Oni said:
I'll just say Scarred Lands, I won't bother to try and sell it to you (though it does meet most if not all of your criteria), because I'm sure Nightfall will be along soon enough to do that (and far better than I could).
Thank you Oni.
So you want some grit. Don't want a lot of High level NPCs mucking up your plots or causing strife? Don't want gods too involved? Well I think the Scarred Lands can manage that.
Firstly, what I say helps the Scarred Lands is that not everything is what it seems. I say that not in a tongue in cheek way, but in truth. For in world where the gods and titans clashed, where the whole world was remade over who would have dominance over this small world formerly known as Scarn, truth was probably the first casuality. For both sides had their reasons. But even if you look past that, thanks to the Divine War there are forces at work that serve neither god nor man. From the Necromancers of Hollowfaust, runing a city of both living and dead citizens (mindless undead mind you. They don't like intelligent undead working as their guards), who are more scientist than megalomanic villains. (They leave that up to their former Brethern, the city-state of Glivid Autel.) To the Jack of Tears, defacto ruler of over the western half continent of Termana. (There are three major continents, Termana and Ghelspad and Asherak. Termana is kind of the Jungle meets the very edge of cilivization. Ghelspad was were much of the Divine War accorded, and where many died. Asherak is rumored to have been untouched by the Divine War...but you know rumors...) The Jack, ruler of the mad, the lost and the unwanted, who runs a twisted little carnival like state in the Blood Bayou. The Jack, who is rumor to be less than human but more than man. Or his precedessor, the Ghoul King, who reigns unchecked on the Isle of the Dead. Of course some do serve the gods or the titans. The wild, madmen of Vangal, the Horsemen, the God of Destruction, Pestilence, Earthquakes and Bloodlust, rid out under the command of a few of his trust followers, bring death, chaos and destruction in their wake. The Calastian Hegemony, probably the mightiest human empire since the Divine War, is rumored to be helped by many followers of Chardun, the God of Slavery, Warcraft and Despotism. But there are also those that serve the titans, from the wild fire loving Sutak in the Ukrudan Desert, where the Father of Fire, Thulkas, supposed made many in his hardy fire loving image, to the Dar al Annot, a cabal of witches, true hags, and other fearsome creatures live in the depths of the Hornsaw, a once mighty and proud wood now tainted by the blood of Mormo, the Queen of Hags, The Mother of Serpents, when the gods fought and dismembered her there. Then there is the magic, free wild, untamed, learned and controlled by a few, sorcerers whose blood runs with the linages of titans, dragons, and other strange magical creatures, and wizards who have learned to tap into the power of Mesos, the Sire of Sorcery, the first Titan to be undone by the Gods, since he was the most powerful. But now some believe thanks to the gods, arcane magic is tainted, for it now generates a strange heat for these fellows. Of course clerics and Paladins worry little about this. Druids...well druids are strange lot, some working with the Earth Mother Denev to restore the land...and other still yearn for the return of their true inheritors of the earth, the titans.
So this is the Scarred Lands, where friend might be foe or foe friend. Where rats that feasted on the flesh of the fallen titans, now run rampant and are feared by many. The place where demons and long lost treasure of the "old world" Scarn lie along side the ruins of the Slacerians, rumored proginators or perhaps sibilings of sort to the vicious mind flayers. Whose power of the mind, many gods and titans feared... For there was no defense against such power...But in the end the Slacerians were undone...but not entirely left forgotten. A land where dragons, TRUE dragons, lie deep in the ground or far from most mortals eyes...and one who slays them best be ware...This is the Scarred Lands, where gods and titans clashes, where armies fought and died. Where magic weapons, even the smallest ones, can spell victory or defeat. A land in need of heroes as well as villians. Where spells might save you, and good strong arm always a help, but where wits and charisma might also ensure victory. So come to this world. But remember. You were warned.
