Setting: Isoria's Legacy

[Pyroconstruct]

This setting is linked to a reworking of the SRD: see http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3237318#post3237318

This may take up quite a few posts, as it's quite a lot of setting.

The official name of this setting is “Isoria’s Legacy.” Note that the world itself has no “official” name – most people just call it “Earth,” “the world,” or something similar.

Overview


Isoria’s Legacy describes a world caught at an important turning point in its history. After a long period of decay and stagnation, magic has recently been re-examined as a science and the effects of this change are still being felt throughout the world. The result has been to suddenly push the human/elven nations, the Elbarans, to becoming a world-spanning empire, and other races across the world have begun to feel the effects of their expansion as the globe begins to shrink.

Isoria’s Legacy is not, per se, a game setting about changing the world – the world is changing already. Instead, it’s about how your characters fit into, affect, and are affected by the changes. It’s a new world where you can have a significant impact on the new equilibrium that results, or be destroyed by either relics of the old world or the growth of the new empire.

Major themes of Isoria’s Legacy include (but are not limited to): Magic as a science, the effect of alignment on politics, empire-building, colonialism, and paradigm shift.


Calendar

The campaign begins in March 3rd, St. Salva’s Year 2998, by the Eldaran calendar. This calendar counts back to St. Salva’s Year 1, then goes to Vaals’s Year 1 and counts back.

The Dwarven calendar is Founding Year 10,321. “Negative” dwarven years are Before Founding.

Gnomes always count backwards from the present day – they don’t think in terms of what year it currently is. It’s always “the present,” and past events are dated in terms of how many years ago they were.

Drow years are Isorian Years, currently 25,998.

No other (listed) races have formal calendar systems.


Major Races

Note that, just because it’s not listed, doesn’t mean it’s not present or not important – this is just the major, well known races. The exceptions are the monsters missing from the SRD. Except for Illithids, Slaadi, and Beholders, none of those monsters are extant in Isoria’s Legacy. These are:

gauth
carrion crawler
displacer beast
githyanki
githzerai
kuo-toa
umber hulk
yuan-ti

Also, because Psionics is not used in Isoria’s Legacy, psionic monsters always use the “magical” version. People still refer to “Psionics,” but it’s not actually different from spell-like abilities.

Other races in the SRD probably exist somewhere, although their whereabouts might not be well-known.

A * indicates that the race might be playable as a PC, but has limited available character concepts. ** indicates that this race has some serious limitations as a PC, but can be played if the player is willing to accept those limitations and work over the character very carefully with the GM. *** indicates a strict ban on being used as a player character.



Humans
Same statistics as core humans. Humans come from Korthane Island and Sarland, but are now common all over Western Elbar. Humans have become more mobile recently, and travelers can now be found all throughout the world.

Humans and Elves are fairly heavily interbred, and pure-blood humans are actually moderately uncommon (about 10% of the overall “human” population). Characters with a small amount (less than 25%) elf heritage and the rest human are considered humans for mechanical purposes, and have minor elf-like traits (slightly pointed ears, odd hair coloring, slightly taller and thinner, etc).

Most people don’t think of “pure” humans and humans with some elf heritage as different races, and generally see humans and elves as closely connected. The typical term to refer collectively to humans and surface elves is Elbarans, but before the fall of the Empire the term Isorians was more common.

Humans add +1d12 to their height instead of +2d10, and use normal human weight multipliers. Human age categories are at 35/45/55 and max age is +4d20-20. Starting age is normal.

Humans comprise about 45% of the population of the mixed human-elf nations.



Humankin

Humankin have at least 25% but no more than 75% elf heritage, the rest human. Humankin have the game statistics and general appearance of Half-Elves. Humankin are generally considered a separate type of person from Humans, but not exactly a separate race.

Humankin use the age statistics of core half-elves.

Humankin use human height modifiers, but with a x1d8 weight multiplier.

Humankin are quite common, composing about 45% of the mixed human-elf nations.

Elfkin

Elfkin are more than 75% elf heritage, but have at least some human heritage. They have the game statistics of core Elves.

Elfkin have Adulthood at 30 years, +1d10/2d10/3d10 for starting age, 93/125/166 age brackets, and +4d20 years for maximum age.

Elfkin have base height of 5’2” with +2d10 height, and x1d6 weight modifier, with 120 lb base weight.

Elfkin are rare, composing about 10% of the mixed human-elf nations.

True Elves
True Elves are pure-blooded elf, with no human ancestors. They are referred to as True Elves to distinguish them from core elves, but most people just call them Elves.

Elves are very rare (other than Drow elves), and compose well under a percent of the population of the mixed human-elf nations. In those nations they are almost all hereditary nobles, and many positions of power are held by True Elf families that can trace their heritage to back before the fall of the Isorian Empire.

True Elves have base height of 5’4” with +2d12 height, and weight modifier x1d3, base weight 120 lbs. Elfkin use the core Elf statistics for age.

There were originally 3 major clans of elves (more like ethnic groups than separate races) – the Soranii, the Fyllfan, and the Drow.

***The Fyllfan are completely extinct – no fullblooded Fyllfan still exist anywhere. Fyllfan had bronze colored skin and bright metallic-colored hair, with black eyes. There are plenty of humans, humankin, and elfkin with Fyllfan heritage, however. The Fyllfan were magically powerful, and many Fyllfan (and thus many of their descendants) have sorcerous potential.

*The Soranii are still around, and comprise most of the nobility of the human-elven nations. Soranii have pale white skin, black, brown, or red hair, and pale blue or green eyes. A moderate amount of Soranii have sorcerous potential, but not as many as the Fyllfan. The major families tend to have Romanesque given names and Greek family names from Old Elf.

**The Drow retreated underground as the Isorian Empire fell. Drow have solid black skin, bright purple, red, or blue eyes, and white hair. Drow live only in the Underdark, and hate humans and other elves, blaming them for the fall of the Empire. Drow interbred with humans much less than the other elves, and typically ostracized the elfkin and humankin that descended from unions between Drow and humans. However, some with mixed Drow ancestry still exist.

There are also a moderate amount of True Elves with ancestry mixed between the two clans, and many humankin and elfkin have ancestors from more than one elf clan.

True Elves have the following game statistics:


Abilities: +2 Dex, -4 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha
Medium size
30 feet speed
Immune to sleep, +2 vs. enchantment
Low-light Vision
Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
Favored Class: Bard OR Wizard OR Sorcerer.


True Elves have Level Adjustment +0: Their abilities are only slightly more useful than a standard elf (elfkin), and -4 Con is a harsh modifier for an adventurer. Remember that Soranii are very rare, and Drow are not welcome on the surface world.



Dwarves
Dwarves are only native to Kunai. Until St. Salva’s Year 2927 (Founding Year 10,321 by the Dwarven calendar) the Dwarves had no contact with humans or Elves. The Dwarves live in clans: Kugo, Tavege, Jionmyo, Ditzra, Obno, Kystrun, and Pana. Dwarven society is very traditional and unchanging, and focused on loyalty to the clan and to Dwarvenkind. Dwarven names use a naming system similar to medieval Japan.

The Jionmyo clan has a small number of sorcerors, and most other clans have almost no members with sorcerous abilities. Dwarves never invented wizardry, but they are fully capable of being wizards after being taught by humans. However, only younger generations of dwarves have had the ability to train as wizards, and only the Jionmyo clan has made training wizards a priority.

Dwarves have fought with trolls as far back as they have written records, and bear endless hatred for them. The majority of dwarves have at least one family member who has been killed by a troll, and dwarves will either attack trolls immediately or run for help.

Dwarves have encountered goblins and kobolds underground, and have, over time, established control of a large section of the Upperdark. The kobolds and goblins resent the dwarves, and the dwarves disdain the savage humanoids, but there are few major battles in the modern days. The drow and dwarves have a general idea of each other’s presence through rumors passed along by goblins, but neither group has any interest in the other thus far.

Dwarves receive +1 to hit goblins, kobolds, and trolls, rather than all goblinoids and orcs. In addition, dwarves inflict +1 damage per hit with weapons or unarmed attacks against trolls, and trolls save at -1 DC against hostile spells cast by dwarves.

The dwarven dodge bonus against giants is unchanged – dwarves practice fighting trolls more than other giant types, but the same general principles apply.


Gnomes
Gnomes live on the border between the Upperdark and the Underdark all throughout the world. They are defensive, but not hostile to other races, and have many high-level spellcasters.

Gnomes know of the Drow, but they have so far maintained a mutual policy of noninterference, since they don’t interfere with each other’s goals. Gnomes are, however, hostile to the goblins, kobolds, and many other dangerous underground denizens, but they are more interested in holding their cities and trading than in expansion.

Gnomes have great proficiency in mining, prospecting, metalcrafting, jewelcutting, and other similar skills, and since they encountered human explorers in St. Salva’s Year 2915 have begun exchanging items with humans and elves. There has been some tension between gnomes and drow of late as a result – the Drow are concerned about the gnomes providing the humans with well-crafted metal weapons, but aren’t quite prepared to openly attack the gnomes to prevent it.

Halflings
Halflings come from the Land of Giants (Homeland, in their language) and the surrounding islands. The Halflings lived in a variety of tribal groups, kingdoms, and confederations on the western and nothern border of the Land of Giants, and on the islands.

Large numbers of Halflings were enslaved by the human nations in the last few hundred years, especially the islander Halflings, but a number of the larger and stronger nations and confederations were able to resist encroachment. Since then, many of the Halflings have assimilated into human society after being given or purchasing their freedom, and others have become used to living as a servant class. Others remain enslaved and discontented, or have escaped and hidden, and still more remain in their native land.

*Orcs
In days gone by, the orcish tribes outnumbered all the other races in Slazngroth, and the orcs were strong enough to bring down the Isorian Empire. However, their society (never stable to begin with) itself collapsed as a result of the ancient war, and the orcs are but a shadow of what they once were.

Orcs live largely in middle and middle-east Elbar in disorganize and scattered tribes, occupying some of their traditional lands and some former Isorian lands. The orcs don’t have a clear idea of the nature of the surrounding nations, or even how many other orcs there are, and are generally hostile to non-orcs.

Half-orcs
Half-orcs are, obviously enough, part human and part orc. There aren’t too many half-orcs, and some are raised human, some orc. Most humans and elves hold a strong prejudice towards orcs and half-orcs, but not to the point where half-orcs are killed or persecuted on sight.


*Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk live in tribes and confederations of tribes all through Northeast and South New Elbar, except for the deserts and mountains. The Lizardfolk simply weren’t prepared for the technology and magic of the Elbarans, and have been pushed back, conquered, and killed all throughout their territory ever since the Elbarans first encountered them in St. Salva’s Year 2910. Lizardfolk didn’t have any knowledge of wizardry, and have few sorcerers and only a small number of the clerics of the Water Lord, and used weapons and armor made from bone, stone, and animal hides.

Lizardfolk have an ECL of +2.


*Centaurs
Native to the immense plains in Northwest New Elbar, the Centaur heard from Lizardfolk on the border of their lands about the Elbarans, and were more prepared for the Elbarans. The Centaurs allied their various tribes, gathering the major leaders into a council, and met the Eldarans with diplomatic delegations and threat of force when they finally met in St. Salva’s Year 2996.

The Centaur, like the Lizardfolk, were without wizards and had only a small number of clerics of the Earth Lord and the Air Lord; however, thus far they have managed to present a strong enough front that no Eldaran nation alone was willing to start a war; however, all of the Eldaran nations have been steadily encroaching on Centaur lands, spying on the Centaur, and in some cases secretly undermining the Centaur alliance, along with (thus far largely unsuccessful) attempts to convert the Centaur to worship of Vaals. The Centaur have yet to make a forceful response, but some factions have called for open war with the humans.

Centaur are as in the SRD; however, they are Often Chaotic Neutral rather than Usually Neutral, and do not have either an Intelligence penalty or a Wisdom bonus. Centaurs have Favored Class: Barbarian.

Centaurs have a total ECL of 5.

Centaurs may take Spirited Charge to enhance their base special ability to inflict double damage with lances to inflicting double damage with all weapons while charging, and triple damage while charging with lances. Note that (as with all such modifiers), only the first hit on each round receives a multiplier. Centaurs may take Spirited Charge if they have Spring Attack, instead of needing Ride, Mounted Combat, and Ride-By Attack.


*Ogres, Giants and Giant-Kin
These races (ie, frost giants, fire giants, ettin, ogres, ogre magi, etc) live in scattered groups controlled by powerful individuals on the inner part of the Land of Giants (spread out as appropriate to their native terrain). After setting up bases within Halfling lands, the Elbarans began exploring the lands held by Giant tribes. While the Elbarans had some success in trading and fighting with the giants, the size and power of the giant clans stalled them and the giants quickly collected into alliances. Some giants and giant-kin have found their way outside of the Land of Giants, as slaves, travelers, outcasts, or traitors.

*Trolls
Trolls used to cover the land of Kunai in ages past, and fought fiercely with the dwarves. However, since the alliance of the clans 10,000 years ago, the dwarves successfully fought off the predatory trolls and even pushed them further and further back. Now, the trolls have been pushed back from the dwarven settlements, and are forced to live in the wild and untamed parts of the Kunai islands. The trolls simply weren’t smart enough to organize themselves as the dwarves did, and their numbers have been steadily declining as the dwarven tactics have improved while the trolls retreated or died.

Trolls hate dwarves as much as dwarves hate them, and are constantly fighting with the dwarven clans. Because the trolls have been forced into smaller and smaller areas over time, they are beginning to send out more raiding parties, attacking dwarven settlements, farms, trade routes, and anything else they can find. However, they have no central leadership and little ability to plan their attacks.

Trolls are considered parasites and monsters by the dwarves, and are killed on sight. However, humans have occasionally captured troll prisoners for various reasons, and the occasional troll has managed to bargain a trip off of the islands, and away from the dwarves, in return for treasure or service.


**Dragons
Dragons are native to, unsurprisingly, the Dragon Islands. Their history goes back far, far before the rise of other civilizations, and they have always been peripherally involved in (but rarely central to) other cultures. While dragons are fully capable of leaving the Dragon Islands, most of them choose to simply remain in place – or at most, venture out for sport or in search of treasure.

However, since the appearance of humanoid civilization, a number of dragons have chosen to live closer to them – either to prey on them, advise them, watch them, or simply out of curiosity. Of course, this means that some young dragons are born away from the Dragon Islands, although all of them are expected to return to their ancestral home at least on occasion.


**Hobgoblins
Hobgoblins are the one and only true empire in Slazngroth – the only monsters smart and organized enough to put together a military power capable of rivaling the Elbarans. The Elbarans took quite a while to realize that unlike orcs, bugbears, and other monsters, the Hobgoblins represented a united power capable of challenging them. The Hobgoblins have already begun bringing the “lesser races” of Slazngroth under their heel, and have agreed with the Elbarans to a neutral zone into which neither race will expand.

Although the Elbarans and Hobgoblins mutually dislike each other, neither side is willing to be the first to start a war. The Hobgoblin empire is stronger than any two Elbaran nations, and they all know that the first to begin a war with the Hobgoblins will suffer the most casualties, and be in turn annexed by the other nations. The Hobgoblins, for their part, know that if they start a war, the Elbarans won’t be foolish enough to let themselves be taken apart one at a time. Thus, both sides plot and wait, hoping to turn the situation to their advantage.

Hobgoblins didn’t learn wizardry on their own, but during the period between contact with the Elbarans and the Elbaran realization of how serious a threat they were, they managed to steal the basics and have already trained many wizards of their own.


**Goblins
The Goblins inhabit the lower Upperdark. They have fought with nearly every other race within their reach (the kobolds, surface-dwellers throughout the world, drow, and other underground races) for land, food, and treasure, but with little success. Goblins live in scattered tribes ruled by strength, and pose a danger mainly because of their ability to surprise and swarm the unwary.


**Kobolds
Kobolds inhabit the lower Upperdark and the surface world, and used to survive by raiding isolated settlements of surface-dwellers. However, as the surface dwellers have become more civilized and better at preparing for assault, the kobolds have begun to decline. Kobolds living in and under human and dwarven lands are in serious decline, and the majority of kobolds living in Slazngroth are thralls of the Hobgoblins. Note that Kobolds do not worship Io; they worship the Earth God.

**Scorpionfolk
Scorpionfolk live in the vast deserts of South New Elbar. They don’t go out, and anyone who goes in gets attacked and usually killed. Nobody besides the Scorpionfolk has a clear idea of what motivates them, what (if anything) they are guarding, what gods they worship (if any), or how their civilization works. The Elbaran states aren’t making the scorpionfolk a priority simply because of how dangerous they are, but all of them have been quietly hiring adventurers to explore and report back.

There are all sorts of rumors about what lies in the sands guarded by scorpionfolk. Some speak of a vast but accursed treasure, others of Old Elven ruins, and a few of a darkness buried beneath the earth that the Scorpionfolk worship as a god.

Classes of Creatures

(*, **, *** depending on type) Undead
Undead exist all throughout the world, in various forms. However, take note of Death’s Door under Lands, below. Note that creatures lacking an INT score cannot have alignments other than True Neutral in Isoria’s Legacy.

(*, **, *** depending on type) Weird Magical Creatures
There are quite a lot of monsters that simply make no sense and should probably not exist (gelatinous cubes, for example, which are apparently perfectly evolved to fit dungeon corridors). These things nonetheless do exist. The general consensus is that if it shouldn’t be, it probably had to do with the magical experiments that were done in the heyday of the Isorian empire.

(** or *** depending on type) Outsiders and Elementals
Note that the cosmology of Isoria’s Legacy is different from standard cosmology. In short, the major change is that outsiders do not have ability to communicate directly with divine beings any more than mortals can. They are idealizations of alignments or creatures of the elements – nothing less and nothing more.

Because of this, outsiders may (but do not need to) serve a Patron. This works precisely the same way that mortals may serve a patron, and just like mortals Outsiders may level in cleric, paladin, or other divine spellcasting classes.

Generally speaking, nonevil outsiders tend not to get involved in the theological debates of mortals, and are much less willing to use violence on nonevil creatures in the name of good. However, this is the trend, not the rule.

Evil outsiders, of course, spend plenty of time “getting involved in the theological debates of mortals,” so to speak. They have also been known to impersonate divine powers.

Sufficiently powerful evil outsiders (ie, unique ones more powerful than the standard pit fiend or balor) can pretend to be a divine power. They may “fake” any deity stat bloc they choose. The exact difference between worshipping an evil outsider and worshipping a deity is not entirely clear, although of course evil outsiders may prompt nonevil followers to cause indirect harm.

In general, mortals who worship evil outsiders, knowingly or not, are considered horrible people and are killed on sight. Even most evil mortals dislike and distrust demon worshippers, and all priests of actual deities (including evil ones) hate demon worshippers.

Divine spellcasters who knowingly gain their powers from demons are considered (**) to play, and are known by names such as Warlocks, Witches, or Demoniacs.

(*, **, or *** depending on type)Evil Humanoids
Evil humanoids that aren’t mentioned specifically (for example, bugbears) are native to East Slazngroth, but don’t have a strong enough presence to compete with the Hobgoblins for dominance. Many tribes of humanoids now serve the Hobgoblins, but many others roam free, live in the neutral zone, or have ventured into human lands to avoid becoming slaves of the Hobgoblins.


**Mind Flayers
Mind Flayers are one of two major powers in the Underdark (the Drow are the other). Their goals are simple – enslavement of all other beings. As a result, they have poor diplomatic relations with everyone else. On the other hand, the mind flayers are a force to be reckoned with, and nobody really wants to spearhead the effort to wipe them out.

[Pyroconstruct]

Classes in the World

This section just covers a few classes whose roles are unusual in Isoria’s Legacy or who don’t at first appear to fit in.

Bards are not always called “Bards,” they might call themselves Sages, Adventurers, etc. instead. In addition to their role as performers, bards are often familiar with ancient lost knowledge, and Bardic Lore includes things like recognizing old fables, knowing about almost-forgotten epic poems, and the like.

Druids MUST have a patron deity. See the list below for which deities sponsor druids. Druids represent a different tradition of divine magic based more on nature and the natural world, and less on organized worship. Unlike clerics, druids are not expected to try to convert others, or to use their spells to advance human causes. Druids vary by the deity they serve just as widely as clerics. Two druids of different deities might well be enemies. Note that there is no “Druidic” language.

Fighters are distinguished from Warriors in Isoria’s legacy by whether or not they have been formally trained in combat. Thus, professional soldiers will typically be fighters, whereas conscripts or those who just picked it up on their own will be warriors. Exceptional characters (including all PCs) can become fighters without formal training, but ordinary people can’t.

Monk: There are several traditions of monks. Dwarven monks are more like the traditional eastern monks, but they still follow the standard dwarven religion. Elbaran monks instead resemble western monks, except that they have martial arts abilities that western monks did not study (the same way that clerics cast spells, whereas “real world” priests did not). Note that female dwarven monks are just called monks, whereas female Elbaran monks are called nuns. Other races do not have monk traditions, but exceptional individuals who study martial arts (ie, all PCs and occasional NPCs) can still acquire the monk class on their own.

Paladin: Note that while paladins vary widely, they do recognize all other paladins as their brothers – even those from different races or pantheons. They may still view them as misguided or rivals (for example, a paladin of St. Cayl and a paladin of St. Salva will dislike each other), but never enemies.

Because of their strict moral code and their dedication to serving their god before their nation, Elbaran paladins will rarely belong to the military (the exception being Tace). They typically operate as part of their church, and while they may work with the official army they are not often part of it. For this reason, many people have come to see paladins as antiquated, or as relics of a past age, since in the modern world the Elbaran nations’ chief rivals are each other. The paladins, of course, see the modern world becoming increasingly corrupt and consider their role more important than ever.


Sorcerers in Elbar were at one point feared and distrusted, but this is no longer the case. Only very old sorcerers (at least 450 years old) would remember the time when they were persecuted.


Wizards cannot be trained just anywhere: wizardry was rediscovered in Elbar about 450 years ago, and has only recently spread to other civilized nations. This means that many nations have either no or very few wizards. The Drow nations, dragons, and Illithids have separate traditions of wizardry (or in the case of the Drow, never forgot what the Elbarans rediscovered). Wizard PCs who are not from Elbar should make sure to figure out where and how their character learned wizardry.


Alignment

Isoria’s Legacy uses Intent-based Morality, and the majority of people in the world have a clear idea of how the alignment system works. Thus, people understand that sometimes a good-aligned person will do something wrong and have to be stopped (for example, they might be misguided, crazy, or just stupid). This means that in Isoria’s Legacy, good people and nations will sometimes fight each other.

Note that creatures without an INT score cannot, by definition, have intentions, and are thus always True Neutral (this changes mindless undead from Neutral Evil to True Neutral).


Views on Magic

Although in the past of Elbar, especially the dark ages, magic was viewed as a mystery or a dangerous and uncontrollable force, in the modern world most Elbarans view magic as a science – something that can be studied and understood by anyone smart and dedicated enough. People in the world who have the appropriate skill (Knowledge: Arcana) will know about the “meta-rules” of magic; ie, they will understand the idea of spell levels, how metamagic works, how to measure ESL, and so on.


Although the idea of looking at magic as scientific came about through wizardry (because anyone with an INT score of at least 10 and willingness to study can be a wizard, whereas being a sorcerer or bard takes potential and being a divine spellcaster takes faith), people have quickly realized that the same principles apply to other spellcasters as well.

In other words, people in Isoria’s Legacy will call a “+1 vorpal sword” a “level 1 vorpal sword” not a “mighty magical blade that can slice off a man’s head,” provided that they have the appropriate knowledge of how magic items work. They will generally call things appropriate names similar to the actual name, except when the actual name refers to a pure abstraction. For example, “+” bonuses on magic items are referred to by level (as in the +1 vorpal sword example above). Similarly, common people aren’t ignorant of basic knowledge, like that magic-users can change their shape, create illusions, or disguise lead as gold, although they might have unclear ideas of exactly how these effects work.

Note that everything described here reflects the modern way of looking at magic – this was not the case during the Dark Ages of Elbar and is still not the case in most other nations. The Old Elves (including the Drow) looked at magic as just another skill of life, not inherently different from metalworking or carpentry. Illithid and Dragons have their own views on magic, but they aren’t readily accessible to other races.


Death and the Afterlife

When something with a soul dies in Isoria’s legacy, the soul lingers for (CR – 1) days for creatures of CR at least 2, (Constitution score/2, minimum 1) hours for creatures of CR 1, and 1 round for creatures of CR less than 1. During this time, spells that resurrect, contact, or otherwise involve their spirits work. Any successful resurrection resets this timer (ie, you do not permanently lose “afterlife waiting time” by being killed and resurrected). After this time, their spirits are gone forever and cannot be invoked by anything short of direct divine intervention.

Note that this includes Dwarven ancestor spirits; however, the “collective ancestry” is considered a deity, and thus might use the spirits as divine messengers. However, dead dwarves still cannot be contacted directly via mortal magic.

Anyone that is contacted after death, restored to life, etc. has no memories of what happened between their death and their return at all.

Undead interact somewhat oddly with this system. Being raised as a non-intelligent undead has no effect at all on what happens to your soul. For example, a 17th level fighter dies on January 1st. On January 10th, he is raised as a zombie. His soul still passes on, on January 17th, exactly as if he had not been raised. Killing him as a zombie has no effect on this. If he is resurrected on January 16th, he returns to life with no memory of having been a zombie or what the afterlife was like.

Being either 1) raised as a sentient undead or 2) afflicted with an ability that will raise one as a sentient undead after a fixed period of time, stops and fully resets the countdown to soul passage until the character is either permanently destroyed as an undead, or prevented from rising, at which point the timer restarts.

Example 1
Three kobolds, Lok, Surx, and Kas, fight a Bodak. The Bodak kills Lok with a slam attack and Surx with Death Gaze. Lok’s soul passes on one round after he dies (he has CR less than 1). Surx and Kas’s soul do not pass on, since they will be raised as Bodaks after 1 day.

Surx’s body is burned by a passing fire elemental before he rises. This prevents him from rising as a Bodak – his soul is released after 1 round.

After a day, Kas rises as a Bodak. Kas is now a Bodak like any other. If he is killed, his soul now lingers for 7 days (because his CR has increased).


Example 2
Morin, a 10th-level wizard, is killed by a bugbear. His soul will linger for 9 days. 5 days pass, and then Morin is animated as a ghoul by a passing necromancer. Morin is now a CR 1 ghoul. He is killed, and his soul will linger for 1 hour (con/2, minimum 1, since ghouls have – con). Thirty minutes later, Morin is resurrected. He returns to life as a 10th-level wizard, and he remembers his life and his time as a ghoul, but not the time he was dead and not animated as a human or destroyed as a ghoul. Morin is killed again, and after 9 days pass, his soul is gone permanently.




Cosmology

Cosmology in Isoria’s Legacy is nonstandard.

There are no known alternate Material Planes.

The Astral plane works normally for the purposes of spells that use it, but does not contain anything at all “native” to it – no dead or living gods, githyanki, githzerai, etc. Only objects that were moved from other planes can be found in the Astral Plane. Creatures may reside there, but none are native. Creatures from other planes can travel to the astral, but typically have little reason to stay. There are portals to other accessible planes here, but not to inaccessible ones (ie, the Astral plane cannot take you to the home of Vaals or the afterlife, but it can take you to the Aligned planes or the Elemental planes.).

Ether planes correspond to the Ethereal Plane and work normally, but they “coexist” with all other known planes. That is to say, every plane has its own ether plane, and that ether plane does not connect to other ether planes. When something says “the ethereal plane,” assume it means “the ethereal plane connected to the plane you’re on.” Ether planes do NOT connect to other Ether planes or with any plane other than the coexistant plan and the Astral plane.

The Plane of Shadow only connects with the Astral plane and the material plane. It has no connection to any other place and ergo cannot be accessed when not on either the material or astral planes, ie, spells such as shadow conjuration/evocation, shades, shadow walk, etc. do not work on those planes. Note that shadowdancers do not directly manipulate the Plane of Shadow, although their shadow companions might be native to the Plane of Shadow.

The Elemental planes (Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Positive, and Negative) are connected to the Astral plane, and each other (but not directly to the material plane, only via the Astral). The only four elemental gods live on their respective planes; no known divine being live in the Positive or Negative Elemental Planes. The elemental planes are 5-dimensional; the first four dimensions are the four physical elements (note that this means, for example, water is not opposed to fire – in fact the two planes connect) and the fifth is the positive/negative axis.

Geography on the Elemental Planes makes no sense – they all appear to be three-dimensional worlds of their own, and are seemingly infinite, but anyone with the appropriate ability to navigate (Knowledge: The Planes) can find borders between an elemental plane and any other (except for the Positive/Negative, which is actually one plane with two poles, each pole also being seemingly infinite in area but still crossable with Knowledge: The Planes). Typically, finding borders is a DC 20 Knowledge: The Planes check and takes 1 month, cut in half for every 2 points the check is made by.

There are nine Aligned planes – one for each alignment. They are similar to the standard-cosmology planes of a given alignment, except that deities do NOT reside on them and are no more likely to manifest on Aligned planes than anywhere else. The aligned planes connect to the Astral plane and to adjacent alignment planes – ie, the LG plane connects to the NG and LN planes. They are inhabited by extraplanar beings of the appropriate alignment.

Souls that have not yet passed on are material plane trapped in their bodies. Those that become a type of undead may change planes (for example, a ghost will go to the ethereal plane). There is presumably some location to which souls travel when they pass beyond, but it isn’t known, and cannot be accessed by anything other than divine power.

Similarly, there is, presumably, a location where gods (other than the elemental powers) reside, but it isn’t known and they can’t be directly contacted.

Note that as a result of this, it is not possible to directly contact a deity. Instead, spells that would contact deities instead contact extraplanar beings from an appropriate plane. For example, contact other plane does not contact Outer Planes deities; instead, it contacts Aligned Planes inhabitants. Likewise, commune contacts an extraplanar being of your deity’s alignment.

Note that, while the gods are capable of interfering directly in the material plane, they do so VERY rarely. Rare dream visions given to very important clerics, and (in the case of the loa gods) speaking while possessing a loa cleric are the only manifestations of divine power that any character should expect to see.



Languages

There are no common or trade languages in Isoria’s Legacy. Ignore all the information about “bonus languages” and the like. A character can choose any language for their bonus language that they might reasonably speak. Also ignore the “Druidic” language.

Characters get “bonus languages” as follows. All characters start play speaking one language (their native langague), and get one bonus language, plus one more bonus language per point of INT bonus (this cannot subtract languages for a low INT score). Every 5th level (5th, 10th, 15th, 20th) they get another bonus language. Unlike most level-based acquisitions, bonus languages can be “saved” and learned later. It takes time and effort to learn a language as an adult, and thus most characters (ie, NPCs) only speak one language. If a character has spent time practicing a language as they level, they can acquire it immediately; if not, they have to train. The skill Bluff is used to mimic or remove an accent, and Sense Motive is used to detect accents that are hidden or faked. Note that you can still buy languages normally with Speak Language.

Each race listed under “Races” (other than the “collections” such as “Weird Magical Creatures,” “Undead,” etc) above, has its own unique language, distinct from others. Races not listed (other than savage humanoids from Slazngroth) speak languages as listed in the SRD. There may be different accents in different tribes, but they can still communicate. Be aware that races that speak the same language in core D&D may not in Isoria’s Legacy; for example, Goblins and Bugbears have separate languages. Exceptions are listed below, as are dead languages.

The Isorian nations have different languages (Lormish, Tacen, Korthanian, Kaskannian, and Igalian).

Old Elvish is spoken by Drow, and is mostly a dead language on the surface world, but it is still spoken by True Elves. Most other surface-worlders don’t know Old Elvish, so it’s mostly used by scholars (reading old documents), and at courts.

Old Korthane was originally spoken by humans. Some humans on Sarland Island still speak Old Korthane, but it is for the most part a dead language.

All chromatic and metallic dragons speak Draconic.

All creatures with the Giant type native to the Land of Giants speak Giant, and Titans also speak Giant in addition to the other listed languages.

Terran, Ignan, Auran, Aquan, Celestial, Infernal, and Sylvan are all used “as is.” In addition, Axiomatic and Anarchic are the lawful and chaotic alignment languages, and follow the same guidelines.

“The language of the lost empire” was spoken by the extinct race that once occupied New Elbar. It is a dead language, but thanks to magical translation scholars can still learn it.

All Slazngroth humanoids speak different languages unique to their race. IE, Ettercaps speak Ettercap, not Common.


Money

The value of currency is based on weight of precious metals. There may be some places that don’t follow this standard but they are the exception, not the norm. Coinage may come from different places, and may look different, but the standard cp/sp/gp is still used. Your 50gp may in fact be a 4 10-gp gold coins, 9 1-gp gold coins, and 10 .1-gp gold coins, but the important thing is that it’s made out of gold and is currency.

[Pyroconstruct]

Lands

The CR range listed indicates typical CR of an unexpected encounter within that area. Thus, higher CR areas are more dangerous to wander through, and lower CR areas less. Note that, just because a monster’s CR doesn’t fit into the range doesn’t mean it can’t live there – it just means that it isn’t typical. For example, a high-CR dragon might show up in the Burrowlands – but it’s more likely that a group of adventurers wandering there will run into less dangerous monsters, such as Darkmantles, a Delver, a Destrachan, or other low-CR monsters native to mountains or underground whose names start with “D.”

Also, the typical CR range reflects the way that sentient creatures will organize themselves. For example, Ogres will rarely be found alone in the Giantlands (because the low end CR is 12) – they rove in large bands led by leaders with character classes. Hill Giants similarly travel in groups for protection, or can be expected to have character classes. Titans, on the other hand, can often be found alone.

The Dragon Islands

Leader: None
Political Structure: Anarchy
Alignment: Strongly varied
Races: [very light population] Dragons (dominant), [heavy population] various strange sentient monsters, [light population] varied humanoids (thralls).
Language: Draconic
Typical CR Range: 15-25
Religion: Io
Naming Structure: Draconic names are extremely long, composed of a combination of syllables that seem arbitrary to humans, and generally involve many “k” and “x” sounds. The length of a name denotes the age of a dragon; thus, a hatchling’s name will be only one syllable (for example, Kzri, Anox, Kax, etc), whereas an adult dragon might have a name like Anox’lak’zirk’forlik’tak’nok’xal’kanz. Draconic followers are given “hatchling” names.

In addition, dragons, especially older ones, will often take a “common” name that is more pronounceable by “lesser” races. These names can be anything, but dragons favor grand-sounding names. Examples include Nidhogg, Hindel, Gorehowl, Tiamat, Harbinger, Jormungandr, Crystalheart, Leviathan, Zohak, Fafnir, Infernis, Mordiford, Delphyne, Frostreaver, Grafvitnir, Ahriman, Apophis, and Ouroboros.

Description: The Dragon Islands are the ancestral home of Dragonkind. The dragons have no central government or authority, nor do they desire one, although they are capable of acting with some level of coordination if needed. For the most part, they keep to themselves and then to their color.

Many dragons have humanoid followers, with various relatioinships to their masters (some dragons consider them slaves, others consider them wards, and others friends and companions). The humanoids have accrued over the years from followers brought over by the dragons, and are heavily dependant on the dragons for protection from the dangerous wildlife.

The dragon islands are colored .

The dragon islands do not have any cities.

The climate and terrain of the Dragon Islands is extremely varied – more so than would normally be possible. Some areas are extremely cold or temperate despite their location near the equator; other areas contain deserts that swiftly become lush tropical forests only to later become frozen tundra. The climate and terrain are simply not natural, and cannot be mapped because of the small size of many of the unusual areas.

Death’s Door

Leader: ?
Political Structure: ?
Alignment: ? (Probably evil)
Races: [ultra-dense population] Undead of various types
Language:?
Naming Structure:?
Religion:?
Typical CR Range: 19-25
Description: Nobody is quite sure what is in Death’s Door, and thus far nobody has managed to come back. What is known is that powerful magic guards the place, and attempts to pry with teleport, scrying, and similar magics often go horribly wrong. More than one adventuring party has been met with hordes of undead and a dimension lock field that spelled their doom, and wizards who carelessly scry into Death’s Door have a way of mysteriously vanishing.

Entry through the Underdark might in theory be possible, but thus far nobody has wanted to try, since it would involve going right through lands held by the Drow.

What little has been seen suggests Old Elven architecture, but in ruins. This means that as dangerous as Death’s Door is, there are still plenty of individuals who are very interested in unraveling its mysteries.

Death’s Door is apparently a wasteland – little grows or lives there besides parasites and the occasional sickly weed. Death’s Door has many ruined cities all across its landscape, but the location of any actual “living” cities is unclear.

Death’s Door is colored .


The Land of Giants

Leader: Chief-of-Chiefs Ananis of the Titans
Political Structure: Loosely confederated tribes
Alignment: Varies
Races: [Heavy population] Titans, assorted giants, ogres (exact numbers unclear)
Language:Giant
Religion: Loa
Naming Structure: Giant names correspond to African names, and vary widely by tribe (just as African names vary widely over the continent).
Typical CR Range: 12-21
Description: The Land of Giants is a wild, untamed land full of crashing and conflicting elements, and of course giants – both humanoids and immense monsters and animals. Giants live in wandering tribes, often fighting among each other, but they have an age-old tradition of the Council of Chieftains. If one tribal chief from each race (note that it can be the chief of any tribe) meets in a council and the council unanimously agrees to call a Giant-meet, the tribes must all cease fighting each other and come to council. Such Giant-meets are rare events, but one was called at the beginning of the war between the giants and Elbar.

The Land of Giants is colored .

The Land of Giants has no cities. Some giant clans live in communities, but they largest are of a hundred giants or so, and most have more like thirty.

The Land of Giants, like the Dragon Islands, has inexplicable terrain and weather that selectively affects small portions of the inlands. This also made invasion extremely hard, since soldiers had to prepare to fight on terrain as widely varied as volcanic mountains, frozen wasteland, plains, and temperate hills.

The Burrowlands

Leader: [Kanze]: King Alemayehu, [Lyoch]: King Ras, [Gon]: King Seyoum
Political Structure: Kanze, Lyoch, and Gon are monarchies. The rest of the Burrowlands are territories.
Alignment: N
Races: [Heavy population] Halflings [Light population] Elbarans
Language:Halfling, Amsedan, Lorman, Cassanese, Igalian, Tacen
Religion: Loa
Naming Structure: Halfling names correspond to African names, and vary widely (just as African names vary widely over the continent).
Typical CR Range: 1-9
Description: The Burrowlands are a geographical oddity – not exactly mountains or badlands, but something like each. They consist of huge, towering rock formations with narrow, short passageways connecting larger areas, both above and below ground. The maze of tunnels, walkways, and such is practically endless.

Although some of the tunnels are larger or smaller, most are about the right size for a Halfling to comfortably walk, or a human to crawl or crouch. Giants simply cannot maneuver through the Burrowlands and thus the Halflings enjoy relative safety from them.

However, despite the difficulty of the conquest, Elbarans currently control large stretches of the Burrowlands, but the three major Halfling kingdoms, Kanze, Lyoch, and Gon, remain independent. The Halfling kingdoms are more spheres of influence based around cities.

Halfling cities resemble collections of burrows more than anything else – their locations are determined largely by where the Burrowlands provide a suitable place. Their buildings are constructed of worked and decorated stone.

Halflings survive largely by hunting birds with sling-stones, farming the arable parts of the Burrowlands, and fishing.

The Elbaran-occupied zones of the Burrowlands are fairly similar, except for the mines. The Elbarans control the area and garrison choke-points, and the Halflings mine the Burrowlands for gold, silver, and gems. Although the Burrowlands are not exceptionally mineral-rich, the cheap slave labor means that all of the Elbaran territories are profitable.

The three Halfling kingdoms are fairly secure, despite their lack of military might, due to the difficulty humans have in fighting in the close confines and small tunnels of the Burrowlands, and the Elbarans recognize that until something changes, they can’t conquer more of the Burrowlands. Although both sides dislike the other, they still trade – metalworked goods and items of arcane magic for gems and ores.

The free Burrowlands kingdoms are colored , and territories are colored according to their owner.

Cities: F0.1: Kanze – Kanze sits right on top of a large silver vein, and thus has a favorable trade situation with Elbarans.
F0.2: Lyoch – Lyoch has few mineral resources, but a strong military and Halfling slaves of its own, which they often trade to Elbarans.
F0.3: Gon – Gon has fine craftsmen, who produce intricately worked pieces of gold and jewelry. Some of the pieces owned by the royal family are said to be powerful magic items.

The Halfling Islands:

Leader: Answers to Eldaran government
Political Structure: Territories
Alignment: N(E)
Races: [Heavy population] Halflings [Light population] Elbarans
Language:Halfling, Amsedan, Lorman, Cassanese, Igalian, Tacen
Religion: Loa
Naming Structure: By culture of origin.
Typical CR Range: 1-5
Description: The Halfling Islands, in the south and west of the Land of Giants, were once the homes of free Halflings who lived out in the open, living peaceful lives as fishers and farmers. The Elbarans conquered all of the Halfling islands and enslaved the inhabitants, putting them to work on massive plantation farms or shipping them back to Elbar. Some plantations treat the Halfling workers well, but many do not.

All of the Halfling Islands are territories, and are colored by the nation that owns them.

The Halfling Islands have no cities.

The Upperdark

Leader: None
Political Structure: Tribal
Alignment: Varies
Races: [Light population] Kobolds [Medium population] Goblins [Medium Population] Gnomes [Very light population] Mind Flayers [Very light population] Drow
Language: Draconic, Goblinoid, Gnome, Illithid, Old Elf
Religion: Varies (Kobolds, Goblins, and Gnomes worship the Earth Lord, and some Kobolds and Goblins worship Slazngroth deities; Drow worship the Old Elf pantheon; Illithids worship Ilsensine).
Naming Structure: Drow use Old Elf names, which are comparable to ancient Greek names.

Kobolds use one-syllable Draconic names.

Goblins don’t have given names – they just wind up being called something, either by their choice or someone else’s, such as One-Eye, Ugly Nose, Runt, Vicious, etc.

See Illithid Colonies below for Illithid names.

Gnomes are given a set of two of nicknames that become formal names. A gnome’s first name is given by parents and traditionally is a positive quality, such as Lucky, but occasionally describes the baby gnome, such as Red, Sleepy, etc. The second name is chosen by consensus after the gnome becomes an adult, based on something noteworthy they have done (usually a positive thing). For example, a warrior gnome known for killing many goblins in a battle might take the name Goblinsbane. Examples of complete names include Bright Gemfinder, Charity Earthcaller, etc. Gnomes occasionally take pseudonyms when dealing with other races, particularly if they have an “odd” name like Droopy Molekeeper.

Typical CR Range: 4-13
Description: The upperdark is the portion of the underground world that is close to the surface, and contains many pathways both up to the sunlit world, and down to the deeper Underdark. The Upperdark is not on the map, but parts of it extend all throughout the world. Thus, it’s always possible to get from any area to any other via the Upperdark, but it’s not always convenient. For one thing, the tunnels aren’t always large, and are very often dangerously unstable, filled with hostile life, or difficult to traverse.

Traveling through the Upperdark is very slow without a map. Anyone who’s not familiar with the layout of the Upperdark area they’re going through moves at ¼ speed for overland travel (in addition to normal modifiers if the area they are passing through is rough terrain). A DC 15 Knowledge: Underworld Geography (can be used untrained, but without a map takes a -10 penalty) cuts the penalty to half speed, and a DC 25 check (this one takes a -15 penalty with no map) lets a group move at full speed.

The Drow and Illithids don’t actually live in the Upperdark, but both races have outposts. The Drow use them to watch for humans moving into the Underdark and as staging grounds for raids on the surface world. It’s not clear exactly why the Illithidis maintain outposts in the Upperdark – possibly just to keep an eye on the Drow.

Illithid Colonies

Leader: Elder Brains
Political Structure: Dictatorship
Alignment: LE
Races: [heavy population] Mind Flayers [medium population] Goblins [medium Population] Gnomes [very light population] Drow
Language: Goblinoid, Gnome, Illithid, Old Elf
Religion: Ilsensine
Typical CR Range: 8-17
Naming Structure: Illithid names are alien and strange, such as Drukt, Sard, Sult, Aurangaul, Ralayn, or S’vechen. Elder Brain names are typically feelings, events, or states of mind, such as Tyranny, Unification, Enslavement of All, etc. Illithid cities are named after their elder brain.
Description: The Illithid have one single goal in mind – enslavement of every other sentient race. They are hostile to all other living things, and if they work with them it is only to serve a temporary goal. The Illithids operate in separate cities, each working independently to expand its borders and conquer all it finds.

Thus far, the main object to Illithid supremacy is the Drow, who are not so easy to conquer. The Illithid, however, think long-term, and they have no intention of making an open attack on the Drow. Instead, they are consolidating their power elsewhere and avoiding direct assault on Drow cities. Right now, the Illithid are working at bringing the goblins of the Underdark under their sway and expanding their power base, and are simultaneously probing the nature of the new Eldaran empire that some of their Goblin slaves have told them of.


The Drow City-States

Leader: Various kings
Political Structure: Monarchy
Alignment: CE
Races: [Medium Population] Drow, [medium population] Goblins, [light population] Gnomes
Language: Old Elf, Goblinoid, Gnome
Religion: Old Elven Pantheon
Naming Structure: Drow use Old Elven names, which correspond to Ancient Greek.
Typical CR Range: 11-20
Description: The Drow hid underground when the Isorian empire fell – an event for which they blame the human “corruption” of the Fyllfan and Doranii. The Drow hate their underground existence and still hold an overwhelming hatred for the humans and the other elves, and their hatred consumed them and turned them into creatures of evil.

The Drow periodically send raids to the surface world to murder Elbarans and disappear, but since the rise of the Elbaran kingdoms, they have had to be more and more careful. Worse, it seems that the Elbarans have recently caught on to the guerilla warfare tactics of the Drow, and have started preparing to fight off Drow attacks.

The Drow are in fact heavily outnumbered. Because they turned away the aid of St. Savla in curing the Plague, the Drow were decimated, and the aftereffects hurt their already low fertility rate. The result is that the Drow numbers never truly recovered, and while their cities are spread broadly across the Underdark they still have relatively small numbers.

What they lack in numbers, they partially make up in skill. Drow devote the majority of their long lifespans to learning combat. Their cities produce fine weapons and armor made by master craftsmen, and their spellcasters train at colleges of war under instructors who have spent countless decades honing their art. Furthermore, the dangerous Underdark has no lack of perils for the Drow to practice their skills on.

Drow city-states are independent, usually ruled by hereditary kings. Every Drow city is capable of training Magician Officers. Although Drow cities are not pictured on the map (nor is the Underdark), they can be found underneath any area. However, they are spread out, and Drow cities just don’t have the same population size as human ones due to the lower fertility rate. They do have large numbers of goblin slaves, and some gnomes as well.

Northwest New Elbar (The Centaur Plains)

Leader: Chief Blood Hoof
Political Structure: Confederation of Tribes
Alignment: CN
Races: [Heavy Population] Centaur
Language: Centaur
Religion: Earth Lord, Air Lord
Naming Structure: Centaur names correspond to Plains Indian names.
Typical CR Range: 6-13
Description: The Centaur Plains are dryer than the rest of New Elbar, and habitable (as well as arable) despite the cold. Most of the wildlife has furry hides, often worn by the centaur for warmth.

The centaur live in independent tribes of hunters, who build temporary villages composed of huts made of animal skin but periodically move, and roam over large areas following food animals. Each tribe has its own chief, and in the past they frequently fought each over constantly over food, honor, or grudges.

However, the Centaur were united by fear of the Elbaran threat, hearing from the Lizardmen on their border of how the Elbarans crushed the primitive swamp-dwellers. Despite their contrary and independent natures, the Centaur formed a loose confederation under the famous warrior Blood Hoof, an alliance strong enough to at least temporarily ward off human aggression.

The centaur tribes still fight, although Blood Hoof has commanded them to stop and save their strength in case war with the two-legs comes. The centaur are suspicious of outsiders, but not always hostile. Although Blood Hoof understands how serious a threat the Elbarans really are, not all of the centaur quite realize how different Elbaran warfare is from their own.

All of the Elbaran nations want a “piece of the pie,” so to speak, but none of them want to be the first to start a war – at least, not until they can get an advantage over the centaur, preferably by subterfuge. Missionaries from the various Prophets of Vaals have begun journeying to the centaur lands and attempting to win converts, but thus far have met with little success among the obstinate natives.

The centaur lands are colored .

The centaur have no cities.

New Elbar (other than the Centaur Plains)

Leader: None
Political Structure: Free Lizardfolk are Tribal, areas controlled by Elbaran nations are territories
Alignment: N (free lizardfolk), LN (Elbaran territories)
Races: [Heavy Population] Lizardfolk, [light population] Elbarans
Language: Lizardfolk
Religion: Water Lord
Naming Structure: Lizardfolk names correspond to Eastern Woodlands Indian names.
Typical CR Range: 2-10 (not counting ruins).
Description: Other than the Centaur Plains, and the Poisonlands, New Elbar is pretty much just one big swamp inhabited primarily by lizardfolk, and secondarily by other types of swamp creatures. The lizardfolk culture varies mainly with respect to temperature – lizardfolk who live in the hot central region wear little or no clothing and simply hunt and fish year-round, whereas those who live in the far north set traps and stockpile food for the winter, and wear coats of animal skin to keep warm.

The majority of New Elbar is now controlled by Elbaran nations, who employ the lizardfolk to excavate the strange ruins that they have found scattered throughout New Elbar. The origins of the New Elbaran Ruins are still a mystery, and the lizardfolk (who regard the structures as sacred) had no real information.

The ruins seem to be from a civilization that predates the Lizardfolk, but it can’t be the elves. So far, not much has been uncovered providing clear evidence as to just who built the structures in the first place – but whoever they were, they had a great number of magic items, which the Elbarans are far more interested in than uncovering ancient history.

The “lost civilization” appears to have prospered around the time of Vaals Year 45,000, and as a result only magical items have survived, along with buried stoneworks. Everything else has rotted away from the passage of so many thousands of years. What little has been gathered indicates that the lost people were humanoid enough to want weapons, tools, and equipment that Isorians can use. All magical item “slots” have been found, confirming that they had fingers, feet, two eyes, etc. Based on the presence of arcane, divine, and druidic spell-completion items along with a few magically preserved spellbooks, they must have possessed the knowledge of wizardry and had some religion.
From a few recovered records, it is known that one of the gods – possibly the only one, possibly not – they worshipped was called Naddras. Little else is known of him.

In addition, New Elbar has become something of a haven for political or religious dissidents, criminals, and other malcontents. A one way ticket to New Elbar is an excellent way to get out of trouble in old Elbar, and since it’s hard to find Elbaran workers in the swampland, it’s not difficult to make a new life – at least, if one doesn’t mind the humidity.

In particular, worshippers of St. Elar have formed a number of small settlements throughout New Elbar. They aren’t interested in growing larger and tend not to advertise their presence, but they aren’t hard to find if you’re looking. For the most part, nobody really wants to bother them – they are, after all, out of the way. However, there have been incidents of more orthodox Elbarans going on “witch hunts” for the Elarian heretics.

Lands occupied by free lizardfolk are colored . Territories are colored by the Elbaran nation that owns them.

Cities: see the entry under the corresponding Elbarian country.

The Poisonlands

Leader: ?
Political Structure: ?
Alignment: LE
Races: [Heavy Population] Scorpionfolk
Language: Scorpionfolk
Religion: ?
Naming Structure: ?
Typical CR Range: 13-20 (not counting ruins).
Description: The Poisonlands are a vast desert controlled by scorpionfolk. They are organized, intelligent, ruthless, and very, very hostile. Thus far, nobody has gotten very far into the Poisonlands and lived to tell the tale. Everyone is curious what they’ve got to hide, but nobody really wants to start a war with an unknown military power.

The Poisonlands are colored .

There may be cities in the Poisonlands, but nobody’s found them yet.

Kunai

Leader: 7 clan leaders: Kugo Kane, Tavege Abe, Jiomnyo Akime, Ditzra Hajime, Obno Uzuki, Kystrun Emiko, Pana Ikkei
Political Structure: Confederation of Monarchies
Alignment: LG/LN
Races: [Dense Population] Dwarves [Very Heavy Population] Trolls
Language: Dwarven, Giant
Religion: Dwarven Ancestor Worship (by clan)
Naming Structure: Dwarvish names correspond to Japanese names. There are three parts – the clan name (Kugo, Tavege, Jiomnyo, Ditzra, Obno, Kystrun, or Pana), the family name, and the given name, presented in that order. For example, Jionmyo Shiro Kane is Kane, of the Shiro family, of the Jionmyo clan. Nobles (members of the family that rules each clan) have the same family name and clan name, and thus will have only two names.
Typical CR Range: 3-7 (Kajai border, Yusai), 6-13 (Koloi, Tolai, Noi, central Kajai), 10-17 (Pikoi, Barai).
Description: The Dwarves come from the chain of islands collectively known as Kunai. The largest island is Kajai, and the six smaller ones (from north to south) are Koloi, Pikoi, Yusai, Barai, Tolai, and Noi.

The borders of Kajai, and the entire island of Yusai are controlled completely by the dwarves except for isolated pockets of trolls. Koloi, Tolai, and Noi have strongholds of dwarven power but have large areas still filled with ravenous trolls, and Pikoi and Barai are entirely overrun with trolls. The central portion of Kajai is effectively a battleground, with pockets of dwarven soldiers and outposts fighting with trolls for control of pathways and favorable ground.

The dwarves have a well-organized militant society organized into the seven great clans, and further into many individual families within those clans. Dwarven laws are well developed and strictly forbid inter-clan warfare, although occasional “incidents” have occurred, encouraging instead warfare against the ancient enemies of the dwarves: trolls. To this end, all healthy dwarves are expected to serve in the military at some point in their lives, and becoming a professional soldier is a respected tradition.

Dwarves have had the knowledge of metallurgy longer than any other currently existing society, and they produce finely made metal weapons and armor for use in warfare and now for trade with Elbar. Dwarves traditionally wear chain or plate armor and fight with axes, and sometimes shields. They mine and smelt the ore themselves, gathering it from the mineral-rich mountain ranges that dot Kunai. They also mine precious metals and gems, fashioning it into well-crafted jewelry – another commodity that they trade with Elbar.

In return, dwarves are interested in magic items, something they have a limited ability to make themselves. Dwarves are particularly interested in weapons designed to burn enemies, or those made to fight giants. Other items of interest include luxury goods (fruits and vegetables that don’t grow in Kunai, for example), and in the case of the Jiomnyo, scrolls, wands, and staves for arcane spellcasters. The Ditzra, on the other hand, have begun trading for better boats – dwarven boats are simply not very good, and can barely handle travel between the islands.

Kunai lands are marked by .

Cities:
H1: Tavege City is full of monuments to dead heroes and training grounds for battle. Isolated from the other clans on a large, troll-heavy island, the Tavege value individual bravery and fierce warriors. The Tavege traditionally fight with two-handed picks or axes.

H2: Kugo City is more spread-out and agriculturally based than the other dwarves. They are at a river delta and thus occupy some of the most fertile farmland on Kunai. They are just as militant as the other dwarves, especially since they have a large area to defend, but aren’t particularly good miners or craftsmen, since their lands are mineral-poor. They generally trade some of their grain for weapons from other clans.

H3: Pana City is smaller than the others, because the Pana dwarves prefer the wilderness to cities. These dwarves can be found in small communities spread throughout the wide northeastern part of the island, each group large enough to defend itself from troll attacks, but no larger. Most of the Pana communities are self-reliant, hunting and farming for food and mining and crafting their own tools, weapons, and armor.

H4: Jionmyo City is most notable for the presence of humans. They granted protected land at the heart of their capital to the retired Magician General Thaddius “Pyro” Flammehiezer to open a mage-officer school (Cabral Academy) in return for admitting chosen Jionmyo dwarves as at least 50% of his students.

General Flammeheizer, a graduate with honors from Kreig Academy in Kaskan with over 20 years of service in the Kaskannian military, was dishonorably discharged for unclear reasons (“conduct unbecoming an officer”) 25 years ago, after which he hastily traveled to Kunai and made a deal with the dwarves. Cabral Academy is the newest magician-officer school, but still one of the best.

Jionmyo dwarves are admitted free, by a committee of teachers (mostly other disgruntled or retired officers from various militaries) and Jionmyo clan leaders. Cabral accepts any student with the capacity to learn for 5,000g a year (plus expenses for spellbooks and other supplies, food, and lodging). Cabral will also occasionally accept exceptional students for no charge (being able to point to famous figures down the road as graduates is more than worth the time). The staff at Cabral are also willing to instruct anyone who can pay in other skills, or exchange knowledge of spells, magic items, and the like.

A number of adventuring groups and mercenaries have recruited promising Cabral graduates, and graduating from Cabral alive, sane, and uninjured is generally taken as a sign of competence, at the very least.

H5: Ditzra City is a major trading port, and the only dwarven capital freely open to humans. The Ditzra, less suspicious of outsiders and more adept at trading than the other dwarves, quickly monopolized a large amount of the trade between Kunai and Elbar. The Ditzra have begun producing dwarven ships intended for long sea-voyages, based on human designs but sized for dwarves and with more reliance on oarsmen, and less on sails.

H6: Kystrun City is essentially a giant, heavily secured fortress, practically impregnable to troll attack, but also not open to non-dwarves except in exceptional circumstances. Kystrun expands slowly, but builds solid fortifications and defenses, and has steadily carved out a troll-free realm for itself. Kystrun roads are solidly constructed and well-patrolled, and their towns are all heavily fortified.

H7: Obno City’s walls and buildings might not be quite as strong as those of Kystrun, but they are far more beautiful. The Obno are renowned as architects, and their capital city is replete with works of amazing beauty that tower above and below the ground. They are also known as the inventors of siege engines, one of the key weapons enabling the dwarves to turn the tide against the trolls, and they still produce the best catapults, ballista, and trebuchets in Kunai, and possibly in the world.

H0: the Hall of the Clans is not a city per se, but rather the designated meeting ground for councils between the seven great clans. It is a small but very well-guarded city of great historical and cultural significance, the most closely-guarded of which is the great stone monument containing the Accord of the Clans, the document which united them against the trolls.

Korthania

Leader: King Ouranous Ianthe IV
Political Structure: Monarchy
Alignment: LN
Races: [dense population] Elbaran [light population] Halflings [very light population] various other humanoids
Language: Korthanian
Religion: St. Salva, St. Menaz, St. Elaias, St. Solet
Naming Structure: Korthanian names correspond to traditional English names, as well as Roman names (recently, there’s been a trend towards more Greek-sounding given names). Surnames are often Roman. Nobility have first and family names corresponding to Ancient Greek. Sarlanders are much less likely to have Roman or Greek names, first or family.
Typical CR Range: 1-5
Description: Korthan and Sarland (the smaller island) are the birthplace of humans, and of St. Salva. Before the arrival of the Elves, humans lived in Korthania peacefully, farming, hunting, and worshipping their god Vaals. When the Elves arrived, the Korthanians put up some token resistance, but were quickly and fairly bloodlessly conquered and assimilated into the Isorian Empire. They quickly took on many aspects of Elvish culture, but retained their own religion.

In the modern world, Korthan is well-known as the birthplace of St. Salva, and both Korthanians and Sarlanders are strongly religious and follow the traditional Salvan religion. Sarland is less important than Korthane, and contains mostly humans and humankin who still live a fairly primitive, agricultural lifestyle.

Korthania developed a navy early on, as it is isolated from the rest of Elbar, and as a result quickly came into conflict with Lorm, especially after the appearance of St. Cayl in Lorm. Korthan’s strengths in the competition between the Elbarian nations lie in its navy, powerful clerics and paladins, and strong trade.

Korthanians have a stereotype of a “holier-than-thou” attitude, which is not entirely undeserved. They tend to mistreat native populations in their colonies, and are extremely harsh about preventing them from practicing “traditional” religions. In addition, they openly persecute worshippers of St. Cayl or St. Elar, along with any “heathen” gods.

The Korthanian flag is a violet flower on a white background.

Korthanian lands are colored .

Korthanian cities:
B0: Salvaster: The birthplace of St. Salva, and capital of Korthania. The royal palace as well as the major trade ports are found here, along with the grand Temple of St. Salva.

B1: Farthest Bay: Given a somewhat exaggerated name, Farthest Bay is a trading settlement in an unforgiving wet and cold land, but one next to many ruins – possibly even the remains of an ancient city.

B2: Northook: A new trading town that has begun to rival New Salvaster, Northook is composed primarily of people out to make a fortune, since the climate is harsh and the nearby land is ugly.

B3: New Salvaster: Conveniently located for intercontinental trade, New Salvaster is a bustling port city that constantly ships goods back and forth between Korthania’s territory in New Elbar and Salvaster.

B4: St. Elaias: the birthplace of the famous St. Elaias, the city of St. Elaias attracts pilgrims from many lands who wish to see the sites of some of his miracles.

B5: Locshir: Locshir is best known for the Riverford College, Korthania’s mage-officer school.


Lorm

Leader: Queen Xania Klytie II
Political Structure: Monarchy
Alignment: N
Races: [dense population] Elbaran [light population] Halflings [very light population] various other humanoids
Language: Lormish
Religion: St. Cayl (majority), St. Salva (minority), St. Menaz, St. Elaias, St. Solet
Naming Structure: Lormish names correspond to French, but some names (especially surnames) sound Romanesque. The nobility all have Ancient Greek names, and in recent years some Greek-sounding first names have been appearing.
Typical CR Range: 1-5
Description: Lorm is Korthania’s main competitor for the best Elbaran seafarers. With a power base surrounded by a long peninsula and tranquil bays, the Lormish quickly developed their navy and were among the first to every newly discovered land.

After the conversion of most of the Tacens to worship of St. Cayl, Caylinism began to spread to Lorm. The monarchs quickly recognized the value of having a different state religion than their rivals, the Korthanians, and encouraged the spread of the already quickly growing faith (as well as confiscating lands and magic items held by the Church of St. Salva). However, the royal family was careful to convert openly as well, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the Tacen royalty.

Caylinism is the official faith of Lorm, and government officials won’t get too far without converting. However, Lorm is fairly lax about forcible conversion, and in reality the government just doesn’t care too much who the “common people” worship so long as their god doesn’t incite rebellion or encourage them not to pay their taxes. For this reason, Lorm has a number of “rediscoverers” of the Old Elven pantheon, and has a reputation as a “den of heathens” among other Elbaran nations.

The Lormish are generally more tolerant of native people than other Elbarans, and while they do subjugate them and try to convert them, they don’t kill them off or horribly mistreat them either. The Lormish are the only Elbarans who have decent relationships with the Lizardfolk, many of whom chose to ally with Lorm rather than be overrun, and are treated as second-class Lormish, but not slaves. The Halfling Islands and many of the Lormish colonies in the Land of Giants, on the other hand, are run by private interests who are quite ruthless, and since they’re isolated, nobody back in Lorm is about to stick up for the Halfling slaves there.

The Lormish flag is a yellow ship on a blue field.

Lormish lands are colored .

Lormish cities:

A0: Selanne: the Lormish capital, and the centre of Lormish society. Selanne is huge and ancient, and (especially in the opinion of Selannians) the center of Elbaran high society. Selanne has a very libertine attitude, and is one of the few places in Elbar where non-Vaalsians can meet and worship openly. It also contains Lorm’s mage-officer school, the Dronne.
A1: Saint Cayl’s Port: the Lormish trading point on New Elbar, and also the base for a number of missions aimed to convert Lizardfolk to follow St. Cayl. They have had a moderate amount of success, and there are communities of lizardfolk and Lormish living at peace. Of course, there are plenty of other places where the lizardfolk don’t get along with the Lormish.

Kaskan

Leader: Queen Kleo Lachesis VI
Political Structure: Monarchy
Alignment: LG/LN
Races: [dense population] Elbaran [light population] Halflings [very light population] various other humanoids
Language: Kaskannian
Religion: St. Salva, St. Menaz (very popular), St. Elaias (less popular). St. Solet (less popular)
Naming Structure: Kaskannian names are German, in some cases Germanized Roman or Greek names. Kaskannians do not have surnames as other Elbaran nations do (with the exception of nobles); their surnames are adopted titles (use the German word), such as “von [location]”, “Schumacher,” “Zimmerman,” etc.
Typical CR Range: 1-5
Description: Kaskan is the farthest east of all the Elbaran nations, and as such has had to contend both with its neighbors and with the orcs and other humanoids from Slazngroth. Combined with its heritage as the birthplace of St. Menaz, Kaskan has a strong tradition of militarism and St. Menaz enjoys high popularity in Kaskan, where she is seen both as an emblem of Kaskannian military might and holiness, and as the savior of Kaskan from the many forces that threaten it. Kaskannians don’t have much use for other religions, and are highly intolerant of “heathen” or “heretic” religions (any not listed under their religion entry).

Kaskannians are required to train with weapons, and strongly encouraged to serve in the military when they reach adulthood. The Kaskannian army is the strongest in Elbar, and they can back up their foot soldiers with clerics and arcane casters as well. Kaskannians traditionally take pride in the military might of their country, and often see themselves as the “vanguard of Vaals” in the face of the heathen nations.

Likewise, by tradition the younger children of the royal family serve in the military, a tradition of which the Kaskannians are proud, pointing to their royalty as heroes, compared to the weakling aristocrats of other countries. Right now, Lycurgus “The Wolf Prince” Lachesis is the general of the Eastern Kaskannian army tasked with watching the Neutral Zone, and he is seen as a living symbol of Kaskannian strength and virtue.

Due to the strong Kaskannian confidence in their military might, they were the first to fully commit to conquering the Land of Giants and New Elbar. In the Land of Giants, this meant that they overextended their force and were harshly hammered by the giant army, but their confidence paid off in New Elbar, where they conquered vast amounts of land held by the militarily weak lizardmen, and now have the largest New Elbar holding of any nation.

The Kaskannian flag is a red sword and tower shield on a white background.

Kaskannian lands are marked .

Kaskannian cities:
E0: Barich: The Kaskan capital, known among other things for Kreig Academy, generally considered the best mage-officer school in the world (especially by Kaskannians). Kreig Academy was constructed early, as the Kaskannians were among the first to embrace the use of arcane magic in the military, and it paid off by supplying the Kaskannians with first rate combat mages.

E7: Kravan: A historic site, Kravan is the birthplace of St. Menaz, and houses the shrine that holds her sword and armor. Warriors throughout the world will come to Kravan to see and touch them, believing that it brings them good fortune in just battle.

E1, E3, E5, E6: Korzad, New Barich, New Kravan, and Kleosa are all port towns, built up around the trade between New Elbar and Kaskan.
E2, E4: Stromholde and Sturmgarde are both military bases used in the conquest of the lizardfolk. The now serve as staging grounds for security, and are the hubs around which the Kaskannian military operates in New Elbar.

Igal

Leader: King Evandar Harmonia II
Political Structure: Monarchy
Alignment: LN
Races: [dense population] Elbaran [light population] Halflings [very light population] various other humanoids
Language: Igalian
Religion: St. Salva, St. Menaz, St. Elaias, St. Solet
Naming Structure: Igalian names are typically Roman or Ancient Greek (nobility always have Ancient Greek names).
Typical CR Range: 1-5
Description: Igal considers itself the successor to Isoria, although it in fact controls only a fraction of the land Isoria once did. Igal City survived the Orcish War somewhat intact, and the modern Igalians are mostly the descendants of the survivors from Igal City – the Harmonia dynasty, in fact, traces back to the Imperial Governer of Igal.

Because of their legacy, during the rediscovery of wizardry, Igalians immediately turned to excavating the ancient ruins they had rebuilt their city around, and turned up a remarkable number of magic items, spellbooks, and (it’s rumored) at least one artifact. This gave Igal an impressive jump-start, and while the combat training of Igalian mages isn’t quite on par with the Kaskans, they do have a number of very well-known sages and magical researchers.

Igalian culture is very traditional and resistant to change. Social class is very important, and those with little or no elf blood are always considered “lower class” – especially if they aren’t even human.

The Igalian flag is the same as the ancient Isorian flag: an hand holding a scepter, from which dangles a crown, purple on a yellow-gold background.

Igal’s lands are colored .

Cities:
C0: Igal City is built on top of the ruins of an older Igal City that dates back to the Isorian age, and rumors persist of more magic and monsters lurking beneath the modern buildings. Igal city is home to some of the greatest sages and libraries in Elbar. Igal City is also known as the birthplace of St. Solet.

C1: New Lombard is Igal’s trading port in New Elbar, placed at the tip of the closest peninsula for the shortest journeys.

C2: Menaz’s Blade is right next to the border for good reason – it’s a military outpost around which a city sprung up, meant to intimidate the Tacens and remind them of Igal’s power.

C3: Lombardia is home to the Academy of Lombardia, a mage-officer school which claims to trace it’s roots back to a similar institution in the same place in the old Isorian empire.

Tace

Leader: Holy Protector Julianna Carron
Political Structure: Theocracy
Alignment: LG
Races: [dense population] Elbaran [light population] Halflings [very light population] various other humanoids
Language: Tacen
Religion: St. Cayl, St. Menaz, St. Elaias, St. Solet, St. Salva
Naming Structure: Tacen names correspond to modern Spanish names. As the people wish to distance themselves from the old monarchy, very few use Greek names – even a number of nobles have Hispanicized their names.
Typical CR Range: 1-5
Description: Tace is a unique country – formally a monarchy, its royal family was overthrown by St. Cayl and replaced by a theocracy, run by the church of St. Cayl. At the time, the monarchs were highly unpopular and generally seen as tyrants both by the common people and by the nobility, but they retained their power through the support of the Tacen Church of St. Salva, which had begun to seem corrupt due to its support for the royalty.

The Church of St. Cayl flourishes in Tace, and the Church of St. Salva is banned (as are all religions not mentioned in the stat block above). The official line is that the Church of St. Salva lost its way, and turned to worship of a demon impersonating St. Salva, leading them to corruption and iniquity, and to the preaching of well-intentioned but false doctrine.

Tace is ruled by Holy Protector Julianna Carron, a paladin of St. Cayl widely respected by the people. The position of “Holy Protector” is essentially a dictatorship with absolute power, but the Caylite priests that control the appointment are careful to choose rulers with both a strong sense of righteousness and the ability to win the hearts of the common people. The Holy Protector is always a LG cleric or paladin of St. Cayl.


In many ways Tace has prospered beyond its more traditional neighbors. The majority of Tacen commoners, while not always totally happy, generally recognize the laws of the land as just and well-intentioned, and tend not to resent their government, and the now-growing merchant class appreciates the lack of corruption and the harsh punishments for criminals. Of course, those who get on the wrong side of the law or resent the puritanical attitude of the government tend to have a different point of view.

Tacens have no tolerance for “heathens,” which has generally led to very poor relationships with foreigners, especially the Halflings and the lizardfolk. The Tacens aren’t intentionally cruel, just unsympathetic to the plight of the “non-elect.” On the other hand, as dictated by St. Cayl, they treat their fellow Caylites well, and lizardfolk and Halfling converts enjoy relative good treatment in Tace and its territories.

Tace and Lorm are loosely allied, but not quite friends. Neither can attack each other for risk of angering their populace, but the general view among the Tacens is that the Lormish nobility are “Caylites of convenience,” who are only pretending to be elect in order to cement their rulership. Lormish people (especially the non-Caylite minority), on the other hand, tend to see the Tacens as exaggerated religious fanatics.

The flay of Tace is (now) a burning candle on a black background (the candle is white and the flame red), the symbol of St. Cayl. Formerly, the flag of Tace was a green mailed fist on a red background.

Tacen lands are colored .

Tacen cities:

D0: Mazarin: The capital of Tace, and seat of government. One of the most infamous places in Tace is the site where the old royal family was beheaded, said by many to be haunted.

D1: Patrizio: Tace’s port in New Elbar, which has become more heavily fortified since the construction of St. Menaz’s Blade to the northeast.

D2: St. Cayl’s Hand: On the far border of the frontier, St. Cayl’s Hand is a major military outpost, and the center of Tace’s military strength in New Elbar.

D3: Griva: A major port city, and the birthplace of St. Cayl.

The Neutral Zone

Leader: None
Political Structure: None
Alignment: CE
Races: [heavy population] Orcs [medium population] Various other humanoids, other than hobgoblins
Language: Varies
Religion: Slazngroth Pantheon (various interpretations)
Naming Structure: Orcan names are generally guttural noises, such as Grar, Ergh, etc. Orcs don’t really have a formal naming system, but it’s fairly standard for “important” orcs, such as a chieftain or mighty warrior, to give themselves a pompous name, such as Manslayer, Sky Cleaver, etc.
Typical CR Range: 5-15
Description: The neutral zone was agreed upon by both Elbarans and hobgoblins as land into which neither would expand, which is of course a deal both sides aim to break as quietly as possible. Right now, its inhabited by orcs and other savage humanoids.

The neutral zone is a very dangerous place, as in addition to large tribes of orcs or worse, there are quite a few dangerous and bizarre monsters inhabiting the place. Not to mention, of course, the hard-to-catch parties of Elbarans and Hobgoblins that occasionally pass through.

The neutral zone is colored white.

The neutral zone has no cities.

[Pyroconstruct]

Lands, Continued


The Hobgoblin Empire

Leader: Avatar Gan’burulgi
Political Structure: Theocracy
Alignment: LE
Races: [heavy population] Hobgoblins [medium population] various other evil humanoids
Language: Goblinoid (official), various humanoid languages
Religion: Slazngroth religion (official form is Hobgoblin, other forms also exist)
Naming Structure: Hobgoblin names are analogous to Mongol names, but typically have two parts, separated by an apostrophe.
Typical CR Range: 5-15
Description: The Hobgoblin Empire spans East Elbar, a land which they call Slazngroth. The Hobgoblins consider themselves the one and only race worthy to rule, and they intend to expand their empire until the entire world bows down before the perfection of Hobgoblins. The entire empire is constructed exclusively around military power. Every city and industry in some way focuses on feeding the hobgoblin war machine. Trade and commerce are seen as necessities, not goals in themselves.

The Hobgoblin Empire is very spread out – they just finished a phase of expansion, and are currently trying to consolidate their holding before moving on. Thus, while the Hobgoblins control far more land than any of the Elbaran nations, the population level is less dense, and the level of security is lower. Most of the Hobgoblin strength is concentrated in their borders and cities, and there are fairly large areas that they don’t really control yet.

The high priest (referred to as Avatar) of the Hobgoblin head god Hob is the ruler of the empire, and typically he or she delegates out authority to other priests of the various Hobgoblin deities first. Hobgoblin armies are often led by clerics, and always include at least one cleric high in the chain of command.

The Hobgoblin Empire includes other races, and they are expected to regard all hobgoblins as superior, and worship the Hobgoblin versions of the Slazngroth pantheon. Non-hobgoblins are always treated as little more than slaves, but those that behave and show respect aren’t abused. Larger and stronger races (bugbears, for example) are popular choices for the vanguard of hobgoblin armies.

The Hobgoblin flag is a black mailed boot on a white background.

The Hobgoblin Empire is marked with .

Cities:
G1-G10, G12-G14: Kechinqua, Flurgan, Grangul, Lasag, Buser, Chegrug, Kolk, Gelk, Magar, Torgran, Zegrakraz, Arjures, and Krazeg are all heavily fortified cities. They are laid out in grids with high walls, regular towers, and heavy defenses. All of them contain mage-officer training schools, hastily constructed and well-funded ever since Hobgoblins learned about wizardry. Only Hobgoblins are permitted to attend, but the education is free (of course, service in the military is compulsory) and the fast appointment to a high rank and status is very attractive to any Hobgoblin with the Intelligence to make a good wizard, or the natural talent to be a sorcerer.
G11: Fort Yetolui is a massive military encampment and a thinly-disguised staging ground for potential invasion of Elbar. Fort Yetolui houses a huge hobgoblin garrison, including a number of highly skilled combat veterans, powerful mages, and very influential priests. Fort Yetolui’s official function is to provide a base for border patrols and backup in the event of trouble on the border, as well as defend from Elbaran attacks.
G0: Bayan’Hob’Erdene, which translates to The Great Jewel of Hob, is the hobgoblin capital – a war machine dedicated to producing soldiers and weapons for the Empire. Bayan’Hob’Erdene contains the Grand Temple of Hob and the Seat of the Avatar, the center of the Hobgoblin empire, and as a result is immensely well defended.


The Seas:

The seas do house sentient races, but unlike on the land, they simply aren’t heavily organized or coordinated. In the sea, the greatest power is not the civilizations but the vast and terrible monsters that lurk beneath the depths. In other words, while there are no major civilizations with as much influence on the ocean as land-dwelling races have on the world, the monsters are just as dangerous.



History

Years are in Vaals/St. Salva calendar. For conversion to other systems, see “Calendars,” above.

c. VY 45,000 The “lost civilization” exists in what is now New Elbar.

c. VY 33,000 The Fyllfan, Doranii, and Drow, native to what is now western Slazngroth, put aside ancient ethnic differences and ally themselves against the savage humanoids.

VY 33-23,000 “Elvish Golden Age.” Elves formalize and study the nature of magic, begin creating numerous magical items, and researching spells that form the foundation of modern magic. From this study the first Elven wizards (as far as anyone knows, the first wizards in the world) begin to practice magic.

c. VY 23,000 The Elves form an empire under the Sorcerer-King Isor I, called in his name the Isorian Empire.

c. VY 20,000 Under the Isorian Dynasty, the elves crush the orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, and other savage humanoids in West Slazngroth and banish them to far north and east of the continent.

VY 20-14,000 “Elvish Silver Age.” The Elvish empire prospers and expands, bringing many lands under its influence. The Elves come to control most of Slazngroth (save the far north and east, which they leave to the barbaric humanoids), and Elbar. In addition, the Fyllfan begin a long tradition of magical experiments, revealing a great deal about the fundamental laws of magic and inventing numerous new spells, but also having some strange side effects, such as creation of strange permanent magical zones, magic items with “side effects,” and the like.

c. VY 18,000 The dwarves of Kunai, hounded by the trolls, form themselves into clans for protection. Out of those clans, the seven great clans emerge – Kugo, Tavege, Jionmyo, Ditzra, Obno, Kystrun, and Pana.

VY 14-7000 “Elvish Bronze Age.” Typically marked from the assassination of Empress Endoria IV, this era of the elvish empire was characterized by increased debauchery and corruption, and careless use of magic. The Drow, Fyllfan, and Doranii begin to grow separate again, as old racial tensions resurface. Many magical monsters that “should not be” grew out of the Fyllfan experimentation, and a lot of the stranger and deadlier dungeons still present were constructed during this time period.

c. VY 12000 Humans, a race native to Sarland and Korthane, begin worshipping the god Vaals.

VY 7318 The seven great dwarven clans form the Accord of the Clans, uniting against the trolls. After this accord, the dwarves quickly become stronger and stronger, and begin pushing the trolls back and expanding their society.

c. VY 7000 The Elves travel to the islands of Korthane and Sarland, where they encounter humans. After a brief, one-sided war, the humans are assimilated into the Isorian empire, but retain their own religion.

VY 7-5000 Humans become deeply entangled in Isorian society. They tirelessly preach to the Elves about Vaals, who slowly begin to stray away from their fickle and dangerous gods of the elements and destruction in favor of Vaals, the humans’ stable and caring deity. The exception is the Drow, who steadfastly refuse to convert to worship of Vaals and come to dislike the humans for (as they saw it) leading the other elves away from the “old ways.”

VY 5000-50 Humans become more and more accepted in Isorian society. Elves and humans begin to interbreed heavily, and due to the difference in fertility rate, mixed-bloods soon outnumber True Elves, except among the Drow. At the same time, humans begin to become more acclimated to Isorian life, and rapidly fall into the same cultural and moral decline plaguing the Elves.

VY 49 The Plague strikes the Isorian empire, decimating the population of both humans and elves, but especially the frail elves, who are highly susceptible to the Plague. The plague is exceptionally devastating due to the sudden loss of powers experienced by the small number of remaining clerics and paladins of Vaals and the inability of any other spellcasters to successfully cure the Plague. The Drow insist that the foul humans are spreading the disease, and the uninfected and surviving Drow retreat underground rather than die out.

VY 29 The last pure-blooded Fyllfan dies of the Plague, which continues to ravage the Isorian Empire.

VY 25 A half-elf named Salva is born in Erdhal City on Korthane Island.

VY 10 The last Isorian Emperor dies of the Plague, and with his death the remaining organization in the Empire collapses. Orcs and Hobgoblins pour in from Eastern Slazngroth and begin to overrun the empire.

SY 1 Salva demonstrates remarkable clerical powers, and begins to cure the Plague. He announces that he is a messenger from Vaals, who has condemned the Isorian Empire as corrupt, and has been sent to bring about a new age. Salva acquires an immense public following as word of his ability to cure the Plague spreads.

SY 5 Salva attempts to lead the remaining Isorians out of Slazngroth and entirely into Elbar. He is stopped by Carasile Dormicus, the self-appointed new Emperor of Isoria, who refuses to let Salva evacuate on the grounds that he is attempting to usurp control of the Empire. Rather than command his followers to fight, Salva surrenders himself on condition that his followers be permitted to leave, and is hung for treason.
Salva’s body doesn’t rot, and touching it not only cures the Plague, but
grants the ability to cure the Plague in others by touch. Humbled by the miracle, Emperor Dormicus commands his remaining men to follow and protect the refugees, while he and his Imperial Guard remain to protect them from pursuing monsters.
Salva is declared St. Salva, and people find that worshipping him as the prophet of Vaals can grant the powers of a cleric or paladin. The refugees successfully escape to Elbar, and prepare to defend the narrow route into their peninsula.

SY 6-1500 “The Orcish Wars.” This period is characterized by constant warfare between the Elbarans and Orcs. Much of Isorian culture and knowledge is lost in their desperate attempts to stave off the immense Orcish Horde poised to eradicate them forever. Raiding parties of orcs frequently cross the border and devastate surviving Isorian cities. The only surviving elves, the Doranii, suffer severe losses during this period and nearly become extinct.

Elbar during this period is a loose oligarchy, led by a collection of surviving officials and military leaders from Isoria known as “the Tribunal” (although by this time, the membership is closer to one hundred).

SY 1494 A human peasant girl named Menaz von Kravan is born in eastern Elbar.

SY 1513 Menaz von Kravan claims to be a messenger from Vaals, sent to burn away evil from the promised land of Elbar. She conjures up weapons and armor that she states are from Heaven, and proceeds to win numerous victories against impossible odds while leading a ragtag army against the orcs.

SY 1513-19 “The Last Orcish War.” Menaz von Kravan assumes leadership through personal charisma and power over the Elbaran armies, and proceeds to beat back the overwhelming Orcish Horde.

SY 1517 Menaz von Kravan accuses the Tribunal of being corrupt and seeking to betray the Elbarans to the Orcish Horde in return for their own lives. Menaz publicly executes most of the tribunal, and the others flee. She has such overwhelming popular support that almost everyone believes her, despite the sudden nature of her accusation and attack.

SY 1519 Menaz leads her army, which she calls the Children of Vaals, against the encamped orcish army in a surprise attack, aiming to slay the orcish leaders and war-priests as they gather to make plans. The remainder of the Tribunal and their loyal forces ambush Menaz and her elite guard as she attacks the Orcish warchief Kraag Bonebreaker. Menaz and all of her guards are killed, but so are the remainder of the Tribunal forces and all of the Orcish leadership.

Menaz reappears as a blazing fire spirit and leads her army to victory over the orcs, permanently crippling the Orcish Horde, and then disappears forever. Her armor and sword are found and carried back to a shrine in her hometown of Kravan, but her body seemed to have vanished. Menaz’s guards are immortalized in an epic poem “The Nineteen Martyrs of St. Menaz,” and Menaz – now St. Menaz – begins granting powers to clerics and paladins who worship her as a prophet of Vaals.

SY 1520-2548 “The Dark Ages of Elbar.” Elbar is devastated after almost a millennium and a half of total war immediately after the plague. Very few Doranii remain and most of the knowledge and civilization of the Isorian Empire is lost. Elbarans rebuild, but with the memory of past ages lost, and begin creating independent feudal kingdoms instead of a unified empire. The few remaining Doranii, by virtue of their long lifespan, quickly become the majority of the leaders, and the True Elves adopt a place in the social order as nobility and rulers.
While not officially persecuted, sorcerers come to be poorly understood and feared by the common people. The occasional evil sorcerer who abused their powers and caused mass destruction didn’t help the general image of arcane magic. As a result, clerics become more powerful and influential (as the only source of spells), and the Church of St. Salva becomes heavily entangled in government and politics, while the Knights of St. Menaz take responsibility for seeking out and destroying evil – especially the aforementioned evil sorcerers.

SY 1725 The elfkin Elaias of Monnacht is born, the son of a humankin peasant and a minor noble elf.

SY 1760 Elaias of Monnacht begins preaching, claiming himself to be a humble holy man. He teaches a simple doctrine of love, peace, and charity, and warns against hatred and cruelty. He also demonstrates remarkable healing powers and performs numerous miracles. Elaias attracts many followers, but unlike the other prophets makes no attempt to change the world, only to bring peace to individuals. He stays away from politics and public life, and preaches from a fallen tree in a forest, where thousands gather to hear his voice.

SY 1825 Elaias of Monnacht dies of natural causes, and is quickly declared a saint. St. Elaias, like the other prophets, grants powers to divine spellcasters who worship him as a prophet of Vaals.

SY 2548 The sage Natierto of Igal City discovers magical writings from the ancients that suggest a way to cast spells through learning, rather than innate magical ability. Natierto’s discovery is termed “Wizardry” and spreads like wildfire throughout Elbar. Natierto is termed the “Father of Modern Wizardry.”

SY 2548-2785 “The Rediscovery” Fascinated by Natierto’s discovery, people throughout Elbar begin searching for, discovering, and researching Isorian knowledge, language, culture, and of course magic. Sorcerers cease to be feared, and are instead seen as gifted prodigies, as well as sought after by sages who wish to study their magic.
The Elbaran governments quickly realize the importance of using the new science of wizardry as well as the “rediscovered” sorcerers in their armies, and all of them found academies of study and begin recruiting the talented.

SY 2645 Cayl de San Salvante is born in Griva, Tace.

SY 2660 Cayl de San Salvante enters the Church of St. Salva as a cleric.

SY 2681 Cayl de San Salvante, now referring to himself as Cayl the Elector, charges the Church of St. Salva with corruption, and claims that it has become entangled in mercantilism, and that it now serves demons masquerading as St. Salva instead of Vaals, as is proper. Cayl also presents a number of new, radical theological ideals.

SY 2682 Cayl the Elector is excommunicated from the Church of St. Salva, but his clerical powers only seem to grow. He leads a rebellion of the discontented Tacen people, overthrows the church and government, and executes the royal family, putting in place a theocracy. Cayl then simply vanishes. However, for several years after his disappearance, the borders of Tace seem to repel travel (and thus the armies from other Elbaran states that would have invaded Tace during its time of turmoil).

SY 2685 The strange protection on the borders of Tace disappears, but by now Tace has stabilized under Lord Protector Roberto de San Cayl, a cleric who, like many of the vanished rebel’s followers, worshipped St. Cayl as a prophet of Vaals. Roberto de San Cayl declares himself the head of the Reborn Church of Vaals.

SY 2696 Caylinism begins to spread to Lorm.

SY 2715 The Lormish royal family converts to Caylinism and declares it the official religion of Lorm, but agrees not to persecute those who remain loyal to the Church of St. Salva. However, the Lormish government confiscates much of the Church’s holdings, wealth, and magic items.

SY 2740 Solet Aemelius is born in Igal.

SY 2756 Solet Aemelius begins ministering the Word of Vaals to the poor and sick of Igal. She demonstrates remarkable supernatural powers, and people from all over Elbar flock to see her.

SY 2764 Solet, now known as Solet of the Light, begins preaching as well as healing the unfortunate. Solet’s teachings didn’t concern matters of doctrine, and after a (thorough) investigation by the Church of St. Salva, her miracles were declared genuine and her doctrine not heretical.

SY 2775 Solet of the Light founds a religious order, the Brothers and Sisters of the Inner Light, dedicated to aiding the unfortunate and poor. Hundreds of devout men and women join her order.

SY 2779 Elbarans explorers discover the Halflings in the Land of Giants

SY 2786-9 Elbarans attack and enslave the outlying Halflings on the Halfling Islands and the Burrowlands. They fail to conquer the major kingdoms of the Burrowlands (largely due to the difficulty of fighting Halflings in the narrow burrows) and settle for peace. The Halfling Islands are turned into a series of plantations with the natives as slave labor, and the conquered parts of the Burrowlands are mined, again using Halflings for labor. Other Halflings are shipped back to Elbar as slaves for similar ventures.

SY 2790 Elbarans attempt to invade the Land of Giants itself, and meet with initial success, defeating a number of ogre tribes.

SY 2791 The various Elbaran armies are crushed, one after another, by an army of true giants. They flee from the interior of the Land of Giants to the Burrowlands, out of reach of the angered giant armies.

SY 2829 Elbarans exploring Slazngroth and Hobgoblin scouts encounter each other. At first, neither race realizes the extent of the other’s power, but Hobgoblins catch on faster.

SY 2833 Hobgoblins, using stolen spellbooks and kidnapped wizards, acquire the knowledge of Wizardry from the Elbarans.

SY 2840 Elbaran nations finally realize the extent of the threat the Hobgoblins pose to them, and make preparations for war.

SY 2841-49 “The Hobgoblin Wars.” The Elbaran nations work together, to an extent, to fight the Hobgoblins, but none wants to over commit and leave itself vulnerable to its neighbors. The wars are bloody but get nowhere, and a truce – the creation of the Neutral Zone – is settled upon.

SY 2856 Solet of the Light dies of natural causes, and she soon is declared a saint. Her body vanishes with no trace, but her clothing continues to cure and comfort those who touch it for weeks afterward, and clerics and paladins are able to channel divine energy by appealing to St. Solet as a prophet.

SY 2866 A mysterious woman calling herself Elar of Vaals appears in Elbar, wandering from nation to nation preaching the “New Word of Vaals.” Elar decries the role of the Church in government and the governments’ enforcement of worship, which she argues stifles true faith and leads to tyranny.

SY 2867 The Church of St. Salva declares Elar a false prophetess, a demon disguised as a woman, and sends out a group of clerics and paladins to capture her. However, they fail to catch up with Elar, and her magical powers protect her from attempts to scry on her, or predict her movements.

SY 2867 The Reborn Church of Vaals declares Elar a heretic and devil, but doesn’t attempt to capture her.

SY 2868 As Elar’s sermons turn to politics and she advocates “freeing the spirit from the bonds of government,” Elbaran officials decide that she is too dangerous to leave alone, and all of them declare her treasonous and assert that her powers are evil.

SY 2869-75 Elar of Vaals travels around Elbar, preaching the New Word of Vaals and staying one step ahead of the governments and churches pursuing her. She acquires numerous secret followers among the discontented and disenfranchised of Elbar.

SY 2876 Elar of Vaals disappears without a trace. At first it was suspected she had been captured, but nobody claimed responsibility. Furthermore, for weeks afterward phantasmal illusions in her image appeared throughout major cities in Elbar, preaching to anyone who would listen. Shortly after her vanishing, clerics of St. Elar begin appearing. Worship of St. Elar is still to the present day considered heresy, and only in the more free-thinking parts of Lorm, or New Elbar, are open worshippers of St. Elar safe.

SY 2887 In response to clearer evidence about Drow raids, Elbarans begin exploring the underground cautiously. They encounter kobolds and goblins, and begin a low-scale underground war with both.

SY 2910 Elbaran explorers find a continent to the west which they call New Elbar, a swampy land filled with Lizardfolk. All of the Elbaran natures begin sending ventures there, which report militarily weak natives and ancient, unexplored ruins, some bringing back magic items from ruins.

SY 2911-* Elbarans begin a conquest of New Elbar, crushing the lizardfolk beneath their superior military might and enslaving them as workers to explore the ancient ruins. The lizardfolk can mount no real military resistance.

SY 2915 The Elbarans, having mostly destroyed the kobolds and chased off enough goblins, venture further into the Upperdark, where they encounter Gnomes. The Elbarans recognize the value of having the Gnomes as friends (especially after noting the strong defenses of Gnomish communities) and open peaceful diplomatic relations and trade.

SY 2944 Elbarans exploring the far side of the Land of Giants locate a land full of undead, which proceed to horribly kill and reanimate them. Those who hear of the incident from magical messages for help dub the place Death’s Door.

SY 2927 The Elbarans make contact with the Dwarves on the far-off continent of Kunai after a few adventurous vessels decide to see what lies beyond New Elbar. Elbarans establish peaceful relations with the dwarves, who they realize are far too strong to conquer, but excellent potential trade partners.

The dwarves are cautious, having yet to meet a sentient race that wasn’t an enemy, but had too much interest in the strange magic and ships of the Elbarans to entirely rebuff them. Since then, dwarves and Elbarans have remained trade partners, but never allies.

SY 2973 General Thaddius “Pyro” Flammeheizer opens the Cabral Academy in Kunai, the only surface-world mage-officer academy not bound to a government.

SY 2977 Elbaran explorers find the Poisonlands in south New Elbar and are mercilessly slaughtered by the Scorpionfolk.

SY 2985 A flight of dragons encounters Elbaran vessels on the west side of New Elbar and warn them to stay out of the Dragon Islands to the west. The Elbarans comply.

SY 2996 Elbaran explorers are surprised when they encounter dry, cold plains in the Northwest of New Elbar, having thought the entire place a swamp, and more surprised when the Centaurs native to the plains present a well-organized army and demand that the “two-legs stay out of our lands.” Investigation reveals that the Centaur had heard of the Elbarans from the lizardfolk, and prepared to resist an invasion.

[Pyroconstruct]

Deity Listing

Format:
Name Titles AL Cleric Patron
Classes



Brief Description
Secondary Domains
Primary Domains
Oaths (if applicable)
Type of Energy Channeled: Positive (P), Negative (N), Either (E)
Non-applicable sections are left blank. Note that all nongood deities may sponsor blackguards if they choose (although some will rarely, if ever, decide to do so).



Vaals The Silent God, the Lost God


No longer active; creation, perfection, harmony, unity, salvation, protection.

Vaals was originally the patron god of humans, who they worshipped on Korthane and Sarland Islands. Vaals represented the positive and living aspect of creation – he who made all good things and preserved humans against the darkness.

After the humans assimilated into Elvish culture, Vaals came to be seen as well as a god of unity, and to many represented the harmony between humans and elves.

Vaals completely disappeared as of about Vaals’s Year 50. He has not been known to work any miracles since then (other than, possibly, through the prophets; see below) and divine spellcasters cannot gain spells by worshipping him.


The Prophets of Vaals


The Prophets of Vaals were all historical figures of great significance, and all of them exhibited miraculous abilities even beyond those of clerics. Because they were real, their stories are included under History, and this area only discusses their doctrine, and in some cases the role of their church.

Note that the religions of St. Salva, St. Cayl, and St. Elar are all hostile to each other. The other prophets are not part of the hostility; all three churches recognize St. Menaz, St. Elaias, and St. Solet as legitimate and holy prophets of Vaals, and the three “neutral” churches aren’t interested in the interfaith conflict.

Officially, the saints are not deities; they are prophet of the deity Vaals. For mechanical purposes, they are treated as a potential patron deity like any other, but it is inappropriate for their followers to refer to them as gods.


St. Salva The First Prophet LG LG, NG, LN Paladin

Unity, love and brotherhood, salvation, self-sacrifice, healing.
Law, Good, Protection, Healing
Sacrifice, Love, Positive Energy
Guarding, Redemption, Mercy
P

St. Salva’s doctrine is simple. Vaals wants his children (all creation) to work together and love one another, and if they do so, Vaals will protect them from harm and lead them to salvation.

The Church of St. Salva is a very powerful organization and is closely involved in the government of three of the five major Elbaran nations. The Church’s goals are simple – to continue and spread the faith, and to ensure just governance, in accordance with the teachings of St. Salva. To that end, the church has on occasion been found to have its fingers in some underhanded ventures (such as political subterfuge), but the “official” word is that the Church does not condone such activities.

The Church of St. Salva is strongly opposed to both the Reborn Church of Vaals (the Caylinites), and the disciples of Elar, both of which they believe to be controlled by demons. Church members have differing opinions on what should be done, but the church usually just tries to prevent preaching and congregation of heretical faiths (except in areas the church controls strongly enough to imprison or execute heretics). Since they see attempts to convert away from their doctrine as leading the soul into eternal damnation, they are willing to use force when necessary to prevent it. Practical concerns, of course, usually come first, and the Church won’t openly defy governments.

The Church of St. Salva views non-Vaalsian faiths much more harshly, and will treat followers of them with much less restraint (especially because there are less likely to be objections).

The symbol of the Church of St. Salva is the gallows, usually drawn as gray on a white background.

Numerous followers of St. Salva recorded much of his words and teachings in writing; collectively, these are known as the “Testament of St. Salva,” and form the basis of Church doctrine.

Typical Salvan sayings include “Love your neighbor as Vaals loves you,” “Let Vaals protect you and you shall be safe,” and “the words of St. Salva are the path to Vaals.”


St. Menaz Sword of Vaals LG LG, LN Paladin, Ranger


Sent to purge evil from the hearts of Vaals’s children.
Law, Good, Destruction, Fire, War
Sacrifice, Bloodlust, Apocalypse
Courage, Judgment, Justice
P

St. Menaz’s followers, collectively known as the Knights of St. Menaz, have relatively little formal doctrine, since St. Menaz was primarily a military leader, not a preacher, and they don’t have much to go on. The central texts of the Knights of St. Menaz are Ex Tribunal, her accusation of the Tribunal of treason, and the Testament of St. Menaz, her speech before the last battle of the Orcish War.

The essence of St. Menaz’s teachings is that everyone is inherently evil, and that it is the responsibility of the just to purge the evil from themselves, and then from others – if necessary by violence. Knights of St. Menaz take a very black-and-white view of good and evil, and are fanatical about the destruction of the unrighteous.

The Testament of St. Menaz refers to an event known as the Grand Return, in which the faithful of Vaals throughout eternity shall rise and do battle with the wicked and heretical for the eternal fate of the world. The Knights of St. Menaz thus believe that the true battle is yet to be fought, and in addition to their duty in this life, they must prepare themselves to fight again when the Great Return occurs. For this reason, Knights are always buried with their armor and weapons if possible, so that when they return to life they can join the fight immediately.

The symbol of St. Menaz is a stylized red fire consisting of three long lines and two short lines, on a white background. The short lines represent Faith and Righteousness, and the long lines represent Courage, Judgement, and Justice.

Typical Menazite sayings include “Burn out your own wickedness before turning to the wickedness of others,” “May your soul be purified by the Flame of St. Menaz,” and “Evil shall burn in righteous fire.”


St. Elaias Soulmender NG Good Paladin, Ranger, Druid

Preached peace, asceticism, and love for all living beings.
Good, Animal, Healing, Travel
Love, Positive Energy, Peace
Redemption, Mercy, Courage
P

Followers of St. Elaias believe in a simple doctrine of love and charity for all living things. Because Elaias had a long life and gave many sermons, there’s a huge amount of recordings of his teachings. Those who follow the Soulmender are supposed to live simply, love others, protect the innocent, and spread these values to others.

The basic principles of the doctrine of St. Elaias are: how you treat the least among living things is more important than anything else you do, nobody is beyond the love of Vaals, and a simple life full of faith and love is the greatest praise for Vaals.

There is no unified church of St. Elaias. Elaians might have no church, belong to either the Church of St. Salva or the Reborn Church of Vaals, or might have an independent single church. Elaians also often congregate in monasteries or nunneries.

The symbol of St. Elaias is a brown fallen tree-trunk on a green background.

St. Elaias’s followers will typically quote from his sermons; common ones include “Love of Vaals is love for your enemy,” and “To have faith in Vaals, one must have faith in all he has made.”



St. Cayl The Elector LG LG Paladin

Predestination, perfection, visions, judgment.
Law, Good, Knowledge, Luck, Protection
Fate, Mysticism, Perfection
Guarding, Courage, Justice
P

St. Cayl taught a modified version of the doctrine of the Church of St. Salva, which he and his followers claimed was the true teaching of St. Salva that had been corrupted by the influence of the Church over the years. In particular, St. Cayl’s doctrine includes a unique view of the nature of good and evil. Caylinites believe that all things have an “innate” alignment and that rather than intentions (that is, morality) dictating alignment, alignment dictates what a person will intend to do. In other words, Caylinites think that people do good things (things done with good intentions) because they have a good alignment, rather than that they have a good alignment because they do good things.

Furthermore, Caylinites believe that alignments are predestined by Vaals – even if they change, it was because Vaals has planned it. Thus, there are some people who are condemned to be evil and others who are graced with goodness.

In terms of general policy, the Reborn Church exists largely in opposition to the Church of St. Salva. Caylinites have a much more stringent and puritanical code of behavior, and in areas controlled by the Reborn Church most activities they consider immoral (for example, gambling, gladiatorial fighting, and the like) are banned. The Reborn Church is constantly trying to undermine the Church of St. Salva, which Caylinites believe to have been corrupted by a demon, and replace it.

The symbol of St. Cayl is a lit candle, orange on a white background.

Typical Caylinite saying include “By the will of Vaals do all things occur,” and “The Church of St. Salva is like HidaTsuzua's mom – bloated, diseased, and corrupt, yet somehow still able to attract men.”


St. Elar Heretic Prophetess; the New Faith CG NG, CG -

Personal revelation, philosophy, self-determination, free will.
Chaos, Good, Knowledge, Trickery, Travel
Mysticism, Freedom, Perfection
P

The doctrine of St. Elar is simple – obey the laws of Vaals, not the laws of mortals. Don’t listen to churches or governments, just do good with no thought of rewards or commandments. St. Elar taught that everyone is capable of understanding Vaals on their own, and that Vaals speaks to everyone, not just clerics and paladins.

There is no church of St. Elar, although there are simple churches in isolated parts of New Elbar where Elarians congregate.

St. Elar has no unified holy symbol. Individual clerics of St. Elar choose their own holy symbol, and may use it as their Divine Focus. Occasionally, groups of Elarians will use the same holy symbol. Elarian holy symbols are interchangeable between divine spellcasters of St. Elar – any divine spellcaster whose patron is St. Elar may use any other divine spellcaster’s holy symbol.


St. Solet the Pure, Lady of Light NG Good Paladin

Meditation, revelation, visions, transcendence, light.
Good, Sun, Magic, Knowledge
Mysticism, Glory, Positive Energy
Courage, Mercy, Judgment
P

Rather than a doctrine, St. Solet taught a method – a means for Vaalsians to become closer to their god. Her teachings are collectively referred to as the Way of St. Solet, and encompass study of holy writings, meditation, and good deeds. Her association with light comes from her teaching that the goodness of Vaals can be seen as light, and that by permitting the light to “penetrate one’s soul,” one can become unified with Vaals.

St. Solet left behind many teachings and disciples, and the Way of St. Solet is now widely studied. It requires a great amount of reading and self-study to fully understand, but the essential goal is a form of transcendence in which the worshipper becomes spiritually united with the holy light of Vaals.

There is no unified church of St. Solet; if they have one at all, her followers will belong to the church of St. Salva or St. Cayl, or possibly St. Elar or St. Menaz. Devotees of the Way of St. Solet also sometimes form independent congregations in which to share knowledge and foster spiritual growth, and there are also many nunneries of St. Solet. The Brothers and Sisters of the Inner Light are a monastic organization dedicated to St. Solet.

The holy symbol of St. Solet is a white sun on a black background.




The Old Elven Pantheon / The Drow Pantheon (Drow names are in parentheses, where relevant). Note that these gods do not require worshippers to be elves.


The Old Elven pantheon, as the name suggests, was the original one worshipped by the elves. However, all but the Drow eventually converted to worship of Vaals, and for the most part these gods have been forgotten on the surface world. Recently, though, Elbarans have rediscovered the religion of their ancestors along with some of their culture and knowledge, and have taken back up study of the Old Elven pantheon.

Among Elbarans, worship of the Old Elven gods is considered paganism and thus forbidden by the churches of Vaals, but there is a growing trend towards worshipping – or at least respecting – the Old Gods. In Lorm, there are even occasional priests worshipping the rediscovered Old Gods openly, and in other places intellectuals disillusioned with the churches have begun to rediscover these long-forgotten deities.

The Old Elven gods are fickle and distant, but powerful – even after so long with little worship. All of them can be worshipped by anyone – although the Elves are the ones who originally revered them, they aren’t too picky about their followers’ races. However, the vast majority of their worshippers are Drow, and the rest are mostly humans and elves from the surface.

The four elemental powers, Ragnaros, Thunderaan, Garr, and Hydraxis are not, strictly speaking, part of any pantheon, but were worshipped by the elves since before recorded history and are most well-known as elvish deities, and thus included here.

The elemental powers are distant and aloof beings that are largely disinterested in mortal affairs. They represent the raw, uncontrolled power of nature and are worshipped as such. The elemental powers live on their respective planes and can thus be contacted directly, but doing so is dangerous and may prove fruitless – or lethal.

The elemental gods simply don’t care what happens to most mortals. Their worshippers mean little to them – all living beings must bow to the supremacy of the elements. Divine spellcasters, on the other hand, are those they favor, typically because they show “true appreciation” for the element of the god, but even then they tend to simply not care about mortal concerns. On the other hand, fickle as they are, sometimes they will take a special interest in a particular mortal worshipper or cleric.

Elemental powers can rarely be stirred to take direct concern in an issue – their power comes from the presence of their element in the physical world, and that is simply impossible to extinguish or even really diminish. Similarly, they take little interest in each other and in foreign gods – they simply don’t care about other elements or portfolios.


Ragnaros (Ragnarok) Fire Lord CN Any

Druid
Fire, volcanoes, magma, destruction, power, fickleness.
Chaos, Fire, Destruction, Luck
Power, Glory, Apocalypse
E

Ragnaros is the flame that provides warmth and the blaze that burns cities, the raging inferno and the smoldering ember. It is said that at the end of the world Ragnaros will be the fire that burns everything away.

The holy symbol of Ragnaros is a flame.


Thunderaan Fury of the Storm CN Any Druid/Ranger

Wind, thunder, lightning, fickleness, change, wandering, insanity.
Chaos, Air, Luck, Travel
Weather, Freedom, Madness
E

Thunderaan is the lightning strike, the calming breeze, the tornado, and the howling wind. He brings mortal relief or drives them mad, drives ships and windmills and destroys houses.

The holy symbol of Thunderaan is a lightning bolt.

Garr Heart of Earth CN Any

Druid/Ranger
Earth, earthquakes, fickleness, steady change, physical strength, contemplation.
Chaos, Earth, Luck, Strength
Power, Mysticism, Perfection
E

Garr is the everlasting mountain and the sudden avalanche, the silent plateau and the destructive earthquake. All mortals must live on his skin, and he provides both security and destruction.

The holy symbol of Garr is a mountain.



Hydraxis (Hydross) Wavemaster CN Any

Druid/Ranger
Water, sailors, tidal waves, disaster and protection from disaster, ill fate, peace in death.
Chaos, Water, Luck, Protection
Fate, Apocalypse, Peace
E

Hydraxis is the calm pool and the typhoon, the tidal wave and the endless sea. He carries mortals from place to place and drowns them, and the drowned are both slain and embraced by Hydraxis. After the world has been burnt away by Ragnaros, Hyrdraxis will wash away the ashes of the world.

The holy symbol of Hydraxis is a wave.



Gorgas (Garagos) Warlord CE Non-good.

Mindless slaughter, killing, blood, destruction, invincibility in battle, war for war’s sake.
War, Destruction, Strength, Protection
Bloodlust, Glory, Fate
N

Gorgas is the primal essence of violence. Gorgas is said to have invented killing when he slew his twin brother Garagos and stole his power as they lay in the cradle (the Drow reverse the names of the surviving brother and the dead one). Gorgas fights for no reason other than love of battle and kills for no reason other than bloodlust.

Most soldiers simply prayed to Gorgas to be spared death in battle, but the most bloodthirsty would pray to Gorgas to let them slaughter many enemies. Civilians also prayed to Gorgas, typically to let warfare avoid them and their homes.

In artwork, Gorgas is depicted as a huge armored elf riding a black horse and carrying a five-bladed greatsword (the tentacus).

The holy symbol of Garagos is the tentacus, a five-bladed sword.



Holdan (Haeldan) Shadekeeper LN LG, LN, LE

Paladin
Judgement of the dead, order, fate.
Law, Death, Knowledge, Magic
Fate, Mysticism, Negative Energy
Justice, Mercy, Judgment
N

Holdan is a cold and impartial god who records and oversees the inevitable death and decay of the world. All things must die, and that which dies comes to the realm of Holdan. Holdan cares nothing for the living, only for the dead, who he jealously guards as his own, and in the ancient times all who sought to command the undead were obligated to pay homage to Holdan. His paladins (the Scriveners of Death) sought out and destroyed those who misused necromancy and uncontrolled undead.

Holdan is depicted as a black shade holding a scythe in one hand and a quill pen in the other, writing on a piece of parchment.

The holy symbol of Holdan is a scroll – representing the Book of the End, which contains the names of all living things that will ever be born and when they will die.



Aldran (Aeldin) King of the Gods LN Non-Chaotic

Kingship, civilization, cities, the sun/sky OR drow supremacy, masculinity, power.
Law, Protection, Strength, Sun OR Destruction
Glory, Perfection, Positive Energy OR Negative Energy
P

Aldran is the king of the sky, representing majesty and kingship. He is the most powerful of the Elvish gods and the ruler of the others, save for Holdan, his equal, who rules a different sphere.

The Drow have a different interpretation of Aldran (who they call Aeldin) – they see him as the ancestor of the Drow and the source of their supremacy over other elves and mortals, and they no longer associate him with the sky (which they have lost).

Aldran is usually depicted as a muscular, bare-chested elf carrying a scepter and wearing a crown.

The holy symbol of Aldran is a cloud and a scepter.




Elandra (Elindrin) Queen of the Gods CN Non-Lawful

Queenship, civilization, cities, femininity, marriage, subtlety/diplomacy, (not) dying in childbirth.
Chaos, Protection, Healing, Trickery.
Glory, Love, Peace
P

Elandra is Aldran’s companion, the Queen of the elvish pantheon. She works both with and against her husband, representing a different side of things. She looks out for women, especially mothers, wives, and female rulers, and was prayed to frequently to prevent death in childbirth and infant mortality. Elandra was also responsible for sanctifying marriage in the Old Elven world, and only clerics of Elandra were permitted to perform “formal” marriages.

Elandra is depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a gold tiara.

The holy symbol of Elandra is a tiara.



Cerin (Dzerin) Cornucopia NG Nonevil

Paladin, Druid, Ranger
Plants, animals, domestication, wilderness, fertility, mercy, human sacrifice
Good, Animal, Plant, Healing
Sacrifice, Weather, Love
Guarding, Mercy, Justice
P

Cerin is the fertility goddess of the Old Elven pantheon. She makes the crops grow, but she demands human (ie, sentient mortal) sacrifice to do so. She also governs animals, both wild and domestic, as well as conception.

Cerin is depicted as a voluptuous woman, typically with plants connected to her, such as in (or as) her hair.

The holy symbol of Cerin is a sickle.


Atha (Altha) Wise LG LG, NG, LN
Paladin
Wisdom, knowledge, secrets, good judgement, just war, common sense, skillfulness.
Good, Law, Knowledge, Magic.
Mysticism, Fate, Positive Energy
Courage, Justice, Redemption.
P

Atha the Wise was the most sensible of the Old Elven deities, the older sister of Gorgas and Garagos. She looks poorly on the recklessness of the others, and believes in restraint and good sense, using violence only when necessary and thinking actions through. However, Atha was always the least powerful of the old Elven gods, and her restraint is drowned in the chaos of the others.

Atha is depicted as a middle-aged woman carrying either tools or weapons.

The symbol of Atha is a loom (representing skill) and a shield (representing wisdom).




The Slazngroth Pantheon (Slazngroth gods accept worshippers of any race).


The Slazngroth Pantheon are a family of deities worshipped by the savage humanoids of Slazngroth. Each race sees the pantheon as members of its own race, and has its own slightly different take on the gods. They all consider the other races to be worshipping debased versions of their own true gods. All of the Slazngroth gods are listed under their orcish names; the hobgoblin, bugbear, and goblin names are given as well.

In addition, the Slazngroth humanoids sometimes worship the elemental gods. They have their own names for them, but the deities are identical to those worshipped by the elves; see above.

Infernoth (alternate name for Ragnaros)

Brazikath (alternate name for Thunderaan)

Rakoth (alternate name for Garr)

Wavrath (alternate name for Hydraxis)

Ilmauwforth All-father or All-Mother LE LE, LN, NE

Power, physical strength, dominance, patriarchy or matriarchy, command, racism, violence
Law, Evil, Strength, War, Destruction
Perfection, Power, Bloodlust
N

Ilmauwforth is the strongest of the Slazngroth gods, and seen as the incarnation of tyranny and strength. Patriarchal tribes (including most orc tribes) have a male depiction of Ilmauwforth, and matriarchal tribes (such as most bugbears) have a female depiction of Ilmauwforth.

Ilmauwforth’s wife is Faltahras, and his daughter is Hraathilshath.



Ilmauwforth is called Hob by the Hobgoblins, Creaawg by the bugbears, and First Chief by the goblins.

The symbol of Ilmauwforth is a clenched fist of the race worshipping him.



Gronnilshoth Hacker, Dirt-born, NE Nongood Ranger

Massacre, killing for no reason, hate, pillage, death, war, revenge, feuding
Evil, Strength, War, Destruction, Death
Bloodlust, Negative Energy, Apocalypse
N

Gronnilshoth is the creation of the merciless sun-god Shurf, made by mixing dirt with the blood of predatory animals and baking it dry in the rays of Shurf. Gronnilshoth was made for Hraathilshanth; in some legends as a favor to her father Ilmauwforth, and in others as an act of spite, knowing what would come of Hraathilshanth’s children.

Gronnilshoth was a mighty and handsome warrior, beautiful and strong. He won the hand of Hraathilshanth by slaughtering wild animals and bringing her their meat, and then killing hundreds of (a humanoid race other than the one telling the story) and bringing her their heads.

Gronnilshoth was murdered by his son and daughter Craanilshoth and Ormilshath, and reanimated by his mother-in-law Faltahras. He is thus a god of death as well as of war and killing.

Gronnilshoth is called Magr by the hobgoblins, Loksan by the bugbear, and Kruhnk by the goblins.

Gronnilshoth’s symbol is a bloodstained weapon; the type of weapon varies.



Hraathilshath Carrion eater, Dead-born NE Evil

Druid
Death, undeath, necromancy, murder, hate, evil magic, carrion eaters, cannibalism, stillborn children, (hobgoblin only: justice, public execution).
Evil, Destruction, Death, Knowledge, Magic
Negative Energy, Apocalypse, Mysticism
N

Hraathilshath is the daughter of Ilmauwforth and Faltahras, and Gronnilshot’s husband. She was supposed to learn the secrets of magic from Faltahras, but she only had time to learn the secrets of death before she herself was killed by her children.

Like Gronnilshoth, she was raised by Faltahras, and is thus a goddess of death as well as magic.

The stories say that Hraathilshath was once beautiful, but is now an ugly rotting corpse, and that as a result she resents beauty. Thus, Slazngroth humanoids traditionally wear “ugly” makeup (clotted animal blood, for example) on the first day of a marriage in order to protect from her.

Hraathilshanth also hates babies (for obvious reasons) and makes them stillborn. Thus, she is always prayed to before births. The hobgoblins also have Hraathilshanth (who they call Gelab) as the punisher of children who don’t obey their parents (or the state), and for them she is also the deity of justice, punishment, and public execution.

The bugbears call Hraathilshanth Kasaala, and the goblins call her Dead Heart.




Craanilshoth Survivor, one-eye, doomed god NE Any
Ranger
Surviving by any means, selfishness, running away, escaping, nihilism.
Evil, Protection, Trickery, Travel, Healing
Weather, Freedom, Fate
N

See Ormilshath, below.



Ormilshath Lesbian orc assassin NE Any
Ranger
Lesbian assassins, murder to survive, patricide/matricide, rebellion, independence, good luck, alternative lifestyles / taboo sexual affairs
Evil, Strength, Trickery, Luck, Destruction
Freedom, Bloodlust, Love
N

Craanilshoth and Ormilshath are the children of Hraathilshanth and Gronnilshoth. For reasons that vary from legend to legend, they killed their parents and then ran away from their grandfather and grandmother to hide. They are the ancestors of modern orcs (or hobgoblins, or bugbears, or goblins, depending on who tells the story).

In some versions, they were caught committing incest (this version is popular among the goblins) and killed their parents to cover it up, whereas among the orcs they instead were homosexuals. The bugbear version says that they interbred with the “lesser” races (and this is why bugbears today are smaller and weaker than their ancestors). In the hobgoblin version, they killed their parents out of defiance and rebellion, wanting to steal their powers and take their place.

Craanilshoth is called Gurm by the hobgoblins, Runner by the goblins, and Klavin by the bugbears.

Ormilshath is called Orlna by the hobgoblins, Assassin by the goblins, and Torma by the bugbears.

The symbol of Craanilshoth is a boot, and the symbol of Ormilshath is a dripping dagger.




Shurf The merciless CE Nongood Ranger, Druid

The mercilessness of nature, the sun, power, animals, savagery
Evil, Chaos, Animal, Strength, Sun
Glory, Bloodlust, Power
N

Shurf is the sun god, outside of the rest of the family of Slazngroth deities. He made Gronnilshoth out of the earth and the blood of animals as his son. Shurf rules the wild, the monsters, and the destructive and deadly elements of nature. He is completely without mercy or compassion, and delights in the suffering of mortals.

Shurf is known as Shurf by all of the races; he is not personified, but rather seen as the sun itself.

Shurf’s symbol is the sun.



Faltahras Grandmother Rot/Fate N Any Druid

Fate, chance, eternity, rot, life-death-rebirth, cycles, fatalism
Luck, Plant, Animal, Death, Magic
Fate, Negative Energy, Positive Energy, Madness
E

Faltahras, or Grandmother Rot (tribes that worship a female version of Ilmauwforth have a male version of Faltahras, Grandfather Rot) is, along with Ilmauwforth, her husband, the oldest of the Slazngroth deities. Whereas Ilmauwforth is responsible for physical power and authority in society, she is responsible for knowledge and the cycle of existence.

Faltahras governs the life, death, rot, and rebirth, and eternity. She knows the fate of all things and their inevitable death and remaking, but she can (to a limited extent) change that fate. Thus, even though she could not spare her daughter and son-in-law, she could bring them back in a half-life. Similarly, she cannot change fate, but can alter its path slightly, and thus is worshipped as a deity of luck as well.

Hobgoblins call Faltahras simply Falt, bugbears use Faltahran, and goblins just call her Grandmother Rot.

The symbol of Faltahras is a cracked skull with a vine growing out of its eyesockets.


Lesser Gods Numerous names Any Any Ranger, Druid

Portfolio varies by incarnation.
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, any one other domain
Power, any one other domain
Varies

There are various minor gods in the Slazngroth pantheon worshipped only by some tribes, or only intermittently. They might be the patron of a particular tribe, the god of a river or a tree, or the like. This is the template for constructing them.



Dwarven Ancestor-Worship (must be part of the appropriate clan). Note that these are not individual gods, but instead collections of ancestors, and for this reason do not have alignments or portfolios. Traditions are listed in place of portfolios.


The dwarves revere the ancestors of their clan rather than true gods. The clan traditions are described under the section on Kunai. Note that dwarves revere both individual ancestors (typically famous ones, or direct ancestors), as well as the clan ancestors as a whole.

Dwarves do not use holy symbols in divine spellcasting; instead, they need a relic of their clan. This might be a small item once owned by a famous ancestor, a carving of their clan’s motto on stone, or the like. Such relics are interchangeable among clerics of the same clan.

Clan Kugo LG, NG, LN, N
Agriculture, animal training.
Animal, Plant, Sun, Earth
Peace, Positive Energy, Weather
P

Clan Tavege LG, NG, LN, N Paladin, Ranger
Killing monsters, heroism, martyrdom, dwarf supremacy, impossible odds
War, Strength, Protection, Luck
Glory, Sacrifice, Bloodlust
Courage, Judgement, Justice
P

Clan Jiomnyo LG, LN
Magic, meditation, wisdom, good council, thinking things through, caution.
Law, Protection, Magic, Knowledge
Mysticism, Fate, Positive Energy
P

Clan Ditzra Nonevil
Ranger
Trade, seafaring, travel, risk-taking, wealth, diplomacy
Water, Travel, Luck, Protection
Peace, Weather, Freedom
P

Clan Obno LG, NG, LN, N
Architecture and engineering, repair, stability, patience, perfecting one’s work, esthetics.
Earth, Protection, Law, Healing
Fate, Perfection, Glory
P

Clan Kystrun LG, NG, LN, N
Paladins
Defense, large-scale warfare, spying, secrecy, finding secrets, preparation for disaster.
Protection, Trickery, War, Knowledge.
Apocalypse, Bloodlust, Glory
Guarding, Judgement, Courage
P

Clan Pana Nonevil Ranger, Druid
The mountains, self-reliance, survival, living off the land, respect for nature and the sun.
Sun, Animal, Plant, Earth, Fire
Weather, Freedom, Mysticism
P

The Elemental Gods are also considered divine by the dwarves. They have the same portfolios and domains as listed in the Elven entries.

Fire – Rakkor
Earth – Kranmyor
Water – Trasor
Air - Alesazor


The Dark Gods of Loa (accept any worshippers).



The dark gods of loa are worshipped in the real world (they are known by a wide variety of names, such as the Orixa, and are included in a number of traditions). Note that there are numerous conflicting stories/traditions about all of these gods, and widely varied ways of worshipping them. Information about all of these deities is easily available online.

Note that because there are many, many different sources of information, two clerics of the same loa god may have a very different interpretation of who they serve. This is fine. Similarly, there are varying traditions included in this pantheon, including more traditional worship, and Santeria (which disguises worship of the loa gods as worship of Vaalsian saints). Again, information about these traditions is available online.

The supreme spirit that the loa serve as an intercessor for is not included, because he cannot be worshipped directly. However, the supreme spirit is still believed to exist.

Notes are included only to clarify major important differences between real-world loa deities and the in-game ones.

Instead of holy symbols, loa priests use items connected to the loa god they serve. For example, clerics of the Baron use an expensive hat or helmet as their holy symbol, and clerics of Papa Legba use a cane. These symbols are interchangeable between servants of the same loa.

Note that many of the loa gods use modern symbols or items (for example, Baron Samedi uses sunglasses), these may be substituted for more setting-appropriate items. For example, a loa cleric of Baron might use gold-rimmed eyeglasses, enchanted goggles, or the like.

While the only native worshippers of the loa gods are Halflings and giants, the Halflings have spread their religion to other lower-class peoples wherever they have traveled – for example, lizardfolk slaves working with Halfling slaves might also worship loa gods. Likewise, a half-orc who hangs out with a Halfling gang in an Elbaran city might worship the loa gods with his friends.


Ghede loa

Baron Zombie, Cemetery, of Gallows, Criminal CN Nonlawful
Death, joy, sexuality, lack of consequences, fearlessness, black, purple
Death, Chaos, Destruction, Luck, Trickery
Loa, Love, Freedom
N

Baron is an amalgamation of the Baron family of loa – Baron Samedi, Baron la Croix, Baron Cimitiere, and Baron Criminal. Note that he is only called Baron in places where Baron is a position; for example, he is called Jarl by the frost giants.

Manman Brigitte N Nonlawful
Protection of the dead, profanity, sexuality, fearlessness, joy, black, purple
Death, Protection, Destruction, Luck, Trickery
Loa, Love, Freedom
N

Petro loa

Ezili Dantor CG Nonlawful Ranger
Motherhood, single mothers, violence/rage in self-defense or defense of family, burning, explosions, explosive temperament, sacrifice, red
Chaos, Good, Destruction, War, Fire
Loa, Bloodlust, Sacrifice
E

Marinette Dry Arms, Anima Sola CN N, CN, NE, CE Ranger, Druid
Screech owls, wolves and werewolves, (escape from) cruelty/torture, freedom, savagery, flames, embers, red
Chaos, Destruction, War, Animal, Fire
Loa, Freedom, Apocalypse
N

Dry arms is a translation of the title Bwa Chech.

Ogoun LG LG, NG, LN Paladin
Fire, metallurgy, warriors, surviving wounds, government, war, politics, strength, triumph, red
Law, Good, War, Protection, Fire
Loa, Bloodlust, Peace
Courage, Justice, Guarding
P

Kalfu Crossroads CE CN, NE, CE
Evil spirits, bad luck, demons, curses, black magic, witchcraft, crossroads, getting lost, injustice, malice, red
Chaos, Evil, Travel, Luck, Magic
Loa, Negative Energy, Madness
N

Rada loa

Legba Father Crossroads NG Nonevil Paladin, Ranger
Crossroads, communication with the loa, gates and gatekeepers, guidance, dogs, white
Good, Protection, Knowledge, Travel, Animal
Loa, Fate, Mysticism
Guarding, Mercy, Redemption
P

Loco NG Nonevil
Ranger, Druid
Healing, plants, trees, white
Good, Plant, Healing, Sun
Loa, Positive Energy, Weather
P

Ayazan Grand NG Nonevil
Commerce, the marketplace, sobriety, good sense, white
Travel, Luck, Good, Knowledge
Loa, Positive Energy, Freedom
P

Damballa Weddo LG LG, NG, CG, LN, N
Ranger, Druid
Snakes, fathers, creation, silence, secrets, the afterlife, white.
Law, Good, Animal, Trickery, Death
Loa, Perfection, Mysticism
P

Ayidda Weddo LG LG, NG, CG, LN, N
Ranger, Druid
Snakes, motherhood, creation, the afterlife, rainbows, white.
Law, Good, Animal, Sun, Death.
Loa, Glory, Mysticism.
P

Minor loa

Minor Ghede Loa Many names Any Any Any
Black, purple, death, joy, fearlessness, other areas specific to the loa.
Death, Trickery, one other domain.
Loa, one other domain.
Courage, Justice, Judgement.

Minor Rada Loa Many names Good Nonevil Any
White, other areas specific to the loa.
Good, Protection, one other domain.
Loa, one other domain.

Minor Petro Loa Many names Any Any Any
Red, fire, other areas specific to the loa.
Fire, War, one other domain.
Loa, one other domain.

Any loa found in the real world that isn’t mentioned here can be made into a minor loa god using these templates.



Draconic Religion (only Dragons)

Io the Ninefold Dragon N Any Any
Dragons, being true to one’s nature
All except Good, Evil, Chaos, Law, Air, Fire, Water, Earth. If a dragon’s normal arcane spellcasting gives them the ability to cast spells from a domain as arcane spells, then that type of dragon receives those domains for free as a divine spellcaster. For example, a 1st level Red Dragon cleric of Io gets the Evil, Chaos, and Fire domains, plus 2 more.
All
E

Io is the god of dragons. Specifically, he represents the ideal of being true to one’s inner nature; that is, for each dragon to act as its color dictates. Note that Kobolds do not worship Io. Draconic followers may (and often do) worship Io, but they cannot gain divine spellcasting ability from Io.

Divine spellcasters of Io do not need a holy symbol at all. They may completely ignore the requirement to have one for any spell or ability.


Illithid Religion (only Illithids)

Ilsensine the Wise, All-Knowing LE LE Ranger, Druid
Illithids, Illithid dominance of the world, slavery, knowledge, secrets, intelligence.
Law, Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Trickery
Fate, Mysticism, Perfection
N

Ilsensine is the elder brain of elder brains, the repository of all Illithid knowledge and power. His doctrine is simple: conquer and enslave all, learn all, devour all. Ilsensine is depicted as a huge floating tentacled brain.

Ilsensine’s symbol is a brain.

[Pyroconstruct]

Yo ho ho and a bottle of I hate the 60 second rule

[Pyroconstruct]

60 second rule ftl

[Pyroconstruct]

Bump.......