Gwaednerth
2016-02-29, 02:26 AM
I normally create settings as required by a campaign idea, but some ideas came along and I just had to work it into a setting. There are a lot of influences from the Ottomans, seventeenth century colonialism, and pirates (because pirates are all too uncommon in d&d). My default system is pathfinder, so the deities are the versions that appear in PF. Questions? Criticisms? Things you like? Campaigns that absolutely have to be run in this world? Also, feel free to steal either all or some of this for your own use if there's anything you like.
The Ustromic Empire
Geography and Empires
The Ustromic Empire is a powerful colonial empire around the Stentorian Sea. The Empire engages in large scale maritime trade from its many major ports including the capital city, Munger Aronoc and Red Port. The Empire has vast colonial holdings on the Eastern coast of the Stentorian Sea, although major territorial expansion on the West coast was halted several generations previously when the Ustroms were defeated by the primarily hobgoblin Grithtaff empire. The truce between the Ustroms and the Griths is less tenuous than it seems, and in spite of the chest beating, there is a large overland trade between the rival empires. The Ustroms control the swiftest trade routs to the Eastern shore of the Stentorian Sea, and in exchange for travel taxes, the Griths allow Western merchants through their territories to the Ustromic Empire. To the East, beyond the Ustromic colonies, are numerous agrarian kingdoms, city states, principalities, and even a few nomadic peoples. This region is viewed by the majority of Ustroms as a wild and dangerous frontier that is, nevertheless, highly profitable if you’re willing to risk it.
Government
The Ustromic Empire rules through a combination of dynastic rule and Mamluk rule. The Empire is ruled by Emperor Malachi and his wife Penelope. The Empire is divided into realms and colonies ruled by Viceroys. Realms and colonies are largely indistinguishable, save that the colonies exist almost solely for the benefit of the realms. Viceroys are exclusively Mamluks who have married into the imperial family through the Emperor’s children other than the Emperor’s chosen successor. All Mamluks grow up without loyalties to anyone save the Emperor, and the Viceroys are absolutely loyal to the Emperor. The realms are divided either into counties. Counties are ruled by either a council of burgesses or a noble house, however, royally appointed Golden Peers (high ranking Mamluk bureaucrats) have the authority to annul any law or court judgement that is not in accord with Imperial decree, and Iron Peers (High ranking Mamluk generals) can declare martial law in the name of the Emperor.
Slavery and Social Organisation
There are three forms of slavery practiced in the Ustromic empire. The first group of slaves is the Mamluks. Mamluks are taken at birth from conquered peoples and raised at the capital city in the Imperial Academy. They are taught religious studies, law, arts, soldiering and strategy, academics, and, above all, loyalty to the emperor. According to their abilities, Mamluks become clerics, bureaucrats, ambassadors, scholars, artisans and soldiers. It is considered particularly prestigious to be assigned to the Seawolf Corps, the infamous amphibious corps of the Ustromic military (Yes, I did just combine the SEALs and the Janissaries. Deal with it). Those who prove skilled in their field find themselves on a fast track to prestigious appointments such as the Imperial Minister of the Pantheon, the First Architect, or, the ultimate honour, a Viceroy.
The second form of slavery is serfdom. The nobility has mostly been crushed under the Imperial heel but one of the few rights they retain is the right of labour. Serfs are not owned, but the product of their labour on the land is owned by the noble who owns the land, save that which the serfs need to survive. It depends somewhat on what noble owns the land, but conditions have, as a rule, improved for serfs under Emperor Malachi, with standard of living rivalling that of free citizens. Imperial justices firmly enforce the Imperial ban on corporal punishment of serfs.
In the colonies, serfdom is rare. Instead, chattel slavery is the primary form. Chattel slaves are rarely owned by individuals, but rather by companies such as the Dactylaurum Trading Company. Chattel slaves are almost exclusively used for hard labour such as working as agricultural hands on the spice plantations, sailors before the mast on merchant vessels, and miners in the deep shafts. Chattel slavery tends to be brutal, and death is not uncommon.
Demographics
The Ustroms are a metropolitan, racially (more or less) integrated people. Humans are the most common race and also the most widespread, rivalled only by the halflings, who are renowned as the finest sailors on the Stentorian Sea. Dwarves are common in the major cities of the Ustromic Empire, and have migrated in large numbers to the mountainous regions of the empire. Urban dwarves find their crafting skills in high demand whilst the mountain dwarves prosper as miners and quarriers. Elves are well respected, and generally viewed as respectable people of excellent taste, especially because elves and half-elves are highly sought after as spouses by the rich and powerful. They are also sought after as scholars, wizards, and librarians. However, most of the elves who venture outside their ancestral lands find it difficult to get along in Ustromic society. Gnomes are rare, but they can find employment in just about any profession. They tend to live in the Southeastern deserts, which only the very brave, the very foolish, and gnomes traverse. Orcs are not highly esteemed, but they aren’t often outright persecuted either. They typically find advancement in the military or in hard labour. They are most concentrated in the Northeastern plains, where numerous orc clans lived prior to their conquest by the Ustroms. Half-orcs are viewed more favourably, and can be found in a variety of professions. Goblinoids are generally disliked and can expect persecution. Other monstrous humanoids are generally viewed as wild animals or, at best, uncivilised cretins.
Religiously, the empire is diverse. Officially, all faiths are recognised, and the Pantheon in Munger Aronoc is a major temple that recognises all faiths. However, unofficially, the empire favours lawful deities. (A note on alignment: Good and Evil are not necessarily good and bad in this setting. Good is about sharing and evil is about self advancement. A good way to think of it is that LG is like socialism, CG is like a hippie commune, LE is like enlightened self-interest capitalism with an emphasis on the sanctity of contracts, and CE is a might is right pirate economy). The Asmodean, Abadian, and Iomedaean churches are especially popular, though amongst the various seafarers (both legal and illegal) the pirate goddess Besmara has a considerable following. Torag has also found a surprisingly large following among non-dwarves, especially amongst the chattel slaves of the Eastern colonies.
Major cities
Munger Anoroc is the capital city, situated at the mouth of the Heartsblood river where it flows into Mordecai’s cove and then to the sea. Munger Anoroc is a grand city where the ancient and the new fit together with surprising harmony, though not without a little jostling. The city is a center of scholarship, arts, religion, and trade. It is the capital of an empire in the midst of a golden age, and it is exactly as opulent as that would suggest. The city is cluttered and densely populated, but order is maintained by the Imperial Police, composed of Mamluk soldiers.
Red Port is the major trade hub the empire. It is located on the Castian Peninsula, and provides easy access to the colonies. The city is less grand than Munger Anoroc, though it’s formidable red granite walls are certainly impressive. What it lacks in grandeur, it makes up in variety and chaos. The bazaars of Red Port are said to contain every commodity in the multiverse, at least, for the right price. The chaos provides ample opportunity for criminals, but the primary source of crime is the corruption. It is well known that the burgesses of the city are all in the pocket of Balthazar Dactylaurum, the self-proclaimed merchant prince.
Spice is the largest of the colonial ports, located at the mouth of the Lomera River. Spice is, unsurprisingly, the center of the spice trade. Planters ship their crop down the river in a constant flow of shallow-hulled craft to be sold to the transmarine merchants for transport to the West coast. However, it is also close to the city of Pinnacle, and most of the metals mined from Pinnacle is shipped to the mainland via Spice. The city itself is half shanty town half military fortress. The city is utterly chaotic, and the law is more the domain of the elite class, with vigilante corporal punishment being carried out at will.
Pinnacle is a major mining city at the very southernmost tip of the Anodra Mountains on the border of the Necromancer’s Desert. Aboveground, the city is buffeted by harsh winds that carry scouring sands in the scorching heat. Belowground, the mine dust hangs in the air unnaturally, caking the lungs of anyone who enters. Many of the denizens of pinnacle are pale and cough perpetually. Most of the city is underground, and from the surface could be easily mistaken for a misplaced collection of sheds.
Haven is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. If any commodity can be found in Red Fort, and service can be found in Haven. The city has been purged by imperial forces multiple times, but they never quite manage to eradicate the pirates, swindlers, hitmen, prostitutes, gamblers, smugglers, and fugitives who call Haven home. The city is located to the north on the Eastern coast of the Stentorian Sea. Architecturally, the city is inconsistent. Having been built and rebuilt a half hundred times with whatever materials happened to be available, Haven can change its appearance between visits, let alone over the decades.
The Ustromic Empire
Geography and Empires
The Ustromic Empire is a powerful colonial empire around the Stentorian Sea. The Empire engages in large scale maritime trade from its many major ports including the capital city, Munger Aronoc and Red Port. The Empire has vast colonial holdings on the Eastern coast of the Stentorian Sea, although major territorial expansion on the West coast was halted several generations previously when the Ustroms were defeated by the primarily hobgoblin Grithtaff empire. The truce between the Ustroms and the Griths is less tenuous than it seems, and in spite of the chest beating, there is a large overland trade between the rival empires. The Ustroms control the swiftest trade routs to the Eastern shore of the Stentorian Sea, and in exchange for travel taxes, the Griths allow Western merchants through their territories to the Ustromic Empire. To the East, beyond the Ustromic colonies, are numerous agrarian kingdoms, city states, principalities, and even a few nomadic peoples. This region is viewed by the majority of Ustroms as a wild and dangerous frontier that is, nevertheless, highly profitable if you’re willing to risk it.
Government
The Ustromic Empire rules through a combination of dynastic rule and Mamluk rule. The Empire is ruled by Emperor Malachi and his wife Penelope. The Empire is divided into realms and colonies ruled by Viceroys. Realms and colonies are largely indistinguishable, save that the colonies exist almost solely for the benefit of the realms. Viceroys are exclusively Mamluks who have married into the imperial family through the Emperor’s children other than the Emperor’s chosen successor. All Mamluks grow up without loyalties to anyone save the Emperor, and the Viceroys are absolutely loyal to the Emperor. The realms are divided either into counties. Counties are ruled by either a council of burgesses or a noble house, however, royally appointed Golden Peers (high ranking Mamluk bureaucrats) have the authority to annul any law or court judgement that is not in accord with Imperial decree, and Iron Peers (High ranking Mamluk generals) can declare martial law in the name of the Emperor.
Slavery and Social Organisation
There are three forms of slavery practiced in the Ustromic empire. The first group of slaves is the Mamluks. Mamluks are taken at birth from conquered peoples and raised at the capital city in the Imperial Academy. They are taught religious studies, law, arts, soldiering and strategy, academics, and, above all, loyalty to the emperor. According to their abilities, Mamluks become clerics, bureaucrats, ambassadors, scholars, artisans and soldiers. It is considered particularly prestigious to be assigned to the Seawolf Corps, the infamous amphibious corps of the Ustromic military (Yes, I did just combine the SEALs and the Janissaries. Deal with it). Those who prove skilled in their field find themselves on a fast track to prestigious appointments such as the Imperial Minister of the Pantheon, the First Architect, or, the ultimate honour, a Viceroy.
The second form of slavery is serfdom. The nobility has mostly been crushed under the Imperial heel but one of the few rights they retain is the right of labour. Serfs are not owned, but the product of their labour on the land is owned by the noble who owns the land, save that which the serfs need to survive. It depends somewhat on what noble owns the land, but conditions have, as a rule, improved for serfs under Emperor Malachi, with standard of living rivalling that of free citizens. Imperial justices firmly enforce the Imperial ban on corporal punishment of serfs.
In the colonies, serfdom is rare. Instead, chattel slavery is the primary form. Chattel slaves are rarely owned by individuals, but rather by companies such as the Dactylaurum Trading Company. Chattel slaves are almost exclusively used for hard labour such as working as agricultural hands on the spice plantations, sailors before the mast on merchant vessels, and miners in the deep shafts. Chattel slavery tends to be brutal, and death is not uncommon.
Demographics
The Ustroms are a metropolitan, racially (more or less) integrated people. Humans are the most common race and also the most widespread, rivalled only by the halflings, who are renowned as the finest sailors on the Stentorian Sea. Dwarves are common in the major cities of the Ustromic Empire, and have migrated in large numbers to the mountainous regions of the empire. Urban dwarves find their crafting skills in high demand whilst the mountain dwarves prosper as miners and quarriers. Elves are well respected, and generally viewed as respectable people of excellent taste, especially because elves and half-elves are highly sought after as spouses by the rich and powerful. They are also sought after as scholars, wizards, and librarians. However, most of the elves who venture outside their ancestral lands find it difficult to get along in Ustromic society. Gnomes are rare, but they can find employment in just about any profession. They tend to live in the Southeastern deserts, which only the very brave, the very foolish, and gnomes traverse. Orcs are not highly esteemed, but they aren’t often outright persecuted either. They typically find advancement in the military or in hard labour. They are most concentrated in the Northeastern plains, where numerous orc clans lived prior to their conquest by the Ustroms. Half-orcs are viewed more favourably, and can be found in a variety of professions. Goblinoids are generally disliked and can expect persecution. Other monstrous humanoids are generally viewed as wild animals or, at best, uncivilised cretins.
Religiously, the empire is diverse. Officially, all faiths are recognised, and the Pantheon in Munger Aronoc is a major temple that recognises all faiths. However, unofficially, the empire favours lawful deities. (A note on alignment: Good and Evil are not necessarily good and bad in this setting. Good is about sharing and evil is about self advancement. A good way to think of it is that LG is like socialism, CG is like a hippie commune, LE is like enlightened self-interest capitalism with an emphasis on the sanctity of contracts, and CE is a might is right pirate economy). The Asmodean, Abadian, and Iomedaean churches are especially popular, though amongst the various seafarers (both legal and illegal) the pirate goddess Besmara has a considerable following. Torag has also found a surprisingly large following among non-dwarves, especially amongst the chattel slaves of the Eastern colonies.
Major cities
Munger Anoroc is the capital city, situated at the mouth of the Heartsblood river where it flows into Mordecai’s cove and then to the sea. Munger Anoroc is a grand city where the ancient and the new fit together with surprising harmony, though not without a little jostling. The city is a center of scholarship, arts, religion, and trade. It is the capital of an empire in the midst of a golden age, and it is exactly as opulent as that would suggest. The city is cluttered and densely populated, but order is maintained by the Imperial Police, composed of Mamluk soldiers.
Red Port is the major trade hub the empire. It is located on the Castian Peninsula, and provides easy access to the colonies. The city is less grand than Munger Anoroc, though it’s formidable red granite walls are certainly impressive. What it lacks in grandeur, it makes up in variety and chaos. The bazaars of Red Port are said to contain every commodity in the multiverse, at least, for the right price. The chaos provides ample opportunity for criminals, but the primary source of crime is the corruption. It is well known that the burgesses of the city are all in the pocket of Balthazar Dactylaurum, the self-proclaimed merchant prince.
Spice is the largest of the colonial ports, located at the mouth of the Lomera River. Spice is, unsurprisingly, the center of the spice trade. Planters ship their crop down the river in a constant flow of shallow-hulled craft to be sold to the transmarine merchants for transport to the West coast. However, it is also close to the city of Pinnacle, and most of the metals mined from Pinnacle is shipped to the mainland via Spice. The city itself is half shanty town half military fortress. The city is utterly chaotic, and the law is more the domain of the elite class, with vigilante corporal punishment being carried out at will.
Pinnacle is a major mining city at the very southernmost tip of the Anodra Mountains on the border of the Necromancer’s Desert. Aboveground, the city is buffeted by harsh winds that carry scouring sands in the scorching heat. Belowground, the mine dust hangs in the air unnaturally, caking the lungs of anyone who enters. Many of the denizens of pinnacle are pale and cough perpetually. Most of the city is underground, and from the surface could be easily mistaken for a misplaced collection of sheds.
Haven is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. If any commodity can be found in Red Fort, and service can be found in Haven. The city has been purged by imperial forces multiple times, but they never quite manage to eradicate the pirates, swindlers, hitmen, prostitutes, gamblers, smugglers, and fugitives who call Haven home. The city is located to the north on the Eastern coast of the Stentorian Sea. Architecturally, the city is inconsistent. Having been built and rebuilt a half hundred times with whatever materials happened to be available, Haven can change its appearance between visits, let alone over the decades.