[3.5] The World of Dreyar

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So this will be my first attempt at a polished world, previously I've just kind of made it up as I went along, so we'll see how this goes. PEACH

A Brief History of the World Up until Now

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The world was created by the gods, then they subsequently pissed off. The clerics who believe they are receiving the powers of gods are merely using the imprints left behind when they went to the 'other place'. There names are unimportant, as many different people ascribe many different personalities and powers to them, when really it's all from the same thing. The core god names are a standard however, with Pelor and Nerull, though alternate interpretations from people like the Rata's who use their own names, such as Bas and Set. There are a few who have monotheistic religions as well.

This is not too relevant now though. When the world was created the first things the gods did was make all the animals and peoples of it, the little ones they might have called them. But they were small, especially compared to the gods who towered over the forests and the mountains. Thus they created the Keepers, enormous versions of these smaller beasts and through a great deal of magic they were animated. Initially they were under their own control, but there were disagreements amongst the gods, and powerful forces began to arise.

One of these forces was a malevolent human who had grown to great power by feeding off the very primal forces of the Keepers, he had hidden himself away until he believed he had grown powerful enough to take on the gods. By this point however they had all left to pursue other careers, so his act of defiance was rather misguided. The clerics and paladins of the world did not believe this however, and began a crusade against him and his followers. This lasted many years and caused the deaths of many thousands, at the end however the man was bound, as they believed he could not be killed.

This was false, but their belief in it made it true, as belief shapes the world in a land without gods. They bound him to the Keepers, the great beasts that ran the land, however inadvertently. He was the one that kept them moving that kept them alive, though he was slowly killing them by draining their life away. The prison was far from permanent. With the large creatures moving the sentient races realized they could use them as natural sources of trade routes, they could establish civilizations on top of them and live without fear of the monsters of the land below.

What allowed them to do this was something that the clerics stumbled upon, that they could create food and water with only the slightest bit of diefic power, enabling a sufficiently powerful cleric to supply thousands of people. This created a new structure of war and life as instead of controlling the largest amount of land possible they simply needed one city, and built vertically. This created an underclass as the city built up, and up, and up, and left some of the 'lesser' races down below. These races included Kobolds, Ratfolk, and Goblins.

Any monstrous races that migrated into the cities were treated like this as well, though select individuals who were stronger or tougher than others were used as bodyguards, or gladiators in certain cities. This created a deep resentment, something not helped by the elitism of the other races, even once their great civilizations fell. What caused the fall is oft debated, some say the gods were punishing the world for its impudence, others say it was a spell from an unknown wizard, others blame a cult, disturbing powers which were not meant to be disturbed.

The actual explanation is simple, someone killed the ancient evil that controlled all the Keepers, that kept them alive, a bard with little physical strength or intelligence, but who none the less changed the world enormously, with one seemingly small action. Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference.

When the keepers fell it changed almost everything, with societies which had previously needed no defense and thus had no army now under attack by both bandits looking to capitalize on an impossible turn of events and monsters which were starving, larger carnivores now having true targets. Before the collapse art and entertainment was the main export of several cites, with education taking precedence over war, excluding a few territorial cities which would ravage any Keeper who crossed their path. Not only where the peoples on the ground, but now huge sources of free meat where available, with the dead Keepers. They fed for weeks off it, though they slowly began to decay and crumble.

Out of the bones of the old society a new formed, in some cases literally. The bones from the long dead creatures were used as building blocks for enormous structures, mountains made of magic and might as testaments to the strength of society as a whole. It also served as a tool to keep the 'lower' classes down, using the 'monstrous' races as slaves and servants. They should have seen the rebellion coming, but believed themselves invincible due to surviving what could have been an apocalypse. Another factor that led to this seeming invincibility was great mages who controlled the leadership of the cities, crushing any opposition.

These powerful wizards led to a kind of cold war, where no side went to war with another because of these near omnipotent beings that ruled, so many smaller states and sovereign powers where crushed and assimilated by these nations. Often it was without violence because of the fear of the mages, but sometimes they would resist when the people were put to work as slaves. The world continued like this for several decades, but the mages grew tired of the world and separately went off to accomplish grand tasks on grander worlds, to create their own life and cultures. Like the gods before they left the weak beings and disappeared.

Just like the Gods they didn't tell anyone about this, and the great powers of the world decided that they needed to keep up the illusion of these effective gods to protect themselves from the other nations who had also lost theirs, resulting in a cold war created entirely on illusion, something which the Gnomes where particularly gifted in. Gnomes in fact became the most important members of society, though they were never active rulers, but controlled through blackmail, behind the scenes.

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Reserved for Races

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Mak

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The inhospitable wastes of the North, governed by a Golrog unlike every other region. The region is a Monarchy of sorts, though the Golrog don't see it that way. Traditionally any Golrog who displays magical talent is elevated to the ranks of leadership, and now it happens that one named Olorg displayed immense sorcerous power, enabling him to rise quickly through the ranks and establish himself as leader of the Golrog race. He is currently a 8th level wizard who specializes in conjuration and transmutation. The other races are not so happy to have a king who is from this insectile alien race, but have begrudgingly accepted him as a monarch, at least in the cities.

The country is another matter however, with roaming gangs of elves attacking any Golrog they see out of malice towards what they call a false leader. They have formed a rebel group called the Bug-Beaters who seek to exterminate the entire race, as they see them as nothing more than Vermin with the illusion of intelligence. Their hatred has gone so far they even accept other races into their group, something the often xenophobic elves rarely do. Not all elves have joined the fight however, and some have attempted to rise up in the lives of the cities, while others are content to live in the ghettos and slums. One prominent elf is named Orlo Corilian, a 7th level Bard who has captivated all sorts of public officials, and has near total control of the city of Kip.

The goblins in the region are of divided opinions. Some are fascinated by these Golrog's and their isolated lifestyle, some of them trying to adapt to it and failing because of the incredibly hostile local conditions. Not the least of these is a number of dire animals that have found their home in the mountain passes, as well as the rogue earth elementals that have found their home in the range. Others want to continue the complete isolation from society, including a king, ironically this has led some of them to join up with the elves in the Bug-Beaters and attempt to destroy the Golrog 'incursion'. The leader of the largest goblin population is Tewr, a 5th level Spirit Shaman. He has little pull in terms of politics, but killing him would bring some rebellion amongst the goblins.

The main other force in the region are the Orcs, who have several encampments along the border, and have a major presence in the cities as the physically strongest of the races who live in Mak. The city of Tak is a sort of Meritocracy where 5 of the greatest artists are the rulers, though elections are held every year and the leaders are judged by the work they produced in that year, and at no other time. The Orcs have good relations with the Golrog, and most are in acceptance that the dominant culture in the region should dictate the ruler of that region, and that a significant magical presence has some right to rule. One of the most famed artists is a 3rd level Cleric who has dedicated himself to the concept of art, named Gove.

Other important individuals include a particularly intelligent Stone Giant named Cor who has some experience with wizard's magic (Wizard 2) and is able to teach it to people who provide him with food and gifts, he is the leader of a small tribe who were considerably more dangerous and frightful before he took over. They live quite close to Tak. There is also a large tribe of yetis led by a particularly wrathful individual named Abom (Barbarian 4) who ensure that the elves can never mount a true offensive on the Golrog's, because they are constantly under threat.

Animals and monsters that are found in Mak include: Dire Polar Bears, Glyptodons, Sabre-Toothed Tigers, Megalodons, Yetis, Stone Giants, a Mountain Giant, Earth Elementals, Ice Golems, White Dragons, Snow Spiders, Rocs, Frost Salamanders.

Cities

Rak

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Population: 7,839 (Small City)
Demographics: 33% Elves, 23% Goblins, 17% Orcs, 8% Dwarves, 19% Other
Culture: Isolationist
Government: Republic (false)
Dominant Religion: Natural

Rak is a city dominated by a feeling of togetherness. This feeling is enforced by strict policies in terms of emigration and immigration. It was Orlo who drove the city to the current culture of xenophobia, but he did it through proxy of the elected leaders, who were primarily Orcs or Golrog, though elves made up about 40% of the leadership. Orlo is the true master of the city, and though there are some who are independent of his influence, notably most of the Golrog, he still has the city on strings. Normally a city would not form in such inhospitable territory, given that there was no dead keeper, nor any sort of farming soil or old artifacts, but in the goblins exploring they found a unique field of snow that never stopped blowing, and in this field lived a Snow Weird.

The Weird is one of few in the world, and provides almost unbeatable intelligence, though it can be deceptive with half-truths and blatant lies, though as long as the correct gifts are provided her information is generally accurate. Orlo is planning a mass rebellion, and wants the elves to regain their 'rightful place' as the leaders of society. He sees his subspecies, gray elves, as especially capable of leading the world to paradise. The Weird generally accepts material wealth, though anything less than 1000 gp is taken as an offense, and will result in harmful information. In truth worship is what she really wants, and if doted on will tell near anything, even secrets that the races were not meant to know.

Orlo knows some of these secrets, though not nearly as many as Olorg, which is one of the reasons that he can not arrange an assassination, because the information in his head is too valuable. However the Golrog's take a neutral approach to politics on the grand scale, so it is unlikely he will use this information for anything, unless his kind is sufficiently roused from their rest by some great catastrophe. This Weird is the region that many venture up to the city, hearing tell of a great diviner, and is why Orlo has made the entrance policy so strict, personally or through proxy observing every foreigner in he city. It's probably he has fallen in love with the Weird as well, and believes that it talking to others is effectively cheating on him.

Churches are not a large part of Rak's society, with a few to Helio and Rubert, but most people worship either nothing, or the very nature of the mountains. Within the city there are a number of natural shrines built into the mountain, especially close to the Weird, which are designated for praying to the spirits of life. The clerics who provide food for the people generally worship at these and get there power through the sheer life that flows through the desolate and lonely place. These shrines are dedicated partially to the Weird as well, which is what keeps her happy and keeps her telling knowledge, so any attempts to bring another religion into the majority are quickly crushed by Orlo.

The city has never seen war, partially because it is so far from other societies, and partially because people are unsure of the true power of the Weird, and are scared of what they don't know. The city has never claimed to have a powerful wizard, and uses the actual threat of the Weird as a deterrent, a much more effective strategy than illusions and falsities. While Orlo does not yet know that almost all of the powerful wizards have left he suspects based off the play he has with the Weird, and knows that soon it will be the time to strike.

Kip

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Population: 21,542 (Medium City)
Demographics: 52% Orcs, 11% Goblins, 11% Kobolds, 8% Elves, 5% Dwarves, 4% Golrog 9% Other
Culture: Creative Construction
Government: Meritocracy
Dominant Religion: Artistry

Kip is a fairly large city on the north coast of Mak, designed in a U formation. On the top of the U is a wall bordering the sea, a protection from any aquatic invaders like the Sahuagin. The rest of the U is much smaller walls, mainly to keep the city an acceptable size. The Orcs themselves have managed to cultivate a crop which grows in the rocky beaches of the coast, resulting in a large amount of food even with a small amount of clerics. Of course this does mean less time for other pursuits, which is something the Orcs avoid at all times.

So they 'hired' Kobolds. The Orcs traveled over to the deserts of Nurt via the North Pole, and managed to kidnap hundreds of Kobolds on their first run. These Kobolds where hired in so much as they were payed, but they could never leave, and the pay was barely enough to feed themselves. The Kobolds they brought over multiplied, and now take up a decent segment of the population, almost as much as the now native Goblins. With these Kobold workers covering the fields they now had time to work on more artistic pursuits, such as painting, one of the Orc's specialties. It was actually in this city that they mastered the art of Pingamancy, telling the future through painting.

One of the most influential people bring Pingamancy into everyday Orc society is the cleric Gove, who believes painting is the only true form of art, and indeed the only true form of creation. This has lead to a very colorful city, with nearly every building with nearly a dozen different designs and colors, though all the architecture the same. The architecture is very white-washed square buildings, though they don't stay that way for long. Many of the Orcs follow this theory and believe themselves better than the rest of the populace, throughout the world, as they are performing a more pure form of creation.

In truth their art is very rough, with artists not caring for a canvas, overlapping other's work to create something unique, though far from beautiful, if they are told this they generally have two reactions, either fly into a murderous rage, or claim that 'peasants' can not understand true art. This is why the government of Kip is based off a Meritocracy, where all the Orcs in the city gather together and vote on who they think the best artists of the year are, and the top 5 become the government for that year. This has resulted in a highly stagnant society, with many insane inane changes but no real impact.

Many of the Orcs don't believe in traditional worship, but instead by creating their own art they are worshiping creativity itself. Some ascribe this to a Goddess, others to a Pantheon, but Gove simply believes in a primal force, which is the closest to the reality. Some of the other races have their own religions, but they are often ignored, or put down as lesser worship. The Kobolds have brought their own mythical dragon god, Scina, who they believe will someday fly down from the Sun and destroy their oppressors, though most realize this will never happen they still have hope.

The Orc's are fairly isolated in terms of land, so have little to no defense, as even the Elves won't travel the distance to attack their borders, and their enforcement of population limits also ensures that nothing will be attacked from land. Their sea defense consists of highly trained Water Orcs who destroy invaders before they get near the city. Since they have been established nothing has gotten through.

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Reserved for Continent 2

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Houseruled feats from Core

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Toughness: 3 + 1/level
Dodge: +1 AC, + 1/4 levels
Weapon Finesse: Inbuilt, no longer a feat
Two Weapon Fighting: Includes improved and greater now
All +2/+2 feats now +1/3 per level in addtion
Skill Focus: 3 + 1/2 per level
Weapon Proficiencies can be bought with skills points: 2 for full, 3 for 3/4, 4 for 1/2,
Armor proficiencies also skill based, 3 light, 4 medium, 5 heavy
Shield Proficiencies, 2 skill normal, 4 tower
Mobility: Includes Spring Attack, now two feat chain
Endurance and Diehard combined
Save boosters: 2 + 1/4 per level
Deflect and Snatch arrows one feat
Mounted Combat and Mounted Archery combined
Natural spell now limited to Wis mod spells per day
Precise Shot/Improved Precise Shot one feat: Improved starts at 10 BAB
Rapid Shot and Many Shot one feat, starts at 5 BAB
Shot on the run combined with Rapid Shot
Cleave and Great Cleave one feat, starts at 5 BAB
Improved Sunder and Overrun one feat, Improved Destruction
Quick draw and rapid reload one feat, no BAB requirement
Weapon Focus: +1 +1/4 levels
Weapon Specialization: +2 + 1/2 per level
Greater Weapon Focus: +1 + 1/2 per level, stacks with WF
Greater Weapon Specialization: +2 + 1 per level, stacks
Brew Potion requirement dropped to CL 1
Craft Wand dropped to 3

Should be okay to post now.