Post by Lord Wilhelm Arngrimsson on Dec 21, 2009 4:31:13 GMT -4
You'll recognize a lot of the stuff in here, I pulled it from various sources of inspiration, like Warcraft, D&D General, stuff like that. But I wanted something with a deep multi-cultural feel and a unique afterlife and planar setting. Heres what I have so far:
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NEW D&D SETTING
Species
Humans
+European-Based
-Skadians (Viking/Celtic)
: Barbarian and Shaman/Druid based. Spirituality and Steel.
-Hyperions(Imperials)
: Based on Roman/Greeks. Legions, Emperor, senate, etc.
-Galeons(Modernists)
: Science instead of gods, athiestical. Technology-based
+African-Based
-Kimbaz (Tribal)
: Tribalistic and low-tech, with rough shamans and primal fighters. No metals, refined arts, studied magic, or other advanced technologies. Government is non-existent save for tribe leaders.
-Djomaji (Mystics)
: Secretive and cabalistic. Most are mage/fighter hybrids. There are very few Djomaji in the outside world, due to their exclusive nature. Led by a circle of 5 Hierophants. Very dark-skinned and large-built.
+Asian-Based
-Onin (Sengoku)
: Samurai, Shoguns, Shugenja and Ninja, Based on Sengoku-period Japan
-Tsao-Fe (Militant)
: Districts, Officers, Soldiers, and Leaders. Based on three-kingdoms China
+Middle-Eastern Based
-Maskara (Nomads)
:Travelers and merchants, usually very self-secretive, but very social. A lot of bandits and assassins comparatively
-Indradia (Nobility)
:Hedonistic and prideful, extraordinarily rich.
-Roma
: Nomadic and artistically-inclined. Most are story-tellers or mystics, or on the seedier side, tricksters and gypsies.
Orcs
+The Tribes - Organized Tribes, Shamanistic and Honor Based. Very earthen and primal.
+The Hordes - Soulless Monsters, traditional orcs. Demonic-based and non-sexually reproduced. Spawned from demon pits. Their demonic patrons removed their ability to reproduce so that they could monitor and control the flows, and increase them to way higher amounts than time would normally allow.
Dwarves
+Dwarves - Traditional dwarven culture.
+Dark Dwarves - Sinister dwellers of subterranean dungeons. Filthy and foul, always Chaotic Evil. Their practices often repulse others, even fellow evil creatures. They are created from black earth by their twisted God by hand.
Elves
+Svartalfar - Moon Elves, Evil and dark. Pale, bluish skin. prefers dark and sinister natural habitat.
:Swamps, Mires, etc.
+Vitalfar - Sun Elves, Good and light. Fair-skinned, blonde-haired. Prefers majestic settings.
:Grand towers, elegant castles, etc.
+Landvittar - Earth Elves, Usually neutral, earth-toned hair and clothes, prefers to live in nature. Often mistaken for fey.
Gods and Religion
Each species and race have their own gods that they believe in. All of these gods exist, but for the most part on separate levels. War is one of the only times gods of different races co-mingle.
Humans
-Skadians
+Traditional Norse Gods, Also with Reverence of Ancestral and Nature Spirits.
-Hyperions
+Traditional Greek Gods, Though many are lax with their worship.
-Galeons
+ Do not follow any Gods. Their religion is Scientific Method and Discovery.
-Kimbaz
+ Strictly follow the ancient Tribal Spirits, and those of the Animal Totems.
-Djomaji
+ Worship is a foreign concept. Religion for the Djomaji means worship of the self.
-Onin
+ Ancestral Worship.
-Tsao-Fe
+ The Four Dragon Spirits, Northern Wind, Southern Earth, Eastern Fire, and Western Water.
-Maskara and Indradia
+ Traditional Indian Gods
-Roma
+ Various beliefs usually handed down and developed through story-telling.
Orcs
-Tribes
+Heavily influenced by Tribal Ancestors and Nature Spirits
-Hordes
+Follow Demonic Patrons of Each Clan
Dwarves
-Dwarves
+The Earth Forger, Patriarch of the Earth Elementals
-Dark Dwarves
+Live under the God-King Creator, Dreggerik the Despoiler
Elves
-Sun Elves
+Central Deity; Helandris Athilis, Matron of Magic
-Moon Elves
+Direct Worship of the Moon and it's embodiment, Krayliss
-Earth Elves
+Strict Nature spirit worship
Magic
Magic's source in the world comes from the Prismatic Plane, one of the two worlds over-lapping the material world. It is the realm of all fey-kind, though the fey do not control the flow of magic.
Each class gets it's magic a different way.
Sorcerers
-Those who either have fey-blood or have been marked by the fey.
Favored Souls
-The chosen ones of the gods. They always have a marked purpose in life that they must fulfill.
Wizards
-The first of the mages were granted their magic by an ancient dragon who had learned to manipulate the leaks in the fabric between the Material Plane and the Prismatic Plane.
Clerics
-Clerics are only allowed in societies with functioning Deities. Those who do not have Shamans instead, except for Galeons who have access to no magic.
Shamans
-Shamans can exist in any culture that reveres nature or ancestral spirits. They draw power from the force of the Elemental Planes and the living world around them.
Necromancers
-The God of Death, Zuul grants only those who devote themselves to Him the power over death and unlife, and access to the Shadow Realm. All Necromantic spells can only be cast by a Necromancer.
The Planes and Worlds
The Prime World consists of the material plane is overlapped by two separate dimensions. Beyond this there is the World of the Afterlife for EACH Species and Race, the Elemental Eternity, the Heavens, The Underworld, and the Daemonic Reaches.
The Prime World
+Each Mirror the Other. The lands are the same, but the inhabitants, look, and feel are different.
-Material Plane
+The realm of the living and non-fey beings. A world of rising and falling empires and warring nations.
-Shadow Realm
+The realm of death. When one dies they walk upon this plane. It mirrors the Material plane, but is lacking of all colors. One can find their way to each of the Afterlife Worlds from here, but several restless spirits, chaotic beings, and shadow-things stay here, making it a very unnerving if not dangerous place for the living to walk. The remains of long-gone ruins of ancient civilizations litter the fields of the Shadow Realm, and no living structures of the current age appear here. The only active and towering building is Zuul's Citadel, a massive obsidian keep watched over by the God of Death.
-Prismatic Fields
+Home of the Fey-Kind and of the Magic of the Material Plane. It is a mirror of the Material plane, but all colors are amplified several dozen times over, and anything dull is instead vibrant and alive. There are two civilizations here, the Court of the Fey, and the Undercourt, home of the evil fey-kind.
The Afterlife (All)
The afterlife holds unique prospects for each of the races and species, however there are some places that any soul may end up in.
-The Torture Realms
The Afterlife (Specific)
-Skadians
+The Plains of Asgard, holding the halls of the Gods.
: Some become Draugr, protectors of Burial Mounds.
-Hyperions
+Olympus, far-reaching world of the Gods
-Galeons
+ Galeon souls simply cease to be after death.
-Kimbaz
+ Dead souls usually become specters, ghosts, and other incorporeal undead, and stay with the tribe, usually becoming revered.
-Djomaji
+ Djomaji stave off death by whatever means they can. If immortality cannot be reached, either by lichdom, vampirism or other means, a Djomaji soul will hold on to it's mind as long as it can. If it ever looses it's free being, it will willing destroy itself by whatever means it can.
-Onin
+ Onin who die have a few options or possibilities.
:Becoming a Family Spirit, Becoming a restless evil spirit, or moving on the the Ancestral Plane.
-Tsao-Fe
+ Reincarnation, or ascension to the heavens after the final death of the cycle.
-Maskara and Indradia
+ Reincarnation
: Most Indradia are too hedonistic and un-religious, and end up in the Tortured Realm.
-Roma
+ Most spirits upon death return to the “Earthblood”, a flow of natural energy tapped by Roma mystics and nature.
Orcs
-Tribes
+Spirits of the deceased guide their descendants. Those who are the last of their bloodline become one with the earth, becoming landmark-like totems.
-Hordes
+Souls are enslaved to their demonic patrons.
Dwarves
-Dwarves
+Upon death, dwarven souls become one with the primal clay, and are granted to new births. Particularly heroic dwarves will have their souls forged into grand stone-works or metal-works.
-Dark Dwarves
+Dark dwarves are nothing but fodder to their sadistic creator, and all souls are his to do with as he pleases.
Elves
-All Elves live forever naturally, eventually after several millenia they become so earth-like that they become part of their ancestral lands. If they die, their souls transfer to the Prismatic Planes and they become Fey-Kin.
--------------------------
NEW D&D SETTING
Species
Humans
+European-Based
-Skadians (Viking/Celtic)
: Barbarian and Shaman/Druid based. Spirituality and Steel.
-Hyperions(Imperials)
: Based on Roman/Greeks. Legions, Emperor, senate, etc.
-Galeons(Modernists)
: Science instead of gods, athiestical. Technology-based
+African-Based
-Kimbaz (Tribal)
: Tribalistic and low-tech, with rough shamans and primal fighters. No metals, refined arts, studied magic, or other advanced technologies. Government is non-existent save for tribe leaders.
-Djomaji (Mystics)
: Secretive and cabalistic. Most are mage/fighter hybrids. There are very few Djomaji in the outside world, due to their exclusive nature. Led by a circle of 5 Hierophants. Very dark-skinned and large-built.
+Asian-Based
-Onin (Sengoku)
: Samurai, Shoguns, Shugenja and Ninja, Based on Sengoku-period Japan
-Tsao-Fe (Militant)
: Districts, Officers, Soldiers, and Leaders. Based on three-kingdoms China
+Middle-Eastern Based
-Maskara (Nomads)
:Travelers and merchants, usually very self-secretive, but very social. A lot of bandits and assassins comparatively
-Indradia (Nobility)
:Hedonistic and prideful, extraordinarily rich.
-Roma
: Nomadic and artistically-inclined. Most are story-tellers or mystics, or on the seedier side, tricksters and gypsies.
Orcs
+The Tribes - Organized Tribes, Shamanistic and Honor Based. Very earthen and primal.
+The Hordes - Soulless Monsters, traditional orcs. Demonic-based and non-sexually reproduced. Spawned from demon pits. Their demonic patrons removed their ability to reproduce so that they could monitor and control the flows, and increase them to way higher amounts than time would normally allow.
Dwarves
+Dwarves - Traditional dwarven culture.
+Dark Dwarves - Sinister dwellers of subterranean dungeons. Filthy and foul, always Chaotic Evil. Their practices often repulse others, even fellow evil creatures. They are created from black earth by their twisted God by hand.
Elves
+Svartalfar - Moon Elves, Evil and dark. Pale, bluish skin. prefers dark and sinister natural habitat.
:Swamps, Mires, etc.
+Vitalfar - Sun Elves, Good and light. Fair-skinned, blonde-haired. Prefers majestic settings.
:Grand towers, elegant castles, etc.
+Landvittar - Earth Elves, Usually neutral, earth-toned hair and clothes, prefers to live in nature. Often mistaken for fey.
Gods and Religion
Each species and race have their own gods that they believe in. All of these gods exist, but for the most part on separate levels. War is one of the only times gods of different races co-mingle.
Humans
-Skadians
+Traditional Norse Gods, Also with Reverence of Ancestral and Nature Spirits.
-Hyperions
+Traditional Greek Gods, Though many are lax with their worship.
-Galeons
+ Do not follow any Gods. Their religion is Scientific Method and Discovery.
-Kimbaz
+ Strictly follow the ancient Tribal Spirits, and those of the Animal Totems.
-Djomaji
+ Worship is a foreign concept. Religion for the Djomaji means worship of the self.
-Onin
+ Ancestral Worship.
-Tsao-Fe
+ The Four Dragon Spirits, Northern Wind, Southern Earth, Eastern Fire, and Western Water.
-Maskara and Indradia
+ Traditional Indian Gods
-Roma
+ Various beliefs usually handed down and developed through story-telling.
Orcs
-Tribes
+Heavily influenced by Tribal Ancestors and Nature Spirits
-Hordes
+Follow Demonic Patrons of Each Clan
Dwarves
-Dwarves
+The Earth Forger, Patriarch of the Earth Elementals
-Dark Dwarves
+Live under the God-King Creator, Dreggerik the Despoiler
Elves
-Sun Elves
+Central Deity; Helandris Athilis, Matron of Magic
-Moon Elves
+Direct Worship of the Moon and it's embodiment, Krayliss
-Earth Elves
+Strict Nature spirit worship
Magic
Magic's source in the world comes from the Prismatic Plane, one of the two worlds over-lapping the material world. It is the realm of all fey-kind, though the fey do not control the flow of magic.
Each class gets it's magic a different way.
Sorcerers
-Those who either have fey-blood or have been marked by the fey.
Favored Souls
-The chosen ones of the gods. They always have a marked purpose in life that they must fulfill.
Wizards
-The first of the mages were granted their magic by an ancient dragon who had learned to manipulate the leaks in the fabric between the Material Plane and the Prismatic Plane.
Clerics
-Clerics are only allowed in societies with functioning Deities. Those who do not have Shamans instead, except for Galeons who have access to no magic.
Shamans
-Shamans can exist in any culture that reveres nature or ancestral spirits. They draw power from the force of the Elemental Planes and the living world around them.
Necromancers
-The God of Death, Zuul grants only those who devote themselves to Him the power over death and unlife, and access to the Shadow Realm. All Necromantic spells can only be cast by a Necromancer.
The Planes and Worlds
The Prime World consists of the material plane is overlapped by two separate dimensions. Beyond this there is the World of the Afterlife for EACH Species and Race, the Elemental Eternity, the Heavens, The Underworld, and the Daemonic Reaches.
The Prime World
+Each Mirror the Other. The lands are the same, but the inhabitants, look, and feel are different.
-Material Plane
+The realm of the living and non-fey beings. A world of rising and falling empires and warring nations.
-Shadow Realm
+The realm of death. When one dies they walk upon this plane. It mirrors the Material plane, but is lacking of all colors. One can find their way to each of the Afterlife Worlds from here, but several restless spirits, chaotic beings, and shadow-things stay here, making it a very unnerving if not dangerous place for the living to walk. The remains of long-gone ruins of ancient civilizations litter the fields of the Shadow Realm, and no living structures of the current age appear here. The only active and towering building is Zuul's Citadel, a massive obsidian keep watched over by the God of Death.
-Prismatic Fields
+Home of the Fey-Kind and of the Magic of the Material Plane. It is a mirror of the Material plane, but all colors are amplified several dozen times over, and anything dull is instead vibrant and alive. There are two civilizations here, the Court of the Fey, and the Undercourt, home of the evil fey-kind.
The Afterlife (All)
The afterlife holds unique prospects for each of the races and species, however there are some places that any soul may end up in.
-The Torture Realms
The Afterlife (Specific)
-Skadians
+The Plains of Asgard, holding the halls of the Gods.
: Some become Draugr, protectors of Burial Mounds.
-Hyperions
+Olympus, far-reaching world of the Gods
-Galeons
+ Galeon souls simply cease to be after death.
-Kimbaz
+ Dead souls usually become specters, ghosts, and other incorporeal undead, and stay with the tribe, usually becoming revered.
-Djomaji
+ Djomaji stave off death by whatever means they can. If immortality cannot be reached, either by lichdom, vampirism or other means, a Djomaji soul will hold on to it's mind as long as it can. If it ever looses it's free being, it will willing destroy itself by whatever means it can.
-Onin
+ Onin who die have a few options or possibilities.
:Becoming a Family Spirit, Becoming a restless evil spirit, or moving on the the Ancestral Plane.
-Tsao-Fe
+ Reincarnation, or ascension to the heavens after the final death of the cycle.
-Maskara and Indradia
+ Reincarnation
: Most Indradia are too hedonistic and un-religious, and end up in the Tortured Realm.
-Roma
+ Most spirits upon death return to the “Earthblood”, a flow of natural energy tapped by Roma mystics and nature.
Orcs
-Tribes
+Spirits of the deceased guide their descendants. Those who are the last of their bloodline become one with the earth, becoming landmark-like totems.
-Hordes
+Souls are enslaved to their demonic patrons.
Dwarves
-Dwarves
+Upon death, dwarven souls become one with the primal clay, and are granted to new births. Particularly heroic dwarves will have their souls forged into grand stone-works or metal-works.
-Dark Dwarves
+Dark dwarves are nothing but fodder to their sadistic creator, and all souls are his to do with as he pleases.
Elves
-All Elves live forever naturally, eventually after several millenia they become so earth-like that they become part of their ancestral lands. If they die, their souls transfer to the Prismatic Planes and they become Fey-Kin.
