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<blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 7486824" data-attributes="member: 53980"><p>The world I created for my current campaign is known as Jiaka. </p><p></p><p>Before everything came into being, the fey and the demons (along with their orc slaves) warred with each other endlessly, to the pleasure of The Blood God. Then two infinite but opposing forces, Gaia and Kai, collided and through their destruction the universe was born. Many of the fey caught up in this change were remade into celestials, while many of the demons became devils. The worlds that were formed were crude in shape and form, but the Builders (a race about which little is known) immediately began separating the waters from the land, reshaping the worlds. They created for each world a Guardian, a being of immense power whose sole duty was to protect that world from world-destroying threats.</p><p></p><p>Ages passed and gods (who would later be known as the Old God's) arose. Then came Harbris, a sorcerer of unmatched skill. She somehow learned of the slumbering Guardian's existence and succeeded in siphoning its power for herself. This gave her unparalleled command over the essence of the universe itself, and she began absorbing the power of Gaia and Kai (from which all things arise). This nearly unraveled and ended the universe but for the intervention of the Old Gods, who assumed corporeal form in order to battle Harbris. Though it was costly, they did prevail in the end, and Harbris was destroyed.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the gods are spiritual beings. They were unwilling to abandon their bodies, and were corrupted by all manner of physical temptations. What initially seemed a new golden age, quickly devolved into a war of the gods that devastated Jiaka for 100 years.</p><p></p><p>The Guardian had been in stasis during this time as its stolen power gradually returned. Though it had only ever been meant to deal with external world ending threats, the essence which had melded with Harbris and now returned to it was altered, and in turn changed the Guardian. It redefined its own purpose and set out to save the world. It first stripped the Old Gods of their names, denying them the ability to draw power from their followers. As a result, they withered to nothing. They are now known only by their titles. For example, the name Vecna is not remembered by any being or recorded in any tome. He is most commonly referred to as the god of secrets.</p><p></p><p>But it could not take the name of the Blood God, a primordial being with no name to take. Nor could it abide such a potential threat. Therefore, he lured the Blood God to the world with a blood sacrifice of staggering proportions, and trapped him. The land where the Blood God was trapped was shattered by his fury, and would later be known as the Crimson Isles.</p><p></p><p>After this ensued a dark age. Without the gods, the world was left bereft of much. The Guardian, meanwhile, began manipulating the world with its power, seeking to ensure that mortals could never again threaten the safety of the world (as Harbris once had). However, it was frustrated to no end. Most mortals were enkindled (meaning having a soul) and therefore possessed free will. They often reacted in unpredictable ways. Therefore, it created the goddess Ananke, as a means to understanding mortal behavior in order to better manipulate them. In order to comprehend free will, she had to possess it herself, and she soon began to rebel against her creator as she grew to empathize with mortals. As a result, the Guardian tormented her in order to obtain her cooperation. With her help (however unwilling) it was able to greatly expand its shadowy influence. It created five additional gods, known as the Divine Hierarchy, which were nothing more than puppets for the will of the Guardian. </p><p></p><p>The stars heard Ananke's pained cries. They had long observed Jiaka with detached interest, but now resolved to act upon the goddess' behalf. However, their light was much diminished across the vast divide of the void, and they could not oppose the Guardian directly. As such, they reached out to the mortals of world, hoping to grant them the freedom to find the path to their own salvation. As such, each star of fortune offered the mortals a virtue to espouse. By being true to these virtues, they could fortify themselves against the Guardian's manipulations.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, worship of the Divine Hierarchy rapidly expanded on the continent of Roanar, and these followers formed the Hierarchical Theocracy. They peacefully converted those civilizations they could, and conquered those they couldn't, although the monstrous races and barbarian tribes were left to their own devices during this period. However, as soon as the Theocracy had united the kingdoms of Roanar, their attention would turn to these hold outs.</p><p></p><p>The outcome of the war was inevitable. The survivors were rounded up into camps and given the choice of conversion or exile. A great many chose exile, and were sent to the savage lands of the Crimson Isles, which had not been successfully settled in recorded history. If the exiles died then the Theocracy lost nothing. If they could take the land, it would be easy to take it from them given that they'd already been conquered once. The most formidable airship in the Theocracy's flotilla, the Dreadnaught, was stationed to ensure that the exiles didn't attempt to build a navy and return to Roanar, and that was that.</p><p></p><p>Obviously, a lot of the info above is campaign secrets the PCs must discover for themselves (or not).</p><p></p><p>The PCs start as one of these exiles, having been commissioned by the struggling government as road wardens, with broad jurisdiction to ensure the peace and protect the interests of the exiles. The campaign is intended to be largely a sandbox, with players able to explore the various islands as they please. Hypothetically, defeating the Guardian could be seen as the end game goal, but it's purely optional. Slaying the Guardian would have its own consequences, as that would leave the world vulnerable to world-ending beings (who currently steer clear of Jiaka because they sense the presence of the Guardian).</p><p></p><p>I allow all of the WotC published races as well as many homebrewed races. I reworked the lore of the PHB races to integrate more closely with the setting. </p><p></p><p>For example while tieflings are sometimes the result of infernal pacts, more commonly they are the descendants of those who guard the hellholes, and slay the fiends that emerge from those holes. Exposure to that blood tainted those valiant warriors over generations, transforming them into tieflings. As such, tieflings in Jiaka are respected, not feared. (Except by the Theocracy, which allows them to continue to guard the hellholes but otherwise considers them to be corrupted.)</p><p></p><p>My favorite of my homebrew race is the Unwritten. These are beings who should have existed but for the Guardian's manipulations. Though they can somewhat recall the life they should have had, rather than existing they are shunted to the Nether, a place of lost and forgotten concepts. Most such souls fade and become a part of the Nether. However, those with a strong will to survive can assemble a body for themselves from the abandoned conceptual rubbish and claw their way free of the Nether, back to Jiaka.</p><p>The way it works mechanically is that you make one choice from four categories: type, body, locomotion, and aberration. Each of these comes with some advantage and oftentimes some disadvantages as well.</p><p>I've had three Unwritten so far:</p><p>A giant origami mantis.</p><p>A floating ceramic doll, who cracks when struck to reveal a decaying body within.</p><p>A woman with chuthulean tentacles for legs.</p><p></p><p>As for classes, I allow all of the published WotC classes and archetypes, as well as a number homebrewed by myself. I suppose my favorite of my archetypes is a 5e version of the 4e brawler fighter (the Unwritten origami mantis uses this one).</p><p></p><p>I like offering a lot of options, and it fits the campaign since one of the overarching themes is diversity and working together to common benefit despite differences.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fanaelialae, post: 7486824, member: 53980"] The world I created for my current campaign is known as Jiaka. Before everything came into being, the fey and the demons (along with their orc slaves) warred with each other endlessly, to the pleasure of The Blood God. Then two infinite but opposing forces, Gaia and Kai, collided and through their destruction the universe was born. Many of the fey caught up in this change were remade into celestials, while many of the demons became devils. The worlds that were formed were crude in shape and form, but the Builders (a race about which little is known) immediately began separating the waters from the land, reshaping the worlds. They created for each world a Guardian, a being of immense power whose sole duty was to protect that world from world-destroying threats. Ages passed and gods (who would later be known as the Old God's) arose. Then came Harbris, a sorcerer of unmatched skill. She somehow learned of the slumbering Guardian's existence and succeeded in siphoning its power for herself. This gave her unparalleled command over the essence of the universe itself, and she began absorbing the power of Gaia and Kai (from which all things arise). This nearly unraveled and ended the universe but for the intervention of the Old Gods, who assumed corporeal form in order to battle Harbris. Though it was costly, they did prevail in the end, and Harbris was destroyed. Unfortunately, the gods are spiritual beings. They were unwilling to abandon their bodies, and were corrupted by all manner of physical temptations. What initially seemed a new golden age, quickly devolved into a war of the gods that devastated Jiaka for 100 years. The Guardian had been in stasis during this time as its stolen power gradually returned. Though it had only ever been meant to deal with external world ending threats, the essence which had melded with Harbris and now returned to it was altered, and in turn changed the Guardian. It redefined its own purpose and set out to save the world. It first stripped the Old Gods of their names, denying them the ability to draw power from their followers. As a result, they withered to nothing. They are now known only by their titles. For example, the name Vecna is not remembered by any being or recorded in any tome. He is most commonly referred to as the god of secrets. But it could not take the name of the Blood God, a primordial being with no name to take. Nor could it abide such a potential threat. Therefore, he lured the Blood God to the world with a blood sacrifice of staggering proportions, and trapped him. The land where the Blood God was trapped was shattered by his fury, and would later be known as the Crimson Isles. After this ensued a dark age. Without the gods, the world was left bereft of much. The Guardian, meanwhile, began manipulating the world with its power, seeking to ensure that mortals could never again threaten the safety of the world (as Harbris once had). However, it was frustrated to no end. Most mortals were enkindled (meaning having a soul) and therefore possessed free will. They often reacted in unpredictable ways. Therefore, it created the goddess Ananke, as a means to understanding mortal behavior in order to better manipulate them. In order to comprehend free will, she had to possess it herself, and she soon began to rebel against her creator as she grew to empathize with mortals. As a result, the Guardian tormented her in order to obtain her cooperation. With her help (however unwilling) it was able to greatly expand its shadowy influence. It created five additional gods, known as the Divine Hierarchy, which were nothing more than puppets for the will of the Guardian. The stars heard Ananke's pained cries. They had long observed Jiaka with detached interest, but now resolved to act upon the goddess' behalf. However, their light was much diminished across the vast divide of the void, and they could not oppose the Guardian directly. As such, they reached out to the mortals of world, hoping to grant them the freedom to find the path to their own salvation. As such, each star of fortune offered the mortals a virtue to espouse. By being true to these virtues, they could fortify themselves against the Guardian's manipulations. Unfortunately, worship of the Divine Hierarchy rapidly expanded on the continent of Roanar, and these followers formed the Hierarchical Theocracy. They peacefully converted those civilizations they could, and conquered those they couldn't, although the monstrous races and barbarian tribes were left to their own devices during this period. However, as soon as the Theocracy had united the kingdoms of Roanar, their attention would turn to these hold outs. The outcome of the war was inevitable. The survivors were rounded up into camps and given the choice of conversion or exile. A great many chose exile, and were sent to the savage lands of the Crimson Isles, which had not been successfully settled in recorded history. If the exiles died then the Theocracy lost nothing. If they could take the land, it would be easy to take it from them given that they'd already been conquered once. The most formidable airship in the Theocracy's flotilla, the Dreadnaught, was stationed to ensure that the exiles didn't attempt to build a navy and return to Roanar, and that was that. Obviously, a lot of the info above is campaign secrets the PCs must discover for themselves (or not). The PCs start as one of these exiles, having been commissioned by the struggling government as road wardens, with broad jurisdiction to ensure the peace and protect the interests of the exiles. The campaign is intended to be largely a sandbox, with players able to explore the various islands as they please. Hypothetically, defeating the Guardian could be seen as the end game goal, but it's purely optional. Slaying the Guardian would have its own consequences, as that would leave the world vulnerable to world-ending beings (who currently steer clear of Jiaka because they sense the presence of the Guardian). I allow all of the WotC published races as well as many homebrewed races. I reworked the lore of the PHB races to integrate more closely with the setting. For example while tieflings are sometimes the result of infernal pacts, more commonly they are the descendants of those who guard the hellholes, and slay the fiends that emerge from those holes. Exposure to that blood tainted those valiant warriors over generations, transforming them into tieflings. As such, tieflings in Jiaka are respected, not feared. (Except by the Theocracy, which allows them to continue to guard the hellholes but otherwise considers them to be corrupted.) My favorite of my homebrew race is the Unwritten. These are beings who should have existed but for the Guardian's manipulations. Though they can somewhat recall the life they should have had, rather than existing they are shunted to the Nether, a place of lost and forgotten concepts. Most such souls fade and become a part of the Nether. However, those with a strong will to survive can assemble a body for themselves from the abandoned conceptual rubbish and claw their way free of the Nether, back to Jiaka. The way it works mechanically is that you make one choice from four categories: type, body, locomotion, and aberration. Each of these comes with some advantage and oftentimes some disadvantages as well. I've had three Unwritten so far: A giant origami mantis. A floating ceramic doll, who cracks when struck to reveal a decaying body within. A woman with chuthulean tentacles for legs. As for classes, I allow all of the published WotC classes and archetypes, as well as a number homebrewed by myself. I suppose my favorite of my archetypes is a 5e version of the 4e brawler fighter (the Unwritten origami mantis uses this one). I like offering a lot of options, and it fits the campaign since one of the overarching themes is diversity and working together to common benefit despite differences. [/QUOTE]
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