Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Ye Legality Payge
Everything presented within these pages that is not otherwise owned by individuals and organizations (including, but not limited to, Wizards of the Coast), is the product of my own mind and is therefore owned by myself, William Ayer. It is not for dissemination, reproduction, sale, or use outside of my own authorization. All content that is thus owned by myself is placed under copyright, beginning on or about August 12th of 2020.
All Wizards of the Coast content found herein is allowed to be used freely under the System Reference Document Open Game License.
Many thanks to the artists whose images are found within these pages, even if they've not the slightest idea who I am! Images are royalty-free and downloaded from a variety of stock image websites. They are placeholders until such time that I can commision and artist to replace them with original artwork specifically for this document.
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All images found herein are owned by their creators, and are placeholders only until such time as I am able to procure images of my own. All credit for those images belongs entirely to their creators, and should I ever recieve a request for their removal, vow to do so immediately, without either hesitation or complaint.
Welcome, Players and Dungeon Masters, to Eleuthia!
I started developing what would become Apotheosis for a few reasons, none of which I would say had priority over any other. Perhaps the least noble would be how tired I was one of the typical problems we all run into with Table-top Role-Playing Games in general: meta-gaming. I can't begin to tell you how many groups I have been in where someone has already played the module, and it shows. They 'coincidentally' know how to avoid being caught by NPCs, or where to find certain pieces of loot. What quests to do in what order and how best to build their character to meet the challenges that the scenario or campaign meets. I confess, it got old quite quickly, because what enjoyment could I find in playing the game and experiencing the story when a member of the party was (essentially) cheating?
So I decided to make my own world, one that no one else would have played. One that would put every player on a level field. One that would eventually have randomized starting zones, enemies that changed in power or even in existence based on what decisions the players made. But how to craft such a world, how to fill it with characters that were interesting and a challenge to face across a battlefield or a negotiation table?
Well, it was quite simple, in the end. I went to that ever-growing, eternal well of the most incredible adventures and stories, the most compelling heroes and villains, ever known: human history.
There are no shortage of epic wars, incredible technologies, and nations as titanic men and women whose deeds have lasted long after the nations themselves have crumbled entirely into dust. Everyone knows who Tutankhamun, 'King Tut', is...but how many people know that his wife was Anack-Su-Namun, and that after his death she nearly wed a high-ranking prince of the Hittite Empire, Zannanza? Few enough, I imagine, and fewer still would know that he never reached Egpyt. Assassinated by Egyptian partisans who feared a Hittie Pharoah would end their nations independence, Hittite rivals of his faction amongst the royal family, bandits seeking a wealthy mark, or pure misfortune?
No one knows, but upon that foundation and within that mystery (and many others, the world over) I found a rich oppurtunity for incredible stories. Perhaps, in this alternate world based on our ancient past, noble Zannanza was murdered by the players at the behest of one group or another? Perhaps he came to rule his homeland's rivals, having been escorted safely to his new throne by the players, in an effort to curry his favour?
This is the purpose of Apotheosis: to take history and, framing it in fantasy, educate and entertain anyone willing to play or watch.
Yet this campaign, this world, is not a simple history lesson, though it is firmly built upon that foundation. It is so much more than that, an epic story that is intended to truly live up to the name of campaign. A series of regions, each as large as an entire module and filled to bursting with content derived from centuries of history and mythology, each with their own heroes, villains, monsters, and cultures. All leading to one final, epic struggle against an ancient evil that has slumbered beneath the Land of the Gods for millenia.
It is often said that player choice matters in a campaign, but in truth this is an oversimplifcation of the fact. In the end, those campaigns are laid out quite firmly, with a set starting and ending point, even bits of the middle set in stone, and perhaps mine is no different at its core. But I hope it will be found different in its execution.
Amongst the nations of the world, the natives of Eleuthia, and the beasts that roam its mysterious shores, the players can find either allies or enemies. Through their actions, their reputations (and that of their faction) will become known to neighbors both new and old. Through Conquest or Diplomacy, they will unite the world of Eleuthia. Through means violent or peaceful, they will piece together archaeological artifacts and half-remembered legends to discover what truly drove their ancestors from Paradise. They will fight alone or at the heads of armies, perform missions of stealth or lay waste to entire cities. They will be people of honor and valour, or seek their own gratification and success regardless of cost.
This, in the end, is the story of that world. A world that is much like our own, with many of the same people and places we know and love, but shaped in such a way to bring excitement and involvement to anyone willing to give it a try. There will be anachronisms, on occasion, things that aren't entirely accurate, but there will always be a reason for it. To improve player experience, to fill in the vast blanks lying in the past of some ancient cultures, to enable the game world to function. But I am confident that those anachronisms will not detract from what this campaign has to offer, only enhance it.
Welcome again, Players and Dungeon Masters, to my dream. Welcome to Apotheosis!
PART 1
Regions, Nations, and Cultures
The Great Continents, Nations of the World, and The People Who Call Them Home
Eleuthia is a vast and varied world, one with countless biomes and peoples spread across it's surface. But while some few have moved to the extreme reaches of the known world, in an effort to make peaceful homes for themselves, the majority of Eleuthia's inhabitants are spread across the Four Great Continents, radiating outwards from the Unknowable Reach.
The Unknowable Reach, the impenetrable and supernatural fog that effectively split the world in two for countless millenia, hiding the birthplace of all life (from which the world takes its name) from any who might try to find it. Any ship that sailed directly into it would sail back out the same place, or else even appear back in their home port, sometimes imediately and sometimes after weeks or even months of absence. If they ever returned at all.
As a result, the people of the Western and Eastern continents have no direct contact with one another, instead known only to the other by rumors and the merchants that travel to and from the Northern and Southern continents.
The Western Lands are split in two, the biomes as different from eachother as the people that inhabit them. The Northern Steppes are ruled by nomadic horse-tribes of the Khalka. A free-spirited people, the Khalka believe that the gods cast them out of Eleuthia, The Paradise That Was, for defiling those holy lands with the endless construction of permenant buildings and the seeking of wealth, scarring the earth in search of stone and precious metals. As such, they live only in temporary huts called yurts, carried on their horse's backs as they travel far and wide to ensure they do not over-graze any one area. They also believe that their horses are actually nature spirits, minor gods sent by the greater gods to watch over them, and ensure that they do not fall into the same sins in the outside world. They are perhaps the best light cavalry in the world, certainly the best mounted archers, and their lack of cities and permanent homes means breaking them as a people is almost impossible.
To the south is the Shenzhou Empire, so vast and sprawling that it incorporates everything from frigid tundras and mountain peaks, to lush valleys and humid jungles. Believing that the inhabitants of the Jade Throne are the incarnation of the oldest son of Shangti the supreme deity that is the universe itself, they believe that they are by divine right meant to rule all of creation. Their war with the Khalka has dragged on for centuries, the Khalka unable to exhaust the vast numbers of the Shenzhou military, and said vast military unable to catch and kill the swift-moving and nomadic riders. They are unique amongst the cultures of the world in believing that they were not born in and cast out of Eleuthia, but that the continent is in fact the Gate to Heaven, and they must as a people earn their way into the home of their gods.
The Eastern Lands are, in many ways, the opposite of those in the west. Rather than being split between two monolithic, if very different, factions in constant conflict with one another, the northern and southern portions of the Eastern continent rarely fight one another at all, too absorbed in fighting more immediate neighbors.
The Southern portion is a land of city-states that form and break alliances, and wage or end wars, on a constant and chaotic basis, despite being based around a single overarching cultural identity. This land, called Hellas by its people, shares a single language, a single pantheon, and there is truthfully little difference between them. But it is the minor differences that seem the most insurmountable and lead to conflict. The Lakonai, Atenai, and Makedonians each control just over a sixth of all Hellas, while the other half is composed of minor states that struggle to survive and avoid drawing the attentions ('positive' or negative alike) of their titanic neighbors.
The Northern portion is dominated by two empires, seperated from the south by a vast, dangerous mountain chain, that have settled into an uneasy peace after centuries of on-and-off warfare. The north-western tundras of Ruthenia, near the very roof of the world itself, are held by the hardy Rus. Used to surviving by their wits and raw determination, Rus heavy infantry is a nightmarish force to face, implacable in battle and nearly impossible to drive itno a rout. A Rus phalanx will leave the field only as victors or corpses, it is said, and should they be laid low, they will take the flower of their enemy with them nto the afterlife.
The South-Eastern portion, Skáney, is held by the Scandza. A people that are simultaneously trader and raider, warrior and farmer, the Scanzda are almost as well-traveled and widely known as the Atenai. Much like the Rus, they rely on heavy infantry in battle, and their shield walls are as problematic for their enemies as the phalanxes of the Rus and the Hellenic states. However, given their peace-time nature as farmers, most Scandza have only layers of thick cloth for armor, and simple spears for weapons. Bows are a rarity, as they are considered less honorable than melee weapons.
The Southern Continent is divided between two vast nations, each remembering better than any other continent the legends of Eleuthia, The Paradise That Was Lost, so old are their peoples.
To the South-West is possibly the oldest continous civilization still standing, a sprawling nation known as Kumat. Born on the banks of an enormous river snaking its way from the massive mountain range at the center of the continent, it has endured this hard land for at least five millenia. A tradtitionally defensive nation, relying on their expert knowledge of every oasis and hidden watering hole to sustain their forces while their enemies blunder about in dehydrated exhaustion.
By comparison, the Hurrians of the North-East rely on the devestating charge of their scythe-wheeled chariots to turn the tide, their very thundering pass leaving blood and viscera scattered across the field. On the wings, driving their enemy into the paths of the charioteers, are light cavalry. Swift riders with shortbows and lances harassing and creating exploitable holes in enemy formations. Behind them comes light infantry to mop-up any survivors and secure the blood-soaked territory.
The Scions of Eleuthia
Who are the Scions?
The Scions of Eleuthia are a mercenary army, forged of and by those men and women who have no home. Whether that is because they were banished, fled, or driven out. Whether they sought a world of adventure, whether they sought greater wealth, whether they sought glory and prestige. Whether they tired of the constant warring between nations, the generations of fighting for no gain.
They can be of any race, any sex, any faith or creed, for the Scions welcome (almost) anyone amongst their ranks without hesitation or contempt. So long as they heed the Council and obey the rules and commands laid down, they are welcome.
Whatever the reason each member has, they have come together and found in each other fellowship and family. Now they roam the lands that they might once have called home, performing whatever tasks their clients require and longing for a day that they can have a new home, one seperate and away from the conflicts of the nations. To that end, they have named themselves for the Paradise That Was Lost, the Cradle from which All Life came forth.
With the wards around Eleuthia collapsed and the opportunity to forge a home for themselves in Eleuthia itself, the Council of the Scions has decided to send an expedition of Seekers and a support base to establish a foothold in Eleuthia, with the rest of the organization to follow over time.
It is these Seekers that form the player party, and it is their guidance and influence that will shape how the Scions behave and act within the vast supercontinent towards which they now sail.
What Are Seekers?
Simply put, Seekers of the Scions of Eleuthia are their most elite force. While countless soldiers, spellcasters, craftsman and diplomats form the Scion's ranks, it is the Seekers that are called in for the most valuable, the most difficult, and the most important missions.
It is Seekers who are also responsible for the two most important goals of the Scions: finding and recruiting further members for the Scions, and finding a place that the Scions can call home. Up until recently, of course, only the first has been remotely possible, as the other nations and peoples of Eleuthia have no interest in letting an army of mercenaries, which may or may not have disgraced or criminal members of their own nation amongst its ranks, set up and independant nation within their territory or sphere of influence.
Much like the Scions as a whole, their is no limitation on who can be a Seeker.
The Council of the Scions of Eleuthia
Also known as The Council of Thirteen, these men and women are the leaders and commanders of every Scion in the world. Whether directly or through subordinate officers, every mission given, censure made, reward assigned, and recruit brought into the fold either originates from or is approved by the Council, either in part or in whole.
Much like their innumerable subordinates, The Thirteen are a varied and colorful group. From professional soldiers such as Asim the Bulwark, who sits in the Eleventh Seat, to former farm girls like Callista the Modest of the Third Seat and everything in between, they are a cross-section of the mortal races.
Neither shy nor afraid of conflict, unlike certain other faction leaders, the Council will often roam the world themselves, either performing contracts, recruiting more members for the organization, or even (on occasion) travelling incognito to witness the world through the eyes of someone less famous, feared, and revered than their usual wont.
Third Seat, Callista the Modest
Once a simple, if beautiful, farm girl, Callista found herself suffering the indignities that so many simple folk suffer during times of war at the hands of her nation's enemies. Or, at times, it's allies.
Assaulted, with her father killed and her brother a member of the army, Callista struggled to help her mother maintain their land. When her mother fell pregnant from the attack, however, and took her own life, Callista was consumed with a desire to create a world where no one she loved (or herself) could suffer such an indignity ever again.
Closing up the farm (having faith that someday her brother will return home to live there in peace), Callista left to forge a new future for herself. In was not an easy journey, nor a kind one, but though she often stumbled she never fell nor faltered.
Eventually taking up arms as a Knight Guardian of Nemesis, she began to put her efforts into protecting people and delivering judgement upon the wicked. TIme passed, the tally of those she had killed rose and rose, but no matter how many bandits and marauding soldiers she slaughtered, the world never seemed to better itself. She alone was not enough to right its wrongs.
In the end, it was the Scions of Eleuthia that brought her peace, that gave her the might she needed to pursue her goals. Yes, it expanded the number of people she had to protect, but it also gave her the numbers and martial might to do so. Gaining the epithet of 'The Modest' both for her own humble nature (born from her simple past) and her divine mandate to humble the arrogant, she quickly rose through the ranks to become not just a Seeker, but a member of the ruling Council of Thirteen itself.
When Eleuthia was revealed, she was the first amongst the Council to suggest an expedition for forge a home of their own in that mythical land. A land where they would be safe, happy, and unmolested by the crimes and sins of those that were not them.
The Races of Eleuthia
There are many races that can be found throughout the world of Eleuthia, each as different as they are similar. Yet those races are no uniform mass amongst themselves, instead possessing subgroups dependant on cultural, physical, or spiritual differences. Some of those differences may seem greater than others to an outside observer, but no matter how nuanced and subtle they may seem, they are differences all the same.
There are no limitations to where a race can come from. Every race exists in every nation.
Races
Racial Traits
The description of each race includes racial traits that are common to members of that race. The following entries appear among the traits of most races.
Ability Score Increase
Every race increases one or more of a character’s ability scores.
Age
The age entry notes the age when a member of the race is considered an adult, as well as the race’s expected lifespan. This information can help you decide how old your character is at the start of the game. You can choose any age for your character, which could provide an explanation for some of your ability scores. For example, if you play a young or very old character, your age could explain a particularly low Strength or Constitution score, while advanced age could account for a high Intelligence or Wisdom.
Alignment
Most races have tendencies toward certain alignments, described in this entry. These are not binding for player characters, but considering why your dwarf is chaotic, for example, in defiance of lawful dwarf society can help you better define your character.
Size
Characters of most races are Medium, a size category including creatures that are roughly 4 to 8 feet tall. Members of a few races are Small (between 2 and 4 feet tall), which means that certain rules of the game affect them differently. The most important of these rules is that Small characters have trouble wielding heavy weapons, as explained in “Equipment.”
Speed
Your speed determines how far you can move when traveling ( “Adventuring”) and fighting (“Combat”).
Languages
By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages.
Subraces
Some races have subraces. Members of a subrace have the traits of the parent race in addition to the traits specified for their subrace. Relationships among subraces vary significantly from race to race and world to world.
Human
The most numerous race, despite their comparativly short lifespans and...bold tendancies, purely because they breed faster than any other race, humanity is also the least set in its ways. Adaptive, creative, and clever enough to get themselves out of the trouble their brash natures inevitably places them in, they are simultaneously the most useful and useless of allies.
Ability Score Increase
Humans, being as diverse as they are, gain Ability Score bonuses based on which nation they are from. See the precise details on the next page.
Age
Compared to the likes of the elven and dwarven races, humans are terribly short-lived. Reaching adulthood after less than two decades of life and living at most a century (barring the use of magic to extend their lives), they work hard to make the greatest impact on the world around them in as little time as possible.
Alignment
In keeping with their talents and reputation as Jacks-of-All-Trades, humans are hardly limited when it comes to their moral and ethical codes. There are as many chaotic humans as there are lawful, as many good as there are evil. While some nations might have more of one than the other based purely upon cultural differences, it is safe to say that limitations in this matter are nonexistent between the nations.
Size
Human height typically varies between 5 feet three inches and six and a half feet. Females are typically on the lower end of the scale, males typically on the higher, though outliers obviously exist. A healthy human female adventurer will weight between 120 and 180 pounds based on height. Males will weight between 130 and 200 pounds. Your character's size is Medium.
Speed
Humans, thought not the fastest of the races, are not slow. Your movement speed, absent any further modifiers, is thirty feet.
Languages
Unlike the elves and the orcs and dwarves, unlike every other race in fact, the human languages were disparate from one another on Eleuthia, and have shifted even further apart over the millenia of seperation after The Banishment. Your human character, absent further features, speaks the language of their Nation of Origin.
Names
The name of your character is dictated by their Nation of Origin. See the Names section under each Nation for suggestions for both male and female characters.
Appearence
Your character's appearence will be, at least in part, dictated by their nation of origin. See your nation of choice under The Varied Kin of Man.
The Varied Kin of Man
Humans are an incredibly diverse species, enough so that one could (and many do) argue that they are not one race, but many. This great diversity, born from leagues and centuries of separation, means that the humans of the different nations have developed differently than distant cousins.
Hellenic
Your character hails from one of the three major the Hellenic nations.
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Your character likely has olive-toned or light-brown skin, with dirty-blonde or brunette hair and blue or brown eyes. Your character speaks, reads, and writes Hellenic, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Charisma and Intelligence scores are increased by 1 (Atenai), your Strength and Constitution Scores are increased by 1 (Lakonai), or your Wisdom and Charisma Scores are increased by 1 (Makedon).
Shenzhou
Your character hails from Shenzhou.
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Your character likely has straight black hair, dark eyes (brown or black, commonly), and are likely on the short end of the human height spectrum, and lighter on the weight. Your character speaks, reads, and writes Shenzhou, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Wisdom and Dexterity Scores are increased by 1.
Khalka
Your character hails from the Steppes
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Your character has the same, or at least extraordinarily similar, physical characteristics as the Shenzhou. Your character speaks, reads, and writes Khalkan, regardless of further customization choices such as Backgrounds
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Your Dexterity Score is increased by 2.
Scandza
Your character hails from Skaney.
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Your character likely has pale skin, blonde or brunette hair, with blue or grey eyes. They speak, read, and right Scandzan, regardless of further customization choices such as backgrounds.
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Your Constitution and Strength Scores increase by 1.
Rus
Your character hails from Ruthenia.
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Your character has the same, or at least extraordinarily similar, physical characteristics as the Skaney. Your character speaks, reads, and writes Ruthenian, regardless of further customization choices such as Backgrounds.
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Your Constitution Score and Wisdom Score increase by 1.
Kumati
Your character hails from Kumat.
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Your character's appearence will vary slightly depending on from what portion of Kumat they hail. The further south, the darker the skin, while the northern regions (especially those with significant mingling with the Hurrians) have paler, though still brown, skin. Eye and hair color is typically on the darker end of the spectrum. Your character speaks, reads, and writes Kumati, regardless of further customization choices such as Backgrounds.
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Your character's Intelligence Score is increased by 2.
Hurrian
Your character hails from Anatolia.
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Your characters appearence will vary depending on what portion of Anatolia they are from, with darker skin being more common the closer to the Kumati border they are from, but by and large they have more olive complexions and light-colored eyes
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Your Intelligence and Wisdom Scores are increased by 1.
Elf
The longest-lived of the races, elves are also the most set in their ways. Typically resistant to change or new things, due to long familiarity and the feeling that 'this is how things always have been'. If it hasn't broken, it shouldn't be fixed. They tend to take the long view of things, and generally feel that their way of doing things is best.
Ability Score Increase
Elves, ancient and prone to gathering knowledge across their long lives, are often regarded as the most intelligent of the races, though intelligence and wisdom do not go hand in hand. However, while not as varied as the children of Man, they are hardly an unvaried race. Some are hardier, some are more charismatic, and some are more familiar with the world of nature than the tomes of a library. Your character gains Ability Score points based on which subrace of elf you select.
Age
As the longest lived race, elves take the longest to mature. Considered little more than children until after their first century of life and living a between eight-hundred and one-thousand years old on average, they witness entire generations in a single lifetime.
Alignment
Elves tend to take a Lawful and Neutral view on things, seeing themselves as above the small, petty conflicts of the now, given their tendancy to focus on the 'long view' that can span generations. However, it is by no means unheard of for them to leverage their longevity (and all the advantages therein) to gather personal power and become tyrants. Nor is it unusual for an elf of righteous heart to spend centuries crusading against the force of Evil.
Size
Elves tend to be taller and possessing a more willowy build than most humans. Often described as 'svelte', particularly the females, elves range between five feet ten inches tall and six feet seven inches tall. Their weight is often within the same range of humans of the same sex despite the difference in height. Your character's size is Medium.
Speed
Elves are the swiftest of foot amongst the races. Your movement speed, absent any further modifiers, is thirty-five feet.
Languages
Like every race besides the humans, the elvish language has not changed to an appreciable degree during the time and distance since The Exodus from Eleuthia. There is little lingual or cultural drift that can occur, afterall, within a half-dozen lifetimes of your people.
Names
The name of your character is dictated by their Nation of Origin. See the Names section under each Nation for suggestions for both male and female characters.
Appearence
Your character's appearence will be, at least in part, dictated by their nation of origin. See your nation of choice under The Elven Kin
The Elven Kin
Unlike humans, whose short life spans have resulted in significant changes between the same race depending on their nation of origin, elven diversity is less common but more significant.
Sgàil-bhreith
The Shadowborn, or the Children of Shadow, are said to have been corrupted by an ancient evil when the mortal races were cast out of Eleuthia. This has lead to them being prosecuted or mistrusted in many nations.
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Shadowborn, ironically given their name, are actually a race of albinos. Their skin ranges from a dark, ashen grey to a pale, almost sickly white. Their eyes tend to be some shade of orange or red, usually on the darker side of the orange spectrum and the brighter side of the red. Their hair tends to range from light grey to white-silver. Your character can read, write, and speak Elvish.
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Your Dexterity and Constitution Scores are increased by 1.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Àrd-bhreith
The High Born, as they have named themselves, are (by their own choice) the least numerous of the elven races. Prone to gathering resources and knowledge over the generations to hoard, members of this race are often regarded (often accurately) as the shadowed hands influencing the course of their nations.
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Your character has no definitive appearance, as the High-Born are as varied as humanity is, beyond the typical differences in build. Your character reads, writes, and speaks Elvish, regardless of further customization choices such as Backgrounds.
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Your Charisma Score is increased by 2.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Beanntan
The Mountainborn, or Children of the Peaks, tend to make their homes in the slopes and valleys of the tallest mountains.
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Your character will likely have light brown or red hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Your character speaks, reads, and writes Elvish, regardless of further customization choices such as Backgrounds.
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Your Constitution Score is increased by 2.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Coilleach
The Woodborn, or Children of the Forests, live deep within shrouded and ancient woodlands. Those who live in Hellas may have alliances, or bitter rivalries, with the Sisters of the Amazon Tribes that live in those same forests.
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Your character likely has pale skin, blonde or brunette hair, with blue or grey eyes. They speak, read, and right Scandzan, regardless of further customization choices such as backgrounds.
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Your Wisdom and Strength Scores increase by 1.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Dwarf
It is hard to point to any singular trait amongst the dwarven peoples and say that it is one they all share. Indeed, comparing one clan to another is a good way to find yourself in a great deal of pain, if not dead. That being said, a certain stubborness and self-righteousness (at least in regards to the other clans) is to be expected. As is a firm expectation that you will be able to tell at but a glance from which clan the dwarf you are speaking to hails. Woe betide they who guess wrongly.
Ability Score Increase
While not as varied as the humans, the disparate clans of Dwarfdom are quite different from one another, and fiercely proud of that fact. Your character gains a bonus to stats based on which clan they hail from.
Age
Though not as long-lived as the elves, dwarves still leave such races as humans well behind in terms of longevity. Living between six and seven centuries, most dwarves are not considered legal adults until their seventy-fifth year of life.
Alignment
Dwarves are, by and large, a pragmatic sort of people. They have their own codes and belief systems that only obliquely relate to those of the other races, and even then only occasionally. While the codes of some (such as the Krasnal) result in a friendly, jolly approach to life and other living creatures, the likes of the Duerwe view others as trespassers at best or invaders to be killed at worst. Your alignment is freely chosen, but choose one that makes sense to your character's clan lore.
Size
Shorter than humans, coming up to the chest or shoulders (at best) of the average member of the species, dwarves are neither fast nor agile. What they are, however, is sturdy. Lower to the ground, broad shouldered and barrel-chested, a well-trained dwarf is a lethal ambush enemy (for one so small can more easily hide) or a devastating melee opponent, forever within an enemy's guard and almost impossible to knock down. They qualify as a Medium creature.
Speed
Dwarves are by no means a swift race, especially not compared to the elves, though they can often run longer and with heavier weight. Your character has a base movement speed of twenty-five feet per turn.
Languages
Like every race besides the humans, the dwarven language has not changed to an appreciable degree during the time and distance since The Exodus from Eleuthia. There is little lingual or cultural drift that can occur, after all, within a dozen or so lifetimes for your race.
Names
The name of your character is dictated by their Nation of Origin. See the Names section under each Nation for suggestions for both male and female characters.
Appearence
Your character's appearence will be, at least in part, dictated by their Clan. See the descriptions found in The Dwarven Clans section for more details.
The Dwarven Clans
Unlike many of the other races, the clans of the Dwarf-Kin (outside of the Dvergr) have few differences physically. In face, it is quite hard to tell one clansdwarf from another if one is unfamiliar with the heraldry and social cues, but woebetide the poor fool that confuses one group of mountain-dwellers with another! The four clans (Dvergr, Krasnal, Duerwe, and Ebeltoft) are not always at war with one another, but even during peace there is little more than wary or resigned tolerance between them.
Dvergr
The dvergr, who claim descent from the same entities that forge the weapons of Asgard, are without a doubt the greatest craftspeople of arms and armor in the whole of Eleuthia. Furthermore, they are perfectly aware of that fact, and see no reason whatsoever to be humble about it. Indeed, if it wasn't for their talent, they would be appalling arrogant instead of uncomfortably confident.
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With skin as black as charcoal and eyes the crimson found at the heart of a forge-fire, the dvergr are an intimidating sight. Your character can read, write, and speak Dwarven, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Intelligence score is increased by 2.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Krasnal
Short for Krasnoludek, meaning 'Good Little People', the Krasnal are the most good-natured of the dwarven clans, uninterested in the squabbling between the other clans (though they still take umbrage with being misidentified) and are the most integrated with the other races. Famous for their hospitality, they are the best cooks and brew-meisters on Eleuthia, and are quite proud of that fact.
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Fair-skinned and crimson-haired to the very last dwarf, the Krasnal are a boistrous and friendly-looking lot. Your character can read, write, and speak Dwarven, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Charisma and Wisdom Scores are increased by 1.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Duerwe
The most malicious of the Dwarven kind, duerwe are well-known for the fierce and savage cruelty with which they protect their marshland homes. Travelers that stray from the safety of the main road, or have particularly bad luck, may find themselves baited and decieved deeper into the foggy bogs by dancing lights and murmuring voices, only to be strangled or drowned.
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Your character will likely have light brown or red hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. They read, write, and speak Dwarven, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Constitution Score is increased by 2.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Ebeltoft
The Clan of the Hills, the Hill Dwarves, or the Hill People, are the most reclusive of the Dwarf-Kin. With a distaste for loud noises and large crowds, they tend to avoid large communities at all costs, entering only when they have no other choice, and only then for as brief a time as possible. Whilst around crowds, they will wear a special sort of earmuff, which helps muffle the noise to a level they can tolerate. Their communities tend to be small and spread out, each dwarf family just outside of shouting distance from the others.
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Your character is likely quite pale, given their propensity to remain inside their quiet homes whenever possible, though they have few defining physical features beyond that. They read, write, and speak Dwarven, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Dexterity Score and Wisdom Scores are increased by 1.
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Your character has 60 feet of Darkvision
Orc
Anyone can tell an orc and it's tribe at a glance, and it is not because of the small tusks that each bears, nor is it from their muscular builds. No, the most obvious sign is the emblem carved into their forehead. Whether it is the Moon of the Tethrāke or the Sun of the Kìzis, it is proudly and prominently displayed. Be wary should you stand beside one of each, for should their tempers get the best of them, between them would not be a safe place to be.
Ability Score Increase
Split down the middle as they are, there is little variety amongst Orcish kind. That said, your Ability Score Increases are based upon whether you hail from Sun or Moon.
Age
Longer-lived than humans but with far shorter life spans than elves or dwarves, orcs become adults in their thirtieth year and live between 150 and 200 years on average.
Alignment
Shamanistic and tribal by culture, orcs tend to put their people ahead of themselves. In regards to kin, Lawful Good would be the most common alignment. In regards to their rival tribe, Lawful Evil would be the best that could be hoped for. For the other races, Lawful Neutral would be the most appropriate.
Size
Similar in height to humans, with a build not dissimilar to that of the dwarves, orcs can often be described as small, moving walls. They qualify as a Medium creature.
Speed
Neither fast nor slow, the Tribes of the Sun and Moon move at a steady thirty feet.
Languages
Like every race besides the humans, the Orcish language has not changed to an appreciable degree during the time and distance since The Exodus from Eleuthia. While there are some differences, even significant ones, between the two dialects of Sun and Moon, members of each tribe learn both as a matter of course. The better to gather information when spying, interrogating, or being interrogated.
Names
The name of your character is dictated by their Nation of Origin. See the Names section under each Nation for suggestions for both male and female characters.
Appearence
Your character's appearence will be, at least in part, dictated by their Clan. See the descriptions found in The Bitter Rivals section for more details.
The Bitter Rivals
Bitterly divided by the diurnal, sun-worshipping Kìzis and the nocturnal, moon-worshipping Tethrāke, Orcish kind have a history soaked in blood. How this on-again-off-again war began, no one knows for sure. Each side blames the other for starting it, generally with a healthy dose of tragedies and terrible crimes in accompaniment, but there is a common thread to both group's beliefs: that their warring is the reason that their gods have turned away from them. However, despite many attempts by both clans-people and outsiders to mediate, each side is firmly convinced that annihilation of the opposing party is the solution, rather than peace.
Each clan has their own rites and rituals, and each clan carves the sacred symbol of their chosen object of worship (a dot inside of a circle for the sun, and a crescent moon for the moon) into the forehead of their children at birth.
The greatest irony, perhaps, is that the farming-oriented Tethrāke worship the moon, rather than the sun that gives life to their crops, while the masteful hunters of the Kìzis shun the dark, moonlit night that would so easily hide them from their prey
Kìzis
The Kìzis, the Children of the Sun, are a patrilineal (meaning that the laws of inheritance and naming conventions follow the male line) people whose economy (and diets) revolve around hunting and fishing. As a result, they are constantly on the move in order to prevent themselves from depleting the natural resources of their territories. Superb pursuit and ambush hunters, they are excellant raiders.
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Skin heavily tanned by constant exposure to the sun and rounded pupils make the Kìzis excellant day-time hunters, allowing them to blend in with dirt and stone, as well as easily spotting prey on land or lake. Your character can read, write, and speak Orcish, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Wisdom and Dexterity Scores are increased by 1.
Tethrāke
The Tethrāke, the Children of the Moon, are a matrilineal (meaning that the laws of inheritance and naming conventions follow the female line) people whose economy (and diets) revolve around the careful tending of crops. As a result, they tend to form more permanent settlements than their Kìzis rivals and excel at defensive warfare.
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Pale-skinned due to the lack of the sun exposure, and slit-pupiled to better see by moonlight, the Tethrāke are proud of their resemblance to the silver-white surface of the moon. Your character can read, write, and speak Orcish, regardless of further customization choices such as Background.
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Your Intelligence and Constitution Scores are increased by 1.
Half-Elf
If there is one thing that unites all half-elven kind, it is the ostracization that so many of them face. Neither fully elven, nor fully a member of another race, they are fully welcome amongst no one. High Born elves are particularly cruel to half-elves, believing them to polute the bloodline of the elven races. However, it is their very mixed-blood nature that provides this race with the advantages that they hold.
Ability Score Increase
Given their unique, literally hybrid nature, half-elves combine the best of both parents to become the best of two worlds. Details will be provided in the Mingled Bloodlines section.
Age
Experiencing the same longevity of their elven parent, a half-elf is considered little more than a child until after their first century of life and live a between eight-hundred and one-thousand years old on average. However, they are also more vulnerable to the weakness of their more mortal parent, like diseases or illnesses that would effect no full-blooded elf.
Alignment
Dwarves are, by and large, a pragmatic sort of people. They have their own codes and belief systems that only obliquely relate to those of the other races, and even then only occasionally. While the codes of some (such as the Krasnal) result in a friendly, jolly approach to life and other living creatures, the likes of the Duerwe view others as trespassers at best or invaders to be killed at worst. Your alignment is freely chosen, but choose one that makes sense to your character's clan lore.
Size
Half-elves tend to take more after their elven lineage than not, with a taller and more willowy build that most humans, dwarves, or orcs. However, the influence of their non-elven parent can still be easily seen. A half-dwarf might be shorter and stockier, a half-human a little broader, and a half-orc more muscular. Nonetheless, your size is Medium.
Speed
Neither as swift as pure-blood elves nor as slow as the dwarves, half-elves move at the same pace as the races of Man. Your movement speed is thirty feet.
Languages
As a half-elf, your character can speak the languages of both their mother and their father. You can read, write, and speak Elvish and either Dwarven, Orcish, or one of the Human languages based on what your non-elven parent is and where they came from.
Names
The name of your character is dictated by their Nation of Origin. See the Names section under each Nation for suggestions for both male and female characters.
Appearence
Your character's appearence will be, at least in part, dictated by their bloodline. See the sections of Mingled Bloodlines
Mingled Bloodlines
Ostracized whenever they aren't being treated as a shameful fetish, the mixed-blood peoples of the half-elves most of live as nomads, roaming from place to place and living off the land. Often acting as entertainers or mercenaries, they never remain in one place longer than they must for fear of persecution.
Half-Human
The most common of half-elven kind, given the prevalence of humans and the...fondness that members of each race can have for the other, half-human half-elves can be found nearly anywhere. Though they don't appreciate the moniker, a common way to refer to such a people would be 'Helven'.
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Your appearence is based on a combination of two factors: your human ancestry, and your elven ancestry. Skin color will often be based on the human half, while eye and hair color will often be based on the elven half.
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Select one Ability Score from each of your parents, and increase it by 1. (I.E., the child of a Kumati and Shadowborn could increase their Intelligence by 1 and their Dexterity or Constitution by 1). This ability can instead be used to increase a Score by 2 points if both parents share the same Ability Score increases. This cannot be used to increase an Ability Score beyond 2, and cannot be used to increase more than one Ability Score to 2. (I.E., the child of a Shadowborn and Woodborn could increase their Wisdom by 2 points.)
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Your character, though still possessing the enhanced eyes of elven kind, nonetheless suffers from some human visual limitations. You have thirty feet of Darkvision.
Half-Dwarf
Least common of the half-elven kind, given their rather different natures and living environments, you would find a single half-dwarf half-elf for every ten human half-elves. Such an individual could, for the sake of clarity and brevity, be called a 'Dwelf'.
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Your appearence is based on a combination of two factors: your dwarven ancestry, and your elven ancestry. Skin color will often be based on the elven half, while eye and hair color will often be based on the dwarven half.
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Increase
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Your character has
Half-Orc
Neither common nor rare, half-orc half-elves are in something of an odd place cultural. It would be rare to see a half-orc half-High Born, but common to see a half-Coilleach given the similar methods of living and culture between orc-kind and the Woodborn.
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Your appearence is based on a combination of two factors: your orcish ancestry, and your elven ancestry. The majority of your appearence will be that of your elven parent, while your eyes will be based on those of your orcish parent. They will also have the mark of the orcish parent's clan on their forehead.
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Select one Ability Score from each of your parents, and increase it by 1. (I.E., the child of a Kìzis and Shadowborn could increase their Dexterity by 1 and their Intelligence or Constitution by 1). This ability can instead be used to increase a Score by 2 points if both parents share the same Ability Score increases. This cannot be used to increase an Ability Score beyond 2, and cannot be used to increase more than one Ability Score to 2. (I.E., the child of a Tethrāke and Shadowborn could increase their Constitution by 2 points.)
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Your character, though still possessing the enhanced eyes of elven kind, nonetheless suffers from some orcish visual limitations. You have thirty feet of Darkvision.
Hellas
Lands of Iron Men and Wooden Ships
Hellas is a land in constant war, not because of vast differences between its peoples, but because of their deep similarities. Similarities that make what few, minor differences that they have seem all the greater, all the more sinister, all the more worthy of eradication through strength of arms.
The Pantheon of Hellas
Zeus, Lord of the Sky and King of the Gods
King of the Gods and Ruler of Mount Olympus, Zeus is the God of the Sky, Lightning, Thunder, Law, Order, and Justice. He is the youngest child of Cronus and Rhea, brother and husband of Hera (on whom he frequently cheated with various mortals, immortals, and goddesses) and the brother of Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia.
His symbols include the thunderbolt, eagle, oak tree, bull, scepter, and scales
Hera, Goddess of Marriage and Queen of the Gods
Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, women, childbirth and family. The youngest daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Sister and wife of Zeus. Being the goddess of marriage (and unable to properly punish Zeus himself), she frequently tried to get revenge on Zeus' lovers and their children.
Her symbols include the peacock, cuckoo, and cow.
Poseidon, God of Storms and Ruler of the Sea
God of the seas, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and horses. The middle son of Cronus and Rhea. Brother of Zeus and Hades. Married to the Nereid Amphitrite; although, as with many of the male Greek gods, he had many lovers.
His symbols include the horse, bull, dolphin, and trident.
Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest
Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons. She presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. The middle daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Also the lover of Zeus and Poseidon, and the mother of Persephone.
Her symbols include the poppy, wheat, torch, cornucopia, and pig.
Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare
Goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare The daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Metis, she rose from her father's head fully grown and in full battle armor.
Her symbols include the owl and the olive tree.
Apollo, God of Light and the Sun
God of light, the Sun, prophecy, philosophy, archery, truth, inspiration, poetry, music, arts, manly beauty, medicine, healing, and plague. The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis.
His symbols include the Sun, bow and arrow, lyre, swan, and mouse.
Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon
Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, virginity, the Moon, archery, childbirth, protection and plague. The daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo.
Her symbols include the Moon, horse, deer, hound, she-bear, snake, cypress tree, and bow and arrow.
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty
Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty and desire. The daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Dione, or perhaps born from the sea foam after Uranus' blood dripped into the sea after being castrated by his youngest son, Cronus, who then threw his father's genitals into the sea. Married to Hephaestus, although she had many adulterous affairs, most notably with Ares.
Her symbols include the dove, bird, apple, bee, swan, myrtle, and rose.
Hephaestus, God of the Forge
Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of the forge, craftsmanship, invention, fire and volcanoes. The son of Hera, either by Zeus or through parthenogenesis. Married to Aphrodite.
His symbols include fire, anvil, axe, donkey, hammer, tongs, and quail.
Hermes, Messenger of the Gods
Messenger of the gods; god of travel, commerce, communication, borders, eloquence, diplomacy, thieves and games. He was also the guide of dead souls. The son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. The second-youngest Olympian, just older than Dionysus.
His symbols include the caduceus (staff entwined with two snakes), winged sandals and cap, stork, and tortoise (whose shell he used to invent the lyre).
Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth
Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family; she was born into the first Olympian generation and was one of the original twelve Olympians. She is the first child of Cronus and Rhea, the elder sister of Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus.
Her symbol is a hearth with a fire burning inside of it.
Dionysus, God of Wine and Ecstasy*
God of wine, the grape vine, fertility, festivity, ecstasy, madness and resurrection. Patron god of the art of theatre. The son of Zeus and the mortal Theban princess Semele. Married to the Cretan princess Ariadne. The youngest Olympian god, as well as the only one to have a mortal mother.
His symbols include the grapevine, ivy, cup, tiger, panther, leopard, dolphin, goat, and pinecone.
Hades. God of the Dead and King of the Underworld
the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous.Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although the last son regurgitated by his father. He and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, defeated their father's generation of gods, the Titans, and claimed rulership over the cosmos. Hades received the underworld, Zeus the sky, and Poseidon the sea, with the solid earth, long the province of Gaia, available to all three concurrently. Hades was often portrayed with his three-headed guard dog Cerberus.
His symbols include cornucopia, Cypress, serpent, mint plant, white poplar, and pomegranate
Themis, Goddess of Divine Law and Fairness
In many ways, Themis has the broadest duties of all the gods. Anything under the concept of ‘law’ and ‘order’ was her domain. The laws of nature, the order of the universe, social customs and organization, mores, and good counsel. She carries scales in her left hand and a sword, which she uses to ‘separate that which is true from that which is false’, is in her right hand. While invoked by Makedonian judges (indeed, they are known as Themistopoloi, ‘The Servants of Themis’) she is not technically the goddess of mortal law.
Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memories
As the personification of Memory, Mnemosyne knows everything that has ever been, and presides over the rivers of Lethe and Mnemosyne, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Remembrance’. Dead souls seeking rebirth would drink from the Lethe in order to have their old selves, memories and all, wiped away before they could be born anew. Those that did not seek rebirth, either temporarily or permanently, would instead drink from Mnemosyne, imprinting their memories more deeply on their souls, preventing them from being reborn until they drink from the Lethe. She is invoked primarily by scholars, rulers, and interestingly enough at funerals, where she is invoked in the hopes of those still alive remembering the deceased and holding on to their memories of that person.
Male:
- Achilleus
- Aesop
- Agapios
- Akakios
- Alkibiades
- Alexandros
- Alexios
- Ambrosios
- Anastasios
- Antiochus
- Archimedes
- Basileios
- Damianos
- Demetrios
- Diogenes
- Drakon
- Euripiedes
- Galenos
- Gaios
- Herakleitos
- Herodotus
- Hesiodos
- Kleon
- Kleitos
Female:
- Agape
- Alexis
- Alexandria
- Anastasia
- Ambrosia
- Anthousa
- Artemisia
- Aspasia
- Charis
- Chloe
- Chrysanthe
- Eirene
- Eulalia
- Euphemia
- Hypatia
- Kallisto
- Kleopatra
- Korrinna
- Menodora
- Phoibe
- Zoe
The Atenai
The shields of the Lakonai are the men of its phalanxes, and Makedon empties it's coffers to build mighty fortresses of brick and mortar, but the walls of the Atenai Archipelago are and shall ever be the wooden hulls of the fleet!
- Kleon, Supreme Polemarchos of the Atenai
The Eastern Archipelago and islands of Hellas, Atenai is unrivalled at sea. Its vast merchantile fleet, trading with every nation and docking in every port, brings it enormous wealth, wealth used to maintain and expand the equally vast fleet it uses to project its power across Aeonia. Biremes, Triremes, Penteres, and more besides sail under the royal blue of Atenai, the sacred owl of their patron deity flying proudly on every flagpole.
Seafaring Land of Democracy
Despite being the regarded as the first true democracy in the world, the people of Atenai do, in many ways, lack freedoms that those of Makedon and Lakonai enjoy. Women are consigned to weaving parlors and gossip circles, speaking only when spoken to and relegated to child-bearing and child-raising. Only free (male) citizens that own land are permitted to have a voice in the governance of their homeland. To be a woman with any sort of power, whether in the political field or on the field of battle, is to be an outsider at worst and ill-regarded rebel at best.
Despite this, however, there is no greater place than Atenai to be a patron of the arts. Whether one carves marble, performs upon the theatre's stage, has musical talent, or simply a way with words, Atenai is considered to be the center of the Hellenic world, and a place to purchase exports from and for the world over. Indeed, it is for these reasons that Atenai is so much wealthier than Lakonai, for while the Lakonaian phalanxes are unmatched on the field of battle, the barren mountain slopes and poorly-soiled valleys of their kingdom offer little in the way of wealth. A matter of no small bitterness between the two nations.
Basic Geaography
The center of Atenaian power is the Attikan Peninsula, jutting into the sea like a blade from the south-eastern edge of Hellas. The peninsula is made up almost entirely of hills and plains, with small forests clinging to life in places where civilization considers to much trouble to settle, like the upper slopes and peaks of the four mountains surrounding the capital city of Atenai herself: Aigaleo, Parnitha, Penteli and Hymettus. Far more prevalent are the extensive growths of shrubbery, and the carefully maintained olive groves whose export have done no small part in making the Atenai the mercantile and financial powerhouse that they are.
Around the peninsula itself are the islands that form the rest of Atenaian territory. Of the western coast lies Salamis and Aegina, while the eastern ocean is dotted with the likes of Keos, Mykonos, Delos, Lesbos, Andros, and Skyros. These eastern territories constantly chafe under the crushing yolk of Atenai, longing for the days past where they made their own fates, and their sons and daughters were not sent to die in Atenai's endless wars with her neighbors, even as their homes are stripped of resources to fuel the war effort. The constant and vigilant garrisons recquired to keep the restive populaces of these islands are a not-insignificant drain of the city-state's resources, and more than one campaign has turned against Atenai as a result of those soldiers, ships, and supplies not being available at a critical moment.
Potential Lore Hooks
Characters who call this region home could have any number of reasons for leaving, both good and ill. A wanderlust would be common, a desire to see the rest of the world and its peoples. Born, perhaps, by spending many a day in your childhood watching the ships come in to port, seeing the myriad strangers from all corners of the world in all their garb, hawking their wares in more languages than you ever knew existed.
Perhaps you committed some grave crime, and were forced to flee from your homeland, one step ahead of the authorities.
Perhaps you are a rebel from the islands, seeking the wealth and allies needed to finally free your people from their conquerors.
Perhaps you were once a noble son or daughter of the nation, forced to leave through no fault of your own, but by a serious of unfortunate circumstances. A veteran, driven into exile by the deaths of your comrades, perhaps, or a Sage on a journey of penance.
Perhaps it was something else, something unique to your character, but I have no doubt it will be a story well worth living!
The Lakonai
We Lakonians are not a wealthy people, but we are richer in merit and courage than the cowardly Makedonians or the dithering Atenai. Our rivals content themselves with fulsome speeches and righteous rhetoric, building temples and statues of stone and gold to make themselves mighty, but we of the mountain valleys know that true strength, true power, lies not in The Purse. The might of a nation, its beating heart and iron will, comes not from men of means shouting empty words to the sky. No, it is those willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with their kin and die a thousand leagues from home that are truly rich.
- Lysander, Polemarchos of Sparta
The Western Valleys of Lakonai are harsh to man and beast alike, farmland a precious resource surrounded by barren steppes and cold stone, but it is this very harshness that has forged its people into the hardiest in all of Hellas, and most certainly the most lethal upon the field of battle. Every man and woman within it's borders are expected to place the good of their homeland before themselves and their families, a belief made (quite literally) emblematic by the symbol under which they march into battle: the sharp point of the lambda, the very letter with which the name of their homeland begins.
Implacable Masters of the Phalanx
As Atenai rules the waves, so does Lakonai rule the field of battle. Men of the Noble Caste begin training in warfare at the age of seven, become full-time members of the military at the age of twenty, and remain on active duty until their sixth decade. Women, for their part, must prove exceptional before being admitted to the military, for fear that they will slow down the army or falter at a critical moment in battle.
Lakonaians are perhaps the most devout of the Hellenic states, with a higher number of Sages and Temple Knights than any of their neighbors, and more guardians of the sacred Pythia of Delphi call these mountain valleys home. Religious festivals and holidays are taken very seriously, and entire campaigns have lost their momentum in order to properly observe such events and rituals. They are ruled by two Kings, who are kept in check by a group of elders known as the ephors, who are responsible for ensuring that the kings perform their duties properly. Unfortunatetly, this often means that the kings focus on pleasing the ephors rather than doing what is necessary or beneficial in the moment.
Much like the Atenai, Lakonai possesses slaves, but despite their yearly 'war' with these Helots in order to keep their population (and their spirits) under control, it is arguably a better fate to be a slave in Lakonai than one amongst the 'People's Nation'. They are allowed to own property, and families are rarely broken apart, for the helots belong to the nation as a whole, rather than any one family. They are often decently fed and clothed, in order to better perform their duties, and they can more easily earn their freedom. Children born of unions, willing or not, between helots and their masters are made citizens, though of a lower, seperate tier than any other group within the city-state.
Unlike the rest of Hellas, for whom women are dedicated entirely to domestic tasks, Lakonaian women spend their days reading and writing, participating in physical fitness training and learning to play instruments and sing. Lakonaian women can also own and inherit property, a trait unique to their homeland, and while women in Atenai are expected to marry a man many decades their senior by the age of fourteen, Lakonaian women often do not marry until twenty, and often to men their own age.
While rarely full members of the military, Lakonaian women are raised 'to be as physically fit as their brothers', as a healthy and strong body is more likely to give birth to strong children, and should their homeland fall under attack while their armies were away, it is these women who would be the final line of defense.
Basic Geography
If Atenai is hilly, Lakonai is outright mountainous, consisting almost entirely of the valleys and lower slopes of the sacred Taygetus range. More densely forested than its rival nation due to Lakonaian military interests trending towards land battles rather than the sea, it has little in the way of properly, sustainably arable land, though what crop-worthy land that they do have is kept richly fertile by the Eurotas River. Indeed, it was the need for more farm land to feed their growing population that, at least according to the Kings and Ephors, drove Lakonai to first begin invading their neighbors.
Potential Lore Hooks
While any of the usual suspects would certainly apply to a Lakonaian character, their cultural imperative of nation over self makes things both more interesting and more difficult. Perhaps they are hunting a criminal in order to bring them to justice, or were banished unjustly due to the machincations of a rival. Perhaps They shamed themself in a battle, and seek redemption through a glorious death on the battlefield. Perhaps they are a Helot, freshly escaped, or a free-man seeking his fortunes elsewhere.
The Makedonians
Let the Lakonai and the Atenai break themselves against one another, as they have for centuries. Let their smaller neighbors cower in an effort to survive being caught between them. Let them both court Makedon, and let them both make her strong. When at last they crumble from within due to the excesses required by their endless campaigns, we shall be waiting. Makedon needs only to bide it's time, and Hellas will belong to us.
- Perdiccas II, King of Makedonia
The Northern stretches of Makedonia are home to the most varied of terrains to be found in Hellas, containing mountain ranges equal to those of Lakonai and Atenai, but the largest unbroken plain in the whole of Hellas, the vast Thessaloniki-Giannitsa. It's rivers keep it's farmlands rich with life, and Makedonia is famed for both it's cattle and its horses, which are the best to be found for many leagues. It is equally famous for its many fortresses and citadels, and it is careful to never wrong any of its neighbors seriously enough to be drawn fully into the constant warring around them. They have mastered the art of manipulating both sides, and grown wealthy because of it. Wealth that they use to build their fortifications and train their armies, waiting for the day to end the warring for good by uniting Hellas under the banner of the sun.
Varied Land of Patience
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Makedon shares many social and cultural features held by their Hellenic cousins and neighbors. They worship the same gods, speak the same languages, observe (more or less) the same rites and rituals, have the same architecture, and fight the same way. However, it is the seemingly minor differences that are none-the-less the most vital ones. Unlike Lakonai and Atenai, the people of Makedon are quite willing to allow foreign temples and religions to operate within their cities. Indeed, they directly invited it, seeing the temples and their visitors as a prime opportunity for further income and influence. After all, it would be far easier to solidify and keep their hold on Hellas when the time comes with foreign aid and income.
Though this open-door policy is not enough to let Makedon compete with Atenai when it comes to sea-borne trade, it is more than enough to suit their purposes and the goals of their long view. They are frequently treated dismissively and with an absent-minded disdain from their more aggressive kinsmen, for keeping to themselves and 'sheltering in their forts like a turtle hides in its shell'. Of course, those same kinsmen forget how much damage a turtle can cause when it strikes from within the safety of said shell.
Basic Geaography
Though quite mountainous, like the rest of Hellas, on it's Eastern and Western extremes, it's heartland contains the largest unbroken stretch of plains to be found on the entire Hellenic portion of the continent. It is this vast plain, Thessaloniki-Giannitsa, that provides all the food the nation recquires not just for its people (with some exports to foreign lands, whether near or far), but for the proper raising of cattle and horses.
The capital city, Pella, lays to the west of the Axios River, at the head of a sheltered inlet that feeds into the Thermaic Gulf, allowing the Makedonians to project naval military and financial power from a place of significant safety. Heavily fortified, Pella is nonetheless a beautiful city, not entirely given over to militaristic efficiency. Indeed, it has some of the most beautiful agoras in Hellas, and is well known for its musicians and artists. The Royal Palace was, in fact, painted by the greatest Hellenic painter of the era in which it was built: Zeuxis, famed for his talents and his ability to capture life-like images with paint and stone.
In the north-east Amphipolis, a former Atenaian colony captured during one of the few times that Makedon involved itself in the conflicts of its neighbors
Potential Lore Hooks
There are plenty of reasons for a Makedonian character to have left their homeland, all of which can lead to compelling game-and-role play. Perhaps your character grew tired of the constant warring in Hellas and left to seek their fortune in more peaceful lands. Perhaps they are working as an agent of their people, gathering information and allies across the rest of Eleuthia to aid your homeland's goals of Hellenic unification. Perhaps they are researching the methods of architecture and construction from other lands, looking into what techniques and materials could be best used to make your home's defences more powerful than they already are. Perhaps your character grew enamored with foreign gods and seeks to learn more about them in their native land, or has even come to worship them. Perhaps they simply want to grow wealthy and decided the Scions were the best way to do it.
Ruthenia
Frozen Land of Stout Hearts and Strong Steel
The Pantheon of Ruthenia
Perun, God of Thunder and Warfare
Associated most with the oak tree, which the Rus believes represents the sacred, cosmic oak tree that is the home of all living creatures. Perun, King of Heaven, lives in the uppermost branches where he can see everything that happens in the tree. His shrines and temples are built in the highest places possible.
Dzbog (or Dazdbog), God of Fortune and The Hearth
Associated with both fire and water, he gives life to the crops and turns dead and fallen plantlife into ashen soil to enrich the plant still living. His name literally means the giving god, and he symbolizes bounty and abundance.
Veles, The Shapeshifter
Arch-enemy of Perun and responsible for causing destructive storms. He would often take the form of a serpent and slither up the sacred tree towards Perun’s perch. According to some, he stole Perun’s family from him and trapped them in the underworld, the roots of the sacred oak. Also regarded as a trickster deity, he is connected with magic, shamanism, and sorcery.
Belobog, the God of Light. Czernobog, the God of Darkness
The two-aspected deity of light and goodness, and darkness (along with death, misfortune, and overall calamity) is never worshipped only as one Aspect or another, but rather both in tandem. To do otherwise would invite the wrath of the ignored aspect.
Lada, Goddess of Love and Beauty
Lada is a goddess of the spring, the patron of weddings, and is called upon to bless a newly married couple, alongside her brother/other aspect Lado. Some Rus tribes refer to her as a mother goddess, while others simply call her the ‘great goddess’.
Marzanna, Goddess of Winter and Death
Marzanna is the deity most affiliated with the death and dying of the earth as winter encroaches. As the soil freezes and the crops die, Marzanna dies as well, only to be reborn each spring as Lada. Worshippers often build an effigy to represent her, which is usually burned or drowned as part of the cycle of life, death, and eventual rebirth.
Mokosh, the Fertility Goddess
Another mother goddess figure, Mokosh is a protector of women. She watches over them in childbirth, and is associated with domestic duties such as spinning, weaving, and cooking. Popular among Eastern Rus, she is connected to fertility; many of those who participated in the cult of Mokosh had large, breast-shaped stones that were used as altars. She is sometimes portrayed holding a penis in each hand, because as the goddess of fertility, she is the overseer of male potency — or the lack thereof.
Svarog, God of Fire
The father of Dzbog, Svarog is a solar god. Svarog is associated with smithcraft and the forge. Perhaps most importantly, he is a powerful god who is given credit for creating the world. In some parts of the Rus world, Svarog is blended with Perun to form an all-powerful father god. According to legend, Svarog is asleep, and it is his dreams that create the world of man; if Svarog awakens from his slumber, the realm of men will crumble.
Zorya, The Goddess of Dusk and Dawn
Representing both the Morning Star and the Evening one, Zorya is, like other Rus gods, found with two or sometimes three different aspects. She is the one who opens the gates of heaven every morning, as Zorya Utrennjaja, so that the sun can rise. In the evening, as Zorya Vechernjaja, she closes them again so dusk will take place. At midnight, she dies with the sun, and in the morning, she is reborn and awakens once more.
Male:
- Berislav
- Blazh
- Bogdan
- Dalibor
- Desislav
- Dobrogost
- Dobromil
- Dobroslav
- Dragomir
- Gostislav
- Krasimir
- Miloslav
- Mislav
- Mstislav
- Radomil
- Radovan
- Samo
- Stanimir
- Vasilii
- Vladimir
- Vlastimir
- Ysevolod
- Yaroslav
- Zvonimir
Female:
- Bogdana
- Desislava
- Dragoslava
- Elena
- Lyudmila
- Miloslava
- Oliga
- Radoslava
- Slavitsa
- Stanislava
- Tomila
- Tomislava
- Yaroslava
The Rus
The Kyivan Rus' do not rule through conquest and cruelty, but by the heartfelt invitation of it's people. When the other tribes warred with one another, visiting horror after horror upon their neighbor, they realized that it was no way to live, no way to honor the gods, and so (lacking the strength to put aside their hatreds of their own free will) they came to Honored Rurik and asked he and his brothers to rule over them. And so it has been ever since.
- Askold, Conqueror of Kiev
From the vast, fertile plains and rid plateaus to the western mountains, to the Dnipro River and the Azov Sea, to the deep mineral deposits of Donbas and Donets, Ruthenia does not lack in a variety of wildlife and wilderness to challenge and sustain its people. Though they often war with the Scandza, and often trade with the other nations, they are a people who are more comfortable around the hearths of their homes and deep within the abundant lands around them then in places of ostentatious and oppulent wealth.
Stalwart Children of a Frozen Land
The people of Ruthenia are no strangers to hardship, with their environment recquiring strength of both the body and the mind to survive, never mind thrive. But the Kyivan Rus' do thrive, spectacularly so, not only in spite of these hardships but because of them. It takes a hard life to make a strong man, they proudly proclaim, looking down on those like the soft-skinned and chiton-clad Atenai. What strength can be be found by standing about and talking all day, never enduring honest work?
It is this attitude, and the stories told by traders and travellers of many nations, that gave birth to the often-absurd rumors of Ruthenia and its people. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Rus lean into these rumors, finding it both amusing and useful to build up this image of themselves, ensuring that rivals and potential enemies underestimate them too one degree or another.
Indeed, despite the rumors and tales to the contrary, the Kyivan Rus' are not a truly barbarous people, living in mud huts and defecating in their own gardens. Indeed, Novgorod has an extensive sewage system of its own, and literacy amongst the people is comparatively high. Women can inherit and own property, and there is little in the way of an established class system outside the current prince and the slaves.
The prince, called a knyaz, is always accompanied by his druzhina (meaning 'fellowship'), consisting of the prince's most trusted retinue. Serving as the main body of the proffesional military forces as well as the senior administrators, druzhina wield a great deal of influence as the most common intermediaries between the prince and his citizens.
With the royalty and their druzhina protecting the land and seeing to its needs, and those of its people, the majority of the citizenry are free to work their trades and pay their tributes, unless called upon to serve as irregular militia alongside the proffesional ranks of the druzhina.
Basic Geography
While Ruthenia is, undoutably, a harsh land, it is not the collection of frozen wastes and madmen that rumors so vigerously paint it. Indeed, the more south-eastern reaches of the territory, closest to the border of Skaney, is quite lush and temperate. Still, it is not innacurate to say that it is a harsh land, and one that requires both effort and care to survive long-term. The taiga forests are endless and bear little in the ways of landmarks, the small steppes are featureless and devoid of resources, and the mountain ranges are steep and predator-filled.
The center of Kyivan Rus' power is, as their name might suggest, Kyiv. Though a smaller and less storied city than the old capital of Novgorod, it has quickly risen in prominence under the guiding hand of Prince Oleg, kinsman of Rurik and his most trusted advisor. While the aging king remains secure and comfortable within his palaces in Novgorod, his son Igor learns statecraft alongside Oleg.
Potential Lore Hooks
The Kyivan Rus', much like their Skaney on-again off-again rivals, have a strong trading relationship with many of the other peoples of the world. As such, a common reason for them to have left their homeland would be wanderlust or falling in love with a foreign land. Equally probable would be the ever-popular mercenary, banished criminal, or idealistic wanderer.
Skaney
Land of Trade and Terror
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The Pantheon of Skaney
Aesir
Odin, Allfather and King of Asgard
Odin is associated with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and is the husband of the goddess Frigg.
His symbol is the Valknut, an icon created by three interlocking triangles.
Frigg, Queen of Asgard and Goddess of Marriage
Frigg is the wife of Odin, the Queen of Asgard, and the keeper of the Domestic Arts. She dwells in the wetland halls of Fensalir, is famous for her foreknowledge, and is also affiliated with Marriage, Fertility, Foresight, and Wisdom.
Heimdallr, Gatekeeper and Guardian of Asgard
Also known as ‘The Shining God’, Heimdallr eternally guards the Bifrost, where the rainbow bridge meets the sky of the mortal realms. Able to see and hear everything occurring within the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil, he watches for both invaders of sacred Asgard and the onset of Ragnarok. It is said he created the social classes amongst the mortal races.
Baldr, God of Light and Joy
Younger brother of Mighty Thor, Baldr is the God of Light, joy, purity, and the summer sun. He is the father of Forseti, and considered the most beloved thing in all creation, a paragon of courage and honor.
Tyr, God of Law and Heroic Glory
The one handed God of Glory and Law, Tyr (renowned for his great courage) lost his hand as the central part of a deception to ensure the great wolf Fenrir was bound until Ragnarok.
Thor, God of Thunder
Associated with thunder, lightning, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of mankind and also hallowing and fertility, Thor is perhaps the most famous and widely known God of the Skáney. Riding into battle on his chariot, which is pulled by two immortal mountain goats, he lays waste to all that oppose him with the power of his mighty hammer Mjölnir.
Loki, God of Trickery and Magic
Loki is (to some) the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Narfi and/or Nari. By the stallion Svaðilfari, Loki is the mother—giving birth in the form of a mare—to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir.
One never knows to whom Loki is loyal at any given moment, besides himself, and there are as many stories of him sabotaging and harming his fellow gods as there are of him aiding them.
Hel, Goddess of the Dishonored Dead and Ruler of Niflheim
Hel is the goddess of death and is a being who presides over the realm of Niflheim, where she receives a portion of the dead (the dishonored). The gods abducted Hel and her brothers from Angrboda's (her mother and a consort of Loki’s) hall. They cast her in the underworld, into which she distributes those who are sent to her; the wicked and those who died of sickness or old age. Her hall in Helheim is called Eljudnir, Home of the Dead. Her manservant is Ganglati and her maidservant is Ganglot (which both can be translated as "tardy"). She has a knife called "Famine", a plate called "Hunger", a bed called "Disease", and bed curtains called "Misfortune".
Vanir
Njörðr, God of the Sea and Seafaring
Father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún and is associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.
Freyr, God of Prosperity and Virility
A widely attested god associated with sacral kingship, virility and prosperity, with sunshine and fair weather, and pictured as a phallic fertility god. Freyr is said to "bestow peace and pleasure on mortals.
Freyja, Goddess of War and Wealth
Associated with war, death, love, sex, beauty, fertility, gold, and seiðr, Freyja is the twin sister of Freyr and oversees the golden fields of Folkvangr, where she receives the souls of half of those who die honorably in combat (the other half go to Odin and Valhalla). She rides into battle in a chariot pulled by two enormous cats, and is accompanied by a fierce and gigantic boar named Hildisvíni
Male:
- Áki
- Áleifr
- Alfvin
- Ásbjǫrn
- Aðalsteinn
- Auðr
- Bárðr
- Bjǫrn
- Brynjarr
- Dagr
- Einarr
- Eiríkr
- Eysteinn
- Gunnarr
- Hákon
- Hallbjǫrn
- Hávarðr
- Hildingr
- Ingi
- Ívarr
- Jósteinn
- Leifr
- Magni
- Mundi
- Njáll
- Ragnarr
- Ragnvaldr
- Sigmundr
- Sindri
- Snorri
- Stígandr
- Valdimárr
- Valþjófr
- Yngvarr
Female:
- Alfhildr
- Arnbjǫrg
- Ása
- Áshildr
- Ástríðr
- Auðr
- Brynhildr
- Brynja
- Dagmær
- Dagný
- Eydís
- Fríða
- Grímhildr
- Guðríðr
- Gyða
- Hjǫrdís
- Ingríðr
- Iðunn
- Katla
- Magnhildr
- Ragna
- Ragnheiðr
- Rúna
- Signý
- Sigrún
- Svanhildr
- Thrud
- Þýri
- Valdís
- Vígdís
- Yngvildr
The Scandza
The other lands so often see us as simple people, barbarians. Uneducated, unintelligent, incapable of doing anything but warring and raping our way through their lands in search of pretty baubles and thralls that we turn around and sell to other lands. Perhaps they are right, perhaps we are savages, brutal beasts in the skins of men. But I think it more likely that they speak from a place of bitterness, of shame and regret that they are weak and incapable of defending their own people...and that they are so eager to ignore our 'crimes' against them to buy the treasures of other lands from us, even as we sell theirs in turn.
- Ragnar 'Lothbrok' Sigurdsson, Jarl of Kattegat
Skaney is perhaps the most varied region amongst the nations, save perhaps the Shenzhou Empire, though admittedly the Empire has something of an advantage in that matter simply by its far greater size. With alpine forests, fertile farmlands, sheltered fjords, small archipelagos, and mountain lakes, there is a biome in this beautiful land for nearly everyone. Indeed, perhaps only the desert-dwelling Kumati wouldn't not find a place to comfortably call home here. And the people who call it home are as varied as the lands they inhabit. Farmers, craftsmen, traders, and raiders all live within its borders, interacting with their neighbors and foreign nations in their own unique, and quite different, ways.
Fierce Farmers, Raiders and Traders
The people who inhabit the lands of Skaney are, by many views, a shining example of contradiction to the first glance. Possessing slaves whose rights are virtually nonexistant (their usage in human sacrifice and as part of 'grave goods' is common and extensive), while permitting women to do such shocking things as inherit property, inherit the position of head of the family (albeit with some contextual restrictions), and seek divorce and remarriage of their own free will. They are even allowed to have significant authority amongst the religious class, and some few have earned glory and esteem on the field of battle.
Beyond the slave class, called thralls in their native tongue, there are a further two overarching ranks of people amongst Scandzan society: karls, which is to say the free men and women, and jarls, which are essentially an aristocracy. Naturally, within these two larger ranks there are many fluctuating tiers of power, with families rising and falling rythmically to and from prominence, merchants and warriors sneering at one another and competeing for their liege-lord's favour.
The karls are, by their nature of being all free people within Skaney, the most diverse of ranks. Amongst them are warriors, merchants, craftspeople. Farmers, fishermen, blacksmiths and horse-breeders. Priests and oracles, rune-masters and skalds. The fabric of the society, the motive force that sustains it, propels it, and maintains it. Oh, much of the labor is left to the thralls, of course, but thralls alone cannot singlehandedly support and entire society for long.
The jarls, being the rarest and most powerful of the classes, are by necessity the least diverse. While the tasks of leadership are by nature and belief more important of those below them, they are also the most straight-forward and regimented. Seeing to the administration of their lands, to the collecting of taxes and the maintenance of the lands. Overseeing the judgement of accused criminals and the punishment of the guilty, mediating feuds, and hearing the pleas of their people. Of course, life is hardly all work for these wealthy, powerful people. Many a day is whiled away with hunting, races, indulging in carnal pleasures or visiting neighboring lords.
Outside of their yearly raiding season, taking place at more or less the same time every year due to a variety of factors including the timing of harvests and the weather, the Scandza tend to content themselves with tending to their lands, pursuing sports and certain arts, and travelling far and wide to buy and sell as many wares as the world can offer them within the reach of their longships. Every nation that knows them fears and loves them simultaneously, resenting the raids occasionally suffered, but often willing to tolerate them in pursuit of the goods they bear whenever their weapons are at rest.
Basic Geography
Skaney is a wild, mostly untamed land of forests, farmlands, lakes, and fjords, cradled between and amongst scattered mountains, both lone and in ranges. Most people live seperated from one another, caring for their own individual farm through their own efforts and those of their thralls, travelling to the nearest large village or town only sporadically, such as when The Thing is called or in order to sell their goods at the market. Cities, as the other nations would understand them, do not exist in more than a handful of places, and none to the size and oppulence of wealthier and more temperate lands.
Skaney, unlike all of their neighbors and the vast majority of formal nations in the world, have no true, set-in-stone capital. They are, by their cultural organization, not dissimilar to a tribal confederation. While each Jarl rules his or her own lands with absolute autonomy, they often unite under one leader or another for a greater goal. Most recently, and most often, that leader has been Ragnar Sigurdsson, who is perhaps the closest thing that the Scandza have ever had to a universal ruler, and so one could (and some do) argue that his homeland of Kattegat is the capital of the Scandza.
Potential Lore Hooks
Scandza, much like their Kyivan Rus' on-again off-again rivals, have a strong trading relationship with many of the other peoples of the world. As such, a common reason for them to have left their homeland would be wanderlust or falling in love with a foreign land. Equally probable would be the ever-popular mercenary, banished criminal, or idealistic wanderer. A warriors seeking a glorious death to enter Valhalla would be appropriate, as well, or one trying to reclaim their honor in blood.
The Vast Steppes
Lands of the Horse-Lords
The Pantheon of the Khalka
Bai-Ülgen, the Creator God
Bai-Ülgen symbolizes goodness, welfare, abundance, plentiness of food, water, etc. Furthermore, he created earth, heaven and all living beings. In addition, he controls the atmospheric events and movements of stars. He creates land for people to live on, the heads of both humans and animals and the rainbow. He is regarded as the patron god of shamans and the source of their knowledge.
Od iyesi, Goddess of Fire and Marriage
Od (or Ot) means fire, and iye is the familiar spirit of any natural asset, literally meaning "master" or "possessor." Od iyesi protects the fire. It is also known as Ateş iyesi or Alev iyesi ("flame" or "blaze spirit"). She was said to have been born at the beginning of the world, when the earth and sky separated.
Erlik, God of Death and the Ruler of Hell
Erlik, Erlig, or Erlik Khan is the God of Death and Tamag (Hell) and was the first creation of Bai-Ülgen.Erlik's pride led to friction between the two, and he was banished to the underworld.
Erlik was involved in the creation of humanity. He slew the messenger-god, Maidere/Maydere, and is a teacher of sin. He is sometimes represented by a totemic bear. Erlik was the deity of evil, darkness, lord of the lower world and judge of the dead. He is known as the first of mankind, created by Ulgen. He wants to be equal to Ulgen, but is in a position inferior to him. Then he wanted to make his own land and was sent to the prison at the 9th layer of the earth and became opposed to the upper world, the realm of light. The evil spirits created by Erlik cause misfortune, sickness and death to mankind. These spirits are imagined as Erlik's assistants. Besides these, his nine sons and daughters help their father in the way of evil. Erlik's daughters especially try to change a shaman's mind while he is attempting to reach Ulgen with their beauties. Erlik gives all kinds of sickness and wants sacrifices from the people. If they do not sacrifice to him, he catches the dead bodies of the people that he killed and takes them away to this lower world and then makes them his slaves. So, especially in the Altays, when sickness appears, people become scared of Erlik and make many animal sacrifices to him
Tung-ak, God of War The Red God of War, who guides soldiers on the battlefield and chooses the winners and losers of battles and wars. Occasionally, enemy soldiers are sacrificed to him in an effort to turn battles in the favor of one side or the other, thought this is uncommon.
Maidere/Maydere, The Messanger God
Male:
- Amgalan
- Bataar
- Batsaikhan
- Batu
- Batzorig
- Chuluun
- Delger
- Ganbaatar
- Gerelt
- Jargal
- Tarkhan
- Timicin
- Turgen
- Altan
- Dzhambul
- Enkh
- Erden
- Möndör
- Zamilan
- Khürel
Female:
- Altansarnai
- Khaliun
- Odtsetseg
- Odsar
- Odval
- Saran
- Sarangerel
- Sarantsatsra
- Sarnai
- Yargui
- Altandöl
- Bayarmaa
- Chimeg
- Galtmaa
- Erdenechimeg
- Enkhtuya
- Khair
- Yagaan
- Oyun
- Tuya
The Khalka
Dwelling in the Khangai Mountains
A shield against alien enemies
A support for your precious life
A blade towards those who come, a guard towards those who look
Your Khalkha Tumen is indeed for you
- Dayan Khan, Father of the Khalka Tumen
From the Khangai to the Khentii, the taiga to Lake Baikal, the Daurian to the Gobi, the Khalka roam a vast and magnificent land. A land that they treasure and safe-guard from the same kind of abuses that they believe caused the mortal races to be cast out of Paradise, and a land whose resources are constantly being sought by their might and diametrically opposed enemies to the south, the Shenzhou Empire. There are no greater mounted warriors, no better horse-archers, than these men and women, who can strike with the wrath of a heavenly hammer before fading away into the steppes like a breath on the wind.
Swift Riders of the Steppes, Humble Children of the Gods
It would be easy for foreigners to look down on the Khalka for their 'quaint' culture and religious beliefs, and a great many do, but those who take the time and the effort to look deeper find a people that are so utterly at peace and cooperation with the natural world around them that, to many, it beggars belief.
Believing that they were cast out of Eleuthia, the Paradise That Was and the Home of the Gods, for the rapacious way in which the races treated the land, they eschew building sprawling, permanent settlements and the mining of gold and silver. Always on the move, always treating the land and the creatures upon it with respect, they never hunt more than they need nor allow their horses and cattle to over-graze an area. They also believe that their horses are actually nature spirits, lesser gods in effect, that their pantheon have left in the mortal realm to watch over them and ensure they maintain this more righteous path until such time that forgiveness is earned.
Naturally, this means that their horses are their most precious possessions, and are treated with immense respect and care. They are kept warm, well-fed, and round-the-clock guards ensure that neither man nor beast can threaten them or cause them harm. Mare's milk, once fermented, is the basis of the popular alchoholic beverage called airag, and during harsher journeys the Khalka will carefully pierce a vein in the horse's neck and sustain themselves off of the warm blood that consequently flows from the wound. In addition to horses, sheep, goats, and cattle are popular fixtures to any tribe's herd, providing wool for clothing, meat and milk, and the hides necessary to construct the yurts in which the Khalka live.
While, like most of the nations, the Khalka are patriarchal, women are not silent ornaments amongst them. Instead, they are considered to be valuable advisors and assistants to their husbands and sons. They have their own mounts, are trained to fight in order to defend the camp and children, help care for and protect the herds, and are permitted to sit in on important meetings and discussions. Their advice is heard and often heeded, as the men are quite aware that their wives, mothers, and daughters have a different perspective on things, which is of course a valuable thing for any decision-making process.
There are several festivals that are deemed important enough to bring all the tribes together in one place, though two are the most prominent. There is the Naadam, the Feast of Sports, featuring competitions such as horse racing, wrestling, and archery. Then, there is the Tsagaan Sar, the Lunar New Year, which celebrates the end of winter and the coming of spring.
Basic Geography
There is, perhaps, no land quite like that of the Khalka. There is certainly no similarly vast expanse of more-or-less unbroken grasslands to be found anywhere else in the world, even amongst the lands of Anatolia. Save for gently rolling hills and the two widely-seperated mountain ranges of Khangai and Khentii, only the occasional river, lake, or copse of trees break the immense unchanging horizon of the prairie.
Due to their nomadic lifestyle and disdain for permanent structures, it is hard to point to any one place and say 'this is the capital of the Khalka', and frankly this fact has long helped them survive and overcome Shenzhou attempts at conquering their lands and breaking their people. Only Ulaanbataar resembles anything like the cities of their neighbors, nestled deep in the heart of the Khentii mountain range. While the clans themselves never stop roaming far and wide, there is always a group from each of them whose duty is to act as a central hub for trade and information. Consisting of a shaman from each tribe, and accompanying guards and kin, they recieve reports from their travelling clan mates on such things as Shenzhou incursions, flooded plains, and fallow fields. This information is then disseminated to all the clans, so that a response can be organized.
Potential Lore Hooks
There are plenty of reasons for a member of the tribes to leave their homeland. Wanderlust, banishment, a quest for revenge. A desire to discover knowledge that could improve the lives of your people or allies to aid in the fight against the constant incursions of the Shenzhou. Perhaps you know of the Jade Throne's desires to claim Eleuthia for themselves and have joined with the Scions of Eleuthia in the hopes of thwarting their attempts to defile The Paradise That Was yet again.
Shenzhou
The Divine Land of the Heavenly Son
The Pantheon of the Shenzhou
Shangti, Supreme God and Ancestor of All
Shangti is the supreme god of law, order, justice, and creation. He is also known as Jade Emperor, Yellow Emperor, or Yu Huang Shang-Ti, although there are sometimes important distinctions made between these names and Jade Emperor can mean another deity. Shangti is considered the great ancestor of all Shenzhou, who gave the people culture, architecture, skill in battle, agriculture, controlled the weather, regulated the seasons, and was king over the other gods, human beings, and nature. Shangti judges who was worthy to rule and for how long, and when a dynasty is no longer fit, it falls and another takes its place.
Queen Mother of the West
She is the queen of the immortal gods and spirits, especially female spirits who lived in the mystical land of Xihua ("West Flower"), and goddess of immortality. She is also known as Xiwangmu or Xi-Wang-Mu and lived in a castle of gold in the Kunlun Mountains, surrounded by a moat which was so sensitive that even a hair dropped on the waters would sink. This moat serves as protection for her Imperial Peach Orchard where the juices of the fruit of the trees give immortality. Xiwangmu is shown as a beautiful woman with sharp teeth and a leopard's tail, or as an old, unattractive woman with a hunched back, tiger's teeth and a leopard's tale, depending on her mood. She rewards her followers with eternal life but punishes those who anger her. She is the wife of Mugong, Lord of the Spirits, who watches over male spirits in the land of Donghua ("East Flower") but is sometimes seen as the wife of Shangti.
Guanyin, Goddess of Compassion and Mercy
Guanyin is the goddess of mercy and compassion, and who later became the patron of sailors and fishermen. She is so compassionate that she incarnated as the maiden Miaoshan in order to experience life as a human being and offer service to others. Miaoshan's father wanted her to marry a wealthy priest. Miaoshan refused to marry unless the marriage could end the sufferings caused by illness, aging, and death. When her father told her no marriage could end such things, she replied that a doctor could, but her father did not want her marrying someone of such a lowly occupation. She was allowed to enter a temple instead of marrying, but her father made sure that she was given all of the worst work, which she accomplished with the help of the nearby animals who responded to her goodness. Her father then tried to burn the temple down but Miaoshan put the fire out with her bare hands. He then had her executed, but when she went to hell, she released all of the goodness she held inside and turned it into paradise. The king of the dead, Lord Yama, sent her back to earth before she ruined his realm, and she lived afterwards on Fragrant Mountain where she watched over human beings. From her mountain home, she would often notice people in trouble on their boats at sea and rescue them, which is how she became the patron goddess of sailors and fishermen. She's one of the most popular deities in all of Shenzhou, and both men and women adored her.
Yan Wang, God of Death and King of the Afterlife
Yan Wang is the god of death and king in the afterlife. He is the greatest of all the Lords of Death who rule the regions of the underworld. He is also known as Yang-Wang-Yeh, Lord Yama, and Lord Yama King. Yan Wang presides over the judgment of souls and decides whether they will be punished for their crimes in life, go on to live with the gods, or be reincarnated. In one famous story, a soldier named Commandant Yang, who had caused a great deal of suffering and misery in his life, died and appeared in the court of Yan Wang. Yan Wang asked him how he had managed to build up so many sins on his soul in the short time he was on earth. Yang claimed he was innocent and had done nothing wrong. Yan Wang commanded the scrolls of Yang's life to be brought in where the date and time of his sins were read along with who was affected and how many had died because of Yang's selfishness. Yang was condemned by the Lord of Death, and a great hand appeared which snatched him up and crushed him. It was said that one could escape punishment for one's sins on earth but no one could escape justice in the court of Yan Wang.
Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, Deities of Love
The god and goddess of love. Zhi Nu was the goddess of weaving for the gods and daughter of Shangti. Every day she wove the beautiful robes the gods wore and looked down on earth from her place among the stars and wished she could visit. She was finally granted permission by her father and went to earth where she left her clothes by the banks of a stream and went swimming. A cowherd named Niu Lang saw her and fell in love with her so he stole her clothes so she could not run away from him. When Zhi Nu came out of the water she was outraged that her clothes were gone but when Niu Lang explained himself she fell in love with him. She forgot all about her home in the heavens and her duties as divine weaver and stayed on earth with Niu Lang. They were very happy together, every day they were more in love, and they had many children. Shangti was not pleased, though, and neither were the other gods and so soldiers were sent to bring Zhi Nu back home. Niu Lang tried to follow but Shangti threw a wall of stars across his path and stopped him; these stars are known on earth as the Milky Way. Once a year, magpies fly from earth to the Milky Way and form a bridge the two can cross to be with each other on the evening known as the Seventh Night of the Seventh Moon.
Nuwa and Fuxi, Parents of Mankind
Nuwa and Fuxi were the mother and father deities of human beings. Nuwa was born at the beginning of creation and fixed the mistakes made at first so that everything was perfect. She built a palace for herself, which became the model for Shenzhou architecture, and lived there with her friend and brother Fuxi, both depicted as human-dragons with human heads and dragon bodies or human bodies to the waist and dragon legs and tails. Nuwa became lonely and created human beings for company from the mud of the Yellow River. She breathed life into them and they moved and lived. She continued to make more and more human beings but it was tiring work and so she created marriage so that they could reproduce themselves. The humans were alive but had no knowledge of anything and so Fuxi gave them the gifts of fire, writing, how to get food from the sea, and all the other skills they would need to live. He also gave them the gifts of music, culture, and divination so they could make good decisions by knowing what the future held.
Caishen, God of Wealth and Trade
Caishen, the god of wealth, is one of the most popular gods of Shenzhou. Statues of Caishen (also known as Ts'ai Shen) can be seen in businesses run by Shenzhou merchants all around the world and in Shenzhou homes. His statue shows a wealthy man seated in a silk robe holding riches in both hands. He is sometimes accompanied by two attendants carrying bowls of gold. He was not just the god of material wealth but of a rich life which meant a happy family and a secure, prosperous, and respectable job. Caishen is very generous to his followers but was not foolish and did not give out his wealth to just anyone. People had to prove themselves worthy of his generosity by working hard, praying to him regularly, and thanking him for his gifts. Temples and shrines to Caishen are probably the most numerous in Shenzhou.
Menshen, Guardians of the Door
Menshen, the guardians of the door, known as "Gods of Peaceful Sleep" who protect a room, house, or building from evil spirits and ghosts. The emperor Taizong was having a hard time sleeping because of nightmares. He consulted a doctor who blamed the bad dreams on evil spirits. Taizong's nightmares were so real he thought people were actually in the room trying to kill him, and so two of his most trusted guards were posted outside the door of his room, one standing on each side. Taizong began to sleep better with the guards outside and so ordered that their images be painted on the doorway. News of Taizong's painted soldiers spread and soon more and more people were painting guardians on their doors and rooms. These images can be seen on many buildings and homes in Shenzhou and elsewhere.
Male:
- Xiu
- Zixuan
- Zihan
- Yuxuan
- Yuze
- Xiang
- Wei
- Tao
- Shi
- Kai
- Hao-Yu
- Haoran
- Guo
- Fu
- Dong
- Da-fu
- Chao
- Chen
- Bowen
- Aiguo
- Tu
- Syaoran
- Taio
- Shan
- Manchu
- Longwei
- Lim
- Shang
- Po
- Kuo
- Jing
- Jiao-Long
- Hu
Female:
- Alix
- Hien
- Gho
- Diu
- Da Xia
- Huan
- Jia Li
- Jiao
- Liling
- Lin
- Liu
- Loi
- Luan
- Meilin
- Meiling
- Niu
- Nuo
- Qing
- Nuwa
- Qi
- Li Hua
- Lixue
- Nuan
- Ming Yue
- Mey
- Meiying
- Lien
- Lian
- Li Ming
- Lai
- Qinyang
- Yun
- Wang Fang
The Shenzhou
Rumours abound that our glorious kingdom is ruled by women, shadowy puppeteers behind the Jade Throne. Asburd, malicious heresies, spread by fear-mongering rebels and infiltraitors from the worthless northern barbarians. I am Zhao Yun, Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty of the Shenzhou. The Radiant Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years. No woman controls me, no woman controls the Empire, and no woman ever shall.
- Lizong, Fourteenth Emperor of the Song Dynasty
Lizong is a mindless fool more interested in sleeping with his concubines, stealng new ones from their families, and gorging himself on wine and rich foods than ruling an Empire well. We of the Jin, hidden and hopeful, will cast down this tainted Son of Heaven, cast down the ancient hands pulling his strings, and bring salvation to the Shenzhou.
- Tushan, Empress-In-Hiding of the Jin Dynasty
There is no land save Skaney that is as varied in biomes as the Shenzhou Empire. It is a land of absolute control by its Emperor, who wields supreme autocratic power and is regarded as a demigod come to guide his people to Heaven. To outsiders, whose experience is carefully controlled through limited exposure and scripted displays, it seems a monolithic entity, united and working smoothly, every man and woman knowing their place and performing their duties to better serve their nation. Beneath the surface, however, lies another story entirely.
Land Of Decadence and Duty
Shenzhou is an ancient land, and a proud one. While other nations have changed over the centuries, the inhabitants of this sprawling empire have made it a point of pride to remain as staid and static as possible, even when it seems blatantly to the detriment of their nation and its people. Tradition is of paramount importance, and many decisions are made based not one what an individual situation calls for, with all of its contextual factors accounted for, but rather on what an honored ancestor did in a vaguely similar situation generations before. Such a method of leadership and decision-making is known for creating great stability, by and large, but does not handle change nor the unexpected well.
Filial Piety, and respect to one's social and cultural superiors, are considered to be of paramount importance in Shenzhou society. The reputation of one's family name is vital, and one must behave according to rigid customs when in public in order to not bring shame onto your parents and ancestors. For women, filial piety means total submission to her husband's will, to be courteous at all times, to ensure male heirs, to prevent infighting between sons, and to advise one's parents to follows wise paths.
Interestingly, the concept of zhōng, 'loyalty', is not only as important, but also somewhat at odds with the autocratic power wielded by the Emperor. Tied in with the belief of the Emperor's divine mandate, and the inherant righteousness of all those he places in positions of power, Shenzhou culture states that a superior (of any kind) should be obeyed because of their inherant moral rectitude. However, this obediance does not demand subservience, as the loyalty shown by subordinates is expected to be reciprocated. A superior should heed the advise of his subordinates, even as the subordinate is expected to point out flaws in leadership.
In the last century, this recipricocity has begun to fade away, with more emphasis being placed on the obligations of the subordinate, and sages that refer to often to the duty of the people to replace or overthrow an incompetent or evil leader just as often find themselves disappearing some dark night.
The Empire, while primarily focused on the Khalka to the North (and the vast natural resources the tribes protect), is not without its internal enemies. An underground rebel group, led by the deposed survivors of the butchered Jin dynasty, fight to free their homeland from what they view as an unworthy Emperor.
Basic Geography
If there is a type of terrain, weather, or biome, it exists in the lands of the Shenzhou Empire. Even the arid, sand-filled emptiness of a desert is not foreign to this land. There is no place in this enormous territory that is entirely uninhabitaed, though the majority of the population is centered around the verdant plains and low mountains towards the nation's heart. Still, it would be far from unusual to meet a member of the Shenzhou from the Gobi Desert, the Changbai Mountains, the Rainforest of Xinshuangbanna, or the Sichuan Basin.
The center of the Shenzhou Empire is, of course, whatever city is currently hosting the Son of Heaven, who will often visit different Imperial Palaces depending on things such as the weather and his mood. However, the official capital (with the largest and grandest Palace, naturally) is the city of Bianjing. It is here that the majority of the Imperial Government stays, even as the Court itself follows the Emperor from place to place.
Potential Lore Hooks
While it may seem a strange thing indeed for someone from such an inwardly-focused culture to join a roaming, home-less mercenary army, there is no dirth of reasons for a citizen of Shenzhou to leave. A rebel seeking allies or knowledge to overthrow the Song, a Song loyalist looking to sabotage rebel efforts, someone who hate the both of them and simply wants to live free of the dynastic squabbles and endless powerplays that are rife in the Emperor's court. All these and more are available to you.
Anatolia
Land of the Chariot-Masters
The Pantheon of Anatolia
Tesshup, Lord of Storms, the Sky, and the Weather
King of the Gods, Husband of the sun goddess Arinniti. Depicted as a bearded man holding a trident-like thunderbolts and a mace.
Ariniti: Guardian of the Lands, Queen of All Creation
Goddess of the Sun. Depicted as a woman with the sun shining behind her, arms outstretched as if to embrace the world.
Aruna: God of the Sea
Depicted as a man accompanied by a shark and a dolphin, carrying a sword of stone(coral) and a whip of kelp. Patron God of sailors, fisherman, and naval merchants.
Kamrusepa: Goddess of Healing, Medicine, and Magic
Depicted as a young woman comforting a dying soldier.
Ishtar: Goddess of fertility, war, and healing
Depicted as a naked woman, a sword upraised in one hand while her other arm holds a baby to her breast.
Suwaliyat: God of Warriors and Conquest
Depicted as a scarred man crying tears of blood, wielding an enormous axe.
Hasameli: God of Metalworkers and Craftsmen
Depicted as a muscular, shirtless man standing beside an anvil, upraised hammer in his hand and fire coming from his mouth.
Lelwani: goddess of the underworld and death
Her temples double as undertakers and mausoleums, and she is depicted as an old woman holding a heart in her cupped hands.
Ishara: goddess of oaths, vengeance, and fair-trade
Invoked during trades and treaties, with the promise and invocation of her wrathful punishment upon those who break their oaths or employ deceit in their deals. Married to her rival, the God of Fortune and Thieves Rundas. Invoking her may draw the attention of Rundas.
Rundas: God of Fortune and Thieves
Invoked by gamblers and criminals alike, depicted as a man holding a pair of dice in one hand (both with the six on top) and a scale that is unbalanced despite being empty. Invoking him may draw the attention of Ishara.
Male:
- Sagana
- Gassu
- Tarhuntaziti
- Asuwan
- Aimi
- Madawashi
- Zida
- Tiwatapara
- Tarhupihanu
- Kanuasu
- Hamara
- Mazziya
- Killa
- Mannanni
- Inarawada
- Wadapra
- Iyarazutu
- Girgisu
- Sarama
- Garnalaki
- Kakka
- Ewarisatuni
- Marta
- Sariya
- Aliziti
- Alariya
- Warsiya
- Ewriya
- Muwatalli
- Matsuri
Female:
- Punawasha
- Kuwari
- Tata
- Harapsiti
- Azulsa
- Ninalla
- Asrsakiti
- Asalka
- Nimahsusar
- Alawashi
- Lihsusar
- Ayatarsa
- Iyanika
- Santawiya
- Mazzatasalla
- Asnuhepa
- Askiliya
- Kali
- Katasasar
- Ammmalli
- Arala
- Hahharti
- Supianika
- Nawila
- Iyarassa
- Katata
- Arnanika
- Allaiturahi
- Zuwi
- Zuskana
The Anatolians
The Kyivan Rus' do not rule through conquest and cruelty, but by the heartfelt invitation of it's people. When the other tribes warred with one another, visiting horror after horror upon their neighbor, they realized that it was no way to live, no way to honor the gods, and so (lacking the strength to put aside their hatreds of their own free will) they came to Honored Rurik and asked he and his brothers to rule over them. And so it has been ever since.
- Ragnar Lothbrok, King of the Scandza
Spreading from its heart, cradled in the bend of the Maraššantiya River, the Hittite Empire is without a doubt on of the great powers of the world. It's chariots are without a doubt the mightiest, its horses amongst the finest, and its wealth comes as much from conquest as it does trade.
The Thunder of Man and Beast
The people of Anatolia are, in many ways, a melting pot of other lands. Indeed, unlike most of the other nations, Anatolia was not a unified land until recently, instead bearing more similarity to the loose confederations and constant in-fighting of the Hellenic states. It was only after the conquests and shrewd diplomatic moves of Suppiluliuma I that the disparate lands of Arazawa, Mittani, Carchemish, and Aleppo were united under the banner of Ḫattuša to form a cohesive empire.
While every nation uses chariots to one degree or another, there are none whose chariots can match the devestating power of those that come from this land. Though no foreigner, and most citizens of Anatolia itself, have any idea what secret methods the master smiths of the Imperial Army use to forge the axles of these heavy war machines, the fact remains that they are capable of carrying greater weight, over rougher terrain, at higher speeds, than those belonging to any other nation.
The Anatolians are ruled by a constitutional monarchy, with an assembly of noblemen, called the Pankus, helping the King rule and ensuring that his rulership meets the laws and traditions of the Empire. The majority of the powerful positions in the Empire, such as the army, the priesthood, and control over particularly vital provinces, are reserved to the close family of the ruling King. The rulers of conquered or vassalized nations are expected to travel to the Empire's capitol yearly, paying tribute and renewing their vows of obedience and submission to the Imperial Throne.
As expected of an Empire formed through the conquest with its immediate neighbors, with a powerful and ancient rival nearby, the Empire places a premium on military prowess and strength. With a standing army of between five and ten thousand (though it is dispersed throughout the empire as provincial garrisons and patrols), it can be supplemented by Lu Gistukul, Men of the Weapon, who act as a semi-proffesional militia. Charioteers are of greater value and standing than infantry, of course, but at the top of the Empire's military pyramid stand the Meshedi, the Men of the Golden Spear, who are responsible for accompanying the King into the heat of battle and guarding royal lands across the Empire. These most elite warriors are led by the Gal Meshedi, The Chief of the Bodyguards The Gal Meshesdi often acts as the Commander-In-Chief of the Empire when the King is unable to campaign due to other obligations.
It is also a highly religious nation despite its militancy, with the King acting as the High Priest of Tesshup in addition to his roles as the head of the government and of the army. The King is often travelling between the major regional capitols of the Empire, presiding over various festivals and religious holidays in each, both as a way of reinforcing his people's loyalty to himself but to fatten the royal coffers from donations to the temples of each city.
Basic Geography
Somewhat oddly for a nation so dedicated to the power of the chariot, Anatolia is a rather mountainous land, though given that this makes control over the fertile river valleys all the more valuable as a result, perhaps the dedication to the chariot (which excells in such valleys) is not so strange after all. None-the-less, Anatolia is quite mountainous indeed, with everything from rolling hills to long mountain ranges that tower tens of thousands of feet tall. The hillier regions surrounding the valleys provide ideal pastureland for animals such as sheep, horses, and cattle, allowing the more easily tilled lands to be reserved to staple food and export crops as flax, wheat, barely, and lentils.
The center of Anatolian power is the capitol city of Ḫattuša, built around the high ridge (itself occupied by the imperial palace) known as Büyükkale, and the city as a whole is heavily fortified, with nearly four miles of walls surrounding the inner and outer cities. It's temples and noble residences are built of stone, while most of the citizenry makes do with baked clay and wood harvested from nearby forests.
Potential Lore Hooks
An Anatolian could leave his or her homeland for many reasons. Wealth, fame, revenge, exile, even love or pain. Perhaps they are seeking out superior methods of construction, or foreign markets to peddle their wares. Perhaps they lost a high-stakes rivalry amongst the nobility, or are a member of a conquered vassal who left home rather than serve their conquerors. Perhaps they are a soldier, seeking a new battlefield to enhance their reputation.
Kumat
The Land of Black Soil
The Pantheon of Kumat
Ra. God of Kings, the Sun, Order, and the Sky. Ruler of All Creation, Father of All Life
Represented as a falcon superimposed over a sun-disk or as a falcon-headed man with a sun disk over his head, Ra is the supreme deity of Kumat. According to the myths, all living things on Aeonia came from him. From the Sun comes the ripening of the crops the Kumati depend on to live, and it is to the Sun they give thanks.
Set. God of Deserts, Storms, Envy, Disorder, and Foreigners
Represented by a man with the head of a fennec fox, Set exists in an interesting place amongst Kumati belief. Simultaneously a villain and a hero, he is the brother of Osiris, Isis, and Horus, and the father of Anubis. Though he murdered and butchered his brother Osiris, splitting the king into multiple pieces and casting them to the four winds, he also travels every day on Ra’s sun-barge, defending the King of the Gods from the Chaos Serpent Apophis as they travel through the Sky and the Underworld on the eternal journey of the Sun.
Thoth. God of Wisdom, Writing, Hieroglyphics, Science, Magic, Art, and the Moon
Depicted as a man with the head of an Ibis or a Baboon, both animals that are considered sacred to him. In addition to his above primary duties, he was also the Scribe of the Gods, reported when the Scales of Judgement were even, and the creator and maintainer of both mortal and moral, i.e divine, law. When Isis gathered Osiris’ dismembered body, it was Thoth that taught her the Words of Power needed to resurrect him long enough for her to become pregnant with Horus.
Khnum. God of the Life-Giving Phiaro, Shaper of Children
Depicted as a man with the head of a ram standing near a potter’s wheel, holding a jar from which flows a stream of water, Khnum is the god whose purpose is the protection and control of the Phiaro, the enormous river around which the Kumati civilization is built. He is also believed to lovingly and carefully craft the bodies of human children from divine clay before placing them in the wombs of their mortal mothers.
Horus. God-King of Kumat, Lord of Sun and Moon
Depicted as a man with the head of a falcon, or as a peregrine falcon with one golden eye and one silver eye, Horus is believed by the Kumati to be an indwelt deity, existing within their ruling Pharaoh and giving him the wisdom and discernment needed to rule properly. Indeed, when a Pharaoh ascends to the throne, their name is changed to Horus, though their birth name usually follows. The current ruler of Kumat is Horus Tutankhamun.
Osiris. God of the Dead and Ruler of the Underworld
The current Osiris is believed to be Osiris Amenhotep III, grandfather of Tutankhamun, his father Akhenaten believed to have had his heart (and soul) devoured for his heretical abandonment of Kumat’s gods. Most commonly depicted as a green-faced pharaoh with his legs wrapped in mummification bandages. Sits in audience as every soul is judged after death.
Ptah, God of Craftsmen and Architects
The husband of Sekhmet and one of the Creator Deities in Kumati faith, Ptah is revered for literally thinking the world into existence. Revered by all those who create, but especially the crafters of jewelry and blacksmiths, he is simultaneously loved and feared. He is believed to be the cause of earthquakes and other land-related natural disasters, levelling cities and killing many, but this destruction births man’s creative determination to rebuild grander and more beautiful than before.
Hathor, Goddess of Music, Dancing, Joy, and Sexuality
Isis, Goddess of Life, Magic, and the Passage to the Underworld. Divine Mother of all Pharaohs, Wife of Osiris
Sekhmet, Eye of Ra, Guardian of the Pharaohs and Goddess of Healing
Depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness holding a spear, Sekhmet is Hathor’s alternate self. While the peaceful and kind Hathor represents all the wonders of a world without war, Sekhmet is the personification of Divine Wrath. She guides pharaohs into battle, giving them wisdom and courage to fight for their nation and people, and those that die in battle are personally escorted to the underworld at the moment of their death.Believed to breath fire and call the desert winds that flay flesh from bone, she is the courier of Ra’s wrath to the mortal races.
Anubis, God of Death, Burial Places, and the Underworld
Depicted as a young man with the head of a Kumati wolf, Anubis is second only to Osiris in the Land of the Dead. It is Anubis who attends the scales that judge a mortal’s heart (soul) and it is he who feeds the hearts of the wicked to the great crocodile that waits beside the scales.
Maat, Goddess of Truth, Justice, Wisdom, Morality, and Cosmic Balance
Male:
- Mensah
- Entef
- Chefren
- Athothes
- Usur-ha
- Atu
- Mencheres
- Meht-nashkhti
- Mibahu
- Pe-sahi
- Geta
- Ansapata
- Mohar
- Menkaura
- Kafele
- Sarenen
- Shakanasa
- Meri
- Akins
- Riaz
- Meiri
- Khufu
- Nezemab
- Aqer
- Matsimela
- Kanebti
- Eate
- Pheles
- Jahi
- Khalfani
Female:
- Merit
- Hapu
- Anta
- Ankhsapenap
- Ankhatefs
- Mehi
- Ama
- Teiharset
- Hathorisis
- Sanura
- Hehet
- Menhit
- Tairin
- Samira
- Zesiro
- Iseueri
- Mandisa
- Kesi
- Atinmerit
- Siotio
- Antarta
- Nekhbet
- Arbastutanif
- Bataanta
- Nani
- Gararai
- Kemat
- Naunet
- Maanai
- Sakhmet
The Kumati
I was born to rule, and despite my youth the throne of my father is, and will remain, mine alone. My mother and wife advise me, my Grand Vizier advises me, my generals and nobles advise me, but it is Horus Tutankhamun who sits alone upon the Throne of Kings, and Horus Tutankhamun alone who will remain upon it.
- Horus Tuntankhamun, Pharoah of Kumat
Named for the black soil that lines the banks of Iteru ('The River') that allowed the Kumati's ancestors to settle in an otherwise-barren land, Kumat is a land of violent contrasts. Along the live-giving length of water, one would find the spectacular farmland, animal, and plant life of the greatest oasis in the world. As the most ancient, continuous civilization known to mortalkind, the wealth, knowledge, and power it has gained and lost across history is beyond imagining, and it shows.
Ancient Empire of Monuments
If there is one thing that the people of Kumat can do with greater scale and skill than any other nation, it is building monuments. To kings and queens, to gods and goddesses, to awe-inspiring achievements and devestating disasters. Enormous pyramids dot the nation's territory, the colossal funerary icons of the worthiest kings and queens, alongside towering obelisks and sprawling temples.
These grand feats of architecture and construction are not, however, the focus of Kumati life. Instead, much of society revolves around farming and performing trade-crafts, such as pottery, wood-carving, and basket-weaving. It is only when the yearly flood season of Iteru that (with their fields underwater being rejuvinated by the mineral-rich river) that the farmers, no longer occupied with their primary job, are left at odd ends. Rather than leave thousands of men with nothing but idle time to cause trouble, the workforce was instead turned to infrastructure and architechtural marvels.
Religious belief is a deeply important part of daily Kumati life, and a method through which the aristocracy maintains control. The most prominent example of this is the belief that the ruler of Kumat is actually a physical indwelling of the mighty falcon god, Horus. A mortal, and subject to all the weaknesses and failings that comes with mortality, but directly placed upon the throne and guided by the gods all the same. After death, he becomes Osiris, God of the Dead and Horus' father. In this way, previous rulers remain the divine and mortal father both to their successor.
One of the most central beliefs, beyond that of the pharoah's divinity, is the concept of Ma'at. While this name is shared by a goddess who is considered it's personification, its relations to Kumati cosmological and religious beliefs is far more vital and significantly broader. Ma'at, in the most basic of terms, means 'order', and essentially refers to the cohesion of existence itself. If this cohesion is disrupted by the forces of disorder and chaos, then all of creation will collapse entirely. As such, keeping this concept of absolute order at the mortal level, socially and culturally, is considered perhaps the most important single thing any mortal life can be dedicated to.
While not as aggressive militarily as its neighbor, Kumat has a standing army of significant power, and their supreme familiarity with the terrain of their homeland (most especially the locations of the vital oases required to survive a campaign in the desert) makes invading them a risky proposition at best, and one guaranteed to bring about staggering casualties.
Basic Geography
Kumat is, as everyone knows, mostly desert. In point of fact, if it were not for the life-giving waters of Iteru, the entire nation would be nothing but desert. An endless arid wasteland devoid of all but the hardiest and most stubborn of life. However, due not only to the existence of the Iteru but also the yearly flooding (that could last three months or more), the delta in which most of Kumati society is based is one of the richest agricultural territories in existence. Outside of this delta, however, is an almost-uniformly flat desert that stretches to the horizon and beyond.
The center of Kumati power is the city of Men-nefer, called Memphis by Hellenic nations with which they so often trade, lies along the west back of Iteru, sustained and flourishing thanks to those sacred waters. Countless temples, large and small alike, dot the city, and the sprawling necroplois of Saqqara lies beside it, a city in it's own right that is populated by the dead and their caretakers.
Potential Lore Hooks
Like Shenzhou, Kumati society is very inwardly-focused, but that is hardly a disqualyfing factor for players. A farmer tired to backbreaking work for little wealth, a former soldier seeking greater fortunes, a child of the world with eyes of wanderlust, a criminal on the run. There is little in the way of limitations to player creativity for those with imagination.
PART 2
Classes of Eleuthia
Jomsvikingr
A nervous militia nervously waits by the foggy shore, staggered lines waving slightly as men and women shift nervously on their feet and stair down the obscured expanse of sand towards the sea, weapons clutched in clammy hands that are as damp with fearful sweat as they are the moisture in the air. A horn sounds in the fog, low and deep, and is followed by shouted phrases and chants. Calls and responses, rising from a hundred throats at once, as a double line of heavily armed and armored Scandza materialize from within, faces painted and shield adorned with the symbols of their gods. Their leader, a towering man clad in half-plate armor, raises his hammer high and shouts. Thunder rolls, and with a blinding flash three bolts of lightning descend and turn three members of the militia to cindered husks. The rest of the raiders heft their weapons and charge with a roar, as the militia crumbles before them.
Creating a Jomsvikingr
The Scandza believe that only the most worthy of warriors, this who died great deaths in battle, are worthy of entrance into Odin's mighty hall, but there are those that take this belief to a level of dedication unseen amongst their kinsmen. Swearing themselves to a god, acting as their mortal hero in Midgard, these warriors gain strength and ability far above a normal human. Strength and abilities they use to lay waste to anyone who opposes them in the name of their god.
Quick Build
To quickly build a Jomsvikingr, make STR and CON your primary stats, followed by WIS. Select the Raider Background. Scandza Characters ONLY
Jomsvikingr
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slots | Slot Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Oathbound, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 2nd | +2 | Runic Magic, Fighting Style | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 3rd | +2 | Child of the Wind and Waves | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 6th | +3 | Oath Feature | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 7th | +3 | Iron Hearts | 3 | 8 | 2 | 4th |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 9 | 3 | 4th |
| 9th | +4 | ─ | 3 | 10 | 3 | 5th |
| 10th | +4 | Oath Feature | 4 | 10 | 3 | 5th |
| 11th | +4 | Hólmganga | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5th |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5th |
| 13th | +5 | - | 4 | 12 | 4 | 5th |
| 14th | +5 | Oath Feature | 5 | 12 | 5 | 5th |
| 15th | +5 | Enhanced Runic Magic | 5 | 13 | 5 | 5th |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 13 | 5 | 6th |
| 17th | +6 | Einheri | 5 | 14 | 6 | 6th |
| 18th | +6 | Oathfeature | 5 | 14 | 6 | 6th |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 15 | 6 | 6th |
| 20th | +6 | Valholl Calls | 6 | 15 | 7 | 6th |
Class Features
As a Jomsvikingr, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1D8
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (5) + your Constitution modifier per Jomvikingr level after 1st.
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
- Weapons: All Weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: (CON), (STR)
- Skills: Religion and any two of Athletics, Intimidation, Survival, or History
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) two martial weapons or (b) a martial weapon and a shield
- (a) Leather Armor or (b) Chain Shirt
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A rune-carving set, a pouch for rune-stones, and a scroll of vows
Spellcasting
At first level, the Jomsvikingr can now call on the power of the Scandzan gods to cast spells.
Cantrips
At first level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the Jomsvikingr spell list. You learn additional Jomsvikingr cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Jomsvikingr table.
Spell Slots
The Jomsvikingr table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your Jomsvikingr spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells Known of 1st Level or Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Jomsvikingr spell list. The Spell Known column of the Jomsvikingr table shows when you learn more Jomsvikingr spells of your choice from this feature. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Jomsvikingr spells you know from this feature and replace it with another spell from the Jomsvikingr spell list. The new spell must also be of a level for which you have spell slots on the Jomsvikingr table.
Spellcasting Ability
WIS is your spellcasting ability for your Jomsvikingr spells. You use your WIS whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your WIS modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Jomsvikingr spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
**Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your WIS modifier
**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus +
your WIS modifier
Spellcasting Focus
The symbol of their chosen god: A hammer for Thor, the Valknut for Odin, a horn for Heimdallr, and the rune Tiwaz with a sword inside the shaft of the arrow for Tyr.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
-
Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
-
Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
-
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Oathbound
At first level, the Jomsvikingr swears themself to a God of Asgard, fighting in their name and gaining benefits from their fervent devotion. Your choice grants you features at 6th level, and again at 10th, 14th, and 18th levels.
Runic Magic
At second level, the Jomsvikingr is able to use Skaney rune magic, by either engraving the rune on physical objects such as armor and weapons, or drawing it in the air to cause an effect. You are able to use two Runes simultaneously, one that effects yourself and one that effects another target. If a Rune is Surged, it gains a temporary effect or bonus based on its passive effect, but is burnt out (removing the passive effect) and must be recarved and recharged before it can be used again.
Child of the Wind and Waves
Starting at 3rd level, the Jomsvikingr gains Proficiency in Vehicles (Water), and your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks that use this skill . Additionally, they gain Advantage on Intelligence (Nature), Wisdom (Survival) and Wisdom (Perception), and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks while on board of a ship in any checks related to naval activity (maintaining balance on the deck, understanding shifting weather, plotting a course, knowing sea creatures, etc.).
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat (see Chapter 6 for a list of feats).
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Iron Hearts
Starting at 7th level, the Jomsvikingr gains Immunity to the Frightened Condition..
Hólmganga
Starting at 11th level, you can use a Bonus Action to challenge a single sentient enemy creature (of an Intelligence Score 6 or above) to a death-duel. They can make a Wisdom Check against a Wisdom Roll by the Jomsvikingr. A immobile space of forty feet radiating from a point equidistant between you is established as the duelling arena. While within this arena, you have +1 AC and +1d4 Damage against your opponent. Leaving the arena gives all creatures from the opposing side Advantage against the creature that left the arena until the combat ends.
Enhanced Runic Magic
Starting at 15th level, each of your runes have 2 uses. You regain all uses at the end of a long rest.
Einheri
Starting at 17th level, you can apply your Hólmganga to two enemies simultaneously, increasing your AC bonus to +2 and your damage bonus to 1d8.
Valholl Calls
At 20th level, you can use three runes at once, and there is no longer a restriction on their target.
Warrior-Servants of the Gods
The Jomsvikingr are an order of Scandza warriors, staunchly dedicated to the reverence of their gods and their oaths of brotherhood. Their code is a strict one, instilling discipline and laying out behaviors that are and are not permitted. To fight unto death to defend their shield-siblings, to avenge their deaths, to neither speak ill of them nor strike them in anger. They are forbidden to show fear, or flee before an enemy that they can defeat, though retreating before a vastly superior foe is permissable. So break these tenants, to violate this code, means immediate explusion from the order at best.
Odin, The All-Father
Odin All-Father, King of the Realm Eternal. From his great throne of Hliðskjálf, he gazes down upon the realms of Yggdrasil, watching over all of creation, with the twin ravens of Huginn and Muninn on his shoulders, and the great wolves Geri and Freki at his feet. Creator and god of the runic language, of sorcery, of war and poetry, of knowledge and madness, of death and healing, Odin is fated to fall in battle against the vast and monstrous Fenrir.
Thought and Memory
At first level, the Jomsvikingr gains access to the Find Familiar spell, which does not count against their spells known, and can be cast as a bonus action. Upon casting the spell, two spectral ravens in the forms of Huginn and Munnin appear and act as any normal familiars do. For all functions of the Find Familiar spell, the two ravens function as a single entity. This includes when casting spells using your familiar as the point of origin.
Divine Insight
At first level, the Jomsvikingr gains proficiency in the Insight Skill. If they already have proficiency, they gain Expertise instead.
The Ravenous Ones
Starting at 6th level, the Jomsvikingr can summon two spectral wolves (use Dire Wolf stat sheet) in the forms of Geri and Freki, Odin's twin pet wolves. They become independant members of your party for the duration of the effect, which is one minute per long rest. At level thirteen, they are enhanced to become CR 8 creatures.
Úlfhéðnar
Starting at 10th level, the Jomsvikingr can gift his allies with enhanced strength, with the appearence of a magical aura shaped like a wolf pelt, at the cost of making them berserkir. He can touch willing party members, up to half his proficiency in number (rounding up) and give them a bonus 1d12 to all non-spell attacks that they do. However, attacks against them are made at Advantage.
God of Runes
Starting at 14th level, certain runes gain increased benefits. See the Rune section.
Oskoreia, the Wild Hunt
Starting at 18th level, the Jomsvikingr can declare a Wild Hunt, targetting an enemy creature or creatures equal to their proficiency bonus. All members of the Jomsvikingr's party gain +5 movement speed when moving towards marked enemies, and +1d8 damage when attacking them. An enemy cannot be targeted by this ability and Hólmganga both. This ability can be used once per long rest.
Thor, God of Thunder
Mighty Thor, Hlódyn's son. The Protector of Mankind. God of Storms, it's thunder that quakes the earth and lightning that splits the sky. Mighty Thor, Odin's son, God of Fertility and Strength, of the sacred groves and the trees that give them life. Husband of Sif, father of valkyries, of gods, who rides into battle upon a heavenly chariot pulled by the twin goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. Mighty Thor, who shall one day die to destroy the World Serpent, Jörmungandr
Protector of Mankind
At first level, the Jomsvikingr deals 1d6 bonus damage against creatures larger than themself.
Chariot of Thunder
At first level, the Jomsvikingr gains proficiency in Vehicles (Land).
Hammer of the Thunder God
Starting at 6th level, the Jomsvikingr deals 1d4 Lightning Damage when they strike an enemy with a melee attack.
Lord of Storms
Starting at 10th level, the Jomsvikingr can cast Thunderwave and Call Lightning as a Bonus Action.
Thundering Blows
Starting at 14th level, the Jomsvikingr deals 1d4 Thunder Damage when they strike an enemy with a melee attack.
Twilight of the Thunder God
Starting at 18th level, the Jomsvikingr emulates mighty Thor's prophesized sacrifice against dread Jörmungandr. For the next minute, their attacks are made at Advantage. However, all enemy attacks against them are also made at Advantage. This ability can be used once per day.
Týr, God of Justice and Heroic Glory
Týr, noblest and truest of the gods. He who sacrificed his own hand to the Great Wolf, Fenrir, in order to allow him to be bound by the other gods, using the mighty chain Gleipnir. He who is destined to die, devoured by a similarily monstrous hound, Garmr, during Ragnarok.
Tales of Glory
At first level, the Jomsvikingr gains Proficiency in the Performance Skill. If already Proficient, they gain Expertise.
One-Handed Mastery
At first level, in emulation of Týr's one-handed nature, you are more skilled with one-handed weapons than most. You can elect to increase your AC by 1 and your damage by 1d6, but you cannot equip anything to your off-hand.
Justice Unyielding
Starting at 6th level, the Jomsvikingr is determined to deliver justice to their enemies, each victory giving them a surge of strength to stay in the fight. Each time they land a killing blow on an enemy, they can heal 1d6 damage.
Heroism
Starting at 10th level, the Jomsvikingr can use an Action recite a poem about the epic deeds of a god or hero to inspire. One allied creature can take one extra action, with diminished capacity. They can move half their movement, make one attack at Disadvantage, or (in the case of an save-type spell) give the ally advantage on their save. This can be done once per long rest.
Unremitting Justice
Starting at 14th level, the heal from Justice Unyielding is increased to 1d8, an no longer requires that you land the killing blow, only that you have damaged the enemy within the last two battle rounds.
Gleipnir
Starting at 18th level, the Jomsvikingr can summon ghostly bonds in the image of Fenrir's silken chain on a single target within twenty feet. That target is Pinned, reducing their movement to zero but allowing them to take actions against any enemy in range. Enemy attacks against you are made at Advantage, as you cannot focus on self-defense while holding this enemy in place, and once the effect ends you suffer one level of Exhaustion. This can be done twice per long rest.
Heimdallr, Gatekeeper and Guardian of Asgard
Heimdallr, Gatekeeper of the Bifrost, Guardian of Asgard. His unblinking, unceasing, sleepless gaze sees all that occurs within the Nine Realms of Yggdrassil. His ears, powerful beyond mortal understand, hear the growing of grass in the earth and the wool on the sheep. Nothing escapes his attention as he defends The Realm Eternal, and so those who fight in his name dedicate themselves to the vigilant protection of their comrades.
Eternal Vigilance
At first level, the Jomsvikingr can no longer be taken by surprise. They also have Advantage on Attacks of Oppurtunity.
Mystic Eyes
Starting at 6th level, the Jomsvikingr has Advantage for Perception Checks and Expertise in Passive Perception.
Watch Unfaltering
Starting at 10th level, the Jomsvikingr no longer needs to rest, instead gaining the benefits of a rest simply by remaining out of combat for the appropriate length of time.
Gjallarhorn
Starting at 14th level, the Jomsvikingr can blow their replica of Heimdallr's horn, instantly waking their party and preventing them from being surprised. If they are suffering from the surprised status, it ends immediately as the magical note wash over them.
The One Who Illuminates The World
Starting at 18th Level, The Jomsvikingr can strip Illusion-based effects from enemies spotted by their Wisdom (Perception) checks. The enemy can attempt to avoid the effect with a superior roll of their Spellcasting Modifier.
Jomsvikingr Spell List
Cantrips
- True Strike
- Shocking Grasp
- Chill Touch
- Ray of Frost
- Mending
1st Level
- Jump
- Longstrider
- Heroism
- Thunderwave
- Fog Cloud
- Divine Favor
- Hellish Rebuke
- Comprehend Languages
- Inflict Wounds
2nd Level
- Enhance Ability
- Heat Metal
- Shatter
- Spiritual Weapon
- Warding Bond
- Barkskin
- Enlarge/Reduce
3rd Level
- Call Lightning
- Lightning Bolt
- Fear
- Bestow Curse
- Spirit Guardians
- Sleet Storm
4th Level
- Freedom of Movement
- Stoneskin
- Ice Storm
- Confusion
- Guardian of Faith
5th Level
- Cone of Cold
- Legend Lore
- Wall of Stone
- Geas
6th Level
- Chain Lightning
- Wall of Ice
- Freezing Sphere
- Heroes' Feast
Jomsvikingr Runes
Ansuz, Rune of Insight
- Carving Time: one Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Passive, 10 Minutes If Surged
The Jomvikingr gains proficiency in the Insight Skill so long as the rune is active and on their person.
Rune Surge Gain Advantage with all Insight Checks for the duration of the Surge.
God of Runes: The Jomvikingr gains Advantage and Expertise for the duration of the surge.
Berkana, Rune of Liberation
- Casting Time: 1 Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant, 1 Minute If Surged
You trace the rune on yourself, breaking free of any movement impairing effects currently effecting you. This includes slows and binds. However, effects that render you incapable of any movement (paralysis, sleep, etc) cannot be broken by this rune.
Rune Surge: You gain immunity to all movement-impairing effects for the next minute.
Kenaz, Rune of Inspiration
- Carving time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
The Rune of Inspiration, when carved on a small, smooth, approximately palm-sized stone, allows the Jomsvikingr to add a single d8 to one of their rolls. After use, the stone disintegrates. The Jomsvikingr can find another such stone, but doing so takes ten minutes.
Dagaz, Rune of The Dawn
- Carving Time: 1 hour
- Range: Self, 40ft Aura
- Duration: One Day, unless Surged
The Rune of the Dawn, when carved into an object, radiates bright light in a forty foot radius. This light cannot penetrate magical darkness.
Rune Surge: You pour further power into the rune, burning it out in a powerful surge that Blinds anyone whose eyes are not covered within the 40ft radius for 20 seconds.
God of Runes: If this rune is Surged, Blinded targets also take 3d12 psychic damage.
Ehwaz, Rune of Transportation
- Carving Time: 1 Hour
- Range: Touch
- Duration: One Day
Carving this symbol into a non-living mode of transportation (carts, chariots, ships, etc), lightening it. Travel time in this mode of transportation is reduced by one-third.
Fehu, Rune of Luck
- Carving Time: 1 Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
The Jomsvikingr can carve this rune on a small piece of bone from an animal that they have killed, turning it into a lucky charm. They can expend this rune to reroll a single attack roll, ability check, or saving throw of their choice. Afterwards, this luck charm is out of energy and must regenerate, which occurs at the next dawn.
Gebo, Rune of Balance
- Carving Time: 1 Hour
- Range: Thirty Feet
- Duration: Instant
The Jomvikingr can bind themself to an enemy, reducing their HP by the amount of HP that the Jomvikingr has lost through combat. HP sacrificed with the Tiwaz Rune does not count towards this effect. Temporary HP that has been lost does not count towards this effect. This effect can only be triggered on an enemy once per day.
God of Runes: Temporary HP that has been lost and HP sacrificed with the Tiwaz Rune now counts towards this effect.
Hagalaz, Rune of Wrath
- Carving Time: 1 Hour
- Range: 20 Feet
- Duration: Instant
The Jomsvikingr can carve this symbol into a small stone, which then can be thrown at an enemy target (treat this as a ranged attack using strength). If it hits, it sticks to the target, who then must make a WIS save with a DC of 15. Should they fail, they become Enraged, causing them to attack any creature near them without regard for allegiance. This effect can be broken by an allied spell effect, or by physically removing the stone from their skin. The afflicted player is not able to remove the stone themselves.
Isa, Rune of Ice
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Twenty Feet
- Duration: Instant
Focusing on the freezing, stasis-inflicting nature of Ice, you can use use an action in order to slow your opponent, reducing their movement by half for three battle rounds.
Runic Surge By surging the power of this runestone, destroying it, you can attempt to inflict the 'Petrified' status on your enemy instead. They must make a DC14 Constitution save to negate the attempt. A successful save none-the-less still slows them, though only by a third (rounding down the nearest whole number if needed).
God of Runes: If you Surge this rune, your target must make the CON save to avoid Petrification at Disadvantage.
Jera, Rune of Harvest
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Touch
- Duration: One Hour
All resources gathered by the holder of this runestone are doubled for the duration of it's use. This includes food, water, crafting materials, alchemical ingrediants, etc. No player can benefit from this more than one per long rest.
Laguz, Rune of Dreams
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: 30 Feet
- Duration: Instant
The Jomvikingr can cast the Hypnotic Pattern spell once before the runestone burns out.
Mannaz, Rune of the Mind
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Passive, One Minute If Surged
The Jomvikingr gains a passive boost of one (1) point to their Intelligence Score.
Rune Surge: The bonus to the Intelligence Score increases to two (2) points for the duration of the Surge.
Nauthiz, Rune of Resistance
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Passive, One Minute (surged)
The Jomvikingr does, upon activation of this rune, gain Advantage to saves that resist all mental spell effects: Fear, Charm, Sleep.
Rune Surge: The Jomvikingr becomes immune to the Fear, Charm, and Sleep effects for the next minute.
God of Runes: The Jomvikingr can share the effects of this rune's surge with a single ally within five feet.
Inguz, Rune of Energy
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
The Jomvikingr can use this runestone to gain a one-use burst of energy, allowing them to use the Action Surge feature as if they were a member of the Fighter class.
God of Runes: The Jomvikingr can use this runestone twice before it disintegrates.
Pertho, Rune of Fate
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
When an enemy hits you with an attack that will reduce you to zero HP, you can use this stone to change your fate ever-so-slightly. You are reduced to one HP instead. This rune cannot be used more than once per day under any circumstance.
Raido, Rune of Journeys
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Passive, One Minute If Surged
The Jomvikingr adds five feet to their movement while the rune is active.
Rune Surge The movement bonus is doubled for the duration of the effect
Sowilo, Rune of Victory
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
The Jomvikingr can activate this rune in order to give themself Advantage for a single battle round. This rune cannot be used more than once per long rest.
Thurisaz, Rune of Conflict
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Passive, One Minute if Surged
The Jomvikingr gains one (1) point to their Strength Statistic so long as this Rune is active on their person
Rune Surge: The bonus provided by the rune doubles for the duration of the surge.
Tiwaz, Rune of Justice
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
The Jomvikingr can charge this stone with a portion of their health, reducing their maximum HP by 1/5th until the runestone is used or destroyed. This runestone can act as a single-use, set-amount health potion, restoring that amount of HP to any one person the stone touches. Once the stone is used, the Jomvikingr's maximum HP returns to normal, but they do not heal the missing health until their next rest, or if they benefit from a healing item/spell.
Rune Surge The Jomvikingr can surge the runestone in order to double the healing recieved by their ally without losing any additional health themself. However, the momentary loss of strength makes the next two attacks against them occur at advantage, and they have disadvantage on any Dexterity Saves to avoid damage.
God of Runes: the Jomvikingr is no longer so weakened by the Surge, removing the Advantage on attacks against them, and the Disadvantage on Dexterity Saves.
Uruz, Rune of Endurance
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Touch
- Duration: Instant
The Jomvikingr can touch the runestone to one creature within five feet, removing one rank of Exhaustion if they possess it. No creature may benefit from this effect more than once per day.
Wunjo, Rune of Fellowship
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Touch
- Duration: Passive, Ten Minutes if Surged
The Jomvikingr gains Proficiency in Persuasion Checks.
Rune Surge: The Jomvikingr has Advantage on all Persuasion checks that take place over the time period.
God of Runes: The Jomvikingr has Advantage and Expertise for all Persuasion Checks during the time period.
Algiz, Rune of Protection
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Passive, One Minute if Surged
The Jomvikingr has one (1) bonus point to their AC so long as the rune is active and on their person.
Rune Surge: The bonus provided by the rune doubles for the duration of the surge.
God of Runes: When surged, the Jomvikingr gains resistance to one damage type of the player's choice for the duration of the surge.
Eihwaz, Rune of Stability
- Carving Time: 20 Minutes
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
You can carve this rune on a pair of small, flat stones. When activated as a pair, they are attatched to the laces of your boots, ensuring that you keep your balance regardless of circumstance. For the next minute, you cannot be knocked prone or staggered.
Othala, Rune of Legacies
- Carving Time: One Hour
- Range: Self
- Duration: Instant
Spell Description
At Higher Levels. The Spell's Power increase when cast at higher levels.
Credits:
Maxander, the Greatest of Sounding Boards
The Sage Class
Those who act on behalf of the gods and speak with their authority are the shepherds and servants both of the people, leading them in worship and caring for the temples and holy icons that they created with their taxes and their labors. To challenge a Sage directly is to earn the ire of not just the community that they serve, but the very Heavens themselves.
The Speakers for The Gods
The Sages of the Temples are those who serve the people of their nation through their connection to the gods. While the Temple Knights do so with martial skill, the Sages rarely engage in direct conflict. No, their talents lie in supporting their Temple brothers and sisters, in healing their wounds as Physicians, in banishing and weakening evil spirits and influences as Exorcists, and invoking their deities' divine aid as Voices.
Creating a Sage
There are many gods, and for every god there are many ways of worship. Make sure to have a reason why your character would have chosen the god and the Sage Path that they did, because an Path is for life. Such an important decision, shaping their entire future, must be considered!
Quick Build
To play a Sage, choose or create a background that fits your preference, such as the Acolyte Background. Then, decide which Path you wish to play: Physician, Voice, or Exorcist. This will dictate what stats you focus on: Intelligence, Charsima, or Wisdom, respectivly.
Shenzhou, Hellas, Kumat, and Anatolia ONLY
Choosing an Path and Ability Score
Unlike most traditional full-casters, The Sage has different Primary Casting Atributes based on which Path the player decided to follow during Character Generation
Physicians cast with Intelligence because they have studied the body and its workings through the scientific method, memorizing symptoms and treatments. It is only through extensive study and intense research they are capable of aiding the needy.
Voices cast with Charisma because they are preaching on behalf of their deity. It is through their words, their actions, and their ability to 'work the crowd' that they carry out their duties.
Exorcists cast with Wisdom because they are more in tune with what is or is not natural in in the world, allowing them to more accurately identify and confront supernatural entities and powers.
Sage Class Table
Sage
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
+2
Spellcasting, Path of the Sage
4
2
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2nd
+2
Radiant Resonance: Copper
4
3
3
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
3rd
+2
Deliverance
4
4
4
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvements
5
5
4
3
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
5th
+3
Gift of Domains
5
6
4
3
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
6th
+3
Path Feature
5
7
4
3
3
—
—
—
—
—
—
7th
+3
—
5
8
4
3
3
1
—
—
—
—
—
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
5
9
4
3
3
2
—
—
—
—
—
9th
+4
Radiant Resonance: Silver
5
10
4
3
3
3
1
—
—
—
—
10th
+4
Forebearance
6
11
4
3
3
3
2
—
—
—
—
11th
+4
—
6
12
4
3
3
3
2
1
—
—
—
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
6
12
4
3
3
3
2
1
—
—
—
13th
+5
Celestial Harmony
6
13
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
—
—
14th
+5
Path Feature
6
13
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
—
—
15th
+5
Radiant Resonance: Gold
6
14
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
—
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
6
14
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
—
17th
+6
Divine Deliverance
6
15
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
18th
+6
Path Feature
6
15
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
6
15
4
3
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
20th
+6
Choir of the Bells
6
15
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
1
Class Features
As a Sage, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per Sage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Sage level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Resonant Staves, Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: (WIS) or (INT) or (CHR) based on Sage Path, DEX
Skills: Religion and one of the following: Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, or History
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- a set of padded armor
- a Resonant Stave and any 1 Simple Weapon
- (a) a dungeoneers's pack, or (b) an explorer's pack
- A Holy Symbol
Spellcasting
At first level, the Sage can now cast spells.
Cantrips
You know four cantrips of your choice from the Sage spell list. You learn additional Sage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Sage table.
Spell Slots
The Sage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of first level or higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the SAGE spell list. The Spells Known column of the SAGE table shows when you learn more SAGE spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the SAGE spells you know and replace it with another spell from the SAGE spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
INT, WIS, or CHR is your spellcasting ability for your SAGE spells. Your magic comes from your deity. You use your INT, WIS, or CHR whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your INT, WIS, or CHR modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a SAGE spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your INT, WIS, or CHR modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your INT, WIS, or CHR modifier
Ritual Casting (optional)
You can cast a CLASS spell as a ritual if that spell has a ritual tag and you have learned that spell.
Spellcasting Focus
You use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your Sage spells. You use a Resonant Stave as a spellcasting focus for your Radiant Resonance abilities. The Form your holy symbol takes is dependant on your deity of choice, and can be found in the Pantheon section.
Paths of the Sage
At first level, the class makes a choice between one of the following Paths, which dictates their role in the party and what Ability Scores to focus on. These Paths are: Physician, Voice, and Exorcist.
Radiant Resonance
At second level, the Sage can channel divine magic through the three bells on their staff. These effects are seperate from those of any spells cast by the Sage. The three bells are Copper, Silver, and Gold, representing the purity of the Sage's soul. The more devoutly they follow their deity (I.E., how high their level), the higher rank of bell that they can use. The Silver Bell becomes available at level 9, and the Golden Bell becomes available at level 15. Bell Effects can be found in the Signature Spell section at the bottom of this document.
Deliverance
The Sage can touch an ally that has been reduced to zero HP within the last minute, allowing them to auto-pass a single Death Save, or reducing their Failed Death Saves by one. This effect can only be used on an individual ally once per day, resetting at dawn.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat (see Chapter 6 for a list of feats).
Gift of Domains
At Fifth level, your character gains a single passive ability related to their deity and their deity's primary Divine Domain. Consult the table below to see which ability applies to your character.
Domains
| Domain | Effect |
|---|---|
| Memory | Flawless Memory |
| Healing | You gain Double Proficiency in Herbalist's Kit, Poisoner's Kit, and Alchemist's Kit |
| Thieves | You gain Double Proficiency in Thieves' Tools, Poisoner's Kit, Disguise Kit, and Forger's Tools. |
| Fortune/Wealth/Luck | You gain Double Proficiency in all Gaming Sets |
| Hearth/Family | You gain Double Proficiency in Cooking Skills, and can create a campfire without a Tinderbox |
| Forge | Double Proficiency with Smithing Tools and Jeweler's Tools |
| Writing | You gain Double Proficiency in Cartographer's Tools and Forger's Tools |
| Music | You gain Double Proficiency in all Musical Instruments |
Forbearance
Starting at 10th level, the Sage becomes Proficient with Constitution Saves.
Celestial Harmony
Starting at 13th level, you can utilize your Copper and Silver bells simultaneously.
Divine Deliverance
Starting at 17th level, the Sage's Deliverance is empowered. It can now be used on the same ally twice per day, resetting at dawn.
Choir of the Bells
At 20th Level, the Sage is now able to use all three of their bells simultaneously, filling the battlefield with their divine chimes.
Sage Paths
While the Sage as a whole is a support class, the manner in which is supports varies quiet significantly between it's Paths. The Physician, using INT as it's primary stat, focus on healing. The Exorcist, using Wisdom, specializes in identifying supernatural enemies, protecting the party from them with buffs or by weakning the target. Finally the Voice, using Charisma, directly channels their deity's power to buff the party.
Physician
A wounded man, groaning and writhing in pain, is carefully examined by a young woman in white robes, her hands stained with blood as she investigates the large gash across his chest. She consults a tome, a pricless collection of medical knowledge, filled with diagrams and extensive breakdowns on the human body. Finding the solution, she turns to her work table, mixing several herbs, fluids, and other reagents into a thick paste that she spreads across the injury, sealing the wound and stopping the blood flow while numbing the pain. This is the skill of the Physician: to heal not just with holy magic, but the power of science.
Diagnose
At first level, your can attempt to identify what, precisely, is ailing an ally. You are able to make Medicine checks in regards to the health of your allies (what sort of weapon caused the wound, what the injury is, if they have been poisoned) at Advantage. Healing effects you perform on that ally have a bonus of 1d4 to their value, as you have identified the problem and are treating it directly. The DC for the Medicine Check is your ally's Constitution Modifier + their Proficiency Modifier.
Proffesional Training
At first level, you gain proficiency in the Medicine Skill. If you already have proficiency, your proficiency bonus is doubled. Your Medicine Skill scales off of your Intelligence Score, rather than your Wisdom Score.
Balance The Humours
Starting at 6th level, the Sage is able to utilize their extensive training and experience to improve their healing abilities towards their allies. The bonus healing from Diagnose is increased to 1d6, and Diagnose checks can now be performed as Bonus Actions.
Celestial Guidance
Starting at 14th level, you are able to invoke the divine assistance of your god in healing that which your mundane solutions alone cannot cure. The bonus healing from Diagnose is increased to 1d8, and Diagnose checks can now be performed as free actions, once per turn.
Panacea
Starting at 18th level, you have discovered the mythical universal cure of ailments: the panacea. The Bonus Healing from your Diagnose is now 1d12, and cures one detrimental status effect on the target.
Exorcist
A young woman writhes in her bed, wreathed in a seething mass of shadows and malice. An old man stands over her, one hand gently waving a censor of incsence over her while the other radiates light down onto her prone form, his aged voice birthing a steady stream of prayers and incantations. Sweat beads on his forehead, his voice growing hoarse as he continues for what seems like hours, before a final shouted phrase finally forces the darkness from the girl's body. It settles in the corner of the room, coalescing into a humanoid form that shrieks and howls, eyes gleaming with rage as clawed hands grasp at its opponent, but the old man is unphased. A pillar of light consumes the creature, eradicating it forever more, and the exorcist leaves his patient to her family's care. His work here, done.
Abjure the Impure
At first level, the Exorcist deals an extra 2d4 damage to enemies that are of the FIEND, FEY, UNDEAD, or ABBERATION types with any damage dealing ability.
Discern The Unnatural
At Level One, The Exorcist is able to look into the aura, the soul, of any living creature and discern its state. If it is mind-controlled, possessed, charmed, or otherwise acting in anyway that is fundamentally against its natural state. Passive scans of this ability can be decieved by a high enough Deception Roll (Beating the Sage's Passive Perception). The Deception Roll is made at Advantage if the enemy is a higher level than the Sage, Normal if equal in level, and Disadvantage if at a lower level. An active scan is possible, resulting in pitting a Deception Roll agains a Perception Roll, with the same Advantage/Normal/Disadvantage rules as passive scans.
Weaken The Abhorrant
Starting at 6th level, the Exorcist is able to more directly attack the dark energies that give demons and evil spirits their powers. When you deal damage to an enemy that is a FIEND, FEY, UNDEAD, or ABBERATION, you can contest your Wisdom against the target's Constitution. Should they fail, they are weakened, attacking at disadvantage for one minute. This ability can be used once per target, per long rest.
Soul Sanctification
Starting at 14th level, you are able to 'reset' the soul of a non-enemy creature. If they are mind-controlled, possessed, charmed, or otherwise acting unnaturally (as discovered by the Discern the Unnatural ability), you can remove that effect on them. This can only be used once per creature, per long rest. It can be used a number of times per day equal to your proficiency modifier.
Condemnation
Starting at 18th level, the bonus damage from Abjure the Impure increases from 1d4 to 2d10. You have Advantage when dealing damage to enemies that are of the FIEND, FEY, UNDEAD, or ABBERATION types.
Voice
A regal matriarch stands before an altar, facing the quiet, worshipful masses of her congregation, hands uplifted to the icon of her deity as she praises their name and preaches their will. The longer, the more fervent, that the sermon lasts, a change begins to overcome the woman. She radiates an inner light, her voice gaining a dual-toned majesty, a feeling of ancient power filling the temple. Telltale signs that her deity is now indwelt, interacting directly in the mortal realms through the mortal form of a devout worshipper.
Intonation of Canticles
At first level, the Voice can use an action to sing hymns of praise to their deity, buffing the party in a number of ways. This is done through the roll of a D7. All Canticle buffs last for one minute, and the number of Canticles that can be sung per day is equal to your proficiency modifier.
Canticle of Swiftness: You sing about your deity's divine speed of body, their swift traversing of the world amidst their sacred duties. Inspired, your party members gain 10 feet of movement speed.
Canticle of Creation : You sing about how your deity helped shape the world and all the creatures within it, the story inspiring your party to focus more on the beauty, and danger, of nature. They gain a boost to their Wisdom Modifier of 1 point.
Canticle of Grace : You sing about the unmatched form of your deity, their inhuman agility, inspiring your party members with a boost to their Dexterity Modifier of 1 point.
Canticle of Strength : You sing about the strength of your deity, their divine might, and inspire your party to greater feats. Your party gains a boost to their Strength Modifier of 1 point.
Canticle of Cunning: You sing a hymn of your deity's cleverness, of their manipulations and trickery against gods and mortals alike, inspiring your party to emulate their quick-mindedness. They a boost to their Intelligence Modifier of 1 point.
Canticle of Tolerance: You sing the hymn of the martyrs who died in service to your deity, the story of their stoic loyalty inspiring the members of your party. They are gifted with a boost to their Constitution Modifier of 1 point.
Canticle of Elegance: You sing of the beauty of your deity's temples and teachings, the sheer beauty of which you speak inspiring the members of your party. They are gifted with a boost to their Charisma Modifier of 1 point.
Sacred Animal
At first level, your character is able to perform a Rite to Summon the Sacred Animal of their Deity. They are able to cast the Find Familiar spell as a Ritual, summoning a Medium CR 1 version of that animal. This does not count against your total spells known. You may choose to forgo one of your Attacks to instead attack with your familiar.
Speaker for the Gods
Starting at 6th level, you are able channel a portion of your deity's presence through yourself. Temporarily increase your CHARISMA stat by two points and gain proficiency in any CHARISMA related Skills (Deception, Persuasion, Intimidation, and Performance). If you are already proficient, double the benefit recieved. This effect lasts for one minute and can be used a number of times per day equal to your proficiency modifier.
Divine Beast
Starting at 14th level, your Sacred Animal is now capable of taking Actions without using your characters actions, and their size and strength is enhanced to make them a Large CR 4 creature.
Immanence
Starting at 18th level, your deity now channels a portion of their own pure divnity through your mortal shell. Your Canticles are twice as effective, and you may have two Cancticles active at a time. If both Canticle Rolls have the same result, reroll. Your Sacred Animal is now a Huge CR 8 Creature.
Sacred Animals
Sacred Tortoise
Domains of Longevity, Memory, and Endurance
Medium beast (Sacred)
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12)
- Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
- Saving Throws Str +5, Con +5
- Damage Vulnerabilities cold, lightning, thunder
- Damage Resistances piercing
- Senses darkvision 20 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages understands All
- Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage
Reactions
Withdraw. As a reaction, the Sacred Tortoise can retreat within its mighty shell and become Immune to Bludgeoning, Force, and Piercing Damage. However, coming back out of its shell on it's next turn requires it's action.
Sacred Tortoise
Upon Reaching Level 14, Make the Following Changes/Additions to your Tortoise
Large beast (Sacred)
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 63 (6d10 + 30)
- Speed 20 ft., burrow 15 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 8 (-1) 20 (+5) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
- Saving Throws Str +6, Con +7
- Damage Vulnerabilities cold, lightning
- Damage Resistances force, piercing
- Condition Immunities grappled
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages understands All
- Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Juggernaut. If the tortoise uses the Dash Action during it's turn and would impact an enemy creature with at least five feet of movement remaining, it can choose to ram into the enemy.
The enemy must make a DC 13 Strength Save or be knocked prone. If knocked prone, the Tortoise can make one Bite attack as a Bonus Action
Sage Spell List
Cantrips
- Mending
- Dancing Lights
- Guidance
- Light
- Message
- Sacred Flame
- Toll the Dead
1st Level
- Bane
- Bless
- Cure Wounds
- Detect Evil and Good
- Detect Magic
- Detect Poison and Disease
- Healing Word
- Guiding Bolt
- Protectin from Evil and Good
- Purify Food and Drink
- Sanctuary
- Shield of Faith
- Divine Favor
2nd Level
- Aid
- Augury
- Continual Flame
- Gentle Repose
- Prayer of Healing
- Zone of Truth
- Warding Bond
- Lesser Restoration
- Hold Person
- Protection from Poison
- Silence
- Spiritual Weapon
- Enhance Ability
- Blindness/Deafness
- Calm Emotions
3rd Level
- Beacon of Hope
- Daylight
- Mass Healing Word
- Spirit Guardians
- Tongues
- Speak With Dead
- Bestow Curse
- Clairvoyance
- Glyph of Warding
- Dispel Magic
- Remove Curse
- Revivify
- Sending
- Protection From Energy
4th Level
- Banishment
- Control Water
- Death Ward
- Divination
- Freedom of Movement
- Guardian of Faith
- Locate Creature
- Stone Shape
5th Level
- Commune
- Contgion
- Dispel Evil and Good
- Flame Strike
- Geas
- Greater Restoration
- Hallow
- Legend Lore
- Mass Cure Wounds
- Planar Binding
- Raise Dead
- Scrying
- Insect Plague
6th Level
- Find the Path
- Forbiddance
- Harm
- Heal
- Heroes' Feast
- Planar Ally
- True Seeing
- Word of Recall
7th Level
- Conjure Celestial
- Divine Word
- Etherealness
- Fire Storm
- Plane Shift
- Regenerate
- Resurrection
- Symbol
8th Level
- Antimagic Field
- Control Weather
- Earthquake
- Holy Aura
9th Level
- Astral Projection
- Gate
- Mass Heal
- True Resurrection
Sage Resonances
Resonant Inspiration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Copper Bell Resonance
- Range: Aura of 20 Feet
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
A clear, pure note rings through the air, sharpening the minds of your allies with divine inspiration. Any allied creature within a twenty foot radius, centered on you, can add half your proficiency bonus (rounding up, minimum of 1) to any attack rolls, skillchecks, and saving throws that they make.
At Higher Levels: If cast with a Silver Bell, the radius expands to forty feet. If cast with a Gold Bell, the radius expands to forty feet and the bonus is increased to be equal to your proficiency bonus
Resonant Cacaphony
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Aura of 40 Feet
- Silver Bell Resonance
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
A loud, echoing clanging sound thunders through the heads of your enemies, making it hard for them to focus on their actions. All enemy creatures within forty feet must make a Constitution save against your Sage Roll (INT, WIS, or CHR). All enemies that fail make Concentration saves at Disadvantage.
Resonant Calm
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Copper Bell Resonance
- Range: Thirty Feet
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
A gentle series of notes echo across the battlefield, helping calm an ally's mind. One ally within thirty feet is Immune to the Fear effect. If they are already Feared, the effect ends and they become Immune.
Resonant Purity
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Copper Bell Resonance
- Range: Aura of 20 Feet
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
A series of notes ring across the battlefield, fortifying an ally's body with divine light. They gain resistance to necrotic damage.
At Higher Levels: If cast with a Silver Bell, the effect applies to all allied creatures within the effect. If cast with a Gold Bell, the radius expands to forty feet and applies to all allied creatures within the effect.
Resonant Silence
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Aura of 40 Feet
- Silver Bell Resonance
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
Paradoxically, there is a single note from your bell before all falls silent. Your allies within the aura of effect are now able to focus on maintaining their spells beyond anything previously possible. They have Advantage on all Concentration rolls.
Resonant Protection
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Aura of 20 Feet
- Copper Bell Resonance
- Duration: Up to 1 minute
When you heal an ally, you gain provide them with a Temporary HP "shield" equal to one quarter of the HP restored. (Minimum of 1 HP)
At Higher Levels: If cast with a Silver Bell, the aura radius expands to forty feet. If cast with a Gold Bell, the radius expands to forty feet and increases the Temporary HP benefit to one-half of the healing recieved.
Resonant Unassailability
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Aura of 20 Feet
- Copper Bell Resonance
- Duration: Instant
A series of notes ring across the battlefield, fortifying an ally's mind with divine protection. They gain resistance to psychic damage.
At Higher Levels: If cast with a Silver Bell, the effect applies to all allied creatures within the effect. If cast with a Gold Bell, the radius expands to forty feet and applies to all allied creatures within the effect.
Credits:
Here you can provide acknowledgment of anyone who has helped you in your class' design, including constructive critics, playtesters and ideas people. This is also the place to provide citations and links to any artists whose artworks you have used to convey the class' conceptual identity.
Temple Knight
A tall woman, clad in heavy plate armor and wielding a greatsword cleaves her way through a legion of undead, holy light pouring out of her as she purifies a destroyed village with divine retribution and burning resolve.
A young man, wearing robes and strategically placed plate armor, kneels amongst the dead and dying, golden energy flowing from his hands to purge disease, clean wounds, and heal injuries.
An old man in burnished armor with a white cloak stands as still as any statue beside the gates of a temple, shield and sword resting point down and against his legs. Every supplicant who enters the temple does so under his evaluating gaze, and he will suffer neither trespass nor sacrilege.
The Paladins of the Gods
The Orders of the Temple Knights are those who serve the gods of their nation in a manner rather more militant than their Sage bretheren. Whether it is laying waste to their gods enemies as a Knight Crusader, bringing healing and teaching to the ignorant and the faithful alike as a Knight Hospitaller, or safeguarding temples and pilgrimage routes as a Knight Guardian, they are at home in conflict.
Your Deity and your Cause
There are many gods, and for every god there are many ways of worship. Make sure to have a reason why your character would have chosen the god and the Order of Knighthood that they did, because an Order is for life. Such an important decision, shaping their entire future, must be considered!
Quick Build
To quickly create a Temple Knight, make Strength your highest Ability Score, followed by Charisma. Next, use the Pilgrim or Noble background.
Shenzhou, Hellas, Kumat, and Anatolia ONLY
Temple Knight
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Prepared Spells | Spell Slots | Slot Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Chosen Champion, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Judgement | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 3rd | +2 | My Body A Temple, Order of Knighthood | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2nd |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3rd |
| 6th | +3 | Divine Invocation | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3rd |
| 7th | +3 | Order Feature | 3 | 8 | 4 | 4th |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 9 | 4 | 4th |
| 9th | +4 | Purified Ground | 3 | 10 | 5 | 5th |
| 10th | +4 | Divine Invocation | 4 | 10 | 5 | 5th |
| 11th | +4 | Greater Judgement | 4 | 11 | 6 | 5th |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 11 | 6 | 5th |
| 13th | +5 | Consecrated Ground | 4 | 12 | 7 | 5th |
| 14th | +5 | Divine Invocation | 4 | 12 | 7 | 5th |
| 15th | +5 | Order Feature | 4 | 13 | 7 | 5th |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 13 | 8 | 6th |
| 17th | +6 | Hallowed Ground | 4 | 14 | 8 | 6th |
| 18th | +6 | Order Feature | 4 | 14 | 9 | 6th |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 15 | 9 | 6th |
| 20th | +6 | Divine Invocation | 4 | 15 | 10 | 6th |
Class Features
As a Temple Knight, you gain the following Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Temple Knight level
Hit Points at First Level: 10 plus Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) plus CON Modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor: All Armor Types, All Shield Types
- Weapons: All Simple Weapons, All Martial Weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Religion, any TWO of Athletics, History, Insight, Perception, Medicine, or Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) A versatile martial weapon and a shield or (b) any two martial weapons
- (a) Five javelins or (b) any one simple melee weapon
- (a) An explorer’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- All Temple Knights, regardless of above choices, also receive a Sage’s Pack, a set of Chain Mail Armor, and a Holy Symbol
Chosen Champion
At first level, select a deity from your nation of origin. This choice effects how your Divine Invocations function. Divine Invocation charges reset at dawn every day. Divine Invocations are performed as Actions.
Judgement
The Temple Knight can, upon landing a hit with a melee attack, deal an additional 2d4 damage to the target. This ability may be used a number of times per day according to your proficiency modifier.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
-
Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
-
Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
-
Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
-
Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
-
Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Spellcasting
By 1st level, the class can cast spells.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Temple Knight table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your Temple Knight spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of Temple Knight spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Temple Knight spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Temple Knight spells equal to your CHA modifier + half your Temple Knight level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.
Spellcasting Ability
CHA is your spellcasting ability for your Temple Knight spells. You use your CHA whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your CHA modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Temple Knight you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
**Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your CHA modifier
**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus +
your CHA modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your Temple Knight spells. The Form your holy symbol takes is dependant on your deity of choice, and can be found in the Pantheon section.
My Body A Temple
The body of a Temple Knight is, in and of itself, a temple to the worship of their chosen deity. Their faith and loyalty is duly rewarded with a resistance to foreign corruption. You have Resistance to Poison and Necrotic damage. At level 10, you gain Advantage on saves against spell effects that affect the mind.
Order of Knighthood
At third level, you choose an Order of the Temple Knights to which you are sworn: The Knights Crusader, The Knights Guardian, and The Knights Hospitaller. Which Order you pick effects the spells you have available and how your Purified Ground line of spells function. It provides features at 3rd, 7th, 15th, and 18th levels.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn
Divine Invocation (Tier One)
At sixth level, you gain access to your first tier of Divine Invocation. Divine Invocations are powerful abilities unique to the deity that you chose with the Chosen Champion feature. See your deity's section in the Divine Invocations.
Purified/Consecrated/Hallowed Ground
You channel the power of your diety into the ground, temporarily turning it into holy ground dedicated to their glory and might. A ten foot radius (increasing to twenty feet at level 13 and thirty feet at level 17) around you provides benefits based on your Order of Knighthood. Allies who exit the effect lose the bonus until they enter it once more. This ability lasts one minute and can be used twice per day, resetting at dawn.
Guardian: All allies within the radius gain one AC (two at level 13, and three at level 17) for the duration of the spell.
Crusader: All enemies within the radius lose one AC (two at level 13 and three at level 17) for the duration of the spell.
Hospitaller: All allies within the radius that benefit from overhealing gain temporary HP equal to the excess health points. At Level thirteen, add half your proficiency, rounding up. At level 17, add your proficiency.
Divine Invocation (Tier Two)
At 10th level, you gain access to your second tier of Divine Invocation. Divine Invocations are powerful abilities unique to the deity that you chose with the Chosen Champion feature. See your deity's section in the Divine Invocations.
Greater Judgment
Beginning at 11th level, your Judgement deals 2d8 damage rather than 2d4
Divine Invocation (Tier 3)
At 14th level, you gain access to your third tier of Divine Invocation. Divine Invocations are powerful abilities unique to the deity that you chose with the Chosen Champion feature. See your deity's section in the Divine Invocations.
Divine Invocation (Tier 4)
At 20th level, you gain access to your fourth tier of Divine Invocation. Divine Invocations are powerful abilities unique to the deity that you chose with the Chosen Champion feature. See your deity's section in the Divine Invocations.
Orders of Knighthood
Those who serve the gods do so in many ways, but while the sages and clerics spread to words and teachings of their sworn deities, the Temple Knights place actions before words. Whether defending temples, rooting out evil, or healing the sick and injured, Temple Knights believe that true expression of faith and piety comes from doing.
Order of the Knights Guardian
Perhaps the oldest, and to many the greatest, Order of the Temple Knight is that of the Knight Guardian. While Hospitallers heal and Crusaders seek out and destroy evil, Guardians rarely ever leave the grounds of their assigned Temple, instead dedicating their lives to protecting it and all those within. Whether worshipper or cleric, stalwart paragon or cowering criminal, any who seek sacred Sanctuary within the walls of a temple will be defended to the death. Those who do leave do so to protect pilgrimage routes or travelling clerics from the dangers of the road.
Vows of the Guardian
Three concentric circles are etched in the shield of every Knight Guardian, each one bearing one of the Sacred Vows that they swear upon the altar of their god. Their every breath is from that moment forward meant only for the purpose of upholding those Vows.
Shelter the Faithful: A Guardian shall forever stand between dutiful worshippers and those who would, for any reason, do them harm.
Defend the Temple: As the Guardian protects those who worship, they must protect the holy ground and mortal house of their god. None who are unpious or blasphemous may deface it unchallenged.
Safeguard the Trust: Temples can be rebuilt, clerics replaced, but the trust of the faithful in the temple must never be broken. A Guardian must never, through his own actions or inactions, permit or cause a breach of that trust.
Holy Aegis
At Third Level, your attacks are now able to apply a debuff to an enemy target, imposing disadvantage on any attacks it makes on allied targets so long as you are within five feet of the marked enemy. This ability may be used a number of times equal to your charisma modifier, with all expended uses resetting at dawn.
My Body A Shield
At Seventh Level, you can now impose yourself between an enemy and an ally within your base movement as a reaction. However, due to the haste with which you move to protect your ally, the attacking enemy has advantage on their attacks against their new target: you.
Blessed Body
At Fifteenth Level, you gain resistance to non-magical slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage
None Shall Pass
At Twentieth Level, you are the embodiment of protection, gaining resistance to all forms of damage and removing the Advantage on attacks made against you during the use of My Body A Shield. This effect lasts for one minute, and can be used once per long rest.
Order Spells
| Temple Knight Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Sanctuary, Dispel Magic |
| 5th | Warding Bond, Calm Emotions |
| 9th | Slow, Spirit Guardians |
| 13th | Banishment, Resilient Sphere |
| 17th | Wall of Force, Flame Strike |
Order of the Knights Crusader
The most visible, and certainly the most aggressive, of the Temple Knights are without a doubt the Knight Crusaders. Wherever evil lurks, wherever the pilgrims or devout of their gods are abused or persecuted, wherever justice must be claimed at the hands of a wrathful Knight, there you will find these holy warriors.
Vows of the Crusader
The spine of every Crusader’s blade bears two Vows, one on each side. These Vows are their Purpose and their Means in equal measure.
Purge The Unholy: Those who consort with demons and bargain with devils must be destroyed, their teachings turned to ash and their souls cast into Perdition.
Shepard the Innocent: When evil sets its gaze against the far-flung communities undefended by walls and armies, it is the duty of the Crusader to stand in their defence.
Blade of the Righteous
At 3rd level, your attacks gain bonus Holy damage equal to your proficiency modifier.
Vengeful Strikes
At seventh level, when an allied NPC or PC is incapacitated, your desire to punish their attacker drives your attacks. You gain Advantage against enemies that have incapacitated an allied NPC or PC within your line of sight during the current combat.
Rebuke The Unholy
At fifteenth level, you gain an aura of holy wrath around yourself that radiates thirty feet. This aura affects anyone who is diametrically opposed to your deity's Moral Alignment, and they must make a Wisdom Roll against your Intimidation to avoid being Frightened. Any frightened targets can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn to end the effect.
Holy Warrior
You become the embodiment of your god's divine punishment. A magical shell, formed out of Light, coalesces around you in the form of your deity. Your allies no longer are effected by Rebuke the Unholy, and enemies suffering from its effects take your proficiency + Charisma bonus in psychic damage every turn that they remain effected.
Order Spells
| Temple Knight Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Identify, Bane |
| 5th | Heat Metal, Silence |
| 9th | Haste, Counterspell |
| 13th | Locate Creature, Wall of Fire |
| 17th | Flame Strike, Hold Monster |
Order of the Knights Hospitaller
By far the least martially-inclined of the Orders, the Order of the Knight Hospitaller are argued by many to be the most important. It is they whose temples heal grievous wounds, ensure healthy pregnancies and births, cure diseases and prevent plagues. It is they who often travel the world, bringing knowledge of medicine and sanitation to smaller and less educated communities, and it is they who bolster and aid the armies of their nation on the field of battle.
Vows of the Hospitaller
Do No Harm: A Hospitaller will never, through action or inaction, allow harm to come to one who is their patient.
Keep the Silence: A Hospitaller shall never disclose the details of a patient's health to any one besides the patient and the patient’s kin.
To Aid Fellow Healers: No Hospitaller shall ever refuse to give aid of any kind to a fellow healer, nor shall they refuse to pass on their knowledge to others.
Divine Healer
At Third Level, your extensive training in magical healing enhances your efforts. Add an additional 2 HP per spell level to all healing spells that you cast.
Salvation
Starting at 7th level, you can restore seventy-five percent of an ally's missing health points as an action. This action can be performed once per long rest.
Martyr's Grace
Starting at level fifteen, you can sacrifice your HP to generate spell slots, spending 10% of your total HP per spell level to generate the slot. I.E. 10% for a Level One slot, 20% for a Level Two, etc. Temporary HP cannot be sacrificed in this manner. Sacrificed HP can only be regained through Rest.
Divine Providence
At 20th level, the HP cost for all tiers of Martyr's Grace is halved, and Salvation may be used three times per day.
Order Spells
| Temple Knight Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Sanctuary, Dispel Magic |
| 5th | Warding Bond, Calm Emotions |
| 9th | Beacon of Hope, Mass Healing Word |
| 13th | Death Ward, Private Sanctum |
| 17th | Mass Cure Wounds, Raise Dead, Hallow |
Temple Knight Spell List
Cantrips
- True Strike
- Sacred Flame
- Spare the Dying
- Resistance
- Guidance
- Mending
1st Level
- Cure Wounds
- Bless
- Detect Evil and Good
- Divine Favor
- Comprehend Languages
- Shield of Faith
- Sleep
- Protection From Evil and Good
- Heroism
2nd Level
- Aid
- Gentle Repose
- Spiritual Weapon
- Zone of Truth
- Lesser Restoration
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Find Steed
- Branding Smite
3rd Level
- Aura of Vitality
- Daylight
- Phantom Steed
- Sending
- Tongues
- Speak With Dead
4th Level
- Guardian of Faith
- Freedom of Movement
5th Level
- Antilife Shell
- Dispel Evil and Good
- Legend Lore
- Commune
- Greater Restoration
6th Level
- Guards and Wards
- Blade Barrier
- Forbiddance
- True Seeing
- Heal
Temple Knight Divine Invocations
Anatolia
Ishtar, Goddess of War and Sex
Tier One Invocation
Terrifying Radiance: You exude an aura that is simultaneously entrancing and horrifying. Enemies within fifteen feet of you must make a Wisdom Roll against your Intimidation to avoid being Charmed. This effect lasts for one minute. Enemies may attempt to break this effect at the end of each turn, one attempt per turn, through further rolls.
Tier Two Invocation
Impetuous Wrath: Your holy fury spurs you on to greater speed, allowing you to enter the fray all the faster. Increase your movement speed by ten feet. This effects lasts for one minute.
Tier Three Invocation
Seductive Carnage: You are beautiful destruction made manifest. Your Divine Invocation now has the combined power of Terrifying Radiance and Impetuous Wrath. This effect lasts one minute. You now have two Divine Invocation uses per day.
Tier Four Invocation
Gugulanna, the Bull of Heaven
Named for, or perhaps a bestial form of, the husband of Ereshkigal, Ishtar's sister and the goddess of the underworld, Gugulanna was a vast and all-powerful bull that was summoned by Ishtar to lay waste to the lands of Gilgamesh, an ancient Hero-King that had refused to become her lover
Crusader: The Bull's Might: You invoke the divine strength of Gugulanna, becoming a Huge creature and gaining a bonus to all damage you deal that is equal to your Charisma Modifier plus your Proficiency Modifier. This effect lasts for one minute.
Guardian: The Bull's Hide: You invoke the divine endurance of Gugulanna, becoming a Huge creature and gaining AC equal to half (rounding up) of your Charisma Modifier. This effect lasts for one minute.
Hospitaller: The Bull's Wisdom: You invoke the divine knowledge of Gugulanna, boosting the potency of your healing spells by adding your proficiency modifier and your Charisma modifier to the result on all spells. This effect lasts for one minute.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Ishara, Goddess of Oaths and Vengeance
Tier One Invocation
Ritual Purification: While Ishara punishes oathbreakers with disease, so does she protect those who keep them. You can give allied party members within fifteen feet resistance to poison damage. This effect lasts for one minutes.
Tier Two Invocation
Lady of Scorpions: As a patron of marriage, one of the most sacred oaths one can make, you can now summon a Giant Scorpion that acts independantly in support of the party. This entity lasts for one minute.
Tier Three Invocation
Swift Retribution: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of Ritual Purification and Lady of Scorpions, and your scorpion is a CR 8 creature. You now have two Divine Invocation uses per day.
Tier Four Invocation
Išharišh, the Illness of Ishara:
To the people of Anatolia, Ishara holds dominions over all oaths sworn by mankind...and delivers punishment to those that break their oaths. These punishments take the form of illness and disease. The punishments called down by the Knights of her temples, however, are far more than simple sicknesses
Crusader: Malediction of Vulnerability: You invoke Ishara's wrath on your enemies, removing any damage resistances that they possess. Choose a point within fifty feet of you, causing an invisible magical fog to billow out. Any enemy within thirty feet of it's epicenter must make a DC18 CON save or suffer from the effect.
Guardian: Malediction of Feebleness: You invoke Ishara's wrath on your enemies, removing any bonuses non-equipment to physical damage that they currently possess. Choose a point within fifty feet of you, causing an invisible magical fog to billow out. Any enemy within thirty feet of it's epicenter must make a DC18 save or suffer from the effect.
Hospitaller: Malediction of Impotency: You invoke Ishara's wrath on your enemies, removing any non-equipment bonuses to spell-casting from those affected. Choose a point within fifty feet of you, causing an invisible magical fog to billow out. Any enemy within thirty feet of it's epicenter must make a DC18 save or suffer from the effect.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Anatolia
Teshup, Lord of Storms
Tier One Invocation
God of Storms: You passively gain access to the Cantrips Shocking Grasp and Ray of Frost, which do not count against your Cantrips known. When you Invoke this Invocation, those Cantrips can then be cast as bonus actions. You also gain passive access to the Call Lightning, Fog Cloud, and Lightning Bolt spells, which do not count against your known spells, and are cast as normal.
Tier Two Invocation
Guardian of Conquerors: You gain the effects of the Charger feat for one minute, resetting at dawn.
Tier Three Invocation
King of Heaven: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of God of Storms and Guardian of Conquerors. You can use two Divine Invocations per day.
Tier Four Invocation
Illuyanka, the Great Serpent
The enormous serpentine dragon that was slain by Teshup in antiquity after it defeated him and tore out his heart and eyes, Illuyanka is a mythical creature of profound power.
Crusader: The Serpent's Strike: You invoke the poison-filled fangs of Illuyanka, giving your attacks the ability to poison the target with a paralytic venom. Successful attacks on enemy targets cause them to take a DC18 CON check, which if failed causes them to take 2d8 Poison damage and become paralyzed. This bonus lasts for one minute. The Paralyzation can be broken as normal.
Guardian: The Serpent's Patience: You invoke the calm patience of a lurking serpent that is waiting to strike. Attacks made against an enemy that is engaged with another entity have Advantage.
Hospitaller: The Serpent's Cunning: You invoke Illuyanka's cleverness, inhibiting your enemies' ability to attack yourself and your allies. Enemy attacks against allies you have healed or buffed are made at disadvantage. This trait lasts for one minute, but each application to an ally lasts only a single battle round, and must be refreshed with another heal or buff to be maintained.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Hasameli, God of Metalworkes and Craftsmen
Tier One Invocation
God of the Forge-Fire: You passively gain access to the Mending, Sacred Flame, Produce Flame, and Fire Bolt Cantrips. When you Invoke this Invocation, those Cantrips can then be cast as bonus actions. These Cantrips do not count against your known spells. You also gain access to the Fireball spell, which does not count against your spells known and is cast normally.
Tier Two Invocation
Cloak of Smoke: You can invoke the thick smoke of the forge to cloak yourself, causing targetted ranged attacks made outside of fifty feet to be made at disadvantage. This effect lasts for one minute.
Tier Three Invocation
Stoke the Flames: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of God of the Forge-Fire and Cloak of Smoke. You can use two Divine Invocations per day.
Tier Four Invocation
Master of the Forge:
To the people of Anatolia, Hasasmeli is the mountain god that forges the weapons wielded by his fellow gods. Kings and Generals also call on him to cloak them in the smoke from his forge, allowing them to move unnoticed by the enemy during war.
Crusader: Breath of the Forge: The Temple Knight can, as a bonus action, exhale flame in a twenty-foot cone, causing 3d8 Fire Damage to anyone that fails a DC 16 Dexterity Save. An enemy that is Engaged with the Temple Knight (directly in front of them and within five feet) must succeed on a DC18 save instead. This effect lasts for one minute.
Guardian: Reforge: The Temple Knight can enhance either the arms or armor of the entire party, either increasing AC by 2 or allowing their attacks to deal an extra 1d12 fire damage. This effect lasts for one minute.
Hospitaller: Cauterize Wounds: The Temple Knight can touch an ally that has been reduced to zero HP within the last minute, allowing them to auto-pass a single Death Save, or reducing their Failed Death Saves by one, by sealing the wound shut with searing heat. This effect can only be used on an each member of your party once per day, resetting at dawn.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Temple Knight Divine Invocations
Kumat
Ra. God of Kings, the Sun, Order, and the Sky. Ruler of All Creation, Father of All Life
Tier One Invocation
Sun-Father: You passively gain access to the Sacred Flame, Produce Flame, and Fire Bolt Cantrips. When you Invoke this Invocation, those Cantrips can then be cast as bonus actions. These Cantrips do not count against your known spells. You also gain access to the Fireball spell, which does not count against your spells known and is cast normally.
Tier Two Invocation
Burning Form: You gain Resistance to fire-based damage.
Tier Three Invocation
Eternal Sun: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of Sun-Father and Burning Form. You can use two Divine Invocations per day.
Tier Four Invocation
The Sun God's Radiance
Ra, God of Kings, watching over mankind from his blazing throne. Ra, Bringer of Life, ripening crops and providing life-giving warmth. Ra, God of Order, forever holding the all-eroding poison of Chaos at bay.
Crusader: Searing Blows: Your melee attacks sear the flesh of your enemies, dealing an extra 3d4 damage per strike and potentially (on a roll of 4 on a D4) inflicting a painful burn on them as well. Burned enemies can (on a roll of 2 on a D2) suffer 1d6 damage per turn. This effect lasts for one minute.
Guardian: Blinding Radiance: A corona of sunlight appears around you, blinding in its radiance. Unable to see you properly within it, enemies attacking you do so at disadvantage for the next minute.
Hospitaller: Nourishing Sunlight: From the gentle warmth of the sun comes life. Your healing spells apply an additional three-turn heal-over-time of 2d6 per turn on allies that you use healing spells on for the next minute.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Anubis, God of Death, Burial Places, and the Underworld
Tier One Invocation
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Tier Two Invocation
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Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Kumat
Sekhmet, Eye of Ra, Guardian of the Pharaohs and Goddess of Healing
Tier One Invocation
Bloodgorged: You gain an additional half of your movement towards enemies that you have injured in the last two battle rounds. This effect lasts for one minute. This effect can be refreshed or newly-applied to targets with any attack made after the Invocation is made.
Tier Two Invocation
Scorching Winds: You are surrounded by hot, dry, swirling desert winds. Enemies that hit you in melee take 1d4 damage in retribution. This effect lasts for one minute.
Tier Three Invocation
Mistress of Dread: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of Bloodgorged and Scorching Winds. You can use two Divine Invocations per day.
Tier Four Invocation
She Who Keeps The Balance
As the ultimate enforcer of the Cosmic Balance, Ma'at, on behalf of Ra, Sekhmet dispenses lethal, brutal justice as often as she gives succor to those who are suffering. Simultaneously feared and adored by the people of Kumat, she is a hero and villain in equal measure. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
Crusader: The Lady of Slaughter: The legends of Sekhmet depict a merciless huntress, one who even defied Ra himself once she tasted blood. Upon the death of an enemy that you have injured within the last two battle rounds, you can immediately move your full movement towards another enemy and make a single melee attack at Disadvantage. This effect lasts for one minute.
Guardian: Protector of Pharaohs: Sekhmet is the guardian deity of the Pharoahs and their families, guiding them in battle and striking down their enemies whilst shielding them from harm. Upon activation of this Invocation, you can declare a single allied creature to be your 'Pharoah' for the next minute. As long as you are within five feet of them, melee attacks against them are made against you instead. As long as you are within ten feet of them, ranged attacks against them are made against you instead.
Hospitaller: Mistress of Life: As the patron of healers and physicians, Sekhmet is worshipped as much for her gentle mercy as she is her ruthless wrath. In particular, she is famed for providing succor and relief from plagues and illness. For the next minute, your healing spells gain a bonus 1d12 healing and remove any detrimental status effects on their targets.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Thoth, God of Wisdom, Writing, and Magic
Tier One Invocation
Ritual Purification:
Tier Two Invocation
Lady of Scorpions:
Tier Three Invocation
Swift Retribution:
Tier Four Invocation
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Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Temple Knight Divine Invocations
Hellas
Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution
Tier One Invocation
The Winged Balancer of Life: Upon Invoking this effect, your character grows a pair of wings, granting them flying speed equal to half of their natural movement. This effect lasts for one minute.
Tier Two Invocation
To Give What Is Due: When with Divine Invocation is activated, the Temple Knight can bind an enemy with ghostly chains that wrap around their legs, halving their movement. This effect lasts for one minute.
Tier Three Invocation
To Bring Justice: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of The Winged Balancer of Life and To Give What is Due. You can use two Divine Invocations per day.
Tier Four Invocation
The One Who Cannot Be Escaped
To the people of Hellas, Nemesis is neither good nor evil. She is truly neutral, delivering proportional justice when and where it is deserved. She is as implacable as she is even-handed, giving rise to the title-names of Adrasteia and Erinys, for none can escape her sight or outrun the justice that she delivers
Crusader: Merciless Pursuit: You are now dedicated entirely to the hunt of those who flee their deserved fates. Your flying speed increases to be twice your natural movement. This effect lasts for one minute.
Guardian: The Left Hand of Justice: Half of any direct damage (area of effect abilities do not apply) caused to you is returned against the enemy that dealt it. Damage mitigation effects such as Temporary HP apply as normal. This effect lasts for one minute.
Hospitaller: The Right Hand of Grace: Half of the direct damage you deal to an enemy is echoed onto an ally as healing. Area of Effect abilities do not apply. This effect lasts for one minute.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Athena, Goddess of Wisdom
Tier One Invocation
Bright-Eyed: Athena's most common symbol is that of the owl. For the next minute, you have thirty feet of Darkvision. If you already possess Darkvision, you increase the distances at which it functions by twenty feet.
Tier Two Invocation
Guardian of Kings: For the next minute, you gain the ability to use the effects of the Interception Fighting Style, and the range of the effect is double to ten feet.
Tier Three Invocation
Tritogenia: Your Divine Invocation now has the combined effects of Bright-Eyed and Lady of Battle. You can use two Divine Invocations per day.
Tier Four Invocation
Patron of Heroes:
Pallas Athena, The Unwearying, The Industrious, She Who Fights In The Front. Many are the titles and worshippers of the patron goddess of the Atenai, and many are the stories of her glory. Yet, it is not the patron of the crafts nor the city of Atenai that is followed by the Temple Knights, but the goddess who leads men into battle and lent her aid to the heroes of legend.
Crusader: Promachos: As Athena displays courage and honor by leading divine battles from the front lines, so are you empowered by providing the vanguard of your party. For the next minute, so long as you are within ten feet of being the foremost member of your party (oriented towards the largest concentration of enemies) your attacks are made at Advantage.
Guardian: Gorgoneion: As the aegis of Athena carries the visage of Medusa's severed head and imparts upon it mystical powers, so your shield is above those of regular mortals. For the next minute, enemies that you engage in melee must make a WIS save of 18 or higher to avoid gaining the Frightened effect. Enemies who lack eyes, are otherwise blind, or lack sufficient Intelligence (Ability Score of 6) are immune to this effect.
Hospitaller: Palladium: As Cassandra of Troy sought protection by clinging to the statue of Athena's beloved Pallas, so can you defend a fallen friend. If one of your allies is rendered unconcious, you can raise a ghostly statue of them over their body. This statue has the same AC as the original and 15 HP. The fallen ally cannot take further damage from any source until the statue is destroyed. This effect lasts for one minute, and can be applied to any ally that is down or goes down during the duration.
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Hellas
Poseidon, God of the Sea
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Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Ares, God of War
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Tier Four Invocation
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Crusader: Slayer of Men:
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Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Temple Knight Divine Invocations
Shenzhou
Menshen
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Tier Four Invocation
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Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Shangti
Tier One Invocation
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Tier Two Invocation
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Tier Four Invocation
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Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Shenzhou
Guanyin
Tier One Invocation
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Tier Four Invocation
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Hospitaller: fill:
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
Yan Wang
Tier One Invocation
fill:
Tier Two Invocation
fill:
Tier Three Invocation
fill:
Tier Four Invocation
fill:
fill
Crusader: fill:
Guardian: fill:
Hospitaller: fill:
Your Tier Three and Tier Four invocations can now be used simultaneously, each costing one Invocation charge. You now have four charges per day.
PART 3
Backgrounds
Custom Designed, Historically Inspired
Amazon
Hellenic Societies ONLY, Female Characters ONLY
History
No one knows for sure where the Amazons first came from, but what is known is that they fiercely defend their territories with ambushes and terror tactics. Entire armies have disappeared into the forests under their control and never been seen again. Over the years their borders have expanded very little, but their influence has grown as the nation/city-states strive to secure protection, or even just a lack of attack, for trade caravans passing through and near their territories. Young girls, trying to escape arranged marriages or simply in a fit of pique, have long since taken to running away in an effort to achieve 'freedom'. Often enough they reappear outside of the nearest town, village, or city looking none the worse for wear, but others are accepted amongst The Daughters of The Forest and become Sisters.
Society
As a warrior race, Amazons are ruled by the best fighters, and the rulers can change in mere minutes as a result. Any Daughter of the Forest can challenge the ruling Queen for the throne, and when a Queen passes away her successor is decided by ritual (non-lethal) combat. They are a solitary people whenever possible, and they put a great deal of effort into MAKING it possible, which leads to the world at large knowing little about them. They are proud and have their own code of honor, one which depends heavily on context and the cause for the conflict. They have tendancy to sneak into the outer-regions of civilization and kidnap men they, for whatever reason, consider worthy of impregnating them, sometimes waylaying them along the road instead. Likewise, if more rarely, women that impress them in any one of many ways may find themselves 'recruited' as well, though said women might not always find this particularly objectionable.
Feature: Daughters of the Forest
Amazons gain Advantage in Dexterity (Stealth), Wisdom (Survival), Intelligence (Investigation), and Wisdom (Perception) checks while in forests and grasslands. However, due to their sheltered upbringings, the same checks are made at disadvantage everywhere else.
Amazonian Names
They follow typical Hellenic female naming conventions. While some names are listed below, more options can be found earlier in this text under the Hellas Lore section.
Nefeli, Calliope, Zoe, Alexandra, Thalia, Selene, Ainia, Diana, Cassandra, Andromeda.
Starting Equipment
You start with a Spear, a Bedroll, a pouch of your favorite flowers/herbs to remind you of home, a keepsake/heirloom from your people, and A Waterskin
Skills, Tools, Languages
You are proficient with the Survival skill, and one of the following: Nature, Medicine, Perception, Acrobatics, or Athletics.
You speak Hellenic and Amazon Code Talk, a vocable languages consisting of animal sounds and other natural noises to convey meaning. For example, the sound of a bird call followed by two thumps of a tree trunk and the snapping of a branch.
You are proficient in all Simple Weapons, Light Armor, and Medium Armor.
Class Restrictions
Temple Knight
You've never lived inside of a city or worshipped at one of those massive stone temples, so how could you possibly have trained for much of your life to guard one?
Magister
You did not spend the majority of your life living inside the library of a city-based academy of magic. Besides which, throwing fireballs is not a particularly sought-after talent when one lives in the woods.
Sage
Much Like the Temple Knight, you have nothing in the way of experience with the rituals and arts of the Temples, worshiping your chosen deities through less organized and more personal means.
Class Exceptions
Despite being from an 'advanced' society, you are rather more in tune with nature than the rest of Hellas. As such, you have access to the following class despite normal restrictions
Druid:
You lack the educated Physicians and formal apothecaries of the city-folk, but your forest remedies and knowledge of Natural Magic is unique amongst the people of Hellas.
Suggested Characteristics
Personality traits
| 1d7 | Personality trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am bitter about leaving the forest, and I have no desire to remain in cities more than I must |
| 2 | I watch carefully, learning the strengths and weaknesses of the wider world around me |
| 3 | I am proud of my gender. Arrogant men who act superior will find themselves punished or humiliated. |
| 4 | I will freely encourage the women around me to throw off their society's trappings and rules |
| 5 | I've never left the forest, or met someone who lives beyond the treeline. I'm terribly curious, with nothing more than embellished stories and my own imagination. |
| 6 | I'm oblivious to the cultural rules and habits of those around me |
| 7 | I sometimes wonder if hiding away in the forests is truly the best way for my people to live. I watch and learn all that I can, to teach my sisters when I return. |
Ideals
| Ideals | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Curious Collector There are so many strange things that can be found in the outside world! I have no idea what most of them do, but I can't wait to collect them all and take them home to show the others! (Chaotic Alignments) |
| 2 | Knowledge Is Power The outside world is so very different from my home. I will record everything that I can through word and art to ensure my people are prepared to face its dangers and reap its benefits. (Neutral Alignments) |
| 3 | Paragon I am an ambassador to the outside world. I will show them that the Amazons are not savage, lustful women that live in caves and mate with wolves. (Lawful and Good Alignments) |
| 4 | Ruthless 'Liberator' The men of the outside world are filth, good only for breeding. Their women need to be freed at any cost, whether they want it or not. Women that prop up the status quo are broken beasts, best put out of their misery. (Non-Good, Non-Lawful) |
Flaws
| 1d8 | Flaws |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have an innate trust for other women, and I struggle to grasp that they can be just as 'evil' as men. |
| 2 | I have trouble respecting or listening to those who lack in strength or wisdom, according to my own viewpoints. Weakness doesn't last long in the forests. |
| 3 | I am very arrogant about the free life I live, believing it to be better than any other option, no matter what. |
| 4 | I am very contemptous of the outside world, considering them to be little more than savages obsessed with hoarding gold. |
| 5 | I assume the worst of those around me, assuming that they are trying to take advantage of me, in one way or another, at all times. |
| 6 | I have a large chip on my shoulder about proving my abilities, and will often take risks or provoke fights in an effort to show just how strong I am. |
| 7 | I have very rigid views of many moral scales relating to things like honesty and loyalty, and I have significant issues understanding the importance of context. |
| 8 | I will often try to seduce women around me, unable to grasp the idea of exclusivity. Their husbands, or wives, might object to my flirtations. |
Bonds
| 1d8 | Bonds |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am looking for a man to give me children, worthy enough to help create the next generation of Amazons. |
| 2 | Someone kidnapped one of my sisters to make her their bride. I will find my sister, flay her kidnapper, and bring her home safely. |
| 3 | I was banished from my homeland for something that my people consider unforgiveable. |
| 4 | Our forests are being destroyed by the growing cities. I must find a new home for my people! |
| 5 | My hunting party was attacked at the forest's edge, and I must hunt down the people who killed my sisters. |
| 6 | I intend to lead my people in a new direction, but I need to learn more of the outside world first. |
| 7 | Isolationism will not protect our homes. We must have dialogue and relationships with the world outside our forests if we wish to properly protect them in the long term. |
| 8 | I am hunting down another Amazon that has broken our most sacred laws. I cannot return home until I kill her or capture her. |
Theban Sacred Band
Hellenic Societies Only, Male Characters Only
Physical Description
The Theban Sacred Band, known alternativly as the Sacred Band of Thebes, is composed entirely of men. As well-trained and experienced soldiers, they are powerfully built and often go into battle wearing scented oils.
History
The Sacred Band of Thebes are the elite military formation of the city-state for which they are named. Composed entirely of male lovers, organized into 150 pairs, they are personally hand-picked by the current commander for ability and merit. Social rank, wealth, and other such concerns were totally irrelevant. The Band is often thought to have been formed by a man named Gorgidas, but no few scholars are of the opion that he only reformed it. Whatever the case, the ideal upon which the Band is based is that a man will fight hard for his friends, but harder still for his lover.
As such, every member is either an erastês, meaning 'lover', or a erômenos, meaning 'beloved'. This is based on age and experience, with the elder taking the dominant role (erastês) and the younger the more submissive role (erômenos). The older members are responsible for training the younger, ensuring that their martial talents are well-honed and helping to keep them alive during battles. The typical age range of a member would be 20 on the low end, and 30 at the high.
The Sacred Band is based out of their citadel, Cadmea, and supported entirely by taxes upon the citizens of Thebes, so that they can dedicate all of their time to training (strategy, combat, philosophy, dancing, etc.) or taking to the field whenever required by their homeland.
Feature: Tragic Hero
Every audience loves the story of a tragic hero, especially if it involves a heavy dose of romance. Everywhere you go, you can tell the story of yourself and your lover, allowing you to make gold based on a Performance Roll. You can make Performance Rolls for this feature at Advantage. This feature can only be used once per week per location.
| Roll | Reward |
|---|---|
| 10 | 10gp |
| 12 | 30gp |
| 14 | 50gp |
| 16 | 75gp |
| 18 | 100gp |
| 20 | 150gp |
| 20+ | 200gp |
Sacred Band Names
They follow conventional male naming methods, though of course Hellenic names would be the most accurate and appropriate.
Starting Equipment
You start with a a memento of your partner, a pouch containing 15gp, a spear, and a shield.
Skills, Tools, Languages
You are proficient with the Athletics and Performance Skills
You speak Hellenic and one other language of your choice
You are proficient in all Martial Weapons, Simple Weapons, and Heavy Armor
Class Restrictions
Magister
The Theban Sacred Band is a warrior fraternity, not a magical one.
Sage
The Theban Sacred Band visits temples, it does not administrate or serve in them
Temple Knight
The Theban Sacred Band is a warrior fraternity, not a holy one. Temple Knights have no place there.
Suggested Characteristics
Personality traits
| 1d6 | Personality trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am depressed from losing my partner |
| 2 | I take pride in my skill at arms, and will act boastfully |
| 3 | I am openly flirtatious with other men, trying to replace my lost lover |
| 4 | I will often be critical of the fighting or performance skills of those around me |
| 5 | I'm not used to having to work for pay, and will often be oblivious to the concept and costs |
| 6 | I have an axe to grind with the nation that my lover died fighting, and will react poorly to anyone who lived there |
Ideals
| Ideals | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vengeful Crusader I will never stop hating those that killed my lover, and will seek revenge at every oppurtunity! (Chaotic Alignments) |
| 2 | Freedom I miss my lover, my brothers, and the Citadel of Cadmea, but to roam the world freely is a dream come true! (Neutral Alignments) |
| 3 | Enduring Heroism My lover may be dead, but I will carry on our cause in his memory. For the good of Eleuthia, my fight endures. (Lawful and Good Alignments) |
| 4 | Death-Seeker There is nothing I want more than to see my lover again in the paradise of death, and so I fight with reckless courage, though I will not shame myself with overtly suicidal behavior |
Flaws
| 1d6 | Flaws |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have an innate trust for men that remind me of my deceased partner, compromising my decision-making |
| 2 | I am a perfectionist, and will react very poorly to both failure and slights against my skills |
| 3 | I am very arrogant about my membership in the Sacred Band, considering myself a superior fighter to all I meet |
| 4 | I'm not used to having to work for pay, and will often be oblivious to the concept and costs I incur |
| 5 | I have a large chip on my shoulder about proving my abilities, and will often take risks or provoke fights in an effort to show just how strong I am. |
| 6 | I have very rigid views of many moral scales relating to things like honesty and loyalty, and I have significant issues understanding the importance of context. |
Bonds
| 1d7 | Bonds |
|---|---|
| 1 | I want to see the world, for my lost love and for myself |
| 2 | I want to create a place where I can live in peace |
| 3 | I was banished from The Sacred Band for something that they consider unforgiveable. |
| 4 | I'm tired of watching my lovers die on the battlefield, and had to leave the Sacred Band |
| 5 | My unit of the Sacred Band as attacked, and I must hunt down the people who killed my brothers and lover. |
| 6 | My lover has gone missing during a campaign, and I must try to find him. |
| 7 | I am hunting down another a former member of the Sacred Band, and cannot return until I kill or capture him. |
Raider
No Restrictions
Physical Description
A plague, or tool, used by and endured by every nation and culture, raiders are those who get what they need or want by taking it through strength of arms, rather than through trade. Whether it is due to desperation, cultural inclination, sadism, or simple greed, these men and women are ruthless in pursuit of their goals.
History
There has never been a shortage of men and women who survive by taking from others both near and far. It is the nature of nature itself, after all, to compete for the resources needed to survive. The mortal races are no different from animals in this way, but where they do differ is in cruelty.
It would be fair to say that most raiders are driven to the lifestyle by necessity. Lacking in resources to survive without aggression, or lacking the know-how to exploit what resources they do possess, they must take that which they are unable to make for themselves from those around them. For others, it is a cultural imperative, a way of proving worthiness and strength amongst their people. For a monstrous few, the raping and killing itself is the goal.
Regardless of the cause, regardless of whether they come by land or by sea, a raider is a dangerous opponent. One that is skilled in intimidation and remaining hidden from the forces of law and order. Underestimate them at your peril, and if underestimated, use such foolishness without hesitation.
Feature: Inescapable and Uncatchable
A raider that cannot learn to evade pursuit or, when hiding amongst the masses, evade detection is a raider that doesn't live very long. Similarly, a raider that is easily escaped is nothing more than a bumbling fool with a weapon. You have Advantage on Deception checks when being questioned or recognized, and you have Advantage on Survival checks related to pursuing any entity (animal, construct, or sentient creature).
Raider Names
While Raiders can come from any nation and be of any race or sex, they are more commonly men of the Scandzan or Kyivan Rus. Regardless, look under your Nation of Origin for appropriate names.
Starting Equipment
You start with a pouch containing 15gp, any one simple or martial weapon, and a shield.
Skills, Tools, Languages
You are proficient with the Intimidation Skill and one of either the Navigator's Tools or Cartographer's Tools
You speak one language of your choice
You are proficient in all Martial Weapons, Simple Weapons, Light Armor, and Medium Armor
Class Restrictions
Sage
A raider spends their time robbing temples, it does not administrate or serve in them
Suggested Characteristics
Personality traits
| 1d6 | Personality trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I regret what I must do to survive |
| 2 | I will often try to lay claim to treasures before anyone else can |
| 3 | I value strength of arms over anything else |
| 4 | I will often be critical of the fighting skills of those around me |
| 5 | I am prone to attempt intimidation of those around me |
| 6 | I'm always glad to return home after a successful raid |
Ideals
| Ideals | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Remorseful Raider I wouldn't commit such crimes if I had any other choice, but for my family I damn myself! (Good Alignments) |
| 2 | Freedom I might raid and pillage and plunder, but all I really care about is seeing the world and it's inhabitants! (Neutral Alignments) |
| 3 | Plunder and Pillage I don't care about who does what, all I care about is treasure! Silver, gold, gems and jewelry! (Chaotic Alignments) |
| 4 | Might Makes Right The strong have the right to do as they please with the weak, as the gods decreed when they shaped the world. If any man or woman should contest my right to take what I want, let them stop me with their own two hands! (Evil Alignments) |
Flaws
| 1d6 | Flaws |
|---|---|
| 1 | I enjoy killing a little bit too much |
| 2 | I am very proud, and will react very poorly to both failure and slights against my skills |
| 3 | After years of successful raiding, I have become arrogant and believe myself untouchable |
| 4 | I'm not used to fighting alongside people whose lives I actually care about |
| 5 | I may try to lie to or manipulate even my allies if it means getting a larger share of treasure |
| 6 | I will make dangerous or foolish decisions for the sake of wealth or glory |
Bonds
| 1d7 | Bonds |
|---|---|
| 1 | I dream of a raid so rich, I can give up this lifestyle forever |
| 2 | I owe a great deal of money to dangerous people, and am forced to raid in order to pay them off |
| 3 | I was banished from my homeland for committing a grave crime |
| 4 | I wish to live a peaceful life, far from conflict, but I lack the means to do so |
| 5 | I must earn the favour of my gods through glorious victory on the battlefield, or an honorable death. Mortal morality means nothing to eternity |
| 6 | My wife and children were stolen from me by rival raiders. Now I raid in turn, hoping to find them and kill those who committed the crime against me |
| 7 | I crave anything that gives me a sense of power. Killing, enslaving, stealing, all of it is what gives my life meaning |
PART 4
Birthsigns
Astrologically Predetermined Powers
Every person born, no matter their race, gender, and nation of birth, are born under one of the Twenty-Two Signs of Heaven. Represented by a star, or stars, in the night sky, their birth-sign is determined by but a single method across the whole of the world: at their Day of Naming, when the priests of their gods hold them to the sky in offering and speak their name for the first time, the Sign whose star(s) shines(s) above their head will bring them good fortune in life.
Over time, these stars became represented by specific images, known as the Major Arcana. The vast majority of people carry a small card representing their birth-sign on their person at all times, believing that it will ensure that the good fortune of their birth will never desert them.
During character generation, your Dungeon Master will have you roll a D22 (players are permitted a single reroll), which will randomly determine with Birthsign you were born under. This birthsign will provide you with a bonus ability that is useable once per day, resetting at dawn. Active abilities cost one Action to use, unless otherwise specified.
Spell DCs, where applicable, are based on whichever is highest of your characters WIS, INT, or CHR stat. Spells granted by Birthsigns followed the rules and limitations laid out in the spell's description, and can only be cast once per day.
-
The Fool
Representing the protaganist of a story and associated with mania, intoxication, and delirium, The Fool is most often portrayed as a beggar or a vagabond
Your character can cast the Confusion spell without consuming a spell slot. This does not count as one of your known spells.
The Magician
The Magician stands behind a table, which bears the items that represent the suits of the Minor Arcana: Cups, Coins, Swords, and Clubs. One hand points upwards to the sky, while the other points downwards at the earth beneath his feet, representing the concept of 'as above, so below'. The ideal that the activities of the spiritual realm effect the physical, and vice-versa.
You regain a spell slot of a level equal to your proficiency bonus. Should your proficiency bonus be greater than your highest level spell-slot, you gain a spell-slot of your highest level.
The High Priestess
The High Priestess sits on a simple chair, dressed in white robes and wearing a sheer veil. Her eyes are closed and her hands are folded in prayer, a religeous text laying open in her lap.
Your character has Advantage and Proficiency (if proficiency is already possessed, double the bonus provided) on all Religion checks your character makes until their next long rest. This effect lasts for ten minutes.
-
The Empress
The Empress sits on a throne wearing a crown with twelve stars, holding a scepter in one hand. The scepter represents her power over life, her crown represents her dominance over the year, and her throne is in the midst of a field of grain, representing her dominion over growing things.
The current terrain on which you stand counts as favoured terrain until your next long rest.
The Emperor
The Emperor sits on a ram-adorned throne, a symbol of War. Another ram head can be seen on his cloak. His long white beard represents wisdom wisdom. He holds an Ankh scepter in his right hand, and a globe, symbol of domination, in his left. The Emperor sits atop a stark, barren mountain, a sign of sterility of regulation, and unyielding power.
Your character can use a single use of Charm Person or Charm Monster. This does not cost a spell slot. This does not count as one of your known spells.
The Hierophant
The Hierophant is seen seated on a throne between two pillars symbolizing Law and Liberty or obedience and disobedience, according to different interpretations. The keys to Heaven are at his feet. His right hand raised in blessing or benediction, with two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing down, thus forming a bridge between Heaven and Earth. In his left hand he holds a symbol of faith.
You can cast a single Divine Smite. This does not count against your known spells or cost a spell slot.
-
The Lovers
The card depicts a man and a woman facing one another, standing on a green field, with a mountain in the background. Above them, in the heavens, a deity blesses their relationship to be long and fruitful.
The Chariot
A figure sits in a chariot, pulled by two sphinxes or horses. One of the steeds is black and the other white. The figure is crowned and winged. The figure may hold a sword or wand.
Your last roll counts as a natural 20. However, you take a level of exhaustion for every five numbers away from 20. You must gain at least one level of exhaustion from using this ability, even if the difference is less than five.
Justice
A figure sits in a throne on a dais, holding a sword in their right hand, representing punishment, and a set of scale in their left, representing fairness. A blindfold is covering their eyes, ensuring no bias can be made in the judgement.
Randomly select one enemy opposing you. You each gain the passive bonuses that the other possesses. For the purposes of this effect, a passive bonus constitutes as the following: Barkskin, Temporary HP, and other spell effects along similar lines. This ability lasts for one minute.
-
The Hermit
An old man, standing on a mountain peak, carrying a staff in one hand and a lit lantern containing a six-pointed star in the other. In the background is a mountain range.
Your character can cast Find The Path as a Ritual. The effects last until your next long rest. This does not count as one of your known spells.
Wheel of Fortune
A six- or eight-spoked wheel, often attended or crested by a Sphinx-like half-human attired in an Kumati-style headdress. The wheel is divided into four quadrants, each bearing the alchemical symbol of one of the four elements: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.
Your character rolls a d4. Depending on the result, their Attacks or Spells deal an extra d6 damage of either bludgeoning, fire, slashing, or cold. This effect lasts for one minute.
Strength
The card depicts a woman and a lion, with the woman leaning over the lion, clasping the lion's jaws shut with her hands, an infinity symbol above her head.
When you roll a Hit Die in order to regain HP, that Hit Die counts as being a naturally maximum roll. This can only be done with one Hit Die per rest until level 8, when it becomes two Hit Die, and at level 14 it becomes three Hit Die.
-
The Hanged Man
The image of a man being hanged upside-down by one ankle . However, the solemn expression on his face traditionally suggests that he is there by his own accord, and the card is meant to represent self-sacrifice more so than it does corporal punishment or criminality.
You can sacrifice one of your Hit Die in order to provide it to an ally, within five feet, in need. This Hit Die regenerates in your Hit Die pool as normal on your next long rest.
Death
The Death card usually depicts the Grim Reaper, the personification of Death. In some decks, the Grim Reaper is riding a pale horse, and often he is wielding a sickle or scythe. Surrounding the Grim Reaper are dead and dying people from all classes, including kings, bishops and commoners
Your character, if they are reduced to zero HP, can make one final action at disadvantage before falling unconscious. This ability does not require an action to activate. This action must be used to make a weapon attack (ignoring extra attack) or to cast a Cantrip
Temperence
Temperance is almost invariably depicted as a person with one foot on water and one foot on land, pouring liquid from one receptacle into another. This represents the dilution of wine with water. At the end of the path in the lower left part of the card, there is a crown to show the attainment of a goal, or mastery thereof.
You gain resistance to 'toxins' until your next long rest, including Poison, Alcohol, and Drugs. In the case of the latter two, this means Advantage on CON saving throws.
-
The Devil
The Devil has harpy feet, ram horns, bat wings, a reversed pentagram on the forehead, a raised right hand and a lowered left hand holding a torch. He squats on a square pedestal. Two naked demons (one male, one female) with tails stand chained to the pedestal.
Your character has Advantage and Proficiency in all Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation Checks in relation to making deals, whether with a shopkeeper, or a combative NPC. This lasts until your next rest of any kind. If you already have Proficiency, double the bonus recieved.
The Tower
The Tower depicts a burning tower being struck by lightning or fire from the sky, its top section dislodged and crumbling. Two men are depicted in freefall against a field of multicolored balls.
Your character can cause calamity to strike an enemy within their line of sight, forcing them to miss an attack that would otherwise hit a member of your party. This costs your Reaction.
The Star
A naked woman kneels by the water; one foot is in the water and one foot is on the land. Above her head is one large star, representing her core essences, and seven smaller stars, representing the chakras. In each hand she holds a jug. From one jug she pours a liquid into the water. From the other jug she pours a liquid onto the land.
You gain one D8 Inspiration Die, which can be used like any other Inspiration Die. This die expires, if not used, at your next long rest.
-
The Moon
The card depicts a night scene, where two large pillars are shown. A wolf and a domesticated dog howl at the Moon. The Moon has sixteen chief and sixteen secondary rays, dripping dew on the earth
You can cast Disguise Self without the use of a spell slot. The effect lasts until cancelled or until your next long rest, whichever comes first. This does not count as one of your known spells.
The Sun
An infant rides a white horse under the anthropomorphized Sun, with sunflowers in the background. The child of life holds a red flag, representing the blood of renewal while a smiling sun shines down on him, representing accomplishment.
You gain one extra hit die (based upon your class) for the rest of the day.
Judgment
A divine being gazes down on the Earth as the souls of the faithful rise from their crypts, following it's guidance into the afterlife. Meanwhile, the souls of the wicked are being dragged into damnation by monstrous beings wielding red-hot, spiked chains.
Your Attacks and Spells deal an extra 1d6 Radiant or Necrotic damage, depending on moral alignment, for one minute.
-
The World
A naked woman hovers or dances above the Earth holding a staff in each hand, surrounded by a wreath, being watched by a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, representing the four classical elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air.
Roll a D4. Depending on the result, all enemies within twenty feet gain vulnerability (or lose their resistance to) damage of the corrosponding type: Cold, Fire, Bludgeoning, or Slashing. This does not effect enemy Immunities. This effect lasts for one minute.
Vice
or
Virtue
Your world is a world at war, nations and peoples struggling against one another for every reason imaginable. Religion, greed, desperation, even a desire to end war through total conquest. Ever since its founding, your faction has remained neutral, fighting for whomever has the coin to offer. Still, the constant fighting and lack of a true home has begun to wear on your minds and hearts, and with the collapse of the wards hiding Eleuthia from sight or travel, you see the opportunity to claim a land for yourselves.
It is up to you whether you wish to be a paragon of virtue or a renegade. Will you expand your lands through conquest and slavery, or diplomacy and friendship? Will you mix vice with virtue, or throw yourself into the extremes of the scale? When they tell your story, adventurer, what will they say of you?
Will you be upheld as an aspiration, or decried as a cautionary tale?