Friday, December 21, 2007
Major Change - A Blog as a Blog!
This site will now actually be used as a blog rather than as a rather heavily clunked way to give game information. That info is still going to be out there, at http://altalazar.wikispaces.com/, but now I'll use this space as it was intended, as a blog, where I can discuss all things D&D and gaming in general.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Kenmar's Journal
Kenmar is the son of Jorian soldier who deserted, along with entire unit, during the God-Head War. They were at the forefront of the invasion of Bellai, an act which sickened their sense of honor. Early in the war they met no resistance as they blazed across the land, slaying artists and musicians who could barely swing a sword. They despised the rule of Nyfastis, and vowed not to serve him. They spent the rest of the war in hiding, fighting their former countrymen as often as the people of Bellai.
When Bellai forced Jor back to the old borders, their lives became safer, but no less secure. The prominence of Nyfatis’ faction, despite his absence, prevented them from returning home, and the Bellai patrols attacked them on site. They survived as bandits, hacking a living out of the countryside by force of arms, and moving as necessary to avoid large groups of Bellai soldiers.
Kenmar was born to a captive local women, and was raised in the traditional manner for Jorian children in the time before Nyfastis’ evil twisted their honor. He began training with weapons at five, and was already a capable warrior at thirteen by the standards of lesser races. He was one of few children born in the camp, and fewer still to survive to adulthood.
When Kenmar was nineteen, his father succumbed to age. The group was now small, and most of the men old, and barely capable of wielding blade. He decided to strike out on his own. Unwilling to travel to Jor, and unable to leave the country by other means he wandered Bellai for two years, earning what living he could with the edge of his sword. It was a meager existence. He slept outdoors more often than not, and frequently went to bed on an empty stomach. Furthermore his accent betrayed him as Jorian to even the commonest farmer, causing most to treat him with suspicion, if not outright scorn.
When he learned of the newly opened gateway to New Aelon he was eager to leave, feeling any change of fortune would be a welcome one.
Search for water
Day 1
Eemish finally found a job for me; Good thing because money is running very thin. If things keep going the way they are I’ll be boiling my boots before long. I’m still not out of the woods completely, of course, there’s no pay unless we succeed. We’re looking for some sort of item that produces water. Eemish claims to know where one might be, but he hasn’t been forthcoming about details and I suspect he doesn’t know any. It would be a shame to starve to death in the desert, but if that’s what comes I will die with my sword in my hand and a curse for the sun on my lips.
Day 2
No luck on our quest today, but no one is discouraged yet. I’ve come to learn something of our other companions at least. They all have patrons in New Aelon, which means steady work and a guarantee of a good meal each night. To be honest I don’t know how Eemish convinced them to come. Part of me wishes he hadn’t, that means a bigger share of the profit for me, but perhaps they will prove useful.
Dominae is my favorite. He is disciplined and honorable. I haven’t seen him fight, but he is in good condition, and I suspect he knows the secret of combining mind and muscle. I hope to stand beside him in combat and see his true mettle.
Tamasil is quiet. He speaks little and acts little. I suspect he has his own motives for joining our company. I don’t begrudge him that; perhaps he will lose his interest for gold in whatever knowledge he finds…
Last is Zolan. He is light hearted, and perhaps too fond of strong drink. I do not know why he accompanies us, though Eemish’s reasons for asking him are obvious. With his power to create water from whim, he is perhaps the only one in our party so far to prove his worth.
Day 3
We found some sort of tomb, and Eemish seems fairly confident that what we seek lies inside, though he knows not where. I confess I am happy to be out of the godflayed sun. It is cursed hot in this foul desert, and I miss the cool mists of my homeland.
The quest turns out more interesting than I thought. Our first steps inside brought us face to face with the legendary Scourge of Ninurta. My da told tales of it when I was a boy, and how it haunts only the entrance, but never enters. I told the others to get inside, and all listened save the fool dwarf, who tried to stand and face it alone. He changed his tune when all he got for the trouble was a horn in his chest. He scurried through the door whimpering of thirst, and emptied an entire skein before he was satisfied! If he wasn’t the only one who could replace it I’d flay him myself for the waste. Only I managed to score a blow on the great beast. Da would be proud.
It’s seems we aren’t the first from New Aelon to explore this area. The bull got one outside, and there was another inside the first room, killed by some foul magic. Eemish recognized him, and says he saw him only the day before we left. He was a fool if he came alone; perhaps we’ll find more further in.
We came to a room full of vile instruments whose functions I have no desire to guess. There is no honor in torture. A foe worth killing is worth killing in one stroke, and those who inflict pain for its own sake are weak of mind. Here all would have been fine, and we would have moved on, but the godflayed dwarf wanted to play. He got himself trapped inside an animated iron maiden. I had half a mind to leave him there, but it is dishonorable to leave a companion to his death, even a foolish one. Dominae managed to free him, but got trapped himself in the process. I made short work of the thing, though Eenish proved a great aid. When Dominae was freed he was near death, and even after what healing Zolan could provide both of them were too weak to continue, so we camp the night here. I suspect we have yet to face the greatest horror this tomb holds, but my heart is high, for if I fall I will do so honorably, in combat with a greater foe.
When Bellai forced Jor back to the old borders, their lives became safer, but no less secure. The prominence of Nyfatis’ faction, despite his absence, prevented them from returning home, and the Bellai patrols attacked them on site. They survived as bandits, hacking a living out of the countryside by force of arms, and moving as necessary to avoid large groups of Bellai soldiers.
Kenmar was born to a captive local women, and was raised in the traditional manner for Jorian children in the time before Nyfastis’ evil twisted their honor. He began training with weapons at five, and was already a capable warrior at thirteen by the standards of lesser races. He was one of few children born in the camp, and fewer still to survive to adulthood.
When Kenmar was nineteen, his father succumbed to age. The group was now small, and most of the men old, and barely capable of wielding blade. He decided to strike out on his own. Unwilling to travel to Jor, and unable to leave the country by other means he wandered Bellai for two years, earning what living he could with the edge of his sword. It was a meager existence. He slept outdoors more often than not, and frequently went to bed on an empty stomach. Furthermore his accent betrayed him as Jorian to even the commonest farmer, causing most to treat him with suspicion, if not outright scorn.
When he learned of the newly opened gateway to New Aelon he was eager to leave, feeling any change of fortune would be a welcome one.
Search for water
Day 1
Eemish finally found a job for me; Good thing because money is running very thin. If things keep going the way they are I’ll be boiling my boots before long. I’m still not out of the woods completely, of course, there’s no pay unless we succeed. We’re looking for some sort of item that produces water. Eemish claims to know where one might be, but he hasn’t been forthcoming about details and I suspect he doesn’t know any. It would be a shame to starve to death in the desert, but if that’s what comes I will die with my sword in my hand and a curse for the sun on my lips.
Day 2
No luck on our quest today, but no one is discouraged yet. I’ve come to learn something of our other companions at least. They all have patrons in New Aelon, which means steady work and a guarantee of a good meal each night. To be honest I don’t know how Eemish convinced them to come. Part of me wishes he hadn’t, that means a bigger share of the profit for me, but perhaps they will prove useful.
Dominae is my favorite. He is disciplined and honorable. I haven’t seen him fight, but he is in good condition, and I suspect he knows the secret of combining mind and muscle. I hope to stand beside him in combat and see his true mettle.
Tamasil is quiet. He speaks little and acts little. I suspect he has his own motives for joining our company. I don’t begrudge him that; perhaps he will lose his interest for gold in whatever knowledge he finds…
Last is Zolan. He is light hearted, and perhaps too fond of strong drink. I do not know why he accompanies us, though Eemish’s reasons for asking him are obvious. With his power to create water from whim, he is perhaps the only one in our party so far to prove his worth.
Day 3
We found some sort of tomb, and Eemish seems fairly confident that what we seek lies inside, though he knows not where. I confess I am happy to be out of the godflayed sun. It is cursed hot in this foul desert, and I miss the cool mists of my homeland.
The quest turns out more interesting than I thought. Our first steps inside brought us face to face with the legendary Scourge of Ninurta. My da told tales of it when I was a boy, and how it haunts only the entrance, but never enters. I told the others to get inside, and all listened save the fool dwarf, who tried to stand and face it alone. He changed his tune when all he got for the trouble was a horn in his chest. He scurried through the door whimpering of thirst, and emptied an entire skein before he was satisfied! If he wasn’t the only one who could replace it I’d flay him myself for the waste. Only I managed to score a blow on the great beast. Da would be proud.
It’s seems we aren’t the first from New Aelon to explore this area. The bull got one outside, and there was another inside the first room, killed by some foul magic. Eemish recognized him, and says he saw him only the day before we left. He was a fool if he came alone; perhaps we’ll find more further in.
We came to a room full of vile instruments whose functions I have no desire to guess. There is no honor in torture. A foe worth killing is worth killing in one stroke, and those who inflict pain for its own sake are weak of mind. Here all would have been fine, and we would have moved on, but the godflayed dwarf wanted to play. He got himself trapped inside an animated iron maiden. I had half a mind to leave him there, but it is dishonorable to leave a companion to his death, even a foolish one. Dominae managed to free him, but got trapped himself in the process. I made short work of the thing, though Eenish proved a great aid. When Dominae was freed he was near death, and even after what healing Zolan could provide both of them were too weak to continue, so we camp the night here. I suspect we have yet to face the greatest horror this tomb holds, but my heart is high, for if I fall I will do so honorably, in combat with a greater foe.
Curious Dwarf's First Adventure
Curious Dwarf did meet a group.
Together they made quite a troupe.
They wandered into the desert getting hotter,
looking for a source of magic water.
Curious Dwarf does hate undead,
nothing more evil can be said.
They entered a tomb guarded by bull,
Curious Dwarf attacked until Troupe did pull.
Along the way they found a maiden,
of iron it was well laiden.
Curious Dwarf did earn his name,
when curiousity nearly ended the game.
END Episode 1.
Together they made quite a troupe.
They wandered into the desert getting hotter,
looking for a source of magic water.
Curious Dwarf does hate undead,
nothing more evil can be said.
They entered a tomb guarded by bull,
Curious Dwarf attacked until Troupe did pull.
Along the way they found a maiden,
of iron it was well laiden.
Curious Dwarf did earn his name,
when curiousity nearly ended the game.
END Episode 1.
The Tales of Eemish Maker
I am Eemish Maker.
I am of the city of New Aelon, that which was known to me as Aylon. I am a maker of things, as my father was before me, and his father before him.
Up until a few years ago, we had a quiet life, a simple existence under the sky of sand. I helped my father build things for the other in our community, and I helped my mother in the fungus garden. I never ventured far outside of our city center, but several times I explored some of the older ruins on the outskirts, always curious of the world around me.
But I was always reminded that our world ends at the sand, and I came to believe I would never know what lies beyond.
That all changed when Uther the Pure led his band of adventurers into our city in search of Olde Gate, or as he called it, the Travel Arch.
Since that day, 3 years ago, I have learned so much. I have always been able to create simple items of use, channeling the energies all around us into them giving them power, life, what many call magic. But magic is just one face of many sided diamond. The energies that Mind-magicians use, or Psions, is the same energy that Wizards control with their complicated words and motions, is the same energy religous folk call forth from their gods, is the same energy that landstewards call forth from Nature, is the same energy sorcerors channel from their blood.
I have always been able to see this energy in things. It has just made sense to me. And when I need to move it from one charged item to another, I just pull it from one, hold it in my hand like a small ball of light, and "coax" it into the other.
I see this energy everywhere, It runs through us, it is a part of us. Life creates it, makes it grow. It surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the energy around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes.
It was in the interest of discovering a new source of this energy, that I brought a few of my friends together. There is an old tale of a source of water to the north of here, a legend, really.. told to children as a bedtime story. And now with the growing size of the city, the folk are beginning to realize that our own source of water, that which powers our fountains is beginning to reach its capacity.
A chance to finally leave this place where I've lived my whole life. After hearing many tales of adventure, it was time to begin my own.
We gathered after I purchased one of those strange one-hump animals called a camel with the little gold I had saved working the tavern. The others seemed eager for all their own reasons, and I felt good about this group, and anxious to find the source.
The travel north was without incident, and as we arrived at the cave in the dune, we descended stairs not knowing what might lay in wait for us.
In the first room a skeleton sat in a heap by the only other door. What might have killed it became apparent immediately, as what appeared to be a bull in the distance began a charge in our direction. What at first had seemed just wall painting, became a live, and the bull approached as the warblade shouted at us to get through the door. I fumbled at the trapped door, disarmed it, and plunged through just as the bull arrived and gored the cleric. We all made it through, and shut the door.
Inside the second room, what appeared to be an armory, we found an adventurer burid in a pile of dust in the corner. But this was no adventurer, for I recognized him from New Aelon as one of my people. I will have to return his things to his family and pass the news. What horrible thing happened to him in only a few days that would make his corpse appear so aged. The weapons all crumbled to dust as well, so we knew we shouldnt stay here.
In the third room, we discovered a torture chamber, and as the cleric stepped near the iron maiden, it came alive and engulfed him. I recognized it as a creature of magic, a construct, something I intend to build someday, and funneled some of the energy I hold inside of me, to injur it and release our healer. I had summoned a shadow creature, and with a command, he rushed forward to help the monk. They managed to open the door enough for the cleric to come tumbling out, only to see the monk fall prey to it himself. But after a few whacks from the warblade, the shdaow creature, with the name of Freddie, opened the door and grabbed the monk.
We finished off the construct, and after searching the room, I discovered a ring of magical protection on a set of skeletal hands still grasping the bars of a cell. Having taken quite a beating, and after the long couple days of travel, we decided it would be better if we rested then.
The room makes me shudder with the thoughts of the screams that must have been heard here some time ago, but my body is tired and a deep rest comes quickly.
I am of the city of New Aelon, that which was known to me as Aylon. I am a maker of things, as my father was before me, and his father before him.
Up until a few years ago, we had a quiet life, a simple existence under the sky of sand. I helped my father build things for the other in our community, and I helped my mother in the fungus garden. I never ventured far outside of our city center, but several times I explored some of the older ruins on the outskirts, always curious of the world around me.
But I was always reminded that our world ends at the sand, and I came to believe I would never know what lies beyond.
That all changed when Uther the Pure led his band of adventurers into our city in search of Olde Gate, or as he called it, the Travel Arch.
Since that day, 3 years ago, I have learned so much. I have always been able to create simple items of use, channeling the energies all around us into them giving them power, life, what many call magic. But magic is just one face of many sided diamond. The energies that Mind-magicians use, or Psions, is the same energy that Wizards control with their complicated words and motions, is the same energy religous folk call forth from their gods, is the same energy that landstewards call forth from Nature, is the same energy sorcerors channel from their blood.
I have always been able to see this energy in things. It has just made sense to me. And when I need to move it from one charged item to another, I just pull it from one, hold it in my hand like a small ball of light, and "coax" it into the other.
I see this energy everywhere, It runs through us, it is a part of us. Life creates it, makes it grow. It surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the energy around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes.
It was in the interest of discovering a new source of this energy, that I brought a few of my friends together. There is an old tale of a source of water to the north of here, a legend, really.. told to children as a bedtime story. And now with the growing size of the city, the folk are beginning to realize that our own source of water, that which powers our fountains is beginning to reach its capacity.
A chance to finally leave this place where I've lived my whole life. After hearing many tales of adventure, it was time to begin my own.
We gathered after I purchased one of those strange one-hump animals called a camel with the little gold I had saved working the tavern. The others seemed eager for all their own reasons, and I felt good about this group, and anxious to find the source.
The travel north was without incident, and as we arrived at the cave in the dune, we descended stairs not knowing what might lay in wait for us.
In the first room a skeleton sat in a heap by the only other door. What might have killed it became apparent immediately, as what appeared to be a bull in the distance began a charge in our direction. What at first had seemed just wall painting, became a live, and the bull approached as the warblade shouted at us to get through the door. I fumbled at the trapped door, disarmed it, and plunged through just as the bull arrived and gored the cleric. We all made it through, and shut the door.
Inside the second room, what appeared to be an armory, we found an adventurer burid in a pile of dust in the corner. But this was no adventurer, for I recognized him from New Aelon as one of my people. I will have to return his things to his family and pass the news. What horrible thing happened to him in only a few days that would make his corpse appear so aged. The weapons all crumbled to dust as well, so we knew we shouldnt stay here.
In the third room, we discovered a torture chamber, and as the cleric stepped near the iron maiden, it came alive and engulfed him. I recognized it as a creature of magic, a construct, something I intend to build someday, and funneled some of the energy I hold inside of me, to injur it and release our healer. I had summoned a shadow creature, and with a command, he rushed forward to help the monk. They managed to open the door enough for the cleric to come tumbling out, only to see the monk fall prey to it himself. But after a few whacks from the warblade, the shdaow creature, with the name of Freddie, opened the door and grabbed the monk.
We finished off the construct, and after searching the room, I discovered a ring of magical protection on a set of skeletal hands still grasping the bars of a cell. Having taken quite a beating, and after the long couple days of travel, we decided it would be better if we rested then.
The room makes me shudder with the thoughts of the screams that must have been heard here some time ago, but my body is tired and a deep rest comes quickly.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Ancient Empire
by Uther the Pure
The Ancient Empire, known in its own time as the Great Empire, has been the subject of my own lifelong studies. It is known now to most only as the origin of our dating system, our years being measured from the starting point of the end of the empire (and thus it is 1443 A.E. or “After Empire” as I put these words to paper). I have read every musty tome that I could find either about it or written during its long reign. And now, after learning so much, and putting some of that knowledge to use, I feel it is time for me to begin to share this knowledge with the world.
Though the empire was vast and spanned over a good portion of our continent, it never covered it completely, notwithstanding many myths to the contrary. At its height, the Great Empire spanned no more than one third of the land area of our continent of M’Shara, perhaps less. There is some speculation whether this limitation was deliberate, was the product of other forces preventing the empire’s expansion, or if it was simply the case that the empire was as large as it needed to be so there were no economic forces pushing individuals to expand it. Or perhaps the empire fell before it could get there.
The empire’s population at its peak was close to ten million souls, with the vast majority of them residing within the greater metropolitan areas surrounding the thirteen great cities. The population was mostly human, as it is now, but there were plenty of dwarves, elves, halflings, and gnomes as well. It would be myth to say that the races got along in harmony, but there were no overt conflicts outside of the realm of the political.
The empire stood for just over fifteen hundred years before it was destroyed, seemingly overnight. The reasons for its destruction are still murky. It seems almost as if, as part of the destruction, there was a deliberate attempt to destroy the reasons for its destruction as much as the empire itself. As far as I have been able to determine, there was no force, on this plane or on others, that could rival the Great Empire in its power. Even an extraplanar threat, such as from the mysterious Ryla, ultimately proved unable to challenge its power, though their defeat came with a cost.
The backbone of the Great Empire’s power was its magic, as commanded by the great mages that built and helped protect its many great cities and monuments. The magic they wrought was of a scale unheard of today, culminating in the creation of the Thirteen Great Cities and their monuments of power. Central to each city is a huge Arches of Transport, which linked each city to all of the others. One need only spell out the name of the destination with their magical tiles and a portal was opened that could remain open indefinitely. One could at the same time receive from another portal, allowing two-way travel simultaneously. These portals quickly became the hubs for massive trade routes covering the entire face of the empire.
Today, the location, and in some cases, even the name, of many of those cities had been lost. But no more. I have, in my research at the preserved archives of Aelon, pieced together the names, approximate locations, and previous populations of the Thirteen Cities. I will now briefly address each one in turn.
The Thirteen Cities
Shara – Capitol
Somewhere in the mountain region of Jor – Original Population 1.5 Million
Little is known now about the Great Captiol of the Great Empire. Difficulties in traveling to Jor have prevented me from exploring this further at this time, but at some point I plan on sending an expedition there.
Aelon
Sands of Tranquility Desert – West of Sydney’s Bluff – Original Population 200,000
This city stood out deep in the dunes of the Sands of Tranquility Desert, covered in sand, for nearly fifteen hundred years. This city was to be destroyed and lost in the desert at the fall of the empire. And yet somehow, beneath the sand, underneath the protective dome of magic activated at the last second by some unnamed savior, lived a small band of people, direct descendants of the ancients. They knew nothing of the outside world, living off of fungal farms they could cultivate in the relative dim light of the dome. They lived in relative peace, only occasionally terrorized by foul creatures escaping from stasis that had been held since the days of the empire.
This all changed when the Party of the Pure, a small band of adventurers, ventured there, under my guidance, to locate the city and its treasures. I discovered that the dome holding back the crushing weight of the sand that had buried the city had been growing smaller and smaller over the eons, leaving less and less space for the people to live. They numbered barely over a thousand by the time we met them. And such a treasure they are! They still spoke ancient, and they preserved much of the artifacts of the center of the city, including the Grand History Museum. But before I could explore these treasures, I knew I had to clear the Travel Arch. And with the dome failing, there was no sufficient magical energy remaining to do so.
Thus, I sought out another ancient artifact, one that could power the city’s artifacts, and returned with it. Its former owner did not know its power, but I did. A large globe, as wide as a man is tall, can be found throughout the realm, mostly drained and lifeless, but some few of them still retain their power and glow with it.
Replacing one of the spent globes with the fresh ones, the city then instantly righted itself, clearing off all of the sand covering its entire area within minutes, and restoring the city to the landscape. This nearly drained it, but it still retains enough of its power to keep the sand at bay and, barring any further catacylismic events, it should do so for centuries.
The Arch of Travel thus revealed, transport between cities is now possible. Though we do not have all of the tiles we need at this time, we have many, and we have explored several of the other cities. Most importantly, we have established a trade route through to Bellai by transporting to the Arch of Travel in the Ancient City of Shen.
Aelon today is a small, but growing community. With the exception of the central city ruins, there is not much left of the ancient city. But there are plenty of new buildings going up every month. The new trade route to Bellai has drawn many caravans this way and the appropriate infrastructure, some of it created by myself, has grown to accommodate them.
The community of New Aelon now numbers nearly 3,000 and it is growing daily as caravans venture in and out. Crops are again cultivated, irrigated by the dozen or so fountains that still gurgle in the center of the ancient city. These fountains can never run dry as they are magically connected to the elemental plane of water. One wonders if some day soon we will reach the limits of their capacity for our population, but for now, our community thrives.
The descendants of the ancients live here still, learning common and about the outside world. I work with them often, as many still live within the walls of the Great History Museum. They are a wonderful source of knowledge and folklore.
Al Valen
Iron Guard Mountains – Eastern edge of Eastern Barbarian Lands – Original Population 100,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Arhangensk
Western Frontier – West of the Lands of Magius – Original Population 100,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Bologda
Riga – Malai Coast – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Caluga
Warrior’s Marsh – West of Halflings – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Fornai
Frugal Mountains – North of Eastern Barbarian Lands – Original Population 300,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Legin
Isle of Shadows – Sea of Dreams – Original Population 10,000
It took me some time to discern this city’s actual location. Far out in the Sea of Dreams, the Travel Arch is probably the only safe means of traveling to this island. The seas around it are dangerous, filled with horrible monstrosities and whirlpools of unsteady magic. I have been unable to determine if this was always so or only has been true since the collapse of the Great Empire.
The island itself is overrun with gargantuan beasts of great strength but little intelligence. It is clear these beasts have been there since before the city was built, given the huge walls that surround the relatively small city to protect it from these colossal jungle denizens.
Legin was clearly built on this island for one primary purpose – to mine the strange greenish metal known as A’Queda, that has strong properties for both weapons and armor and probably special magical properties as well (though these would best be researched by a practitioner of the arcane arts). The mines are still there, abandoned after the fall of the empire. It is unclear if this metal is to be found anywhere else. One mage I know has speculated that the metal itself is what has spawned the instability in magic surrounding the island. But that is, as noted, idle speculation.
Any who wish to travel to Legin to mine this wondrous metal should take heed. The island is under the control of a very powerful Aboleth, whose minions patrol the city and keep a watchful eye for intruders. At some point, it will be worth a return to this city.
Murmensk
Northeast – Preserved Lands east of Jor – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Olmsk
Baruvia – South of Kingdom of Mordon – Original Population 300,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Shen
Bellai – In elbow of mountains above Jor – Original Population 500,000
What remains of this ancient city is covered by the squatters of the low district of the city of Allenon within Bellai. Nestled in the mountains, the city has been shielded from most of the Jorian raids that have plagued Bellai for centuries, but the city is still run like an armed camp, forever on military alert, and long strangled by the Jorian embargo.
My new trade route to this city has improved things greatly for the people of Bellai, but only in small pockets, as the goods from the outside slowly trickle in. Thus far, the authorities have no knowledge of the source of these goods, though that can’t remain so for long. My trading partner there has many contacts with the underbelly of the city, though, and he assures me he can keep our secret from the authorities indefinitely (or at least bribe those that know). It is somewhat sad to me to see that Bellai, once a great nation of artists and poets, has sunk so low into the cesspool of militarism and corruption. And yet still, compared to Jor, they are Solars.
Ulmar
Malai – Northwest of Hobart, North of Northam – Original Population 1 Million
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Vaeia
Jasper Glades – On the river east of Bunbury – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
The Ancient Empire, known in its own time as the Great Empire, has been the subject of my own lifelong studies. It is known now to most only as the origin of our dating system, our years being measured from the starting point of the end of the empire (and thus it is 1443 A.E. or “After Empire” as I put these words to paper). I have read every musty tome that I could find either about it or written during its long reign. And now, after learning so much, and putting some of that knowledge to use, I feel it is time for me to begin to share this knowledge with the world.
Though the empire was vast and spanned over a good portion of our continent, it never covered it completely, notwithstanding many myths to the contrary. At its height, the Great Empire spanned no more than one third of the land area of our continent of M’Shara, perhaps less. There is some speculation whether this limitation was deliberate, was the product of other forces preventing the empire’s expansion, or if it was simply the case that the empire was as large as it needed to be so there were no economic forces pushing individuals to expand it. Or perhaps the empire fell before it could get there.
The empire’s population at its peak was close to ten million souls, with the vast majority of them residing within the greater metropolitan areas surrounding the thirteen great cities. The population was mostly human, as it is now, but there were plenty of dwarves, elves, halflings, and gnomes as well. It would be myth to say that the races got along in harmony, but there were no overt conflicts outside of the realm of the political.
The empire stood for just over fifteen hundred years before it was destroyed, seemingly overnight. The reasons for its destruction are still murky. It seems almost as if, as part of the destruction, there was a deliberate attempt to destroy the reasons for its destruction as much as the empire itself. As far as I have been able to determine, there was no force, on this plane or on others, that could rival the Great Empire in its power. Even an extraplanar threat, such as from the mysterious Ryla, ultimately proved unable to challenge its power, though their defeat came with a cost.
The backbone of the Great Empire’s power was its magic, as commanded by the great mages that built and helped protect its many great cities and monuments. The magic they wrought was of a scale unheard of today, culminating in the creation of the Thirteen Great Cities and their monuments of power. Central to each city is a huge Arches of Transport, which linked each city to all of the others. One need only spell out the name of the destination with their magical tiles and a portal was opened that could remain open indefinitely. One could at the same time receive from another portal, allowing two-way travel simultaneously. These portals quickly became the hubs for massive trade routes covering the entire face of the empire.
Today, the location, and in some cases, even the name, of many of those cities had been lost. But no more. I have, in my research at the preserved archives of Aelon, pieced together the names, approximate locations, and previous populations of the Thirteen Cities. I will now briefly address each one in turn.
The Thirteen Cities
Shara – Capitol
Somewhere in the mountain region of Jor – Original Population 1.5 Million
Little is known now about the Great Captiol of the Great Empire. Difficulties in traveling to Jor have prevented me from exploring this further at this time, but at some point I plan on sending an expedition there.
Aelon
Sands of Tranquility Desert – West of Sydney’s Bluff – Original Population 200,000
This city stood out deep in the dunes of the Sands of Tranquility Desert, covered in sand, for nearly fifteen hundred years. This city was to be destroyed and lost in the desert at the fall of the empire. And yet somehow, beneath the sand, underneath the protective dome of magic activated at the last second by some unnamed savior, lived a small band of people, direct descendants of the ancients. They knew nothing of the outside world, living off of fungal farms they could cultivate in the relative dim light of the dome. They lived in relative peace, only occasionally terrorized by foul creatures escaping from stasis that had been held since the days of the empire.
This all changed when the Party of the Pure, a small band of adventurers, ventured there, under my guidance, to locate the city and its treasures. I discovered that the dome holding back the crushing weight of the sand that had buried the city had been growing smaller and smaller over the eons, leaving less and less space for the people to live. They numbered barely over a thousand by the time we met them. And such a treasure they are! They still spoke ancient, and they preserved much of the artifacts of the center of the city, including the Grand History Museum. But before I could explore these treasures, I knew I had to clear the Travel Arch. And with the dome failing, there was no sufficient magical energy remaining to do so.
Thus, I sought out another ancient artifact, one that could power the city’s artifacts, and returned with it. Its former owner did not know its power, but I did. A large globe, as wide as a man is tall, can be found throughout the realm, mostly drained and lifeless, but some few of them still retain their power and glow with it.
Replacing one of the spent globes with the fresh ones, the city then instantly righted itself, clearing off all of the sand covering its entire area within minutes, and restoring the city to the landscape. This nearly drained it, but it still retains enough of its power to keep the sand at bay and, barring any further catacylismic events, it should do so for centuries.
The Arch of Travel thus revealed, transport between cities is now possible. Though we do not have all of the tiles we need at this time, we have many, and we have explored several of the other cities. Most importantly, we have established a trade route through to Bellai by transporting to the Arch of Travel in the Ancient City of Shen.
Aelon today is a small, but growing community. With the exception of the central city ruins, there is not much left of the ancient city. But there are plenty of new buildings going up every month. The new trade route to Bellai has drawn many caravans this way and the appropriate infrastructure, some of it created by myself, has grown to accommodate them.
The community of New Aelon now numbers nearly 3,000 and it is growing daily as caravans venture in and out. Crops are again cultivated, irrigated by the dozen or so fountains that still gurgle in the center of the ancient city. These fountains can never run dry as they are magically connected to the elemental plane of water. One wonders if some day soon we will reach the limits of their capacity for our population, but for now, our community thrives.
The descendants of the ancients live here still, learning common and about the outside world. I work with them often, as many still live within the walls of the Great History Museum. They are a wonderful source of knowledge and folklore.
Al Valen
Iron Guard Mountains – Eastern edge of Eastern Barbarian Lands – Original Population 100,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Arhangensk
Western Frontier – West of the Lands of Magius – Original Population 100,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Bologda
Riga – Malai Coast – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Caluga
Warrior’s Marsh – West of Halflings – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Fornai
Frugal Mountains – North of Eastern Barbarian Lands – Original Population 300,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Legin
Isle of Shadows – Sea of Dreams – Original Population 10,000
It took me some time to discern this city’s actual location. Far out in the Sea of Dreams, the Travel Arch is probably the only safe means of traveling to this island. The seas around it are dangerous, filled with horrible monstrosities and whirlpools of unsteady magic. I have been unable to determine if this was always so or only has been true since the collapse of the Great Empire.
The island itself is overrun with gargantuan beasts of great strength but little intelligence. It is clear these beasts have been there since before the city was built, given the huge walls that surround the relatively small city to protect it from these colossal jungle denizens.
Legin was clearly built on this island for one primary purpose – to mine the strange greenish metal known as A’Queda, that has strong properties for both weapons and armor and probably special magical properties as well (though these would best be researched by a practitioner of the arcane arts). The mines are still there, abandoned after the fall of the empire. It is unclear if this metal is to be found anywhere else. One mage I know has speculated that the metal itself is what has spawned the instability in magic surrounding the island. But that is, as noted, idle speculation.
Any who wish to travel to Legin to mine this wondrous metal should take heed. The island is under the control of a very powerful Aboleth, whose minions patrol the city and keep a watchful eye for intruders. At some point, it will be worth a return to this city.
Murmensk
Northeast – Preserved Lands east of Jor – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Olmsk
Baruvia – South of Kingdom of Mordon – Original Population 300,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Shen
Bellai – In elbow of mountains above Jor – Original Population 500,000
What remains of this ancient city is covered by the squatters of the low district of the city of Allenon within Bellai. Nestled in the mountains, the city has been shielded from most of the Jorian raids that have plagued Bellai for centuries, but the city is still run like an armed camp, forever on military alert, and long strangled by the Jorian embargo.
My new trade route to this city has improved things greatly for the people of Bellai, but only in small pockets, as the goods from the outside slowly trickle in. Thus far, the authorities have no knowledge of the source of these goods, though that can’t remain so for long. My trading partner there has many contacts with the underbelly of the city, though, and he assures me he can keep our secret from the authorities indefinitely (or at least bribe those that know). It is somewhat sad to me to see that Bellai, once a great nation of artists and poets, has sunk so low into the cesspool of militarism and corruption. And yet still, compared to Jor, they are Solars.
Ulmar
Malai – Northwest of Hobart, North of Northam – Original Population 1 Million
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Vaeia
Jasper Glades – On the river east of Bunbury – Original Population 500,000
Little is known about this city beyond its approximate location.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A Brief History of the Great Empire
by Graiaree Fignon
Introduction:
In this, our most glorious fifteen hundredth anniversary, there is much to celebrate as we Citizens look back upon our great accomplishments.
Built up from a loose collection of nations, just emerging from barbarism, we have forged an Empire. We have survived the magic riots of 486 G.E., we have survived the great famine of 1138 G.E., and most important of all, we thew back the Ryla, the alter-plane invaders ,in 1420 G.E. after a devastating decade-long war. In our victory, we not only defeated them, but did it so soundly that they'll not want to trifle with our great Empire ever again. To defeat such a powerful and ruthless foe has demonstrated the power, and the unity, of our great empire.
Finally, the construction of the thirteen great cities, and the archways between them, marked the dawning of a new age, one that will itself reach its five hundredth anniversary seven years hence.
Fellow Citizens! We should never forget, that no matter what great nations will rise and fall from now to the end of eternity, that we were the very First great Empire on the face of the world. From the wild woods did we build a civilization that has thus far stood the test of time.
Founding of an Empire
The Great Empire was founded in the year 0 G.E., by definition. On that historic date, the scattered kingdoms of humanity united with the nations of the elves, the dwarves, the halflings, and the nomadic gnomes into one great Empire that spanned the entirety of known civilization. This empire was formed not by conquest, but for mutual benefit, uniting all the good races of the world in our own common interest.
Another unique aspect of our great empire aside from its size and grandeur, is the fact that the subject nations are free nations, each retaining their unique culture, trading and exchanging ideas, as well as defense and common interests.
The elves lived within their magnificent natural groves, the dwarves still dwelled within their sacred mountains, and the halflings and gnomes retained their nomadic ways.
The vile humanoid tribes that have harassed the good races since the dawn of the world continued to plague the land, but now, with the Empire, the forces of good were united and began the campaign to finally tame these savage creatures. Through the valiant efforts of the good warriors, priests, and mages of the Empire, the humanoids were tamed and the entirety of the land was finally, for the first time in anyone's dimmest histories, were at total peace. The Year of Peace was 391 G.E..
Magic Riots
Though the great mages of the land were always great allies of the Empire, with many of them working hard as founders themselves, there was unrest within the ranks of the mages. Magical training was still, in many cases, haphazard. Local governments would ask, firmly or not, for their services. Mages were held both in awe and spat upon by some of the more frightened and ignorant members of the populace. With the Empire finally at peace with its surroundings, these latent ripples of discontent began to bubble to the surface in 473 G.E.. First there were localized mobs out to lynch those of an arcane bent. Then there were retaliations from some of the local mages, though this was quickly put to rest by their masters.
Things continued to simmer until the great Magic Riots of 486 G.E., where the long, slow simmer finally boiled over in the Great Port City of Vaeia. The protests began on the town square and quickly spilled out into the docks. Several mages were stoned to death, while one was torn limb from limb by the frenzied crowd. Just as another mage was about to be killed, a flight of over twenty mages came from across the wharf, flying fifty feet in the air, and let loose upon the crowd with firey vengence. In the end, over forty ships were seriously damaged, with fourteen being sunk, and a good portion of the docks were also sent into the sea. Thousands were seriously injured, many hundreds were killed, and it took the direct intervention of the Great Founders to stop the violence.
As is the hallmark of the Great Empire, again, reason and calm were the order of the day. Those involved in the riots who were still alive were healed and held. The leaders were brought forth to the Great Council and deliberations between them and the great mages went on for weeks. When they finally emerged, the Order of Mag was founded, plans for the Great Towers were drawn, and the whole system of Arcane magical training that we have today was founded.
At the same time, a great initiative was put forth for wizards to, as part of their apprenticeship, to serve in the public interest as a servant of the people for three one year terms over the course of their advancement as mages. Amongst the services done were public works, defense, and the education of even the poorest members of the populace, giving the Empire nearly total literacy. And as part of that education, the mystique of the wizard was forever dispelled, bringing understanding between the highest arch-mage and the most humble farmer.
The Great Cities
Within seven years of our one thousandth year, the thirteen great cities were begun, cities that now dwarf the exploits of all civilizations before or since. And seven years after the millenium celebrations, they were completed, standing as one of the crowning achievements of the greatest civilization in the history of the world.
Created as centers of trade and travel, they have blossomed into centers of art and culture. Each city is connected to all of the others by the great Travel Arches. The arches, which are yet another feat on the long list of feats of magic accomplished by the Order of Mag, second only to the creation of the ED Guild Halls of the Order itself. With their completion, travel from the even the most remote corner of the Empire to the other was made as easy and short as a walk to the town plaza. Trade, already growing, blossomed into unrivaled prosperity.
Great Famine
The year 1138 G.E. saw the only non-military and non-magic related crisis of the Empire. Again, the crisis served as more of a testament to the greatness of the Empire than it was a dark time in history. The rains were missing, the crops were failing, and many became concerned about the ever-dwindling supply of food.
While in ages past, any nation or Empire faced with such a situation would face riots and revolution, the Great Empire met this threat like it met all others, with logic, and calm, cool reason. The great druids of the land were summoned before the Empire for their counsel. As a result of this consultation, great, far-reaching steps were made to bring the Empire and its use of resources more closely in balance with the great cycles of nature. The rains were restored, the crops were once again bountiful, and the continuation of the Empire was yet again assured.
Ryla invasion
Few could have foreseen the horrors unleashed upon our world by the Ryla. Fortunately, never again will such a horror be unleashed.
It has recently been definitively determined the original cause for their interest in our world. In the creation of our cities, our towers of magic, and our great colleges, great concentrations of magical energies were brought forth. Through means known only to themselves, the Ryla seek out such concentrations as indicators of planes ripe for conquest.
In 1410 G.E. the first of their patrols was engaged in the great forests of Ulmar by the elves. Casualties were heavy, but the elves prevailed, and managed to bring back with them the first remains of the Ryla. Unfortunately, not all of the Ryla were defeated, and some of the patrol escaped deep into the forest, despite the best efforts of the elves to pursue them.
The 'Ryla Stones', as their remains came to be known, were taken back to the Order of Mag for analysis. Despite having three years to analyze them, not much was discovered, perhaps because they were more of a curiosity than a great priority for the Order. This would all change the next time the Ryla were encountered.
(Remainder of book is unreadable)
Introduction:
In this, our most glorious fifteen hundredth anniversary, there is much to celebrate as we Citizens look back upon our great accomplishments.
Built up from a loose collection of nations, just emerging from barbarism, we have forged an Empire. We have survived the magic riots of 486 G.E., we have survived the great famine of 1138 G.E., and most important of all, we thew back the Ryla, the alter-plane invaders ,in 1420 G.E. after a devastating decade-long war. In our victory, we not only defeated them, but did it so soundly that they'll not want to trifle with our great Empire ever again. To defeat such a powerful and ruthless foe has demonstrated the power, and the unity, of our great empire.
Finally, the construction of the thirteen great cities, and the archways between them, marked the dawning of a new age, one that will itself reach its five hundredth anniversary seven years hence.
Fellow Citizens! We should never forget, that no matter what great nations will rise and fall from now to the end of eternity, that we were the very First great Empire on the face of the world. From the wild woods did we build a civilization that has thus far stood the test of time.
Founding of an Empire
The Great Empire was founded in the year 0 G.E., by definition. On that historic date, the scattered kingdoms of humanity united with the nations of the elves, the dwarves, the halflings, and the nomadic gnomes into one great Empire that spanned the entirety of known civilization. This empire was formed not by conquest, but for mutual benefit, uniting all the good races of the world in our own common interest.
Another unique aspect of our great empire aside from its size and grandeur, is the fact that the subject nations are free nations, each retaining their unique culture, trading and exchanging ideas, as well as defense and common interests.
The elves lived within their magnificent natural groves, the dwarves still dwelled within their sacred mountains, and the halflings and gnomes retained their nomadic ways.
The vile humanoid tribes that have harassed the good races since the dawn of the world continued to plague the land, but now, with the Empire, the forces of good were united and began the campaign to finally tame these savage creatures. Through the valiant efforts of the good warriors, priests, and mages of the Empire, the humanoids were tamed and the entirety of the land was finally, for the first time in anyone's dimmest histories, were at total peace. The Year of Peace was 391 G.E..
Magic Riots
Though the great mages of the land were always great allies of the Empire, with many of them working hard as founders themselves, there was unrest within the ranks of the mages. Magical training was still, in many cases, haphazard. Local governments would ask, firmly or not, for their services. Mages were held both in awe and spat upon by some of the more frightened and ignorant members of the populace. With the Empire finally at peace with its surroundings, these latent ripples of discontent began to bubble to the surface in 473 G.E.. First there were localized mobs out to lynch those of an arcane bent. Then there were retaliations from some of the local mages, though this was quickly put to rest by their masters.
Things continued to simmer until the great Magic Riots of 486 G.E., where the long, slow simmer finally boiled over in the Great Port City of Vaeia. The protests began on the town square and quickly spilled out into the docks. Several mages were stoned to death, while one was torn limb from limb by the frenzied crowd. Just as another mage was about to be killed, a flight of over twenty mages came from across the wharf, flying fifty feet in the air, and let loose upon the crowd with firey vengence. In the end, over forty ships were seriously damaged, with fourteen being sunk, and a good portion of the docks were also sent into the sea. Thousands were seriously injured, many hundreds were killed, and it took the direct intervention of the Great Founders to stop the violence.
As is the hallmark of the Great Empire, again, reason and calm were the order of the day. Those involved in the riots who were still alive were healed and held. The leaders were brought forth to the Great Council and deliberations between them and the great mages went on for weeks. When they finally emerged, the Order of Mag was founded, plans for the Great Towers were drawn, and the whole system of Arcane magical training that we have today was founded.
At the same time, a great initiative was put forth for wizards to, as part of their apprenticeship, to serve in the public interest as a servant of the people for three one year terms over the course of their advancement as mages. Amongst the services done were public works, defense, and the education of even the poorest members of the populace, giving the Empire nearly total literacy. And as part of that education, the mystique of the wizard was forever dispelled, bringing understanding between the highest arch-mage and the most humble farmer.
The Great Cities
Within seven years of our one thousandth year, the thirteen great cities were begun, cities that now dwarf the exploits of all civilizations before or since. And seven years after the millenium celebrations, they were completed, standing as one of the crowning achievements of the greatest civilization in the history of the world.
Created as centers of trade and travel, they have blossomed into centers of art and culture. Each city is connected to all of the others by the great Travel Arches. The arches, which are yet another feat on the long list of feats of magic accomplished by the Order of Mag, second only to the creation of the ED Guild Halls of the Order itself. With their completion, travel from the even the most remote corner of the Empire to the other was made as easy and short as a walk to the town plaza. Trade, already growing, blossomed into unrivaled prosperity.
Great Famine
The year 1138 G.E. saw the only non-military and non-magic related crisis of the Empire. Again, the crisis served as more of a testament to the greatness of the Empire than it was a dark time in history. The rains were missing, the crops were failing, and many became concerned about the ever-dwindling supply of food.
While in ages past, any nation or Empire faced with such a situation would face riots and revolution, the Great Empire met this threat like it met all others, with logic, and calm, cool reason. The great druids of the land were summoned before the Empire for their counsel. As a result of this consultation, great, far-reaching steps were made to bring the Empire and its use of resources more closely in balance with the great cycles of nature. The rains were restored, the crops were once again bountiful, and the continuation of the Empire was yet again assured.
Ryla invasion
Few could have foreseen the horrors unleashed upon our world by the Ryla. Fortunately, never again will such a horror be unleashed.
It has recently been definitively determined the original cause for their interest in our world. In the creation of our cities, our towers of magic, and our great colleges, great concentrations of magical energies were brought forth. Through means known only to themselves, the Ryla seek out such concentrations as indicators of planes ripe for conquest.
In 1410 G.E. the first of their patrols was engaged in the great forests of Ulmar by the elves. Casualties were heavy, but the elves prevailed, and managed to bring back with them the first remains of the Ryla. Unfortunately, not all of the Ryla were defeated, and some of the patrol escaped deep into the forest, despite the best efforts of the elves to pursue them.
The 'Ryla Stones', as their remains came to be known, were taken back to the Order of Mag for analysis. Despite having three years to analyze them, not much was discovered, perhaps because they were more of a curiosity than a great priority for the Order. This would all change the next time the Ryla were encountered.
(Remainder of book is unreadable)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Deities
Something perhaps unique to this world is that the gods exist only in the abstract. They really are completely defined by their worshippers, in terms of how their influence is felt in the world. The gods themselves do not exist except as manifested through the powers of their followers.
While clerics and paladins sometimes have certain codes they need to follow to maintain their powers, beyond that there is no direct intervention of the gods. In a certain sense, one could almost say there were no gods at all, that the powers of the clerics and paladins came from within themselves, and it would not change anything at all in terms of the lack of interaction of the “gods” with the world.
Because of this, there can often be many distinct sects even within priesthoods. Because each priesthood is basically completely defined by those who follow it, there can never be any “official” ordained way to worship for many of the sects. So one may even find sects that worship the same deity at opposition to one another.
(Here's a badly formatted (at least in HTML) list of the deities - I will work on a seperate entry for each later) (To read this, first is the name of the deity, then the portfolio, then the alignment, then the list of domains, then a list of typical worshippers. (This was originally in a table in word - I'm going to put this up in better formatting later).
Bornikai Wisdom NG Good, Knowledge, Strength, War, Planning, Mind, Oracle Bards, monks, wizards, scholars
Brack Death, Disease NE Death, Destruction, Evil, War, Suffering, Madness, Pestilence Evil Necromancers, rogues, assassins
Drena Magic N Knowledge, Magic, Trickery, Spell Wizards, sorcerers, sages
Fizuli Mischief, Trickery CN Chaos, Luck, Trickery, Illusion, Celerity, Madness Rogues, bards, thieves
Freynai Fire N Chaos, Destruction, Fire, Sun Rangers, druids, bards
Furo War N Chaos, Death, Destruction, War Fighters, barbarians, orcs
Galing Oceans, Rivers N Animal, Plant, Travel, Water, Ocean Druids, rangers, merchants, sailors
Gathika Weather, Wind CN Air, Chaos, Sun, Water, Renewal, Celerity, Cold, Weather Druids, farmers, sailors
Helmes Art, Literature, Music NG Knowledge, Luck, Travel, Rune, Creation Bards, scholars, aristocrats
Hiff Prosperity CG Good, Law, Luck, Trade Merchants, halflings
Jabuti Nature N Air, Animal, Earth, Plant, Water, Cold Elves, druids, barbarians
Jeone Rulership, Kingship LN Law, Protection, Strength, War, Nobility, Domination, Pact Aristocrats, fighters
Joli Light NG Healing, Law, Protection, Sun, Moon Rangers, bards
Khali Darkness, Night NE Death, Destruction, Evil, Trickery, Dream Evil necromancers, rogues
Lloyd Time N Death, Knowledge, Luck, Time Sages, wizards
Lynos Lightning, Thunder N Air, Destruction, Sun, Storms Evokers, druids
Moira Dawn LG Good, Healing, Law, War, Glory Paladins, monks, fighters
Monet Hunting N Animal, Earth, Plant, Summoner Rangers, druids, hunters
Mordlou Trade N Luck, Travel, Trickery, Trade, Celerity Rogues, less savory merchants
Morinda Justice, Revenge LN Death, Destruction, Law, Protection, Retribution, Inquisition Monks
Mylak Strength N Destruction, Strength, War, Competition Fighters, barbarians
Nyfastis Power, Corruption LE Destruction, Evil, Law, War, Magic, Force Evil wizards, evil fighers, blackguards, Jorians
Palin Redemption NG Fire, Good, Law, Liberation Paladins, do-gooders
Philzek Healing LG Good, Healing, Protection, Purification Healers, people with sick loved ones
Sedovaa Love CG Chaos, Fire, Trickery, Charm, Community Lovers, scholars
Shinaire Metalwork, Crafts NG Earth, Knowledge, Strength, Craft, Metal Smiths, gnomes, artists, dwarves
Soleil Guardianship NG Good, Protection, Strength, War, Family Fighters, bodyguards
Vargus Fortune, Luck CN Chaos, Luck, Travel, Fate, Mysticism Thieves, minstrels, merchants
Veshai Peace LG Good, Law, Protection, Charm Pacifists
While clerics and paladins sometimes have certain codes they need to follow to maintain their powers, beyond that there is no direct intervention of the gods. In a certain sense, one could almost say there were no gods at all, that the powers of the clerics and paladins came from within themselves, and it would not change anything at all in terms of the lack of interaction of the “gods” with the world.
Because of this, there can often be many distinct sects even within priesthoods. Because each priesthood is basically completely defined by those who follow it, there can never be any “official” ordained way to worship for many of the sects. So one may even find sects that worship the same deity at opposition to one another.
(Here's a badly formatted (at least in HTML) list of the deities - I will work on a seperate entry for each later) (To read this, first is the name of the deity, then the portfolio, then the alignment, then the list of domains, then a list of typical worshippers. (This was originally in a table in word - I'm going to put this up in better formatting later).
Bornikai Wisdom NG Good, Knowledge, Strength, War, Planning, Mind, Oracle Bards, monks, wizards, scholars
Brack Death, Disease NE Death, Destruction, Evil, War, Suffering, Madness, Pestilence Evil Necromancers, rogues, assassins
Drena Magic N Knowledge, Magic, Trickery, Spell Wizards, sorcerers, sages
Fizuli Mischief, Trickery CN Chaos, Luck, Trickery, Illusion, Celerity, Madness Rogues, bards, thieves
Freynai Fire N Chaos, Destruction, Fire, Sun Rangers, druids, bards
Furo War N Chaos, Death, Destruction, War Fighters, barbarians, orcs
Galing Oceans, Rivers N Animal, Plant, Travel, Water, Ocean Druids, rangers, merchants, sailors
Gathika Weather, Wind CN Air, Chaos, Sun, Water, Renewal, Celerity, Cold, Weather Druids, farmers, sailors
Helmes Art, Literature, Music NG Knowledge, Luck, Travel, Rune, Creation Bards, scholars, aristocrats
Hiff Prosperity CG Good, Law, Luck, Trade Merchants, halflings
Jabuti Nature N Air, Animal, Earth, Plant, Water, Cold Elves, druids, barbarians
Jeone Rulership, Kingship LN Law, Protection, Strength, War, Nobility, Domination, Pact Aristocrats, fighters
Joli Light NG Healing, Law, Protection, Sun, Moon Rangers, bards
Khali Darkness, Night NE Death, Destruction, Evil, Trickery, Dream Evil necromancers, rogues
Lloyd Time N Death, Knowledge, Luck, Time Sages, wizards
Lynos Lightning, Thunder N Air, Destruction, Sun, Storms Evokers, druids
Moira Dawn LG Good, Healing, Law, War, Glory Paladins, monks, fighters
Monet Hunting N Animal, Earth, Plant, Summoner Rangers, druids, hunters
Mordlou Trade N Luck, Travel, Trickery, Trade, Celerity Rogues, less savory merchants
Morinda Justice, Revenge LN Death, Destruction, Law, Protection, Retribution, Inquisition Monks
Mylak Strength N Destruction, Strength, War, Competition Fighters, barbarians
Nyfastis Power, Corruption LE Destruction, Evil, Law, War, Magic, Force Evil wizards, evil fighers, blackguards, Jorians
Palin Redemption NG Fire, Good, Law, Liberation Paladins, do-gooders
Philzek Healing LG Good, Healing, Protection, Purification Healers, people with sick loved ones
Sedovaa Love CG Chaos, Fire, Trickery, Charm, Community Lovers, scholars
Shinaire Metalwork, Crafts NG Earth, Knowledge, Strength, Craft, Metal Smiths, gnomes, artists, dwarves
Soleil Guardianship NG Good, Protection, Strength, War, Family Fighters, bodyguards
Vargus Fortune, Luck CN Chaos, Luck, Travel, Fate, Mysticism Thieves, minstrels, merchants
Veshai Peace LG Good, Law, Protection, Charm Pacifists
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Site Map
BIG UPDATE: I'm moving the game-world content all over to a custom wiki-page, http://altalazar.wikispaces.com
Welcome
Geography:
Map of Continent (Updated)
Nations:
Bellai (Includes Map)
Jor (Includes Map)
The Great Dwarven Kingdom
The Halfing Hordes
The Eastern Barbarian Lands (Includes Map)
Malai (Includes Map)
Kingdom of Mordon (Includes Map - including New Aelon)
History:
A Brief History of the Empire - A fragment of an ancient book on history.
The Ancient Empire - by Uther the Pure
A quick primer on the dieties.
PC Story Hours:
The New Campaign (Started 9/27/07)
The Tales of Eemish Maker - Human Artificer, Native of Aelon
Curious Dwarf - by Zolan Undbrukt, Dwarf Cleric of Palin
Kenmar's Journal - Human Warblade, formerly of Jor
Tamasil - Half-elf Wizard
Dominae - Aasimar Monk, Order of the Restoration, New Aelon
Miscellaneous:
My Story Hours (From actual games I've played (not that I've run, not from this world))
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Welcome
Geography:
Map of Continent (Updated)
Nations:
Bellai (Includes Map)
Jor (Includes Map)
The Great Dwarven Kingdom
The Halfing Hordes
The Eastern Barbarian Lands (Includes Map)
Malai (Includes Map)
Kingdom of Mordon (Includes Map - including New Aelon)
History:
A Brief History of the Empire - A fragment of an ancient book on history.
The Ancient Empire - by Uther the Pure
A quick primer on the dieties.
PC Story Hours:
The New Campaign (Started 9/27/07)
The Tales of Eemish Maker - Human Artificer, Native of Aelon
Curious Dwarf - by Zolan Undbrukt, Dwarf Cleric of Palin
Kenmar's Journal - Human Warblade, formerly of Jor
Tamasil - Half-elf Wizard
Dominae - Aasimar Monk, Order of the Restoration, New Aelon
Miscellaneous:
My Story Hours (From actual games I've played (not that I've run, not from this world))
------------------------------------------------------------