The World of Interra

[Zaydos]

So I've decided to work on a setting that I can get invested in and maybe run some pbps in it (thinking about one focusing on the Sublime Way and maybe another at the moment). And I've decided to post what I've got made in a rather "You only slept 3 hours last night" haphazard move.

I will be dividing this into "History", "Planar Cosmology", "Kingdoms", and "Races" at the beginning, giving each their own post, but as what I have will not fill a single post I will also be using these posts to extend things later.

So feel free to ask questions, and poke at things to get me to fill in gaps.

[Zaydos]

History

The Ages of the World: There are four, known, ages of the world of Interra. The first was the Age of Dragons, long ago ended, spoken of and remembered only by dragons and some truly ancient races (the illithids, the aboleths, outsiders). The second was the Age of Power, where in a humanoid race, now extinct, rose up against the dragons and destroyed them. This race left behind many artifacts, and more common magical items, and was said to be a race of great skill with magic and artifice; some legends claim that they attempted to invade or colonize Heaven en masse and the gods split them into elves and dwarves for their hubris, whatever the truth the means of their demise is unknown and predates the development of humanity on Interra. The third age is known now by humans as the Age of the Old Races, and by others as the Age of the Old Kingdoms, and was dominated by the Old Kingdom of the Elves and the dwarven empire of Karavin which between them divided the world in two. The third age came to an end with the fall of these two great empires, and the rise of humanity and the deep races, the orcs and goblinoids, to a position of relative power. The fourth age, or modern age, is the Age of Mankind where human powers wax as elf and dwarf wanes.

The Fall of Karavin and the Old Kingdom of the Elves: At the end of the Age of the Old Kingdoms, the two greatest kingdoms of dwarves and elves respectively fell. Karavin had fought the deep races for generations and when the deep races were united and their aberrant overlords at their forefront the dwarves of Karavin finally fell to them. In 0 A.F. the Last Emperor of Karavin fell in battle against the Five Wyrms, him and his bodyguards slaying two, but unfortunately being brought down by the remaining three. A succession crisis followed as the crown prince was assassinated during the battle, and the direct line of emperors broken. As political factions came to a head, the press of the deep races grew greater. While interim emperors were elected, none was ever wholly approved by the Council of Sages and one after another stepped down as unfit for the challenges of the day, and over the course of the next hundred and fifty years of bloody warfare, Karavin crumbled. The deep races swept across the surface of Interra, raping and pillaging as they went. The Old Kingdom of the Elves stopped them in the west, but the Old Kingdom was already sick and dying and the battles against the deep races were the final nails in its coffin.

The Old Kingdom burned with civil war and the Kinslayer Wars began where in the races of elves once united under the Grand King who ruled all the myriad races of elven kind. The Grand King died of poison. His twin daughters died soon after in a bloody coup at the hand of the forces of Vorgar the Red, wood elven former slave-gladiator. At the end of the Kinslayer Wars, the elven leaders came together and swore the Pact of Common Blood, a solemn oath that never again would elf war against elf, but where once they had held everything south of the Narin Valley and west of the Varson River now there were simply not enough elves to control such an empire and the humans, once second-class citizens of the Old Kingdom prospered out of their shadow. The winged elves and the moon elves were reduced to mere hundreds, the wood elven homelands were burnt and razed to the ground by the former deep races now known as Orc and Hobgoblin and they returned from warring with their kin to find a greater war waiting, the gray elves, once considered the wisest of all and the core of the great houses of the Grand Kingdom fared little better than the winged elves, moon elves, and wood elves numbering a mere 1012 by their own reckoning. Most of the old elven subraces ceased entirely to be; the once proud coast elves lasted only until 1014 A.F. before the last coast elf was gone and they lived on only in the blood of other elves and through their half-elven descendants, and the once famed and feared blood elves who had formed the backbone of the army which had finally stopped the deep races’ westward sweep had been exterminated save a few of their daughters during the Kinslayer War. From these once distinct subraces forced now to breed with each other or die completely have come the Common or Low Elf (i.e. standard high elf) of the modern world.

The Wyrmlord: Within living memory of the fall of Karavin was complete (year 153 After the Fall), and the Kinslayer Wars were ended (108 After the Fall), one of the Five Wyrms which had along with the aberrations led the deep races to the surface slew the only other surviving of the Five Wyrms and most of their draconic allies. This wyrm then formed the deep races and enslaved giants, humans, and elves into a powerful military force and swept across the world. For a time the Wyrmlord ruled the entire world, as no army remained strong enough to oppose its forces, but the Wyrmlord was slain by a group of heroes. While these heroes died fighting the forces of the Wyrmlord after its death, the Wyrmlord's kingdom quickly crumbled as its armies turned on themselves or returned home.

The Rebellion of the Iron Rose: Not all history is made upon the Prime. As the deep races rose up, and the Age of the Old Kingdoms came to an end, on the Plane of Faerie one of the archfey did the unthinkable. The fey are ruled by a system of intractable rules and codes, known to them instinctively, and absolutely unbreakable; the most well known example is a dryad's dependence upon her tree, but a dryad is a lesser fey partially of the mortal world and less stringently bound than most. Among the rules which all fey must abide was the sanctity of the king. No fey could directly oppose or harm the King of Summer and Winter outside of a few paths. That was known instinctively by every fey throughout Interra and the Plane of Faerie. Yet, one archfey, known as the Knight of the Iron Rose, murdered the King of Summer and Winter, poisoning him with dusted iron and, leading an army of mortals with weapons and armor cold forged, declared himself the new King. None of the fey could accept this usurper as King, no more than a computer could disobey its programming, and they rallied their forces against the Knight. Thus did the Knight of the Iron Rose earn his new names, the Murderer Tyrant and the Rulebreaker. The Knight and his forces fought for years upon the Plane of Faerie, the whole plane covered in vicious warfare. His mortal followers, after generations upon the plane of Faerie became creatures not true fey and not mortal, new species of Faerie and changeling. In the end, however, the Knight of the Iron Rose found his armies routed, his forces driven back one by one, and head yet unbowed he fled the Plane of Faerie, an act lethal to the archfey who were so tied to it... and yet he survived and prospered upon the Prime.

[Zaydos]

Planar Cosmology:

No Plane Shift. Planar Travel limited.

14 Elemental Planes: These planes can be reached by an Elemental Shift spell (5th level for Druids, 7th for Sor/Wiz). Planes: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Dryness (Air + Earth + Fire), Dust (Air + Earth), Ice (Air + Water), Magma (Earth + Fire + Water), Metal (Earth + Fire), Ooze (Earth + Water), Smoke (Air + Fire), Steam (Fire + Water), Storm (Air + Fire + Water), Wood (Air + Earth + Water).

The Ethereal Plane a.k.a. the Spirit World: More thoroughly inhabited than in standard cosmology. Accessible with Ethereal Jaunt, etc. Inhabited by spirits, whether genius loci, or spirits of families, communities, kingdoms, etc, or emotions, possibly even dream spirits (quori) and the like. Certain powerful spirits have their own demiplanes where they are practically gods.

The Plane of Faerie: The world of the Fey, ruled by the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Each noble’s land has its own laws and rules reflective of its ruler. Conterminous to the Prime and the Ethereal. The Plane of Faerie is not conterminous to the Plane of Shadow. Should it be conterminous to the Planes of Ideals? Perhaps certain fiefdoms are to certain Planes of Ideals? Fey cannot be raised as undead.

The Planes of Ideals: 8 or 12 Planes, scholars disagree upon which, divided into the 4 Border Planes of Ideals and the 4 or 8 True Planes of Ideals (or Deep Planes of Ideals). Each of the Border Planes is conterminous to the Prime, but not each other, and is a reflection of the Prime and a corresponding alignment (Good, Evil, Law, Chaos). The Border Planes can be reached by a 4th or 5th level cleric spell with the appropriate alignment descriptor and a 10 minute casting time; 6th or 7th level for Sor/Wiz. The True Planes of Ideals are more distant from the world and are said to be the ultimate source of the ideals they represent and the true home of outsiders. The only mortal spell that can freely reach into one of these planes and allow mortals to enter is Gate, but there exist a lesser spell Enter Divine Realm (Cleric only; 6th level) which allows a cleric to enter their patron deity’s realm and it is possible to physically leave from there given said deity’s permission. Scholars argue whether there exists only 4 or 8 of these planes, one of Good, Evil, Chaos, and Law, or one for each of their combinations and purity. Outsiders from these planes cannot be raised as undead. Mortal creatures without a corresponding Aura of Alignment find themselves losing part of themselves, losing everything but that one pure alignment, going crazy as on the Plane of Good they lose the ability to cause harm to anything else (even by say eating a plant) or allow harm to come to anything else breaking down when confronted with a situation where not doing one would do the other, on the Plane of Law becoming incapable of variation, on the Plane of Chaos becoming incapable of coherence, etc. Even those paragons of alignment able to resist the effects of the Border Planes find themselves affected by such outside of the realms of a god that chooses to protect them. The true planes of Ideals are strange and varied worlds, alien to man. The True Planes of Ideals are occasionally reachable through the Border Planes (in addition to through Enter Divine Realm) through naturally occurring portals. Archfiends are capable of having divine realms much as gods, and may ultimately be identical in their fundamental natures. The Blood War exists in setting as the lawful and chaotic fiends fight over control of the Border Plane of Evil since it is their belief that control of it will be reflected on both the Prime and the True Plane of Evil; should it become Lawful or Chaotic such ideologies will spread across the Prime and the Plane of Evil.

The Plane of Shadow, a.k.a. The Shadow World a.k.a. The World of the Dead: Conterminous to the Prime with an equivalent conterminous to each of the Elemental Planes. The Plane of Shadow lies between the Prime and the Plane of Death like the Border Planes of Ideals lie between the Prime and the True Plane of Death. As such many portions of the Plane of Shadow have the minor or even major Negative Energy Trait. It is possible to enter the True Plane of Death from the Plane of Shadow; this realm is deadly even to those normally protected from death effects and negative energy and even undead may succumb to its negative powers. Even those that survive such find their will to live sapped from them. A creature which enters this way may find the soul of a dead creature and restore them to life by dragging them back to the world of the living.

Resurrection and the World of the Dead: Resurrection magic while possible it dangerous. There is a chance that anyone brought back from the dead will come back twisted and wrong (thinking about having this be a thing that PCs get plot armor against, or at least the worst part) permanently infused with the essence of the World of the Dead. Sometimes this manifests as an affinity for shadow or negative energy (Shadowcaster, Dread Necromancer, Tomb Tainted Soul) that is sometimes passed on to their children, other times it is something far worse as their very soul is twisted and corrupted by the event. In addition magic can only drag a soul so often from the world of the dead. People can rarely, if ever be resurrected more then two or three times. Revivify and similar magic does not count as it restores the dead before their soul can truly leave. Of course great heroes have been returned more often than their allotted times, as their equally great companions physically stormed the World of the Dead itself and pulled their souls back with determination and strength. Thinking about removing the level loss from resurrection but adding a hard cap to the number of times it can work; 2 or 3 times. With the big advantage of True Resurrection being that it can cap break an additional 1-3 times. What do you think?

Ghosts: The monster created by the ghost template functions slightly differently. It comes in two versions. One, created when a dead creature's spirit is of such strength that it remains within the Spirit World not feeling the call of death, is Deathless but otherwise functions normally. The other is created when a dead creature's spirit yearns such to remain upon the world that it ends up trapped partway on the Plane of Shadow and still partially existent upon the Prime; often caused by violent death and tragedy. Driven mad by the tearing of their soul caused by this, these ghost invariably become evil. They function normally but instead of existing upon the Ethereal and manifesting on the Prime, they exist on the Plane of Shadow and manifest on the Prime.

The standard Outer Planes and the Astral Plane do not exist.


Gods and Religion

Due to the nature of spirits in the setting, Interra tends more towards animism. It is possible to be a Cleric of Karavin, though the Spirit of Karavin is broken and deranged since the fall of the empire, or of Invern, or of many extant kingdoms in the setting. It is also possible to be the cleric of a long lasting royal, noble, or important family, as well as a large/important natural feature. Archfey and archfiends as well are practically gods in their own right, and with archfiends the distinction may be simply in the way they are considered by mortal races. Some sages speculate that the gods are just transcendent spirits. Whatever the truth functionally gods and spirits have some major differences. Gods never dwell upon planes conterminous to the Prime, where great spirits dwell within demiplanes nestled in the Spirit World, and spirits are geographically limited. A cleric of a great spirit may lose their ability to prepare spells if they go too far from that spirit's sight of power on the Ethereal Plane and can never prepare spells on one of the planes of ideals. A cleric of a god is not so limited, although they may not prepare spells on a Plane of Ideal whose alignment opposes their god's. Clerics of archfiends function identically to a cleric of a god in these regards, while clerics of archfey cannot prepare spells on a Plane of Ideals which does not border their patron's realm in the Plane of Faerie or on the Plane of Shadow, and may be geographically limited as a cleric of a great spirit but more archfey exist with geographically extensive power bases than great spirits. Notable great spirits include the Spirit of Invern, which has the ability to grant spells to its priests anywhere on the known world perhaps because the city's trade houses have their fingers everywhere, the Spirit of Karavin, which is broken and mad and once could do the same deed, and the Spirit of Vargon, which is possibly the single greatest geographical feature of the continent. Like in many things the Knight of the Iron Rose is the most notable archfey in this regard, he is able to grant clerics spells across the whole world and, as the Rulebreaker, he alone is able to grant his priests spells in the Plane of Shadow. Any cleric casting spells in their patron's personal realm sees their caster level increased by 2 and when preparing spells in such a realm prepares spells as a cleric one level higher although bonus spells gained this way may only be cast within their patron's realm (their fiefdom for archfey, personal world for Great Spirits, or their deific realm for deities); deities tend to frown upon visits from their clerics for the paltry reason of gathering more power and have been known to give priests who abuse this facet atonement quests or other sanctions (archfey tend to care less).


The Gods and their Portfolios


Sunako
Known as the Shield Maiden, Sunako is considered the bravest of the gods, and according to legends stands as the first line of the gods against the Outer Darkness and whatever exists within. As a deity Sunako values courage, honesty, and the willingness to give of yourself for the good of others.
Portfolio: Self-sacrifice, protection, heroism, courage.
Alignment: Lawful Good. Sunako does not accept non-Good clerics, but does count Chaotic Good clerics and paladins of freedom in her service.
Followers: Knights, soldiers, and heroes of all stripes.
Domains: Law, Good, Protection, Courage (SpC), Endurance (BoED).
Holy Symbol: A spear drawn within a shield (traditionally a flat top kite shield in design).
Favored Weapon: Longspear.


Tarobasu
The Sellsword or the Pact Keeper, Tarobasu is the god of mercenaries, contracts, treaties, and even sometimes the concept of nations. Despite being an orderly god, he is the god of war as well, known too as the Keeper of the Battlefield. Tarobasu values reliability and the keeping of one's word, but also a certain amorality, with a willingness to do whatever is needed to keep the Pact.
Portfolio: Pacts, Treaties, Contracts, National Borders, Mercenaries.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Followers: Mercenaries, international merchants.
Domains: Law, Pact, War, Commerce, Army (see spoiler below).
Holy Symbol: Scales balancing blades.
Favored Weapon: Longsword.

Army Domain:
Granted Power: 1/day as a standard action you may create a Blessed Warding, you and all allied creatures within 20-ft of you gain a +1 sacred bonus (if your deity is good/neutral) or profane bonus to saving throws per 5 levels of cleric (minimum +1, max +4) this effect lasts 1 minute.
Spells:
1st: Bless
2nd: Mass Snake’s Swiftness
3rd: Prayer
4th: Mass Shield of Faith
5th: Mass Fire Shield
6th: Blade Barrier
7th: Fire Storm
8th: Mass Charm Monster
9th: Mass Heal



Kraythos
The Bloodthirster, Kraythos is god of bloodshed, murder, senseless battle, and predation. Kraythos is presented as part beast and part man, often a wolfman but the animalistic aspects vary from presentation to presentation but is always a predator. He relishes any violent conflict, and is said to grow stronger whenever a creature dies as a result of the intentional action of others. Kraythos values willingness to fight and kill, and personal power.
Portfolio: Bloodshed, bloody deaths, predators.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
Followers: Berserkers, murderers, orcs.
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Destruction, War, Animal, Wrath (SpC).
Holy Symbol: A bloody claw mark ringed by spear wounds (or dots).
Favored Weapon: Greataxe.


Izfort
Known as the Strong and the Perfected One, Izfort is the god of self-perfection, and physical prowess. As a god, Izfort is known as the physically strongest of the gods and empower those who seek to better themselves to noble ends. Izfort values physical prowess, self reliance, and self improvement.
Portfolio: Strength, athletic competitions, physical perfection, self-improvement.
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Followers: Athletes, warriors, rangers, barbarians.
Domains: Chaos, Good, Strength, Competition (SpC), Pugilism.
Holy Symbol: A fist surrounded wrapped and bound by a red cord.
Favored Weapon: Greatsword or Unarmed Strike.

Pugilism Domain:
Granted Power: You gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and gain improved unarmed damage based on their level as indicated in the table below (the damage is either lethal or non-lethal).
1st-4th: 1d4 (1d3 if small)
5th-8th: 1d6 (1d4 if small)
9th-13th: 1d8 (1d6 if small)
14th-18th: 1d10 (1d8 if small)
19th-20th: 2d6 (1d10 if small).
A character with this domain and the Superior Unarmed Combat feat (see Tome of Battle) uses the damage based on the feat or as a cleric with this domain at 4 levels higher. A shaman with this feat counts as a shaman two levels higher for unarmed damage. A monk uses either his monk unarmed strike at +2 levels or his cleric unarmed strike at +2 levels.
Spells:
1st: Fist of Stone (SC)
2nd: Balor Nimbus (SC)
3rd: Girallon’s Blessing (SC)
4th: Divine Power
5th: Righteous Might
6th: Bite of the Werebear (SC)
7th: Withering Palm (SC)
8th: Unyielding Form of Inevitable Death (CM)
9th: "Izfort's" Crushing Hand
With the pugilism domain I chose spells that aided grappling (balor nimbus), increased your base combat power (divine power, righteous might), gave you natural weapons (girallon’s blessing, fist of stone, bite of the werebear), or performed some unarmed style feat. Withering Palm just seems like a martial arts movie ability, and Crushing Hand is simply a giant hand that squeezes and pushes your enemy. Finally Unyielding Form of Inevitable Death turns you into a big metal dude with a signature attack called fists of thunder and lightning. The name of the domain is a little incorrect, it is made for all unarmed combats perhaps especially grapplers and most of its abilities cannot really be used in boxing.



Sashara
Called the Gatekeeper, Sashara is the goddess of boundaries, passage, and proper positions. In this role she serves as a goddess of death and is said to personally guide each soul to its final rest. As the goddess of boundaries Sashara has no love of magic which revives or animates the dead, only granting such to her clerics in time of great import. She also has final verdict on whether a dead soul can be revived. She shows favor to those who support the social order and maintain things in their proper place.
Portfolio: Boundaries, passage, death, social castes.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Followers: Nobles, judges, gate guards.
Domains: Repose, Travel, Law, Community, Nobility.
Holy Symbol: A (pad) lock with no keyhole.
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff.


Zelpharin
The Soultaker, the Lord of the Undead, the Grand Lich, Zelpharin is the god of necromancy, undeath, and black magic. Zelpharin is a dark god devoid of mercy and sentiment, depicted as a half-rotten corpse. He demands power and sacrifice from his worshipers, empowering those whose actions increase his own power and influence. He is said to know every secret of necromancy ever discovered by mortal mage, learning it from the whispers of their dreaming minds. He favors those whose ambitions lead them to seek out his power, granting his knowledge in exchange for their servitude and sacrifice.
Portfolio: Necromancy, undeath, black magic, magical knowledge.
Alignment: Neutral Evil.
Domains: Death, Magic, Evil, Undeath, Knowledge
Holy Symbol: A broken and empty hourglass.
Favored Weapon: Dagger.


Antor
The Writer Chance, the Fate Breaker, the Fickle Lord, Antor is known by many names and many titles, but in all one thing remains true, he is the god of Luck, of chance, and any random factor. Antor is a moody god known for fickleness and great swings of favor; jovial one moment, he is angry the next. He is, however, a god quick to forget slights (by the standards of the divine), and whose anger can easily be supplicated and turned to favor which is itself easily lost. Even his clerics feel the fickleness of his favor and find their bestowed powers to fluctuate in strength seemingly with random chance clerics of Antor with a (cleric) CL greater than 1 must roll 1d3 each day when they prepare spells; on a 1 they suffer a -1 to CL for the day, on a 3 they instead gain +1 to CL (this does not affect the highest level spell they can cast or spells they can prepare). He favors those who take risks, who choose bold action over the safe route, who try new things, and enter into the unknown with nothing more than their own power to see them through, Antor refuses to reveal the future and will not grant spells that do so without strong cause. He is also the patron and protector of foxes and killing foxes bring his ire, any creature which kills a fox suffers a -1 penalty to saves and AC, or loses any luck bonuses to saves and AC they possess, for 1d8 hours. Antor has a great love for his sister and wife, Iralae.
Portfolio: Luck and Chance, the mentally ill.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Followers: Gamblers, explorers, some warriors and thieves, those who tend to the insane.
Domains: Chaos, Luck, Courage, Madness, Trickery.
Holy Symbol: A fox head (depiction), especially white with blue eyes.
Favored Weapon: Scythe.


Iralae
Night's Mother, the Unheard Whisper, Mother of Orphans, the Lady of Misfortune, all of these are titles for Iralae, even if the last is spoken only in hushed curse. Iralae is goddess of thieves, of loss, tragedy, and patroness of orphans and especially street urchins. Iralae both rewards and punishes greed, encouraging and testing those who suffer that vice, rewarding them until they overextends themselves disastrously. Like her brother and husband she is a goddess who encompasses contradictions, serving as patron of those who have suffered from her administrations. She shows favor to those thieves, those who have suffered great personal loss, and those who show kindness to orphans.
Portfolio: Thievery, vengeance, tragedy, loss, greed.
Alignment: True Neutral.
Followers: Thieves, orphans, seekers of wealth.
Domains: Trickery, Greed, Suffering, Darkness, Spite.
Holy Symbol: A wounded eye crying tears of blood, typically presented just as an eye with a slash through it and tears in the corners.
Favored Weapon: Sap.


Atama Ii
Known as, among other titles, the Keeper of Knowledge, and the Collector of Stories, Atama Ii is the god of knowledge and wisdom. Presented as appearing to those who are gifted with visions of the deity as reflections of their own self, always the same race and gender as the viewer, Atama Ii is a deity to whom knowledge is valued above good and evil. Atama Ii is the patron of scholars, sages, and story tellers, and a heterodox order believes that Atama Ii values well crafted fiction equally with fact.
Portfolio: Knowledge, stories, intelligence.
Alignment: True Neutral.
Followers: Psions, mages, sages, scholars, bards, story tellers.
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Meditation (ECS), Mind.
Holy Symbol: A book within a book.
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff.


Throrl
Called the Craftsman, the Soulforger, and the Grand Smith, Throrl is the god of craft, art, and construction. Favored by the dwarves, Throrl is not exclusively their god, and was popular even within the Old Kingdom of the Elves. As a god Throrl abhors senseless destruction and aggressive warfare, working always to instead create something new and wondrous. Throrl values those who create, whether art, tool, or weapon of war, even if it is only a metaphysical creation.
Portfolio: Creation, craft, art.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Followers: Smiths, artisans, artists.
Domains: Law, Good, Artifice, Metal, Community.
Holy Symbol: An egg splitting open.
Favored Weapon: Warhammer.


Thoravir I
The First Emperor, Dwarf-made-God, the Founder of Karavin, the Great Lawmaker. Thoravir I was the first Emperor of Karavin, and his act and the adoration of the generations that followed have given rise to a god which bears his name and may or may not be the great Emperor. Thoravir I is the patron god of dwarves, save for the duergar, for at one point all dwarves have been within his empire. He is even worshiped by humanity for his role as the Great Lawmaker, and their long time within his empire. Thoravir I values honesty, honor, loyalty, following the law and tradition, especially the traditional way of life for the dwarves.
Portfolio: Law, just rule, dwarves, the Karavin Empire and those states descended from it.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Followers: Dwarves, former inhabitants of the Karavin Empire, primarily rulers and the nobility.
Domains: Law, Good, War, Dwarf, Nobility.
Holy Symbol: The old seal of Karavin (a stylized axe and hammer crossed over a sunburst).
Favored Weapon: Dwarven Waraxe (with weapon familiarity) or Battleaxe (without).


The Possibly Gods and their Portfolios


The Hungry Void
Nameless save for its title, the Hungry Void is considered by many not to be a god, but merely a force. The Hungry Void is said to dwell within the true world of the Dead, though none have ever survived attempting to enter it. The Hungry Void is seemingly mindless and hungry, a personification of entropy, destruction, and death. Clerics of the Hungry Void cannot revive the dead; they may still animate the dead.
Portfolio: Death, destruction, entropy.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil. The Hungry Void has no Chaotic Neutral clerics.
Followers: Cultists. To follow the Hungry Void is to sacrifice the world for power.
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Destruction, Death, Entropy (FCI).
Holy Symbol: Five circles in a pentagram within a sixth.
Favored Weapon: None.


The Source
Scholars tell of a great source of all magic. Raw and untamed, it is said to be held at the heart of reality, a place beyond the Faerie World like the True Planes of Ideals are beyond the Border Planes. Its priests claim this source, or as they would refer to it The Great Source, is a God Beyond Gods who is responsible for the existence of the entire multiverse. It's detractors claim that the source of magic is simply a kink in the rules of reality potentially useful when guided by humanoid minds but potentially dangerous to all reality. Those priests who worship the Source as a god have been able to draw magic from it by following the rituals of its worship, yet it cannot be communicated with, cannot be reached with magic to enter its domain, and shows no signs of favor or disfavor other than this endowment of power to those who follow these rituals. The Source does not have Clerics, instead all Archivists draw power from it and use the Divine Archivist variant below.
Portfolio: Magic.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral? Not Applicable? The Source's "clerics" may be of any alignment (Chaotic aligned Archivists have a full aura of chaos).
Followers: Mages.
Domains: See above.
Holy Symbol: A 10 pointed star.
Favored Weapon: None.

Archivists in setting do not have the Dark Knowledge class feature. Instead they gain a domain spell slot of each level and 1 of the following domains at 1st level (including domain power), gaining another at 6th, and 12th level, and gaining any domain at 18th level. They automatically learn spells from these domains and may prepare them, with the exception of Anyspell and Greater Anyspell, in non-domain spell slots without need of their Prayerbook.

The selectable domains are: Chaos, Magic, Rune (they gain Skill Focus (Linguistics), as a bonus feat to replace the redundant Scribe Scroll), and Spell.


Tiamat
The Mother of All Evil Dragons as she is called by humans, Tiamat is seemingly a goddess but dragons do not recognize her as anything more than a powerful ancestor spirit, rejecting her as a full fledged deity. Some dragons go further, actively condemning Tiamat for remaining in the world as a spirit, and further condemning her for playing the role of goddess, strangely the vilest dragons condemn her for having so little pride and ambition as to play that role. Tiamat values the will to power, ambition, sacrifices made in her name, and above all else devotion.
Portfolio: Dragons, dragonbloods, ambition.
Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Followers: Dragonbloods, non-true dragons.
Domains: Law, Evil, Dragon, Destruction, Greed, Pride, Trickery.
Holy Symbol: 5 Headed Dragon.
Favored Weapon: Heavy pick (Bite).


The Unborn Gestalt
Dragons see themselves as entities the equal to the gods if not above them, yet they will willingly bend themselves in worship of one entity that which they call the Unborn Gestalt. According to dragons, this Unborn Gestalt is the souls of all dragons yet to be born. In this role it represents all of the various breeds of dragonkind, even breeds not yet born. Humanoids occasionally worship the Unborn Gestalt, but it has never been known to show aid to an entity without the blood of dragons within them. The Unborn Gestalt favors creation, and those acts which improve the lot of dragonkind.
Portfolio: Dragons, fate, creation.
Alignment: All. Clerics gain an Aura of any alignment they possess. Only dragonblooded or dragon creatures may be clerics of the Unborn Gestalt.
Followers: Dragons, dragonbloods.
Domains: Law, Good, Chaos, Evil, Creation, Fate (SpC), Dragon, Oracle, Time.
Holy Symbol: Six draconic heads in a spiral.
Favored Weapon: Sickle (Claw).


Major Spirits

The Spirit of Karavin
Shattered like the Empire it represents, the Spirit of Karavin no longer allows its priests access to its Spirit Realm. Even with the Empire shattered it remains strong, powerful, mighty among spirits, but despite its power the Spirit of Karavin is no longer sane. It answers the calls of the dwarves who founded its empire as well as its shattered mind can but no longer does it serve perfectly. Even so its priests are still common within the Shattered Kingdoms where its power is equal to that of any god. The Spirit of Karavin no longer answers calls or replies to its priests save through bestowing spells upon them.
Alignment: Formerly Lawful Good. It now has clerics of any alignment. Those who are Good gain an Aura of Good, those who are Lawful an Aura of Law.
Domains: Law, Good, Dwarf, Community, Protection, Earth.
Holy Symbol: The old seal of Karavin (a stylized axe and hammer crossed over a sunburst).
Favored Weapon: Dwarven Waraxe.

[Zaydos]

Kingdoms

Dividing the World into Four: The world is sometimes divided into: the West, where there was once the Old Kingdom of the Elves; the East, which was once the heartland of Karavin; the North, the smallest region as the land curves west for its northern half and once part of Karavin; and the humid South, part Karavin, part old kingdom, and part those jungle kingdoms which had forever remained separate.

Invern: Founded when Karavin and the Old Kingdom of the Elves were both still at their height, Invern was the first great human city. Profiting from the old rivalry between elves and dwarves, the city flourished, built between their great nations upon age old ruins. After the Shattering of Karavin and the implosion of the Old Kingdom, Invern looked at first like it would suffer, but the Merchant Lords came to it and, with their great wealth bought the city from the Last King. These Merchant Lords then set themselves up as the High Lords of Invern, and made it the capital of their growing commercial empire. To this day Invern remains their hub of trade and commerce across the continent of the known world, situated upon the mighty river Varson that threatens to bisect the continent as it stretches from the Great Northern Sea almost to the southern coast, and almost at the center of the known world. Now known as the Great City, Invern is the largest and most prosperous city of the known world, with a powerful navy and the capital of an empire in all but name due to the manipulations of the High Lords whose wealth and influence steer and control the nations of man and the old races.

The Shattered Kingdoms: In 0 A.F. the empire of Karavin, the old dwarven empire which all dwarf holds across the known world had recognized with fealty, was brought low by a confederation of their traditional foes. Although Karavin had stretched throughout the upper underdark beneath most of the continent, it was in the Karav Mountains that it had been most prominent. The deep races, first and foremost the orcs and goblinoids, led by their overlords, the aboleths, the illithids, and a cabal of dragons including that which would come to be known as the Wyrmlord, rose up from beneath the dwarven empire after centuries of ceaseless warfare and finally shattered it. Such was the power and prestige of Karavin that before its fall dates across half the world were traced by their relation to its foundation (Imperial Year 0) and that even the elves now trace time by its fall (A.F. Years, or After Fall). The Shattered Kingdoms is the collective name for those kingdoms that were once Karavin’s western edge and which still remain in the hands of dwarven kind many still claiming to be the true heir of Karavin and bearing its name. The Shattered Kingdoms are predominantly dwarven, though some maintain strong presences of other races and one is even ruled by a human line of kings who claim that Karavin must become truly an empire of all races to reach its former glory.

Yul-thir: One of the three largest of the Shattered Kingdoms, Yul-thir exists purely beneath the others. Deepest of the subterranean Shattered Kingdoms, Yul-thir is the deepest remaining (non-duergar) dwarven country, penetrating into the Lower Underdark itself. Yulan is a harsh country, which relies upon its rich adamantine and mithral mines to trade with the surface for food, and mercenaries to defend itself from the orcish hordes which surround it. Yulan is 'ruled' by Admorik the Odd, whose 'eccentricity' has led to him being regulated primarily to the role of figurehead, while the Council of Elders manages the day by day matters of the kingdom. The Council of Elders consists of the heads of the most powerful churches in the kingdom, as well as the heads of the most powerful mercantile families. Since they ceased control of the bureaucracy from Admorik the kingdom has stabilized after his earlier neglect, but more and more the law favors the powerful.

Arathmor: The largest of the Shattered Kingdoms, Arathmor rallied around one of the cousins of the Last Emperor as the orcish hordes pillaged across the remnants of Karavin. Arathmor was a powerful province of Karavin, noted for its powerful Academy of Arathmor once the premier magical academy in the Empire. With the Fall of Karavin the Academy was pillaged and ransacked, but King Glarifon I gathered the survivors of the Academy and led them in guerrilla warfare for 30 years until his death when his son, King Galthane I, took the reins of the resistance. Two years after the end of the Kinslayer Wars in 110 A.F., after almost 80 years as a general, Galthane was finally crowned and the kingdom of Arathmor officially formed growing around the only dwarven citadel to have weathered the war never taken by enemy forces. In the centuries which have followed, Arathmor has served as a unifying force in the Shattered Kingdoms. In the early days Arathmor served as an ally and source of aid to the dwarven people who strove to reclaim the loosely held western Karav mountains. As time passed it moved to a more aggressive stance, claiming to be the only true remnant of Karavin since it alone had weathered the war unconquered and that the other Shattered Kingdoms should yield to its rule. Arathmor has mellowed, relying instead upon its combination of military might, large territory rich in natural resources, and the power of the mages of its academy to remain the preeminent country in dwarf-held Karav.

Destroyed during the Karavin Wars, the Academy was rebuilt in 87 A.F. Both Glarifon I and Galthane I were students in the academy before its destruction, beginning a tradition that the royal family train there for at least a decade of their youth. Even those who lack magical talent are taught the basics in the Academy, and this tradition continues to this day. In the height of Karavin, Arathmor trained the Rune Mages and Countermages of the Empire, but following its reconstruction its curriculum was expanded. The Academy was also divided into four sections: the College of War Magic, the College of Rune Magic, the College of Counter Magic, and the College of Lore. While the heir apparent is trained primarily in the College of Rune Magic, the College of Counter Magic is traditionally led by the king's personal protector and the calling of second sons. King Thorifane III made a controversial decision when called in to select the new Archmage of the College of Counter Magic, selecting one of the two mages being considered for the job as his personal protector and the other as the archmage.

Thunderfang: A southern holding close to the trade city of Invern, Thunderfang is a powerful city state. Built around a vein of dragonbone iron, named such due to legends as to its origin and its affinity for magic to create or protect against harmful energies, the city of Thunderfang rose up after the fall of old Karavin. On the western border it was quickly recolonized by hill and plains dwarves who had gathered in Invern, the Merchant Lords providing aid in exchange for exclusive trade treaties on the order of (human) generations. While these exclusive trade treaties have long since ended, Thunderfang still trades heavily with the human city. The mountain overlooks one of the main passes that leads directly to Invern, meaning that much of the perishable food grown in the fertile west passes through the lands controlled by the city-state. Even so, Thunderfang is often struggling. Its control of Ruron's Pass gives them a flow of wealth in the form of tariffs, but also has caused friction with the lands to the east. Thunderfang is ruled by a single chief magister elected once every 17 years, drawn primarily from its wealthiest merchants and craftsmen. 2 years ago its magister, Durig Shieldhewer, was executed for gross corruption when it was found that he had been channeling funds from the treasury into a variety of private holdings, but unfortunately a large amount of these funds could not be tracked down leaving Thunderfang economically troubled.

Darhek's Mountain: East of Arathmor, Darhek's Mountain began as one of the dozens, hundreds of freeholds which sprouted up following the reclamation of the western Karav mountains. Like many places Darhek's Mountain fell to the deep races during the Karavin War, but it was one of the first to recover. When the orcs and goblinoids besieged the fortress-town its leader (later crowned King Lughan I) made a deal with the Faerie Lord Ophiliotis who rules the corresponding mountain in the Faerie World. Ophiliotis offered the people of the mountain sanctuary within his realm for 112 years, in exchange the Lord of Darhek's Mountain was to give his firstborn child to Ophiliotis as a 'knight' for 112 generations. With heavy heart Lughan agreed to the terms and the bargain was struck. Lughan's people learned to work Faerie Silver while within the Faerie World, and there they reforged their arms and armor. Striking from the world gates that Ophiliotis formed the people of Darhek's Mountain fought back against the deep races and drove them away, and in 88 A.F. Lughan was crowned the first king of Darhek's Mountain. Since then it has maintained its relationship with the mountain fey, Lughan's line giving their firstborn to the Mountain King Ophiliotis and in exchange keeping the fey lord's favor and assistance in times of war. The people of Darhek's Mountain, largely dwarves and gnomes with a fair portion of fey blood, have grown to be an isolationist lot, rarely interfering in the business of other realms, relying upon underdark fungal farms and their relation with the fey for much of their food, and only rarely coming to the military aid of nearby kingdoms or waging war against them. Their access to Ophiliotis's realm and its unique rules grant them an advantage in maneuverability when invaded rendering them protected from all but the most determined aggressor, and since the reclamation of the Karav mountains began in earnest only Arathmor has proved a substantial threat to the people of Darhek's Mountain. The two countries are allied now, with expeditions from Arathmor to the occupied portions of the range often passing through Darhek territory, but dwarves have long memory and fey longer, and the faerie blooded rulers of Darhek's Mountain are thought by many to still harbor lingering hatred for Arathmor and its people.

Kurantor: A primarily deep dwarf nation in the upper Underdark beneath Trallis and Vork, Kurantor is a kingdom loathed by the other dwarves of the Karav mountains. It is rich in foodstuff, containing some of the most verdant fungal beds in the entire Karav Mountains, and mystically charged stone valuable in the creation of magical items, but the nature of its ruler fills many dwarves with a deep distrust. Kurantor is ruled by King Thoravir I of Kurantor, First King of Kurantor, who has ruled the kingdom since its founding in 170 A.F. almost immediately following the death of the Wyrmlord. This king has ruled for over 1800 years, unaging, undying, but progressively less and less dwarven. Kept immortal by some pact known only to the king and perhaps his closest priests, King Thoravir I of Kurantor is spoken of almost as if he were a god by the people of Kurantor, and as if a demon by those beyond. At one point Kurantor warred with the neighboring states only ceasing the conflict when they agreed to offer up 70 young men each year to the Underdark kingdom. This tribute was paid for years before the kingdoms appealed to Arathmor begging the then expansionist kingdom to come to their aid. Arathmor agreed and waged war against Kurantor for 3 years, only ending when the Archmage of the College of Rune Magic brokered piece at his axe's head. Even so whenever a person goes missing within the neighboring kingdoms they whisper that they were taken by Kurantor to feed its immortal king.

Kurantor's king was, and still is, a practitioner of Pact Magic and made a pact with a vestige, or vestige-like entity, binding it in a way that no other binder had yet attempted or has re-discovered in the days since. Taking the vestige into his soul and throughout his body, Thoravir I of Kurantor became linked to its existence, living through it, and gaining a sort of immortality. Even so it warps his mind and spirit, twisting him more and more into itself, or a being like it. Thoravir I of Kurantor is, in fact, by this point quite mad, and uses the life force of the tributes, and now that he can no longer obtain them convicts, the poor, and abductees from other kingdoms, and a sort of blood magic to slow the degradation of his mind. Even so he knows that someday he will have to abdicate. Unfortunately it is his tie to the entity and the land which gives the kingdom its fecundity and when he goes completely mad he fears that he will destroy the kingdom he has spent ten lifetimes building.


The New Kingdom: Perhaps the greatest of the elven lands yet extant, the New Kingdom still clamors after past glories. Made up of common elves primarily, the New Kingdom is still much smaller than the Old Kingdom which came before it. Where the Old Kingdom was a constitutional monarchy its kings and queens tracing a pseudo-divine origin to Trefellos the First who was grandson of each of the Four Royal Beasts, the New Kingdom is a magocracy, ruled by the Council of Mages.
Other dwarven and elven kingdoms: In most mountain ranges of the North there are scattered dwarven kingdoms, once part of Karavin as were the human lands around them.

The River Kingdoms: Dominated commercially by Invern and its interests, the River Kingdoms were once buffer states fostered along the Vargon by elves and dwarves as part of a peace treaty between Karavin and the Old Kingdom. Mostly small "kingdoms", principalities, and city states. One of the most important of which is the Dragon Marsh, ruled openly by a Steward chosen by the High Lords of Invern. The Dragon Marsh is important as it is a source of many rare and valuable plants, many of which are necessary reagents in the crafting of magical items. It is also coming more and more to the attention of the world as the dragon Ganferyx rises to power within the depths of the swamp claiming to be the reincarnation of the dreaded Wyrmlord.

The Rose Kingdom: The Knight of the Iron Rose fled to the Prime after his armies were broken by the fey. Proving again his title of the Rulebreaker, he first entered the Prime a thing no other archfey could even contemplate as possible such was their knowledge it was not, he then survived there, a thing difficult for even most noble fey of the lesser ranks, and then he made it his fiefdom, a thing which astonished all save perhaps the Knight himself. This realm, known as the Rose Kingdom, was slow to grow at first, the Knight's power weak from the heretical act and his mortal armies as broken as the Wyrmlord had left those of the surrounding lands if not more so. Today, however, the kingdom prospers. Reality within its borders works slightly differently than throughout the rest of the world, and the Knight of the Iron Rose is its absolute autarch. He presses out in an expansionist grab for territory and power, slowly extending his fiefdom across the plane. Previously Invern considered him a useful trade ally, if not one to be openly supported, but in recent years his growing power has struck fear into the High Lords causing them to turn their resources towards hindering his expansion. In addition he now directly clashes against the New Kingdom and the Heartlands and the three most powerful kingdoms of the West prepare for all out war.

The Heartland: The most powerful human kingdom of the West, the Heartland is situated in a vast plain and farmland which was once the deep forested heart of the Old Kingdom of the Elves. Founded by one of the Merchant Lords who was a rival of the conglomerate which bought the city of Invern, it has risen as a kingdom of men built upon the back of those brave and astounding individuals who rose head and shoulders above the common folk and did deeds of legend such as his son who was one of the heroes who slew the Wyrmlord. Ruled still by a descendant of the original Merchant Lord who founded the kingdom, the Heartland is a realm of noble heritage and tradition. It is an affluent kingdom, built upon rich natural resources and a land overflowing with vitality, but its relationship with the elves is poor as they resent it for having been founded upon the very ruins of their capital... after that capital was forcefully taken from their hands by the Merchant Lord's mercenary armies.

Nthlei: Known also as the Realm of Horrors, Nthlei was once Karavos-Mesil, the ancestral holding of the Imperial Family of old Karavin, and the realm ruled by the heir apparent of that empire. Given to the illithid by the alliance that rose up from the Underdark and shattered that empire, Nthlei is the only illithid kingdom upon the surface of the world or below it. In name it is the joint territory of all the illithid cities, but control of its politics has become the symbol of prestige for these cities, and their power struggles often erupt into civil wars within its mountains and valleys. It is currently ruled by Alphane, that city's representatives holding both the Crown and Scepter, but the cities of Valis and Ubik plot to take it from them. The only thing liable to bring internal peace to the kingdom is a threat of truly overwhelming scale; such as when the Wyrmlord's forces turned to seize it. Even the constant attempts at invasion or rebellion by the neighboring goblinoid kingdoms do not bring unity to this kingdom.

The current heads of Alphane have a plan to bring such unity. They have begun a process to open a series of gates to the Border Plane of Evil, and if they can find a way to Hell proper, upon the world allowing in the forces of Hell. They have no doubt that the fiends would see such a beachhead on the Prime as invaluable and that they would soon find themselves forced into unity against such opposition. They do not believe themselves able to hold the kingdom for much longer otherwise and would rather risk its annihilation than that let it fall into the hands of their rivals.

Tir-Mignon: Once the most powerful of all the goblinoid kingdoms in the Karav Mountains, Tir-Mignon grew haughty and proud. While they had waxed strong upon the favors of their illithid masters, Tir-Mignon was almost shattered by them when its hobgoblin rulers rose up against the illithids. The war lasted a mere fifteen years, but Tir-Mignon was reduced from a kingdom of almost one hundred square miles to a small realm little more than a single city and its surrounding countryside. Tir-Mignon has begun to expand once more, conquering and enslaving the neighboring states which flooded into the void when the illithids razed the Tir-Mignon forces. Tir-Mignon while still weak, still harbors resentment against Alphane. Alphane may hold control over the regrowing hobgoblin kingdom for now, but its king and nobles plot the time when once more they can strive to throw off the yoke of their illithid overlords.

The Damaran Mountains: Home to the yamabito (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?407053-Yamabito-%28New-human-subrace-natural-initiators%29), these northern mountains were once part of the Karavin Empire, the Narin Valley demarcating the border between kingdoms. These mountains are most important now as one of the major remaining mountain dwarf holdings upon the continent and a major producer of quality metalwork; their weapons are said to be the finest to be found in the world and to surpass traditional mastercraft. Mechanics Note: Damaran weapons can be made of such a quality as to grant non-magic enhancement bonuses to damage and a greater than +1 bonus to hit; to a maximum of +3 to hit and +2 damage, such weapons however are quite expensive. Damaran weapons also have superior hardness and hit points to traditional steel, and make saving throws against rusting effects as if magic with a caster level of 14 (+9 to the save) or with an additional +2 bonus (if already magic or attended) whichever is better. Damaran is also important as a pilgrimage sight to many practitioners of the Sublime Way as it is thought to have been the site of the Temple of Nine Swords before its fall.

[Zaydos]

Races

Elves: Alignment default is the same as humans (any). Will have to go through books to see what subraces I want to have exist.

Drow: Do not and never did exist.

Gray Elves: Are a dying species living in one isolated "kingdom" really little more than a scattering of towns none even earning the name city. They resent humans for usurping their place as the power of the world, and the other elves for what they see as rebellion. They also are suffering the effects of inbreeding having not bred out with other elves after being reduced to 1000 individuals, and having already practiced close cousin marriages for generations before that.

Wood Elves: Interran Wood Elves have +2 Dex, -2 Int. During the old kingdom they were considered second class citizens in ways on par with or even below humans. Wood elves also lose the elven ability to find secret doors but gain +1 to attack rolls against orcs and goblins as they have fought the two, especially the latter, ever since the end of the Kinslayer Wars. Like Gray Elves they are a dying race, though unlike gray elves they have begun making overtures to rejoin the Common Elven people. They are still wary, however, for elves have long memories and they fear that they will be once again reduced to second class status.

Snow Elves: Snow elves live in the far north of Interra, and escaped the Kinslayer Wars by being a part of the Karavin Empire and not the Old Kingdom of the Elves. This meant, however, that they suffered the full brunt the Karavin Wars, standing against the orcish and goblinoid hordes that burst up through the dwarven settlements of the Upper Underdark. Snow elves have reverted to semi-barbarism and have +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha. They do not gain the traditional elven weapon proficiencies, or bonus with secret doors, but gain a +2 bonus on saving throws cold damage and cold effects and are able to exist comfortably in regions from -20 to 80 degrees not needing to make Fortitude saves for the cold in such a range (this counts as the Cold Endurance feat from Frostburn); however they suffer a -2 penalty on saves made to resist environmental heat and treat places as 10 degrees warmer for such checks.

Dwarves: Lose their +4 to AC against giants. Instead including aberrations in their +1 to hit and gaining a +2 to AC and saves against aberrations.

Plains Dwarves: During the height of Karavin, dwarven lands stretched deep into the valleys and plains of the Fertile Region of the East. The Plains Dwarves are one result of this. These dwarves have not lived underground or even in the mountains for generations and they lack Stonecunning, the dwarven bonuses to skill checks, and the dwarven Charisma penalty. Instead they gain a +2 to all Appraise checks, Diplomacy checks, and Profession checks involved in commerce, and suffer a -2 Dexterity penalty. Their darkvision reaches only 30-ft, and it is not uncommon for one to lack it entirely (roughly 1 in 6 plains dwarves do not have darkvision).

Deep Dwarves: The Karavin Empire stretched across the Upper Underdark and, in places, into the Deep Underdark, and many of the dwarves lived generations without seeing the sun. Deep Dwarves exist but they do not gain the increased bonus to saves against spells and spell-like abilities, because there are easy ways to get around light sensitivity.

Duergar: Exist and are non-psionic. They were never part of the Karavin Empire having split from the other dwarves long before, but served the aberrations as mercenaries during the wars against Karavin.

Orcs: Darkvision 90-ft, and some (about 10% that live on the surface, and the majority that live underground) have light blindness. Orcish lands are scattered across the continent, though primarily they exist in nomadic raiding tribes. Most orcs have been forced once more from the surface over the time since the end of the Age of the Old Kingdoms.

Goblinoids: Darkvision 90-ft, light sensitivity is extant among the population and they all have a +2 bonus on saves versus Poison and Disease. Unlike orcs, goblinoids have established successful kingdoms on the surface. Much of the Karav Mountains remain in their control, although these kingdoms have been weakened by generations of warfare against the orcs, and live in fear and fealty to their former masters. Elsewhere there are kingdoms that have escaped the control of the aberrations and dragons which led them to the surface, but here they face the hatred and resentment of the elves, humans, and dwarves who lived there first.

Hobgoblins: Hobgoblins gain a +1 to their initiator level for Iron Heart (up to their ECL), the first time they take Martial Study to learn an Iron Heart maneuver does not count against their limit of three times, the Endurance feat as a bonus feat, and the ability to use improvised and non-proficient weapons at a -2 penalty instead of -4.

Kobgoblins: Close in size to a hobgoblin, but bearing a mix of goblin and hobgoblin blood, kobgoblins have a +2 to Dexterity and -2 to Strength. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Hide, +4 to Move Silently, and the Endurance feat as a bonus feat (as well as the universal goblin +2 to saves versus Poison and Disease).

Halflings: Don’t exist.

Gnomes: Were one of the old races but always minor. Are capable of breeding with dwarves. Might make half-breed as a playable race at some point.

True Dragons: True Dragons can automatically recognize whether any creature they perceive is their ancestor or descendant. In addition they add Perform (Sing) to their class skill list (as do all dragon based classes including sorcerers) and true dragons gain 2 free ranks in Perform (Sing) and an additional rank per 2 hit dice.

[Yora]

What is the theme and style of the world? What kinds of adventures would you expect as a player playing a campaign in this world?

[Zaydos]

What is the theme and style of the world? What kinds of adventures would you expect as a player playing a campaign in this world?

I've always had a love-hate relation with the old races go away theme. They're always going away and fading, but you rarely see a reason. I blame Tolkien (the Lord of the Rings was big on this with the explanation coming largely in The Silmarillion). So in part I want to play with that; the old races are dying because, well largely because they were decimated and just didn't have a chance to get their footing again before humans rose up. Also intend to explore the Fey and have them have a relatively major role.

For style it is more generic fantasy world. A place for high fantasy adventures to happen. A world like the Hyborian Age, Hyperborea, Greyhawk and their ilk. Yeah, I know not the most exciting, but makes for fun games still.

As for adventures I'd like to make a world which could be used for many and varied campaigns. The ideas I have right now (and may start as PbPs) are: one exploring the proliferation of martial styles following the rise and fall of the Temple of Nine Swords at the end of the Age of the Old Kingdoms and in the wartorn period following, with a focus on retrieving the Nine Swords and other weapons of legacy (this might have come about because I made half a dozen martial disciplines in the last month) which would probably see an arc beginning with simple mercenary work and following into artifact hunting, with the potential for some heavier Wu Xia influences; another is a campaign focused upon the dwarves and their struggle to survive and prosper in this Age of Mankind, played in the eastern part of the Shattered Kingdoms, ranging depending upon characters and levels from political intrigue as you attempt to reforge the fallen empire, and warfare against the goblinoids who scavenged it; the third idea is more focused upon the Fey and would play with the role of the Knight of the Iron Rose who... I still need to write down about... the fey lord also known as the Rulebreaker who put the fey courts into disarray by murdering the king something that should normally be impossible for a fey to do, and has since fled to the Prime where he then established his personal domain, complete with its own slightly altered rules of reality, and adventures would either focus upon his expansionist practices upon the Prime or the drive of the other fey to bring him to justice while constrained by the unwritten laws which govern their actions (my fey are possibly heavily influenced by Fletcher Pratt and de Camp's The Land of Unreason).

I guess in all three the theme is still about the end of the Age of the Old Kingdoms and the dark age that followed, coupled with a fight to regain what is lost or at least reforge something from the ashes. Whether it is a new Temple of the Sublime Way stronger than the first, a new Karavin, or a new harmony between the Fey. Though the Karavin one would probably be a whole lot less optimistic. The PCs could found a new Temple, could put an end to the Knight of the Iron Rose and instate a new king or queen of the fey, but the great empire couldn't be restored in a single lifetime even of an elf though it could be put onto the path of such.

[Yora]

Sounds interesting. So the PCs probably won't be freelance adventurers sitting in taverns until someone needs a monster killed or a stolen treasure returned? Instead the main theme appears to establish a new social order in a region that is currenty unstable and chaotic. The worldbuilding needs for such a campaign would be quite different than having plenty of small dungeons with kobolds, goblins, and orcs. Instead I would expect the different local power groups who are competing for control over certain areas to play a big part and they need to have well thought out goals and motives. This also includes NPCs who will be representatives for those factions the players will interact with. (Who might, but don't necessarily have to, be the leaders of the factions.)
It's also worth considering how the PCs will end up in service to these factions and be employed in a way that makes sense to be frequently out in the wilds most of the time.

That was something I had been struggling with for quite some time with my setting. By default, I wanted the players to play warriors who belong to one of the many clans and do their part in keeping the clan safe and strong, but that would mean they have to stay home almost all the time. Which just didn't fit with my other ideas of exploring ancient rules deep in the unknown forests. The solution I eventually found was to make it a common part of the world that the clan chiefs want to be kept informed about what is going on beyond their small borders and getting their hands on the ancient treasures in the old ruins before their enemies do. So now I am building the world around the assumption that most characters and parties will be scouts send out on long journeys to find valuable knowledge and magic to bring back to their clan.

In my experience, settings in which you "can play anything you want" are usually the most boring. Your idea for a setting sounds like a great one for characters who are agents of some kind of powerful faction that is concerned with making the region more safe and stable. While you could do such campaigns with random mercenaries found in some tavern, it seems probably more fun to have all players create their characters as being either members of a group, or all being from a population from which the group gets its new recruits. I think in Legend of the Five Rings all characters are always minor nobles loyal to the emperor. If you take such an approach, the different factions would need some kind of culture. Perhaps even much more so than information about the life of the ordinary people.
Factions, their goals, and their relationship with each other are what seems to be one very major element for this setting. Probably even more so than the history of the setting (except when it concerns the currently existing factions) or detailed descriptions of cities.

[Zaydos]

Sounds interesting. So the PCs probably won't be freelance adventurers sitting in taverns until someone needs a monster killed or a stolen treasure returned? Instead the main theme appears to establish a new social order in a region that is currenty unstable and chaotic. The worldbuilding needs for such a campaign would be quite different than having plenty of small dungeons with kobolds, goblins, and orcs. Instead I would expect the different local power groups who are competing for control over certain areas to play a big part and they need to have well thought out goals and motives. This also includes NPCs who will be representatives for those factions the players will interact with. (Who might, but don't necessarily have to, be the leaders of the factions.)
It's also worth considering how the PCs will end up in service to these factions and be employed in a way that makes sense to be frequently out in the wilds most of the time.

Good point. The Tome of Battle one is the most "freelance adventurers" but would need to be made with the assumption that the players would shift towards something more. The other two concepts are very much powered by their factions. Just have to figure out what the power players in the world are.


That was something I had been struggling with for quite some time with my setting. By default, I wanted the players to play warriors who belong to one of the many clans and do their part in keeping the clan safe and strong, but that would mean they have to stay home almost all the time. Which just didn't fit with my other ideas of exploring ancient rules deep in the unknown forests. The solution I eventually found was to make it a common part of the world that the clan chiefs want to be kept informed about what is going on beyond their small borders and getting their hands on the ancient treasures in the old ruins before their enemies do. So now I am building the world around the assumption that most characters and parties will be scouts send out on long journeys to find valuable knowledge and magic to bring back to their clan.

In my experience, settings in which you "can play anything you want" are usually the most boring. Your idea for a setting sounds like a great one for characters who are agents of some kind of powerful faction that is concerned with making the region more safe and stable. While you could do such campaigns with random mercenaries found in some tavern, it seems probably more fun to have all players create their characters as being either members of a group, or all being from a population from which the group gets its new recruits. I think in Legend of the Five Rings all characters are always minor nobles loyal to the emperor. If you take such an approach, the different factions would need some kind of culture. Perhaps even much more so than information about the life of the ordinary people.
Factions, their goals, and their relationship with each other are what seems to be one very major element for this setting. Probably even more so than the history of the setting (except when it concerns the currently existing factions) or detailed descriptions of cities.

I'm thinking for the Tome of Battle concept I'd go with the most open in fluff, and just require the PCs to have so many levels in a martial initiating class, and goals that are amiable to the idea of re-building the Temple of Nine Swords. For the Karavin one I'd probably go with something similar to Lo5R and all PCs would be required to come from a certain region of the Shattered Kingdoms and to be dwarves of a certain social class or higher. For the fey one... I'd have to decide whether I'd want to focus initially primarily on the kingdoms at war with the Knight on the Prime or start off with the PCs actively in the service of the other fey.

For now, though, I'm focusing upon the Outside In world-building approach, trying to get a decent idea of the major network which makes up the power balance of the world before I begin working on more detailed bits. Which bits get detailed first would largely be dependent upon which campaign I decide to run (first). Invern is the only city I've found worth mentioning (well ok, mentioned 3 illithid city states in passing) and that's because it is the largest city in the setting and has its fingers everywhere so whichever game I decide to run the power factions of the campaign will be influenced by Invern's. If I go with the Tome of Battle concept it has the weakest influence but might end up as the base of operations, and will probably matter at the end of the game because of its far reaching influence; in the other two it has a more direct influence in that it is working towards obliquely funding the forces against the Knight of the Iron Rose, and more interestingly it'd be divided in opinion on the re-creation of Karavin as a restored Karavin would be wonderful for trade but also a potential rival in power.

The history, thus far, is mostly the broad strokes to show how the world got here, and ultimately how the current factions arose. Most of the dwarven and elven factions trace themselves back (whether truthfully or not) to the Old Kingdoms.

The Planar Cosmology was initially about the fey but ultimately... I always get interested in planar cosmologies and their potential influences on the setting. In this case the Plane of Faerie provides a whole slew of factions which could be highly important or not depending upon where the campaign goes, the Spirit World provides the most truly unique bits of the setting with its potential ramifications for the setting's religions, and the Planes of Ideals and Shadow... are mostly relatively boring.