This is where i'll post and discuss all of the random ideas i'm considering for inclusion in my Aertica Campaign Setting
The Naghir Aht
Jaghal Pirates("the Jaghal" or Jaghali) :
Kapaocinth
Kapaocinth are part of a strictly regimented caste system. All Kapaocinth are descended from Laovicea, a massive abomination residing in the depths of the eastern sea. They are a brutal and bloodthirsty race, beleiving in their utter racial supremacy. Kapaocinth have a close connection with their "mother" an insoluble psionic bond that modifies their behaviour etc. as Laovicea wishes.
Dictum
Praetorian Church
Nameless One
Forsaken Ones(Pseudo-Deities)
These creatures are entities from the beginning of Aertica, bloated godlike embodiments of destruction and death created by the hands of the nameless one himself in his war with the gods. With the imprisonment of the nameless one in the abyss, they became crazed and uncontrollable, fighting first amongst themselves and later against the nature spirits (which they were created from)to claim vast territory in a vain attempt to fulfill their purpose. They take on a unique aspect during combat, marshalling the power of their dark heritage to construct a dark avatar out of the elements around them (much like the nature spirits, except that they are not limited according to the strength of their guardian well). Though radically different and unique, each one of the Nameless One's children can possess sentient lifeforms as a demon would and can strip the innate powers from a nature spirit and learn to manifest them in a violent process that the nature spirits refer to as transgression.
These creatures, once embodiments of nature and servants to the elder gods, became enthralled by the shapeless dark of the nameless one. No more than merely curious, they wandered towards the aeonic mouth of annihilation and were transformed by it. the Nameless one made these spirits, these guardians of the clockwork natural cycle of the early universe into deranged pawns to help him annihilate all of reality. to that aim, they have labored since they were spat out of the hateful maw of oblivion. Their first task was to build armies great enough to overtake the heavens themselves and to consume their brethren, strip them of their power and turn the very fabric of nature and its innate power into a weapon against its creators.
Laovicea (The Monarch Worm)- Mother of the violent and rapacious kapaocinth (working name, amphibian shark/reptile/human hybrid species that varies in appearance according to their line of descent and the whim of laovicea), laovicea dwells deep in the rifts of aertica's oceans in a court created from the corpses of the leviathans and krakens she consumes for sport. In her normal form she appears as a turquoise skinned beauty with long flowing robes of black tinged water and black coral plates. Her dark avatar form is that of a collosal lamprey, studded with sharklike fins of varying size and placement. Her massive maw smolders with heat, boiling the water around her head, shrouding the putrescent configuration of squid-like eyes and armor plates that serve as her head and constantly heatin the lava-like tentacles that ocassionaly flicker out from within the massive array of teeth. As far as anyone knows, for over a millenia she has foregone her worm form, relying on her powerful Kapaocinth children to fight for her.
Arioch (The Pestilent Lion)-The powerful, but reclusive scourge of the trade islands, Arioch is the god of the vicious and rapacious Khatulse Pirates. These piratical peoples know little or nothing of the true nature of their deity or its hideous appearance, except that they venerate the Lion as its closest likeness and its chosen creature. Arioch appears as a diseased lion, eyes empty and dripping black bile. Its hide boils with black pus and red sores which seem to travel its otherwise immaculate hide, sometimes bursting forth to leak dripping streams of coagulated blood and black ichor. In his dark avatar form, Arioch is singular in the fact that his sized changes only a little compared to his siblings. Arioch strains and expands as he turns, growing to roughly the size of a house. Spikes and writhing tentacles replace his sickly mane while black tentacles erupt from the sores on his body and lash out seemingly at random. His mouth, like many of his siblings, smolders with heat, dripping fire from his slavering jaws. Since conquering the Khatulse pirates 300 years ago, it is beleived Arioch has since entered into his dark avatar state only once, in a decisive battle between the pirates and the sellsword army of the Nagir Aht (Trade consortium and kind of "trading religion" thats primary business is in slavery and black market goods).
[The Horned God]-
[The Writhing Darkness]- Thought to be the first to behold the Nameless One, so the writhing darkness most resembles him. The Writhing Darkness is a mass of tentacled, amorphous darkness that can manifest itself as a shadowy, jet black human with writhing tentacles for legs. Its power is immense and it is beleived that either the writhing darkness, or the horned god, was created to lead the armies of annhilation. The Writhing Darkness has no known location, but is thought to rule over a secret society that communicates between the forsaken ones and whose members are powerful enough to withstand their various tempers and climates.
[The Fuligen Claw]- One of the most classically demonic Forsaken Ones, the Fuligen Claw appears as a towering, 16ft tall monstrosity with a half leonine half canine head cradled by a long mane of swept back, jet black hair that travels down to the small of its back. It has two massively muscular arms that end in a very elongated hand tipped with razor sharp claws. Its second set of arms are much smaller and fold close to the powerfully muscled chest. It is jet black from head to toe, with shocks of blue running through its bristling hide. The Fuligen Claw is currently at war with Valhar peoples of the North and can be attributed directly to much of their emigration and invasion of the south. He commands a growing army of ghouls and wights to attack in lightning raids in the blizzards he and the small cult of brutal necromancers that serve him summon from the depths of the northernmost continent.
[The Tempest King]- The Tempest King appears to its few human visitors as a rather tall and lanky, vaguely birdlike man with a colorful and richly decorated mask whose long beak always drips with blood and whose feathered robes and ornate feathered headdress seem to contain winking and staring peacock eyes. His natural and the one most often adopted within the jungles of his home, is that of a massive (colossal) bird with a pseudo-human face and whose color shifts depending on mood. When "happy" or sadistically pleased, the massive [Tempest King] scintillates with color, but turns swirling gray and black with deep shocks of red when threatened. [The Tempest King] is the god of the southern Valheru.These miniscule birdlike warriors are notorious for killing anything that ranges within their territory and when the Tempest King flies, all under his wingspan becomes their exclusive domain.
Varaghan (The Bleeding Boar)- varaghan appears as an Anthropomorphic boar/human with four arms that wield massive richly engraved claymores and is decorated in ornate ironwork pieces of jewelery. The violent Forsaken One is usually very solitary, preferring the ruinous halls of the Sliding Palace (an ancient abandoned tomb structure of complex traps and roaming monstrous creatures) but is worshipped by violent Ghasca tribes in Maharaj who regularly ply their Boar "god" with human flesh to consume. Varaghan's rarely seen Avatar form is an enormous boar that bleeds profusely and almost slides through the thick jungle to destroy life.
[The Conquering Worm]-
[Sanguine Saint]- One of a select few "possessors" among the Forsaken Ones, it is said that the Sanguine Saint corrupted the powerful Praetorian priest sent to destroy him in the last moments of their titannic battle. Little is known of his form before, but currently he appears as a white-clothed Dictum (praetorian military order) priest complete with ancient, outdated armor from the earliest days of the sect. The only distinguishing factor is that he bleeds rivers of blood, rivers that sometimes sprays or ooze in coagulation.
You've got a nice bit of yummy grotesquery going. More information on the Forsaken Ones' creation would be interesting.
The forsaken seem to have a rather prominent place; are they the leaders of your various nations/races/cults or are they just powerful creatures with followings that exist besides the nations of your world? And can they die?
@Ghostman, i'll get on it :) check the first post
@Crippled Crow, The Forsaken ones are in effect, demigods, like hercules, perseus and achilles, but they have a much stronger and darker connection to their uber-deity parent. The forsaken ones are mortal, to a degree, it takes a huge expenditure of arcane power to strip away their protections and reveal the tortured spirit within. This spirit, when exposed (usually through a climactic battle)is just like any other mortal, but will still be a formidable adversary. They are, however, ageless and altogether immune to disease and conventional weaponry until they are so exposed. The Forsaken ones do not lead nations per se, though a few are powers behind the throne. They are generally worshipped by small cults or tribes and try to keep a low profile so as not to attract human attack or to draw the eyes of the agents of the gods.
And what about the nation-question?
The Forsaken Ones are the power behind the throne in a few small nations but generally they operate as local "gods" or "prophets" (for the more human looking ones)in remote areas where either no country has laid claim or where the country cannot effectively or feasibly expel them. They are powerful, but they know the limits of their personal power and seek to expand it through manipulation of others. They are hunted by many organizations, but especially the Praetorian Church (parallel to catholic church though far more openly martial)and the more militant branch, the Dictum(Larger and more powerful version of the military orders such as the Knights Templar or Hospitallers),as demons or heretical deities and are often no match for the openly accepted and publicly vindicated organizations arrayed against them.
That actually sounds pretty cool :)
nice names you have picked for your religious organizations.
Dictum Lictor: The Dictum was started by an epic group of paladins, powerful warriors devoted to fighting for the one god. One of those warriors, a massive brute, was half giant. A remnant of the dark and violent Jotun, enemies of his Valhar ancestors. Scarred by battle and warped by ancestry, this paladin had sheared off his right hand and replaced it with an enormous blade of rough steel. Upon his glorious death, the Dictum honored him by using the miracles of the one god to create 500 warriors in his image, instilling them with eternal life and the ability to fight on after violent "death" until the next sunrise. Only thirty of these powerful juggernauts have ever fallen.
The Lictor is the most elite rank-and-file soldier in the dictum and the highest order of elites within both the Church and Dictum, though most consider them little more than freakish monsters or golems. The Titans guard and serve the Ascendant Saints [1 each, total 25](bigger, badder Cardinals), the Autarch [5 of them](Pope-like figure),the Imperator [4 of them, though often as many as 20](leader of Dictum)and the Lords Marshal [2 each, total 20](regional Dictum commanders).Bishops and other notables are guarded by personal retinues, the Fascine Order or lower ranked Lictor units. The inactive Lictors are usually in "hibernation", though a number of complimentary Lictor braces (Brace= 2 Lictors)are deployed as needed
Untainted: Part of an age old tribute from the Emperor of Jaroch, Carscia is supplied with ten legions of Eunuch warriors every decade. These men are usually slaves captured during war and train from age 8 on to become heartless killing machines. All traces of femininity are washed away by tattoos signifying rank and unit and their frightening bronze armor.
You have a Horned God. I approve. No pantheon is truly complete without a Horned God.
Bastard's War: War perpetrated roughly 30 years ago by Luther Kaustriche, The Kirschau family and The Witch Knight clans in favor of Deposing the reigning emperor Vilerion Kaustriche. The powerful Autrovha family sided with Vilerion Kaustriche, but failed in repulsing the army of the crucifex (Luther's Heraldic symbol: an "X" made from nails). Luther Kaustriche threw his uncle from the balcony of the Black Palace and seized the imperial throne for only a month before the Duchess of Barascia stabbed him to death as he tried to rape her during the sack of Ravenhel.
Barascia: one of the few holdings that cross the boundaries between the Argheid Empire and the former Aurathian Empire, the Duke of Barascia is consequently the elector of Kulsheim and Nerrasca within what is now Ausservia, though those powers are severely limited by the totalitarian leanings of the current Kaustriche monarchy.
Ravenhel: A truly massive complex that has been home to skirmishes that could be called battles in and of themselves within its walls. The imposing sprawl of Ravenhel's citadel houses two noble families ( The Lanheim family and the Valshard family) a bastard lineage ( the Warcrest line)and a number of defectors and strange neutral parties that battle for supremacy in the dripping basalt halls. The Lanheim family and their soldiers occupy the "Aurathian Quarter" or the northernmost third of the complex, and have hired the services Luco D'evargeau (Devargo to most) a relatively powerful arcanist (Sor 7)exiled from the Primacy of Rhonneux. The Valshard family controls the areas surrounding the waterfall and the Crow tower (the southestern third of the complex)and dominate the river access with a small contingent of imperial troops and a healthy force of mercenaries, most of them from Auschfeld or free retainers from the Duchy of Avalia (Avalgard). The Warcrest force hold only the Bitches Concave and the red manse on the eastern edge of the complex, but the self-styled Lord Carmine Warcrest, bastard heir of both the Valshard and Lanheim families is an expert at playing the two families against each other and at using fourth parties to offset his weak position.
Witch knight Clans: Ancient aboriginal tribes of Aurath and Ausservia that dwell in the heavily wooded hills and mountains of Ausservia. Their lifestyle is primitive, but their warriors are the elite of the North. The Witch Knight peoples have an unusually high percentage of innate sorcerors. They have been trained by their Witch Lords and supplied by the Kaustriche family for centuries and make their own plate armor, decorated with roc feather plumes and forge their own black steel blades upon completion of their greuling and often fatal training program. Most ride great black stallions, but commanders are mounted on Ur-Wolves, semi-intelligent bear-like creatures that use lion statistics.
The Black Palace: A sprawling, half-ruinous complex of temples, palaces and towers that delve deep into the bedrock of Corschtavoc (Capitol of the Grand Duchy of Aurath). The upper layers serve as the seat of the Archduchy. It is comprised of the residential palace, the Oubliette (converted to a garrison but still holding a vast unexplored prison below), the Black Tower (a large tower that is said to hold items of arcane might), the court of aurathator (a huge amphitheater and open air court where mass audiences are held) and the sprawling chaos of administration buildings.
Mountain Clans: Hardened by constant conflict with the Kareig goblin tribes, these distant cousins of the Witch Knight Clans fill the ranks of Aurathian hosts with their wild and dangerous spearmen and thickly muscled great-swordsmen. Clan loyalty and allegiance to the Autrovha clan from which the dynasty emerged has instilled the mountain warriors with unflinching devotion for their Duke. As a result, the Mountain clans have found their warriors elevated to the highest posts of the Grand Duchy of Aurath and the clan liturgical system is slowly but surely supplanting the more classical Praetorian rites.
one of my races (3.5E)
Valheru
Personality: The Valheru place a great amount of pride in their ability to show little if no emotion. Many humans describe their behavior as flighty, or nervous, but nothing could be further from the truth. Valheru do tend to get impatient, but this is a result of their extremely small stomachs, which force them to eat upwards of ten meals a day and stay constantly on the move.
Physical Description: Lithe and dangerous, the Valheru are only vaguely bird-like. They stand at around 5 feet tall, but weigh only 60-70 pounds. Hands and feet are thickly scaled and slightly webbed, but often covered in weaved armor. The frightening weaved armor is universal amongst Valheru. Rather than a nesting instinct, the Valheru weave feather studded armor from local plant life. Valheru are flightless, but are great swimmers, usually living in swamps or marshes. Their Double jointed limbs give them great flexibility, but at a sacrifice to strength. The Valheru, however, can move at blinding speeds because of their ultralight bone structure and streamlined bodies.
Relations: The Valheru rarely consider other races except when hunting them. Very few Valheru bother to learn any other language but their own. Isolated in their swamps and marshes, the valheru are nothing more than another vermin to most communities.
Alignment:Any Neutral
Valheru Lands: Valheru lands are ruled by the strongest and most powerful. They live in small elevated villages or dugout warrens. These villages are primitive and well concealed, ringed by sentinels and traps designed to keep their communities safe. The majority of Valheru live high above the expansive Mangrove swamps, flitting between massive trunks hunting large insects and animals.
Religion: Animism
Language: The Valheru use a series of oscillating tones and hormones to speak, most of which falls outside human perception. It is impossible for a non-Valheru to speak their language (not even with tongues).
Names: Those Valheru that move out of their communities are often given names based on defining characteristics.
Adventurers Valheru rarely if ever leave to adventure, it is a basic need of their species to exist in a community.
Valheru Racial Traits
[spoiler]- +2 Dexterity, + 2 Strength
- Medium: As Medium creatures, Valheru have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Valheru base land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- +1 racial bonus on saving throws against powers, spells, and spell-like effects. Valheru have an innate resistance to psionics and magic due to their alien psychology.
- +4 racial Bonus to Move Silently, Jump, Swim and Listen.
- Burst (Su): Three times per day, a Valheru can put on a burst of speed to increase her speed by 10 feet, plus 10 feet per four character levels beyond 1st, to a maximum increase of 30 feet at 9th character level and higher. These bursts of speed are considered a competence bonus to the Valheru's base speed. A burst of speed lasts 3 rounds.
- Automatic Languages: Valheru
- Favored Class: Ranger, Rogue[/spoiler]
The epic red army
Red Army
Leader(s): Grand Marshal Veremis Ras (Male Human Ftr 10/Rog 7/Exp 4)
Headquarters:
Membership: 35,000 Mercenaries; 10,000 Agents
Allies:
Enemies:
History
The Red Army was once the Republican Guard of Aeniria, a force of dedicated and loyal soldiers created to safeguard the republic from internicine warfare and the predations of their fellow Causetian states. They served ably in the first months of the war with Caussia, halting the advance of a much greater Alliance army and forcing the Alliance into a temporary cessation of warfare. It was internal politics that destroyed Aeniria and this once noble force setting it upon a path to become the largest mercenary corporation in Aertica. The Heirarch Niccalhus refused to pay or feed the Republican Guard after the war. Rebellion insued, with Veremis Ras rising to the position of Grand Marshal during the chaos. In a desperate bid to secure his power and the survival of his newly independant forces, Veremis brokered a deal with Caussia to relinquish Republican Guard held lands for a large sum and transportation to Jharoch, the new home of Ras' Red Army. The last twenty years has seen the Red Army transform from a renegade battalion into an enormous mercenary venture with satellite bases across Aertica. They train armies, insurgents and even navies. The Red Army is an enormous arms dealer and peddler of new warfare technologies.
The Necromancers of Ild Vesh
Necromancers of Ild Vesh
Leader(s):The Triumvirate
Azmodius Kasz, Prince of Nevechnya [Kruscia] (An Honorific Title) and Advisor to the Immortal Emperor [Male Deathtouched Sor8/Clr10]
Rathius Rahn, Dark Empress and Queen of Bones [Female Elven Lich Sor16]
Damien Virac, The Black Prince of Mihr and Lord of the Blood Coast [Male Human Ari4/Ftr3/Sor12]
Headquarters: Ahrej Nihr, Citadel of Bones
Membership:Triumvirate, 18 Necromancers [Sor 5/Clr 5], 90 Disciples [Sor 2], 2,000-4,000 Acolytes [War 1]
Allies: None
Enemies: Gharo Priesthood
History
Hundreds of years ago deep in the south of Aertica rose a powerful necromancer, Ild Vesh. He became an almost godlike figure, attracting a group of ardent followers intent on learning how to harness their own arcane power. As Perversions crafted by the reclusive necromancer began to stalk the cities and wilds of the south, the sultans and emirs sent out their hunters to destroy the dark sorceror. In a titannic battle a seemingly unkown druid destroyed the fell necromancer, leaving his students to pick up what little was left of his teachings and forge their own path.
Heirarchy
The necromancers of Ild Vesh are controlled by a triumvirate of incredibly powerful necromancers. Below the triumvirs are the organizations cell leaders, powerful necromancers in their own right leading small armies of acolytes and disciples
Goals
To resurrect Ild Vesh and create a new utopian society of necromancers at the head of vast hordes of milling undead. Most, however, just want to kill things.
Just a quick note as i scanned your latest posts: the physical description of the valheru is rather vague. It seems that you have a good picture of them in your head but haven't yet written a description that can convey that image in it's fullness. Are they completely human aside from the above-mentioned traits?
Yeah, i see what you mean...i'll have to try and write a better description...
a paragraph on desert elves (Mri Sidhe)
Desert elves: The only thing these elves share with their ancient progenitors is their lithe frames and their haughty arrogance. Desert elves possess a number of natural adaptations to the harsh climate of the deep desert. They have double nictating membranes to filter out the fine dust of the sirocco and the blinding sun, a set of "vacuole" type organs that store extra water, and an innate sense of the location of water. They appear as lithe elves with a mane of long blonde hair that carries onto their lower back, swathed in white robes fashioned similar to the bedouin, in warriors their manes are shaved and their veils never leave their faces.The desert elves live in large palaces called Seituns, also what they call their tribes, they roam the desert in packs of 10-20, all warriors are accompanied by the wild Alhisei, desert jackals that seek out their master upon reaching adulthood and only leave their side for mating season. The seitun houses the Kheis'ar, the female wilder caste.Their Seitun are ruled by powerful androgynous psions created by the melding of a male warrior and a female wilder called Aesira (ay-seer-ah)(think archon from starcraft) and house the Adhira, or non-combatants of the Seitun. When a new Aesira is created by the union of a sufficiently powerful warrior and wilder, those in attendance, the immediate family and friends embark upon an exodus to form a new seitun. as with most Eldritch races, the desert elves have a much higher spellcaster/psion ration than humans (1:100 as oppoesd to 1:1000) amd have sa much higher advancement rate (getting beyond adept or 1st level powers) due to their genetic aptitude for magic and do not have the high risk for insanity prevalent in humans when casting spells with abberant effects (any new spell unfamiliar to the caster)
--this isnt a full magic system breakdown