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There are two generally recognized pillars of magic in the Southern Lands. Psionics, the magic of will enhanced by the light of Uol (or curiously, emanations deep within the earth), primarily practiced by the lizardfolk and the deep dwellers. And the lunar crafts of druidry, artifice, illusionism, and shadow-weaving, taught to the races by the four goddesses.
The rare few who master both psionics arts and a lunar craft are known by the prestigious and terrifying appellation of "wizard".
The only giants left on the surface world are capricious cloud giants (other giant types might be found in the subterranean realms or some undiscovered island). At one time they had a global empire that the lizardfolk rebelled against millennia ago.
The counterpart of the four moon goddess sisters is the Celestial Titan of the Oceans: Tide, his domains primarily consists of change, maleability, travel and of course, the ocean. it is claimed by those that remember the old stories that upon her passing he reincarnated Uol, the Celestial Titan of the Sun, into her four 'daughters' the moon goddesses, it is often forgotten the sun was originally named for this long passed divinity.
The counterpart of the four moon goddess sisters is the Celestial Titan of the Oceans: Tide, his domains primarily consists of change, maleability, travel and of course, the ocean. it is claimed by those that remember the old stories that upon her passing he reincarnated Uol, the Celestial Titan of the Sun, into her four 'daughters' the moon goddesses, it is often forgotten the sun was originally named for this long passed divinity.
Sea elves who gain the attention of the Ocean Celestial can sacrifice their personal identities to him; these chosen of Tide the Ever-Changing gain a malleable form and are known as changelings.
Weather and climate patterns in any given location are generally similar to what you'd find in a similar location in our real world, though with perhaps a few more extreme events due to casters upsetting the balance through their use of local-level weather changing spells.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. (this might seem a trivial thing to note but the game I play in has the reverse, which throws me every damn time)
With four moons and a sun I'll leave it to someone else to sort out the tides and currents; I ain't touching that with a barge pole.
The setting is a planet, physically similar to Earth. (Similar mass and gravity, breathable air, water, etc.) This planet has 1 sun and 4 moons.
Each moon is the domain of a powerful goddess. They are:
1) The Maiden of Primetemps. She is the goddess of the moon Uripan, the largest and closest of the four moons. It is a bright green coloured moon that affects the ebb and flow of natural life energy, she is invoked by druids.
Of all the races, the most beloved of Uripan, Maiden of Printemps, are the halflings. Blessed with her abundance, they are the most common race on the great continent of Herzia. As proof of Uripan's love, halfing point to the existence of beer and tacos. Though the how and why of those gifts vary in legends, most halfings are in agreement that those items are proof of her love.
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2) The Matron of Summer. She is the goddess of the moon Nehüsh, the second moon. It is a is small, red, and oval shaped moon. She inspires acts of creation and is invoked by artificers.
Off the coast of the continent of Herzia lies a large island call Vaelos, home to the Dwarven favored of Nehüsh, Matron of Summer. They hold the blessings of hearth and forge.
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3) The Queen of Autumn. She is goddess of the moon Xalaphera. It is is a pale grey moon with large craters that give her the appearance of a skull.
She is patron of the gnomish merchants who make their homes on the on the bays, traveling river and sea. Hers is the magic of the liminal spaces, the Autumn Queen of the dead and undying.
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4) The Crone of Winter. She is goddess of the moon Koia the "Hag Moon" of Winter. It is a dark moon that seems to absorb light rather than reflect it. Thus Koia appears as a dim, obsidian disk against the stars.
She is venerated by the Elves and her influence is tied to illusion, shadows, and secrets. Her phases affect dreams, giving rise to prophetic visions and to nightmares.
By far the most common variety of elf in the setting are the sea elves who have extensive underwater communities, though there is a notable number who give up their aquatic abilities in a ritual dedicated to Koia, transforming them into mark of shadow elves in the process and who have gone onto forming most of the surface elven settlements.
Sea elves who gain the attention of the Ocean Celestial can sacrifice their personal identities to him; these chosen of Tide the Ever-Changing gain a malleable form and are known as changelings.
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The four moons have cycles etc. thusly:
Uripan: a full moon every 20 days*, moves through the sky in the same direction as the sun
Nehush: a full moon every 40 days*, moves through the sky "backwards", in the opposite direction to the sun
Xalaphera: a full moon every 80 days*, moves through the sky in the same direction as the sun, is smaller in actual size than it appears to the eye and you can talk to Gnomish illusionists (and their deities) to find out why it looks bigger.
Koia: never has a "full moon" or any other phases: it isn't lit directly by the sun as it is constantly eclipsed by the host planet (does this under-construction world have a name yet?)
The most common calendars are based on phases of Nehush: 9 months of 40 days each, though each culture has its own names for the months.
* - I'm told by an astronomer friend (who is also my DM) that multiple moon systems tend to settle into orbital patterns like this where the orbit-time of each is a direct multiple of the others; I learned this because my own setting also has a multi-moon setup.
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The sun (called Uol when people have a need to call it anything other than “the sun”) should have burnt out eons ago. It is kept alive by a massive complex of magic and machinery that thrums at its core. Uol is worshiped by the lizardfolk, who in ages long past were uplifted by the Sun Builders.
The lizardfolk see themselves as stewards over all the lands that Uol blesses with its light. They are often found as advisors, philosophers, and teachers amongst the other species of the world.
The Lizardfolk culture is focused on physical and mental perfection, The lizard folk believe that one who attains ultimate perfection and lives for 1000 years will transform into a legendary Dragon-khan and fly to Uol.
Very few have achieved perfection
For eons psionic powers were limited to a subset of lizardfolk considered chosen before even hatching (the eggs are marked and those around them are often bombarded with the psychic resonance of embryonic lizardfolk - they are the key ingredient in ancient and forbidden “mind-bombs”) but in the last 7 generations other Peoples have started developing psionic powers and no one knows why. The powers are associated with Uol.
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The counterpart of the four moon goddess sisters is the Celestial Titan of the Oceans: Tide, his domains primarily consists of change, maleability, travel and of course, the ocean. it is claimed by those that remember the old stories that upon her passing he reincarnated Uol, the Celestial Titan of the Sun, into her four 'daughters' the moon goddesses, it is often forgotten the sun was originally named for this long passed divinity.
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Weather and climate patterns in any given location are generally similar to what you'd find in a similar location in our real world, though with perhaps a few more extreme events due to casters upsetting the balance through their use of local-level weather changing spells.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. (this might seem a trivial thing to note but the game I play in has the reverse, which throws me every damn time)
With four moons and a sun I'll leave it to someone else to sort out the tides and currents; I ain't touching that with a barge pole.
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A large fraction of the landmasses are island chains and dense archipelagos, as a result society has learned to build on top of water almost as effectively as they have on land.
Herzia is the largest continent, a kidney-bean shaped mass slightly larger than South America. Most of its area is between 20 degrees south and 45 degrees south latitude, with a bulge in the northeast extending just past the equator. The three common races of Herzia and Vaelos, the Halflings, Gnomes, and Dwarves, have many divisions between their nations and clans. But, they are all united in a common faith and identity worshipping the four moon goddesses. It is rare to find a halfling without a gnome somewhere in their family tree, or a gnome that doesn't have a dwarven ancestor.
In the northwest corner of Herzia, hundreds of halfling kinsmets have established the Republic of the Argent Spire, a cooperative mercantile and agrarian nation. They are led by a council of halfling elders and advised by Sorronxi, an evolved Lizardfolk sage well into her sixth century of life.
Vaelos is the third-largest continent and a "twin" to Herzia. It is roughly the same size as Greenland. The coastline of Vaelos looks very similar to the coastline of Herzia it faces, leading scholars to believe the two continents were once one before something tore them apart.
On the southeast corner of Vaelos sits the iron city of Vae Kolos, the city of forges, 70 miles from the western coast of Herzia. It was here that were built the 9 dwarven dreadnoughts, the iron ships half a mile long that demonstrate the dwarves military and magical might.
This is a secret of the setting (ie not initially known to the players):
The Dwarven dreadnoughts are powered by captured dragons, imprisoned in the vessels' great engine rooms. This source of power underpins the Dwarves' naval and hence mercantile might. But it puts Uol at risk of sputtering out, with no new Drgaon-khan's to fly to it and maintain/upgrade/replace the machinery that keeps it alight.
Crossing the Straits of Vaeron from Vae Kolos, you will find the Kakistocracy of Ghace: a city-state of thieves, smugglers, and pirates, where anything and everything can be bought and sold. The plundering Ghacians are kept in check by the naval might of Vae Kolos. Their maritime battles are the stuff of legend.
On the equator sits the tropical continent of Xandahaal. A lush rainforest covers most of this land mass, inhabited by giant reptiles found nowhere else on the planet. Strangely, it is believed by many scholars and loremasters, that Xandahaal is actually an artificial continent and is not native to this world.
Xandahaal, the second largest continent, is slightly smaller than Australia with an almost perfectly circular coastline. The coast is sparsely populated by human and halfling settlers, with a few larger dwarven colonies situated at strategic points. The dense jungle interior hides ancient ruins, guarded by green elves and their tamed dinosaurs. The night sky is somehow different on Xandahaal, filled with unknown constellations and strange stars.
One of the dinosaurs of Xandahaal is a tree-dwelling species known as Yiqi by the green elves and called Urds by the halfling settlers. While it has not been confirmed, the Yiqi may be an inteligent species, they are certainly able to use tools, throw stones and may even be trapbuilders.
The equatorial seas ringing the planet are shallow, no more than a few hundred feet deep in most places, and covered with small to medium-sized island chains. Halflings and their tall, brutish cousins, humans, are the predominant residents of these islands.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are two generally recognized pillars of magic in the Southern Lands. Psionics, the magic of will enhanced by the light of Uol (or curiously, emanations deep within the earth), primarily practiced by the lizardfolk and the deep dwellers. And the lunar crafts of druidry, artifice, illusionism, and shadow-weaving, taught to the races by the four goddesses.
The rare few who master both psionics arts and a lunar craft are known by the prestigious and terrifying appellation of "wizard".
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Driftfoot Halflings have adapted to living on vasts raft-islands, interconnected floating platforms bound by rope bridges, gangplanks, and movable pontoons that can quickly be disassembled and rearranged for various needs. Each Driftfoot family lives on its own dedicated raft, built 3 or more pontoons wide, that can be detached or connected as needed. Most rafts feature a central shelter with a fish-leather roof, small fire pits for light and cooking, tinkering stations for crafting and storage nets slung under the deck, between the pontoons. Most families also have a couple of small coracles attached to their rafts which they use for quick trips around the flotilla or when they head to land to collect resources.
The Elders’ Raft sits are the center of these flotillas, much larger than the family rafts (sometimes as many as 12 pontoons wide) it serves as the communal hub where families come to trade their crafts and Driftfoot elders can meet for important discussions. The Elders' Raft is decorated with colorful banners, small wooden sculptures, and lanterns made from seashells and driftwood, at night it is a lively place filled with music, laughter, and aromas of grilled fish.
*Note Driftfoot Halflings dont have a swim speed but their big feet do give them advantage on swim checks
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The ant-people live underground, surfacing only rarely due to what they consider to be the harsh light of the sun and moons. Most surface-dwellers are unaware that the ants serve as a buffer between them and deeper-dwelling subterranean threats.
The ant-people, or Formicans as they call themselves, are ruled by Formica the Ant Queen, a powerful psionicist, that seeks peaceful order in the underground realms. They are at constant battle with the corrupted brethren of the lizardfolk, known as troglodytes, who were banished from the surface world because of some long forgotten sin.
Troglodytes come in various sorts, including the dreaded Troglodyte Juggernaut who guards their egg chambers (which is also where they keep their treasure)
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The only giants left on the surface world are capricious cloud giants (other giant types might be found in the subterranean realms or some undiscovered island). At one time they had a global empire that the lizardfolk rebelled against millennia ago.
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Being of similar size and composition to earth climate zones of this planet are similar (Polar,Temperate, Tropic) and relatively stable (across a 30 degree latitude spread)
The prevailing winds run east to west and are relatively stable. The predominance of islands and few large continents results in a strong equtorial current which keeps the climate moderate due to ocean-driven temperature stability. There is some disturbance of the prevailing winds along the western coasts, and around island clusters as the prevailing currents split around them, creating eddies and turbulent areas downstream. This results to local variations and development of strong monsoonal effects. These equatorial currents are balanced by intense polar currents and the development of two oceanic gyres in each hemisphere.
The four moons, create complex tidal dynamics depending on the alignment and phases of the moons. Stronger variable tides occur on a regular cycle however the opposing position of Nehush and Xalaphera and the constant state of Koia does provide some stabilizing effect.
The most dramatic tidal rise occurs when Nehush and Xalaphera align with Uripan. While this event does result in coastal innundation and flooding it also amplifes coastal upwelling, contributing to nutrient-rich zones as well as significant sediment transport leading to formation of fjords, barrier islands, tidal flats and other erosion features.
*Working on lunar calendar for the four moons next- fun
What the equatorial seas lack in depth, the polar seas more than make up for. They are covered in ice, and attempts to fully sound them have come up with a depth of (at least) 10,935 meters (35,876 feet). Many scholars theorize the northern and southern oceans may, in fact, join through the center of the world. This theory is backed up by the Formicans claiming there is a great ocean at the heart of the world.
What the equatorial seas lack in depth, the polar seas more than make up for. They are covered in ice, and attempts to fully sound them have come up with a depth of (at least) 10,935 meters (35,876 feet). Many scholars theorize the northern and southern oceans may, in fact, join through the center of the world. This theory is backed up by the Formicans claiming there is a great ocean at the heart of the world.
The extraordinary depth of the polar seas, coupled with the relatively shallow equatorial oceans creates dynamic layers of water as the colder, denser polar waters sink into the oceanic trenches pulling equatorial waters in to a continuous global cycle that increases equatorial cross currents generating cyclones and active oceanic gyres and whirlpools in both equatorial and mid-latitudes.
The theorised deep water current connecting the poles amplifies this effect and has two major outcomes. The first is the strong Polar vortex that intensifies during winter locking in high pressure zones and causing Polar temperatures to plummet and the sea ice to become frigid and super dense. The vortex weakens in Summer with the rush of warm air causing seasonal icemelts which pours fresh water into the oceans, cooling global seas and driving powerful storm surges and monsoons in mid-latitudes. This has the effect of keeping the Polar regions isolated and is what keeps the Sea Elves from colonising them effectively.
More startling though is that the dense frigid saline-rich water flowing through the "Heart of the World ocean" between the poles generates an energetic dynamo effect that causes the "Heart of the World" to glow with its own internal luminosity as well as piezoelectrical bursts which act as an energy source for its unique subteranean ecosystem. These bursts also cause localized magnetic “anomalies” that can be detected from the surface due to effects on navigation compasses. They also manifest as atmospheric Aurora bands that stream out from the polar regions in to mid-latitudes. At there most intense the aurora streams cause dangerous wild magic and psionic 'plasma' surges across the planet.
Uol was the last remaining of the Sun Builders. Uol foresaw her own death and not only instructed Tide on what to do once it happened, but gave him a crystal with prophecies she'd made recorded inside. Tide was not happy, but accepted the responsibility.
After the Lizardfolk defeated the Giants, they formed their own global empire, the heart of which was Orthil. Orthil was dimensionally exchanged with Xandahaal (they are the same size) when a project by the Zad-Tavar, a group of lizardfolk, went awry.
The strain of this project on the magical energies of Uol killed her and reft Herzia from Vaelos and Orthil from Kavos (the Prime). The Zad-Tavar were hunted by their brethren for the sin of killing Uol and those left banished to the underworld where they would eventually become the Troglodites.
