View Single Post

Thread: The Blades of Keran [Setting]

  1. - Top - End - #5
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Milo v3's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Gender
    Intersex

    Default Re: The Blades of Keran [Setting]

    DunestiTranslates to Exiled Elves
    Origin
    During the early years of the Second Era, a race known to others as elves were created by the god Kephra, Lord of the Wild. He designed them to have an eternal bond with nature. They lived happily for two generations but afterword’s two cults were forged. One worshiped the primordials and thought that the world should be returned to its base elements. The Domễ cult believed that they deserve more gifts from their god who left them in the wilds without any tools or resources. The Primordial Cult were slain by the Divines for their blasphemy. The Cult of Domễ saw this as the Divines attacking and began a plan to kill the Divines before they destroyed all mortals.

    They began to learn magic separate to divine. Using these new talents they tried to recreate the Primordial Cult to turn them into warriors of vengeance. But the reanimated creatures that come back weren't undead. They were first Demons. They were the first creatures to have died without worshipping a god. As such they had nowhere for their souls to go. These souls just drifted the Astral Sea until they reached Primus. He talked to these souls and corrupted them further than anything ever seen before.

    These Demons then started to slaughter the Domễ cult. The survivors of the cult were exiled by the other elves to the plains of Sumra for betraying their creators. The cultists were branded the name Dunesti (Or Exiled Elves), while the others elves saw themselves as being true uncorrupted elves and adopted the name Newesti (True Elves).

    After a year of the Dunesti travelling through the plains a blight fell upon them, the land of Sumra was transformed from its former virgin soil into a near lifeless desert. Currently only a single mortal knows the cause for this severe change and he is currently being hunted by the Sumran Empire.

    Personality
    The Dunesti are arrogant and intelligent. Dunesti are also cold and slightly distant, knowing that survival in the desert is hard, and they need to do whatever is required to survive. It is knowing that they do survive in the hostile land of the desert is actually the cause of their sense of superiority.

    Dunesti try to think of all the risks of an action, but because of the speed of thought they don't take long to make decisions. This allows them to be great leaders.

    Physical Description
    They stand at the same height as Karmainians, with less weight because of their lithe and thin bodies. They have tanned skin, and slightly pointed ears. Their eyes aren't almond shaped unlike the Newesti, looking more like Karmainian. Their hair is dark and normally long, serving to keep the sun's glare and heat off their faces.

    They have slower metabolisms than Newesti or Karmainians, which is very useful when travelling the desert, but this often causes them to gain weight faster if they aren't nomadic. This also slows the effects of poison slightly, which is useful in that most creatures of the dunes have dangerous toxins.

    Dunesti are separated from the Fey unlike the Newesti, and as such cannot breed with Fey, the aging process is much quicker, and they don't naturally merge with the Feywilds. This has made them more likely to be able to procreate with Karmainians and the children that result aren't sterile.

    Relations
    They aren't seen as elves anymore by the Newesti, as they were exiled long ago, but since that was eras ago they are instead treated like Karmainians. They are also currently in a war with the Karmainians and the Gnomes of North Karma so most are suspicious of each other at best. Dunesti are friendly with all other species though, because of a treaty between Sumra and most other nations. They also strangely friendly with Aegis because they didn't reach Sumra during the Aliēnus War.

    Alignment
    They tend towards Chaotic Neutral, doing whatever is necessary for them to survive.

    Lands
    The Dunesti rule the Empire of Sumra. Sumra is a largest country in the world of Keran, being of continental size. It is a giant desert with the exception of the Mountain ranges in the east and the forests beyond the mountains. It has many cities in it, with the largest being Sumrana a city on the back of a colossal golem in the image of a Tortoise. With the exception of Sumrana, all the major cities are built from sand and clay, both of which are empowered by magic.

    The reason Sumra's a desert is because the Sun Rana heats it more than anywhere else. He burns the entire desert, but his focus is centred on the city of Sumrana itself. This has caused the people of Sumrana only able to go outside at night, as the surface of Sumrana at day becomes hot enough to set even the toughest and wettest flesh aflame.

    There are very few oasises, but those that exist are surrounded by small towns which rely on its water. Bandits normally attack these towns for water.

    During the season of Desertbane it is basically impossible to survive in the wastes. It gets so hot that flesh dries and sets alight. Water is nigh existent. The only refuge is underground or inside the city of Sumrana.

    Religion
    They turned their backs on the Divines in their creation, so there generally no religious practice in Dunesti culture. Often they only have temples to the Moons of magic and Atlan, goddess of water. The Dunesti hate the Divine Rana as he lays waste to Dunesti's land each day with his unrelenting heat.

    In addition to the Divines, it is legal to worship Demon Princes and the Infernal Lords publicly. This strangely has reduced the amount of cults in Sumra, with most instead opperating more similiarly to policed religions in other countries.

    Language
    They are all taught to speak Sumran from a young age; this language is based off an ancient dialect of Estilex with several words of Abyssal mixed in. When spoken its words sound poetic but give off a cold and distant persona.

    Names
    They are given their names from their parents two weeks after they are born. This name is generally words in Sumran.

    Male Names: Belshatzzar, Dawid, Filippu, Gedeon, Jericho, Samuilu, Zaboulon
    Female Name: Jescha, Merob, Michol, Naamah, Sepphora, Thamar
    Surnames: Bolshadi, Masajaes, Pascaes, Tyser

    Racial Traits
    • Elf: Dunesti are humanoids with the Elf subtype.
    • +2 Dex, +2 Int, –2 Str: Dunesti are nimble and have swift minds. But like their Newesti cousins, they have weaker muscles.
    • Medium: As Medium creatures, Dunesti have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
    • Dunesti's base land speed is 30 feet.
    • Abyssal Taint: Because of the Dunesti's hand in creating the first Demons they're minds are slightly linked. Dunesti gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made to gather information and Sense Motive checks against creatures with the Demon Subtype.
    • Low-Light Vision: Dunesti can see twice the distance of Karmainians in Moon-light or otherwise shadowy illumination.
    • Magic of the Dune's: Dunesti gain a +2 racial bonus on concentration checks made to cast arcane spells defensively. Also while within a desert he gains a +1 bonus to caster level.
    • Slow Metabolism: Dunesti gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. They also only require only one-half the the food and water it takes to sustain a Karmainian.
    • Waste Walkers: Dunesti receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion, as well as any other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments.
    • Language: Dunesti begin play speaking the Sumran and Trader’s Tongue languages. Dunesti with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Draconic, Estilex, Infernal, Karmainian, Kephan, and Kratoan.


    ---

    Favoured Class Options
    Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever he gains a level in a favored class, a Dunesti has the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon his favored class. The following options are available to all Dunesti who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

    Binder: Every two times this is taken, your Effective Binder Level is counted as one level higher when binding creatures of the Cold, Earth, or Fire Subtype (Chosen when this benefit is first gained).
    Contractor: Every three times this is taken you gain 5 energy resistance to cold or fire (Chosen when this benefit is first gained). If this would grant 25 energy resistance to either cold or fire, it becomes an immunity instead.
    Wizard: Every three times this is taken, you learn add one additional wizard spell. This spell must have the Cold, Earth, or Fire descriptor (Chosen when this benefit is first gained).

    ---

    Racial Archetypes
    Demonblade (Fighter)
    {table=head]Level|Special
    1st|?
    [/table]

    Class Features
    All of the following are class features of the Demonblade.

    ---

    Vital Statistics


    {table="head"]Dunesti Random Height and Weight| | | |
    Gender|Base Height|Height Modifier|Base Weight|Weight Modifier
    Male|4'10"|+2d8|100 lb.|x (1d4) lb.
    Female|4'5"|+2d8|80 lb.|x (1d4) lb.[/table]
    Last edited by Milo v3; 2013-02-09 at 07:38 PM.