Children of Terrus A fantasy setting with guidelines for D&D 5e

Children of Terrus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You can read the license at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Chapter 1: Cosmology The Cosmos source will often brown out in the heat, turning sun- Terrus is one of countless planets in an endless, soaked plains into temporary deserts, and the winter swirling cosmos, but it is far from the only one to snowstorms can easily cause knee-deep snow in hours. house life. The Children of Gaius, a race from a far- Springs tend to be incredibly wet and falls incredibly flung star whose evolution had brought them to the dry. brink of extraplanar ascension, arrived at Terrus on its Winter and summer solstice are almost universally second moon, now called Gaius. They took the life celebrated, with winter being one of family gathering forms of the planet and crafted from them several and summer being a celebration of life and the sun. In intelligent races. It was not long after the creation of some places, such as Bastion and the kingdoms in these races that disagreements on the purpose of them Fohre, the autumn equinox is a celebration of Lunas. came about. Some saw them as a means to continue Harvest festivals are held in fall and spring on local their existence into eternity as gods; others saw them levels throughout Terrus. as the last of their people's legacy, that would continue It is the 423rd year of the Enlightened Age, which on into eternity. There were disagreements, then began at the start of the Second Fall. arguments, then fights, then war, with all of the Gaians finally driven out by the three beings that would Magic become the world's patron gods. Many thousands of Magic is, at its core, an expression of a soul's will. years have passed since then, and civilizations have Though it is a result of both thought and emotion, risen and fallen, surviving the harshness of nature, intelligence does not increase one's innate ability tune circumstance, and terrible cataclyms. reality to their desires. Rather, the ability to use magic The cosmos in which Terrus resides is one of many is based on something both innate and arcane, a planes of existence, one over the other, influencing mysterious measurement of one's strength of being. each other indirectly. The power of the soul, a In literature, magic is traditionally divided into six spontaneous fluctuation of the ether of reality caused schools: by intelligent life, allows beings to draw power from Material (liquids, gases, solids) these other planes, giving rise to magic. Energetic (temperature, light, sound) Terrus orbits Solus, a yellow star of average size, Ethereal (planar manipulation, summoning) and is one of six planets, including two massive gas Mental (charms, enchantments, illusions) giants, Agathus and Domirus, visible as tiny orbs even Physical (shape-shifting, biologic manipulation, during the day. Its natural satellite, Lunas, is a smooth, healing magics) blue face covered with crossing striations, cracks in its Spiritual (reviving the dead, necromancy) iced-over surface. Its second moon, Gaius, is much smaller, orbiting Terrus two times a day. It is covered in swirling clouds and its surface appear as a mix of orange, green, and blue. As it currently is, Terrus is divided into three main continents: Fost, Ket, and Sef. Fost and Ket are outliers, the only continents in the northern hemisphere, while Sef is a supercontinent covering much of the southern hemisphere. No matter the place, every land has been touched by some cataclysm or another, be it the judgment of demigods, war by twisted beings of evil, or a demise brought on by their own hubris.

Seasons and Time Terrus' orbit appears to be so mathematically simplistic that it's assumed to be magically stabilized. Each year is 360 days, one rotation around Solus, marked on the winter solstice; each month is based on the cycle of Lunas, each 30 days, divided into 5 six-day weeks symbolizing the Five Cycles of creation. Each season is 90 days or three months, and the months are denoted by the season they fall in— First Spring, Third Autumn, and so on. Winters and summers are often very harsh. Grass not near a water These six schools are divided between two golden throne. They are said to be the last Gaian born, superschools: external and internal, environment and born even after the Gaians had settled around Terrus. organism, all and one, all revolving around the base They are worshiped sometimes as a god of change, manipulation of the ether that forms of the sometimes as a god of trickery. Some stories claim background substance of reality. Destus was the cause of the split between the Gaians These schools are rarely mutually exclusive, and any that caused their race to fight and then scatter. Their magic user will have knowledge in all the schools to current location is unknown, though being so young some degree. Any one caster's specialty is often (relatively), they are thought to be very much still influenced by how they approach magic to begin with alive. along with their innate ability. A swordsman with an Frein, Arem's first son, the great black wyrm whose affinity for expressing his will on the environment will body opens with maws of teeth, the devourer of souls likely try to develop the magical ability to manipulate and spewer of unending anger and war. He is types of matter and energy. A doctor with an affinity worshiped by cults who embrace chaos for chaos' sake, for changing herself will likely use magic to enhance who wish for society to fall into anarchy. Frein's her precision and knowledge through mind and body whereabouts are unknown, having disappeared magics. mysteriously along with Yrin and Raiv, a century after Traditionally, magic in society is left to scholars, they were unleashed on the land. studiers of ancient texts and creators of new magic. Gaius, the small second moon of Terrus, is often Magic is expressed through the memorization of worshiped outright as a god in its own right. With formulas and performed by a combination of swirling clouds and clear oranges and greens on its vocalizations and physical gestures, all merely surface, it is an oddity next to the blue-tinted ice of common mnemonics to express one's magical will in a Lunas. It is worshiped as a life-giver and a herald of specific way. There is no single “right” way to achieve creation. a certain magical effect, as much as some schools of Genis, the life-giver and life-protector. Depicted as a thought disagree. multi-armed, multi-winged angel, often androgynous and given features of the race that created the given Gods and Religion depiction. Her symbol is invariably a circle with arcs There are no true gods that watch over Terrus. on the left and right and a smaller circle atop the There are aspects of nature that are worshiped: the central one. She is said to help with live births and sun, the forest, the moons, the stars in the night sky. bountiful harvests. Planar scholars believe Genis to be The Children of Gaius are the closest thing that Terrus dead, her essence scattered to trap Arem, but this does has to “true” gods, and most of them are dead. Still, not stop her from being worshiped. they continue to be worshiped, and religions based on Nen, the living god of the caprus, the great their aspects and values remain in the world, if much adventurer and great warrior. He is depicted as he different from how they started. actually was: a caprus with a deep scar down his chest While religions vary greatly, most of them share a and thin horns that spiraled upward. He was an common creation myth known as the Five Cycles: influential adventurer centuries ago whose spirit lives Darkness, Arrival, Creation, Strife, and Inheritance. In on in those who would plunder horror-filled ruins or Darkness, the world of Terrus is alone in an endless protect the commonfolk from the forces of evil, not for void, with simple creatures rising from nothing. In pay but merely for the sake of it. His symbol is often a Arrival, the great vessel, Gaius, arrives over Terrus, sword and shield. He is entombed beneath the Fount shining light upon its surface. In Creation, the simple of the Silver Spires in the caprus capital. creatures of the world are crafted by creatures of light Rae, the soaring bird of fire and flame and the sun. from this great vessel, becoming the caprus and the Her symbol is a flaming bird or the sun outright. She is humans and so on. In Strife, the beings of light begin to said to give protection and life in Genis' stead and is bicker and fight over the future of their creations, who often looked upon as a granter of resurrection and can only look up in sorrow at their warring creators. reincarnation. Nen was one of Rae's envoys, arguably As War ends, the remaining beings of light give their the greatest, and like him most of her envoys are creations the gift of self-determination, inheriting an incredibly long-lived and intelligent. endless future as their successors. Raiv, the mighty cobra, the venom-dripper, the Some notable religious figures include: envious and prideful. She is recognized as a vile Arem, the dark-hearted, the manipulator, the creature in most religious mythology but is rarely defiler, the great fiend. He has no concrete symbol but worshiped outright. During the Second Fall she is worshiped for power over others, even if gods do poisoned rivers and lakes, killing countless innocents. not grant such power. Arem is imprisoned on Fost, Rorak, the elder. He is often depicted as an old man within a hole in reality known as the Abyss. The with hunched back, a cane, and blank eyes. His symbol largest organization about Arem is Walkers of the is similar to a question mark whose curve spirals into Abyss, who seek to travel into his prison to learn itself. He is often worshiped by studiers of the arcane, Arem's teachings and serve him for all time. who see him as the ultimate knower, a being of near- Destus, the god-child, the last Child of Gaius. Destus omniscience. His actual existence is unknown; he is is a genderless being, often depicted as a child atop a generally accepted as a historical figure that led the Though dark, he is not considered an evil being, and Gaians, but what happened to him is unknown. most modern religious ceremony around him focus on Seilv, the winged serpent of weather and rain and the cherishing and remembrance of the dead. His justice and responsibility. His symbol is a serpent with envoys are usually brutish or often-overlooked, two sets of wings, or sometimes simply a lightning working independently of Seilv's and Rae's to their bolt. He is said to bring about good weather and own goals. fortune and brings balance to the world against Yrin, the rotted wolf, the devourer of civilization, sinners and the depraved. He, like Rae and Wraish, the great glutton and slothful. They are often more a makes his presence on the higher planes known symbol than a deity to be worshiped, standing for the through an envoy, a solitary creature gifted with his constant, slow onslaught of nature and entropy. Yrin great power to carry out his general will and bring mindlessly destroyed many great cities during the justice and peace to the world. His envoys are usually Second Fall, and their rotting flesh became hordes of upstanding and brave, taking on every challenge no shadowy creatures that hunted down and killed matter the odds. people that tried to escape. Tida, the winged whale. She is the worshiped as the Zakheer is a mysterious demigod who appeared giver of time and seasons, often symbolized by an after the Second Fall. He appears seemingly at hourglass or entwined clockwork. Scholars believe her random, causing chaos and mischief. Though to be one of the major Children of Gaius, perhaps the appearing human, he has many abilities that Gaians one who found Terrus to be a perfect place to craft are said to have, changing his form at will and having new races. incredible magic potential. He is worshiped as a living Wraish, the dark beast, the miasma-spewer, the god of chaos by some cults, though he is not directly great judge. He is depicted as a bipedal creature with associated with any of them—in fact, Zakheer's horns curving out of his back. He is a god of the ending handiwork is often seen in the destruction of these of life and the judgment of sins, who will bring wrath cults rather than anything they accomplish. upon the souls of the evil. Often used to scare children into behaving. His symbol is a set of upcurved horns. Chapter 2: Peoples and Creatures Living things on Terrus are generally divided into in most countries. Despite this, some still manage to two categories: thinking, feeling creatures with high seek out a living in social settings, be it by choice or by levels of intelligence, and lesser creatures that act heritage. primarily on instinct. Intelligent creatures are usually Latrodects are small, only two to four feet tall, with projects of magic, with the society-producing races eight limbs. Two spindly legs hold them upward, being products of the Children of Gaius. resting on the knuckles of dainty claws. They have two Gaians, formally called the Children of Gaius, are sets of arms: an upper powerful set of arms ending in beings from another star. They are demigods, being powerful, vice-like graspers, and smaller ones whose genetic, technological, and magical evolution underneath ending in dextrous, hand-like appendages. has brought them to a point where their physical Their abdomens stick out, often a bulbous orb or egg forms can barely maintain themselves. They have no shape, with their torso rearing up and ending in a set form, being able to shapeshift at will. In fact, it is mandible-bearing, multi-eyed resemblance of a face. said that the Gaians forgot their true forms long before Most are colored a glossy black, while some lineages they arrived on Terrus. show a huge variety of colors. The Children of Gaius are extremely powerful, Social latrodects are generally female; male capable of producing magics at will beyond the latrodects are smaller and of lower intelligence, with a comprehension of mortals. They are all incredibly natural tendency for aggression. A latrodect intelligent, their ethereal nature letting them hold on eggmother will produce one or two female offspring to the shared experiences of their ancestors. Aside and several dozen males, who will stay with the from their intelligence, no two Gaians are the same, breeding female. Eggmothers tend to be old and rare, with small differences being exemplified by their as becoming one requires a major dedication of energy abilities. The multiple intelligent races they crafted on and time that is not easily reversed. Terrus are obvious signs of this. Latrodects do not generally have surnames. Being so This creator race arrived on Gaius, which became isolated compared to other races, they are often Terrus' second moon. They changed the land, the sky, referred to by names such as “Edric of Nergal,” the ocean, even Lunas, the planet's natural satellite. identifying themselves uniquely by the name of their The ones that still exist on the material plane, if there eggmother. Latrodect names are heavy on c-, d-, and r- are any left at all, could singlehandedly destroy all of sounds, such as Becdara, Edric, Homicar, Mesca, Oraic, civilization if they wished to. and Wudrar. The felids are a diverse species crafted from the The Children of Terrus many feline species of Terrus. They are small, about First, it should be said that the intelligent species of two feet shorter than humans on average, and often Terrus do not interbreed, cannot interbreed. Cross- stout, usually described as “bouncy”--they are a race species relationships are uncommon but not unheard with small bodies filled with bountiful energy. With of, though many conservative people look down upon large eyes and ears, thin limbs ending in short- them on principle. Some experiments have produced fingered paws, soft fur, and ever-moving tails, felids beings similar to crossbreeds but they are often are considered by many other races to be naturally failures. “cute,” which many in multi-race societies despise The caprus are descended from social goat- being called. They come in a variety of colors based on creatures. They are satyrs of sorts, with hooved feet which lineage they descend from, be it the ghost-like and hard, thick nail caps on their two-fingers-one- felids of the north or the sand-colored folk of the thumb hands. They are identified individually by the Zeresh desert. Their natural dexterity and quick wit pattern of their fur coloration and their unique horns, make them excellent craftsmen, storytellers, which they sometimes drill holes into akin to human merchants, and even politicians. ear piercings or have carved with innate inscriptions. Felid surnames are usually comprised of c-, r-, and s- Female caprus tend to be taller than males and more sounds. Examples include: Ascahra, Corren, Dusken, lithe, with most caprus falling in a wide four- to seven- Hessar, Meisha, Rinessen, and Trossec. foot range. They are incredibly intelligent but not The lacertus are tall, lizard-like humanoids, with always that wise, and stubbornness seems innate to blue-white scales that shimmer in sunlight and their kind, to the detriment of themselves and others. feathers on their scalp and back which, with conscious Caprus surnames are harsh, with many g-, r-, and n- effort, can change color. Lacertus are hermaphroditic sounds. Examples include: Anorn, Dornog, Gormin, with breeders taking on traits as needed, with some Madriga, Quimegra, Tromin, Yegen. People from picking up the concept of gender from caprus or isolated caprus communities tend to have similarly- human societies. They are descended from lizards harsh given names. from the arctic north, whose biology had adapted a Latrodects are a feared race, not often found among peculiar resistance to even the coldest temperatures. the mixed-race societies of Terrus. Their arachnid They live in tribal communes in the north, but some heritage strikes fear on a base level to most people of live in the warmer southern mounts, using their flat other races, and there is widespread distrust of them tails to swim and fish or their natural camouflage to hunt. Despite their chameleon-like abilities, they stand out in a crowd and tend to avoid civilization altogether if they can help it. Lacertus often have surnames related to their lineage or tribe, especially in tribes of the north. They tend to be simple, more descriptive than uniquely identifying, such as Mountseekers, Darkscales, Frosteaters, Drakeriders, and the like. Humans (hominids) are descended from savanna apes, crafted in part by Rorak himself. They are a proud species with great potential but also have a tendency toward violence. They inhabit a great number of nations across the continent of Ket, most notably the empire of Arche, the republic of Aragna, the Kingoms of Fohre, and (at least in the past) the lost kingdom of Zeyla. They are the most populous intelligent race on Terrus, their main strengths being their intelligence followed by their numbers. Human family names run back countless generations, most having lost their meaning. Merith, Seilva, Raema, Gideon, and Goresh are the most common human surnames, though countless others abound. Nephropids are an elusive race of large crustaceans. They live on the ocean floor in large enclaves of sometimes up to thousands of people. They are odd creatures, communicating through a language so far from the languages of Ket as to be completely alien to land dwellers. After the Second Fall, during which countless nephropids died from poisoned waters, most of these beings' underwater civilizations have become distrustful of dwellers of the land. The selachim are another underwater race, fish-like and derived from many species of shark. They live even farther out than the nephropids, often in neutrally-buoyant structures. They have perfected a type of magic that allows them to concentrate minerals from the water to make raw materials otherwise unavailable to them. It is thought that other intelligent races were created Nenhar. The few permanent inhabitants of Fost are by the Gaians but have since gone extinct. Some races likely to speak Dokharesh, as well. are thought to still survive in the wild ranges of Sef, Ekrada is a language spoken across northern Sef. It unknown to the inhabitants of Ket. is a light language, called “whimsical” by some linguists. It is spoke by some on the Thrisdurn Language Peninsula of Ket, brought by seafarers who cross the Having been created by the Gaians, the people of Elusian. Terrus were given a single language to ease Garesh is a language of many dialects, and is spoken communication and the building of early society. Over in Arche, Aragna, and the Kingoms of Fohre. It is thousands of years, this mother language has split into named after an ancient kingdom whose ruins dot the many dialects. Luckily, most languages on Ket use the Plains of Gogresha. The people of Bastion speak an same alphabet as the mother language, though the increasingly-distant dialect of this language. differences in grammar, punctuation, anad addition Torindesh is spoken by the people southwest of the and removal of words makes understanding a foreign Thisdurn Mountains. It is heavily influenced both by language nearly impossible. Dokharesh and languages on the distant continent of Dokharesh is a language derived primarily from the Sef, especially Ekrada. peninsula of Dokhar, the descendent of the language of Zeresh is an ancient language spoken by older the old kingdom of Pentus. Most peoples west of the civilizations of central Ket, most recently the people of Draugh speak this, as do the people of Oreama and Zeyla. It evolved from the same root language as Garesh and shares many similarities. It is a dying language, spoken only by nomadic tribes in the Desert often create cave dwellings in mountainous areas or of Zeresh. inhabit existing caverns. Antel are ambush predators, hiding their body within their carapace and watching Creatures and Beasts into the darkness for prey; they launch onto the prey Terrus is filled with many creatures that are and cover it in dissolving acid, allowing them to feed basically analogues of Earth animals and plants, many on disgusting, melted viscera. coming in large sizes by magic or natural evolution. Dragons are strange inhabitants of large forests and Dire animals are not uncommon but very dangerous, high mountains. They are relatives of birds and ogira, especially in the Forest of Balk. with innate magics and feathers. They are much like Earth animals with analogs on Terrus include: magpies: of low but workable intelligence, naturally wolves, mountain lions, bats, rats and mice, rabbits, curious, and with a universal affinity for shiny objects. deer and other stags, wild bovines, lizards, snakes, Drakes are (primarily) aquatic serpents that inhabit fish, sharks, whales, octopi, molusks, badgers, ferrets, oceans and lakes. They range from man-sized beasts to domesticated dogs and cats, many forms of insects, gargantuan monsters, often multiple sets of venom- bears, crustaceans, crocodiles, frogs, toads, injecting fangs.. Drakes are covered in thick scales salamanders (especially giant salamanders), newts, with long, flat tails and two frontward limbs. Drakes sloths, wild boar, monkeys, and primates. Birds on are relatively intelligent for animals, with the older Terrus are similar to Earth's but much more reptilian, ones reaching levels of simple speech. They often have with a mouth of sharp teeth instead of beaks. Horses innate magical abilities, primarily related to the water; and camels do not exist on Terrus; in their place, drakes in the Sea of Nen are often responsible for large creatures such as the origa or domesticated stags are waterspouts for the purpose of hunting, lifting prey used. high into the air and stunning or killing them for an Akelchim are large, hexapedal beasts, distant easy meal. Even farther out, the monstrous deep sea cousins of ogira and dragons. Their skin is covered in drakes are gods onto themselves, with their emotions growths similar to scales or feathers, each about the influencing the weather and the ability to size of a human hand, that flick about in the air and spontaneously generate whirlpools. Many will hold shimmer in a rainbow of colors. They are front-heavy, entire fleets for ransom if they pass over their with high, heavy shoulders going down powerful arms territory. to clawed paws. Their heads are canine-like, their Ogira are lizard- and bird-like creatures that are large mouths filled with teeth with exaggerated many people's go-to steeds. They are capable of serrations and a long tongue ending tapering to a bearing heavy loads on all fours or sprinting quickly sharp-angled point. Their heads are topped with a set on their back legs, making them valuable to nearly of horns that sweep back from above their brow. A every use a steed can have. They are muscular short tail rests above their smaller haunches, and creatures, about as tall as a man, with powerful legs though relatively short their dual sets of rear legs have both front and back. Their tails swing out behind more than enough power from muscular haunches to them, improving their balance. They have long, propel them forward at more than 30 miles per hour. slender heads filled with the teeth of am omnivore, a They are capable of obscuring themselves almost mix of canines, incisors, and molars. They have two completely, at will, simply by flipping all of their scales sets of eyes: small black ones that stare out from the to one side. The physics behind the akelchims' sides of their head and larger, colored ones that stare camouflage is unknown, though a form of magic is forward. Some breeds are covered in feathers, which suspected and likely. They are found in mountain let them store heat more efficiently. They come in a foothills, plains, and the outskirts of large forests, and variety of colors based on the region they're from, many superstitions have arisen on how to keep them such as Aragnan ogira usually being brown, green, and away from settlements. yellow, and ogira from the Zeresh region often being A rat-sized relative, the borrachim, is native to the tan and red. Thrisdrun Basin. They have a nasty, poisonous bite. Large breeds of ogira, unfit as steeds, are a common Antel are bizarre creatures believed to have been livestock in central Ket. originally created by early human mages. The bulk of The Viren are beings from Gaius, Terrus' second their form is a thick, black carapace, with six spindly moon. They are bizarre creatures who hide out of legs jutting out from it on each side that hold it up. At sight, aliens on an unknown world. Legends of fey its front, however, the carapace opens and its creatures are almost universally founded on amorphous body shows itself. Its front is similar to a encounters with Viren. It is not that uncommon for yellow-green slug, ending in four stalks topped with people seeking magic power to seek out a Viren in the eyes. Its slug-like body produces an acidic slime that wilderness, as they have incredible innate magic dissolves flesh and rock at an astounding rate. They abilities. Chapter 3: History of the World Terrus' history is traditionally split into Ages based The Enlightened Age (~420ya to present) on significant events in history. This vile forces of Frein, Yrin, and Raiv cause great The Deep Ages destruction. Entire cities are devoured, burned to the The eons prior to the arrival of the Children of ground, countrysides are swept clean. After several Gaius. Not much is known about the world before the decades of genocide and terror, the forces of darkness Gaiains, as they changed Terrus dramatically. vanish mysteriously. Since then people have brought The Golden Age (~11,000ya) civilization back and advanced to perhaps the farthest Estimated to be several thousand years at least, this they ever have in a much shorter time. Aragna is is the age in which the Children of Gaius crafted the founded, Arche is founded. Dohkar has entered a intelligent life of Terrus, educated them, and helped noticeable state of stagnation in the arts, in technology, them thrive. This age began at least 10,000 years ago. and in public policy. Technology and magic continue This age's last years were devastating to all of Terrus to develop at an astounding rate. as Arem and Genis and their forces fought, ending on the date of Arem's imprisonment and Genis' death. The Technology small continent of Fost is trapped in eternal snowfall While simplistic compared to modern Earth, Terrus' by the spread of magic from Arem's prison there, long history has given time for many technologies to which those who have seen it only call “the Abyss.” develop. Unfortunately, many have also been lost or The Shielded Age (~3,500ya) are only found in certain areas of the world. Watched over by Seilv, Rae, and Wraish, civilization The generation of electricity through the traditional thrived and the races of Terrus learned to fend for use of magnets and copper wire has survived the test themselves. This age lasted approximately two of time. Large cities such as the capital cities in hundred years, after which the three patron protectors Aragna, Mola and Rahnon in Arche, several cities of ascended to a higher existence. Bastion, the port cities in Torindesh and Nenhar, many The Age of Deliverance (~3,200ya) cities in Dokhar, and others retain the knowledge and Beginning around 3000 years ago, these 1500 years use of electricity. Primarily, the incandescent light of Terrans developing and growing ended bulb allows streets and homes to be safely lit without disastrously. The rise and abuse of religious belief led the risk of burning oil or torches. Water radiators are to deadly crusades, made worse by the stealthy arrival also somewhat common, using electric heaters on the of nefarious Gaians who took thrones above the beings same grid as lighting. Entertainment technology also of Terrus. This ended on the First Fall, a great exists, in the form of record players and simple cataclysm in which the generals of Genis, once microphones, though developing these reemerging protectors of the world, manifested and destroyed technologies is slow. civilizations wholesale, driving the Children of Gaius Most electricity on Ket is generated through an out for good. The manifestations of the divine trinity abundant resource: wind power. Wind mills outside gave rise to their modern representations, as those cities, often placed between farming fields, provide were the massive physical forms they took to carry out what meager power is needed for such small the cleansing. The kingdoms of Pentus and Goresha communities. Other places closer to bodies of water met their ends, leaving nothing but ruins and vast, utilize waterwheels and tidal mill setups to further empty plains. Little is left intact from this age. produce electricity. Smaller towns often have a wind The Broken Age (~1,700ya) turbine or two generating a bit of power for niche Civilization slowly rebuilds. Dokhar is founded. uses. Univa is founded. The library in Atreon is built. After Distant communication via electricity is rare, a three hundred years, Nen is born. technology yet to reemerge in the Enlightened Age. The Age of Nen (~1,380ya) Circuit-based telephony exists within Univa, and some Six centuries of the adventurer's spirit and the craftsmen are working on bringing the technology upholding of justice. Nen traveled the world and back around by restoring the lines between Univa, spread his philosophy of the strong protecting the Aerugat, Hegresh, and Atreon. Remnants of radio- weak across all of Ket and possibly beyond, living on wave communication exist, such as broadcasting into his 600s before finally allowing another to take towers outside large cities, but they have yet to be the mantle of Rae's envoy. reharnessed or repaired; study into wireless The Rising Age (~800ya) technology has only just begun. Civilization flourishes, and great leaps and bounds Also surviving is the steam engine. Wood is are made in the studies of magic and technology. abundant and coal is a commonly-mined material. The Religion takes its rightful place as one which serves the dirigibles of Hegresh are powered by such engines people, not one which people must serve. Zeyla is pushing large propellers, derived from the steamboats founded. The first Kingdoms of Fohre appear. This age that preceded them on the Kraine and Lin rivers and ended tragically, however, as a cult of Arem attempted on the Lake of the Lost.. The trains of Bastion also to awaken their patron and instead of unleashed utilize steam engines. Frein, Raiv, and Yrin, sparking the Second Fall. Medicine is an odd practice mixing magic and Crafting items with magic is a niche industry, manual techniques. Mending the body is a difficult requiring such time and materials as to be barely task but manipulating flesh to rapidly heal or hold profitable in most cases. Places such as Arche and back bleeding makes it much more manageable. Many some of the kingdoms of Fohre, who can surpass physical maladies can be cured outright with fairly demands of the market through authoritarian rule, are simple spells. The wide availability of medicine in sole exceptions, often enslaving knowledgeable mages cities has greatly increased the average life to craft automated soldiers and powerful weapons for expectancy. their armies. Even Dokhar, which is known for its Also improving hygiene is the wide availability of magic, has little infrastructure dependent on magic. indoor plumbing, a technology which has luckily not Black powder is commonly used for demolition and faded away. In cities, clean water and organic waste mining. It has little use outside of that; fireworks and disposal are commonplace, allowing easy access to firearms have not developed on Terrus at all. good hygiene practices. Chapter 4: The Continent of Ket Ket is one of Terrus' primary three continents, Aragna though half the size of Sef. It is divided by two Aragna is a large republic, consisting primarily of mountain ranges, primarily: the Draugh, east and humans with generous but dispersed populations of west; and the Thrisdurns, cutting off the humid caprus and felids. Founded after years of infighting southern peninsula from the arid Zeresh region. Its and war, the Treaty of Univa in 247 EA united six people are diverse and populous, though it suffered warring nations into one. terribly from the Second Fall. Dokhar, the sovereign The capital cities are grand and growing, with towns nation of the caprus, sits on Ket's western peninsula, growing between them to support trade by land. Some continuing on as the world's oldest ongoing nation. trade happens over the air via dirigibles, but they are The envoy of Seilv is usually of Ket descent, specifically primarily for transport of people, not goods—it is from Aragna in the last few hundred years. usually much more efficient to transport goods via cart. The capital province of Gralden and its ancient capital of Univa flourish above the others, being the Religion plays a modest role in Aragnan life. Seilv is central hub of trade for the region. the deity of choice of most people, with a large Each settlement in each province gets one brotherhood of monks stationed in southern Gralden representative per 1000 people, chosen by popular dedicated to the Gaian. For this reason, Seilv tends to vote in most towns every three years. Every five years, choose his envoy from the people of Aragna, though people in each province also choose ten senators, and the last envoy died in 402 EA and a new envoy has yet every six years everyone in Aragna chooses the High to step forward. People follow the general teachings of Councilor, who oversees the proceedings of both Seilven philosophers: let small trespasses be, but houses. The white-haired Morn Besmit has been High punish large ones harshly; honor one's family, but stay Councilor for decades, and despite his age of 135 he true to oneself. One of the worst trespasses in an has shown no signs of stepping down. Aragnan's eyes is to insult the family of anyone, be it Family is seen as the central axis of society, from one's own or that of another. which everyone comes and to which everyone Clothing in Aragna is fairly plain, consisting contributes. Families often stay in one place, building primarily of dull-colored fabric clothing and leather on their trades over generations, passing skills on from outerwear. Most fabrics are made woven from wool or parent to child. A farmer's daughter will be a farmer, a soft plant flesh, of which there are several varieties, scholar's son will be a scholar. This system of culture died with simple pigments. Brighter colors are has been chipped away at in the last few decades with reserved for ceremonial dress. Most people's fashion the increase in airship travel and better consists primarily of a simple shirt and pants held by communication in general, with people becoming belts. Large-button coats are sometimes worn over more and more aware that there is more to the world these, usually hanging down to the buttocks and than their family's trade. fastened with a belt around the waist. Clothing that shows off more flesh than normal is becoming more firstborn son after the father's closest friend, or the and more popular in the city, and traditionalists are mother's closest friend for one's firstborn daughter. often off-put by this. Headwear is usually little more Examples of male names include: Anton, Amir, Bennil, than scarves or shawls, worn by people of all genders. Cord, Dagon, Demir, Emile, Herin, Medir, Logan, Roy, Among family, nudity is seen as fairly normal (as Toren, and Zen. Examples of female names include: family baths are common) but it is considered Ameil, Cohrus, Dameil, Elema, Hanna, Jenna, Nina, disruptive otherwise. Orin, Reil, and Wen. The dead in Aragna are treated well, with their Gralden is the central province of Aragna and the bodies groomed and then placed in a linen shroud capital of the region. It is a huge trading and before being buried in the ground. The belongings transportation hub, second in dirigible use only to the they held most dear are given to their closest friends, capital of Kaijeten. with any other belongings given to their closest family The city spans out from the capital building, the members. If they have no apparent family, their Grand Forum, a Colosseum-like structure where belongings are distributed among their neighbors and lawmakers and bureaucrats run the government. fellow townsfolk, as it is considered disrespectful to Buildings reach as high as thirty stories, some of the sell the belongings of a dead person before the most complex architectural achievements of the memory of their death has faded. human race. External, mechanical elevators lift people Life expectancy for humans in Aragna is around between floors, be it a place of business, a restaurant, sixty to seventy years, even in rural areas. In the or a home. One such tower is the Silver Spire of Lunas, larger cities, such as Univa or Aerugat, the higher said to be built by the Gaians themselves, which is concentration of available healing magic can allow one largely used as a place of worship and study. to live well into their 100s while retaining their youth The people of Gralden are known for their business- —Morn Besmit is one such example. like attitude. Unlike many other regions, they are often The official currency of Aragna is the copper estea, cold and keep to themselves, a symptom of Univa which is produced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, and being so densely-populated. That is not to say that the 100, with smaller coins worth 1/10th of an estea (1.4e people of Gralden are not generally nice or generous— would be “one and four estea,” for example). These this is far from the truth, should you befriend someone coins are stamped with the crest of Aragna on one side there. They are merely slow to trust. and the denomination on the other alongside a short Sogren is a rural province in the foothills of the script, often a popular saying or bit of wisdom. Estea Draugh. The soil here is especially fertile, producing all are universally accepted within Aragna and Tolen, and manner of fruits and vegetables and supporting great merchant guilds in Aragna and Arche conspire bounds of livestock. Its capital is Aerugat, a city atop together to keep the frigs and the estea of about equal an ancient bluff, which is home to Aragna's greatest worth. Counterfeiting estea is a serious crime, often military forces. Lord General Malin commands the punished by long periods in a public stockade and forces of Aragna from here, developing tactics to stave hard labor. off foreign and domestic threats alike. The Aragna's economy is driven largely by merchant crafsmanship of weapons from Aerugat is unmatched guilds, usually restricted to single cities. Merchants in in much of the human world. The twin mountains of a city cooperate with each other to negotiate trade Sogrigg and Gremmig are riddled with mines from between cities, negotiate with craftsmen and farmers, which great bounds of precious and useful metals are and agree on friendly competitive practices. The drawn. Scholars believe the two mountains have been largest guild covers most of Evonen, with the top mined since as far back as the Age of Deliverance, and merchants practically running the province their veins show no signs of running dry. themselves. Their control of Aragna's lumber trade has The military of Sogren is one of the least-changed made them a necessary evil in the eyes of many parts of Aragnan governance, staying true to its form politicians, even those who haven't been bought off by from the Sogren of old. Aragna's armies are them. commanded by the Lord General of Sogren, chosen by The justice system in Aragna is primarily military council. He and his Lordsmen are expected to community-based. A council, chosen by a local keep the whole of Aragna safe from all threats, foreign magistrate to be generally balanced between those and domestic, be it rebels, the forces of Arche, or the involved and neutral parties, oversee a court following congress in Univa using its power against the people established tenants put into law by the Grand Forum. who elected it. Despite the generous social power this These councils decide both the guilt of the accused and gives the Lord General, there has yet to be a single the punishment. Should the accused decide, the coup in Aragna's two centuries. magistrate can decide on the course of action for Military service is expected of most people from minor offenses themselves, often with suggestions Sogren, not by law but by tradition. It is a right of from injured parties. passage for people of all genders, dedicating a year of The people of Aragna often give their children their life to serving the Lord General, after which most simple names, heavy on n- and m-sounds. The suffix “- return home. This is criticized greatly by many ir” is common, though female versions of such names younger people, who see Sogren's militarized culture use “-eil” instead. It is customary to name one's as nothing but a subtle form of authoritarianism. Kaijeten is not so much in the foothills of the looked upon kindly, especially in more conservative Draugh as it is in the Draugh entirely. Its capital, settlements. Hegresh, is a city of odd engineering, a place where Valdren is one of the least-developed regions of eccentric machinists gather to mix magic and Aragna, on par with Evonen. Sitting atop an arid ingenuity into new technology. Hegresh is where the plateau, Valdren's population is still largely made up of airships of Aragna were first developed and its many nomadic tribes. Few people travel through Valdren, airdocks and ports show that. Hegresh is Aragna's gate choosing often to go around it if possible, since its dry to the west, with some travelers by both foot and air nature and isolationist population can make travel coming from as far away as Dokhar proper. quite a challenge. There is no proper capital of this The capital's “Engineering Exchange,” at first simply area, and many Aragnans often view Valdren as a a group of inventors who gathered to share foreign nation altogether. Though they may not realize knowledge, has in the last decade become an active it, the people of Valdren are the direct descendents of political group, branching out to Aerugat and Univa. the tribes that founded Aragna and its predecessor They seek to understand, rediscover, and reimplement nations, whose traditions and familial bonds create the old technologies, such as the telephony infrastructure foundation of Aragna's social strength. and railways whose ruins are found throughout Evonen is by far the most dangerous province of central Ket. Their success is varied but has recently Aragna. Most avoid it when they can, as it is in the restored the telephony system in Univa to working Forest of Balk proper and is thus home to many order, a simple test to get merchants and wealthy latrodects and foul creatures of dark creation. The nobles interested enough to invest, as the manpower settlements that are in Evonen are often led by cruel needed to recreate such infrastructures is immense. noblemen who pay practically nothing for the less Hidren is mostly water and is thus home to many fortunate to build them mighty defenses against the fishermen. Its capital is a grand fortress on an island, a forest around them. Like Valdren, Evonen has no citadel that is both part of but entirely separate from capital, though the noblemen who control most of the the rest of Aragna: Wan, the Pale City. The province is Balk meet on a regular basis to discuss business. famous for its wide variety of musical instruments and styles, which spread out through the rest of the region. Arche The majority of its area consists of the Lake of the Lost, Arche borders Aragna to the north. It is a primarily named after folktales of a young girl who was lost on human empire, heavily militarized and aggressive. its waters while fishing with her parents. She is said to The people there are encouraged to defend themselves haunt the waters to this very day, granting kind- and defend their country—carry weapons openly, be hearted folk with safe passage and, in some cases, life- suspicious of those who don't, and report any saving magics. The shores of the lake are known for dissidents to their local propaganda officer. their relatively large population of felids, who live as The Archen emperor, Beyoln Arche, fancies himself merchants or fishermen. a god to be worshiped, and his social, financial, and Raejen is a mixture of plains and hills bordering the magic power puts him quite close to it. He has an north of the Forest of Balk. Its capital, Atreon, contains incredibly strong soul, with magic so strong that none one of the oldest libraries on Terrus, with some tomes even dare to face him head-on. His generals are dating back to before the Age of Nen. The Library of similar, either recruited for their strong magic or the Ancestors creates a deep love of education and granted it by the emperor himself. It is rumored that learning; Raejen has by far the highest literacy rates in his generals are barely mortal, and their mysterious on all of Ket, save for Dokhar. The arcane scholars and air nourishes this rumor. philosophers here make continual leaps and bounds in The justice system and laws reflect the will of the the study of magic, making Atreon a treasured asset of emperor. They are harsh, strict, punishing small Aragna at large. transgressions with outrageous punishments. Thievery The people of Raejen are studious and intelligent, is punishable by public hanging. The severity of one's always willing to help people learn and enlighten crime can even cause punishment to be applied to themselves. Not everyone is a scholar, however. There one's close family and friends, as well. Corruption in is some contention between the scholars with their the government, from the lowly foot soldier to the books and their libraries and formulas and with their upper echelons of Beyoln's advisers, is rampant. magic and the farmers, the craftsmen, the merchants, Arche's relationship with Aragna is tense at best, who see the library-dwellers as too pompous to be with skirmishes happening on a regular basis on their worthy of respect. shared border. It has not reached a level of all-out war Still, the capital's influence on the area is yet, but it is obvious that Beyoln covets Aragna's land unmistakable. The Library of the Ancestors has and cities a great deal. Still, Arche and Aragna have branches in Aerugat, Wan, Hegren, Univa, and even similar cultural heritage, giving their people a strong the Arche city of Mola and Tolen's capital, Nallen, and social bond to this day, from names to music and food. most small-town libraries are also part of their In contrast with Aragna, the glory of the current network. The library will often train volunteers as emperor is the center of society. Serving his will and teachers and arrange for them to live in small towns to his state is the greatest way of life one can take—this is promote literacy and education. This is not always driven into people's heads from childhood. Outsiders are seen as strange and not to be trusted, on the off The people of Bastion are inventive and self-driven. chance they manage to travel through the country Independence is valued highly by many. Most young given its restrictions on such things. people reach adulthood believing that they will one Arche flourishes from its bountiful farmlands and day become a member of a noble house, by their own the huge forests in its northern section. Its trade runs work or through marriage, or that they might become on the standardized frigs, a currency of coins in a powerful merchant. denominations of 1, 10, and 50 in silver and 100s in Despite this, rising up from one's station in Bastion is gold. Frigs are stamped with the crest of Arche's quite difficult. There not a strict caste system like in current ruler on both sides alongside the the Kingdoms of Fohre but Bastion shares similar roots denomination. with those lands. Ideals of racial and genetic destiny Despite its strong economic growth, the are widespread. authoritarian government often leaves its population Bastion is one of few nations on Ket where slavery is with poor health and little food. Magic is strictly outright legalized. One can become a piece of property controlled, leading people to die of otherwise- through debt or birth. Treatment of such slaves near preventable illness and injury. The life expectancy in cities is generally decent, lack of personhood aside. In Arche, compared to Aragna, is abysmal. rural areas, such laws are much more difficult to Capellic is the capital province of Arche, containing enforce and terrible practices of punishment and the city of Rahnon and covering the southeast-central discipline are common. portion of the country. Rahnon is a large, sprawling metropolis with a raised citadel at its center, the Dokhar central palace and home of Beyoln. The people of By far the oldest existing civilization on Terrus, Rahnon are often seen in a haze, and outsiders usually Dokhar is the sovereign kingdom of the caprus. It is are only allowed in as prisoners of war or as criminals. the birthplace of Nen, a bastion of culture and magic Telkic is the western province, centered around the and one of the most peaceful places on the planet. city of Mola. This area of Arche is generally peaceful Its capital is Rianen, the most ancient city on the but Beyoln's thought police encroach on it more with planet, predating Dokhar's founding by countless each passing day. They share a great deal of their centuries. The Silver Spires of Solus make up the core cultural heritage with Sogren, with Mount Hestesh of the city, surrounding a great plaza and the fountain- supplying the region with great bounds of ores and topped tomb of Nen himself. The five spires are said to materials. have been built by the Children of Gaius, possibly Balthazel covers the vast pine forests of Arche's anchors to another plane or a way to communicate north. Though intensely rural and hard to live in due with Gaius, their star-faring vessel. to its bountiful snow and cold weather, the lumber Dokhar is a country full of magic. Even the naturally trade here makes this a go-to destination of merchants long-lived caprus live into their third or fourth century looking to make an easy living and laborers looking to with ease thanks to the wide teaching and availability get better money than what their home towns can of healing magics. Younger generations often see this offer. Compared to the rest of Arch, Blathazel is wild as a curse, not a blessing, causing Dokhar's politics to and untamed, though that can make the iron grip of move at a snail's pace. As well, despite the ability to law even harsher. heal one's body, the long lives of the caprus give rise to a widespread tendency toward mental illness, whether Bastion it's dementia and confusion or depression and anxiety Beyond the Wall of the World, a large, communal brought on by trauma experienced through one's long nation has reached a state of peace. Many people fled life. here during the Second Fall, going beyond the massive The country has some of the worst economic mounts of the range and finding safety. Bastion has disparity in the world. Despite being generally become a place of peace, with a population of equal prosperous, the poor are extremely poor. Cities often parts caprus and humans. Beyond the reach of most have large neighborhoods with crumbling buildings other nations, Bastion is self-sufficient and has where destitute people are forced to live, and often advanced technologically far beyond all others. have for multiple generations. The government has Bastion has a widespread rail system, one of the few never even recognized this as a problem, being surviving in the world, with steam-powered trains primarily run by old families with great reputations shuttling people back and forth across the country. and renown. This inconvenience is swept under the The country is led by a handful of noble families, rug in favor of the status quo, and there is little sign of mostly caprus and human lines with a single odd this changing. lineage of lacertus. They live in luxury and command Names in Dokhar, the harsh surnames of caprus the laws of the land via council of the heads-of- families aside, are often elegant and long, full of household. Luckily, their power does not see much vowels and s- and r-sounds. Examples of male names abuse, and peace is kept at a nice level—in fact, due to include Atulmam, Miraneha, Parehirya, Ginasanou, their direct control of resources, many people live with and Mahdehara. Examples of female names include their basic needs met at all times. Ariandrelas, Henisane, Perosa, Thilemathea, and Kynnascaleh. the Second Fall when Frein swept through the Bluescale Tundra struggling kingdoms on the coast at the time. Though not a proper nation, these large, hilly plains The people of Nenhar are hard-working and are home to many tribes of lacertus and few others. generally friendly. Being comprised of farmers and The people here live simple lives, creating small towns wayfarers, this attitude suits them well. Their one flaw or dens in which their small enclaves can eek out a is their superstitious nature, always mindful of omens decent living. Some people will travel hundreds of and bad luck. Outsiders that don't understand can miles to settle down in this untamed wilderness. often find themselves under scrutiny or at the receiving end of tirades on the subjects of their Kingdoms of Fohre foolishness and ignorance. Sitting in the shadow of the World Wall, these Nenhar deals largely in trading, with local wines human kingdoms are constantly shifting and changing being a standard good. Most everyone knows from a in the marshy expanse they reside in. This land has young age the worth of specific lines from specific been in flux the entirety of the Enlightened Age, with vineyards. Such pride in their country's brewing kings and despots claiming control over various aging brings great distaste for foreign ales that might sale cities. the long path down the River Kraine. There are currently seven kingdoms in Fohre, operating in a feudal system with rigid castes. Peasants Oreama do not look above their station; in fact, the common After the Second Fall, many caprus were sickened by civilian is often a serf, an indentured servant paying the poor treatment of the people by the Dokhar debts of ancestors long forgotten. Above them are government. A silent revolution began, one that land-owners, and above them are merchants, who ultimately failed to change the nation's ways. control the lands they own. Above them are nobles Thousands of supporters of the movement ultimately and knights, appointed by the royalty at the kingdoms' chose leave. They settled in the valley at the southern social peak. end of the Draugh and declared it Oreama, after one of Fohre is a marshy land in a wide depression, with the founders of Dokhar. waters rom the Draugh and the World Wall collecting People here, caprus and felid and human alike, keep in the porous firmament. What few outcroppings of to themselves in matters of law and regulation. Many bedrock have been built upon or harvested for human families have lived in the area for countless building materials. The ancient castles of the region generations, and there are still tensions between them are ancient, dating back to the Age of Nen in some and the caprus population. Barter and trade is the way cases. Some are crumbling, but all are used for their of the land, and its spread-out nature makes it tactical and historical qualities. attractive to foreign expatriates, who often choose to Its muddy lands make what little natural resources settle down in the Draugh foothills of the area. it has extremely valuable. Economics are based on bartering, with gold being saved as a sign of power Senvar and wealth by the ruling monarchs. A wagon filled This nation is cold and isolated, consisting primarily with lumber is worth half a dozen heads of cattle or of fishing villages and pine forests. Its capital of Jolia ogira, and workable ore is so rare as to be priceless. has special traditions with the giant serpents that Most metal and woodwork is done by processing and inhabit the churning waters of the Drakestooth Bay it salvaging from old works. sits on, with yearly festivals and many shrines The people of Fohre speak a dialect of Garesh that is dedicated to them. Being inhabited primarily by much closer to that of Goresha of old. They have an lacertus, the people of Senvar feel a special connection accent of blended words and odd slang which can to the reptilian creatures of the bay. The sea drakes in make them hard to understand to outsiders. Common this area are gentle, even docile, in fierce contrast with given names in the area include Comi, Sugia, Stranneh, their aggressive cousins that fill the rest of the bay. Finvi, and Avitt for males, and Telta, Briggeh, Ghira, Brenna, Aissen, and Eiban for females. Tolen This is a simple nation of farmers, run by an elected Melanvar council in its capital city of Nallen. Despite its simple On the northwest shores of Drakestooth Bay, this people, many great warriors are born here, rising up country is comprised mostly of lacertus and felids. The to do great deeds. The nation's southwestern section is people here are hardy and gruff, and outside unfortunately in the Forest of Balk and is a nesting communication isn't common. ground for bandits and criminals from across the region. Nenhar Tolen is culturally similar to much of Aragna, but its Named after the sea on which it resides, Nenhar is people are often less educated and “simpler,” in a the central port city of the Sea of Nen. Its people are word. There have been talks of folding Tolen into the fishermen and merchants, both full of superstition. Aragnan republic for decades, but nothing has come of Nenhar, despite being named after the caprus hero, is it as of yet. While the respected High Councilor is in inhabited mostly by felids who joined together after favor, the Lord General of Sogren has been strictly opposed, swaying political opinion and making it a Zeyla touchy subject. This desert kingdom thrived for centuries, even during the Second Fall. However, in around the 350th Torindesh year of the Enlightened Age, the kingdom's inhabitants This country is the southernmost nation of Ket. It is suddenly vanished. All trade stopped and many towns also the central tradepoint between Ket and Sef, being were outright buried by the encroaching sands, almost the one real gate of culture between the two overnight. What happened to this large, successful continents. Its people are hardy, either farmers used to kingdom is a mystery. Many of the old establishments dealing with the foul waters of the Thirsdurn, or are now used by felid tribes, as many old wells still sailors, used to dealing with people from all walks of bear water and some buildings still rise above the life. sand, providing shelter during the heat of the day. Chapter 5: The Frozen Continent of Fost Fost is one of the three major continents of Terrus, Erelnen is one of very few establishments on the though the smallest and least-populated. It is thought continent. It is an aging fort of caprus design, manned by some to be the homeland of the lacertus during the by personnel from Dokhar. Corrupt officials have a Golden Age, but that has long passed. Arem and Genis' tendency to send suspicious underlings here on long- final battle took place here, and the forces of time and term assignments. nature have yet to repair this broken land. Jagged mountains stretch across its eastern half and the land Genis' Rest is the one port of Fost. Its piers of is in a constant state of winter. Glacial forces make this ancient stone barely withstand the constant frost, and a dangerous place to tread even without the terrible measures must be taken year-round to ensure the port cold. is not clogged with ice. The Abyss is Arem's prison, sat in a crater in south- Last Stop is aptly named. It is a prison colony of central Fost. It is a terrible, black void, a hole in reality Dokhar, a barely-livable settlement built partially that vibrates constantly. Snow that builds up on the underground. It is also the last settlement on the road crater and mountain sides in the area fall down in to the Abyss, which no person of right mind would avalanches and vanish into the Abyss. Those who have take. tried to study it have usually broken down into constant paranoia or outright disappeared. Chapter 6: The Wild Continent of Sef Sef is an incredibly vast land, taking up much of the equatorial region and the southern hemisphere. Its innards are dry, often deserts hot and cold, but the coasts are bastions of civilization. Appendix A: D&D 5e Guidelines background based on family immigration, and tertiary Backgrounds languages are usually the subject of specific study. Core 5e backgrounds work well across the board, given extra fluff for an individual character. Magic All magic is, by its nature, arcane; even power Classes granted by extraplanar creatures is not considered With some fluff changes, most core 5e classes and divine. Thus, many spellcasting classes derive their class options work well. Due to how magic works, power from sources not traditionally associated with these changes are most import for divine casters. their abilities, as written before. Barbarian rage and the associated abilities are a Because magic is an emergent quality of intelligence, force-of-will style of magic focusing primarily on the it is hard for items to be imbued with magic items. individual. Magic is a commodity of the educated and the gifted, of Bards are studiers of magic through history, using living things, and the one “easy” way to give objects story and song as expressions of will similar to an magical qualities is the trapping of a soul, which is incantation. akin to enslaving a person's immortal essence. Low- Clerics do not receive magic from a deity. Rather, magic items such as potions and ointments are they are philosophers, and their chosen domain is a common enough at the expense of their crafter's broad subject on which they study. “Turn Undead” and energy, and noblemen are known to have magic odds its improved abilities can be flavored as a study into and ends made by master craftsmen. Beyond that, detaching souls from corpses, being a terrible blight on most magic items are regarded as artifacts of a lost the natural order. time or creations of vile people. Druids gain power through the study of nature. The planes, as well, are more abstract than in classic Think of them as biologists and climatologists. Circle of D&D settings. They often have different physics than the Moon druids learn more about living things by the material universe and are unfit to travel to. Plane shapeshifting into them. shift and teleportation spells should be restricted in Monks' ki abilities are simply another expression of general. magical ability and will. Paladins gain their power through dedication to a Monsters cause, focusing on their tenants with such force that For ease of use, most creatures from D&D Monster they can express such through magic. Losing faith in Manuals can be ported in wholesale with a bit of their cause and tenants will make their powers wane appearance and background changes. or disappear entirely. Dragons are large relatives of birds and ogira with Rangers are similar to druids, studying and learning magpie-like qualities. Wyverns are an earlier branch, about nature for the purpose of hunting or taming. and kobolds are the result of experiments on dragons Sorcerers are born with naturally strong souls. and lacertus. Their ability to use magic is innate. Draconic bloodline Goblinoids are the descendents of a set of sorcerers can easily be reflavored as sorcerers who experiments by caprus in the early years before Nen, specialize in a particular element. who wished to see how humans could be changed to Warlocks are those who have made pacts with do their bidding. Goblinoids have proved quite fruitful, creatures from other planes or powerful worldly spreading across Ket like the plague. creatures such as fey. Alternatively, they have gone Manticores and chimeras and other monstrosities through a magic ritual to bind their souls to another, are of the same breed, creatures who have been basically holding the life of powerful extraplanar bonded together or mutated by warps in the ether. creatures hostage in exchange for power. This is not Some are from experiments, others are caused by always a choice they knowingly made. natural distortions. Wizards are arcane scholars similar to clerics, but Undead are generally plane-trapped souls forced they are often more focused on practical applications into a body that is not their own. Constructs, oozes, than philosophical study. They study, memorize, and and elementals are similar, being souls trapped in an practice to perfect their crafts. Eldritch Knights and artificial body or a crystal attuned to a type of matter. Arcane Tricksters follow similar paths for their Fey are known as the Viren, said to be creatures who magical abilities. piggybacked on Gaius, arriving on the planet from far- off stars. They have strange powers and strong magics, Languages but usually keep to themselves. They are often erratic Languages should be restricted and chosen based on and act illogically; being magic beings from another logical principles. “Common” should be switched out star on an alien world, this is to be expected. for the appropriate language of the area: Dokharesh Celestials and fiends are generally creatures from for Dokhar, Garesh for Aragna and Arche, and so on. other planes of existence, twisted as they may be. Secondary languages should be based on trade or There is no concrete hell or heaven, and they usually do not serve any god known to Terrans. Giants and trolls are solitary creatures, living in chaotic, kindhearted but prone to getting caught up in mountainous or forested wilderness. They are not happenings and ignoring common courtesy. Their always of the same breed; some are merely humanoids feline nature grants them +2 to dexterity and +1 to who have been warped by the ether in the same way charisma. They have seemingly supernatural luck, as monstrosities or aberrations. being able to reroll 1s on a d20, though they must take Aberrations are either creatures twisted by or the second result if they do so. Speed 25ft. Proficiency created through vile magics or distortion of the ether, in Acrobatics. or they are creatures pulled onto Terrus from other Lacertus: Rare, often found in mountainous areas or planes wholesale. near fishing towns. Medium size, 6 to 8 feet tall. They reach adulthood in their mid teens and live to 60 on Races average, with an upper limit of 150 to 200 years. They These are the suggested races for Chilren of Terrus, have a base speed of 35 feet, are often lawful, and gain based on the intelligent races found on land-based +2 to constitution and +1 to wisdom. They have societies. resistance to cold damage, can go up to a week without Caprus: Common, medium size, 4 to 7 feet tall, reach eating with ease, and have advantage on stealth checks adulthood in mid-20s. They live to 120 years on to hide in natural settings be it a snowdrift, a collection average but there is no innate cap on their age as of rocks, or thick brush. humans tend to have. Speed 30ft, often of neutral Humans: Common, medium size, 5 to 6 feet tall, alignments. Being of strong build and mind, caprus adulthood in late teens, can live up to be 80-90 years gain +2 to intelligence and +1 to strength. Their old (or older with the aid of magic). Speed 30ft. No connection to magic lets them cast detect magic once alignment tendencies. Receives +1 to two stats, one per long rest and know one wizard cantrip. skill proficiency, and a feat. Latrodects: Very rare, they avoid interacting with societies outside their own. Small size, 2 to 4 feet tall. Skills They are often chaotic. Their spider-like nature gives The skills as-writ in 5e work fine in Children of them +2 to dexterity and +1 to constitution. They can Terrus. However, due to the nature of religion and the produce one dose of venom per long rest that can be planes, the Religion skill should be phased out. applied to a weapon. They can also perform a bite Information about religions can be gained from attack as an action to paralyze and poison, once per History, and information about the planes and undead long rest. They can also produce a temporary shelter and such can be gained from Arcana. out of their silk, taking an hour to make a shelter good for several days. Variant Rules Felids: Uncommon, often in traveling caravans or Feats are highly recommended. As well, the spell small family groups. Small size, 3 to 4.5 feet tall. Felids points variant in the DMG works well as expressing reach maturity at around the age of 15 and live about spell slots as a store of energy and will rather than a as long as humans. They are often good and sometimes more set-in-stone casting ability. Appendix B: Art

A take on the lacertus by /tg/ drawfriend Space kid

Sketch of a caprus by anonymous /tg/ drawfriend

Felid art by anonymous /tg/ drawfriend Felid art by anonymous /tg/ drawfriend A superb take on the lacertus by /tg/ drawfriend hack