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A few days ago I began asking for players to help me create a campaign setting in the form of an active Pathfinder Roll Playing Game set in a small, not fully defined, village called Woodbridge. The initial response was overwhelmingly positive and supportive, even if a few enthusiastic voices have gone suddenly silent, no worries.
So far I have been completely amazed at the contributions.
Brother Phineas a young man who has answered the calling of the village to become a Cleric under the likable but often intrusive Mister Panforey, is determined to be a force for good in Woodbridge. The player of Brother Phineas has given us our local Human Pantheon, the gods of the people of Woodbridge
Poseus Murandea a Gymnaga commoner, with a strong will to prove his worth and support his people the best way he can, has travelled from the Gymnaga settlement, just a short distance upriver from Woodbridge, to sell some fish he has caught this morning, and take in the local news.The player of Poseus has helped define a few of the more important Deities in the Gymnaga pantheon
Wiscara Gresham a young girl about to take part in the ceremony that will confirm her place in the Village as a practicing Druid, seems unafraid of the challenges ahead of her, though she is young, her spirit seems indomitable. The player of Wiscara is developing the basic Maetaur pantheon (though she is playing a human girl, sadly we have no Player Character Maetaur, yet) and I am looking forward to what she has to show us
Dieredon D’atarisian is showing us the Aladoan Elven attitude toward the local Urandoman population, in his curiosity and at times awkward mannerisms
Marcus Dale a young human Expert crastman, he is setting up himself to take over his father’s trade, and has already taken a role in helping to establish Woodbridge as a community where goods and services are of the highest quality
These are the five player characters who have agreed to help develop the Woodbridge campaign setting. I welcome more players if anyone is interested.
We began this endeavorwith the simple question, “How big is your world” and for now Woodbridge is very small, but with the talented and enthusiastic help of the Paizo community, I can see it growing to be a place that is much, much larger.
Thank you, and look here for future updates on the campaign and the setting development.
Oh, and don’t be afraid to post here with questions or comments about the Player Characters, Non Player Characters, the Setting, or the Development Process, even if you are not a participant, I welcome anyone to share in this experience.
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So many things have changed since I created this journal. I’m sort of sorry I never came back to it. But now I have a purpose. I will place in this journal everything that I can dig up that has been created about the Alodoan Campaign Setting
The Alodoan Campaign Setting
Alodoa was created to be a blank canvas upon which players would help me create a new campaign world. The first game
was started March 5, 2013
Other games followed
The Palace of the Vampire Queen, the 5e Version
was started on September 22, 2014
Castle Caldwell and Beyond: (A 5e Campaign) – The Wrecking Crew
was started on May 20, 2015
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What we know about Alodoa, the basics
Campaign Information
The original Campaign centered on the village of Woodbridge which lies along the western bank of the Lorisaine River, within the natural protection of an Oxbow Lake. The village has a total population of 327 Human or Demi-Human citizens, according to a census taken by agents of the Alodoan Governor at Castletown, Lord Caliorus Anticus, in the year 1380.
Woodbridge, itself, is a modest community of well built single story and two story wooden buildings with slate tile roofs (the people in Woodbridge have been demolishing their older homes and building newer ones under the guidance and with the assistance of the “New” people who have moved into the region, the Alodoans). The population of Woodbridge is growing, as more people arrive in the town of Castleton, to the northwest, and are granted permission by the Governor of the territory to move out of the town and into surrounding villages. However, most of the people who live in Woodbridge have lived there all their lives, and some back several generations. It is said that Jeromy Dallopwinter, a man who came from the kingdom of Westerly, founded the village and built the first bridge across a portion of the lake that allowed him to access the land bounded by the Oxbow.
Woodbridge - The area of land bounded by the lake is approximately one tenth of one square mile. It is accessible normally by boat only, but there is a single, well constructed, wooden bridge located in the southwest corner of the village that crosses the narrowest point of the lake connecting it to the surrounding land. This bridge is not the original bridge built by J. Dallopwinter.
A brief History of Urandoma –
People of Woodbridge would normally (in the recent past) refer to themselves as Urandomans, and call their world, Urandoma. No one who was born and raised in Woodbridge is even remotely away of the size of Urandoma, but everyone knows it is an island nation. For as long as anyone can remember Urandoma has been a land of small kingdoms, under the control of a succession of terrible Kings (Urandoman Kings) or tyrants of other races. These Kings (the Urandomans) were constantly at war with one another for dominance over the land, but no one Urandoman King ever grew powerful enough to take control of the whole of the island. Additionally, Tafganor (orc) and Sashi-Anhain (Yuan-ti) tyrants have, in the past, taken control of large parts of the island, making other races their slaves.
Up until just a few years ago, as many as seven Urandoman Kings ruled over various countries of Urandom. Some twenty to thirty years ago, Urandoma ships began attacking Alodoan ships travelling southward along the eastern seaboard of Alodoa (some people say that the Urandomans learned this behavior, and the secrets of better ship building from the Vayangurr, who live on an island archipelago to the southeast of Urandoma)
Thirteen years ago, the Empire of Alodoa invaded Urandoma to seek to put a stop to the attacks on their ships. The Alodoan army landed, somewhere far to the north of Woodbridge, and began conquering the land controlled by the Urandomans. The war, if it could be called that, was brief, and not terrible. Four Urandoman Kings surrendered immediately to the vastly superior Alodoan army, three Kings tried to raise armies, but were defeated in a few small battles, and the remaining King of Urandoma (along with several noble families) fled the island to locations unknown.
Nine years ago construction began on a hilltop near the confluence of two rivers, the Worran and the Lorisaine, twenty four miles north of Woodbridge, of a magnificent castle, and a town was constructed outside the walls of this mighty fortress. Ships sailing from Alodoa began to arrive a few years after that, bringing settlers to the area. The town, now called Castletown, by locals, grew very large, and eventually these settlers began to seek permission from the local Governor (some noble of some kind, his title is unknown to the people of Woodbridge) to move away from the protection of the castle and settle in the wilderness to the south. It was well known that local indigenous populations existed, but the Urandomans who had been in power in these lands were long gone, and those locals that remained were not antagonistic toward the Alodoan settlers.
Castletown lies twenty four miles to the northwest of Woodbridge, at the confluence of the Lorisaine and Worran rivers, where they join together to become Lake Handemere (Handemere Bay). Lake Handemere is a large, narrow, fresh water lake that is connected to the ocean.
Castletown is a very new community made up almost entirely of Alodoans (a mixture of Humans, Elves, Halflings, and other Demi-human races from the Empire of Alodoa, across the sea, as well as some travelers from Baylor and Vangar (Vayangurr).
Technically speaking the Human population of Woodbridge is almost exclusively of Urandoman genetic makeup, but they would not, now, call themselves Urandoman, and have taken to calling themselves Alodoans, in favor of the people who have invaded and driven the Urandoman tyrants out. In appearance there is a somewhat subtle difference in the Humans who are of Alodoan ancestry and the Urandomans. Mainly it is in the skin color and hair texture. Alodoans tend to be fair skinned, with thick curly, dark hair, while Urandomans are olive skinned (but can be quiet fair), with straight, fair hair.
Probably the most unusual aspect of this settling and expansion into the land once dominated by the Urandomans, is the presence, among the Alodoans, of races of human types never before seen in on Urandoma. These are Elves and Halflings.
In addition to their strange appearance, the Elves and Halflings are different from the people of the land of Woodbridge, and the other Alodoans in very significant ways. While it is generally believed that the Human Alodoans were culturally and technologically not much more advanced than the Urandomans, the Elves and Halflings brought a decidedly more advanced culture and technology with them. The common people of Woodbridge understand that where these people come from, some land across the sea and north of Alodoa (the country), is dominated by the Human Alodoans, and that it is rumored that the Elves and Halflings, being more advanced, are from a civilization that was in decline before it was rescued, sometime in the past one hundred years, by the Alodoan Empire.
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The first Time line
A. Games within this setting
1. The Beginning of All Things (started in the year 1381)
2. Castle Caldwell and Beyond (set at the same time)
3. Palace of the Vampire Queen, 5e (set at the same time)
B. Time line of major events
1. The Beginning of All Things
a. Current year - 1381
b. Invasion of Orimar (Urandoma) by Alodoa – 1368
c. Duffy MacNorra discovers the ruins that become “MacNorra House” – 1330
d. Original construction of the buildings at “MacNorra House” - ?
e. Settling of MacNorra House by Gymnaga-folk – 1362
f. Birth of Poseus – 1364
g. Founding of the village of Kinamay Brawnoor – 1369
h. War between Iarishea and Alodoa – 1310
i. Unification of Maetaur and Urandoman people (Defeat of Tafganor race) - 263
2. Castle Caldwell and Beyond
a. Current year - 1381
b. One year ago, war between Alodoa and Baravkovia – 1379-1380
c. One Hundred fifty years ago – building of Castle Caldwell 1231
d. Last occupants of the Castle (an unnamed family with ties to Baravkovia) leave the castle, 1367
3. Palace of the Vampire Queen, the 5e Version
a. Current year – 1381
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The Dwarven Calendar (Of the Kingdom of Baylor)
The Dwarven calendar has twelve months (What a coincidence!), but the first month of the year would be our (Earth's) April, and it is celebrated after the Spring Equinox.
The first day of the Dwarven year is sort of a floating holiday that occurs in Aukonum, on the day after the first Full Moon of Laurathia (the larger of the world’s three moons) that occurs on or after the spring equinox, placing it anywhere from Mergunum 21st to Aukonum 16th
Aukonum (April)
Tournunum (May)
Thrergunum (June)
Fuargunum (July)
Spragunum (August)
Svafgunum (September)
Dawudunum (October)
Nalunbernunum (November)
Hapernunum (December)
Espargunum (January)
Fwosgarnunum (February)
Mergunum (March)
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Kobolds, and the Dwarven Island of Baylor
Kobolds are not considered monsters on the Island of Baylor, and a history of cooperation and harmony exists between the Dwarven people and the Kobolds.
Kobolds are normally found in caves, not too deep within the ground. They are considered expert miners, competent smiths and have a strong magical tradition (their villages are often lead by a group of Cavern Druids). It is said that the Kobolds speak to the departed spirits of Dragons (and each community of Kobolds is dedicated to one such spirit, the Kobolds speak of this spirit not in terms of worship, but more in terms of a guarding, guiding watchful “head of the family”). The only real trouble associated with Kobolds is their complete lack of a serious nature, and they are often described as “far out,” “lost in their own imaginations,” or simply, “kooky.” They can be difficult to deal with, but are always willing to trade (they delight in dried fruits, sweet candies, and cakes, as these are difficult to come by in their natural environments). Kobolds can fashion masterwork weapons and armor (of the finest metals) but are turned off by the idea of working with wood, this tends to make the weapons they do manufacture a bit heavier than normal (all Kobold made weapons are 25% heavier than the listed weight).
It is considered rude, to Kobold culture, to be a guest of a Kobold Hovel and not partake in a meal, this is often another place where relations are awkward, as Kobold food, though not bad tasting, is usually heavily spiced, and served extremely hot.
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A story from the History of Baylor
The Relic of Pholempa
Once upon a time, before the unification of the island of Balor under the rule of the first great Dwarven king, King Harragold, there was as shrine built on a cliff overlooking the Estuary of the Two Horns (where the city of Cipenny is now located, on the North Horn). This shrine was in the form of a fortified light house once believed to have been occupied by an order of Dwarven Monks who dedicated their lives to the safe travel of ships entering the narrow estuary channel just northwest of the North Horn, where the Ouangolokkurgun River flows into the Sea of Alodoa (Mare Alod). These Dwarves were said to live humble lives, and practiced a form of “trial by combat” involving heavy wooden mauls. They were said to be stoic, but honest and brave.
One of these legendary monks became a hero in the early days of the unification, prior to the Unification Wars, when she sacrificed her life in the rescue of a drowning dwarven child. This Monk’s name was Pholempa Helgadelga. The drowning child she rescued from the dangerous waters of the Ouangolokkurgun River was the Father of King Harragold, Prince Halgold the First. Pholempa was very old at the time of her heroic rescue and the effort, it was said, ruptured her heart and she died only three days after saving the prince’s life.
Pholempa’s body was cremated, in the traditions of her order, but when the remains were examined one of her toe bones was found to have turned a metallic black in color and was not consumed by the fire. According to legends, this bone was placed in a crystal philatory (a tube shaped sort of reliquary) capped, and sealed, with silver and gold, and placed within an iron box stored in the top of the ceiling of the light house shrine.
During the Orc (Tafganor in Urandoman) uprising under the reign of Queen Geurtrot, the shrine was destroyed and sacked by an Orc tribe under Chief Tzool Kisjergit. The Relic of Saint Pholempa was lost at this time.
The order of monks eventually disbanded (some say they evolved into the current religious order of the State Church of Balor). The light house was reconstructed under King Arman’s Grandfather, Prince Regent Llyngold Isnorjur. During the reconstruction the iron box was found within the ruins, buried under tons of ruble, still sealed, However when the box was opened, the relic was missing.
The current noble houses of the Kingdom of Balor all trace their patents of nobility to the unification of four dwarven families under King Harragold, and the divine right placed within him to rule based upon the interpretation of the miracle of the rescue of the drowning prince. The Relic of Saint Pholempa is said to be physical evidence to support to truth of the mystery of this miracle.
Many temples, and noble houses of the Kingdom all claim to be in possession of the one true Relic of Saint Pholempa, and keep the relic as a sign of their right to their positions of authority (early in the establishment of the Kingdom, during the first drafting of the laws of the land, there were conflicts of epic proportions regarding disputed claims to possession of the relic, and some of these conflicts nearly brought about an end to the fledgling kingdom). T this day many dwarves believe that a secret meeting was held among the early religious leaders and noble lords and an agreement was reached that no longer would any dwarf dispute the claim of any other dwarf’s possession of the Relic of Saint Pholempa.
Today, in the Kingdom of Balor, there are at least seventy three known Relics housed in special shrines, temples, museums, and private collections, all claiming to be the Relic of Pholempa.
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Pantheon of Baylor
Dwarves – there are eleven Gods in this Pantheon in two families (aligned along Lawful/Chaotic lines, but all are good) –we have identified 4 of these Dwarven Gods so far
Igsugmund Silver Heart (Moradin) – The God of Fatherhood (Work, Devotion, Protection, Animal Husbandry)
Wyuddenllwyn Copper Eyes (Berronar) – The Goddess of Motherhood (Patience, Determination, Suffering, and Hope)
Mevboll Golden Hand (Sharindlar) – The Goddess of Natural Beauty (Lust, Fertility, Spring, and Renewal)
and
Lofene Iron Fist (Low-feen)- Lord of Iron
Lofene is the dwarvern God of Iron and warfare, the first to shape the metal to his whim. He took the iron and revolutionized combat by making weapons from it. He is a stubborn and unyielding dwarf. Followers of his take exception when iron is used in tools with purposes other than warfare. Shields, swords, and even bits used in catapults and fortresses are all acceptable, but an iron cooking pot or iron hinges on a door are considered inappropriate uses of the metal.
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From the Castle Caldwell and beyond game - Some information about the most southern nation of the Alodoan Empire Harrispania
Harrispania – the country of Harrispania is a Republic, ruled by a Parliamentary body elected by only those who are officially granted citizenship by the Alodaon Empire. The parliament of Harrispania rules the country and handles all the day to day social needs of its people, but cannot change laws imposed by the Empire.
The nation-state of Harrispania is approximately 95,000 square miles in size. It is roughly rectangular in shape, wider (east to west – about 480 miles) than it is tall (north to south, 197 miles). The eastern two thirds of the country are predominately flat with some rolling hills with a strong agricultural base. The country grows narrower as it approaches the eastern seaboard, and it has 63 miles of shoreline. The western third of the country is dominated by low mountain ranges and dense forests of various pine, fir, birch, and spruce varieties. The western lowland hills are famous for wild sweet blueberries. The southwestern hills of Harrispania are home to a native population of humans who are slightly different from common Alodoans, and it is believed that they have a connection to the people of the lands of Tarulle. Even though these people consider themselves Alodoan, by nationality, their culture is decidedly different. These people refer to themselves as Naramites, after the major river that flows through these hills, the Naramalan River. The Naramites are a peaceful, agrarian people, with olive skin, and thick straight dark hair.
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The story of the history of the Vampire Queen, as told by Waglinde
This appears in the Palace of the Vampire Queen, the 5e version game, and sets the background for further development of the dwarves of Baylor
Rescue and a princess, now, there’s the makings of a story, in a nutshell, as the gnomes say. Waglinde says, her voice taking on a breathy quality.
I’ll tell you what I know, but it isn’t much. Her name, I’ve heard, is Panglleduur, a name given to her by her Grandmother, but the King and Queen called her Edelweiss Gherscheeme, or Edelle, names that mean such sweet things parents image such as, a gift of the purest white, or our white gift, nonsense names of the kind most girls grow out of quickly. But not her. I’ve never seen her, but I’m told she is quite beautiful, young, fair, with hair as white as virgin snow, and eyes of golden brown. I understand she is young, for a Dwarf, not even a quarter of a century old, or as the Dwarfs say, Midenvult, or between, which means she is young enough to be still considered innocent, but old enough to know better, eh if you know the subtle nature of the Dwarfs and their closeted promiscuity.
Waglinde chuckles at what must be some personal, inside joke, and continues, Now, as to being rescued, if the stories are true, you might have a chance, though there are few who would believe it. You see, for centuries the people have moaned and groaned about the blight on this land that is the Vampire Queen, who is she, where does she come from, how can she be destroyed. I’d sing you a song about her, but once you’ve made that mistake, you learn not to do it again. The Dwarves take their misery very seriously, and this evil is not something to be taken lightly.
She takes a tall glass in her hand, and the man sitting next to her, a grey haired, slender, very old but still handsome man, fills the glass to near the top with dark red wine. Waglinde sips, sips again, then takes a deep drink of the wine, and then she makes a serious face and says, Now, it goes like this. Children, if not watched carefully will disappear, particularly in the hills and in the mountain villages where the goblin’s steal them for food and to sell to deeper, darker things as slaves. How do we know this? It is not easy, but a goblin can be captured, with luck, and questioned, with patience, but more than that, there is something that very few Dwarves like to talk about. The Dwarves, the people of Baylor, are not the only ones of their kind. You might ask yourself if there is an explanation for why the Dwarves are the way they are, their stature to be sure, but also their ability to see in total darkness, their love of the stones and rocks, and their knack for getting around in caves, why do a people living in palaces on the cliffs above the sea need to have these traits? It is because once the Dwarves lived deep underground, and for one reason or another they moved into the light, or at least some of them did.
That’s a lie, A voice calls out from the corner of the tavern. When she speaks, all heads turn to look in her direction to see if she will say anything else. She is an old dwarven woman, with a patch over her right eye. She is bent over a small table, and a crutch is leaned against the wall at her side. She looks toward Waglinde, her face sad, but firm.
Waglinde lifts her glass toward the woman, and says, If you believe it, it can be so.
Then, Waglinde turns back to the three adventurers and whispers, It’s an old gnomish saying, the dwarves don’t like to argue with old gnomish sayings, bad history there.
Anyway, Waglinde goes on in a normal voice, Where was I? Oh yes, underground, the underdark, they call it. Waglinde leans forward until her chin is only inches above the table, and holds her wine glass high, next to her head. She grins, and it is a playful and at the same time sinister expression, as she lowers her voice and begins to speak slowly.
High in the mountains, above even where the fog can reach, there are places. Dark, old places, older even then the stories of the Vampire Queen. Places, the legends say, that were once cities, cities of a different kind of Dwarf, a kind of Dwarf that shunned the light of day, and lived not only in the perpetual darkness of the deep places of the world, but also they lived in the deep darkest places of the heart, making slaves of other races, doing dark magic, and living in the protection of dark gods.
Once upon a time, a Dwarven hero, unlike his people, came out of the darkness, out of the underdark and out of the evil of his kind, and brought with him those who sought to make their race equals to the people already sharing the light above the ground. He was called Bayl, and his kingdom came to be known as Baylor, and for all of his generation, and the generation of his sons, and their sons, war was fought between the Dwarves who came above, and the Dwarves of the underdark, until one day, when a son of Bayl rode deep into the depths on the back of a Silver Dragon, the dark Dwarves were broken, and scattered across the underdark their dominion over all the dark things there forever broken.
Waglinde shoots bolt upright suddenly, her face brightening, and she shakes her long tresses, and gulps another drink of wine, When the children go missing, some of the more honest will say, it is not only because of the blood thirst of the Vampire Queen and her minions, but it is also because in the underdark, the desire for vengeance is deeper than the Lake of the Dead. When the Dwarven Queen was drowned in a terrible storm centuries ago, and when her body was carried, by her loyal followers, her ladies in waiting and her royal guard, into the mountains to be buried in what was to be a great and lasting monument to the triumph over the dark past of the Dwarves, who then could have known that that tomb was going to be the tool by which the beaten ancestors of the Dwarven people would enact their revenge upon the Dwarves who choose the light.
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Countries of the Alodoan Empire
These places were created by players who started the Castle Cadwell and Beyond Game (and some new embellishments to these countries have been created by players newly recruited for the Woodbridge Campaign – very little is known about these countries, and any suggestions for them are welcomed).
Harrispania– is detailed in a post above
Baravkovia – Few Alodoans travel to Baravkovia, and even fewer return. The mountains are high, cold, and forest covered. The valleys are often shrouded in mist and fog. The people of Baravkovia are stoic, and decidedly unfriendly to strangers. Little is known about the people, culture, and religion of Baravkovia. They are considered part of the Alodoan Empire, by the Alodoans, but finding Alodoan sympathy in Baravkovia is like finding a “fish in a cave”*. About one year ago, (1379/80) Baravkovia went through a difficult time when a noble family with ties to the Queen of Baravkovia began a peoples uprising to succeed from the Empire, this uprising lead to a brief war known as the Baravkovian Rebellion. Marching into Harrispania and Vurespania, Baravkovian forces were, at first successful in gaining a foothold in Alodoan territory, but a lack of supplies and a harsh winter spelled disaster for the Baravkovia army, and at the Battle of Sergan’s Crossing, on the Yasphorus River, the baravkovian secessionist were defeated.
Vurespania – Even less is known about Vurespania (as far as the people of Woodbridge and Urandoma are concerned). It is an agricultural power in Alodoa, with good soil and a reasonable growing season. Recently (See Barvavkovia, above) a minor war between the Alodoan Empire and the country of Baravkovia resulted in a rapid wide spread panic among the remote farming communities in the western half of Vurespania. Unable to cope with the Baravkovian invasion on their own, and a delay in the arrival of Alodoan forces from Alodoa itself, led to a collapse in confidence in the standing Vurespanian government which has not been defined at the time of this post . A Powerful religious following, known as the Church of the Septumberate**, rose to power under the arm of the Opal Knights, and took over the government of Vurespania.
*Finding Fish in a cave is an expression of the mountain people of Baravkovia with a dual meaning, first, the most common interpretation would be that it is difficult to find fish in a cave, second, the Baravkovians know of a race of flesh eating primitive troglodyte like creatures that can be found in the deepest darkest caves of Baravkovia, these creatures are called Ctenoloths for their resemblance to the common, Baravkovian alpine lake pike, the Ctenolotis Veridis.
**More about this organization will be coming soon
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Pantheon of Baylor
Dwarves – there are eleven Gods in this Pantheon in two families (aligned along Lawful/Chaotic lines, but all are good) –we have identified 4 of these Dwarven Gods so far
Igsugmund Silver Heart (Moradin) – The God of Fatherhood (Work, Devotion, Protection, Animal Husbandry)
Wyuddenllwyn Copper Eyes (Berronar) – The Goddess of Motherhood (Patience, Determination, Suffering, and Hope)
Mevboll Golden Hand (Sharindlar) – The Goddess of Natural Beauty (Lust, Fertility, Spring, and Renewal)
and
Lofene Iron Fist (Low-feen)- Lord of Iron
Lofene is the dwarvern God of Iron and warfare, the first to shape the metal to his whim. He took the iron and revolutionized combat by making weapons from it. He is a stubborn and unyielding dwarf. Followers of his take exception when iron is used in tools with purposes other than warfare. Shields, swords, and even bits used in catapults and fortresses are all acceptable, but an iron cooking pot or iron hinges on a door are considered inappropriate uses of the metal.
While rereading the early posts in the "Palace of the Vampire Queen, the 5e version" game I cam across a post by an NPC cleric, who identified the male head of the Dwarven Pantheon as
Abburdun Silver Heart (Moradin) – The God of Fatherhood (Work, Devotion, Protection, Animal Husbandry)
please note this on future references to the dwarven deities.
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There hasn't been a lot of work detailing the religious beliefs of the Alodoans (other than a brief mention of the Church of the Septumberate)
However, in the Castle Caldwell and beyond Game, the party examined a statue (Fountain) dedicated to an Alodoan Goddess named
Ophallela – Goddess of the Day
Ophallela is one of the more important Alodoan Goddesses, associated with fate, change, beauty, renewal, and time. She is normally represented in art as a young beautiful human woman with flowing hair, and a slender figure. She is associated with the changes inherent in the passing of a day, and takes four names, Oena (Dawn), Phalle (Day), Lomela (Dusk), and Ollona (Night). Each of the four personifications of Ophallela have different temperaments, mannerisms, and desires. Her form, Lomela is said to be wise, but untrustworthy, while her form Oena is said to be the seed of uncontrolled passion.
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What the people of Harrispania may know about the history of Iarishea
About Iarishea
Iarishea is the northern most part of the Alodoan Empire. Originally an independent kingdom of Elvenkind, Iarishea was never powerful economically, or militarily. At some time in the distant past (as it is understood by people outside of Iareshea) the elven people of this country made slaves of the race of people called “halflings.” It is believed that these small sized humans were captured and taken from their homeland and brought to Iarishea in a time before recorded history. For many centuries halflings were slaves to the elves of Iarishea, until an uprising and civil war within Iarishea brought an end to halfling slavery after a period of about five hundred years of bondage.
It is said that Iarishea, as a culture, never recovered from the civil war that brought an end to halfling slavery in that country. While halflings learned to dominate in the realm of Arcane traditions, the Iarisheans fell back on older Divine Magic traditions, which only further exacerbated the tension between the two races.
Eighty years ago, while under the rule of a mad queen (Queen Arosebelle) Iarishea declared war on Alodoa. The exact reason for this war has never been fully understood, but it was from the beginning a disaster for the Iarishea people. The war was impossible to win from any viewpoint, and a series of natural disasters, including the most powerful hurricane in recorded history striking the Iarishean coast at the beginning of the Iarishean invasion of Alodoa, combined with poor strategic planning by the mad queen, left Iarishea nearly devastated as a nation. To end the war, Queen Arosebelle was dethroned by the leaders of the elven church of Iarishea, and the nation capitulated to every demand of the Alodoan empire. It is said that by losing the war to Alodoa, Iarishea was saved as a nation entirely.
Once it became part of the Alodoan Empire, things began to improve for Iarishea, particularly in the protection of Iarishean shipping under Alodoan naval flags.
There is yet an ongoing controversy associated with the nation of Iarishea. When Alodoa concurred Orimar (the island known as Urandoma by its inhabitants) thirteen years ago, word began to spread that citizens of Alodoa were eligible to migrate to this land and were being given land grants in the hope of uniting the Alodoan people with their Urandoman neighbors. However, some believed that a disproportionate number of disaffected ex-patriot Iarishean Elves were being given land in Orimar. An outpouring of anti-elven sentiment began to occur particularly among ex-patriot halflings living in other parts of the Alodoan Empire.
Today there is a wide spread rumor that two factions, both separatist in nature, are gaining power and followers in Orimar. Elves and Halflings are said to be secretly, and separately, maneuvering to be in a position to overthrow the local Alodoan authority in Orimar, gain the trust of the Urandoman people, and claim that country for themselves. These movements are said to be causing many dangerous conflicts to spring up in Alodoan settlements of Orimar.
Meanwhile, in Alodoa, many ex-patriot Iarishean Elves find themselves looked at as dangerous, untrustworthy, and are prejudiced against by many regular Alodoan people as basically natural born troublemakers, this can, at times, lead to situations where elves, unable to fit in with Alodoan communities peacefully, have turned to a regular life of crime.
| Terquem |
Faiths in Baravkovia
(contribution from Atlas2112, Wolfgang, with editing by me)
There is more than one faith in Baravkovia, and with the country now opening up to more travelers from Alodoa, it is likely that there will be more temples to other faiths opening in the years to come.
One of the oldest faiths in Baravkovia is centered on a small sect of Deities centered on common ideas of Baravkovian life. It is a faith that is not well known in Alodoa, but somethings are common knowledge.
The high god of this mysterious pantheon is Propoket. He is often referred to as, “The Many,” or, “The Useful.” His followers also speak of him as, “He that is All Things,” “The Spinning Coin,” “The Bringer of Light,” and in some cults as, “The Emerald Sword”.
Propeket’s herald is a Demi-god known as Imrael, who is depicted as sitting at the right hand of Propeket. This herald is talk of as being an, “Angel of Confrontation.” Imrael is known to appear to mortals as a blazing angel, ringed in fire, and clad in plate armor forged from purest platinum. He wields aloft a two-handed sword that blazes with the Fire of Righteousness as he advances the causes of purity and retribution for unjust acts.
Opposed to Propoket is Nekron, The Dark Lord. Son of Kron (spoken of in obscure terms, Kron may in fact be a reference to a primitive, elder godhead, or perhaps an entire pantheon unto itself). In some religious teachings he is described as a trickster who corrupted the mighty hero Dargor to turn away from the light and when Dargor perished condemned the hero to serve as a task master in a dark domain under Nekron’s rule.
The two deities, Prokepet and Nekron, most famously clashed in a legendary, epic poem that has been handed down through generations of Baravkovian kings and is kept in the royal palace under lock and key due to its supposed unusual magical properties. In this epic story, when Therenger the Mind Mage and holder of the Blue Sphere of Thought was confronted by the demonic arch-priest Acheron, each of the great deities took a mortal form, one of good the other of evil (possibly dragons, but the parchment in this section of the epic is damaged and difficult to interpret and no one is willing to risk any sort of magic in the presence of the scroll for practical reasons) to battle on behalf of Therenger and Acheron. The two manifestations battled for three days and three nights, and at the end of the conflict Therenger's samite-clad foot crushed the head of the evil betrayer and brought Hope back to Man (in the epic, this act seems to imply that magic was used to increase Therengaer’s size, but again, different interpretations have been put forward).
Propoket is The Spinning Coin, in the meaning of the belief that he introduced the idea of trade through monetary representations, and lifted people out of the barter system in ages of old. He is highly connected to ideas of fair trade, and honest forms of currency. His symbol is the golden coin (which is the highest denomination of coins traded in Baravkovia, worth 100 Alodoan gold pieces, or “Alars”), stamped with a ten-pointed sun blazing in the middle with each ray striking out to the very edge.
This represents not only the Sun, who's flashing light destroys the darkness and abolishes all shadows it touches, but so too the coin of the realm, used by one and all to purchase that-which-is-needed. When coins are freely given from purse to hand, that represents the ultimate freedom--to freely exchange one's labor for items of desire.