Homebrew Campaign Setting

[AnonymousOne]

Skarl
“My life for the people, my breath for the winds, my blood for the crops, my body for the soil, my sword for the Throne.” – Colonel Grimler Kal, before his position was overrun by Lumen troops.

Politics
Skarl politics is something that is a bit of an enigma to most of the other cultures in the Northern Reach. Some, like the political leaders of Areen find it to be archaic. Many in Wistron and the Garic City States see it as a bit of an eccentricity or cultural oddity, while those from Lumen see it as a form of barbarism. They, of course, are referring to the Monarchy within Skarl. This system has been in place for hundreds of years and has served Skarl very well throughout its history. This system is odd in that it does not simply guarantee a son or daughter of the Monarch a place on the throne. Usually a Monarch has no more than four children. This is created by a system where the Monarch has multiple mates, each of which provides him or her with a child. This ensures that in-breeding does not dilute the strong blood which has flown through the veins of Skarl monarchs for hundreds of years.

Each of these offspring is well learned in all manner of areas, from the study of the positions of the stars and the positions of the planets, to nature and knowledge of all things which grow within the borders of Skarl, to trade and commerce, to warfare. It is the latter in which the training is the most intense. This training begins at youth and continues through adulthood. The Skarl Monarch is to be not only wise, but cunning and vicious on the battlefield. This training engrains the hard edged ideals that are an integral part of Skarl ideology.

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Players wishing to use the following classes MUST be of Skarl or Wistron origin: Duskblade & Warblade
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Upon the death of each Monarch, all of the viable heirs race back to the capital in an attempt to capture the crown. The first to be recognized as the one to claim the throne is then obligated to hunt down his half-brothers and half-sisters who would contend for the crown, and execute them. Some of those siblings manage to escape, but never has a survivor attempted to return to stage a coupe. It would be a cultural anathema and any such attempt to lay claim to the throne that is held by a rightful heir would necessitate open war. Those which are executed are honored and given a special grave. Though this process may seem uncivilized to the outsider, it is the way of life in Skarl and to doubt it is to doubt the very system upon which this warrior society is based.

It is interesting to note that the Goliaths in Skarl have never desired to rule the land. They are content, rather, to guard it jealously from outsiders who would attempt to take from this country its independence. Coming from the mountains on the eastern border of the country in years past, they sought an alliance with the people living in the plains, an alliance that would benefit both parties. The Goliaths would help the plains-dwellers protect their lands from invaders and the plains-dwellers would help the goliaths become more technologically advanced, for though they were great warriors the Goliaths lacked the more specialized skills associated with increases in metallurgy and science. This alliance has held and is so strong that most of the Goliaths that live outside of Skarl still answer the call to arms if their country is threatened. Those in the Garic States are the first to enlist in mercenary companies that support Skarl in time of war.

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PCs who select Goliath for their character race get +2 to all social interaction rolls within Skarl. Also Goliaths are universally respected in Skarl and it is not uncommon for businesses in Skarl to cut a bit off of the price of goods for a well respected Goliath. ‘Well respected’ is within the DM’s view of the character and whether the public would be aware of his or her exploits.
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Those Goliaths in Wistron work non-stop to ensure that the small country remains a close ally and provide not only military advice and training, but even gather intelligence and help to purchase weaponry for the Skarl armies. Wistron forges often work non-stop under the watchful eye of a Skarl-loyal Goliath who pays for the goods to be shipped back to Skarl. This has led to the Goliath being an integral part of Skarl culture and it is not uncommon to see a battalion of human infantry with a squad or two of Goliaths at its center.

This of course is appalling to the likes of the Lumen, who in their belief that humanity is the greatest race and is destined to rule all of the Reach, disdain all species not of human blood.

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Goliaths and all other non-humans dealing with loyal Lumen citizens take a -10 to any socially interactive role and are liable to be attacked outright if identified as non-human. All other Skarl citizens of human origin get -5 to all socially interactive roles with loyal Lumen citizens, agents, or soldiers.
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They have actively sought to kill any wounded non-human in the battles they fight against Skarl which has led to the rise of certain groups of Goliaths who make it their mission to actively campaign against Lumen on a constant basis, making military incursions into their lands and often razing entire towns and setting hundreds of acres of farms on fire. While Skarl allows this, most of this activity is unsupported by the crown unless the two countries are formally at war, as is the current state of affairs.


Social Structure

In Skarl, despite the variety of race, there is really very little in the way of friction within the country. The races have blended together in a hodgepodge of large and small and it is not uncommon to see a human blacksmith hire a Goliath as an assistant, an Elf as an apprentice, a Halfling as a bookkeeper, and a Gnome as a crier in the town square to proclaim the value of his wares. Intermarriage between the races is uncommon, but not unheard of, with humans and Elves blending bloodlines and gnomes and Halflings on occasion creating hybrid children. The only race which has maintained its distance in this way is the Goliaths. It is very rare to see a Goliath male take a human or Elf as his mate, and even rarer still to see a female Goliath to accept a non-Goliath as a mate. This has led to a fairly strong family heritage and growth rate among the goliaths.

It is interesting to note that though they play an integral role in Skarl society, both during times of war and peace; the Goliaths do not see themselves as being above the other races within Skarl society. It is not uncommon to see an Elf and a Goliath fight back to back on the battlefield, or a Goliath to pick up and throw a Halfling rogue or Gnome fighter at a mounted opponent.

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Skarl Goliaths get an additional +1 bonus when flanking with another Skarl citizen of a different race. This bonus improves to a +2 if the other Skarl flanker is another Goliath. Non-Goliath Skarl warriors get the base additional +1 when flanking with a Skarl Goliath.
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These ties of kinship and loyalty bind Skarl society together in a manner that is not commonly found in the Northern Reach.

Despite being a culture centered on war and martial existence, Skarl also has a rich culture and heritage. Their bards are extremely well known and educated, often doubling as historians and scribes. Their economy is one based on agriculture, pottery, which is prized and famous throughout the reach, metallurgy, and various other typical activities. As for the social classes, there is a bit of hierarchy, but one that is not difficult to climb. The military leaders, magic wielders and rich nobles make up the top tier. Middle officers of the army are on roughly the same level as a successful merchant, while lower level officers earn about what a typical merchant would get from his trade. The lower classes are poorer farmers who are often hired to work land owned by those in the upper tier. However, despite this class system, it is not difficult to rise in society as this culture appreciates hard work and this is usually rewarded by both consumers and the military if you serve with distinction on the field of battle.

Much of Skarl is dedicated to crops of various kinds as there is still a very strong tie to the land and many of the humans in Skarl own homesteads which produce a variety of goods from tobacco, Skarl tobacco is considered the finest in the Northern Reach, to wheat, corn, hemp, cotton, and such agricultural goods as cattle, sheep, and other livestock. The excellence of many of these crops is such that they are sought after by individuals all over the Reach, even if they deny possessing these goods. Politicians in Areen who call for embargoes against Skarl wheat most often have a stash of Skarl tobacco in their estate houses. This has led to a steady stream of profit for many Skarl businesses even given much of the rhetoric directed against them. And though they are considered somewhat backwards in some ways, they are progressing in the realm of technology at a rapid rate due to the trade that they engage in with the likes of Wistron and the Garic States. If property, such as farmland is owned, they are often resistant to give it up. Several Garic investors have bought sections of Skarl farmland, but at extremely high prices, and it is uncertain if this foreign investment and ownership will become the norm or fall by the wayside.

Skarl is a country where the people simply want to be allowed to live their lives in their own traditions. Because of their nomadic heritage, they were driven from more “civilized” locals and ended up founding a country for themselves that was more open to those who wished to come, but resisted change. Not that they saw change as bad, but rather that change was usually not beneficial, at least in the cultural sense. While they adopted and thrive on the connections made over technology and smithing and building, they often take technological breakthroughs and apply it to their own ends. As such the people in general have no desire for conquest, but the historical context of threat upon threat to their way of life, and in the case of the current war with Lumen their survival as a people, has turned them into a people that will fight for every inch of soil until their isn’t a hand left to grab a blade.


Population

Human: 50%
Goliath: 30%
Elves: 10%
Gnome: 6%
Halfling: 4%

 

[AnonymousOne]

Wistron
“In no other country will you find an inn like mine: Skarl tobacco, Garic beer, wine from Areen, and cuisine from every corner of the Reaches.” – Wilem Flinn, proprietor of the Twelve Crossings Inn

Politics
In the Northern Reach, Wistron is a country which exists only because of the political and military skill of its leaders. Without the guidance of the three ruling families in Wistron the country would have most certainly been gobbled up, most likely by a forceful Lumen invasion. As things stand now, the country is prospering, if on edge. The lives of the people go on even though the threat of war seems to be always on the horizon. The governance of Wistron is a bit of an oddity in that the city is ruled by three separate families each of which holds equal power in the city. They meet in secret to guide the country, though on the whole leave the people be to make their own decisions and in this manner they mirror much of the Garic model of the state.

No one has met the three heads of the families, or perhaps those that have met with them have the discretion to not breathe a word of whom or what they are. They are never seen in public and all of their speeches are given by seconds who speak for the Families. There is much speculation in Wistron as to whom or what the leaders are. While there are a wealth of rumors and theories there are three which are most commonly held.

• The Leaders are in fact each a representative of the three alignments: Good, Evil, and Neutral. The thought of having a Celestial, an Archfiend, and an Elemental ruling the city doesn’t seem to bother most of the people. Or perhaps they are in fact gods. Pelor, Hextor, and Olidamara might be the three rulers who simply wish to sit and see which parts of society will follow which deity.

• The Leaders are wizards, sorcerers, or clerics of such vast power that they subtly guide the public while protecting vast stores of arcane, divine, and general knowledge. They exist to preserve knowledge and power and in doing so preserve the state of Wistron. These powerful magic users might have fled from or be sent by the Isle of Manse to oversee Wistron, though this is complete speculation.

• The leaders are the longest lived of the elves in the Northern Reach. Having augmented their long lives with magic they have become nearly immortal and as such use the wisdom built up over millennia to lead their people into a better age.

Though there is no solid evidence if any of these is true, there is still talk about how the small country survives.

There is no political lobbying, no special interest groups to woo lawmakers; there are only the families and those who serve them. The Justice system is one that is both straightforward and harsh. Those who break the laws which exist to protect people, their property, and the existence of Wistron, may not get another chance to break them again if the offense is severe enough and as a result crime stays low and things are rather clearly defined.

While they are not yet at war with Lumen, people from Lumen are not treated with much hospitality. This comes after several encounters between Lumen citizens and members of other races. Several brawls, riots and fights have broken out because of the actions of Lumen citizens in their treatment of non-humans. This has led to several parts of town in which Lumen citizens reside when they are in Wistron. They keep to themselves and on the whole are not openly interactive with society, though their spies exist in the city and are constantly relaying information to the more Lumen-concentrated parts of Wistron.

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Characters following Lumen philosophy and political theory that speak out in Wistron receive a -4 to all social interaction roles and may not use the Diplomacy skill with Wistron citizens.
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The entire city is a hotbed of espionage and intrigue, though murders and assassinations are not common, they do happen and there is much talk in the streets about whether or not the country can take much more of the tension, though the families have not spoken as to whether the country will go to war or not.

Trade is not restricted by the government in any meaningful way save for the casting of extremely powerful spells. Resurrections and the like are very rare, but can be had at one of the Wistron’s many temples or churches, for the proper contribution to the church’s coffers. The such the tax code is simple but efficient, people are free to live as they wish in a state where success is expected and quite often achieved.

Social Structure

The structure of Wistron society is a bit of a hodgepodge of various cultures, views, peoples, races, and professions. Because of its location it has both the benefits and costs of drawing from many different cultures. The ideals of the Garic City States are quite prevalent in the economic world of Wistron and as such businesses can either succeed and thrive or fail, and life simply goes on for the people. They find new outlets for their work and creativity. The military ideals of Skarl do carry a good deal of weight and the small but ruthlessly efficient military of Wistron receives more applicants than it could possibly accept every year.

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Characters from Wistron receive a +2 to all social interaction roles when interacting with individuals of Skarl or Garic origin.
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The military, though not a staple of the economy per se, has its respected place in society and warriors are in general given a degree of respect, owing much to the influence of Skarl values and the fact that the military and its high level of refinement and training have kept the small state alive for so long.

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Characters of Wistron origin are assumed to have served a stint in the mandatory military training and are considered proficient with Light and Heavy Crossbows and Martial and Simple Polearms. Characters that were once active military personnel receive a +1 to hit with Light and Heavy Crossbows and Martial and Simple Polearms.
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It is not uncommon for a military officer to receive perks from businesses who hope to attract the patronage of an officer and/or his soldiers.

There are rich and poor, but like in the Garic cities the poor may rise as easily as the rich fall. There is very little in the way of social or economic restriction to keep people of one class within that class. There are those who sympathize with Lumen’s view of an equal society, but they are few, yet often very vocal about their beliefs. This has led to some instability which, while it remains under the surface, has from time to time reared its head among the citizenry. This has never led to open revolt, but occasionally there are clashes between different citizens of Wistron who hold differing beliefs.

As Wistron is small in size and is able to receive many of its goods and services through trade with the likes of Skarl and the Garic City States, they do not have to dedicate all of their excess land to farming. Instead a thriving metropolis below The City of Wistron itself has emerged and the lower levels of the city are much like the city which sits above it. The wealthy are not limited to the surface and the poor are not stuck in the deepest parts of the Underground or Lower Wistron as it is sometimes called. There have been rumors of problems in the deepest parts of the city with certain undesirable creatures, but these are usually swiftly dealt with by either the military, representatives of the families, or hired mercenaries.

People in Wistron tend to be rather accepting of the differing cultures of the other countries in the Northern Reach and has opened its doors up to any that wish to live within their borders provided they are of sound mind. Because of this it is not uncommon to find an inn which caters to people of Skarl origin and a pub which serves mostly those from Areen. And while most anyone is welcome in any establishment, prudence might be in order when speaking about the evils of monarchy in front of the Goliath from Skarl sitting across from you. In general the city hums along at its own pace and the people keep on living and building and creating as they have since the founding of the city.


Population
Human: 52%
Elves: 28%
Goliath: 8%
Halfling: 6%
Gnome: 6%