Taking a moment to plug the campaign setting I've been working on here in these forums and at the old ones for way too long.
I could really use some outside eyes on the mechanics and balance (and some proofreading too most likely), and am entirely open to other advice and inspiration as well.
Verold:Verold is a large, blooming continent, but its borders drop into stark cliff faces and deep, endless mists. Sea travel is non-existent, and even knowledge of oceans beneath the mists is obscure.
Verold is basically set into a loose caste system from a millennium of essentially stagnant society. No major outside influences. No major internal upheavals.
But that is all about to change.
History of Verold:
In the beginning there was balance between the Clans, though there were seventeen at the time. Each, except for Man, warded and protected the animals that granted their abilities. They guarded the animals and their lands mainly from the few wanderers who had found their way into their small world, but occasionally from each other as well. However, Man steadily grew apart from the other Clans, eventually even leaving the Council of Ancients. In time, they severed their ties with the other Clans altogether. They grew to be a greater and greater threat, and the Ancients of the Clans called together a Council, to find a way to keep the ever-growing numbers of Man in check. As disputes broke out, the Clans sought to reestablish relations. The Ancients of the Raven Clan devised the plan to give the Clans the ability to take not only their natural forms, but also that of an even more Man-like shape, one with which they could readily pass through the villages and towns to speak to the Men directly, reestablishing trade and hopefully, peace.
Man however, has a short memory, and they reacted violently to the "demons of the forest" walking amongst them. They attacked the representatives that were sent to them, and then struck back at what they mistook for invasion. Man ruthlessly attacked the burrows of the Clans, using the dogs that had been given to them so long ago by the Wolves and the Coyotes to sniff out any who tried to hide.
The First Great War, a long, bloody ordeal that lasted for millennia, ensued. In the end, Man was wiped from existence, as were the Clans of the Crocodile, Deer, Eagle, and Horse. The remaining Clans all suffered horribly as well, and the most prolific and aggressive of them sought to take advantage of the situation. In the wake of the war, the Wolves grew to their former power far more quickly than any of the others, and they soon moved to fill the void that was left by Man and the weakening of their fellows. No one dared contest the Wolves' move to power, especially so soon after the end of such horrid fighting.
The Wolf Clan was soon the uncontested leader of all who remained. Even the mighty Bears could not face them. While their rule was simply opportunistic in the beginning, it soon grew cruel and heavy handed. The other Clans were enslaved and denied the ability to take their most powerful Hybrid forms, and over the eons, its use was lost to them. During this time, however, the other Clans were growing closer and more cooperative. No one remembers exactly what caused the change, but when the enslaved Clans finally rose up, the Wolves were unable to withstand their combined might.
A Second Great War erupted. The Wolf Clan's power was shattered, but the eleven other Clans would not leave it at that. They sought to exterminate the Wolf Clan completely, as they had done to Man so long ago. Some of the Wolves went into hiding, however, passing themselves off as either Coyotes or lowly dogs, and were therefore never fully eradicated.
Wolves are almost unheard of in Verold now. They are the tales told to scare children and the exaggerations of Vipers. Few even recall exactly what a Wolf looks like, but all know the legends that Wolves still retain their hybrid form. A Wolf makes anyone it encounters inherently uneasy, and all canines (Coyotes, Foxes, and dogs) have an unreasonable fear in their presence. When a Wolf is revealed, almost all flee before the mere thought of their ancient dominators, though other canines are often incapable of even this and simply cower in terror. Only the Rats will readily deal with Wolves, and even fewer will admit to such. Wolves are hunted by the authorities without exception, and usually executed the instant they are discovered.
Despite the legends and the Eleven Clans' years of slavery and subjugation, it is rumored that some non-Wolves have recently discovered the ability to take on a hybrid form. It is said that these abnormalities are greeted with the same fear as are Wolves, and the authorities treat them similarly, fearing the potential of both to change the current balance of power that has existing for the thousand of years since the devastation of the Second Great War.
All the Clans officially worship the Creator Gods, a mysterious pantheon who seldom make direct contact. Their last major intervention was during the First Great War, when even Rekar, the Creator of Man, helped eradicate his children to stop them from destroying Verold itself in a last desperate effort to escape once the tide of battle had turned against them.
Each Clan had their own Creator God, working together to create that Clan and the lands and animals around them in the same harmony with which the original Council of Ancients ruled for untold generations.
Vargr Flamepaw, the Creator of the Wolves was their leader. Legend tells that after leading the intervention against the greatest of Man's mages, his Hybrid Form and his Animal Form were split from each other. His Hybrid Form, Alpha Vargr, wished to rule the other Gods as he did before and led the Wolves to their dominance over the other Clans. His Animal Form, Vargr of the Hunt, wished to simply revel in the joys of the chase, casting aside leadership and responsibility. It is said that he still roams the forests to this day, and that only reuniting his two forms can bring the Wolves peacefully back into the Clans, if they can be convinced to take them.
Jarndir, also known as Leashed-Fury, is the Creator God of the Bears, and though Bears place him above all others, they pay any respects due, even to Vargr and Rekar. Jarndir is known as a ferocious warrior, and many call upon him for strength in battles, even the small ones they face in daily life.
Boars worship their own Creator, Gulvur, almost exclusively. Gulvur is a stubborn God, and it is rumored that once, when he forgot he had the power to move them himself, he spent three months waiting for the mountains to get out of his way instead of simply going around them.
Er, the Creator God of the fallen Deer, is a peacekeeper and diplomat. Her guidance is sought in compromise and when making tough decisions for the greater good of a community.
Agremt, the Foxes' Creator, with his fiery personality and knack for deception is a scoundrel, but not all his worshipers are. Entertainers and good natured pranksters alike still have much to learn from him.
The Viper’s Creator God, Hlykkjas, is the patron of storytelling. Vipers claim that her song not only echoes across all of Verold, able to be heard by those who will listen, but also that it holds the world's entire history, down to the minutest detail, woven into it's infinite complexities.
Fretta Bricklayer, Creator of the Ferrets, is the patron of creativity and engineering. Her worshipers often give up offerings of shiny baubles or dedicate a significant piece to her as their source of inspiration. It is said that the first of the Lost were actually created through the guidance of Fretta to preserve ingenuity and skill that would otherwise be forgotten. This is also, however, often claimed by the followers of Hrafn in regards to knowledge.
The Rats worship Svikari, their own creator, from habit alone. She is a shadowy Creator, placing her own interests above even the Rats', and her name is most often heard in curses and insults or in association with the Dark Moon.
Karlinn, the Tigers' Creator, is the master of balance and insight. He is the judge of the Creator Gods, and he and his followers strive to see matters from all sides and maintain order between all aspects of life.
Patron of magic and science, Hrafn, Creator of the Ravens, is a studious Goddess that many turn to for help in their studies from all walks of life. Many journals, books, and experiments begin with a brief prayer for her insight. It is said that the first of the Lost were actually created through the guidance of Hrafn to preserve knowledge that would otherwise be forgotten. This is also, however, often claimed by the followers of Fretta in regards to ingenuity and skill.
Tuul, the Coyotes' Creator is a guardian of nature and it's eternal cycle. She is neither particularly violent nor peaceful, for each has it's place in her will. Both life and death are her domains, and many of her strictest followers find the Lost to be an affront to her will.
Kyrnslaga the Great Victor, creator of the Pythons is competition incarnated. His followers never accept defeat in even the most mundane of asks except as an opportunity to improve their own skills. They never, however, ask for his aid directly in their challenges, as a victory must be their own to have any merit.
The Cranes praise their Creator, Hegri as a key figure amid the Creator Gods, the one who organized their efforts and brought about the laws of Verold. The years and the seasons and all the basic rules of existence are often seem as his mark on the world.
The fallen Crocodiles often looked to their Creator, Vatela, for patience and care in their daily lives. A wise Goddess, her followers still profess a deliberate and slow, but well planned approach. It is said that of all the Creator Gods, only she could devise a plan to directly foil the efforts of Kyrnslaga, and that to this day he has never bested her in a game of wits.
Deorn, Creator of the fallen Eagles, is aloof and distant. He is said to know all secrets, while himself having nothing to hide. His followers tend to be gathers or collectors of information, from the curious or adventurous to the exploitative.
Hestor, the fallen Horses's Creator, was a reliable ally to the other Creators who valued strength of will or spirit in his followers as much as bodily strength. It is said that Hestor, the first to intervene in the First Great War, called one day for volunteers from the last of the Horses for a march against Man in order to save the battered armies of the Ferrets and Foxes. Without hesitation, and despite knowing it would mean their own demise instead, each and every last one stood by his side. Hestor himself fell in battle that day, and the other Creator Gods were forced to intervene as well as a result.
Unofficially, many in Verold have recently begun to grow disenchanted with the Creator Gods and their distant nature. The Elemental Sects have sprung up, each worshiping the influences of one of the four major elements as if they were sentient, omnipresent entities and tying themselves to the relevant plain. Each Elemental Sect idolizes certain behaviors. The worshipers of Fire are generally tricksters or anarchists, seeking an end to the stagnant society of millennia. The worshipers of Air are usually flighty and focused on exploration, looking for something beyond the norm. The worshipers of Earth are often stubborn or slow to act, but full of rage when pressured. Worshipers of water are often subtle and sly, always finding an alternate route to victory. The Elemental Sects respect each other as necessary to the balance of life and the world, and despite often finding themselves at odds when it comes to their influence, support each other in hiding from the persecution of some of the more overly zealous who still enforce worship of the Creator Gods. Each Elemental Sect also acknowledges, but shuns, the presence of a fifth, darker element and it's place in the balance of life on Verold.
The Lost: The undead of Verold are collectively known as the Lost. They are no more evil by nature than any animal, and the ones who still retain their intelligence and personalities tend to keep their prior motivations. Over time, however, many Lost are taken in by the corruption of their reliance on negative energy, or they simply fade away. Much knowledge and history that would otherwise be destroyed is maintained with the help of intelligent Lost; a rare few even from before the Great Wars. The Lost are respected and revered, though interaction with them is seen as slightly taboo except by those belonging to the Ancestral Keepers. Necromancy is sometimes used ritually to become part of the Lost for a prominent member of society, but is otherwise frowned upon and equated to necrophilia.
Ancestral Keepers: Paladins and Clerics, the Ancestral Keepers are dedicated to protecting the Lost the way the Druids still protect the lesser animals. They act as go-betweens, interacting with the still living Clans, and use their abilities to help stave off the descent into darkness or ease the passing of those who finally feel it's time to move on.
Druid Packs: The Druid Packs of Verold police the forests and other wild places. Smaller towns often look to them for guidance instead of the nearest city, and hunting and foresting laws are strictly maintained. The Druid Packs hold on to the old ways, from before the Great Wars, before Man became a threat. Each Druid Pack is named for its first leader, not the current, and consists of a council, scouts, and many associated traders and workers.
Conspiracy of Minds: Dedicated to studying psionics, the Conspiracy of Minds was started by a group of Ravens who wanted to protect and apply their research. Suspected of having psionic abilities themselves, this group does it’s best to stay out of the public eye, though inn some areas, the Conspiracy has taken a hold of politics behind the scenes.
Dark Moon Cult: The fifth of the Elemental Sects, the Dark Moon Cult worships the light only present in the deepest darkness. They tie themselves to the plains of Shadow and Negative Energy. They are a sacrificial, cruel cult, who many say owe their origins to an infestation of cursed lycanthropes from across the planes. Many criminal organizations are a front for the Cult and it's activities.
