Keeper of the Hidden Vaults's page

The imps have a massive, confused, and often-conflicting set of beliefs and religious concepts, but there are several consistencies.
- Ifrit: the concept and personification of fire, life, and power. Ifrit is considered the patron/matron of impkind and the foe of all the enemies of impkind. In general, though many different takes are made, it is often displayed as a fire-furred creature with horns (anarchic placement often reminiscent of flames), and powerful musculature, and via ious teeth. Often associated with red or orange. Red/orange is considered something of a sacred (though very common) color to wear. Natural fires are recognized as dangerous, but percievdd to be the hordelike destructive wave that allows for new growth and new life to continue.
- Shiva: the destroyer; the personification of all that is cold, death, and weakness. Shiva is considered the foe of all impkind, and the source of their current state of loss - the the specifics differ, the consistent story is that it was Shiva who unleashed the fall of impkind to its current state from its former glory. Ice and snow, then, are generally considered I'll-omens and the sign of the presence of the closest the impkind has to a unified concept of "evil" - that which kills them. Often associated with blue or white; despite sharing a coloration with impkind, this is considered proof of her malevolence, and is never an acceptable color to wear.
- Elders: whether they be genuinely old people, fathers, mothers, or simply stubbornly persistent at a single thing longer than any other varies from imp subculture to subculture; nonetheless, an "elder" is well-respected among impkind. Elders generally become the (defacto) leaders and rulers of a people, guiding them and teaching the old lord to the next generation of coming elders. It is an imp saying that a community with no elders is as dead as a community with no children. In the assault on Corneria city, at a critical moment, the assassins began killing most all of the elders, the majority of the rest dying quickly thereafter due to various natural causes. The reasons remain unknown, but it left impkind bereft of wise guidance or unifying presences. Thus they have drifted into the dregs of Pravoka...
- Corneria: while highly disputed among them, there were persistent legends of an ancient truce/bargain/alliance with those who were once Cornerian and those who were once from Norfonswe. While nothing about this is known to the Cornerian people, it is a matter of sacred religion to those impkind who "remember" it (have it as part of their oral traditions). Of course most find this poppycock. Many felt betrayed by Corneria and so went off in groups to the south to take what was rightfully theirs, while others never believed the stories and took from the wealthy Cornerians by robbery and murder - certainly helping make impkind appear as monsters to the Cornerian people who had no concept of such an acnient truce.

A fiery being that was wounded by a PC before she died (she got better; this was in the prologue) was implied (though never actually stated) to be Ifrit - a powerful persuasive tool in ruling the young into Spearland's army and getting them to accept his rhetoric. It effectively made Spearland a prophet of the patron-deity of the impkind people. The elders were less enthused about it, but nevertheless went along with the nearly unstoppable rising tide of disquiet among the young of impkind: after all, the land was dead, the children starving, and life was rotting... so why not blame Corneria?

In any event, Nrak had seen one of the PCs die, and filled in the concepts that several of the PCs had been missing - as well as giving them a view of the "other side" of the conflict - which has cemented the PCs' determination to end Spearland forever (not that they didn't intend to anyway).

The Four Nations (Whispering Caverns), The Highland:
- Jade Empire (South Central)
- Hellgate (West)
- The Gray Wastes (North Central)
- The Great Ice (North East)

This vast cavernous space is called the Whispering Caverns due to the semi-constant susurrus caused by the competing airflows of Jade Empire, Hellgate, and the Great Ice. It is also called the Highlands due to the deeper places that are known to exist. These four nations, however, are the only “civilized” lands and the only lands that anyone can come from: the rest are overrun by monsters and barbarism, or are corrupted by wicked forces that may remove sentience and even transform into other monstrous creatures entirely. Fortunately, these beasts can be reclaimed and taught civilization, but it is a hard, difficult road, and time and again, only hard slavery has been successful in doing so.

The Jade Empire is a “Divine Monarchy” with a noble autocratic oligarchy who worship the Divine One as a gift from the god(s). It is the most lush and fertile place, with Beauty as the primary deity (even though Yoth is given preeminence within the pantheon); the Great Ice is neither welcome nor tolerated, and Mystery is acceptable only to the most minor of degrees. The Jade Empress is the crowning glory of the land, and is considered a “daughter” (or descendant) of Beauty itself. The people here are arrogant, beautiful, and strict in their code of honor, though their mercurial temperament and hot passions lend themselves to multitudes of clashes, daring action, shifting allegiances, intense lovers, and heroism; while the luxurious resources of the land mean that the people live in luxury unseen elsewhere in the world. The high resources mean a great monstrous presence to continuously generate heroes.

Hellgate is the most militaristic of the lands, and is devoted to the Lady of Rings, and the defense of the entire world from the depravity of the monsters sent in from above. Mystery replaces Worthlessness (and representation for non-magical males), and the Great Ice is actively hunted as a weakening heresy (though some hidden organizations secretly embrace it as a method of engaging the Hellfire). This is the only place in the world where the ‘empty’ myth of Altiar are a confirmed fact. The people are strict in militarism, duty, religion, and vigilance; but lax in most every other way, choosing, instead, to carouse and party freely as much as possible, as death is swift and ever-present. Despite the lack of Worthlessness, those males who have magical gifts have more opportunity to advance to near-equality than in any other place in the world: if they prove their worth, they are accepted as ‘worthy enough’ to be considered as (almost) equals; males without magical talent, however, are seen as good only for slavery and heavy labor. Ruled by a council (female-only, of course), the council selects new members based off of aptitude; though military service is required as well, exceptional military service is not – only aptitude for rulership. Access to the Hellgate means a great monstrous presence to continuously generate heroes.

The Gray Wastes is a hard, harsh land with little to want over-all, but a still-prominent oligarchy with semi-luxurious lifestyle. The Great Ice is considered an acceptable religion – anything that makes life better is welcome – and replaces Worthlessness as a deity, where worshipped. Mystery is accepted, but only in the most low-key of ways, and either replaces the Great Ice or Worthlessness where worshipped. The people are varied and tumultuous. There is less stability and more turnover in these lands than any other, due as much to the lack of natural resources, natural disasters, and conflicts from all three neighboring states, as much as monstrous creatures creeping through. This is a factious land with no singular ruler or ruling body, but many petty (if powerful) monarchs, and each city-state is vastly different from the last.

The Great Ice is, obviously, the land of the Great Ice, and where that religion is worshipped in place of any other. While Beauty and the Lady of Rings are tolerated – even incorporated in some places –, the Great Ice replaces Yoth entirely, bans Mystery (though some places are more or less likely to do this), and both enforces and severely limits Worthlessness (and males). A theocracy, the place holds tremendous power, and the priestesses are, effectively, invulnerable to all save other priestesses. The priestesses are given to harsh physical training and must thereafter venture abroad from their native regions (whatever those may be) into others – sometimes even into the other nations – as missionaries and activists. Despite Hellgate’s claims, the priestess of the Great Ice know that Hellgate is not the only force keeping great evils at bay. Part of their religion is specifically built around the concept of the Great Ice sealing away ancient evils within the Deep Ice. The priestesses do the rest, with their (cleverly named) City of the Great Ice. The only passage to the Coldlands holds the City of the Great Ice atop it, and many heroes adventure there. While many adventurers plumb the depths under that city for treasure and fame, the secret is generally kept by said adventurer’s relatively short lifespan (rarely, it may even shortened by the priestesses) or devotion to the church of the Great Ice.

Below even the Deep Ice, unknown to all, is (what would probably be called) the Root Ice – the Unknown Caverns. These coldlands are so bitter, that only impossibly cold creatures can survive here; the same impossibly cold creatures that create and maintain the ice in the first place. These are basically unknown.

The Godclime is an exotic set of ringed islands in the middle of the Sea of Darkwater. The source of extremely rare and exotic goods, there are only a few people outside of them that know they exists. The people are arrogant, passionate, and powerful and willing to kill over the slightest of insults. They are also exceptionally religious, and thus they revere the “standard” pantheon, with no place for foolish fancies like the “great ice” or “mystery” – in fact, such things are actively persecuted by the land itself, much less the populous, where terrible things happen to people who do not cleave to the “true” faiths. They also are notoriously uninterested in anything beyond their island. It is also called the Watery- or Roaring Caverns, or Ringlands by those highly educated enough to know it exists, due to the (relatively) loud noises and constant echoes of the sea-waves around the islands.

The Godclime is, unknown to all, the actual home of the various “gods” (other than Mystery and the Great Ice) that are worshiped by the Drow. Yoth is the genus loci of the central island, and has long-possessed a spider grown impossibly enormous under the genus loci’s power. This spider is treated with reverential respect by the natives and is kept well fed and happy. The eight rings are, literally, eight rings worn by a female undead Drow “born” from the poison of the Yoth-goddess injected into a masked priest-mage of the spider in pre-history. Her spirit “lives” in the central ring, though her body (and rings with it) remains within the central island’s web. Beauty is a literal hallucinogenic-cum-illusion that arises from the central water ring, created by the interaction of the genus loci, burned poisons, and the Darkwater of the Undersea. Worthlessness is, much like the Lady of Rings and Masks, a formerly living entity turned undead by the poison of the spider in pre-history; unlike the priest-mage, he was an attempted assassin of the spider, in hopes of becoming the new host of the genus loci – he obviously failed, and was killed, but the spider kept his remains bound to prevent him from trying again. These are the foci of the faith of the drow, and are thus important in their over-all station.

Nirvana is a long, narrow passage with no inhabitants other than monsters. It is also called the Lit Caverns due to the occasional lights that shine through from the Hellfire, and Huntlands or Deadlands due to the high presence of monstrous and unliving, respectively.

It is also called the Huntlands and the Deadlands because the surface dwellers call it those names for similar reasons – and because it is here that they hunt the drow.

Heretically, it is known as the Path to Enlightenment by a few religious esoterics.

It is known as such because a few of the many cultists devoted to the Mystery are aware that deep underneath a Helltemple lies a powerful magical focus or source – a godlike entity who’s arcane power nearly destroyed much of Hellfire. It was sealed to save the people there, and has since become a focus for worship and enlightenment, as it filters much of the information its arcane power flooded its mind with, driving it crazy in the first place.

Hellfire is what awaits either on the “other side” of either the Huntlands or Hellgate, or what lies above the Bat Caverns.

It is secretly merely the surface world. The Bat Caverns are the home to the Feasters – the unliving who continue their existence by feasting on the flesh and blood of others, and who transform into other creatures, ranging from bats and wolves, to rats and raccoons.

Monastery: in the world of the drow, a Monastery is where males go after infancy in order to be trained and educated into their proper place in drow society and how to take care of their peculiar and specific mental, physical, and social health needs. Different regions have different traditions for different monasteries, though in almost all cases, said males are carefully trained to be subservient in all ways toward females, as is proper; this combines with their natural subservience quite well.

The World

The World is comprised of several places – the Four Kingdoms (or Highlands); the Underworld (or Midlands); the Godclime (or Ringlands); Nirvana (or Huntlands); Hellfire; and the Deep Ice (or Coldlands). There are also secret places like the Root Ice.

The Four Kingdoms are also called the Highlands (by the educated) or Whispering Caverns.

The Underworld is also called Lowlands (by the educated), Midlands (by the highly educated) and Quiet Caverns. In the Jade Empire it is also called Jadefall; in Hellgate, it is also called Hellpit; and in the Gray Wastes, it is called the Deep Waste (these places are generally unknown and presumed unconnected).

The Godclime is the name the natives give it; it is also called the Watery- or Roaring Caverns, or Ringlands by those highly educated enough to know it exists.

Nirvana is also called the Lit Caverns and Huntlands or Deadlands; heretically, it is known as the Path to Enlightenment.

Hellfire is what awaits either on the other side of the Huntlands or Hellgate, or what lies above the Bat Caverns.

The Deep Ice is unknown to those outside of the Great Ice; the Deep Ice is called the Bitter Caverns (by those who are so-inclined) or the Coldlands.

Root Ice: an entirely unknown realm beneath the Deep Ice sealing primal creatures of cold that (against their will) maintain the Great Ice by their very presence.