A World Built by Magic

Before life was breathed into the multiverse, Thusur and Erasil, the gods of Light and Magic banded together. Their magical matrimony caused the stars themselves to erupt, bombarding Lunareth and the surrounding multiverse with life, and the resources necessary to maintain it.

The Surface World

On the planet surface lie the remains of the first civilizations. Burned away by the immense heat of Thusur I, the star Lunareth orbits around. During the day, the surface is arid and dangerous, which makes it the prime target of so many daring adventurers to make their fame and fortune. At night, it cools rapidly, allowing all the monsters and beasts to roam free. Regardless of the time of day, the surface is a dangerous place for everyone.

Below Ground

Below the scorched, monster-ridden surface of the planet, life has thrived underground. The planet's subterranean ecosystem has evolved to be perfect for the planet's denizens. Rich, fertile soil, an abundance of useful flora and fauna, and many natural resources to mine and refine. The people of Lunareth have been able to create thriving underground civilizations that have withstood the test of time.

The Expanse

The multiverse surrounding Lunareth is vast and mostly unexplored. What little has been discovered is by accident. Almost 1000 years ago, a group of powerful wizards dared to ask "Is there something beyond?", and went to experimenting. After years of research and trial and error, they stumbled upon an extraplanar portal. This was known as The Expanse. From there, powerful wizards have learned of other planes of reality, inviting their people to Lunareth. Thanks to the efforts of those people, Lunareth is now incredibly diverse. The visitors to this realm are proud to call it home, and have shared their endless secrets, allowing Lunareth to enter a new age of invention.

The people of Lunareth are magical just like the world around them. Life underground has made certain mortal races more well equipped than others.

Common Races

The natives of Lunareth. The people here have endured great changes and turmoils, yet they persevere. Adaptation quickly favored those who could survive the initially damp and stale air of the underground. Burrowers and other monstrous races soon also integrated into Lunareth's society. These races populate all of Lunareth, above and below, and hold power over most of it's society.

• Small Humanoid Races: Gnomes, Halflings, Dwarves, etc.
• Goblinoids: Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears, Verdan, etc.
• Monstrous Races: Orcs, Gnolls, Grung, Yuan-Ti, etc.
• Animal Races: Tabaxi, Tortle, Harengon, Owlin, etc.
• Constructs: Warforged, Automatons, etc.
• Hybrids: Found in Appendix A

Uncommon Races

Also known as the extraplanar, many races were discovered during and after The Expanse. While many stick to their home planes, many have made Lunareth their home. These races can be found frequently in major cities, but are rarer in smaller settlements and groups:

• Fey: Elves, Satyrs, Eladrin, Fairies, etc.
• Exotic Races: Shadar-kai, Tieflings, Gith, etc.
• Elementals: Genasi
• Dhampir: Found in Appendix A

Rare Races

While native to Lunareth, Humans (and any half breed of humans) were unfit to thrive in the harsh desert wastelands of Lunareth's surface, and found it difficult to adapt to underground living. Giantkin and Dragonkin are quite the opposite. They dominate the surface world, but even so, its scarce resources and harrowing climate make reproduction not the higher priority. These races are rarely found, even in civilized places:

• Humans and Halfbreeds: Humans, Half-elves, Half-orcs
• Giantkin: Goliaths, Firbolg
• Dragonkin: Dragonborn, Kobolds, Lizardfolk
• Lords: Found in Appendix A

Languages

Due to a rather unorthodox race distribution, languages have also changed rarities. Consult the table below when choosing languages that would accurately be known by your characters.

Since before The Expanse, and even the burning of the surface world, the people of Lunareth stood together, building communities and sharing in the diversity of life. After thousands of years, some of these factions still remain.

The Lunar Guard

Once a band of nomadic mercenaries, The Lunar Guard are faithful followers of Erasil, protecting the realm from dangers of any kind. Today, they are the main line of defense of Mythspire and its queen, Erin The Keeper. They are also not all warriors, for the Lunar Guard now has clerics, bards, paladins, diplomats, politicians, and merchants in its ranks.

The Sundom

Very few can survive in the arid surface of the planet, but life happens everywhere in Lunareth. These people have endured endless hardships from the weather. Civilizations come and go in these parts, but all the successful ones are part of the Sundom, a collection of small villages sprawled across the scorched planet surface. Faithful to Thusur, members of the Sundom are welcomed everywhere, even underground. All sorts of people can be found here, from simple merchants and traders, to mercenaries, to royalty.

The Long Shadow

Little is known about this strange group of outlanders. With no real headquarters, tenets, or hierarchies, it hardly counts as a faction. All that is known is that they are monster hunters of the greatest caliber. They spend their entire lives learning how to kill monsters. Mostly regarded as mercenaries, the Long Shadow's allegiance is with The Burrows, and have proven to be excellent spies and assassins during wartime.

The Vanguard

A super secretive sect of clerics and paladins of The Triplet Goddesses. Divided into 3 sub sects for each goddess: The Peacekeepers (Muna), The Deathdealers (Ena), and The Corruptors (Bana), The Vanguard mostly deals with in-fighting amongst themselves. Every now and then, however, when The Triplet Goddesses join forces, they assemble to complete their holy mission. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes a little of both, The Vanguard is as unpredictable as the goddesses they serve.

The Barons

The Secretive "Barons" have worked their way into every slice of crime in Lunareth. Where their money to be made, they have their hands in the pot. They extort businesses, pay bribes, smuggle, and steal, but never kill. It is said that they have hidden tunnels only they know how to traverse that connects all major cities of The Burrows. The Barons are also known for trading exclusively with Electrum Pieces (EP).

The Travelers

This group of adventurers and storytellers was first formed by Theems The Scholar. The Travelers are a nomadic group of scholars who record the stories they hear on the road. Whether it be the life of an adventurer, or the local legends of a rural town, The Travelers remember these stories and pass them down verbally, never writing anything down, unless Theems himself requests it. Ranked purely by how much they can recite from memory, elders of this faction are some of the smartest and wisest people in Lunareth.

The Gauntlets

These nomadic peacekeepers are unaligned to any creed, faith, rule, or nation. Those who swear The Oath of the Gauntlets must do the right thing, no matter the cost. Their deeds go from catching petty thieves to dismantling corrupt organizations and tearing down tyrannies. Gauntlets do their jobs gratis, not asking for rewards or praise.

The people of Lunareth care deeply for the divine. Many find peace in their beliefs, while others draw magic from their faith. The following are the deities you will encounter while playing this setting:

Elder Gods

The very first deities. Oldest, wisest, and most powerful of the pantheon, their rule is undisputed and respected by all other deities. These are the arquitects of the multiverse.

The Triplet Goddesses

The triplets rule over the Plane of Balance, the sister realm of the Crescent Plane, and are sisters to Thusur.

Extraplanar Deities

These deities came from other planes of existence, bringing with them their influence and worship.

Children of the Gods

As masters of creation, the gods themselves created powerful offspring. Equally powerful as their parents, these deities have completely separate domains and worshipers.

Colir, God of Sickness

Fivor's first attempt at creating a deity went badly. Colir's appearance is warped and twisted, and his mind is even more shattered than Fivor's. Colir is sickness incarnate, a cloud of noxious gas that kills all who come in contact with it. Colir has been sentenced and imprisoned within his home plane, but even then his influence extends to the other planes, bringing plagues and illness to mortals.

Vexar, Goddess of Vengeance

After the Mad God learned his lesson, he attempted once again to create a being to spite his father, Thusur. This attempt came in the form of Vexar. She has no physical shape, instead described as an endless torrent of flame. She embodies all the hatred Fivor has for his father, but all of the modesty and patience her creator was taught by Erasil. She's been tasked with keeping the Mad God within his realm, lest he bring disaster to all realms.

Erin, The Keeper, Lord of Erasil

The first divine lord in existence, Erin was created by Erasil and sent to Lunareth after the planet surface was scorched to lead the mortal races to prosperity underground. Her impact was so much so that she has been named Queen of Mythspire, the first city of The Cradle.

Theems, The Scholar, Lord of Diesis

When Diesis moved to the Crescent Plane, he also learned to create Lords directly from Erasil. His first Lord, Theems, was sent to the Arcane Archive in Valera to learn all he could of this new realm. Today, Theems' vast knowledge of all subjects is regularly inquired about by those under his tutelage as Head Scribe.

Markon, The Warlord, Lord of Ena

To prevent war in other planes of existence, the Goddess of War, Ena created many Lords. While most never have needed to leave the comfort of their lives to serve their creator, Markon has no other choice. As Ena's Lord in the Plane of Elemental Chaos, his job is never ending. While often referred to as "The Warlord", his real job is more along the lines of a gate guard, ensuring the malignant forces of Fivor, the God of Disaster, do not leave their realm.

As the Elder God of Magic, all life on Lunareth owes its existence to Erasil. Although a merciful, just, and honest god, Erasil has stepped in countless times across history to intervene in mortal affairs. Over time, he has created a set of Virtues and Sins that all settlements under the Lunar Bond must follow:

Virtues:

1. Cultivation of Knowledge: The people of Lunareth and the multiverse have a lot to learn from one another. Cherish that diversity and learn as a community.
2. Free Will: Life is only beautiful if lived willfully. Free will is the only route to true happiness in the realm.
3. Cooperation Between Planes: Our extraplanar neighbors are here to stay, and we should welcome them with open arms.
4. Willful use of Magic: Magic is Erasil's gift to the living. It must be used with the purpose of bettering lives.
5. Peaceful Resolution: Lunareth and The Burrows have seen war, and would like to avoid it. A peaceful discussion between parties is key to good diplomacy.

Sins:

1. Hording Knowledge: With the hundreds of millions of people in Lunareth, knowledge is found in all parts. To horde and hide it away would be to destroy the sanctity of community.
2. Enforcing Your Will Onto Others: To remove the free will of others is a capital sin. All must live true to themselves, free of dark persuasions.
3. Conspiracy with Evil: Lunareth stands because its people live good lives, sworn to the betterment of society. To go against it is to stand against all of Lunareth.
4. Desecration of the Dead: Death is a necessary part of life. Those who seek to reverse it or avoid it are blasphemes to life itself.
5. Greed for All Things: The accumulation of powers, in any sense, if forbidden. Lunareth represents unity between all people, regardless of sex, race, gender, or creed.

The act of summoning the undead is abhorred by Erasil and forbidden within The Burrows. Worshipers of Rathos, God of the Dead and Undead, perform horrible acts of necromancy to resurrect and command the once dead. These monstrosities are a threat to the delicate balance of Lunareth and the surrounding multiverse.

Zombies:

The weakest of the undead, Zombies make up the brunt of Rathos' forces across the realms. These undead mindlessly wonder the darker corners of The Burrows, biting down on unsuspecting travelers unlucky enough to cross them.

Specters:

These undead have kept fragments of their minds and memories. To become a specter upon death is the desire of all Rathosans. These specters vary in power, but can often times cast magic and speak the languages they knew in life.

Wraiths:

A subspecies of Specter, Wraiths embody the worst aspects of the person it once was. Capable of immense damage, Wraiths can travel through solid objects, turn invisible, and strike fear directly into the hearts of others. Rathosans turn their enemies into Wraiths, claiming that it is a prison of their master's making.

Liches:

Those who wish to avoid death altogether commit heinous acts of heresy to appease Rathos, who in turn grants them eternal life, but also eternal servitude. Liches can be mindless, shambling undead like Zombies, but can also be incredibly dangerous, reaching nigh-omnipotence. Liches carry the personality of the person they used to be, for better or worse.

Vampires:

Those who serve Rathos faithfully are often given a gift better than Lich-dom. Rathos turns his most faithful into vampires, fearsome undead with a myriad of magical abilities. These monsters are able to live amongst the living with ease. Down in the Burrows, free of the sunlight, Vampires have grown to be some of the most feared creatures in the realms. Vampires can even at times have children, named Dhampir or "Half-vampires". Vampires can also influence the minds of mortals and even infect them with Vampirism, which slowly turns them into undead servants to the Vampire who turned them.

Life Below Ground

After life above ground became unbearable for all but the most hardy and durable, the people of Lunareth made the intricate tunnel networks below their home. All was not lost, for Lunareth is a magical place. Erasil's blessings weren't only visible above ground, for the vast and diverse ecosystems found underground make life in Lunareth viable and extraordinary.

Natural Landmarks

The following list includes unique landmarks that can be found anywhere below ground. These are of usually massive consequences, able to create or completely change the surrounding environment.

Hybrids

Since The Expanse, races from all across the multiverse have made Lunareth their home. For the last 1000 years, many interspecies relationships have been formed. The result of these pairings is called a Hybrid, born of two different races.

• Creature type: You are Humanoid
• Age: Your age is the average of both your parents.
• Appearance: Your appearance can be that of either parent, or a mix of both.
• Size: Your size equals that of your parents. If your parents are different sizes, choose either Small or Medium.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is equal to your fastest parent.
• Ability Score Increase: Choose one Ability Score to increase by 2 and another by 1, or increase 3 abilities by 1.
• Hybrid Trait: Choose one unique race feature of each parent. You cannot stack the same feature twice. You also cannot choose the "Feat" feature from either parent, if they have it.
• Languages: You speak Common, and the languages of both your parents. If your parents speak more than one language, you can only choose one per parent.

Dhampir

Vampires are often times able to have mortal children, whether it be with other vampires or mortal creatures. These "Half-Vampires" are imbued with their parents undead strength, with only some of the drawbacks.

• Creature type: You are both Humanoid and Undead for the purposes of features or spells that target only Humanoids or Undead
• Age: Dhampir grow up quickly, reaching full adulthood in 10 years, and live to be up to 200.
• Appearance: Your appearance can be that of either parent, or a mix of both. Your skin is unusually pale for your race.
• Size: You are Medium sized.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Ability Score Increase: Choose one Ability Score to increase by 2 and another by 1, or increase 3 abilities by 1.
• Persuasive: You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
• Darkvision: You gain Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Undead Resilience: You are immune to disease and the Poisoned condition. You are also resistant to Poison damage.
• Undead Magic: You learn one cantrip of your choice from any spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
• Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws while exposed to direct sunlight. You also cannot regain hit points from any source while in sunlight.
• Languages: You speak Common, and another language of your choice. You can also communicate simple thoughts with Undead.

Lord

Created by the gods, Lords are vessels for their divine power. While some choose to live out as mortals, some embrace their god-given abilities to enact their creators wills. Some Lords don't even know they are Lords until their powers manifest randomly.

• Creature type: You are Humanoid
• Alignment: Your alignment will usually match that of your creator.
• Age: Lords are ageless, perpetually stuck as the age they were created in. While they can live forever, most Lords opt to return to their creators when their divine quest is complete.
• Appearance: You look like any race of your choice. Consult with your DM to get a better understanding of which races would fit the best regarding your creator. You also gain a visual feature of your celestial heritage. Choose one from the Lord Features table below or pick one at random.
• Size: Your size is Small or Medium, based on your appearance.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is equal to 30 feet.
• Ability Score Increase: Choose one Ability Score to increase by 2 and another by 1, or increase 3 abilities by 1.
• Racial Trait: Choose one unique race feature of the race you based your appearance on. You cannot choose the "Feat" feature, if your race has it.
• Darkvision: You gain Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Divine Resistance: You are resistant to one type of elemental damage (Except Force) of your choice.
• Divine Magic: You learn one Cleric cantrip and one 1st level Cleric spell of your choice. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can cast your 1st level Cleric spell once per Long Rest without expending a Spell Slot.
• Languages: You speak Common and Elder

On top of class, race, and background, adventurers of Lunareth are shaped by where they came from. These Birthplaces give your characters additional features and traits based on where you came from.

Inner Burrows

Being born and raised in the Cradle, you have an extraordinary talent for the magical arts, whether you pursue it or not. You've lived life surrounded by civilization.

Outer Burrows

The wilderness has trained you well. You've grown separated from society and its laws. While a life of danger may not be for everyone, it is the one you live, and you live it well.

• Outlander: You are proficient in light armor and the Herbalism Kit.
• Ally of Nature: You learn the Speak with Animals spell and always have it prepared. You can cast it only as a ritual once per Short Rest.

Sundom

Worn out by the endless heat of Thusur I, you have learned how to weather the toughest sands. By Thusur's grace you thrive in the harsh wasteland. Like the sands you walk, you are coarse and hardy.

• Heat Resistant: You are resistant to Fire damage, and can survive in temperatures up to 130°F.
• Dune Master: You are proficient in Survival and Nature. You can double your proficiency bonus for these checks while you are on Lunareth's surface.

Extraplanar

You came from another plane of existence. Maybe you are new here, maybe you've spent some time getting a lay of the land. Either way, you are a long way from home, so you better get acclimated quick.

• Non-Native Speaker: You gain one additional language. Maybe one you picked up in Lunareth when you first arrived or learned preemptively before you moved.
• Extraplanar: You gain proficiency in History, Arcana, Nature, or Religion (your choice). Your proficiency bonus is doubled for checks related to your home plane.
• Planar Gift: You gain the following benefit based on which Plane of Existence you come from:

Vampire Spawn

Prerequisite: Contracted Vampirism for 7 consecutive days.

The final stage of Vampirism has taken hold of you. You are now a Vampire Spawn, eternally bound to your Vampire Master. You gain the following benefits:

• Undying: You no longer age, and you no longer require food or water.
• Darkvision: You gain darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its reach increases by 30 feet.
• Vampiric Servant: Whenever your Vampire Master issues an order to you, you can choose to resist it, but only if you succeed a DC20 Wisdom Saving Throw first.
• Bloodthirsty: You must consume the blood of the living to sustain yourself. Going 7 days without consuming blood will incur one level of Exhaustion for every day without blood.
• Sunlight Sensitivity: Direct exposure to sunlight makes you unable to restore hit points. It also incurs Disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. After 1 consecutive hour of direct exposure, you begin taking 10 Radiant damage every minute you are exposed, which cannot be reduced in any way.
• Silver Vulnerability: You are vulnerable to damage dealt by Silvered Weapons
• Vampiric Restrictions: You cannot cross running water or the threshold of uninvited homes.
• Bite: As an action, you can make a melee attack against an adjacent humanoid or beast. On hit, the target takes 1d4 + Strength Necrotic damage and must roll a Constitution Saving Throw (Save DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution Modifier). On a failed save, you drain their blood, sustaining you for the next 7 days. On a successful save, the target become immune to this attack for the next 24 hours. Creatures Charmed by you automatically fail the saving throw.

True Vampire

Prerequisite: Vampire Spawn Feat, Killed and drank the blood of your Vampire Master.

You have broken free of your Vampire Master's control, ascending to True Vampirism. You gain the following benefits:

• Superior Darkvison: You darkvision's range is increased by an additional 30 feet.
• Undead Strength: Your Bite attack now deals 1d10 damage, instead of 1d4. Additionally, you can drink the blood of any sleeping or unconscious humanoid. Doing so does not alert the target.
• Undead Command: You learn the Command spell. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell. When targeting humanoids, beasts, or undead or CR 1 or lower, the target automatically fails their saving throw against the spell.
• True Vampirism: You are no longer vulnerable to Silvered Weapons. You can also freely cross running water and enter uninvited homes.

Ascendant Vampire

Prerequisite: 9th level, Undergone the Vampiric Ascension Ritual of Rathos.

Your Vampirism comes straight from Rathos, God of the Undead. You are the ultimate form of Vampire. You gain the following benefits:

• Ultimate Darkvision: You can see in darkness, magical or otherwise, out to 120 feet.
• Undead Strikes: Your weapon attacks and Unarmed Strikes now deal an additional 1d10 Necrotic damage.
• Vampiric Resistance: You are immune to Poison and Disease, and resistant to poison and Necrotic damage. If you already have any of these resistances, they become immunities.
• Undead Superiority: Undead of CR 1 or lower must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw if they target you with an attack or spell. On a failed save, they must target another creature. If there are no other creatures to target, they lose their attack or spell.
• Enthrallment: You can cast Dominate Person once per Long Rest without expending a spell slot. Constitution or Charisma (your choice) is your spellcasting ability for this spell. When you cast Dominate Person this way, if the target is a Humanoid of CR 1 or lower, they automatically fail their saving throw. Additionally, you can spend 1 minute drinking the blood of a Humanoid dominated by you. Doing so gives you the effects of a Short Rest. It also gives the drained target Vampirism. If they cannot cure themselves in 7 days, they become your Vampire Spawn.