Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
[Let's Read] Seas of Vodari
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8275617" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/1hZ3toD.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Chapter II: A World to Explore (Part I)</strong></p><p></p><p>This chapter is by far the largest one in the book, at 72 pages out of a 270 page book. For the purposes of brevity this is going to be split into two parts.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://i.imgur.com/SDzqsvS.jpeg" target="_blank">It’s too big to fit here without stretching the pages on some sites, but here’s a link to the setting map</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Southern Nations:</strong> This southwestern island chain is made up of five countries. Throughout their post-cataclysm history they’ve been allies as much as they’ve been enemies, and are commonly made up of the more typical standard fantasy races.</p><p></p><p><em>Arushi</em> is a land of contrasts. Made up primarily of two cities, their urban landscape is a beautiful, art-filled series of buildings and structures. But it is home to some of the poorest people in Vodari, and those living in its slums face famine and plague as a daily struggle. Arushi’s monarchy is absolute, concerned more with earning the favor of wealthy foreigners than caring for their own subjects. In the wilderness beyond the urban confines and within the sewers below lurk monsters kept in check by the Hunter’s Guild. There is an underground rebellion brewing, and not just from the commoners. There exists tension among the ranks of the Musketeers, Arushi’s elite guards, some of whom are not blind to the peoples’ suffering. Adventure opportunities focus on the class divide, forbidden romances between monarchists and rebels, and hunting monsters within and beyond the cities’ dark corners.</p><p></p><p><em>Taevara</em> was once a monarchy like so many other nations, but within the last one hundred years the priesthood of Taeva took control of every branch of government and turned the nation into a theocracy. It is the most powerful of the southern nations, both for being at the geographic center of various trade networks as well as its heavy military spending. The theocracy is insistent on rooting out corruption of the more non-violent and mundane kinds, and banned dancing, drinking, and non-divine magic as well as more dangerous crimes such as dueling. The population is faithful to various degrees; there’s a huge underground network of bars and dance halls, and the city of Westara’s inhabitants developed a “knocking code” to transmit hidden messages along the pipes and walls of buildings in order to conceal illegal activities. Archpriest Fierros, the leader of the nation, isn’t even Lawful Good; rather he is Lawful Neutral, and he ignores the poor sections of the capital city in the belief that poverty and immorality go hand in hand. Even so, there are genuine good-aligned members of the Taevaran Theocracy, often having to deal with pushback and politicking from factions of their own government when trying to get things done. Adventure opportunities focus on dealing with the black market, corruption among the priesthood, fighting the Taevaran Navy just about anywhere if the PCs happen to be pirates, and stopping a rampaging dragon turtle from attacking a festival on a series of linked flotillas.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/CPHayqj.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><em>Veraci</em> is a nation where private enterprise and government go hand in hand. Or rather, the former supplanted the latter as the true power. Over twenty merchant houses control aspects of daily life, with the four largest ones being the de facto rulers. Each of the big four have all the benefits of a centralized government’s armed forces, albeit privatized to be loyal solely to them. House Tealeaf presides over all kinds of beverages and has the largest amount of spellcasters among the houses. House Kawani specializes in textiles and artisanal crafts, and has the largest and most powerful navy of the houses. House Hemlock specializes in food and alchemy, and counts proficient poisoners among its ranks as well as fast ships for transporting perishable goods. House Lagunn specializes in the trade of rare and supernatural creatures, a few of which serve as soldiers and flying mounts. We have a write-up on two of their largest cities as well as their most interesting inhabitants. The metropolis of Vardi is home to beautiful private estates, palm trees, rooftop gardens, gondola networks, and marble statues, making it prime real estate for Vodari’s wealthy. Much of the city’s wealth isn’t physical, being made up of loans and shares for businesses, and its counting houses are unique in Vodari for having a centralized governing body for such liquid funds. The city of Valedo is more rural and low-key in comparison, although it too has more than a few “country houses” of well-to-do merchants. Adventure opportunities involve corporate sabotage and espionage between merchant houses, and one where the PCs end up framed for murder during a festival.</p><p></p><p><em>Xolen</em> is a multicultural mix of gnomes, humans, and dwarves with a smattering of other races. Like Veraci it is also governed by private businesses, albeit in the form of guilds with representatives who vote to elect a governor every year rather than being completely separate entities. Heavily industrialized, the cities of the island are covered in smog and smoke from the many factories and machines, and much of its food supply is imported from outside islands. A group of druidic defenders of nature known as the Thorns carry out attacks on factories and other centers of industry to stem the tide of pollution. One common problem is a series of isolationist laws preventing smaller towns from being able to sell their goods to foreign groups, which has harmed local farming and fishing industries. We have write-ups on the capital city which shares the same name as the nation as well as five smaller towns. One of the more interesting towns, Orca, is not part of Xolen proper, but is a self-sufficient community of wereorcas who refuse any form of alliance or trade due to the guilds’ pollution. Due to this, eventual violence may be inevitable. There’s also the isolated community of Naft, a pseudo-religious group who advocates balance in all things, ranging from “do unto others” mutual respect as well as “eye for an eye” system of punishments. Adventure opportunities in Xolen center around conflict between the Guilds and the Thorns and more rural communities, and inter-Guild politicking.</p><p></p><p><em>Zavros</em> is a muddy, barren realm whose communities seem to be in an eternal state of disrepair. A series of wars have contributed to Zavros’ decline, and the current king rules in name only. A group of four organized crime groups known as the Syndicates have carved up Zavros into respective ‘turfs,’ contributing to rebuilding as well as more illegal enterprises in hopes of securing themselves as the new government of the nation. The capital of Port Zavo is crime-ridden but not totally chaotic as there is order of a sort among the Syndicates. At least half of said crime groups’ leaders made pacts with fiendish figures to obtain magical power, and even King Feber Proszt is not immune to infernal temptation. Said king is actually a horned devil in disguise who replaced the original monarch and supplied the infernal pact to the leader of the Ash Hands (one of the syndicates) although they don’t know it yet. The smaller island of Razan is part of Zavros, albeit instead of fiends and gangsters the realm is ruled over by Baron Lucian Rau, a reclusive man who is actually a vampire. Adventures in Zavros dealing with the crime syndicates and their demonic/devilish backers, and Baron Rau who is turning the subjects of his island into vampires far beyond their ability to sustain themselves.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/kWyngtz.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>The Pirate Isles:</strong> Occupying the far south of Vodari, the Pirate Isles are less populated and centralized than the Southern Nations, and the pirates, smugglers, monsters, and various anti-establishment figures are more than happy to keep it that way. Once banded together out of a shared enemy of the nations that formerly employed them as privateers, the closest equivalent to a “pirate nation” is a mutual defense pact known as the League of Captains. They coordinate efforts in electing a King/Queen of Pirates to a five-year term in the event of a unified threat, which is almost always Taevara. The current Pirate Queen is Esmeralda, although other powerful groups include the Four Aces fleet known for their crew of powerful spellcasters, the fleet of Scales who are mostly made up of dragonborn and amphibious races, the Black Guard who recruit from the most desperate and make up for lack of quality with humanoid wave tactics, and the Rum Runners who are eccentric and beloved for targeting ships carrying alcohol which they share with locals in various ports.</p><p></p><p>The more notable population centers (and even those average populations of a few thousand) include the trio of islands known as <em>Coral, Dagger, & Reef,</em> whose populations are mostly minotaurs, goblins, and orcs. They are not well-liked even by other pirates in that they don’t even abide by the Code of the Sea, the informal set of social laws and obligations followed by privateers.</p><p></p><p>The island of <em>Fortana</em> is named after the goddess of luck and follows a strange set of rules: instead of a set of former laws, any form of conflict resolution between inhabitants is settled via a game of chance or skill, and they use a currency known as “challenge coins” which can be used to issue challenges to other citizens to wager just about anything. New citizens are given 3 coins upon arrival, and the system was put in place in the belief that it can temper the chaos from a society without any real laws. One with a lot of challenge coins would theoretically be perceived as incredibly lucky and thus be less tempting of a target.</p><p></p><p>Of course, such a system is open to abuse. The ex-governor of Fortana, a halfling pirate by the name of Durban Flickwick, is building up a secret stash of coins to upset the island as part of a revenge plot after losing his former seat.</p><p></p><p>The island of <em>Ghost</em> is believed to be haunted and thus has no real permanent inhabitants. Such rumors have an element of truth, as the island is home to the cursed soul of the Black Guard’s former captain, and the ruins of a castle are home to a lich and mummy lord. The former patriarch and matriarch of the now-dead Pitcarin noble family who once presided over the island, they command a horde of zombies as their new generation of subjects.</p><p></p><p><em>Mirta & Morto</em> are also rumored to have a foul reputation, but their curses are of another kind. Mirta is a lush island, while Morto’s bountiful fruits cause anyone to eat them to become severely ill. Mirta was claimed by a pirate crew known as the Ghosts who disguise themselves as undead and litter the island with various traps and devices to simulate the presence of undead. That way, combined with the island of Morto’s deadly fruit, they discourage outsiders from setting up shop nearby due to belief in malign supernatural influences.</p><p></p><p><em>Sharkfin</em> is home not just to sharks, but also to the pirate gang of Threshers whose senior membership consists of weresharks. In spite of their dangerous reputation they live a rather quiet life on the island, being a calm and serene series of settlements home to gardens and fisheries.</p><p></p><p><em>Skull Island</em> is the most populated of the Pirate Isles, sitting at 45,000 permanent residents. Its capital city of Sceptre houses the seat of the Pirate Queen, and is a common meeting area for various captains seeking alliances for joint raids. Sceptre’s port and surrounding environs are riddled with hidden cannons and defenses in the event of invasion. We get brief write-ups on Queen Esmerelda and seven other pirate captains: the more notable entries include the Ace of Diamonds, a non-binary half-elf who has a network of contacts across Vodari, Captain Black Belixa Dolunae of the Black Guards whose own ship figurehead is a mimic that can bite into rammed vessels,* and the good-natured Fáolan Shae of the Rum Rummers secretly bears fey heritage and may be next in line as Pirate King of Vodari. For those who aren’t pirate captains but hold great power there’s Old Cobra, a shadowy witch who is part of a sea hag coven who lives in a lair in the nearby jungles. Her coven is willing to grant visitors supernatural services in exchange for prices of eccentric objects and favors.</p><p></p><p>*This isn’t solely unique to her vessel; it’s a magical ship upgrade PCs can purchase, detailed in Chapter VI.</p><p></p><p><em>Tabulu</em> is famous for its gambling houses and thus sees a lot of traffic from the Southern Nations for a Pirate Isle. But its casinos aren’t its only attraction, with beautiful beach resorts and nightclubs providing entertainment. Due to this, it is able to operate more independently from the League of Captains for its reputation as a “safe haven” for foreign wealth. Two adventure hooks include various high-stakes gambling tournaments and casino heists, as well as a popular annual ship race known as the Governor’s Regatta that crosses over dangerous monster-filled territory and sharp reefs.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/TOWPdZX.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>The Colonies:</strong> Claiming a portion of Vodari’s southeastern chain, the Colonies are the result of generations’ worth of settlement by the Southern Nations. They gained greater degrees of independence from their client states due to the prior decades worth of wars, and with said independence came danger. Some ended up virtually abandoned and forced to fend for themselves, and others fell to martial law and civil war.</p><p></p><p><em>Faraway Chain</em> sits at a crossroads between the Marradi Archipelago and the Southern Nations, colonized by Veraci merchant houses. Glassworks are a popular industry and is also home to the unique dragon pear fruit that only grows on this island. The colonies are home to a bronze dragon who adopted a human disguise, working as a humble glassblower, as well as the niece of the King of Zavros who knows that her “father” has been replaced by a devil. Besides this being an adventure hook along with said dragon falling in love with her as a protector, another potential quest involves the PCs investigating a lost expedition into a cavern system inhabited by dinosaurs.</p><p></p><p><em>Liberty Chain</em> is a gathering of autonomous enclaves so-named for the island of Liberty who sought to break away from Taevaran dominance. Although favored by criminals and other enemies of the Theocracy, Liberty is not like the Pirate Isles and in fact installed its own democratic council system which Taevara is attempting to overthrow via sabotage and assassination. Liberty’s own symbols have been adopted by other anti-establishment groups throughout Vodari. There’s also the island of Aru whose merchant class rules over indentured laborers. The criminal dumping ground of Ethri who hosts rebels in exile from Arushi and whose major industry is harvesting an intoxicating plant species known as jaja bush, while the barren island of Nanti whose few souls are those who wish to live isolated from others. Prosperi which is harshly ruled over by Taevara’s navy, and the nearby Xolenian colony of Tempest is building up a secret army planning on invading Prosperi. Tero which is a religious community dedicated to the god of the same name and hosts both a grand library and a recently unearthed jungle temple dungeon brimming with dark magic.</p><p></p><p><em>Vulcani</em> is home to the Xolenian colony of Inferno that mines the volcano’s natural resources. Indigenous fire giants don’t take too kindly to the encroachment of their territory and have struck back violently. Xolen responded by sending even more workers and mercenaries to Inferno, promising high-pay for high-risk work.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Jmmvwm2.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>The Forest Realm:</strong> The islands of the west are home to the majority of the elven race and forest gnomes. Before the destruction of Varanu (which they call Túraterhat, or the Great Parting) the elves lived in relative peace among the western forests. But during the Great Parting they split into different scattered and isolated societies. It was only until the last hundred years that their woodland islands opened up to the rest of Vodari, trading and warring with the other nations in equal measure. The major elven peoples include the Silvari, or high elves, the Naduri, or wood elves, the Lunori, or dark elves, and the Quessari, or sea elves.</p><p></p><p><em>Arachni</em> is the homeland of the Lunori elves, who are pretty much drow. Although they still have a preference for darkness and giant spiders who they treat as holy animals, they aren’t necessarily evil or live underground. They live mostly in forest, and their lands are protected by an invisible magical barrier that causes the sky above to be an eternal night. Their islands are closest to the plane of existence known as the Shadowlands, where many monsters of shadow and death come into Vodari via portals</p><p></p><p><em>Aubori</em> is full of tropical rainforests, and the Naduri elves live as hunter-gatherer tribes who are led by a Council of Elders composed of the oldest and wisest members of their people. They do have a city of 30,000 whose dwellings are exclusive among the treetops, and there’s growing discontent between the older and younger generations, the latter of whom wish to incorporate foreign ideas and traditions. The Wild Ones are the most radical of said youths, and given that speaking out against the Elders is punishable by exile such conflict may rise to violence in due time.</p><p></p><p><em>Fernwa</em> is notable for a small yet significant number of inhabitants from the realms of Faerie due to the island overlapping planar boundaries. Fernwa is a wondrous land full of things that seem possible only in dreams, and time seems to flow differently here.</p><p></p><p><em>Leafi</em> has a mixed population of outsider cultures ranging from Naduri elves, Silvari elves, and gnomes who sought to live solitary self-governing lives. Local communities are autonomous that never grow larger than a village due to a common agreement,* and government structures differ but share in common non-interventionist and individualist values. The island is home to many dangerous monsters, and the inhabitants are incapable (and unwilling) to mount a unified assault against them, so for now villagers opt to avoid the more dangerous areas. There is an order of pegasus-riding paladins known as the Sky Knights who travel between the communities, saving people from dangers when the time comes but otherwise serving as a sort of pseudo-military in reserve.</p><p></p><p>*when a population grows too large a portion splits off to found a new village.</p><p></p><p><em>Luna</em> is home to Naduri elves and forest gnomes whose island is home to soultrees, plants with magical properties. Soultrees grow nowhere else and are regarded as sacred by the natives, although the nation of Xolen covets them for their properties. The people of Luna are thus engaged in a low-scale war with Xolen, and have developed a magitech navy. The Order of Gear & Branch, meanwhile, researches conventional technology blended with nature magic. Both groups turned Luna into a veritable fighting force, but there’s also a green dragon by the name of Emeraldclaw who seeks to hasten the war for personal enrichment.</p><p></p><p><em>Silvari</em> is the largest and most populated of the elven nations, and is governed by a hereditary class system. Although the ruling aristocracy is supported by the merchant and soldier classes, there exist groups among them who aren’t content with their lot in life after seeing how outside countries operate. This is doubly so among the peasantry, and an extremist group of Silvaran mages known as Tabula Rasa seeking to “wipe the slate clean” and transform their nation into a classless meritocracy. The capital city of Silvertree is a beautiful arboreal realm of ivory and silver towers, where even the crudest buildings are clean. The smaller port city of Esari is Silvari’s major source of trade with the outside world, and this degree of influence allows the local Port Authority to more or less be de facto rulers who don’t have to worry about Silvertree’s marching orders too much.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts So Far:</strong> The first four major regions of Vodari are an interesting blend of countries, all with ample opportunities for conflict and venture. I have noticed that a lot of islands, particularly the smaller ones, often have a primary problem instead of several, which gives the impression of a campaign where PCs sail from isle to isle solving troubles in a relatively quick manner before moving on. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing,* although it’s more particular to the seafaring traveler style of campaign that Seas of Vodari encourages. Just about every entry has a strong and easy theme to follow that can be easily communicated to newcomer PCs, which I like.</p><p></p><p>*Hey, it works for One Piece!</p><p></p><p>As for particular realms, I cannot help but notice a few cliches and commonalities. Taevara hews closely to the “Lawful Good but not really Good” style of holy government that actually makes things miserable for innocent people. While many religious institutions in real life and fiction fall prey to doing atrocities in the name of good, it does rankle me a bit in seeing this in settings where priests have direct pipelines to their divine patrons. What’s preventing Taevara from regifting her spells to individuals who care about the poor, for instance?</p><p></p><p><strong>Join us next time as we cover the rest of the chapter, from the dwarven and dragonborn nations to the frozen north!</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 8275617, member: 6750502"] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1hZ3toD.png[/img] [b]Chapter II: A World to Explore (Part I)[/b][/center] This chapter is by far the largest one in the book, at 72 pages out of a 270 page book. For the purposes of brevity this is going to be split into two parts. [url=https://i.imgur.com/SDzqsvS.jpeg]It’s too big to fit here without stretching the pages on some sites, but here’s a link to the setting map[/url] [b]Southern Nations:[/b] This southwestern island chain is made up of five countries. Throughout their post-cataclysm history they’ve been allies as much as they’ve been enemies, and are commonly made up of the more typical standard fantasy races. [i]Arushi[/i] is a land of contrasts. Made up primarily of two cities, their urban landscape is a beautiful, art-filled series of buildings and structures. But it is home to some of the poorest people in Vodari, and those living in its slums face famine and plague as a daily struggle. Arushi’s monarchy is absolute, concerned more with earning the favor of wealthy foreigners than caring for their own subjects. In the wilderness beyond the urban confines and within the sewers below lurk monsters kept in check by the Hunter’s Guild. There is an underground rebellion brewing, and not just from the commoners. There exists tension among the ranks of the Musketeers, Arushi’s elite guards, some of whom are not blind to the peoples’ suffering. Adventure opportunities focus on the class divide, forbidden romances between monarchists and rebels, and hunting monsters within and beyond the cities’ dark corners. [i]Taevara[/i] was once a monarchy like so many other nations, but within the last one hundred years the priesthood of Taeva took control of every branch of government and turned the nation into a theocracy. It is the most powerful of the southern nations, both for being at the geographic center of various trade networks as well as its heavy military spending. The theocracy is insistent on rooting out corruption of the more non-violent and mundane kinds, and banned dancing, drinking, and non-divine magic as well as more dangerous crimes such as dueling. The population is faithful to various degrees; there’s a huge underground network of bars and dance halls, and the city of Westara’s inhabitants developed a “knocking code” to transmit hidden messages along the pipes and walls of buildings in order to conceal illegal activities. Archpriest Fierros, the leader of the nation, isn’t even Lawful Good; rather he is Lawful Neutral, and he ignores the poor sections of the capital city in the belief that poverty and immorality go hand in hand. Even so, there are genuine good-aligned members of the Taevaran Theocracy, often having to deal with pushback and politicking from factions of their own government when trying to get things done. Adventure opportunities focus on dealing with the black market, corruption among the priesthood, fighting the Taevaran Navy just about anywhere if the PCs happen to be pirates, and stopping a rampaging dragon turtle from attacking a festival on a series of linked flotillas. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CPHayqj.png[/img][/center] [i]Veraci[/i] is a nation where private enterprise and government go hand in hand. Or rather, the former supplanted the latter as the true power. Over twenty merchant houses control aspects of daily life, with the four largest ones being the de facto rulers. Each of the big four have all the benefits of a centralized government’s armed forces, albeit privatized to be loyal solely to them. House Tealeaf presides over all kinds of beverages and has the largest amount of spellcasters among the houses. House Kawani specializes in textiles and artisanal crafts, and has the largest and most powerful navy of the houses. House Hemlock specializes in food and alchemy, and counts proficient poisoners among its ranks as well as fast ships for transporting perishable goods. House Lagunn specializes in the trade of rare and supernatural creatures, a few of which serve as soldiers and flying mounts. We have a write-up on two of their largest cities as well as their most interesting inhabitants. The metropolis of Vardi is home to beautiful private estates, palm trees, rooftop gardens, gondola networks, and marble statues, making it prime real estate for Vodari’s wealthy. Much of the city’s wealth isn’t physical, being made up of loans and shares for businesses, and its counting houses are unique in Vodari for having a centralized governing body for such liquid funds. The city of Valedo is more rural and low-key in comparison, although it too has more than a few “country houses” of well-to-do merchants. Adventure opportunities involve corporate sabotage and espionage between merchant houses, and one where the PCs end up framed for murder during a festival. [i]Xolen[/i] is a multicultural mix of gnomes, humans, and dwarves with a smattering of other races. Like Veraci it is also governed by private businesses, albeit in the form of guilds with representatives who vote to elect a governor every year rather than being completely separate entities. Heavily industrialized, the cities of the island are covered in smog and smoke from the many factories and machines, and much of its food supply is imported from outside islands. A group of druidic defenders of nature known as the Thorns carry out attacks on factories and other centers of industry to stem the tide of pollution. One common problem is a series of isolationist laws preventing smaller towns from being able to sell their goods to foreign groups, which has harmed local farming and fishing industries. We have write-ups on the capital city which shares the same name as the nation as well as five smaller towns. One of the more interesting towns, Orca, is not part of Xolen proper, but is a self-sufficient community of wereorcas who refuse any form of alliance or trade due to the guilds’ pollution. Due to this, eventual violence may be inevitable. There’s also the isolated community of Naft, a pseudo-religious group who advocates balance in all things, ranging from “do unto others” mutual respect as well as “eye for an eye” system of punishments. Adventure opportunities in Xolen center around conflict between the Guilds and the Thorns and more rural communities, and inter-Guild politicking. [i]Zavros[/i] is a muddy, barren realm whose communities seem to be in an eternal state of disrepair. A series of wars have contributed to Zavros’ decline, and the current king rules in name only. A group of four organized crime groups known as the Syndicates have carved up Zavros into respective ‘turfs,’ contributing to rebuilding as well as more illegal enterprises in hopes of securing themselves as the new government of the nation. The capital of Port Zavo is crime-ridden but not totally chaotic as there is order of a sort among the Syndicates. At least half of said crime groups’ leaders made pacts with fiendish figures to obtain magical power, and even King Feber Proszt is not immune to infernal temptation. Said king is actually a horned devil in disguise who replaced the original monarch and supplied the infernal pact to the leader of the Ash Hands (one of the syndicates) although they don’t know it yet. The smaller island of Razan is part of Zavros, albeit instead of fiends and gangsters the realm is ruled over by Baron Lucian Rau, a reclusive man who is actually a vampire. Adventures in Zavros dealing with the crime syndicates and their demonic/devilish backers, and Baron Rau who is turning the subjects of his island into vampires far beyond their ability to sustain themselves. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/kWyngtz.png[/img][/center] [b]The Pirate Isles:[/b] Occupying the far south of Vodari, the Pirate Isles are less populated and centralized than the Southern Nations, and the pirates, smugglers, monsters, and various anti-establishment figures are more than happy to keep it that way. Once banded together out of a shared enemy of the nations that formerly employed them as privateers, the closest equivalent to a “pirate nation” is a mutual defense pact known as the League of Captains. They coordinate efforts in electing a King/Queen of Pirates to a five-year term in the event of a unified threat, which is almost always Taevara. The current Pirate Queen is Esmeralda, although other powerful groups include the Four Aces fleet known for their crew of powerful spellcasters, the fleet of Scales who are mostly made up of dragonborn and amphibious races, the Black Guard who recruit from the most desperate and make up for lack of quality with humanoid wave tactics, and the Rum Runners who are eccentric and beloved for targeting ships carrying alcohol which they share with locals in various ports. The more notable population centers (and even those average populations of a few thousand) include the trio of islands known as [i]Coral, Dagger, & Reef,[/i] whose populations are mostly minotaurs, goblins, and orcs. They are not well-liked even by other pirates in that they don’t even abide by the Code of the Sea, the informal set of social laws and obligations followed by privateers. The island of [i]Fortana[/i] is named after the goddess of luck and follows a strange set of rules: instead of a set of former laws, any form of conflict resolution between inhabitants is settled via a game of chance or skill, and they use a currency known as “challenge coins” which can be used to issue challenges to other citizens to wager just about anything. New citizens are given 3 coins upon arrival, and the system was put in place in the belief that it can temper the chaos from a society without any real laws. One with a lot of challenge coins would theoretically be perceived as incredibly lucky and thus be less tempting of a target. Of course, such a system is open to abuse. The ex-governor of Fortana, a halfling pirate by the name of Durban Flickwick, is building up a secret stash of coins to upset the island as part of a revenge plot after losing his former seat. The island of [i]Ghost[/i] is believed to be haunted and thus has no real permanent inhabitants. Such rumors have an element of truth, as the island is home to the cursed soul of the Black Guard’s former captain, and the ruins of a castle are home to a lich and mummy lord. The former patriarch and matriarch of the now-dead Pitcarin noble family who once presided over the island, they command a horde of zombies as their new generation of subjects. [i]Mirta & Morto[/i] are also rumored to have a foul reputation, but their curses are of another kind. Mirta is a lush island, while Morto’s bountiful fruits cause anyone to eat them to become severely ill. Mirta was claimed by a pirate crew known as the Ghosts who disguise themselves as undead and litter the island with various traps and devices to simulate the presence of undead. That way, combined with the island of Morto’s deadly fruit, they discourage outsiders from setting up shop nearby due to belief in malign supernatural influences. [i]Sharkfin[/i] is home not just to sharks, but also to the pirate gang of Threshers whose senior membership consists of weresharks. In spite of their dangerous reputation they live a rather quiet life on the island, being a calm and serene series of settlements home to gardens and fisheries. [i]Skull Island[/i] is the most populated of the Pirate Isles, sitting at 45,000 permanent residents. Its capital city of Sceptre houses the seat of the Pirate Queen, and is a common meeting area for various captains seeking alliances for joint raids. Sceptre’s port and surrounding environs are riddled with hidden cannons and defenses in the event of invasion. We get brief write-ups on Queen Esmerelda and seven other pirate captains: the more notable entries include the Ace of Diamonds, a non-binary half-elf who has a network of contacts across Vodari, Captain Black Belixa Dolunae of the Black Guards whose own ship figurehead is a mimic that can bite into rammed vessels,* and the good-natured Fáolan Shae of the Rum Rummers secretly bears fey heritage and may be next in line as Pirate King of Vodari. For those who aren’t pirate captains but hold great power there’s Old Cobra, a shadowy witch who is part of a sea hag coven who lives in a lair in the nearby jungles. Her coven is willing to grant visitors supernatural services in exchange for prices of eccentric objects and favors. *This isn’t solely unique to her vessel; it’s a magical ship upgrade PCs can purchase, detailed in Chapter VI. [i]Tabulu[/i] is famous for its gambling houses and thus sees a lot of traffic from the Southern Nations for a Pirate Isle. But its casinos aren’t its only attraction, with beautiful beach resorts and nightclubs providing entertainment. Due to this, it is able to operate more independently from the League of Captains for its reputation as a “safe haven” for foreign wealth. Two adventure hooks include various high-stakes gambling tournaments and casino heists, as well as a popular annual ship race known as the Governor’s Regatta that crosses over dangerous monster-filled territory and sharp reefs. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/TOWPdZX.png[/img][/center] [b]The Colonies:[/b] Claiming a portion of Vodari’s southeastern chain, the Colonies are the result of generations’ worth of settlement by the Southern Nations. They gained greater degrees of independence from their client states due to the prior decades worth of wars, and with said independence came danger. Some ended up virtually abandoned and forced to fend for themselves, and others fell to martial law and civil war. [i]Faraway Chain[/i] sits at a crossroads between the Marradi Archipelago and the Southern Nations, colonized by Veraci merchant houses. Glassworks are a popular industry and is also home to the unique dragon pear fruit that only grows on this island. The colonies are home to a bronze dragon who adopted a human disguise, working as a humble glassblower, as well as the niece of the King of Zavros who knows that her “father” has been replaced by a devil. Besides this being an adventure hook along with said dragon falling in love with her as a protector, another potential quest involves the PCs investigating a lost expedition into a cavern system inhabited by dinosaurs. [i]Liberty Chain[/i] is a gathering of autonomous enclaves so-named for the island of Liberty who sought to break away from Taevaran dominance. Although favored by criminals and other enemies of the Theocracy, Liberty is not like the Pirate Isles and in fact installed its own democratic council system which Taevara is attempting to overthrow via sabotage and assassination. Liberty’s own symbols have been adopted by other anti-establishment groups throughout Vodari. There’s also the island of Aru whose merchant class rules over indentured laborers. The criminal dumping ground of Ethri who hosts rebels in exile from Arushi and whose major industry is harvesting an intoxicating plant species known as jaja bush, while the barren island of Nanti whose few souls are those who wish to live isolated from others. Prosperi which is harshly ruled over by Taevara’s navy, and the nearby Xolenian colony of Tempest is building up a secret army planning on invading Prosperi. Tero which is a religious community dedicated to the god of the same name and hosts both a grand library and a recently unearthed jungle temple dungeon brimming with dark magic. [i]Vulcani[/i] is home to the Xolenian colony of Inferno that mines the volcano’s natural resources. Indigenous fire giants don’t take too kindly to the encroachment of their territory and have struck back violently. Xolen responded by sending even more workers and mercenaries to Inferno, promising high-pay for high-risk work. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Jmmvwm2.png[/img][/center] [b]The Forest Realm:[/b] The islands of the west are home to the majority of the elven race and forest gnomes. Before the destruction of Varanu (which they call Túraterhat, or the Great Parting) the elves lived in relative peace among the western forests. But during the Great Parting they split into different scattered and isolated societies. It was only until the last hundred years that their woodland islands opened up to the rest of Vodari, trading and warring with the other nations in equal measure. The major elven peoples include the Silvari, or high elves, the Naduri, or wood elves, the Lunori, or dark elves, and the Quessari, or sea elves. [i]Arachni[/i] is the homeland of the Lunori elves, who are pretty much drow. Although they still have a preference for darkness and giant spiders who they treat as holy animals, they aren’t necessarily evil or live underground. They live mostly in forest, and their lands are protected by an invisible magical barrier that causes the sky above to be an eternal night. Their islands are closest to the plane of existence known as the Shadowlands, where many monsters of shadow and death come into Vodari via portals [i]Aubori[/i] is full of tropical rainforests, and the Naduri elves live as hunter-gatherer tribes who are led by a Council of Elders composed of the oldest and wisest members of their people. They do have a city of 30,000 whose dwellings are exclusive among the treetops, and there’s growing discontent between the older and younger generations, the latter of whom wish to incorporate foreign ideas and traditions. The Wild Ones are the most radical of said youths, and given that speaking out against the Elders is punishable by exile such conflict may rise to violence in due time. [i]Fernwa[/i] is notable for a small yet significant number of inhabitants from the realms of Faerie due to the island overlapping planar boundaries. Fernwa is a wondrous land full of things that seem possible only in dreams, and time seems to flow differently here. [i]Leafi[/i] has a mixed population of outsider cultures ranging from Naduri elves, Silvari elves, and gnomes who sought to live solitary self-governing lives. Local communities are autonomous that never grow larger than a village due to a common agreement,* and government structures differ but share in common non-interventionist and individualist values. The island is home to many dangerous monsters, and the inhabitants are incapable (and unwilling) to mount a unified assault against them, so for now villagers opt to avoid the more dangerous areas. There is an order of pegasus-riding paladins known as the Sky Knights who travel between the communities, saving people from dangers when the time comes but otherwise serving as a sort of pseudo-military in reserve. *when a population grows too large a portion splits off to found a new village. [i]Luna[/i] is home to Naduri elves and forest gnomes whose island is home to soultrees, plants with magical properties. Soultrees grow nowhere else and are regarded as sacred by the natives, although the nation of Xolen covets them for their properties. The people of Luna are thus engaged in a low-scale war with Xolen, and have developed a magitech navy. The Order of Gear & Branch, meanwhile, researches conventional technology blended with nature magic. Both groups turned Luna into a veritable fighting force, but there’s also a green dragon by the name of Emeraldclaw who seeks to hasten the war for personal enrichment. [i]Silvari[/i] is the largest and most populated of the elven nations, and is governed by a hereditary class system. Although the ruling aristocracy is supported by the merchant and soldier classes, there exist groups among them who aren’t content with their lot in life after seeing how outside countries operate. This is doubly so among the peasantry, and an extremist group of Silvaran mages known as Tabula Rasa seeking to “wipe the slate clean” and transform their nation into a classless meritocracy. The capital city of Silvertree is a beautiful arboreal realm of ivory and silver towers, where even the crudest buildings are clean. The smaller port city of Esari is Silvari’s major source of trade with the outside world, and this degree of influence allows the local Port Authority to more or less be de facto rulers who don’t have to worry about Silvertree’s marching orders too much. [b]Thoughts So Far:[/b] The first four major regions of Vodari are an interesting blend of countries, all with ample opportunities for conflict and venture. I have noticed that a lot of islands, particularly the smaller ones, often have a primary problem instead of several, which gives the impression of a campaign where PCs sail from isle to isle solving troubles in a relatively quick manner before moving on. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing,* although it’s more particular to the seafaring traveler style of campaign that Seas of Vodari encourages. Just about every entry has a strong and easy theme to follow that can be easily communicated to newcomer PCs, which I like. *Hey, it works for One Piece! As for particular realms, I cannot help but notice a few cliches and commonalities. Taevara hews closely to the “Lawful Good but not really Good” style of holy government that actually makes things miserable for innocent people. While many religious institutions in real life and fiction fall prey to doing atrocities in the name of good, it does rankle me a bit in seeing this in settings where priests have direct pipelines to their divine patrons. What’s preventing Taevara from regifting her spells to individuals who care about the poor, for instance? [b]Join us next time as we cover the rest of the chapter, from the dwarven and dragonborn nations to the frozen north![/b] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
[Let's Read] Seas of Vodari
Top