The Campaign Builder's Guild

Illiarth
Introduction
 [note]Most of this is still based in 3.5; I am currently starting the process of updating it to 4E. [/note]

Don't be gettin' any fool ideas in yer heads just because you saw a globe. The empire of Yuinar was destroyed three centuries ago, and the lands of Erematia haven't belonged to men since the forgotten age. This is all there is, lads--the last bastion of civilization. Just the continent of Menkir, the Northward Isles, and down south are the islands of Lostmount. There's a reason people don't return from anywhere else. Out there, the dragons rule.
--Jeriah Spade, playing grizzled mentor to a clueless young sailor

For the past 400 years, civilization has been trapped on one continent, and a few islands off its coast. Most of the world of Illiarth has fallen to the dragons, all except for the region known as New Yuinar, whose power is slowly dwindling. Even as civilization advances, its overall power is crumbling. Eventually it will reach a point at which there will be no stopping the dragons if they decide to return. People don't like to talk about it, but they know it. Tales of the Dragon War speak of heroes who no longer exist, and have no equal in the present.

Setting Hooks
   

* Beyond Menkir, there are lots of dragons. Adventures beyond Menkir will have a relatively large number of dragon encounters.
    * At first glance within the civilized areas, the bad guys are for the most part other humans and humanoids. But dragons, fiends, and genies do manipulate things in the background.
    * Technology is just beginning to intertwine with advanced magic. Compared to a setting like Eberron, Illiarth is more technologically advanced but not quite as magically advanced. Not quite steampunk, but there are clocks, printing presses, balloons, primitive dirigibles, and maybe firearms. Elemental binding is in its infancy, and landships are the current cutting edge of this science.
    * The boundaries between the planes are quite weak, and some areas on the Material Plane have literally merged with one of the Outer Planes, so some geographical areas are perpetually populated with monsters.
    * No evil plot is ever done away with neatly. Every surviving minor henchman is a potential loose end, as are the characters who were not directly involved.
    * Fame is a double edged sword. The more well known a character is, the more responsibilities, friends, and enemies he is saddled with. It should be dangerously easy to accumulate contacts and affiliations, and every favor called in means one owed in return.  This is the reason that high and epic level NPCs exist but are almost never available.

World
Illiarth is for the most part a regular earthlike planet with one moon and one sun in a solar system with little in the way of fantastic attributes
The Continent of Menkir
(http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6730/newyuinarmap0gj.th.jpg) (http://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newyuinarmap0gj.jpg)
Links
Discussion thread (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?24857)
Thread on WOTC D&D boards (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=615612)

Chapter 1
History of the World
The Things that Went Before, in Sequential Order


[spoiler=Ancient History]
130 years before the Common Age
Records of this time are patchy at best, as much was lost in the chaos resulting from the later dragon invasion.
The world of Illiarth is under the total dominion of Men.   The people were divided into two great forces who destroyed each other in a global war.  During the war, energies were unleashed that sundered the fabric of reality.  While the actual rips and leaks in reality were localized to certain geographic locations, their effects consumed the whole world.

110 years before the Common Age
Over the course of several years, the survivors of the war came out of hiding to find the world changed.  Strange beasts walked above and below ground, and the forces of magic were discovered.   In the country of Yuinar, new races of people arrived, drawing the survivors' attention to a great portal at the ruins of an old Yuinarian fort.   A few ventured in, and contact was briefly established with a parallel world.  The elves in particular were fascinated by
Illiarth's tattered dimensional fabric.   While there was only one obvious hole--the one connecting to the parallel world, other areas were affected by 'planar leaks'.   There were certain areas that seemed like part of Illiarth, but were in fact also part of other realms, and one venturing into those places had no way of being sure where they would end up after leaving.  The human survivors help the other races find suitable lands to settle in.    Elsewhere, humans are alone in their rebuilding efforts.

50 years before the Common Age
Contact with the parallel world is broken, and hordes of chromatic dragons pour out of the Yuinarian portal.  Settlements near the gateway are utterly destroyed in a continually expanding holocaust for at least a year.   Then, metallic dragons start pouring out of the portal, and the chromatic dragons begin to scatter. It takes several years for the metallic dragons to gain the humans' trust.    
Elsewhere, in the recovering continents of Erematia and Menkir, the scattered chromatic dragons begin causing trouble.   Under repeated assaults from the dragons, the fragile Menkir Empire can no longer govern its northern territories, which become the independent kingdom of Gansdor.

45 years before the Common Age
As the chromatic dragons terrorize the various recovering nations, people are forced out of their settlements, and a great quantity of items and knowledge preserved from before the Cataclysm are lost.  The link to the parallel world is effectively cut off as the areas around both sides of the portal become extremely hazardous, with constant dragon-on-dragon battles threatening to annihilate any humanoids venturing through.

40 years before the Common Age
As more dragons of all types enter Illiarth through the Yuinarian portal, the metallic dragons suggest sealing the gateway.   While the Yuinarians begin construction of a great pyramid around the portal, the metallic dragons instruct Yuinarian mages on spells and techniques to be used in completing the seal.

The first year of the Common Age
All of the magic wards are in place, and the finishing touches are put on the pyramid. No new threats can now come from the parallel world, and the Empire of Yuinar is forged.  The people finally have the opportunity to look outwards, to the seas.

5 CA
The first ships are built and voyages to Menkir and Erematia are launched.  It is discovered that the metallic dragons have made their home in Erematia, along with various humanoids who have been sworn to the dragons' service. Contact is made with the Northward Isles and Gansdor on Menkir.  The Menkan Empire is not as welcoming, viewing Yuinar as a potential rival if it is allowed to open commerce in the region.  

15 CA
After continued interference from the Menkans, Yuinar is forced to make itself scarce in the Menkir region, and several of the Northward Isles become extremely rich by acting as middlemen in commerce between Menkir and Yuinar.

314 CA
For nearly three centuries the status quo continues for most of the world.  However, the Menkan Empire has suffered repeated losses of territory to an expanding dragon population over that time, and now the dragons are within reach of the Menkan capital, on a southwestern river in Menkir. Sensing defeat, many Menkans flee north while they still have the chance.  Unused to the harsh desert climate of western Gansdor, the Menkans migrate to the more humid region of Harkesia in the east.

316 CA
With the fall of the Menkan Empire, Yuinar eagerly expands its merchant fleets to get to Gansdor's ports.  The old Menkan mentality lives on in Harkesia, though, and the seeds of unrest begin to take root there.

342 CA
Unrest in Harkesia eventually results in revolution. A descendant of the Menkan royal family declares himself King of Harkesia and once again, Yuinarian commerce is frustrated.  Yuinarian merchants once again have to use the Northward Isle nations as middlemen.

600 CA
While Yuinar's power abroad has been broken, internally it has entered a golden age that will last for well over a millennium.
[/spoiler]

 [spoiler=The Dragon War]
1700 CA
The goblinoids of Yuinar, frustrated by their meager land holdings, execute a plan to colonize southern Menkir in spite of the strong chromatic dragon presence.   The loose organization of the goblinoid effort means the dragons do not treat it as an invasion.  Indeed, many of the dragons welcome the settlers, as they will add some much-needed variety to their diets.  But unknowingly the goblins have set in motion events that will lead to the near destruction of all civilization.

2029 CA
The Harkesians have forgotten the reason for their dislike of Yuinar. Tired of getting Yuinarian silks and spices with markups from the Islanders, a group of Harkesian  dukes assassinate their king with the intent of crowning one of their own. However, the king of Gansdor takes the opportunity and invades Harkesia.  Not prepared to face all of Gansdor, the Harkesian nobles surrender in hopes of retaining their lands.   Yuinar eagerly opens commerce again with the conclusion of this dispute.

2442 CA
 The goblins in southern Menkir have continued to multiply, and they attempt to increase their territory by instigating a feud between the red dragons of the mountains and the black dragons of the swamp with a sophisticated campaign of magic illusions.  Unfortunately, it backfires when the dragons forge a surprise alliance against the goblins and drive them over the mountains toward the Black Waste.  
 
The Dragon War begins.
2443 CA
 A hobgoblin chieftain, Kaburuk, travels to Gansdor to plead for help.  Gansdor tries to stay low-key by sending only a few soldiers to train the goblins, but the dragons with their spies notice their help and expand their aggression. Gansdor, the neighboring dwarves, and the goblins take huge losses. The king of Gansdor begs for aid from anyone and everyone.

2444 CA
 Yuinar sends aid to Gansdor in the form of a hundred of its finest wizards, including the archmage Yevin Tangor and a thousand elite soldiers.  The balance is tipped, but not enough, and losses are still grievous.

2445 CA
Tangor, the Yuinarian wizards, and several Gansdorian wizards gather to create a set of weapons to use against the dragons.  Tangor and the Gansdorian wizard Harkinian Kar-Bizen forge the Last Hope, a holy blade to be used as a source of power for the other lesser swords that will be forged later.

2447 CA
 The collection of weapons known as Tangorâ,¬,,¢s Armory is completed.  The Last Hope is entrusted to the paladin Sir Yerrick to use in the upcoming attack.  The high priest of the dwarves prays for a miracle from his god Morikai to open a path southward, and a huge gap is created in the Great Ridge.  A force of 6000 Gansdorians, 5000 from the various Northward Islands, 4000 dwarves, 4000 goblins, and 1000 elves, and a refreshed force of 5000 Yuinarians gathers and marches south.  The dragons are ready, though, and engage the army as soon as they enter the gap.   Several dragons die here, but Tangor dies as well, resulting in naming the gap in his honor: Tangor Gap.  The red dragon Eriax is the believed killer of Tangor, and subsequent battles do engage Eriax at times, but continue to fail to take him down.  Sensing defeat, Eriax gathers as many dragons as he can find to fly eastward to take revenge on the humans.  Kar-Bizen, feeling personal guilt for a perceived failure to save Tangor or avenge his death, gathers a small force to teleport to Yuinar in hopes to catch Eriax.

2448 CA
 Yuinar is devastated by the dragon invasion.  The largest and oldest dragons hit first to decimate the fighting forces, falling back before being significantly injured to allow the younger dragons to finish the people off.  Yuinarâ,¬,,¢s armies were reduced to nothing quickly, and Kar-Bizen contacted the metallic dragons.  Unfortunately, all the noble dragons could do was protect a fleet of sailing ships full of Yuinarâ,¬,,¢s survivors.  Back on Menkir, Kaburuk gathers his people in the land south and west of the Black Waste and builds a city for civilized goblins.   The surviving Yuinarians settle south of the Tangor Gap and build Tangoris, in honor of the archmage who died there.   Tangorâ,¬,,¢s grave becomes almost a holy site, and it becomes a tradition for all wizards and sorcerers to make a pilgrimage there at least once in their lives.   The region comprised of Menkir and the Northward Isles becomes known as New Yuinar in honor of the fallen empire.
The Dragon War ends.
[/spoiler]
 [spoiler=After the Dragon War (Recent)]
2449 CA
 Yuinarian refugees land en masse in the area south of the Great Ridge, and name that country â,¬ËGoldmoorâ,¬,,¢, after the dominant color of the marshlands in the south.  The first ships landed at the eastern bay, where they founded their main camp that became the city of Hadroth.  As they traveled westward they found that they could claim the whole area south of the Great Ridge, and did so.   The  first king of Goldmoor is Sir Navin Dreslin, the general of the Yuinarian forces in the Dragon War.  Dreslin places his capital city in the fork of the Dumakan River.  Tangoris is discovered and they gladly accept annexation.
2450 CA
  Kaburuk formally claims all the land between Lake Kilbiak and the ocean to the east.  The elves who participated in the southern march settle in Sarthuil Forest.
2479 CA
 Goldmoor is going well, but at this time King Kaburuk of the goblins dies and is succeeded by his nephew Beriag.  He is a capable but unremarkable leader.
2489 CA
 King Navin I dies, and is succeeded by his son Osmund.  The elves of Sarthuil begin recruiting humans into a druidic order to protect the woods from the new city of Treeport.
2495 CA
Eastern Gansdor declares independence and resurrects the kingdom of Harkesia.
2497 CA
Harkesia secures its independence after a short but vicious two-year war.  Gansdorian troops besieging the city of Amon are flanked by a force of war mages from Gharbad.
2539 CA
 A revolt in Goldmoor results in a change in government to a three-branched system with the monarch maintaining significant executive powers, but now kept in check by the Royal Council and the office of the Archmage.
2544 CA
Western Gansdor attempts a reconquest of Harkesia, and negotiates an alliance with Kaburuk. Kaburuk refuses to send direct aid but agrees to hold its borders against any retreating Harkesian forces.
2549 CA
Harkesia amasses its navy to invade Kaburuk from its northern coast to open some breathing room as the Gansdorians slowly press eastward.
2551 CA
The kingdom of Harkesia is defeated. Surrendering Harkesians are forcibly resettled in small groups spread along the whole Gansdorian coast.

Recent History

2709 CA
  The nations on the mainland of New Yuinar have coexisted for over two hundred years.  While Goldmoor is still wrestling with the Untamed Lands, Kaburuk has to deal with planar incursions, things are on the whole peaceful.  The situation with the goblins is getting worse, though.  The dominant hobgoblins have relegated the goblins to the position of second-class citizens, and their laws are now full of double standards. Even the bugbears are no longer recognized as the hobgoblins' equals except in the military.

2710 CA A deranged wizard assassinates the king of Gansdor in an effort to start a magocracy after the king refuses to create an official archmage position.  Several groups sympathize with the wizard and spark a civil war.

2713 CA
 Kaburuk pounces on the weakened country of Gansdor and extends its territory northward.  The traditionalist faction of Gansdor sends a plea to Goldmoor to help.

2714
 Kaburuk takes land westward up to the Kildukr Hills before Goldmoor steps in.  Moorish forces push Kaburuk back to its old territory and then past the hills north of Lake Kilbiak.  Gansdor gives a large tract of its southern territory as payment.

2715 CA
A new king is crowned in Gansdor and an archmage position is created in attempt to satisfy the mages.

2728 CA
The King of Gansdor is assassinated again.  This time Goldmoor takes a hands-off approach, with the provision that it will step in to stop any goblin interference.

2729 CA
 The King of Goldmoor, Osmund V, dies of natural causes.  His adopted heir General Hubert, the commander of the Kaburuk offensive in 2714, is crowned Hubert II.

2740 CA
 For the past several years, Gansdor has been plagued by warlords and opportunistic guerillas.  At this time, Gansdor has fallen down to two factions: the nationalist supporters of the warlord Rigen Alkurien who wants all of Gansdorâ,¬,,¢s old terriotory, including what has been given to Goldmoor,  and the less enthusiastic supporters of Duke Unger.  Rigen has taken over half of Gansdor with startling success until reaching the Kildukr Hills, and the common ground among Ungerâ,¬,,¢s supporters is barely more than resisting Rigen.

[/spoiler]

The standard starting date for a campaign in this setting is some time in 2741 CA.  However, other dates could make for good alternative settings, and here are a few suggestions:

[spoiler=Alternate Time Periods for Illiarth campaigns]
125-50 BCA: The Cataclysm that destroyed the old order of things is over, and the survivors are just beginning to come out of their shelters.  The Cataclysm was a thermonuclear war between information-age level civilizations. However, you could have an alternative version of this history-- perhaps the Cataclysm was caused by a high-psionic world (too many demiplanes might put a strain on reality), or perhaps antimatter explosions from an even higher technology level.   At any rate, this era is identified by the rise of magic among people with skills and equipment based in the old age.

 Magic is new, nonhuman races are just beginning to explore Illiarth, but there are still remnants of the old civilization, and the humans cling on to them.  A strong focus of adventures would be the scrounging and preserving of the old civilization's technology, and many adventures would start with PCs with levels and skills from d20 Modern, but with a dwindling amount of equipment from that era, characters are forced to find new ways to manage.  Early in this period, the situation is something like Mad Max meets Conan, but as communication is restored, a small amount of modern-level industry is restored, and things improve until 50 BCA when the dragons arrive, and between their attacks and people running around in terror, advanced technology is erased, possibly with the exception of a few very well-hidden caches.  If you choose an alternative ancient history, the only effects by the time of the Yuinarian ascendancy would be the nature of these caches.

2400-2500 CA: In the time around the Dragon War, there is plenty of action all over the world.  In this time period, the setting is most like traditional high magic D&D. No fancy technology.  Many adventurers are being called out to fight for Yuinar overseas, and while many accept the call--with the lure of  a share of a dragon hoard as well as lands, others are desperately seeking excuses to stay in Yuinar, and inventing wild rumors of domestic threats to justify their inclinations.  Those who do fight in the Dragon War are likely to gain access to the Menkan ruins in southwest Menkir for the first time since the Menkan Empire fell.  Those who remain in Yuinar are in real danger of being left behind when the dragons invade.

2710-2715 CA:  The time of the continental war is a good time for DMs who dislike firearms but still like the idea of other late Renaissance/pre-industrial technology.   While theoretically guns have already been invented, their introduction to the world in 2741 is far off enough to have whole campaigns without worrying about such weapons.
[/spoiler]

Chapter 2
New Yuinar
The Nations of Menkir and Outlying Isles

The Nations of Menkir
The following three countries occupy the continent of Menkir.
[spoiler=Goldmoor]
The Kingdom of Goldmoor


Thousands of ships sailed out to flee Yuinar's destruction. A long voyage lay ahead of them, and many were not prepared. Hundreds of thousands of people died. Those who made the voyage met a mighty reward. Half of a continent all but vacated by the land's former masters, ready for the taking. The survivors of Yuinar spread themselves forth and claimed it all, so that the glory of Yuinar might live on. And so began the kingdom of Goldmoor.
--The Chronicles of the Dragon War by Lathran Hastromil

Population: 11,000,000 -- 65% human, 15% dwarf, 5% halfling, 5% elf, 5% gnome, 5% other races
Official language: Yuinarian

Government: A constitutional monarchy. Executive power is vested in a monarch, who generally reigns for life. The heir to the throne is appointed by the King, but must be approved by the Council, which means that past kings have at times been forced to pass the throne to a non-relative. Legislative power resides in the Royal Council, a sort of parliament. About half of the councillors are appointed by the counts of the several counties in Goldmoor, and the other half are elected. Judicial power is wielded by the Archmage and the Mage Guilds of Goldmoor.

Current King: Hubert II, male human, age 56
Current Archmage: Elddim Garenstone, male human, age 94
[spoiler=Cities]
Cities of Goldmoor

Dreslin (capital)
Population 103,000
Main businesses: Government, manufacturing, foodstuffs, textiles.

Population 75% human, 10% halfling, 10% elf, 5% other races.
Dreslin is located at the fork of the Dumakan River, and is supported by some of the most fertile land in the country, as well as the barges from Tangoris and Stonewater that come from upstream. Not only is the climate excellent, but the city controls the river-- the primary cargo route in south-central Menkir. While the royal decree to build the city of Dreslin went forth in 2449, it was not really completed until 2461. The royal palace is located in an inner walled portion of the city along with some other important buildings. Being the capital, the best fighters are brought here to serve as guards for the King and other bigwigs, and most religions have built their main temples here.
Dominant classes: Fighters, clerics, paladins

Tangoris
Population 218,500
Main businesses: Mining, magic, manufacturing, and education
Population 50% human, 25% dwarf, 10% gnome, 5% elf, 5% goblin, 5% other races

Once an important fort during the war of 2713, Tangoris is now a prosperous interior city. Once overrun by crime, the major organized crime guilds destroyed most of each other in the Guild Wars of 2738, and so the city is much safer than it used to be.

Tangoris is almost the largest city ever built since the devastation of Yuinar. (Kaburuk is a larger city, but considerably less impressive to the eyes). Founded by Yuinarian soldiers toward the end of the Dragon War, Tangoris predates the establishment of Goldmoor by a few years. Named after the famous archmage Yevin Tangor, it became a ritual for all wizards and sorcerers to make a pilgrimage to Tangoris to pay their respects at Tangor's tomb. Being a long trip, they stayed there for several days and met with other wizards to discuss their art. It wasn't long before several mages took up permanent residence in the city and took advantage of the yearly pilgrimage to sell their knowledge to less experienced practitioners. Eventually, the first academy for wizards was born, and the College of Tangoris continues to be the largest arcane school on the continent, perhaps even the world.

Treeport
Population 92,000
Main businesses: Logging, high-quality finished goods, fishing, seafaring.
Population 65% human, 15% elf, 15% gnome, 5% other races

Treeport controls the mouth of the Dumakan River, and controls two thirds of all Goldmoor's shipping. Located at the edge of the Sarthuil Forest, logging is also a lucrative business. An order of druids keeps logging from going out of control. The city has a high concentration of artists and musicians, and it is considered a necessity by bards in Goldmoor to go to Treeport at least once a year.

Dominant classes: Druids, bards, experts

Ridgeport
Population 76,000
Main businesses: Fishing, mining
Population 50% human, 25% halfling, 15% dwarf, 5% goblin, 5% others

Ridgeport lies on the western coast at the end of the Great Ridge. It is the only major population center in Goldmoor's western highlands.

Dominant classes: Rangers, fighters

Dragon's Mound
Population 61,000
Main businesses: Fishing, landship building
Population 80% human, 10% elf, 5% gnome, 5% other races

Dragon's Mound lies in eastern Goldmoor on the hills between the Twin Lakes, at the site of one of the final battles of the Dragon War in Menkir. The dragon's lair was heavily damaged over the years as adventurers continued to scour the place for hidden treasure caches, but recently an enterprising minor wizards' guild has gone to great lengths to restore the lair to its original condition, to give tourists an up-close look at what sort of lair an ancient red dragon can build. In recent years the population of the city has boomed from the new business of landships.

Hadroth
Population 54,000
Main businesses: Fishing, foodstuffs, livestock, textiles
Population 40% human, 20% dwarf, 15% goblin, 10% gnome, 5% halfling, 5% hobgoblin, 5% other races

Hadroth was founded in early 2449 when the first Yuinarian refugees landed in the area surrounding Hadroth Bay. In a sense, it is Goldmoor's first city. The refugees set up a large camp in order to greet the other ships that came through the rest of the year, and by the end of the year the camp had become a permanent settlement.


Stonewater
Population 26,000
Main businesses: Mining and farming
Population: 35% human, 35% dwarf, 10% gnome, 10% goblin, 5% hobgoblin, 5% others

The Eastern Ridge has a much stronger dwarven presence, and the small city of Stonewater began as little more than a token settlement to bring the Moorish humans and the dwarves of the Eastern Ridge closer together. It also has become a haven for Kaburuk expatriates (who tend to be a little more decent than the average goblinoid, though more chaotic). The secluded environment of Stonewater has attracted a few monasteries to locate here.
Dominant classes: Fighters, monks

Fort Arhak
Population 24,000
Main businesses: Military training, farming, coal mining
Population: 55% human, 20% halfling, 10% half-orc, 5% dwarf, 5% gnome, 5% others

Fort Arhak is not only the first area where large deposits of coal were discovered, but also it serves as the hub for the patrol of the Untamed Lands. The chief threat of the Untamed Lands is the various tribes of orcs whose squabbles tend to spill over the borders. The other threat is the White Fields, a place with a benign enough name, but is a planar leak to a region of the Eternal Battlefields not far from a major passage to the Black Pits. So, not only is there a frequent influx of dire animals, but there are also infrequent visitations by fiends who try to manipulate the orcs. All this makes for plenty of action for the patrols. Anyone who enlists for military service is required to spend one year based here.

Dominant classes: Fighters, rangers

Fort Elberk
Population 17,000
Main businesses: farming and livestock and international trade.

Fort Elberk became a city at the end of the last war, when it became necessary to increase patrols at the Kaburuk border. Several families of the soldiers moved here in response, to allow shorter deployments. Occasionally, slaad incursions from the Black Waste make it as far as Goldmoor, and the unpredictable nature of their attacks demands large numbers of rangers to watch over the northeastern plains.

Redfield
Population 12,500
Main business: fishing and farming

Redfield is located where the Tangor River joins with the East Dumakan. A small place compared to the metropolises of Dreslin, Tangoris, and Treeport, Redfield is nonetheless a popular place for adventurers, as it lies away from the more major cities.

[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Adventure Sites]
The Untamed Lands
Several thousand square miles of highlands and plains on the southwestern coast of Goldmoor, just west of the Gold Moor, the swamp for which the country was named, are under the influence of a planar leak from the Eternal Battlefields, a neutral Outer Plane linked to to the world of Illiarth. An unusually large number of dire animals live in the area, with several tribes of orcs, gnolls, kobolds, and other savage humanoid races, as well as giants. White and black dragons have also been sighted here. Because of the planar leak, attempts to conquer this region seem almost futile. Fort Arhak serves to provide the primary containing force here. Ruins from the Menkan Empire can be seen all over the northern parts of the Untamed Lands, but they have been empty of treasure for centuries. Some scholars speculate that some Menkan treasures may still be intact in the area around Mt. Dust, a volcano which is said to have buried at least one Menkan city.

The Northern Sarthuil
The southern elves are gathered mainly in the southern regions of the Sarthuil Forest. A significant part of the forest is still untouched, and the Sarthuil druids prefer that it remain that way. A variety of fey creatures are said to live here, and there have been some unverified sightings of dragons. Some believe the forest might conceal some Menkan ruins.

Under Tangor Gap
Few people realize how close to the frontier Tangoris is. Horizontally, the city is hundreds of miles away from any foreign threat. But just a couple thousand feet down are the drow, and the only thing between the drow and the surface are the dwarves. When the foundation was being dug for the Archmage Garenstone's new palace, in the town of Greymill just north of Tangor Gap, a new branch of the cave network was discovered, which included a few passages that bypassed dwarf territory completely, and brought explorers to the drow city of Duumacel, a city that rivaled Tangoris in size. None of the explorers returned except for a messenger that they sent back before approaching the city. It is not known as to whether Garenstone has left any entrances to the caves under the palace open.

Lake Kilbiak
Some distance west of Hadroth Bay is Lake Kilbiak, a large inland lake with several fishing villages along its perimeter. A single island in the lake contains an old Harkesian castle that was at one time the secret location for the forging of Tangor's Armory. The island is now populated by trolls.

The Kaburuk Border
While the goblinoids of Kaburuk are well behaved these days, the Black Waste is a different story. The goblins are able stop most of the slaad incursions, especially the reds and blues. The greens and other higher forms of slaadi tend to be much more of a problem. With their shapechanging abilities they will impersonate normal humanoids, sometimes maintaining a normal life for years, while traveling and eventually settling down. Eventually, though, the slaad will get tired, summon some friends, and engineer a rampage. These slaad rampages are the most dangerous in the villages between Lake Kilbiak and the Kaburuk border, because the populations are poorly equipped to face these rampages most of the time, and the slaadi can inflate their ranks drastically when they infect/implant most of a village's population. The hazard almost makes one wonder why people live here. Two reasons: 1) cheap land, 2) there is a large guild of rangers that are successful in protecting the area most of the time.

Menkan Ruins
Two and a half millennia ago, the Menkan Empire occupied southwestern Menkir. The dominant religion of the Menkans was a sort of mysticism devoted to the earth god Morikai, and in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment the Menkans built enormous underground labyrinths. These labyrinths contained living quarters, workshops, temples, theaters, and even (with some extra magical aid) gardens. According to Menkan belief a person could develop an extremely fine sense of direction and spatial relationships, if he lived in these labyrinths for long enough. Such a sense would make it nearly impossible for one to become lost, and the Menkans believed this translated into the spiritual realm. As a result, dozens of colossal dungeons exist in the Menkan ruins. While the dungeons have for the most part already been scoured clean of treasure, it is possible that some secret chambers remain untouched. Clues to the locations of these chambers might be found with the Menkans' heirlooms, passed to their descendants the Harkesians, who live mostly in eastern Gansdor now.
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Gansdor]
Gansdor

   Too long have we suffered from this tiresome conflict. I have heard the common people cry "Who cares if we have a king or not? Who cares if we have a Grand Mage or not?" Indeed, what difference does it make to you in the end if the aqueducts remain in ruins, and your caravans continue to be marauded by the desert druids? What difference does it make to you if the man in the throne is a warrior or a wizard? If we join together, we shall rebuild our cities! We shall make safe the roadways! We shall bring the druids to justice! Too long have the arrogant 'Moors whittled away our lands while setting us against our brethren. We shall restore Gansdor, and at last make Goldmoor pay their debt!
    --A recent speech by Lord Rigen in Ras Khatara to a large crowd

    And so, their lives become mine.
    --Lord Rigen to himself after receiving an ear-splitting applause.

Population: 7,000,000 (West: 3 million, East: 4 million) - 80% human, 10% dwarf, 5% gnome, 5% other races

Official Languages: Gansdorian (West), Gansdorian and Harkesian (East)

Capital: Ras Khatara (West), Amon (East)

Governments: Gansdor has been in a civil war for several years, first tearing itself into total anarchy, and then building itself back up as numerous warlords have eliminated each other down to only two. Western Gansdor is governed by Lord Rigen Alkurien, a consummate general and skilled fighter who rules his half of the country with an iron fist. Eastern Gansdor is composed of several factions loosely allied under Duke Unger, a descendant of Gansdor's original royal family, and a symbol of the deposed aristocracy. However, the general state of that half of the country is anarchy. Though the eastern alliance seems firm at first glance, united in their resolve to stop Lord Rigen, the factions are very diverse in position, from loyalists of the previous dynasty to Harkesian separatists.

Adventuring in Gansdor is often unpleasant. Under Lord Rigen in the West, all adventurers are required to spend one month out of every year doing service for Rigen, and for the rest of the year adventurers are frequently watched by spies. Anyone who is perceived to be getting too troublesome is simply assigned an impossible task, and if that doesn't get them killed, they are framed for a crime. One must receive a license to adventure in Gansdor, and that comes in the form of a small silver medal awarded at the completion of the first yearly service to Lord Rigen. In Eastern Gansdor, there is practically no law except in areas under direct influence of one of Unger's factions.

Ruler of Western Gansdor: Lord Rigen Alkurien
Ruler of Eastern Gansdor: Duke Unger

[spoiler=Adventure Sites]
The Sarakan Desert
The Sarakan Desert is the only place in western Gansdor where one can escape Lord Rigen's wrath, and in this case, escape and survival have very little in common. Still, the nomads led by the Sarakan druids do survive here, and they comprise the last resistance against Rigen in western Gansdor. The nomads are getting material support from somewhere -- suspects include the Girrionite clergy and various mercenaries from the Islands.

Harkesian Labyrinths
When the Menkan Empire collapsed, most of the Menkans migrated north into Gansdor, and settled in the lush landscapes of eastern Gansdor, eventually creating the nation of Harkesia. The Harkesian nobles continued the Menkan tradition of building great labyrinths, though only a few of them matched the splendor of the southern labyrinths. As time passed, the Harkesian labyrinths became simpler and smaller, more like underground monasteries than complete towns, as it grew more and more difficult to assemble the necessary labor forces with the rising religious popularity of Aksul and Madahar. The labyrinths have long since been thoroughly looted, though as with the southern labyrinths in Goldmoor there may be some secret chambers that remain intact.
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Kaburuk]
The Empire of Kaburuk

Population: 9,000,000 - 85% goblinoids, 10% humans, 5% other races
Official Languages: Goblin and Harkesian
Capital: Kaburuk City
Government: Monarchy under racial caste system. The hobgoblins comprise the noble caste, bugbears the military caste, and goblins the worker caste. Other humanoid citizens comprise a middle class of craftsmen, artisans, and merchants -- serving to further keep the goblins in their place while giving the other humanoids enough privileges to keep them out of trouble.

[spoiler=Adventure Sites]
The Black Waste
Were it not for the planar leak, this would just be a semiarid savannah. However, the heart of this region blends into the chaotic realm of the Primal Swirls, and the plane's substance flows outwards, creating extremely erratic weather that gets worse the farther in one goes. As one travels into the Waste, rivers of chaos become more frequent, and begin defying gravity. Eventually, the ground breaks up, becoming islands floating in a sea of chaos, and the traveler is now technically within the Primal Swirls.
The main threats of the Waste are local wildlife twisted by the region's alignment traits, and periodic incursions of slaadi. The goblins have a well-established line of forts around the perimeter of the Waste, but they do get overrun occasionally. Few adventurers travel into the Waste deliberately. A popular punishment for criminals in Kaburuk is banishment to the Waste. Rumor has it that a githzerai monastery has been erected somewhere deep in the Waste, and they are taking in anyone who survives long enough to find the building.

The Maze
West of the Black Waste, across the Kaburuk River, is the jungle known as the Maze. While it lies well outside the direct influence of the planar leak, every few years a hurricane strikes the Black Waste and is transformed into a storm of nightmarish proportions. These chaos hurricanes dispense winds frequently in excess of 200 miles per hour and rain that mutates everything it touches. The Maze is the most frequent victim of these storms. The repeated bombardments of chaotic energy have made the forest extremely difficult. Every time a chaos hurricane hits, the forest is basically remade. Trees randomly migrate 50 feet to the left, landmarks turn inside out, and weretrees are created and destroyed. Because of this, any Harkesian temples that may or may not have been built in the region would be exceedingly well hidden.
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Lostmount and the Northward Isles

[note=Needed]
Lostmount: I explained how it got to be the way it is now, but I'm a bit clueless as to what sort of place it should be in the present.  The description "sub-antarctic dwarf island" could use a bit more juice.
More Islands and more details on them
I would like to develop the Northward Isles some more. More islands and some actual locations on them. I intend to have a few left blank for players to have a hand in designing, but that still leaves the problem that the Isles region is still very much without shape. It's easier to fill in the blanks when they are surrounded by material.[/note]

This is a very unrefined section of the world. Here are the main characteristics I want.

Lostmount
In the Dragon War, when the dwarven high priest of Morikai asked for a miracle, a few mountains were removed from the Great Ridge, creating Tangor Gap. While it is generally thought that the mountains had simply vanished, they had in fact been transported into the sea in the south, becoming an island which was (re)discovered in 2503. The population of the island now consists mainly of dwarves and penguins.


The Northward Isles



General bits:

   

* An archipelago of several dozen individual island-states.
    * While they do fight amongst each other, they do have coalitions for various purposes regarding their dealings with the mainland.
    * About half of the islands should have an Asianesque flavor for the purpose of having somewhere to put material from Oriental Adventures
    * The Isles influence events on the mainland by controlling a major proportion of the region's shipping, and by offering mercenary armies to mainland nations.
    * Major points of contention with the mainland are accusations of piracy against the ships of mainland nations, as well as complaints whenever the good mercenaries take the 'wrong side'.
    * Many of the Island nations should be dominated by non-human races, the more monstrous the better.

Specific Isles

* Miren (Major Island): Vaguely Japanese human island, the major military power among the islands.
* Tarmus (Major island): A thousand years ago many of the elves in Gansdor left and colonized this island. Now they are some of the region's best shipbuilders and sailors. The island is also considered a haven for pirates.
* Vantos(major island): A jungle island cohabited by gnomes and humans, produces some of the region's most fearsome mercenaries.

Chapter 3
Beyond
Yuinar, Erematia, and Places Between

   You know what they say: 'Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are chewy and go well with tomato sauce and crumbled hard cheese'. Hmm, that makes me hungry.
    --Rukogg, the half-orc jester of Dreslin

Erematia and Yuinar are mirror images of each other; each continent is ruled by dragons. Since the Dragon War, the chromatic dragons have settled in Yuinar, and the metallic dragons have governed Erematia for as long as history can remember.

Both of these continents work as settings for alternative styles of adventures

[spoiler=Yuinar]
Yuinar

When the chromatic dragons were driven out of Menkir in 2447, they crossed the sea and took their revenge on Yuinar, rousing the blue dragons of the southern Yuinarian desert to assist in their conquest. In a few short years, civilization was crushed. The humanoids who were unfortunate enough to be left behind are now being herded like livestock and traded between their dragon masters.  The Yuinarian cities are now but shells of their former glory.

Adventuring in Yuinar is shaped mainly by the dragons. There are many chromatic dragons in Yuinar, who do not appreciate threats. Low-level adventurers are tolerated, as long as they stick to work the dragons deem acceptable.

By the middle levels adventurers become an endangered species, surviving only as long as they show utmost loyalty to one of the dragons, and even then they are pawns in the dragons' intricate Machiavellian schemes against one another.

An adventure in Yuinar will focus on survival, and the moral problems of appeasing an overwhelming foe.
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Erematia]
Erematia
A whole continent dominated by good dragons sounds like it ought to be a reasonably decent place to live. To an extent that is true, but the dragons here are constantly experimenting in divination magic, to the point of near total obsession about the future.
The dragons have foreseen a terrible clash between themselves and the chromatic dragons, threatening extinction to many forms of life on Illiarth. Through their divination they discover that even seemingly minor events affect the outcome of this future catastrophe. The small population of humanoids on the continent is subjected to frequent strange demands from the dragons

Erematia is not considered accessible to New Yuinar because anyone who sails there seems to disrupt 'the prophecy', and anyone who tresspasses on their territory is likely to be put under a geas to "mend the damage".  It is believed that this is part of the reason the dragons are intent on keeping their plans secret from the populations of Menkir and its islands.

An adventure in Erematia will focus on navigating unusual threads of cause and effect around the world.
[/spoiler]

Chapter 4
Civilization
Magic, Technology and Religion

Magic and Technology
General Technology
Most of New Yuinar is at the beginning of Renaissance technology. Printing presses and mechanical clocks are on the rise, with rapidly increasing literacy levels. Nonmagical medicine has advanced enough to make the Surgery feat available to characters. Gunpowder is limited in its applications. Fireworks exist and have become customary for major celebrations, but guns do not yet exist. However, it is without doubt that the dwarves of the Great Ridge are the best fireworks makers in the land, and rumors exist that they have succeeded in using their skill to create some kind of weapon.

[spoiler=Landships]
LANDSHIPS
The artificers of Goldmoor have only scratched the surface of the art of elemental binding, but they have developed a working form of reasonably fast transportation called the landship, a levitating craft powered by air elementals which comes in two forms: the speeder, built for speed, and the cruiser, built for capacity.

Since the establishment of landships as the new standard for long distance inland travel and commerce, there has been a rise in "balloon piracy", in which criminal gangs use hot air balloons to reach the levitating landships and raid them.  While for the most part ineffective, a few gangs have been improving their tactics to the dismay of landship captains.

The normal accommodations are hardly luxurious: a seat in a 5 by 6 foot cabin that may be occupied by up to 4 Medium or Small passengers. First class accomodations simply get the passenger one cabin to himself.

Services and cost
Speeder landship (20 mph) 2 sp per mile
Cruiser landship (10 mph) 1 sp per mile
1st class travel Normal fare times 5


Wondrous Item: Landship

Landships are ships that actually hover about ten to twenty feet above the ground. While they were created to speed travel overland, they can go just as easily over the water. Mountainous terrain is impassable with these ships, and hills can be difficult, but on level ground they are quite fast. Those based on the seagoing longship are called speeders, and those based on the sailing ship are called cruisers. Both types of ships cost the same but have different capabilities. The first landships were simply sea vessels enhanced with levitation magic, but successive designs quickly improved the ships for traveling through the air. Both types of ships are powered in the same way. A landship floats in the air with a levitate effect, and two â,¬Å"enginesâ,¬Â at the rear of the ship provide thrust. Each engine is a 4 foot wide solid-walled hollow sphere with a 6 HD Medium air elemental inside. A single hole at the back of the sphere allows the air that is constantly released by the elemental to escape, providing thrust. The engines are designed to rotate side to side to assist in steering, but most guidance of the ship comes from the manipulation of the two wing-like sails on the sides of the ship.

A speeder is 75 feet long and 10 feet wide, and requires a crew of 20. It can travel at up to 20 miles per hour. It can carry up to 50 tons of cargo or 120 passengers. They are usually configured to carry 40 tons of cargo and have five 5 by 6 foot cabins for passengers.

A cruiser is 90 feet long and 20 feet wide, and requires a crew of 25. It can travel at up to 10 miles per hour. It can carry 150 tons of cargo or 350 passengers. They are usually configured to carry 100 tons of cargo and have 25 5 by 6 foot cabins for passengers.
A 5 by 6 foot cabin holds 4 Medium passengers. There are two benches sitting opposite each other in the cabin, to seat the passengers in the day. At night, the two benches can be used as beds, and sturdy shelves fold down from the wall for the other two beds.

Moderate transmutation and conjuration; CL 11; Craft Wondrous Item, levitate, planar binding; Price 80,000 gp (includes price of longship or sailing ship-30,000 gp)
[/spoiler]

Languages
[spoiler=List of languages]

All languages in the core books exist in addition to these.

Yuinarian: The tongue spoken by the people of the old empire of Yuinar, and its descendants in Goldmoor. With its robust vocabulary and simple alphabet, it has come to be used as the common language of trade and diplomacy, and many educated people in greater New Yuinar speak it. (Yuinarian is the same as Common on Illiarth)
Gansdorian: The native language of the people of northwest Menkir and many of the Northward Isles, particularly the nation of Gansdor. It uses the Yuinarian alphabet.
Harkesian: A language once used by the extinct nation of Harkesia, which existed in northeastern Menkir from 342 to 2029 CA. It is a sort of synthesis of Gansdorian and Old Menka. It survives in Goldmoor in the area around Hadroth, some localities in eastern Gansdor, and is widely used by the humans living in Kaburuk. It uses a highly simplified derivative of Menkan glyphs as its alphabet.
Mirenese: A language, spoken by the people of the island of Miren and some of its neighbors. Often used for diplomacy within the Northward Isles.  It has its own script which is a complex collection of ideograms and syllables.
Old Menka: A language discovered in some old ruins in southern Menkir (modern Goldmoor) and partly preserved by the priests of Amhan as a language of the clergy. The priests of Amhan have adopted the Yuinarian alphabet to use with Menka, although it is supposed to have originally been written in a more complex system of hieroglyphs.

[/spoiler]

Gods and Religion
Illiarth mythology lays out two main groups of deities - - the gods of the Heavens and the gods of the World. At some point in the distant past eleven gods were created to rule the world of Illiarth. Eventually one of them, Majib, became jealous of the other gods' accomplishments and began to corrupt their creations.  To stop Majib, one of the gods had to engage her in an eternal duel.  The remaining nine gods were to agree on which aspects of nature for which they were to take responsibility, to keep the world going as it was supposed to.

[spoiler=List of Deities]
Gods of the Heavens
Aksul the Champion: NG greater deity. Domains: Good, Healing, Magic, Knowledge, War. Favored Weapon: Falchion
Symbol: Silver falchion
Aksul is the usual favored god of humans, and his worshippers are accepted in almost all places. His priests' white and blue vestments are recognizable anywhere.

Majib the Corruptor: NE greater deity. Domains: Evil,Death, Destruction,Magic, War Favored Weapon: Flail
Symbol: Eight pointed star made of chains, sometimes with a spider in the middle
Majib's clerics are not popular in most places. Her cults are secretive except among the drow, where she has the official religion. Her priests wear gold and dark blue vestments.

Gods of the World
Girrion of the Desert: CG lesser deity. Domains: Air, Fire, Sun Favored Weapon: Scimitar
Symbol: Disc with sand patterns
Girrion's temples are mainly in Gansdor, in the towns in and surrounding the Sarakan Desert, but his clerics go all over New Yuinar, and a few temples are springing up in Kaburuk. His priests wear gold and white vestments.
Amhan of the Sky: N intermediate deity. Domains: Air, Sun, Knowledge, Healing Favored Weapon: Longbow
Symbol: Sun
Amhan is favored by druids and barbarians, mainly in the western plains of Goldmoor. His priests wear sky blue vestments.
Morikai of the Earth: LN intermediate deity. Domains: Earth, Law, Strength, Protection Favored Weapon: Mace
Symbol: Hammer
Morikai is the usual favored god of dwarves, and of humans from Menkan bloodlines. His priests wear gray and gold vestments.
Darbiin of the Underworld: LE lesser deity. Domains: Earth, Fire, Death Favored Weapon: Scythe
Symbol: A flaming skull
Darbiin is a favored deity of the stereotypical evil cultist. His priests wear red and black vestments.
Tordal of the Flames: CN intermediate deity. Domains: Fire, Trickery, Chaos, Luck Favored Weapon: Glaive
Symbol: A hand made of fire
Tordal is the usual favored god of halflings, and goblins as well. His priests wear gold and red vestments.
Madahar of the Sea: N intermediate deity. Domains: Water, Travel, Destruction, Magic Favored Weapon: Rapier
Symbol: A hurricane
Madahar is the favored deity of sailors of all sorts as well as aquatic races. His priests wear green and blue vestments.
Hador of the Wood: N lesser deity. Domains: Plant, Animal, Healing Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
Symbol: A pine tree
Hador is the usual favored god of elves and gnomes. His priests wear brown and white vestments.
Roina of the Plains: LG lesser deity. Domains: Plant, Sun, Travel Favored Weapon: Halberd
Symbol: A tuft of grass
Roina is often worshipped by farmers and landgoing travelers. Her priests wear green and gold vestments.
Atima of the Swamps: CE lesser deity. Domains: Earth, Water, Trickery Favored Weapon: Kukri
Symbol: A will-o'-wisp
Atima's worshippers are the most dangerous of all, having no heirarchy, only a mind for spreading destruction. Her priests wear solid black vestments.
[/spoiler]

[note=Stuff Needed]A few adventure hooks[/note]
Chapter 5
Planes
A pan-dimensional perspective of Illiarth

Outer Planes

[spoiler=The Eternal Battlefields (Neutral)]
The Eternal Battlefields
The Eternal Battlefields are a larger-than-life reflection of the Material Plane, where the wild landscape is gouged by the eternal duel between Aksul the Champion and Majib the Corruptor, who are constantly locked in combat.
Battlefields Traits
The Battlefields have the following traits.
Normal gravity.
Normal time.
Infinite size: While the Battlefields encompass a finite area about 10,000 miles in diameter, bounded by the Vortex, the land beyond the Vortex is infinite.
Divinely morphic: Entities of at least lesser deity status can alter the Battlefields. The Battlefields have the alterable mophic trait for less powerful creatures; the Battlefields respond normally to spells and physical effort.
No elemental or energy traits.
Mildly neutral-aligned. Most areas impose no alignment-based penalties. Some locations are strongly neutral aligned, and impose a -2 penalty on non-neutral characters for each aspect of their alignment that is not neutral, for all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks.
Normal magic.

Battlefields Links
Starting at about 5,000 miles away from the center of the plane, portals start forming between the Battlefields and other planes. There are also direct links between the Battlefields and the other Outer Planes. Away from the center of the Battlefields, the ground starts breaking up and folding, creating deep chasms and high mountains, and going farther out, the mountains start breaking away from the ground and the chasms become seemingly bottomless. Characters can catch a floating mountain to travel to the Celestial Hills, or jump into one of the chasms to travel to the Black Pits. Because the terrain seems to be continually generated from the center of the Battlefields, over time the terrain is pushed from the center all the way to the edge and into the Vortex. Within the Vortex, the earth is torn up and blown around. Large pieces of matter (anything of at least Colossal size) are eventually transported to the Great Puzzle along with anything attached to them, and everything else is sifted out into the Primal Swirls.

The major planar leak between the Battlefields and Illiarth occurs around the White Fields in the Untamed Lands, supplying the Untamed Lands with an unusually high population of dire animals and barbarian tribes of all humanoid and giant races. The area is also near a major passage to the Black Pits, so there are sometimes fiendish encounters in the White Fields.

Population
A few neutral outsiders inhabit the plane, but the main population of the plane consists of dire animals and barbarian tribes of the humanoid and giant races. Some owe their allegiance to Majib or Aksul, but most are simply looking out for their own survival.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Black Pits (Evil)]
The Black Pits
The Black Pits are a hellish realm of great obsidian caverns, inhabited by fiends and monstrosities. Fortunately for the rest of the multiverse, they spend a lot of time fighting each other.
Black Pits Traits
The Pits have the following traits.
Normal gravity.
Normal time.
Infinite size: There are an infinite number of caverns. While the Pits are not divided formally into layers, some tunnels and caverns fold in on themselves in ways that defy mortal geometry.
Divinely morphic: Entities of at least lesser deity status can alter the Black Pits. The Pits have the alterable mophic trait for less powerful creatures; the Pits respond normally to spells and physical effort.
No elemental or energy traits.
Strongly evil-aligned. Non-evil characters suffer a -4 penalty on all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks. Some locations are mildly law-aligned or mildly chaos-aligned, imposing a -2 penalty on Charisma-based checks for chaotic or lawful characters, respectively.
Normal magic.

Population
Evil extraplanar creatures from various supplements.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Celestial Hills (Good)]
The Celestial Hills
The Celestial Hills are the domain of everything good and pure, and almost none of the terrain is naturally level, being composed of floating islands in the air that range between gentle rolling hills to gigantic imposing mountains.
Celestial Hills traits
The Hills have the following traits.
Normal gravity. However, anyone who falls (or jumps) off the edge of an island is subjected to a feather fall effect that lasts until he lands on ground, even if he falls out of the plane entirely and lands on the Battlefield.
Normal time.
Infinite size: The plane spreads infinitely upwards and horizontally, and also holds an unknown number of layers. At least five are well-known.
Divinely morphic: Entities of at least lesser deity status can alter the Hills. The Hills have the alterable mophic trait for less powerful creatures; the Hills respond normally to spells and physical effort.
No elemental or energy traits.
Strongly good-aligned. Non-good characters suffer a -4 penalty on all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks. Some locations are mildly law-aligned or mildly chaos-aligned, imposing a -2 penalty on Charisma-based checks for chaotic or lawful characters, respectively.
Normal magic.

Population
Good extraplanar creatures from various supplements
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Great Puzzle (Lawful)]
The Great Puzzle
Great masses of earth torn from the Battlefields by the Vortex make their way here, where the plane's forces shape them into great cubes of earth and stone. All cubes are 1 mile to a side, all exactly the same size. The only variation is the climates on each cube, which could be anything--desert, sea, plains, forests, and more. Periodically, cubes smash into one another, fusing into large blocky forms composed of multiple cubes, and the plane follows some unseen elaborate design. On the surfaces of the cubes, the inhabitants of the Puzzle live.
Great Puzzle traits
The Puzzle has the following traits.
Objective directional gravity. Gravity is oriented to the nearest cube face.
Normal time.
Infinite size: The plane spreads infinitely in all directions.
Divinely morphic: Entities of at least lesser deity status can alter the Puzzle. The Puzzle has the alterable mophic trait for less powerful creatures; the Puzzle responds normally to spells and physical effort.
No elemental or energy traits.
Strongly law-aligned. Non-lawful characters suffer a -4 penalty on all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks. Some locations are mildly good-aligned or mildly evil-aligned, imposing a -2 penalty on Charisma-based checks for evil or good characters, respectively.
Normal magic.

Population
Lawful extraplanar creatures from various supplements
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Primal Swirls (Chaotic)]
The Primal Swirls
It seems like an endless sea of boiling chaos, a strange glowing soup of the Vortex's debris. All matter consumed by the Vortex, that does not exist in large enough chunks to be drawn to the Great Puzzle, is dissolved here. The chaotic swirls are perforated by long winding tunnels of atmosphere. On the surfaces of these liquid tunnels float great islands, sometimes small, sometimes many miles wide. Islands are frequently created and destroyed as the currents of chaos shift.
Primal Swirls traits
The Swirls have the following traits.
Subjective directional gravity. Individuals decide which way is "down" with a DC 15 Wisdom check.
Normal time.
Infinite size: The plane spreads infinitely in all directions. While the plane is not divided into formal layers, the air-filled tunnels twist and turn in ways that sometimes, frequently, and often defy mortal geometry, respectively.
Highly morphic: The plane is always changing, reacting to spells, thoughts, or anything at all. Some spells and other techniques exist for stabilizing parts of the plane, but untended, the plane changes without warning.
No elemental or energy traits.
Strongly chaos-aligned. Non-chaotic characters suffer a -4 penalty on all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks. Some locations are mildly good-aligned or mildly evil-aligned, imposing a -2 penalty on Charisma-based checks for evil or good characters, respectively.
Wild magic. Spells and spell-like abilities function normally inside stabilized areas and permanent structures, but anywhere else in the Swirls, the caster must make a level check against a DC of 20+the spell's level to successfully cast the spell. On a failed check the spell goes awry (roll on a wild magic table).

Population
Chaotic extraplanar creatures from various supplements
Chaos lizard, chaos ooze
[/spoiler]

Chapter 6
Races
Peoples and Monsters

[spoiler=List of PC Races (ECL +0)]
Player Character Races

HUMAN
Choose region of origin: Goldmoor, Gansdor, Kaburuk, Vantos, Miren, or Northward Isles. Humans in Illiarth have weapon familiarity with one exotic weapon (treating it as a martial weapon) and a minor level of practical or scholarly education, allowing them to treat one skill as always a class skill.
Gansdor
Gansdorian humans always consider the short glaive to be a martial weapon, and Knowledge(history) to be always a class skill.
Goldmoor
Moorish humans consider the bastard sword to be always a martial weapon, and Knowledge(geography) to be always a class skill.
Kaburuk
Kaburuki humans always consider the hand crossbow to be a martial weapon, and Survival to be always a class skill.
Vantos
Vantosian humans always consider the Vantosian hammerstaff to be a martial weapon, and Knowledge(nature) to be always a class skill.
Miren
Mirenese humans always consider the Mirenese katana to be a martial weapon, and Decipher Script to be a class skill.
Tarmus and Other Northward Isles
Humans from Tarmus or one of the Islands not mentioned always consider the Island boomerang to be a martial weapon, and Hide to be always a class skill.

DWARVES
Choose between Eastern and Western dwarf. Eastern dwarves live in the Eastern Ridge in Goldmoor, the Kildukr Hills in Gansdor, and some parts of Kaburuk. Western dwarves live in the Western Ridge in Goldmoor and some of the Northward Isles.
Eastern Dwarves
Use the standard statistics for dwarf characters in the PHB.
Western Dwarves
As the standard statistics, with these adjustments:
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against elves, replacing their bonus against goblinoids (They still have the same bonus against orcs). Western dwarves are rarely threatened by goblinoids, but end up frequently battling the drow.
+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the aberration type. This replaces their bonus against giants.


ELVES
Choose between Southern or Gray elves. Southern elves are the most common type, while gray elves tend to be concentrated around the Red Forest and the Western Ridge.
Southern Elves
Southern Elves use the standard statistics for elves in the PHB, except that their favored class is ranger.
Gray Elves
As the standard statistics, with these ability adjustments: -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence.
Favored class is wizard.

GNOMES
Choose between rock gnomes and tree gnomes. Rock gnomes are the most common, living in several places across Menkir. Tree gnomes are a sort of crossbreed of rock gnomes and forest gnomes, and live primarily in the Sarthuil Forest in southern Goldmoor, and the Vantosian jungles.
Rock Gnome
Use the standard statistics for gnomes in the PHB.
Tree Gnome
As the standard statistics, with these adjustments:
-2 Strength, +2 Dex, -2 Con, +2 Charisma: Tree gnomes are considerably less tough than rock gnomes, and tend to be exceptionally agile with loud personalities.
No AC bonus vs. giants.
A +2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump and Tumble checks. Tree gnomes are naturally acrobatic.
Favored class: sorcerer.

GOBLIN(civilized)
Civilized goblins are native to the nation of Kaburuk, and there is also a small but robust population of them in Goldmoor.
-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity (Civilized goblins have a slightly higher Charisma than usual, having no penalty)
Small size: +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of Medium characters.
A goblin's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
+4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks
Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Orc.
Favored Class: Rogue.

HALF-ELVES AND HALF-ORCS
No changes

HALFLINGS
Choose between Northern and Southern halflings. Northern halflings live in Gansdor and most of Goldmoor, while Southern halflings exist in southwest Goldmoor

Northern Halfling
Use the standard statistics for halfling characters in the PHB.

Southern Halfling
As the standard statistics , but with these adjustments:
No racial bonus to Climb, Jump, or Move Silently.
Base land speed is 30 feet.
Favored class is ranger.
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Monsters]
Monster Index
[spoiler=Acridian]
ACRIDIAN
Acridian, 1st level warrior CR 1
Medium monstrous humanoid
Alignment: Usually neutral
Init +3; Senses Spot +5, Listen +5
____________________
Languages: Acridian
AC 19 (+3 Dex), touch 13, flat-footed 14
hp 7 (1d8+2, 1 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +3 Will +1
____________________
Spd 40 ft. (8 squares)
Atk 3 scimitars +0/+0/+0 melee (1d6+3/1d6+1/1d6+1 slashing, 18-20/Ã'"2) or
2 composite shortbows +0/+0 ranged (1d6 piercing, Ã'"3) or
4 splash weapons +2/+2/+2/+2 ranged touch (1d6 fire or 1d6 acid)
Space/Reach 5'/5'
Base Atk +1; Grp +4
Atk Options: Multiweapon Fighting (4 arms)
Special Atk --
Combat Gear: 2d4 flasks of alchemists fire and 2d4 flasks of acid

____________________
Abilities Str 17, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
SQ 4 arms, underdeveloped wings
Feats Multiweapon Fighting
Skills Jump +41, Spot +5, Listen +5
Possessions combat gear plus leather armor, wooden heavy shield, 3 scimitars, 2 shortbows, 20 arrows
____________________
Environment: Any plains or hills
Organization: Solitary, band (1d6+2), warband (2d10+10 plus 1d4 3rd level leaders), or tribe (3d20+40 plus 3d4 3rd level leaders and 1 6th level chief plus 100% in noncombatants)
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: By character class

Acridians are insectoid creatures that look like human-sized grasshoppers or locusts.
Combat
Acridians tend to take advantage of their superior mobility to rapidly crush their enemies. Not being particularly quiet, they start their ambushes at long range, opening fire with their bows. They rarely fire very many shots, since they quickly close the distance, using their alchemical items at short range before entering melee.
Higher level acridian warriors often take the Spring Attack chain of feats, as well as acridian racial feats.
Skills: Acridians have enormous legs, and are capable of leaping extreme heights, having a +30 racial bonus on Jump checks.
Underdeveloped Wings(Ex): Acridians have small sets of wings on their backs. While not quite large enough to enable sustained flight, they grant two abilities. The wings allow an acridian to fall from any height undamaged, as long as it is conscious. The wings also allow the acridian to fly at a speed of 60' with average maneuverability for one round at a time, once per hour.
Four Arms(Ex): Acridians have four humanoid arms, granting them a multitude of combat options. They frequently take Multiweapon Fighting to take full advantage of this, as well as feats allowing them to benefit from using more than one shield. They often adopt innovative combat styles combining multiple different weapons.
Daylight Vision(Ex): In well-lit conditions (sunlight or equivalent), acridians gain a +2 bonus to Search and Spot checks.
Wide-Angle Vision(Ex): An acridian is not flanked until threatened by at least three attackers.
Society
Acridians are a nomadic race, their tribes wandering great distances, settling in any one area for a few weeks at the longest. Apart from this, individual tribes vary widely. Some are peaceful and spend most of their time herding livestock, while others are warlike and resemble locusts in more than just their shape.
Acridian Characters:
Acridians have the following racial traits

* +2 Strength, +4 Dexterity
* +2 natural armor bonus
* Base land speed 40 feet
* +30 racial bonus on Jump checks
* Underdeveloped wings, four arms, daylight vision, wide-angle vision
* Favored class: Ranger.
* Level adjustment: +2

Acridian Racial Feats
PROLONGED FLIGHT(ACRIDIAN)
Prerequisites: Acridian, Con 13, Endurance
Benefit: Add your Constitution bonus to the number of rounds you can spend in flight.
Normal: You can only fly for one round at a time, once per hour.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chaos Lizard]
CHAOS LIZARD
Chaos Lizard CR 8
Medium Outsider (Native, Chaotic)
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Init +2; Senses Spot +0, Listen +2; Darkvision 60 ft, scent
____________________
Languages: Understands but cannot speak Common
AC 20 [+2 Dex], touch 12, flat-footed 18;
hp 76 (8d8+40, 8 HD) DR 10/lawful
Immune: acid
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +6
____________________
Spd 30ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft.
Atk spit +11 ranged touch (chaotic spittle effect, see below, range 10') or
2 claws +10 melee (1d4+4 slashing) and bite +12 melee (1d6+6 and chaotic spittle)
Space/Reach 5'/5'
Base Atk +8; Grp +12
Special Atk: Chaotic spittle
____________________
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 10
SQ: blur
Feats: Multiattack, Ability Focus(spit), Weapon Focus (spit)
Skills: Move Silently+6, Hide +7, Listen +2
Possessions: None
____________________
Environment: Temperate/warm desert
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3-8)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: 9-11 HD (Medium), 12-16 HD (Large), 17-24 HD (Huge)


This creature looks like a man-sized blurry lizard with glowing yellow eyes. Its breath carries a powerful caustic smell.

The chaos lizard looks much like a large gila monster with bright glowing yellow eyes. Individual specimens range from black to brown to green in color, usually with striped patterns. It is impossible to see it in detail because it appears to blur as it moves around, as if it is partly insubstantial.  
Combat
A chaos lizard burrows when it detects approaching prey, attempting to ambush its victims from below. When there seems to be an opening, it jumps out of the ground and opens with a spit attack. The lizard is generally not deterred unless the prey can put up an overwhelming defense within the first two or three rounds of combat.

If a chaos lizard is offered a suitable quantity of raw (or even better, live) meat, the lizard will be pacified for about 24 hours. If kept well fed, the chaos lizard can be a powerful ally.

Blur (Su): The chaos lizard is under a continually operating blur effect whenever it is awake (concealment: 20% miss chance). A true seeing spell is required to defeat this effect.
Chaotic Spittle(Su): The chaos lizard's saliva has random properties. Creatures hit by the lizard's spit attack or bite attack suffer one of these effects(d6):
1 - Numbing poison: Fort save DC 21, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Dex.
2 - Acid: 4d4 acid damage
3 - Confusion (CL 8, DC 16 Will save)
4 - Deadly poison: Fort save DC 21, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con.
5 - 1 negative level (DC 16 Fort save 24 hours later to resist)
6 - Dispel magic: An area dispel centered on the target. (+10 on the dispel checks). If it cannot dispel anything immediately, the effect persists for 5 minutes or until a spell is cast within 30 feet of the target, in which case it is possibly countered.

A dead Medium chaos lizard yields 1d4 half-pint flasks of spittle. For each size category above medium, 1d4 more flasks may be obtained. While larger chaos lizards may have more powerful effects with their normal spit attacks, the effects of a flask of chaos lizard saliva is always the same as a Medium chaos lizard's. A flask of chaos lizard saliva will lose its potency within 24 hours of harvesting, unless it is treated by an alchemist, requiring a DC 20 Craft(alchemy) check that takes 10 minutes and uses materials costing 20 gp.
One flask of chaos lizard saliva will sell for about 500 gold pieces.

Chaos lizards understand one random language (d%- 1-40 Goblin, 41-60 Abyssal, 61-70 Draconic, 71-100 Common), but cannot speak. The example chaos lizard above understands Common.

Advancement: Chaos lizards gain two points each of Intelligence and Charisma for every four Hit Dice they have beyond 8.

Elder Chaos Lizard CR 18
Huge Outsider (Native, Chaotic)
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Init +4; Senses Spot +21, Listen +21; Darkvision 60 ft, scent
____________________
Languages: Understands but cannot speak Common
AC 22(+1 Dex), touch 9, flat-footed 21;
hp 243 (18d8+162, 18 HD) DR 10/lawful
Immune: acid
Fort +20, Ref +6, Will +6
____________________
Spd 30ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft.
Atk spit +18 ranged touch (chaotic spittle effect, see below) or
2 claws +28 melee (2d6 +12 slashing) and bite +34 melee (3d6+18 and chaotic spittle)
Space/Reach 15'/10'
Base Atk +18; Grp +38
Special Atk: Chaotic spittle
____________________
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 12, Con 28, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 14
SQ: blur
Feats: Multiattack, Ability Focus(spit), Weapon Focus (spit), Improved Natural Attack(claw), Improved Natural Attack(bite), Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Skills: Move Silently+22, Hide +22, Listen +21, Spot +21, Jump +33, Intimidate +23
Possessions: None
____________________
Environment: Temperate/warm desert
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3-8)
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral

Combat
As chaos lizards grow older and larger, they develop more powerful effects in their chaotic spittle, and as they start to approach a human level of intelligence they develop a tendency to hoard treasure. Generally, this tendency develops when they reach an Intelligence of around 6.

Chaotic Spittle(Su): The elder chaos lizard's saliva has random properties more powerful than that of a normal one.. Creatures hit by the lizard's spit attack or bite attack suffer one of these effects(d6):
1 - Numbing poison: Fort save DC 30, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Dex.
2 - Acid: 8d4 acid damage
3 - Confusion (CL 18, DC 18 Will save)
4 - Deadly poison: Fort save DC 30, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con.
5 - 1 negative level (DC 18 Fort save 24 hours later to resist)
6 - Dispel magic: An area dispel centered on the target. (+18 on the dispel checks). If it cannot dispel anything immediately, the effect persists for 5 minutes or until a spell is cast within 30 feet of the target, in which case it is possibly countered.

A dead elder chaos lizard yields 3d4 half-pint flasks of spittle, each worth 500 gp. A flask of spittle only has the effects of a Medium chaos lizard's spittle.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chaos Ooze]
CHAOS OOZE
Chaos ooze, 1st level warrior    CR 4
Medium Ooze (shapechanger, extraplanar, chaotic)
Alignment:  Often chaotic neutral
Init +6; Senses Spot +2; Listen +2; low-light vision(if in an adopted form) or blindsight 20' (if in natural form)
____________________
Languages Common
AC 12 [+2 Dex], touch 12, flat-footed 10;
hp 10 (1d8+5, 1 HD); regeneration 5; DR 10/-
Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +0
Weakness:  Cold paralysis
____________________
Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
Atk melee longsword +3 (1d8+2, 19-20/x2)
Base Atk +1; Grp +2
____________________
Abilities Str 15, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ natural metamorphosis
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Spot +2, Listen +2, Disguise +17(all bonuses included), Hide +10
Possessions 50 gp
____________________
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, or family (3-8)
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +5

This creature seems to be a glistening blob of dark red ooze. It rears up and takes a vaguely humanoid shape

Chaos oozes are an unusually intelligent type of ooze, and may be present in any place where the substance of primal chaos has been set loose.  Chaotic planes such as the Primal Swirls threaten to dissolve any creature who ventures into the chaos unprotected, and normally this is lethal. Sometimes, if the conditions are right, the creature is transformed into a chaos ooze and survives.  Presently, however, most chaos oozes are born through the more usual way of natural reproduction.

Chaos oozes are an uncommon type of shapechanger, in that their abilities function without any supernatural element at all, rendering them more resistant  to  magical detection methods than creatures like doppelgangers or phasms.  Adult chaos oozes tend to range between 100 and 200 pounds in weight, and are naturally amorphous, though they spend much time in a humanoid shape..    Their natural coloration varies among individual specimens, though it is always a dark color ranging from brown to red to violet.

Combat
A chaos ooze's tactics depend on the situation.  If its true nature has not been discovered yet, it tends to be extremely cautious to maintain its disguise, but if that is not the case, a chaos ooze tends to fearlessly rush into melee, being largely unaffected by physical attacks.
Ooze traits: Chaos oozes have the immunities and abilities of other oozes, except as follows:   They are vulnerable to poison and sleep effects. Being intelligent, they are vulnerable to mind-affecting effects. Chaos oozes eat, breathe, and sleep.
Regeneration(Ex):  Fire, acid, electricity, and negative energy all deal normal damage to a chaos ooze.  If a limb is severed, the chaos ooze can reattach it instantly by holding the severed limb to its stump, or simply regrow it with a full-round action.

Natural Metamorphosis(Ex):  Unlike most shapechangers, a chaos ooze's ability is entirely natural, relying on no supernatural process to work.  
* Detecting a chaos ooze's true nature can be a serious challenge for those who depend on magic.  True seeing does not automatically reveal the chaos ooze's true form, but does grant a +10 bonus on Spot checks to discover the chaos ooze.  No matter what form it takes, a chaos ooze does not possess distinct internal organs, and if it is wounded this becomes apparent.  A chaos ooze suffers a -4 penalty to its Disguise checks if it has sustained any damage, lethal or nonlethal.  This penalty increases to -10 if it has sustained damage, lethal or nonlethal, that reduces it to 75% of its maximum HP or less. That penalty doubles for every further 25% increment of damage (-20 at 50%, -40 at 75%, -80 at 100%)
* A chaos ooze can assume any form of its own size(normally Medium), taking a full-round action to do so, adopting the movement modes, natural weapons, and certain extraordinary attacks of the new form. A chaos ooze can use this ability extremely flexibly, transforming only the parts necessary to acquire a particular movement mode, natural weapon, or extraordinary attack.  Generally, a chaos ooze cannot combine traits of more than two creatures at a time, and certain extraordinary attacks are impossible for the chaos ooze to duplicate, particularly ones that involve any kind of special secretion, such as poison or ink.  When this ability is used to create a disguise, the chaos ooze gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks to do so.   When a chaos ooze takes a solid form it loses its blindsight ability and may be flanked. It gains low-light vision if it has eyes.
* A chaos ooze can form several different kinds of equipment from itself--generally anything that can be made from a single piece of solid material.  Rope, a ladder, a lock pick are valid options, while something like chains or an hourglass are not. Normally it does not gain any special bonus to skill checks from these items.  If the object requires a full-body transformation it requires a full-round action, smaller objects a standard action. These items cannot be dropped or removed by a disarm attack.  Such items can however be sundered.
* A chaos ooze can form and use any light or one-handed melee weapon that it is proficient with, falling under the same restrictions as the items it can create.  One weapon can be formed as a standard action, or two as a full-round action.   A chaos ooze can create a longsword or a handaxe, but not a flail or a spiked chain.  The weapon is actually part of the chaos ooze, and so it cannot be disarmed, but the weapon can be sundered (a chaos ooze weapon or other item has hardness 5 and 10 hit points, and the damage to the item is also counted as damage to the chaos ooze).
* A chaos ooze can alter its physical ability scores, taking a -2 penalty to Constitution in exchange for a +2 bonus to either Strength or Dexterity.  It may take a number of these adjustments equal to 1/4 its character level +3.  Adding or removing one of these adjustments is a full-round action.
* Limits: A chaos ooze's natural armor bonus is limited to +2, plus one fourth its character level.   It can assume forms that normally have a higher natural armor bonus without gaining the full natural armor bonus.  
Low-Light Vision (Ex): If the chaos ooze has assumed a form with eyes, it has low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in poor lighting conditions, and is also vulnerable to gaze attacks and other vision-based effects.

Cold paralysis: If a chaos ooze suffers more than 20 points of cold damage from one attack, it must make a Fort save against a DC equal to half the damage suffered. If it fails, it becomes fatigued.  If, while fatigued it suffers  20 points of cold damage and fails a save, it freezes solid and is considered paralyzed. It automatically fails this save if unconscious. It will remain frozen for 30 minutes under normal room temperatures, but this time can be lengthened by one minute for every point of further cold damage dealt to the chaos ooze. As long as the chaos ooze is frozen, its regeneration rate is reduced to 0.
Skills: A chaos ooze has a +8 racial bonus on Disguise and Hide checks.

Chaos Ooze Society
Chaos oozes prefer to live among humanoids in their towns and cities, switching between multiple different identities to evade taxes and other debts while seeking out a comfortable lifestyle. However, they are not actually lazy, as many chaos oozes seem to naturally gravitate towards work that would be hazardous to other people .  Chaos oozes generally live reclusive lives in crowded population centers, but they do keep in some contact with others of their kind and maintain "colonies"--hamlets or villages in out-of-the-way parts of the country, away from major roads and sites, where their kind gather to raise their young.  

Chaos Oozes as Characters:
Chaos oozes have the following racial traits:
-- +8 Constitution
-- Base land speed 30 feet
-- +8 racial bonus on Hide and Disguise checks
-- Special qualities: Damage reduction 10/-, regeneration 5, natural metamorphosis, cold paralysis
-- Favored class:  Rogue
-- Level adjustment: +5

[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Vyric]
VYRIC (Template)
The druidic orders of the Red Forest underwent a major schism in 1734 when older members of one of the orders began undergoing the rituals meant to transform them into liches. It was discovered that there was a major infiltration of one of their orders by a sect of Majib the Corruptor. As the lich-druids became a major threat in Goldmoor, and large swathes of the Red Forest began rotting and displacing the elven population, some of the druids reasoned that a different kind of transformation more in harmony with nature would be appropriate in answering the threat. The druids looked to a domain of nature they long respected-- the plant kingdom, and developed the secret rituals involved in becoming a vyric.
It took several centuries before the vyrics realized that they too had been deceived by Majib. While the actual transformation into a vyric seemed benign, an insidious corruption occurred to vyrics that experience the regrowth process.

Sample Vyric

The creature appears to be humanoid, with dark green-brown skin and wildly tangled green hair. It is wearing well-kept leather armor, and all of its weapons appear to be in good repair.

This example uses an 11th level human druid as the base creature.

SAMPLE VYRIC CR 13
Vyric druid 11
CN Medium Plant (Augmented humanoid[human])
Init +3; Senses Spot +25 , Listen +25
__________
Languages Common, Druidic, Sylvan
AC 26, touch 15, flat-footed 20
hp 116 (11 HD), fast healing 5, DR 15/slashing and magic, 5/cold iron
Immune: poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, stunning, and critical hits
Resist: cold 20, electricity 20, sonic 20
Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +11
__________
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Attack Claw +10 melee (1d6+2 slashing plus poison and implantation) or
scimitar +11 melee (1d6 +2 slashing, crit 18-20/x2) or
composite longbow +13 ranged (1d8+4 piercing, crit x3)
Full Attack: Scimitar +11/+6 melee (1d6 +2 slashing, crit 18-20/x2) and
claw +6 melee (1d6+2 slashing plus poison and implantation);
or composite longbow +11/+11/+6 ranged (1d8+4 piercing, crit x3)

Base Atk +8; Grp +10
Atk Options Point Blank Shot
Special Atk: Poison injected, DC 21, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Dex and 1 Con
The poison affects any creature hit by the vyric's claw attack.
Implantation Any creature who fails the first saving throw against the vyric's
poison is also implanted with a vyric seed.
Combat Gear +4 leather armor, ring of protection +2, masterwork scimitar, +2 mighty composite longbow (Str 14
Spells Prepared (CL 11th):
6th - Transport via plants
5th - Baleful polymorph, insect plague
4th - Freedom of movement, flame strike, spike stones, cure serious wounds
3rd - Call lightning, daylight x2, meld into stone, wind wall
2nd - Wood shape, spider climb, soften earth and stone, resist energy, flaming sphere
1st - Faerie fire, cure light wounds x3, hide from animals, entangle
0 - Create water, cure minor wounds x2, detect magic x2, light

___________
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 19, Cha 8
SQ Fast healing does not work when not in bright light.
Feats Martial weapon proficiency (longbow), Weapon Focus (longbow), Point Blank Shot, Craft Wondrous Item, Rapid Shot
Skills Concentration +15, Listen +25, Spot +25, Spellcraft +15, Survival +17, Knowledge(nature) +15, Hide +11, Move Silently +11, Climb +10
Possessions combat gear plus 20 pp
___________



Creating a Vyric

'Vyric' is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid creature (hereafter referred to as the base creature), provided it can perform the required ritual. A vyric has all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and type: The creature's type changes to plant. Do not recalculate hit dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Unchanged
Armor Class: A vyric has a +5 natural armor bonus or the base creature's natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: A vyric gains a claw attack, but it retains the ability to use any weapons allowed by its character class.
Full Attack: A vyric fighting with weapons prefers to keep one hand free to make a claw attack as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: The vyric's claw attack has a base damage of 1d6 (for Medium creatures), with two special effects-- poison and implantation (described in special attacks).
Special Attacks:
Poison: A vyric's claw attack is naturally poisonous. Anyone who takes damage from the vyric's claw attack may be affected by the poison. Its initial and secondary damage is 1d6 Dex and 1 Con, (Fort save DC 10 + half the vyric's HD + vyric's Con modifier).
Implantation: A target that is damaged by the vyric's claw attack and fails the first Fort save against the poison, it is implanted with a vyric seed, if the vyric has seeds available. Implantation is still possible even if the target is immune to poison (roll the Fort save just for the implantation) Within the first round after implantation, only a DC 15 Heal check is required to remove the seed, but after that the seed migrates deeper into the victim's body and removal is much more difficult. A remove disease, remove curse, or heal spell may remove a vyric seed, but the seed has spell resistance 30 versus such spells. The only other way to remove the seed is with a surgical operation (Heal check DC 25) that deals 3d6 damage to the patient. An implanted vyric seed remains dormant, causing no immediate ill effects, as long as the vyric remains alive.
Spells: A vyric can cast any spells it could cast before becoming a vyric.

Special Qualities: A vyric retains all the base creature's special qualities and gains those described below.
Damage Reduction (Su): A vyric's body is tough, giving it damage reduction 15/slashing and magic, and 5/cold iron. Its natural weapons are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming another creature's damage reduction.
Energy Resistance(Ex): A vyric has cold, electricity, and sonic resistance 20.
Fast Healing(Ex): A vyric gains fast healing 5 whenever in direct sunlight or similar light (like a daylight spell)
Plant Traits: A vyric has these plant traits: low-light vision, immunity to all mind-affecting effects, immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning, and not subject to critical hits. A vyric can use polymorphing effects on itself.
Abilities: The vyric increases its ability scores from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +2, Con +10, Wis +2
Skills: The vyric has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Climb checks.
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2
Treasure: Standard coins, standard goods, triple items.
Alignment: Any neutral.
Advancement: By character class.
Level adjustment: Same as base creature +4.

Vyric characters
The process of becoming a vyric requires a prolonged process that can only be undertaken by a willing character. Each vyric must perform all the steps of this process itself. First, the character must be able to cast spells, have a caster level of 11th or higher, and have at least 14 ranks in Knowledge(nature). The character starts by brewing a special elixir with many exotic ingredients, costing 150,000 gp and 6,000 XP to make and taking five months to complete. The character then drinks the elixir, which results in unconsciousness for ten days. If the character is brought back to consciousness(achievable with a heal spell or equivalent), the process must be started over. At the end of the ten days of unconsciousness, the character must make a DC 22 Fortitude save. On a failure, the character dies immediately. On a success, the character transforms into a vyric.

Destroying A Vyric
A vyric is difficult to destroy. If it has any seeds implanted in either a creature or an inanimate plant, the vyric is able to avoid being permanently killed. Upon a vyric's death, the most recently implanted seed activates. The creature bearing the seed appears to start suffering from some form of wasting sickness. Every day, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half the vyric's HD + the vyric's Con modifier) or take 1d4 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution damage. The victim is only cured if the seed is removed. When the victim dies, the seed grows over the following day, transforming the victim into a new body for the vyric. If the seed is implanted in an inanimate plant, it takes a week for the plant to die, and another day for it to turn into the vyric's new body. Killing the creature or plant before it is killed by the seed stops the regrowth. This regrowth is spiritually harrowing for the vyric, and most vyrics end up becoming evil after just one or two of these regrowth experiences.
Regrown Vyrics
A vyric that uses a creature to regrow sometimes acquires one of the extraordinary or supernatural abilities of that creature.

Vyric Seeds
A vyric may have up to one fifth its Hit Dice in seeds implanted somewhere. If a seed is removed without being destroyed, it still counts against the vyric's maximum but the vyric cannot use it to regrow.
A vyric seed has 40 hp, hardness 20, and a break DC of 40.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Wereplant (WIP)]
WEREPLANT
WIP: An afflicted humanoid that turns into a plant during the daytime when the moon is full. Its hybrid form is usually similar to those of established plant creatures, such that a Weretree's hybrid form is similar to a treant, a Werevine's hybrid form is similar to an assassin vine, and so forth.
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]