Ferar, a worldbuilding project by Jallorn, ideas encouraged

[Jallorn]

Ferar is the Orcish world for land. The world of Ferar is Earth sized, but the axis tilt is slightly less than that of the Earth. This causes the temperatures at the equator and the poles to be more extreme, resulting in a smaller band of mild temperature, though not by much. In addition, Ferar has far more land mass on the surface than the Earth. This is because a large inland sea was mixed up and covered after the planet's third moon, not even a tenth the size of our moon, crashed into the center of the sea.

Right on top of the equator of the world* lies the supercontinent of Miron, which, in the orcish tongue, means home. Divided by a large desert and two small mountain ranges along the equator, Miron is home to five of the planet's seven intelligent species. The Orcs rule most of the northern part of Miron, though they stand now in a period of civil strife, which has slowed their conquest considerably. Opposing the orcs are the five nations of Hobgoblins and Halflings. Considerably weaker than the Orcs, the two species have managed to hold them back thanks to natural barriers, though even that looks unlikely to succeed forever. In the very large desert reside the Dwarves, nocturnal creatures that jealously guard their oases and trade in valuable metals that they find in the sands. Further south, the land is dominated by forests and dangerous monsters. Here is where the greatest predators of the time live. Constantly struggling to survive here are the tree-dwelling elves, small creatures that are exceedingly strong despite their stature, and incredibly vicious and feral. A little further south and west, across a small expanse of ocean, lies the smallest continent, home to humans. Broken into three competing countries, the humans are skilled sailors and diplomats, and the rich among them are mostly traders. Far north, lies a second supercontinent, though it is much smaller than Miron. In this cold land live the sturdy centaurs, a race organized into tribes. Honorable warriors, the centaurs share the kindest pieces of their land with both invading orcs and invading humans, though a few tribes have allied with one or the other.

This is but a teaser. In the coming weeks, more likely months. possibly years (though I hope not too many), I will flesh out many aspects of this world, starting first with the land itself and then the intelligent races. I hope you will enjoy my vision, and encourage any interested parties to play a game in the world. If you do, the only thing I ask is that you let me know what you thought of the world.

The Map of Ferar is here.

I just realized that it might be nice to have the north look more arcticy, since it is supposed to be. I'll look into that later, for now, just be aware that most of the north continent is covered in snow and ice.

[Jallorn]

The Orcish Empire

Orcs were once a brutish people, but this changed after the greatest hero of the orcish empire, Rakaan the Strongsighted, led his tribe to conquer most of the others. Although his short lived kingdom fell apart after his death, the many ideas he spread set the groundwork for todays empire. Over the twenty seven centuries since his reign, the orcs have had several great leaders who refined Rakaan's ideas into the modern Empire.

The orcs of the Empire are broken up into two groups, caste orcs, and casteless orcs. Though casteless orcs are not considered to be inherently dishonorable, caste orcs are believed to be inherently honorable, and an orc who breaks the orcish codes of honor may find himself cast out of his caste. Castes are not hierarchal, in fact most castes are considered politically equal to each other, though there is at least one exception, the Noble Caste. In addition, the requirements to be a member of a caste have resulted in the majority of each caste being uniquely suited for their tasks.

The castes are as follows, the Runner Caste, the backbone of the empire, maintaining frequent and speedy communication across the empire, the Warrior Caste, the elite soldiers of the empire, not as smart as most other castes, but far stronger than any other orcs, the Warlord Caste, the strategists of the Empire, and skilled warriors on top of that, the Noble Caste, skilled diplomats and politicians, and the Wise Caste, seekers of knowledge of many kinds and the smartest orcs. All members of castes are either born into the caste, or are casteless orcs who have proved the capacity to compete with caste orcs, and the honor to deserve membership in the caste.

Although the Orcish Empire officially spreads from the East coast until it hits the border of the Five Nations, there is some overlap. Several smaller tribes, both of halflings and hobgoblins, roam this area of overlap; some tied to the Five Nations, and some refusing to bow to anyone. Orcish settlements are also much fewer and far between, as well as smaller than in the east. This is the frontier, and though the Orcs claim dominion, there is a great deal more unexplored territory than elsewhere in the Orcish Empire.

Casteless Orcs

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The "basic" orc, casteless orcs, or simply orcs, are the most numerous in the Empire, and make up most of the lower classes. Casteless orc traits are the closest to their ancestor's, but most have the privilege of an education.

Orcs are much taller and stockier than humans, creating an imposing figure. Their mottled skin is a patchwork of colors than change with the season. In the spring and summer, their skin tends towards pale green colors, and in the fall it oranges somewhat, while in winter it loses all color and becomes as white as the snow. Orc teeth are also larger than humans', particularly the teeth closest to the front. Although they don't have as many as humans, orcs do have grinding teeth and are omnivorous. Orc males have very little hair, and it never grows much beyond a couple inches, and never appears anywhere but their head. Many male orcs, especially warriors, tend to shave their hair completely. Female orcs have a bit more hair, though again, only on their head, but they favor braids. Female hair is also very course as it serves as something for young teething babies to chew on. Orc hair is always dark, usually a full black, though their hair does gray and white with age. Orc eyes tend towards green as the most common color, followed by brown, and the occasional yellow. No other colors have ever been recorded among the orcs.

Humanoid (Orc).
Medium: As Medium creatures, orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha, Orcs are strong and hardy, but most other races see them as evil conquerers and their position as the strongest species has left them a bit reckless.
+2 racial bonus to one Knowledge skill and Intimidate.
Low-Light Vision: An orc can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Automatic Languages: Orcish. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Hobgoblin, Halfling, Human, Dwarvish.
Orc base land speed is 30.
Favored Class: Any.

Runner Caste

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The backbone of the empire, Runners are one of the more elitist and prideful orcs. Capable of moving far faster than any other humanoid race, Runners serve as messengers, scouts, cavalry, and many other roles besides.

Physically, runners are much smaller and light than other orcs. In fact, most runners are smaller than the average human. Not by much, but enough to be notable. They are also lighter for their height than other orcs, to about the same ratio as a human.

Runners are exactly like ordinary orcs except as noted.

+2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha, Runners aren't as strong as other orcs, they have instead traded their strength for speed and agility.
Runners gain one less hit point per level.
+1 to Balance and Intimidate.
Runner base land speed is 40.
Runners may walk for up to 12 hours or hustle for up to 6 hours before forced march rules apply. Runners may run for 1 hour, but become fatigued as a result and cannot move faster than walk for 2 hours without becoming exhausted.
Favored Class: Scout (For those with only the core 3.5 books, Rogue works as an alternate favored class.)

Warrior Caste

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The Warrior Caste is the second largest, after the Runner Caste, and they serve as the orc's standing army in times of peace, not that those are common in recent centuries. They also primarily serve the role of elite shock troops when the orc army is fully mustered.

Warriors tend to be the same as normal orcs physically, though there has been a slight trend in recent generations of warriors being slightly larger on average.

Warrior stats are the same as base Orcs except as noted.

+4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha, Warriors are bigger and stronger than other orcs, but because of this they tend to be a bit clumsy, relatively speaking.
Warriors gain proficiency with the Orc Double Axe and the Warrior Flail.
+1 on one Knowledge skill.
Favored Class: Fighter

Warlord Caste

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Warlords are the officers of the army. Technically considered a more elite part of the Warrior caste, the majority of orcish society considers them to be a different caste and has done so for several centuries.

Since they're basically just warriors, they share the same physical tendencies.

Warlord stats are the same as base Orc except as noted.

+4 Str, +2 Con, +2 Int, Warlords are smarter than their simpler warrior relatives, as well as more patient and charismatic.
Warriors gain proficiency with the Orc Double Axe and the Warrior Flail.
+1 on two Knowledge skills
LA: +1

Noble Caste

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Nobles are the highest class caste among the orcs. Only the descendants of the greatest orcish heroes belong in this caste, and they are loathe to name new heroes of the empire, for fear of more competition for their power. Ironically, the best kept secret of the empire isn't intended to be a secret, it's that the runners have no respect for the nobles. Nobles know this well, but they also know that their empire would shatter completely without runners, though they would love to be rid of them if they could.

Nobles are the same height as other orcs on average, but when in good shape tend to be a bit thinner. This excludes those nobles that eat so well that they are quite large.

Noble stats are the same as base Orcs except as noted.

+2 Str, -2 Wis, +2 Cha, Nobles spend their time in near constant political struggle with one another, because of this, they are much more charismatic than other orcs. However, they also spend their lives being pampered, and so are generally less enduring than the lower classes.
+2 racial bonus to Diplomacy.
Favored Class: Bard.

Wise Caste

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The Wise Caste is the smallest caste. The reasons for this are numerous, including, but not limited to, a low internal population growth, the members spend most of their time studying, and a high turnover rate, many of the children of the caste have little interest in their parent's work. Despite this, the caste is one of the more valuable ones to the empire, second only to the runners. It is the Wise Caste that has enabled the slight technological superiority of the empire over it's rivals, and, somewhat more importantly, provides the empire with a handful of mages as well as much of the religions class. The Wise Caste also tends to be the best artists, as they consider art to be their way to expunge distracting emotions.

Wise caste orcs are smaller than other orcs, though still a bit larger than humans.

Wise stats are the same as base Orcs except as noted.

+2 Dex, +4 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha, The orcs drawn to the Wise Caste were always the smallest and smartest ones, and spending their youth studying doesn't help prevent their physical predisposition, though it does encourage patience. Wise Caste orcs also have inherent dexterity since for several generations, the most skilled artists tended to have more children as their passions were inflamed by their art.
+2 racial bonus to three knowledge skills.
No bonus to intimidate.
Favored Class: Archivist or Wizard.
LA:+1

Orcish Society

The Empire has enjoyed a long period of economic growth thanks to their near constant expansion. In fact, this expansion, and the war that accompanies it have been the driving forces behind orcish society for a long time. This has caused one of the empire's central ideas to be that anyone, no matter their standing at birth, can get just about anywhere in society with the right amount of hard work and luck.

The economic situation of the empire is much like medieval Europe though it has a higher literacy rate and life expectancy. At the top, the Empire is not ruled by a single emporer, but eight, five of the noble caste, and three of the warlord caste, they make all their decisions by consensus. At the bottom of the Empire stand the enslaved goblins. When the Empire was still young, the Goblins were the first peoples to be conquered, and, deeming them to be little more than animals, the orcs enslaved them.

Goblins

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Goblins are the lowest class in orcish society. They are quite common among the upper middle and upper classes, mostly as servants, though a few serve as hard laborers.

Goblins are a twisted race physically. They seem to have unnaturally long legs and arms for a fairly small body, and then tend to keep their legs bent and stay low to the ground, loping along rather than walking fully. Even when standing to their full height, they come a whole head shorter than humans on average. Their skin is a rocky brown, a remainder of their primeval ancestors that lived in the mountains.

Humanoid (Goblinoid).
Medium: As Medium creatures, Goblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 Con, -4 Int, -2 Wis, The few smart goblins mostly managed to escape to be integrated into hobgoblin society, or they were killed in the goblin revolt. Naturally though, only the healthiest among the goblins tend to survive long enough to reproduce.
Slight Build.
Base Land Speed: 30
Automatic Languages: Orcish. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Human, Dwarvish.
Favored Class: Commoner

Note: If a player wants to play a Goblin, it is recommended that they be given an extra level in the commoner class that doesn't count towards HD or ECL so that they may remain viable. (This is an untested fix)

Notable Cities

Aroth

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Aroth is the capital of the empire, and where the council meets. It is unique among orcish cities in that it is actually well built to be defended. Most cities are built with little thought to defenses, instead relying on the strong warriors to defend it, if it's even in danger of being attacked. Aroth was designed by Rakaan himself, but wasn't built for another seventeen centuries. These designs were found during the end of the Last Unification War, and, with a few improvements, it was decided that it should serve as the capital of the empire. Since then, a much larger city grew up around the foundation, one that wasn't as well planned or as well defended, but the center of the city is still strong. The outer design is simple enough by human standards, a strong wall with room for archers to patrol atop it, surrounding a keep. However, two factors make it ingenious. The first, is small bunkers under the wall, dug into the ground with window slits big enough for arrows and spears to be shot or poked out through. Even when the walls are torn down, these structures tend to remain, and they are close enough together that they can make it difficult for many troops to rush over the rubble. The second advantage is a complex maze beneath the keep, one that spreads out across the entire defensive position in fact, with a few escape tunnels as well. The corridors are narrow, with room for only one person at a time, meaning that the powerful and skilled orc warriors have the advantage in this space.

The rest of the city is fairly basic. It's not the largest orcish city, but it is one of the richer ones, having a high concentration of noble and wise caste members. With a population of around ten thousand, Aroth is plenty large enough to be notable, even if it wasn't the capital, and is the third largest city.

[Jallorn]

The Human Kingdoms

Humans are descended from the same ancestor as elves and dwarves, specifically a group that crossed a short lived, geologically speaking, land bridge onto the smallest continent, Erak, which means safety in the tongue that elves and humans once shared. On this island, humans were given the breathing space they needed to begin developing civilization. Alone among all the races, humans are the only ones who have had organized large scale conflict with their own kind, and indeed, the conflict between the three countries goes back even further than the orcish/halfling/hobgoblin conflict.

That's not to say that humans are in a constant state of warthe way the orcs and their foes are, in actuality, there have been many peaces, some long and prosperous for all, but even during peacetime, the countries never stopped competing. After so many generations of organized chaos, humans have evolved to fill their single most pressing need, a need to adapt. The constant pressures of their society has induced in humans a versatility unlike any other among the intelligent races. Another side effect of the constant fluctuation of alliances is that none of the three countries have terribly much affection for the others, but many people bare a grudging respect for the other countries.

Humans

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Humans cover much of the continent of Erak, and their primary advantages over other races in the coming times are their versatility and the domesticated animals they keep.

Humans appear physically the same as humans in our world.

Humanoid (Human)
Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 to any one ability score, Humans are versatile, but not quite as impressive as the other races. Where an elf makes an excellent ranger or rogue, or a hobgoblin an unparalleled fighter, humans can field all of these, though they won't be nearly as talented.
Bonus Feat: Humans gain a bonus feat at first level. This feat may be any that he qualifies for.
Skilled: Humans gain 4 additional skill points at first level, and 1 more every other level.
Automatic Languages: Human. Bonus Languages: Orcish, Elven Tribal, Ancient, Halfling, Hobgoblin
Base Land Speed: 30
Favored Class: Any

In the early days of human civilization, everyone thought of themselves as one people. As the earliest political demarcations larger than a single town began to form, however, the people began to separate. There were a handful of various aspiring leaders, but in the end, only two kingdoms survived the early chaos.

The Royal Kingdom of Valen

The Kingdom of Valen was held together, as most early countries are, by a single powerful man, a military leader of the same name. Valen the man was not only a skilled leader and tactician, but also a talented diplomat and an intelligent ruler. Aside from a single incident, the Kingdom of Valen has continued to grow and improve economically for over six generations of the royal family. Currently fielding the largest and best trained army, Valen's true strengths are its navy, and its rapidly expanding colonies. Though they worship the same way as the Church of Life (see below), Valen is now unaffiliated with them, and they have their own church, which stands separate and below the monarchy. This has been true since the second king of Valen (and third ruler) initiated the break to avoid the Church taking control of his country, and has been a major point of contention between the two nations and the cause of more than a few conflicts. Despite the relative order of Valen, there are often instances of nobles making land grabs, and this is well within their right, though if it gets out of hand the royalty tends to step in to restore order. It is also a crime to kill a noble, punishable by death.

Culturally, Valen fosters the most creative and ambitious humans, as well as the most criminally inclined.

Notable Cities

Newkeep

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Newkeep is, as it's name suggests, quite new. Not even much of a town yet, Newkeep was a reward to the young Lord Myro Nevet, a second son who expected to inherit nothing, for his heroics in protecting the royal family from several assassinations and eventually revealing a coup. According to Meros, the designer of Newkeep's castle, it is the most easily defended position in Valen.

Built on the west coast atop a cliff overlooking the sea, Newkeep (more to come)

The United Peoples of the Church of Life

Though they claim that the church and the government are equal, in truth, the church practically is the government. The Church of Life was once simply the religion of the land. However, in the chaos of rising emperors, the church stood as a beacon of peace, and one day, a prophet declared that the church would form a nation to oppose the chaos and protect it's people. The church grew quickly, though not quick enough to absorb the Kingdom of Valen, and soon only the two nations stood on opposite sides of the central river. By this time, the Church had crafted a government that would follow the commandments of the gods, and that allowed them to retain the power they held. Now, in modern times, the highest ranking member of the church is also the highest ranking member of the government, and many other members of the church are also part of the government. What few government powers there are that aren't directly part of the church are completely cowed by it. Though they too hold a fair military and navy, the Church is economically inferior to Valen except for one thing, their slave trade. Though not strictly illegal in Valen, slave trade is generally frowned upon and isn't common or popular. Inversely, the Church is actually the central resource for trading slaves. Captured prisoners of war and "primitives" are sold as slaves, ostensibly as payment for the cost of integrating them into the UPCL and enlightening them. Though the system is supposedly built to lead to any slaves eventually being freed, and is strictly monitored, there are many abuses in the system that are ignored by the watchers, and an elven slave, for example, may never be freed, living through multiple generations of masters. Because the UPCL is the Church, they also have the advantage of the greatest numbers of healers.

Culturally, the UPCL is very tight knit and tends to produce very loyal, hardworking people, but also has a tendency to create very close minded and bigoted people. The Church itself could be considered a separate culture in some ways in that the lower down the totem pole someone is the more likely it is for him to be like the common man, but the more power one wields, the more likely he is to be corrupt and elitist.

Nitor

The youngest and smallest country, Nitor is also the least autocratic; the government is a Republic Monarchy. Nitor was created when the most successful sorcerer to ever walk upon Ferar decided to carve out a kingdom. Beginning in the only successful city in the Submount Desert, along the banks of the Central river, the soon to be Sorcerer King allied himself with a cult of Sorem. Together, with the sorcerer's magic and undead troops, they carved out a nation that was sufficiently self sustaining. Two generations passed during the first Sorcerer King's reign, and he was finally succeeded at the age of 124 by his son. It appears that the nation will continue to stand since the old King's children are also sorcerers. Though they are the smallest nation, Nitor has managed to hold it's borders thanks to its undead troops despite not having any of the natural barriers that helped the two older countries to hold each other back. Nitor also uses undead for hard labor, freeing the living to fulfill more educated roles in society. Because of this, Nitor is the only nation that abhors slavery as a punishable crime, and it has begun to attract citizens of the other nations, even despite the religious differences.

Culturally, Nitor provides the most intelligent and open minded humans, but also has the most unscrupulous and independent humans.

[Jallorn]

The Allied Peoples of Arzathon

Arzathon is hardly a unified nation, the central government is little more than an organized military controlled by representatives of the five nations. The Allied Peoples are Halflings and Hobgoblins. Though in some parts of the country the two species treat each other as simply allies against the orcs, other areas, most notably the frontier nation of Meriam, have the two species going as far as intermarriage.

Arzathon was originally countless individual tribes of halflings. These peoples controlled the plains of north Miron, traversing the great distances on horseback. When the orcs began pushing the hobgoblin tribes into halfling territory, there was a good deal of chaos, but because of an ancient trade relationship, it soon spread across the continent that the orcs were the enemies of all. Over time, the many tribes were either slain, or allied with one another, and pushed back to where they are today. By the time there was only the five nations left, hobgoblins had been fully integrated into them. However, it wasn't until about a century ago that the five nations were able to put aside their remaining differences and fully ally, working together completely and forming the country of Arzathon. The result of this cooperation is clear, however, for nearly 5 decades, the orcs have been held from advancing, and for 5 years there has been little more than skirmishes. Tensions in the nation are rising however, since it looks like the orcs may be gathering for another push, and many of the halflings in Rata, the westernmost and most segregated nation, have begun to blame hobgoblin rebels trying to free goblin slaves.

Halflings

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The halflings are a proud people, and a dangerous one. Though not strong, and quite small, they are fast, and every halfling is taught from birth how best to use that. Halflings are also skilled with animals, and at riding in general, so much so that they can even ride full sized horses. Orcs often joke about how silly halflings look on a horse, but many have choked on that laughter when meeting them in combat.

Halflings are short, averaging about 3'6'', and they usually have brown curly hair. Their skin is a darkish peach color, though many warriors are even darker since they often spend long periods of time in the sun. They eschew most armor, and indeed consider it a mark of pride to be able to enter combat without any armor at all, and even with only enough clothes to retain their dignity.

Humanoid (Halfling)
Small: As a Small creature, a lightfoot halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
-2 Str, +4 Dex, Halflings are fast, but weak, their smaller stature gives them both less leverage, and less muscle.
Bonus Feat: Halflings get Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat at first level.
+2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and Ride
+1 racial bonus to Listen and Spot
Halfling base land speed is 20
Automatic Languages: Hobgoblin, Halfling. Bonus Languages:Orc, Goblin, Human, Dwarf.
Favored Class: Ranger

Hobgoblins

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Hobgoblins are the larger, smarter, simply superior relatives of the orcs' favorite slaves. Hobgoblins are born warriors because they had to be to survive. Once upon a time, they were more adaptable, like humans, and to some degree they still retain that, but few get a chance to explore other options.

Hobgoblins are clearly similar to goblins, sharing the same rocky brown skin, but they look more natural. They have similar proportions to humans, and are about half a head shorter on average. Their most distinguishing feature is the orange eyes.

Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Medium: As Medium creatures, Hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 Str, +2 Int, Hobgoblins are smart, strong, and experienced, and have no specific weaknesses.
Bonus Feat: Weapon Proficiency, due to their training, Hobgoblins are automatically proficient with any one weapon someone in their line of work wouldn't normally be trained with.
Low-Light Vision: A Hobgoblin can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Trained Reflexes: Hobgoblins can make an additional attack of opportunity as a result of special training.
Hobgoblin base land speed is 30
Automatic Languages: Hobgoblin, Halfling. Bonus Languages:Orc, Goblin, Human, Dwarf.
Favored Class: Fighter

Hob-blooded

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Though rare, it does sometimes happen that a Halfling and Hobgoblin produce a healthy child. These children always favor one parent or the other. Hob-blooded favor halflings. They are bigger than other halflings, most being almost as tall as a goblin, and stronger, though also slower.

Hob-blooded look like other halflings except their skin is darker, their teeth a bit sharper, and they are much bigger. A few also have orange flecks in their eyes.

Humanoid (Halfling)
Small: As a Small creature, a lightfoot halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
+2 Dex, +2 Int, Hob-blooded are fast, but not as fast as full halflings. They make up for this with an improved intellect.
Goblin Blood: Hob-blooded also count as Goblinoids for all effects related to type.
Powerful Build: Your physical stature lets you function in many ways as if you were one size category larger. Whenever you are subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), you are treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to you. You are also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect you. You can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, your space and reach remain those of a creature of your actual size. The benefits of this feat stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
+1 racial bonus to Handle Animal and Ride
Automatic Languages: Hobgoblin, Halfling. Bonus Languages:Orc, Goblin, Human, Dwarf.
Hob-blooded base land speed is 20
Favored Class: Ranger

Half-Goblin

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Half-Goblins are the other class of crossbreed between halflings and hobgoblins. A bit more rare than Hob-blooded, they share more in common with their hobgoblin parent than their halfling parent.

Half-Goblins tend to be only a little shorter than Hobgoblins, though a few are as short as a Goblin. Compared to a full blooded Hobgoblin, Half-Goblins have slightly lighter skin, shorter teeth, and sometimes have an eye color more common to Halflings than Goblinoids. Indeed, many Half-Goblins are capable of passing as a normal Hobgoblin, and some do.

Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Medium: As Medium creatures, Hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha, Half-Goblins are just as smart as their parents, but their dual nature, and the fact that they are less frequently identified by the more racist members of their society than Hob-blooded, means that they have a greater understanding of people, and are more sociable.
Halfling Blood: Half-Goblins also count as Halflings for all effects related to type.
+2 Racial bonus to Disguise checks to disguise as a Hobgoblin.
+1 Racial bonus to Listen and Spot.
Low-Light Vision: A Half-Goblin can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Automatic Languages: Hobgoblin, Halfling. Bonus Languages:Orc, Goblin, Human, Dwarf.
Favored Class: Fighter

Culture of Arzathon

The governmental body associated with Arzathon alone has relatively little power. Known as the Allied Council, it is made up of the leaders of each nation and Arzathon's best generals. Normally though, the leaders are represented by a diplomat rather than appearing personally. The power of the Council is limited to demanding military forces and directing them where to go, and they are allowed to levy taxes and tariffs to fund the troops. They also serve as a jury for international disputes. Otherwise, each individual nation maintains their own law and order.

More to come

[Jallorn]

The Wild Tribes of the South

The south of Miron is dominated by giant predators and jungles. Amid this, the tree bound Elves live. A savage species, the Elves don't even have mastery of fire, aside from a few tribes, and despite the physical capability to live a long time, tend to live comparatively short, intense lives. An emotional, chaotic people, Elves can swing from intimacy, to murderous intentions, and back again in a couple of minutes. Ruled by the strong, Elves are as likely to kill one another as fall to a predator.

Elves

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Compared to Humans, Elves are small, slight, and walk low to the ground. Their ears are long and pointed, and they have lots of tattoos, though few clothes. Different tribes have varying styles, most notably, their tattoos, though some have more eccentric pieces to their appearance. For example, one tribe files their canine teeth to extremely sharp points when they reach adult-hood.

Humanoid (Elf)
Medium: As Medium creatures, Elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Wis, Though elves are strong, they are somewhat frail as they evolved primarily to be evasive and stealthy, and durability requires a degree of mass that makes that hard. They are also quite emotional, and act impulsively.
+2 racial bonus to Fort saves vs. diseases, toxins, and poisons.
+1 racial bonus to all saves vs. a spell or spell-like ability.
+2 racial bonus to Survival, Spot, and Listen.
Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Automatic Languages: Elven Tribal*. Bonus Languages: Human, Dwarven, Elven Tribal*.
Favored Class: Barbarian

*Elven Tribal is not a single language, but is in fact several very similar languages spoken by the various tribes. Although each one is a distinct language, anyone who knows one version is able to understand some of what is said in another version. When a character who speaks one Elven Tribal language hears something said in another, they make make an Int check to decipher the meaning. At a DC of 10, the character gets about half the words and/or half the meaning. At a DC of 15, the character understands the basic gist of what is said, though more complex concepts might be lost. At a DC of 20, the character understood what was said completely, without fault. If the result of the check is 5 or less, the character either doesn't understand what was said, or misinterprets the meaning in some way, though he has some uncertainty as to his interpretation. On a natural 1, the character completely misunderstood the meaning, and has no idea that he is wrong.

Elder Elves

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Elder Elves are extremely rare, most elves die of conflict long before the changes of age begin to show. Though they don't decay like other races, Elder Elves do undergo a plethora of changes. They mellow, becoming more patient and able to think things out. There is also a movement away from the tribal nature of elven society and towards a more individual way of life. Curiously, Elves also become sturdier and physically healthier as they age.

Most tribal elves who reach elder age are alphas, leaders of their tribe, but after a few decades, they tend to move towards a more advisory role, allowing some other young elf to take over without conflict. Eventually, most Elder Elves separate from their tribe to live a hermit's life until the end of their days. Many learn medicinal or magical potion brewing and become neutral healers for anyone who comes to them.

Elder Elf is a template that may be applied to any creature with the Elf subtype who is at least 80 years old.
Elder Elves no longer progress age categories, and they don't die of old age.
+2 Con, +2 Wis, +2 Int.
+4 racial bonus to Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and Bluff.
+1 bonus to all saves.
+1 LA

Civilized Elves

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Civilized Elves are elves who have earned their freedom in human society, and have been integrated. Their disposition can range from feeling superior to what they once were, to despising the human society and feeling trapped, to feeling more experienced and wiser for both good and bad, and everything in between.

Civilized Elf is a template that may be applied to any creature with the Elf subtype.
-2 Dex, +2 Wis, Civilized Elves, for better or worse, have learned to still their emotions and and the more patient for it, however, years among a relatively safe society have dulled their reflexes.
Civilized Elves suffer a -2 racial penalty to Survival, Spot, and Listen.
Civilized Elves gain 4 skill points they may allocate to any class skills.

Half-Elves

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Humans and Elves are genetically similar, having split from a common ancestor fairly recently, relatively speaking. Because of this, interbreeding is completely feasible, and has no greater mortality rate than normal births.

Half-Elves almost always inherit their Elven parent's ears, but in most other cases, favor the human parent. Half-Elven height ranges from midway between Elves and Humans, and average height for a Human, and their muscles are tight, and thick, meaning they tend to weigh a bit more than humans for their size as well. Despite this, Half-Elves tend to be a bit thiner than Humans.

Humanoid (Human and Elf)
Medium: As Medium creatures, Half-Elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 to Str or Dex, +2 to any one stat, -2 Con, Half-Elves tend to be either stronger or more dextrous than humans, but also more frail.
Skilled: Half-Elves gain 4 additional skill points at first level, and 1 more every other level. While not quite as versatile as Humans, Half-Elves are still more capable than most other races.
Mixed Blood: Although Half-Elves have the Elf subtypes, they do not qualify for the Elder or Civilized Elf templates.
+2 racial bonus to Spot and Listen, Half-Elves inherit their Elven parent's keen senses.
Automatic Languages: Either Human or Elven Tribal. Half-Elves are only ever raised in one of their parents' societies, and so they only get to pick one language as their automatic language.
Bonus Languages if Human is Automatic Language: Orcish, Elven Tribal, Ancient, Halfling, Hobgoblin
Bonus Languages if Elven Tribal is Automatic Language: Human, Dwarven, Elven Tribal*.
Favored Class: Any

[Jallorn]

Nomads of Death's Expanse

Dwarves are a stout people, capable of surviving many days without food or water more than any other humanoid. Nomads by necessity, dwarves get food where they can, crossing the desert on year long pilgrimages to trade between the elves and orcs. Despite not having any hierarchy above clan leaders within normal dwarven society, dwarves are unique among all the races for having the lowest crime and conflict, there’s just no room for such mistakes in the desert.

Dwarves are also unique for having the most numerous and powerful spellcasters, the druids. Among a population of roughly 65 thousand across the entire desert, there are some hundreds of druids, and a few thousand adepts.


Dwarves

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Dwarves look very similar to Humans and Elves; in fact, they come from the same lineage. Dwarves share more in common with Elves than Humans, such as the large pointed ears, although Dwarf ears are bigger. Generally the same height as Elves, Dwarves have far more fat, making their shortness compared to Humans more striking, and larger foreheads. Dwarven skin is also usually tougher than either Human or Elven.

Humanoid (Dwarf)
Medium: As Medium creatures, Dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
+2 Con or +2 Wis, Dwarves are naturally hardy, as well as patient and observant, needing both to survive in the desert. They have no specific weaknesses, they can’t afford them.
+2 racial bonus to Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Survival, and Knowledge (Nature)
Natural Reserves: Dwarves can go twice as long as the other races without food or water.
Low-Light Vision: A Dwarf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions, the best times to be active in the desert are dawn and dusk.
+1 racial bonus to Spot and Search
Dwarves gain Heat Endurance as a bonus feat, even if they don’t meet the prerequisites.*
Dwarf base land speed is 30 feet
Automatic Languages: Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Orcish, Elven Tribal, Halfling, Goblin.
Favored Class: Ranger

*Sandstorm

Dwarven Culture and History

Dwarves have a very communal lifestyle, every member of the group is important to the survival of every other member. Due to this, children are raised communally, primarily by the elders, and they don't know who their parents are. Similarly, most Dwarven clans follow a simple rule, "We don't ask for help, and we don't offer it," a somewhat callous attitude, but one that has seen much success for the survival of it's practitioners.

The Dwarves' oldest tale, of how they came to the desert, begins with a people from the south. Tired of living in constant fear, fear of the monsters, fear of the weather, fear of their neighbors, these people followed a great prophet wwho spoke new words, the words of Beshim and Heroa. Prophets had promised things before, and most were false prophets, or at the very least, fools. When they left for their, "promised land," they were never heard from again, so the Tired People were quite skeptical of prophets. Scholars debate endlessly why the Tired People accepted this prophet when they hadn't any other. Some claim it was because they were so very tired, while others claim they had an insight into the prophet, and that they could see his truth. But the most respected theory is that the prophet was different. That the prophet spoke, not of a land of ease and plenty and safety, but a land of hardship and sparsity. What he promised, so the theory goes, was freedom and change.

Regardless of the reason, the Tired People followed their prophet into the wastes. Legend maintains that back then the land was both more and less dangerous. Survival was easier, there was water and food aplenty compared to now, but there were more predators, and the vicious plants were almost as bad as the beasts they left behind, but at least those tended to stay rooted. At first, the Tired People settled down, living together in one big tribe, but the land soon stopped providing enough, and the tribe had to move. This happened several more times over the years, until the tribe had to stay moving constantly in order to keep itself fed. So they split up, hoping that would mean more resources for each group. But still the land produced less and less. By now, however, the people were tired no more. Now, they were defiant. Instead of bowing to this curse of nature, the curse of their abandoned god, the people fought against it. They taught themselves how to survive on nothing, how to walk for days with naught but a mouthful of water, how to build tents that would last against the winds and dust for decades, but above all that, they taught themselves how to commune with nature itself, without a god as an intermediary. For many ages this power was dangerous to the wielder, it often turned it's wielders into feral monsters, intent only on personal survival, at any cost.

But one day, all that stopped. Their old god had forgiven them, or forgotten, same thing really, with gods, and whether a barrier was lifted, or put in place for their protection, druids could wield their power without fear. And the Dwarves, for that was who the people had become, could flourish.

[Jallorn]

The Frostdwellers

Centaurs are well suited to the cold north, uniquely capable of eating practically anything, though they are restrained to a relatively small peninsula. Although they refer to their family unit as a tribe, centaurs do not have the same codependence as humanoids. The members of a single centaur’s “tribe,” are his brothers and sisters, his parents, aunts, and uncles, and his children. Centaurs do not mate for life, although they do usually choose the same mate every year, and the males rarely linger for long after their mate has given birth.

Centaur culture is rich in music and fighting, both the primary way for a male to woo a prospective mate. Most courting competitions are nonlethal, wrestling being most common, but it has been known for Centaurs to fight to the death. Music is the primary way in which Centaurs spend their free time, though some have been known to be prodigious artists of other varieties as well.

Centaurs

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Centaurs look like humans from the waist up, and horses from the waist down. The horse half is almost always white, though the southern tribes have some grays, and white and gray dappled Centaurs are also common. Black Centaurs can happen, but they are usually driven off as they are associated with evil and misfortune.

Monstrous Humanoid
Large size: –1 penalty to Armor Class, –1 penalty on attack rolls, –4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters. (Space 10, Reach 5)
+2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Wis, Centaurs are large, and natural wordsmiths, but they are also passionate and impulsive.
Undersized Weapons: Centaurs wield weapons as if they were one size smaller.
Centaurs gain Cold Endurance as a bonus feat, even if they don't meet the prerequisites.*
+2 racial bonus to Perform and Listen checks.
Centaur base land speed is 50.
Automatic Languages: Centaur. Bonus Languages: Human, Orc, Goblin, Halfling.
Favored Class: Bard.


*Frostburn

[Jallorn]

Magic in Ferar

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Magic in the world of Ferar is extremely rare. Even among the Orcish Wise caste, only the most curious and intelligent ever acquire any skill with magic, and only the true geniuses ever master it. In Ferar, arcane mages are extremely rare, and only one in a thousand of them are actually wizards. Instead, most arcanists are Magewrights (ECS). Similarly, Clerics are also rare. Only the most faithful are ever chosen, and any any cleric will inevitably be hailed as a prophet, or even a messiah if he gains enough favor. Churches in Ferar do, however, tend to have some useful healing abilities, and sometimes a few others, but these are the sole propriety of Adepts. Not every church has an Adept, but those that don't do tend to have a healer of some kind.

Sorcerers are even rarer than Clerics and Druids. Sorcerers, and Wizards in many places, are met with fear and hatred. Sorcerers represent the most powerful magic users in Ferar, but unlike Wizards, who spend years learning knowledge, or Clerics, who are devoted to an ideal, Sorcerers have had their powers simply handed to them, and so they tend to be very dangerous, and often cruel.

Though it is still rare among them, Dwarves actually have the most numerous powerful spellcasters. Their Druids are mostly kept occupied taking care of their tribe, or keeping the oases sheltered. Even among the druids however, most have at least half their levels in Adept. For more about Druids, see the Dwarf entry.

In Ferar, Players are free to take any class they wish, but they cannot take any magic item creation feats aside from Brew Potion and Scribe Scroll. Additionally, scrolls always take at least a full round action to cast, and metamagic feats add an additional spell level when used by anyone other than a sorcerer. Players should also be aware of racial tendencies as they relate to spellcasting classes:

Wizards and Magewrights are extraordinarily rare among all the races aside from Orcs and Humans. Any Wizard or Magewright Orc is almost always a member of the Wise caste, or on rare occasion, the Noble caste. Halflings and Hobgoblins are not as commonly Wizards or Magewrights, but it has happened. Among the other races, a Magewright is usually something unique for several generation, let alone a Wizard.

Clerics and Adepts are most common among Humans, Halflings, Hobgoblins, and Orcs. Humans generally have more of them than the other races, while they are a bit rare among the other three races. In the other races, Clerics are even rarer than among Humans and Orcs, and Adepts are rare, though not unheard of. The exception are the Dwarves, where they have druid Adepts. Clerics are still more rare among Dwarves.

Non-Dwarven Druids are extremely rare. The exception to this rule is the elves, where they are only somewhat rare.

Warlocks and such are even more rare than Sorcerers, but considered much the same. Warlocks must be Evil at first level, though they can later change their alignment. If using the alternate alignment rules, then Warlocks must be Black.

Wu Jen, Beguilers, Warmages, Spellthieves, Dusk Blades, Dragon Shaman, DFAs, Shugenja, and Spirit Shaman are pretty much nonexistent in Ferar.

This section under review.

[Jallorn]

The Gods of Ferar

Note: The gods use this alignment system. It can be mixed with or replaced by the normal alignment system. If mixed, Clerics can be of any alignment.

The gods were brought into being by the sheer power of life on Ferar, though the sentient races generally attribute their existence to an evil father god they later drove off. First, were the twins. These twins are representative of the two most dominant genetic families on the planet, though they are capable of taking other forms at will, something the others can't do. The first brother is the larger one, more human-like, with ears like a half-elf, and sharp teeth. The second brother is smaller, with more claw-like nails and darker skin. Together, these two brothers introduced intelligence to the world below, the first brother creating courage, logic, and trust, while the second formed creativity, curiosity, and pragmatism. (We're still talking very low intelligence for the mortals though, like, 3-4 range)

During this time, the two brothers also shaped the now intelligent races, influencing the many into two, Hominoids and Simianoids. Sometime later, a new god was spawned, a sister to the brothers. Her features are something of a mix between those of her brothers, she is shorter than the first, but larger than the second, she has round ears and sharp teeth, but her skin is an orange-brown, and now, her skin color changes with the seasons, like an orc's. She had a special fondness for her first brother's ideas of order, but couldn't deny how much fun her second brother was, and so she settled on order in the long term, and chaos in the moment. Especially exciting to her was to watch the mortal races fight. In an effort to bring her two brothers a bit closer together, and because she wanted her own race, she lead a few groups of Hominoids north across what was becoming a desert, and for a short time interbred Hominoids and Simianoids. There, they eventually became the orcs.

Shortly before the Hominoids were led north, another brother came to be. He was smaller than his sister, but not by much. He is the most human in appearance, though he still retains a few sharp teeth humans have lost. He was jealous that his sister got to have her own species, and so he separated a group of Hominoids by removing a chunk of land. There, he was free to tweak his people somewhat, eventually creating humans.

Before humans were fully evolved, an early proto-human found himself shunned by the others of his tribe because they were jealous of his musical talent. Moved by the man's sorrowful music, the first brother granted the man the release he desired, turning him into a simple horse. The second brother was unwilling to let the man's music die, however, and so it was that a certain horse's mare foaled the first centaur, who was then spirited away to the north continent, where a species was created, for the first time, entirely by the gods.

There was another set of twins, younger than the third brother, and they were brother and sister. This brother is even smaller than the second brother, though once again, not by too much. He resembles a hobgoblin most closely, but is a little more hunched, like a goblin. The sister is slightly shorter than the third brother, resembling a large elf. These two were content to marvel in the natural world, the sister a little more so than the brother. These twins were shortly followed by another set of twins, the youngest of the gods. These two, another pair of brothers, resemble a cross between a dwarf and a halfling. These were once again torn between the ideas of the eldest brothers, finding value in both.

One day, when the second brother was particularly annoyed at the first, he told the first lie, and told the youngest sister that the first brother wanted her to take over the Hominoids, and she promptly did so, leading them to become elves, in time. When he found out, the first brother was furious, but rather than take anything away from the youngest daughter, he decided that her twin brother would take over the Simianoids from the second brother, and they grew into the Hobgoblins in time. After a short time, he also decided that the youngest twins would have dominion over a group of both as well, to be fair. Taking their people away to the only places left, a chain of islands and the desert, the youngest twins created the dwarves and the halflings.

However, the second brother wouldn't leave well enough alone, and led some of the Hobgoblins to be cut off from the rest, where they eventually became Goblins. When this was discovered, the eldest sister was the one who punished the second brother, driving the goblins out of the mountains were, eventually, her orcs subjugated them.

Magic was through a cooperative effort between the second brother and his sisters. Attempting to create a work of art that mimicked life itself, they released arcane magic, and unlocked the way to grant divine magic, which had previously been the purview of druids.

{table=head]Name|Familial Position|Favored Race(s)|Primary Alignment|Secondary Alignments
Meros|First Brother (Twin set I)|All/Humans, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves|White|Blue and Black
Sorem|Second Brother (Twin set I)|All/Goblins, Hobgoblins, Halflings, Centaurs, Orcs|Red|Blue and Black
Koora|First Sister|Orcs|White|Red and Black
Jev|Third Brother|Humans|Blue|Green and Black
Alirak|Second Sister (Twin set II)|Elves|Green|Red and Blue
Dorak|Fourth Brother (Twin set II)|Hobgoblins|Black|White and Green
Beshim|Fifth Brother (Twin set III)|Dwarves and Halflings|White|Green and Red
Heroa|Sixth Brother (Twin set III)|Halflings and Dwarves|Red|Green and White[/table]

Domains

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{table=head]Name|Orc Domains|Human Domains|Halfling Domains|Hobgoblin Domains|Elf Domains|Dwarf Domains|Centaur Domains|Arzathon Integrated Domains
Meros|Glory, Knowledge, Nobility, Strength|Glory, Nobility, Protection, War|Knowledge, Mind, Strength, Time|Darkness, Nobility, Strength, War|Community, Healing, Protection, Strength|Darkness, Glory, Strength, Time|Nobility, Protection, Strength, War|Knowledge, Mind, Nobility, Strength
Sorem|Death, Magic, Time, Trickery|Death, Magic, Time, Trickery|Death, Healing, Time, Trickery|Darkness, Death, Destruction, Trickery|Darkness, Death, Magic, Trickery|Death, Magic, Time, Trickery|Death, Knowledge, Magic, Mind, Trickery|Darkness, Death, Time, Trickery
Koora|Community, Glory, Protection, Strength, War|Destruction, Protection, Strength, War|Destruction, Madness, Strength, War|Destruction, Madness, Strength, War|Destruction, Luck, Strength, War|Community, Nobility, Strength, War|Darkness, Destruction, Madness, Strength|Destruction, Madness, Strength, War
Jev|Healing, Knowledge, Mind, Trickery|Creation, Healing, Knowledge, Mind, Time|Darkness, Knowledge, Protection, Trickery|Darkness, Knowledge, Mind, Trickery|Knowledge, Madness, Magic, Mind|Darkness, Knowledge, Luck, Mind|Knowledge, Luck, Magic, Mind|Darkness, Knowledge, Protection, Trickery
Alirak|Animal, Liberation, Plant, Weather|Animal, Plant, Trickery, Weather|Animal, Plant, Sun, Weather|Animal, Darkness, Plant, Weather|Animal, Glory, Protection, Strength, Weather|Plant, Magic, Sun, Weather|Animal, Darkness, Plant, Weather|Animal, Healing, Plant, Weather
Dorak|Community, Luck, Healing, Protection|Community, Glory, Strength, War|Madness, Nobility, Strength, War*|Community, Glory, Protection, Sun, Strength|Darkness, Protection, Plant, Strength|Community, Protection, Strength, War|Destruction, Protection, Strength, War|Community, Nobility, Protection, Strength, War
Beshim|Artifice, Charm, Luck, Travel|Artifice, Charm, Community, Knowledge|Artifice, Charm, Healing, Travel|Artifice, Charm, Community, Travel|Artifice, Knowledge, Time, Travel|Artifice, Community, Creation, Knowledge, Travel|Community, Knowledge, Sun, Travel|Artifice, Charm, Travel, Trickery
Heroa|Destruction, Madness, Trickery, War|Charm, Liberation, Luck, Trickery|Animal, Charm, Nobility, Trickery, War|Glory, Liberation, Protection, Trickery|Charm, Darkness, Luck, Trickery|Animal, Creation, Mind, Trickery|Darkness, Luck, Trickery, War|Glory, Charm, Liberation, Trickery, War[/table]
*Halfling Clerics of Dorak can choose either the Madness Domain or the Nobility Domain, but not both.
All domains are available on the SRD, other domains may be associated with gods on the judgement of the DM.

All clerics may also choose an elemental domain for one of their domain choices, regardless of god or race.

Worship
Gods can be honored by one culture, and feared in another, each race has their own stories, and their own take on each god. In fact, none of them have the creation story quite right, and most of them venerate their creator as the greatest god among them.

Any mention of temples only applies to large towns, cities, and keeps; the places with enough people and money to support multiple churches. The smallest towns in any region inevitably have a single temple devoted to no singular god, and run by as few as a single priest, though usually with much help from the villagers.

Orcs

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Koora: The Orcs' chief deity, Koora is worshiped as the queen of the gods. The orcs' creator, her church and teachings are central to Orcish culture, and her priests are often among the most respected in the Orcs' society.
Meros: Also a venerated deity to the Orcs, Meros is seen as Koora's mentor, and the old king who stood aside when he saw that Koora was ready to take on the role of leadership. His teachings of strength and honor are highly valued, and his priests are pillars of the community.
Sorem: Seen as an untrustworthy trickster, and an unreliable god, Sorem is barely worshiped in Orcish society other than by criminals. His only honor to the Orcs is his dominion over death, where he honors Orcs by providing them with one final challenge. He has no devoted priests; instead, priests from other gods' temples perform the elaborate death ceremonies.
Jev: Jev is seen as a selfish god, but is still respected for his vast knowledge. Though not often worshiped, per say, the Wise Caste does tend to honor Jev, and he has a few scattered temples throughout Orcish lands. His priests are wise sages, honored more for their ability to contribute to society than for their role as priests. Jev's temples serve the unique role of libraries for the kingdom.
Alirak: Alirak is seen as the wild younger sister of Koora, following in her footsteps, but not all of them. Respected for her strength and courage, Alirak is nonetheless considered a secondary goddess due to Koora's superiority at these things, and due to Alirak's chaotic, uncontrolled nature. She is usually given a shire within the temples to Koora, where women usually give birth, due to Alirak's dominion over birth.
Dorak: Dorak is seen as as Koora's subservient brother, loyal and obedient. Again, a strong warrior, orderly, but considered a bit of a coward. Dorak also only has shrines within Koora's temples, and is worshiped primarily by goblins. Orcs teach that Dorak teaches that Goblins should be subservient to Orcs, a teaching many Goblins believe.
Beshim: Beshim is worshiped as the Orc's god of merchants and traders, and the worship is heaviest in the south where contact with Dwarves is most common. Beshim's temples are usually small, but lavish, as merchants tend to be very generous tithers.
Heroa: Heroa is considered a coward and a trickster, much like Sorem. However, unlike Sorem, Heroa is believed to have no redeeming qualities, and is also considered a rebel, and a power-hungry traitor. Worship of Heroa in Orcish lands is usually met with anger, and sometimes death.

Humans

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Jev: Although chief among Human worship, Jev is not considered the king of the gods. He is, however, considered the wisest, and most skillful, and is worshiped by every human from a lowly farmer to King Tenith of Valen. Jev is, instead, worshiped as advisor to the king, and champion of the common man. His temples are huge, and his priests range from skilled men of great learning, to reformed criminals who haven't completely forgotten their old life.
Meros: Meros is the Humans' king of the gods; a skilled warrior and a noble leader, Meros is also considered the paragon of the gods, and is the god who is most commonly worshiped by Human Paladins. Meros's temples are on par with Jev's, but his priest's, especially in The Church of Life, are much more frequently higher class citizens.
Sorem: Sorem is not worshiped by most humans; as the lord of death, he is an image to be feared. It is understandable, then, that he is also seen as a traitor, and a harbinger of misfortune and evil. Even criminals tend to stay away from him. In Valen and The Church, Sorem is not worshiped, in fact worship of Sorem is considered blasphemy, but he does feature in much of the stories and art of the temples to Meros, where he features as a fearsome figure who punishes the wicked. However, the exception to this rule is Nitor, where the Sorem's church is the largest and most powerful church, though he's not the chief god. In Nitor, they claim that Sorem has been slandered, and that he is in fact loyal to his brother, and serves in a similar advisory role as Jev. Sorem's connection to death is in fact considered one of his greatest and most generous actions of good will towards mortals, and the fact that he sometimes commits acts of questionable intention is considered to be a part of his role as the one who does what needs to be done.
Koora: Humans consider Koora to be Meros's right hand; her title is "The Blade of Meros." In Velin and The Church, she is worshiped as Sorem's most frequent enemy, and is usually the one to uncover his plots, not because of intelligence, but because of an unwillingness to trust him.
Alirak: Alirak is worshiped as goddess of nature, birth, and youth. Her temples are smaller, and her priests are all women, but Alirak does have a special place in the prayers of huntsmen and rangers, as well as thieves and assassins.
Dorak: A minor god among the Humans, Dorak is worshiped by some warriors, but is mostly ignored by most Humans. His temples are small, but his priests are loyal to him and are skilled fighters.
Beshim: Beshim is also a fairly minor god. Considered a student of Jev, Beshim has alters within Jev's temples, and is mostly worshiped by merchants.
Heroa: Heroa is, again, a minor god worshiped at alters in Jev's temples. He does, however, have a large group of worshipers among thieves, spies, assassins, and other nefarious types. One or two of the more successful gangs even have small temples for their members.

Halflings

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This worship applies only to those Halfling tribes that never integrated, and to the two nations that were least enthusiastic about integrating Hobgoblins, Rata in the west, and Nimilan in the north-east.

Heroa: Heroa is chieftan supreme in the eyes of the Halflings. A warrior of great skill, Heroa is also stealthy, clever, and a great leader. He is often seen as a champion of the weak, frequently overpowering or outmaneuvering stronger opponents. Heroa is also seen as a lighthearted jokester with a quick wit, though in a few of the darker stories he is shown to have a sombre, vicious side. Halfling temples are the only stone buildings they have. Priests of Heroa are leaders among Halfling society, highly charismatic, and frequent orators in public.
Meros: Meros is the wisest god, serving in an advisoral role. Meros is a strong warrior, but lacks the speed of youth, and doesn't have much in the way of craftiness, being honorable almost to a fault. Priests of Meros strive for wisdom, mostly in day to day life, and are frequently the ones a family in crisis will turn to.
Sorem: Sorem is seen as Heroa's predecesor, but is also seen as having retired from most of his roles, other than that of the god of death. He still does a few trickster things from time to time, but is mostly busy dealing with the souls of the dead. Sorem's priests are a sombre lot, concerned mostly with death and the afterlife. They are fond of telling tales of doom and hellfire.
Koora: Koora is the only goddess not worshiped by Halflings. Seen as a power mad, brutish tyrant, Koora is often in conflict with Heroa and Dorak. In fact, Orcs are considered, by some, to be a demonic race Koora sent to punish the free races of the world for not bowing to her.
Jev: Jev is seen by the halflings as the smartest god, but also as coniving and not always trustworthy. Considered very skillful and dangerous, Jev would probably be Heroa's greatest adversary if not for the fact that he isn't always a bad guy. Priests of Jev are few, but they tend to be jacks of all trades, politically ambitious, and highly sout after for blessings.
Alirak: Alirak is a minor goddess, mostly distant from the struggles of the others. Being a goddess of nature though, she is never completely gone, and does have numerous stories that feature only her and characters of the mortal races. Alirak's priests are all distant scholars of the earth, learning not from books, but from experience. All of Alirak's temples have at least a small garden.
Dorak: There are two interpretations of Dorak, depending on the region you're in. In the east, Dorak is Heroa's equal, a warrior in oposition to Koora, albeit sometimes to the point of obssession. Although he is larger and stronger than Heroa, the two are evenly matched in combat because of Heroa's speed. In the west, Dorak is a convenient ally who is completely obssessed with fighting, and isn't too bright. There are few Halfling priests of Dorak, either because they don't feel the need to worship him (in the west), or there are Hobgoblins who can better fill the role.
Beshim: Beshim is a skilled diplomat, as well as a craftsman beyond compare. He is, however, considered a bit of a coward for not directly oposing Koora much. He still garners respect though, since he usually tricks Koora with wordplay when she does decide to do something to him, and he often tells Heroa whatever plan Koora has let slip to him. Priests of Beshim are stoic craftsmen and artists, as well as skilled diplomats, and on occassion, spies.

Hobgoblins

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This worship applies only to Hobgoblins who never integrated into Halfling society, and those in the more segregated regions of Rata and Nimilan.

Dorak: Hobgoblins worship Dorak as the greatest warrior, and as an individual who stepped up to the responsibility placed upon him without craving power. They see him, not so much as the official leader, but the de facto leader, he simply steps up when needed. Hobgoblins have very few large temples, but what ones they have honor Dorak. His priests are community leaders, but are generally humble, and would rather remove themselves from anything above the personal level unless they are needed. Students of warfare, Dorak's priests are often the leaders of the local militia, and a few of the higher class ones serve as generals.
Meros: Meros is considered a mostly honorable warrior, but is seen as slightly power hungry. He is honored, but is most definitely inferior to Dorak. Meros is blamed in part for the state of Goblins, namely that his imperfection led to their situation, but not that he is directly responsible. Meros's temples are much like the other gods, large enough. His priests tend to be more deliberately involved in the community, and many of their teachings focus on weakness and imperfection, and the ideas of working past them.
Sorem: Sorem is named, "The Betrayer," and is directly blamed for Goblins. If Sorem had recognized that Dorak was the superior leader for his people, Hobgoblins maintain, no Goblin would today be under the heel of the evil orcs. Sorem has only altars in Meros's temples, he is still honored as the creator of Hobgoblins, but there is often a single priest dedicated to Sorem. Most of Sorem's priests are somber men, many of whom have been mandated into this position for some dishonor, and they teach that no individual should consider himself necessary.
Koora: Koora is the great evil of the Hobgoblins. The creator of the "demon orcs," and the perpetrator of Goblin slavery, Koora is irredeemable, a selfish, self involved, jealous tyrant who could never admit that Dorak was the greater warrior, and took it out on his people. Koora has neither temples nor priests.
Jev: Jev is seen as a weakling, for the most part. However, he is not without honor, as his knowledge has proven it's worth in many Hobgoblin tales. He does occasionally feature as an untrustworthy figure, but not to the degree Halflings cast him as. Jev's temples are average, and his priests are middle to lower class. His priests do tend to be the primary healers for a community, however.
Alirak: Hobgoblins see Alirak as the irresponsible, gullible one, more interested in playing than in doing anything serious. She plays only a few small roles in most Hobgoblin tales, though she is still honored as the goddess of nature. Her temples are small, and her priests are light hearted fellows who have more in common with farmers than anyone else. They do, of course, take the lead when it comes to harvest festivals though.
Beshim: Beshim is either a fool, or a coward, depending on who you ask. Either he believes too much in Koora's redeemability, or he is scared of her. In any case, he is the god of diplomats and merchants, and has temples much like any other god, and rather nondescript priests.
Heroa: Heroa is respected for his close friendship to Dorak, and for making use of the talents he had. Although not a large warrior, Heroa is nonetheless honored in war for his skills in stealth, and for his distinctly individualistic nature. Heroa's temples are again, average, but they serve as places for the homeless to stay, and his priests often serve as police for the community, in addition to being skilled speakers.

Elves

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Alirak: Alirak is considered the most dangerous goddess, a position of respect among elves. As such, all but the most foolish of Elves worship her. With a few exceptions, Alirak is not shown as cruel, however, and justly protects those who bow before her, often helping them escape some monster or another. Elves have no temples, nor do they have specialized priests. Instead, Elder Elves serve as shamans, for all the gods.
Meros: Meros is seen as Alirak's mate, and equally powerful, though less ruthless and less dangerous. Elves believe he didn't take back dominion over them because he was afraid of fighting Alirak for the position, knowing she would be far more ruthless in their otherwise even fight. However, he is also seen as Alirak's protector when she is otherwise unable to fight, making them fairly equal in the Elves' eyes.
Sorem: Sorem is respected by the Elves just as much as Meros, for his stealth and cunning though. Prominently featured in Elven tales, Sorem is seen as Alirak's second mate, but is also considered more dangerous than Meros.
Koora: Koora is considered a brutish lout, strong, but foolish. She is also considered unnecesarily cruel, but isn't feared because she is often cast as the comic relief character in Elven tales. She is worshiped primarily as a war god, because she is also seen as very loyal.
Jev: Jev is worshiped as an enigma. He is considered knowledgable about far more than any other god, and is, in fact, believed inscrutiable by Elves. Most uniquely, he is considered knowledgable about magic, something no other god has a mastery over.
Dorak: Dorak plays only very small roles in Elven tales, usually only appearing to support his twin. Most Elves give him very little thought.
Beshim: Beshim is a moderately minor god, shown to be slightly obsessed with material items, particularly useless ones, to a slightly extreme degree. He does occasionally feature as the god of exploration and travel, however.
Heroa: Heroa is even more minor than Dorak, appearing only once or twice, and only in stories where Beshim features fairly prominently.

Dwarves

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Beshim: To the Dwarves, Beshim is more than a clever merchant, though he is that, he is also a keeper of secrets, and the hardiest of the gods. He is also credited with creating and teaching the druidic traditions that are so important to Dwarves, with help from Alirak. Dwarves have no temples, being nomadic, and the druids serve as the priest class. Worship is served almost solely at oases, although some Dwarven marching chants are prayers to the gods.
Meros: Meros is a minor god to the Dwarves, an old god, respected to be sure, but no longer an active player in the world.
Sorem: Sorem, like Meros, is considered minor now, an old god who has moved on.
Koora: Koora is seen as a fierce warrior, naturally, but also as a strong leader. Though Beshim's interaction with Koora is usually peaceful, they do sometimes come into conflict, usually when Koora attempts to exert control over Beshim and he refuses.
Jev: Jev is held up by the Dwarves as what not to be: wasted, spoiled talent. Jev is admitted to be very smart, but is believed to be interested in things that are frivolous and useless. Jev is only ever worshiped individually when some obscure knowledge is necessary.
Alirak: Alirak is second Beshim as she is the goddess of nature, and therefore the desert. Although a fearsome goddess in Dwarven tales, she has moments of serenity and peace, much like oases in a desert. Notable among these is when she helped Beshim devise druidism for the Dwarves. Out of deference to Alirak, Dwarves, as a rule, always deal fairly with Elves.
Dorak: Dorak is respected for both loyalty and skill in combat. Seen as a bit of a lackey to Heroa, Dorak is a strong figure in Dwarven tales, albeit a slightly minor one.
Heroa: Heroa, being Beshim's brother and having a hand in Dwarven creation, is the third most important god to the Dwarves. In fact, Dwarves attribute Heroa with being the better merchant and diplomat of the two brothers, as well as being their primary hunting god.

Centaurs

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Sorem: Sorem is not just the creator of the Centaurs, he is the savior of music and poetry. Centaur religious tales are notorious for the fact that the personalities of the gods, among other things, are inconsistant. Sorem is the sole exception, standing always as the most creative and clever of the gods, as well as highly intelligent. Sorem is also seen as a trickster, but his tricks are usually harmless or instructive. Centaurs don't have temples, but they do have wayshrines, small buildings that provide a place to conduct worship. Wayshrines have no stable caretakers, instead being cared for by whomever passes by, and they do not honor a single god, although one will often find pieces of art, small sculptures, wood carvings, etc., in a shrine, left there by other worshipers in honor of one god or another. Centaur priests are one of a few groups that gather for any protracted length of time.
Meros: Meros is mostly inconsequential to Centaur religion, but he plays a prominent part in their tales. He is portrayed as anything from a bumbling fool, to a faithful brother, to a treacherous nemesis to Sorem, and anything in between.
Koora: Koora is practically always shown as a stupid brutish lout, although whether she's malicious, or just dumb, varies.
Jev:Jev is usually the smartest god in Centaur tales, but his level of creativity and pride both vary wildly.
Alirak: Alirak switches between bipolar wild child and haughty nature goddess, and a few things in between.
Dorak: Dorak is considered a skilled tactitian and warrior, but is also sometimes portrayed as power hungry and coniving.
Beshim:Beshim actually has a relatively stable character, mainly due to the relative lack of stories about him. He does sometimes take a break from his role as a respectable, enduring survivor to play the straight man from time to time. Even so, Centaurs have deep respect for Beshim, honoring his endurance, and probably wouldn't be surprised if some Dwarf said Dorak had a hand in the Centaurs' creation.
Heroa: Heroa sees interpretations from spunky kid who looks up to Serom, to a hack copycat.

Centaurs also tend to learn and retell the other races' tales, and they are slowly building their resevoire of stories.

Arzathon Integrated

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These are the primary beliefs held throughout most of Arzathon, where the Halflings and Hobgoblins have integrated sufficiently. The two belief systems more or less melded into one, the stories remaining basically the same, although the interpretations changed significantly.

Heroa: Heroa is still, in many ways, the great leader and warrior of Halfling legend, though his skill in straight combat is downplayed a little. Still a trickster and champion of the weak, the most significant change to Heroa is that he is not seen as the sole leader, but that he and Dorak are mostly equal leaders of the gods, in a much more democratic system. Of course, that doesn't stop them from the occasional disagreement. Priests of Heroa are peacemakers and arbiters of dispute, in addition to being charismatic leaders.
Dorak: Dorak is seen as a slightly more official leader, but still a somewhat reluctant one. More focus is given to his direct leadership abilities, getting people to work together, directing strategy, etc., than to the more indirect skills, such as diplomatic finagling, which is more Heroa's realm. Still the knight-protector of the gods, Dorak doesn't fall back on his force nearly as often as when he was younger, preferring a more diplomatic approach most of the time, except when dealing with Koora. Priests of Dorak are much the same, serving often as militia leaders, as well as being the first choice for sanctuary.
Meros: Meros is an old man taking some well earned rest. He has wisdom, but it is the wisdom learned from youthful mistakes. Playing a smaller role than in both Halfling and Hobgoblin individual beliefs, Meros does still dust his sword off occasionally, though he prefers to lend advice over action. Priests of Meros teach that time brings peace and wisdom, but only if one strives for them. They serve as educators of youth, and are sought as advisors when one is needed.
Sorem: Sorem is honored as the first father of both Halflings and Hobgoblins, but is also reviled as the betrayer. Hobgoblin beliefs are more prevalent in the integrated worship of Sorem, and he is thus just as downplayed. Sorem's priests are sombre, dealing mostly with death, but have a knack for helping grieving families to heal. Because of this, the position is seen as less dishonorable than in pure Hobgoblin religion.
Koora: If anything, Koora's role as the great evil has intensified through the combination of Halfling and Hobgoblin beliefs. Integrated religion holds that the only good thing to come out of her actions was the joining to Halflings and Hobgoblins to create a far stronger people. Koora is worshiped by neither Halflings, nor Hobgoblins.
Jev: On Jev, Halfling beliefs have turned out dominant, with Jev being cast as a dangerous, savvy god, despite any physical weakness. He is far less frequently cast as the bad guy, however. He is also less frequently cast as a good guy, standing more for himself than for anyone else, though not in too terribly selfish way. Jev's priests serve as educators alongside Meros's, as well as the go to people when knowledge, such as the best design for a new building, is needed.
Alirak: Another place where the two beliefs lined up, Alirak is goddess of nature and little else. Carefree and youthful, Alirak also holds light dominion over children, whom she guards jealously. Alirak's priests are few, and serve in an agricultural role mostly, though they also take in the most abandoned children.
Beshim: Beshim is also seen as a neutral god, generally with a trace of selfishness. He is a skilled diplomat and craftsman, but because he deals evenly with all the gods, even Koora, and not always fairly, he is considered little more than a potential tool to be used by either side. Integrated priests of Beshim are more like the Halfling priests of Beshim, having more refined and focused skills than Jev's priests.

[DragonOfUndeath]

casteless orcs: favoured class- any? or maybe barbarian?

[Jallorn]

The orcs aren't raging warriors though. Any might work, and it'll probably help the balance a little.

[DragonOfUndeath]

Further south, the land is dominated by forests and dangerous monsters.

semi-intelligent elves FTW

[Jallorn]

I would like some feedback regarding my magic houserules.

[DragonOfUndeath]

dwarf are the most regular druids? are you giving them favoured class: druid? i like the way this world is happening but it seems you have to play orcs for a range of characters and there is no chance of Racial diversity in a party (I.E. all human or all Orc or all Dwarves) because of the lack of cross-species empires

[Fable Wright]

So, you decided to make magic using PCs almost nonexistant. There' not much to comment on (assuming you're talking about the magic section).

[DragonOfUndeath]

it seems Warlocks are the most playable caster but you need to start at level 2 if you want a N or G alignment (or just build an orphanage within 5 minutes of starting the game)

[Jallorn]

dwarf are the most regular druids? are you giving them favoured class: druid? i like the way this world is happening but it seems you have to play orcs for a range of characters and there is no chance of Racial diversity in a party (I.E. all human or all Orc or all Dwarves) because of the lack of cross-species empires

EDIT: the magic seems complicated so ill review it in-depth later

That's not true. While yes, most kingdoms are pretty much exclusively one species, that doesn't mean that a group of PCs can't be of several races. Humans are everywhere because they are great seafarers, Elves have no country loyalty, though most of them stay where they are because they're never safe enough to build a boat, or to carefully prepare for a trip across the desert. But elves are occasionally picked up as slaves by one of the human kingdoms, and there are elves who have jumped at the opportunity to escape the dangers of the south, and have allied themselves with a human, or one of somewhat less common orc ships. Dwarves frequently trade with anyone they come in contact with. And the Halflings and Hobgoblins have a very integrated society. So it is easily plausible to have a group of PCs of every race, though Orcs and Halflings and Hobgoblins don't tend to get along at all.

So, you decided to make magic using PCs almost nonexistant. There' not much to comment on (assuming you're talking about the magic section).

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this. Magic using PCs are as common as they want to be, magic users in general are rare.

it seems Warlocks are the most playable caster but you need to start at level 2 if you want a N or G alignment (or just build an orphanage within 5 minutes of starting the game)

I'm not sure about that. I would say that the Sorcerer hasn't really received too many nerfs. I mean sure, they can't craft any more magic items than other casters, but they have a somewhat easier time casting metamagic enhanced spells. The reason Warlocks have to be evil is because there are no real Fey in this world, so they can only get their power from evil creatures, demons or devils.

[DragonOfUndeath]

I'm not sure about that. I would say that the Sorcerer hasn't really received too many nerfs. I mean sure, they can't craft any more magic items than other casters, but they have a somewhat easier time casting metamagic enhanced spells.

they are regarded with fear and suspicion and are usually evil. what paladin or LG character would have a sorceror in their party if they are thought to be evil.

[Jallorn]

they are regarded with fear and suspicion and are usually evil. what paladin or LG character would have a sorceror in their party if they are thought to be evil.

Same for warlocks. More so in fact for most paladins.

[Fable Wright]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this. Magic using PCs are as common as they want to be, magic users in general are rare.

For your magic houserules, I had assumed that you meant the subject under the 'magic' heading. I wasn't quite sure what you were asking when you asked for feedback for your magic homerules. (I still don't; could you point me to where these homerules are?)

[Jallorn]

For your magic houserules, I had assumed that you meant the subject under the 'magic' heading. I wasn't quite sure what you were asking when you asked for feedback for your magic homerules. (I still don't; could you point me to where these homerules are?)

In Ferar, Players are free to take any class they wish, but they cannot take any magic item creation feats aside from Brew Potion and Scribe Scroll. Additionally, scrolls always take at least a full round action to cast, and metamagic feats add an additional spell level when used by anyone other than a sorcerer.

This piece, basically.

[Jallorn]

I have added more information about the human kingdoms. In other good news, I will soon be able to scan my map.

[Jallorn]

Aw, no one interested?

Have now changed the title to something more interesting?

[TigerHunter]

The church part seems like your standard Medieval Europe expy. Other than that, seems interesting.

[Jallorn]

I've scanned the map and am currently working in GIMP to make it look awesome, look for a map in the next week or so.

[Jallorn]

The map is up. Link to the map on my Deviantart account is in the first post.

Sorry it took so long, got stuck on the trees.

[Jallorn]

Added some new stuff about Arzathon, and the halflings and hobgoblins.

[TigerHunter]

I think you should play up the conflicts between the Halflings and Hobgoblins a bit. I like gritty worlds though, maybe you want a different tone this one.

[Jallorn]

No, this world is intended to be pretty gritty. I haven't decided how far I'd like to go with the racial tensions there though. I do know that I'm sticking with the one region at least being very integrated for the most part.

[Jallorn]

I would greatly appreciate it if someone would look over my races and let me know if they're fairly well balanced.