The Isles of Caillech

[Gamer Printshop]

This is my first post in the CBG - I spend most of my time at the Cartographers' Guild...

In its most infancy stage, I am working on a campaign world set in a great archipelago of hundreds of small islands and three large islands far to the north near the arctic circle. The islands have only recently come out is its ice age, a few centuries ago. Inhabited by several species of giants, and a large population of ogres among plieostecene era animal life - dire wolves, smilodon, wooly mammoth, etc.

The isles are named after the goddess queen of the ogres and giants, the Caillech Bheur (Kal-yek Var) that ruled the glacial covered north during the ice age. She is a living goddess dwelling on the ice fields of the largest island of the chain - within a hidden ice cavern in a deep crevasse on the glacial icefield of the central highlands.

Her agenda is to bring the return of the ice age and regain her former domination.

In the last two centuries have come the arrival of the first men. Basically Picts or Proto-Celts in an early iron age culture. Sailing aboard corracles bands of fighting men similar to early vikings raid the islands eventually settling on the main isles. Of course they come in conflict with the giants and ogres, and their goddess queen as well.

I'm thinking of using a druidic type religion, though I want to include remnants of the neolithic monolith builders and rune carvers common to northern England and Scotland. Because the Picts have historically been recorded to have been tattooed. I want to incorporate protective enchantments permanently placed onto heroes as rewards for deeds - bestowing abilities not unlike "Tattoo Monks", but more wilderness/barbarian in flavor.

This is a prehistoric culture, no written language, reliance on songs and sagas told by the bards for ancestral connections and more.

Available classes: Barbarian Warriors, Rangers, Druids, Tattoo Shaman, Sorcerors, Bards, and rogue scouts.

I'm more familiar with D&D 2.0, only recently playing in 3.x, and 4.0 only around the corner. I need help with classes and Prestige classes in this kind of world.

I want to incorporate ideas from various sagas, celtic, pictish and nordic cultures.

One of the arching themes is the agenda of the Caillech Bheur to drive the humans off the isles by mustering a host of giants and ogres. Because her powers are winter based, she awaits the worst winter of each century to summon the host and war on the human invaders along the coast. They believe if they can defeat the humans, the ice age will return.

In the three centuries since human habitation on the Caillech Isles there has been two such winter wars.

I am currently working on a map for the Caillech Isles, and will post again once this is complete.

Comments?

[Hibou]

I think this has a lot of potential. From a classes standpoint, how many 3.0/3.5 books do you own? If you have the Complete series and the PHB2, you could set up a whole class roster that would fit this sort of idea pretty well. There's also Unearthed Arcana for some variants - however, even if you only have the cores (or are using 3.0) it'll be fine. I really like the theme and cultures you've chosen to emulate here - vikings and Celts are always my favorite :D. I'd like to see the map so I can get a better visual on where everything is situated.

Let me know what materials you have access to so I can help out with selection.

[Neubert]

I agree, it looks neat! As WickedTroll said, let us know which books and classes you already have access to (as some of the classes you mentioned are already in books - but might not be what you are looking for). I'll gladly help build some (prestige) classes.

Which edition are you planning on running this world in?


A few questions in regards to what you wrote above:
- What caused the ice age to end? And if it happened naturally, what can the goddess do (or what does she think she can do) to bring it back?

[spoiler=Disregard this.]
I was tired and didn't read your post properly.
"- I am a bit unsure of how the men appeared - it seems a little sudden (if it was evolution). Wouldn't they still be hunters/gatherers, even after a few centuries of evolution?
I do like the viking idea, and they need to be somewhat developed (using iron and so on) to be able to withstand the ogres. So I am not looking for you to change that, I was just looking for an explanation for it."[/spoiler]

- I suppose the players would be playing men?

[Xeviat]

How fast do you want this setting to be playable? 4E will be completely out in June, nominally out in May. I have a lot of 3E experience and can probably help you get the crunch ready (especially if you aren't looking to make too many house rules).

When you say Shaman, are you referring to the Shaman from Complete Divine? They use the same spell list as the Druid, so they might not work well side by side. Druids work fine as Shaman in my opinion; the only flaw is that they lack spells dealing with the dead, but that might not be an issue.

As for the tattoos, they are very easy to stat. An item that doesn't take up an item slot is worth twice the cost of an item that does take up a slot. One could argue that an item that cannot be taken away should also cost another x2 more, but I feel that might be over kill. So a tattoo that would grant +2 Strength in 3rd Edition would cost 8,000 gp, as it is a slot-less item.

As for cultural things, reminding yourself of the "Heroic Code" of the old Celts would probably help (I'm going to use Celt as a catch-all for the northern Europeans of non-Roman influence). They're at least semi-animistic, especially the druids. make sure they're tribal, with familial and friendly allegiances. The humans should definitely have a preoccupation with glory and making a name for themselves.

What Earth time period are we looking at? Why did people come to these islands? Are they there specifically to battle the giants?

[Neubert]

I forgot to ask. I am not sure if you wanted tattoos that give a permanent bonus or that can be "used up" (and then disappears)? I think there was a class for the latter that you might look at for inspiration.
It would also be easy to make a list of "slots" for tattoos, if you want to get around the x2 cost (provided there are no magic items in the game).

[Wensleydale]

I can help with crunch, and also with culture if you want.

Are you using a gaelic-type romanisation for those names there, out of interest? Caillech Bheur, for example, is pronounced (according to your post) much differently from 'Kaylech Bur' or 'Kaylech Beur' (which is how I would normally say it if confronted only with that writing).

[LordVreeg]

I like the immediate embodiment of a Great Enemy in the Ice Queen of the Cailech Bheur.  

I need to ask where these men sailing here came from, and what legends they bear. What weapons they favor and armor styles.
I think the Druidic bent is a good idea.  Obviously, with such an enemy, I could see Fertitlity, Sun, and Sea Spirits/deities as very easy choices.   I say spirits onlu becasue it might be nice to have the things that Shaman, Druids, Warrior-priests and wierd hermits pray to be on the same approximate power level as the Queen.

I would also look at having other, more enightened civilizations in remote areas and have a few travelling NPC's of them here or there.  (Think of Greece and Byzantium with magic, but far away.  This will give you tremendous flexibility down the road with introducing languages/cultures/items/magics)

What type of monetary/trade system?  Weregilds?  Honor?

You could have Bards and Skalds, the Skalds being a prestige class of Bards, due to their religeous duties of telling the stories of the spirits and heroes, and in their eulogistic duties.

[Gamer Printshop]

As far as crunch goes, I have the basic 3.5 core books and access to most of the 3.0 core books, though due to the nearness of the availability of 4.0 - ultimately 4.0 is the system I wish to develope this in. I don't have Unearthed Arcana nor Complete Divine - I have Complete Warrior, but that's all for the "Complete" class books, however.

When I say Shaman a similarity to druids is probable, but I want a closer alignment with the spiritual beings of the Isles. Neubirt mentioned the possibility of temporary tattooed effects vs. permanent - this is certainly a viable way to go. I haven't really decided yet, more research needed.

Yes, these proto-celts rely on the "Heroic Code" and law based on both Weregild and Honor.

As far as a comparitive historical timeline to Earth cultures - this is a pre-Roman world. Though in reality cultures of this period are bronze age, I wanted to avoid the brittle weapon save requirements and say this culture has recently entered the cusp of the Iron Age and sport iron swords, axes, and hammers and spears as the primary weapons used.

Armor is more limiting - leather hauberks, studded leather, perhaps even an early brigadine armor of leather and small metal plates sewn in. Of course leather covered and bronze shields are available, as well as plated leather helms. These celts features helms with horns, antlers and wings.

Think of a time period around 1700 BC to 1500 BC, with the inclusion of early Iron Age technology mixed in. The civilized world would be comparable to Mycenean culture, thus pre- Greco City-states, and long before Rome. The civilized continent lies south and west of the Isles of Caillech, home to many cultures and the original Proto-Celtic homelands.

Perhaps expansion of a militant civilized state has forced the northern residents of this continent to seek other lands to settle, because these peoples are a seafaring race with corracles of ships, they've explored and discovered the Isles of Caillech. Distance wise, I see the Caillech Isles from the main continent equivalent to Iceland's distance to the British Isles. More independance than facing an enemy across a narrower water body like ffrom across the English Channel.

Knowledge of the Giants from the north has been known for a long time, perhaps explored by early sailors - stories that led to the emmigration to the Caillech Isles. The idea that these peoples have come to Caillech to fight the giants is a distinct possibility in addition to needs to settle away from the continent.

As far as the name "Caillech Bheur" - it is from Katherine Briggs, Encyclopedia of Faeries, both a fey being and a goddess of northern England, as many other Hag-like proto goddesses. Being the Winter Hag, the Caillech Bheur is the dominating hag of the old histories. Pronunciation is based on Katherine Briggs' own pronunciation guide.

Worshipping spirits including: Fertility, Sun, Moon and Sea spirits. Though their priests are druids - the whole philosophical religion based on natural balance idea of druidism isn't quite what they believe, theirs are a more animistic belief system with spirits of power in the natural world of the isles.

I also want to include Fey beings. Unlike traditional D&D faerie-kin - the oldest faerie believes have human sized brownies and their ilk. The belief of halfling sized faeries and smaller is from the 15th and 16th centuries. In the older beliefs, these beings are fully human sized. Thus my faeries, might be closest to Elves as a race, though their background is different.

There would probably be a dwarf race in the highlands too, that have long battled the Giants.

More to come, and hopefully better organized!

[Neubert]

I believe the class or prestige class I thought of was called Tattooed Monk. I am not certain of the mechanics, but I could probably convince my friend to look through her books if you need. Google claims it to be in Complete Warrior.

You might be able to use the Eladrin from 4th edition, as they are from the fey plane and human-sized.
Also, rumors about the druid is that it will focus more on shapechanging than spells. So you might have to design your own shaman/druid/priest.

I don't know if it is the direction you want to take the game in, but you might gain some inspiration from the movie "The 13th Warrior" (if you haven't seen it already).

[Poseptune]

Well as for Unearthed Arcana you can get most of the crunch here and add your own flavor. (Direct links to Variant Classes and Variant Races)

The Totem Barbarian would fit well into your setting. The Wilderness Rogue is another variant that might fit well into your setting.

[Gamer Printshop]

I have access to the Complete Warrior and the Tattoo Monk, so I must study it more. I have seen the "13th Warrior", both it and Beowulf (which the book/movie 13th Warrior was based) has provided inspirations into the setting. My study of Picts, Early Scots, Celts, older Fey beliefs, incorporation of the Ice Age theme - all work together to massage the traditional northern European saga into something older and altogether different.

I am breaking away from certain D&D views on Fey beings and other "monsters", attempting to tie in with earlier stories of the same type of beings. In some sense "truer" than the popular beliefs...

Oh, and regards to the question on how the Ice Age ended, I think naturally, though one could argue the pro-human new gods of the greater continent worked their divine powers to end it for a better enviroment for their worshippers as part of it as well.

The Caillech Bheur with access to primal winter magicks, combined with instigated natural causes to return the ice age. Her ancient emnity with the great Fire Spirits/gods that inhabit the volcanoes on the mains isles and the northwestern smaller islands could be goaded into long-lasting eruptions - whose clouds and vapor could cover the earth, block the sun and bring back the Ice Age...

Thoughts?

[Hibou]

Luckily Unearthed Arcana is largely part of the SRD - www.d20srd.org will work just fine in that regard. There are a lot of variants there you might want to use: the variant class for the bard that makes it more viking-like is what first comes to mind.

[Gamer Printshop]

Regarding the Ice Age, don't try to coincide with earth's history and human evolution on earth too much, this is a fantasy world. One might think that hey wait a minute - ice age, we're talking paleothic peoples, how did you get the iron age involved here?

This isn't earth. The glaciers of the Ice Age covers much of the northern hemisphere. What if civilizations and the proto-celts developed in the warm southern hemisphere of this world having developed from Stone Age to Bronze then Iron over the course of several thousand years. While the Ice Age glaciers only just melted away to expose a virgin land of the Isles, these people have only recently settled here. The giants and ogres are paleolithic, not men. Man didn't just suddenly appear.

Sometimes I can imagine our own earth having advanced civilizations that have been erased through time, but existed even before the end of the ice age. Just because we haven't found evidence, doesn't mean this might not be true. Such thinking led towards this project...

I'm working on the legends of the people at this time, in addition to the map.

Oh and the trade system is basically barter, though some level of fealty between a clanhead and his fighting man where the lord owes basic needs to every servant and member of his house, but not to the degree of feudalism - not for a thousand years anyway. Gold has value as a treasure item, most torcs are made of gold - but there is no gold piece.

[Gamer Printshop]

I'm still working on the detailed map of the Isles of Caillech, however, I've created a quickee regional map, showing distance from the main continent, location as far as longitude goes and within the Arctic Circle.

[Xeviat]

What program did you use for the map? I'm very, very impressed; I expect nothing but wonders from the Cartographer's Guild.

I like the idea that the pro-human spirits ended the ice age so they could settle north. I like the idea of the humans having advanced far to the south, traveling north with the retreating ice.

I think this is when humans would have first encountered giants. Over the centuries, they could have cleared all of the giants off of the mainland, and could have heard Giant legends that spoke of their home across the sea. You are talking about a long trip (according to your map, it appears to be at least 1,000 miles) across the sea, so I don't think anyone would have made it without a goal in mind (they weren't following a coastline or anything after all).