The Emerald Islands

[Ariel Hapzid]

Introduction

This is the thread of nothing but pure information about my Campaign Setting. I'm hoping this will be up for a Campaign Setting Showcase. If you'd like to discuss The Emerald Islands with me (and I'd love to discuss it with you) please post in this thread:
 
http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?52528.0

 The Races of the Emerald Islands

The Humans of Albion

Albion is the pinnacle of civilization. Albion is a powerful empire, ruled by a powerful noble class, 100 years ago they came from the other side of the world to The Emerald Islands. Today, the islands are home to twenty colonies of the crown. These colonies are bustling trade spots bringing exotic treasures to the people of Albion, including Tea, Coffee, Tobacco, Gold, and sometimes Slaves.

 [note]The actual country of Albion will most likely not show up in any game. It's really not the focal point of the setting, instead it is supposed to represent imperialism at its finest. Albion is strongly based upon Imperial England, It's also important to note that Albion doesn't have just one method of conquering the islands. Some want to do it by force, others feel we can buy the land, and a few more feel we can work together with the natives.[/note]

Albion life is strongly influenced by the mercantile guilds. More likely then not, a citizen of the Empire works for them. Any non-guild dealings are considered illegal, although that doesn't stop them from happening. The only other option for a peasant is to join the Military.

Religion in the empire is controlled by the Church of the Light. The Light is a representation of all that is good and pure in the world. Meanwhile, the Shadow is its antithesis. The Light and the Shadow are locked in an eternal war, and mankind is the weapon of choice for both sides.

Magic is a useful tool to the humans. Human wizards, warlocks, and even priests all make an easy living for themselves by providing magical crafts and services to the empire. For the most part, magic is mostly mundane. Most humans are exposed to utility magic, such as locking a door so it cannot open, or a plate that heats your food. However, there is a much more spiritual and mystical side of magic that most commoners never see, and that is wildly abundant in the Emerald Islands.

 The Humans of Albion in the Game
As mentioned above, life in Albion is strictly controlled, and its citizens can look forward to a life as a card-carrying guildsman, or the hard life of a soldier. Fortunately, the third option is a life in the Emerald Islands. Far away from the control of the Empire, the colonies are far less strict, and while the guilds do have a strong foothold there, the black market is incredibly popular and successful in the islands. As a Player, you may choose to associate yourself with a guild. You may gain a few benefits, including lower prices from allied guilds, and higher prices from competing guilds. However, you would also be required to heed the call of the guild when necessary.

The largest and most prosperous colony is New Albion. A large island, its capital is Avalon. Avalon was built upon the ruins of an ancient Eladrin fortress. It is well known for its strange Eladrin architecture including the Colossus of Avalon, a 100 foot statue of an Eladrin Warrior carved from an unknown metal that gazes out to the Ocean. The other point of interest is an arc standing in the water, it is 400 feet tall and dominates the Avalon skyline. Although it has been studied for years, no one knows what the arch is for. Apparently, the Eladrin have no idea what it's for either.

[Ariel Hapzid]

The Elves of the Emerald Islands

The Elves are an ancient race and are locked in a major conflict with the Humans of Albion. It has been 67 years since the original thirteen tribes banded together to destroy their invaders, today only 10 still fight (with the destruction of the Spider tribe and the betrayal of the Puma and Hydra tribe who chose to serve with the Humans). The elves have a rich warrior culture and are incredibly proud.

 [note]Each tribe has a chieftain, usually the most powerful warrior or magic user in their tribe. They all meet monthly at undisclosed locations to discuss the ongoing war with the humans. The ten tribes include the Dragon, Scorpion, Jaguar, Shark, Barracuda, Monkey, Tiger, Wolf, Falcon, and Cobra tribes. [/note] Among the elves, religion is lead by the most noble of leaders. The elves usually worship a spirit animal represented by their totem (for example, the Shark tribe worships and tries to promote the qualities of a shark). There have also been accounts by explorers and soldiers of strange spirits assaulting them. Naturally, these are only the ramblings of superstitious fools. The Church of the Light views any kind of spirit summoning as trickery of the Shadow.

Magic to the elves is a strange and mystical thing. They have access to many unique rituals as well as powerful war-magic. Wizards from the Empire have built their towers in the Emerald Islands so that they can study the ways of the elves and pass it on to magic users of the empire. One technique that has gotten a lot of attention is the use of Tattoos by the elves. It is rare to see an elf with no tattoos, they imbue these with arcane might and they can be called upon when desired.

The Elves of the Emerald Islands in the Game

When designing the elves, I made sure to keep in mind ancient Hawaiians and Polynesians. If you have ever been to a real luau with a whole pig and real fire dancers, you know what I have in mind. I decided to get rid of the common image of a blond, white, beautiful elven archer with twin daggers and replaced it with the image of a savage tattooed warrior wielding a quiver of javelins and a wooden longsword with shark teeth lining the edge of the blade. When playing an Elf, you will most likely want to be a member of the Puma or Hydra tribe. These two tribes are two of the most powerful, which is why they did not need to sign with the others. They have access to many products from Albion thanks to their open trading relationship with the empire. The Hydra come from the Island of Pahlua, while the the Puma come from the island of J'Quan.

[Ariel Hapzid]

The Eladrin of the Ancient Empire

Centuries ago, the Eladrin ruled the all of the Emerald Islands, however today they are nothing but a small and mostly forgotten civilization clinging to the ruins of yesterday. The Eladrin built the Colossus of Avalon, the strange glowing Obelisk that serves as a lighthouse for sailors today, and the gargantuan archway resting in Avalon's harbor. No one knows what purpose these served, even the Eladrin have seem to forgotten.

The Eladrin worship the three moons that dance in the sky, the first one is Theirastra, the white maiden. It is the largest of the moons and the most noble, she represents everything good in the world and illuminates the dark night with her glory. The second is Riardon, the red warrior. He is blood red and follows Theirastra through the night. When he dominates the night sky it is a good day for battle in Eladrin mythology. The final moon is Paelias, the black master. He is the smallest and hardest to see, normally the other two moons shining blocks him from sight. Sometimes he can be seen as a void of stars in the sky. Every 2 years the moons align perfectly to become the Eye of the Eladrin, (with the black moon inside the red moon inside the white moon).

Magic to the Eladrin is still a mostly unknown treasure. In ancient times the Eladrin created all manner of strange technology. Including the many Obelisks of Valenae. A millenia ago, Valenae the Warlock Queen had stone cutters working around the clock to create the huge obelisks. Each one was carved from jet black stone and enchanted, they would serve as teleportation beacons to allow easy travel amongst the islands. Today, they still stand, but the secret to unlocking their power is still hidden.

The Eladrin of the Ancient Empire in the Game

An important key to playing an Eladrin is the desire to understand the strange clue left behind by their ancestors. The eladrin character will probably have access to all sorts of magic or equipment that is unique to their civilization. Remember that little is known about the eladrin, especially by the humans, so play that up. The eladrin are perfect for those who like to play a character with a little mystery to them. It should be noted that the only remaining Eladrin city, Verontaria, is one of the most southern islands, and is at least a weeks sailing from New Albion, making it hard to access by explorers.

[Ariel Hapzid]

The Halflings of Dirisha Zuri

Living on the beautiful island of Dirisha Zuri, it has sheer 100 foot cliffs and no beaches. Fortunately, the Halfings are an adventurous and tenacious group. In fact, Morgan Drake, the explorer who first met the Halfings, described them as borderline-suicidal. The Halflings usually get around on huge zeppelins, hot air balloons, or dire seagulls.  [note]Ahh, the Halflings. They were a hard race for me. Mainly because I had to make them new and interesting. Originally the thought was for them to live in the side of cliffs (which they don't anymore). But the most important part of them are the Dire Seagulls (kind of like Giant Eagles, but instead of going "Kakaw! Kakaw!" they say "ARARARARARARARARAR".[/note]

The Halflings have a rich oral tradition, they have a huge pantheon of gods and heroes. They believe in the spirit of the individual and are very anarchic. Halfling society believes in the rights of the person, and the lassez faire role of government. In fact, the Halflings have no real leaders. Everyone just does what they feel like. In Morgan Drake's book  Years Amongst the Islands he wrote: "The Halflings are insane, they have no god, no king, and no laws, and yet they are happier then we are."

The Halfings of Dirisha Zuri in the Game

When designing the Halflings, I pictured a 3 foot tall race of Indiana Jones'. They are usually allied with the Humans, although due to their lack of formal government, that alliance is on an individual basis. Halflings are adventurous, crazy adventurous. I wanted to take the common conception of Hobbits being homebodies who hate to leave their holes to globe trotters who love to go on adventures. You want to play a Halfling if you want to be considered crazy by all your friends.