Pterra

[Land Outcast]

As Aarakocra have ancient pacts with gnomishkind.
As Shauagin have pacts with the Mar-Zud.
As the Shael have their links with other planes.

Draakhin have pacts of a more mystical nature, with the earth itself, which grant them powers of divination, or at least so it is said (given many succesful oracles coming from said culture). Also, knowledge of underground crystal caves is kept as a racial secret, part of Draakhin lore says that once earth itself rose to help the Draakhin, not only fighting by their side but also to show them the entrance to marvelous pockets of crystalized magic.
note: This pact has its origin back when the water-dwelling aboleth moved against the Draakhin.

The barbarian Dal-Heggoth have fire in their veins.
At least they say so, and noone has tried to prove them wrong.

 

[snarfoogle]

Over the Khan Desert that stretchs from the steppe of the catfolk lands to the eastern coast legend holds a great island can be seen hovering hundreds of feet in the air. Rumors also persist of strange oasis in the deep desert where the water does not sit in the open rather it floats in amorphous balls several feet above the ground, as if gravity had no sway over the waters.

Both the island and the oasises were created by a Draakhin wizard many years ago, although only Draakhin legends known to few tell this story. As the story goes, the shaman leading one large tribe united all the tribes to fight against the mysterious enemies in times long past. The wizard actually summoned huge earth elementals from the ground to aid the Draakhin warriors. When the wizard was attacked in his underground cave stronghold by an aboleth sent assassin, he used an extremely powerful gravity spell. When the Earth elementals were released from the mage's bondage spells, they combined with a huge chunk of rock and earth lifted from the ground to form the floating island. The magic allowed plants to grow on the island, and it eventually became covered in lush forests and lakes. All the Aboleths and Draakhin in the area were killed, but new species arose - all manner of birds and winged creatures. On the ground, the huge crater of Drajinal was formed (named after the mage who created it) and is considered haunted ground to this day. The lingering magic of Drajinal's final spell lifted pockets of water from the wells in the underground fortress to form these floating water oasises. However, the magic tainted the water, and those who drink it might find themselves feeling flighty.

 

[Dragonbait]

The magic allowed plants to grow on the island, and it eventually became covered in lush forests and lakes. All the Aboleths and Draakhin in the area were killed, but new species arose - all manner of birds and winged creatures.

The origin of the aarakocra?
----
A young but charismatic warrior arose from the Dal-Heggoth tribe after having a dream of the greatest hunt. The creature that he hunted is only known as the behemoth, and is said to shake the ground as it walks, drain whole rivers when it drinks, and clear whole forests when it eats. It is unclear if it is supposed to be a great dinosaur, or something else, if it exists at all. Many youths left the homeland of the Dal-Heggoth to follow this warrior, and formed a new splinter tribe called the Char-or-Khan, or simply, the Hunters of the Behemoth. Their first target was the Khan desert, said to be the remnants of the behemoth's last meal. They are always on the move, and will raid small settlements of other tribes for goods, mounts, weapons, and so on. They have come into conflict with most of the races that dwell in the Khan deserts and the surrounding lands.

 

[Firebird]

bumpage

 

[Arkhandus]

There is a large, mysterious, empty city of iron and bone, deep beneath the ground of Pterra. It is very dangerous to access from the surface, and has gone quite uninhabited for some time now. Its creators and purpose are unknown, but no one who ventures within ever stays long enough to set up residence; nor do they often leave alive and sane. It might be inhabited only by the dead, but few sages and adventurers even know of the Iron City's existence.

 

[Dragonbait]

There is a large, mysterious, empty city of iron and bone, deep beneath the ground of Pterra. It is very dangerous to access from the surface, and has gone quite uninhabited for some time now. Its creators and purpose are unknown, but no one who ventures within ever stays long enough to set up residence; nor do they often leave alive and sane. It might be inhabited only by the dead, but few sages and adventurers even know of the Iron City's existence.

The creators of this mysterious city are the same ones that built the temple in the ribcage of the great earth dragon.
And, of course, those that hear about the underground city of iron and bone hear rumors about the "treasures" hidden within. Wheter or not there really is treasure in the city, or just madness and death is a different story.

 

[Firebird]

Elves of Pterra have isolated themselves up the trees at the northern reaches, having more extraplanar contact than contact with the ground-level living races. This results in the information about elves being more superstitions and folk-tales than outright facts.

Of late there appears to be a schism in progress, a quite large faction (including some of the elders or the Ruling Council) is shifting to venerate a "graceful lord", snake-shaped, who gives proection from dinosaur predations, which has allowed the venerating faction to traverse the swamps on barges, dealing with lizardfolk of the place.

One of the Elders venerating the Graceful Lord has grown blind... actually her eyes have turned reptilian-like, and she can manage herself perfectly through a "6th sense" provided by the Graceful Lord.

These elders, called The Seers of Sethiss, use repeated poisonous serpent bites to enter a delirium-like state whereby the claim to be given visions of the future by their reptilian lord while they hover at death's door. Though most Shael shudder at the methods used to induce these visions, few doubt their power and verity.

 

[Firebird]

There is the skeletal remains of one of the greatest, and most dangerous, earth dragons partially buried in the peak of a mountain. It was so powerful that even though its body died, its heart still beats under the rock. This thump-thump-thump can be faintly heard in the mountain and the surrounding hills. Someone has built a shrine in the massive ribcage of the earth dragon, but no specific group occupies or lays claim to the temple.

What most call the earth dragon is actually the rusted remains of a collossal Khal-Zud (earth dwarves) digging machine that has erupted from below the surface and whose machinery failed in the last push. The thumping of its engine has called all manner of subterranean beast to the area and the approaches to the machine are most treacherous. The shrine is a centre of worship to powers of earth and metal, the faith of the dwarves giving the engine life.

 

[Firebird]

Anyone out there want to help flesh out the humans of Pterra? Any other races?

We've got Water and Earth Dwarves, (Pyr-Zud are the fire dwarves, detailed soon).
Shael Elves
Very neat Kobolds
Bastani gnomes
Reclusive Island dwelling halflings
Half-orc barbarians
Draakhin lizardfolk
Aarokocra

 

[Dragonbait]

Suggestion: I think we should have a port town that would be a launching point for non-native characters to Pterra (aka PCs from other settings/continents). Perhaps established by the dark-skinned, technilogically advanced foreigners and the sea-faering darves. The idea I had was too much like Stormreach on Xen'drik.