ulgulanoth
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While I'm board for always making semi-apocalyptic settings and would hope someone posted more cheerful setting for the next games I run, I do think that these settings I’ve made could be useful to others. Since I won’t use them for a while I think it would be a waste not to share them; so anyone who’s made their own pathfinder inspired setting do share! And also please do comment on my settings.
Fist one:
World: as far as anyone knows the world is one giant continent called Wealtop, to the north lays The Ruins, a huge complex of abandon buildings and cities that stretch beyond the horizon for thousands of miles, there is no food, water or even life here, all that remains of are undead and constructs, the north is a cursed and much avoided place. To the west lay the great forests, huge and impenetrable, not even the wood elves live here, for the savage beasts and wood spirits are too violent and dangerous to let any kind of civilised creature to exist in numbers, this is the land were people are exiled to die, for only the most foolish would ever enter the west, it is named The Grave-Forest for a reason. In the east there is to be found The Endless Track-Lands, an area of land that is 4 times larger than all the other regions put together, yet this land is empty, for among its endless grasslands, swamps and hills only the most brutish of orcs, ogres and giants make a living here, and even though game is plenty the lack of other resources makes it impossible for any kind of civilisation to arise from the constant anarchy that The Endless Track-Lands have experienced. To the south one can only find The Empty Lands, a huge salt-flat desert that is more empty than any of the other regions, all that can be seen is the perfectly smooth horizon between white salt and blue sky until one reaches The Empty Sea, a calm sea with no life in it, for its waters are more toxic than any venom known to any of the races, there is no wind in the south, no waves, no life, not even fools go to The Empty Lands. The central region of the continent is known as The Dragon Kingdoms the only wealthy land that has civilisations that have grown and any amount of culture still standing, The Dragon Kingdoms used to be known for their great mercenaries employed by the northern lands to protect them from the barbarians of the east, yet after The Great Fall, and the creation of The Ruins, The Dragon Kingdoms are the only lands that still hold onto the old ways and are the only ones left to be able to regain and rebuild all that was lost during The Great Fall.
The Dragon Kingdoms: there are 4 kingdoms in the central region, The Kingdom of Trees, The Kingdom of Gold, The Under-Kingdom and The Dragon’s Empire. The Kingdom of Trees is the great forest that lies between The Endless Track-Lands and The Dragon Kingdoms, they are inhabited by wood-elves, dryads, treants, nymphs and merfoke that live in the countless streams and rivers of the region, they have the mildest seasons of all The Dragon Kingdoms and are seen by all outside as rather backwater nature loving barbarians yet they are very civilised though unusual and their entire civilisation has been made in devotion to nature. The Kingdom of Gold is the huge mountain range that buffers The Dragon Kingdoms from the wild monsters from The Ruins and from The Grave-Forest, these mountains are full of ores under them and covered with trees, at the valleys of these mountains the weather is the same as in all of The Dragon Kingdoms but the mountains themselves are always in arctic conditions. The Kingdom of Gold is where the dwarfs, the gnomes and giants live, most of the towns and cities are under the mountains for that is the most constant ambient and because mining and smelting are the only thing The Kingdom of Gold can do, they are much too big to sustain themselves and must import all their food, but this has never been a problem for they are the wealthiest of all The Dragon Kingdoms. The Under-Kingdom is the spoiled and decaying lands that lay before The Empty Lands, the land is littered with decaying organic matter that forms hills, swamps and even dead forests in this cursed land, this is home to the undead, the orcs, the goblins, the hags and all other foul creature that makes its home in The Dragon Kingdoms, yet they are respected for they are much more civilised than their counter parts up north or to the east, all these creatures are loyal to the Dragon-Overlords who rule The Under-Kingdom like their brethren rule The Dragon’s Empire, and even though no one really likes the creatures of The Under-Kingdom there is no debate that they are absolutely necessary for it is them who are the soldiers that fight off the enemies of The Dragon Kingdoms. Finally The Dragon’s Empire is the largest, grandest and most popular of all The Dragon Kingdoms. The empire comprises of all the races of the world, ruled by The Dragon God himself who founded The Dragon Kingdoms, the empire is the most tolerant of all the lands of Wealtop, the lands of the empire are so fertile that they feed all of the Dragon Kingdoms and are so free that it is the only reason by the other kingdoms have never gone to war between one another. During The Great Fall it was the empire that ensured that The Dragon Kingdoms would not fall to the same fate as the greater empire to the north. Although the empire is the most free of all the kingdoms the ruling class is comprised purely of dragons, all the nobility is made up of dragons, but the wealthiest individuals are the Guild Masters, none of which are dragons.
Climate: The Dragon Kingdoms has 5 seasons in a year each lasting 485 days, a year has 2425 days, and each season has 5 months each with 97 days. Each day has 28 hours and each hour has 88 minutes and each minute is made of 88 seconds (seconds are the same). The 5 seasons are The Ash Season, The Flood Season, The Great Green Season, The Bright Red Season and The Snow Season. The Ash Season is a great hot drought that plagues the land; it is known for the time of great fires that burn down the dry forests and for being the time of great faming. The Flood Season is known for its great rains that drown the land with water; those weakened by The Ash Season usually drown. The Great Green Season is renowned for being the time of plenty, this is the time when children usually are born, when food is plentiful and when feasts are held. The Bright Red Season is known for its colours for it is the time when the trees turn red and shed their leaves, when the last crops ripen and when the long nights around the campfire are filled with mystery and awe from stories of old. The Snow Season is one of the harshest for the land is covered by a thick cold blanket of white that drains the life away from the land, the Snow season it the great winter of the world and it is harsher than any winter on Earth. Between the Snow Season and the Ash Season is what is known as the Ice Flood, when all the snow melts in a few days and the cold floods sweep the land away for the great starvation the Ash Season holds. One year in Wealtop is the equivalent of 16 earth years. Each month is one lunar cycle, the first day of the month being the full moon.
Months:
1) Lahar Ash
2) Dry Ash
3) Scorching Ash
4) Scarlet Ash
5) Blood Ash
6) Mud Flood
7) Clear Flood
8) Sweet Flood
9) Tear Flood
10) Heaven Flood
11) Wet Green
12) Lush Green
13) Sun Green
14) Lavish Green
15) Ripe Green
16) Ripe Red
17) Evening Red
18) Sunset Red
19) Blood Red
20) Dark Red
21) White Snow
22) Night Snow
23) Crimson Snow
24) Death Snow
25) Starving Snow
Measurements:
Length: hair (1mm), nail (1.6cm), tooth (3cm), head (35cm), reed (60cm), chain (1.87m), field (675m), day’s walk (73km), week’s walk (1421km)
Weight: thimble (2g), shot (25g), bag (5kg), cart (700kg) and caravan (15 tons)
Liquid volume: fine glass (25ml), glass (60ml), flagon (2L), barrel (369L)
Religion: The Dragon Kingdoms all share the same religion, the other continents share only the fact that in Wealtop gods have a very direct interaction with the world, they affect the world to their whims and unless opposed by a fellow god they will do as they please. The gods of Wealtop are capricious and often cruel, a fair few being down right evil. Throughout all the lands there is a single god that is worshiped universally as the creator, he is known only as Crea The Maker, a neutral god that made all of that exists but has yet to do anything to the world since its creation, he isn’t as much worshiped as he is simply respected, and even though mortals almost never pray to him, it is said that he is the only being the gods pray to.
Pantheon of the Dragon Kingdoms:
Salemhar the Dragon Emperor: male, neutral good, patron deity of the Dragon’s Empire, god of dragons, leadership, wisdom, healing and knowledge. Domains are healing, knowledge, community and nobility. Favoured weapon is the scimitar.
Ishmitar the Golden One: male, chaotic neutral, patron deity of Kingdom of Gold, god of gold, metal, greed, wealth, entertainment and feasts. Domains are nobility, charm, rune and chaos. Favoured weapon is the whip.
Vyriki the Wood: female, neutral-neutral, patron deity of Kingdom of Trees, goddess of nature, animals, trees, beauty and love. Domains are animal, plant, charm and community. Favoured weapon is the longbow.
Ezunkou the Prophet: male, lawful evil, patron deity of the Under-Kingdom, god of destruction, corruption, deformed creation and curses. Domains are destruction, artifice, rune and magic. Favoured weapon is the scythe.
Asolaten the Light: male, lawful evil, god of light, destruction, magic and immortality. Domains are sun, destruction, magic and protection. Favoured weapon is quarterstaff.
Thouzten the Lightning: male, chaotic evil, god of lightning, destruction, luck and spontaneity. Domains are destruction, luck, weather and chaos. Favoured weapon is starknife.
Sufumwo the Flame: male, neutral evil, god of fire, destruction, vigour, technology and old age. Domains are fire, artifice, strength, glory, destruction and death. Favoured weapon is greataxe.
Varago the Abyss: male, neutral evil, god of death, darkness, shadows, ghosts and spirits. Domains are darkness, madness, death, destruction and knowledge. Favoured weapon is greataxe.
Estina the Keeper: female, lawful good, goddess of paladins, bravery, swordsmanship, warriors and beauty. Domains are good, law, charm, strength, war, glory and nobility. Favoured weapon is the mace.
Illilu the Knife: female, lawful evil, goddess of assassination, rouges, thieves and lies. Domains are darkness, trickery, death and knowledge. Favoured weapon is the dagger.
Wasasano the Justice: male, lawful evil, god of justice, judgement, condemnation and retribution. Domains are law, knowledge, strength and evil. Favoured weapon is the short sword.
Iyumi the Pleasure: female, chaotic neutral, goddess of pleasure, indulgement, sex and thrills. Domains are chaos, liberation, charm, repose and madness. Favoured weapon is the whip.
Xuathu the Forgotten One: male, lawful neutral, god of death, dreams, spirits, fate and the mind. Domains are death, madness, darkness and knowledge. Favoured weapon is glaive.
Evigo Lord of Hells: male, neutral evil, god of demons, devils, hell, evil, torture, poison, disease and pain. Domains are death, evil, trickery, knowledge, magic, war and destruction. Favoured weapon is the rapier.
Okazox the Beast: male, chaotic evil, god of brutality, violence, madness and murder. Domains are strength, war, madness, evil and destruction. Favoured weapon is unarmed strike.
Neswaal King of Heavens: male, neutral-neutral, god of sky, sun, moon, heaven and air. Domains are sun, air, weather and darkness. Favoured weapon is the falchion.
Nutwaal Queen of Earth: female, neutral-neutral, goddess of earth, fertility, plants, animals and life. Domains are animals, plants, earth, community and repose. Favoured weapon is quarterstaff.
Nidwaal Queen of Sea: neutral-neutral, goddess of sea, fish, water, rain, mysteries and snow. Domains are water, weather, travel and liberation. Favoured weapon is trident.
Salemhar the Dragon Emperor: Salemhar is the Dragon Emperor, he created the Dragon Kingdoms and is the ultimate ruler, he is the only god that is corporal all the time, and lives in the Imperial Palace of Eternity. His appearance is that of a giant dragon with 8 heads, each the colour of a different metal. He is the wisest of all the gods and is the only true good god of all the Dragon Kingdoms.
Ishmitar the Golden One: Ishmitar is the god of wealth; he looks like a beautiful statue of gold with diamonds for eyes, chains of pearls for hair and emeralds for teeth and nails. Ishmitar depicts having a good time and indulging in all that wealth provides, he is always depicted as being carried by and surrounded by hundreds of beautiful topless girls that feed, pleasure and entertain him for all eternity. He is the patron deity of the Kingdom of Gold purely because he is the only one that can afford their worship, the live, fight and die for his entertainment, and they love him because he rewards their efforts with gold.
Vyriki the Wood: Vyriki is a giant goddess of nature, a dryad with the bottom half of a snake, she is seen as the second most beautiful goddess of them all, she is the patron deity of the Kingdom of Trees and as such she is the protector of the forest, her wrath knows no bounds, yet she is the goddess of love and as such she brings joy to all who worship her.
Ezunkou the Prophet: Ezunkou is the bastard offspring of the four Brothers of Destruction, he is their herald, their prophet and as such it is his duty to bring destruction and twist creation to bring word of the gods of destruction. His birth is accredited to be the reason for The Great Fall. Ezunkou is never depicted for it is said that all who dare see his form invite his wrath. He is the patron god of the Under-Kingdom purely out of morbid fascination for his corrupting energies make those who live in that cursed land what they are.
Asolaten the Light: Asolaten is the oldest Brother of Destruction; he embodies the ever scorching light, he believes himself to be the only rightful god, he is in control of all the positive planes, the heavens, for the only creatures he believes should exist are the angles he rules and guards. The angles themselves are still good, but Asolaten is slowly wearing down the powers of good from the positive planes, someday all that is good will no longer exist for Asolaten will have consumed it all. Asolaten is the god of magic, from his will alone do all magics in the material realm come to existence, yet all know that even though Asolaten allows lesser mortals to wield magic, it will only be to their eventual unmaking. Asolaten is always depicted as an old man with long hair and a long beard, all in white, with a simple robe and a light halo.
Thouzten the Lightning: Thouzten is the youngest of the Brothers of Destruction, he embodies lightning, and he is the fastest of all the gods, intense, yet short lived. Thouzten is also the god of luck, and even though he would like to fill the world with rotten luck the laws of the universe prevent him from giving out more bad luck than good luck. He who angers Thouzten will die by being hit by lightning. Thouzten is always depicted as a young man, strong, with a fuzzy mane and thick leather trousers, he is always shirtless and carries with him a great horn hammer and a pair of bone dice.
Sufumwo the Flame: Sufumwo is the twin brother of Varago and one of the Brothers of Destruction; he embodies fire, and is eternally hungry. Sufumwo is a strange god, for he is also a god of progress, vigour and technology even though he also embodies old age and destruction. He represents progression, from the fire to ash, a representation that all that is will end. Sufumwo is always depicted as a flame with a vicious maw on a gear, it is told that one day technology of the Dragon Kingdoms will give birth to a weapon so powerful it will destroy the world, and that Sufumwo was responsible for the Great Fall.
Varago the Abyss: Varago is the twin brother of Sufumwo and one of the Brothers of Destruction. Varago represents the fate of all that dies; the eternal torment of the shadows, he is the one that makes the night a frightening time, for it is told that he steals away the lonely and the weak during the night. Varago also represents all that is lost forever throw disuse or disappearance, nothing is ever truly lost, it is merely destroyed in secret.
Estina the Keeper: Estina is the most beautiful of all goddesses, and she is also the only true good goddess of all the goddesses of Wealtop. She is almost universally worshiped throughout the Dragon Kingdoms for she is the protector of good, the only true good force amidst all the evil gods, only she fights their evil deeds. She is the most magnificent of all the warriors, and of all the gods. Estina is always depicted as a beautiful, athletic yet well endowed woman with light armour, a sword on her left hand and a sword-breaker on her right hand.
Illilu the Knife: Illilu is the child goddess of assassination, lies and thieves. It is said that Illilu is the daughter of Estina, always depicted as a young girl, very beautiful yet dressed in rags, holding a dagger in each hand. It is said that Illilu grew evil because her mother was never there, so Illilu decided to fight evil her own way, ruthlessly but un-chivalry. Illilu is the patron god of rogues, assassins and thieves.
Wasasano the Justice: Wasasano is the law, he enforces the law, he is judge, jury and executioner but above all else he is merciless to anyone who breaks the law. It is said that Wasasano judges all who die, if they were truly good they become angles, if not, they are tortured to as long as Wasasano feels fit to sentence them with then sends them to one of the many underworlds. It is said that Wasasano will always punish all law infractions, regardless of reason, circumstance or motive to breaking the law. Wasasano only judges on the eight laws.
Iyumi the Pleasure: Iyumi is a strange looking goddess; for she has 8 arms, 16 breasts, 3 heads and her lower half is only a mass of tentacles. Iyumi is faceless; all three heads only have a toothless mouth from which she can moan in pleasure, Iyumi is said to always be naked, only carrying a set of chains to prevent those she wishes to escape before she is finished. It is said that those who seek pleasure for too long and without too much thought will find themselves being the next targets for Iyumi’s sexual fantasies.
Xuathu the Forgotten One: it is said that those who die in their sleep or who die alone don’t ever truly die they become one of The Forgotten, dream spirits that are said to haunt the dreams of those who are fated to die a violent death or who will be betrayed by their loved ones. Xuathu is said to be the lord of dreams, The Forgotten and of the mind, all who go mad are said to have incurred Xuathu’s wrath in some way. It is said that Xuathu will not let Wasasano judge The Forgotten for it is said that Xuathu’s forgotten secretly fight the Brothers of Destruction
Evigo Lord of Hells: all those who are judged to be too impure for celestial hood by Wasasano end up being property of Evigo. Evigo is the lord of all the hells, the arch nemesis of Asolaten and the Brothers of Destruction, as well as being the greatest opponent of Estina. Worse still was that originally Evigo was a nice god, he was the husband of Estina and father to Illilu, yet he fought off Okazox to protect them, and in the process became an even more evil god than Okazox could ever be. Evigo is very intelligent, charismatic and charming, he is always depicted as a handsome hand in expensive clothing that cover all of his body except his face which is always that of a handsome man with a short beard and a sly smile on his face. It is said that eventually Evigo will manipulate the Brothers of Destruction into destroying the world, just like he manipulated Okazox into becoming his most powerful champion.
Okazox the Beast: of all the gods there is only one god that strikes fear into the hearts of other deities and that is Okazox, the most violent and strongest of all the gods. He is always depicted as a bestial, reptilian humanoid with huge claws and a maw filled with vicious fangs. All who have fought Okazox have been terribly wounded, the first to fight Okazox was Evigo and he became a monster after his encounter. Estina fought Okazox once and was utterly defeated and humiliated. Neswaal fought Okazox once and lost his right eye to the beast. Unfortunately for Okazox, he is the dumbest of all the gods, and was easily outsmarted, outwitted and enslaved by Evigo. Now Okazox spends the rest of his days waiting for Evigo to give him something to fight, caged in a cell in the lowest level of hell. He is the strongest, fiercest and most dangerous champion of Evigo.
Neswaal King of Heavens: Neswaal is the king of the Natural Gods; he is the ultimate king of the sky, ruler of heaven and all the celestial bodies. Neswaal is the most arrogant of all the gods, known for openly mocking Okazox for being a barbarian, inviting Asolaten to control the positive planes and for anointing Evigo as the ruler of the hells. Neswaal cares little for the world, he sees all that happens in the worlds below him but his ego is so great that be believes that none are of his concern. Yet all pray to Neswaal for if he is ever angered or sadden he will blot out the sky and darkness will rule over the world. Neswaal is always depicted as a strong athletic man dressed in nothing but a loincloth and a cape both made from hummingbird feathers, he is also missing his right eye which was said to have been eaten by Okazox.
Nutwaal Queen of Earth: Nutwaal is the wife of Neswaal, she is the absolute ruler of the material plane, and she embodies all that is beneath the feet of all that live. Nutwaal is a great goddess, always depicted as a beautiful pregnant woman dressed in a dress of leaves. Everyone prays to Nutwaal, be it for a good harvest or simply to prevent her wrath from destroying a town or city with a huge earthquake. Nutwaal is the mother of Nidwaal and of Vyriki.
Nidwaal Queen of Sea: Nidwaal is the mermaid goddess, a great strong beautiful woman who is the ruler of the seas, the clouds and the rain. Almost no one prays to Nidwaal as an ocean goddess for almost no one ever sails in the open seas, yet almost everyone prays to Nidwaal throughout the year, for rain, to prevent floods and for general safety from the forces of water. Nidwaal is known for being prone to tantrums and it is said that whenever she cries there is a flood, she is known to be a bit of a cry baby.
The 8 laws:
1) Though shall respect and worship the great gods, not a day shall pass without a prayer, not a year shall pass without a sacrifice or payment to the churches
2) Though shall obey the rulers of the land and die for their lords in battle when ordered to
3) Though shall never steal from your neighbours
4) Though shall not use magic or technology to defy the laws of nature
5) Though shall never lie to a priest or your lord
6) Though shall keep your lineage pure
7) Though shall keep your word, for it is your bond and your fate
8) Though shall never betray your friends, ideals or goals
Guilds:
1) Guild of Coins (merchant’s guild)
2) Guild of Sorrow (grave maker’s guild)
3) Guild of Wrath (warrior’s guild)
4) Guild of The Scorpion (assassins/thieves/spies guild)
5) Guild of The Dragon (monk’s guild)
6) Guild of The Lion (another warrior’s guild)
7) Guild of The Book (mage’s guild)
8) Guild of The Maker (crafter/artisan’s guild)
Organisations:
1) Vuval’s Expeditionary Force (VEF, basically an Explorer’s Guild)
2) League of Refine Gentlemen (an order of wealthy men that get together to experience good food and expensive wears, also rumoured to be a cult of Evigo)
3) The Minstrel’s Carnival (a fair of travelling musicians, bards, minstrels and entertainers)
4) Tiger Claws (an organisation of monks dedicated to attaining glory in battle)
5) The Icebergs (an organisation of frost giants that wander the Kingdom of Gold)
6) Sons of the Destroyers (an organisation of clerics that worship the 4 Brothers of Destruction)
7) Throne of Thorns (a society of anarchists that wish to destroy all that is “unnatural”)
8) Law of Lead (a militaristic group which wishes to overthrow the Dragon Emperor by any means necessary)
Second one
World:
The world is a giant flat circle floating above the void, this is all that is left after the great apocalypse that destroyed the rest of the universe and killed all the gods. The material plane is divided into 8 rings, each ring being 1000 times wider than the previous ring, at the centre, the central “ring” (though it is actually a circle) is the size of the moon, and it is the Castle of Eternity. The next ring is the City of Paradise, followed by the Last Forest. Then is the giant body of water known as the Inland Sea, which divides paradise from hell. Afterwards lay the Farmlands and the Great Wall, a huge walled city in the shape of a huge ring, which keeps the savage hoards out. Beyond the Great Wall lie the Wastes, a huge mass of land that is where all the savage abominations of the world live, and beyond are the Last Land Mountains which pier into the abyss that is the Void. The world has no seasons, though everything is very clearly controlled, it rains every 5 days for example; the year consists of 1000 days.
Culture:
At the beginning of each year the only event that is celebrated throughout the material plane is held; The Court of The Fall. This celebration consists of the Gathering, when the Council of 13, the Keepers of the Law and the leaders of the Forces of Heave gather in the Castle of Eternity. Then comes the Trail of Adulthood, a terrible ordeal all citizens of all intelligent races that live inside the Great Wall must take when they reach their 10th year of age (that’s 27 for our standards), many don’t survive in fact most don’t and the trials differ from person to person and from year to year as suits the whims of the Council of 13. The next event is the Feast of the Dead, a celebration in remembrance to all that have died that year, the custom is that all that die within the lands protected by the Great Wall to have their corpse sent to the Castle of Eternity where their body is embalmed. The bodies are paraded in front of all who attended the Gathering and all that survived the Trail of Adulthood as they eat a lavish meal. The bodies are then buried. Finally the festivities end with the Celebration of Paradise a seven day party.
Council of 13:
King of the Multiverse Lusilous – Lusilous is a huge devil; he has ebony coloured skin, long overflowing chrisom hair and a mesmerising pair of gold eyes. His appearance is that of a handsome man, with a fashionable goatee, large golden ram horns on his head and a pair of black bat wings. He wears a large silver cloak and carries with him a plethora of weapons. On his brow rests the Crown of the Multiverse, a legendary item with unspeakable power.
High Priest Sethes – Sethes is a huge snake monstrosity with disgustingly long arms that end in fiendish claws, he has a great multitude of snakes for heads that sprout from his torso where a neck would be. His scales are bright red, each with a tiny flame trapped within them making him look as if on fire. His long tail ends with a huge snake rattle, which he can use to great effect in producing mind altering hallucinations. Sethes’ bite is extremely poisonous.
High Priest Ullulleth – Ullulleth is a medium humanoid with a squid face, he has 12 tentacles on his face, two which are so long that they reach the floor and drag behind him. His skin is vile gray, his body a near skeletal farce, with long thin arms that end in dreadful claws. Ullulleth wears a great striking black robe with a large frill on its back.
Dark Knight Ameros – this great hulking brute is always seen wearing his iconic black armour, every inch of his body covered by black adamantine. The helmet of this great warrior is shaped to that of a great wolf, a very large helmet indeed, too big of a medium creature like him to wear. He carries a giant soulsteel claymore that rips the souls out of those that it wounds. Ameros is renowned for showing no mercy and always killing his target.
Assassin Malevonea – an agent even more deadly than Ameros, this strange being has almost no shape and is definitely homogenous, androgynous and a shapeshifter. Malevonea has many forms, too many to call any one form her true form, and even though it prefers female forms, she actually is sexless. Malevonea is the greatest assassin in the world, she is the one sent when the council wishes to remove a specific target unlike Ameros who is only sent to deal with open situations.
Dark Creator Izimar – Izimar was once a human, long, long ago. He only survived the apocalypse that saw the end to many greater creatures than him by the many dark experiments that he carried out on his own body. Izimar is now a unique creature, no one except the other members of the council know what he looks like, Izimar is the one in charge of creating any item the council requires and as far as anyone knows his nickname “Dark Creator” has been proven every time he finishes one of his projects. Izimar’s laboratory is the most hellish place in all of existence, no one that has seen it has been able to tell to anyone else what he saw.
Liberator Zuturz – Zuturz is the great champion of the people; he is their protector, their liberator form oppression and mistreatment, that is, freedom from anyone but the council. Zuturz’s form is of a huge skeleton giant bathed in ever burning flames. He wears huge bronze armour and carries a huge two handed warhammer. Apart from Afera, he is the most well known and popular member of the council, frequently travelling to the Great Wall to face off an invasion from the Wastes.
Grandfather Afera – Afera is a humanoid lich that has been around since before the great apocalypse, he has lived so many ages that no one, not even Lusilous remembers a time when Afera hasn’t been around. His Phylactery is hidden somewhere in the outer realm, guarded by an army of creatures outside time and space as so it has proven to be indestructible. No one knows how Afera can withstand the outer realm, but he seems to even enjoy his time there more than when he is in the material plane. Afera is known as Grandfather for he loves to spend his time in the City of Paradise giving help to people, sound advice to youngsters and generally keeping the city in a nice. But if anyone where to unleash Afera’s wrath, they surely will not live long to regret it. Afera looks like an extremely old man, and usually is mistaken for a joyful old man, especially since he wears such normal clothing.
Queen of Nature Gaea – Gaea is the absolute ruler of the Last Forest. She is the most beautiful creature in existence by far, and would have more lovers than Feilzta if it were not that she is a virgin and cares not for suitors. Gaea cares only for nature and the natural way of things, she cares little for the trouble of mortals, but any mortal that dares hurt an animal in her realm or fell a tree from her forest will suffer a most bitter and painful end to their existence. Gaea’s form is said to be that of a winged nymph, though all who see her go blind.
Princess of Seduction Feilzta – Feilzta is the Princess of Seduction, the most loved creature in all of creation; she has more than an army of suitors, lovers, concubines and romantic friends. She is the most influential member of the council with the exception of Lusilous, her whim always being pleased a thousand fold. While Feilzta may not be as beautiful as Gaea, she is infinitely more charming and as such has many more friends and much more influence than her rival, not that Gaea actually cares. Feilzta is a beautiful humanoid woman with wings, little horns on her brow and a devil tail, though no one is sure if she is a succubus or an erinye
Retribution Giver Helchain – Helchain is the torturer, the executioner and the head inquisitor of the council. He is feared more than any other council member, for his attentions is much, much worse than death. Helchain tends to collaborate with the other council members rather than making actions on his own, usually his victims are given to him than him having to go out and find them. Helchain is a huge skeletal demon covered in a huge mass of living chains, his form being the ultimate depiction of pain and suffering manifested.
Ruler of the Sea Leviathan – Leviathan is the great ruler of the sea, he is the largest of the council members, his size rivalling that of the World Maw, and it is said that only his powers have kept the World Maw from eating the material plane. Leviathan is a colossal squid like creature, similar to a kraken or an aboleth. In fact he has many features of both creatures, making many speculate if he is not some sort of unholy amalgam of both. Leviathan is the undisputed ruler of the Inland Sea, anyone who wishes to travel across it must pay him tribute. It is still a mystery how Leviathan manages to go to the Gathering every year.
Librarian Mentire – Mentire is an ancient ghost, almost as old as Afera who is in charge of the only library left in creation. He is the keeper of all knowledge, and he guards it jealously. He has almost no shape, though it is recognisable a humanoid, he is made of only shadow. Mentire has a perfect memory, and thus will only ever trade knowledge for a piece of information that he lacks a very rare thing indeed. Any who anger him will eventually find themselves turned into mindless incorporeal undead that guard his library.
Keepers of the Law: there are about 10,000 of each type; they roam around in teams of 8, one of each type enforcing the will of the Council of 13 on all who live within their domain (that is anyone living within the Great Wall)
Jesters – Jesters are strange creatures made of mirror who wear colourful and playful costumes, they have great skill for social interactions and can manipulate anyone they wish into doing what they want. Jesters also have the power to empower their fellow Keepers, making them formidable foes.
Messengers – specially trained giant harpy like creatures that have been raised since birth to become Messengers, they are among the quickest beings in creation. They are the scouts of the Keepers and if everything goes wrong they will fly off and return with reinforcements. Messengers are especially sadistic and tend to disable their foes before slowly peeling of their skin which they use to make dark trophies to adorn themselves with.
Enforcers – these creatures are the bane of most evil doers, for they can turn anyone into stone with but a look. They are much smaller than most of the Keeper races, but they are feared much more than the rest. Enforcers are evil paladins; that uphold the law in the most perverse way possible without breaking it. They enjoy their duties very much and are among the most powerful warriors in creation.
Priests – Priests are the dam spawn of Ullulleth, corrupt creatures with tentacle faces, they don’t seem to share that many of Ullulleth’s abilities, while they display other more powerful ones. Priests are one of the most dangerous members of any Keeper team since they heal all their team mates and prevent any harm from befalling them, but are dangerous on a one to one combat.
Berserkers – these huge magical brutes are known as Berserkers for they battle to the very bitter end, with savage furry that is never seen in any other. This does not mean that Berserkers are stupid or lack special abilities; on the contrary they have plenty of both. A single Berserker could very easily take on even the largest of giants, and it is Berserkers that have stopped the legions from the wastes from ever penetrating the Great Wall.
Courtiers – these huge tiger faced giants are a very strange lot. They are strong but dislike combat, preferring to talk their way out of problems, Courtiers are always the middle men between Keepers and the rest of the world, and usually they are the only ones that stop the spilling of innocent blood. But this doesn’t make Courtiers any nicer than their fellow Keeper, in fact they are among the most vicious of the team, often blackmailing civilians for decades form a single act of so called kindness.
Oracles – the Oracles are the most feared of all the Keepers, for they possess powers beyond that of even other keepers, being able to turn their enemies into one of their own. Oracles are the only other type of Keeper that is likely to be found on its own (apart from Messengers), as they prefer to work on their own. They are dangerous huge aberrations that swim the sky, enforcing the rule of the council through their mad visions.
Watchers – Watchers are the most overlooked of all the Keepers, and that is no coincidence. Watchers luck in the background rarely seen or heard. They are snake like humanoids with wings that tend to fly and perch themselves in high places to avoid being seen by enemies of the Keepers. They are swift and their brutal abilities usually destroy any resistance they meet before anyone even knows they where there.
Forces of Heaven:
Arch Angel Abevir – Abevir is the last Solar Angel, the last of his kind and the last defender of heaven from the infernal legions of Lusilous. It was Abevir who convinced Lusilous to make paradise on the material plane, a move that Lusilous has yet to regret. Abevir frequents the material plane often since it is still neutral ground, where he tries in vain to spread the will of heaven into an already corrupt world. His true form is that of a gargantuan humanoid of light, but he is almost always seen in another form, that of a humble young man.
Arch Archon Libertad – Libertad is the greatest warrior for good left to fight off the infinite hoards of the abyss and hell. It is because of Libertad that Lusilous has yet to claim heaven as his own, but his dedication has meant that Libertad has never been seen by mortals and has been lost, to fight on his own and to perish alone. Abevir dreads the day that Libertad falls, for that day heaven will fall to darkness.
Arch Azimar Kalafea – Kalafea is the last good entity that is permanently on earth, she resides in the Last Forest because Gaea doesn’t care for Kalafea’s actions. Kalafea makes frequent trips to the City of Paradise to foster good in those people, but she knows the rest of the world will slowly crumble into darkness. That is inevitable. Kalafea’s form is that of a majestic sphinx, larger than any other sphinx with huge radiant white wings and the visage of one of the most beautiful women, third only to Gaea herself and Feilzta.
Forces of Destruction:
World Maw – the World Maw is the most feared creature in all creation, he is destruction embodied, he bring death were ever he appears, residing for the most part dormant in the great Inland Sea. The World Maw is immortal, after eating so many of the old gods; it became immune to the effects of wish, reality forever accepting that the World Maw would end it. No one has ever seen the whole creature, for it is too vast, and no one has ever been able to even come close to killing the beast, only the power of the entire Council of 13 and the Forces of Heaven can withstand this creature’s unstoppable rampage.
Bringer of Fire – this being is feared just as much as the World Maw but for a completely different reason, this is the World Maw’s will for destruction. The Bringer of Fire can appear at any time and any place, turning the sky above for miles into a raging inferno that slowly descends unto the world, nothing has ever survived the blasted destruction of this monster. The Bringer of Fire is just as immortal as the World Maw, since it can only be destroyed when the Maw finally dies.
Forces of the Wastes:
Ur-nomads – the ancestors of these monstrous beings where once humans that had reject all the elder gods, they were banished from their homeland and became a nomadic civilisation that roamed the corners of the world until after the apocalypse. But by then they had changed so much, breed with ogres, trolls, giants, goblinoids and orcs that they where no longer anything similar to humans. To this day they are one of the most feared force in the Wastes, for they are brutal, intelligent and bound on destruction.
The Tribe – this is the biggest of all the nations of the Wastes, one massive tribe made of dragons, lizardmen, kobolds, troglodytes and many other savage creatures including giants, trolls, goblins and orcs. The Tribe is the only force big enough to actually send armies against the Great Wall, which they do constantly, for no apparent reason.
The Forsaken – during the apocalypse the great under dark realms disappeared, all the great nations that had build underground vanished in a matter of years. But the dark creatures that lived there did not, they evolved, they interbreed, they adapted, and most of all they loathed and hated the sun. These creatures eventually became a single race, the Forsaken, mad with anger and left without a home, there creatures eventually started rebuilding their ancient underground empire, and even thought their underground lairs are slowly building across the world, they are still too small to account for anything more that a nuisance, but all that will eventually change some day.
The planes: during the apocalypse the hundreds of planes that existed collapsed and merged into a fair few that exist now. Most planes disappeared into the Void that lays below the Material Plane.
Material – the Material which fused with the plane of positive energy is the only plane that has suffered much, since most of the Material Plane disappeared into the Void. This is where mortals live, and where all the universe is attached to, if the Material Plane was ever to be fully destroyed by the Void all the other planes would disappear with it
Second – this Plane is the fused remains of the ethereal plane, the plane of shadows, the negative energy plane, the plane of mirrors and the underworld. This is truly a vile place, haunted by an infinite number of strange mirror-shadows, undead that live off the material plane, slowly pushing it into the Void. This plane is known as Second because any interplanear travel will have to pass through this plane, a dangerous gamble.
Hell – this is the remains of all the planes of Hell and Pandemonium, as well as the plane of fire. This is a miserable place bathed in unholy flames that cover the entire world. This hell is worse than any of the previous incarnations of hell, since the unholy fires cause magical pain to all that live there, only suppressed when greater pain is inflicted on someone else. Hell is no longer the organised plane it once was, all the old lords long since dead, the void left behind has pushed Hell into complete anarchy.
Heaven – this plane is the remains of the heaven planes, the astral realm and the plane of air. Heaven hasn’t changed that much, it is still the nicest place in the multiverse, but now it is a realm made of millions of tiny planetoids circled around by their own mini suns and moons, each with amazing natural beauty. This plane is slowly being corrupted by the forces of evil, every day a planetoid falls from heaven into the dark depths of the Abyss. Some day this plane will no longer exist and then evil will remain supreme.
Abyss – this is the remains of most of the planes, including the old abyss and the plane of water. First all the demons of the abyss drown, but their flesh eaten by the fish from the plane of water, slowly corrupting their flesh into new demonic entities. These new monstrosities have started to invade the “upper” realms of the Bound and Heaven, slowly consuming these two planes.
Bound – this is the remains of both the earth plane, Mechanus and thousands of shards from all the other planes. This is the most lawful of all the planes. This is now a huge plane of stone and steel, where thousands of mechanical creatures and stone beings face off every day the strange abominations from the Abyss. These beings respect peace and wish to find a way to revert the worlds back to what they once were, but if they are ever to succeed they must do so quickly, for every day the Material Plane gets closer and closer to the Void and every day the Abyss “eats” a little more of Bound and Heaven.
The Outer Plane – this is the strangest plane, being a strange collage of the outer plane, the Wyld, Limbo and Arcadia. Nothing that ever enters this domain ever returns the same, its very existence is an abomination on the mind that haunts the thoughts of sane men and pours out the insanities of crazed lunatics. This is the only Plane that will remain once the Void has consumed the Material Plane, and all who have visit this place know that that is a fate much worse than extinction.
| Michael Johnson 66 |
I haven't completely finished reading the 2nd one (have to get to work soon), but I did read some of it, and all of the 1st one. Well done! Both of these would make awesome settings for fantasy novels or movies, let alone RPG campaigns. From what I have read of #2, it seems to be the more unique of the 2, though both are pretty original.
You obviously have a fertile imagination and an eye for details. I especially like that you devised your own calendar, system of measurements, theology, etc. for the 1st one, which is something I always liked about published settings, and always do for my own creations.
I'll try to post something of my own when I get the chance. Again, well done, and thanks for sharing! :)
ulgulanoth
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i will, i will... when i make more
in the mean time, here's my Eox setting
Eox pantheon: the gods of Eox are not the same as the gods of Golarion, so here is the list of them for you aspiring clerics:
Andarous LG, domains: good, law, artifice, knowledge and magic. Favoured weapon is the warhammer. Andarous is the deity that was said to have made Eox the living planet, with his great knowledge of magic and machinery, the changed the world by smiting it into shape with his hammer. Andarous is always depicted as a young man wearing a smith’s apron over wizard’s robes, he has a great red beard and a large hammer.
Felnor NG, domains: good, sun, fire, glory and travel. Favoured weapon is the longbow. Felnor is Andarous’ father, riding the sky eternally bringing light to the world and the ability to tell time. Felnor is always depicted as a giant humanoid made of fire, with two great wings on his back. Since the great disaster Felnor is believed to have been locked away beyond the sky.
Deoudu CG domains: chaos, good, glory, liberation and strength. Favoured weapon is the glaive. Deoudu is the great god that inspires people to acts of glory; he is the one that inspires revolts against evil tyrants and the slaying of great monsters. Deoudu is always depicted as a Halfling wearing bright orange clothes and a huge purple hat, always seen smiling.
Hanyle N domains: darkness, death, weather and water. Favoured weapon is the dagger. Hanyle is the mother of Andarous and the wife of Felnor, she is the queen of the dead, she is the judge of the dead and thus neutral on all the affairs of the living, yet she is also the ruler of the seas and the sky bringing life giving rain to the people of Eox. She tries to be lawful but is known to have tantrums, and probably became the ruler of much of the world due to one. Hanyle is always depicted as a beautiful mermaid with silver hair and green scales.
Retle N domains: earth, animal, plants and protection. Favoured weapon is unarmed strike. Retle is the primordial god that asked Andarous to shape the world to hold life. Before he was only the lord of the empty rock that used to be Eox but when Andarous made it possible to bare life Retle created it, in fact he created everything that lived in Eox, and soon found out he had ran out of space for more life, so he pleaded with Hanyle to make the underworld so new life would be made. Retle is always shown to be a huge centipede with a golden hide and large mandibles.
Exov LE domains: law, evil, charm, nobility and air. Favoured weapon is the rapier. Exov was said to be once a mortal man, who was the first to summon a devil into the world. The devil convinced Exov to follow it back to its realm. No one knows what Exov endured in that dangerous plane but he returned, and he returned as a god. Exov is never depicted, his cults always being secretive the only symbol of Exov is the ‘E’.
Waalnu NE domains: evil, madness, war, trickery and destruction. Favoured weapon is the whip. Waalnu is a strange creature that is said to have come to Eox from beyond reality. Waalnu is a giant worm whose sides melt into a giant mess of mouths, eyes and tentacles similar to that of a shogoth. Waalnu is the bringer of madness, war and destruction; he poisons the minds of leaders into war and wishes to corrupt the world. Many believe that after the death of Eox Waalnu achieved his goal.
Zoxor CE domains: chaos, evil, war, destruction and strength. Favoured weapon is the mace. Zoxor was the great god of battle; he was always trying to prove his power by forcing other gods to battle him. Zoxor is a warrior, his only desire is to experience war, it is said that he left Eox to battle the creatures of the abyss leaving Waalnu to create war, while he empowered warriors to fight better. Zoxor is always depicted as a huge warrior clad in thick armour and wielding a mace twice his size.