The Heavenly Dynasty

Heaving heavy blades and heavier armor, the Centuria of Bladerun set about breaking up the protesting peasants. The monotony finally numbing them to the horror of their actions.

Shackled and hungry, the prisoners make their way out of the caravan. From this moment forwards, they were nothing but slaves to the Duchy and they were to stay that way...for life. Be it petty theft or actual murder, criminals are free labor in the eyes of the astray nobility

In the trampled fields of The Wounded Plain a band of soldiers give their respects to the honored dead, still smelling the blood soaking the soil and feeling the regret of their service to their Imperium.

The continent of Drei'ul is one of suffering, war weariness, and the constant entanglement of the divine in mortal lives. The Edesian Imperium, often referred to as The Heavenly Dynasty, dominates this continent.

History of Drei'ul

Every man, woman, and child knows of the overdeity, Arkhus the vanguard of balance and the weaver of fates, and his dearest children. The children he loved so much that upon their creation he gifted them the world itself, and every creature that lived upon it, both the good and bad.

Theocratic dukedoms that embodied each one of the pantheons quickly sprung forth, known now as:

• The House of Bladerun, worshiping the "Pantheon of the Body." Gods and goddesses that embody aspects of the mortal body, athletics, war, the hunt, and more.
• The House of Mystian, worshiping the "Pantheon of the Mind." Gods and goddesses that embody the aspects of the mind, arcana, knowledge, and those that unlock the secrets beyond the mundane.
• The House of Suaedevan, worshiping the "Pantheon of the Soul." Gods and goddesses that embody the aspects of the inner force that fills every living being. Entities of Healing and Growth, both spiritual and physical, are the most relevant here.
• The House of Gaiasphon, worshiping the "Pantheon of the World." Gods and goddesses that embody the wild aspects of nature, both gentle and harsh, and capture those aspects within their art.

These four houses form the entire government of the Edesian Imperium with each keeping a fragile, if not semi-stable, balance of power between each other. Each house has a history of bloodshed in their attempts to conquer each other, every soldier still alive may have their story to tell of the Age of Zeal, an era of crusades and bloodshed that lasted for 300 years.

The Imperium was only unified after a 60 year siege that tore the continent to its very last fibers. The city under siege wasn't even part of any of the houses, but a single barony that harbored people of all cultures that was wanted for its strategic value. Somehow standing its ground, this very city would become the very Throne Capital that houses Emperor Noble. The city is now called Yhaedale. This was 40 years ago, after 300 years of warfare the continent has had only 40 years to recover.

The Unification

With no more soldiers to bleed for the dukedoms, and their own communities in complete ruin, Yhaedale struck back. Its greatest captain, now Emperor Noble, set out on a campaign to take back all it lost and then some. It only took him 10 years to conquer and force all 4 houses to unify under his rule, where the other nations had been at it for 300 years. Noble, was the best ruler for such an endeavor, he carries the qualities of all four houses, as well as sufficient knowledge of the land's suffering and the capability to carry that into the coming ages.

A warrior without equal was to be named emperor, Noble the I, a warforged with presumed immortailty, he was and still is a worthy suitor of the throne of Drei'ul and if he wasn't unanimously voted upon by the nobility of the four houses, he would've taken the throne by force either way. Emperor Noble's power is unrivaled, in both political and military affairs as well as literal physical strength and skill with any weapon the earth has forged, not to mention magical and tactical superiority. No one is really sure how long he has lived, as he certainly wasn't made by any of the dukedoms.

Under his, seemingly, immortal rule the now named Edesian Imperium has flourished in the last 40 years.

• The Capital cities have been rebuilt and, with it, their culture. Merchants and nomads find fortune as traders, monster hunters find a particularly good market selling monster parts to the rising mass of artisans.
• Towns and villages have seen an increase in development, walls are built to keep out the lesser hostile threats, and those fortunate enough to find housing can live safe lives.
• Current technology allows for aqueducts and other safe means of transporting goods more efficiently increase quality of life for those living in the bigger cities. The outer settlements may not be so fortunate though.

However, the flaws shine brightest still.

• Out of the way settlements are left to rot, even those with great potential for development, and become havens to thieves guilds, smugglers, and exiles. Settlements forced to pay "protection fees" by a notorious smuggler's guild The Bratwurst Brigands
• Nobility, as always, breeds just as much corruption as it does actual noble intentions. Those that are hurt by the nobility corrupted by greed, deceit, xenophobia, or other genuine malicious plans find the strong walls of settlements to be mere prisons.

The Eternum

The Eternum is the pantheon of all the officially recognized gods and goddesses of the Imperium and the continent of Drei'ul. There may be other tribes or cult like families on the borders of the Imperium that worship powerful creatures or entities they consider gods, but they are branded as heretics by the Imperium and many paladins (Merciful or Wrathful) find the tenets of their oath to be partially devoted to culling these non-beleivers.

To the Imperium and the Eternal Church one must bow their head to the gods of your respectful house, be you lowborn or noble. A noble must participate in church services each and every week, something as simple as praying in the front, singing within the choir, or cleaning up the church after said services. Most of the time, though, a noble must also read scripture too.

The Six Eternal Tenets

These Tenets, as decreed by Emperor Noble the I, dictate the proper rules of honorable worship and laws enforced by the Eternal Church.

1. One must worship a god only from their house of birth, change can only be made upon adoption into a different family of a different house. Failure to do so results in imprisonment for Conflict of Faith.
2. Marriage can only be between those born under the same house, but can be of different faith. Failure to do so results in imprisonment for Conflict of Faith.
3. Legal clerical worship may only be applied to those of noble birth that are not granted position in a seat of political power such as their parent's council. Failure to do so results in imprisonment and seizure of property under Dishonorable and Unworthy Worship
4. Legal Oath-bearing worship may only be applied to major acolytes, servants under indentured servitude, and those of noble birth not granted a position in a seat of political power such as their parent's council. Failure to do so results in imprisonment and seizure of property under Dishonorable and Unworthy Worship
5. To break one's oath, or assist in breaking another's oath, is to mark yourself for death and your immediate relatives for seizure of property.
6. Murder of one of clerical or oath-bearing worship, unless under the conditions of a duel, results in a 5 year imprisonment before legal execution.

Arkhus, Vanguard of Balance and Weaver of Fates.

The overdeity, Arkhus. He who brings balance is a truly neutral entity who, despite his immense power, has no clerics nor paladins to his name. He is said to weave everyone's destinies the moment they are born, from birth to death. Adding more intricate threads for every decision a creature makes that influences its fate.

For one who seemingly has no other stock in the mortal realm other than to observe, he is credited with the creation of the entire world and possibly even the shadowfell and the feywild, however those last two are a matter of debate.

However, should a world ending threat arrive to destabilize the balance of the world, then and only then would he interact with the world and act.

Despite his silence, those that speak to the children of Arkhus claim that the gods and goddesses are truly loved by the overdeity, his silence seemingly saved for only the world at large rather than his children. There are some doubts however....

The Century Guard

"With honor and valor, we act as the overarching arm of Imperium as a whole. Where we go, civilization follows."

The dual guard and military force of the Edesian Imperium. Donning silver chain under velvet mantles and red and orange plate, The Century Guard is named for its 100 years of enlistment. Humans and other shorter lived races would be forced to serve for their entire lives, without a chance for retirement other than medical leave, yet due to conscription laws and indentured servitude The Century Guard is not elven or dwarven dominated, there is an equal amount of any wide-spread race. Their main purpose is to enforce the Six Eternal Tenets and the will of the Emperor. Texts, propaganda, and even novels speak of them being cut from higher stock, however in recent days they have been an excuse for cutthroats, ex-criminals, desperate souls, and other disheartened and discouraged spirits to make something of themselves or run away from their past.

To mark a high ranking guarsman, or otherwise known as a Centurion or Legate, would be to simply see if they have one or two eyes. To ascend higher into the chain of command, one must give up one of their eyes in offering to Viona, the ever vigilant war maiden. It is said she uses the extra sight to remain vigilant and watchful for signs of war on the horizon, or any threat to the balance of the world.

Higher ranking guardsmen have even shown traits of divine power, yet they aren't always Viona devotees. This is even true for those lower on the chain of command, known as Centuria, who have lost an eye in combat and survived, however rare it might be to.

Rank and File

While it may seem that longer lived such as elves, gnomes, or even the odd firbolg or two would be more inclined to the service of the Century Guard, but most races that live that long tend to be flighty and fickle with how they commit to something. Wanting to remain free to live how they wish, rather than be chained for 100 years and find out they don't like it.

Those that commonly fill these legions are...

• Humans are adaptable to many situations, using the teaching power of pain to fuel their creativity, cunning, and strength. Not to mention that, being one of the most common races in Drei'ul the guard is bound to be filled with them.
• Dwarven culture demands a disciplined life, and their crafts too demand experience and a wide perspective. 100 years of service, danger, travel, and rigid regimen can instill all that they would need to inspire their future forge work.
• Goliaths drive themselves ceaselessly because of the inevitability of their body and mind decaying as they age, they see the Century Guard as a way to force themselves to stay in their peak for the rest of their lives. They also contribute immensely to the fair play the Century Guard is known for, whether it be honorable duels between high ranking officers or allowing all soldiers to reach the highest peak of skill and prove themselves.
• Dragonborn are a naturally independent people and since they have little culture of their own to speak of in Drei'ul they see their rise and fall within the ranks of the Century Guard as their "proving grounds", whereas a young boy must do something great to "become a man" dragonborn too see a high standing as a rite of passage.

The Eternal Inquisition

When the Century Guardsmen are overwhelmed by such blatant heresy and blasphemy those within this institution, who constantly travel the road ceaselessly with little rest or permanent stations, are called in to root out corruption at the source. How the Inquisitor roots out perceived corruption is a personal decision, more often than not though most go to violent or sadistic extremes.

It is demanding work, as one must give up home and the comforts that come with settling down. It is not even uncommon for those who join the Inquisition to be unsatisfied, or more often than not horrified, with their work.

What makes it worse is that retirement is not possible for these paladins, but medical leave is possible, however a life spent seeing the worst that mortal kind can offer makes all veterans reluctant to enter back into civilian life.

Orders and Institutions

There are three main orders within the Eternal Inquisition,

• The Order of the Heretic Hunters, who makes it their business to make sure traditional laws of worship are being followed and legal doctrines of faith are acted out accordingly. They are the largest and most powerful order out of the three, and are commonly appropriated as those fighting against the Blackguard
• The Order of the Witch Hunters, whose job is to hunt down those who would make deals with extraplanar entities and invite them, or at the very least their influence, into the world at large and disrupt the cosmic order.
• The Order of the Lawbringers, who uphold law and order when it won't uphold itself. Either by subtle subterfuge and cunning tactics or straightforward action against corrupt systems of law. They target corrupt politicians, thieves guilds, and pretenders to seats of nobility by entering the mind of a criminal.

An Introduction into 'The Eternum'

• G: Meaning "of Greater Power"
• M: Meaning "of Middling or Intermediate Power"
• L: Meaning "of Lesser Power"
• D: Meaning completely bereft of all power, Destitute

The Pantheon of the World

Deity	Domain and Alignment
Kai, The Great Spirit of Nature	Nature and Tempest. Neutral (L)
Illumnaes, The Goddess of the Sun, Fertility, Truth, and Youth.	Light and Order. Lawful Good (G)
Tenebreia, The Goddess of the Moon, Dance, Renewal, and "The End"	Light, Grave, and Trickery. Chaotic Good (G)
Renahku, The God of the Underdark. Mutator God.	Death. Lawful Evil (M)

The Eternum is the name for the deities who have been a part of Drei'ul since the beginning, named for the specific situation should a mortal ever rise to the station of a god (However heretical it may seem like the the Imperium, its something they must prepare for).

The Emperor has jurisdiction over all decisions that the church makes, a privilege of conquering each house, but chooses to mostly leave them to their own decisions as long as they provide divine counsel, battle priests and priestesses, and their own form of tribute; be it money or favors.

Beyond that, each god has their own archpriest who embodies their deity's will and enacts it with utmost authority. Each archpriest is beholden to no one but the Emperor, but archpriests who serve less powerful gods must, at the very least, heed the words of those who serve greater ones, especially if they share the same pantheon. It may be done out of respect, but few times will it be a mutualistic endeavor.

Viona, The Shield Maiden, The Backbreaker

"War and peace, offense and defense, killing and healing. The cycle of conflict turns evermore, and I am its steward."

Viona is the Goddess of War and Vigilance, patron of the Century Guard. She stands diligently at attention to combat those who would enact conflicts that would tear apart communities, rend cultures from the earth, or plunge the world into chaos. However, not all that is perceived can be stopped. Tempers rise, better men and women grow old, and ambitions burn too bright. When the horns of war bellow out, its her clergy that do the most damage in hopes to end the conflict quicker. However, its they who always stay behind for the rebuilding effort to make up for their sins.

She is known to stand high above upon Mt. Celestia, watching upon the entire world for signs of corruption and to personally combat against forces that would change the world permanently in a way that would imbalance it. Such as the evil gods, demon princes, archdevils, and even elder evils should they dare show their face to the daughter of Arkhus.

She is depicted as a stoic, calm, and stalwart warrior with a piercing gaze beneath her helmet, donning silver chain under steel plates. Beside her, in most descriptions, is her winged wolf "Fith" that she rides upon should she ever need to descend upon the Material Plane. She only bears one eye, the other having been lost in one of her many duels with her murderous and depraved brother Hvaelger. Despite being lost and torn out, the empty socket has one small pinpoint of golden light that supposedly can see through lies, illusion, and peer into the future.

Hvaelger, The Murderer, Beast-Father

"While you enjoyed your false peace, I have fought and bled and grown stronger. Now look at us. You, scared and hidden away behind your walls, and me, the one who comes tearing them down."

Hvaelger, and his clergy, are an influence of carnage, slaughter, and pure untamed savagery in the world. Caring little for civilization, peace, or order they live to fight and die in an attempt to purge those they deem undeserving of food, water, and life itself. They care not for comradery and union, and have been observed to regularly fight amongst themselves to be leader of their "packs".

His clergy will randomly attack settlements with the purpose of culling the weak. When the deed is done, they make encampments in the in those areas with the intention of being in the area when soldiers inevitably come to take it back, with the intention of more slaughter.

Theologians reason that shifters, otherwise known as beast-kin, were a direct creation of Hvaelger. Meant to symbolize savagery, but instead became peaceful folk who disobeyed him. To punish them, he created the curse of lycanthropy and ever since they've lived with the stigma of being progenitors of this curse.

He is described as a tall, muscular, man with rows of sharp misaligned teeth. His own jaw and nose extend outwards similar to that of a wolf's. Locks of mangy hair droop down from his head to his shoulders, doused in dry blood and bone dust.

Bashur, The Titan, 'Patron of Diplomats'

"Now, now, there's no need to fight. Couldn't we just settle this with a nice footrace? Here, I'll give you a head start as I clean up this mess."

Of all the war weariness and general squalor people face in these tumultuous times, the faith and clergy of Bashur are ones of pure light, hope, happiness, and determination. He is one of the gods that is part of the divine coalition called "Those that believe".

He encourages his clergy to use their churches as grounds for health, exercise, and bonding between rivals. Not only that, but urchins and orphans left bitter by their living situation can find a caring home in these sanctuaries. However, in times of great conflict they find themselves being conflicted. Peace is their business, acting as diplomats who broker treaties between warring nations, athletes who entertain and inspire new generations, and guides to bring about healthy children. However their pacifism in the face of heresy has gotten them a few sour looks from the Imperium at large

Bashur himself is a stark contrast in form and attire to the rest of Bladerun. He is depicted as a large, muscular, athletic man with a full, luxuriant beard accompanied by a full mustache and crown of olive leaves placed upon his head. He commonly wears a toga that covers most of his body leaving his right arm exposed.

Hanna, The Architect, Heart of the Forge

"Society was built upon the backs of those who use both hand and tool. The farmers, the crafters, the architects, and even the lowliest servant stands far above the richest swine."

Hanna Goddess of Labor, Crafts, and Architecture, a simple goddess. Laborer's depend upon her to safeguard their lives, as mere tradesmen, farmers, carpenters, and more can barely stand alone against both the magical and even the greed of the Imperium at times. They are not all powerful figures. rather mere men and women. That is the duty of her clergy, to safeguard those whose lives are at the mercy of the whims of the lazy and crooked.

She fervently detests any form of slavery and conscription so much so that these are basically the only times her servants will rise up in violence if their demands are not met. Her churches are dens of labor and craftsmanship, rather meditation and contemplation. People of all walks of life, dwarves, gnomes, elves, humans, and even the stray duegar (who are protected by this faith if they seek asylum) practice their craft until the point of perfection. If you need a keep built, the finest architects are ready and waiting. If you need armor to resist all the natural world, the smiths have already melted the ore needed.

Hanna is depicted as large, burly woman who outsizes even Viona. Her apparel is never the same, yet none of it is overly ostentatious. She is always seen with her famous chisel and hammer which are rumored to have the power to draw on the elemental planes to craft the finest trinkets and art works, even sentient items scattered across the realm.

Ytol, The Broken Hand, The Dual Mind

"Abjuration, to make your paper thin walls useful. Enchantment, for when violence isn't enough of a violation. Illusion, for when people only like your mask. Magic is part of life, it's what allows the mortal person to live in a world bigger than they will ever be."

Ytol, god of magic and guardian of the weave, is a purely neutral entity. Caring little for how knowledge of magic is gained as long as it is shared and never hidden from view. Evil liches and insane wizards whisper new discoveries of arcane rituals or creations of new spells to Ytol to keep his gaze off of them. His clergy are given an active role in uncovering arcane secrets lost in the ruins of forgotten societies or being hoarded by bold entities. However his role personally is to defend the weave, the source of all magic and the fabric of reality. Though he would never vocally admit it, there is genuine fear within him when a world without a working weave is spoken of.

He speaks only to mortals who intrigue him but even then is still loathed to do so any longer than what is needed. Despite his dignified appearance, Ytol speaks shamelessly sprinkling in curses and insults whenever he pleases. He cares not for mortals, nor their individuality, but is not outright abusive towards them.

He is described as an elvish man, yet actually bearing the features of old age, draped in black and blue robes that cover the entirety of his body. His left hand is always shown to be broken, twisted, and snapped out of place. Rumored to be that way because of the result of a failed ritual casted by an ancient cleric of his.

Ghanis, Tinkerer-Lord, Soul of the Machine

"Ancient schematics, dead languages, tomes of forgotten lore, all of them indicate a past of scientific enlightenment. Yet, all we can do is copy it...its disgraceful"

Much more kinder, patient, and professorial than his brother, Ytol, Ghanis is the god of intelligence, wisdom, and science. He whispers into the ears of sleeping tinkerers, scientists, and anyone willing to work with the untested sciences of the world, granting inspiration to his favored mortals. To those intrepid and troubled souls who feel lost in life, he has boundless philosophies and paths for monks willing to listen, reflect, and meditate upon them.

Rather than coveting knowledge of the arcane and how to twist reality to one's desires he simply wishes to study the understanding of working and harmonizing with the forces of reality, he wishes to embrace science and logical reasoning, and understand all philosophies and ideals. He encourages his clergy to follow intellectual pursuits of their passion, no matter how niche they may be, and at the end of their duties he pushes them to catalog their findings in numerous texts and publish them, so that generations to come may have easy access to what took someone years to find and decipher.

He is depicted as a humanoid being entirely made of golden clockwork gears and cogs and two warm pinpoints of light coming from where the eyes should be. Most of the time, the rest of his body is obscured by a cloud of mathematical equations.

Evarie, The Curious Cat, The Haunted's Solace

"I understand your pain and I come to help, but I cannot heal you. That is a feat you must accomplish on your own strengths, with help of course. Remain hungry, and you will overcome these adversities."

A healing hand to the traumatized and haunted souls of the world, those who find their bodies willing but their minds and souls flayed and fragmented can find hope, comfort, and rest within the clergy of Evarie, goddess of comfort and curiosity. On her other brighter and more prevalent side of herself, she embodies those that let their curiosity drive their lives. People are always growing and the desire to learn more nurtures that fact.

What separates her from the gods of knowle dge and arcana is the actual inclination towards doing good and sharing knowledge not for merely a collective, but wanting to improve the lives of individual people. Her good nature stems from the coalition she's made with Bashur, Reqiuem, and Necrosis called "Those that believe" which represent the gods that still believe in the natural good will of mortals.

She is depicted as either a halfling woman in midnight blue robes that cover her head to toe or whatever animal is the embodiment of curiosity at the time, which is undoubtedly the cat. The only reason she is mostly away from the mortal plane is to heckle her patient brother, Ghanis, and ask him endless questions to sate her curiosity. He doesn't seem to mind the endless onslaught of query either.

Sanistra, Dishonorable Duchess, Countess of Chaos

"Imaginary lines, laws, and taboos be damned! One must throw away traditional morality to achieve the perfection they desire."

Her will, that being the mistress of lies, includes the destruction of the powerful, strong, and influential, creating a cycle disasters and chaos to ever churn its way through the contours of nobility, causing instability in every corner of every sovereignty. Her clergy know how to thrive in the chaos they make, others rarely do.

Her clergy include ambitious nobility, spymasters, assassins, sabotage specialists, and basically anyone who benefits from weaving intricate webs of lies. There is little difference between clerics and assassins in her clergy, both take on active roles of enacting plans of intrigue and plotting the demise of the powerful and strong, they merely do it both in different ways. Her paladins, however, specifically act as honorable messengers of good, but cheat, lie, steal, and threaten their way to victory. Using the pretense of chivalry to get farther in life, however they always end up acting with violence rather than ending their plans with subtlety and charisma like the aforementioned clerics and assassins of her clergy.

She is depicted as a woman cloaked in reds and black, wearing a masquerade mask that covers her eyes and the rightmost side of her face, yet despite the leftmost side being exposed it is shrouded in shadow.

Tranquila, Malady's Bane, World's Cure

"From its first breath to the last exhale, life is precious and sacred and so is the consciousness that comes with it. Lets do our best to cherish it, you and I. "

Can be attributed as overprotective of her clergy, the healing will of Tranquila extends to the most grievous wounds and debilitating diseases to the least threatening of bruises and cuts. Despite this constant over communication with her clergy and the mortal world, Tranquila has been a bastion to those vulnerable to diseases and the scars left behind.

Her clergy not only includes the magical healers who can perform miracles at a moments notice, but also the alchemists and doctors who fight pestilence with both tonic and scalpel. Working closely together with scientists, anatomists, and alchemists to develop cures to maladies and diseases, her recent ambitions have been put on hold due to the surfacing of a disease known as Ghoulish Rot. A disease that refuses to surrender itself to healing magics of most powers, only giving into direct divine intervention.

Tranquila herself is depicted in dark teal hooded long cloak that shrouds most of her body's features, with bandoliers of potions, tonics, surgical tools, and tomes of medical knowledge that masters of medical knowhow would sell their souls for.

Necrosis, Lord of Vultures, Child in Agony

The House of Suaedevan has hidden all knowledge and clerical scripture that has even the slightest account of "The Child in Agony". However if you were to actually find one that knew of his existence you would be told of a being of primal evil, who gains a sadistic satisfaction from seeing others in pain as vengeance for his banishment from the heavens.

The very few that know of him and still worship him, do so out of love. Genuine, innocent, and caring love. He personally knows each and every one of his followers by names, background, and even their deepest secrets in which they have confided into him. Those that worship him in a violent manner don't serve him in the traditional sense of clerical worship. Those that empower themselves with the death domain are actually stealing his power rather than borrowing it, giving nothing back.

He is no evil god of suffering, rather he is the one who suffers. It is true that all diseases and all manners of hexes and curses exist purely because of him, but he has yet to bestow any curse upon perceived foes. His weak avatar wanders the world, taking others suffering from them. Whenever a mortal succumbs to such sickness, so does Necrosis tenfold.

Ethos, The Artistic Muse

"Black implies white, life begets death, these are the constants that we face in life. Emotions are not so simple, however, and are far less boring."

Ethos is an enigmatic entity, a deity of emotion and artistry. Deity, meaning neither god nor goddess, neither male nor female, rarely does it limit himself to a humanoid mindset. It doesn't control emotions, not directly at least, rather it embodies the nature of art and the natural world to evoke emotions. Where a pure, unspoiled, natural spring might evoke a sense of serenity, joy, and peace or a blasted wasteland of toxic soil will bring feelings of despair and weariness, that is Ethos' will entangling the world.

Its clergy work as artists, sculpters, models, dancers, or in any profession that entails an inner and outer beauty. Artists who revolutionize painting styles, scultpers who create new techniques, or dancers who can act out a play without using a single word, these are those among him who have its greatest favor. However, despite natural beauty being professed as the greatest not all nature is beautiful, nor not all that is beautiful is natural, Ethos is no nature god. The call for beauty and emotion can be so great and ever present in its clergy, that the journey can seem unhealthy to the uninitiated.

Ethos is neither described as male or female, but it does usually take on a beautiful humanoid form, or at least what is the beauty standard for the time. Much like eladrin and elves (who share similar properties with its androgynous nature) its form differs on which emotion it is feeling. However the last time it felt anger it is spoken that an entire county paid the price.

Requiem, The Chainbreaker, The Blind Mother

"Penance is no punishment, but a celebration! A warm welcome into the light that will embrace you even when you lie in your grave."

The most forgiving of all the deities, even the blackest of evils can find recompense for their crimes here. Even when the world wishes upon one the worst pains possible, Requiem will always allow them on final bastion to find their redemption. Though, that does not make it easy for them either, just possible.

Most of her clergy devote themselves to a much more nomadic life, helping oathbreakers restore their oaths despite the Imperium banning said actions. Those that do worship within temples find themselves acting as shoulders to lean upon for the troubled, offering confessions that are protected under a seal of secrecy. Yet, as much as she is a kind and, almost blindly so, merciful goddess there is one situation in which she takes up arms. She is a goddess of forgiveness and freedom, she will fight against any form of slavery with utmost wrath. Not only against literal slavery, but she will do what she can to free those bound by oppressive contracts or even break the bonds some races have with evil gods and entities.

She is depicted as a kindly woman, draped in flowing robes of green, white, and gold. Her hair is always flowing freely and unabated by braids or knots. She is always depicted as blind in some way, almost always simply blindfolded.

Kai, The Father Bear, The Great Spirit of Nature

"Mortal kind walk and talk as if they are so high and mighty, yet be it not for the 6 inches of topsoil and the fact that water falls from yonder sky, none of them would exist."

The embodiment, vanguard, and guardian of nature. Kai is the god of nature and its cycles, both its wrath and the gentle touch it can provide. Ranging from torrential downpours that sink ships to the generous abundance of a recent hunt. He does not outright detest civilization, but abhors its industrial pursuits to the point that he denies his clergy the use of metal tools and armor, only allowing simple nails and screws.

His clergy mostly include hunters and gatherers, who look to him to keep their families fed and healthy. Yet those who climb the highest in his favor are the druids and green knights who strive to protect nature from its despoilers. However, with The Six Tenets allowing only nobles to be clerics or paladins, his following is few in number. It is mostly filled with people either worshiping him through small prayers and actions or those breaking the tenets set in by the emperor. He is seemingly one of the weakest gods and he must hide himself from the world and his worshipers so as to not allow Hvaelger to find him and kill him, lest the god of savagery gain the domain of nature as well.

He commonly takes the form of animals related to the landscape he is appearing in. The few times he does appear as a humanoid, he does so naked, apart from a few vines growing upon his body.

Illumnaes, The Glimmer, Lady Light

"Now that you have finally stumbled upon the light, take a moment of reprieve and look up and down yourself. Look upon the wounds you have collected stumbling in the darkness, seeing this, do you truly wish to return?"

The most powerful deity in all of the four pantheons, save for Arkhus, the goddess of the sun, fertility, youth, and truth is as much as a vanguard of life as the one who takes it away. Her warmth can bring about safe tidings of childbirth for both mother and child and endure all the way to the exact point of adulthood, yet the same rays of light have once razed an entire country to the ground, leaving nothing but a sun blasted desert behind. Despite youth being her greatest domain, she too influences the raising of crops and the protection of what is true.

Her clergy fight zealously against the ever encroaching influence of Renahku and his mutated children in the Underdark. They do not dare approach the surface world with violence in mind, not while the sun's rays continue to grace the world, not while the Luminaries continue to haunt their every action. While being good intentioned at first glance, these crusaders are another dangerous obstacle for drow and duegar trying to make a living on the surface.

She is described as a woman of immense beauty and grace, with the rays of rainbow lights trailing her head wherever she goes. In clerical texts, when described to be visiting the material plane she always will appear to be in front of the sun no matter the perspective she is looked at, yet her body is never shrouded by the shadow.

Tenebreia, Mirror Mother, End's Mercy

"When the light of life sears your eyes, the noise of the day grinding into your ears, and the heat of the sun scorches your flesh only then will you come to appreciate the frigid cold and silence of the dark night"

Mirror to Illumneas, where the goddess of the sun represents the start of life at its loudest, Tenebreia, goddess of the moon, dance, "The End", and renewal is a mirrored reflection of natural life but represented at life's end. Her shining light, like the real moon, is a dimmer reflection of Illumnaes' protecting light. The goddess of the sun cannot protect the world forever, her light takes too much from her, and so she too must sleep and regain energy. When that happens Tenebreia comes to do her job, yet her light does not fully wash over the realm and the Mutated Kin are able to raid the surface world.

Her clergy are opera performers, dancers, singers, blade dancers, and those who take comfort in the night. They, while not all being the best fighters, strive to protect others against those who wish to do harm under the cover of night. Yet they are also the second most open-minded of any religion in the pantheons, showing mercy to those who would run away from battle. Being perpetrators of the end, they too strive to put those following the path of undeath (willingly or not) back in the grave so they may join the cycle of renewal.

Depictions of Tenebreia are far and few between, those that are concrete and seemingly factual speak of a pale woman who rests along the crest of the moon, draped in a long double exomis tunic that seems to shift colors according to her background.

Renahku, Mutator God, The Creeping Darkness

"The flesh is fluid, like raw stone it is to be molded until perfected! The natural form is arrogance incarnate! To believe oneself so great merely for what they were thrust upon the world as!"

A malevolent force that has been creeping its influence into the surface world for almost as long as it has existed. Renahku is the god of the Underdark, making the dark, cavernous world his domain and all that which lives under it his servants. His darkness does not merely blot out the light but it intends to mutate and corrupt that which is beyond natural. However much evil he has made, however much evil his servants have done, however much evil his darkness intends, that which is unnatural is not always evil. Flumphs are always a perfect example of this, yet drow and duegar that have escaped to the surface show they are just as capable of kindness as well.

His clergy mostly includes the drow, duegar, and even the occasional outcast mindflayer that dwell in the Underdark. Those within the faith include the mindset that the body they were given is the first step in a process to make themselves perfect. Mutating and twisting their flesh, bodies, and mind with forgotten arcana and alchemical techniques. Few archpriests look the same as their

He is given no description, nor is he depicted as one form. However, generally whatever form he does take is mutated and twisted beyond the original state.

The House of Bladerun

Language, Greetings, and Nomenclature

Bladerun has always had a stark cultural difference when compared to the Imperium, and in recent years the unification with the Imperium has tampered with and taken over the native culture. However naming, language, and common sayings still ring the same.

Since life is harsh in Bladerun and mere survival is a feat to be celebrated itself, most greetings and "blessings" of good luck revolve around that. Common sayings include

• "May you find sleep in unfamiliar places"
• "May your fields be filled with fragile yet numerous grain"
• "Forever shall your forests be filled with game"
• "Let warm winds guide you home"
• "Let your cattle be fat and hens be resilient"
• "May your sled be stalwart and the road ahead be smooth"

The native language of Bladerun is rough sounding, and can be attributed to real life Icelandic. Similar to giant and dwarvish in sound, yet the script uses an older version of the Imperial Common.

Monster Ridden Lands

All lands have their monsters, be them myth or real, and every nation has their militias and safety protocols. However Bladerun is a special case, every man and woman knows how to use an axe to some degree and every child knows to slip into safe crawl spaces too small for giants and other large creatures.

The roads are unsafe, hill, frost, and even maddened stone giants roam the countrysides. Packs of dire wolves hide in untamed forests where hunters must roam. Great wyrms are even rumored to be hiding within the mountains and frozen swamps, waiting for the perfect time to strike and show themselves unto the world. Even if your find a watchtower and a sphere a safety on the road, nothing is stopping a hungry wyvern from picking off a soldier or two.

All of this, while certainly troublesome, has been fueling the Blade-Born drive for heroism and victory over stronger opponents. Great hunts and tales of lesser men fighting and conquering great beasts (with varying truthfulness) are all excerpts of simple hunters rising above the challenge and making their lands safe.

Culinary Pursuits

Not all magical beasts are simple meals, most need special preparation to be considered safe eating, and with a hungry horde of men and woman at every corner there is little time to find safer meat. So, in time, Blade-Born cooks have found clever ways to make their meals safe and delectable, ranging from dire elk that normally tastes like stone, manticore which is full barbs, wyvern which is slick with lethal poison and venom, and chimera which usually either tastes delectable or awful with little in between.

Merchants

If there was, or will ever be a time, that bloodsport isn't available to the majority of Bladerun then mercantilism would be the next beast trade. With rare monster parts and a surplus of blades and armor meant to withstand harsher years there is certainly an opportunity for money to be made by cunning souls.

However one thing is stopping simple everyday traders from hopping the borders in times of relative peace, and that is because of a reason so simple that its almost comical. Most caravans use sleds pulled by yaks, dire elk, goats (for the smaller races) and giant horses. With snowy trails being evident and abound in Bladerun, even packed ice trails in the summer, that seems to be the cheapest and most practical way to travel across the snowy nation. However, it is most certainly not anywhere else. Swapping between animals that can resist heat rather than cold, and buying a whole other land vehicle with wheels is an expensive endeavor few can overcome.

That means only foreign businesses or imperial caravans can profit, while smaller businesses must stay cunning and flexible to outdo their substantially bigger rivals on the playing field.

Ancestral Guidance

Kin is a word tossed as much as honor in these lands, friends and family (found or blood related) mean everything to the common person. So much so, that before the unification with the rest of Drei'ul shamans and clerics would commune with ancestors within burial crypts of honored warriors and heroes. So as to pass on the knowledge and wisdom that would otherwise be forgotten. However, this was confused with ancestral worship and has since been banned by the Imperium at large. Most of Blade-born culture has been suppressed one way or another in recent times.

Candlewood Thicket

Where most of Bladerun is subjected to the blistering cold of winter, with short yet generous summers, the Candlewood Thicket is a realm apart from the usual chill of Bladerun. Within each of the dark oak trees of the thicket glows a dim and warm fiery light, which brings comfort to those who wish to meditate under the waxy leaves of these trees.

Sometimes, trees will seem to have knotted holes within their hearts. These holes are taken as ho,es by Candlewick Drakes, playful draconic cousins to the psuedodragons that are made comapnions by many spellcasters. These drakes revel in silent and cozy comoforts, and steal books for personal reading use. They always return them once they are done with them however, having perfect memories they can always return to them at their leisure or forget them entirely if they want to read it again. They subsist off of candlewax, or even the waxy leaves the fill the thicket. To tame one for personal companionship is a battle of literature and poetry against a surprisingly good adversary, yet simple in its rules. They always start with a base philosophy for their conversation, and continue to build upon it with the intended challenger. If they can keep up with the Candlewick drake and manage to stop it in its tracks or teach it something new, the drake will join the challenger as a companion.

Sathris' Abode

Hidden within stone walls girded with thick steel, an impenetrable fortress city that houses the foundations for the faction known as the Son's of Sathris. Said to be Sathris' base of operations during his crusades against civilization, his descendants of his long and diverse lineage and bloodline would fight to the very end to see it free from outside ownership and influence.

No one that currently lives can willingly and truthfully attest to the inside machinations of the city, yet there a few accounts of escaped prisoners and conscripts that give a description of intense and rigorous training sites tempered by an Azer workforce, who constantly keep the city up and running without a hitch.

The environment around it seems to also be a place of constant bloodshed, as its proximity to Noble's Palace forces the Century Guard to be on constant vigil for any Sathrisian incursion. More often than not, there is an ongoing war campaign between the two belligerents.

The House of Mystian

Above the Rest

Among the more brutal realities of Mystian, there is no lack of awe inspiring feats as well, it would not be too naive to say that these arcane feats grant comforts equal to or a little less than what we have today in real life. Horseless carriages, flying machines, and more. More importantly, as mentioned previously there are floating cities alongside the massive stone bridges that connect steam train stations and mountainside strongholds.

These cities, upon closer inspection, are actually flipped over mountains held up by crystals of elemental air and fire. Almost like a real life hot air balloon, the air and fire are used to create magical lift for extended periods of time. However the technology on how to make these flying cities is all but lost on Mystian, they still know how to maintain them to a degree.

Despite having lost the technology that allows flying cities to exist, Airships are still very possible. Most of the time its cheaper to move to different cities by train, however there may be discoveries of great arcane matters somewhere else out in the world and land travel is much too dangerous. So what better to carry an entire team of mages, scriveners, artificers, and bodyguards than an Airship?

The House of Gaiasphon

Careful Exploitation

While metal is not necessarily banned or taboo in Gaiasphon, in fact many Green Knights use it without shame and farmers and tradesmen aren't against it either, but the chance to use tools made of obsidian, stone, or even ironwood rather than materials born from fire and smoke is valued highly.

Armor made of leather, bone, ivory, and obsidian is enchanted to have magical features to help overcome its weaknesses compared to traditional metal armor. Normal everyday people and those of The Verdant Ascendancy couldn't afford it too often, but its still available and gifted to talented warriors. To help with the fact, lighter materials like obsidian, leather, or even silk are easier to enchant for the same reason gems and crystals are commonly used for arcane focuses. They conduct magical energy easier.

The House of Suaedevan

Chainbreakers

Devout sons and daughters of the Chainbreaker herself, Requiem, goddess of forgiveness and freedom. While there are many sects within this faith the Chainbreakers are among the most well known of them all. Zealous souls hellbent who travel into the most desperate and vile parts of Drei'ul for the sole purpose of freeing slaves and servants from their bonds.

Bold and aggressive pacifism is usually there go to for how to solve a dilemma, however few times can you rely on the morality of slavers and masters. Sometimes violence really is the only lasting answer.

Science of the Body

Tranquila's influence and healing will spreads not just through healing magic, not everyone has access or the funds for healing so her followers must be flexible to follow her will.

While Mystian would disagree, Suaedevan has some of the greatest academia regarding the medical sciences of the world and commonly distributes it to those willing to barter with a price of equal or greater value, however currency is of no use to most of the monks within this nation so few buyers would truly understand how to barter with a Tranquil monk.

There are more proactive souls than that however, and that would be the Guild of Tranquil Hearts, or more often called The Merciful Few. They roam the world, going to meager hamlets to large and tightly packed towns to heal the sick and stop plagues before they happen using little if not no divine magic. Their secrets are kept close however, it is said not even a succubus or incubus could tempt them out of these incorruptible souls.

The Merciful Few also take on the macabre job of administering lethal mercy, to those in too much pain or those too dangerous to be kept alive and let spread their sickness, be it literal or a condemnable ideal.

Piety over Ownership

There is no system of currency that flows within Suaedevan, one must only show their faith to exchange items of need. The greater the value being traded, the greater the show of faith must be. A peasant must show his holy symbol, clean and polished, to fill his family's stocks for the week. A Paladin must brandish her blade and recite her holy vows from memory to acquire a proper weapon to cut down the enemies of the gods. A cleric must convert an entire church and know each an every on of the convertees personally to gain a rare and beloved magical item known only as a Candle of Invocation.

There is little bias for what deity you show faith unto, but if you do come from foreign places it is expected of you to tell what you have done for your deity with the gift of travel and health. In most cases however, you aren't required to tell what deity you worship, merely that you are pious and faithful.

The Heretical Nation of Hakain

When the world was new, and the gods began claiming their domains, a prosperous nation had spoken out in the new kingdoms being built entirely upon the faith of the gods and nothing else. For this, their once thriving sunlit wetlands were scorched from the earth and sharp dagger-like mountains was raised to separate them from the rest of Drei'ul. Whats left to this day is a sun-baked mesa that with meager streams running in between them, and angry and scared tribes.

Respect for the Northerners

Now without much to call their own home, these tribes commonly find themselves raiding to survive. Most of the time, they stand against Bladerun. Most pity them for having to leech off a nation known for its military superiority.

Yet, despite their despair, lack of supplies, and low (but slowly growing) discipline they still have posed a direct threat throughout the years. Holding their own in skirmishes while avoiding total war, holding onto the their unity to survive in this harsh world. This has earned the Bladerun's military's immediate respect, and the respect of its peoples.

To Bladerun, these tribes are the only source of warriors that have stood up bravely against Bladerun (When the other houses failed to provide such a challenge), using adversity to overcome hardship and tragedy.

This is the same for Hakain, to them Bladerun is the only nation in the world (as they see it) who don't define themselves completely on faith, but both Honor and Duty as well. This respect is so high at times, that caputred warriors will be treated as kinsmen. Invited to feasts, and allowed to host prayer sessions to their own gods (As long as no inquisition is nearby).

Bladain Baronies

These baronies, located just west of the mountains meant to keep the Hakain away from the rest of Drei'ul, are disputed territory between Bladerun and Hakain. Bladerun felt it was their divine right to rule these lands and continue administering the overdeity's justice in keeping the nation out of the rest of Drei'ul, and Hakain simply needed its fertile soil.

As tensions rose and settlers from both nations came, war was inevitable. Until the unimaginable happened. In the matter of 5 years, intermarriages and blood alliances have both made the baronies neutral territory and its become far too complicated to simply just declare war on one barony, as that may cause all of your allies to go against you as well as their own allies. While total war against its two parent nations is common, here its unheard of between different barons.

A character raised here would almost have an alien perception on the Hakain raiders and the Bladerun armies. Seeing them both as brothers and comrades to be cheered on, however never truly grasping the concept on why the fight or how hard they fight.

Language and Script

The spoken Hakain language is fluid and almost sung when spoken, with breaks between each word being sparse. Those that learn it as a second language find that they take on a tediously repetitive rising and falling inflection within their voice. However that is after they are fluent, which takes years for foreigners and plenty of painfully twisted tongues.

The script is a much different story however, and is completely alien to the modern Imperial Common. A mixture of letters and iconography that is hard to draw for the uninitiated, yet very expressive and versatile to use. An adept reader could glean the same amount of info out of a few lines of Hakish script that you would get from a paragraph (3-4 sentences) of writing in Imperial Common.

Guilds, Orders, and Factions

This page explains the most prominent and powerful organizations that a character could be apart of. However, if none of them take to your liking ask your DM about making your own faction, there are plenty of powerful people with grand ambitions so it would make sense that not all of them can be named here.

Chainbreakers, Children of Requiem

The Chainbreakers, a specific sect of the Church of Forgiveness rather than the entire church at large, are a collection of zealous and passionate anti-slavers and freedom fighters. They travel to the darkest places of the world to shed light wherever they go, so as to expose the misdeeds of those that would shackle and enslave for their own profit.

It is not uncommon for many Chainbreakers to have once been slaves in the first place, either to the duegar, drow, neogi, or even to a hidden organization within the Imperium itself (Where conscripted labor is entirely legal, however frowned upon).

Guild of Tranquil Hearts

Otherwise known as The Merciful Few, this guild actively travels around the world to places that don't have access to medical supplies or even experienced practitioners. However, they also dispense a more macabre mercy to those in too much pain or those too dangerous to be kept alive and let spread their sickness, be it literal or a condemnable ideal.

Not relying entirely upon divine magic to heal others, they rely mainly on their knowledge of medicine and the body to complete their deeds. Alchemists, monks of mercy and long death, and clerics of life make up the majority of this guild.

Making an organization from scratch

Ask your DM for help when making an organization from scratch, as its their duty to make sure it fits in with the setting and tone of the campaign.

There are only a few questions you must ask yourself before getting a workable idea of what your organization is, however it must be clear and concise enough that others would be able to grasp an idea from it that is similar to what you had in mind.

Enemies and Allies

The world is harsh and cruel, but less so with people watching your back. However, when a person grows closer to another they become easier targets for backstabbing. Does your guild fancy allies? Do they make many enemies? An enemy doesn't have to be an entire guild in of itself, it could be a coven of hags, a powerful magical creature, or even a specific sect of the church.

Credits and Thanks