A few things about my setting:
There are no eladrin, the elves and half-elves are their decendants. Half-elves are actually true breeding race, although their are still 1st gen half-elves. Also elves are not the "OMG we need to go tell them they will know what to do race" in my setting. Its more like, "Ummm trees, ya lets go around them," race.
Communities tend to be large and spread out due to survival, orc tribes wander the lands, raiding and pillaging. Nothing like being caught 20 miles from town when they come through for a visit. Goblins and kobolds have small villages here and there dotting the landscape, not as nomadic but fiercely territorial. Goblins tend to stick to the plains and grasslands, where as the kobolds tend to stay near the hills where they often build "burrough" type villages.
(also note there are 2 different scales, the 225 mile per inch scale is corret, one of my players pointed this out to me when I was emailing them and I just got lazy and didn't correct it in the kingdoms map.)
There are many takes on religion and many faiths across the world, each of them as different from the next. Most of the religions of the world however, acknowledge the fact that the power of the spirit of faith can wield magic as powerful as any wizards or warlock.
The people of Arathos do not enjoy the company of divine spirits however in a physical presence. Divine power granted to those that wield it is given through pure faith in the divine. It is not unheard for corrupt or vile clergymen to wield divine magic in the name of good faiths, not because the gods allow it, but because it is their faith that they are carrying out the will of the divine.
The Heavenly Court is the pantheon of mortals, dwarves, humans, halflings. It is one of the oldest religions on Arathos, and has been followed by empires abound. The Heavenly Court has numerous sects and various churches, many of which do not answer to the same cause.
For instance the Church of the Prophets, teaches of Darius Lightborn and his followers as prophets of the gods, and that the gods displayed the best aspects of their tenants. Where as The Great Foundry, a dwarf variation of the Heavenly Court, speaks of the gods only, but emphasizes that Kyralos as the leader of the gods and that Sryane is his wife.
There are a myriad cast of churches that praise the Heavenly Court, most of which are simple town congregations. However, these churches, although varying do hold one thing income, a pantheon of gods that they all agree are brethren.
Symbol: Varies among the churches, there is no universal symbol.
Followers: Dwarf, Halfling, and Humans
Beliefs: Each church has its own ethics, however the universal belief of the gods holds true to each church. The difference is in the way of worship and some myths. However the creation myth of the mortality is unchanging in all churches.
Also the gods of the Heavenly Court favor neither good nor evil, Ahnyorn is just as likely to favor the slaughter of many as he is a holy crusade, as long as it in the name of battle. The duality of the Heavenly Court has been the one thing that has led to the religions survivability.
Ahnyorn: The Warlord, Bloodied Prince
Domain: Ahnyorn is the god of battle and tactics, his priest are at the head of battles, not healing but smiting their foes in his name. He is violent in the most extreme, whether it is for good or evil, he does not care.
Ahnyorn is the twin of Enoch and the son of Ishadora and Pylaris.
Bellara: Nature’s Guardian, Goddess of the Trees.
Domain: Nature, both the fury of a beast, and the cool shade of a tree are her rage and grace. Bellara, puts no faith in civilizations that over extend their reach. Her priest defend the wild and help to protect the natural order of things. They help farmers tend crops to make sure the bounty is both plentiful but not taxing.
Bellara is the sister of Ishadora and mother of Kyralos, and wife of Zhayle.
Dimora: Goddess of the Light, The Fair Maiden
Domain: Dimora guides the hands of charm, love, lust, and revile. She is wild temptress, and a godsend rolled into one. She is just as likely to let a man be smitten by a woman, as to be scorned by her. Dimora’s priest lead wild parties and events, celebration and mourning.
Dimora is the sister of Taluras and Sryane, and wife to Ahnyorn.
Enoch: Lord of Contests, Guardsmen of the Gods
Domain: Athleticism and endurance is the domain of Enoch. Where Ahnyorn is the god of battle, Enoch is the god of defensiveness. His priest are just as likely to smite their foes as well as heal their allies. Tactics are the order for the day to his priests.
Enoch is the twin brother of Ahnyorn and son of Ishadora and Pylaris.
Ishadora: Queen of the Gods, The Noble Lady
Domain: Nobility, Tyranny, leadership is her choice. Ishadora is the Queen of all the gods, and her mood has went from benign to dictatorship in many scriptures. Her priest are usually advisors and natural born leaders, where Kyralos is the god who build the foundation, she is the one who brought the Court together.
Ishadora is the sister of Bellara, mother of Ahnyorn and Enoch.
Kyralos: The Smithlord, The Creator
Domain: God of creation, invention, hearth, Kyralos is lord of all. Kyralos’ priest are find great pleasure in architecture, designs, and formulas. They are craftsmen and skilled engineers, often times he is called the god of civilization. But just as he creates them, he can topple them.
Kyralos is the son of Bellara and Zhayle, and husband of Sryane.
Pylaris: King of the Dead, Giver of Life
Domain: Life, death; these are the things that Pylaris represents. He is the balancer of scales, and his priest are not common. His priest commonly see to both births and funerals. The one thing Pylaris cults share is that undeath is not the natural order of things.
Pylaris is the husband of Ishadora, and father of Ahnyorn and Enoch.
Sryane: Goddess of the Coin, The Divine Trickster
Domain: Godess of the trade and luck, Sryane is a fickle fate, who can turn for better or for worse in a moments notice. Her followers are gamblers and merchants, or those that would seek out luck.
Sryane is the sister of Dimora and Teluras, and wife of Kyralos.
Teluras: The Keeper of Secrets, the Grand Magus
Domain: Teluras is the god of magic, pure and simple, his priest are usually just as skilled in faith as they are the arcane arts. Many of his followers are mages and warlocks, or beings with natural arcane powers. But just has arcane power can be beneficial, as it can be a bane.
Teluras is the brother of Sryane and Dimora.
Zhayle: The Herald of The Gods, The Watcher of the Path
Domain: Herald to the Gods, not because that is his choice, but because of his dominion over the elements. Zhayle is as swift as the wind, and fluid as river, and as tough as stone. Zhayles priest are normally nomads, traveling from place to place to bring news from other areas.
Zhayle is the father of Kyralos and husband of Bellara.
On top of the faith in the gods the Church of Prophets believes in 5 prophets, namely Darius Lightborn. The elves and to some extent detest the Church of Prophets, for multitude of reasons. Namely because the genocide of their brethren, the Eladrin. The Church of Prophets also differs the many of the churches in the fact that it claims the gods are good by nature, and that the evil deeds done in their name, is actually at the behest of powerful evil beings and not the gods themselves.
The church’s key ethics dictate that the gods guided the prophets into defeating the Syr’ghul. Darius Lightborn the key prophet gathered against the forces of darkness to bring about the light. In the end the Eladrin no longer existed, sacrificing themselves in the name of good.
In Kagmany, there is but one church, one faith, and all others are considered to be at best tolerated to an extent, and at worse outlawed. They believe that the gods have imbued the King of Kagmany with divine power, and they follow him with great deliverance. They do not believe that the gods even exist anymore, instead they live on through the King. To a sense this maybe true, as the King of Kagmany although aged, they live long lives, normally 200-300 years. They still make homage to the “old gods” but worship the Godking, claiming that what little power of the gods remains has been bestowed upon him.
A dwarf church the Temple of the Stone Coin is mainly found in communities dominated by dwarves. Their tenets claim that Kyralos and Sryane are the leaders of the pantheon, and as such the most widely worshipped. That it was the skill of Kyralos’ craft and Sryane’s bartering that brought the gods together, and that none of them are related, except through marriage. Pyralis’ role over death is played down to a role of judgement instead. Ahnyorn and Enoch are bitter rivals, rather then competitive brothers. That Bellara and Zhayle rule the wilds, mastering stone and nature, in a wild chaos. Ishadora is actually married to Teluras, and she doesn’t represents tyranny, and Teluras destruction, rather then just magic. Although not widely accepted by humans, or halflings, in dwarf regions it is fairly common. There are small variations in the faith but it is quite odd that communities separated by long distances all follow similar beliefs in this church.
*I am thinking of making this its own seperate religion, but not sure at the moment.
(This is not complete I am just putting enough information out at the moment so if my players see it they don't think, "oh I didn't know that" and then play it off in-game..)
Dehranland
Type: Feudal Lords, no ruler.
Capital: Las Verica
The vast hills and plains of Dehranland are home to fighting lords and nobles. The last king of Dehranland died 300 years ago, leaving no heir to the throne. Today the kingdom is in internal conflict, although various stages of peace occur, there is never true peace, as each lord turns Machiavellian tactics to dispose of his enemies.
Each lord rules his or her lands as they see fit, but all follow the Code of Dehranius, the laws laid out by the final king. This states that no lord shall take the throne in his place without the blessing of all others. It also states that Common Law shall be upheld by all lords, and that the Justicars shall be the ones to act on such laws. The Justicars who’s home base is in Las Verica shall be allowed to enter any lords land to enforce the Common Law and Code of Dehranius.
Today the hierarchy remains, with no ruler of the nation. The hierarchy established is a strict chain, and using a title openly in Dehranland is a highly punishable offense. The hierarchy states that there are peasants who pledge to Lords can be granted citizenship, thereby becoming citizens. That a community of citizens shall have representatives in the court of the local lord to speak for them. In turn the Lord is to treat such leaders as noblemen as long as they act as such, but in all cases the Lord is still the ruler of the land, and all military power belongs to him.
The strange events that have taken place in Dehranland have led to multiple factions. Today there is the Council of the Valiant Dawn, the Order of Dehranius, The Northern Alliance, and the Republicans.
Each faction has its own image and agenda, and each faction sees to it that their lands are controlled in ways befitting them, as long as they adhere to the code. The exception to the rule is the Republicans, who rule no lands, and no noble family belongs to. The Republicans are rebels who seek to dethrone the nobility in Dehranland and turn it to a republic. After much debate between the Justicars, it was eventually decided that the Republican faction is by all means against the Common Law and Code of Dehranius.
Council of the Valiant Dawn
The Council of the Valiant Dawn is housed in south western Dehranland, bordering on the Kingdom of Dar. These nobles have pledged their allegiance not just to Dehranland but to the Kingdom of Dar as well. In doing so the Council of the Valiant Dawn has become some of the more powerful lords. The head of the Council of the Valiant Dawn is Lord Avery Kyndal. All members of this faction not only are allies with the Kingdom of Dar, but strong supporters of the Church of Prophets, which they base their own laws upon.
Order of Dehranius
Sepratist, purist, the Order of Dehranius are the oldest bloodlines of nobles, and can trace their families origins back to King Dehranius the XII. They are strong proponents to the other factions, claiming that their bloodlines strictly grant them the reigns of leadership. The Order of Dehranius is not a tyrannical one per se, and each lord rules as he sees fit. Unlike the other factions though the Order of Dehranius has no leader, and they do not control a network of lands. The Order is scattered throughout the hillside and plains. But what protects them is they are some of the most powerful lords in all of Dehranland.
The Northern Alliance
To the north lies the Northern Alliance, who border the kingdom of Thatonawoed. They share no common bonds other then the steady struggle against the elves to the north, and the distaste of the Darian rule. The Northern Alliance is made up of battle hardened warlords if anything. Many of them granted their lordship by previous lords for their ability to lead in battle and protect their lands, and not by birth. The Northern Alliance however only accepts those of Dehranian decent. No foreigner may sit at their table.
The Republicans
Rebel rousers and rioters the Republicans is an underground network of people who seek to cause rebellion and mutiny among the people, to free them from the shackles of nobility. They claim that Dehranius the XIX, did not in act the social changes without warrant. He did so because he saw that the people could lead the kingdom far better then any single noble. However this is as far as each group of Republicans goes in agreeing with each other. Like the Order they are a scattered group of loose allies, who meet in secret. Unlike the others the Republicans are not shy about bloodshed, and when the time comes to rise up will do their best to put their petty squabbles behind them. It is commonly believed that the dwarves are the originators of the Republican faction, but no foundation of this can be true, as most hide their identity.
Brygladea
Type: Monarchy, currently ruled by Prince Oertar Rodock IV.
Capital: Scyndport
Brygladea has seen better days, today it is slowly crumbling away into anarchy. The Brygladeans are thought to be a cursed people, that chaos ensues wherever they go. Once part of the mighty Amo-Ingaulian Empire, today it is ruled by Prince Oertar Rodock IV, and his advisor, Amorsi of Creosea. Prince Oertar is young and not wise to the way of ruling, and often turns to Amorsi. Although the nobles pledge their allegiance to the Prince, many of them are bogged down with their own local problems.
To the northwest they have the cunning elves, whose guerilla tactics have burned many villages to the ground. To the south emissaries of Kagmany come and preach their fellowship and worship of the Godking. But even worse is the violent attacks by the lizard folk from the swamps and rivers to the south and south east.
On top of all this, the people of Brygladea have begun turning to a new dark religion. It is unknown who they worship or what, but the results of their unsavory rituals they practice are quite often known. Brygladea is a kingdom in turmoil, few merchants travel here or seek any business with those that fly its flag. However the kingdom as a whole is rich in natural resources, and even today it is the only way to gain an Ingualan Steed.
Dar
Type: Noble Council and Religious Council
Capital: City of Dar
The Kingdom of Dar is one of the most powerful kingdoms in the land. It has free trade, one of the largest cities known, and very liberal laws. Dar for it size leads a mass of troops, every man of age is indoctrinated in to the militia, however they are not forced into it for life and most only for a small amount of time in it. Those that stay are then placed into the full fledged military however, which is probably the best trained, it is said that a trained Darian troop can defeat 10 men in the field of battle, whether this is true or not hasn’t been seen in hundreds of years. The people of Dar however are a peaceful lot and detest bloodshed, and try to resolve actions through peaceful means first.
Much like their skill in arms, the Darians are skilled in spirit. They are a very religious group of people, majority of them belonging to the Church of Prophets. Although they are religious, they are not zealots, and a common phrase is, “The guiding hand of the gods did not directly approach Darius.” Meaning that the gods guide us to the paths that they see fit, and it is not for them to question. As such they try not to pressure those around them with propaganda, and instead allow others to seek their own guidance to the Dawn.
There are no real power hungry factions within Dar, if there are they are from outsiders who seek to cause strife and discontent. The Darians do not always agree, however there are unspoken bonds, that will always cause a Darian to side against outsiders in most cases.
The people of the Kingdom of Dar are very tactful people, and as such have annexed the nation of Dehranland as a territory of theirs. They did so, some 200 years ago, when an almost all out civil war would’ve destroyed the leaderless nation. Sense then the kingdom has rebuilt itself and improved. Although not liked by many of the nobles, the Kingdom of Dar is seen as a necessary evil to them at the moment.
Kagmany
Type: Monarchy by Divine Right, Godking.
Capital: Galenburg
Kagmany is a peaceful kingdom, which suffers from one thing, zealotry. The people of this kingdom all belong to the Fellowship of the Godking and no other. All other religions are outlawed. Although the people of the Kagmany do not openly persecute those who come to their lands, it is not unknown for visitors that scoff at their beliefs to disappear or be shown “the truth”. The people of Dehranians and Darians are wary of the Kagmanians, however many Kagmanians in other lands are those who have fled the land, usually due to criminal charges, but sometimes claiming religious persecution.
Kagmany’s government is led by the Godking and his followers, high priest oversee the details of towns and cities. Most of Kagmany is open farmlands surrounding small communities. The people have little need for large settlements, as they say, and instead enjoy the natural blessing of the world.
Although the names of the gods are recited in prayers in Kagmany they all end in one phrase, “Bless us oh Godking”, it is not them these people give their faith to. The sacrifice and give praise only to the Godking.
Thatonawoed
Type: Unknown
Capital: Unknown
The towering woods of the Thatonawoed is home to the elves and half-elves. They battle constantly against the forces of Dehranland’s northern nobles and strike at Byrgladea every chance they get.
Humans, dwarves, and halflings are not permitted, claiming that the forest is the ancestral homeland of the Eladrin and by that right they lay claim over every tree. However their true border is contested, but the elves are relentless in their pursuit to throw the invaders from the lands. Few people dare tempt fate however and try to travel through the woods, instead many just count the loss and go around, as the feyblood are not know for their lenience.