what they share, and to seek and cherish intelligence, contemplation, and logic above all things.
Nebee's temples are places of learning; generally libraries or universities. In nations where she is held in high regard, her temples may also be found in the heart of the bureaucratic centers of government. She does maintain a few secret temples, carefully hidden or in the deep wilderness, where tomes of forbidden and dangerous knowledge are preserved but also guarded.
Nebee's holy symbol is a tightly-bound scroll with a broken seal; her chosen weapon is the Quarterstaff.
When Qwi-Ay made the final decision to turn against his creation, his first step was to cast out the souls of the dead; whom he had previously guided through an eternity of cosmic contemplation. Somewhere inside, he was reluctant to give up that which was rightfully his; and this quiet possessiveness took the form of his second daughter Zevuh. She gathered the souls that had been turned away and quietly tapped their power, denying her father the resources and worship that had sustained him and his power for the conflict to come.
Zevuh appears as an old woman, generally in noble's clothing or ornate armor; and often shown engaged in merchant's craft with scales and weights or piles of coins. While somewhat muted in her emotion, she is prone to outbursts and tantrums when her plans go awry; as well as subtle laughter when a plan comes together.
Zevuh is both lady of the dead and mistress trade. Souls that find themselves undedicated to another Goddess on death find themselves having to barter with her; and likewise she expects her followers to seek advantage and control over others (living or dead), preferably through pawns and plots rather than directly. Those who find themselves under the power of another deserve their place, and she teaches there is no greater truth or ideal than seizing power and keeping it.
Zevuh's public temples are houses of the dead; mausoleums and graveyards. However, most of her real places of worship are secret places; hidden in basements or disguised as places of business; her cult acting as a secret society of nobles, power guild leaders, popular entertainers and the like.
Zevuh's holy symbol is two coins bound by a chain; her chosen weapon is the whip.
When Qwi-Ay first turned his power actively against his creation, a portion of his essence recoiled in horror at the destruction of the great work he had made. His third daughter, Pemai, was born of that love for the whole of his creation, and went into the world and turned back his power from destroying the world as a whole.
Pemai appears as an aging but spry woman in natural, simple clothes (often leather armor) and bare feet. She is positive and nurturing, if somewhat distant and serious; as if she has a great weight and responsibility on her shoulders.
Pemai is the protector of plants and animals. Some of her followers abhor civilization, seeing it as marring the natural beauty of creation. Most however take a moderated approach, protecting the deep and sacred places of the wild; but also fostering agriculture and responsible use of nature by civilized races.
Pemai is primarily worshiped in sacred groves and places of natural bounty, though sacred trees or springs (or similar natural features) in more civilized places are tended by priests more interested in farming than the forest.
Pemai's holy symbol is three bound acorns; her chosen weapon is the sickle.
With his daughters against him, Qwi-Ay was unable to unweave the world directly; so he was forced to create warriors and avatars to actively destroy his creation. As he marshaled his forces, a piece of his mind recoiled at the injustice he prepared to inflict upon his helpless creations. Tekoh was born of this sense of justice and fairness. She inspired the people of the world to defend against her father.
Tekoh appears as a stern, armored woman; often mounted on a horse or sometimes a dragon. She is passionate about her work; though tends more towards bitter and angry hatred towards evil.
Tekoh's teachings are simple: tolerate no evil or injustice in the world. Many of her followers are great champions of justice, seeking out great evil to fight and wrongs to right. Unfortunately, while many are dogmatic in their hunt for evil, there are some who take the approach inward: seeking evil and corruption in good folk as inquisitors and witch hunters feared by the people they seek to protect.
Tekoh's grand cathedrals are architectural wonders filled with stained glass and echoing with hymns and music to her glory. They are almost always in great population centers, and often serve as centers of justice as well as worship. Smaller temples are rare, but light houses are sometimes dedicated to the revealing eye of Tekoh and tended by priests.
Tekoh's holy symbol is a crystal eye; her chosen weapon is the lance.
When the first blow in the war was finally struck, the horror of what was actually happening finally struck Qwi-Ay and, for a moment, he wished to turn back what he had done. His desire to undo the harms that had befallen the world formed into the Goddess Theshay, who endlessly labored to keep the wounded alive and healthy and reduce the horrors inflicted by her father.
Teshay appears as a motherly figure in simple peasants clothes. She is often portrayed as emotional, a being of great joy and great sorrow at the triumphs and tribulations of all people.
Teshay loves all beings, and seeks to shelter, heal, and love all living things. She commands her followers to do the same, though many have difficulty truly loving or aiding the evil or unrepentant. She attempts to foster peace wherever she can, and her servants serve not only as healers but also diplomats and peacekeepers who prevent harm wherever they can.
Theshay is worshiped in small abbeys and monasteries, generally in places where peasants and farmers can frequent and receive help. They are places where wounds are tended, and the poor, orphans, or others in need are fed and clothed.
Teshay's holy symbol is an open and extended palm, her weapon of choice is the unarmed attack or net.
The people of the world resisted Qwi-Ay's armies and while there were many losses the Goddesses managed to hold the forces of their father. For one moment, he found joy in finding for the first time a true challenge; and this competitive urge within himself took the form of his daughter Chelah; who organized the world into armies and struck back against Qwi-Ay.
Chelah appears as a powerfully built young woman in heavy armor and armed with an enormous sword. She is sometimes called the laughing lady, as she is almost always manic and ecstatic in her love of conflict and battle; but despite this she is a brilliant tactician and fights with incredible skill, not unrestrained fury.
Chelah thrives on conflict of all kinds. She sees all things as conflict: us against them, me against you, no middle ground, no neutral parties. She urges her followers to constantly seek to improve their strength, and demonstrate it at every opportunity. While most of her followers focus on physical might, contests of intellect or social maneuverings are equally praised, so long as there is a clear winner and clear loser.
Many primitive or savage peoples worship Chelah in crude temples; but in more civilized places she often has small shrines dedicated to her on the remains of particularly vicious battlegrounds, or in places dedicated to gladiatorial combat or military training. The temples do not work together, but rather compete and even war against each-other for supremacy. Chelah wouldn't have it any other way.
Chelah's symbol is a shattered sword, and her chosen weapon is the great sword.
As his forces were turned back and his divine realm itself under siege, Qwi-Ay was confused. He chose to destroy his creation in part because of how weak it was in compared to his glory, but now it stood united against him and was defeating all he threw against it. This sense of confusion grew until it became his daughter, Reseh.
Resah is generally shown as an adolescent girl, sometimes playing at adulthood with provocative clothing. She is capricious and passionate in the extreme, prone to violent mood swings and is easily bored.
Resah has little in the way of formal doctrine. She only seeks to be praised and stave off boredom with spectacle. She is most often placated out of fear rather than actually worshiped; though some races or individuals see glory or power in aligning with her.
Resah has grand temples built in her honor, often in remote places of power such as mountaintops or volcanoes. Each temple is often in competition to outdo the grandeur of those around them, attempting to draw the favor of their fickle mistress.
Resah's holy symbol is crossed lightning bolts, her weapon of choice is the javelin.
Defeated by his daughters, Qwi-Ay decided to abandon his creation to them. As he prepared to leave into the deepest reaches of the cosmos beyond all mortal comprehension, he looked back and remembered for one moment the unbridled joy of creation; the marvel at the pure untapped and unshaped potential of the world he left behind. As a parting act of creation, he released this joy and it formed into his final daughter, Leboo.
Leboo is a consummate shape-shifter, preferring the form of animals to her own. She is most often portrayed as a young girl wearing mismatched clothes. She is always happy, even in the worst circumstances, but her sense of humor is juvenile and can turn towards the cruel if the mood strikes her.
Leboo has very few formal teachings, and beyond expecting her followers to enjoy life, experience many things, and never bind others there are no formal stipulations of worship. Still, her followers generally don't like seeing other people in bondage and will sometimes band together temporarily to break up slave rings or topple oppressive rulers. They are also highly protective of children, and nothing organizes the followers of Leboo better than exploiting or harming children where they can see it.
Leboo keeps few official temples, at best maintaining small shrines along roads for travelers to ask for blessings, or traveling places of worship on the backs of wagons traveling the world. The exception is places of gambling, which almost always maintain a permanent place of worship to the fickle Goddess.
Leboo's holy symbol is a gilded flower, her chosen weapon is the short-bow.
In part of my world building notes, I thought about a simple system where I have one God associated with each of the 5e Domain might be good, though it does make some alignment issues with some of the Domains. Still, what do people think of something like this:
In the beginning, the world was formed by a singular and distant being called Qwi-Ay. Qwi-Ay made the world and shaped the races in it, and stepped back from his creation rarely interacting with it. However, while he was a being of perfect balance and harmony, he was dismayed when his creation was not so; but rather the races of the world lived in conflict and suffering, and were weak and unwise.
Qwi-Ay was confused and saddened by his creation, and sought to destroy it. However, although he laid waste to the civilizations of the world; parts of him rebelled against his actions. Eight pieces of his power split from him and sided with the young races of the world to drive back Qwi-ay; and upon seeing this conflict within him self he left the world; and his daughters rose to take his place as Deities in charge of his creation, ones with a more active relationship with the mortal races of the world.
The Eight Goddesses:
When Qwi-Ay first conceived of his plan to destroy his creation, a piece of him rebelled against the very idea. A voice in his mind told him that the idea of destroying what he had created was illogical, and that voice took form as his first daughter Nebee. During the war against Qwi-Ay; Nebee stood at his side and stayed his hand with argument and reason, attempting to end the conflict before it began.
Nebee is depicted as an impossibly old woman wearing stodgy scholar's robes. She is often said to be the Power closest to her father, and is often said to be a distant and emotionless power compared to the passion of her sisters.
Nebee teaches that all knowledge is sacred, and should be carefully preserved. She seeks to spread knowledge amongst all people; though she does understand that some knowledge is best shared only with those who would use it wisely and that some secrets must be kept secret for the safety of the world. She encourages her followers to seek knowledge for preservation, to teach everyone who would benefit from what they share, and to seek and cherish intelligence, contemplation, and logic above all things.
Nebee's temples are places of learning; generally libraries or universities. In nations where she is held in high regard, her temples may also be found in the heart of the bureaucratic centers of government. She does maintain a few secret temples, carefully hidden or in the deep wilderness, where tomes of forbidden and dangerous knowledge are preserved but also guarded.
Nebee's holy symbol is a tightly-bound scroll with a broken seal; her chosen weapon is the Quarterstaff.
When Qwi-Ay made the final decision to turn against his creation, his first step was to cast out the souls of the dead; whom he had previously guided through an eternity of cosmic contemplation. Somewhere inside, he was reluctant to give up that which was rightfully his; and this quiet possessiveness took the form of his second daughter Zevuh. She gathered the souls that had been turned away and quietly tapped their power, denying her father the resources and worship that had sustained him and his power for the conflict to come.
Zevuh appears as an old woman, generally in noble's clothing or ornate armor; and often shown engaged in merchant's craft with scales and weights or piles of coins. While somewhat muted in her emotion, she is prone to outbursts and tantrums when her plans go awry; as well as subtle laughter when a plan comes together.
Zevuh is both lady of the dead and mistress trade. Souls that find themselves undedicated to another Goddess on death find themselves having to barter with her; and likewise she expects her followers to seek advantage and control over others (living or dead), preferably through pawns and plots rather than directly. Those who find themselves under the power of another deserve their place, and she teaches there is no greater truth or ideal than seizing power and keeping it.
Zevuh's public temples are houses of the dead; mausoleums and graveyards. However, most of her real places of worship are secret places; hidden in basements or disguised as places of business; her cult acting as a secret society of nobles, power guild leaders, popular entertainers and the like.
Zevuh's holy symbol is two coins bound by a chain; her chosen weapon is the whip.
When Qwi-Ay first turned his power actively against his creation, a portion of his essence recoiled in horror at the destruction of the great work he had made. His third daughter, Pemai, was born of that love for the whole of his creation, and went into the world and turned back his power from destroying the world as a whole.
Pemai appears as an aging but spry woman in natural, simple clothes (often leather armor) and bare feet. She is positive and nurturing, if somewhat distant and serious; as if she has a great weight and responsibility on her shoulders.
Pemai is the protector of plants and animals. Some of her followers abhor civilization, seeing it as marring the natural beauty of creation. Most however take a moderated approach, protecting the deep and sacred places of the wild; but also fostering agriculture and responsible use of nature by civilized races.
Pemai is primarily worshiped in sacred groves and places of natural bounty, though sacred trees or springs (or similar natural features) in more civilized places are tended by priests more interested in farming than the forest.
Pemai's holy symbol is three bound acorns; her chosen weapon is the sickle.
With his daughters against him, Qwi-Ay was unable to unweave the world directly; so he was forced to create warriors and avatars to actively destroy his creation. As he marshaled his forces, a piece of his mind recoiled at the injustice he prepared to inflict upon his helpless creations. Tekoh was born of this sense of justice and fairness. She inspired the people of the world to defend against her father.
Tekoh appears as a stern, armored woman; often mounted on a horse or sometimes a dragon. She is passionate about her work; though tends more towards bitter and angry hatred towards evil.
Tekoh's teachings are simple: tolerate no evil or injustice in the world. Many of her followers are great champions of justice, seeking out great evil to fight and wrongs to right. Unfortunately, while many are dogmatic in their hunt for evil, there are some who take the approach inward: seeking evil and corruption in good folk as inquisitors and witch hunters feared by the people they seek to protect.
Tekoh's grand cathedrals are architectural wonders filled with stained glass and echoing with hymns and music to her glory. They are almost always in great population centers, and often serve as centers of justice as well as worship. Smaller temples are rare, but light houses are sometimes dedicated to the revealing eye of Tekoh and tended by priests.
Tekoh's holy symbol is a crystal eye; her chosen weapon is the lance.
When the first blow in the war was finally struck, the horror of what was actually happening finally struck Qwi-Ay and, for a moment, he wished to turn back what he had done. His desire to undo the harms that had befallen the world formed into the Goddess Theshay, who endlessly labored to keep the wounded alive and healthy and reduce the horrors inflicted by her father.
Teshay appears as a motherly figure in simple peasants clothes. She is often portrayed as emotional, a being of great joy and great sorrow at the triumphs and tribulations of all people.
Teshay loves all beings, and seeks to shelter, heal, and love all living things. She commands her followers to do the same, though many have difficulty truly loving or aiding the evil or unrepentant. She attempts to foster peace wherever she can, and her servants serve not only as healers but also diplomats and peacekeepers who prevent harm wherever they can.
Theshay is worshiped in small abbeys and monasteries, generally in places where peasants and farmers can frequent and receive help. They are places where wounds are tended, and the poor, orphans, or others in need are fed and clothed.
Teshay's holy symbol is an open and extended palm, her weapon of choice is the unarmed attack or net.
The people of the world resisted Qwi-Ay's armies and while there were many losses the Goddesses managed to hold the forces of their father. For one moment, he found joy in finding for the first time a true challenge; and this competitive urge within himself took the form of his daughter Chelah; who organized the world into armies and struck back against Qwi-Ay.
Chelah appears as a powerfully built young woman in heavy armor and armed with an enormous sword. She is sometimes called the laughing lady, as she is almost always manic and ecstatic in her love of conflict and battle; but despite this she is a brilliant tactician and fights with incredible skill, not unrestrained fury.
Chelah thrives on conflict of all kinds. She sees all things as conflict: us against them, me against you, no middle ground, no neutral parties. She urges her followers to constantly seek to improve their strength, and demonstrate it at every opportunity. While most of her followers focus on physical might, contests of intellect or social maneuverings are equally praised, so long as there is a clear winner and clear loser.
Many primitive or savage peoples worship Chelah in crude temples; but in more civilized places she often has small shrines dedicated to her on the remains of particularly vicious battlegrounds, or in places dedicated to gladiatorial combat or military training. The temples do not work together, but rather compete and even war against each-other for supremacy. Chelah wouldn't have it any other way.
Chelah's symbol is a shattered sword, and her chosen weapon is the great sword.
As his forces were turned back and his divine realm itself under siege, Qwi-Ay was confused. He chose to destroy his creation in part because of how weak it was in compared to his glory, but now it stood united against him and was defeating all he threw against it. This sense of confusion grew until it became his daughter, Reseh.
Resah is generally shown as an adolescent girl, sometimes playing at adulthood with provocative clothing. She is capricious and passionate in the extreme, prone to violent mood swings and is easily bored.
Resah has little in the way of formal doctrine. She only seeks to be praised and stave off boredom with spectacle. She is most often placated out of fear rather than actually worshiped; though some races or individuals see glory or power in aligning with her.
Resah has grand temples built in her honor, often in remote places of power such as mountaintops or volcanoes. Each temple is often in competition to outdo the grandeur of those around them, attempting to draw the favor of their fickle mistress.
Resah's holy symbol is crossed lightning bolts, her weapon of choice is the javelin.
Defeated by his daughters, Qwi-Ay decided to abandon his creation to them. As he prepared to leave into the deepest reaches of the cosmos beyond all mortal comprehension, he looked back and remembered for one moment the unbridled joy of creation; the marvel at the pure untapped and unshaped potential of the world he left behind. As a parting act of creation, he released this joy and it formed into his final daughter, Leboo.
Leboo is a consummate shape-shifter, preferring the form of animals to her own. She is most often portrayed as a young girl wearing mismatched clothes. She is always happy, even in the worst circumstances, but her sense of humor is juvenile and can turn towards the cruel if the mood strikes her.
Leboo has very few formal teachings, and beyond expecting her followers to enjoy life, experience many things, and never bind others there are no formal stipulations of worship. Still, her followers generally don't like seeing other people in bondage and will sometimes band together temporarily to break up slave rings or topple oppressive rulers. They are also highly protective of children, and nothing organizes the followers of Leboo better than exploiting or harming children where they can see it.
Leboo keeps few official temples, at best maintaining small shrines along roads for travelers to ask for blessings, or traveling places of worship on the backs of wagons traveling the world. The exception is places of gambling, which almost always maintain a permanent place of worship to the fickle Goddess.
Leboo's holy symbol is a gilded flower, her chosen weapon is the short-bow.