World Building in 30 Days - Recent History 5A

“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”

― Winston Churchill

Continuing on with the world building excercise we strive to answer the following:

Who lives where, and what wars and conflicts have they had? Who keeps the peace? How do borders stay in place? What happens when power shifts? What major resources are considered necessary to staying in power? As you answer these questions, you'll find that patterns emerge. A necessary resource is close to the boundary between two cultures. The peace-keeping forces don't always stay in power. Shifts in power result in conflict and war.

The Exercise:

Spend 15 minutes outlining the major historical events of the last 100 years before your novel begins. Include in your timeline:

Dates when power shifted in your civilization(s) (through coup, death of a monarch, revolution, election, etc.), and whether the power shift was smooth (as it might be when a monarch dies and their offspring takes their place)

Dates when a natural event reduced or increased the amount of natural resources (food, usually, but also water, timber, and other resources).

Dates when an unnatural event (such as a magical or technological event) changed the resources as well.

Each of these factors (power shifts and resource shifts) puts pressure on the civilizations. At the high-pressure points, write "battle/conflict"-- those are points at which violence may have erupted between cultures (or, if you have non-violent people, perhaps conflict that's expressed in other dramatic ways).

Events may also be interrelated-- a technological event might give the edge to one power group, which forces other groups to respond, often with confrontation.

The last dates to write on your timeline: Date your novel begins, and the date your character was born (so you know what part of history he or she directly remembers).

So WTF is going down in the 5A

• 1359 5A - Kursus Rodemus infected with Lycanthropy. The Rodemus Mercenary Company takes over Akhban Village. A priestess attempts to enter the Wyrm Prince's Crypt. Duchess Reyifor of Riddleport is kidnapped. Gullaga dwarves begin their cycle as rulers of Kuln.
• 1359 5A - Beginning of FPR campaign
• 1358 5A - Riddleport merchants begin over charging for shipments after raids by Minotaur League privateers.
• 1356 5A - Kuln goods sailing from Alkabra are seized by Riddleport ships. Alkabra and Kuln cease relationship. Kuln signs trade accords with Riddleport for export of wares.
• 1354 5A - Duchess Reyifor's adopted daughter Bremer marries Arkhosian Prince Draez. Draez has been gifted the title of Duke of Reyifor. Bremer is officially recognized as Duchess of Reyifor by Arkhosia. Riddleport takes over shipping for Arkhosia.
• 1351 5A - Xial assumes control of Odanis. Villages nearby are reported empty by her scouts. Arkhosia and Minotaur League break off relations after Emperor Drax offends Kordek III by wearing a sword to dinner.
• 1347 5A - Pirate King Jax Darkhallow is slain by assassins. Duchess Reyifor forms an alliance with the Auri-Kai of the Underrealm.
• 1342 5A - Arkhosia ends its war with Omarond, after the death of Amberin Melatar. Omarond is declared a protectorate of Arkhosia.
• 1339 5A - End of KO and TB campaigns. An assassin kills Anthan Reyifor. The Duchy passes into Arkhosian hands. Former Duchess Reyifor marries Jax Darkhallow. Pirate fleets from Riddleport attack Minotaur shipping of tribute from Omarond.
• 1338 5A – A force of Arkhosians aided by nobles of the Omarond Empire wrests control of the Duchy of Reyifor from the Empire. Anthan Reyifor slays his brother Dythan. Duchess Reyifor flees to Riddleport. Anthan takes over Duchy and moves his seat of power from Frandor's Keep to Depidu.

• 1337 5A - Beginning of Knight's Order and Thundertop Boys Campaigns
• 1299 5A until 1309 5A* Wailing
• 1289 5A until 1313 5A* Spell Plague
• 1289 5A - End of Monster Hunters Campaign
• 1288 5A - Woods Crossing sustains fire and flooding damage - a plague spreads across N Ovelesk
• 1287 5A - A zombie invasion destroys Wroat
• 1286 5A - A water shortage in Kaleland
• 1286 5A- Start of Monster Hunters Campaign
• 1214 5A* Founding of Foon Takel
• 1174 5A* Princess Kastya is married to Amberin her first act is to found the Flaming Fist
• 1163 5A* Amberin Melatar assumes control of the Omarond Empire
• 1162 5A - End of DragonSlayers and Black Hand Campaign
• 1104 5A* Lazore awakens as a Rhakshasa
• 1102 5A* Empress Frick seizes control of the Omarond Empire through trial of combat. The dragons and Dragonborn present proclaim her Empress, she immediately declares war on the Aberrant Threat and forms an alliance with the Minotaur League and the dwarven Thanes of Thak Tarkas.
• 1101 5A* Gulohg the Usurper slays Orcus and Kordek I slays Ambeoutin XI assuming the mantle of King of the Minotaur League
• 1100 5A* The Night of Falling Stars the dragons return from the Astral Sea.
• 1098 5A* Kordek and Company invited to meet Armic Starr. Begining of Search for the Black Hand Campaign
• 1097 5A* Kordek is booted from Thak Tarkas
• 1079 5A* Kordek family is slaughtered and they flee to the the dwarves of Thak Tarkas
• 1078 5A* The Tor Siri and Vampire Council break off relations
• 1019 5A* The Great Enemy seizes control of Northern Ovelesk during the Great War. The Tor Siri are dominate power on Ovelesk. Institute the Magus Accords requiring all magus to register. Marcus flung into the Far Realms. Kyle the Black Hand begins search for his brother.
• 989 5A* The town of Riddleport is founded during the Great War to stop Tor Siri shipping. Tartash begins gathering a new Seven having discovered the flaw in his plan beforeThe Great War erupts between the Tor-siri and the Gray Council many peoples and all magic users are drawn into the conflict

 

World Building in 30 Days - Languages

Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.

― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Anyone can speak Troll. All you have to do is point and grunt.

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The father of modern fantasy JRR Tolkien had an affinity for languages. I can see why. He jokes in a letter to CS Lewis that the whole history of men leading up to the sinking of Numenor was a etymological pun for Atlantis.

Etymology is a curious subject. It ties us to our past bridging centuries and millennium. English itself is a hodge podge of German, Latin, French, Greek and another half dozen languages. If you want to delve into this subject more I recommend the History of the English Language pod cast. Personally I can't get enough of the stuff. I use it a lot in naming things. I use it in puzzles for my players, and high brow tongue in cheek hints to character motivations in NPC names. Did I mention my family calls me the pun master? If you're stuck for naming someone or something boil them down to their essential trait and look up the etymology of a synonym, or the meaning in a foreign tongue. You will find a word to use that will sound right to you.

Our real world contains plenty of examples of the evolution of language. Experts are starting to believe that the Tower of Babel may not be as much a myth as many folks believe. A judge in India demonstrated that most western language originates from a Proto Indo-European base tongue. Others in the field have since demonstrated twenty-seven words common in all languages spoken on earth, though opponents strongly dispute the methods. The Proto-Human ideal is still a facinating concept and one I embrace in my fictional world.

RPG Mechanics

When playing an RPG there are two things to consider. How much do you want to bog players down in simulation of real language? How much flavor do you want to add to roleplaying scenarios? Balance your rules on the subject carefully.

In theory I like the idea that my players start out only speaking the language they grew up with. This seems plausible. I even like the idea that only certain classes read those languages. As a player these rules suck. It makes every roleplaying moment a pain to play out, like a Han > Threepio > Ewok situation. In an OSR game with a single leader or caller this could actually simplify some things but it does leave most of the table with nothing to do. I further like the idea of a fluency indicator, a 1-5 or percentile rating of a characters ability to speak a language. 1- pidgin or halting speech, 2- able to read some words and speak coherent thoughts, 3- able to read most words and form complete sentences, 4- read and write as well as good speech, 5- perfect fluency, accent and can extrapolate to similar languages and dialects. But this is a lot of book keeping for minimal gain.

In practice, my players get their hereditary language and one of two common trading tongues based on where they were born. Players wanting exotic races are thus at a disadvantage, but this can be overcome. In addition if a player opts to speak to a NPC in its own tongue, they get a bonus to a skill check in newer games (3.5, 4E etc) and an adjustment to the reaction roll or roleplaying attitude in my OSR game. Players can buy, via time and money access to as many languages as their intellect will allow, screw the fest tax. NPCs usually speak the appropriate common and if not a peasant a second racial language. Sages, royality and priests usually speak at least three languages. Lastly, known languages give PCs a chance to muddy thru a situation where an unknown language may be encountered. A language in the same dialect will communicate 90% accurately, in the same family will give the speaker 70% chance to communicate effectively. Outside the same family it falls to 25%.

Major Language Families in Ea-reth

• Common
• --Eastern Trading Tongue spoken in Ovelesk
• --Western Commerce Speak spoken in Yathe
• --Thieves Cant - available only to thieves and assassins

• Ancient - Proto Ea-reth language
• -Yae - runic script of the dwarfs and giants - Old Norse, German and Slavvic as real world inspiration
• -Drae - pictographic language of dragonkin - Egyptian, Sumerian, Arabic as inspiration
• -Fey/Vai - flowing script - Finnish, Quenya, and Sindarin
• -Tor - pictographic language - Mayan, Chinese, Japanese
• -Gawds - symbols as words - None
• -Mae - Latin alphabet - English, Latin, Romance languages as inspiration

• Yae
• -Dwarven
• --Khazad
• --Khemblin
• --Kohle
• --Gullaga
• -Giant
• --Goliath
• --Minotaurian
• -Goblinoid
• --Tribal Dialect
• --Norgathi

• Drae
• -Draconic
• --Arkhosian
• --Omarondian
• --Qal Met
• -Dragon
• -Draegarian

• Fey - Vai
• -Elven
• --Green Elves
• ---Desert Elf
• ---Grell Elf
• --High Elven
• --Blue Elven
• --Grey Elven
• ---Gnomish
• ---Deep Gnomish
• -Black Speech
• --Orcish Tribal Dialects

• Tor
• -Torrian
• -Pey
• -Tanni (Deep Speech)
• --Infernal
• ---Tuarthian
• --Abyssal

• Gawds
• --Supernal
• --Primordial

• Mae
• -Common
• --Marsonites
• ---Kalesh
• ---Akhabarian
• ---Barbarian Tribes
• --Daganti
• --Dogan

 

World Building in 30 Days - Subspecies Pt 2

Yesterday we covered the Second and Third Sunderings for the Mae and the Yae. Today we will finish off the remaining groups the Drae, the Tae, and the Fae/Vai.

Second and Third Sunderings Continued

The Tae

The Tae are the chosen of Aeres. They grew wings, gained great eyesight and established a home in Torroskar. Before Seelian Coil destroyed their homeland they rode the air currents high above the Lake of Fire. On the Lake's shore the Pey and the Tanni dwelt. Those that had served the Gawds at least. At the end of the dawn war a portion of the Tae's land was given away. This angered the Tae greatly and unlike the Mae they wanted nothing to do with the interlopers. Unfortunately, the interlopers did not feel the same way. They took to taunting and torturing the Tae. The Tae were divided on how to respond.

The Kenku, wished not to respond. The Ka-ru true to their predatory nature wanted to attack. The Corbies and the Ore-ru decided not to commit. In the end the followers of Ka won the debate. A desperate costly battle was fought. The Tae won the day and ever after they were known as Torrians amongst the free peoples.

In Ea-Reth the Kenku race is a sub-race of the larger Torrian race. Corbies, Kenku, Ore-ru, and Ka-ru all live in Tael Tor. Kenku are raven like creatures, Corbies are crow like, Ore-ru are vultures and condor like, and Ka-ru are predator like eagles, falcons, owls and hawks. Tael Tor is the remnant of Yathe that was scooped off the face of Ea-reth. Here on pinnacle rocks rising from the sea, Torrians build their cities. The other sub-races don't often leave the safety of the rocky dwellings, called Torroskar. The exception being the Kenku. Kenku travel the world as messengers. Any vocal sound heard by a Kenku can be duplicated exactly. They are unable to improvise in any way. Their unique vocal talents have made them trusted messengers the world over.

The Drae

After the First Sundering, the Drae had morphed into bipedal humanoid reptilians. The Drae inhabited the land of Omarond, from the Plains of Ash to the tropical rain forests west of the Plateau of Fire. They were the chosen of Feydyakhan in the First Age and the foot soldiers of Gerand in the Second Age.

During the time of Feydyakhan, the Drae consisted of eight nomadic tribes. They roamed the land stalking prey far and wide. At the summer solstice they would gather all the tribes on the Plateau of Fire. Here a great feast was held and sacrifices were rendered up to Feydyakhan. At the beginning of the Second Age Gerand appeared to them as a many headed dragon and spoke of a future in which the world would be controlled by them. In order to achieve this he demanded their oaths. Three of the tribes refused, five accepted.

Gerand laid a dark curse upon the three tribes that refused. The tribe of drake grew large, they fell onto all fours. The largest turned on the smaller and sated there hunger on the lesser of the tribe. The tribe scattered into the wilds of the forest. The titanic beasts turned their sight east and crossed the Molmar into the Greenwood. With fire and the tramp of their mighty bodies the great land drakes carved a path of destruction north. When they reached Thak Tarkas the Dwarfs halted their advance, The Wyrm Wars began. The Dwarfs cursed the cowardice of the fleeing Ellu Vai, safely hidden in the deep parts of the Greenwood.

The Tribe of Drago sprouted wings and took flight, for a while they stalked the lesser drakes and drogs. Soon they tired of the game and turned north and came to Gehenna. The fell upon Yant's people. The blood of the giants coursed through their veins and they were misshapen and engorged by the feast. It was not long before they turned on each other. Those that survived flew far afield carving out territories for themselves and jealously guarding all that they claimed.

The Drogs fled deep into the mountains at the sight of their changing kin. The drogs soon gagged as their own stench filled their nostrils. There skulls grew thick their minds growing small. They found dark shelter in the warm caves of the Molmar. They hid themselves and lost all knowledge they once possessed save the core obedience to Feydyakhan.

The other five tribes followed Gerand to the Tower of Run Imar. Here he taught, tortured and changed them as he saw fit. To kobolds he taught trap making and servitude without question. To the Dragonborn he taught war, violence and dark sorcery. To the draegarians he taught the right of might. The draegarians became the slave masters, overseers of all the races captured by his armies. Into the draconians he tortured a cruel pragmatism and gifts of flight. Finally, the dragotha he shaped to meet the Fae centaurs and cat-taurs in battle.

The Fae and Vai

When Tyr was destroyed and the Feywild and Shadowfell formed those who dwelt nearest Eglain were caught in the change. They became creatures that experienced all worlds at once. The Fae are those that dwell in the Feywild but see Ea-reth and the Shadowfell, the Vai those that walk in Ea-reth but can see the Feywild and Shadowfell. The nearness to Eglain determined the degree to which these creatures could experience these realms.

Gnum Vai or grey elves are most often called gnomes today. They were in the grey hills south of the green wood.

Ellu Vai or green elves are also called wood elves. They were in the greenwood at Tyr's death.

The Ellu Fae are high elves, lesser Sidhe or sometimes called Eladrin. They live in the Feywild but can see and cross over into Ea-reth. The Ellis Fae are the Sidhe, powerful Fae that were worshipped by man and gained power from belief magic. The Sidhe have taken on the form of nature and the elements. They care little for the mortal world.

The Sutis Vai are sea elves, or blue elves. They were on the shore of the Shargain. They are rarely encountered but are masters of shape change and trickery.

There are three races of elves that are called the Kai or betrayers. Their true names have been struck from memory and are only remembered for the actions they took during the Kinslaying during the Third Sundering. All Kai were twisted by their treachery and lost the beauty they once had. The annals of the Sidhe record the end of the Kinslaying and the prophecy concerning it as below:

The Ora and the Auri came next defending their actions in the Kinslaying with the lies Gerand and Laski taught them. Tyr frowned at this. So angry was he with their words that he called them Kai in the language of the gods and traitors they were. The Auri Kai fell to the ground their bodies the color of the ash as a reminder of what was done to the land of dreams. The Ora Kai became twisted like the trees of the land of dreams. There skin took on the color of sickly bark. Both races of Kai then fled from Tyr’s sight into the deep and dark places of the world. Tyr troubled by his own anger sent gifts to these fleeing children. The Auri he gave power over darkness and the flame of purple light that they might find security in the deep places and a light not to draw dark things upon themselves. The Ora he gave an inner strength to protect them from the sight of the misshapen forms he cursed them with. To both races he gave the sight of the deep dark. The Shadar-Kai he sent deep into the Shadowfell. Their they view the mortal and Fae worlds ever without light or solid form to enjoy their lives. To them he gave power over shade and shadow.

The paths of yew woods, carried fled feet from Aelfhame under Twilight Boughs. The kinslayers driven by the slain. Long shades of the forest chased the fleet footed beyond the reach of Tyr's wroth. Incanters of long forgotten arts sealed doors with stones laden by arcane might. Cold princes and star-skinned knew not soon would sundered cousin reunite with exiled kin. Many travels of wandering stars will pass afore crumbled stone will once again reunite the three to one. When the twilight paths will fade and Aelfhame will return to mortal coil.

 

On the Spell Plague and Wailing

1289 5A

What is the Spell Plague?

As far as the mortals on Ea-reth are concerned the Spell Plague was a violent magical storm that occurred in 1289 of the Fifth Age. It arose over the southern edges of Yathe. Blue flames licked across the sky. The ancient Towers of Balance in Yathe and The Citadels of Magic on Ovelesk saw their load stones shatter and crumble. Ley lines across the Feywild, Shadowfell and Ea-reth ceased to function. The great storm moved across the continent changing the lands as it passed. It laid waste to Ghenna, turning the land to a smoldering waste known as the Plaguelands. A great rift opened up to the Underrealms in the Wyrdarmik. The drow city beneath was crushed by the collapse and areas formerly reached thru hundreds of miles of tunnels were suddenly open to the bright sky.

Virtually none of the population of Ea-Reth was left untouched by the passage of the storm. Hundreds of mages, all those casting spells or rituals at the time the storm appeared, were destroyed or driven mad by its power. Many more apprentices died battling the results of their master's magic loosed upon the world. For the next ten years magic remained unpredictable and dangerous. Few chose to train in spellcraft, and the great magic schools of the world closed. Gradually over the next few years, the great storm faded from the sky. With it all manner of magic ceased to function completely. Psionics, technology and religion gained followers and power. Priests began to discover that a great divine battle had taken place. Gulohg, the Usurper, and the Raven Queen were no more. Their deaths had been brought about by the power of the slaying stones. As a result all the lodestones and their granular form, residuum, around the world were destroyed. A cult arose dedicated to Dracorrin, god of the afterlife. Dracorrin priests claim that their deity is master over spirit and animus. They preach that when one dies you are judged by Dracorrin, if he finds your actions fit you pass on to an afterlife in service to your deity. However, if he finds you unfit, you are returned to life as an undead. For nearly twenty years humanoids were cut off from the Feywild, Shadowfell, Astral Sea, Sigil and the Elemental Chaos as planar magic, like all others had ceased to function.

These years are called the Wailing. It was a sad and dangerous time where only muscle, mind and faith stood against the wild creatures of the world. In Kinderland the Alia Tai faced a revolution from their people. Without lodestones the ruling elite and their kin were hunted down and slain in a great purging. Mages across the world faced similar attacks, bereft of magic and their Alia Tai protectors many fled. Mobs tore down towers and took books of magical learning to be used as toilet paper and fuel for fires. Millenias of knowledge and history were lost. Remote towns and settlements bereft of magical means to receive goods and services ceased to exist or where over run by hordes of orcs and goblins. All contact was lost with Sigil, and many suspect that no one survived.

How did this stop?

It was in the middle of the Great Plain, north of the Molmosarc that things began to change. On Hexa 6th 1313 of the fifth age, a single red flower suddenly sprang into being before a young barbarian boy. His tribe looked on in astonishment as blue light filled his eyes and fire sprang from his hands. The young boy was summarily put to death for his crime of witchcraft. Similar, events spread across the world over the next six months. Former magic users felt the return of power, some ignored it but many returned to their calling. They soon found that magic was not as they remembered it. With many magical texts lost or destroyed the slow accumulation of knowledge began again.

Impact to Ritual Magic

Without residiuum, the universal conduit of magic, many of the rituals needed to be rediscovered. Ritualists soon found that herbs, plants and minerals that resided in areas formerly containing ley-lines contained a lesser form of the power, residuum did. Thru experimentation and careful study many rituals were rewritten with these components as catalysts. Further, research found that as a caster grew in power he could channel his own life force into simple rituals and cast them in seconds rather than minutes.

Game terms - 4E

Rituals of five levels lower - Replace 100% of the value of ritual components with 1 healing surge for a casting time equal to 1 action. (Standard, Minor, OR Move)

Rituals of a lower level - Replace 50% of the value of ritual components with 1 healing surge for a casting time equal to 1 round. (Ie all 3 actions, Std, Move and minor)

Rituals of your level - Replace 50% of the value of ritual components with 2 healing surges for a casting time as printed

Rituals greater than your level - 100% components and casting as printed

Rituals greater than your level +5 - Can't Cast

Impact to Magic Items

Many items formed in the vicinity of lodestones, made with residuum or made from lodestones ceased to function. Magic swords became well crafted hunks of sharpened metal. Suits of armor and maigcal cloth rusted or crumpled to dust. Once intelligent crystal chess sets became little more than carved stone. Only items that had to be manually activated by ritual or keywords, and powerful artifacts survived the Wailing intact. For many years no new magical items could be fashioned, without residuum the art of enchanting steel and cloth seemed to forever be lost.

It was a dwarf by the name of Rundik Silverbeard that came across the solution to the problem. Travelling across the Valley of the Twelve tribes he happened to meet a primal goliath that still made magic items for his tribe. Rundik spent several winters with the novice smith. He traded the art of forging Mithril, much to the dismay of his kin, for the knowledge of enchanting items. The primal tribe had long infused stone and wood items with a bit of their life-force. This life-force acted as a catalyst for the other ritual components in the process. Rundik perfected the art before taking it back to his clan. They soon started to fashion an assortment of common magical items that are being sold in major cities today. All Rundik's items are marked with the dwarven sigil for twelve in remembrance of the legendary tale about the forging of the first weapons by Moradin and the twelve lives he sacrificed in his craft, and the trade that was made with the primal barbarians of the Twelve Tribes.

Game terms 4E

Enchant Magic Item - 75% cost of printed ritual components and a HS is permanently expended by the crafter of the item, this ritual can not be cast in haste

Transfer Enchantment - As printed this ritual can not be cast in haste

Disenchant Magic Item - creates ritual components worth 15% the value of the item, the healing surge needed to craft the item is lost to the ethers (ie returns to the original caster) upon disenchantment

Brew Potion - Can be cast at 50% of listed cost but the caster expends a healing surge (this surge is regained by the caster when the potion is consumed), can also be cast at 100% cost of components

Impact to Fey Crossings, Shadowfall and Portals

Fey crossings, shadowfalls and portals remain inert unless activated via ritual by someone of the correct origin. For example an elf/eladrin/gnome (Fey) caster who journeys to a Fey Crossing can activate it via ritual. Once activated it returns to functioning normally. Shadowfalls can be activated by Shades/Shadar-kai etc (Shadow Origin). Portals need to be activated by their destination race (ie a Demon or Elemental would need to open a portal to the Elemental Chaos, or an Immortal/Devil to open one to the Astral Sea). No one has yet discovered what type of race will be needed to open a connection to Sigil, City of Doors.

On Lodestones, Ley-Lines and Alia Tai

Ley-line - Lines of power theorized by some students of magical theories to be the source of magical power in the material plane. According to these theories, ley-lines are created by the material plane coming in contact with the Feywild. Where two ley-lines cross there is the potential for a fey crossing to appear. These lines can shift based on the time of year, seasons, and heavenly object position. There are those who also believe this occurs at the point where the material plane contacts the Shadowfell, these crossings are known as Shadowfalls. Many maps exists showing the locations of ley-lines. Due to the sheer volume of ley-lines, and their changing nature it is estimated only a tenth of all ley-lines are contained in these volumes. The five towers of the old world: Eglain, Run Imar, Rom Shar, Karnin, and Tal Aer originate on the most potent of ley-lines. Selian Coil, a famous mage of the first age, had five citadels built on the new continent of Ovelesk. His citadels, all schools of magic, each contained a large lodestone. These lodestones were used to divide magic into its separate parts.

The five citadels are Odanis, Killian, the Citadel of Mists, the Citadel of Stone and the Citadel of Night. This theory of magic is known as the Weave.

Lodestone - mundane definition - A piece of magnetite that has magnetic properties and attracts iron or steel.

Lodestone - magical definition - A piece of stone or gem that has been imbued with magical properties. Sometimes mined from earth contained within a ley-line. These stones are imbued with magical properties based on the ley-line of their origin or the ritual to imbue them with power.

Henges - Stones raised at places of crossings. They mark the boundaries of one world and another during certain times of year. Primal shamans and druids use lodestones from one ley-line to ward another. These ley-lines can be a few or hundreds of miles apart. The giant lodestones erected by Selian Coil are henges taken from the ley-lines on the old continent from beneath each of the five towers.

Lodestones of the Alia Tai - At the end of the second age a great magical war was fought. The survivors of that war formed a council of magicians called the Grey Council. It was customary at that time for those in mourning to where gray attire for a year to honor the dead. The name was taken from the fact that everyone in attendance was dressed in gray and so that they never forgot the horror of those times. Selian Coil collaborated with the greatest magical minds of his time and they determined that rule and tyranny by magical forces was inevitable. In order to forestall this conquest it was determined that magic should be restricted and split so that no being could grow too powerful. Selian and his colleagues founded and built five schools of Magic. They brought Lodestones to the new world and placed one in each of these schools. The Grey Council knew the war had sparked a great fear in magic and that after the split magic users would be greatly weakened. The Grey Council looked for a way to protect their dwindling numbers. The solution came in a young halfling paladin from Kinderland. While helping to move and install the lodestones it was accidentally discovered that he could activate different powers based on the ley-line it was taken from. The land of Kinderland was in the midst of a great civil war at the time. Acting as negotiators the Grey Council was able to reach an agreement with both sides of the conflict. The continent was divided; those with the ability to control the lodestones were taken to a newly founded city in the cold norther wastes. The mages used lodestones to establish a place habitable but still harsh enough to train the guards and protectors they needed. A decade later the Grey Council activated the lodestones in each of the academies and placed Alia Tai to protect the magic users that remained as guardians. Magic was split. Wizards no longer could control all the types of magics. Their powers became limited. Magic however was not so easily contained; it began to come out in other ways. For the first time, the magic of the sword arose. Expert musicians discovered the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelveth musical mode - Magic commanded from the power of an instrument. The first sorcerers were born a few years later, magic flowed thru their veins inherent to their blood. Those who were once gifted in magic found that the stones had limited their power greatly. They turned to dark denizens and to those who lived in the feywild seeking the power of old. More oft then not these pacts resulted in a change to their form and character giving rise to legends of dark and corrupt beings called Warlocks or Witches. Dwarves and superb craftsman began to make weapons and tools of magic ability. From these humble origins the art of Artifice claims its roots. The last inexplicable result was the rise of Psionics and seers. Once the province of the gods or highly trained mages, common people began to be able to read each others thoughts and see the future. The first rise of these strange abilities is a time of great fear of magic gave rise to mob justice and stonings. The Grey Council moved quickly to find and protect these fledgling magic users.

Over the next two ages, the tradition of placing Alia Tai at the service magic users continued. Then the worst fears of that first Grey Council came to pass, but instead of singular powerful entities imbued with magical powers, groups rose to power. One of the first to rise was the Tor-Siri, a group of mages interested in the study of the necromantic arts. The lodestone at the citadel of Odanis was from beneath Run Imar. It granted them a boon to magic of the blood and they found the power they sought in the blood of Vampires. As one of the citadels and a school of magic they were protected by a great contingent of Alia Tai. The Alia Tai here were talented in use of the lodestones known as Firestones. An Alia Tai stationed here could use his pike in conjunction with a series of Firestones to launch gouts of fire at his foes.

Meanwhile, the Black Academy or Killian in Bael Tuarth had grown powerful from the Pact made with Asmodeus. The warlocks there were fueled by infernal power and protected by Alia Tai. The Black Academy originally had been protected by a contingent of Alia Tai with expertise in use of Icestones. The war with Arkhosia was in full force when a horrible warlock, whose name is not remembered since the fall, took the Icestones and via ritual magic merged them with devils. Some legends tell that the eyes of the devils were removed and the stones placed inside. After a few days as windows of the souls to these corrupt outsiders the stones would take on the facets of an Astral Diamond except for a minor flaw contained inside. The wise of the world say that these were the trapped corrupt souls of the outsider. Early experiments with Alia Tai triggering the stones caused the death of the victim as well of the wielder. As the art was perfected and more of the stones produced the results were less severe leaving the wielder only greatly weakened and in need of rest and food. Many dragonborn sorcerers fell to the legion of Alia Tai that wielded these dreadful weapons.

Each of the other academies had lodestones attuned to their Alia Tai. The Citadel of Stone had lodestones that were able to hurl stones at their enemies like a sling but with greater force. The Citadel of Night had stones that would blind their foes allowing the pike wielding Alia Tai to quickly overwhelm their foes. The Citadel of Mists perfected stones for calling down a fog upon there foes. Over the ages many other stones were found and created. Artificers eventually were able to recreate the effects of many of these lodestones spreading them across the planes further. Some common day example of lodestones are Sending Stones. A dwarven innovation created from lodestones taken from a mine near Karnin. Residuum is the result of a destroyed lodestone or a partially formed lodestone mined prior to its full formation.

World Building in 30 Days - Seelian Coil

I woke up this morning, my first thought was about my wife. The next was the groan when realizing I need to get my tired butt outta bed to go into work. I quickly pushed that aside and Seelian Coil popped into the vacancy. They don’t call him the grandfather of magic for no reason. In Ovelesk no other single individual has come close to having as much impact on magic as he has.

 

Seelian was born late in the Second Age. The world he was born into was beholden to the Gawds. They controlled the Towers and with it the Weave. The Towers were anchored to the Weave. Any localized spell or magic was routed thru them. The Gawds weren’t kindly benevolent rulers. Calling them tyrants doesn’t go far enough. The Gawds were the supreme powers of the Second Age. The scattered mortal races were little more than play things. Gerand and his lieutenants had created countless abominations from them. To the Gawds they were little more than cannon fodder in a series of unending wars. With the Umbla banished any petty insult was answered with a new creation or an army of thousands marched off to die. The Ancient Ones quickly forgot any ties they might have once had to each other. They became separate races with separate traditions and ideals. The Gawds, especially Gerand, manipulated the races themselves. Much like he had done with the Yae, betrayal and internal conflict was used to weaken the races support of each other. The dwarven clan of Goblata sold its kin into slavery. Giants conquered and enslaved dozens of races. The Kinslayer Wars were set off by lies whispered from the dark. Dragons, werewolves and vampires were created. Men and the Kinder sailed west to avoid all of this.

 

Seelian was born On Northern Ovelesk in the western lands of King Marson. The sea king had led his people across the Great Sea seeking shelter from the constant warfare. On Ovelesk magic was wilder and less tamed. The distant reach of the Towers meant that magic was governed less directly. Seelian studied it in its raw form and wrote his magical treatises. Funded by Marson he constructed the first Citadel of magic near the capitol city of Torvin. Seelian’s fame brought apprentices from far and wide to study with him. The prosperity of Marson and his allies quickly established a series of city-states reminiscent of earth’s Greeks. As the allies gained power and wealth more people found time to pursue leisure activities. Soon Seelian had more students wanting to attend than his school could support. He chose four of his apprentices and sent them to the most potent of the Marson’s allies to establish Citadels. Seelian chose locales that mirrored the locations of the Towers on Yathe. At each cardinal point of Ovelesk a site was chosen for its Weave Foci and defensibility. The Citadels were widely publicized as homages to man’s homeland. In truth Seelian had been fashioning huge lodestones and imbuing them with magic. He utilized different magic types to counteract the Towers strengths and weaknesses.

 

Citadel of Stone > Tower of Eglain

Citadel of the Mists > Tower of Karnin

Citadel at Killian > Tower of Run Imar

Citadel at Odanis > Tower of Rom Shar

Citadel of Arland> Tower of Tal Aer

 

We’ll talk more about lodestones in a future article. Seelian’s actions were a calculated response to the power of the Gawds. Kylia Humstock, the eldest of Master Coil’s apprentices, said it best in her treatise:

 

Seelian in meddling with the balance of the Five Towers in effect placed his hand on the rod of magic and bent it beyond the point of shattering. The effect was that he came away holding two halves of magic. Seelian, in his shortsightedness, failed to see the shards that would be strewn upon the floor.

-Kylia Humstock, Treatise on the Dangers of Power

The Breaking, an end of the age

 

The event had cataclysmic effects all over Ea-Reth. The Leyline that ran between Odanis and Arland also ran along a fault line. The strain triggered the fault. The earth opened up. The continent broke in twain. Arland and its Citadel plummeted beneath the sea. Odanis was spared by a mere thousand feet. For weeks the sea rushed to fill the void. The sound like a great gargling monster. The Gargle Canal now separated North and Southern Ovelesk.

 

South of Yathe the war of the Pey and the Torrians was brought to an abrupt halt when the southern half of Yathe and most of its habitants vanished. All that remained was Torroskar, home of the Torrians. The Lake of Fire disappeared and the Imar, a chasm of fire running from the volcanic mountain chain in Omarond to the Lake, poured into the void. In the West the sea poured into the same. The two mixed and intermingled for the next six hundred years. Torroskar, once a series of natural pinnacles and cliff side dwellings, became an isolated island chain. Tal Aer plummeted beneath the waves. The Gawds likewise vanished. The Towers now empty vestiges of a bygone age. Their effect on evolution stopped.

 

The Gawds found that there magic was reduced. Those Pey that survived the transition to their new homes, found that much of their power was gone. The Umbla laughed at the new comers to their plane. Will, Word and Birth were no longer enough. With no direct tie to the Weave the Gawds could not access the power they once took for granted. They now had to earn the way the Umbla had during their exile. They needed the believe of mortal followers. The Gawds found they were locked out of the mortal plane, unable to manifest or directly impacted the world.

 

Magic Users too found that the very nature of magic had shifted. Spells that once worked now failed. Magic Users that could draw directly from the Weave found that their efforts were hampered. To regain their power two new disciplines arose. Subtle magic was adopted by a group that found that by meditation and supplication to the Gawds/Pey/Umbla they could use some spells. During the Third Age clerical orders sprang up across Ovelesk and Yathe dedicated to these Deities. Their use of curative magic became beneficial to the populace and temples were erected and believe spread increasing their power. Vulgar magic was adopt by another large group that found that study of the world, leylines and its inhabitants produced ways to activate spells. Magi became a grouped of learned scholars. Their efforts oft proved powerful and shocking displays of might. The people turned on them, so they hid away in the Citadels and other strongholds of power becoming secluded and suspicious. The Gray Council turned from sharing knowledge to hoarding it. Likewise, the old ties to the Alia Tai were renewed.

 

As the new age marched on, new methods were invented and other groups arose. The Amon Ka, trapped powerful demons and devils to gain power. The Amon Sil, brokered deals with old Fey spirits gaining their own brand of power. The Tor Siri found that the undead, particularly Vampyre, contained a powerful source of magic. They joined the Council and strengthened it.

World Building in 30 days - History 1A - Magic

In the seventh age an industrious young scientist will deduce that the Thaum is the smallest measureable amount of magic in the universe. It comprises all things due to the events of the Spell Plague and in his vanity he will build a machine to split the Thaum. The resultant sound will awaken Fenris the pet dire wolf of Gulohg. The ravenous hunger of the beast coupled with the knowledge that his master was slain will bring about the end times. Lo the great wolf swallowed the sun and the world became as night.

Fortunately, for Ea-Reth none of this has happened yet. The inhabitants of the fifth age and before are still a superstitious lot and magic hasn’t lost its wonder. Each of these five ages has its theories and beliefs about how magic works. By the fifth age a whole host of earlier theories have been unified under the edicts of the Grey Council and further indoctrinated by tyrannical rule of the Tor Siri. We will get to all that, but first we have to return to the beginning to understand the basic nature of magic as the learned know of it.

First Age

· Creation

· Rise of the Umbla

· Shaping of the Lands

· Building of the Towers

· Birth of the Gawds

· Birth of Tima

· Rise of the First Race

· Dawn War

· First Sundering

First Age - Creation

When Anrica arose from the swirling mists of chaos to form the world it did so from a seething mass of magic. The strength of its will alone created itself. The left over chaos was ordered and structured into a framework. All of creation was anchored to the central tower, Eglain. Mages call this framework the Weave, whilst Clerics call it the Divine Lattice. This Will and Weave are the first two forms of magic. Exhausted from his efforts Anrica slumbered.

First Age - Rise of the Umbla

In this era before time began arose the Umbla, the primordial beings that sprang from the resting creator. Each of the Umbla came from a different part of Anrica. Aeres came from its breath, master of Air and Wind. Yero came from its hands, master of Forge and Land. From its hair came Anu El, mistress of the Void and maker of the curtain of Night. The breath that became Aeres ruffled this hair and ever so the two were linked. Abyss arose from the drool that struck the Weave. He is master of Water in all its forms. Feydyakhan is the master of Fire, his origins are in the dreams of Anrica.

When Anrica awoke tears of joy and dismay flowed from its eyes and the last two Umbla were formed. Tyr and Gerand, the twin Umbla. Anrica was joyful to see its children, but dismayed for it saw the strife they would endure. Anrica named these beings1 and taught them some of what it knew. Anrica ordained the Umbla would use this knowledge to build on the framework. Thus the middle magics were discovered Emotion Magic, Word Magic, and Granted Magic.

First Age - Shaping of the Lands

The first years were pretty lame from a story telling aspect. The Umbla built on the framework, working together, having petty fights as young children are wont to do. It was a chaotic time of upheaval and accidents. Anu El spent much time with Tyr and Gerand in Eglain. She was very industrious and filled the further reaches of sky with darkness and light. Eventually the basic shape of the world would come into shape. Each of the Umbla carving out bits of Yathe for themselves. Furthest north a land of hard stone, and harsh deserts would form around Yero. To the west a great ocean of deep dark places would shelter Abyss from his brothers plans. In the east Feydyakhan would alight the mountain tops that Yero and he made during a wrestling match. Molten stone would run to the south in a great chasm ending in a lake of fire. Above this lake Aeres would ride the warm curtains of air. The nature of the world was simple, but the Umbla became lonely and one by one they returned to Eglain.

Second Version

First Age - Building the Towers

Outsiders lurked beyond the ordered world. Anrica called to them and bid the outsiders to join them. Some did and became the Pey, others refused the call and remained outside. The Pey are mysterious figures in Ea-reth's history. I am not particularly fond of the concept that the Pey were made specifically to sooth the desires of the Umbla. I find it just a little too sexist. I prefer to believe they existed of their own right and the Umbla's feelings prompted them to court these beings. Each finding those that most complemented their nature. Eventually each Umbla raised a Tower in the area of their favored land. The fashioning of these towers are tales of struggle and magic in their own right but for this post I will stick to the basics.

Yero built Karnin shaping it from the tallest mountain. The Tower was built in the stone lands of Thak Tarkas and its base stretched to the root of the world. Its immovable nature makes it a symbol of order, stubbornness and law. Yero courted Threa, a Gawd of immeasurable beauty and daughter of Tyr. To win her hand he fashioned the Great Weapons. This tale will be a future post.

Aeres built Tal Aer shaping it from clouds and sunbeams. The Tower rides the winds above Taeltor. It's ever changing in shape and place making a symbol of change and chaos. Aeres was the longest Umbla to remain a bachelor. Ka the winged Pey was his companion until Anu El won his heart and quieted his wild nature. Aeres and Anu El are also the names of the binary stars in the system their erratic nature is attributed to this courtship.

Feydyakhan built his home from living fire and dark volcanic stone. Rûn Imar stands to the east on the Plains of Ash. It is a symbol of a destruction and rebirth. After the Dawn War it would become a place of dark magic and evil. Feydyakhan found a kindred soul in Salan, mistress of dreams.

Abyss built Romshar of crystallized ice and the shells of sea creatures. It was raised on the shores of Ille Torrasis, the isle gardens. Abyss was the first to wed, his bride, Queres, would create the minor creatures of land and sea in homage to the Ancient Ones or perhaps as spies and messengers during the dawn war.

First Age - Birth of the Gawds

The Pey merged with the Umbla and begat the Gawds. The Pey brought with them Inherent Magic. The granted magic of the Umbla and the Inherrent Magic of the Pey manifested in an odd culmination of Will Magic in their children. This would not become apparent until after the Dawn War.

Slowly children were born. Tyr and Hale begat, Threa Gawdess of beauty. Feydyakhan and Salan begat Tima and time began to flow.

Anrica/Regla (All Father/Mother)

• Tyr (Joy, Duty) and Hale (Healing, Wisdom)
• 3 Gawds Onarmo (Mercy), Osandi (Judgement), Drept (Justice)
• Abyss (Water) and Queres (Animals)
• 4 Gawds Ashar (Water Animals), Kinshar (tides), Asolan (Rain), Maesto (Fog/Clouds)
• Aeres (Sky) and Anu El (Heavens)
• 5 Gawds Cosna (Comet), Whoosh (Winds), Ka (Birds), twins Gaust(Thunder) and Imarnan (Lightning)
• Feydyakhan (Fire) and Salan (Dreams)
• 2 Gawds Arlak (Nightmares), Tima (Time)
• Yero (Earth) and Threa (Beauty)
• 1 Gawd Linul (Flora)
• Gerand (Strife)
• 3 Gawds Gosamar(Vengenance), Malia (Death), Laski (Pain)

Valka (War), Isprava (Betrayal)

First Age - First Race Rises

So for many years these six types were the known magic of the world. Anrica fashioned the Ancient Ones, the progenitors of life on Ea-reth and the Umbla and Gawds set about their tasks. It was not long before strife began. The Umbla had fashioned many beautiful and wonderful things, but each had tastes that suited them while angering others. The eldest four raised their own Towers each carving out a territory to suit themselves. The towers shaped Ea-Reth and the Ancient Ones that dwelt nearby. Tyr and Anu El remained in Eglain. Tyr wanted to be close to the creator he adored. Anu El because her heart belonged to Aeres and he had not yet noticed her, consumed by the wind and the sky.

The most restless was Gerand, the youngest Umbla. He ranged far and wide searching for something to quiet his ever seeking mind. The awakening of the Ancient Ones had driven a wedge between Gerand and Anrica. He spoke with the Pey, he spoke with the Outsiders, he spoke with the Umbla, but nowhere could he find what he sought. At last deep within the dark reaches he found the secret art he craved. In lands un-reached by the hand of Anrica a dark power lay untapped. Gerand infused himself with this art and returned to Ea-reth, his intent to confront Anrica with this new power. Tyr met his brother with joy at his return to the Tower of Eglain. Gerand moved to slay Anrica, but Tyr saw the darkness growing in him. Tyr chose his duty over his twin and moved forward to protect Anrica. Gerand's magic lashed out and struck Tyr. Tyr was split in twain, his form ripped asunder by the magic. Ea-reth shuddered. For the second time Anrica enforced its will to reshape the world. As Tyr was split so was Ea-reth. Tyr's magic was sent to create the Feywild. Tyr's spirit was sent to create the Shadowfell. In the mortal realm his body fell lifeless, the first death. Seeing what he had done Gerand fell to his knees and wept. Anrica left Eglain in that moment, never to be seen again. There are those that say Anrica watches over us still.

Gerand cried out his soul for what he had done. At last he gathered his wits and his soul tears. He gathered his secret art from within himself and poured its power into his tears. One by one they dripped from his fingers into Tyr's mouth. The body jerked and lifeless eyes awakened. Gerand felt hollow, all his anger, despair and rage had been poured into what once was Tyr. He discovered he could control the body with a minor effort. He called the corpse Gosamar. He gave it Necradur and claimed Tyr's weapon as his own. Gerand had discovered Vulgar Magic, the magic to split and splice souls, magic and bodies. Here lies the origin of death, undead, and dark corruption. So began the Dawn War2.

First Age - Dawn War

If one was reading yesterday they may have noticed that the First Sundering came later in the Outline of History then the tale above. It should be noted that the Sunderings, much like evolution, do not happen overnight but that their place is noted at the end of the cycle.

A few events during the Dawn War have a major impact on Magic. I will spare you too much detail. The main thrust is that Gerand having slain one brother and ran off the father/mother figure of the Umbla now tries to seize power for himself. He does this thru a few different tacks. The first is to manipulate and divide the Umbla from their children the Gawds. The second is to drag the Outsiders into the fight. The last is to betray the Umbla at a critical juncture via the Djinn.

Battle lines are formed and both Pey and Outsiders are used as shock troops. I haven't talked too much about what these are. Pey are the Immortals of DnD. Angels, Archons, Devils, Djinn, Efreet, Devas, Rhakshaasa, Gith, Genasi etc. in a state prior to their final forms. Likewise the outsiders are Demons but not yet corrupted.

The Gawds eventually win and drive the Umbla out into what will become the Elemental Chaos. Those that served the Umbla flee with them. The Pey that become the Efreet, Genasi and Archons. The Outsiders retreat with the Umbla but a rift exists there that will never be healed. Drug into a war they did not want, the grudge against both sides will last for many years.

The Pey that served the Gawds Angels/Devils, Deva/Rhakshaasa, Gith and Genasi are given a realm in Taeltor. This upsets the Torrians who were Aeres chosen people but that comes later. The Djinn were Efreet whom served the Umbla but betrayed them to the Gawds, under the guile of Gerand. The Gawds punish them by imprisoning them in magical objects.

Gerand has sided with the Gawds and expects to take over the Tower of Eglain, but is instead shunted to Feydyakhan's tower in Omarond. He is not happy about this at all, but bides his time as we will see shortly. Meanwhile, the races have reached a stable point and a few years of harmony settles in. Ending the First Age.

First Age - First Sundering

The First Sundering split the Ancient Ones into five races:

• The Yae or northern tribe - hard, stubborn

The Yae developed thick skin. There eyes were like rock with no whites. They developed dark vision and tough stomachs.

• The Mae or western tribe - sea faring, flexible

The Mae developed skin that adapted to the sun and salt. They had eyes that dilated based on the light conditions. They adapted to their changing environment easily. They learned to build simple ships and search the coast for fish and food.

• The Drae or eastern tribe - destructive, predatory

The Drae developed hard scales to protect them from the heat. Small noses and nictitating eyelids to limit the fumes and ash. They fed on what they could find bugs, small lizards and even cannibalising in some cases.

• The Fae those that stayed - balanced, magical

The Fae remained closest to how they were created until Tyr's death. The split of worlds affected them most. Some remained in Ea-reth, they could see into the other realms. Others were hurled in the Feywild. A small group found themselves in the Shadowfell. All were infused with Magic at Tyr's death.

• The Tae the southern tribe - wild, free

The Tae grew feathers and learned to fly. They discovered Flora and Fauna and the northern edge of their lands. Some learned to hunt while others gathered. They made roosts in the pillared formations of Torroskar. Their mouths and feet developed to help them master their diets.

1. I can't help but be entranced by JRR Tolkien's idea that the world was sung into creation. In the back of my mind I toy with the idea that the true name of things may be song, tone, and rhythm as much as cognitive word structure. The scene of Meklor's discorded voice being taken in account to the structure of the music is an evocative idea, and has to have a place in any full creation myth.

2. The Dawn War mirrors some of the typical DnD settings standard fair but has been updated to fit with all of the mythology and other events of my world. I refer to it by this name for homage to its source.

 

World Building in 30 Days - Cosmology

“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

“For Man to tell how human life began is hard; for who himself beginning knew?”― John Milton, Paradise Lost

“The type of nothing from which something can arise is truly something.”― John K. Brown

Today's article is a tall order. Kosmos & Logia - Study of World ie the study of the origin, evolution and fate of the world/universe.

 

Cosmology

i. Physical Layout

ii. Planes

iii. Creation - high level Truth

iv. Creation - Theories?

v. Historical

As a gamer at my core I have some of the D&D terminology in my head as I discuss this article. My players might use this terminology but their characters or any of my stories characters would not.

Physical Layout

The prime material plane, or that existence to which most characters would refer to as the "real world" is known as Ea-reth¹. Yathe² is the largest and oldest continent. The inhabitants of Ea-reth also call it the Old World. The southern part of Yathe was scooped off the face of the world in a cataclysmic event known as the Last Sundering. Five towers were built on Yathe early in the First Age. These towers were each home of one of the first beings, called Umbla. The Umbla have been worshipped as gawds and primordials by different races throughout history. In my mind they are more akin to Archangels or personified forces of nature than deities. More on that in a minute. Ovelesk³ is the other major continent. At one point an ice bridge connected the two continents. After the Second Sundering the ice cap receded and the two continents were no longer connected. Ovelesk is the home of mankind after the second sundering. During the events of the Last Sundering Ovelesk was split in twain (by drifting continents/magic?). The Northern and Southern continents are split by the Gargle Canal, a Red Sea like divide that measures 200 miles at its narrowest point.

An Early Draft

The world is round. The solar system is a binary star system with the primary star being named after Aeres the eldest Umbla and the secondary star Anu El, his wife. Ea-reth has four moons Abyss, Gerand, Tyr and Yero the remaining Umbla. Another seven planets make up the solar system with a total of twenty-one moons between them. Each planet and moon is name for a demi-gawd family.

Planes

There are two "mirror" planes/dimensions. The opening/closing lines from Tales from the Darkside the TV series⁴ and the battle with the Ring Wraiths at Weathertop and the Fords have always stuck with me. Glorfindel appearing as a shining light in Frodo's vision just screamed awesome to me. 4E's Shadowfell and Feywild contain elements of my view but never quite went far enough in my opinion. The concept of the etheric or ethereal plane from OD&D also contains elements of what is in my imagination. Simply put the things and creatures in the world consist of three parts. The corporeal or material flesh and bone, the spirit or soul, and the creative intellect or magical spark (animus). These three components exist simultaneously in each dimension and different creatures are composed more strongly of some of these elements than others. Fey creatures for example contain more magical energy, in most cases when they die they fade from the material plane and their magical energy returns to the Feywild. They also exist in both the Feywild and Ea-reth simultaneously. This accounts for their infravision and some Fey can manifest fully in one realm or the other allowing them to travel great distances. I will talk more about the effects of planes on the creation of undead and traits of some races in the race article. A +1 sword is imbued with power from two dimensions, a +2 sword is imbued with power of three dimensions. This existence in more than one plane allows it to hurt some creatures that are immune to only corporeal damage.

A quick note on the terms Shadow/Light and Above/Below as regarding planar travel. The planes are not places one can reach by simply walking to or sailing to via normal means. Nor do they exist in space. The terms Shadow and Light refer to their natures but should not be discerned to mean the plane of light is safe or full of tranquil bunnies. Neither should the Plane Above or Below be taken to mean the physical locale. The physical laws of Space and Time work only on the prime material plane. In this plane only Ea-reth and its orbiting heavenly bodies exist. Magical means are necessary to reach these other planes. The easiest to stumble upon is the Feywild due to its innate magical nature. Feycrossings open up at certain times of year, in odd places for inexplicable reasons. Next easily bumbled into is the Shadowfell. Strong negative emotion (fear, hatred, loathing etc.), bloody conflicts, and insanity can all be catalysts for causing a Shadowfall. Shadowfall's are places where the dark realm leaks over into the material plane. Undead and darker creatures can be encountered here. Ghost haunts are common indicators of a Shadowfall. Lastly, are the realms of the immortals. These planes are the hardest to reach. Similar to the Astral Sea, Abyss, Elemental Chaos and the Great Wheel cosmos from various incarnations of DND. These planes are dangerous to mortals without specific cautions being taken. These planes are not definable by human understanding and though any theory documented may be plausible it is impossible to map nor reach a destination multiple times. I will definitely expound on these matters in a future article.

Religion - the Simple Truth

Anrica arose from the Chaos in the Beginning and brought order to it. From Anrica sprang the Umbla. The Umbla further shaped Ea-Reth. This was done via intent, the 5 Towers, War, and accident. The Umbla merged/mated with the Pey and from them the Gawds were born. The origin of the Pey is a mystery even to the Umbla. Anrica created the first race, the Ancient Ones, and when Tima was born they awoke.

The Four Sunderings shaped the Ancient Ones into the Peoples of Ea-Reth today. The First Sundering was caused by the influence and proximity to the towers. The Second Sundering was caused by strife between the races and deliberant tampering by Gerand. The Third Sundering occurred when the Gawds responded to the unleashing of Gerand's creations. The Last Sundering was brought about by Seelian Coil's Citadels ripped power from the Towers and put an end to the Sunderings, nearly destroying the world. The Umbla and the Gawds withdrew from the world after this their power diminished. Their final act was to remove Taeltor from the world and turn its inhabitants into the Primal Spirits that prevent the Immortals direct involvement in mortal affairs.

Religion - Theories

Each Race, Church and Sect has its theories of how the world was created and who created their race.

For example, the dwarves claim Yero is Moradin, the forge lord. They say he fashioned the dwarves from stone and breathed life into them. They revere Anu El calling her the star hanger. They say that she collects the best in dwarven souls and fashions them into gems sewn into the curtain of night.

By way of truth the dwarves were part of the Yae⁵ a race that went north and were influenced by the tower Karnin. Karnin provided them hard demeanors, and a sense of law and order. During the Second Sundering the Yae split and two new races were born. Gerand spread lies and the Yae-Dwarv⁶ fought the Yae-Yant⁷ for food. The Yant proved more powerful since they were aided by Gerand. The Yant hogged the resources, grew tall and strong . The Dwarv soon found themselves hunted by the Yant. Yero took pity on the small and tough Dwarv. He taught them to forge and plant. He showed them how to burrow beneath the ground for safety. The dwarves never forgot the night sky, and soon found gems and veins of precious ore that reminded them of the night sky. They also never forgot their hatred of the giant kin. This is one example of how religion misconstrued the truth behind

History - Outline 1

First Age

· Creation

· Rise of the Umbla

· Shaping of the Lands

· Building of the Towers

· Birth of the Gawds

· Birth of Tima

· Rise of the First Race

· Dawn War

· First Sundering

1. It is a nod to Oerth/Aerth etc. of Gygax as well as a nod to Tolkien's Simarilion where at creation the words Ea were uttered

2. It comes from the KJV bible meaning pinned, pegged and was probably picked up subconsciously reading Exodus etc. Interestingly enough I also found it in the urban dictionary from 2010, meaning god-like. These are both interesting references as creation started here

3. Ovelesk is a play on words from Oval-esque. Originally it was a dream land that contained all things dreamt of by mankind and was roughly oval shaped in its infinity. As the word solidified and things took on a more realistic feel the world changed but the name did not

4. Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But...there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit... a darkside. The darkside is always there, waiting for us to enter - waiting to enter us. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight

5. Yae - North in Ancient, Hard in Giant and Rock in Dwarven

6. Dwarv - Dwell in Soil in Ancient

7. Yant - Dwell on Soil in Ancient