Editing Portals and Perils

Maps

=Bakir=

Campaign Handout

=Character Creation=

Characters start at Level 11, with 85,000 experience points and the Standard Campaign starting gold and items (DMG pg 38) Tiers of Play/Starting at Higher Level).  If you would like to start with more magic items, just before we start the game you can use the rules on page 126 in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything to make purchases from the magic item list on pg. 150 of the DMG and any other official printed source (and Unearthed Arcana if it has magic items).  Rithys has plenty of resources and has made a trade of selling to adventurers.

We will be rolling randomly for ability scores.  Please roll 4d6 six times and drop lowest die with a dice roller like Orkos or maybe the RPGnet dice roller, and decide if you want to keep this set.  If not, roll again for another set.  Once you find the set of 6 numbers you want to keep, assign them to your ability scores.

You may use all official WOTC, printed books for 5e plus Unearthed Arcana to create your character.  No third party material, please.  When creating your character, if you’re using anything outside the PH/DMG please note the sources you are using and what you are using.  Material from setting books such as Ravnica or Eberron or adventure books might be permissible as long as it's not too tied to the setting. 

Alignments should be Neutral or Good, and no Chaotic Neutral please.

Everyone starts with one Inspiration.  Once spent, you can refill that Inspiration at my discretion through good role-playing and playing up Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws.

=Deities=

Available Domains: Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery, War, Order, Peace, Twilight, Forge, Grave (please let me know if I missed anything)

The Nameless Gods:

The deities of Rithys do not go by any known names, but it is clear to the people of that nation that there are intelligent forces at work that cover certain areas and whom clerics and paladins draw their power from and commune with.

Goddess of Trade.  Neutral.  Knowledge.

God of Mysteries.  Neutral.  Knowledge, Trickery

Goddess of the Hearth.  Neutral Good.  Peace, Twilight.

Goddess of Justice.  Lawful Good.  Life, Light.

God of the Storms.  Chaotic Neutral.  Tempest, War.

God of Nature.  Neutral.  Nature.

God of War.  Neutral.  War, Order.

God of Crafts.  Lawful Good.  Forge.

God of Liches.  Chaotic Evil.  Grave.

If you don’t see something that covers something you’d like related to your character you may make one.

=The Nation of Rithys=

Neutral

A wealthy merchant nation that has maintained neutrality in world affairs.  Though themselves at peace, there are plenty of mercenaries and adventurers that originate from this country.

Government: A group of wealthy and influential people that take advice from representatives of four factions: The Merchants Guild, Church of the Hearth, People of the Forge, The Old Kingdom

Capital: Profett (25,500)

Population: Cosmopolitan

Languages: Common

Religions: Deities of Trade, Mysteries, Hearth, Justice, Storms, Nature, War, Crafts, Liches

Threats: Risks of incursions of demons from the invaded halfing kingdom of Bethsada, liches that want to seize power.

Primary Exports: Furniture, jewelry, agriculture, arms and armor, magical weapons and items

Primary Imports: Several different goods that get sold here

Allies: None, for the most part are neutral in affairs

Enemies: Liches, Demons

Factions: Merchant’s Guild

=Governing Factions=

'''The Alliance of Coin'''

Motto: Strength through wealth

Symbol: A single gold coin adorned with a bejewelled crown

The Alliance of Coin is a small group of people that rule over Rithys in council with representatives of four factions.  They believe in the power of wealth, trade, and the wisdom of the old nobles.

'''The Merchants Guild'''

Motto: Why make war when you can make money?

Symbol: A gold coin superimposed by two hands shaking each other

The Merchants Guild enforces peaceful and, for the most part, fair trade.  While they have no objection to merchants making as much money as possible, and prefer to leave things to the free market, unscrupulous business practices such as price gouging and embezzlement give them a bad name therefore are stamped out wherever it is found.

'''Church of the Hearth'''

Motto: Everyone deserves a roof over their head

Symbol: A cooking pot over a fireplace

The Church of the Hearth is an influential organization that tries to temper the nation’s selfish impulses and are responsible for many good works and charity.

People of the Forge

Motto: A person can prove themselves not only in deeds, but in the work of their hands.

Symbol: A forge superimposed by tongs

The dwarves are a collection of semi-autonomous clans that primarily live in the mountains.  They have profited well from Nethys, and their goods are sold all over the lands and world.

'''The Old Kingdom'''

Motto: Rulership through wise counsel.

Symbol: A cracked, plain crown

The Old Kingdom is a line of nobles that once ruled Rithys a couple hundred years ago.  After the monarchy of Rithys reigned for generations upon generations, they lost power and influence and a succession of different governments came after them.  The current government has only been around for 50 years, but with The Old Kingdom’s advice and the advice of others the current nation of Rithys has become very successful.

=Rival Faction=

'''The Skeletal Hand'''

Motto: Everything Rithys is rightfully ours!

The Skeletal Hand is led by a group of liches who wish to seize Rithys, by force, if necessary.  Some of them are old, corrupt nobles who turned to lichdom long ago and believe they have a claim to the “throne.”  Their idea of rulership is to periodically elect among themselves a leader of the people that would rule with an iron fist.

=The Portals=

Two months ago, the first portals opened on a full moon.  The month after, the next set of portals opened also on a full moon.  In four more weeks, another set of portals is expected to open coinciding with the next full moon.  Only one portal so far, the one that opened in Bethsada, has shown to be a visible, potential threat.  One portal is in the halfling kingdom of Bethsada the three others are in Rithys.  There may be more portals if anyone wants to be from one not mentioned here.

The Portal in Bethsada (10.22)

This portal must lead to the Abyss, because since it has opened demons have poured out from it and the halfling kingdom of Bethsada has faced ruin.  Crops have failed, soil has become infertile, and many of the halflings pushed out of the kingdom.  Many halflings have fled to Rithys and with the Church of the Hearth’s help have set up comfortable homes throughout the land.  Recently, the Church of the Hearth has convinced the leadership of Rithys to help support the halflings with resources and send adventurers to fight the demons and liberate the halflings’ homes.  But Rithys leadership has so far resisted sending their military there, believing they need not or cannot go that far.

The portal itself is in the Valley of Dirges, a badlands located in the southwest part of the continent next to Bethsada.  When this portal appeared north of the Valley, demons quickly overran the area around the portal and occupied parts of the Badlands, resulting in goblinoids adding their number to the refugees from Bethsada.  Bethesda’s Capital, Farmstruck (05.15) seems to be the center of some kind affliction similarly affecting the nature around the area of the demon portal.  Demons, mostly of the flying variety, have made incursions there but most of the interest of the demons appears to be in Bethsada’s south and in the Valley of the Dirges, where the Singing Stones--stone formations that sing in low notes when wind hits them--are.

The Kingdom of Abenia (20.15)

Not all the portals lead to danger.  This portal has led to trading opportunities.  On the other side is a kingdom of lycanthropes of all sorts who, unlike certain evil-aligned lycanthropes of Rithys, have shown to be good-natured.

Two Unknown Portals (19.08 and 19.22)

These most recently opened as of two weeks ago.  An adventuring party went through one portal (19.08) two weeks ago and never came back.  The other portal (19.22) has had adventurers sent through it but they either never came back or fled back through the portal to Rithys reporting wild, dangerous monsters and wildlife they couldn’t handle.  Only a 1-mile circumference around the portal has been mapped.

Notable Settlements

The continent of Bakir is divided into two kingdoms, Bethsada in the west and Rithys in the east.  The Battleforged Mountains divide the two kingdoms.  In the center is a vast, natural forested pass where the mountains have smoothed and sunk to the ground.  This is the pass that links the two kingdoms together.  South of Bakir is another continent, Corinym.

Profett (24.18)

This is a city of 25,500 and is known as the Jewel of Rithys.  Trade from Rithys is centered here and among the three cities connected to it.

Korb and Baranwood (10.15 and 18.15)

Before the portals, this was the heaviest travelled road for merchants and traders.  Several towns dot the landscape.  Now, this forest has become the temporary home to many halflings and others from Bethsada who, with the help of the Church of the Hearth and Rithys, have tried to put their worries behind them.

Forgehome (10.11)

A lot of the dwarves that make up the People of the Forge faction are in the northern mountains that Forgehome is nestled in.  For the best weapons and armor, Forgehome is the best place to buy.