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View Full Version : Setting: Pelavion, political intrigue (D&D 3.5)



Bushwhacked
2008-06-26, 07:35 AM
The overview:

Down to one sentence; I’m trying to present a world where magic is dying and psyonics are being developed in their place. It’s in the very early stages of the process and there’s a few other theme’s mixed in to add other dimensions but that was the starting idea.


The geography of the continent:

Link:http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j238/yeldi/Thecontinent.jpg



Pelavion is the central island of the continent. Formed thousands of years ago from the volcanoes to the west of it continental drift and erosion has moved it around 500 miles east into the centre of a chain of medium-large islands. Pelavion is around 125000 square miles of land, three fifths of that is farmable and is readily done by its inhabitants. The other two fifths are made up of mountainous and forested land mixed together. The two mountain ranges split this island at a 45° and roughly through the centre splitting the isle in two.

The strip of fire is what the locals call the islands to the west of Pelavion. It’s mostly an inhospitable mountainous strip of land, which has a collection of active volcanoes from its tip to its tail. The shallows and reefs that lie around the south eastern shore bring in fishermen from both Itor and Ægeraya, as the trips take so long they usually build up temporary accommodations on the eastern most island, also known as fisherman’s reach. There are tales that the western coast of the island is or once was inhabitable but the trek across the isle is considered all but impossible and the southern gap has rapid tides and is unsuitable for sea worthy vessels.

The large landmass to the northwest of Pelavion was known as Calroi-Rualuth for as long as even the most ancient elves can remember. It was a land where the all known races would gather although the governance of the land was considered elvish it opened all borders to visitors. Remnants of those times can be seen all over the country in the shape of ruins. Over the last five centuries it has been known as the Deadlands as it is still now by some. Though it is now considered owned once more by the Barialian Empire.

The islands to the south east of Pelavion were for the longest of times unexplored; this was originally due to the difficulty in crossing those waters, they were sailed by Orcish raiders. Recent years have brought the two nations of Ebium and Tunora to cross the expanse and start making settlement efforts. There was discovered numerous local nomadic tribes in the form of halflings living off the forest. There is stiff competition between the two nations and passively the halflings for the lands and many others in Pelavion argue that neither nation should be there to begin with.

To the north east of Pelavion floats in the sky, what appears to be an inverted mountain. It’s called many things ‘the last great act of magic’ by the elves that live on it, ‘the folly of the elves’ by the Gnomes and the others who were so negatively affected by tearing of the island from its proper place at sea level. When the elves made it they not only made it fly above the rest of the land but also magically shaped the land in it so that made a natural barrier of the mountains around the borders, the rivers from those mountains constantly flow into the lake at the centre and the land provides far more fertile than it would be normally. Its protected as a magic circle would be, nothing uninvited can get in through physical, magical, divine or any other way that they could think of; that is unless they were invited first. The land has remained closed to all but purebred elves since its creation though they maintain a port on the coast nearest it so that they maintain political contact with those who would seek them out.

The races, the kingdoms, the rules:

-The rules below are to be applied to the strandard templates presented in the Phb.
-Maximum spell level is an arcane measure, it doesn’t apply to divine classes, it also does not stop a character levelling in the class after they have reached this limit though no new arcane spell levels will be gained through any means.

Humans:

-The race
As always humans are varied, flexible and highly accepting of others. Although they are spread out among all of the cleared lands and make good measure of what they can those yet to be tamed, they do rule over a large part of the continent themselves. The isle of Pelavion is under the governance of several human states. They are broken down into Itor, Ægeraya, Tunora, Darnagon, Ebanius and Ebium. Each country has its own way; there are grievances and friendships between them and each of them have differing relationships with outlying countries and powers outside of Pelavion.
Where the lands a flat and well nourished the people make a living as farmers having a steady and measured way of life. Although it’s a hard work a family will live well like this as the export of grain and cattle is worth a small fortune to the sparser lands around. Then there are those who have always lived near the coasts and the sky-paths have made good use of that. Whole families for generation upon generation have found themselves bartering with each other and those from other countries, doing the hard part for their leaders political deals. Finally there are those who seem to be forged of something a little more sturdy than those around them, perhaps it’s the time spent up in the high mountains and the time spent fighting off Orcish fleets; whatever it is they seem to just swing that axe a little better.


-The kingdoms

Itor:-Captial: Floressa.
-Area: Southwest Pelavion
-Ruler: The Council of Twenty
-Population: 40,752,000
-Races: Human: 48%
Half-elf: 37%
Dwarf: 9%
Gnome: 5%
Other: 1%
-Background options: Trader, Farmer.
-Popular alignments: LN, NG, NE


Darnagon:-Capital: Darna-City.
-Area: Northwest Pelavion
-Ruler: First-lord Cohen
-Population: 60,587,000
-Races: Human: 54%
Dwarf: 24%
Gnome: 19%
Half-elf: 1%
Other: 2%
-Background options: Trader, Farmer.
-Popular alignments: LE, NG, N


Ebanius:-Capital: Silmenica of eternal rain.
-Area: Northeast Pelavion
-Ruler: Queen Ejiofor Glau
-Population: 11,268,000
-Races: Human: 73%
Half-elf: 16%
Dwarf: 6%
Gnome: 4%
Elf: 1%
-Background options: Trader, Warrior.
-Popular alignments: LG, NG, CG


Ægeraya:-Capital: Ramæn.
-Area: South Pelavion.
-Ruler: Elders from the Ægerayian Tribes.
-Population: 8,872,000
-Races: Human: 87%
Half-orc: 9%
Other: 4%
-Background options: Trader, Warrior.
-Popular alignments: NG, N, CE


Ebium:-Capital: [In dispute].
-Area: East Pelavion and North Helm Isle.
-Ruler: Royal family.
-Population: 127,690,000
-Races: Human: 81%
Halfling: 13%
Gnome: 3%
Dwarf: 1%
Other: 2%
-Background options: Farmer, Warrior.
-Popular alignments: NG, NE, CN


Tunora:-Capital: Landore Fortress.
-Area: Southeast Pelavion and South Helm Isle.
-Ruler: Emperor Bohan.
-Population: 92,655,000
-Races: Human: 57%
Half-orc: 39%
Halfling: 2%
Other: 2%
-Background options: Farmer, Warrior.
-Popular alignments: LE, N, CN



-The rules
Human rules:
Maximum spell level learnable- 3rd
Benifit: choose from one background below:
Trader- +2 racial bonus to Appraise, Diplomacy and Forgery
Farmer- +1 CON
Warrior- +1 STR



Dwarves:

-The race
Although dwarves have always wandered through on the occasion until recently they have not held any kind of state standing on the continent. Their homeland for many years has been in the far north where they find the climate more agreeable but the Barialian Empire and their belief in the word of Ao has moved them out from their traditional homelands all across the world. Dwarves aren’t of the underground disposition like what D&D is used to. They live much like the other races and build their homes from the materials around them, other than that they have a strong interest learning what they can and make good mediators as they revel in learning languages.

Deliverer’s of Ao:
The Deliverer’s of Ao are the real driving force behind the Empire of Bariala. The dwarven scholars in their great libraries discovered an old text where it is stated that the god of gods is Ao since that day a large following of what the dwarves believe his worship should be has been established. They claim that Ao is the only true god and all of the others that were worshipped previously can be seen as angels, devils and rogue spirits (depending of their nature) given extra power by Ao himself to do his work for him. Their belief in this path and urge to spread the good word of their enlightenment has spread the dwarves out in the last few centuries and in the absence of the elves it has often been taken in with open arms. Most see them as a bunch of missionary warriors who are well spoken and willing to help but they simultaneously move on with their own objectives.

-The kingdoms

Empire of Bariala:-Capital: The great archives of Bariala.
-Area: The Deadlands and northwards.
-Ruler: -.
-Population: 304,420,000
-Races: Dwarf: 71%
Gnome: 13%
Human: 14%
Other: 2%
-Background options: Common, Deliverer of Ao.
-Popular alignments: LG, LN, LE



-The rules
Dwarf rules:
Maximum spell level learnable- 3rd
Loose: Stonecutting, Bonus vs. orcs & gobliniods, Bonus vs. giants, All skill bonus’, Favoured Class- Fighter
Benefit: +2 INT, -2 DEX, Gains the class skill- Language, Bonus languages- Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic), Favoured Class- None.

Deliverer’s of Ao also receive:
Loose: Favoured class- None
Benefit: +2 to Concentration, Decipher script, Knowledge (all), Favoured Class- Paladin.


Elves:

-The race
Elves existed all over the world at one time; they revelled in being the eldest race, welcoming and teaching others of what they knew and welcoming them into their lands. They used their knowledge to great effect and crafted many cities from magic alone. Their greatest province used to cover Calroi-Rualuth, as it was known then, and most of Pelavion. This all changed when the elves in Calroi-Rualuth decided to create a new land which could be made to travel from one place to another so they might benefit more by having a mobile province. Thus they created a floating isle, the size of a small country. Magically imbued it would have the space and resources to house many elves in comfort and yet travel as a whole country to assist those who need it most.
The elves gathered together in a giant magic circle, each elf taking a part in its creation and channelling the arcane energies into its creation, and they were successful. Though unforeseen by any presiding was there is only a limited amount of arcane energy present in the world at any one time and this process used more than there was, its need for arcane energy created a vacuum which needed to be filled immediately and as the future took to long to come around it drew the energy from the other creations of the elves. A huge implosion ripped inwards towards circle, Calroi-Rualuth was levelled in an instant, around the world constructs of the elves from houses built through magic to magical weapons and gems exploded as the gave their energy to fill this vacuum. No elves that were outside of the circle are known to have survived and with centuries of their history lost in an instant the elves were devastated.
Now the floating isle know to elves as Calroi-Linou or ‘the last great act of magic’, to others especially gnomes who have come to despise the elves for their stupidity it is known as ‘the folly of the elves’. But whatever its name the great floating isle continues to hover of the continent, the energies used to keep it there continually drain the magic from the world and hamper all conjuration of arcane energies. The elves have become by far more anti-social thinking that the preservation of their race takes the forefront of all of their minds and its said that its been 500 years since the last non-elf set foot in their lands.

The society of the past unearthed:
If a non-elf witnesses an elf during these times its more than likely to be a member of the society. Although the elves do send out traders they mostly leave Ebanius distribute their products to a wider market rather than deal with the transportation and troubles involved with such things. In contrast the air-ships of the society are seen across the world; seen as necessary by the elves they travel to recover the past of the elves. They take it upon themselves to find any relic that wasn’t destroyed in the catastrophe that destroyed their society. Anything from an old scroll to an enchanted bow is fair game as long as elven hands crafted it and they go to almost any lengths to recover these, even if they are currently in possession of another.

-The kingdoms

Calroi-Linou:-Capital: Calroi-Linou.
-Area: Northeast of Pelavion.
-Ruler: Prime diplomat Arnis.
-Population: 5,727,000
-Races: Elves: 100%
-Popular alignments: LE, N, CG



-The rules
Elf rules:
Max spell level learnable- 5th
Loss: +2 DEX, -2 CON, Favoured class- Wizard.
Benefit: +4 DEX, -2 STR, -2 CON, Gains the class skill- Profession (pilot), Favoured Class- Scout.
Banned Class- Wizard.
Sponsored Career- Dungeon delver:- if taken the character times the money he gets from the sale of an elven item back to an elven merchant by his Dungeon delver level.


Gnomes:

-The race

Before the arcane energies drained from the world the gnomes were the elves best students. They became their equals in the practice of magic and even surpassed them in the crafting of magic items; they thought that the elves were too held back by their natural materials. So it’s unsurprising that the friendship was sundered when the elves made their miscalculation.
Now most gnomes live alongside the humans and dwarves of Pelavion and northwest. They let their lands in the Badlands be absorbed into the Barialian Empire. They enjoy the security that living within the Empire affords while they try new ways to bring the power back to magic. Most of their theories involve the destruction of ‘the folly of the elves’ and releasing the powers keeping it afloat but they have made headway in other areas.
There are also those on the continent that chose not to live under the Empire’s thumb, they instead choose to live in their original homeland along the western coast of the strip of fire. It’s a small and isolated community from which they farm fish and sail to Pelavion for trade. They have found their own ways in life including a method of travel that keeps them hidden under the waves and have found their own ways of enhancing what magic they have been left with. They move about quietly as they seem to think that the attentions of the dwarven church are to be avoided.

-The kingdoms

The states of the Deadlands:-Capital: None [The great archives of Bariala].
-Area: Deadlands.
-Ruler: Vizier Lundbec.
-Population: 27,030,000
-Races:Gnome: 60%
Dwarf: 30%
Human: 12%
Other: 3%
-Background options: Common.
-Popular alignments: LN, NG, CE


Nillia:-Capital: Nillia Port.
-Area: West of the strip of fire.
-Ruler: Council of Nillia.
-Population: 58,000
-Races:Gnome: 98%
Other: 2%
-Background options: Nillia.
-Popular alignments: CG, CN, N



-The rules
Gnome rules:
Maximum spell level learnable- 5th
And can choose from one background below:

Common Gnomes receive:
Loose: Bonus vs. Illusions, Bonus vs. Kobolds & Goblins, Bonus vs. Giants, Speak with animals, Favoured Class- Bard
Benefit: +4 to all crafting skills (stacks with +2 to alchemy), Favoured Class- Wizard.
Sponsored Career: Master of the unseen hand:- if taken the character pays 10% less money for crafting materials from a Barialian shop and 10% less experience when making magic items for every level of Master of the unseen hand.

Nillia Gnomes receive:
Loose: Weapon familiarity, Bonus vs. Giants, +2 Listen, +2 to Craft (alchemy), Bonus language- Dwarven, Elven and Giant, Favored Class- Bard.
Benefit: Swim speed 15’, +2 to Sense motive and Gather information.
Sponsored Career: Mindspy:- if taken the character gains a +1 bonus to any checks made to influence a npc’s attitude if that npc is familiar with Nillia and knows the character is a mindspy for every level of Mindspy taken. This bonus doubles when the npc is a Nillia gnome.



Half-elves:

-The race
There’s not been significant relations to bring about new half-elves since the ‘last great act of magic’ was created. All half elves are now at least 30th generation and most families are so bread out with humans that the physical differences between the two can’t usually be seen with the untrained eye.
Half-elves are considered human by the elves and they accord them no privilege due to their blood ties, as with all other races, they are not permitted to set foot on Calroi-Linou. Most humans don’t even realise that they walk in the streets, they just know an old myth that some humans have special blood in which is passed the powers of a greater potential for magic, longer life and greater beauty.

-The kingdom
None known

-The rules
Half-elf rules:
Maximum spell level learnable- 4th
Loose: +2 to Diplomacy and Gather information, Language- Elven.
Benefit: +4 extra skill points at first level.


Half-orcs:

-The race
Orcs are designed for the hotter places in the world and the Bassen deserts south of armour islands hold among other dangers a large quantity of tribes that often send ships across the sea to southeast Pelavion. Orcs are wild, cannibalistic and immoral. After their raids they can leave children with human mothers, most of the governing bodies in Pelavion sanction the killing of these offspring aside from Tunora. They acknowledge their usefulness and set up a state adoption; often when they come of age they are thrust into the army or their ‘policing’ services.
Having no real state of their own is a large issue for half-orcs. On occasion some find the urge to travel back to their absent parent’s lands only to find the ports dilapidated with no real villages to speak of. If the offspring decided to stay then they likely spend a lot of time wandering the desert alone and when they do find some orcs, more often than not they’ll see him or her as just a free meal.

-The kingdom
None known

-The rules
Half-orc rules:
Maximum spell level learnable- 2nd
Loose: Darkvision, Language- Orc, Favoured Class- Barbarian.
Benefit: +4 to Fort. In hot weather, Low light vision, Feat- Run, Favoured Class- Fighter.


Halflings:

-The race
The halflings on the continent have only recently encountered modern civilisation. They lived as tribes scattered across the Armour islands and they were mostly undisturbed until Ebium and Tunora decided to Expand across the sea onto Shield isle. Living off and in sync with the land has left the tribes little time to develop either arcane magic or technology as the rest of the continent knows it. Sea travel is only usually embarked upon for fishing, even moving from one island to the next is deemed adventurous. Any halflings coming from another part of the world, or having returned from as sort of a distance as Pelavion or Bassen would be marvelled at and looked upon as strange.
Their living arrangements are based around the idea that an area of land can only support the tribe for so long so each tribe maintains several small villages set slightly up the tree’s to protect from wild-life. They travel between them regularly and other tribes are to use them with no resentment.

-The kingdoms

Armour Islands:-Captial: None.
-Area: Armour Islands (aside from sections of Sheild Isle under control of both Ebium and Tunora).
-Ruler: None (tradition takes precedent).
-Population: 47,000
-Races:Halfling: 92%
Orc: 6%
Other: 2%
-Popular alignments: LN, N, CE



-The rules
Halfling rules:
Maximum spell level learnable- 3rd
Loose: Racial saving throws, Save vs. fear, Bonus with sling. Favoured Class- Rogue
Benefit: Proficient with- Throwing axe, Handaxe, Dart-blower, Poision use, +2 Fort vs. poision, +1 Bonus on attack rolls with dart blower. Favoured Class- Ranger.

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The information shown above should be common knowledge for most characters, use your own judgement based on where your character comes from and their abilites as to what they already know. The exceptions to this are halfings and nillia gnomes.
Halflings will often not know much outside their own lands, if they are from sheild isle then they likely know things about humans, Ebium and Tunora etc, again use your judgement.
Nillia gnomes keep to themselves, especially from their cousins and the dwarves, traders of the south shore of pelavion and fishers who go to fishermans reach will tell stories of gnomes who sail in silver fish.

Bushwhacked
2008-06-26, 07:39 AM
Double post i know but i wanted to sepearte this.
My main concern is how much divine magic will take over this campain, even though i dont want that to happen i dont want to put mechanics in place that limits the divine casters also... I'm mulling it over but any suggestions would be appreciated.
And as always any other comments welcomed.