steeldragons
Steeliest of the dragons
In this thread I am hoping to "boil down" most of my world/campaign setting of Orea. For a full accounting (as full as I have thus far) check out my thread "Orea: The World and Its People."
Orea as world is designed to be detailed without being crippling to DMs or players, offering plentiful choices without endless options. It is designed to be system neutral, any player from AD&D to 4e (and beyond) could plop a character in it and have a good time.
It is designed as a magic-heavy world, but that also is subject to interpretation. The level of use of magic inherent to one part of the world, is not absolute for everywhere. The "Mage lands" of R'Hath in the east are significantly more magic-users per capita than elsewhere in the world. These are MOSTLY broken into the specialist schools of magic use, while outside of R'Hath universal casters are more prevalent, and wizards in general become more scarce (outside of the major cities) the more west you travel and to the south, Mostrial, being a highly warrior-oriented culture has fewer wizards still than the eastern hub free-city of Andril in the east. In other words, you can have a campaign as heavy or light in magic as you like.
The Gods of Orea are universal across the world, however the various religions themselves (temples, churches, sects) are more centered and powerful in some realms than others. For example: All of Orea acknowledges Astar as the King of the Gods. He is particularly revered in the great kingdom of Grinlia, but temples (and priests) to him will be found in most cities across the known world. Outdoor shrines to the goddess Sylari (nature, weather and the harvest) can be found in almost every farming village and hamlet. In the kingdom of Mostrial, however, it is Celradorn and Gilea (deities of battle & healing, respectively) and their related demi-gods (Than and Physha) who are more popular and revered...to further break it down, even within Mostrial at Talas Eoril, the "Citadel of the Sea King", the goddess of the seas (Tyris) is the patron deity, naturally. But temples and shrines to other gods are certainly present as well. While druids of the Ancient Order, called "Keepers", are positioned throughout the realms in sacred natural places, for communion, defense or exploration with Orea's natural energies.
In theory, an entire campaign in Orea could take place within a single city (Andril or Brightmoon would be my recommendations for these, but that's just me). Or within the characters' home duchy, throughout an entire kingdom or the entire world...depends on the DMs imagination and ambition, and the ambition of the players.
But the world is there. If you want a gritty urban adventure with lots of politics and intrigue, it's in Orea. If you want a high fantasy with unicorns and magic-flinging faeries it's in Orea. Ravenloft/gothic your flavor of the month? Take a trip to the Countess of Karlith in East Embrar. Care to swash a buckle? Most nations in Orea conduct extensive trade via ship. The Orean seas are rife with islands, undersea peoples, pirates, privateers and lost treasures. And dungeon crawls or "hack n' slash" treasure hunts abound with hidden locations, lost artifacts and ancient culture over ancient culture buried within the world...Whatever flavor/kind of adventure you might be looking for, you can do it in Orea.
Time wise, Orea has a lengthy and colorful history but for the last 500 or so years (mostly cuz it's a convenient number and I needed enough time for a generation of elves to have grown up in the Miralosta nation) Orea has enjoyed a period of relative peace, growth, prosperous trade among the realms and races...that is soon coming to an end.
That said, here's a basic list of what the world has so far:
Human: 7 ethnicities (and 1 or 2 strictly NPC) broken into 8 distinct "nations" of various types (kingdoms, empires, tribes, etc.). Within these nations are innumerable sub-cultures/regions/realms (duchies, baronies, thanedoms, principalities, various clans, etc.).
Among and between various realms still exist plenty of "borderlands", frontiers, wild hills and plain old "avoided" areas wherein the likes of goblins, trolls, orcs, and other nasty business are able to flourish and maintain a threatening presence.
Elves: 3 sub-races for PCs and 3 sub-races for NPCs or PC's in VERY rare occasion at the DMs discretion.
Dwarves: are sprinkled throughout Orea's mountains with 2 major kingdoms/centers of dwarfkind. The original kingdom in the north, Naradun where the elder god first created dwarves and the the southern kingdom of the Daegun mountain range who seceded from Naradun a few thousand years ago.
Gnomes: the tricksters of the world, imbued with certain magical gifts for illusion, lending other races to deal with them with caution and alertness but their skills in gemcutting, woodworking, and crafts of many kinds cannot be denied. They are found (infrequently) in their hidden villages called "Warrens" both above and below ground, often both.
Halflings: are the hairfooted country folk of the original genre though significantly more feisty and adventurous in attitude (and trim/toned in body) than the plump Tolkien "hobbit". They call themselves the Daelvar. Their communities in/among the hills and rolling fields are called "Dales."
Half-elves: are generally rare. They are most common, obviously, close to the elvin realm of Miralosta. All Orean half-elves are considered to be the mixing of a human and a Miralosta elf. So northern Grinlia, specifically the Duchies of O'Douhn and Resahd are this character's most likely originating location. But there are Miralostae sprinkled through the Freelands and over the past 500 years could be found almost anywhere. A half-elf is considered to be no more than 2 generations away from their elvin heritage. Beyond that, the human blood (genes) assert themselves...unless the half-elf mates with another elf, of course.
Half-Orcs: are extremely rare, moreso than half-elves (whose union is almost always consensual). But in the border/frontier lands those unfortunate human females (or captured males used for fun) who survive the encounter are sometimes saddled with offspring. Knowing they will have a difficult life but unable to bring themselves to blame the innocent newborn for the circumstances of their conception. These figures often end up wandering the realms, caught between two cultures with none to call their own, searching for a place to "belong."
Centaurs: Centaurs in Orea are more numerous than other worlds (enough so to be PCs). They live in tribal bands "hyrds" across the temperate forests and rolling hills of northern Orea. The hyrds of the Kiari Hills in central Grinlia are the most commonly known and encountered. They have a rich and spiritual culture and are commonly found with tattoos denoting certain hyrds, ranks and spiritual/"magical"/shamanic blessings (strength, speed, keen sight, general protection from evil, etc.). They are also known for their heightened senses and are excellent trackers. They are decidedly uncomfortable in urban settings (the noise and odor of human cities is often "unpleasant") or underground (owing to a somewhat innate claustrophobia that varies in intensity from individual to individual).
Zepharim: the zepharim are a reclusive race of winged humanoids who began as messengers and servants of the elder gods. For reasons unknown, some of the avian race were relegated to the mortal realms. It is possible to see/encounter a zephari pretty much anywhere in the realms of Orea, but their general avoidance of the other races makes them a truly rare sight (inspiring awe or fear or both). In addition to flight, extraordinary vision and a natural body armor (to endure the cold of their lofty aeries) they also possess of some innate magic abilities (vestiges of their immortal origins).
Additional "optional" races for player characters (in my original concept/design) include: Satyrs, Goblins, Sprites, Lizardmen and other home-brew races: the Haindaun (deer-centaurs, basically) and the Jerali (tribal felinoids of the Orean savannah, think "Thundercats" not Tabaxi or Wemics).
The Dragonborn, the "Eladrin" (rolls eyes), Tieflings and Drow as a PC class DO NOT EXIST on Orea. If a player wishes to play one of these races, its up to the player and DM to work something out. Easy enough to have some "inter-planar mishap", a hidden village/culture (with a verrrry limited population), magical "curse" (or blessing?), etc...shouldn't be hard. But any of these races will attract a LOT of attention, and probably outright fear and/or violent responses.
Does any of this sound usueful or intriguing? Someplace you or your players would care to explore or set up a campaign?
Orea as world is designed to be detailed without being crippling to DMs or players, offering plentiful choices without endless options. It is designed to be system neutral, any player from AD&D to 4e (and beyond) could plop a character in it and have a good time.
It is designed as a magic-heavy world, but that also is subject to interpretation. The level of use of magic inherent to one part of the world, is not absolute for everywhere. The "Mage lands" of R'Hath in the east are significantly more magic-users per capita than elsewhere in the world. These are MOSTLY broken into the specialist schools of magic use, while outside of R'Hath universal casters are more prevalent, and wizards in general become more scarce (outside of the major cities) the more west you travel and to the south, Mostrial, being a highly warrior-oriented culture has fewer wizards still than the eastern hub free-city of Andril in the east. In other words, you can have a campaign as heavy or light in magic as you like.
The Gods of Orea are universal across the world, however the various religions themselves (temples, churches, sects) are more centered and powerful in some realms than others. For example: All of Orea acknowledges Astar as the King of the Gods. He is particularly revered in the great kingdom of Grinlia, but temples (and priests) to him will be found in most cities across the known world. Outdoor shrines to the goddess Sylari (nature, weather and the harvest) can be found in almost every farming village and hamlet. In the kingdom of Mostrial, however, it is Celradorn and Gilea (deities of battle & healing, respectively) and their related demi-gods (Than and Physha) who are more popular and revered...to further break it down, even within Mostrial at Talas Eoril, the "Citadel of the Sea King", the goddess of the seas (Tyris) is the patron deity, naturally. But temples and shrines to other gods are certainly present as well. While druids of the Ancient Order, called "Keepers", are positioned throughout the realms in sacred natural places, for communion, defense or exploration with Orea's natural energies.
In theory, an entire campaign in Orea could take place within a single city (Andril or Brightmoon would be my recommendations for these, but that's just me). Or within the characters' home duchy, throughout an entire kingdom or the entire world...depends on the DMs imagination and ambition, and the ambition of the players.
But the world is there. If you want a gritty urban adventure with lots of politics and intrigue, it's in Orea. If you want a high fantasy with unicorns and magic-flinging faeries it's in Orea. Ravenloft/gothic your flavor of the month? Take a trip to the Countess of Karlith in East Embrar. Care to swash a buckle? Most nations in Orea conduct extensive trade via ship. The Orean seas are rife with islands, undersea peoples, pirates, privateers and lost treasures. And dungeon crawls or "hack n' slash" treasure hunts abound with hidden locations, lost artifacts and ancient culture over ancient culture buried within the world...Whatever flavor/kind of adventure you might be looking for, you can do it in Orea.
Time wise, Orea has a lengthy and colorful history but for the last 500 or so years (mostly cuz it's a convenient number and I needed enough time for a generation of elves to have grown up in the Miralosta nation) Orea has enjoyed a period of relative peace, growth, prosperous trade among the realms and races...that is soon coming to an end.
That said, here's a basic list of what the world has so far:
Human: 7 ethnicities (and 1 or 2 strictly NPC) broken into 8 distinct "nations" of various types (kingdoms, empires, tribes, etc.). Within these nations are innumerable sub-cultures/regions/realms (duchies, baronies, thanedoms, principalities, various clans, etc.).
Among and between various realms still exist plenty of "borderlands", frontiers, wild hills and plain old "avoided" areas wherein the likes of goblins, trolls, orcs, and other nasty business are able to flourish and maintain a threatening presence.
Elves: 3 sub-races for PCs and 3 sub-races for NPCs or PC's in VERY rare occasion at the DMs discretion.
Dwarves: are sprinkled throughout Orea's mountains with 2 major kingdoms/centers of dwarfkind. The original kingdom in the north, Naradun where the elder god first created dwarves and the the southern kingdom of the Daegun mountain range who seceded from Naradun a few thousand years ago.
Gnomes: the tricksters of the world, imbued with certain magical gifts for illusion, lending other races to deal with them with caution and alertness but their skills in gemcutting, woodworking, and crafts of many kinds cannot be denied. They are found (infrequently) in their hidden villages called "Warrens" both above and below ground, often both.
Halflings: are the hairfooted country folk of the original genre though significantly more feisty and adventurous in attitude (and trim/toned in body) than the plump Tolkien "hobbit". They call themselves the Daelvar. Their communities in/among the hills and rolling fields are called "Dales."
Half-elves: are generally rare. They are most common, obviously, close to the elvin realm of Miralosta. All Orean half-elves are considered to be the mixing of a human and a Miralosta elf. So northern Grinlia, specifically the Duchies of O'Douhn and Resahd are this character's most likely originating location. But there are Miralostae sprinkled through the Freelands and over the past 500 years could be found almost anywhere. A half-elf is considered to be no more than 2 generations away from their elvin heritage. Beyond that, the human blood (genes) assert themselves...unless the half-elf mates with another elf, of course.
Half-Orcs: are extremely rare, moreso than half-elves (whose union is almost always consensual). But in the border/frontier lands those unfortunate human females (or captured males used for fun) who survive the encounter are sometimes saddled with offspring. Knowing they will have a difficult life but unable to bring themselves to blame the innocent newborn for the circumstances of their conception. These figures often end up wandering the realms, caught between two cultures with none to call their own, searching for a place to "belong."
Centaurs: Centaurs in Orea are more numerous than other worlds (enough so to be PCs). They live in tribal bands "hyrds" across the temperate forests and rolling hills of northern Orea. The hyrds of the Kiari Hills in central Grinlia are the most commonly known and encountered. They have a rich and spiritual culture and are commonly found with tattoos denoting certain hyrds, ranks and spiritual/"magical"/shamanic blessings (strength, speed, keen sight, general protection from evil, etc.). They are also known for their heightened senses and are excellent trackers. They are decidedly uncomfortable in urban settings (the noise and odor of human cities is often "unpleasant") or underground (owing to a somewhat innate claustrophobia that varies in intensity from individual to individual).
Zepharim: the zepharim are a reclusive race of winged humanoids who began as messengers and servants of the elder gods. For reasons unknown, some of the avian race were relegated to the mortal realms. It is possible to see/encounter a zephari pretty much anywhere in the realms of Orea, but their general avoidance of the other races makes them a truly rare sight (inspiring awe or fear or both). In addition to flight, extraordinary vision and a natural body armor (to endure the cold of their lofty aeries) they also possess of some innate magic abilities (vestiges of their immortal origins).
Additional "optional" races for player characters (in my original concept/design) include: Satyrs, Goblins, Sprites, Lizardmen and other home-brew races: the Haindaun (deer-centaurs, basically) and the Jerali (tribal felinoids of the Orean savannah, think "Thundercats" not Tabaxi or Wemics).
The Dragonborn, the "Eladrin" (rolls eyes), Tieflings and Drow as a PC class DO NOT EXIST on Orea. If a player wishes to play one of these races, its up to the player and DM to work something out. Easy enough to have some "inter-planar mishap", a hidden village/culture (with a verrrry limited population), magical "curse" (or blessing?), etc...shouldn't be hard. But any of these races will attract a LOT of attention, and probably outright fear and/or violent responses.
Does any of this sound usueful or intriguing? Someplace you or your players would care to explore or set up a campaign?
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etc. You do not spend half your life being a fighter and then one day, after "x" amount of XP, wake up with clerical powers.
