High Fantasy Setting: Zinaster

[The_Mask_of_Ice]

I've been working on this campaign setting for about a month or so, and would really appreciate feedback if you have the time.

I apologize beforehand if this is painfully bland & trite or if it has been written horribly.

Intro
In some galaxy hundreds of billions of lightyears away from ours, a planet only possible through misapplication of the Law of Large Numbers, very much like our own, orbits a sun. It is the lynchpin of a set of planes, and all the unearthly forces & creatures, magic and other non-disprovable phenomena that come with them. The surprisingly human-like (not to mention elf-like, dwarf-like, etc.) inhabitants call it Zinaster. We will call it a stock high fantasy setting with some variations.

Planes
Prime Planes
The Nexus
The universe as we know it. Not too bad a place to live in.

The Plane of Order
An infinite expanse of various geometrical shapes, some minute and some as large as worlds, containing settlements. In some inexplicable way, the ratio of a circle’s circumference and its diameter is a rational number.

The Plane of Chaos
A chaotic void straight out of what can only be a collaboration between Dan Piraro, Gary Larson, George Dunning and Gerald Scarfe. Filled with inexplicable and inconceivable shapes and creatures, the very laws of physics undergo changes from region to region and from time to time. The only way this could get trippier would require The Beatles and Pink Floyd playing in the background.

The Light
A plane full of light and positive energy. Will usually make you explode with its pure diabetes unless you’re in one of the habitable, impure regions.

The Void
A void so empty it annihilates any matter inside. Nearly nothing exists outside of a few shielded motes.

The Aether
The plane which binds the universe together. An endless fog with some ghostly formations and creatures. This is where souls linger until they choose their fate (or reincarnate). Also used as a planar interstate.


Elemental Planes
The Plane of Water
An endless sea with no surface or floor, but some neutrally buoyant rocks here and there. Illuminated by natural portals into The Light. Has a wide variety of sea-dwelling creatures. Bring your own air!

The Plane of Fire
Endless fire. Why did you go here anyway?

The Plane of Air
A plane full of air, but which somehow has a definite “down” direction. Some flying cities. Hope you like falling endlessly!

The Plane of Earth
An underground expanse with no aboveground or bedrock to speak of. You’d better hope you teleport into an air pocket, or your death shall be gory.


Junction Planes
Heaven (The Light + The Plane of Order)
Fluffy clouds! Togas! Crystal spires! If you pleased a god during your lifetime, congrats! You get a place here! Usually doesn’t come into contact with the Elemental Planes.

Hell (The Void + The Plane of Order)
Angered the gods? Too bad! It’s into the fires/glaciers/other elemental punishments (depending on which elemental plane that region of Hell intersects with) with you! The worst part’s the bureaucracy. The devils and demons there really get kicks out of messing with mortals.

The Hall of Heroes (The Light + The Plane of Chaos)
To get an afterlife here, you have to overcome your way through various challenges to prove your mettle (the challenges depend on which elemental plane this plane is currently in contact with). Afterwards, it’s an afterlife of mead, fighting, and aiding worthy causes at crucial moments.

The Abyss (The Void + The Plane of Chaos)
You thought hell was bad? This is straight out Lovecraftian. Every sick, twisted thing that should not be has its place in this dark maelstrom. Even they didn’t accept Twilight and Justin Bieber, though.

The Pantheon
The gods are distant. Some even doubt they exist, and it’s ambiguous whether they’re separate beings or just aspects of a single supreme deity. Each of the planes has its own god.

Lucci (The Light)
Incorruptible pure pureness! Lucci promotes altruism and self-sacrifice. His symbol is a sun emblem.

Umbra (The Void)
It’s all about me. Umbra promotes selfishness and pragmatism. His symbol is a dark circle.

Tetra (The Plane of Order)
The LOAAAAW! Tetra promotes obedience and organization. Her symbol is a cube.

Zyxelle (The Plane of Chaos)
Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll! Zyxelle promotes freedom and creativity. Her symbol is a five-pointed star.

Pyr (The Plane of Fire)
I love the smell of napalm in the morning! Pyr promotes aggression and decisiveness. Its symbol is a flame emblem.

Aq (The Plane of Water)
Be like water. Aq promotes self-restraint and caution. Its symbol is a water droplet.

Ter (The Plane of Earth)
Stand your ground! Ter promotes strength and stubbornness. Its symbol is a rock.

Aer (The Plane of Air)
Wheeeeee! Aer promotes speed and flexibility. Its symbol is a spiral.

The Gatekeeper (Heaven)
Are you worthy to pass? The Gatekeeper promotes order for the good of others. Its symbol is a cloud.

The Warden (Hell)
Stop right there, sinning scum! The Warden promotes the punishment of evil or crime by whatever means possible, but usually can’t keep its subordinate devils under control. Its symbol is a lock.

The Adventurer (The Hall of Heroes)
Kill them and take their stuff! The Adventurer promotes heroism and bravery in the face of danger. Its symbol is two crossed swords with a staff between them.

The Destroyer (The Abyss)
Kill, maim, destroy! The Destroyer promotes sadism and destruction. Its symbol is a pair of red eyes against a black background.

The Nothing (The Aether)
So what? Anonymous promotes indifference and relaxation. It doesn’t have a symbol.

Equi (The Nexus)
Neutral Stupid! Equi promotes keeping balance and protecting nature. Its symbol is a tree.

Factions in the World
Sardac Empire
Concept: Steampunk Ottoman Empire
Flag/Symbol: A gear surrounded by symbols in the Sardac language denoting order, stability, advancement and power, on a green background.
Politics: A sultan by birthright passes or rescinds laws made by a ruling council elected by each local council in a province (the members of which are elected by popular vote by all male citizens in their province over 18).
Relations: Has recently made peace with the Kingdom of Arquis after a decade-long war over contested territory in the sea between them.
Religion: It is a commonly held belief that all the gods are simply aspects of a single deity.
Magic & Technology: Not much magic, but advanced in the usage of steam enough to build many useful and complex contraptions. Is experimenting with semiconductors and circuits.
Education: Education is mandatory until the 8th grade (age 14), after which students may either choose to leave or take qualification exams for a variety of specialized academies.
Language: Language uses many “soft” consonants in speech, and is quickly spoken. Uses angular script which has a wide variety of symbols for many words, with more being added over time as the language changes.
Recent Events: Is currently in a strained peace with the Kingdom of Arquis. Internal unrest. Growing movement for gender equality.

Kingdom of Arquis
Concept: Medieval Europe with magic and polytheism
Flag/Symbol: The crown of the King of Arquis surrounded by symbols denoting the four elements, on a white background.
Politics: A king oversees most high-level political decisions, while individual regions are governed by a feudal system.
Relations: Recently made peace with the Sardac Empire.
Religion: Is host to many temples and churches to the various gods. Druids are usually outcasts due to the different nature of their beliefs.
Magic & Technology: Still using early 11th-century technology, but has mastered magic from various sources.
Education: Most education is informal, but those wishing to be wizards, bards or clerics will usually enroll into an academy or church, or become an apprentice to a more experienced member of the craft they wish to learn.
Language: The language contains many guttural sounds and is hard to speak quickly. A fairly standard set of letters to represent sounds, which come together to form words.
Recent Events: Is currently in a strained peace with the Sardac Empire. Increasing planar breaches.

The Neutral Territories
Concept: An island chain in the middle of the sea between Sardac and Arquis.
Flag/Symbol: A plain gray flag.
Politics: Highly decentralized. The few areas under control have a governor appointed by either the Sardac Empire or the Kingdom of Arquis. The rest are havens to criminals and other outcasts of society, or just untamed wilds.
Relations: Neutral towards the Kingdom of Arquis and the Sardac Empire.
Religion: No single faith, but is widely accepting of various beliefs.
Magic & Technology: Varies from place to place, depending on the inhabitants.
Education: Not much to speak of.
Language: Varies depending on where you are.
Recent Events: Was formed after a decade-long war and a truce between the Kingdom of Arquis and the Sardac Empire. Pirates and other criminals have started taking the less supervised lands for themselves.

The Tree of Tribes
Concept: A loose coalition made up of nearly all the elven tribes. Listed information is for the tribes themselves in general.
Flag/Symbol: A pine tree on a green background. The symbols of individual tribes vary.
Politics: An elven tribe is usually ruled by a Cleric, a Fighter, a Mage and a Thief. The Cleric dictates religious matters, such as the will of Equi, and has the most power over the tribe’s population. They take a single apprentice, whom they train to be their successor. The Mage advises the Cleric and Fighter on matters of magic, and is in charge of giving lessons to those elves who wish to learn magic. The Fighter leads the warriors of the tribe in battle, advises the Cleric and Mage on matters of war, and trains the tribe’s aspiring swordselves and bowelves. The Thief takes care of day-to-day administrative jobs, such as acting as a judge for petty squabbles, and supervising construction. A Cleric is succeeded by their apprentice when they die. After a Fighter’s death, all those desiring the newly vacated position must engage in mass unarmed (and occasionally lethal) battle, after which the last standing elf is accepted as the Fighter. The Mage will, prior to their death, entrust a document to their most trusted confidant, containing the details for the challenge which shall be used to choose the next Mage. After the Thief dies, a new Thief is chosen by popular vote from amongst any elves who nominate themselves (or are nominated) for candidacy. The coalition occasionally imposes mandates which all tribes must follow.
Relations: The elven tribes do their best to stay out of everyone’s way, but have a slight dislike for the two human empires.
Religion: Nearly all tribes venerate Equi, whom they see as the embodiment of life, and the progenitor of all other primal spirits, above all. They usually sacrifice a portion of their crop or prey by burning it.
Magic & Technology: All elves have an innate spark of magic in them, which makes the amount of magic-users in elven tribes naturally high. On the other hand, elves are extremely distrustful of and are inept at using and developing technology, which makes their tech little more advanced than swords, bows, huts, books and some basic furniture.
Education: Most elves are either taught in classes given out by the tribe leaders, become an apprentice to a master of a craft, or are self-taught.
Language: Elvish is a language with many subtle and context-sensitive accents. The script is mainly comprised of hieroglyphs used for ideas.
Recent Events: Distrust of the Kingdom of Arquis with its frequent breach of planar barriers and the Sardac Empire with its razing of forests has spiked after the war.

Races in Zinaster
Humans
The most numerous race in the two known continents of Zinaster, humans are also perhaps the most advanced. While, individually, they might not be as graceful as elves, as sturdy as dwarves, as nimble as halflings, as sly as orcs or as daring as goblins, the fact remains that they have asserted their dominance in the forms of great empires. Their drive to gather together and collaborate is only kept in check by their tendency towards in-fighting. The two most powerful empires, the Sardac Empire and the Kingdom of Arquis, were founded and are lead by humans.

Elves
Long-lived and graceful, elves are a rarity in the known world. Magic flows in their blood, as does the art of swordplay. Some say they are a dying race, the forerunners of humans. Others say they come from a different universe. Most of the nomadic elven tribes don’t stick around long enough for anyone to find out for sure. Elves do not swear loyalty to any but their tribe. An elf is usually born, raised and taught within their tribe. To be exiled from their tribe is a shame beyond imagination, and elves weaker of heart will commit suicide to escape their pain. Those who are strong enough to carry on are prime adventurer material. Elven tribes will usually congregate in the nearest forest every equinox, and all tribes from across the world will perform a pilgrimage to the Forest of Souls every decade or so. On a final note, do NOT let an elf near anything more complex than a water wheel.

Dwarves
Stout and reclusive, dwarves don’t mess around. They are extremely competitive in anything they do, be it mining, engineering, carving, drinking beer, or building small communities which sooner or later collapse. Try to test a dwarf for their sense of humor and if you’re lucky, you’ll just get into a brawl. If you’re unlucky, well, your dead ancestors will be laughing in your face for your stupidity. Despite most dwarves’ strict adherence to religious practices and customs, they are one of the driving forces behind technological advancement in Zinaster. Many a dwarven engineer has found employment in a Sardac academy. Although they do not have a kingdom of their own, most dwarves either settle down in existing civilizations, or if they are brave (and perhaps foolish) enough, build their own fortress.

Halflings
Shy, innocuous and easy-going, most halflings are content to stay at home. They live almost exclusively in farming communities, in spots far from other civilizations (but not farther than a day’s walk, mind you), venturing to other settlements only to trade. Halflings have quite a simple outlook on life: Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you. This has earned them the goodwill, or at least tolerance, of many races. They have lived by this philosophy for years, but make no mistake, most halflings are vicious fighters when they have to be. Although they are a sedentary people, every town has its odd dreamer, someone who wants more than what a simple life of growing crops or herding sheep can offer. These are often ostracized by their family and community, eventually driving them to leave and become adventurers.

Orcs
Pragmatic and cunning, most orcs have no qualms doing anything, as long as they get paid. They have little in way of morals, and most stories orcs tell to their children do not involve altruistic acts or even a clearly defined concept of good or evil: Whoever wins in the end is accepted as the strongest and is therefore in the right. Orcs do not build civilizations, they infest them. In any given city, there will be plenty of orc conmen, mercenaries, thieves, thugs, and maybe mob bosses. Contrary to common belief, not many orcs spend their time on mountains, pillaging villages, killing passerby and being slain in turn by adventurers. Orcs aren’t that stupid or inefficient. Among orcs, some will grow up with values such as “honor,” “altruism” and “mercy.” Other orcs call them fools, con targets or even worse, adventurers.

Goblins
Fierce and reckless, these small folk live for thrill of danger. Whether it’s negotiating a deals with devils, charging into battle on the frontlines of a war or stealing from the rich and powerful, goblins live on the edge. Although goblins do not have an empire of their own, many of the even braver of their race build small settlements on the edges of existing civilizations. Surprisingly, these communities thrive for a while, at least until the goblins’ recklessness gets the better of them. Their attitude towards life either earns them the awe or scorn of the people they meet. Naturally, a goblin’s reckless attitude will sometimes lead them to become an adventurer. Many parties argue whether having a goblin member is a blessing or a curse. Some say it is both.

[The_Mask_of_Ice]

Bump. Please, I need advice on how to expand this a bit.

[Tovec]

I read through the first bit and skimmed through your factions (and down). You seem to have a certain vision in mind but I'm not sure what you want help on.

What is your premise and what is your end goal? Where can I/we help?

[The_Mask_of_Ice]

I read through the first bit and skimmed through your factions (and down). You seem to have a certain vision in mind but I'm not sure what you want help on.

What is your premise and what is your end goal? Where can I/we help?

My goal is to make a usable and fleshed-out high-fantasy campaign setting which isn't completely generic.

I need advice on where to add new/expand/change existing content. I'm not sure if these races or factions are enough, and I'm having trouble drawing a map (though that's a problem with me being terrible at drawing).

[The_Mask_of_Ice]

EDIT: Added a faction for the elven tribes, all factions have a "Language" entry.

[GenericGuy]

Your Neutral Territories sounds a lot like the Sovereign Isles of my setting, which is based largely on colonial America.

My best advice is think about the history of the world, these two nations (I assume there are more though) like the real world weren't born in a vacuum. There must have been other polities before them, and are shaped by their relations with other nations.

Where did your races come from, were they divinely created (if so for what purpose) or the result of natural selection.

How is magic treated? One thing that always annoys me in fantasy worlds is the lack of oversight or attempts to limit magic in society. Its hard to imagine civilization not descending into anarchy when it appears any individual can learn spells that could reduce a city to ash in minutes.

Finally is there a theme to your world, meaning is there an underlying philosophical outlook that it seems to validate. In mine its Abraham Lincoln's quote "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Not necessarily that power corrupts, just that power revels who you've always been.

[The_Mask_of_Ice]

Your Neutral Territories sounds a lot like the Sovereign Isles of my setting, which is based largely on colonial America.

My best advice is think about the history of the world, these two nations (I assume there are more though) like the real world weren't born in a vacuum. There must have been other polities before them, and are shaped by their relations with other nations.

Where did your races come from, were they divinely created (if so for what purpose) or the result of natural selection.

How is magic treated? One thing that always annoys me in fantasy worlds is the lack of oversight or attempts to limit magic in society. Its hard to imagine civilization not descending into anarchy when it appears any individual can learn spells that could reduce a city to ash in minutes.

Finally is there a theme to your world, meaning is there an underlying philosophical outlook that it seems to validate. In mine its Abraham Lincoln's quote "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Not necessarily that power corrupts, just that power revels who you've always been.

Since both major empires are (I imagine inaccurate) ripoffs of real life historical empires, I might as well base their histories off of real-world history.

I forgot to add the new intro I wrote recently. Adding it now. So basically, the planet Zinaster exists in our own universe, and is linked to a set of alternate universes (i.e. planes). The races evolved like most life on Earth did, and share a common origin with each other. They were altered by forces from the planes at a very early point in their evolution. Elves were altered by the plane of air, dwarves were altered by the plane of earth, halflings were altered by the plane of water, orcs were altered by the void and goblins were altered by the Plane of Chaos (humans were unaltered). I plan on adding more races corresponding to each plane.

I created this with Dungeon World in mind, and since wizards aren't that powerful there, I didn't really put much thought into magical limitations. I'll try to think of something, though. I guess it's strictly regulated in Arquis due to the danger of a major planar breach, and just very obscure in the Sardac Empire.

I didn't really think of a theme when I made this, but it could be something on the inability of people to accept different opinions.