KahlessNestor
Adventurer
Please post your character sheets or working links to them here.
OOC Thread
Heroes of Hydellor IC Thread
THE WORLD OF HYDELLOR
The Empire of Arideen was a blessed land. Ruled by the god-kings of Arideen, avatars of Paladine, they knew peace and prosperity.
And then god was murdered.
Drought and famine followed, and previously unseen social pressures fractured the empire into civil war for nearly thirty years. Prophets preaching new gods appeared. The Mists that defined the edge of the known world receded, revealing an entirely unknown continent across the sea. Was this the end of the world?
Exhausted by war, three new nations emerged from the wreck of the empire. Each suspicious of the other, they have maintained a watchful wariness for nearly 30 years. In central Hydellor, the disparate city-states of the Nyos savannah protect the Dragon Road from nomadic barbarian raiders. To the north, the sultanates of the Elemental Wastes threaten the sea routes to the east where the Great Khans of the Dragon Empires jealously guard their hoards and territories.
In the last decade there have been bumper crops. Clerics and paladins of the Church have felt a trickle of power return and seers have seen visions. Has Paladine returned? Where could he be? Inquisitors have been sent out to scour the lands of the Empire for him.
The world is ripe for heroes to carve out their place in the world.
[sblock=THE LAND]
Arideen: This western continent's major feature is Lake Tasalda, a massive crater lake dominating the center of the continent. Once dominated by the Arideen Empire, it is now broken into three hostile nations governed by a wary peace.
Arideen: LG/NG. The former core of the Arideen Empire, it is a landlocked nation dominated by high mountain peaks and settled valleys rich in lumber and minerals. It is ruled by a theocratic government of the Church of Paladine. Mountain dwarves and high elves maintain independent, but allied, kingdoms within the boundaries of the Empire. Arideen has the smallest population of the new nations, but the best trained army.
Forest of Irine: High Elven kingdom allied with Arideen.
Chooris Jungles:
Cold Wastes:
Essess: CG/CN. Essess is a wide, flat land of grasslands and farms and bordered by the Cold Woods in the south. It produces primarily agricultural products and lumber. Wide open spaces means its large population is considerably spread out, giving it the lowest population density of the nations, governed by a fractious republic. It has a small professional army, but can field a large, if lesser trained, citizen army if needed.
Gilead: LG/CG. A small island duchy off the coast of Helveki, the land remained loyal to the Empire during the war. It has natural resources to support itself independently and is the leading shipbuilder in the former empire, with a small, but strong, navy.
Helveki: LE/LN. Helveki is a narrow strip of coastal, arable land tucked between the ocean and forested mountains, densely populated with cities on the coast. It is rich in natural resources like lumber, minerals, and fishing, but grows more cash crops like wine, olives, and dates than staples like wheat, corn, or rice. The government is an autocratic monarchy ruled by a queen. It is the wealthiest nation. It has the largest and best navy, and its army is the largest, but is made up mostly of monstrous mercenaries.
Ingha Swamps: Massive wetlands in the west. A frontier land populated by wood elves, lightfoot halflings, humans, and monstrous humanoids pushed to the edges of civilization.
Freeport: Freeport is a large, sprawling port city built on a series of islands just off the coast of the Ingha Swamp. Some of it sprawls onto the coast and into the swamp, as well. It's a fairl uh lawless town, where justice typically goes to the one with the most coin. A wide mix of humans of various ethnicities and other races dwell here, many that don't fit well in normal society, like half-orcs or monstrous races. A semblance of order is kept by the Captains. These are merchant-pirates who have accumulated enough money, power, and influence to set themselves up as kingpins. Each captain has a territory in the city which he or she is responsible for maintaining, but also reaping the benefits of "owning", getting a portion of all crime and trade occurring in his territory. Territory squabbling occurs between tje captains, but outright gang war is forbidden without approval from the Captain's Moot, a council of all the captains. An Imperial enclave exists on the north side of the city. It is the most lawful place in Freeport. It is the home port of the small Imperial Navy. It's governor has a vote in the Captain's Moot, but little influence outside the enclave.
Lake Tasalda: Massive volcanic crater lake in the center of the continent, dotted with small islands.
The Academy: Founded as a wizard’s school, it has grown to encompass all the disciplines, to include a College of War, College of the Divine, College of the Arcane, College of Nature, and College of Bards. It is the premier institute of education in Arideen and has a strict policy of neutrality between the feuding nations, as the best students and faculty come here. If you nobility, wealthy, or talented and can find a patron, this is where you go to school. The Academy was the key broker of the peace agreement that ended the war, which enhanced its international status.
Misthaven: CG/CN. The last land before the Mists. Ruled by a local governor, it is ostensibly still loyal to the Empire, but it maintained neutrality during the civil war and is essentially independent and a bit isolationist. It found its population swelled by refugees during the war.
Moruntina: When the Mists receded, a previously unknown continent was discovered far beyond the sea. Little is known of this strange new land beyond some coastal mapping.
Vesraywor: This massive, sprawling continent abuts the Endnysi Mountains of Arideen and extends far to the east and north.
Dragon Empires:
Elemental Wastes:
Nyos: A sprawling land of steppe in the south and savannah in the north that stretches from Arideen to the Dragon Empires in the far east. Spotted with occasional city-states, it is dominated by nomadic tribes of stout halflings, Old Ones, Chadans, Zhytians, and other races. The western end near Arideen has settlements of Old Ones pushed out of the mountains with the arrival of the Prophet Arideen centuries ago, as well as more recent settlers from the Empire under nominal protection of Arideen.
[/sblock]
[sblock=THE PEOPLE]
Aarakocra
Aasimar
Fallen
Protector
Scourge
Bugbear
Dragonborn
Dwarf
Duergar:
Hill:
Mountain: Maintain a kingdom in the mountains beneath Arideen and are allied with the Empire.
Elf
Drow:
High Elf: Most live in Irine, an independent, but allied, forest kingdom within the bounds of the Empire.
Wood Elf: Most widely scattered elves. Can be found in nearly any forest region. Significant populations in the Chooris Jungles and Ingha Swamps.
Firbolg
Genasi
Air
Earth
Fire
Water
Gnome
Deep
Forest
Rock
Goblin
Goliath
Halfling
Ghost
Lightfoot
Stout: Ferocious painted barbarians of the Nyos steppes, they ride raptors and herd large, herbivorous lizards. Some say they practice cannibalism, eating their enemies for their power and strength. They war amongst their own tribes almost as much as they raid the settlements of Old Ones and settlers.
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Hobgoblin
Human
Arideen: Generally fair skinned and blonde to light brown hair; brown or blue eyes.
Essians: Generally medium skin tone, the range of brown hair, some blonde; eyes brown, blue, or hazel.
Helvekis: Usually olive or swarthy skin tone, dark hair and eyes.
Old Ones: Original human inhabitants of Arideen. Fair skin, red or blonde hair, blue or green eyes.
Chadans: Bronze complexion, dark hair and eyes. Chadans from Nyos tend to be darker skinned. Chadans from the Elemental Wastes often have off-color eyes (blue, yellow, red, green, purple) and can have natural streaks of color in otherwise dark hair (blue, purple, red, yellow, green, etc).
Zhytians: Humans from the Dragon Empires. Medium to fair skin, dark, almond-shaped eyes, and high cheekbones. Unusually may have eyes and streaks in their hair in the chromatic or metallic color of the dragon under which they live.
Kenku
Kobold
Lizardfolk
Orc
Tabaxi
Tiefling
Triton
Yuan-ti Pureblood
[/sblock]
[sblock=RELIGION]
Church of Paladine: Main religion of humans in Arideen, though dwarves and elves and others are also drawn to his worship, alongside their racial gods. Stubbornly monotheistic. Only legal religion in Arideen; about 50% of population in Essess, and illegal in Helveki.
Paladine
Church of the Dawn: Church that has grown up since Paladine’s murder worshipping the new gods that have appeared since then. Primarily human, but elves, dwarves, and halflings also. About 40% of the population in Essess. Illegal in Arideen and Helveki.
Avandra: CG, change and luck, halflings
*Bahamut: LG, justice, nobility, dragons, dragonborn
*Corellon: CG, magic, art, elves, forest gnomes
Erathis: LN, civilization, invention
Ioun: N, knowledge
Kord: CN, strength, storms
Melora: N, wilderness, sea
*Moradin: LG, crafting, dwarves, rock and deep gnomes
Pelor: NG, sun, agriculture
*Raven Queen: LN, death
Sehanine: CG, moon
Church of Asmodeus: Only legal church in Helveki. Small following in Essess. Illegal in Arideen.
Asmodeus: LE, tyranny
Bane: LE, war, conquest
Gruumsh: CE, destruction
Lolth: CE, spiders, lies
Tharizdun: CE, madness
*Tiamat: LE, wealth, greed, vengeance, dragons, dragonborn
Torog: NE, underdark, torture, prison
Vecna: NE, evil secrets
Zehir: CE, darkness, poison
*Not a “new” god, but not typically worshipped by humans in Arideen.
[/sblock]
[sblock=HISTORY]
Arideen Empire (0-842)
Arideen I the Great (0-246): Establishment of the empire. First contact with the dwarves.
Arideen II the Builder (246-487): Builds the Imperial Road. First contact with the high elves in Irine. Establishment of the Academy.
Arideen III the Explorer (487-676): Empire expands into Helveki and Essess and the Nyos plains out to the Elemental Wastes. Lightfoot halfling migration. Eladrin appear.
Arideen IV the Misfortunate (676-809): Border conflicts with the Elemental Wastes and the Dragon Empires. Stout halflings sweep across Nyos, razing colonies. Grumbling in the empire about the war. Demands from nobility for more local autonomy and say in the government. Helveki duke makes pact with Asmodeus.
Arideen V the Betrayed (809-842): To keep internal peace, Arideen marries the daughter of the Duke of Helveki. She eventually murders Arideen in his sleep.
Civil War (842-869): Arideen and Essess rebel against the attempt of the Helveki duke to become emperor. Church authorities fill the political vacuum left by the death of the emperor.
The Purge (847): Political revolutionaries in Essess take advantage of the war to press their agenda and overthrow imperial rule, making it a two-front war for the empire. A year-long orgy of killing nobility begins in Essess.
Tasalda Peace Accords (869): Led by the Academy, the warring nations sign peace and determine mutual borders.
The Silence (842-884): Clerics and paladins in the Church of Paladine lose their powers. The church in Helveki is nearly wiped out. In Essess, church influence wanes, as it is seen as a remnant of the imperial power structure. Drought, bad harvests, plague, upheaval. The Church of Asmodeus strengthens in Helveki. The Mists start to disperse.
The Return (850-897 [present[): Prophets of new gods start to appear and begin preaching and establishing churches, especially in Essess, accelerating the waning influence of the Church of Paladin there. They begin to bring relief in the midst of nature’s turmoil.
The Renewel (884-897 [present]): Power begins to flow once again to clerics and paladins in the Church of Paladine. The church recognizes the return of their god and scrambles to regain losses, as well as find the divine child after visions are sent to their seers. Abundant crops and harvest bless all of Arideen.
[/sblock]
OOC Thread
Heroes of Hydellor IC Thread
THE WORLD OF HYDELLOR
The Empire of Arideen was a blessed land. Ruled by the god-kings of Arideen, avatars of Paladine, they knew peace and prosperity.
And then god was murdered.
Drought and famine followed, and previously unseen social pressures fractured the empire into civil war for nearly thirty years. Prophets preaching new gods appeared. The Mists that defined the edge of the known world receded, revealing an entirely unknown continent across the sea. Was this the end of the world?
Exhausted by war, three new nations emerged from the wreck of the empire. Each suspicious of the other, they have maintained a watchful wariness for nearly 30 years. In central Hydellor, the disparate city-states of the Nyos savannah protect the Dragon Road from nomadic barbarian raiders. To the north, the sultanates of the Elemental Wastes threaten the sea routes to the east where the Great Khans of the Dragon Empires jealously guard their hoards and territories.
In the last decade there have been bumper crops. Clerics and paladins of the Church have felt a trickle of power return and seers have seen visions. Has Paladine returned? Where could he be? Inquisitors have been sent out to scour the lands of the Empire for him.
The world is ripe for heroes to carve out their place in the world.
[sblock=THE LAND]
Arideen: This western continent's major feature is Lake Tasalda, a massive crater lake dominating the center of the continent. Once dominated by the Arideen Empire, it is now broken into three hostile nations governed by a wary peace.
Arideen: LG/NG. The former core of the Arideen Empire, it is a landlocked nation dominated by high mountain peaks and settled valleys rich in lumber and minerals. It is ruled by a theocratic government of the Church of Paladine. Mountain dwarves and high elves maintain independent, but allied, kingdoms within the boundaries of the Empire. Arideen has the smallest population of the new nations, but the best trained army.
Forest of Irine: High Elven kingdom allied with Arideen.
Chooris Jungles:
Cold Wastes:
Essess: CG/CN. Essess is a wide, flat land of grasslands and farms and bordered by the Cold Woods in the south. It produces primarily agricultural products and lumber. Wide open spaces means its large population is considerably spread out, giving it the lowest population density of the nations, governed by a fractious republic. It has a small professional army, but can field a large, if lesser trained, citizen army if needed.
Gilead: LG/CG. A small island duchy off the coast of Helveki, the land remained loyal to the Empire during the war. It has natural resources to support itself independently and is the leading shipbuilder in the former empire, with a small, but strong, navy.
Helveki: LE/LN. Helveki is a narrow strip of coastal, arable land tucked between the ocean and forested mountains, densely populated with cities on the coast. It is rich in natural resources like lumber, minerals, and fishing, but grows more cash crops like wine, olives, and dates than staples like wheat, corn, or rice. The government is an autocratic monarchy ruled by a queen. It is the wealthiest nation. It has the largest and best navy, and its army is the largest, but is made up mostly of monstrous mercenaries.
Ingha Swamps: Massive wetlands in the west. A frontier land populated by wood elves, lightfoot halflings, humans, and monstrous humanoids pushed to the edges of civilization.
Freeport: Freeport is a large, sprawling port city built on a series of islands just off the coast of the Ingha Swamp. Some of it sprawls onto the coast and into the swamp, as well. It's a fairl uh lawless town, where justice typically goes to the one with the most coin. A wide mix of humans of various ethnicities and other races dwell here, many that don't fit well in normal society, like half-orcs or monstrous races. A semblance of order is kept by the Captains. These are merchant-pirates who have accumulated enough money, power, and influence to set themselves up as kingpins. Each captain has a territory in the city which he or she is responsible for maintaining, but also reaping the benefits of "owning", getting a portion of all crime and trade occurring in his territory. Territory squabbling occurs between tje captains, but outright gang war is forbidden without approval from the Captain's Moot, a council of all the captains. An Imperial enclave exists on the north side of the city. It is the most lawful place in Freeport. It is the home port of the small Imperial Navy. It's governor has a vote in the Captain's Moot, but little influence outside the enclave.
Lake Tasalda: Massive volcanic crater lake in the center of the continent, dotted with small islands.
The Academy: Founded as a wizard’s school, it has grown to encompass all the disciplines, to include a College of War, College of the Divine, College of the Arcane, College of Nature, and College of Bards. It is the premier institute of education in Arideen and has a strict policy of neutrality between the feuding nations, as the best students and faculty come here. If you nobility, wealthy, or talented and can find a patron, this is where you go to school. The Academy was the key broker of the peace agreement that ended the war, which enhanced its international status.
Misthaven: CG/CN. The last land before the Mists. Ruled by a local governor, it is ostensibly still loyal to the Empire, but it maintained neutrality during the civil war and is essentially independent and a bit isolationist. It found its population swelled by refugees during the war.
Moruntina: When the Mists receded, a previously unknown continent was discovered far beyond the sea. Little is known of this strange new land beyond some coastal mapping.
Vesraywor: This massive, sprawling continent abuts the Endnysi Mountains of Arideen and extends far to the east and north.
Dragon Empires:
Elemental Wastes:
Nyos: A sprawling land of steppe in the south and savannah in the north that stretches from Arideen to the Dragon Empires in the far east. Spotted with occasional city-states, it is dominated by nomadic tribes of stout halflings, Old Ones, Chadans, Zhytians, and other races. The western end near Arideen has settlements of Old Ones pushed out of the mountains with the arrival of the Prophet Arideen centuries ago, as well as more recent settlers from the Empire under nominal protection of Arideen.
[/sblock]
[sblock=THE PEOPLE]
Aarakocra
Aasimar
Fallen
Protector
Scourge
Bugbear
Dragonborn
Dwarf
Duergar:
Hill:
Mountain: Maintain a kingdom in the mountains beneath Arideen and are allied with the Empire.
Elf
Drow:
High Elf: Most live in Irine, an independent, but allied, forest kingdom within the bounds of the Empire.
Wood Elf: Most widely scattered elves. Can be found in nearly any forest region. Significant populations in the Chooris Jungles and Ingha Swamps.
Firbolg
Genasi
Air
Earth
Fire
Water
Gnome
Deep
Forest
Rock
Goblin
Goliath
Halfling
Ghost
Lightfoot
Stout: Ferocious painted barbarians of the Nyos steppes, they ride raptors and herd large, herbivorous lizards. Some say they practice cannibalism, eating their enemies for their power and strength. They war amongst their own tribes almost as much as they raid the settlements of Old Ones and settlers.
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Hobgoblin
Human
Arideen: Generally fair skinned and blonde to light brown hair; brown or blue eyes.
Essians: Generally medium skin tone, the range of brown hair, some blonde; eyes brown, blue, or hazel.
Helvekis: Usually olive or swarthy skin tone, dark hair and eyes.
Old Ones: Original human inhabitants of Arideen. Fair skin, red or blonde hair, blue or green eyes.
Chadans: Bronze complexion, dark hair and eyes. Chadans from Nyos tend to be darker skinned. Chadans from the Elemental Wastes often have off-color eyes (blue, yellow, red, green, purple) and can have natural streaks of color in otherwise dark hair (blue, purple, red, yellow, green, etc).
Zhytians: Humans from the Dragon Empires. Medium to fair skin, dark, almond-shaped eyes, and high cheekbones. Unusually may have eyes and streaks in their hair in the chromatic or metallic color of the dragon under which they live.
Kenku
Kobold
Lizardfolk
Orc
Tabaxi
Tiefling
Triton
Yuan-ti Pureblood
[/sblock]
[sblock=RELIGION]
Church of Paladine: Main religion of humans in Arideen, though dwarves and elves and others are also drawn to his worship, alongside their racial gods. Stubbornly monotheistic. Only legal religion in Arideen; about 50% of population in Essess, and illegal in Helveki.
Paladine
Church of the Dawn: Church that has grown up since Paladine’s murder worshipping the new gods that have appeared since then. Primarily human, but elves, dwarves, and halflings also. About 40% of the population in Essess. Illegal in Arideen and Helveki.
Avandra: CG, change and luck, halflings
*Bahamut: LG, justice, nobility, dragons, dragonborn
*Corellon: CG, magic, art, elves, forest gnomes
Erathis: LN, civilization, invention
Ioun: N, knowledge
Kord: CN, strength, storms
Melora: N, wilderness, sea
*Moradin: LG, crafting, dwarves, rock and deep gnomes
Pelor: NG, sun, agriculture
*Raven Queen: LN, death
Sehanine: CG, moon
Church of Asmodeus: Only legal church in Helveki. Small following in Essess. Illegal in Arideen.
Asmodeus: LE, tyranny
Bane: LE, war, conquest
Gruumsh: CE, destruction
Lolth: CE, spiders, lies
Tharizdun: CE, madness
*Tiamat: LE, wealth, greed, vengeance, dragons, dragonborn
Torog: NE, underdark, torture, prison
Vecna: NE, evil secrets
Zehir: CE, darkness, poison
*Not a “new” god, but not typically worshipped by humans in Arideen.
[/sblock]
[sblock=HISTORY]
Arideen Empire (0-842)
Arideen I the Great (0-246): Establishment of the empire. First contact with the dwarves.
Arideen II the Builder (246-487): Builds the Imperial Road. First contact with the high elves in Irine. Establishment of the Academy.
Arideen III the Explorer (487-676): Empire expands into Helveki and Essess and the Nyos plains out to the Elemental Wastes. Lightfoot halfling migration. Eladrin appear.
Arideen IV the Misfortunate (676-809): Border conflicts with the Elemental Wastes and the Dragon Empires. Stout halflings sweep across Nyos, razing colonies. Grumbling in the empire about the war. Demands from nobility for more local autonomy and say in the government. Helveki duke makes pact with Asmodeus.
Arideen V the Betrayed (809-842): To keep internal peace, Arideen marries the daughter of the Duke of Helveki. She eventually murders Arideen in his sleep.
Civil War (842-869): Arideen and Essess rebel against the attempt of the Helveki duke to become emperor. Church authorities fill the political vacuum left by the death of the emperor.
The Purge (847): Political revolutionaries in Essess take advantage of the war to press their agenda and overthrow imperial rule, making it a two-front war for the empire. A year-long orgy of killing nobility begins in Essess.
Tasalda Peace Accords (869): Led by the Academy, the warring nations sign peace and determine mutual borders.
The Silence (842-884): Clerics and paladins in the Church of Paladine lose their powers. The church in Helveki is nearly wiped out. In Essess, church influence wanes, as it is seen as a remnant of the imperial power structure. Drought, bad harvests, plague, upheaval. The Church of Asmodeus strengthens in Helveki. The Mists start to disperse.
The Return (850-897 [present[): Prophets of new gods start to appear and begin preaching and establishing churches, especially in Essess, accelerating the waning influence of the Church of Paladin there. They begin to bring relief in the midst of nature’s turmoil.
The Renewel (884-897 [present]): Power begins to flow once again to clerics and paladins in the Church of Paladine. The church recognizes the return of their god and scrambles to regain losses, as well as find the divine child after visions are sent to their seers. Abundant crops and harvest bless all of Arideen.
[/sblock]
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