Feint Whispers Compiled Campaign Info
Some notes on Hell.
Thousands of years ago a great event shook the world, known as the Fiend storm. This event was marked both by a war between the Gods and Fiends and clashes on the Prime between worshipers and cultists. It ended with the establishment of both the Compact and Empire, but it is said that the demons and devils were not wholly vanquished from reality.
Legend holds that they were imprisoned in a place most know as Hell, said to be a infinite pit; the typical DnD division between demon and devil is not particularly relevant, as the evil part of the alignment recieves greater emphasis, with only the tactics between the sides differing. At the top of this pit rests the Laughing God's City of Death, which guards over the fiends. Being the only evil diety who adheres to the Compact, he is given discretion over most evil souls, which he typically tosses into the infernal pit along with the Faithless, who are tortured by the 'natives' for all time. The major archfiends, who lead the creatures in the war against the gods are all present and spoken of in hushed whispers by peasents as the stuff of myth.
Thousands of years ago a great event shook the world, known as the Fiend storm. This event was marked both by a war between the Gods and Fiends and clashes on the Prime between worshipers and cultists. It ended with the establishment of both the Compact and Empire, but it is said that the demons and devils were not wholly vanquished from reality.
Legend holds that they were imprisoned in a place most know as Hell, said to be a infinite pit; the typical DnD division between demon and devil is not particularly relevant, as the evil part of the alignment recieves greater emphasis, with only the tactics between the sides differing. At the top of this pit rests the Laughing God's City of Death, which guards over the fiends. Being the only evil diety who adheres to the Compact, he is given discretion over most evil souls, which he typically tosses into the infernal pit along with the Faithless, who are tortured by the 'natives' for all time. The major archfiends, who lead the creatures in the war against the gods are all present and spoken of in hushed whispers by peasents as the stuff of myth.
Droskari (The Tainted)
Long before nomadic mortal tribes claimed the world on behalf of their gods, there existed a human race, the Droskari, who existed side by side with the Giants (or 'Large Folk'), Dragons, and Fey who used to hold sway over the land. Weak and barbaric, they revered their magical neighbors, pledging fealty and gifts in return for suppossed 'miracles'. They even in many cases gave their bodies to the magic folk in order so that their blood would be infused with unholy power.
But they would in the end taste the same bitter blades as their masters, as they too found themselves the object of crusade when humans, dwarves, and elves spread over the land. The Droskari were reduced in number and enslaved everywhere they were found. Following the Fiend Storm, they were given formal status by the Empire, branded as the 'Tainted'. They were made slaves of the state, all aspects of their lives regulated by Imperial will. Their innate magical talent was exploited towards the economic, political, and military ends of General and Emperor.
Because of this relationship with the state, they grew to be reviled by those who wished to throw off Imperial Tyrranny. Even today, when a Tainted is discovered in the North or D'orite lands, they are executed without trial, their mere existence seen as a challenge to the magical dominance of the Gods. Only in the Southern Empire are they tolerated as slaves of the state; in fact, they often hold positions of high political prestige, as their power affords them great influence.
In game terms, the Tainted are represented by the sorcerer class as well as certain races touched by outsider or fey blood. They are widely reviled and any hint of spontaneous magical talent instantly draws suspicioun. Peasents are free to take Holy and secular law in their own hands as relates to the Droskari.
Long before nomadic mortal tribes claimed the world on behalf of their gods, there existed a human race, the Droskari, who existed side by side with the Giants (or 'Large Folk'), Dragons, and Fey who used to hold sway over the land. Weak and barbaric, they revered their magical neighbors, pledging fealty and gifts in return for suppossed 'miracles'. They even in many cases gave their bodies to the magic folk in order so that their blood would be infused with unholy power.
But they would in the end taste the same bitter blades as their masters, as they too found themselves the object of crusade when humans, dwarves, and elves spread over the land. The Droskari were reduced in number and enslaved everywhere they were found. Following the Fiend Storm, they were given formal status by the Empire, branded as the 'Tainted'. They were made slaves of the state, all aspects of their lives regulated by Imperial will. Their innate magical talent was exploited towards the economic, political, and military ends of General and Emperor.
Because of this relationship with the state, they grew to be reviled by those who wished to throw off Imperial Tyrranny. Even today, when a Tainted is discovered in the North or D'orite lands, they are executed without trial, their mere existence seen as a challenge to the magical dominance of the Gods. Only in the Southern Empire are they tolerated as slaves of the state; in fact, they often hold positions of high political prestige, as their power affords them great influence.
In game terms, the Tainted are represented by the sorcerer class as well as certain races touched by outsider or fey blood. They are widely reviled and any hint of spontaneous magical talent instantly draws suspicioun. Peasents are free to take Holy and secular law in their own hands as relates to the Droskari.
Hoator
The Kingdom of Hoator is a land-locked nation that rests at the crossroads where several different religious, political, and cultural influences meet. In terms of dimensions, it is roughly 400 miles from west to east and 100 miles from north to south. The Kingdom is divided into along a number of lines into two legal jurisdictions, much like the continent on which it rests.
The North
The northern half of the country consists of large swaths of arable land fed by waters that descend from the Serpantcoil Mountains in the south as tributaries of the Suse river. That river constitutes the practical northern border of the Kingdom. Because of the large number of moist open fields that serve as farmlands, the greater part of Hoator's population resides in the north.
The northern Hoarts, like the people who populate the northern half of the Sommite empire, worship Telmor and his attendant dieties. Law here is governed by a system of feudal contracts made between strong noble families. These Houses hold sway over discreet pieces of land that vary in size of the smallest thorp to fiefs that have thousands of peasents in residence. Greater houses tend to hold minor houses as vasals, and the feudal pyrimad extends right up to the King, who rules from the King's City in the northwest. Protection for local subjects falls on the back of local nobility, and thus the landscape is dotted with castles and keeps.
The South
While northern lands are characterized by wide, flat fields, the south is largly rugged and mountanous. On the whole, the south rests at a higher elevation than the north. Two region is constituted of two features; the Serpentcoil Mountains and the Yellow Valley.
The Serpentcoil Mountains act as the southern border to northlands. Southern Hoart peasents farm small plots of land along the northern foothills of the mountain range while orcs, ogres, and a few dwarven clans inhabit the highlands. Between these two groups, a small string of mining settlements reside along the northern foothill; the miners are largely northern, the towns and mines the property of the crown. Duvik's Pass, one of the larger of these settlements, acts as the major point of travel through the mountains, connecting the Yellow Valley to Northern Hoator. Marikest, another of these communities, acts as the traditional seat of government for the Lord Commander of the South.
The Yellow Valley is blocked off from the rest of the Kingdom to the north by the Serpantcoil and to the South by the number of Mountain ranges that crisscross the Southern Empire. Though being limited in absolute size (about 2000 square miles), the Valley is highly fertile. The overwhelming majority of the population of the Southern province lives here. Unlike the feudal structure of the north, the nobles of the Valley, taking their cues of the great Houses of the Empire, rest their relations on manoralism. Several great houses own almost all the land in the Valley. The families adminster the land centrally, without a class of vassals doing so in their stead. They deal with each other mostly as equals. There is no sense of obligation to those who don't own land, and thus slavery is commonplace here.
The Borders
The Suse River acts as the northern border of Hoator, which is shared with the Newly formed elven kingdom of Fey'ri. The Northern Sommite Empire lies to the west and northwest; the wild, barberous horselands to the east; the Southern Empire to the South; and the mountanous, dwarven realm of Easthold to the southeast.
The Kingdom of Hoator is a land-locked nation that rests at the crossroads where several different religious, political, and cultural influences meet. In terms of dimensions, it is roughly 400 miles from west to east and 100 miles from north to south. The Kingdom is divided into along a number of lines into two legal jurisdictions, much like the continent on which it rests.
The North
The northern half of the country consists of large swaths of arable land fed by waters that descend from the Serpantcoil Mountains in the south as tributaries of the Suse river. That river constitutes the practical northern border of the Kingdom. Because of the large number of moist open fields that serve as farmlands, the greater part of Hoator's population resides in the north.
The northern Hoarts, like the people who populate the northern half of the Sommite empire, worship Telmor and his attendant dieties. Law here is governed by a system of feudal contracts made between strong noble families. These Houses hold sway over discreet pieces of land that vary in size of the smallest thorp to fiefs that have thousands of peasents in residence. Greater houses tend to hold minor houses as vasals, and the feudal pyrimad extends right up to the King, who rules from the King's City in the northwest. Protection for local subjects falls on the back of local nobility, and thus the landscape is dotted with castles and keeps.
The South
While northern lands are characterized by wide, flat fields, the south is largly rugged and mountanous. On the whole, the south rests at a higher elevation than the north. Two region is constituted of two features; the Serpentcoil Mountains and the Yellow Valley.
The Serpentcoil Mountains act as the southern border to northlands. Southern Hoart peasents farm small plots of land along the northern foothills of the mountain range while orcs, ogres, and a few dwarven clans inhabit the highlands. Between these two groups, a small string of mining settlements reside along the northern foothill; the miners are largely northern, the towns and mines the property of the crown. Duvik's Pass, one of the larger of these settlements, acts as the major point of travel through the mountains, connecting the Yellow Valley to Northern Hoator. Marikest, another of these communities, acts as the traditional seat of government for the Lord Commander of the South.
The Yellow Valley is blocked off from the rest of the Kingdom to the north by the Serpantcoil and to the South by the number of Mountain ranges that crisscross the Southern Empire. Though being limited in absolute size (about 2000 square miles), the Valley is highly fertile. The overwhelming majority of the population of the Southern province lives here. Unlike the feudal structure of the north, the nobles of the Valley, taking their cues of the great Houses of the Empire, rest their relations on manoralism. Several great houses own almost all the land in the Valley. The families adminster the land centrally, without a class of vassals doing so in their stead. They deal with each other mostly as equals. There is no sense of obligation to those who don't own land, and thus slavery is commonplace here.
The Borders
The Suse River acts as the northern border of Hoator, which is shared with the Newly formed elven kingdom of Fey'ri. The Northern Sommite Empire lies to the west and northwest; the wild, barberous horselands to the east; the Southern Empire to the South; and the mountanous, dwarven realm of Easthold to the southeast.
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A Theory on the Origin of Species (Part 1)
The history of the world is shrouded in fable for most of its sentient inhabitants. This results in much ambiguity conscerning the origins of the current mortal races, though a minimum of knowledge is imparted to most through the sermons of local priests and chieftans. The theme of these legends is always the respect deserved by the Gods.
All men generally hold that the first sentient mortal races to inhabit the Earth were the Giants. Strong and possessing of great magic, their civilization was of such prestige that they spoke as equals to both terrestial spirits (fey) and those from other words (outsiders). But they were also aggressive and warlike, using their power in the pursuit of sin.
But the tall ones would see their pride fall. Three giant tribes, inhabiting lands remote to their kin, began recieving omens of doom from spirits greater than any their history had ever recorded. These spirits were the Gods. Realizing the extent of the Gods' power and the inevitability of their own fall from grace, the three tribes begged for forgivness, creating ritual upon ritual designed to humble themselves. Over the course of centuries, the fervor of their humility increased to a fevered pitch. The raw power of the giants' faith began to manifest physically. Once large and imposing, the faithful's bodies shrank to but a fraction of their prior size, the embodiment of their own sense of powerlessness. The Gods finally replied, telling them to stand and have pride in their faith.
The small tribes were then sent into the heartland of what used to be their kin to conquer. The heathen giants at first scawfed at the puny newcomers and went so far as to challenge the small ones' 'Gods' directly to show their power. Show them the dieties did as cataclysm upon cataclysm swept their lands. Through their divine backing the Crusader Tribes made headway, dividing the lands to be conquered between them.
One tribe was given the heavy responsibility of taking and holding all the lowlands, which induced them to breed in large numbers; these were humans and have adapted to the broad sweep of their mandate by becoming the most numerous and widespread of the mortal tribes.
Another was tasked to war in the mountains, the heartland of the giants who wished to build their mountain fortresses as close as possible to the sky cities of their spirit lords. The rough nature of the terrain as well as the tenacity of the heathens here made this tribe especially durable. These became known as dwarves, who are still held in awe by many a human peasent for their superior combat skill.
The third tribe was to be everywhere the others weren't, supplying the dwarves and humans with what they lacked and to deprive the giants of what they needed. These were the halflings. Two traditions address the inordinatly small size of these creatures. Some say (mostly halflings) that it a reflection of their incredible devotion to their gods. Others (also including many halflings ironicaly) claim it was an aknowledgement by the Gods of the halflings' talent for cunning and deception, and that they needed an especially thorough 'reminder' of their own limitations.
The history of the world is shrouded in fable for most of its sentient inhabitants. This results in much ambiguity conscerning the origins of the current mortal races, though a minimum of knowledge is imparted to most through the sermons of local priests and chieftans. The theme of these legends is always the respect deserved by the Gods.
All men generally hold that the first sentient mortal races to inhabit the Earth were the Giants. Strong and possessing of great magic, their civilization was of such prestige that they spoke as equals to both terrestial spirits (fey) and those from other words (outsiders). But they were also aggressive and warlike, using their power in the pursuit of sin.
But the tall ones would see their pride fall. Three giant tribes, inhabiting lands remote to their kin, began recieving omens of doom from spirits greater than any their history had ever recorded. These spirits were the Gods. Realizing the extent of the Gods' power and the inevitability of their own fall from grace, the three tribes begged for forgivness, creating ritual upon ritual designed to humble themselves. Over the course of centuries, the fervor of their humility increased to a fevered pitch. The raw power of the giants' faith began to manifest physically. Once large and imposing, the faithful's bodies shrank to but a fraction of their prior size, the embodiment of their own sense of powerlessness. The Gods finally replied, telling them to stand and have pride in their faith.
The small tribes were then sent into the heartland of what used to be their kin to conquer. The heathen giants at first scawfed at the puny newcomers and went so far as to challenge the small ones' 'Gods' directly to show their power. Show them the dieties did as cataclysm upon cataclysm swept their lands. Through their divine backing the Crusader Tribes made headway, dividing the lands to be conquered between them.
One tribe was given the heavy responsibility of taking and holding all the lowlands, which induced them to breed in large numbers; these were humans and have adapted to the broad sweep of their mandate by becoming the most numerous and widespread of the mortal tribes.
Another was tasked to war in the mountains, the heartland of the giants who wished to build their mountain fortresses as close as possible to the sky cities of their spirit lords. The rough nature of the terrain as well as the tenacity of the heathens here made this tribe especially durable. These became known as dwarves, who are still held in awe by many a human peasent for their superior combat skill.
The third tribe was to be everywhere the others weren't, supplying the dwarves and humans with what they lacked and to deprive the giants of what they needed. These were the halflings. Two traditions address the inordinatly small size of these creatures. Some say (mostly halflings) that it a reflection of their incredible devotion to their gods. Others (also including many halflings ironicaly) claim it was an aknowledgement by the Gods of the halflings' talent for cunning and deception, and that they needed an especially thorough 'reminder' of their own limitations.
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A Theory on the Origin of Species (Part 2)
While halflings, humans, and dwarves regard their origins as ones of simultaneous loss (physical stature) and gain (the patronage of the Gods), the other prominent races of the world have histories that are regarded more cynicaly. Elves, Gnomes, and Orcs are generaly thought to be descended from nature spirits and it is accepted that they are still somewhat magical. Given this, they aren't considered by most humans and dwarves to have been fully converted by the Gods and their current humble status is viewed as more punishment than gift.
Of the three so-called 'fey-born', the gnomes are perhaps the most personable and respected. Though predisposed to travel, their chaotic natures are forgiven because of the useful religious and magical knowledge they tend to collect on their soujourns. They also serve nobles, merchants, and kings as scribes, bookeeps, and bards, the latter an occupation of especially elite status. And the gnomes, unlike the orcs and elves, actually do seem to have a history which they are willing to share and spread to the pure mortals. They say that their anscestors were earth spirits who were visited by the God known today as the Scribe. He called on all the fey gnomes to join him, and once they had, he recited a history of the universe that was so sweeping and awe-inspiring, that the fey were both joyous and appalled in equal measure. They were appalled because they were aware that they would never be privy to a performance so brilliant ever again, which is saying a lot given their near immortality at that time. Hoping to one day hear it again, they decided to 'start over', giving up their spirit essence and choosing to become mortal; this both gave them a new appreciation of lesser, more mundane works of art, as well as give successive generations a chance to rediscover and reinterpret each epic poem or history again, as well as create their own.
While halflings, humans, and dwarves regard their origins as ones of simultaneous loss (physical stature) and gain (the patronage of the Gods), the other prominent races of the world have histories that are regarded more cynicaly. Elves, Gnomes, and Orcs are generaly thought to be descended from nature spirits and it is accepted that they are still somewhat magical. Given this, they aren't considered by most humans and dwarves to have been fully converted by the Gods and their current humble status is viewed as more punishment than gift.
Of the three so-called 'fey-born', the gnomes are perhaps the most personable and respected. Though predisposed to travel, their chaotic natures are forgiven because of the useful religious and magical knowledge they tend to collect on their soujourns. They also serve nobles, merchants, and kings as scribes, bookeeps, and bards, the latter an occupation of especially elite status. And the gnomes, unlike the orcs and elves, actually do seem to have a history which they are willing to share and spread to the pure mortals. They say that their anscestors were earth spirits who were visited by the God known today as the Scribe. He called on all the fey gnomes to join him, and once they had, he recited a history of the universe that was so sweeping and awe-inspiring, that the fey were both joyous and appalled in equal measure. They were appalled because they were aware that they would never be privy to a performance so brilliant ever again, which is saying a lot given their near immortality at that time. Hoping to one day hear it again, they decided to 'start over', giving up their spirit essence and choosing to become mortal; this both gave them a new appreciation of lesser, more mundane works of art, as well as give successive generations a chance to rediscover and reinterpret each epic poem or history again, as well as create their own.
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