Tephra: a World of Collisions

[Jharviss]

The World.
Impressive title, no?

Continents:
Bravhen - The continent of Bravhen is a largely destroyed continent, cause from meteoric aeonium impacts.  The continent is in two major sections with the Pundal Mountains forming a long, tall barrier between the two.  Southern Bravhen is largely made up of the Flowing Fire Plains, which has a lot of volcanic activity and craters.  Only the southernmost tip, the Gulta Peninsula, is habitable.  That doesn't stop the izedan Jovuii tribes from claiming the Flowing Fire Plains as their own.  Many haudi and humans are often exploring and excavating the plains, as they are full of aeonium.  The Jovuii tribes, however, are much more protective of their land than most other izedans.

Northern Bravhen is much more habitable.  Bravhen was largely unpopulated until it was "discovered" a couple millenniums ago.  Now northern Bravhen is primarily populated by gnomes and a spattering of other races.  Northern Bravhen is well forested and the soil is some of the richest in the world.

Ismora -  Ismora has long been the center of civilization.  It is a well-populated continent with typically good weather along its core.  

New Ismora - The continent of New Ismora is north of Ismora and was rediscovered during the era of the haudi empire.  The continent appears to have once been widely populated by a grand civilization, but it long ago collapsed, many speculate by disease.  It is now a fairly rich land and its population is speckled across the continent.

Rilausia - Rilausia is the large central continent of Tephra that was once the haudi empire.  Rilausia is now covered in a wide slew of independent states, and is the second oldest seat of civilization in the world, after Ismora.  The continent has a wide range of geography.  The Quist, a desert, separates the continent in the center, with mountains and vast plains on both sides of the desert.  Far to the south is another mountain range, simply called the Barrier, and beyond that is a little bit more arid land.  

Ruptured Lands - The Ruptured Lands are only considered a continent because of its size. The entire continent is covered in craters and volcanic activity.  Only the westernmost side has untamed forests growing in its dark soil.  It has long been used as a prison continent, but even izedans don't bother making their homes in the Ruptured Lands.  The few settlements on the continent are typically vile and filled with wretched people just trying to survive.

Thuuljen - Thuuljen is south of Rilausia and is well populated.  

Vuresho - The small continent of Vuresho is more a collection of islands.  It is a highly tropical and beautiful land and is known for its spice trade.  The continent is controlled mostly by humans and aodin.



Finally, I am including a map of Tephra with geography noted.  Only the geography of Rilausia, the continent I am primarily working on, is fully noted.  I apologize if it's hard to read - even this giant map is still about half the size of the image I'm working on.  In any case, I hope this visual helps!
[spoiler=The Giant Geographic Map of the World][/spoiler]

[Jharviss]

Saltvenom
This thick, white liquid is the world's most reliable resource against magic.  Saltvenom, a liquidized form of purified salt and aeonium, is injected into a mage, causing its life-force to slow and destabilize, therefore disrupting the mage's ability to use magic  The anti-mage poison is about 15 gold each and lasts for a full day.  It can be swallowed (the taste is powerful and almost always causes gagging) or injected via a painful shot.  Regardless, it must be circulating through the blood stream before it takes affect.  
[spoiler=Design]One of the biggest problems in D&D is the imprisonment of a wizard or sorcerer.  While getting them imprisoned is itself a great feat, keeping them there is another one.  Originally I considered some form of headgear or something that could dampen their senses or brain functions, but ultimately those seemed both illogical and felt like they'd already been done.  Saltvenom is designed to be cheap (and therefore available for smaller towns) and actually logical.  The mage's blood will become so sluggish and unproductive that they will be unable to warp magic.  Furthermore, this is an item that could be used in combat or in subversive activities.[/spoiler]
Workmanship
Workmanship represents the quality of any given item.  By default, the workmanship of an item will be at the average level.  Items can be of broken, poor, average, good, masterwork, or artifact quality.  Such qualities never apply to magic items; all magic items will be of the artifact quality (with the exception of temporarily magic items, such as enhancements given by flux magi).  Each quality will alter the item's hardness and hit points, and can also affect the item's usefulness in battle, its armor bonus, or its overall effect.  Broken weapons, for example, penalize the wielder's attack and damage rolls by -4; meanwhile, masterwork weapons increase the attack and damage rolls by +2.  

[th]Quality[/th][th]Item HP[/th][th]Item Hardness[/th][th]Weapon Attack[/th][th]Weapon Damage[/th][th]Armor[/th]

Broken	10% of Average	-10 Hardness	-4 Penalty	-4 Penalty	-3
Poor	50% of Average	-4 Hardness	-1 Penalty	-1 Penalty	-1
Average	-	-	-	-	-
Good	150% of Average	+2 Hardness	+1 Bonus	+1 Bonus	+1
Masterwork	200% of Average	+6 Hardness	+2 Bonus	+2 Bonus	+2
Artifact	300% of Average	+15 Hardness	+4 Bonus	+4 Bonus	+4

[spoiler=Design]Workmanship is designed to give DMs a chance to reward players with a wider variety of items.  Ever have a DM tell you that those 50 gnolls you just butchered were all using shoddy spears and so they can't sell?  (We know they didn't feel shoddy!)  Well, here's the rules for them.  Furthermore, an artisan will be able to create a wide variety of works, and when they get a bad roll to craft a longsword, they'll just get a poor quality longsword.  If they make a really good roll, however, voila - a masterwork longsword.  I may change the armor bit around.  I'm not thrilled about changing armor.  We'll see.[/spoiler]

[Jharviss]

System Basics

Two new points:

Hit Dice - At every odd-numbered level (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) a character gains hit dice.  All player character gains 1d8 hit points at these levels.  The character's constitution modifier affects the result of the roll of the 1d8.  Furthermore, certain classes gain bonus hit points at every level.  A rake adds a +1 bonus, a templar adds a +2 bonus, and a warrior adds a +3 bonus to their hit points at every level.  
[spoiler=Design Ideology]I quickly decided that I didn't want characters to gain more than 50 hit points, except on very rare occassions.  I considered giving them racial hit dice every other level, whereas the system would be as it is now except that gnomes gained 1d6 every odd level and haudi gained 1d10 every level (for example).  I quickly realized that they were getting double jeopardy though, since many races also have constitution penalties.  Instead, now everyone has a base of 1d8 in addition to their constitution penalties.  

The addition to bonuses based on their class allows warriors to have significantly more hit points than other classes.  This keeps warriors and magi from having the same hit points.

Now you're probably asking why I didn't just keep the typical hit dice based on class.  This is because of the fact that they only gain hit points every other level.  If somebody is a mage all 10 levels, it's fine - they would take 1d4 hit points every other level.  But say somebody wants to be a 5 artisan, 5 warrior?  Well, the most effective thing to do would be to take the warrior class at every odd level (gaining 1d12 hit points every other level) and the artisan class at every even level (ignoring the 1d6 hit points they would otherwise gain).  Thus, the 1d8 base is necessary, and they gain the bonus to hit points at EVERY LEVEL, rather than just when they gain HD (for the same reason).

Long-winded design ideology, eh?[/spoiler]
Ability Score Increase - Characters gain an ability score increase at every even level (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10).  

Note that, in Tephra, no character can gain an ability score over 30.

[Jharviss]

My Goal: I never want Tephra to fall off the front page.  I have too much to develop for this world and too little time to do it for Tephra to ever go un-updated for a couple days.  I'm running a playtester's game over the Summer, and our goal is to put out a guide for Tephra by April 1st (April Fools!), so we have to keep surging forward!

Evangless
Evangless is the largest sovereign nation in Rilausia, located in the central-southeast area of the continent.  Evangless was formed several centuries ago from the divine mandate of a woman named Velkya, who placed her son immediately on the throne.  Her lineage, known as the Luthricien family, has ruled Evangless since.  Evangless was founded from Varsylis, then known as the Impregnable City.  After the city discovered that it's name was flawed, the capital moved to Aldamiir, then the nation's prime trade city and port.  Less than a decade ago, after Evangless's civil war, the capital moved to Anndilur, further north.  The Luthricien family, nonetheless, has maintained constant rule over Evangless since its founding.

Evangless has been steadily growing over the past century, with the three-year civil war causing a small hiccup.  The previous king, Raamilus, was an ambitious king that conquered many lands.  The leaders of his military, the crimson marshals, have gained infamy throughout Rilausia as being cutthroat and vicious.  During the civil war the crimson marshals turned on each other, ripping apart the nation, but have - in just the past six years since the end of the war - turned their efforts outwards again and restored Evangless back to dominance.

The Luthricien family is known for their eyes, which all have flux circles on them instead of pupils.  They are typically red, though they grow more pink when the person is concentrating.  Few people know the exact power of the Luthricien eyes, though it seems to manifest differently in each member of the family.  King Geilonis, an ancient hero of Evangless, was said to never miss a target with his bow, no matter how far away, all because of his eyes.  

King Deylus Luthricien now rules from Anndilur.  King Deylus, now only twelve years old, is proving that, though he is still too young to be a true king, he is capable of being a popular one.  His half-brother, Girodonne, has stuck by Deylus's side all along - an odd note, since it was the conflict between the two brothers that lead to the civil war.

The Civil War
The old King Raamilus had a wife and three children: his daughter and heir, Preyus, who was a very popular and benevolent princess; Girodonne, a very popular warrior though illegitimate prince; and Deylus, who was, at the time, only three.  Both Preyus and the Queen were assassinated after news of King Raamilus's death spread.

Girodonne, who was with his father on the eastern front fighting haudi, presumed that the Queen would take over in father's place, or, barring that, Preyus would.  Being an illegitimate son, Evangless law did not allow him access to the throne.  Girodonne, however, was a widely popular knight, especially among the crimson marshals.  Upon hearing that Girodonne and Deylus were the only members of the family left - Deylus being only three years old at the time - the military backed Girodonne to take the throne.

Girodonne withdrew to Anndilur and never accepted the throne.  Deylus was named king, as rules and tradition required.  The military was not in agreement, however, and demanded Girodonne be named king.  Three crimson marshals backed King Deylus and fortified Aldamiir.  The other seven demanded, with violent force, King Deylus surrender and Girodonne be named king.  Girodonne never supported the violence and continued to say that he wished Deylus to be king.  No accord could be made.

Crimson Marshal Feilond was killed in the first squirmish of the civil war, outside the gates of Aldamiir.  His legion was almost entirely massacred during the battle, a bloody event that truly set the tone for the civil war and ensured that no agreement would quickly arise.  The two crimson marshals, Jharviss and Naslagos, were the only two that defended Aldamiir - a war that became two on seven.

Throughout the war (and a war it was, for Jharviss and Naslagos were efficient in taking the other crimson marshals' eyes off of Aldamiir), Evangless shrunk some but Aldamiir held its ground.  Aldamiir formed a truce with the haudi to the east if the haudi would support Aldamiir.  The war waged on.

Princess Preyus was resurrected a year into the war, and, for a couple months there was a lull in the fighting.  All could agree on Preyus as the next rightful ruler of Evangless.  Preyus, however, left Evangless after only a couple months, disappearing from the land.  She left a note behind saying that she was not Preyus, that the real Preyus was a manipulative fiend.  The new Preyus was never heard from again, though it has recently been revealed that Princess Preyus had the king assassinated while he was away in order to expidite her rise to the throne.  

The civil war continued for quite some time.  Naslagos and Jharviss, who became known as the bloodied marshals, won battle after battle at the gates of Aldamiir.  Naslagos, however, made a vital mistake when he confided in Jharviss that Naslagos was only supporting King Deylus because Naslagos wanted an easily manipulated king on the throne.  Jharviss quickly had Naslagos expelled from Aldamiir, and he was soon after executed by the remaining crimson marshals.  

Jharviss eventually came forward with a peace agreement, called the Anndilurian Treaty of the Falls.  Jharviss declared Aldamiir an independent city-state and escorted King Deylus and Prince Girodonne to Anndilur, which became the new capital of Evangless.  Deylus, now six, signed the treaty himself.  Girodonne became the "king" of the military, acting as king only with regards to the military and only until King Deylus comes of appropriate age to take that role.  Aldamiir itself has remained independent since the end of the civil war.

Anndilur
Anndilur is a large city that sits on the edge of the Phoradine Plateau, where the east and west branches of the Euphoria River meet.  The northernmost Euphoric Plain is highly fertile, and Anndilur benefits from that.  Anndilur, on the plateau, sits where the two rivers meet and a waterfall marks its southern border, where it cascades off the side of the plateau into the Euphoria River.

Crimson Marshals & the Legions of Evangless
There is no set amount of crimson marshals in Evangless; rather, they are appointed by the King when deemed necessary.  At the beginning of the civil war there were eleven crimson marshals.  Now there are only eight.  Each crimson marshal controls a legion, with the legion bearing the name of its marshal.  Within the legions, different companies exist, sometimes being very specialized.

The Paladins of Gluttony, a cavalry unit in the Legion of Darthurany, is an infamous company of well trained knights each mounted on a war elephant.  Elephants are common on the Euphoric Plain, and have long been trained as mounts.  The Paladins of Gluttony is an exclusively noble company and each wields a ceremonious and huge halberd.

The Geilonis Company, an archery unit in the Legion of Viltaus, was all but wiped out during the civil war.  The Geilonis Company was previously under the leadership of Crimson Marshal Feilond, who was executed during the civil war.  Now the Geilonis Company is enormous, the company having grown tremendously since the war due to the valiant tales spread throughout Evangless of the company's heroic end.  Geilonis, the company's namesake, was considered one of Luthricien's greatest kings.

[Jharviss]

I'm excited about this post.  This is going to be one of the defining aspects of the Tephra D20 system.

Counterspelling

'The race for superior weapons has always plagued our world.  Our ancestors created bronze weapons, so their enemies created bronze armor.  Next the gnomes created crossbows, so their enemies created metal armor.  The haudi were the best at this, even going so far as to create the satyrs as both their weapons and defenses.  We've reached the climax of the race now, with poisonous air and thundercannons, wiping troops out with ease.  These super weapons have turned the tides of numerous battles, but there is one weapon that has always played a major role in warfare: magic.

Magic began purely destructive, but quickly became full of defensive spells.  The faster that magic grew, the more countermeasures that were taken.  Eventually humans learned the art of counterspelling, the greatest step forward against magic.  And as magic grew more powerful and its casting more efficient, so too has counterspelling.  Now no spell can be cast without the chance for a counterspell.  The great arms race continues.'

Eltoran,
The King of Scholars for Tordryon

Counterspelling is the art of reversing spells.  It is the fifth circle against magic that does nothing by itself, but only works against the other four circles.  Counterspelling does not repress magic '" it regulates it.  The act of counterspelling is meant to create an opposing force to magic, an equal force that accomplishes the opposite of the spell being countered.  Counterspelling as an art includes the motions used to evoke the counterspell, the knowledge to understand and identify magic, and the training necessary to sense nearby magic.

Counterspelling itself requires only body movements and force of mind.  The act requires at least one free hand.  A counterspell is done by, first, identifying the spell being cast.  Then a counterspell check is made against the original caster's spell check.  The counterspell check's result is subtracted from the spell check.  Multiple counterspell checks can be subtracted from a single spell check.  If the spell check drops to zero, the spell is completely countered.  Counterspell overkill can occur if the spell check drops too far into the negatives, having such effects as dazing, confusing, or even killing the caster.  Counterspelling is an immediate action that may be done once per round.  For the round after a counterspell is done, the character acts as if staggered and takes a -10 on any spell checks.  

Counterspell Overkill
'I saw him right as he finished his spell, but the guards were already on it.  The mage put his hands forward and they began to glow with a frightening white light, then the guards' counterspell hit him.  His entire body was ravaged.  The light vanished and his arms were thrown back so hard they were ripped from his body.  His mutilated corpse fell to the ground, blood everywhere, and the last I saw of the mage was him being surrounded by the king's guards.'

Counterspelling is typically a very nondestructive circle of magic.  If a mage uses a counterspell in the middle of a market nothing will happen '" he'll look like he's just waving his arms around like a lunatic.  Counterspelling only functions when it is done in response to another spell.  Counterspelling does not, however, make an equal force: the force of the counterspell is equal to the talent of the counterspeller.  Sometimes when the counterspell is significantly more powerful than the spell or, as is typically the case, when multiple people counter the same spell, overkill occurs.  This is when the force of the counterspell is so great that it not only counters the spell, but it also has violent effects on the caster.  

Counterspell overkill typically just dazes the target, hitting them with such a strong magical force that they need a moment to recollect themselves.  A powerful enough counterspell can, however, render the target temporarily insane or even destroy the target's body, maiming or even killing him.

[th]Spell Check Result,
after Counterspell[/th][th]Effect on Caster[/th]

0	Nothing; spell is countered
-10	Caster is dazed for one round
-20	Caster is dazed for one round and confused for 1d4 rounds thereafter
-40	Caster is dazed for one round and takes 1d8 points of damage times the level of the spell countered, +1d8 for every addition 10 points below -40

There is no save against these effects.

The Sixth Sense
'Trying to explain how it feels to be in-tune with magic is akin to describing what hear is like to a man who was born deaf.  You just feel it.  Most of the time it feels like a pinched nerve or a minor headache near the back of your brain.  Sometimes it makes its way down throughout the spine.  All of your nerves can feel it.  Ever feel a shiver run through your body and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?  Odds are, that's your sixth sense.'

Eltoran,
The King of Scholars for Tordryon

Counterspelling Specialties
'Gentlemen, it takes between 2.7 and 4.3 seconds for a flux mage's body to teleport to another location.  That means that, at the very best, you have four seconds to sense an incoming mage and weave a blind counterspell against a teleportation spell to prevent their arrival.  Remember '" a mage that's powerful enough and confident enough to teleport into the middle of the palace is probably also powerful enough to do whatever the hell he wants to when he gets here.'

Bith Salyair,
Head Sentinel-Mage for the Tordryoni Kings' Palace

Counter-Circle Focus: This specialty allows the character to counter spells against a single circle of magic with greater ease.  The character chooses a circle in which to apply this feat.  When countering a spell from that circle, the caster gains a +3 bonus to his counterspell check.  This specialty may be taken multiple times, but its effects do not stack.  Each time it is taken, the character must choose a different circle for this specialty to apply to.

Developed Sixth Sense: The character is better trained to handle countering magic he or she can't see being cast.  The penalty for blind countering is reduced from -6 to -2.

Improved Spell Identification: With few exceptions, the character learns how to identify all spells while they are being cast.  If the level of the spell does not exceed the amount of ranks the character has in counterspelling, the character knows what spell is being cast.

Minor Movements: The character no longer needs a free hand in order to counterspell.  They may be wielding an item in the hand or have it otherwise engaged.  The character must, however, still be able to move.  A paralyzed character cannot counterspell.

Rapid Counterspelling: The character can make two counterspells per round.  Doing so causes the character to only have a move action for their next turn.  They may not use both counterspells on the same caster in the one round.
Prerequisite: 4 ranks in counterspelling

Spell Mirror: The character can spend their full round acting as a spell mirror.  They make no other actions (not even free actions, such as talking) but can focusing on countering all casters within range.  They may make a single counterspell attempt per rank in counterspelling.  
Prerequisite: 6 ranks in counterspelling and Improved Spell Identification.

[Jharviss]

Farishtaas - A Society of Black and White

Halkuuja roam the world, free to fly and free to take control of whoever they please.  But the halkuuja willingly give up their freedom to become farishtaas, to live on the ground among other tephrans, to interact with the world and to live longer, more productive lives.  They take the  bodies of elves and become new citizens of Tephra.  

Farishtaas have grown elitist.  Their society places them above other races, the brilliant images of angels adorning their tapestries and reproduced in marble statues.  The winged farishtaas, known as the White Society, is blessed with great power, restoring their bodies to their original greatness.  Great white wings sprout from their backs, giving them flight and a presense beyond that of other farishtaas.  Most farishtaas belong to the Black Society, which are wingless.  

When a halkuuja becomes a farishtaa, the greatest tragedy is the halkuuja's loss of flight.  The halkuuja, like all daemons, is used to flying freely, with no knowledge of gravity or air.  They quickly learn, however, as their bodies start requiring to breath and they can no longer drift through the nothingness around them.  They are forced to the ground.

This, more than any other reason, has lead to the great love and envy for the White Society, who have flight.  They are not restricted to the ground, for they have magnificent wings that let them return to the halkuuja's home - the sky.

More so than any other race, farishtaa have become enamored with flyers.  The airborne cavalry of the farishtaas eclipses all others, and their flyers are often their single most prided posessions.  Farishtaas dislike water, for swimming is very counter-intuitive to those who have learned to fly as daemons have, but they love the sky.  Farishtaas are reknowned for their great skill in the air, their flyers being the fastest and most maneuverable of all races.

Farishtaas value their life and that of others greatly, though they see elves as little more than animals.  Other tephrans - gnomes, humans, haudi - they value.  The elves, who have no essense (like animals), are unworthy of love, no matter how intelligent they become.  Farishtaas are typically elitists, but that does not downplay the worth of others lives.  The White Society, however, is highly elitist and sees little worth in the lives of others.  They justify themselves based on their wings, for it is their worth that makes them a part of the White Society.  Many have a hard time debating the viewpoint.

Farishtaas are known for their elegance and care.  They value etiquette and polite manners, but, unlike the haudi, value the sincerity of it over the words.  They enjoy growing plants, and often have elaborate flowers and well-maintained forests.  Creation is very important to farishtaas.  

They use the elves as slaves.  Most elves do menial tasks, such as agriculture and mining.  Some elves are servants and are taught to be very proper.  Elves are mostly ignored by farishtaas, but are well trained to keep each other in line without need for farishtaa disciplinarians.  Some farishtaa make a profession of keeping elven society running smoothly, but most of the time it is elves that rule over elves, in the name of the farishtaas.  These elves are commonly called governors, and they are greatly enamored with the vision of becoming farishtaas and returning to their angelic heritage.  Most governors, however, are so useful in keeping the elves controlled that they are never used by the halkuuja.

Farishtaas typically live in large communities, banding together in centers of trade, where elves bring their raw goods in order to trade and, possibly, obtain a valued farishtaa-made item.  Farishtaa jewelry is typically made with only black, white, or elegant blue or green gems, but they will occassionally create more bold (and, so they believe, gawdy) jewelry to trade with elves.  This jewelry is highly prized by elves, and elves will sometimes trade much more than the worth of the jewelry for it.

Farishtaas rarely feel sorrow over their manipulation of elves.  Most see the society's structure as one way of keeping elves successful.  In truth, due to the farishtaa's measures, mortality rate has dropped drastically and elves have a higher quality of living.  Before the farishtaa's rule, elves were brutal and savage, often killing each other and starving due to any organized agricultural society.  Farishtaas see their assitance of the elves as not a cruel and deceiptful domination, but a bountiful relationship that both races benefit from.

[Jharviss]

The Carnival
'I believe in zero definitions.  People need to get past defining everything. You need to see the world for what it is and, more importantly, for what it isn't.'

Varas Dyrashi

The legendary Varas Dyrashi is easily the most infamous man in Evangless.  The Bandit Marshal, as he's sometimes called, is a fiercely charming rogue and swashbuckler, who's gained an impressive following and the wrath of numerous crimson marshals.  His veritable army of scoundrels, known as the Carnival, is widespread throughout Evangless.  The Carnival, an underground rogue's guild, is more often compared to an underground religion.  Most members of the Carnival are extremely secretive about it, and some fervent commanding officers have executed men they were suspicious of.  It is known that Varas Dyrashi's Carnival has quite a bit of capital, and its ragtag airborne cavalry is large enough to rival that of most legion's.  Hence his name: the Bandit Marshal.

Varas Dyrashi was born in Evangless to the Dyrashi family, who were all killed during the civil war.  He escape the slaughter, fleeing into Aldamiir, but was hospitalized for insanity.  He spent two years there, but they were not years recovering.  Some say Varas Dyrashi never recovered.  He is painfully optimistic and joyful, a man who never backs down from a challenge and always believes he can overcome any odds (and will do so smiling).  He left the hospital with a following, seventy-two friends that society claimed were either insane or crippled.  These people were the foundation of the Carnival.  Varas then spent another couple years adventuring throughout Evangless, making friends and seeing the nation.  But his reputation spread - sometimes positively, sometimes not.  

When he next met with his original following, they made a decision to form the Carnival and claim Evangless.  And the Carnival engulfed the nation, its insanity seeping into every nook and cranny.  

Varas Dyrashi became the leader and figurehead for the Carnival, a man easily recognizable for his bright smile and face that's been posted in every town with more than a dozen people.  Varas Dyrashi and his Carnival are admitted trouble-makers and law-breakers, stealing and causing mayhem as they will.  But many also see them as freedom fighters, waging a war against the oppression from the nobility and the crimson marshals.  Varas Dyrashi supports King Deylus Luthricien, as his family did during the war, but targets many other government officials.  Varas is fond of saying "I'm no anarchist, but sometimes governments grow too big and need a little chaos to keep the bureaucracy on its toes!"

Varas Dyrashi's second-in-command is a farishtaa named Halryus, who lost both his left arm and left leg in an explosion.  The scarred farishtaa works very hard to maintain a good natured attitude like Varas's, though he admits to being flawed.  Halryus is a creation mage and known for his skill with flyers.

Varas Dyrashi is a reknowned fencer, wielding a saber with a very sharp curve.  But the smiling man also has a koraus - a guardian daemon - who keeps watch over him.  The koraus, named Dolmus, is enormous.  When Dolmus stands, elephants go up to his knees.  The enormous daemon looks humanoid, though his skin is jet-black.  He can fly, like all daemons, but typically chooses not to.  Dolmus typically stays in a ring on Varas's left hand, and Varas can often be seen with his hand on his ear, talking to his ring like a lunatic.  Most people at all close to Varas, however, know too about Dolmus.  Dolmus is a very dour daemon that says little and often tells Varas that he's not taking things seriously enough.  But Dolmus remains, Varas Dyrashi's guardian daemon - possibly the reason the infamous Varas Dyrashi is still alive.

[Jharviss]

Dragons
"Have you ever seen a dragon?  Be glad of that!  Some think they're blessings, and I won't deny that there are some dragons that are kind and benevolent, but dragons are still creatures of battle.  They were Aeon's greatest weapon against her enemies in the Magi Rebellion, and their continued existence has been a plague on tephrans.  They're long, serpentine, and vicious.  May fate favor you if you ever do see one."

Unknown

Dragons are difficult to define, for they are as various as daemons themselves.  Dragons are typically enormous, snake-like creatures that fly through the air at great speeds.  Some have mighty maws that can bite right through a man and some can manipulate magic with the skill of the greatest archmagi.  But this isn't always true.  Some dragons could fit in a man's palm, curled up and content.  Some are large enough to swallow entire houses.  Most are one- to two-hundred feet long and thin, with scales that come in a variety of colors.  Dragons can also shift between the daemon world and Tephra with barely a thought, their bodies becoming black before going invisible to the untrained tephran eye.  

Dragons have always been upper caste daemons, but became prominent during the Magi Rebellion when Aeon taught them to switch between the daemon world and Tephra with ease.  They were her most fearsome weapons, flying unseen until the last moment.  Many dragons are little better than animals, ferocious fighters but weak thinkers.  Some dragons, however, have mastered the usage of magic and are wise creatures.

[Jharviss]

Several Rilausian nations -[/i]
You can also find these write-ups and more on the wikipedia entry for Rilausia.

Adoipa
Adoipa was a region in Dalvozzea, the primary nation of the farishtaa, but a talented elf named Girazza changed all that. Now Adoipa is the sole nation of the elves, a land where elves govern elves and farishtaas are forbidden. Girazza has claimed control, his wits leading the newborn nation and establishing itself as not just a passing fancy. But a passing fancy is exactly how the rest of Rilausia sees Adoipa, for a land ruled by the savage elves can't possibly last long. Can it?

Aldamiir
The city-state of Aldamiir declared its independence from Evangless six years ago with the conclusion of Evangless's civil war. Previously the empire's renowned capital, Aldamiir is now the domain of the popular leader, Jharviss Galaunt. Some say Aldamiir was forced or tricked into independence by the Jharviss, but Evangless has respected his sovereignty so far, primarily due to Jharviss's protection of Emperor Deylus Luthricien during the war. Aldamiir is a booming trade city and port, and continues to be one of the most magnificent locations in Rilausia.

Arakrith
Arakrith is a ruthless satyr nation with a reputation for its warriors. The nation is highly feudalistic. Despite its less-than-glowing reputation, Arakrith has remained very loyal to its allies, such as Suulrai and Arudika. Arakrith is often at war with Dalvozzea and Evangless.

Arudika
Arudika is a tropical and prosperous nation that has a monopoly on the orange wine trade. Its orange grapes, clairens, exclusively grow in the region. Beyond its trade goods, Arudika's capital, Viraguay, is supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has become an economic powerhouse from tourism, Viraguay having numerous "noble houses" for loan. Arudika's governor, a man named Eruvast, has been reproducing his memories for almost three hundred years. He is an immensely popular governor and rules with a kind and guiding hand. Eruvast has said, however, that he will to the entire nation's beauty to ash if any army ever crosses Arudika's border. Thus far, none have tried to call his bluff.

Dalvozzea
Dalvozzea is the largest farishtaa-ruled nation in Rilausia, right at the core of the continent in the High Rilausia Forest. It is split into three societies. The most prominent is White Society, which is made up of the farishtaas that have wings. These farishtaas are very rare, making up less than one percent of all farishtaas. Black Society represents the rest of the farishtaas, those without wings. Elven society is seen, in Dalvozzea, primarily as a serf or slave society. However, Dalvozzea is 92% elven and only about 8% farishtaa. Nonetheless, farishtaas have an amazing hold over the elves. The nation is full of forests, though most would term them jungles.

Evangless
The largest nation in Rilausia, Evangless is a human empire ruled by a boy emperor. Deylus Luthricien became emperor six years ago, following a brutal civil war that left many of the empire's leaders dead. Evangless, however, is not a nation to stagnate '" the empire has quickly regained its composure and prominence and continues to press forward. Evangless is situated primarily along the Euphoric Plains, its capital Anndilur sitting on the edge of the plains and the Phoradine Plateau. Known for its crimson marshals, the leaders of its military, Evangless is a force to be reckoned with.

Felinost
Felinost, a satyr nation, is barely clinging on. It has been pushed further and further back as Evangless has waged a brutal war on the nation to claim and engulf it. Very little of Felinost remains, and the satyr nation has lost numerous leaders and heroes. Though it has Arakrith's support, Felinost has been trampled by the legions of Evangless. It received a brief respite during Evangless's civil war, but has since seen a surge from its aggressor. Few see much hope in Felinost's long-term survival.

Hagarsveld
Hagarsveld is known for its rough mountain men, who live in the barrier and the rocky lands just south of it. Hagarsveld breed stout and tough humans who have fierce loyalty to their clans and tend to be choosy with what technology they use. Only a couple established towns in Hagarsveld exist, and most of them are thought of as capital cities.

Khemli
Khemli is a haudi nation that has gone rogue in its loyalty to Mercurial Throne. The dukes of Khemli formed guilds rather than duchies, granting more power to the individual haud and bringing down political borders. Now the guilds of Khemli rule, each guild having a duke and a banner. The guilds intermix and rarely war, and a great sense of nationalism has overwhelmed the nation '" a rarity among the haudi. Yet this oddity may be Khemli's saving grace, for Evangless has been waging a ferocious war with Khemli for several decades, slowly pushing the nation's borders back. Yet, despite their uniqueness, the haudi of Khemli remain as cold and inhumane in war as any, and they have become the hated villains of Evangless for their tactics in the war.

Mount Sibrius
Mount Sibrius is the core of haudi power. Sometimes known as the Mercurial Throne or the Mercurial Mountain, Mount Sibrius consists of a single metropolis built on a city that has mercury seeping through its veins. The mercury has turned many haudi crazy, and these haudi '" known as the Flowing Ones '" serve as the greatest warriors the haudi have ever seen. They fervently serve the Emperor of the Haudi Empire, who reigns from Mount Sibrius. The haudi nations throughout Rilausia were all duchies or groups of duchies that honor Mount Sibrius as the leading nation of the haudi. Only Khemli has declared that it no longer serves the Mercurial Throne. Mount Sibrius rests in the Tunelgi Mountains, surrounded on three sides by Siyesh, a cluster of nineteen haudi duchies.

Otahvy
Otahvy is a human nation on the tip of the northern subcontinent. Its culture, long isolated and thought barbaric, is frightening and odd to the nearby nations. Known for covering their bodies in bright warpaints and wearing bones and feathers, the people of Otahvy have dominated the Maselos and made a name for themselves as the finest pirates in the land. Yet they are a sovereign nation with formal laws. Otahvy is ruled by a diarchy, two kings known as Rodonso and Puul. They represent the good and evil in humankind, and rule with those values in mind. Rodonso and Puul have always been the kings of Otahvy, the two names having become more akin to titles than anything else. When a secret council of elders select the two brothers who will succeed the old Rodonso and Puul, they strip them of their original names and turn them into kings. This is the way of Otahvy and has always been this way. While Otahvy is bizarre and infamous throughout the northern waters, the izedans have formed a small enclave on the Otahvy coast and find the Otahvians to be quite hospitable and likable.

Quist
Quist is the home of the vast majority of the izedans in Rilausia. This desert is harsh and dry, barren to the point that no other race could make a home in any of it save the tropic oases. The heat, too, is beyond most creature's range. This extreme environment, however, is ideal for izedans, who drink in the sunlight and need little more than the basics to survive. The izedans have formed tribes and small villages throughout the desert, very few actually marking territory but all sharing the joy of the desert. They have created pathways through the Quist where travelers and merchants may safely make their way through, with small izedan villages along the way. Skaurr has recently appeared in the Quist, a unification of izedan tribes under a great izedan warlord. Nonetheless, the majority of izedans in the Quist have little need for alliances and large gatherings. They survive and they enjoy life, and many see this as the epitome of living.

Raythos
Raythos is the polluted lands, a small nation that gained its independence from Evangless when, contrary to any other nation, Evangless gave Raythos its independence. Raythos is a city-state surrounded by a veil of black smoke, the immense pollution seeping from its alchemical factories having infected all of its inhabitants. The city was hit with a venomous plague, spread through toxic smoke, that infected its citizens and killed many. The Retching, as the plague was called, filled everyone's bodies with black smoke. A small device, now called a smokethinner, was developed and saved the lives of thousands. The smokethinner keeps the smoke in the body pure by pulling out the toxins. The people of Raythos can never remove the smokethinner for long, else the Retching returns. Those who visit the city do so with great precautions, else they too catch the Retching. Raythos is an independent nation purely because Evangless did not wish to govern a realm with such a disease; nonetheless, the vast majority of Raythos's numerous exports fall into the hands of Evangless.

Siyesh
Siyesh is the old seat of the Haudi Empire, from the Tunelgi Mountains down along the Kalinoda Coast. The Oligarchic Imperial State of Siyesh is ruled by dukes, the king living in Mount Sibrius. Mount Sibrius is a separate and independent state from the other haudi states, though it is bordered on three sides by Siyesh. Siyesh has nineteen ruling dukes who have all carved out duchies within. The largest city, Karimvar, is split between two duchies. The dukes of Siyesh are largely independent of the king, fighting among themselves for more power. Outward threats have united the dukes under the Siyesh banner numerous times, yet the dukes traditionally do not work together.

[LordVreeg]

Dragons
"Have you ever seen a dragon?  Be glad of that!  Some think they're blessings, and I won't deny that there are some dragons that are kind and benevolent, but dragons are still creatures of battle.  They were Aeon's greatest weapon against her enemies in the Magi Rebellion, and their continued existence has been a plague on tephrans.  They're long, serpentine, and vicious.  May fate favor you if you ever do see one."

Unknown

Dragons are difficult to define, for they are as various as daemons themselves.  Dragons are typically enormous, snake-like creatures that fly through the air at great speeds.  Some have mighty maws that can bite right through a man and some can manipulate magic with the skill of the greatest archmagi.  But this isn't always true.  Some dragons could fit in a man's palm, curled up and content.  Some are large enough to swallow entire houses.  Most are one- to two-hundred feet long and thin, with scales that come in a variety of colors.  Dragons can also shift between the daemon world and Tephra with barely a thought, their bodies becoming black before going invisible to the untrained tephran eye.  

Dragons have always been upper caste daemons, but became prominent during the Magi Rebellion when Aeon taught them to switch between the daemon world and Tephra with ease.  They were her most fearsome weapons, flying unseen until the last moment.  Many dragons are little better than animals, ferocious fighters but weak thinkers.  Some dragons, however, have mastered the usage of magic and are wise creatures.

How common are dragons in Tephra?  Are they all solitary, or do some live together?  Are any of them major players ion the world?

[Jharviss]

Dragons are a difficult element for me to talk about because of the huge variations in each one.  To answer your question as simply as I can, dragons are not common.  Most people will go their entire lives without seeing one.  That having been said, a traveler is likely to encounter one at sometime or another.  And it could very well be a palm-sized dragon that just wants to laze around and hunt dragonflies (funny image, isn't it?).  Some have made themselves important.  I thought I had included it, but it must have been edited out - there is one dragon who has made himself a prominent figure in a yet-to-be-named gnomish community.  

Dragons aren't vital to the setting.  They're just an element.  I could run a campaign in Tephra without ever encountering a dragon, just as I could in core D&D (though it does then beg the question, why is it called Dungeons and Dragons?).  Dragons are for the DM to decide.  As Tephra advances you'll see more dragons, get some examples of them, and see how they interact with the world.  Until then, la de da!

[Jharviss]

What follows is an extended description of the city-state Raythos.  The entirety of it is one long paragraph, but it hits all of the major aspects of the nation.

Raythos
- the Black City of Retching

Raythos is the industrial capital of the world.  It is covered in dark smog, a warm city where all food is imported in exchange for rare chemicals and technology.  Its citizens, all infected with the Retching, are gaunt and sickly, pale from their lack of sunlight and nutrients.  Those who have the Retching and use smokethinners tend not to feel their own hunger, and some go so far as to starve without realizing it.  Fashion in Raythos highlights pronounced ribs, showcasing their thin bodies.  Clothes are often black and white - bright colors are considered outlandish and harsh, uncultured.  Raythos has been independent for almost a century, its industry barons electing a new king every couple years.  Conflict often arises over who can vote since there is no definition of an industrial baron.  Raythos is constantly growing and destroying.  The mage-created half-daemon, Faalshezurit, lives in Raythos, claiming a large section of the nation as his domain.  The half-daemon considers himself the "God of Destruction" and deems himself fit to fulfill that title through destroying large pieces of the city.  Raythos has thus far felt no external threats, for its pollution is so great.  Aodin do not near the city because the water is so dark.  Flyers have a difficult time navigating through the thick smog.  Visitors are forced to take a great deal of medicine else they will catch the Retching, and even then they rarely stay for long.  The one exception is the izedans, who are immune to the Retching.  Yet they require sunlight to keep their metabolism high, and that's one thing seriously lacking in Raythos.  The industrial machines are worshiped almost as deities, and - to the horror of the unaccustomed - the dead are sacrificed back to the machines and furnaces.  Forests once surrounded Raythos, but they were long ago cut down for fuel.  Now wood and natural gases are often imported to feed the flames, and the most prevalent natural gas - ayrolium - was the cause of the Retching.  Regardless, ayrolium is still used in enormous quantities today.

[Jharviss]

Just to prove that we're not dead, here's one of our newer creation, our racial line-up:
[spoiler=Line Up][/spoiler]

[LordVreeg]

Never thought you were dead.
This is a great graphic.  Reminds me of the race page on the ADAD PHB circa 1979-ish.

[Jharviss]

I'm just here to let everyone know that I've updated a ton on the Tephra Wiki.  Just check out the Most Recent Updates at the bottom of the page and you can see everything that's new.  Feel free to comment either here or there; I'll check both places!

Thanks so much!