World Information

[Dawn OOC]

[Dawn OOC]

Deities
 
Elven
Ainsarthirria, ‘Fiery Death’
Favored Weapon: Fire
Domain: Volcano
Alignment: CE
Little is known of the elven gods, only the nature they represent. Some speculate that they aren’t defined personas themselves but archetypes of the nature they represent. Were that totally true, Ainsarthirria wouldn’t have the temper she does. Her domain is far to the north, where the cone of her great volcano disrupts the ice and snow, leaving a fertile green place around her—what parts she doesn’t cover in lava and black rock. Her few clerics have learned to move quickly if she sends liquid fire their way, but she has far more warlocks bound to her negative energy than actual worshippers. When people call out for vengeance for petty hurts, she answers and shares her fire with them. 
 
Human
Corand, God of War, Humanity’s General
Favored Weapon: War Horn
Domain: War
Alignment: NG
Corand is worshipped by humans for his brilliance and strategy; books of his Holy Words are always in demand. His advice is used by merchants and war leaders alike. A sad-looking, unassuming man who always carries his war horn at his side, Corand doesn’t seem very war-like. His enemies have learned he’s not as docile as he seems, usually by dying brutal deaths. He was outsmarted once: Corand fell in love with the Tiefling goddess Beauty and their marriage sparked the Gods War. While he lead the humans into battle, she remained with the rearguard. The Tiefling goddess Assassin and her brother Guile slipped behind him and found Beauty, killing her for her betrayal. Corand hunted them down but it wasn't enough for his pain, and he led the army of humans on a crusade to destroy all of the Tiefling gods. After the war was done, Corand put aside his berserk style of fighting and became a strategist.
 
Crysa, Mistress of Creation, First of the Gods, Lady of the Smith, Lady of the Loom, etc.
Favored Weapon: Distaff
Domain: Creation
Alignment: N
Crysa was the first goddess of the Empire, and is still honored as the only one to reach godhood on her own. She guided the other gods to prominence, helping them rise to deity status. As the creator goddess, she is called upon whenever someone starts a new creative endeavor, for when they become stuck or have problems completing them. Her temples feature workstations, where all are allowed to enter and make any object they wish. The temples accept raw materials as offerings, which are then given to those who come to use the workstations but can’t afford them.

 

Fox, Master of Lies, The Sly One, Two-Faced, Stealer of Children

Favored Weapon: Dagger

Domain: Trickery

Alignment: NE

Fox, according to Ultgar legend, was once a fox. He was clever enough to fool men into thinking he was a man. He then tricked Cyrsa into showing him how to become a god. Sly-faced and yellow-eyed, he can appear as other people, including other genders and races. His hair is red peppered with gray, and spiky like a bristling foxes, but the god himself insists that he’s just misunderstood. He claims that he finds the truth that people refuse to see and shows it to them. He claims that he tried to stop the Gods War but Corand refused to listen when Fox told him what would happen if he took Beauty away from her people.  Mothers tell their little ones that Fox comes and steals away bad children, but if asked, Fox will say he’s not interested in being a father.

 
Ithtari, Lady of Justice, The Clear-sighted Judge
Favored Weapon: Hammer
Domain: War
Alignment: LG
Ithtari is a foreboding woman, tall and fair-skin marked with battle scars. She is an old goddess of the Empire. According to her legend, her left eye was taken by Guilt, the Tiefling god of pain and suffering. She went after him and fought him in a long battle that ended when she took his left eye. She placed it in her own socket but it still saw only evil so she covered it again. When she needs to judge the accused, she lifts her patch and sees them with both eyes, seeing good and evil in equal measure.

 

Kywin, God of Beauty, Father of Art, Protector of the Outsider. The Beautiful One

Favored Weapon: Shield

Domain: Life

Alignment: CG

Kywin is androgynous in appearance, dusky skinned with jade-green eyes and jet-black hair that sweeps behind him. He wears rich silks and styles his hair in elaborate braids and curls, save for when he’s fighting. Then he cuts it off and gives it to his favorite mortal artist for use in their media. Paintbrushes, thread, woven tapestries, and more, all made with the god’s hair, are sold to the rich and powerful. Black market forgeries are always being marketed to the gullible. Despite his appearance, Kywin is a formidable fighter on the field, using his shield to both protect friends and batter enemies. He is in particular a protector of those who don’t fit into society, much as he doesn’t fit the roles of men in the Empire. In the Gods War, he sheltered so many innocents but didn’t guard Beauty. His followers claim that Corand didn’t trust Kywin enough, while others say the human god of beauty was jealous of his Tiefling counterpart.

[Dawn OOC]

Othinan humans

These people are smaller statured with dark hair and eyes and skin that ranges in color from aged ivory to clay brown. Most of the population has an epicanthic fold at the inner corner of the eyes. They were a series of city-states until banding together against the Tyananians. They live in the edges of the mountains inhabited by the dwarves and gnomes, and have a reputation for building impressive and almost impenetrable fortresses. When not at war, they heard large goats for meat, wool, and cheese, and create a finely dyed wool which is in demand throughout the world.

 

Dotherian humans

A tall and wiry people with pale, easily burnt skin, gold or red hair, and blue or green eyes. Once the Dotheri were nomadic horsemen but these pale riders eventually settled in the north near the elvin border. They were the youngest of the human kingdoms when unified by the Empire and the first conquered. As a result, their prized horses were used heavily by the Imperial cavalry, and today, the Dothi breed is in high demand. They are hardy and strong, capable of carrying a man in full armor, and their stallions are particularly aggressive animals. The most prized of these horses are the ‘sun-kissed’, a color that gleams metallic gold (on chestnut horses) or silver (on gray horses) in the sun. A true horseman only rides a Dothian horse.

 

Iskanian humans

Though shorter than most humans, these inhabitants of the Great Swamp or Iskandar Swamps are known for being strong, both in body and will. Most have dark brown or reddish skin with hazel, or dark brown eyes. They used to have their capital city in Iskandar. While they are now part of the Empire, they still have a very independant worldview. If they don’t like the laws of the land, they simply slip away into the swamp and out to the Wild Islands. In fact, as much as a source for herbs that can only be found in the swamp, Iskandar is a haven for smugglers coming and going to the Wild Islands. As such, people often speak of those who live in the swamp as not being part of the Empire at all and in some cases, the swamp dwellers have been attacked or even killed by loyalists.

 

Tyanan humans

Tyana has been a growing empire in the middle of the Altherian Continent for decades but it was Emperor Mael who had the military genius to seize all the human-held lands. As a people they are prone to average height and tend to be bulky with fat or muscles, while their skin olive toned and golden brown. They usually have brown eyes and thick black hair. They are usually very competitive, enjoying games of skill, puzzles, and warfare in equal measure. The recent decade of peace has allowed their scientific acumen to flourish, bringing on an age of scientific advancement. As such, gnomes are seen more and more often in Maelton, drawn by the inventions coming out of human lands.

 

Ultgar humans

The last to be conquered by the Empire, the Ultgar are a proud people who still have trouble seeing themselves as a conquered land. They live to the south, on the isthmus that Maelton now occupies. They are a hardy people with a reputation for their ‘trance warriors’, madmen who go into battle naked and sustain no wounds. They have held off numerous goblin invasions with little help from other humans. Their skin is very dark, almost black, and their black hair grows in tight curls. They are also great swimmers, and their crafters create impressive jewelry from the pearls and shells their divers find.

 

The Military

Ranks:

Private – The backbone of the military, these are the base grunts that do all the hard work and fill out the infantry.

Sergeant – Though considered enlisted, they’re a step up from privates. They are generally given more responsibility and higher level duties, including training privates.

Chief Sergeant – The highest rank for the enlisted, these trusted troops are usually found in charge of training facilities or supplies.

Lieutenant – The lowest rank of the officer class, troops at this level will be leaders of platoons or oversee several other groups of enlisted. They also serve as support officers to captains.

Captains – Usually leaders of companies, these officers are sometimes nobility, especially third sons of low-ranking nobles.

Major – The commanders of battalions, majors are usually nobles.

General – The highest rank of officers, these are almost always noble, since  peasants that make it this high usually receive at least a title.

 

Organization:

Quads – Privates are linked into groups of four and trained to fight together.

Squad – Two quads, the commanding sergeant or chief sergeant, and a supporting soldier, such as an acolyte or a sage.

Platoon – This is a rare formation, usually composed of fifteen to thirty soldiers and trained for a specialized purpose, such as cannoneers. Commanded by at least a Lieutenant.

Company – Ten squads commanded by a captain.

Battalion – Five companies commanded by a major; some have a specialized platoon attached.

Regiment – Ten battalions commanded by a General; usually have at least three platoons.

 

All that being typed, please keep in mind that as adventurers, you are outside of normal military ranks. You generally take orders from a general, and you get to keep any loot you find (unlike the rank and file, who have to turn it in and then have it evenly dispersed out by their officers). It provides you guys with much more freedom than most troops. It does mean that you can refuse assignments and you can do so individually, or as a group. However, doing so too much or without providing some rationale will result in you not getting assignments anymore.

 

Elena’s army is arranged the same, as this is standard for the Empire. Also, her contracts with the adventurers are much the same as outlined above. The difference is that her expedition’s current focus is exploration while Nicoli’s are focused on war with the goblins.