1. You can only post two ideas per post. You can add to anything, the geography, the gods, the nations, the monsters, it is a world we all share.
2. The ideas must be well thought out, yet light enough for others to add to it later. So no complete world history, but events, stories and ages are up for grabs.
3. All ideas are final, Everything is Canon once posted.
4. No race can be removed from the setting. For example: You can claim the elves are thought to be dead, but you can't be sure.
5. Don't talk about fight club?
~
The Tieflings are the descendants of a united tribe of barbarians that killed a Demon Prince that tried to lay claim to the material world. Due to their traditions, the barbarians ate pieces of the fallen demon to gain some of its power...which they did.
For the next hundred years the barbarian heroes became a savage horde that conquered much of the southern world. Their empire was but a footnote in history however, as they never grasped how to control the people they over ran and it all fell apart.
In time many returned to the wilds, taking up a strict druidic lifestyle to combat their demonic sides, others still tried to gain some of their distant ancestors glory by living by their wits as "heroes for hire". Seven families, now faux-nobles, rule the citidel of Ave Meria, choosing to enter pacts with demons as equals, or so they say.
This world has no single nature god, but millions of "Hiisi", small deities that rule over different areas of the world, their are limitless variations of Hiisi, such as a Hiisi of a particular craggy rock, a Hiisi of light rain and hail and lightening storm, Hiisi of red foxes and Hiisi of arctic foxes. Hiisi can be slain by those truely mighty, but they can just as easily be reborn or merely have a new one take its place. However, doing so may lessen it's influence for a time, such as when the town of Haslinne was saved by a bard that destroyed the Hiisi of Marsh Vermin, causing all the rats that were plaguing the town under the Hiisi power to flee.
~
Campaign Comodities! [Stuff you can add to! If you want!]
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Tieflings, tainted descendants of barbarian-heroes!
Ave Meria, the city of false nobility!
Hiisi, the myriad of manyfold mini-gods!
Haslinne, the non-descript town with a dark past!
Gnomish Civilizations, the Most August peoples of two worlds!
The Printing Press, freedom of knowledge in the unconquered east!
Dvergar, the laughing overseers of above, living deep below the earth's crust!
Turtle's Port, a wonder of the world, an island driven by magic and technology!
Deva, reincarnated Hiisi out to claw back their divinity!
Gods, divine duos, religious figures in juxtapostion!
Kobolds, eeiry half-ghost lurking in the caverns dark!
The Sea of Rage and the slumbering defier of the Gods, Ralstyx!
The Calla Desert and the invinsible tower it holds!
The Kliandri Mountains and the inhuman horrors that pour from within it!
The Amenuk River that covers the world and the anciant empire that was forged there!
Amentest, the legacy of man, the culture and the chimeras!
Ilkhrok, the eldest dragon of unknown kind, drifting on a cloud above all things!
Tieflings, tainted descendants of barbarian-heroes!
Ave Meria, the city of false nobility!
Hiisi, the myriad of manyfold mini-gods!
Haslinne, the non-descript town with a dark past!
Gnomish Civilizations, the Most August peoples of two worlds!
The Printing Press, freedom of knowledge in the unconquered east!
Dvergar, the laughing overseers of above, living deep below the earth's crust!
Turtle's Port, a wonder of the world, an island driven by magic and technology!
Deva, reincarnated Hiisi out to claw back their divinity!
Gods, divine duos, religious figures in juxtapostion!
Kobolds, eeiry half-ghost lurking in the caverns dark!
The Sea of Rage and the slumbering defier of the Gods, Ralstyx!
The Calla Desert and the invinsible tower it holds!
The Kliandri Mountains and the inhuman horrors that pour from within it!
The Amenuk River that covers the world and the anciant empire that was forged there!
Amentest, the legacy of man, the culture and the chimeras!
Ilkhrok, the eldest dragon of unknown kind, drifting on a cloud above all things!
And now, my two bits.
1) Surprisingly, of all the Hiisi, there is no individual that represents death. Instead, there are Hiisi for each way to die. These Hiisi compete to prove which is the most powerful. When a Hiisi of Death claims a soul, they grow in power. Fittingly enough, when one grows to powerful, they is slain by the others and eventually reincarnate. This preserves the balance of death in the world.
2) There are two Gnomish Civilizations, one on the mortal plane and one in the Feywild. The Gnomes of the mortal world are well known city-builders and traders. They control a vast network of towns and trading posts across August Plains. The Feywild Gnomes rely on Gnomish cunning to avoid their natural predator, the Drakes, as well as larger creatures. Both practice a form of ancestor worship. Gnomish Warlocks typically draw their power from their family tree.
The invention of the Printing Press has spread rapidly across the east. While there are many of the lower classes unable to read, everyone knows someone that can; people sit around a reader daily to listen to him or her tell them the news of the world around them. Several newspapers have sprung up, such as the The Unconquerable East and The New Voice Writing, which has a more liberal, worldly set of journalists doing the writing.
Besides these, there are the "copper books", cheap tales of adventure and old parables retold. They are gaining quite a following.
Dwarf is a racist slang term, the people below the mountains call themselves Dvergar. Dvergar are jovial and seemingly open people, often overly emotional and known to sing even during battle. In fact thats a means to frighten foes. They have white skin and black hair, which covers most of their bodies in thick dread-locks. They are lore-keepers and story tellers. They are the unseen masters of the eastern lands and have never lost a war, at least in known history.
The Deva are minor Hiisi who have been slain too many times and their reincarnation cycle no longer hast he power to elevate them to godlike statuses. They seek to return to their former glory, bearing memories of their former existence as aspects of great power, and this is the general motivation behind their adventuring.
Gods come in pairs, they are often likened to marriage between the two gods, but in truth they are more like shadows or reflects of each other, two sides of the same coin. There is no religion that worships a singular deity, though some might only seek the wisdom of one half of a divine duo.
The most widely worshipped gods by the peasantry are Wishu & the Yagga, the God of Righteous Rebellion and the Goddess of Worthy Traditions.
The most widely worshiped by warriors are Ravan & Balet, the God of Glorious Bloodshed and the Goddess of Proper Tactics.
When a twin is born it is considered very lucky indeed.
The kobolds are child-like phantoms with large, wet eyes, black teeth, tiny hands and most revolting of all, with stumps for feet, that inhabit caves; they are said to give blessings to towns that give them regular gifts. They are capable of walking through walls and turning invisable. Little is known of them, as they love to lie, indeed, its considered a sport by the kobold to spread misinformation.
In the great Calla Desert to the east lies an adamantine tower that is unearthed occasionally by the shifting sands. There are many legends that talk of great wealth, weapons of the gods, and even mighty guardians that dwell within the aged tower, but none know for sure whether there is any truth in these.
The Amenuk River is one of the longest rivers in the world. It wraps around mountains, tumbles down cliffs (creating spectacular waterfalls at multiple points along its course) and runs straight through forests and prairies. The river terminates in a serpentine oasis in the Calla Desert, where it flows down through a cave that leads to the underdark. Legend has it that the river moves in circles, the water that disappears at the end reappearing at its headspring weeks later.
Ilkhrok is the oldest dragon alive. This colossal specimen (his specific species is unclear) lives in a cloud that never dissipates, drifting endlessly around the skies of the world, emerging from his home only rarely. Whenever a large cloudhead passes overhead, someone will claim that it is the domain of Ilkhrok, though in truth no one knows which cloud it is at this point.
Okay, here's my input for today:
~~ I actually had a little something for elves and drow here, but I think someone else should get a stab at the elven lot.
~~It is thought that humanity was created from the silt at the bottom of the Amenuk River, as there is barely a spot along it's bank that doesn't have a human settlement.
The first human empire of Amentest covered the river from spring to mouth and over the course of five hundred years spread slowly over the land, both literally and culturually. In the modern era it is still the spiritual home of the humans and is defended from invaders and non-human settlers at all costs.
Though the empire crumbled in time, the reasons lost, it's language, now known as common, is spoken all over the world.
Kobolds in this setting are more like mythical kobolds.
(I mean statwise, they're more like gnomes in 4e. Still different, though; may have to homebrew)
(I mean statwise, they're more like gnomes in 4e. Still different, though; may have to homebrew)
Oh yeah, I guess. :D
I imagine they work much like core kobolds, however some will have ghost-like abilities. Once we've got a few of the basics down we can start stating things out, well, unless you want to now. Remember, Everything is Canon! So you can make the stats that that'll be that.
A few hundred years ago, deep in the Kliandri Mountains, a meteorite fell to the earth. It's otherworldly taint has been slightly altering the animals and landscape and now the crater, surrounding valley, and all the animals and plants in it's vicinity are almost completely alien in appearance. Those who have attempted to explore it have either never returned or gone incurably mad, fearfully uttering the same phrase over and over in their sleep. "Ynnoch watches... Ynnoch waits..."
The legendary beast tamers of Amentest's greatest acheivement was creating chimeras. They were strong, sturdy, and smart enough to follow the simplest commands. The people used them for transportation, fieldwork, and even in battle. Nowadays, nothing has changed. The humans still use them for their own purposes, but there is a steadily increasing number of rogue chimeras that have fled the yoke and become feral, killing farmers, livestock, and travelers.
I wonder if Ralstyx is related to Ynnoch in some manner...
(the creator and destroyer are one idea as deities are twinned, I'm planning on adding some more features to this area linked to them.)
The human city-state of Ament-Oruh was once the former capital of the Amentest Empire. It is situated beneath Heaven's Rain, the largest of the many waterfalls of the Amenuk River. The city is nowhere near as big as it once was, and the outer districts have fallen into disrepair and mostly been torn down. Though trade has slowed down in these dark times, Ament-Oruh remains an important center for what watertrade remains. An ingenious pulley system allows small riverboats to be pulled up onto the riverbank and lowered up and down the waterfall for a modest fee, allowing boats to go right on through.
The Creators Chalice is a massive ocean surrounded by mountains such that it is several miles above sea level. It surrounded by many monasteries that worship the Creator/Destroyer over-deities. Thus is surrounded by many great sculptures built for the simple sake of creation, while a few have been destroyed as the Creator is dominant at this time.
(the creator and destroyer are one idea as deities are twinned, I'm planning on adding some more features to this area linked to them.)
Most awesome my friend, that is really worth having. :D
Okay, I should come up with something or other now:
At the deepest, widest and slowest points along the Amenuk River there are said to live mer-people of some kind. The story goes at the fall of the Amentest many of the noblity could not go on living without their beloved empire, so they threw themselves into the river, becoming part of it. They are known simply as Tucuxi.
Goblins are all loud, crass, maligned and crabby, but outwardly they are all different. Their skin can be any colour, it often matches that of their mother. Some may have shells, some an extra arm, others still are born with bat-like wings or two mouths. Male goblins are easily fooled, only the females have any sense, even then, they can be easily bought or made to anger, which makes them easy pickings for seasoned adventurers.
The leaders of goblins are Hags, the females, a Hag may give birth to a litter of goblins at a time. The only reason goblins haven't out-bred all the other races is whenever a Hag is born, the mother Hag will try to devour it. Only the fastest and most cunning Hags live long enough to start their own brood.
EDIT: Also, Space Dragon, great ideas. Seems this setting is Amazon Rainforest + Fallen Empires + Technology on a level no DnD game has, lets be more advanced that old Ebberon or whatever it's called. Haha. :P
EDIT: technology? The most technologically advanced thing I posted was a bunch of chains for pulling river barges up a cliff. Granted, that's more advanced than most DnD settings, but its nowhere near Eberron.
We also have Turtle's Port and the chimeras.
Now erm, I have one thing to add, one of the god-pairs should be the God of Clarity & the Goddess of Illusion, they are the Gods of magic. Someone else can name 'em.
While one blessed be a god of nature has "Green Hands" and plants flourish under that person's care.
These blessings often appear seemingly at random and it's not always the blessed one even is a workshipper of the god in question.
Some God's promote the slaying of Blessed ones of other deities if they are detected among his or her followers.
These people often join the priesthood at a later age and tends to have a close, even a personal connection with their deity.
Temples of the Judges are some of the most common throughout the world and Often send their newer clerics out with adventurers to both oversee them, and gain experience.
They stem from seperate planes of existence where they are equilant to beasts and animals.
Djinns and similair beings rules these planes. They tend to be agressive and snobby, especially against inhabitants of the mortal realm. A realm they see of as one of poor taste and finnese. They often wage war on themselves or Djinns from other realms. At rare cases their wars have even been fought within the mortal realm which has resulted in great losses in mortal lives.
There exists a large city called Mythshine, populated by a smattering of all of the races. Mythshine is a melting pot of cultures, and is home to a great Guildhall, where adventurers and heroes are trained in their craft by class-specific masters. A Warlock can find a patron witthout fear of being cheated, a Rogue can perfect his Spetschnatz backflip axe-throw, and a Druid can leearn from the Spirits themselves.
The corrupting power of the meteor has warped some of the goliaths, creating the race of orcs. These creatures are beyond reason, beyond diplomacy, living only to destroy and to worship Ynnoch. The goliaths have been fighting a losing war against their corrupted brethren for over a century.
There exists a great and powerful being, sometimes revered as a dark God, called the Meteor. The meteor is evil given a physical form and streaking through space and time, spreading corruption and madness in it's wake. Some have suggested that it is a tainted Prinmordial from when the world was young, whie others think it abberrant, not from this reality.
(Wow, this is fun. We have a name for this place yet?)
The Elemental Chaos is said to be the area where the Ahrneks, the chaotic counterparts of the Hiisi, were exiled after a long a vicious war over who would control creation.
The Dragonborn were created by the experiments of several older dragons, including Ilkhrok, as a test to see if draconic power could be contained in a humaniod frame. Most Dragonborn maintain close ties with at least one of their Draconic creators, who they revere as strongly as the Hiisi.
Eladrin were Feywild gnomes who made a pact with then Hiisi of the Feywild, which imbued them with the size and strength they needed to fend off an imminent conquest by the Formorians.
(Sorry, beat you to Eladrin by a single post.)
(Sorry, beat you to Eladrin by a single post.)
Already changed. Please don't ninja me again.
The Church of the Eye is a religion gaining popularity in the world. It worships the twins Ashri and Ashore, who hold dominion over illusion and clarity, respectively. It teaches its followers that, only by removing sight can one truly divine truth from lies. Most followers simply tie decorative blindfolds around their eyes, but the most fanatical put out their own eyes in a secret ritual.
Since before the dawn of time, demons have tried to invade the elemental chaos. The demons come from a realm no one has ever visited, a distant plane inimical to life (some believe that their home plane is the cosmic opposite of the place the gods came from). The creatures of the elemental chaos have always had to fend off demons in between petty wars against each other. Since the creation of the mortal world, the demons have tried to attack it with equal gusto.
Of all of the strange peoples upon the world, none is more disturbing than the Mind Flayer. They appear to have no uniting culture or geographic home. They often appear at centers of great learning or power, asking to be let in, often appealing to customs of travel and politics. They appear to be elegant and courtly creatures. Although they are often masters of etiquette, they remain constantly cold an observing. They have no joy or charm, simply a wall of cold unreadable emotion that bores and studies all that it comes across. Like eyes staring deep from a winter storm. They appear very rarely to work directly with other races, yet they are almost always near the epicenter of great social upheaval. They stay disconnected from events, yet trouble always seems to follow them. An old saying along the Amenuk River; “Better to have the thief judge, and the jester lead, than to have a Mind Flayer watch.” A most curious thing about the Mind Flayer is that they appear to have no need of eating food like other races...
Kittens are the final life of great conquerers or murderers. They are imbued with supernatural strength to kill all with their path, while being completely overlooked at the same time.
I'm amazed we made it an entire page before this happened.
On a brighter note, nice job explaining Ynnoch there, Nyronus. I was afraid it was going to be something cliched, like an elder god from the Far Realms, but you solved that problem before it happened.
Hmm...I guess this means the final boss of the Kliandri Mountains adventure is an Atropal.
Something went horribly wrong though and the elements they used turned on each other. The Elemental Chaos is a realm of endless conflict where enormous oceans flow forth, drowing mountains and continents just to boil to steam a couple of moments later when a torrent of flames appear.
Storms blow, the earth crumbles, volcaones erupts and Malestroms roar.
The creature tried to fix it but failed and in frustration they abandoned this realm.
I'm amazed we made it an entire page before this happened.
On a brighter note, nice job explaining Ynnoch there, Nyronus. I was afraid it was going to be something cliched, like an elder god from the Far Realms, but you solved that problem before it happened.
Hmm...I guess this means the final boss of the Kliandri Mountains adventure is an Atropal.
Don't get mad, get creative. ;)
Superstition holds throughout the human lands that cats are the wayward souls of the vilest sinners, so cruel that the afterlife would not take them.
Because of this Hags will often take a cat as a familiar of sorts, making sure to warn others of their cat's hidden powers.
The well educated know that these falsehoods stem from the dieing Tiefling tribe Therous Mon, who believe their druids are reincarnated as panthers.
An off-shoot of this superstition is that a small breed of dog called ratters were bred long before the Amentest Empire was even formed to deal with problems that would of otherwise been a cat's duty.
Barbarian Tieflings end their tribe name in Mon. For example Nikutayl Mon or Kekallia Mon.
Okay, one more thing, Aradeia, how about taking your gods and mixing them with Admiral_Lourve's gods.
Namer and Shaper, you are a genius.
The western continent, which includes the Amenuk River, Kliandri Mountains, Calla Desert, and their associated peoples and geographical features, is called Tekmin. Its eastern counterpart, the mountainous continent of Othri, houses the Dvergar and Creator's Chalice.
Okay, one more thing, Aradeia, how about taking your gods and mixing them with Admiral_Lourve's gods.
Okay, I just edited my first post to indicate they were the same gods.
In the majestic Mythshine city, adults keep children in line by frightening them with tales of the fabled Queen of Dusk, who prowls the streets at night, searching out bad boys and girls. Parents don't truly believe these stories, they are simply tales to keep children from acting out. "Don't stay out late or the Queen will get you," or "Keep away from the old town, that's where the Queen likes to lurk," are phrases commonly heard coming from the mouths of parents. However, what the parents do not know is that the Queen of Dusk truly exists. A powerful Hiisi of fables and fairy tales, many a lonely traveller has fallen to her dark magic. She likes to play with her food before eating it, conjuring illusions of classic storybook characters to torment her victims.
Legend speaks of a Hag who was once the most fearsome in the land. One day, a group of mercenaries came to put an end to her fearsome regime. The mercenaries killed with a mindless fury, many of their family members had suffered the Hag's ire. They slew countless goblins, and a few of their own number fell in the onslaught. When they reached the Hag, she had none left to defend her. She begged for mercy, and, strangely enough, they gave it to her. They left her there, snivelling and cowering in fear. Perhaps they didn't have the heart to put an end to her wretched existance, it seems, however, far more likely that they knew what fate had in store for her. You see, she was alone now, they had killed her children, her babies. It is said the sadness and the loneliness drove her insane.She is still there to this day, they say, waiting for her children to return. Sometimes, she gathers to herself children from nearby towns to attempt to fill the hole in her heart. But when they fail to return her love, which they always do, she kills them, and returns to her mindless weeping. She is known as the Grieving Witch.
Devils are decepitful and manipulative. Devils are hated by all creatures, but especially by Demons. This is because Devils are Demons that have killed and devoured a Hiisi, or one of a Hiisi's halves. The malevolance of the Demons mix with the order found within the Hiisi, creating a destructive, vile, and lawful creature. These Devils are hated by all creatures, but Demons reserve a special ire for Devils. Devils are viewed as traitors to Demons, giving up part of their demonic heritage to gain a portion of divinty.
Hiisi have halves? I think you may be confusing them with gods.
Aldii, I already posted that the Elemental Chaos predated the gods. Sorry.
Namer and Shaper, you are a genius.
The western continent, which includes the Amenuk River, Kliandri Mountains, Calla Desert, and their associated peoples and geographical features, is called Tekmin. Its eastern counterpart, the mountainous continent of Othri, houses the Dvergar and Creator's Chalice.
Thanks Space_Dragon, we needed some heavy input on the world.
I love that second story Aradeia, I know its all a bit "shades of grey" of me, but I like stories that have monsters as having real emotion, while still being terrible creatures.
Right! Lets see if I can't solidify the Elemental Planes.
At the figurative "top" of the Elemental Planes is the Samsarga, thousands of demi-planes hanging in divine space, each are a purified element, be it a plane of mercury, gold, glass, sandstone or blue gasous flame. The planes are the easiest to travel of the Elemental Planes, if only because two large planes, the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness, orbit the space and connect to each plane in turn, thus providing some form of time. Within these planes live the Djinni, regal and aloof lords of the elements. Having access to the many "Treasured Planes", they have infinite material wealth.
The heart of the Elemental Planes is the Himiga, know as the Elemental Chaos to most, a infinite expanse of rolling elements, here fire, earth, air and water are unbound and move over each other freely. Here simple minded, but collosal elementals reign supreme. Once in a while a area of the Plane will calm and stop moving, this can go on for centuries, but eventually a elemental will notice and cause it to move again.
Numbiga lies at the bottom of the Planes, here the elements are totally interchangable, thick boiling ooze and dark sand is all that can be seen between the thick ash and racid fog. Here, much to their charring, live the Ahrneks. These creatures could of been the Hiisi of the material plane, but resentment of the Gods might and an innate desire to cause discord was there downfall. While they are much despised by the other beings of the Planes, they are the frontline against the Demons.
While technically not a part of the Elemental Planes, the Vul Gate is a crack into Numbiga which the Demons use to enter the Planes. Demon camps circle the Vul Gate, fortresses made of brittle clay and shards of rusted metal and whatever they can get their hands on. The Gate itself seems to lack a physically presense, as if it is "made of nothing".
Hiisi have halves? I think you may be confusing them with gods.
Whoops, thanks for pointing that out.
Whoops, thanks for pointing that out.
No worries mate, this thread is going fast compared to other campaign designing threads.
Actually I think I'll leave it one more page and then learn how to make a wiki for this setting!
Oh and after the next page we should all give the setting a title and vote for one. C:
I'm also gonna say the Pandemonium is a city, or at least a demon meeting place, rather than a bunch of tunnels. Maybe a place where devils and demons meet?
Goliaths and Orcs are famous (and infamous) for the bullfrog-like pouches on their necks, which they use to create calls that can be heard for miles. These calls are used to communicate between settlements, and as war-cries. They are so loud that during the Battle of the Red Crag, Dwarven warriors allied with the Goliaths plugged their ears with cave-mite wax to avoid going deaf.
Hmm...we should decide where the Sea of Rage is relative to the two existing continents, methinks.
When riled, the Ahrneks take on a deadly form. Creating armor out of elemental material, they contain their normally amorpheous bodies in a carapace of powerful mail. An armored Ahrnek is called an Archon. Legions of Archons fight endlessly against the demons, and some others can be found in the employ of Djinni or Efreeti. Like all Ahrneks, Archons have a grudge against the mortal world, and are always happy when they have an excuse to cause trouble in it.
The people of the Amenuk River have made a special ink from the black mud of the riverbed. They use it to cover themselves in intricate tattoos which display their family heritage, life history, social status, and religion.
Among the Druids, there is a group called the Puddle Skippers, who have learned that every pool of water is an entrance to the Elemental Plane of Water. With a drop of blood and a muttered incantation, a Puddle Skipper can jump into a pool and enter the plane, and from there can exit through any other puddle in the world...provided they can hold their breath long enough, and avoid the creatures who dwell in the deeps.
Sometimes, a Puddle Skipper will, in his haste, forget to close up a portal. Thus it is with good reason that mothers tell their children not to jump in puddles. Sometimes, they go far deeper than you think, and sometimes there is something waiting at the bottom of it...
The First rule of Magic is The Balance of Doubles. All magical effects are attained by manipulating the domain of one God to affect its counterpart. For example, to make yourself invisible (the domain of Ashri), you must tell someone a secret (the domain of Ashore), and to raise a person from the dead, you must murder someone else.
Welcome aboard Mostly_Ghostly, I love the Goliaths-Orcs bullfrog calls, it changes my mental picture of the two races damatically.
The Shadow Catchers are a group of Tiefling mercenaries from Mythshine that are willing to hunt down damn near anything, in fact the greater the foe the happier they are. The group displays talents that no other can match, in fact many have begun to wonder if the Catchers have some magical patron aiding them...
A legion of Demons entered the material plane six hundred years ago or more and they went rogue. They were filled with awe at the sight of the world and became, if not good, then no longer sinful for no reason.
They call themselves the Oni. Each Oni is an individual, Oni rarely meet with each other, they seek their own truths and are not interested in conversation. Oni often pierce their ears, nose, lips and tongues, cover themselves with tattoos of things they like (anything from a favoured food to a place) and wear layers of clothes, anything to give themselves an individual look.
Though not noted for being heroic, Oni hate slavers and will free slaves whenever they can. They have a deep respect for monks and other people that are strict with themselves and lead their life their own way.
Oh, and I don't really have an idea where to go with this, but here is something thats just popped into my head, Ettins, two headed ogres. What is that all about, man?
One more thing! I really need to draw some of these creatures, they're really vivid in my mind. Well, not that I'm an artist but it'll be fun to do. :D
Though hardly true, this is the belief of many when it comes to ettins.
Ettins have two personalities, one for each head, no one can ever tell what a ettin will do next and are dangerous even to seasoned warriors as their motives and way of attacking can change in a instant.
True magic is unrestricted, unruled energy used and governed by the magician as they see them fit. The rules are seen as annoyances by most mages but through words, gestures and rituals a talented mage can still use magic in the more traditional way.
Tarathur is a Demon Prince, one of the most powerful demons in existence. He wishes to raze and conquer the Material Plane, for reasons that are foreign to the minds of non-demons. All that is known is that by doing so, he will somehow gain enough strength to destroy his rivals once and for all.
The Warforged moved out into the world in groups, searching for places to gather the resources to make more of themselves. Some moved to cities, some created enclaves in mountain ranges. They are still a minority through out the world, and are seen as clannish by most. It is said that every so often the many groups sent representatives to a secret congress to exchange knowledge and improvements that have come about in the years proceeding. It is thought that Warforged adventures are sent out with orders to keep the lines of communication open between the enclaves.
Yes they are cannibals, but only because their harsh enviroment demands it. All gnolls see it as a great honour to be eaten by their fellow gnolls. An elderly gnoll will often give himself to be eaten, so not to slow them down and to give their tribe so nourishment.
Gnolls heavily resemble hyenas, and see them as their kin. It is unknown whether they actually came from hyenas, and if they did, whether they were transformed by a benign or malign force.
Seeing as this is my first post: Howdy Y'all!
The most infamous of all of the kender is HimmaJimmaJoe, who once supposedly destroyed an entire village while trying to find out what happens when you mix fire, oil, alcohol, vinegar, an ettin, a banana, fried chicken, waffles, and a bottle of bubbly water. All that is known of the result is that it wasn't good.
Deep beneath the surface, in the mantle are massive screws that drive rotation of the surface. It is believed that they are somewhere connected to Mechanus, but no one has yet found out where.
There's a tribe of unified githyanki and githzerai that live on the natural world that don't follow the traditional racial profiles you would expect. They believe in the re-unification of their species, and their "homecoming" back to the natural world.
In Sigil, a pretentious Gnome named Burke has set up a shop in the Guildhall Warren. While he deals in a variety of goods, his specialty is in legendary Artifacts! While he carries none in stock (what artifact would allow itself to merely be sold) he knows a great deal about artifacts, and has seen many in his lifetime. Adventurers seeking to learn more about these legendary items of power would be wise to contact him.
Oh and thanks Hasri, I'll look into that site.
Sorcerers are by and large social animals, as all sorcerers (and indeed many magic users) are the seventh child of their family and thus have rarely spent a day without some relative. Even when they are old enough to leave home they feel drawn to groups and often treat their friends as brothers and sisters. The seventh child of most families are treated as at least slightly magical and often become some form of magician by virtue of being shown and given whatever magic is around. In a sense, if the seventh child isn't born magical, they'll end up having it thrust upon them.
Not all magic is great, mystical or even very powerful really. But still. Blacksmiths have a duty. They may not even know it really, they just call it the Doings of Iron, it is in the simplest of terms, a pact with iron, not the hiisi of it (By the name of Gofan), or some god of it, but iron.
The pact is: Never let the spiteful fairies gain a footing on our lands.
All blacksmiths can sense the Fair Folk, even if they've never even been told about them, they instinctivly know the places where the Feywild has leaked through into the material plane.
Blacksmiths have been known to forge weapons in their sleep in times of great need.
Giants who live long enough have minature forests growing on their backs, sometimes complete with tiny fey. After many centuries, they start to hear things, as more intelligent fey live on their bodies. The giant will eventually stop roaming the prairie and head towards a forest unconsciously. There it will rest for many deacdes, as small fey remake the giant's body into more tree-like. When the giant awakes, it has become a Treant.
While the Himiga is the conceptual middle of the Elemental Planes, the Material Plane, which is known as the Byd to all peoples, truely is the center of it all, the heart that keeps the blood of existance going. Mortal life breeds story and faith and hope and fear, and those things breed the gods, the fairy, the angels and the demons and their homes. Well, more or less anyway.
Byd is a torus of earth with a band of molten iron at it's core encircling the sun, while the pale moon orbits the Byd in a irregual but understandble pattern. Upon it is mortal life, fast flowing creatures with big ideas, short lives and a desire for knowledge, but when they can't find the answer? They make it up, they make whole worlds up if need be.
There are worlds that connect to the Byd, each a torus, and are in many ways a reflection of it, a mountain on the Byd will have a counterpart on a connected world, be it more regal, more dangerous or something else altogethor different. All the worlds that connect to it, called Echoing Planes or "Parasite Planes" by a few more isolated and angry types, exist because of mortal dreams and nightmares, theories and belief, they are in some ways (often by the beings living there) considerably more potent and awe-inspiring than the Byd, but at the same time would be nothing without it.
These planes include:
The Feywild, or Tiranog, the "World to the Right". It is the realm of verdant, vicious to the extreme, endless forests home to primordial beast; like the tyrant lizard and the sabre-tooth, the flawless Fair Folk in their fairy mounds that are all at once hearth and marble tower and the tyrannical fomorians deep within the coal-blacked ground. It is a plane of innate magic and untempered abundance. It is the home of trickster Gods, of Hiisi, driads and nymphs, inhuman eladrin and any number of creatures that feed on dreams and superstition and flesh. Lots of flesh.
The Tiranog is a plane of wild perfection and crazed wishes, so much so than few that can survive here choose to leave it, they become part of the plane, often twisted by the plane to suit it and just forget their home. Being stolen away is a dreaded thing by many elves...though, well, some choose to loose themselves. Thats another matter.
In contrast, is buzzing, bastard Sigil, the "World to the Left". Here a equally endless, and just as vicious city covers the torus, where beasts are really not the problem, the philosophers are. They have clubs. If the creatures of Tiranog feed on fables and grow on mystery, Sigilians live by wits, street smarts and a good, long conversation about life, the universe and everything that meanders into a arguement and then into school-boy name calling (of which they above all, are the best at).
The world is controlled (or not controlled) by hundreds of Factions, each with its own views on the planes, they also have duties outside of these debates and research missions that keep Sigil ticking, such as the Guvners, that often acts as judges, lawyers, stockbrokers, mathmatians and anything else that is sinisterly law abiding yet law bending.
Again, in contrast to Tiranog, no Gods or high spirits of any kind can enter Sigil and indeed, it does not trap visitors, but opens doors to the infinite multiverse, as a portal can be opened in Sigil to anywhere, if you only have the right key.
The World Below, the Shadowfell...is as it is already stated in core. But needs a name that is harder to make fun of.
Oh and in a general sense, important things come in twos in this setting. I think. So the realm of the Gods must be The World Above. I think it'll be quite cool to have the actual house of th Gods being able to meld with the material plane, even if only rarely.
But seriously, I think thats a fun idea. Civilisation vs. Nature on a plane-wide scale, besides, Sigil's always been too small for me. :D
More on this later! I always get an idea before bed.
Oooh, and there are still the demon, devil and other things planes, perhaps they are simply The Worlds Outside.
An old legend tells of a boy named Jack who was swindled out of his last cow for a handful of beans. The legend says, though, that when he planted them, they grew so tall that he climbed right up one and into the World Above, where he met the Gods. No-one knows what happened to him after that, but the Gods are dangerous company, and so mothers warn their children not to climb tall trees, lest they clamber right up beyond the sky and never come down again.
---
I don't think we really need another name for it - "The World Below" is rather spooky and evocative on its own, I think.
This is the Ideology of the Trancendant Path. A cult that mainly consist of large numbers of fallen Clergy and Vampires but also of odder beings such as one or two Beholders and a three-legged Gold Dragon wyrm. They are very vocal in their opinions and has been known to try to prove their theories real several times. Every of those times has resulted in great losses of innocent lives.
The Cult is also know for it's immense hatred of the Hilsi as they are a direct representive of the grand Illusion, and the cult's members are often seen hunting down these Nature gods and putting them to the sword.
Divine magic/access to the divine power source really does come from this settingings dieties.
Please the dieties your character serves/represents, retain your class powers (spells, ritual use, at-wills, etc).
Displease them & suffer the consequences. Up to & including loss of those powers.
There will be no more of the excuses heard about how the current rules don't allow for such punishments when the character errors.....
Ruleswise:
Divine magic/access to the divine power source really does come from this settingings dieties.
Please the dieties your character serves/represents, retain your class powers (spells, ritual use, at-wills, etc).
Displease them & suffer the consequences. Up to & including loss of those powers.
There will be no more of the excuses heard about how the current rules don't allow for such punishments when the character errors.....
Yep, I agree with this. :D Although... you'd have to be a right idiot not to please at least one of the two Gods you worship I should think.
Love those little ideas Mostly_Ghostly, gosh, for the right people, walking from one world to the next isn't all that hard, compaired to other settings. I like that, makes a change for general populace to have a understanding that there is other worlds out there.
~
Ideology of the Trancendant Path orginated in Sigil, when renegade members of the Doomguard and the Sign of One joined togethor, they were quickly slain, but one or two made to the Byd and began teaching others their theories.
This post is just to put a firm footprint on Sigil. Sigil has hundreds of Factions, Sects and Creeds.
For those that know the Planescape setting, please ignore the Lady's Edicts, Faction War and anything else that lessens the number of Factions. There are a barrel loads of 'em.
Factions are leading political groups who while certainly having their own views on the multiverse and the why of it all, they are also rich, powerful civil servants to Sigil, who control a portion of it's running and help maintain it. Many say they have lost themselves in their dealings and daily dues, with many of the members in the Faction only in it to gain power. This is often true.
Sects are in short, little Factions, but they hold little political power and while they may have duties of their own in their ward, the Factions can tell them to **** off whenever they like. Most Sects are considered younger than the Factions, but notably, the Xaositects are a very recently fallen Faction.
Creeds are different in the sense that they are just a code of conduct that some choose to follow. Many Creeds are ancient, having never died or risen to Sect and Factiondom. A example of a Creed would be a knight's code. Members of factions or sects can hold to a Creed, as such there can sometimes be unlikely allies across Sigil...
Names have power. Take Jack for example, to be Jack is to be quick and keen, handsome and dangerous.
Many young adventurers call themselves Jack to give them a edge in their exploration and daring quests. To be born Jack is to have adventure swing your way from your first step 'til your last.
Most Jacks die young, but those that live long enough always become a legend. All Jacks are considered to be the same Jack in a different form, which means that the man Jack could be considered the only real immortal around, even Gods can die.
Other names of power, that give vastly different lives to their person include; Peter, Duncan, Cain, Mab or Maeve, Brigit and Nike. None are considered as powerful as the name Jack.
To know a Demon's true name is to control it.
To know a Devil's is to strike fear into it's heart.
To know a Fey's is unimportant, they change their name at a whim.
Gods and Hiisi tell you their name and you better like it.
Angels have no true name, though mortals generally name them for convenance.
Several generations after the fall of the Amentest thousands of people followed the four Ivory Monarchs across the Spectrum Sea in search of a new land to conquer. The Monarchs were lichs and while they ruled the people justly for hundreds of years, they slowly became more and more corrupt as their dark magic took them.
The people fought back against the undead leaders with the aid of the clerics of Wishu & the Yagga.
Different accounts claim the Monarchs are dead, fled or still in Tycore, watching and waiting...
All of Tycore is now lead by the Honest Senate, political parties that are voted in whenever the people wish for a new government.
Few modern Tycorish people know that Wishu and the Yagga are not "human gods", which is to say, they have not always been worshipped by humans, but long before by whatever ancient beings lived and died in Tycore before the Ivory Monarchs ever set foot there...
Masks. Some race should be really big on masks, mask festivals, mask-themed magic. I love masks. So there!
~
I figure I'll make a wiki at the weekend when I have time. :]
A Shaman is a Genasi, a human with Elemental blood that has extrensive magical skill and powe. The people that lives on these isles are slightly technological impaired due to the general lack of mountains and iron ore within their realm.
Though they are known as fierce fighters, skilled magicians and are also known for the fact that they tend to wear masks in to combat. These masks vary in size and appearance but are exclusivily made out of wood.
A just for fun entry, but I had to bring over Hlal's Hangover.
Oooh, and there are still the demon, devil and other things planes, perhaps they are simply The Worlds Outside.
"If there are The Worlds Outside from where demons, elder gods, and anything else unimaginable by mortals -and thus unshaped by mortals' dreams- came from, then what is The Worlds Inside?
"If one look at the deepest of their mind, deeper than Where The Soul Lie, one will find pathway to The Worlds Inside. Into this place the mortals' dreams, imaginations, memories, and whatever else come sipping through the gaps in the Wall of Separation and forming into something indescribable. It is everything you can imagine, and yet it is so vast, deep, and comples that no single mind can comprehend the nature of its being. Everything that made it are come from the minds, which make it unreal, but the place itself -if you would believe me- is truly real.
"Here lies the Gate to What Has Existed Before Everything Else. . Rarely does it opens. When it does open, a soft, yet powerful Wave will come from it. Like how earthquakes change the shape of the land, The Wave changes the shape of reality. It will propagate to even beyond the Worlds, carrying part of The Worlds Inside in its wake. At the end of The Wave, what previously is only an amalgam of imagination come into being. This is how Feywild, Sigil, and other Echoing Worlds created.
"Some pretty good nonsense, don't you think? I heard it from that insane bard in the town square".
Speaking about the insane bard:
Orgach, The Insane Bard is not always insane. In fact, some people who know him in his youth claimed he once a very bright -and charming- person. No one knows what happened in one of his adventure that made what he is know. He still posses enough sanity to manage some daily affairs. Like how much is the price for that glass of beer or what that thiefling kid is doing with his pack. At other times he act just like how a madman act, speaking to the air, throws into tantrums without reason, speaking in gibberish (once he made a passing by warlock pale faced with his seemingly meaningless talk, though) and so forth. Some people think he just acting.
Regardless whether he is just acting or whatever his mad actions are, the common folk forgive him and he is popular among them. That is because Oragch tells great stories. From mythical ones like The Planes of the Multiverse, Creations of The world(s), epic (if somewhat humorous) stories such as Brego, The Bego Savior, The adventures of KarrSa, The Dragoon of Bahamut, to lewd stuff like Duke *Something* and His Donkey or something like that. All he telss in a very live and overexciting manner. To lively, in fact. Once he almost kill an audience while performing how Brego defeat an Ironborn Drake in Sowa Valley. Many of his tales were dismissed as nonsense or made up, but some adventurers (including the warlock above) has different idea. If itsn't made up, one can only wonder how Orgach came to know everything he tells.
How it is?
---
Somewhere in the great ocean there is a continent forgotten to time. Some legends say it is never nighttime on this forgotten island. Great creatures of many limbs roam this sun baked land, in a perpetual cycle of predator and prey, life and death. One such creature is the Sariange, a giant centipede that has eyes on both ends of its body.
Of all the Death Hiisi, none are more powerful than the Tarrasque, the Hiisi of blatant destruction. Although it can never be truely destroyed (no Hiisi can) the Tarrasque was sealed away in the sun itself by the other death Hiisi in an effort to preserve the balance of nature. However, once every hundred years there comes an eclipse called Dead Sun, during which the bonds holding the Tarrasque in his firey tomb are weakened. If the right magic were implemented on this day, it isnt improbable that someone could release the Tarrasque upon the world once more.
---
The cat has always been feared, and this can be partially attributed to the deadly Raksasha, a Feline race. Raksashas are born of the souls of those who died fighting for unjust causes. Imbued with magic so foul that even they cant stand each other, they spring from a pool called the well of sin, located in a cavern in the underdark where the scrim between this world and the world below is torn.
On the western coast there is a hamlet called Silena. It is a town of magicians, and it is always very peaceful. There are magic spells over all the lop-sided huts that keep the household chores from making a ruckus. All the shops have signs with the name and price of the spell ingredients they stand over, which helps keep bartering and noise to a minimum. And all the children (of which there are few) have magic hats that kept them to whispers.
Even the scenes are quiet. There are fields of flowers and plains of grass, and the wind that blows over is a silent one. The crickets are never noisy, and the bees have special instructions from the animal whisperers of the town that they should never hum as they go about their business. In the middle of the hamlet is a large fountain, but the water never splashes when it hits the basin.
As the magicians go about their days, they seldom have need for noise, and sometimes if you stand in the center courtyard and listen you might think you were deaf. From the time they get up, to the time they go to bed, it is as if they have forgotten how to make noise. And they actually have started to do just that.
Today, even if one were to try to speak to the people of the town, the only response to be gleaned would be a slight nod of the head or a pointed finger. Travelers often bypass the town entirely, and those who do stop for a time never stay for very long, as it is quite annoying to have shushing signs made at you whenever you say anything.
---
Further down the same coast is a sacred grove called Apple Heart. The Apple Heart Druids tend the grove, and revere the giant apple tree that grows at its center. Here Ourochi, the Hiisi of apple trees, resides and throws summer parties under the trees' shade. She is a benevolent Hiisi that takes the form of a young lady clothed in magenta fabric. Any travelers who stop in her orchard are presented with a magic apple from Ourochi's apple tree (limit one per person). This apple never rots, and when consumed grants an immediate action point to the eater.
---
These same Elves are also famous for a curious coming of age custom they have, called the Dance of Knives. In it, the youth that is of age must dance blindfolded in an arena of sorts that has fifty knives shoved blade-up into it's sands. To pass, they must complete the dance without stepping on the knives. needless to say, much practice time is put in before hand.
Tarrasque as a major death Hiisi. Awesome.
~
Tycore's architecture is magical, some of it's towers have never touched the ground, streets can rearrange themselves, bridges over the harbour can vanish to let ships through and then reappear and much more.
The guild Exalted Arcane Maintenance Company (Eamc) uses their wizardry to keep the cities running, and have a huge say in the goings on of the nation. If enough members of the guild were to die before replacements were found, the cities would crumble.
Within the farest reaches of The World Below exist Psychopomps and the spirits of the dead that they herd into their respective afterlives across the Glass Desert.
Psychopomps are creatures that are neither born nor die, but are not immortal because they have never lived, they merely do their duty without bias.
They look like tall, lithe skeletons with stretched facial features and empty eye-sockets that glow with cool, blue light. They wear only midnight. All psychopomps ride a pale beast; their mount is also the psychopomp itself. Somehow. They can speak through it's mouth, see through it's eyes and hear through it's ears.
They rarely speak to anyone, if they have any opinions they do not say, they are on good terms with the Hiisi of Deaths however and appear to dislike the long lived Fae.
They have no leader, but mortals consider Pantaruxada they king of the psychopomps (Pantaruxada has no gender, few of them do) for he rides a silvery chariot that carries the souls of dead Gods to their destination.
Gnolls and goblins are locked in a bloody war for dominion over the northern part of the Rainshadow Desert, called the Dakar Rumble, and mercenaries from all around the world come to Rainshadow Desert to take part in the Rumble to hone their skills.
The Azer are Dvergar who have turned away from the Hiisi, and instead have dedicated their life to serving devils. Reasons for why they do this vary, from a desire for power to losing faith in the Hiisi. Nevertheless, the Azer are almost always universally reviled by the Dvergar, and are usually attacked on sight.
I hope this thread continues and anyone can feel free to create a open wiki for people to add content to. Admiral maybe? Or Space_Dragon?
See ya!
Just a quick one tonight as the heat has melted my mind. Phew!
The fleeting World Inside exists at the crossroads of people's inner minds. The Amuntest called it The Dream Time. Creatures here are short lived (often as short as a person's dream) and driven by simple, if abstract goals.
The few dream-creatures that live long lives are called Oneiros, which are said to be dreams that have taken on a life of their own and the Somnians, dreamers who, instead of dieing, fell into eternal sleep and now live only in the dreams.
Several Gods travel though this realm, though only a few make their abode here.
Hiisi (and many other beings) can not enter this realm at all, as it has no connection to Nature.
---
Legends speak of a city inhabited solely by Hiisi, the mythical Yomjarra-Sed. However, its location changes from tale to tale. Some say it is located on some unclimable mountain's peak. Others declare it rests in the middle of the Sylwood Jungle. Still others claim it floats on the morning mists that cover the Rainshadow Desert. In reality, these tales are equal parts true and false. Yomjarra-Sed is the meeting place of the Hiisi, and because no one Hiisi controls it it moves about at random. Sometimes it stays in one place for a year, sometimes it moves within an hour. Yomjarra-Sed always relocates to a place of pristine nature. The residents of the city vary with the seasons; during the winter many of the springtime Hiisi stay in this Haven. When a forest burns down, its Hiisi might stay in the city for a time while its plants regrow. The one and only rule is that no mortal is ever to be allowed into the city. It vanishes in an instant if anyone tries.
They were passed off as superstition untill a great Thureet named Melove ventured with his tribe into more civilised lands after being driven away from their previous location by a drought that threatened to destroy them. The shifters are still regared as suspicious but they have been accepted into societies as more and more tribes are forced to leave their domains. No one knows why there have been these natural disaters striking the area lately but there are those who say that one of the ancient beings is preparing for a new world in his image.
The World Below is currently war torn in a battle between the Dragons and the Gensai, each trying to gaing complete control over the now destroyed subbterranian world.
which are you referring to, the Underdark, or the shadowfell (called the World Below in this campaign)?
The underdark
Indeed.
:P
---
Turtle Port is a marvel of technology, in that most of the basic necesstites are automated. Full plumbing, lamps that go off and on with the flip of a lever, even vending machines that dispense packaged foods and cheap magic items. There are no automated transports, however; the streets are narrow and only allow space for walking.
Dopplegangers, whose forms flow and change as easily as water, have over the generations adopted the use of masks to tell one another apart. The crafting of one's own mask is a rite of passage among Dopplegangers, and is a deeply personal act, for it defines the crafter's identity and though it may be modified in the years to come, they will wear it for the rest of their life. Thus, it is only once a Doppleganger has made his mask that he is given a name, for there would be no point naming a child who can look totally different from one moment to the next. This too is the reason why human parental bonds do not form among Dopplegangers - parents simply cannot tell which children are theirs. Instead, the community as a whole raises each generation of youngsters, until they are old enough to claim their masks and make a name for themselves.
At one village they stopped at, just before the Calla Desert, a town they had been to many times, had just had a change in management, a man who did not enjoy merry-making at all. Had he not listened to his advisor, a lot might not have happened. He would not have seen the performers send him up so eloquently. He would not have lost his temper in a fit of rage and locked up the performers. There would not have been a riot that night, calling for their release. Angered at the rioting, the reeve called for the actors' execution. Just before the Death Hiisi of Beatings claimed them, the holy light of Ashri, God of Illusion fell upon them. Not only were they free of their bonds, but they had the power to change form as fluid as water. They escaped into the crowds, then out of the village under the guise of animals. Enraged, the reeve called for the death of the entire Carnival, but they had escaped that night.
Ever since then, the Caustic Carnival has never had actors. When they next visted the village, they found it deserted. The Doppelgangers created their own culture, never owing fealty to anyone. They made quite a lot of money thanks to the political goings on of the Amentest Empire.
Nikutayl Mon are a tribe of tieflings that rampage across an abaddoned district in Sigil, they are one of the few groups in Sigil that hate civilisation and their leader, Kan, is said to hold a Key from that plane to the Tiranog...but beware, they have succomed to their demonic nature. Kan is currently un-aligned to any Faction, but he is in talks with both the Ciphers and the Phobiaticians. Who he allies with will change the course of Sigil history. (Phobiaticians I've just made up on the spot)
A group of servants to the Gods are called Loa, they are often people or animals that have been so great in life that they have been granted a piece of divinity in death.
They are personifacations of mortal life. The cover aspects of life that the Gods either can not or will not cover, or perhaps are too busy to look into. Though powerful, they are not amazing, in fact some Loa inbody things that are not desireable, many of them are humourous in nature. They are never truely worshiped, but people look to them to help them through the day. If called upon in a ritual designed for them, a Loa can possess someone for a time.
Examples of some Loa are:
Hege of the Grey Wisp, notorious for smoking, when called upon to possess someone, he will also find and smoke a cigar before he returns to the World Above. He is obsession. People pray to him to give up addictive drugs or to gain them.
Mister Adar Ogunn, once a hound, he is the protector of the household. He is loyalty. People pray to him for protection from house thieves and bad sprits.
Ubbone, the stuttering Loa of rain on a wedding day, dropping things on your toes and other annoying things. He carries a umberella at all times. He is misfortune. People don't pray to him, just curse him when things go wrong.
I think Gods should be really high up on the scale of power, Gods of Clarity & Illusion, yes, Gods of Fire & Ice, naah, Gods of Love & Hate, naah. Leave elemental stuff to Hiisi and leave emotional stuff to the Loa. Gods are the creators of the universe, they should be HUGELY POWERFULLL. Erm, sorry for that outburst.
P-P-P-Power rating:
Gods
Devils and Angels? [It would be nice if they were really a threat for a change]
Death Hiisi [at least on the Material Plane]
Nature Hiisi & Ahrneks [should be equal, roughly anyways]
Fairy/Fae whatever we call them
Demons
Psychopomps [I bet they're actually very powerful, but they just carry souls, they don't go out and fight things]
Loa
Oni and Yugoloths [Maybe set them up as the "new and better demons", Oni could be chaotic and individual, Yugoloths could be unifed and consider each other family, in their own weird way, I'm thinking really icky inbreeding for them too :X]
Deva
Djinni, Giants & Hags
Gods are, in the eyes of mortals, an everlasting constant. However, even to those mightiest beings there is no escape from death. The plain fact is that gods eventually die, they have a lifespan. Granted, Their years number more than any number can reach - they were created just after the conceptualization of existance itself. When they die, their essence returns to The Great Source, a realm beyond realms, the font of energy that created all else, and is the ultimate destination of everything as well. (this also applies to Devils and Angels, as well as any other celestial beings.)
Hiisi are the ultimate avatars of the physical elements of existance. As such, as long as existance itself remains intact so do they (in some form or another). However, if something were to destroy the material plane - something decidedly more likely than mortals like to ponder - the Hiisi would also cease to be. (this can also be applied to Loa and Ahrneks)
Essentially, this means that if someone was powerful and insane enough, they could kill any immortal creature. Again, they would have to have near infinite power themselves...
*The Great Source*
--------The Worlds Outside
The World Above {linked directly to The Great Source}
The Elemental Planes
-Samsarga
-Himiga
-Numbiga
-Vul Gate --> [Unknown Demonic Plane]
Pandemonium
Sigil -- The Material Plane, Byd -- The Feywild, Tiranog
The Shadowfell, The World Below
--------The Worlds Outside
-The World Inside, The Dream Time-
There are no racial proficencies with weapons, as races vary culturewise and therefore learn to fight differently. However, at first level every character can choose one weapon category to be their focus, ie the one they origionally trained with before becoming an actual adventurer. they get a +1 bonus to attacks with this weapon category.
example: a first level elf ranger wouldnt have elven weapon proficency but would be able to focus in bows for a +1 attack bonus
---
When calculating the modifier for the skill Intimidate, players can choose to use strength of charisma, depending on which is higher. This represents the use of physical brawn to scare someone versus using verbal intimidation. An alternative to this would be to have two intimidation modifiers, and have the DM deem which should be used in a given scenario.
D&D Wiki?
Or Obsidian Portal?
Or somewhere else?
The continents, Othri and Tekmin, are quite close, and are even connected by a land bridge. This bridge, however, can only be crossed for a period of two weeks once a decade, when the water is low enough. Thus, Othri remains a largely mysterious place.
The Amenuk river actually has two end-points. It splits off about two-thirds of the way down its length, terminating both in the Calla Desert and in the Sea of Rage, where it forms a delta around which extensive mangrove swamps have formed (mangrove swamps are super cool, I think).
Well, where should the wiki be?
D&D Wiki?
Or Obsidian Portal?
Or somewhere else?
Obsidion portal can only be edited by a single person (i think) so someone would have to be in charge of it. maybe the other one?
Appearance-wise they are often tall beings very alike to humans in most ways. Though far fairer and more gracious then most human are.
Wings appear on Angels backs whenever they are in need of them for either flight or magic.
They are loud-mouthed, quick to anger but also easy to calm down. They are creatures of emotion and seems to feel everything dozens of time stronger then humans. Vows, hatred and love is boundless for an Angel.
Even though they are rare in numbers Angels acts as servants, warriors, advisors and some times lovers for the more powerful gods.
How the first angels were created is unknown (unless you want to write it), but currently angels are created by two angelic partners by mixing raw aether with a piece of themselves. Few angels have a gender at all, but regardless of what they consider themselves, any pairing can create a offspring.
So, what are we calling the setting?
Well the main world is called Byd, so there is that...
Torus has a nice ring to it (pun!!), since the world is that shape
Ummm~
The Lands of the Twin Gods?:D
Named & Shaped?:embarrass
If there is anything you want done, but can't do, just ask.
I think the point of the wiki is the ability to elaborate on points.
Also, look at examples of other settings to help with formatting the first page, especially the Cora setting.
and now a post...
Aether is unattainable on any material planes, as it evaporates too quickly in the atmosphere. However, it can be bottled and transported. The bottle or vial has to be made of adamantium, diamond or some other incredibly resilient material in order to contain the immense pressure and heat from the Aether expanding within. a single vial of Aether is magically potent enough that it can be used to negate the entire component cost of any single ritual. As such, it is highly prized.
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Angels were formed by the very first ritual, performed by some pair of gods forgotten to time. the Ritual of Celestial Sentience is considered by some to be the ultimate ritual; as it creates a perfect being. It is practiced by angels to create more of their kind.
Silnolithia is a jewel that only forms in places that have never before seen light. called the great secret of the underdark, these jewels grow in a spiral formation, with multicolored razor sharp spines pointing in every direction. Karat for karat they are worth eight times more than diamonds and to own one is seen as a sign that one will live in eternal bliss. Ironically, they have been the cause of countless wars between the southern Drow, who's territory includes the most prosperous Silnolithia mines, and other underground races.
Love your work.
Great work people, the wiki is looking great. I'll come back later with ideas and help out with the wiki.
Bye for now!
Fashion is everything to Barbarians, they cover themselves in bright colours, be it armour or their dyed hair. They hang pieces of cotton and silk from their shoulders, chains of gold and silver from their boots. Their shields are always artfully designed with their house symbol or perhaps their name. Most attatch banners and small flags to their backs that show what beasts they have defeated and what they are most skilled in.
Barbarians love to be noticed, in fact the first unwriten rule of Barbarians is to be remembered in saga and song after their death. Before going on a adventure a Barbarian must make a Boast, proclaiming to an offical (king, priest, judge) what he or she is about to do. This insures their rememberance if they do not return.
Each colour has a meaning to a Barbarian, one covered in light blue may be in mourning, another in red and green may be known as charitable.
Barbarians pride themselves on being the most honest people around, even if that honestly is harsh as knives.
Oh wow! I have a good idea. I hope.
In ancient times an angel known in legend as Anon and the devil Bathe were said to have fallen in love. Anon was a servant of Ashore and Bathe was the daughter of a high ranking Riding Duke, they fled both of their homes and finding no save place for themselves, they bartered their services to the demon Tarathur.
Perhaps in modern times this would of been ignored by the Prince, but having an angel and a devil in his legion was something to grin about and ask the other Princes if they had such a pair. They did not of course.
In return for fighting in the grime and smog by the Vul Gate they were given rule over a section of the demon's impossible plane.
But devil's are cunning and angel's are creative, in the absolute sense. How they did it is unknown, but they broke off their land, which they dubbed Pandemonium, and to this day it is said to float between worlds, ever evading whoever would stop their love.
Some legends speak of them offering rebels of all kinds a place in their land that ignores all rules. Some speak kindly of Pandemonium, others not, perhaps it all depends on if you meet Anon or Bathe upon your enterance.
Some tales speak of an alliance between the couple and the Oni, some even say it was they that turned them away from their Prince and that Oni can enter Pandemonium at will...
The priesthoods of Aseth-Uzhor, goddess of celibacy and unrequited love, and Ibbith ha-Ikkun, patroness of prostitutes and widows, have recently undergone a precipitous schism. Ibbith ha-Ikkun is no longer opposite Aseth-Uzhor, but rather Imla of the Bells, who blesses weddings and childbirth. What has changed in the heavens? And how can Aseth-Uzhor be opposite the Holly-Prince, patron of traitors and slaves?
In the far South, amidst the salt-marshes at the mouth of the Amenuk River, the Ah-khu-tet, Hiisi of Death-by-Itself holds sway over degenerate scavenger tribes of humans and mongrelfolk. Their coexistence has lasted so long that it is frequently difficult to tell the difference between the two. Surprisingly, though, the Ah-khu-tet has not, as implied, ever caused the death of a sentient being. His time has not yet come.
The priesthoods of Aseth-Uzhor, goddess of celibacy and unrequited love, and Ibbith ha-Ikkun, patroness of prostitutes and widows, have recently undergone a precipitous schism. Ibbal ha-Ikkun is no longer opposite Aseth-Uzhor, but rather Imla of the Bells, who blesses weddings and childbirth. What has changed in the heavens? And how can Aseth-Uzhor be opposite the Holly-Prince, patron of traitors, revolutionaries, and slaves?
I know its a bugger when you can't ****ing say *****, never mind, prostitude is the correct word after all.
I love Ah-khu-tet, but well, maybe read the wiki, we already have a revolution God.
But I think with a little work your idea will do fine! I just don't want Gods to overlap, thats just me anyway.
But what turns Byd?
Mechanus. Also known as The world Behind, Mechanus is the great engine that drives the wheels of the physical world. It is a world of cranking gears the size of mountains, pistons larger than trees, and forges of flame that never go out. It also serves as the home of the Inevitables. This is a race of metal men similar in appearance to the Warforged, yet vastly different in purpose. The Inevitables were created by a set of gods {i'll let someone else choose which} as custodians to the natural order of the wheels of existance. If someone were to throw off the mechanics of the universe (such as cheating a Death Hiisi one too many times, or using magic without undergoing equivalent exchange) they are required to bring equity through elimintaing the offender.
Mechanus is connected to Byd by giant Screws in the iron band at the center of Byd's torus. It is only reachable through journeying down to the core of the world and finding one of these screws.
One of the main enemies of world today is Mollat of the Blazing Crown. A powerful Ahrnek who wielded the element of fire, he was one of the Vul's most ardent supporters, and was imprisoned trying to defend him while Vul was opening a rift to the Demon Plane. Mollat has recently resurfaced, although his true power has yet to return. Instead, he bides his time, sending minions to cause chaos on the other planes while fervently searching for Vul's prison, so that he can release the Three-Horned King once more. Mollat does not know of Vul's decent into insanity, though.
The people of Byd are not alone. In the between-spaces where horrors beyond comprehension are reputed to dwell, a many-eyed something watches and waits, though it views through a cracked lens and does not, cannot, comprehend everything it sees. It loves them all.
Okay guys, I'm just going to put this out there, what if we didn't have Limbo at all?
Pure Law makes sense, but a world of just random I was never into.
What if we mixed the Astral Sea and Limbo togethor, and made it the plane that you must travel through to get to the Worlds Outside? And lets even mix the Far Realms into it and have the parties fighting Cthulu just to get to one of the Worlds Outside.
Hmm, I like it anyway.
EDIT: I just had a fun idea that I had to share, its not brand new but it needs to be in. Inevitables play music, vast operas and orchestras, all of which are made using intense mathamatical equations. They are always in perfect time. It is beautiful music and can go on for months, then they abrutly stop and continue going about their business. :D
Oh I don't like the current describtion of them looking like Warforged, I'll see if I can find a picture of what they could look like...
Man I really like this setting, is anyone using bits of it yet?
I love your take on Mechanus vman3force, now it has a active reason to be a purely lawful Plane!
Okay guys, I'm just going to put this out there, what if we didn't have Limbo at all?
Pure Law makes sense, but a world of just random I was never into.
What if we mixed the Astral Sea and Limbo togethor, and made it the plane that you must travel through to get to the Worlds Outside? And lets even mix the Far Realms into it and have the parties fighting Cthulu just to get to one of the Worlds Outside.
Hmm, I like it anyway.
EDIT: I just had a fun idea that I had to share, its not brand new but it needs to be in. Inevitables play music, vast operas and orchestras, all of which are made using intense mathamatical equations. They are always in perfect time. It is beautiful music and can go on for months, then they abrutly stop and continue going about their business. :D
Oh I don't like the current describtion of them looking like Warforged, I'll see if I can find a picture of what they could look like...
Man I really like this setting, is anyone using bits of it yet?
Maybe the Inevitables should be less human in shape? i could see them being spiderlike in shape.
Im thinking about starting an adventure, but i feel like we need more concrete locations first. Weve got plenty of the cosmology and planes laid out, now we need to expand on the different cities and adventuring areas.
Maybe the Inevitables should be less human in shape? i could see them being spiderlike in shape.
Im thinking about starting an adventure, but i feel like we need more concrete locations first. Weve got plenty of the cosmology and planes laid out, now we need to expand on the different cities and adventuring areas.
Yeah, I think we've got a good start on the cosmology, time to write up some places on the Byd, maybe a bit on Tiranog & The World Below too.
Okay, here is an Inevitable, there could be many kinds though, spider-shape seems really good as a "weaver of laws".
http://nyctopterus.deviantart.com/art/Archaeogalea-81857253
We can't put this in the wiki of course, its not ours, but thats how I see 'em.
Triamus is the name locals give to three giant egg shaped stones that sit in the middle of the plains that border the Amenuk. These stones stand around a hole that leads down under the ground. Once a week Roilo, the Hiisi of the plainsnakes that takes the form of a great serpent, shoots ot of the hole and goes to each settlement in the area, where he demands a sacrifice of a large basket of eggs. The locals are afraid of the snake, but must pay the offering. If they do not the plainsnakes in the area would attack them in great hordes, devouring all the livestock. The locals are willing to pay a group of adventurers to take care of the Hiisi menace for them.
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and now some Elementals...
Loingion is a massive bull of flame and ash that streaks endlessly across the tumultuous expanses of Himiga. He brings rampant destruction by fire wherever his hooves crash down. Even Djinnis know to stay clear of him, lest they become caught in the inferno.
Silak is an amorphous snake composed entirely of water that twists through the Elemental Chaos. It is said that wherever his belly slides the world is wiped clean by the force of a million tidal waves. His tail forms the River Ubestos that wends through the Elemental Chaos.
They have never appeared on Byd – at least, not that has ever been reported. Instead, they send divine envoys to right snags in destiny. The envoys of the Four-Fold Axiom take the form of clockwork spiders. The envoys never speak and rarely even pay attention to those trying to interact with them, unless it is to chastise (physically) those who are tampering with fate.
Courtship among the Dragonborn is supposed to begin after their initiation ritual as adults into society, although it occasionally happens earlier (more than most Dragonborn would like to admit). Dragonborn tend to choose mates whose profession matches their own: some of the best food around is prepared by a pair of married Dragonborn chefs, and Dragonborn warriors will often adventure with their spouses. The actual marriage ceremony itself is almost always overseen by an actual dragon. It goes without saying that not all Dragonborn choose a mate.
Some islands are completely new, having never before been seen, such as Lord Sharik's Isle, where a handsome young nobleman constructed his manor house upon an isle in the hopes of making his life more exciting. Some have been here forever, like Cozy Isle, a rather large isle covered in shops and even homes and known for its superb inns. Some are whispered about almost as legends, like the mysterious Amethyst Isle, where some believe you can find your fortune, if you are only lucky enough to stumble upon it. All the Isles are varied, and fantastic, and you are sure to find something extraordinary if you should venture there. Beware, though, Isle shift at random, and one moment you can be enjoying the beautiful sunshine, and the next floating upon a sea of fire in the Elemental Chaos. Most Isles have certain protections from hazardous climes, though not all are so lucky. Never forget the story of the Happyside Isles, known for its beautiful parks and outdoor activities, which was suddenly transported to the cold north. It appeared in Lake Ill several years later, most of the inhabitants dead of hypothermia, the water in the fountains frozen.
The strange something which dwells between the cracks in the world is not well known to the people of the world, but nevertheless has developed several small but devoted cults. According to most cults, this strange something has innumerable names and titles, thought it's true name is a composite of all names. Each cult, no matter how disconnected, knows the name Shereb'Shem as one of the enigmatic entities innumerable true names, and it is by this name that the entity is most often reffered to in the few texts which acknowledge it.
The World Apart was once a bleak and dismal parasite plane where the souls of those who died utterly alone, stillborne or by a great betrayal by a loved one crawled blindly in search of companionship. These souls so longed to feel the presence of others that they became trapped between Byrd and the afterlife. Shereb'Shem saw these souls and in her infinite love reached out, blending the souls together into the great amorphous and blissful plane of Jubilex. All oozes are a part of this plane and are created when a portion of this plane extends into Byrd, primarily at the site of a death of great loneliness or after the death of one who was killed by an ooze.
That got a little more long winded then I wanted, but I love oozes and I love Jubilex and I'd love to see them be just a tad more interesting. :D
Ya know - there is a specific forum for this kind of Project.
The kids are calling it a "shard worlds" game. The original "Lords of Creation Game was started here" and I agree completely that they should always have one here. BUT!
What you can do is click the report thread button and ask the moderator to move this thread to "World Creation Projects"This is the "Campaign and Adventure" Workshop.
World Building Projects are a little different than Workshop projects.
Mine doesn't go there because I am simply "publishing" it here. And actually... its more of a developer blog... but I would never presume to Ask ;) to be given my own developer blog on the WotC website .... :mrgreen:
Wow, awesome, I had to register an account just to throw in my two cents.
The strange something which dwells between the cracks in the world is not well known to the people of the world, but nevertheless has developed several small but devoted cults. According to most cults, this strange something has innumerable names and titles, thought it's true name is a composite of all names. Each cult, no matter how disconnected, knows the name Shereb'Shem as one of the enigmatic entities innumerable true names, and it is by this name that the entity is most often reffered to in the few texts which acknowledge it.
The World Apart was once a bleak and dismal parasite plane where the souls of those who died utterly alone, stillborne or by a great betrayal by a loved one crawled blindly in search of companionship. These souls so longed to feel the presence of others that they became trapped between Byrd and the afterlife. Shereb'Shem saw these souls and in her infinite love reached out, blending the souls together into the great amorphous and blissful plane of Jubilex. All oozes are a part of this plane and are created when a portion of this plane extends into Byrd, primarily at the site of a death of great loneliness or after the death of one who was killed by an ooze.
That got a little more long winded then I wanted, but I love oozes and I love Jubilex and I'd love to see them be just a tad more interesting. :D
Jubilex? Isn't that from the original Lords of Creation thread?
Hmmmm- this place is meant for the long winded to grow yet longer winded.
I would say more - but I .......
I ... I'll be back!No - I am not hijaking your thread OP, I am giving it The_One_True_Shea bump!
‽ 
‽The Rain of Stars is a once-a-century event where the stars above reveal themselves. This is a great event for Warlocks, as the Star Pact seems the least dangerous of the options available, but all should remain vigilant, for monsters not of this world stalk the lonely places. (OOC: things like the Maw of Hadar)
OOC: Love the wiki, but who put Mythshine in the Underdark? I like the idea though....
Same with the Queen of Dusk. Quite simply, Queen of Dusk : Lady of Pain :: Mythshine : Sigil
Also, this is all fluff. Anyone want to do some Paragon Paths or anything? Sounds like fun to me.
Their Empire fell. Abandoned by their Gods by unknown reasons the Giant's turned on each other and a massive civil war destroyed the Giant's glorious empire.
The giants fragmented and spread out over the world and interbred with Djinns, elementals and similar beings and through that Ice giants, fire giants, storm giants and most other Giant breeds where created.
Ruins of their old empire are rare as most of them ar long destroyed, though at times strange things can be found that may have been created in the long lost empire of the giants.
Okay I want to add:
The Empire of Locke & The Providence of Kheys
No one knows what the Lady of Pain is, some say she is a God and that her companion is the Lord of Delirium. There is no evidence he exists.
Okay I want to add:
The Empire of Locke & The Providence of Kheys
Where should these places be located? are they neighbors?
Where should these places be located? are they neighbors?
On the moon.
Locke & Kheys are not just neighbours, Kheys interlocks with Locke, in a key shape. C:
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- Empire of Locke
0 Providence of Kheys
Locke & Kheys are the only civilisations on the Moon, the rest is barren blue stone and craters littered with luna monsters. They are rivals and have different motives, but are in a constant state of cold war.
The native inhabitance of the Moon are Halflings.
The two nations have strong connections to The World Below, more than anywhere else in Byd.
The moon has light gravity.
This world has no single nature god, but millions of "Hiisi", small deities that rule over different areas of the world, their are limitless variations of Hiisi, such as a Hiisi of a particular craggy rock, a Hiisi of light rain and hail and lightening storm, Hiisi of red foxes and Hiisi of arctic foxes.
That is kind of funny... 'hiisi' means goblin/hobgoblin in Finnish...
The Violet Archipelago is a vast chain of tiny islands that lie between the three major continents. Few islands are large enough to support any permanent residences, but they are the location of many halfling bases. The inner islands are effectively off limits to non halflings, as few others have the skill or knowledge to navigate the treacherous waters. This is a major advantage for the halflings, as halfling vessels can move through the islands and dramatically reduce the time they need to travel between the continents. During times of great prosperity, the halfling capitol Terrk is often located on one of the outer isles - signaling an apex of halfling power. The archipelago is the closest thing the halflings have to a permanent nation. The islands are named after the halfling flag - a dark violet leaf on a blue boarder.
I for one will be using the Elemental Planes from this setting, what else have you guys liked? Are you using anything?
Oh! An idea. Yeah!
The first hero, Wo Tan, from the far south, was an elf that dreamed of immortality. He stole a bottle or jar, of Aether from the Gods and brought magic to Byd.
He used the raw magic to become immortal, but he was caught by [the God of Vengenance, the name anyone?] and entombed deep beneath the earth. Every evening a wyrm arrives to devour his liver.
It was, in part at least, Wo Tan's actions that caused the elves to split into different factions.
the desert elves are a dark tan from birth, and grow bristly white hair that they grow all their lives, and then often cut off at death and incorporate in their crafts and fabrics. they are a proud people who never show fear and boldly confront anyone who infringes on their territory
the jungle elves sport dappled skin that has a tint of green to it - natural camoflage. their hair is dark brown and is often braided with leaves and bark and then tarred with tree sap into straight spines. These elves are elusive in the forests, going unseen on theri hidden trails and living in hidden settlements. In recent times, however, the jungle elves have begun to interact with the human nations, and it is not too uncommon to see one walking the streets of a major city.
Floating far above the clouds is the ruins of Menkargesh, the capitol of Daharladon. Back during the sundering of the empire, when a host of plagues fell upon the land, the capitol of the empire was literally torn from the face of the earth and thrown into the stratosphere. Even now the city is littered with the bones of many dragons who didn't survive the city being sent into the sky, and along with those bones, are the mighty hordes that belonged to them. Getting there is the problem, as the only known way to access Menkargesh is to enter a portal that is in the crater that marked where the city used to be: right in the center of Rystal.
The Drow live in great halls of music and dancing, however outside of the endless revelry of their homes they are ruthless in conquering and merciless in ruling those they capture. at the epicenter of their culture sit the great matrons; drow who have taken on the countenance of giant spiders. these terrifying beings are the hosts of all the greatest balls and feasts; but they are bitter and uncaring about any life other than their own and brutally crush all who oppose them.
Greenwater is a small oceanside community that depends on the yearly migration of sealeanth, a large fish, for their survival. The fishermen go out on seafaring drakes with pikes and nets, and bring back reams of fish. However, recently the fish levels have been severely low do to the presence of a dire whale in the reigon which has been eating everything on the coast (including several fishermen.)
Ashri and Ashore: Twin Goddesses of Magic:
Ashri – The Sullen Maid Ashri is one of the twin goddesses of Magic. Once the goddess of foresight and predictions, Ashri’s domain now encompasses the darker side of magic, specifically illusion and enchantment.
Ashore – The Crone Ashore is Ashri’s more benign counterpart. While Ashri’s sphere is the darker stuffs of magic, Ashore takes the more benevolent aspects of magic, such as divination.
History: When the world was still young, and civilizations first started to spring up in isolated places around the world, it was Ashri that first granted them magic. Legend has it that when Ashri witnessed the beauties and hardships of life, she felt it necessary to bestow a gift upon mankind that would aid them in their survival, and accordingly she blessed seven crones throughout the world with strange and prophetic powers. Those blessed by Ashri became the first Seers, and developed strange prophetic powers. By gaining the ability to predict future events with astonishing accuracy, minor civilizations flourished in ways previously unknown. Droughts and famines could be prepared for long in advance, and domestic hardships altogether ceased.
Society under the Seers prospered, but only for so long. A day came when the power of the Seers was used in a way Ashri had not intended. A prophecy was told that one of the kings, an ancient king of great power, whose name was lost to time, would be slain at the hand of a Devergar peasant. Rather than let his fate come, this king decided to incite hatred against the Dvergar, and led a massive extermination. Ashri, who intended to aid humanity, was deeply troubled by the tragic outcome of her divine inspiration. Ashri was however, in a bind. By taking away the power she had granted, humanity would lose faith in the divine beings and begin a downward spiral into oblivion; By not doing anything, humanity would continue to misuse her power to their own selfish ends.
Ashri sought the council of her seemingly older and infinitely wiser counterpart. Ashore, then the goddess of perceiving and understanding, knew what her sister must do. Ashri, at Ashore’s command, plucked out her own eyes. The power of divination changed entirely. Instead of seeing the very threads of fate, Seers could only see veiled images of the future which were limited to a shorter term and infinitely changeable. No longer could humanity use the gift of foresight to wreak havoc on itself. Ashore, with the absence of Ashri’s sphere, was forced to take on the mantle of divination.
Ashri, eyeless and temporarily weakened, became overcome by sadness, but lacking eyes, was unable to cry tears, and was instead forced to weep blood. The incredible melancholy felt by Ashri pent up, and boiled over into an insurmountable rage. In anger, Ashri decided that the truth was often unnecessary and distasteful, that lies were more palatable, and formulated the first illusion. Ashri’s Playground, as it came to be known, is a massive illusory realm inside the world above where Ashri holds court over her own imagination. Many scholars attribute illusion magic to spillage from Ashri’s Playground into the other worlds.
Again, thanks to all of those who contributed to this thread, as it has inspired me greatly.