Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:20 PM	Damnit, I spelled setting wrong in the title. Here is my Campaign setting that I have been working on for a few weeks during the summer. I've been DMing for two years, now, and I've always procrastinated creating a solid campaign setting, so I always used a generic D&D setting that took on a more local approach to things, with the characters rarely leaving a nation. There's nothing wrong with that, but part of a DM's job is world building, and that's what I wanted to do. So, I decided to make two! Here is the basic premise of my campaign setting that will be used for three seperate ongoing campaigns (A military campaign, an epic campaign, and a lower level classic campaign.) Keep in mind, this is still very much a work in progress. There is still much to come, and I would love feedback, ideas, or even a bit of help on this setting. Whatever I choose to include or not include in here (Psionics, certain classes and races, etc.) isn't final, so feel free to criticize and give feedback. Norserai and Munsai are sister planets. They orbit each other, and they share an atmosphere. Norserai is the larger of the two, but not by much. They both orbit the star Cursa, referred to as ‘The Sun’. Both of the worlds support a wide variety of life, much of it intelligent. Humans, Elves, Orcs, Gnomes, Halflings, Dwarves, and other such creatures have developed civilizations on both of these worlds, supported by their gods and demi-gods, which play an ever-present role in the happenings of the universe. Norserai ad Munsai have one moon, a relatively small asteroid that was caught between the two planets, thousands of years ago, and is precariously orbiting the two. The moon is called Lucide by the elves, and the name has caught on as the most common title, though many will call it what they please. If one were to refer as Norserai, Munsai, and Lucide as a system, one would call it Theta Leonis. Lucide frequently orbits Norserai, as it is the larger of the two, but it has been known to switch every so often to Munsai, and some years it will orbit both of the planets in succession, almost in a figure eight pattern. A few on both of the planets fear the day in which something will go wrong in such a precise way that the moon will crash into either of the planets, causing cataclysmic conditions for both worlds. This is mostly unfounded, however, and most shrug it off as a paranoid doomsday theory conjured by mad bards. Rumours and Bardic tales whisper of a group of spellcasters who would seek to gain the power to use Lucide as a weapon, but again these rumours have little supporting evidence. Denizens of the two worlds are hardly aware of each other. A commoner on Norserai will barely take notice to Munsai, and vice versa. Tales and legends persist on each world about the other, some philosophical and hopeful, others grim and exaggerated. It is common knowledge that there is life, cities, and civilization on both planets. After all, there are a few connections between the two, whether they be very advanced and rare teleportation spells in Arcane guilds, or mysterious and unreliable portals in obscured dungeons. Whatever the case, most common folk pay little attention to the other world clearly visible in the sky, it has been there every day since they can remember, and it is very far away to a commoner’s eye. However, the fields of Geography, Cartography, and (crude) Astronomy have advanced greatly on both worlds due to a symbiotic type of exploration and study developed by The Consult’s Cartography sect. The layout of each planet is often viewable from the opposite world. The Consult, being gone of the only factions present on both worlds, has mapped out much of both planets, weather and atmospheric/orbital conditions permitting. Some areas seem impossible to map or to see clearly due to orbital limitations, and how the planets move with each other, and there appears to be a relatively large continent on Munsai that will not be mappable in this manner for thousands of years. Player's Handbook Dungeon Master's Guide Monster Manual Player's Handbook II Dungeon Master's Guide II Monster Manual II MM III MM IV MM V Fiend Folio Complete Warrior Complete Adventurer Complete Arcane Complete Divine Complete Scoundrel Complete Mage Complete Champion Draconomicon Magic Item Compendium Spell Compendium Races of the Dragon Book of Vile Darkness Book of Exalted Deeds Stormwrack Frostburn Dungeonscape Libris Mortis Arms and Equipment Guide Dieties and Demigods Weapons of Legacy Epic Level Handbok Books I'd like to be using, but don't have... Sandstorm Cityscape Manual of the Planes Races of Stone Races of Destiny Races of... Books I won't be including Expanded Psionics Handbook Magic of Incarnum Unearthed Arcana Tome of Battle Many of these factions are of my imagination, and many more are from the Complete books and other D&D supplements. The way I see it, is what's the use of them printing out all these awesome organizations if I'm not incorporating them into my game?? I'll be giving brief explanations to all of them, but for now its just a list Arcane Factions The Consult The Arcane Academy The Crimson Spire Dolus Arcanus Mysun Skoitha Trucedio Magalia The Bellatorius The Libera The Blacklock Seekers Bardic Colleges College of Concrescent Lore Watchers of the Coming Sunset Thieves' and Assassin's Guilds Nightsong Guild The Blind Tower Seven Raven's Clan (Anti-Thieves' Guilds) Red Knives Druidic Factions The Assembly of Balance Keepers of the Green Fighter/Mercenary Factions The Knight Protectors Order of the Bow The Bloodhounds Order of Illumination School of Blades Monastic Orders The Dunyain Ise Zumi Monastery Churches Church of the Many The Anvil of Creation The Blessed Bounty of Yondalla The Brotherhood of Equals The Eternal Library Fharlangn's Way Fingers of the Laughing Rogue The Fist of Valor The Mighty Arms of Thor Scales of Balance The Shining Light of Pelor The Temple of True Aim The Temple of the Twinkling Eye The Fury of the Eye The Fist of Tyranny The Fane of the Skull The Halls of Secrets Watchers of the Tide Banner of the Ninefold Dragon Halls of the All-Father The Cult of Orcus Other Factions Scriptori Eyes of the Overking Greyhaunt Investigators League of Boot and Trail Navaethare Sailors The Free League Epic Factions The Garrote The Gleaners The Order of the Book The Order of the Shield Planar Cartographic Society The Regulators The Union Sentinels
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:20 PM	There is a limited amount of travel between the two worlds, but it is feasible if you know where to look. Flight has long been possible as transportation between the two worlds. There are a multitude of flying creatures who have evolved to migrate between the worlds, seasons depending, with amazing instinct as to when to migrate. Though the two worlds do share an atmosphere, thus making flight a possibility, it is very dangerous to do so, due to lack of breathable air and extremely strange air pressure fluctuations between the two worlds. It is often referred to as ‘world shock’, the sensation of being transported between the two in any way, and it is a disorienting, almost sickening feeling of misplacement, as if you simply should not be there. This is only a temporary condition in most cases, and many travelers get over it within a day or two. Other travelers find that they can never shake the feeling of shock they experienced, and often return to their home world as soon as they can. The ‘Falling Purple Mage’ is a common joke, referring to the overconfident and foolish spellcasters (most often Sorcerers) who suffocate and die in the flight process, falling back to one of the planets, sometimes in a populated area or a city. Gnomish and Kobold engineers have devised mechanical airships that may be able to cross between the two worlds, but all four incidents have resulted in miserable failure, with only one survivor of the endeavor. Navaethare are another valid means of transportation between the two worlds, with only three known to exist. Navaethare, Gith for airship, are galleys with enchanted sails, allowing for constant magical flight. These are run by Githyanki sailors who have left behind the Astral plane, choosing instead to sail the skies of the material plane, Theta Leonis in particular, as it is very interesting and a bit of a sailor’s challenge to be able to span worlds in a ship. Navaethare are rarely put to use as anything but Githyanki sailing ships, and they refuse to share their secrets with The Consult, or any other faction for that matter. They take pleasure solely in sailing the skies, and often go on ventures to the elemental plane of air, to the astral plane, and then back again, with little care for anyone who would need to travel from one planet to another. If you have something the Githyanki sailors want, however, it might be possible to make dealings with them for transport or other services. Friends of the Gith are often given free passage. Ethereal Jaunt, Plane shift, Etherealness, or other similar spells also function in getting from one world to the other, though travel on the ethereal plane is slow and a bit dreary, and thus most casters choose teleportation or flight over ethereal travel. However, it is the safest means of travel, carrying almost no risk (unless you were to come across a hostile ethereal creature, but this happens on the material plane as well. Travel is dangerous everywhere in Theta Leonis, it seems…) and thus it still remains a popular way for the careful Wizard to get from one place to another. Teleportation is the most common means of transportation between the two worlds, but must be done by an expert, often with a telescope run by Gnomish engineers, precise timing, and careful planning. Most spells available for transportation are simple ‘Planetspan Teleport’ spells, with ‘Greater Teleport’ or ‘teleportation circle’ being extremely hard to find, and expensive and troublesome if found. Since orbital conditions are constantly shifting, distance estimates between the planets are rarely reliable, but the planets range from an estimated 36,000-44,000 miles apart, depending on the time of year and specific orbital conditions. Any ‘Planetspan Teleport’ spell, which is reliant upon distance, must be done very carefully, at the correct time and place. A simple ‘Teleport’ spell is not usable to span the distance between the two planets (unless you are a 36th level caster, none of which exist currently) due to obvious range limitations. However, this hasn’t stopped one too many curious spellcasters from trying, and in every case they have missed and experienced disaster. Since Arcane Magic was discovered, many hopeful young Magi looking into the sky and seeing another planet have dreamed of exploring it. Wayfarer Guides are very common for this reason, and there are five guilds that officially employ Wayfarer Guides and other teleportation masters at an absolutely massive salary. The Consult, Dolus Arcanus, and The Arcane Academy, The Scarlet Spire, and the Mysun are all Arcane guilds, schools, or factions that offer such transportation. These organizations all participate in cross-planetary trade between the two worlds, and each of them contains at least a small cartographic society within that conducts studies using recently developed Gnomish telescopes and Divination magic. The Consult claims itself to be the authority on travel between the two worlds, though they hardly do much of anything to enforce this claim. Resources, spells, mundane goods, magical items, exotic creatures, or anything else transported from one world to another is usually sold at a ludicrous price, especially if purchased from The Consult. This type of transportation has been going on for only about 240 years, since Arcane Magic was re-discovered 272 years ago on Norserai, and brought to Munsai in the same year. However, trade and professional transport is a more recent development in Arcane study, being established about 60 years ago, around the time that Dolus Arcanus came to be. There exists a crossroads between the two worlds that travellers by flight often visit, allowing this kind of travel to be much more bearable and much less dangerous. Aethera Nova, named in tribute of the first city established by The Consult, lost in the Ethergaunt wars. the city was founded and mantained by Dolus Arcanus, the most advanced Arcane guild as of 813/270. The city is still developing, but its size and wealth rival that of any Metropolis on the surface of either world. The city sees travellers from all across Theta Leonis, along with thousands of extraplanar travellers to boot! The city holds strong connections with the Extraplanar Metropolis of Union, the City of Brass, and Tu'narath. The city is kept in the air by cloudstones, small whispy semi-real creations of Noble Djinni, and appears to be held aloft by Mammatus storm clouds, ever-shifting and changing beneath the city. More on this city later... While there are a number of similarities between the two worlds, there are quite a few differences. Most notable in who, or what, inhabits either world. Though both worlds have all the core races of the PHB, they differ in culture, demeanor, population, and location on each world. Some races and creatures are unheard of on one world, and fairly commonplace on the other. Every so often a spellcaster with access to mass transport from one world to the other will get the well intentioned (or completely deranged) idea to introduce a creature from Norserai into the wild of Munsai, or vice versa. This can be a good thing, and sometimes it results in a spread of new trade goods, skills, and culture. Sometimes, however, this will bring tidings of terror and war to an area, and conflict will escalate. Stories speak of a dark time, before the Purge, a Lich named Virith (thoguht to be Vecna in his years as a 'mortal' by some) lured the Tarrasque from Munsai onto Norserai and unleashed a terror that lasted for years, as two Tarrasques ravaged across the continent, destroying entire nations and leaving many without homes. Now, the Tarrasque of Norserai is subdued with a very clever Polymorph spell, and the beats on Munsai has been recently defeated. The effects are still being felt, and the day of the beast is a holiday in many nations on Munsai. Here are the races I intend to include as playable at first level, with no level adjustment. I will give a brief explanation of culture and population of each as time goes by. Again, work in progress.... Human Elf (High, Gray, Wild, Wood, Drow, Aquatic) Half-Elf Orc (Green, Gray) Half-Orc Halfling (Lightfoot, Tallfellow, Deep) Dwarf (Hill, Deep, Duergar) Goblin (Normal, Forestkith) Gnoll Kobold Centaur Satyr Kenku Changeling Warforged Lizardfolk Lupinal Woodling Feytouched Mongrelfolk Eladrin Merfolk Darphellan Yak Folk Nycter Shifter Nearly any other race from Monster Manuals 1-5, Fiend Folio, and other such books are allowed, with level adjustment and/or bonus hit die taken into consideration.
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:21 PM	For reference, it is currently the 813th year of the Purge on Norserai. (while it is 270 Ianus on Munsai) Arcane magic, Divine magic, Psionics, and Incarnum were condemned in year 1, and thus the Veneficus calendar was put into place, Veneficus roughly translating to ‘Rogue Spellcaster’ from Draconic to Common. In year 1, the Draconic races united and executed, within a years time, a genocide of every spellcaster on Munsai and Norserai that they could find, believing that the art was reserved only for the children of Io. Nearly every guild, church, or faction devoted to any kind of magic was disassembled, entire kingdoms fell, and many races perished almost completely in the purge. Some call it the Venefican war, though it was much more of a massacre than a war. Many magical items and locations were destroyed in the war, and the knowledge of how to create artifacts of any sort was lost in the time. The great libraries of Boccob were burnt to the ground, and entire periods of history before the purge were forgotten. Now, the most accurate and complete collections on history before the purge are kept deep in the Carcer (or Underdark) by the Drow, who were almost completely spared by the purge. (Lolth, and Elven empress, led the large and influential ‘Drow’ Elven family into the Carcer to escape the purge and practice Wizardry in peace. Armies of Draconic soldiers followed the rogue elvish family into the Underdark, and an entire Battalion simply disappeared, while the rest of the army found nothing but monster infested caverns and darkness. The Draconic armies moved on, and thus Lolth and her elves were left in peace in the vast Carcer, slowly darkening in appearance and in demeanor, relatively quickly forming the vast Drow empire. and Only those foolish enough to be caught on the surface were lost in the purge.) This ‘Venefican war’ gave birth to a rebellion of sorts, a faction of spellcasters who would not see their age-old art destroyed by over-zealous Dracons blinded by pride and power. Thus, The Consult was born, a cabal of Generals, Emperors, and prestigious Magi and Priests who took it upon themselves to fight back, and to protect as many artifacts, items, spellbooks, tomes, wizards, sorcerers, clerics, and anyone or anything else that had any magical association. They escaped, in part, to the Ethereal plane, where they waited out the war and built Civitas de Aether, the largest city known to exist on the inner planes, built entirely on the ethereal plane. Here they stayed for 540 years, until the first day of the 541st year of the Purge, Civitas de Aether was seiged by strange, gaunt humanoids riding upon dominated Ethereal Dragons, known as the Ethergaunt. The Wizards and other important members of the Consult escaped the city, and returned to the Material plane, and re-introduced Arcane and Divine magic to the entirety of Theta Leonis. (Of course, the gods were being worshipped on both of the worlds during this entire period of time, but for several centuries after the purge, until The Consult returned, the concept of a Cleric or other spellcaster who drew power from the divine was disgusting to anyone who worshipped a diety, being thought of as stealing from the gods themselves, and thus condoned all across Norserai.) The extermination of all known spellcasters left Norserai in utter chaos for several centuries after the first year of the Purge. Many civilizations had grown dependant on Arcane and Divine magic, and nothing but war and strife followed for many years. This period is known as the Atra Aeveum. Translated from Dwarven to Common, it roughly means the ‘Time of Great Despair’, which the Dwarves don’t think of a bad time at all. To take refuge from the wars, the Dwarves reatreated into the great mountains of Norserai. At the same time, the Orcs wished to achieve the same, and turn the great mountains into impenetrable Orcish fortresses. The stalwart Dwarves won out in the end, and became what they are today only because of this. The Gnomes soon followed suit, finding homes in the foothills of the mountains and some of the uninhabited mountain ranges. Halflings of all sorts lost their homelands in the Atra Aeveum and have since been mostly a nomadic people, with a very much decreased population. They used to be quite a bit like Humans in culture, having many nations and cities to speak of, until the Orcish and Goblin Warlords of Norserai swept across their lands during the times of war, and left nothing standing. Humans were, at the time, a very young race, and found their calling in these wars. They found triumph against the monstrous races, and establish many great nations. Both Arcane and Divine Magic have since resurfaced, and become prominent again, but it is a young art once again. Psionics and Incarnum have not since been re-discovered, with nearly every practitioner of each culled in the purge. Though, very rare rumours persist of some still-surviving casters of each, and the prospect of either being re-discovered is not entirely impossible. In reality, there are three Psions and six Incarum users still living that witnessed the purge, all are very old and each has found different ways of extending their lifespan. They do not teach what they know to new students unless for very good reason, and they are all a part of a very small and secretive faction known as the Skoitha. (Meaning ‘Exiled’ in Celestial) They do not believe either world to be ready for the return of Psionics or Incarnum, and they slowly plan for the day that they may show themselves to the peoples of Theta Leonis. For now, however, Arcane and Divine casters hold sway the worlds across, barely remembering the great days of the four. Since the wars, Veneficus has been a slur of sorts for spellcasters, used by many suspicious common folk, and especially by those who would hunt spellcasters simply because they are as such. There are, of course, still many who would love see the Great Purge to happen again, with two factions being entirely devoted to just that. They especially wish to see the Consult and other such Arcane guilds exterminated, and to see every church on Norserai and Munsai burnt to the ground. Having most of their member base on Norserai, The Occult Slayers and The Forsakers work closely together to destroy spellcasters, and magic items, respectively. Calling themselves Trucedio-Magalia (Meaning Killers-of-Magi in Draconic) this faction retains the philosophy that initiated the great purge on Norserai: Mortals are too irresponsible to wield magic, and those who dare to do so must be slain, and the inherently magical items they create must join them in destruction. They put Dragons and any of Draconic blood above this standard (choosing to ignore the age-old philosophy that Sorcerer’s have Draconic Blood) and thus they have a strong backing by several great Chromatic Dragons and an assortment of other Dragon creatures. This group has once come into contact with the Skoitha, and a massive battle ensued that crippled both sides, the Psions and Incarnates especially, and left them with only nine members. Since then, the Trucedio Magalia hunt the Skoitha relentlessly, both factions attempting to maintain secrecy as best they can. Unfinished
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:22 PM	Unfinished Unfinished
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:22 PM	Arcane Magic is widespread along almost all of Norserai, with a good amount of nations being Mageocracies, and one (Shimeh) being a Wizard-run tyrant nation, endorsed by The Consult. The Nation is held together almost completely by an enchantment-focused cabal of Wizards, using charm, suggestion,and dominate spells to mantain order. Crime is almost unheard of, but Finger of Death or Phantasmal killer executions are surprisingly common. Most Metropoli on Norserai emulate this nation in a few ways, as they are very advanced in Arcane studies. They developed the now widespread technique of using complex systems of Create/Destroy water spells as plumbing, and offering a wide variety of magical goods and services. Despite the widespread acceptance of Arcane Magic in Consult-run areas, Sorcerers and other Non-Wizards are persecuted and often outlawed. The Consult is often at ends with The Crimson Tower and The Arcane Academy, with members claiming themselves to be the most esteemed among the spellcasters, and all others are simply untrained mongrels feeding off of ley lines and raw magic. The laugh at the claims of Sorcerers to have fey, draconic, or outsider blood, and accept Wizardry as the only proper means of using Arcane magic. A commoner's view of an Arcane caster depends slightly on the region, and most view them with mixed feelings of fear and respect, while many admire what they are able to do. In some regions, mostly due to the influence of The Consult, the populace views Arcane magic as overbearing and tyrannical, persecuting casters and outlawing the use of spells. On Munsai, The Consult is spread thin and The Arcane Academy has sway. This long-standing guild has been around for milennia, and they have been called many different names, but always they are known as The Arcane Academy. There are far fewer Mageocracies established on Munsai, but this does not mean that Arcane studies are behind those on Norserai. Quite the opposite in fact, spellcasters have never gotten out of control on Munsai, it has always been a very subtle part of the world, and thus there has not yet been a Great Purge like that seen on Norserai. Magic is far less incorporated into daily life compared to cities on Norserai, and it is more of a thing of mystery to the common folk, eyed with wonder and slight suspicion. Though, every major city has an Arcane Academy, unless under special circumstances, but they mostly keep to themselves, reading old tomes or practicing the somatic and verbal aspects of a spell. Sorceres and Wizards are both accepted into the Academy, but most members practice Wizardry. Warlocks are quite a different story, rare but feared among the common folk and Magi alike. Stories of powerful invokers told by Bards are rare, but strike terror into the hearts of many. Tales on both worlds persist of the dread Warlock Drivek the Hidden. He is said to plague towns with curse, disease, and hellfire, all the while not being seen. Distrust is about the friendlist reaction a Warlock will get from anyone who can tell the difference between a Sorcerer and a Warlock. There is only one gathering of Warlocksa faction called The Bellatorius. They seek to ally themselves with Dolus Arcanus and to teach others the path of the Warlock. But currently The Bellatorius operates alone, with no allies to speak of. Bards on Norserai are treated with a great deal of respect and admiration. Stories and song in a tavern, epic tales of cataclysms in the past and what is to come, and tales of far happenings. In most of the nations untouched by The Consult, Bards are the main source of news and entertainment, and most commoners are simply fascinated by a Bard's song. On Munsai, bards are a bit more obscured, with Elven, Gnomish, Satyr, Centaur, and other Fey being the most common to take up the path of the Bard. Though still well-liked, they are much more difficult to find, and thus are treated as either men of wonder and mystery, or rare tricksters who generally mean well. Hexblades are becoming more and more commonplace on both worlds as of late, mostly and ironically due to the persecution of Sorcery in nations under the influence of The Consult. The presence of day-to-day Arcane magic has caused the Sorcerer's spark to show itself in many children, and those with innate Sorcery either hide it and ignore it as best they can, or practice in secret. Those who are caught are promptly tortured, siphoned of all Arcane energy, and executed without question. Ignoring and supressing the Innate spark of a Sorcerer leads to a spoiling and distortion of Arcane Energy, which often brings about the rist of a Hexblade. Hexblades are despised by The Consult, even more so than Warlocks or Sorcerers, and are hunted down ruthlessly. All of this has led to a recent underground faction of Sorcerers, Hexblades, Warlocks, Bards, and even a few Wizards who call themselves The Libera, a group closely tied to The Indeps. They live by the philosophy that no one person or group can dictate the flow of Magic throughout this world, and that everyone is free to practice or not practice spell use as they please. Consult officials treat this as a rumour and nothing more, but are nonetheless determined to put an end to it behind the scenes. In any area free of Consult influence, these classes find themselves much more accepted. On Munsai, Hexblades are a rare find ineed, and most often take to wandering to discover more about their rare situation. Little is known about the spoiling of magic that leads to Hexblades, but most often they are referred to as "The Accursed Magi". The Arcane Academy has formed several well meaning inquisitions into the subject, as it pretains to spoiled scrolls and potions, cursed magic items, Hexblades, and other Arcane anomolies. They have concluded very little. Spellthieves are similarly mistreated by The Consult, but still distrusted by spellcasters across both worlds. They sometimes join The Libera as spies, master thieves, specialized assassins, or spell-absorbing shields. They are considered 'The Bane' of the Consult and any spellthief that is found out is immediately dealt with. In other parts of Norserai and Munsai they find themselves as specialized anti-caster mercenaries, sometimes even working for the Trucedio Magalia as the most prestige assassins in the faction. They tend to deal with rogue or deranged spellcasters, crazed liches, and other such problems very effectively. Rumours persist of small special forces groups of spellthieves employed by every Arcane Guild the worlds across, as spies and thieves especially targetting rival factions. On Munsai, spellthieves are rarely seen as any different than strange rogues, and often find similar employment opportunities as Rogues and Scouts, and much less persecution. Many spellthieves born on Norserai hear legends of the conditions on Munsai, and often they will try as hard as they can to steal a 'Greater Teleport' spell or slip into an unguarded teleportation circle in order to find their place on Munsai. Divine magic is, of course, very common throughout both worlds in Theta Leonis. A multitude of dieties are worshipped, with a core 22 gods making up the most praised group. Clerics may worship any diety, even those with a divine rank of 0, or even be devoted to a concept, ideal, element, or philosophy. A Cleric of peace, or of fire, justice, or most anything of the sort is feasible, though not necessarily common. There is an increasingly large movement of divine casters, called 'The Servants of the No-God', Ur priests who despise the pantheon and every divine being, and have forsaken them. They steal the divine powers of the gods, similar to a Cleric, and use it against them. Clerics ar very commonplace and play a large role in most every society, even primitive ones. There are twenty two world spanning churches, that are spread across both Munsai and Norserai. Either way, whichever world one is on has little bearing, Clerical orders and churches are omnipresent, though Clerics on Nor and Mor are found almost exclusively on their home planet. These Clerics are much more aware of the world they are on (as are many people, the constant reminder that another planet is visible in the sky will have that effect...) and worship the planets themselves, and the demi-gods that watch over them. Nor and Mor are often referred to as the 23rd and 24th of the gods, though they are not. Clerics of any sort are generally well-liked, but it depends heavily on which diety they worship. Whatever the case, amost every race has many Clerics, most often of their patron diety. Virtually every city or settlement has a shrine to one of the 22 gods, some areas having what are refered to as 'Churches of the Many', places of worship that have altars devoted to all of the gods equally. Ths age-old practice is especially common in small towns and cities where many races come together. This also gave rise to 'Clerics of the Many' who praise all of the 22 gods, and believe them all to be equals. (Which has basis, all of them are of divine rank 19.) Druids are fairly commonplace on Munsai, as most of the natural world is completely untouched. Keepers of the Green are widespread across Munsai, holding sway over the few nations on the world, and keeping them in check as best they can. The Assembly of Balance, a Clerical and Druid order devoted to Obad-Hai, span the entirety of Theta Leonis, protecting nature and attempting to mantain a solid balance in many ways, most especially between the two worlds. Druids are looked upon with fear by many commoners, as of late it has been common for a crazed Druid to attack a city or settlement, and if successful in destroying it, overgrowing the area with trees and other plants within minutes. Many rogue druids bring it upon themselves to bring the wrath of nature down upon civilization, and attacks such as these are becoming more and more common. Archivists are much less common than any other spellcaster, often finding themsleves at place as Divine Casters in Arcane guilds, most especially Wizard's Guilds. More often, however, Archivists can be found mantaining old church libraries, collecting Divine lore and holy texts, and keeping such writings safe. There is only one major organization of Archivists, and it spans both worlds, called the Scriptori. Reclusive and ancient, this organization survived entirely throughout the Great Purge, and has been around as long as literacy itself. This faction keeps track of Divine happenings in Theta Leonis, collects old artifacts and obscured divine scripts, and does its best to keep track of the ever-growing pantheon. Archivists are hardly considered at all among the common folk, being so rare and barely indistinguishable from Wizards or Clerics to them. To those who know, Archivists are treated with either respect or nuetrality, and are rarely attacked or harmed by anyone, unless for personal reasons. Rangers & Paladins coming soon.
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:24 PM	Thousands of deities are worshipped on either of the two planets, with a completely polytheistic pantheon, consisting of many classic D&D deities as well as others from alternative sourcers. 22 Gods are worshipped most commonly, as they are clearly the most influential, important, and powerful of the divine beings. The others are refered to as deities, demigods, or the divine, but the titles of ‘god’ and ‘goddess’ are reserved for only the 22. The Pantheon Gods: LG Moradin –creation, dwarves, crafting, stone, metal, earth, constitution NG Pelor – life, light, healing, the sun, summer, fire N Obad-Hai – balance, nature, elements, spring, forest NE Nerull – death, darkness, necromancy, the night, murder LG Heironeous – valor, honor, war, chivalry, LE Hextor - tyranny, war, fear, hell, devils N Boccob – magic, knowledge, aether, spells, CG Corellon Larethian – elves, protection, the moon, dexterity NG Garl Glittergold – gnomes, wealth, jewels, treasure CE Gruumsh – orcs, expansion, slaughter, greed, hatred LG Yondalla – Halflings, bounty, harvest, farming, autumn LN St. Cuthbert – law, order, retribution, justice CN Olidimara – chaos, luck, trickery, food & drink, entertainment, charisma N Fharlanghn – travel, roads, distance, horizons CN Poseidon – seas, sailing, water, CG Thor – storms, weather, thunder, air, strength LE Vecna – secrets, stealth, silence, fear, decay, undeath N Io – dragonkind, neutrality LN Odin – fathers, sight, philosophy, wisdom NG Aphrodite – mothers, love, beauty, passion, fertility CE Orcus – plague, famine, disaster, demons, vermin, ooze, undeath NE Hel – winter, despair, tragedy, depression, hatred, Common Demigods: (This list will be constantly expanding) N Nor – The watcher of Norserai N Mor – The watcher of Munsai NE Tiamat – evil dragonkind, destruction NG Bahamut – good dragonkind, protection CE Lolth – drow, spiders, the underdark CN Kurtlemak – kobolds, mining, work The most omnipresent church is 'The Anvil of Creation,' the main sect of Moradin worshippers who believe that Moradin forged the universe many thousands of years ago, putting extra care and detail into Theta Leonis. Temples of Pelor, St. Cuthbert, Obad-Hai, and wayside shrines to Fharlanghn are all very common. Altars and shrines to Nerull are present in many graveyards, and are not considered to be inherently evil. Belief in a diety is almost automatic. There are virtuall no athiests or monothiestic believers. There are, however, those who believe their diety to be superior to all others, or those who despise the gods. Most commoners are polythiestic, praying and giving tribute to many gods throughout the day, when the situation seems fitting. A craftsman will say a prayer to Pelor when he sees the morning sun, toss a coin to a wayside shrine to Farlanghn on his way to work, give an offering to Moradin before he starts his daily work, thank Garl Glittergold for his profits at the end of the day, give homage to Olidimarra as he drinks the night away in the local Tavern, make a promise to Thor as he gets in a bar fight, and give a whisper to Nerull to keep his family safe from death as he falls asleep. Barbarian - U Bard - C Cleric - C Fighter - C Druid -U Monk - U Sorcerer - C Wizard - C Ranger - U Rogue - C Paladin - U Spellthief - U Knight - C Dragon Shaman - R Warlock - R Hexblade - R Archivist - U Scout - U Swashbuckler - U Soulknife - R Factotum - R Artificer - R NPC Classes: Warrior - VC Expert - VC Adept - C Aristocrat - C Commoner –VC This is a measure of how widespread each class is in the average city or civilized area: VC – Very Common, one would come across a member of this class constantly C – Common, one would come across a member of this class daily U – Uncommon, one would come across a member of this class every so often R – Rare, one would come across a member of this class mostly in story or song, rarely in person (Still got a lot of work on this section, bear with me... I still need to finish the basics.)
Sotha_syl 07-29-07, 11:25 PM	Technology on either planet is mostly of Gnomish, Human, Dwarven, or Kobold ingenuity. It is bestdescribed as early Renaissance technology, with guns and the rare cannon having been recently developed by Dwarven and Gnomish inventors on Norserai. Flintlock alchemist's fire muskets and pistols are now seeing use in combat, though not en masse. Armour is still in use, as the best bullet will penetrate only about as well as a composite bow or a crossbow. These alchemist's fire based weapons are still in their early stages of development, still misfiring and jamming every few shots, sometimes harming the marksman. These weapons are rare, and very expensive, to say the least. Repairs and replacements are hard to come by, and very much needed due to how often a rifle or pistol will misfire. Retail rifle and pistol shops offer repairs, but sometimes it requires the expertise of the original craftsman to fix up such a weapon properly. Archery is still much more popular and widespread, despite the training required for even the basics of it. Airships are a rarity, with less than a dozen employed on Norserai, and only one on Munsai. The dreaded Dwarven steam-tank is another technology worth noting, created by heavily modifying an Iron Golem. (or, in one case, the Dreadnaught Adamantine Golem) These tanks are rarely employed, seeing use only once in a massive Dwarven war effort, and many still believe them to be legends created by Bards who would inspire feat into the enemies of the Dwarves. Constructs, Golems, and Inevitables are all present as well, most of which came along long before the above-mentioned technologies, in the first era of magic. The economics of both worlds are similar in nature, with prices varying greatly on specific items, but both have vaguely similar systems of currency. Munsai, being more advanced in this respect, has only two major forms of currency, while Norserai still has about seven commonly accepted types of coin. Each world has its obscure and/or ancient coins still buried deep in ruins, dungeons, or in the pockets of adventurers, collectors, and nobles. On Munsai, Dwarven minted coins are the most prominent, refered to as Khellus by most, the Dwarven word for coin. Human currency is still widely employed. While it is less common, it is still oddly referred to as "Common Coin.' Both of these currencies have about the same value, depending from city to city. On Norserai, 'White Mint' is the most widespread currency available, accepted in nearly every city. Treve (Elven Coin), Khevvuis (Dwarven/Gnomish), Drom, (Orcish/Goblin), Half-Mint (Halfling and other small races), Driftmetal (Gith and other extraplanar), Atrumant (Drow, Illithid, underdark), and Quicksilver (Merfolk, Darphellan, other seafaring races) coins are all used from place to place, with some being refused in certain areas, while others are much more valuable in specific areas. Quicksilver and Atrumant are simply more valuable than the others by wieght, worth about twice as much as average. This is due to mixed smelting with Mithral and Mercury, and Adamantine respectively. Lead containers are often used to transport both of these coins, as quicksilver coin is poisonous unless underwater and Atrumant will slowly turn to dust if exposed to sunlight, similar to Drow weapons. Both of these are ploys by their creators to keep their riches from being despoiled and taken to distant lands by conquerers, or worse, adventurers. Ironically, both of these ploys are foiled fairly easily by containment in lead, and thus it is fairly common for a dungeoneer or sea-delver to carry on his person a led box or container of sorts. Half-mint, being about half as large as other coins, is still worth the exact same per coin as the common coin, due to more pure smelting processes, and finer detail in print. It is prized among small creatures, halflings especially, and anyone who doesn't wish to be weighing themselves down with their riches. Paper currency is not very common at all on either world, being disdained by many who don't seem to understand the concept of paper representing gold or other treasures/services. Most just don't see the value, and travellers found that it was too easily damaged, and most simply like the feel of a coin in hand, a purse full of jingling riches, or a pile of tangible treasure. Unfinished
Sotha_syl 07-31-07, 12:21 AM	Been working a really long time. Finally have most of it done, but I'll be continually updating this when I can. No responses yet... :bump:
Forfeit 07-31-07, 10:18 AM	Well, good work so far. But you should keep all topics in the same post, unless youre planing on writing a shitload of stuff. And there should be dwarves or gnomes making experiments using rockets.
queenfange 07-31-07, 12:40 PM	I like how you kept all information on the same thread yet organized it into seperate posts. Your section on technology is particularly good. Yay for gnomes and kobolds! :) The basic concept is great- original, interesting, and fun. Keep up the good work!
Sotha_syl 08-02-07, 02:57 AM	Thanks... I thought the tech section was actually a bit lacking in comparison. Hopefully I can get more work done on it, but it's playable as is. I have maps in the works, but nothing final yet. I will post them eventually... two maps... x_x My players gave it a good reception the first time we played, two nights ago. Epic Campaign, character been around for a long time but we took a long break, and I was such a new DM at the time a campaign setting never really occured to me. I feel a bit bad for making it so late, but nobody seems to mind.