The Campaign Builder's Guild

[spoiler=Political Map]
List of countries with faction
1. Operlia, Operlian Dominion
2. Lesser Cawnoc, Cawn Clans
3. Vrannoc, North Star Alliance
4. The Lost Lands, Neutral
5. Old Homic, South Star Alliance
6. Chenda, Neutral
7. Galados, North Star Alliance
8. Greater Cawnoc, Cawn Clans
9. Macers Ark, Macers Sway
10. Eversummit, Operlian Dominion
11. Ulens Dale, North Star Alliance
12. Ibn Aussai, South Star Alliance
13. New Cawnoc, Cawn Clans
14. Numaron, North Star Alliance
15. Hen, North Star Alliance
16. Ibn Vennai, South Star Alliance
17. Akarta, Realm of the Soul-King
18. Kardash, North Star Alliance
19. Xen Homic, South Star Alliance
20. Phenrys, Operlian Dominion
21. Plum, Neutral
22. Macers Vice, Macers Sway
23. Katang, Katari Union
24. Macers Hammer, Macers Sway
[/spoiler]

Hen is a large continent on the world of Hen Mut. Henhas a long and colorful history, first colonized tens of thousands of years ago by refugees in log canoes, then twelve thousand years ago again by the homic people. Empires have risen and fallen, wars and plagues have left their mark on its people, yet even now there are 24 disparate countries strungling for dominance.

The countries have loosely allied themselves into seven different factions. The North Star Alliance, the South Star Alliance, Operlian Dominion, the Cawn Clans, the Katari Union the newly formed Macers Sway and three neutral territories.

Just recently with the invasion and descent into anarchy of Chenda, the continent has been plunged into a new world war. The Cawn Clans make war on the North Star Alliance while the South Star Alliance and the Dominion snap at each other all while trying to take advantage of the chaos. The madman Macer has conquered several large chunks of land from several countries.The Dominion has restarted its expansionist agenda and the Katari Union have started raiding the mainland.

For the quick-and-dirty crowd: What's the main point of this setting?  You know, what are you trying to create?

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawFor the quick-and-dirty crowd: What's the main point of this setting?  You know, what are you trying to create?

This was my first attempt at a  steeped in history/ancient history setting. Corcadia is kinda turning out like that as well however. This setting was inspired by The Malazan Book of the Fallen, so its a world at war, lots of ancient history. Its roughly at WWI tech level, however mechanical air travel has never been invented (for the curious, no there aren't giant flying birds ether).

I'm really working on fleshing out a lot of political background, and just a general take on a more modern setting.

The Right to Rule

While every country has its own take on these famous words, from the same-titled magnum opus of the philosopher-king Yl Cain Jak XI, it is the foundation for all politcal theory in Hen Mut. At its simplest form, it means that one person, or a small group of people, should hold the Right to Rule over a country. This has proven to be the most apt form of government for thousands of years, other more quaint forms of dominion have been eradicated in the storm that is continental politics.

However every so often someone will take exception to this, they will rebel, foster anarchy and revolt. They try to implement their own perfect view of rule, but in the end they end up emulating the teachings of the Right to Rule no matter how hard they preach against it. Perhaps those who preach the loudest tend to emulate its teachings the most.

The latest to evolt is the man known only as Macer, he has successfully stolen land from a half dozen countries and now holds these three "republics" in the name of Macers Sway. This revolt, coupled with political tension, the invasion by the Cawn Clans and stirrings by the various alliances (mainly the Operlian Dominion) have led to the first World War.

Magic

While the various cultures on Hen Mut have developped different magic systems over the centuries they all fall back to a single root. Magic allows a user to manipulate biological structures, so living tissue and even the Codex of Life discovered by Operlian biothurges in the last century.

While magic gives a person great control and ability it does not grant them any special knowledge. To be a succesful magic-user, be it a Cawn Druid-Physician, Biothurge, Phage Sorcerer, Akartan Soulrider or any of the other various disciplines that have evolved over centuries of use one must have rigorous training and learning in the functionings of biological systems.

Primitive and unschooled magic users, where they don't accidently kill themselves or those around them, often simply have the ability to use great surges of energy, strength or speed and suffer a drain afterwars. The more dangerous are those who simply learn how to melt flesh with their touch.

When a practicionar uses magic, they gain a sixth sense. This sense allows them to "feel" the different biological processes that are happening. The focus of this sixth sense varies a great deal, and it can only be improved though knowledge and experience. Once they've isolated the process they want to change, they can alter it slightly by focusing their will. Now since biological systems are complex, changing only a single thing can often result in more harm then good, so magic users have to be careful about what they're doing. Very experienced users can alter multiple things at once.

Notable Magic Users
-Witch Eye Aristocracy
-The Soul King
-Grandfather Crow (sometimes known as Old Man Crow)
-Aegen Spire (Biomagus who guard the coast in the Lost Lands)
-Cawn Druid-Physicians

In terms of magic...

1) how does it fit into the politics of the world, currently?

2) how common are magic users?  How coomon is low-level magic?  what would be common in a village, or a medium sized town, or a city?

3) can organic material be created?  Grown?  Transported?  Can something else be transmuted into organics?  

Quote from: Vreeg's Coachwhip2) how common are magic users?  How coomon is low-level magic?  what would be common in a village, or a medium sized town, or a city?

3) can organic material be created?  Grown?  Transported?  Can something else be transmuted into organics?  
[/quote]

Organic material cannot be created from scratch/non-organic raw materials. A magic-user couldn't detect the non-organic raw materials with his sixth-sense to manipulate them. Non-organic things cannot be transmuted into organic material directly, they could possibly be by going through one (or more) intermediary steps through a specially created organic creature/process.

Organic material can be grown quite easily by a mid-level mage, as long as the raw materials are available for them to use along with a base organic thing.

Not sure what you mean by transported, but if you mean can organs and such be transported? Yes, quite easily. A magic user of even mediocre talent can create a sustaining web around an organ.

Katang

Katang was a former bastion of power for the Old Homic empire before it fell. The fall of Homin Isle was a large factor in the fall of the Empire. The katari came from far across the ocean to land on Katang roughly 750 years ago. They easily destroyed all the defenses and fortifications belonging to the Empire.

After the last trace of the Empire was eliminated the katari started construction on their most ambitious work to date, the Imperial Sapphire Palace is an enormous blue marble structure that covers most of the old Empire capitol.
In the present day most of Katang is a busy metropolis, the entire island is almost all urbanized with massive marble structures and sandstone temples.

Katang and the closer islands are the only land claimed by the Katari Union. Lately however the katari have been sending forays onto the mainland.

The Lost Lands

The Lost Lands are a large section of coast that have been evacuated and walled off from all sorrounding countries. The reason the land is inhabitable are the frequent attacks by creatures from Aegis Bay. The creatures are as far as can be determined from corpses, some sort of crustacean cephalapod hybrid. They kill anyone they encounter, often dragging their corpses back into the depths. These creatures are the only living things to display a minor resistance to magic.

Gomen Haut is Maester of the Aegen Spire.The Spire is where all the biomagus who guard the wall reside. Membership is for life, and if rumors are true long after that as well.

The Wall of the Lost Lands was built by the greatest Plum Engineers. Three score feet high and a score of feet wide, it is a looming prescence. Built from basalt stone it one of the most defensible positions on Hen, from both sides of the wall.

Plum

Plum is something of an enigma. The country where the north, south, east and west all meet it plays host to many different ethnic groups and factions. The country is also strange in it is completely walled off from its neighbhors.

The country is under command of a Merchant Council whos membership is restricted to heads of merchant consortiums. The number of council seats varies depending on the various merchant consortiums but usually there are anywhere from 5-10 council members at anytime. In case of a tie due to even numbered council, the Headmaster of the Plum Engineering College can cast a deciding vote.

Due to Plums position, sandwiched between the impassible Lost Lands and the ruggest terrain of Operlia its famously maintained highways are the only practical way to travel betwen the north and south halfs of the continent. The Merchant Council lines its pockets with levies and taxes imposed on those who use their roads.

The rulers of Plum are in a precarious position at this time however, as war between the North Star Alliance and the South Star Alliance rears its head, through Plum is the obvious route for armies to travel and the last thing the Merchant Council wants is to be host to travelling armies.

The Engineering College is the finest on all of Hen Mut. Plum Engineers are responsible for the various fortifications that surround the country, these include the border encircling wall, the various star forts that can be found in Plum. They're also responsible for the maintenance and construction of the roads that form the important tradde highways through Plum. The greatest achievement of the Plum Engineering College is perhaps the Lost Lands Wall.

I mentioned earlier if organics can be transmuted.  In other words, can we change things from one type of organic matter to another?

Also, I like the Engineering college of Plum.  How big?  one campus?  do they like to use certain magics that may allow them greater precision, or to change the makeup of organic building materials?  

Quote from: Vreeg's CoachwhipAlso, I like the Engineering college of Plum.  How big?  one campus?  do they like to use certain magics that may allow them greater precision, or to change the makeup of organic building materials?  

Fairly large, probably about 400-500 total members at any given time, plus probably another 10-15% of that as alumni (most people don't leave the college). They have their major campus about ten miles from Plum city (the capitol of Plum), of course there are several other campuses. One near a quarry, one that is near a confluence of rivers and a third on the Plum edge of the Lost Lands Wall.

They've developped a creature that attached to the face (yes, they developped something like this) that allows them to enhance their vision. They also have various creatures bred to help with construction, as well as their infamous Research and Developement staff.  The enhancement of organic building materials is a new branch of magic, something that is nearly completely in the research and testing stage, well at least for applications to engineering.

The College is mostly a civil engineering faculty, however slowly in the last two centuries a growing group of mechanical engineers is forming.

Chenda

Chenda was a prosperous country between Operlia and Vrannoc. Part of the North Star Alliance, Chenda fell on hard times during the Macer Rebellion. Over half the country was claimed by rebels, including the capitol city and major agricultural centers.

This resulted into Chenda falling into anarchy. Mob rule presides over what is left of the country, unless someone manages to carve out a small island of sanity in the chaos that engulfs Chenda. The country has been removed from the North Star Alliance due to the Cawn threat, this has created a lot of emnity between the survivors and the members of the North Star Alliance.

Witch-Eye Aristocracy

The Aristocracy that rules Operlia is often called the Witch-Eye Aristocracy due to a practice done by the noble women. All women bind one of their eyes, regardless if it has started to fade to the milky-white of a Dead-life Imperatix.

The aristocracy was once of prole stock, but over the last few centuries excess and wanton magical abuse has altered them nearly beyond recognition. Now the aristocrates barely look human, or those that do look like mockeries of the human form.

Noblemen gather fierce traits to strike fear into their martial oponents. Fangs, claws, slitted pupils, strange colored eyes and manes of feathers or fur are all common traits. The large size of the prople people is even more pronounced in the noblemen, sometimes to exaggerated sizes. Noblemen also gather traits that enhance their abilities to lead such as the ability to emit mind-affecting pheromones, increased healing factor, enhanced senses and resistence to poison.

The noblewomen are the other side of the coin compared to their martial sons and husbands. Prized traits are the pale skin, the smal waist, long legs, arms and necks, at least once covered eye. Eventually nearly every noblewomen has an eye that fades to a milky-white orb, this is the mark of a Dead-Life Imperatrix. Some of the more powerful noblehouses have women who lose both eyes, these often become the most powerful noble houses due to the power of these Imperatrixes.

A Dead-Life Imperatrix is a mage who has the ability to enliven slain flesh. The Dead-Life Imperatrix allowed the rapid expansion of Operlia three hundred years ago, to the point where it now controls one third of the continent of Hen.

Oooh I like the Witch-Eyes.

This stuff is strange, and has great names.  It might be my favorite of your settings.

Bio-only magic, that certainly not something you see often in fantasy (even when you get it in sci-fi it's usually the province of the Big Bad Invaders).  What made you decide to go this route?