Difference between revisions of "Mad Season: Geographical Setting"

From RPGnet
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 1: Line 1:
 
__notoc__
 
__notoc__
−
==[[D%26D_5e:_The_Mad_Season|Return to Main Page]]==
+
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
  
−
[[File:The Shattered Coast 00002.png|400px]]
+
=DWARVES=
 +
Dwarves, mostly through longevity, industry, and an inclination to step in and get things done, have come to control much of the Shattered Coast. Dwarves tend to be staunch and loyal, steadfast allies and grudge holding enemies. They are also brutally efficient and will hammer out a truce or work to keep the peace rather than drag out unnecessary and costly hostilities.
  
−
=The Dwarven Empire=
+
==Language==
−
The Dwarven Empire represents the largest government on the Shattered Coast and occupies the entirety of the Hartshorn (a vast mountain range and forestland to the west) as well as the arable land between the mountains and the coast north of the Great Sands and south of the Clanlands of the northern barbarian tribes.
+
All Dwarves speak '''High Dwarven''' as well as the '''Dwarven Trade Tongue''' (common).
  
−
The Empire includes Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves, and Humans among its protected peoples, but all races can be found within her borders.
+
==Government==
 +
The Dwarven people have a king who is more a spiritual leader than political, though the wise Matron will steer her house on the word of the king if she knows the way the wind blows.
  
−
==The Wolf Gate and the Raven Gate==
+
The dwarven king is always a woman, but otherwise may rise from any of the five High Houses.
−
Five ancient stone gateways older than recorded time are interspersed throughout the Shattered Coast. Though the use of them is lost, the ancient standing stones are still considered powerful totemic monuments, and two of them stand within the borders of the Empire.
 
  
−
Named for the knotwork animal carvings on their faces, the Wolf Gate stands in the center of the great Hartshorn range, and the Raven Gate stands in the south of the range, marking the entrance to the Hall of the Mountain King.
+
===The Five High Houses===
 +
The day to day burden of governing the Empire falls to the Matriarchs of the Five High Houses and those they appoint to make decisions for them throughout the Empire. In addition to general duties they all share, each House has a particular demesne that is its personal bailiwick.
  
−
==The Cities==
+
:'''House d'Amasku:''' House d'Amasku is in charge of trade and commerce, moving goods throughout the Empire and beyond, including the construction of drays and wagons and the great stoneships. ''The current king is of House d'Amasku.''
−
There are countless settlements throughout the Empire, but only three major cities.
 
  
−
===Bar Kesh: City of Swords===
+
:'''House d'Ruvyn:''' House d'Ruvyn is in charge of all things miliary, such as training and arming men and women to fight and planning tactics and strategy.  
−
[[File:BKCOS.png|400px]]
 
  
−
Bar Kesh is the Capitol of the Empire. A great trade city on the coast at the mouth of the Blood River, the City of Swords is perhaps the most cosmopolitan city north of the Tiefling Confederacy, with races from all over the Empire, the Confederacy, and the Reach represented.
+
:'''House d'Sceva:''' House d'Jaala is in charge of all things mercantile, from crafting and weaving to artisan goods of the Dwarven people.
  
−
In Bar Kesh, the '''Labyrinth''' is the largest quarter in the city and is an ever shifting maze of streets and buildings. A road that might be open one day, might be a new towering townhouse the next.
+
:'''House d'Caarn:''' House d'Caern is in charge of all things related to building and construction. From lowly roads to the cities of the realm, if it was built, d'Caern saw to its building.
  
−
The '''Labyrinth''' is the poorest district and the bulk of Bar Kesh's criminal element may be found here or in '''Rattown'''. The '''Warrens''' (not shown on the map) are a second labyrinth beneath the whole city and the primary way criminals traverse the city.
+
:'''House d'Jaala:''' House d'Jaala is in charage of all things related to life, such as food and water and healing, the growing of crops, the tending of animals, the transfer of water where it is needed, etc.
  
−
'''Rattown''' is the wharf district and it gets slummier and more treacherous to the south and west and more upscale to the north and east.
+
==Religion==
 +
The Dwarves use no names for their gods, referring to each, instead, by descriptive title. It is notable, probably due to cultural influences from other races, that many of the dwarven pantheon are not depicted as dwarven in stature or form.
  
−
The '''Iron Quarter''' is almost exclusively dwarven and houses the smiths and soldiers of the empire in the city.
+
===The Wanderer===
 +
Tall and grey, the Wanderer is depicted as a lanky male figure in traveling clothes burdened under a pack with a gnarled staff to lean on. The wolves and bears and ravens and other creatures of the wild are known to approach him and whisper secrets and news from afar.
  
−
The '''Hammerwall''', on the wharf side, serves as a defense against rising tides, but the entire inland side is dotted with smithies, over two thirds of which are sword smiths.
+
===The Lady===
 +
Lithe and young, the Lady is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.
  
−
The '''Bazaar''' is the trade district, with shops along the walls and a great open market at its center.
+
The Lady bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.
  
−
The '''Gold Quarter''' is where you will find the domains of the '''Five High Houses''' and their representatives, while the '''Keep''' serves as both fortress and formal negotiating space with foreign dignitaries.
+
===The Smith===
 +
Stout and solid, the Smith is a figure in bronze and iron, faceless and massive. The smith is always depicted at his forge and always has a great hammer in his fist.
  
−
No one really knows what is in the '''Jade Tower''', but it is said to be the palace for the King of the Dwarves when she visits the City of Swords.
+
===The Never===
 +
Depicted as a dwarven lad in cloak and slippers of mist and fog, the Never exists both within and without the bounds of time. The Never bears no weapon or scepter, but his hands are said to be colder than the ice in the depths of the Lost Sea and able to reach through flesh and take hold of the heart within a man.
  
−
The '''Menhir''' is the ruins of the Old City and is mostly an ancient graveyard at this point.
+
===The Three===
 +
As implied by their title, the three have three distinct forms. The first that of a young girl clad in flowers and laughter. The second a stately matron heavy with child clad in the green growth of the forest. And finally the last form that of an withered crone clad in bark and moss.
 +
----
 +
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
  
−
===Ruvyntarn===
+
=HUMANS=
−
Ruvyntarn began as a fortress in the days of the Dwarven Barbarian wars, and grew from there. Spartan and hard, Ruvyntarn is primarily inhabited by dwarves and humans and even in these times of peace still mostly serves as a bulwark against the barbarians of the clanlands to the north.
+
Though the most prolific of the races by far, humans never had the years or the singularity of purpose to ever gain much of a foothold on the world stage. However, humans are extremely adaptable and may be found in nearly every society, though most of them dwell within the Empire.
  
−
The bulk of the stoneships of the dwarven navy are harbored in Ruvyntarn Sound.
+
==Language==
 +
Humans speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) as well as the '''Human Tongue'''.  
  
−
===Hall of the Mountain King===
+
'''Note:''' Human language is consistent (with regional accents and dialects) below the clanlands, but the '''Barbarian Tongue''' is an entirely different language.
−
The Hall of the Mountain King is at once a religious and historic destination and the seat of dwarven industry. The mines of the dwarves, the ores and gems of the earth's heart, flow through the Hall as does the lumber of the vast forest west of the mountains.
 
  
−
And while the bladesmiths of Bar Kesh are rivaled by none in their trade, the majority of dwarven metallurgy and manufacture takes place beneath the mountains.
+
==Government==
 +
For the most part, humans don't establish their own governments beyond family structure with the addition of judges where there numbers are great enough.
  
−
The Empire is governed from the City of Swords, but the matriarchs of the Five High Houses live in the hallowed Hall as does the Mountain King herself.
+
==Religion==
 +
Humans tend to adopt the deities of the people they dwell among.
 +
----
  
−
==The Chasm==
+
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
−
Beginning in the forges deep within the Hall of the Mountain King, a great crack in the earth runs through the mountain bedrock east to the sea, a wound in the earth from the peaks to the depths of Treacher's Deep.
 
  
−
Though the Chasm disappears underground about a half mile outside the city, it connects the Hall with Bar Kesh, ending in a great cavern under the Iron Quarter.
+
=ELVES=
 +
Elves may be found as wanderers throughout the lands of the Shattered Coast and are generally accepted the way a grazing horse might be accepted. Noticed but ignored.
  
−
===The Blood River===
+
Presumably a land exists where the elven people hold sway, but if it does it is a closely guarded secret.
−
Named for it's red color from the runoff of raw iron ore, the Blood River runs from the depths of the dwarven forges below the mountains to the capitol on the coast, traversing the depths of the chasm. Due to the high walls of the Chasm's banks and the violence of the river itself, the only craft that traverse its waters are barges guided on massive rope leads sunk into the sides of the chasm with deep iron rings.
 
  
−
==The Hartshorn==
+
==Language==
−
The Hartshorn is a vast region that encompasses the central mountain range of the Shattered Coast and extends west and north through the massive forestland beyond the range.
+
Elves speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and '''Elvish'''. True Elves also speak the '''Sylvan''' tongue. Half elves speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and '''Elvish''' and may speak one other language of their choosing.
  
−
===The Pass of Jade===
+
==Government==
−
The northernmost pass through the Hartshorn range connects the frozen flatland of the Sundered Steppes and the northern forest. This pass used to be hotly disputed between the Dwarves and the Barbarian tribes to the north, but now only sees the occasional skirmish.
+
Elves typically submit to the laws of the lands they inhabit. If they have their own government, it is not known.
  
−
===Hartshorn Pass===
+
==Religion==
−
The broadest and most widely traveled pass between the eastern grasslands and the forest within the Empire is the Hartshorn Pass, the northern edge of which is fortified with several box towers.
+
Elves quietly worship the sister goddesses Maerlwyn and Marwolaeth.
  
−
===Pass of Shale===
+
===Maerlwyn===
−
To the south of the range the Pass of Shale is a barren pass just north of the Great Sands of the southron desert, and it is used peacefully by both the Empire and the Confederacy. There is a box tower on either end of the pass and a bizarre tent village stretched between them in the fashion of the bazaars of the southlanders.
+
Taking the aspect of a tree spirit, Maerlwyn is the goddess of endurance and growth, nurturing the elven people wherever they may wander. Three glowing stones circle her head at all times and her feet, like roots, forever sink into the ground.
 +
 +
===Marwolaeth===
 +
Lithe and young, Marwolaeth is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.
  
−
The Pass of Shale is the shortest of the major passes and is agreed by one and all to be a fine and manageable road from nowhere to nowhere.
+
Marwolaeth bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.
  
−
===Kir Ja===
+
----
−
Kir Ja is the northernmost of three ancient stone towers stretching high above the mountain peaks. Though it stands within the bounds of the Empire, the shamans of the steppe barbarians control it now.
 
  
−
===Kir Lan===
+
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
−
Kir Lan, the middlemost of the towers and situated between the Wolf Gate and the Raven Gate, serves as the remote hub of advanced arcane learning within the empire.
 
  
−
===Kir Ijon===
+
=GNOMES=
−
Kir Ijon, equidistant between Bar Kesh and Ruvyentarn, is a towering ruin, infested with the tattered spirits of whatever cataclysm laid it bare.
+
Rare in the lands, most Gnomes dwell beneath the mountains in the Hall of the Mountain King or in the vast expanse or the Hartshorn forest. Gnomes have a very close bond with the Dwarves.
  
−
===Grimdane Vale===
+
==Language==
−
Remote and hidden in the deep folds of the mountains, Grimdane Vale was once a Plague town, a place of exile during the black times of Dwarven history. After that it was used for nearly a century as a penal colony until the inmates rose up against their wardens, took the town, and held it against three attempts to reclaim it.
+
Gomes don't have a language of their own. Gnomes speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and either '''High Dwarven''' or '''Elvish'''
  
−
Now it is the haven of the Blackhand, guildmaster of the Dwarven assassin's guild. Any outsider found in the Vale after dark is either murdered in the night or survives until morning and takes the brand of the hand.
+
==Government==
 +
Gnomes are loosely governed by a circle of elders in each village or community, but studiously follow and submit to Dwarven law as well.
  
−
==[[D%26D_5e:_The_Mad_Season|Return to Main Page]]==
+
==Religion==
 +
Gnomes tend to follow Dwarven or Elvish Deities.
 +
----
 +
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
  
−
=The Tiefling Confederacy=
+
=TIEFLINGS=
−
The Tiefling Confederacy is mostly a moiety of Tieflings and Dragonborn. The Tieflings concern themselves with governance and law and commerce while the Dragonborn make up the army and craftsmen of the confederacy. Both races function within a caste system wherein the lower castes are farmers and builders and the like respectively.
+
Across the great desert, the Tieflings built their own nation hand in hand with the Dragonborn. Though smaller in the area of land it covers, the Confederacy rivals the Empire in resources and power. Tieflings delight in convoluted thought and in pacts and bargains and mental discipline.
  
−
The Tiefling Parliament is probably at once the most strait and convlouted governing body in the entirety of the shattered coast.
+
==Language==
 +
Tieflings speak '''Dwarven Trade''' and '''Outlander''', the tongue of beings from beyond the planes.
  
−
==The Serpent Gate==
+
==Government==
−
At the southern end of the Great Sands, half buried in the dunes, the Serpent Gate stands mostly ignored, though it is said among the caravanserai to provide good shade in the middle morning and middle afternoon if a stop is warranted in the absence of water.
+
The Tiefling Parliament is the main government of the Tiefling Confederacy and act as both lawmakers and judges. The parliament is situated in the city of Adamalasha, with circuit Triunes riding between outlying settlements to relay decrees and settle disputes.
  
−
==Adamalasha==
+
==Religion==
−
On the southron tip of the peninsula of the Ferrous Wastes stands the coastal city of Adamalasha. The city rises in layers to culminate in the peak of the great zigurat in the center of the city.
+
Tieflings adhere to an essentially a monotheistic tradition, with a single all-knowing deity opposed by a lesser being created to test the faithful. Some Tieflings acknowledge a third player on the cosmic stage, but these teachings are considered heretical.
  
−
==The Ferrous Wastes==
+
Tieflings of the caravanserai revere the Great Gyre, a spiraling sandstorm afixed in the midst of the great desert.
−
Along either coast of the peninsula below the Great Sands, the Ferrous Wastes are an iron rich mesaland and the source of most of the Confederacy's wealth.
 
  
−
==The Great Sands==
+
===Taam'at the Eye===
−
North of the Wastes stretch the dunes of the Great Sands, a vast desert separating the Confederacy from the Empire.
+
Taam'at is the all seeing, all knowing creator. Taam'at does not manifest and has neither form nor gender.
  
−
===The Water Homes===
+
===Lok'mal===
−
The Water Homes are a series of oases that can be found dotted about the meandering expanse of the desert.
+
Lok'mal appears as a dark, lithe teifling intent on decieving and leading astray the faitful. Lok'mal means Truth Twister.
  
−
===The Wind Road===
+
===Lady Shi===  
−
The Wind Road is the trade route between Adamalasha and the Empire and loosely connects the Water Homes along its route. No paved road marks the route and markers are unrelible in the vastness of the desert and the terrible winds that sweep through it.
+
Lithe and young, Lady Shi is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.
  
−
The Wind Road may only be reilably traversed by sextant and star.
+
Lady Shi bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.
  
−
==[[D%26D_5e:_The_Mad_Season|Return to Main Page]]==
+
===The Gyre of the Great Sands===
 +
A spirit resides within the sands, and the power of that spirit rises like a stationary twister many miles in diameter, towering over the sands and whipping them in a violent tearing vortex that reaches into the sky.
 +
----
  
−
=The Dragon Archipelago=
+
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
−
Before the dragons returned, the archipelago was simply called the Near Isles. But the dragons have returned to the Reaches of the northern and southron edges of the Archipelago. Only the denizens of the Archipelago call it that. Mainlanders don't make the distinction between the main body of the islands and the reaches and refer to the whole as the Dragon's Reach.
 
  
−
Like the Confederacy, the Archipelago is a moiety - this time of Hall Giants and Halflings. Descended from storm giants, the Half Giants are masters of elemental magics and crafters of stone beyond even the skill of dwarves. The halflings of the isles are traders, and fishers, and herders, and farmers.  
+
=DRAGONBORN=
 +
Dragons in humanoid form, the dragonborn are powerful, physical beings, their colorful scales flashing under the desert sun.
  
−
Both Half Giants and Halflings are jovial peoples who cherish hearth and kin above all.
+
==Language==
 +
Dragonborn speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and '''Draconic'''. Dragonborn may speak telepathically to any other dragonborn within 30 feet if they have line of sight.  
  
−
==The Dragon Gate==
+
Dragonborn emit noticeable pheromones that add depth of emotion easily perceived and nuanced by other dragonborn, but other species can smell them too and have a crude shorthand as to what some of the more commonly prominent smells indicate.
−
Standing on the isle of Ward, the Dragon gate is the only gate of the five known to be active - or partially active. The carved knotwork on its face glows a faint emerald and azure, and it is believed that the Half Giant loremasters who keep it use its powers to keep the dragons in the stony reaches to the far north and south of the isles.
 
  
−
==The Reaches==
+
Halflings in particular are fond of saying, ''"Nothing smells so good as fresh baked yeast bread, but an angry dragonborn comes close."''
−
The small islands in the northern and southern chain of islands are mostly rock and hardy scrub and wild goats.
 
  
−
And dragons. Serpents of sea and sky that cavort and fish the seas and sun themselves on the stones.
+
==Government==
 +
Dragonborn submit to the laws of the confederacy in the larger social setting, and act as the enforcers of those laws in the confederacy. On a community level, however, Dragonborn submit religiously to their elders and abide by their words. Personal conflicts among their own are almost always resolved by formal one on one combat.
  
−
==Rune==
+
==Religion==
−
Rune is the largest of the isles of the Archipelago and the hub of trade between the islands.
+
Dragonborn are a spiritual people without being overly religious and tend to speak to deity respectfully, but as to an equal. They aknowledge the Wyrm, a non-draconian godling known to them as Sik'vodili, and the spirit of the Gyre (See Tiefling Religion).
  
−
===Cref===
+
===The Wyrm===
−
Cref is a small harbor town, primarily peopled with halflings and folk of the Empire and the Confederacy.
+
The prinary deity acknowleged by the Dragonborn is a transcendant draconic being known as the Wyrm. The Wyrm appears as a great sand scaled dragon that breathes black fire.
  
−
===Shi Jinn Monastery===
+
===Sik'vodili===  
−
A small tower on the north end of the isle houses the dragon monks of Shi Jinn.
+
Lithe and young, Sik'vodili is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.
  
−
===The Bu Na Ka===
+
Sik'vodili bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.
−
While Kir Lan towwer is the center of arcane learning in the empire, the Giants maintain a modest school on Rune that is open to any with the skill to study.
+
----
 +
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
  
−
==Faer==
+
=HALFLINGS=
−
South of Rune and the smallest of the majorly inahabited isles, Faer is almost exclusively a halfling settled isle of fishing villages and farms.
+
Island dwellers, halflings area pastoral folk. Fishermen, herdsmen, and farmers who value family over all else. Halflings share their island home with a race of Half Giants.
  
−
==Ward==
+
==Language==
−
Ward is a big island, but low slung and wind whipped. It is inhabited mostly by those giants who keep the Dragon Gate.
+
Halflings do not have their own language. Halflings speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and '''Giantish'''
  
−
===Fellian Steadfal===
+
==Government==
−
The Steadfal is a humble community of giants who serve and house the Loremasters of the Gate.
+
Halfling government, such as it is is usually an impromptu affair of casual conversation over barley and beer and rich fish stew. Whoever would speak, halfling or giant, may speak and be heard. In matters of judgement, volunteers are selected from among whatever halflings and giants are present at the time (usually 3 or 5 individuals) and their judgement is abided.
  
−
==Torn==
+
Halflings are signatory members  of the Tiefling Confederacy.
−
The sourthernmost of the bigger isles is Torn, a rugged, mountainous little rock known for its aggressive greenery. Both giants and halflings dwell on the island and are universally considered a bit eccentric by more civivlized denizens of the Archipellago. The bamboo of Torn supplies the building material for most of the isles.
 
  
−
Torn is the only one of the inner isles that is home to a dragon.
+
==Religion==
 +
Halfling deities tend to manifest as odd folk heroes with lessons to impart.
  
−
==[[D%26D_5e:_The_Mad_Season|Return to Main Page]]==
+
===Mok Ji===
 +
Jovial and mocking and always of good humor, Mok Ji manifests as a three legged, three armed, three eyed halfling male bearing Lantern, Shears, and Weighted Net. He typically offers a challenge to anyone he encounters.
  
−
=The Clanlands=
+
===Jon Kon===
−
North and east of the Dwarven Empire stretch the endless grasslands of the barbarian Clanlands. Between the White river and the Trade river are the clans of the Thundering Plains. These clans hold truce with the Empire and actively trade with it. Horse, Hart, Rabbit, Badger, Crab, and Gull Clans occupy this area.
+
Jon Kon appears as a young lad in his halfling form, but is a known changeling and will usually appear to folk first as an animal before transforming into a tousel haired boy with a shepherd's crook in one hand and a sling in the other.
  
−
North of the White river where the grasslands turn to steppes, the clans interact very little with the empire, never trading, and sometimes engaging in light raids when the opportunity presents. Wolf, Bear, Raven, Fox, and Orca clans occupy this area.
+
If spurred to action, Jon Kon likes to sling acorns that explode when they hit something.
  
−
==The Horse Gate==
+
===Kuolema===  
−
North of the Thundering Plains below the White river hard against the foothills of the northern Hartshorn stands the Horse Gate. It was long disputed whether the gate stood on Clanland or in the Empire, but the clansmen's tendency to launch arrows at outsiders approaching the gate made it not worth disputing once the truce was established.
+
Lithe and young, Kuolema is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.
  
−
==Thundering Plain==
+
Kuolema bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.
−
The land between the rivers is known as the Thundering Plains, a refference to the thousands of both wild and kept horses who live beside the clans and call that land home.
 
  
−
===The White River===
+
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
−
Icy and fast, the White marks the boundary between the clans of the Plain and the clans of the Steppes. The river is very shallow and fast moving with white water conditions prevailing along most of its length.
 
  
−
===Blackwater Break===
+
=HALF GIANTS=
−
The White river ends in a sprawling flatland and spreads for miles to finally empty from hundreds of channels into the sea. Rich black mud and towering black trees and thorny underbrush give the place its name.
+
The Half Giants of the Dragon Archipelago are descended from storm giants, typically growing 9-12 feet. They are by and large loremasters and arcanists. They share their society with the halfling people, and while they do not make as clear a moiety as do Tieflings and Dragonborn, both peoples fill needs the other cannot and share in the joy and labor of community and living.
  
−
===The Trade River===
+
==Language==
−
The Trade River marks the boundary between the Clanlands and the Empire, and as its name suggests quite a bit of trade is seen along its banks between Ruvyntarn and Trader Down.
+
Half Giants speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and '''Giantish''' as well as '''Primordial'''.
  
−
===Trader Down===
+
==Government==
−
Trader Down is a sprawling town of mixed population; barbarians, imperials, and even traders from the Archipelago and the Confederacy call the place home. It is said that trade that cannot be legally had within the Empire, the Confederacy, or the Archipelago can be had in the Down.
+
Half Giants believe in peaceable agreement between parties and gianatfolk in conflict can sit and talk for days or seasons to come to a workable arrangement. They hold themselves accountable one to another, but they do not practice any form of governance beyond the adult tendency to look out for and teach the young.
  
−
In particular, the trade in Saltsand (ground dragonborn scale) sees a thriving business there, though any dragonborn catching a non-dragonborn with the stuff would kill or die to erase the offense.
+
==Religion==
 +
Half Giants revere, study, and interact with elemental forces, but they are also fascinated and delighted with the deities observed by the Halfling folk and often pay them similar reverence.
  
−
==The Sundered Steppes==
+
Only '''Kuolema''' baffles them. They are physically unable to hear her name when it is spoken, and though half giants live longer even than Elves, none of their kind remember ever having seen her, though there are giantish recollections of visitation and interaction with both '''Mok Ji''' and '''Jon Kon'''.
−
North of the White River, the harder and more warlike of the clans make their home. Like their southern kinsmen, they are herders of horses, but the steppe horses are stouter and more enduring if not as fleet as the plains breeds.
 
  
 +
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==
  
−
==[[D%26D_5e:_The_Mad_Season|Return to Main Page]]==
+
=BARBARIANS=
 +
Barbarians may rightly be divided between the Steppe Barbarians and the Plains Barbarians, but the similarities are enough that it is easiest to discuss them as a single people.
 +
 
 +
==Language==
 +
Barbarians of the Plains speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) and the '''Barbarian Tongue''' which can be understood by both Plains and Steppe Barbarians. Each Barbarian also speaks the dialect of his particular clan.
 +
 
 +
Barbarians of the Steppe typically do not speak '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common), but they speak the '''Barbarian Tongue''' as well as the tongue of their particular tribe. Barbarian PCs can select one bonus language. This language can be '''Dwarven Trade''' (Common) if desired, but does not have to be. Throughout the Empire and the Confederacy, the '''Human''' tongue is the most versatile after '''Dwarven Trade'''.
 +
 
 +
==Government==
 +
Barbarians employ a tribal style government ruled by a circle of elders and shamans. The clan's leader is invariably a member of his clan's circle and at need may opt to have his voice count twice or count not at all.
 +
 
 +
Matters between individual clans are settled by the circle of leaders at Clanclave, which is traditionally held every seven years.
 +
 
 +
Raids and skirmishes often rage unabated during the intervening years between when a wrong is perceived and when it can be properly settled at Clanclave.
 +
 
 +
==Religion==
 +
Barbarians mostly revere spirits of nature and each clan is consecrated to a particular totem spirit that they revere and try to emulate.
 +
 
 +
But there are spirits that transcend even the totems.
 +
 
 +
Like the Dwarves, Barbarians do not name their deities, preferring descriptive titles.
 +
 
 +
===Totems===
 +
Each clan pays particular respect to their special totem, but all totems are recognized and appealed to as appropriate.
 +
 
 +
===Day===
 +
Above the animal totems of the clans, the spirit of Day is regarded as a spirit of truth and revelation.
 +
 
 +
===Night===
 +
Above the animal totems of the clans, the spirit of Night is regarded as a spirit of mysteries and hidden strength.
 +
 
 +
===Storms===
 +
The spirit of storms manifests as a raging fury of weather with a great warrior wielding thunder's hammer at the storm's heart.
 +
 
 +
===Trickster===
 +
The trickster is the spirit of unexpected change, a shapeshifter and manipulator of fire. The fox is the most common form he is found in.
 +
 
 +
===The Lady===
 +
Lithe and young, the Lady is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.
 +
 
 +
The Lady bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.
 +
 
 +
===The Slain God===
 +
The Slain God is a figure out of legend who is said to have sacrificed himself to bring peace between his people and the Empire and is depicted as a figure held by spikes onto the surface of a great stone table.
 +
 
 +
===The Ancient Mist===
 +
Older than Night or Day, the Ancient Mist is known to have the power to obscure both and to sink into the hearts and souls of any of the People too long caught in her presence.
 +
 
 +
==[[D%26D_5E:_Mirrors_of_the_Mortal_Realm|Return to Main Page]]==

Revision as of 08:04, 16 March 2023

Return to Main Page

DWARVES

Dwarves, mostly through longevity, industry, and an inclination to step in and get things done, have come to control much of the Shattered Coast. Dwarves tend to be staunch and loyal, steadfast allies and grudge holding enemies. They are also brutally efficient and will hammer out a truce or work to keep the peace rather than drag out unnecessary and costly hostilities.

Language

All Dwarves speak High Dwarven as well as the Dwarven Trade Tongue (common).

Government

The Dwarven people have a king who is more a spiritual leader than political, though the wise Matron will steer her house on the word of the king if she knows the way the wind blows.

The dwarven king is always a woman, but otherwise may rise from any of the five High Houses.

The Five High Houses

The day to day burden of governing the Empire falls to the Matriarchs of the Five High Houses and those they appoint to make decisions for them throughout the Empire. In addition to general duties they all share, each House has a particular demesne that is its personal bailiwick.

House d'Amasku: House d'Amasku is in charge of trade and commerce, moving goods throughout the Empire and beyond, including the construction of drays and wagons and the great stoneships. The current king is of House d'Amasku.
House d'Ruvyn: House d'Ruvyn is in charge of all things miliary, such as training and arming men and women to fight and planning tactics and strategy.
House d'Sceva: House d'Jaala is in charge of all things mercantile, from crafting and weaving to artisan goods of the Dwarven people.
House d'Caarn: House d'Caern is in charge of all things related to building and construction. From lowly roads to the cities of the realm, if it was built, d'Caern saw to its building.
House d'Jaala: House d'Jaala is in charage of all things related to life, such as food and water and healing, the growing of crops, the tending of animals, the transfer of water where it is needed, etc.

Religion

The Dwarves use no names for their gods, referring to each, instead, by descriptive title. It is notable, probably due to cultural influences from other races, that many of the dwarven pantheon are not depicted as dwarven in stature or form.

The Wanderer

Tall and grey, the Wanderer is depicted as a lanky male figure in traveling clothes burdened under a pack with a gnarled staff to lean on. The wolves and bears and ravens and other creatures of the wild are known to approach him and whisper secrets and news from afar.

The Lady

Lithe and young, the Lady is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.

The Lady bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.

The Smith

Stout and solid, the Smith is a figure in bronze and iron, faceless and massive. The smith is always depicted at his forge and always has a great hammer in his fist.

The Never

Depicted as a dwarven lad in cloak and slippers of mist and fog, the Never exists both within and without the bounds of time. The Never bears no weapon or scepter, but his hands are said to be colder than the ice in the depths of the Lost Sea and able to reach through flesh and take hold of the heart within a man.

The Three

As implied by their title, the three have three distinct forms. The first that of a young girl clad in flowers and laughter. The second a stately matron heavy with child clad in the green growth of the forest. And finally the last form that of an withered crone clad in bark and moss.

Return to Main Page

HUMANS

Though the most prolific of the races by far, humans never had the years or the singularity of purpose to ever gain much of a foothold on the world stage. However, humans are extremely adaptable and may be found in nearly every society, though most of them dwell within the Empire.

Language

Humans speak Dwarven Trade (Common) as well as the Human Tongue.

Note: Human language is consistent (with regional accents and dialects) below the clanlands, but the Barbarian Tongue is an entirely different language.

Government

For the most part, humans don't establish their own governments beyond family structure with the addition of judges where there numbers are great enough.

Religion

Humans tend to adopt the deities of the people they dwell among.

Return to Main Page

ELVES

Elves may be found as wanderers throughout the lands of the Shattered Coast and are generally accepted the way a grazing horse might be accepted. Noticed but ignored.

Presumably a land exists where the elven people hold sway, but if it does it is a closely guarded secret.

Language

Elves speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and Elvish. True Elves also speak the Sylvan tongue. Half elves speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and Elvish and may speak one other language of their choosing.

Government

Elves typically submit to the laws of the lands they inhabit. If they have their own government, it is not known.

Religion

Elves quietly worship the sister goddesses Maerlwyn and Marwolaeth.

Maerlwyn

Taking the aspect of a tree spirit, Maerlwyn is the goddess of endurance and growth, nurturing the elven people wherever they may wander. Three glowing stones circle her head at all times and her feet, like roots, forever sink into the ground.

Marwolaeth

Lithe and young, Marwolaeth is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.

Marwolaeth bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.

Return to Main Page

GNOMES

Rare in the lands, most Gnomes dwell beneath the mountains in the Hall of the Mountain King or in the vast expanse or the Hartshorn forest. Gnomes have a very close bond with the Dwarves.

Language

Gomes don't have a language of their own. Gnomes speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and either High Dwarven or Elvish

Government

Gnomes are loosely governed by a circle of elders in each village or community, but studiously follow and submit to Dwarven law as well.

Religion

Gnomes tend to follow Dwarven or Elvish Deities.

Return to Main Page

TIEFLINGS

Across the great desert, the Tieflings built their own nation hand in hand with the Dragonborn. Though smaller in the area of land it covers, the Confederacy rivals the Empire in resources and power. Tieflings delight in convoluted thought and in pacts and bargains and mental discipline.

Language

Tieflings speak Dwarven Trade and Outlander, the tongue of beings from beyond the planes.

Government

The Tiefling Parliament is the main government of the Tiefling Confederacy and act as both lawmakers and judges. The parliament is situated in the city of Adamalasha, with circuit Triunes riding between outlying settlements to relay decrees and settle disputes.

Religion

Tieflings adhere to an essentially a monotheistic tradition, with a single all-knowing deity opposed by a lesser being created to test the faithful. Some Tieflings acknowledge a third player on the cosmic stage, but these teachings are considered heretical.

Tieflings of the caravanserai revere the Great Gyre, a spiraling sandstorm afixed in the midst of the great desert.

Taam'at the Eye

Taam'at is the all seeing, all knowing creator. Taam'at does not manifest and has neither form nor gender.

Lok'mal

Lok'mal appears as a dark, lithe teifling intent on decieving and leading astray the faitful. Lok'mal means Truth Twister.

Lady Shi

Lithe and young, Lady Shi is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.

Lady Shi bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.

The Gyre of the Great Sands

A spirit resides within the sands, and the power of that spirit rises like a stationary twister many miles in diameter, towering over the sands and whipping them in a violent tearing vortex that reaches into the sky.

Return to Main Page

DRAGONBORN

Dragons in humanoid form, the dragonborn are powerful, physical beings, their colorful scales flashing under the desert sun.

Language

Dragonborn speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and Draconic. Dragonborn may speak telepathically to any other dragonborn within 30 feet if they have line of sight.

Dragonborn emit noticeable pheromones that add depth of emotion easily perceived and nuanced by other dragonborn, but other species can smell them too and have a crude shorthand as to what some of the more commonly prominent smells indicate.

Halflings in particular are fond of saying, "Nothing smells so good as fresh baked yeast bread, but an angry dragonborn comes close."

Government

Dragonborn submit to the laws of the confederacy in the larger social setting, and act as the enforcers of those laws in the confederacy. On a community level, however, Dragonborn submit religiously to their elders and abide by their words. Personal conflicts among their own are almost always resolved by formal one on one combat.

Religion

Dragonborn are a spiritual people without being overly religious and tend to speak to deity respectfully, but as to an equal. They aknowledge the Wyrm, a non-draconian godling known to them as Sik'vodili, and the spirit of the Gyre (See Tiefling Religion).

The Wyrm

The prinary deity acknowleged by the Dragonborn is a transcendant draconic being known as the Wyrm. The Wyrm appears as a great sand scaled dragon that breathes black fire.

Sik'vodili

Lithe and young, Sik'vodili is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.

Sik'vodili bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.

Return to Main Page

HALFLINGS

Island dwellers, halflings area pastoral folk. Fishermen, herdsmen, and farmers who value family over all else. Halflings share their island home with a race of Half Giants.

Language

Halflings do not have their own language. Halflings speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and Giantish

Government

Halfling government, such as it is is usually an impromptu affair of casual conversation over barley and beer and rich fish stew. Whoever would speak, halfling or giant, may speak and be heard. In matters of judgement, volunteers are selected from among whatever halflings and giants are present at the time (usually 3 or 5 individuals) and their judgement is abided.

Halflings are signatory members of the Tiefling Confederacy.

Religion

Halfling deities tend to manifest as odd folk heroes with lessons to impart.

Mok Ji

Jovial and mocking and always of good humor, Mok Ji manifests as a three legged, three armed, three eyed halfling male bearing Lantern, Shears, and Weighted Net. He typically offers a challenge to anyone he encounters.

Jon Kon

Jon Kon appears as a young lad in his halfling form, but is a known changeling and will usually appear to folk first as an animal before transforming into a tousel haired boy with a shepherd's crook in one hand and a sling in the other.

If spurred to action, Jon Kon likes to sling acorns that explode when they hit something.

Kuolema

Lithe and young, Kuolema is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.

Kuolema bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.

Return to Main Page

HALF GIANTS

The Half Giants of the Dragon Archipelago are descended from storm giants, typically growing 9-12 feet. They are by and large loremasters and arcanists. They share their society with the halfling people, and while they do not make as clear a moiety as do Tieflings and Dragonborn, both peoples fill needs the other cannot and share in the joy and labor of community and living.

Language

Half Giants speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and Giantish as well as Primordial.

Government

Half Giants believe in peaceable agreement between parties and gianatfolk in conflict can sit and talk for days or seasons to come to a workable arrangement. They hold themselves accountable one to another, but they do not practice any form of governance beyond the adult tendency to look out for and teach the young.

Religion

Half Giants revere, study, and interact with elemental forces, but they are also fascinated and delighted with the deities observed by the Halfling folk and often pay them similar reverence.

Only Kuolema baffles them. They are physically unable to hear her name when it is spoken, and though half giants live longer even than Elves, none of their kind remember ever having seen her, though there are giantish recollections of visitation and interaction with both Mok Ji and Jon Kon.

Return to Main Page

BARBARIANS

Barbarians may rightly be divided between the Steppe Barbarians and the Plains Barbarians, but the similarities are enough that it is easiest to discuss them as a single people.

Language

Barbarians of the Plains speak Dwarven Trade (Common) and the Barbarian Tongue which can be understood by both Plains and Steppe Barbarians. Each Barbarian also speaks the dialect of his particular clan.

Barbarians of the Steppe typically do not speak Dwarven Trade (Common), but they speak the Barbarian Tongue as well as the tongue of their particular tribe. Barbarian PCs can select one bonus language. This language can be Dwarven Trade (Common) if desired, but does not have to be. Throughout the Empire and the Confederacy, the Human tongue is the most versatile after Dwarven Trade.

Government

Barbarians employ a tribal style government ruled by a circle of elders and shamans. The clan's leader is invariably a member of his clan's circle and at need may opt to have his voice count twice or count not at all.

Matters between individual clans are settled by the circle of leaders at Clanclave, which is traditionally held every seven years.

Raids and skirmishes often rage unabated during the intervening years between when a wrong is perceived and when it can be properly settled at Clanclave.

Religion

Barbarians mostly revere spirits of nature and each clan is consecrated to a particular totem spirit that they revere and try to emulate.

But there are spirits that transcend even the totems.

Like the Dwarves, Barbarians do not name their deities, preferring descriptive titles.

Totems

Each clan pays particular respect to their special totem, but all totems are recognized and appealed to as appropriate.

Day

Above the animal totems of the clans, the spirit of Day is regarded as a spirit of truth and revelation.

Night

Above the animal totems of the clans, the spirit of Night is regarded as a spirit of mysteries and hidden strength.

Storms

The spirit of storms manifests as a raging fury of weather with a great warrior wielding thunder's hammer at the storm's heart.

Trickster

The trickster is the spirit of unexpected change, a shapeshifter and manipulator of fire. The fox is the most common form he is found in.

The Lady

Lithe and young, the Lady is depicted as a young girl clad in a dark cloak with her long blonde hair flowing free behind her and deep, dark eyes. If one looks closely, it is said the twinkling stars can be seen in the depths of her cloak and her eyes.

The Lady bears a pair of bone daggers, stained a deep red along the blades.

The Slain God

The Slain God is a figure out of legend who is said to have sacrificed himself to bring peace between his people and the Empire and is depicted as a figure held by spikes onto the surface of a great stone table.

The Ancient Mist

Older than Night or Day, the Ancient Mist is known to have the power to obscure both and to sink into the hearts and souls of any of the People too long caught in her presence.

Return to Main Page

Retrieved from "https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Mad_Season:_Geographical_Setting&oldid=434647"