We each dwell upon an island forged by our ignorance amidst the black seas of infinity. Should your feeble mind correlate the seemingly disassociated contents of your skull, thus affording you an opportunity to leave your island behind, terrifying vistas of reality will entomb you and you will never know peace.
It was only a matter of time...every species can smell its own extinction. The last ones left won't have a pretty time of it.
XTHIAN
The word Xthian roughly translates as "cursed ones" in old Elvish, as the essence of these pitiful creatures are a curse saturated within their very flesh shortening their lives, but conveying dark power. Those that sign an Asmodean contract are wise to scrutinize every clause, vague description, and possible double meaning, lest they agree to something that is all but impossible, causing them to breach the contract. A favourite sanction of The Prince of Darkness, for such a breach, is to collect from a member of the signer's family; though the contract does not say how this debt will be collected, or from whom. As an immortal creature this debt collection can transpire generations later. One day the infant simply disappears from its cradle, torturously never to be seen by its family again, as the infant is brought back to serve in Hell.
A microscopic number of Xthians have thrown off their chains and escaped back to the Material Plane...
Physical Description, Lifespan and Rebirth
As the creature affected, though much more gaunt. Xthian will potentially live half as long as is expected of the creature affected, and will likely be insane long before they reach the end of their days.
Society
It is rare for a Xthian to meet another member of its race outside of Hell, causing Xthian to be eternal outsiders that do not organize themselves within classic societal structures or associations. Xthians tend to live in the shadows on the fringes of cities, forgoing interactions as often as they are able.
Relations
Xthian often have difficulty interacting with other races, on both emotional and physical levels, since they were born knowing only untold pain and continual anguish. Xthian live a solitary life devoid of community generally feeling divorced from the communities they find themselves part of.
Alignment and Religion
Xthian are free spirits, typically adhering to their own consciences, rather than what society might expect of them. They are always chaotic in nature as a reaction to the psychotically-strict regime they were born into. Xthian lack religious traditions, which leaves them free to worship any deity they wish.
Adventures
Xthian are driven by an uncontrollable sense of wanderlust as they constantly seek out new experiences, and to feed their ravenous curiosity about all things.
Xthian are defined by their class levels - they do not possess racial HD. They have the following racial traits:
Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium
Speed: 30'
Ability Score Modifiers: -2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +4 Intelligence: Xthian have impossibly agile minds, yet are physically weak
Greater Spell Resistance: Xthian enigmatic minds make them especially resistant to magics.
Change Shape, Greater: Deception is a key tactic to fit in amongst their prey and Xthian innately learn to blend in with their victims (ability to alter their form into other humanoids and gain: darkvision, low-light vision, scent, 30' swim)
Low-Light Vision: Xthian are neither creatures of darkness, nor light, and as such excel in environments of low-light conditions
Constant Spell-Like Divination: Detect Magic: Xthian see the world in a polychromatic wash of magical energies
Gift of Tongues: Xthian's keen minds are incredibly astute, making them innate polyglots (+1 to Bluff, +1 to Diplomacy, gains 2 languages with each rank of Linguistics)
Light Blindness: Xthian are especially susceptible to bright lights. Abrupt exposure to any bright light blinds Xthian for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
Languages:
Xthian begin play speaking Common and Infernal. Xthian with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Undercommon, Abyssal, Elven, Dwarven, Halfling, and Gnomish.
Race Point Cost
Humanoid (0)
Size: Medium (0)
Speed: Normal (0)
Ability Score Modifier: Paragon (1)
Language: Standard (0)
Change Shape, Greater (6)
Greater Spell Resistance (3)
Low-Light Vision (1)
Constant Spell-Like Divination: Detect Magic (3)
Gift of Tongues (2)
Light Blindness (-2, DM approval)
Total 14 RP[/url]
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Argon's Background:
Description
Argon is tall and medium set, but is stronger than he looks. He stands up very straight, and when he looks you in the eye, you notice his brown eyes with oval-shaped irises. His red-brown hair matches his tanned skin, and he seems relaxed most of the time. Indeed, he likes to joke around.
Still, Argon is quiet religious, and though he likes to joke, it is never about his god. He is very serious about the gods and the afterlife, and is more than willing to explain his knowledge and views to anyone who will listen; or even those who may not want to. This discrepancy between his humorous self and serious self makes him come across as immature, but when he is set on something, those who know him know he is very stubborn, strong, and smart about it. Once he sets his mind to something, he focuses on it until done. This can lead to situation where he carries on a conversation while focusing on other things he is doing.
Argon has a distrust of authority, which came out in his training, but existed from back when his parents were alive. This is part of why he mistrusts other religions, too.
He is very interested in buildings, how they are designed and how they are built. He also has an interest in criminals, and has shown interest in becoming a town guard or bounty hunter.
Argon can be overly zealous and somewhat single-minded when doing something. He often does not pay attention to the world outside the areas that interest him most.
History
Argon moved to Caern at the age of seven, but his world fell to pieces when his mother was traveling and died in an accident at sea, while at the same time his father at home was killed by a street gang. Argon was left without parents very suddenly, and was out on the street soon after. The only keepsake he had of his parents is a beautiful medallion, square with rounded corners, in bronze with silver trim; with a likeness of the three of them in relief upon it. His mother had made it and given it to him before she left.
Deity
Ptah, god of Architecture, craftsmanship, creation, metalworking
Possible family supports?
Argon's family is all dead, aside from an older sister who still lives on Almas. She is eight years older than Argon, and she's named Xenon. She was left behind as she was promised as a wife, to a wealthy merchant.
Why did your character get started in their chosen class?
Running around the streets of Caern as an urchin with funny eyes, he had to defend himself. He learned to be sneaky, and how to fight.
Why is your family heirloom important to you and what is its story?
The only keepsake he had of his parents is a beautiful medallion, square with rounded corners, in bronze with silver trim; with a likeness of the three of them in relief upon it. His mother had made it and given it to him before she left, and died aboard ship.
Character's goals/purpose?
For Argon, he would love to be a part of cleaning up the Umbral lands of Saevia; he would like to become a great warrior, serving the cause of good wherever he goes; and he would someday like to have his own castle, a beautiful work of architecture, designed with his help, overlooking the sea which faces (purportedly) out towards the mystical island of Almas.
Why become an adventurer?
Argon does not think of himself as an adventurer. He wishes to do the right thing.
How religious (the gods do exist, but do you care)?
Argon is quite religious. He believes the gods are above us, and we should serve them. At least, those worthy of being served. But even if you serve an evil god, you ought to serve faithfully and do your best.
How important is the accumulation of wealth and status?
Wealth alone is not very important. Status, somewhat. He has ambitions and a meaningful status is a part of where he would like to be in the future.
Do you have any enemies?
Argon has several times run into a criminal named Comely Caelum, whom he thinks killed his father and who is a generally bad character in Caern.
Have you ever been arrested?
No.
What is your view on other races?
Argon is not impressed with Half-Orcs, but is willing to give any individual a chance.
View on magic?
Magic is an interesting and sometimes frightening power. Argon has a slight understanding of how it works but has never tried to practice it except for a couple failed attempts at arcane spells in his youth.
Daxiss' Background:
Possible family supports?
Daxniss had experienced loss at an early age, watching human knights killing her parents and everyone else in her village. The wrymtouched tribe had lived near a silver dragon's lair and since the human knights care little about those that were not human. Daxniss' mother had hidden her daughter well enough that she was spared from being found but not able to shelter Daxniss from the horror of everything thing that she knew.
Why did your character get started in their chosen class?
After the attack from the Stalker which has changed Daxniss in ways that she would never know. Daxniss enjoys the thrill of the sneaking around and finding out where people are hiding things.
Why is your family heirloom important to you and what is its story?
Her mother's Harrow cards set. The Harrow cards have been passed mother to daughter for many generations. Daxniss mother taught her the basics of telling fortunes, and the meaning behind the cards are open to interruption of the person telling the fortune. Every now and than they hold different meanings, on rare occasions, Fate herself passes along a reading to Daxniss however, the cards themselves have no magic themselves.
Character's goals/purpose?
Daxniss wants to do more for those that are not human, urchins, the lost non human and human. She wants to build a safe haven for those that need a chance. It will take a long time and may not even be realized in her life.
Why become an adventurer?
How else can one acquire enough wealth to build a city and enough fundage to ensure that the Haven not get raided for not being human.
How religious (the gods do exist, but do you care)?
Enough that she goes to some services every now and then, she is fully sold on one deity.
How important is the accumulation of wealth and status?
Daxniss is a rogue. Status helps hide you, allowing one to get a chance to get away with things
Do you have any enemies?
One's ally today could be tomorrow's enemy.
Have you ever been arrested?
Doing her best to not get caught is very important, the last thing she wants is to get caught.
What is your view on other races?
Live and let live, attack me and I attack back however Daxniss is distrustful of humans, still not everyone is a horrible person.
View on magic?
Magic is magic, a tool that can be used for good or evil.
Ssilax' Background:
Possible family supports?
None. Ssilax's family and relatives where all slain as he watched the day the human knights arrived. His only family now is Nethys, Dog, Dainoth and the other orphans.
Why did your character get started in their chosen class?
The dragonkin was raised from birth to be a cleric of Nethys. His keen mind rapidly began to unravel the mysteries of the Arcane as he studied the Divine, for Nethys the two are almost the same to begin with.
Ssilax's arcane studies advanced greatly under Dainoth's tutelage. The thought of not learning more about magic is alien to Ssilax. Magic almost seems to sing with a siren's call to the dragonkin, whispering its secrets to him. He learns new formula and divine theory faster than a being has a right to. Perhaps his draconic blood pumping through his veins has something to do with the ease in with he learns.
Why is your family heirloom important to you and what is its story?
Ssilax's family heirloom a small disc about 2 inches in diameter with the thickness of a gold coin. It has a surprisingly detailed image of platinum dragon roaring. On the reverse side small, intricate grooves can be seen when closely examined. It is part of three pieces that have been separated. The second and third pieces slide into the grooves in order, each having a different depiction of the platinum dragon representing different draconic virtues.
Unknown to Ssilax, is a depiction of the goodly dragon god Bahamut (he's big on other planes). It has been in his family for as long as it has existed. Other than it being the last connection to his slain mother and family, when the talisman is reassembled, it greatly enhances dragonic bloodlines and powers. How, he hasn't a clue, nor is Ssilax really sure about the other pieces.
Character's goals/purpose?
Having been told his supposed destiny is to bring about some great "Change," the dragonkin often wonders what this is. Ssilax is extremely skeptical that he is the one that is depicted. He doesn't think his god made a mistake, rather the church. Ssilax knows he isn't a hero, he feels more a coward than anything.
His overarching goal is to continue to delve deeper into the divine and arcane mysteries. All too similar to his deity, Ssilax is consumed by an insatiable curiosity with magic. Following that, his goal is to stay alive. After all, his appearance is enough to get him in trouble.
A skilled healer, does try to help out as much as he can when he works in the Ivy and the Puddles district. The dragonkin is starting to earn a reputation as "The Cowled Healer" due to his coverings, and a deliverer of babies. He wishes to learn more about anatomy, healing techniques, anything that can continue to help.
Ssilax reasons that combining the arcane, divine, alchemy he can do the most good for the oppressed. And maybe, just maybe stick a thorn in the bootheel of those that are stepping on the throats to weak to fight back.
He would like to meet a dragon. And not as a meal.
Why become an adventurer?
Really having little choice, there are few places he can go to continue to learn more. The church of Nethys would love to have him, however the Arch-Magus's spies would finish the job they started. Adventuring will theoretically allow him to gain enough income to remain semi-autonomous.
How religious (the gods do exist, but do you care)?
Very religious, perhaps not as divinely so as a cleric or paladin. But enough so that he can channel the divine power of Nethys. While he carries the Mark of Nethys upon his scaled face, the dragonkin doesn't act like one marked by their god. He seems both honored and terrified by the prospect. Ssilax understands all to well that Nethys is truly all knowing, but also, is truly insane. Part of him still blames Nethys for letting his family be murdered, and probably always will.
How important is the accumulation of wealth and status?
Fairly important, especially wealth, for several reasons. Magical research is far from cheap, not to mention trying to procure materials could be expensive. Plus, there was something about the thought of a cave full of coins, gems, jewels, arts and magic items that stirs something primal within the dragonkin. Status is less important considering Ssilax tries to go unnoticed as much as possible.
Do you have any enemies?
Does one ever truly know who their enemies are?
Have you ever been arrested?
Considering that would probably be the end of his life, no, he has not. And will try to avoid being so at all costs.
What is your view on other races?
General distrust, especially of humans. As long as he is left alone, Ssilax doesn't really care to much about others. They are not dragonkin, nor dragons.
View on magic?
Ssilax views magic as a force of Nature, touching everything in existence. It is a force that can be influenced and controlled and should be used with respect and care. Those that abuse the gift should have it removed from them grasp. Forever.
That being said, magic practically flows in the dragonkin's veins, and it is something that he has been around his entire life.
Wrathe's Background:
He is doomed, and was doomed from his cursed birth, due to a pact his great, great grandfather made. Wrathe was raised under a psychotically-oppressive degree of austerity, a slave from birth, without anything approaching attachment or love
Impossible to break, so they tore his eyes from his head to teach him a lesson, they were replaced after two years of darkness. He had only one creature he trusted, which was a fellow Xthian named C'yne who was the closest thing to a friend he had ever known. C'yne was forced to torture Wrathe. C'yne gave him an old amulet, his blood dripping down the metal a reminder of the latest torture session.
"Two anni I spent dwelling in the depths of total darkness with my eyes torn from my skull. During that time I was thrown into a dank cell and left to rot among the damned. Many tales were uttered between the constant torments, but my rapt attention was fixed only on the feathered one speaking of the pursuit for knowledge beyond a mortal's ken and sorcery."
Mordsine had an acidic tongue, no sense of humour, and an ill-temper. The volatile tengu wizard had struck the blind child with a closed fist often, and extorted him for the meagre scraps of food provided. The inquisitive Wrathe cared not, the search for forbidden knowledge was all the nourishment that he required. It was the tengu that had forged the young Xthian's eyes from cast-off silver, and it was a debt owed, either in freedom for Mordsine, or death for Wrathe.
Escaped from Hell, or was set free, perhaps he will never know.
Possible family supports?
His biological family lost him as a child, right from his crib, and he was held in Hell for decades, where time passes at different speeds. He had memories of them though, and will watch over them from afar, but is unsure if she should reconnect. Wrathe descends from tribesmen in upper Aenghus who would view him as a weakling, unworthy of any respect, because of the curse that stole the strength from his sinews.
Why did your character get started in their chosen class?
Being inquisitive drives him to seek out information far beyond a mortal's understanding of the world, and the low standing of magi is an incredibly draw for him.
He wishes to test himself with abilities that will be useful in potentially any situation, this broad range of skills will set him up to use his wits to be much more effective as he wields the ancient forces of the universe.
Wants magic to act as a shield for others, and armour for himself.
Dreams of flying as he associates it with being free.
Seeks out a cure for his death sentence via immortality wizard discovery.
He loves the focus, the discipline, the balance.
Loves exploring what can be done. Gathering tension of a spell, and the almost clarity of focus required to concentrate that tension into an effect. Loves the practice and the theory, the research, experimenting with new spells, and most importantly loves when he can use his talents to make a difference in the world. To this love he will give everything, for this love he will risk anything
Why is your family heirloom important to you and what is its story?
C'yne wields an amulet, which represents the only person that Wrathe has ever called a friend before being transported to Sel Torin. C'yne was enlisted to torture Wrathe from that day forward. Wrathe clutched the amulet until it cracked during one session. It is his only belonging of that time and his people.
Character's goals/purpose?
Autonomy and self-determination are the most important aspirational goals.
Wrathe works to throw the shackles of oppression from the deniers of liberty off of everyone and work towards a free society.
At least on some subconscious level he wishes to return to Hell and throw down those that hold his peoples, and to cut Asmodeus down, but this is something so unlikely that he will never speak of it.
Always oppose suffering.
Why become an adventurer?
Wanderlust drives him, as does avoiding remaining in one place too long and giving his enemies a chance to localize their forces, he seeks out other like-minded individuals to assist him in his struggle, as well as understanding that his task is too large for one person.
Wishes to save C'yne.
Needs to pay back Mordsine
How religious (the gods do exist, but do you care)?
The gods mean very little to him as he has been the pawn of beings far beyond his ability to affect the outcome, and that level of unwarranted control has helped to shape his belief system, which has no room for deities or the more strident of their adherences.
How important is the accumulation of wealth and status?
Wealth is but a means to an end to gain knowledge to avoid the executioner's axe. Status is a curse that will end him should his name and face become well-known, and with that in mind he spends much of his time in another form.
Do you have any enemies?
Wrathe feels that he has escaped from Hell, but he maintains lingering doubts that he was permitted to depart, and even a much darker thought that all of this is little more than a dream. Within the realms of Sel Torin arcana rhabdophobia is so common, as is a humanicentrism, that should the truth of his nature or vocation be revealed then he would be despised.
Have you ever been arrested?
Wrathe has been incarcerated nearly every day of his first 9 years of life, though he has been in Hell for centuries as well, and has only been on Saevia scant days before being taken in by Master Dainoth.
What is your view on other races? view on magic?
Wrathe's hatred extends to daemons and devils, and otherwise is focused only on actions, rather than deeds. Magics is second nature to him and embraced fully with an open mind.
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Cosmos:
COSMOS: Map Deities
There was a time when mankind knew not of the gods, or things beyond the mortal ken, as the gods had long since turned their backs upon mankind. Mankind, in their arrogance saw themselves as unto gods. The ancient gods revealed themselves and ruled for millennia, but in-fighting made them blind. This complacency was their downfall, for things who witnessed the birth of time itself, had gazed down upon the ancient gods with indifference and cruelty. These "Dark Ones" slaughtered the ancient gods and brought fire and ice to ravage the world of man. The current pantheon holds sway over the few that have survived, impersonally demanding that temples be erected in their honour through their revelations alone, unaware that they too are being watched with indifference and cruelty.
Sols and Moons
Sol'Daemos shines brightest in a dark crimson, its blazing heat secondary to none. Sol'Dragos produces a meagre light, little more than wisps of illumination, yet the blue flames that play across its surface releases arctic gales that freeze all. Betwixt them is a planet which is frozen in place by their eternal pull and bathed in their eternal light: Sel Torin. Two moons orbit Sel Torin, the smaller of which is named Lunas, on its unpredictable orbit, and the larger, Mahina, a dependable giant whose close orbit darkens the sky as it obscures all light for the nightly time called "Reverie" by those of elven blood.
Sel Torin
Sel Torin remains the centre of a confluence of mystic energies making it a haven for supernatural activity and creatures. All landmasses that directly face the Sols are all but uninhabitable as deserts scoured clean by fire or frozen solid. A handful of landmasses show habitation, even though their outer fringes are desolate wastelands where only the most foolhardy of travellers would venture.
Navigation with the realms is simplicity itself, as one need only look for the telltale glow of either sol to orient themselves. Sel Torin forever maintains one temperature during the day, and another the night, but erratic storms are commonplace bringing all manner of extreme and deadly weather conditions.
Underdeep
Rumours abound of "dark holes" in the seas that stretch to the centre of the world, shielded from the heat and cold of the Sols the are reputed to be vast cities existing under the water. A 500 mile wide maelstrom, called Kharbdys, lies off the southern coast of Saevia. and is reputed to be a "dark hole", but none have yet returned from foolishly venturing into it.
Sel Torin:
SEL TORIN: Map
The most recent historical epoch started nearly 680 years prior, during the bloody elven slaughter carried out by the dwarven peoples. This event was seminal in almost completely decimating the numbers of these long-lived peoples on Sel Torin, leaving only a shadow of these once great peoples hidden away in forest and mountain stone. The devastation wrought by this 71 year war provided mankind with almost complete dominance ever since, and they have celebrated by building the militaristic capital cities to hold sway over their lands.
Cursed Times and Umbral Lands
It is written in the most ancient of tomes that thousands of years ago a great curse was unleashed upon the lowest shores of Bryn Perugon, Pyric; the highest reaches of Ryuen; smothered Haej; and all but overran Saevia . The Lich Lord Azthoh had marched a legion of undead through the lands of man, bringing forth pestilence and death. All that stood in the path of the undead horde were cut down save the dark priestess Caern, worshiper of foul gods long since forgotten, who cut down Azthoh in single combat. Today these cursed places are called the "Umbral Lands" and they are an unholy scar upon Sel Torin where the blighted grounds consume all life and monsters of legend roam. Dark things live within the Umbral Lands, killing those foolish enough to venture close, and dragging them away into the dark.
Twelve Lands of Sel Torin
Those lands closest to the burning heat of Sol'Daemos are Haej, Aenghus, Ryuen, and M'rtek. They are hot, arid and covered with an endless sea of dunes, lifeless salt flats, stony wastes, rocky badlands, thorny scrublands, and far worse. Dust and sand, borne on the winds, coat everything with yellow-orange silt, From the first moments that Mahina releases a new day the crimson sun beats down coupled with the winds to create an oppressive heat without reprieve. In these forbidding places, cities and villages exist only in a few oases, or upon semi-verdant plains. Some places don't see rain for years at a time, and even in the more fertile regions, rain is little more than a humid mist that falls during a few weeks each year before giving way to long months of heat and drought. The world beyond these islands of civilization is a wasteland roamed by nomads, raiders, and hungry monsters. Ancient ruins bedeck these lands, including ruins of bridges that spoke of a time long ago when these lands were once rich with rivers and seas.
The lands cast under the oppression of eternal cold are Bryn and Utgarel. Life in these majestic and starkly beautiful lands is brutal and short. Bloodthirsty barbarians, inhumanly savage and without mercy, have overrun Utgarel and some parts of Bryn. These nomadic peoples remain nomadic, stoically accepting that death is a normal part of their ongoing struggle to eke out an existence upon this endless wasteland marked by countless ruins and glaciers.
Much more temperate are the lands where the majority of the population of Sel Torin lives are Lnkara, Cerdan, Tymil, Pyric, Perugon, and Saevia. These lands have much more temperate climates with large grassy plains broken up by lakes, forests, and tall mountain ranges.
Mankind
The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear and it is fear that has shaped the realms. Humans are dominant both in numbers (over 85% of the population) and influence (every major city is controlled by them), other races are treated as second-class citizens or much worse the more monstrous they look, arcane casters live in fear for their lives, all worship of evil deities has been outlawed, human armies march upon their neighbours perpetrating unspeakable atrocities on those that stand in their way.
Tyrant-kings of immense power rule all lands but one. Some claim to be gods, and some claim to serve gods. Some are brutal oppressors, where others are more subtle in their tyranny. A number of these dictators have held their thrones for centuries; no one alive remembers a time before their rule, leading to all manner of speculation of how these humans could live so long. The cities of Sel Torin are a little safer than the ruins or the countryside. Each groans under the oppressive rule of a despotic tyrant-king and his or her minions. Only in Saevia, and more specifically Caern, does a glimmer of freedom beckon, as the denizens of the Umbral Lands conspire to extinguish its flame.
The scourge of piracy haunts all four seas, but the Sjojang Sea is considered to especially be the source of vicious attacks, and its pirates have sent many vessels into the deep.
Slavery: The institution of slavery is widespread throughout Sel Torin, and slaves make up a large portion of the urban population. Some are born into slavery, some are criminals, and others are those from distant lands who were seized by slavers and sold into captivity. Wealthy nobility keep slaves as a show of prosperity as well as a source of cheap labour. Every year thousands of slaves are sent to their deaths in bloody arena spectacles. Few slaves earn lasting freedom.
Arcana: Sorcerers, wizards, and other wielders of arcane magic are reviled and persecuted across all lands; only the most powerful spellcasters can wield arcane might without fear of reprisal. Arcane or "black" magics are reputed to have defiled Sel Torin and led to the despoliation of the Umbral Lands in times long past. Many other beliefs have come to the fore as well, such as black magics: create maladies, turn plants to ash, makes people unable to bear children, are a bad omen leading to an early demise, and are so cursed that spilling a mage's blood leads to death, which is why magi are commonly burned at the stake. There is talk of magi that have been enlisted by tyrant-kings to hunt other magi, and also whispers that there's are safe havens for wizards in the shadows, and ruins of Saevia. Paradoxically magical items are well-received in every land, no matter who had crafted the item.
Literacy and Language: Within all cities but Caern, the common citizens and slaves can be executed for being literate. Only the tyrant-kings, and those they deem to be worthy, are allowed the privilege of reading and writing without fear. Outside the oppressive cities, literacy is not constrained. Although few denizens of the wastelands bother to learn to read and write, the ability is more common in the wilds than in urban areas. None openly track the days on anything like a calendar except those in the highest echelon of the tyrant-kings' retinue. The Common language is nearly universal. It came into being in ancient times before rifts formed for the peoples of the world.
Coinage: Each city strikes its own coins, and depending on the relations of that land's peoples to the location. As a general rule any coin can be spent in any land, except in times of political upheaval. The only land that does not mint its own coins is Saevia, which has remained neutral in terms of the other lands' conflicts for over 200 years.
Nobility and Merchant Class: Nobles jockey for influence, scheme against their rivals, and amass treasures. Merchant houses engage in silent trade wars in the markets and alleyways, conflicts that can include poisonings and assassinations.
Portals: Druids fiercely protect groves of vegetation, which are found strewn across all lands, which act as a form of magical teleportation for those few who earn their respect and trust, as well as provide sufficient remuneration for the service. Arcane portals exist in just a few lands. Lesser known is the power that mirrors give for those that know how to use them, but this is a secret kept away from all but a select few.
Dragons: Dragons remain mysterious creatures, ever spoken of, but almost never seen, for those that glimpse the ancient wyrms rarely live to tell the tale.
Law: Most lands have legal systems that change with the whims of their tyrant kings, eliminating any sense of consistency or precedent. Thieves are as likely to have their hands cut from their wrists as to be offered employment.
Communication: Highly-trained birds are employed to carry messages bound to their legs. These birds are often shot out of the air in times of war. Being found in the possession of a message not specifically naming you is a capital offence.
Divine Influences: In the absence of arcana magic, those magics of divine or natural origin have flourished. The temples of the greater gods are as powerful as small kingdoms and hold immense sway within their regions. A dozen major temples in great cities across each land house hundreds of clerics and soldiers dedicated to their respective deity. Hundreds of small temples and shrines in the towns and villages of the lands serve thousands upon thousands of worshippers. A militant faith holds lands and properties of staggering expanse. Most of a temple's clergy are not clerics. They're experts, aristocrats, even commoners who serve as advisors and counsellors to the faithful and officiate at routine observances. A cleric usually leads any particular temple, shrine, or order, judiciously using their spells to aid the sick or injured followers, and assist the local authorities in maintaining law and order in the community as it suits the deity in question. Knights, typically paladins, walk among the people as unto gods.
Code of Honour: Oaths are taken very seriously in Sel Torin, and those that break them face dire consequences. A particularly potent oath is the one where a host must afford their guest all the protection they can offer.
Saevia:
SAEVIA: Map Saevia
Saevia is a land of contrasts. The Umbral Lands dominate nearly all of Saevia save for the lowest points, defiling the lands and attracting all manner of bloodthirsty monsters. Only the ever beleaguered Caern remains free of the cursed lands, and it appears to be only a matter of time before it falls.
Umbral Lands
An unholy scar where the blighted grounds consume all life and monsters of legend roam. Dark things live within the Umbral Lands, killing those foolish enough to venture close, dragging them away into the dark, and a source for primal magics.
Enwas
A rumour has circulated 19 years prior that the Lich Lord Azthoh dwells in the mouldering remains of Enwas, among the statues of heroes of a time all but forgotten.
Kinwyr
The ancient black dragon Khosainat has nested within this city for over 7 decades. Her presence has tormented passing ships for nearly as long.
Sytla Islands
The Sytla Islands are home to a clutch of enigmatic bronze dragons that avoid all contact with people.
Caern: Map
The port city-state of Caern, named after a dark priestess of foul gods long since forgotten, is the remaining stronghold upon Saevia that has staved off the denizens of the Umbral Lands. It is found on the edge of its land betwixt the Crystal Lochs and the Okeanos Sea. Saevia, but more specifically Caern, is considered the "Hub of the World" as its central position places it along a number of major shipping routes. As a crucial shipping hub other nations have a stake in keeping it as a neutral nation. Caern's economy is predominantly connected with shipping and providing safe ports and with this in mind they boast Sel Torin's most lethal navy.
Caern is the only city where a glimmer of freedom exists, as it is the only major city on Sel Torin that is not ruled by a tyrant, and is ruled by one who is secretly thought to be a wizard, named Eoqium the VII, which possibly stems from her leniency on a literate populace and the rumours of magi having a foothold in their lands. Having the Umbral Lands so close, conspiring to extinguish its flame, has perhaps forced their attention to more pressing needs than the maintenance of an ignorant population.
It is reputed that the ground under the city-state is honeycombed with caves hollowed out by water flowing in from the sea, creating an "Undercity." The thieves guild occupies the Undercity and protects its secrets with poisoned blades.
The streets are festooned with the impoverished moving about in the garbage and effluence of their betters. Cruising among these poor souls are predators: cutpurses, assassins, and the supernatural denizens of the shadows. Slavery is rampant, as is evinced by the prostitutes that ply their trade in the open. Guards walk by with cold eyes, stepping over those who die in the night, ready and willing to mete out punishment to those that threaten the royalty, church, or free exchange of goods.
