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insecure
2008-10-26, 09:55 AM
Kasath


And we hereby declare this land for ours! ~ Arenth, Githyanki general.


Welcome to Kasath, a world at war. Not like you haven't heard of something like this before, but it's hard to make a campaign setting that's original these days, so I just decided on my own little twist of this. But don't misunderstand me, I've tried to make this setting different from the other settings out there, and I like to think that I have succeeded. Or, at least that I haven't failed badly.

Anyway, onward to the campaign setting itself. Kasath is the world in which you find the continents of Endaurien, Ath'rat, and Crendain. I will start to work on the continent of Endaurien, and then work my way out to the others, but this thread will only focus on Endaurien.

About Kasath itself, it is a plane in the Taernoith Wheel, which you also will find more information on later, but not neccesarily in this thread. Kasath is said to be about 100.000 years old, but this is still being discussed by sages, especially in the Time Watchers guild. But one thing that all is sure about, is that Kasath is big, but not endless. Some sailors claim that they have been to different continents apart from the three already mentioned, but none of them have any evidence of their adventures.

The majority of Kasath is covered in water, like our own world, the earth. Vast oceans makes it difficult for people to gain contact with people on the other continents, resulting in very different cultures and traditions, and every child has heard a story about the headhunters from Ath'rat, the mad vampires from Crendain, and the mysterious and dangerous demonbinders from Endaurien.

The "feel" of this world can best be described as "gritty". People lives in war-plagued nations, and it's not abnormal to develop a bit of paranoia.
But apart from these things, people still aren't sure to get attacked every day. In the bigger countries, the cities which lies most in the middle of said countries tend to have very few attacks, and people usually live somewhat good there, except for the high taxes and such, which you usually finds in countries at war. So, the nearer you get to the borderlands, the more gritty will it be. On the other hand, organizations in the big cities can also make the life of a peasant harder, and one should generally watch out, as political intrigues combined with the war can create unwanted events.

This thread serves two purposes: To organize my thoughts, and to gain feedback. Anything in this thread is completely open to change. Really, if you've got a cool idea or you've found something inconsistent, come with it.
Everything is not settled yet, and I still need to write a lot of things (Read: Nearly everything). If you want to write some of it, do it and post it. Give feedback and constructive criticism where you want.

Table of Contents:

Endaurien (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5175622#post5175622)
FillGeography (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5175627#post5175627)
FillLife in Endaurien (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5175632#post5175632)
FillRaces of Endaurien (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5175640#post5175640)

The Core Classes
FillNew Classes

Feats, Spells, and Items
Monsters of Endaurien

Plot hooks, Adventures, And the like
Organizations

The Endaurien Campaign

insecure
2008-10-26, 09:56 AM
Endaurien

Endaurien is the biggest of the three known continents, and also the one where most things happpen. Splitted in three parts, it is home to a multitude of races. Endaurien is also in war. From the Hobgoblins from east, to the hordes of Orcs and Ogres to the west, can several other alliances be found, including the Githyanki and Human's alliance, which is the biggest as of yet.

The war which is being fought in Endaurien is not the first war, but it is undoubtly the biggest. The whole continent is part of it, and only in very few places can one find safety for ambushes, prejudices, and war in general. Nobody can choose to be neutral, as that would just cause them to be overun by others, who find them and their lands an easy target for conquering.

The war started several years ago - 39 years ago in particular, with the Dwarves eldritch project. Not that it was the Dwarves who started this. Actually, the Dwarves had hundreds of years ago built "The Arcana Monoliths", which warded the world from an attack by the Githyanki, which lived on the continent of Ath'rat. But somehow, the Arcana Monoliths were destroyed, one after one. The Githyanki wasn't long to discover this fact, and soon they found themselves able to enter the Endaurien again.

The Githyanki came from the south in their ships, plowing through the water like a predator in their graceful ships, followed by their red dragons. They landed on the Humans' main land, spreading ordered destruction, but also unleased a curse. Nearly all of the humans which survived began to transform slightly, creating a new race all while an old race dissappeard. Only very few "normal" humans can be found these days.

Nobody really new what happened, and why the curse spread and changed the humans. Some think that the Githyanki carried an old disease. Some ponder that the red dragons following the Githyanki performed some kind of a ritual. But the most common theory, is that the remaining eldritch power from the Arcana Monoliths warped the first thing the Githyanki came in contact with, resulting in this new race.

The new race - "Zerain", meaning "Eldritch human" in the Githyanki tongue - joined the Githyanki in their attack. At first, they conquered a lot of the countries, but soon, 37 years ago, they came to a halt. The Dwarves, frustrated at the destruction of the Monoliths, threw every man - and woman - they had into battle, effectively stopping the Githyanki and Zerain halfway through the continent. The Elves and gnomes joined the Dwarves, while the Orcs and the Hobgoblins seized the opportunity, and attacked, leaving the Dwarven alliance under attack from every side.

Today, the war races on, but nothing has really happened that could turn the tide for one of the sides. People are beggining to get used to it, and nations have adapted the best they can. Some are propragating peace, while other wants war.

The largest of the different alliances and sides:
The Githyanki and Zerain
The Dwarves, Elves, and Gomes
The Orcs and Ogres
The Hobgoblins and other goblinoids

Keep in mind that many smaller organizations and races also wants their share, and this may bring the amount of participants up to a lot more than these four.

insecure
2008-10-26, 09:58 AM
Geography

Map of Endaurien:

http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq268/Qwernt/Endaurien3-mindreversion.jpg
Made by Zeta Kai

Map of Endaurien with the different nations and their official borders:

http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq268/Qwernt/Endaurien3-mindreversion-1.jpg
Yellow: Elves
Dark Red: Githyanki
Green: Gnomes
Orange: Dwarves
Red: Zerain
Black: Hobgoblins
Brown: Orcs
White: None of the above


Consisting of many countries, the continent of Endaurien is a place where your homeland means much to travelers. Currently at war with each other, several of the countries have been conquered and is now controlled by other races.

Endaurien itself is a continent in three parts. According to tales, when it was originally created by The Lords, it was in one part. However, some sort of cataclysm wiped over seventy percent of Endaurien's inhabitants out and cleft it into three parts. However, the Shards of Terayn was not a result of that, but another circumstance led the ex-island to the state it is in now.
Being the biggest of the three continents - Endaurien, Cremdain, and Ath'rat - it is also where most things happen.

This section will mostly contain information on the different countries. All maps have been spoilered.

insecure
2008-10-26, 09:59 AM
Life in Endaurien


To live in Endaurien is to live in the middle of a great battle, obviously. While the peasant plies his trade, armies marches into battles, militia receives military training, guards patrol the borderlands, and mighty creatures such as derryans* and dragons clash in the sky. It is in truth not a peaceful place to live in, as even in the middle of the greatest lands, political intrigue and peasant uprisings still scars the land in spite of the fact that they're not even close to the enemies lands.


Life at the borderlands:

If you live at the borderlands, you are very likely to have received training in swordplay, archery, or another form of military training. Heck, you almost need to have such training to survive the onslaughts and raids that seems to come every minute of your life. Granted, it's abnormal to find cities not based on war camps out there, but a few still tries to establish a farm or something like that there, as any form of food, clothes, or resources in general are in need there. And even if you do start something up there, you aren't likely to stay there for long. Life is harsh and war worse.

If you are a soldier, you are likely to be found at the borderlands. As the war rages, many dies each day. Land gets conquered every day and won back by the opposing force the next. Therefore, many countries tend to have barracks there, and as a result of that, people who lives close are called into military training, making the towns near those mostly empty compared to others.


*Consult Monsters of Endaurien for more info.

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:00 AM
Races of Endaurien

This section will focus on the different races inhabiting Endaurien. You will find a description of each race and class here, along with a list of the changes from the Player's Handbook. All pictures have been spoilered along with the "Crunch" for your convenience.

______________________________________________

Zerain

Pic:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/33174.jpg

Zerain are twisted humans, now in an alliance with the Githyanki. Created about forty years ago, they are the youngest race on the continent of Endaurien. They were created at the time the Githyanki launched their attack from Ath'rat and landed on humans land, but nobody really knows how and why. The most common theory is that the eldritch power which was unleashed from the destruction of the Arcana Monoliths warped the first beings the Githyanki and their red dragons met.
The Zerain - "Eldritch human" - gladly serves the Githyanki, and many of them seems attracted by them. Many of the Zerain have joined the Githyanki in their assault, but a few remains loyal to their original ancestry.
But Zerain should no be confused as slaves of the Githyanki. They act wholly on their own will and controls their own lands. As an example, in the first year of the war, some of the Githyanki tried to make the Zerain their slaves, as they saw how much the Zerain liked them. This didn't end well, as it resulted in a civil war, ruining a significant part of one of the Githyanki's biggest cities, Eraynt.

Zerain are basically humans infused with arcane power. They act a lot like humans, but they seem to be even more passionate and charismatic than them. Many of them are also more focused than humans, and a lot of Zerain pursue martial careers, may those be as fighters, warblades, or knights. Due to their arcane nature, it's not uncommon to find a Zerain with knowledge into the arcane powers, and sorcerers and warlocks are a common class choise for them.

Zerain lands include many of the northernmost lands of Endaurien, but they also control some of the eastern lands. The country in which you can find most Zerain is Aruith. Other big Zerain countries are Eraith and Zarven. Consult Geography of Endaurien for more information on these nations.

Crunch:
Even though they share many similarities with humans, Zerain doesn't have the same abilities and advantages as humans.

The Zerain:

+2 Charisma, -2 wisdom. Zerain have a more powerful force of will, but they lack the ability to make good judgments.
Medium
Base land speed: 30 ft.
Arcane resilience - +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. The arcane-touched blood that runs in the veins of the Zerain also makes them more resistant to magical effects.
Eldritch Power - 1/day - add 2 to the save of a spell they cast OR gain spell resistance 5 + character level against one spell. Not only are Zerain capable of infusing their spells with raw, eldritch power, but they can also use it to protect themselves.

Designer's note: Are these too overpowered for a LA +0 race?


________

Elves

Pic:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/row_gallery/86639.jpg

The Elves are the paragon of all that is good. Spreading justice and order throughout the continent, they have fought battles with many of the creatures of, in their opinion, darkness. Standing a solid beacon of light and law, they are the ones who initiated the treaty with the Dwarves and Gnomes, which soon became an alliance about to weaken the grasp of war which has ravaged the continent and brought plagues and famine to the people of Endaurien.
Throughout the years, they have kept all of their philosophies and lives by them. Promoting peace and order, light and hope, they have only participated in battles if they felt like they needed to do so.

The Elves of Endaurien are not forest dwellers nor worshippers of nature, but they still like to live in harmony with nature if they can. An Elven city is as likely to be found in the mountains as in the forest, but they prefer places with a temperate climate. Elven lands and countries are too be found mostly in the southern part of the continent. Elves tend to have very densely populated cities, but with huge areas of undisturbed nature between these cities. Tethnian, Lareos, and Gharodien are some of the biggest Elven countries.

However, despite their goodness, Elves are not without a fault. While they may start out wanting to do everything to save the world, they may end up doing nothing as they get older and life starts to mark them. Many of the more aged Elves can seem grumpy and dull to the more short lived races, claiming to uphold peace through not doing anything.

Crunch:
Elves doesn't change much "crunch-wise", but they get a single change anyhow.

Favored Class: Paladin Elves tries to uphold justice and peace, and they are not so arcane-focused anymore.

Designer's note: God, I said light/hope/justice many times there.:smalleek:

________


Dwarves

Pic:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/RacesNClasses_Gallery/111109.jpg

The Dwarves were the creators of the Arcana Monoliths, which kept the Githyanki at bay. When they were destroyed, the Dwarves were also the first to make a counter attack against the invading troops, in an attempt at stopping them.

Dwarves are the scribes, sages, and protectors of the world. Guarding their precious knowledge with spell and sword, ward and shield, many of them are wizards or fighters. Generally protective, many make good guardians and their obsession with knowledge in any form, Dwarves are ideal wizards and bards.
They are generally quite cheery, songs and games are an important part of the Dwarves inns and taverns, although they may seem protective and closed when confronted with people they don't know much about.

The Dwarves have created many magical wards throughout their lands to protect them against intruders, and their skill in those types of spells are unparalleled. They prefer to stay in their own countries, but if the need arises, whole cities may move to a new place, or, perhaps, into war.
Their cities usually consists of two parts: An upper and a lower.
The upper part looks like a normal city, standing in the plains like a steadfast warrior of stone. Most of the inhabitants lives here, and almost all of the markets and workshops can be found here.
In the lower part, the Dwarves tends to have vaults filled with knowledge in any form, books, scrolls, relics, and the more important buildings lie down here. Schools, academies, and the mayor's house can be found down here.

Crunch:
Dwarves have undergone some changes. Listed below, these are the adjustments on the Dwarven race.

Remove Stonecunning. They still keep their bonus to craft and appraise checks related to stone.
They also lose their racial bonus on attacks against orcs and goblinoids.

Add those:

Knowledgeable - Dwarves may choose one Knowledge skill and add that to their class skills at first level. In addition, they gain a +1 racial bonus on this skill equal to their class level.
Guardian Stance - Once per day, Dwarves may enter a stance as a swift action which grants +1 temporary hp/class level for five rounds.

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:01 AM
You've got three guesses.:smalltongue:

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:02 AM
Talk about double posts...

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:03 AM
Hey, look, another reserved post!

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:04 AM
This is just a little bit boring...

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:05 AM
Reserved once again.

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:06 AM
Aren't you getting used to it by now?:smallwink:

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:07 AM
Can you find the hidden message?:smalltongue:
You've found it!

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:09 AM
Changelog:

10/26 - Started the thread
10/26 - Added "Endaurien"

10/30 - Added "Races of Endaurien
10/30 - Added "Zerain"
10/30 - Added "Elves"
10/30 - Added "Dwarves"

11/3 - Added "Life in Endaurien"

11/8 - Added "Geography"

That should be all. You're welcome to post if you want; it's not a requirement to have read everything. Keep in mind that nearly everything hasn't been done yet.:smallsmile:

Lappy9000
2008-10-26, 10:25 AM
Lookin' alright so far! One minor complaint, though: Can you change your freakin' signature? I lost the Game about 7 times when trying to read this. And that displeased me.

insecure
2008-10-26, 10:28 AM
Lookin' alright so far! One minor complaint, though: Can you change your freakin' signature? I lost the Game about 7 times when trying to read this. And that displeased me.

Yeah, maybe I should do that. I've lost the game about sixty times while I had this signature.:smallwink:

insecure
2008-10-30, 03:15 PM
So, I've had this writer's block-ish thing, but I hope i should be over now. Anyway, I've added the "Zerain" race, and I'm gonna add the rest as soon as I finish them.

Well, back to work.:smallsmile:

Lappy9000
2008-10-30, 03:46 PM
Ooh, I like the changes here. The Zerain are nice, simplistic and practical, yet still unique.

One question: Will the Githyanki still be using the same stats as in the Monster Manual?

Oh, and the Reserved messages were a nice touch :smalltongue:

insecure
2008-10-30, 03:51 PM
Ooh, I like the changes here. The Zerain are nice, simplistic and practical, yet still unique.

One question: Will the Githyanki still be using the same stats as in the Monster Manual?

Oh, and the Reserved messages were a nice touch :smalltongue:

As I can't really change anything about them as they are one of the races The Wizard who Lives by The Spoooky Coast associate with D&D I can't really change it. So, no.

By the by, Elves are up.

Zeta Kai
2008-10-30, 06:20 PM
My only question is this: Do you need a map?

insecure
2008-11-02, 02:38 PM
My only question is this: Do you need a map?

Oh, I've seen some of your maps before, and they're excellent. Like, excellent dipped in awesome and sprayed with win.:smallbiggrin:

So yes, I'd like one. I suppose I send you a PM with the details or something?

Zeta Kai
2008-11-02, 03:17 PM
Oh, I've seen some of your maps before, and they're excellent. Like, excellent dipped in awesome and sprayed with win.:smallbiggrin:

So yes, I'd like one. I suppose I send you a PM with the details or something?

Thank you very much.

Yeah, just PM me any geographical notes that you have. Nothing insanely detailed is necessary; just a brief overview of the world is needed. I'll do the rest, & send you a draft to review/revise.

insecure
2008-11-08, 03:52 PM
Finaly I got a chance to work a bit more on this. I've been busy this whole week, and I'm afraid it'll continue for some time. Annoying.

Anyway, now there's a map of Endaurien up! Many thanks to Zeta Kai for this masterpiece. Also, I've begun to work a bit more random. Rather than finishing the things I've started, I'll now just write down what springs to mind. This should, hopefully, make me able to get something written down the time I have.