The Campaign Builder's Guild

"No-one knows when or where life began. Let it be said that there were four realms - the Amenta, the Dark Place, the Vast and the Mortality. It is known that in the Mortality lies a vast and open universe, filled with many stars. Lurking at the heart is a galaxy known as the Ocean, and it is here that the home planet, Annar, lies. Annil, Darnor and Atokh are the three main continents of Annar, and they hold great power and prestigious men amongst their populations. Harken unto me, friends, for I have spent nigh upon a lifetime researching such.

See now, Annil. From sea to shining sea, our majestic continent seems untouched by the ravages of the war-that-once-was. But truely ours was the primary home of this blight, and it is only due to the skill and power of our men and women that it has been rebuilt. The Dannor Sea covers the central and eastern reaches, carrying ships from the secluded Dannor Hammerlands to the cosmopolitan cities of the south and west, whilst in the north it meets thick, cold forest and freezing plains which teper upwards into mountains. Ours is a land of contrast, and an important one too.

And next, Darnor. The Dannor Sea touches its southern shores too, but only on the shoreline do civilised cities lie. A land bridge enjoins it to Annil, but the Great Wall, including Castle Morrigan, blocks access from our side. Beyond the shorelines communities are scattered far and wide, and savage wastelands surround them. At Darnor's centre lies Athir Keep, a great city which is home to the self-proclaimed Wild Dead King, Achnur the Black. In his citadel the dead walk freely and the living are enslaved day-to-day. To the east, on the other hand, it is said by some that the last refuges of elves and eldritch lurk.

Finally, Atokh. A land far enough to the south that trade is rare, but close enough that its inhabitants can sometimes be seen about our own lands. S'tok is a vast land, and it is hard to truely categorise it, but it is known that the Bound Dead, or Mythrul, originate from here. Daemon Skycraft occasionally migrate across the Eternal Ocean from our lands to theirs, or back again, and it is said that at least three great daemon cities reside there.

These three continents form what is known as the Shining Lands, and 'though there may be others, these are the greatest.

The Daemonwar

It is said that in Annar, our great planet, there were six great species. The Dragons were the first, or so it is said, and then the reptilians, elves, eldritch, dwarves, and orcs. But then from the void through their great portals came another race, the daemons, alien creatures so different to this world that nothing could compare to their splendour, power, and strangeness. They brought with them a malformed and twisted slave-race, the humans. They maintained their connection to their homeworld through the portals, and many hundreds of their sky-cities came with them. The greatest gem of all was the Akhmin-Du, their most powerful city, eight separate rocks bound together in a great ring with a palace at the centre, and with the Connection mounted atop it. They immediately began their conquest in Annil, where they  cut out a large piece of land, patrolled by their sky-barges, in which to make themselves known. All those within their land were proclaimed slaves of the Great Daemon Empire, and some were returned to the daemon homeworld. Although great language barriers were poised, soon the elves of the area learned to understand the daemon tongue. Some half-daemons were created at this point.

It did not take the dragons long to retaliate. A great swarm leapt from the east, the greatest Flight yet seen, and smashed down upon the new daemon empire. As the daemons expanded, the sphere of war expanded. The eldritch mustered their armies and for the first and last time in the histories of the world, went to war. The dragons did not welcome the eldritch, however, and the war soon became three-way. Meanwhile, a second portal opened over present day Atokh, and the dragons' forces were split. The reptilians became slaves of the daemons, and ever-more troops poured through, although their numbers were limited due to the strains of the portals. Then, the first event of the Daemon Downfall occurred - the Dragons destroyed Akhmin-Du in a blaze of fire and lightning. The colossal city, bristling with defences, was struck at the heart by draconic attacks and imploded as the portal disappeared, taking many daemons - and dragons - with it. The daemons were cut off - from their gods, their reinforcements, and their home. Their shapes, and the shapes of the humans, began to change to more suit this realm. They felt it, and detested it, and fought ever-harder.

Around a month later, the second Connection city was smashed to pieces by an Eldritch spell which crushed the walls around the portal inward. The city - named Akhmin-Re - did not implode, but rather collapsed swiftly. The portal remains buried under fire and ash and ruined remains in central S'tok. The warped magic surrounding the damaged city caused the dead souls to arise from the lands around in rotted forms or spectral bodies, roaming free... the Wild Dead. These later became Bound Dead at the hands of the Necromancer Rakarn Din, who became dead himself and was the first and last emperor of the short-lived Dead Imperium.

Meanwhile, the dragons were suffering at the hands of the greatest daemons. The last great battle of the war was fought at Kanith Mountain, site of the present day city of Memoriam, before which the Eldritch retreated from the war. Here the daemons caught the dragons in their natural eyrie and fortress and ambushed them whilst they rested. Thousands on both sides died. The dragons never really recovered and went into decline, and there are only eight known to still live today. After the war was concluded, the daemons soon gave in to infighting and split up - without the guidance of their home planet's leaders, they swiftly lost all true control.

Only the dwarves were largely unaffected by this. Whilst orcs and elves became slaves to both dragons and daemons both (the elves eventually forming the Hariij Empire from the remnants of said dragon slavery), the dwarves continued to mine, and build, and dig. Where the orcs lost the old ways in many places and the elves melded easily to the new, the dwarven legacy lived on. And the reptilians? Who can say? Humans are still considered easily-made slaves, however, even those who are free, and those with daemonic accents, or capable of speaking daemonic themselves, are laughed at and pitied as slavebreds.

The Dwarves

The dwarves are famed for their dark, brooding, and dangerous attitude, their love for dwarven vodka, their agressiveness in battle and most of all their immense mines. It is said that once the dwarves were one people, but now they feud horribly, as well as fighting for their own survival. Muntrin Hold's new king manipulates his realm carefully, attempting to prevent another civil war, whilst Tharran Hold has only just been refounded after fifty years of Wild Dead inhabitants and other, fouler things. Unthurr Hold sits proudly atop carven Mount Unthurr, but it fights constantly for survival against the violent separatist Hariij of Agorni, whilst Matin Hold is falling slowly into decay and decline. Only Durdin Hold still retains any of the ancient dwarven power famed in the histories, and that is because it has mostly abandoned the old ways.

Worldview:

The Dwarves see their paths in life as a continual series of opportunities and choices. The choice that they make will of course be influenced by current circumstances, profit and loss to each choice, and potential consequences in the future. Dwarves tend to have a distinctly NON-happy-go-lucky attitude, despite what some say about them, and are generally grim in general conversation.

Society:

Dwarves, like daemons and orcs, prefer to gather in societies that are nearly completely their own. This is (presumably) an ancestral trait from their original single Hold, but no-one truely knows. It is known that dwarves have strong family bonds, and they will never betray another family member - such means death. Dwarven society is based on a caste system - the lowest of the low are the Servantborn, who are born into service to pay out their family's debts or undo some past misgiving. They are followed by the freeborn, craftsfolk and builders of all kinds, and then the merchant class, richer and highly respected.

Above the merchant class are the Princes, one heading each clan. Many clans (large extended families in most basic definition, although it is rather more complex than just that) have branches in more than one dwarf kingdom, making sure that even in war, diplomacy continues, and for each clan branch there is a prince (although one specific prince is often considered superior to all others). The First Son of the city is the Prince chosen to be the next king, who may or may not be the Prince of the current King's clan. This Prince is chosen by vote amongst the Merchant Council, and as there is no regulation on which merchants attend, nor what clan they are, this process can be extremely corrupt. Once a Prince becomes the King in one city, a new Prince for his clan is appointed. Favouritism from the King is not looked down upon in dwarven society, but if one clan is getting too much, a War of Lordship can be begun, and several clans will attempt to storm the king's residence and execute him. This is a rare occurence, however. At one point, House Thurkod was king of three separate kingdoms, and this too can (and did) cause a War of Lordship in Muntrin Hold. It is still only recovering now.

Physical Appearance:

A dwarf is stocky and short, reaching just under five feet tall in most cases. Long, thick hair is common in both genders, and is frequently plaited, and men often have wiry, short beards. Green and blue eyes are most common, although there is a relatively strong tendency towards albinos in dwarven lines, and stranger eye colours such as purple and gold have also been seen. Such things are said to be the mark of great things to come. Dwarves are muscly, and have jutting brows and seemingly exaggerated features to human eyes.

Religion:

Religion is a relatively casual thing in most dwarven society, with the youngest son of a family generally going into the Church of the All-Father. The priests of the church perform funeral rites, bless buildings and generally establish small hospitals for the sick, but other than this, have relatively little power compared to religious institutions in other lands. The only realm that is different is the Unthurr Hold, in which the Church counts as a clan and holds a Princely Seat (although only once have the church made a king).

Magic:

Most dwarven mages are Namers. A few sorcerors exist, but they are generally frowned upon unless they can control their talent and use it for the betterment of Hold and Clan. The dwarves often forge weapons enchanted with Naming speeches, designed to be lethal against one enemy.

Language:

Dwarven is no longer a first language of around eighty percent of dwarves, although most can hold a simple conversation. It is the language of battle commands, of sealing deals, of kinship rites and of greetings amongst most dwarves, and only loremasters learn to speak it fluently amongst most holds. Only Matin and Unthurr holds have a majority of dwarven speakers. Most dwarves speak dwarven only in formal situations, preferring the native tongues of the lands their holds reside in. Most Unthurr dwarves, for example, also speak Hariiji (it helps greatly in trade with the Empire), whilst Muntrin dwarves speak a limited amount of daemonic and mostly fluent in Old Gurr.

Elves

The most populous race in Annar, the elves are split into three main groups - Sluuan, Freeborn and Haariji. The Sluuan elves are what is left of a dying civilisation, the cult of the Eldritch, and are rarely seen in the world today except in the Sluuan islands. The Freeborn on the other hand are extremely common, fulfilling roles across the globe (as well as, ironically, being slaves to daemons). The Hariiji are the most infamous, as they form the bulk of the Haarij Empire's population. They are the remnant of the dragon empires, and the Last Great Dragon spread his seed and his blood amongst them to form their ruling class. It is said that the elves were first formed by the Eldritch, although whether this is true nobody knows.

Worldview:

Most Elves, especially Haariji and Freeborn, have an alien worldview by human standards - everything for the self or for the master. This was bred into the Haariji elves by dragons, and as most Freeborn are descended from dragon-slave stock, this permeates their breed also. Sluuanborn elves do all for the Eldritch - if an Eldritch tells them to kill themselves, they will do so instantly.

Society:

Freeborn elves are scattered across the globe, indoctrinated into the cultures of others. The Sluuan-Born, on the other hand, prefer to gather together in small groups when outside their own lands. Within the Sluuan Islands, elves are ranked in three classes, with farmers, labourers, and craftsmen at the bottom, warriors in the middle, and mages (Eldritch-Sanctioned, of course) on the top rank. Mages often become generals or leaders of their people, serving the will of the Eldritch.
Haariji Elves can rise to the Low Nobility, although without going through the Ceremony of Blood and becoming a Haarij, they can go no further. Mages amongst the Haariji elves are either culled or raised to the Low Nobility, depending on their family history and ability, and may become part of the Redguard (a group of powerful mages bound to the will of the Emperor).

Physical Appearance:

Elves are lithe and as tall as a human, with slightly pointed ears, slanted eyes and cat-like irises. All elves have golden, purple, or albino eyes (the last are surprisingly common, even in those who are otherwise not albino at all) which gives them a reputation for mysticism. An elf tends to live about one-hundred years, but unlike humans, they die in their prime, suffering no weakness of age. Disease is rare amongst them. Most elves have dark black hair, or pigmentless white.

Religion:

Freeborn tend to adopt the religions of the lands around them. The Haariji follow the Cult of the Dragon, and the Sluuan Elves follow the Eldritch themselves with a great fanaticism.

Magic:

As stated above, Sluuan Mages are held in high regard, whereas Haariji elf ones are not so favoured. Freeborn have a mixed attitude to magic, as they do with everything else. It is known that a talent for Wild Magic infests the elven bloodline, leading many to become Sorcerors. In the Haariji Empire, Namers are permitted access to some small ability (provided they are sanctioned by the Emperor and swear to use such magics in the furthering of his will).

Language:

Hariiji elves speak Hariiji, the language of the empire. Some speak the language of their birth-region, too, if it is outside Hariij itself. Some historians and some migratory families also speak Sluuan, the language of the Sluuan Isles, as a respectful tribute to their racial history. Those of the nobility also learn Draconic, the language of nobles in the Haariji Empire. Sluuan elves speak Sluuan, and those of the mage-class sometimes learn Dunan, the complex language of the eldritch, in order to pass on secrets to their masters which they might not want others to hear. Freeborn Elves sometimes learn Sluuan, but most just speak the language of their birthplace.

Stats

* +2 Dex, -2 Con.
* Medium Size.
* Base Land Speed 30ft.
* +3 racial bonus on balance and jump checks. Elves have unnatural balance and agility.
* Low-Light Vision: Elves have excellent night-vision, and can see twice as far as a human in low-light conditions.
* Haariji Elves: Haariji Elves gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks, and Manipulator as a Favoured Class.
* Sluuan Elves: Sluuan Elves gain a +3 bonus to Magecraft checks and Sorceror as a Favoured Class.
* Freeborn Elves: Freeborn Elves gain a +1 bonus to one skill (chosen at creation) and can choose any class as their Favoured Class.
* Languages:
 * Freeborn: Automatic: Any one regional language. Bonus: Sluuan, Daemonic, Haariji, Regional Language.
 * Haariji: Automatic: Haariji. Bonus: Sluuan, Draconic (noble only), Daemonic, Chuntan, any one Haariji regional language.
 * Sluuan: Automatic: Sluuan. Bonus: Dunan, Old Gurr, Gurr.

Humans

It is said that humans are the second most populous race of Annar, but three quarters of their numbers are enslaved by the Haarij Empire or by the Daemons. Those that are not form a few small communities, mostly under the yoke of more powerful realms. Created by the daemons, humans are technically an alien race, but unlike the daemons, they adapted extremely swiftly. They are now close in form and function to elves.

Worldview: Most free humans (the Uab) have an opportunistic view on life, taking it as it comes, carving their own niche out of the world. Slavebred humans on the other hand tend to look at life as ways to not be punished... or in the case of daemon slaves, not eaten or used for powerful purposes.

Society: Humans have little of a unified society - those that live free often follow tenets of daemon society, or adopt the customs of others. They are divided into the Uab (a daemonic word meaning 'Free'), mostly escaped slave familes, the Meret, (a daemonic catch-all term meaning 'mortal', 'slave' and 'human') what remains of the daemonic slaves, and the Shiyajj, slaves and serfs of the Hariiji empire. The Meret live for the daemons - they are food, servants, entertainment and guards all in one. The Shiyajj work the fields of the human-populated Hariij territories. The Uab carve out their own niche outside either slaving society.

Physical Appearance: Most humans live until they are sixty, tending towards infirmity as they reach old age. Their hair is nearly always blonde or brown, with black or white indicating elven ancestry, whilst their eyes run the gamut from brown to green to blue. There are few purple or golden eyes in the human breed.

Religion: Humans either worship daemon gods or pay homage to the Cult of the Dragon, with a few Uab paying homage to other deities. Out of these other gods, The Healer is the most common, followed closely by Archon the Sword and Dannan, God of Opportunity.

Magic: Humans have no natural magical talent, and so the human mages that do exist tend to be Namers. Some with elven heritage become sorcerers.

Language: Humans born amongst the daemons speak daemonic, as do most Uab, whereas those born amongst the Hariij speak Hariiji.

Stats

As the PHb, but with the following changes:

* Languages:
*  Hariiji: Automatic: Hariij and one Hariiji regional language. Bonus: Hariiji regional languages.
*  Daemonborn and Uab: Automatic: Daemonic, one regional language. Bonus: Any regional language, Draconic, Hariiji.

Orcs

The orcs are a broad and strong people hailing from across the three continents. All are free, apart from a small group enslaved by the daemons, and orcs hold great standing as warriors in Hariiji society. Most serve as heavily-armoured troops, and due to their large size and strength, they can charge more quickly and with more force on foot than many could on horseback.

Worldview:

Orcs are a strange people. In battle they are lethally concentrated, dangerously strong and toned, but if left without a task they slowly degenerate into hedonism, losing themselves in fine wine, women and song. As soon as they are given a task, however, they will snap straight from this state and set themselves to it. Life without a task to complete is near-unbearable to an orc.

Society:

 Orcs living in the Moonspire Mountains and across Darnor are tribal in nature, often warring constantly with each other and with enemies to avoid the slow depression that comes upon a taskless orc. Those in the Hariiji empire tend to be cultured, or show such a façade at least, when not in battle. In the nations of Annil, orcs tend to develop tribe-like bonds with those of other races or orcs not of his kin, and form their own 'tribe' of friends. Taskless orcs are an asset to the more raucious kind of party, but would not fit in at a noble's ball.

Physical Appearance:

Orcs are built for war. Their skin pigmentation ranges from a dark, tanned red to pale near-white, and their eyes are sharp and near-immune to loss of focus. Their hair grows white and no other colour, but it grows across their body, and thick too, thick enough to grant at least some warmth. They have natural muscle mass and little fat, and are built heavily, rising to heights of eight to nine feet and towering above the tallest elves and humans. Orcs have predatorial stomachs and teeth, designed for digesting and tearing up meat, and consuming vegetable matter makes them ill. Their bones are thicker than humans' and more resistant to breakage. Orcs live for around sixty years and die as humans do.

Religion:

Orcs mostly follow a tradition of ancestor worship in the Moonspires and Darnor, whilst amongst those of the Haariji Empire, the Cult of the Dragon is the prime religion. In other nations, orcs follow a mix of their traditional faiths and those of the nation.

Magic:

Orcs tend to favour mages who can harm the enemy and increase their own considerable battle prowess ever-further. There is no specific magical line associated with the orc brethren, but enchantment, the domain of the Runesmith, is particularly favoured amongst them.

Language:

The Orcs of the Moonspires and Darnor have their own separate dialects of orcish, but this language is dead amongst those of more civilised lands. Haariji Orcs speak Haarij alone.

Stats

* +4 Str, -2 Dex. Orcs are immensely strong, but can be clumsy.
* Medium Size.
* Base Land Speed 40ft.
* Powerful Build.
* Automatic Weapon Proficiency with any four martial weapons.
* +3 racial bonus on spot and listen checks.
* Orcs gain Run and Endurance as racial bonus feats.
* Haariji Orc: Favoured Class: Warrior. Auto: Haariji. Bonus: Any Haariji Regional Language.
* Moonspire/Darnor Orc: Favoured Class: Rager. Auto: Orcish. Bonus: Any regional language.
* Annil Orc: Favoured Class: Warrior. Auto: Any Annil regional language. Bonus: Same.
* LA +2.

Whoa.... I like! It has a very nice sci-fi feel, while still remaining genuinely fantasy. You've mentioned a few different kinds of magic, and I can't wait to hear the backgrounds on them.

Also, the daemonwar is a very nice touch :)

The Hariij

Quote from: Anhor, the HistorianThe Hariiji empire stretches across two continents, encompassing neither fully but taking a sizable chunk of each. Its heart is the cosmopolitan city of Shiij, built on an island in the centre of the Dannor Sea and the crossroads of all air and ship travel. From here, the Empire controls trade across half of the known world (and some besides, or so it is said). Hariiji ships are even said to go so far as the mystical continent of Dan-al-Vish-ta and return with exotic spices and silks beyond what any of our craftsmen can forge. It is here at Shiij that the Hariij court is built, home of the Hariij Families themselves, rulers of the Empire.

Worldview:[/u]

Hariij are cunning and opportunistic, merciless and murderous at times, civilised and cultured at others. A word 'twixt Hariij can mean a thousand in thought and mind, and the least of Hariij nobles is bound to have connections across the Empire. Most Hariij have come to depend upon the priveliges their bloodline grants them, which makes them apathetic at times.

Society:

The Hariij are split into houses, with each house holding High Nobles and Lesser Nobles. Although any Hariij can begin his own house, it is a rare occasion that any gains enough power, influence, and recruits to do so, and even then Imperial sanction is required to make such noble. A noble House's leader is automatically raised to the High Nobility and is granted a seat amongst the First Circle of Nobles, the council of the High Nobility, as well as his position in the Second Circle of Nobles, the lesser council used to decide on less important matters of state.

The Hariij rule their elven kin with an iron fist hidden in a silk glove - however, they are known for seemingly random acts of honour at times. Many elves have been raised to the low nobility in their lives, and been made Hariij through the Ceremony of Blood (which involves bathing in an ever-gushing pool of Aum's lifeblood). Becoming nobility without the correct training or any connections can be a dangerous game, however.

Physical Appearance:

Hariij appear mostly as their original race, other than fine scaly skin (shed until the age of maturity as a dragon's), slightly flared nostrils and a more... animalistic poise than a normal elf. They also possess a colossal wingspan and a long tail. Scales range from coppery gold to dark red, the colours of Aum's skin, and the hair that some few Hariij grow is generally a stark white in colour. The irises and pupils of a Hariij's eyes are always one and totally green.

Religion:

Newer Hariij and most of the Low Nobility are fervent members of the Cult of the Dragon, but most High Nobility pay only lip service, as they know the secret behind the church - it is merely a political tool of the Emperor himself. Some follow other gods, specifically Archon the Sword and Indan Namescribe.

Magic:

Magic runs strong amongst the Hariij, particularly Wild Magic, the power of Dragons. Some Hariij practice the Secret Art amongst themselves, but necromancy is not considered a respectful use of a Hariij's time. Namers are also relatively common, although the daemon form of magic is considered beneath the Pure Art.

Language: Hariij use draconic amongst themselves, the language of their forbears, considered too noble to be used toward commoners. They use Haariji to non-Nobles, and occasionally Sluuan to those elves who have learned it. They are extremely arrogant in their use of language, often using formal modes even in informal situations. Hariiji poetry in draconic runes covers the exterior of the Chamber of Aum, whilst inside, the most ancient Draconic Pictograms are used to describe his life.

Daemons

The daemons are beings from another world, once the greatest power in the world save the dragons. Their natural home is a planet they call 'A'Aperdiu', or The Homeworld, as it is the humans', and it was an extremely different place to Annar. The daemons have strange, unnatural forms even now, but they were much worse when their magical connection to their homeworld was maintained. Once it broke, however, their forms changed rapidly to suit the new climes. Some daemons look so alike to the other races that they can only be told apart by wings, horns, or tails, whilst others possess more true forms which are totally alien to the other races.

Worldview:

The daemons are the remnant of a colony from a planet-spanning empire, and this gives them all an overbearing arrogance few can stand. Their strong hierarchal system gives them a knowledge of their place, and all those beneath them are scum. They have a special derogatory view of humans, whom they bred from several other species. Everything is theirs by right as they see it.

Daemon relationships are like a partnership between friends. They are there to increase the political standing, power, and family of the couple together, and form a powerful alliance.

Society:

Most daemons (and half-daemons) reside in the remaining (and sometimes feuding) sky-cities and sky-barges. A new sky-city has not been built in two-hundred years, but sky-barges are relatively simple to design and forge. The sky-cities are mostly immobile now, moving once every few decades, but the sky-barges are constantly on the move. The barges tend to trade with any city they have no chance against, but whole villages and rural towns have sometimes been swallowed up by daemon slavers from above.

The cities are now almost totally independent of one another, apart from the vicious Red Mount Alliance. These are six infamous sky-cities which, during a short period of peace, formed a treaty and began preying on surrounding lands. These are the most mobile sky cities known at present. It is thought possible that these daemons are building a new city for the hundreds of grounded daemons remaining from the destruction of other cities, and barges have been flocking to their cause.

Each sky city is ruled by a Sfedu, or Prince. The Sfedu must be a pureblood daemon from a noble family with considerable might, but the title is not hereditary, and where a son follows a father it is because of his own merits (or lack of them in some cases). Sfedu'et (princesses) are less common than Sfedu, but provided she can assert her power, a female ruler is treated no differently. Beneath the Sfedu there are tens, sometimes hundreds, of squabbling Nesu (nobles) and Neb (high nobles) who seek to divert and destroy other nobles at every turn. It is the duty of the sfedu to keep the nobles enough in line to maintain her city as a place of power.

Beneath the Nesu are the common daemons, who can still have noble children (your noble status depends on whether you had the purification rite performed at birth, which all noble children do possess). They are still considered highly, but they have no voice in the ruling of a city. Beneath still them are the slaves, mostly humans, with some elves and orcs likely mixed in.

A sky barge's ruler will likely be a dispossessed Sfedu or a Neb or Nesu, although some of the latter two still declare themselves Sfedu. There may be a small council of six noble families on a sky barge, but more than that is rare to an extreme.  

Physical Description:

A daemon is a being of two halves. One side resides in the Amenta and one side in the 'real world'. Each needs feeding and each is codependent on the other. The only true way to kill a daemon is to slay his Amenta-side, but you can mortally wound him and send him away for hundreds of years by destroying his physical side instead. The Amenta-side needs soul energy to subsist fully, whilst the physical-side requires fresh meat of any kind. Blood connects these two halves, blood runs through both, and blood binds them together - thus blood holds a special significance in daemon society. Daemons' physical sides are hard to class properly, but they all have unnatural features. The Amenta-Side of a daemon appears as a glowing mist or a group of will o' wisp-like spheres, and resembles a jellyfish in its drifting movements. If prey comes into sight, however, the 'Sahu' attacks viciously and can take on all sorts of horrific forms. Half-daemons do not have an Amenta-side, nor do they need to drain life energy, but they still require fresh meat.

Magic:

Naming is the daemon's chosen art. It was theirs in the beginning, and spread to the rest of the world mostly through the humans but also through their own tutoring. Wild magic is also practiced, but it is considered a crass, lesser form and is looked down upon in amusement. Even talented slaves in daemon society are likely to know a few words, and housetrained namers are sold for high prices on the daemon slave market.

Religion:

 Most daemons follow their own goddess, Akhmet, the Holder of Blood. She can be a violent mistress, but most of all she is an enigma. Many daemons have claimed to see her wandering the Amenta in the form of a TRUE daemon.

Language:

Daemonic is somewhere near the third or fourth most spoken language across the world, and can be found in two forms, High and Low Daemonic. Low daemonic is spoken by humans, slaves, and most daemons when they talk to those lower than themselves, whereas High Daemonic is their own tongue, unpronouncable by humans. The two are mutually comprehensible. The many dialects of the Daemonic Empire were destroyed by emperors long, long before daemons ever came to Annar.

The Undead and Necromancy

Necromancy is technically a branch of Naming magic, but most necromancers are not Namers except where their art is concerned, and most Namers would never touch necromancy for any reason whatsoever. When the Portal in Akhmin-Re was destroyed, the twisted Eldritch noble Nakhas, who was later exiled from the Eldritch Council, grasped the flows and bent them to his whim. He split the Naming and thrust it outward, across the Lands, and where it touched it webbed. It infested every last creature, weaving through the Wild Magic which already infested them, wrapping itself around the Naming... and all without their knowledge. It infested the dying corpses all around him, and from his insanity, all became potential dead...

As the surviving daemons fell upon the destroyed Eldritch forces, Nakhas used his new gift to Bind the first dead into this weaving. Air pulled from their lungs, muscles tensing and flexing, elven legions stood at his command. Thoughtless, knowledgeless - they were the first Bound Dead, completely at his command. After the subsequent victory, Nakhas was called before the council and banished, and the eldritch withdrew from the war. Nakhas' current whereabouts are unknown, but he's sure to be extremely powerful.

Bound Dead, or Mythrul, are not self-aware. They are essentially magic animating a corpse. Although they may appear self aware (by speaking and acting as a real creature), this will be either because they have been 'programmed' to do so specifically and extremely well or because they are being possessed by their creator. Bound dead can be separated from the magic in a ritual known as Anghaddur's Life, after some long-forgotten ritual, after which they become Wild Dead. This may happen spontaneously after a controlling necromancer has died, or they may just collapse or remain doing their tasks. When a Bound Dead becomes Wild Dead, just as when a particularly powerful necromancer forms a Wild Dead, a soul is pulled from the Dark Place and bound into the corpse (not necessarily that of the original owner, although it is possible due to the strong connection between body and soul). This is considered heresy by most established religions.

Nobody knows quite what makes a Wild Dead, but although they are self-aware, they are different from their original life - stranger, sometimes evil, sometimes benevolent. Wild Dead take various different forms - corporeal or not - and animate seemingly randomly. Necromancers frequently become Wild Dead, either deliberately (by performing a ceremony) or spontaneously (because of their extremely strong connection to the Dead Weave). The greatest Wild Dead known to exist is King Achnur the Black of Athir Keep. None know who he was in life, but he rules his lands benevolently where the Dead are concerned. It is the living with whom he earned his name. Particularly powerful necromancers can also create Wild Dead, although it is a dangerous and twisted thing to do so.

Necromancers speak of the 'Weave' or the 'Dark' as alike to a hivemind. All around you you can feel potential life, living life, gone life which can be brought back with just a tweak. Wild necromancers, untrained by colleges, often raise huge armies beyond their capabilities and are destroyed, leaving masses of wild dead, destroyed corpses and automaton dead behind them. The most famous Necromantial College is the Brotherhood of the Stars, a society with branches everywhere but no central school or headquarters (most schooling is done in houses of established Brothers). Most Necromantial colleges keep themselves hidden.

The Eldritch

Majestic in form and nature, the Eldritch are beings of magic and might. Their lands cover the Sluuan islands, where their elven children serve them in every way possible. It is an unlikely thing for anyone to see an eldritch in their lifetime unless they live along the coastline here, as they have fallen into decadence and reclusiveness. Eldritch live for a long, long time, and are the oldest race still living apart from the Dragons, but they have not taken an active role in world affairs as a species since the Daemonwars.

Worldview:

Most Eldritch are apathetic. They have all their needs met day-to-day by elves and magic, and have not a care in the world. They see nothing better to do than oversee the running of the court and take part in whatever minor political duels are occurring at present whilst maintaining total neutrality towards the rest of the world.

Society:

The Eldritch were once led by a High Lady, their Queen, at the head of a Council of the most powerful Eldritch Wizards. The last Queen, High Lady Abban, disappeared totally one night, leaving everything behind. Neither her nor any sign of a struggle has ever been found. The first Queen of the Eldritch, Arristil, ascended to godhood. Her worship is common within the Sluuan isles and almost unheard of elsewhere.

The Eldritch are now officially led by a Council of Sixteen, the most powerful and ancient wizards in the islands. Non-Sluuan eldritch are often shunned, but they are welcome to come to the Eldritch Court within which the day-to-day happenings of the realm are decided. All eldritch have a say here (although it is far from a democracy, although they may be allowed to speak, their opinions have no official power at all).

Physical Appearance:

Eldritch are creatures of haunting, ageless looks. Both eldritch males AND females have been described as beautiful, but that is not truely it. An eldritch is imbued with powerful magic - IS magic, in some senses of the phrase - and projects a sense of this to all not gifted enough to see through it. Otherwise, eldritch appear as taller, suppler elves.

Magic:

Eldritch are creatures of Wild Magic, and in their society Namers are shunned and sometimes feared for practicing the Daemonic Art. Only those outside of the Sluuan isles practice non-wild magic openly.

Religion:

Almost all Eldritch pay homage to Arristil, the patroness of their species. Otherwise, religion is uncommon amongst the eldritch.

Language:

All Eldritch speak Sluuan and Dunan, the latter being their own complex language devised long ago to speak secrets hidden from elven ears. Some speak other languages, notably Gurr, for trade.

The Nature of Magic

It is not known when first the Four Parts split apart from each other, but it is thought that once, they were a seething, bubbling, magical mass of base elements and thoughts. From this mass came all things, and thus it is that all creatures can be affected by magic. It interweaves every last thing, and it is by tweaking the weaves that a mage can change things.

It is said that at the creation of the Four Parts, all things were given a name by the unknown First God, who kept these names secret from all others. But the daemon scholars discovered this art on their homeworld, and whilst others were bound to simple Free Magic and sometimes Wild Magic, they manipulated things with great power. They became the first Namers, and this art spread through daemons and humans across Annar.

In Annar itself, the Eldritch and the Dragons were the first masters of magic. They manipulated the weavings of the world - Free Magic - and twisted things to their will with no more than a thought. Some manipulated the Wild Magic left over by the Creation, unwoven and unbound and oftentimes lethal to any who touched it.

From the meldings of Free, Wild, and Naming magic, corrupted by the destruction of a portal, one of the mightiest eldritch mages in history (possibly the strongest being in Annar at this point), Nakhas, formed the art of Necromancy. This still exists today, and has a strong following.

The Gift

The Gift, the Spark, the Power - just a few names for what is essentially the same thing - the ability to wield magic. Each of the three main forms of magic (wild, free and Naming) requires a different talent, although to have a talent in two is extremely common, and those with talents in Wild Magic are almost always capable of mastering the other two forms easily. The ability to wield wild magic is granted to about one in every hundred-thousand humans, one in every ten-thousand elves and dwarves, and one in every thousand Eldritch and Hariij. Only one tenth of those people not Hariij or living in the Sluuan islands recognise their gift.
The gift for Naming comes to one in every five daemons, one in every hundred humans, and one in every thousand dwarves (who have shown a strange aptitude for such). It is extremely rare in the other races. Most non-daemonborn do not recognise their gift.
The gift for free magic comes to one in every hundred-thousand daemons, one in every ten-thousand humans, dwarves, and elves and one in every thousand eldritch and hariij.

There seemingly is no gift for necromancy beyond that of Naming, but it may just be something extremely different.

Annil

 Life in Annil

The Calendar

The generally used calendar across Annil is the Occupation or Portal (daemon) one - consisting of four hundred days, split into four seasons; Shupt, Hapi, Nupt and Atok. Each season is split into ten unnamed months of 20 days each, and each month is split into four weeks of five days, named Aten. A typical date would be written 2/2/3/4/53, or the second day of the second Aten of the third month of Atok in the fifty-third year since the Daemonwar. Years are counted past the daemonwar, before that the years are counted in the Old Daemon calendar (translated as After Imperial Foundation). Although days are as normal in Annar, years are longer.

Religion

Your religion depends upon your species, nation, and personal preferences, but almost all individuals believe in the gods and most give homage to all at appropriate times (although they have one or two specific patrons). A malicious trader may have been devoted to the Mordicant all his life, but he may still give a prayer to Dannan before making a tricky business deal. Most Annilim go to the temple on holy days, and maybe on a specific day of the week if their religion asks for such, but otherwise they go only for aid or if they wish to hear a sermon.

A priest's life depends on his religion, as does his residence and his temple.

Work

The majority of elves and humans are peasants. They work the fields, breed livestock, herd sheep, hunt for the kitchen, cut down trees and mine stone, among other things. Most live in hovels, or in small farmhouses, about the lands. Almost all are ruled over by a lord responsible for taxing them. Small villages - essentially market grounds with a few closely collected houses and perhaps an inn and some shops - scatter the lands, and it is here that a few craftsfolk (a catchall term including all those who work in cities, or towns, as well as barkeeps, smiths and other similar lines of work) reside. There are few non-commoners here, apart from possibly the lord, a small bodyguard, and the orc and other tribes which roam the countryside in places.

City life is rather different - most commoners here are craftsfolk, or workers on the docks and in other areas of heavy lifting and transport. There are a lot more non-commoners, including priests, nobles, merchants and probably a small professional guard.

Magic

A mage can be a very lonely person. As a relatively rare occurrence, magely births can be considered a curse or a blessing depending on the family and the culture, and young mages are often excluded from their families if they are born as commoners. Perhaps due to this, many magic users bind themselves to a single religion, becoming priests and working healings, but this is not necessarily the case. Some join schools, or set out alone as pioneers and mercenaries. Many rise to become lords or even monarchs through manipulation and sheer power. To be a mage is both good and bad.

Namers do not generally have this problem. Even if you have the ability to Name, it is totally dormant until you learn to speak the Words. Unless regular testing is performed, potential Namers live out their lives without ever doing a single supernatural thing. On the other hand, magic does influence many peoples' lives, mostly through religion (especially with priests of the Healer, for example).

Currency

The Haven Piece is the common form of currency in Annil, and has been since before Haven was founded. It used to be (and still is in some places) known as the Dannis Silver, or Dannis Mint. For the richer inhabitants of Annil, there are Annadinnis Pieces, made from pure gold.
[note]For OOC purposes, Dannis Silver is worth about as much as a normal silver piece, whilst Annadinnis pieces are worth ten platinum pieces.[/note]

Dannis

Capital: Akhmar
Population: 60,000,000 (Majority Humans)
National Languages: Gurr, Hirran
Imports: Sugar, Gold
Exports: Marble, Silver, Wines
Government: Magisterial

Dannis is the trading nation. It was founded from an expansive and aggressive coalition of thirty-two city-states and small nations along the Great Blade jutting out of Annil and sheltering the Singing Sea from the Dannor Sea. The Great Blade controls a huge amount of trade, and these small city-states have proved to become only more agressive now they are combined as one.

Regional History

The Great Blade was originally settled by escaped human slaves a thousand years ago. Over time, they developed into small and relatively tolerant city-states and nations of traders, but they remain distrustful where daemons are concerned.

Dannis was until about a hundred years ago divided up into around seventy small city-states and small nations. At that point, thirty-four of them united into what was known as the Dannis Coalition (Dannis being Hirran for agreement, making the name slightly superfluous). They agreed that the cities would be ruled by a council of sorts and the treasury would be pooled. For ten years this continued, until a particularly belligerent Councillor by the name of Sahan Duhar came to the Seat. He campaigned for many years for a Magisterial Role, and through his political contacts he forced enough of the Council into agreement that it was established. Furthermore, he became Magister. Duhar immediately began wars on several smaller city-states, and it is he who established the majority of modern Dannis. Later magisters completed his legacy.

Two years ago, the current Magister, Shan Cannor, was appointed by the Council, and he doesn't appear to be particularly interested in war. Instead, he has focused his attention on lucrative business agreements with various other lands.

Life and Society

Most of the Dannisan cities still consider themselves mostly independent, or at the very least have a proud and competitive nature where other city-states are involved. The member states have very little in the way of a united culture, other than putting trade first. Most are ruled for the Magister by a noble, rich merchant or other council-elected official, and each of these is a member of the Council, which meets once every year (although it can be called instantly in a crisis). Almost all cities follow Dannan to some greater or lesser degree.

Geographical Features:

The Great Blade: This is not truly a geographical feature of Dannis, it -is- Dannis, or for a major part. It is a long, curved piece of broken land and islands about forty miles across at the average point, which protects the Singing Sea from the violent weather and vicious marine wildlife of the Dannor Sea. Dannis is the result of the unity of all the old nations of this colossal spike. The Great Blade lies atop a plate boundary, its original source, and is scattered with many volcanoes (dead, dormant, and active). The mountainous nature of the centre of the blade results in large amounts of rain on the eastern Dannor Coast.

Shaan Rippers: A scattered collection of sharp rocks lying just beneath the water along the majority of the Dannor Coast, the Shaan Rippers are so named for their effect on ship hulls.  They protect Dannis, and allow them to pose a tax on the piloting trade.

Singing Sea: Relatively calm compared to the Dannor Sea, the Singing Sea is an inland sea named for its mythical fey population (said to sing to sailors and lure them to their doom). The Singing Sea is good sailing and fishing territory, and is connected to the Dannor Sea by a natural canal between the Great Blade's upper islands and the Riir states.

Mount Achtur: A volcanic island recognised as the tip of the Great Blade, Achtur has small eruptions into the sea at least once a week, forming a beacon for approaching ships. It is said that its unnaturally active nature is the result of daemons left over from the crash of Intakh (see below).

Important Sites

Wreckage of Intakh:
During the Daemonwar, the daemon Sky-City of Intakh fled east as fast as was possible. It was extremely badly damaged, however, and came to land on the slopes of Mount Achtur above a volcanic vent. As it was slowly eaten away by heat, decay, damage and occasional eruption, the daemons scavenged all they could and left on foot or in Sky-Barges, and the City eventually collapsed into the vent itself. It is said that some ancient daemon technology and magic still survives down there, fueling Achtur's unusual activity.

Akhmar: Metropolis (pop. 200,000)
Built across eight islands in the northern Great Blade, Akhmar controls several superb natural harbours and exploits them greatly. The Shaan Rippers which once prevented any trade in the area were blasted away by the mages of the city three years ago, and since then it has become a vital trading point. The Magister plans to smash a canal through the uninhabited islands beyond Akhmar, making a direct route straight to the Singing Sea (and a warmer, more enjoyable and safer one than the northerly route) to bring even more trade to his city.

Ikhmal-In: Metropolis (pop. 170,000)
Ikhmal-In is possibly the second-biggest trader in the Great Blade, beaten only by Akhmar, and its ruler, a rich trader named Annar Tukon, loves this. He hopes to someday become Magister, and some doubt that he has the morals to prevent him from taking that position by force. He has pushed twice now for further expansion of Dannis, and been declined both times. Ikhmal-In is famed for its bawdy taverns, especially the Great Hall (an enormous, open and shallow circular pit in the ground in which feasts and drinking are common pursuits) maintained by priests of the Lady Hedon herself, Innari. Because of its position near the western base of the Great Blade, Ikhmal-In gets little rain (at least compared to the other cities).

Flamehold: Village (pop. 400)
Flamehold was founded by the cadre of Wild Mages known as the Arcane Fire who gathered in Haven until recently, when they were discovered and cast out. They united with another cast-out order, the Bellezan Nightrunners, a group of necromancers similarly discovered by Haven authorities, and   took over a windswept, cold island in Dannis. Although the Hold is little more than a few securely-built buildings and several tents commanding an excellent defensive position above a natural harbour, it is not walls that are used to defend it.

Hir

Capital: None
Population: 600,000,000 (Majority Orcs)
National Languages: Hirran
Imports: --
Exports: Mercenaries
Government: Nomadic

Hir is a vast, sparsely populated collection of plains and plateaus also known as the Great Bowl. The bounds of the Hirran people's ancestral lands are marked by the curving Moonspire mountain range to the south and southwest and the Hirran coast to the northeast. The daemons left this land relatively untouched, but for three years the Hariij have been pushing slowly through the mountains.

Regional History

Hir was originally settled by orcs several thousand years ago, and their society has changed little since. Then and now they were nomadic hunter-gatherers, and then and now they were aggressive towards outsiders. It is thought that they originated in the Moonspires, and were part of a horde or group of settling tribes seeking a new home. Although Hir has vast sections of immense fertility, the Hirrans have never truely settled down to farming, and only a few tribes have done so (adopting the 'slash and burn' form of nomadic agriculture) and the lands are mostly untouched. Eighty years ago, several Hirran tribes swept southward through the then Hariij-occupied Ginni Colonies and caused the collapse of Hariij interests there, although they have recently regained them. This caused the recent Hariij plunge into Hir, which over the last three years has slowly been expanding over the southern plains.

Life and Society

The orcs of Hir speak their own language (which is also used across the Great Blade as it is technically part of the Hir region) and southerners and far northerners both are generally accepting of traders and travellers, although this varies from tribe to tribe. Many southern Hirrans are happy with the new weaponry brought in by Hariij Imperial forces, and wish to adopt it for use in their own battles. Hir has never been a united nation, although each tribe has its own alliances, and it will sometimes band together against a common enemy.

Geographical Features

The Spur: A large mountain known as 'Ha-Ti-Ma' (Place of Gods, Sacred Place) in Hirran, the Spur is a Hirran holy site sacred to Shanu, the Moonspire Orc god of war (possibly an incarnation of the Mordicant, the mostly human god of war for war's sake, or Garrn, the god of soldiers and battle). Settlement here is considered blasphemy, but Hariij forces have recently camped at the foot of the mountain, forming the beginnings of a permanent fortification. Minor skirmishes have so far occurred, but knowledge of the incident is not yet widespread enough for anything more major to occur.

Su-Hak-Ti-Ma: Literally, Place of Spirits or Place of the Dead, this plateau is the ancestral burial ground of all Hirran orcs. War is forbidden within one mile of the plateau, a boundary marked by wide standing stones placed roughly every three metres, and none are allowed atop the plateau but the priests of Shanu. To not be buried in Su-Hak-Ti-Ma is a dishonour, and Hirran tribes thus mummify their dead if they are not close enough to have them buried there before they rot. The top of the low plateau is frequently covered in warm mist from the high geyser activity in the area.

Important Locations:

Trademeet: This is less of a settlement and more of a semitemporary trading camp. Established by the Hariij just out of the Moonspire foothills, this place is fortified against attack and sells firewine, trinkets and weaponry to the Southern Hirran orcs in return for protection against the other tribes. If the northern orcs discover this settlement, trouble is sure to ensue.