Dawnshade (name's still in the works), a Fifth Edition Campaign Setting

[ArqArturo]

This would be my first World-Building project, but the first one I ask for help.

The settings sounds bleak (kind of), but instead of having a bleak feeling, I want it to be felt epic. I want to have a theme of heroism, despite the grimdark of the history of the place. I guess part of the stuff I'm digging through for inspiration are the early Dragonlance novels (Particularly Dragons of Autumn Twilight), and a little bit of the Midnight Campaign setting. Also, the name is something I need to work on.

I'm not sure if I want to work on this setting for any written work, but that would be interesting, to say the least; I know that, if I were to do that, I need to change names or add a different build to some things (namely the Warforged), so for now, this is just to play D&D.

Dawnshade

The Shadow has fallen.
It took many lives, many lands, many years, but the All-Consuming Shadow has fallen; its forces are now scattered and leaderless, its corrupting gaze no longer blots the land… And yet, there’s no feeling of victory.
What was good, now feels hollow; where there were friends, now there are enemies; where there were heroes, now there are shattered memories, or broken shells of their former selves; where there were lights of hope, now there is twilight; where the Shadow’s forces were controlled tides of war and chaos, now they are a plague upon the land: from the marauding forces, to the scheming cultists, to the unnatural beasts.
It seems that all what the Shadow touched, is corrupted… But, even now, there is still hope: Heroes still rise from all walks of life, lights of hope still glimmer.
Life still goes on.

Dawnshade is a world that is on the brink of devouring itself; it’s a world in a power-vacuum, after the defeat of a terrible adversary for all mortalkind known as The All-Consuming Shadow. After years of battle, and many loses, the Shadow finally died, shredding to pieces, but the battle lasted so long, now that the nations and peoples of Dawnshade no longer have a common enemy, they turn towards each other, in small skirmishes and shadow wars between spies. At the same time, the Church of Inexorable Dawn prepares for something, its sacred foundries churning more and more Warforged from fallen heroes and priests.
At the same time, something gnaws in the darkest parts of the world: As the larger nations threaten to end each other, hordes of malignant orcs and goblins threaten to overwhelm the weaker populations, giants pillage and keep isolated towns as cattle, dragons rage and scheme, and other threats arise from the darkest pits of Hell and the nightmares of mortals.
Yet, even in these dark times, heroes rise: Paladins clad themselves in steel and faith to fight for the Good of All; Bards sing of the great heroes of old, and participate in their own Sagas; Clerics full of zeal fight the tides of undeath; and cunning Rogues fight in the shadows, both with wit and blade. These and many others bring hope to those that have none, find ancient treasures long-forgotten, and fight to keep order, or at the very least a semblance of civility.

[ArqArturo]

The World:

Dawnshade’s Primordial history is shrouded in Mystery, and the most powerful divinations have brought little answers only that the different gods have different interpretations of the world’s beginning.

The Dvergs believe that the Earthfather and the Firemother cracked open their most precious gem, and that the Stonelords crafted the world under their watchful gaze. The elves believe that the world is a fruit, and in it the elves are seeds that, given time, they will flourish and mature into godlings, and reside in the Sylvan court of Stars, or the Underworld Court. The Humans believe in different origins, depending in their faith, but most adhere to the story of the Church of the Inexorable Dawn: That the world was first found by the Shadow, and hidden inside it’s shade so no light would ever give shine on it, but eventually the Light did found it, and gave light and warmth to the world. Halflings and Giants care little of the world’s origins; to them, the world has always Been; and in the case of smallfolk, they only care to live in the Present, plan for the Future, and remember the past of their ancestors. Gnomes, in gnomish fashion, believe that the world was formed from millions of years of slow progress in the eldritch chaos that is space. Dragons and Dragonborn believe in a cyclical universe, and believe that in the end of this World, another will rise, with new inhabitants… But the Temachtianicoatl (the Dragons), and the Temachtilicoatl (the Dragonborn), will always exist, as a testament to the Teotlcoatl (the Dragon gods).

However, despite the different creation myths, there are similarities of the different ages of Dawnshade, thanks to the expansionist Old Kingdom.

The Guilded Age of Heroes:

Most Bardic tales come from the Age of Heroes, and much ancient artifacts supposedly come from this age, an age of daring warriors, mighty wizards, powerful nations and epic battles that mark for the heroes of this current age to surpass. It is in this age that the Church of the Inexorable Dawn was founded, and the first recorded paladins were found. The most prominent events of the age of the Guilded Heroes are these:

A. 288, GaoH.- Lysandra Ginn, the daughter of a shoemaker, claims that she is the prophet of The Light, a small human cult of the Old Kingdom (currently a fiefdom named Dawnstar). Her charismatic presence and miracles draws more followers every day.
A. 295, GaoH.- The Dwarf Kingdom of Morbh-Hakken rises from the depths of the mountains, and crafts the Monunment of the Stonelords Haggid, Cleevy, and Kar-Manoth in their honor. The Statues stand even to this day.
A. 305, GaoH.- The massive white Dragon Atemosticoatl, whose size rivals the Monument of the Stonelords, descends on the Northern towns, heralding the ‘End of the Teotlcoatl’ and the preparation of the Fourth Age, according to the draconic faith.
A. 316, GaoH, Lyssandra Ginn, along with an army of zealous believers calling themselves ‘The Shields at Dawn’ march north to deal with the massive dragon. On arrival, Atemosticoatl slays them all, except Lyssandra and an orc paladin named Nemok the Fury of Dawn, and starts a battle of three days. In the fourth day, the Dragon is tamed, and is renamed Sunfrost. Lyssandra then marries Nemok, beginning the Ginn dynasty.
A. 330, GaoH, the elves and dwarves march against each other over mining rights of the mountains near the Elven kingdom of Huilvalidur, only to be attacked by an army of giants, led by Kor Pigslayer, an ogre heroe. The battle lasts for months until two heroes: the Elven Anuviel Stargazer, and the dwarven siege-engineer and mathematician Battock Silverhand, defeat the giants. A peace treaty is later signed, known as the Accord of Hammers and Leaves, which will last through the Ages.
A. 335, Murik Glidholmkeef, a gnome inventor and hedge-witch, finishes with the creation of the Celestial Sphere: A small artifact capable to predicting the movement of the celestial bodies. To most this is meaningless, but to the Elves this is heresy, and send assassins against her. She would hide in the depths of the world, never to be found, and the assassins would follow her. They would never be seen again… For now.

The Age of the Warring Cities:

Following the Guilded Age, come the Age of Warring cities: A time carved in blood and fire. It is this Age that brought the Rise of the Old Kingdom as we know it today, and the might of the Church of the Inexorable Dawn, funded by Saint Lyssandra Ginn II. The Dwarven and elven kingdoms would be toppled by human expansion, and the Dragon Empire would fall, as it was predicted, in the coming of the Fourth Age.

And, in the shadows of the dark places, the Shadow would rise. The most prominent events of the age of the Warring Cities are these:

A. 125 AotWC, King Tryon the First of his name, is crowned king. Later to be known as King Tryon of the Golden Eye, he would expand his realm south, breaking diplomatic ties with the dwarves.
A. 138 AotWC, the War of the Stone Lances begins, with the assassination of King Tryon, and the rise of her daughter, Queen Mina Fairhair. She then marries the grand priest Ogroth Ginn, and the ties between the Old Kingom and the Church of the Inexorable Dawn are tied not only in tradition, but in blood.
A. 142 AotWC, battles between the northern Jarls end with the rise of Jarl Eric Karlsefni. He leads successful raids on the Dragon Empire’s territory close to the Northen cities, giving himself the title of Eric Dragonslayer, and renaming his honor guard to the Drakkenblades.
A. 144 AotWC, diplomatic relations between the Old Kingdom and the northern jarls end in disaster as the Old Kingdom ambassador is assassinated in an ambush. Eric is accused of treason, to which Eric defies the charges by raiding an Old Kingdom fortress. War comes to the North again.
A. 175 AotWC, a terrible storm comes from the East, as news that the temples of the Teotlcoatl are on fire and being demolished. Dragons and dragonborn raiders pour from all directions, as they prepare to sack the ‘Old World’ into the coming of the new.
A. 180 AotWC, a Mysterious comet is seen falling into the mountains of the Old Kingdom, and silvery slivers fall from the sky. These slivers contain strange runes and even stranger properties. Even today, this metal –now known as Shadowsilver- is highly prices by its magical properties, but also feared for its corrupting magic, if used with no magical protection.
B. 210 AotWC, as the Old Kingdom is weak of war from all directions, the Dwarven and Elven kingdoms are broken, the Dragon Empire lies in ruins, and the northern territories hang by a brink, the All-Consuming Shadow finally reveals itself. With an army of monstrous creatures, soul-consuming fiends, and crazed cultists. They carve a large territory in the heart of the Old Kingdom, now named The Bleak Kingdom.

The Age of Shadow:

Known as the Age of Despair, the Time of Tears, and the Song of Sorrow, the Age of Shadow is an age where all hope seems lost and heroes die or their will is broken by the Shadow. This age ends not only with the fall of the Shadow, but with the sinking of the Old Kingdom into the seas, causing the world to call in a cataclysmic state that would last for years.

Yet, with the end of the Age of Shadow, many questions arose: Where did it come from? Why was there no prophecy of the Shadow? Was any other event that could be similar to the arrival of the Shadow? No one truly knows; even its form was an enigma, it was usually described as smoke, as ink on water, floating in the sky, and taking control of its favored servants: The Gran Shades.

The most prominent events of the age of Shadow are these:

A. 58 AoS, the Goblin warchief known as Lourgh Rat-cooker names itself as Grand Shade of the Bleak Kingdom, and prepares his feast with the bodies of the court of the Old Kingdom, and with the corpse of king Aldumarand III, thus ending the Ginn line.
A. 72 AoS, King Merik the First is crowned King of the Old Kingdom. He would later be killed by a goblin raid inside the Morningtower; this would be known as the Year of Three Crowns, with the fourth king, King Adramath, surviving an assassination attempt.
A. 75 AoS, King Adramath spends three days fasting in the grand Temple of the Inexorable Dawn, and is possessed by Lyssandra I, and edicts the creation of the Warforged.
A. 82 AoS, Dragonborn mercenaries march to the Morningtower. Hired by the goblins to kill king Adramath and stop the creation of the Warforged, the Dragonborn suddenly break their contract, and kneel to the king, pledging their allegiance to him.
A. 102 AoS, having stayed outside the conflict, Halfling caravans begin chipping away at the Shadow’s forces, and soon they begin to be victims of attacks. Gnomes also enter the fray, using wondrous machinery to fight the Shadow.
A. 115 AoS, Gnome engineers die in gruesome assassination strikes, and is later revealed that the responsible are dark-skinned elves. Claiming to be the elven assassins that were sent to kill Murik Glidholmkeef, these ‘Drow’ pledge their allegiance to the Shadow. More assassinations are followed.
A. 135 AoS, the Battle of Milkwater Bay takes place. This is the first naval incursion of the Jarls against the Old-Kingdom in their own territory. Old Kingdom diplomats, escorted by a band of adventurers, are sent to reason with the Jarls to weigh in against the Shadow. The diplomats die in a sea-giant attack, so it depends on the adventurers to make the negotiations, which in the end prove successful, at the expense of losing territory in the North.
A. 137 AoS, Elves and Dwarves join the side of the Old Kingdom, only to preserve their way of life instead of helping the Old Kingdom. One elf noble is heard saying ‘We were so close to join our dark-skinned brothers’.
A. 140 AoS, the first Grand Portal is erected by the Shadow’s Cultists. The very first aberrations, the Beholders, appear through the gates.
A. 155 AoS, the War goes poorly: The Old Kingdom loses two thirds of its territory, and sir Glarond, mighty champion and paladin of the Church of the Inexorable Dawn is remade into a Death Knight; the Shadow begins to carve territories in elven and dwarven enclaves, and chromatic dragons soon take sides with the Shadow; more gates are opened, and from the loyal cultists’ children, the very first Tieflings are born. Meanwhile, the Sacred Foundries, first designed by king Adramath so long ago, are finally finished. Black smoke and the clang of steel fill the sacred city of Palatina –Still under the Old Kingdom’s control-. The very first Warforged is crafted from the broken body of Emanbastion III, king of the Old Kingdom. More would soon follow.
A. 160 AoS, Dragonborn Mercenaries known as the Tepostlicoatl cleave their way into a Grand Portal, destroying it. This is the first major blow against the All-Consuming Shadow.
A. 180 AoS, The tide of War changes: The Shadow retreats into the mountains of the old Kingdom, its original stronghold; the Warforged cleave through undead, monsters and cultists; all the while, dwarves carve a tunnel beneath the mountains to catch the enemy unawares.
A. 181 AoS, after years of bloody war, the Shadow is defeated. The Avatar of shadow’s power is destroyed, its champions are dead, its armies are scattered, but the Shadow utters a curse, and the earth rumbles beneath the victorious armies. The sea swallows the Old Kingdom, and the Age of Shadow Ends.

The Age of Stone and Steel:

After the collapse of the Old Kingdom, many refugees came to camp into the eastern provinces in the continent of Myrr. While some were welcomed into the now-independent colonies and city-states, many feared that they would bring with them the ills of the old times, something that proved right. Many of the surviving noble families began to try and carve their own place in Myrr, while the original settlers, merchant lords and minor noble houses united to keep such power struggles at a minimum. The Church of the Inexorable Dawn, not as strong as it was in the mainland of the Old Kingdom, tried to appeal to the common folk, and decided to no longer mass-produce the Warforged, instead leaving the few remaining foundries to use on more mundane uses, and the few Warforged still crafted today are for honored soldiers and heroes of the Faith, fallen in battle.

The Elven kingdoms never truly recovered, so smaller fiefdoms and communities were replaced in its stead; but, the Dwarves have begun to rebuild their old kingdom, and even expand into the old continent of Tonatiutlatli, the lands that housed the former Dragon Empire, but, they have found resistance from the local elves that reside there, as well as humans, and some kobolds. The human tribes in the south, however, have made a pact with the dwarves, and have benefited much from their alliance, while the elves have been a hit-or-miss, and the kobolds are a present threat.

The Northern fiefdoms are, once again, at disarray. Constant fighting between themselves, goblins, frost giants and ogres has led the people to live in constant fear of raids, and expecting the worst.
This is the year 285 of the Age of Stone and Steel; the human kingdoms are no more, the Dwarves are on the rise, and the threat of imbalance is ever-present.
What will you do?

[ArqArturo]

Playable Races of Dawnshade:

Heroes of Dawnshadow are as varied as trees in a forest: From human warriors, to dwarven knights, elven mages, dragonborn sorcerers, and halfling monks. Many rise to become adventurers to answer a higher calling, or necessity, or simply for fame and fortune.

• Aasimar: A recent arrival, the first records of Aasimar go back to the Age of Shadow, where priests of the Forgefathers tell of a ‘golden-skinned dwarf’ was born, and was seen as a sign of good omen. This dwarf would grow up into Balthar Sootfoot, one of the most inspiring warriors, and one of the dwarves responsible to the rebuilding of the new kingdom. The reason of why the rise of these heavenly-touched people is a mystery, even to them, but many claim that something may be coming, and all help is needed to fight whatever darkness comes.

• Dragonborn: Calling themselves Temachtilicoatl, and Dragonborn by humans, they are a race of fierce warriors, poets, and philosophers. According to them and the dragons, the world as we know it is the result of an eternal cycle of birth, growth, death and renewal. Only them and the dragons are eternal as they believe that they are the memory the Dragon gods (or Teotlcoatl) need to rebuild the world, once they are born again as well. All dragons have feathers above their heads and in the back of their necks, as they range from bright green, blood red, ultramarine, white or black.

• Dwarves: Calling themselves Dverg, and Dwarves by humans, the Dwarves are an old race that has kept their records from time immemorial, even as far as the Guilded Age of Heroes. To the Dwarves, life has not been easy ever since they decided to dig upwards, so the territories of the surface-dwellers, fighting against giants and orcs in the process, as well as their own inner demons. Today, the Dwarven kingdom of Morbh-Hakken has been rebuilt. No known as Rebuilt-Hakken, this nation marks a testament to dwarven resolve.

• Elves: The Children of the Sylvan Court of Stars, the Elves have been hit low by the last War against the Shadow. Their lands could have recovered, if not for the constant fight, and now the collapse of their lands caused by the sinking of the Old Kingdom. What was once vast forest lands are now tall grasslands, inhabited by savage goblins and marauding hobgoblin warbands. The elves now fight to defend their home, and some seek out riches in the world in order to find treasures of Ages past.

• Gnomes: Related to the Dverg, the gnomes live alongside them, and while they hold the religion of the Forgefathers in respect, they do not really believe in them… Or in any faith, at all. Creatures of the now, and both devoted to calculated thinking and the careful study of the arcane, most gnomes live in Rebuilt-Hakken, but some enterprising gnomes have carved a land for their own, just south of the human lands; this gnome land known as the People’s Republic of Terek, seeks to become a haven for three-thinkers, inventors, and people who simply wish to advance through scientific study.

• Half-Elves: The children of Elves and Men, half-elves are usually regarded both with awe and care, for it is unknown who does him or her loyalty. Truly, because of the dual nature of both their long lifespan and the fast mental development, half-elves hold loyalty to themselves, most of the time. Not quite fitting in anywhere, they commonly travel from place to place, seeking home… Wherever they can find it.

• Halflings: Simple, nomadic, and pragmatic, the Halflings ride astride fast ponies, and move in large caravan called Clacatans. They have no name for themselves, simply addressing themselves as ‘The folk’, or as Oamenii. They enjoy life on the move, and believe the stars are actually the souls of halflings who know ride in the night sky.

• Half-Orcs: Orcs are savage and fearsome, but most of all, orcs are a dying race. Their horse-riding and raiding days have gone ever since the rise of the Old Kingdom, and have been on a steady decline. Today, a few orcs still survive, and some still are fearsome warriors, but their numbers are not enough to bring the fearsome hordes back. Half-Orcs, on the other hands, are far more numerous and more fertile than their full-blooded kin, so much so that many people think that half-orcs are actually orcs. Most Half-Orcs live in the wilds, or in the fringes of society, working as mercenaries, thugs, brigands, or guards. Few half-orcs are seen on the higher echelons of society, and those that do trace (or think they trace) their roots into the Ginn dynasty.

• Humans: As varied as the trees in a forest, mankind’s origins are rooted in the lands of the Old Kingdom, but as time passed, many humans moved far from these lands, and into the world: From the spirit-worshipping tribes of the continent of Tonatiutlatli, to peoples of northern Myrr, and the remnants of the Old Kingdom in the heart of Myrr.

• Tieflings: The Age of Shadow saw the rise of many strange creatures: Goblinoids, aberrations, fiendish monsters, as well as Tieflings: The union between humans and fiends. In this Age, Tieflings were spies and generals of the infernal armies, wielding savage spells and weapons. Today, however, many have retreated into the dark, or try to atone for their sins, although some Tiefling families fashion themselves nobles and merchant lords, wielding political power as a weapon.

• Warforged (Need to change the name): When king Adramath was crowned king, he survived an assassination attempt on the day of his coronation, his three brothers died before him, betrayed by the very guards that swore to protect the Old Kingdom. For many days he prayed to the Light, and tried to pour into ancient tomes for a way to get a weapon their people so desperately needed to win the war. Later on, he fasted for several days in the Gran Temple, until the spirit of Lyssandre I, the Prophetess of the Light, possessed him. She gave him a vision of a silvery army of former heroes and saints, all with golden hearts underneath their steel plate. She gave him the plans to create the Sacred Foundries, as well as the techniques to craft and sanctify the warforged. These were crafted from former soldiers that were too wounded to be healed, or recently slain men. Later on, volunteers would be chosen amongst the ranks of the priesthood, knights, soldiers, and common men, to be the undying army of the Church of the Inexorable Dawn. Today, however, the Forges have ceased massive production, and only those chosen by the Order of the Gold Heart, are crafted as warforged.

[ArqArturo]

Playable Classes of Dawnshade:

• Barbarian: From the Berserkers from the North, the Dverg Longbeards from Rebuilt-Hakken, the Elven Battledancers, or the Southern Tonatiutlatli Braves, the Barbarian personifies the rage of combat, the savagery of slaughter, and the fury that lies within the heart of every warrior.

• Bard: In the old days, both law and history were passed on through song and music, and it was not known that warriors were also known as great poets or musicians; today, the tradition of the Bard still lives on, both in the form of the historian and chronicler of the deeds of heroes, as well as the battle-scarred warrior poets, swinging their weapon against her foes.

• Cleric: Any man can pray, few enter the priesthood, but only a few exalted can answer the divine Calling of the Cleric. Wielding their blessings as a weapon and a shield, the cleric is the Divine representation of the will of the gods.

• Druid: There is power in nature, say those that pray to the gods and goddesses of the Old Faith, and in that power, lay the power of the Druids. Through ancient rites, pacts and old teachings written in the natural places of the world, these men and women tap into the land, communing with it, and defending it from corruption.

• Fighter: From brigands, to noble champions, to questing knights, to gladiators, to mercenaries; the path of war is walked by many, but only a fighter is a master of it. With sword, shield, axe, hammer or bow in hand, the fighter is both an engine of destruction, and a frontline leader.

• Monk: Dwarves first developed the ways of the monk, calling it ‘The Way of the Stone Warrior’; eventually their teachings would come to the elves and humans, and it would be the humans that would expand their teachings through the world.

• Paladin: Questing knights, holy warriors, defenders of the people, or rebels with a cause… These are the many names of the paladins, and while some may sound exaggerated, the all have a grain of truth. Paladins are holy warriors that devote to a cause greater than them, and oftentimes this cause goes even beyond to that of laws of nobles and even organized religion. That being said, most paladins still fight against the growing darkness and evil, and represent hope for the hopeless, and a shield for the defenseless (this is why is such a tragedy when a paladin falls).

• Ranger: From the forest-lords, to the army scouts, to the hunters, ranger is a catch-all term for any individual (or individuals) that safeguard, patrol, or otherwise roam in the countryside, but are not quite druids. While some do wield minor magic, most instead depend on their skill at arms and wits, preferring to deal with problems head-on.

• Rogue: The dueling swordsman, the bandit-king, the master thief, the noble’s eyes in the street, the royal spy, these are all rogues. Scoundrels, thieves, blade-bravos and many terms in between, the rogue treats all challenges as a closed chest, and he has the kyes (or lockpicks) to open the lock, and see take the treasure within.

• Sorcerer: Sorcery was, at one point, exclusively the domain of Dragons and Dragonborn, as their blood was tied to the ebb and flow of magic in the world. As the All-Consuming Shadow arrived, its minions kidnapped hapless people, and corrupted them, giving them magic similar to that of the draconic sorcerers, but infused with the chaos of the Shadow. Eventually, some of its kin also began to develop a similar magic, and many more began to develop the gift of draconic sorcery, much to the surprise of the Dragonborn.

• Warlock: The eldritch pacts are not a new thing; there are records of devils, fey courtiers of the Sylvan court of Stars, and other old entities. Even The All-Consuming Shadow made pacts with its favored servants. Today, many use pact magic as either a quick way to power, or to combat fire with fire. However, it is not unheard of that an unwilling person ‘accepts’ a pact unknowingly, for several reasons.

• Wizard: From the Mage’s Guild in Myrr, the many Wizard-scholars in the elven lands, and the Schools of Wizardry in the former Dragon Empire lands, and many hedge-mages and witches willing to teach their crafts, the way of magic (the True way of magic, many would argue), is one of dedication, study, and application of their spells in the world.

[ArqArturo]

Gods of Dawnshade:

• The Church of the Inexorable Dawn: What started as a small cult dedicated to the light and the sun, it grew into one of the most powerful religious institutions, and the Divine Hand of the Old Kingdom. Today, while it still holds power, it no longer holds the influence it once had. The ethos behind the Church, is that the Light represents purity and life in the world, and it is the duty of us all to defend Life, sometimes with strength of Arms, but never to resort to torture or cruel methods of control. Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good. Holy Symbol: Either a yellow-painted disk, or a golden disk, these are called ‘Sun Shields’. Sometimes the Sun Shield may have a heraldry or some other decoration, mainly religious litanies, swords, or shields. Recommended Domains: Light and War.

• The Old Faith: Not an organized religious organization, but a catch-all term that refers to the minor religions and worship of minor deities before the arrival of the Church of the Inexorable Dawn, the Old Faith resurfaced at the thickest of the Age of Shadow, and even today most peoples of the world pray to minor gods, spirits of the land, or ancestor-worship. Alignment: Varies. Holy Symbol: Varies. Recommended Domains: Any.

• The Cult of the Forgefathers: The Main Religion of the Dvergs and gnomes, the Cult of the Forgefathers revolves on the main major deities Father Earth and Mother Fire, as well as the Stonelords, whom were hailed as heroes of the dwarven kin. While most priests worship the cult as a whole, some dwarves focus on the Earthfather’s emphasis on peace and knowledge as well as order and reverence of law and kin; those who embrace the Firemother see more value on passion, creativity, freedom, and the embrace of life rather than stiffing limitations, while the Stonelords usually fall in one or the other. Alignment: Lawful Good or Neutral Good (Father Earth), Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral (Mother Fire), True Neutral or Neutral Good (The Cult as a Whole). Holy Symbol: A Hammer (Father Earth), A red flame (Mother Fire), or a hammer and an anvil (The Cult as a Whole). Recommended Domains: Knowledge (Father Earth), Life (Mother Fire).

• The Sylvan Court of Stars: While the Elves are the main practitioners of the Faith of the Sylvan Court, some halflings and humans also pray to them as well, some even say that the Sylvan Court belongs with the Old Faith, a comment that makes most elves very angry. While the Church of the Inexorable Dawn focuses on the Sun as the focus of their worship, the Sylvan Court worships the moon and stars; Lydry, the Moon Queen, lords over the star courtiers and fairy lords, promoting freedom, a passion for the arts, a reverence of woodlands and nature, as well as to always outwit your enemies. Another, although more obscure, ethos of the Sylvan Court, is to inflict madness on their enemies, so their actions cease to threaten the Court. Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good. Holy Symbol: Either a silver disk (moon mirror), a Quarter Moon, or a Silver Star. Recommended Domains: Nature, Trickery.

• The Teotlcoatl: To the surprise of those few that study Dragonlore, the Dragon gods (or Teotlcoatl, as the dragons and dragonborn call them) are actually mighty Nature deities. While some are benevolent and caring, others are angry and full of rage, and others are dispassionate and silent; the dragon gods, according to those that pray to them, are dead, as the time of the new cycle approaches, but that does not stop them to grant blessings to those who believe in them. Alignment: Any. Holy Symbol: A pair of draconic wings in a star-shaped object, or a dragon’s silhouette, or a small gemstone inside a black disk (either made of obsidian or a painted disk). Recommended Domains: Tempest, Knowledge.

• The All-Consuming Shadow: No one knows how it arrived, as there are neither records nor prophecies of its arrival, but the All-Consuming Shadow was not only a tangible force that corrupted everything it touched, it was also actively worshipped by its minions. The Shadow’s appearance coincided with the fall of a comet, and many believe that the Shadow actually came inside the comet, thinking that it might be a prison. No matter the reason, the Shadow seemed not only to corrupt all it touched; it also erased individuality, giving its minions a single drive: Conquer, enslave, and expand. Nowadays, its cult is now leaderless, mad and scattered. Alignment: Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil. Holy Symbol: A shadowsilver square filled with eldritch runes or a spiral. Recommended Domains: Death, Trickery.

• The Celestial Riders: The original religion of Orcs and some giants, the stories around the Celestial Riders tell that the chief god, Grell, rides his moon-chariot pulled by his two bears: Ushu and Nushu; along with his hunting party (the stars), they chase the Golden Sun-Stag, and occasionally they manage to slay it (during the eclipse), such a victory signals The Great Feast, in which all the orc clans gathered to make a truce for one day. Today, few orcs remain to keep the religion alive, but many half-orcs continue to revere the Celestial Riders, as well as some humans in the North. Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Holy Symbol: A silver chariot or two silver bear heads. Recommended Domains: Nature, War.

[ArqArturo]

Lands of Dawnshadow:

(Still in the Works)

• Myrr: At the very heart of the Continent of Arrin, lies the former colonies of the Old Kingdom, and now the loosely-unified lands of Myrr. Even though they do not share a unified government, they all share the same traditions of the Old Kingdom, as well as the same reverence in the faith of the Church of the Inexorable Dawn. What sets them apart is the greed and mistrust of both nobles and merchant lords. As of late, a group of gnomes have started to claim the southeast of Myrr for their own; so far, the nobles are content with letting them be, but they have eyes and ears, and they do not like what they hear.

• The Snow-steppes: From several years, the lands of the north have been under constant war due to the lack of resources; these wars sometimes spill in the lands in the south, commonly in the shape of raids and other skirmishes. Lately, some attempts by the jarls have been made to unite the Snow-Steppes into a proper kingdom, but some of them stick to the old ways of pillaging and raiding. Lately, rumors of half-orc settlements preparing for war have sprung, and have put the jarls on edge.

• The Broken Isles: The remains of the Old Kingdom, these islands are the only thing that is left from the lands, now that most of it has sunk under the sea by the Shadow’s curse. Today, only Palatina is the only remaining city, a beacon of civilization in a broken land that is filled with marauding beasts, insane cultists, and the remains of the savage cult of the All-Consuming Shadow.

• Tonatiutlatli: Although the Dragon Empire has fallen, many adventurers and travelers still come here to dig through the bones of the ancient cities and massive temples to the Dragon gods. Some Dragonborn also live here, either as mercenaries, or common folk, and a few enterprising dragonborn believe they can resurrect the old empire, despite what the elders in most clans might say. However, the cities are filled with traps, new denizens that

• Southern Tonatiutlatli: Below the remains of the Dragon Empire lies a land that the Dragonborn called ‘The Great Chimeca’, which is described as a ‘land of barbarians and savages’. The truth, of course, is quite different. The general population of Southern Tonatiutlatli (known differently by its inhabitants), mostly humans, halflings and some elves, suffered greatly under the Dragon Empire, so they unified against them, calling themselves ‘The Free Peoples’. Unlike the Dragons, who were armed with arcane magic, the Free Peoples used the might of nature against them: Druids (known as Medicine Men or Women by the humans) mounted on horses fought against the dragons and their dragonborn armies in the prairies, while Braves fought against them in the forests, aided by elven archers. Recently, with the Empire gone and the arrival of settlers from Myrr and Hakken-Rebuilt, the Free Peoples fear a new war is arising once again.

• The Elven Fiefdoms: Long ago, the elves founded a kingdom south of Old Hakken, even long before the dverg kingdom surfaced. This kingdom, known as Huilvalidur, was a place of wondrous magic and beauty. Years of constant war, however, have brought down this ancient kingdom, ye the elves still live here, amidst the trees and ruins, only that now what was once one kingdom, there are many, smaller kingdoms. They largely vary on certain laws and customs, but they share the ancient law given to them by the priests of the Sylvan Court of Stars, and recovered tablets from the ruins.

• Hakken-Rebuilt: The name Hakken-Rebuilt makes the assumption of a fallen kingdom that rises again, but this is a mistake; the dverg kingdom never truly fell, but the original line of rules –The Stonblessed- did fell during the year 198 of the Age of the Warring Cities, after the Skyseeker clan (later known as the Silverseekers) decided that they wanted the kingdom for themselves; after this fall, the dwarves were in disarray, but eventually the clan elders decided to organize and rule as a council, as to avoid falling into chaos. The Age of Shadow proved to be the trial in which the council (known as the Brotherhood of the Hammer, Fire, Iron and Anvil) would be put to the test… And proved worthy. Today, after several years of barely surviving, the clan has gained a new renaissance, and their territory now expands, slowly but surely, even beyond the borders of Myrr.

[ArqArturo]

Finally wrote the last two bits that were left. I'll be honest, I felt a little blocked (still do), and I think the world needs a little tinkering, and this is why I accept suggestions :).