11/18/2008

Gods of Azura:Pantheon

GREATER POWERS

GOD ALIGN/WORSHIP AREA OF CONTROL
Faerel N/Any Nature, Druids
Inari LE/LE, NE Darkness, Death
Kazull CN/Any Battle, Strength
Lurell LG/Any Good Wisdom, Light, Truth
Lusyr LN/Any Except CE Magic
Mallorn LE/Any Evil Corpses, Undead, Decay
Nythiir NG/ Any good Health, Vitality, Healing
Taranthus LE/LE, NE Tyranny, Oppression, Slavery
Vistna N/Any Knowledge, Foresight, Div

INTERMEDIATE POWERS

GOD ALIGN/WORSHIP AREA OF CONTROL
Altreya NG/Any Good or N Creation, Sustenance, Growth
Attar CG/Any Good Enslaved, Oppressed
Bacaris CE/Any Evil Plague, Disease, Pestilence
Kos LE/Any Evil Black Magic, Necromancy
Ravana NE/Any Evil or N Lies, Deceit, Thieves
Savitar CE/CE, NE Avarice, Greed, Pirates
Sybaris CG/Any good Forests, Lakes, Rangers
Zot CN/Any Travel,Explorers, Shipwrecked

LESSER POWERS

GOD ALIGN/WORSHIP AREA OF CONTROL
Ibilis CE/Any Chaotic Disorder, Chaos
Kaerelle NG/ Any Good or N Ballads, Songs, Bards
Mitra (Celanil) CG/ Any Good or N Beauty, Love, Charm
Oro LN/Any Trade, Merchants, Wealth
Rhone LG/ LG, NG Loyalty, Service, Honor
Rualt NE/Any Evil Ice, Cold, Frost
Sirecius CN/Any Chaotic Sleep, Dreams, Fog, Mists
Surain CE/Any Evil Revenge, Retribution, Curse
Tharr N/Any Neutral Crafts, Shipbuilding, Work


ELEMENTAL GODS

GODS ALIGN/WORSHIP AREA OF CONTROL
Akadia N/Any Elemental Air
Grumbar N/Any Elemental Earth
Kalak N/Any Elemental Fire
Vizanya N/Any Elemental Water

OTHER GODS OF AZURA

DEMI-POWERS or Regional Gods

Note that Demi-Powers are religions that are either regional, are on the decline, or have sprung up in the last few centuries and haven’t yet acquired the worshipper base to become a Lesser Power. None of the Gods listed are powerful enough to have a highly organized priesthood or true religious center…all have no official titular head of the church. Many are little more than cults that are given minor priestly powers by weak, hidden or unconcerned Gods.

GODS ALIGN/WORSHIP AREA OF CONTROL
THE NORTH
Baleel CN/ Any Evil or N Destruction, Anger, Storms
Rurik CE/Any Barbarian War
Ulutua N/Any Cold, Ice, Freezing
Valka CG/Any non-evil Sailors, Ships, Winds

BEASTS:
Squerrik LE/Any Evil Wererats, Thievery, Disguise
Terros (LG) NE/Any Evil or N Evil Beasts, Beast Cults
Uthgardt (LG) NG/Any Good or N Good Beasts, Beast Cults
Raya CG/ Any GD or N Intelligent Beasts
Wyrm LE/Any Evil or N Dragons, Treasure
Beast Cults N/Any Unintelligent Beasts

JUNGLE KINGDOMS:
Axea N/Any War, Thunder, Rain
Ert N/Any Death, Underearth, Mines
Horus LG/Any GD or LE Sun, Rulership
Merci NG/Any GD or N Mothers, Childbirth, Growing
Shadow CE/Any Evil or N Shadows, Darkness, Fear
Seth (LG) CE/Any Evil Reptiles, Poison, Evil
Umgawa (LG) N/Any Creation, Life, Jungles



UNHUMAN GODS OF AZURA

These Gods consist of dieties worshipped by non-human races of Azura. Their priesthood’s count no humans among them, but several are very active in societies outside of mankind.

GODS ALIGN/WORSHIPERS AREA OF CONTROL
DWARVES:
Abbathor (IG) NE/Any Evil Dwarves Greed
*Britemantle (LG) CG/NG, CG Knowledge, Scholars
*Duathal (LG) NG/Any Non-Evil Dwarves Exploring, Wanderers
Dumathoin (IG) N/Any Dwarves Mining, Mountains
*Moradin (GG) LG/Any Non-Evil Dwarves Creation, Craftmanship
Silverbeard (IG) LG/LG Battle
Truesilver (IG) LG/Any GD Healing, safety
Vergadain (IG) N/Any Dwarves Wealth, Luck

ELVES:
Celanil (LG) CG/Any Non-Evil Love, Beauty, Art
Enoreth (IG) CG/CG, Any Non Evil Elves Knowledge
Faenya (IG) CG/CG, NG, CN, N Air, Weather, Ocean
*Ilesere (IG) CN/CG, CN Rogues
Kaerelle (LG) NG/Any N or Good Ballads, Songs, Bards
Larethian (GG) CG/Any Elves Magic, War
*Mestarine (LG) CN/Any Elves Outcasts
Thelandira (IG) LN/Wood Elves Forests, nature, Rangers
Vhaerun (LG) NE/Any evil Elves, Wood Elves Thievery, Hatred, Dark

GNOMES:
Earthcaller (IG) NG/NG, Non-Evil Gnomes Earth, Mines, Underdark
Glittergold (GG) LG/LG, Non-Evil Gnomes Protection, Gemcutting
Tharr (LG) N/Any Neutral Crafts, Shipbuilding
Urdlen (IG) CE/Any Evil Gnomes Greed, Blood
*Wanderer (IG) NG/NG, Non-Evil Gnomes Forests, Travel, Nature

HALFLINGS:
*Avoreen (IG) LG/LG, all Halfling Fighters War, Battles
*Brandobaris (LG) N/Any Halfling Thievery, adventuring
Oro (IG) LN/Any Trading, Merchants
Urogalan (DG) N/Evil Halflings Death, Torture
Yondalla (GG) LG/LG, Non-Evil Halflings Protection, Nature

Facts About the Gods:

My theory on the Gods of Azura is this: The Gods of Azura function within a belief system in that the more believers they have, the more powerful they are. God that fill small niches (for example, a God of Lost Things) are unknown on Azura….they perished during the Cataclysm when all their believers perished, since their power is so closely tied to their believers. The Gods that did survive subsumed many of the portfolios of these smaller, niche Gods, and now that they have their portfolio will never surrender it. Thus, the ranks of the Gods now on Azura will remain stable for hundreds of more years (i.e, the entire campaign). Demi-gods have only become active since the Cataclysm, because any before the Cataclysm perished or lost their worshippers. It can be assumed that many of the Demi-Gods now will someday acquire enough powers and worshippers in future centuries to become full Gods, but this is so far ahead in campaign terms (hundreds of years) that the DM or players won’t have to worry about it. With a stable, unchanging roster of Gods to choose from it makes playing priests easier for both DMs and players alike.
In Azura Gods cannot travel to the earth, nor can they send avatars, per “The Overlord’s Curse” they agreed to in imprisoning the Overlord. This eliminates any need for stats or powers when discussing the Gods, as they will never come into play. A God in Azura can be considered to be all-powerful and be able to accomplish whatever deed they wish…aka they are the DM! The only exceptions are the Overlord (imprisoned below the earth); Faerel, which is the spirit of the earth itself; Inari, who dwells on Azura’s second (dark) moon; and the elemental Gods. Even they would never intervene into world affairs and thus are safe from player characters wanting to duke it out with a God. Demi-Gods can walk the earth of Azura, but realistically most choose not to do this, why put themselves into harm’s way when they can live in another dimension and never be destroyed? Thus there does exist an outlet for a DM wanted to create his own religion; they can create a “cult” ruled by a demi-god, while not as powerful as a true god can grant spells and certain powers, but will not be widely worshipped or even known in some parts of Azura.
Planar travel is one way only: From the outer/inner planes to Azura, and no return once there except for death (which traps the planar being on it’s plane for a variable amount of time, typically 100 years or so). Thus, priests or mages of power, or magic items, can summon beings from beyond, but only at great cost. Planar beings can also be sent by the God themselves, realizing the mission is one-way the beings will accept their duty, but knowing that death brings the only return is a bitter pill for many. This covers not only Demons and Devils, but certain agents of good such as Ki-rin, Couatl, and Shedu, and all the Elemental beings. Part of the Overlord’s Curse, the Gods have prevented travel to other planes creating a “closed” world to prevent the sort of problems meddling prime beings inevitably get into when traveling where they don’t belong!

11/15/2008


THE CITY OF NORVIK

Situated on the flood plains of the Delimbyr River and built against the side of a low hill, Norvik is a small, walled community dominated by the small castle of the local duke. The city is sparsely inhabited but strategically located where the High Road crosses the Delimbyr River on the north side of the ford.

This self-styled city is a town of about 2000 folk. This number does not include soldiers, mercenaries, adventurers or merchants passing through….just permanent residents. The town is the largest center of civilization on the lower half of the Great Glacier, south of the Thunderspire Mountains. It is home to human craftsmen and merchants, and a handful of folk of other races. There are about 20 farming hamlets within a day’s walk of Norvik (15-20 miles), each of which is home to around five families. Each hamlet has a fortified building where the residents retreat in case of humanoid or barbarian raids. There are also isolated farms and a few estates of minor nobility. In all, about 2000 additional people depend on the Norvik market for goods they can’t make themselves. Norvik has three major geographical divisions. The first area is the town itself, which fills the western half of the walls. The second region is somewhat higher than the town and is known as the Commons, which is nothing more than a large pasture. The third area, located at the center of the Commons, is the castle of the Duke of Norvik. Much of the castle has been recently rebuilt by a family of dwarves, making it somewhat more majestic and splendid than might be expected of a town the size of Norvik.

Most of the town’s buildings are built on the low ground below the hill holding the castle. The area surrounding the castle is almost entirely given over to the Commons, where horses and cattle graze in times of siege or river floods. Most of the buildings are made of wood and thatch, but since dwarven families have brought their stone working skills to town a century ago, a number of people have built in stone. The duke, for instance, replaced the last wood in his castle with stone, the wall towers were rebuilt in stone, several important town buildings have been built or rebuilt in stone, and the protective walls that surround Norvik are all of stone. Most of the residences in the crowded living areas are still made of wood, and placement of these wooden structures is sometimes rearranged due to the occasional fire. Fortunately, proximity to the river allows the Watermen’s Guild to quench fires quickly.

Norvik gained its name from an incident reported to have occurred 400 years ago. A small merchant village had sprung up to trade with dwarves of the Thunderspire Mountains and tribes of uncivilized humans in the Dark Woods. One day while a dwarven delegation was in town to personally deliver a load of iron ore, a orcish tribe swept out of the forest to attack the enclave. Outnumbered 10 to 1, the allied dwarves and men fought bravely until help arrived, but nearly all were slain protecting the village and keeping the load of ore out of humanoid hands. When the battle was over, upwards of a thousand dead orcs were found strewn across the ruined and deserted countryside, but the people of the village and iron ore were safe. A consortium of merchant houses together decided to rebuild the village on the spot, only bigger, better protected with walls, catapults and ballista, and supported by mercenary troops paid for out of their own pockets. They named the town “Norvik” for the brave leader of the dwarves who fell protecting the shipment of ore and humans of the village (this also had the effect of honoring the dwarven clans, and in return the dwarven clans gave grudging respect for the humans who honored the dwarves so, a fact the Merchant Houses had counted on to help continue trade between the two races.)

After the Merchant Houses rebuilt the town, they divided up the riches of the north with each house having control over a particular export (lumber, furs, iron, gems, etc). At first several power plays caused discreet assassinations and mini-wars between noble houses over who really controlled what in town. Finally, the houses came together and agreed to appoint a “Duke” of Norvik that although ultimately answerable to them, would be independent enough to rule on territorial disputes among Houses, and would have no formal connection to any one house. A unanimous vote was required to choose one, and thus the Duke of Norvik was given nominal control over running the town and guilds. Things have gone smoothly ever since (for the most part). Over 50 years ago, a town council was formed to placate several annoyed merchants and city guildsmen who were upset they had no say in how the town was run. Although supposedly they have power to bring up issues to the Duke that he will give to the Merchant Houses for consideration, in reality they have very little power over how the town is run. This often leads to guerilla type protests that often result in actions being taken much more quickly than through the proper channels (such as all the Watermen not showing up for work one day, or all the taverns closing their door to visitors during the busy season, etc,). When this happens usually the Duke is able to get the Merchant Houses to quickly come to terms with the temperamental townspeople. So in Norvik three levels of power exists: On the lowest level, the townsfolk and through them the town council representatives; above them, the Duke who runs the town proper and reports to the Merchant Houses, who are at the top of the power pyramid. Although it seems unwieldy, this arrangement has worked well the last half century or so.

Another measure of power the Duke holds is in martial matters. The militia consists of every able bodied man in the city, and adventurers and visitors, by the charter of the Merchant Houses, can and have been deputized into helping protect the city during times of trouble. There are two other levels of military men in Norvik. The first is the Duke’s personal retinue and bodyguard, which numbers troops that are loyal to the Duke and paid for out of his pocket (the Merchant Houses used to pay this fee, but the Dagger line broke this tradition as they wanted men loyal to themselves and not to the Merchant Houses). Their main (and most of the time only) job is to protect the Duke and his family, and in times of trouble they concentrate on the defense of the castle proper. The second is a recent development, before the last orc horde attack a decade ago: the Merchant Houses have hired a permanent military force. The main force is based out of The League and is called The 3rd Company. “The Fist of the North”, as they are called in Norvik, fluctuate in number based on current conditions. In times of trouble (rumors of orc hordes, barbarian attacks, pirate raids, etc) the Company can swell to 1000 men, but most the time it consists of only a few hundred. Typically the men are rotated in and out of Norvik based on what type of contract they are signed, which is usually yearly. More and more over the years, locals have joined the 3rd Company for fame and fortune. The main loyalty of the 3rd Company is to the interests of the Merchant Houses, but obviously they are well paid to make sure any evil force is repulsed. Besides the last orc horde, the 3rd Company have served admirably in several conflicts with pirates, barbarians, humanoid invaders, and even once a small group of Frost Giants who attacked one of the outlying hamlets. Those giants were all slain, and since then there have been no incursions that deep into human lands by large humanoid forces, but the leaders of the 3rd Company realize a larger force of such creatures could decimate Norvik if accompanied by dragons or worse…

The militia, duke’s men and 3rd Company all answer to the Duke in protection of the town, and traditionally a man is appointed by the Duke to lead all three. At the time it is Llewyllen Longhand, who has had this job for many years.

The current duke, Peregrin Dagger, is the last in a long line of the Dagger family who have served the town as leader in this capacity (both his father, Powell, and his grandfather, Conan, were former Dukes of Norvik)

A lot of travelers stop in Norvik at one time or another, using it as a base to explore the whole north. Norvik strives to meet the demands of catering to adventurers, which both keeps its surrounding lands safe and keeps local merchants happy. But the primary purpose of the port town is the import and export of goods, and adventuring types should well remember this. Many times their main opportunities of employment will arise through the Merchant Houses and their needs.

Norvik is trying to be a busy metropolis, but it’s still basically a frontier area that lacks many of the advantages found in a big city. It is just not large enough, for instance, to support very many craftsmen. What’s more, some of the Norvik craftsmen aren’t quite as proficient in their chosen trade as their counterparts in larger communities.

Prices for simple items in Norvik are the same as those given in the PHB. More complex
items, such as crossbows or plate mail armor, are not normally manufactured locally. These items may be purchased from passing merchants, but the markup is considerable, typically 100%. EX A suit of plate mail, which normally costs 600 gp, costs 1,200 in Norvik, if it’s available at all. As a rule of thumb, any item costing more than 100 gp in the PHB costs double in Norvik. Most specialty items will have to be made to order at considerable cost.
There is not an alchemist per se residing in Norvik, but many of the higher level mages in town traffic in both potions and scrolls for sale. All potions are doubled in price when available, which is not often. Potions offered for sale are typically made in town by resident priests and mages. Rare components for spells are even rarer in Norvik and again cost more than usual. The only apothecary in town is a priest of the Nythiirian temple,
and his sales are part of the temple’s income.

What goods are available in Norvik? All types of clothing are for sale, although garments made of cotton or silk are high priced. Most clothing is made of wool, provided by local sheep, and leather. Items made of fur can easily be found due to the presence of many trappers and hunters selling their stock directly to buyers in town.

There are several blacksmiths in Norvik who can provide simple weapons, such as swords and axes, and household equipment. Should either weapons or armor be damaged, the local craftsmen can mend them. There is much mended finery and weaponry on the streets of Norvik, mostly dependable and reasonably priced.

Since Norvik residents largely live off the land, many farming and fishing products are available. Produce, vegetables, and meats are available in abundance at affordable prices. Animals are common in Norvik; animal care services and facilities abound.

Norvik is unusual in that unlike many towns, there are several empty residences available for rent or purchase very cheap. With the high mortality rate of the militia and troops, and the constant turning over of mercenaries, adventurers and merchants, many houses are empty at least part of the time. Anyone wanting to rent a house instead of the typical “room at the inn” can easily by accommodated. Prices range from 10 gp a month for a hovel to 100 gp a month for a nicely furnished house with several bedrooms.

Norvik is a frontier town, and thus “currency” is not always the most obvious item, i.e. coin. As a matter of fact, many items…including jewels/gems, furs, art items, and magic, are actually easier to trade/sell. Norvik jewelers are hired by the Merchant House of Gand to give them first crack at buying any unusual or unique gemstones. They are often in the market of these types of stones and adventurers coming out of the Thunderspire Mountains with sacks of gems will get their price more often than not. Likewise with interesting art or antique pieces coming from treasure hordes; most jewelry shops have forged alliances with Merchant Houses that are on the lookout for these sorts of items, and adventurers should have no problem finding a buyer. If they are able to gain the patronage of a noble house, prominent mages or priests, or the Duke himself, they can cut out the middle-men and get maximum profit for such items (this includes magical items of all sorts). Those trading such items as furs or clothing can likewise go directly to merchants who deal in these items for the best deals.

Unfortunately, those adventurers that ride into town with sacks of out of date gold, silver or copper coins (anything minted, say, over 100 years ago) will be forced to pay a fee to convert the coins into “current” currency before they can be spent in Norvik; such taxes usually run 10 percent of the worth of the coin. Anyone entering the town with out of date currency will be directed to the Moneychanger; they will be unable to spend the coin in an established business that is part of the town’s guilds until they do so. There are some merchants/innkeepers that might take money under the table; a tight relationship must be established because the penalties are severe for “fencing” gold this way: forfeiture of all gold and goods from the offending merchant, and the same from adventurers plus expulsion from the city. A second attempt will be considered treason and a death sentence will soon be on the head of the offender!

Another thing that must be considered is the power of the Merchant Houses. If a certain Merchant House loses a specific trade item or cargo due to hijack, theft, etc, it will be impossible to deal that item in Norvik without the original owner finding out. If this is the case, the Merchant House will contact the adventurers and offer a “finder’s fee”….this is typically 50-75% less than the actual worth of the merchandise. Unfortunately, the finders have little recourse than to sell the items back to the Merchant House; failure to do so will have the House petitioning the Duke to confiscate the stolen merchandise from the “thieves” who probably stole the cargo in the first place! (or so they will imply). Wise adventurers first contact a Merchant House upon locating plunder that is freshly stolen or easily traced, and before bringing it into town; often a reasonable “ransom” or “finder’s fee” can be negotiated when the adventurers have the upper hand of knowing the merchandise’s location (which is hopefully well hidden outside of town).


COMMON DETAILS AND LOCATIONS KNOWN ABOUT NORVIK:

1. Towers
The 30-foot-tall towers of Norvik are constructed of stone and firmly set on bedrock. They’re split up into three stories plus the roof on which watchers keep their lookout. Most of the area in the towers is used for storage of war gear. Off-duty militiamen often rest here.
2. Cisterns
These tall, stone structures are kept filled by the Watermen’s Guild. The water is used for the horses pastured on the Commons, as storage in case of siege or fire, and for other reasons of importance to the city council and duke.
3. Farmers’ Gate
This is the most commonly used of the city’s three gates as it’s the closest to the fields outside of town. It’s left open, except at night, and the captain of the gate must be called at those times to let in travelers. The gate is built into a broad tower and has just enough room for one farm cart to enter at a time. The gate is about 10 feet tall.
4. River’s Gate
This is the third of the city’s three gates and provides access to the Delimbiyr River and waterfront district. It’s normally open during the day and closed at night, especially during the flooding season. Like the Farmers’ Gate, there’s a tower built around it. It’s mainly used by water carriers who fetch river water for the town. What few wells there are in the town are normally kept untapped in case of siege.
5. Yellowknife’s Tower
When the mage Delfen Yellowknife came to Norvik several years ago, the north wall tower was under construction. He offered the town a large donation. and a promise of magical aid in exchange for the tower. Yellowknife has grown to love his adopted city, and he joined the militia in its defense. Over the many years he’s lived in Norvik, no one has had reason to question Delfen’s loyalty to Norvik or his mastery of spells.
The tower’s arrow ports are smaller than usual, since all they’re needed for is room to allow a mage clear sight for targeting spells. The windows facing in are larger, allowing Delfen to look out over the town when he desires. Like all the other towers, this one is three stories tall. The top story is Delfen’s living quarters. He teaches his apprentices on the second story, which also doubles as a dormitory for those students who live at the tower. The first story contains a stable for his riding mule and is used for general storage.
Delfen is an affable mage who is bearded, short, and increasingly stout. Delfen is an ex-adventurer and onetime resident of The League who retired to Norvik more than 15 years ago to pursue tutoring would-be mages and get away from the bustle of civilization. Passing adventurers have identified him as having a good reputation, but how he came to retire in Norvik is a question he’s never felt the need to answer. He is somewhat rare for a wizard: a willing, patient teacher of magic who takes on new apprentices and is easy about payment. He’s been known to cast a spell or two for hire, aiding adventurers and others with the gold to pay for his services. He says he has no need of money or adventures and just wishes to pass on his knowledge to whoever is interested, since wizards are rare in the north and their powers are often needed to combat evil here.
6. Ducal Castle
This is the home of the Duke of Norvik and his family. The castle is based on the first building in Norvik, but it has changed a lot since the old days. For a while, it was the only building, a simple wooden structure surrounded by a palisade fence. After it burned down during an orc raid, the duke rebuilt in stone. He created a three-story stone keep on the hillside and surrounded it with a two-story stone wall. After the orc raiders were hunted down and destroyed, the people of the castle began building outside the walls of the castle, eventually creating the town as it stands today. The ducal gate leads to the city and is always open. Inside the courtyard are the duke’s private parade grounds, a blacksmith shop, and a stables. The larder is well-stocked with preserved food, enough for a year’s siege. About 50 people live in the castle, and there’s enough room for 100 more. Most of the duke’s men-at-arms live in town, but his select guard lives in the keep. Duke Peregrin Dagger is a retired adventurer, as is his sister Bronwyn. Both act to defend the city if it falls under attack, and they remain behind and protect it when the militia and 3rd Company ride forth.
Another hero, Lord Llewellyn Longhand serves as the head of the military and marches with it when it leaves town. Although he’s been offered a residence within the castle, Lord Longhand keeps his own residence in town. At one point, Llewellyn was interested in ruling Norvik as its duke, but he has since settled in to serving as Norvik’s military leader instead. His connections with the Longhand trading coster (his brother runs the operation in Norvik), and his scheming nature (he’s much more devious than Dagger) make him an unlikely candidate to ever be chosen as Duke by the rival Merchant Houses. Bronwyn Dagger is the duke’s middle-aged sister. When she learned that she and her brother were probably never to return to The League, Bronwyn rebelled by having nothing to do with the politics of running Norvik and concentrated on becoming a mage. She developed a friendship with the court wizard, Gwydion, and became his student.
About eight years ago, Bronwyn disappeared for more than two years while she tried her hand at the adventuring life. Leaving a note for Gwydion explaining her absence, Bronwyn left town with an adventuring company known as the Iron Edge. She returned around five years ago with wealth of her own and a vast increase in magical ability. The Iron Edge companions still meet in Norvik every few years. Most of the company are now retired, living in various locations and strongholds across the north. Bronwyn busies herself with magical research, making potions and scrolls, and becoming better at her craft in case another orc horde attacks the city someday.

Duke Peregrin Dagger came into dukedom when his father died fighting the onslaught of the forces of an orc horde ten years ago. The council of merchant houses decided to pass the dukedom down to Peregrin to simplify the change in leadership.
Peregrin was only 25 years old and enjoying the adventuring life when his older brother, Merovy, died while adventuring in the Dark Forest. Duke Powell realized his sole remaining heir needed training in land rulership and recalled Peregrin back to Norvik to work for the Merchant houses. Peregrin chafed against this restriction of his adventuring life, but he saw the necessity and acceded to his father’s demands.
The sword Lawflame is the traditional sword of the Dukes of Norvik, dating back to the first duke, who was given it by Sir Floshin.

Gwydion is now an ancient human, probably 70 years old but appearing even older. While he retains the title of Court Wizard, Bronwyn manages the day-to-day magical affairs of Norvik, leaving the old wizard to his tomes and books.

7. Nythiir’s Temple
This is the largest religious center in Norvik, directly supported by the duke and his family, and it shares the hillside with the castle. Liana Sunmist (LG hm C10) leads worship of the God of Healing and lends magical aid to those in need. She is one of the only priests in town capable of casting a raise dead spell, and she can only cast it once a day. She never charges for this favor, but she has his own ideas about who gets raised first. Not surprisingly, the ducal household tops the list. After that, priests and worshippers of Nythiir, those who die in defense of the town (soldiers and militia members), and important NPCs whose well being contributes to the town stability and safety. As can be seen, itinerant adventurers are not high on this list. PCs who are not worshippers or priests of Nythiir must be prepared to contribute to the church with quests or donations to the needy to get his attention. Under no circumstances will she raise barbarians, orcs or half orcs, or evil people…there are too many worthy people before them that can be helped first. Liana will sell Holy Water (25 gp), Healing (100 gp) and Extra Healing (200 gp) potions to adventurers. Her “Adventurer’s Special” consists of a scroll with five Cure Light Wounds and a single Resist Cold and Slow Poison spell on it (at 10th level) for only 500 gp, and he has several of these available.
8. Stables
This is the general livery area for the entire town. The civilians, militia, and 3rd Company (sponsored by the Merchant Houses) all stable horses here. Each person stabling a horse is given a token used to reclaim the horse….horses can be reclaimed without the token, but it is a bureaucratic process unless the stablemen know the individual personally. If a token is lost, a gold piece or more as a bribe might get the unfortunate’s horse back.

38. Vistan Temple
This building is the only temple to Vistna in Norvik. At this time it’s only occupied by one low level priest (NG hm Pr5) named Jemer and a lone acolyte (NG gm 2nd), as the church has not yet decided who shall be appointed to permanently run the temple since the high priest died from old age several months ago (he died while on a trip back to Greystone Hold). The building’s interior is opulently decorated, with several rooms for traveling scholars, priest or worshippers of Vistna (the old priest had several friends in high places and was able to acquire several luxurious items as gifts). There is a small library here mostly consisting of books purchased from adventurers who found them in treasure hordes or abandoned holds or ruins (most of the documents held by the priesthood are at Kryptgarden, which the Vistnan priesthood also runs and owns). Many are written in dwarvish or gnomish, gifts from gnomish loremasters or dwarven priests in the Citadel. Jemer will gladly cast spells for adventurers for a fee (typical prices are 100 gp per level, his selection is below), as he doesn’t have access to the types of friends his superior had and thus is afraid of running low on funds, and can sell holy water or scrolls from his master’s stock (he specialized in low level protection spells such as Cure Disease, Cure Blindness, Remove Curse, Resist Cold, Resist Acid/Corrosion, Endure Cold, and Remove Fear, all at 12th level). There are at least a dozen of each scroll still to sell, so the Vistnan temple will no doubt survive until another priest can be found to lead the temple. Jemer charges 30 gp for holy water, and 300 gp a scroll

43. River Shining Tavern
This is the main entertainment center for the nobility who travel here and the major notables of Norvik. The duke and his sister have been known to eat here, and the main hall of the tavern doubles as the meeting room for the Council of Guilds. By choice, some townsfolk only see the inside when coming to council meetings.
The Delimbyr family took their name from the river and named the tavern after it, too. The River Shining Tavern is the longest established tavern still operating in Norvik and claims to date from the town’s founding almost 400 years ago. Certainly, the wooden building’s architectural style matches that of the oldest buildings in town. The first Delimbyr was a half-elf known as Kelven. He married a human woman and their children were human. Still, the family treasures its elven heritage and uses a forest motif throughout the tavern. This tavern is very nice and caters more to traveling merchants than common folk or soldiers. Only the most successful adventurers with too much gold to spend are welcomed at the River Shining Tavern, though no one is turned away as long as they have the gold for their drinks and meals (Meals: 1-5 gp, stout: 1 gp/tankard, wine: 10 gp/tall glass). The guest rooms in this two-story structure are generally available only to the most noble and influential patrons. The normal price for a room is 5 gp per day, but the rooms are large and can easily hold two with room to spare.

55. Moneychangers
This structure is home to the Moneychanger’s Bureau. It’s a massive, four-story building that looks like a bank vault. The doors and windows are reinforced, and the area is constantly patrolled by the militia and the constabulary. At any one time, 5 7th level or higher fighters are patrolling the inside of the building. They are all loyal soldiers who have been screened by spells (Detect Lie, Know Alignment, Detect Evil) as to their ability to resist temptation. Inside is the money used to run the town, pay the soldiers and mercenaries, and exchange currency.
Inside is the Duke’s official moneychanger. His job is to change any old currency (either found in treasure hoards, brought up from dwarven strongholds, or used by primitive folk) into newly minted coins from The League. This nets the city of Norvik a nice tidy “tax” that is pure profit; the usual exchange rate is 10 percent. Spending “old” currency inside Norvik is strictly forbidden, a fact which the moneychangers will inform anyone balking at the exchange tax. The old coinage is melted down into gold bars for ease in shipment to The League; often in hard times the Duke will give orders to “skim” a few bars for the town’s use; these will be used to trade for food, supplies or other necessary items.
The moneychanger is a priest of Oro that is very loyal to the Duke and the Merchant Houses.

57. Kryptgarden Scrolls
Acolytes of Vistna work here, storing, copying and scribing books and scrolls dealing with the history of the north. Their main collection consists of books, scrolls and writings found by adventurers and purchased by the Vistnan priesthood. There is a large section of dwarven writings as many of the ruins discovered and looted are old dwarven strongholds. There are even a very few orcish scribblings (orcs not being known for their writing skills). All in all, several thousand books and scrolls fill the bookshelves of this building. Guild scribes spend their days looking up documents for adventurers and sages (for a fee) and their evenings copying, archiving, organizing, and storing the books under their care. There is a ward on the whole building, making it and everything inside immune to fire and lighting of both magical and mundane origin. At any one time there are 2-5 1st level Vistna priests working here. Recently the high priest of Vistna in Norvik has died, and the temple is under uncertain leadership until a new one is appointed.

91. Norvik Inn
This is a down-and-dirty place to get a guaranteed restful night’s sleep. The walls are thick and covered with tapestries and wall rugs to blanket and absorb sounds. The large common room and bar has a giant potbellied stove with stacks of wood and coal which gives the place its dirty and oily look. The Inn itself consists of three floors (the top two have 20 rooms each, the ground floor has ten). The main hallway on the 2nd floor connects to a large locked door, which is the entrance to a connecting passageway leading to another locked door….the Tower for Rent (See #86)
The tavern is owned by Demetira Landscraper (NE Hf F2) who came to Norvik many years ago after leaving Greystone Hold under less than desirable circumstances. She is fabled to have dug a 1,000-foot path through solid rock in less than one year with her fingernails and bare hands to escape a prison in the Hold (where she is probably still wanted for some crime or other). She, however, lives elsewhere, preferring cleaner sleeping conditions. The Inn itself is, despite it’s grimy complexion, a well run and cheap establishment (1 gp a night for a double bed room) that also serves a breakfast and dinner every day (an extra 5 sp per person per day) and cheap wine and ale at night (7 cp a glass/mug, 3 sp a bottle). Stabling is also included for free if you buy the meals (otherwise 3 cp a day). (SEE #124)
The Provender:
Breakfast is typically a toasted loaf of bread and a beef and vegetable stew (whatever was left from the night before, with plenty of broth added). Dinner is a rotation of beef, mutton, and pork roast with gravy, greens in summer or potatoes in winter. Desert is a apple tart, which is the only exceptional dish at the Inn, being very sweet, tart and having a tasty crust. Drinks served include buttermilk, a weak red wine made locally, and a good, nutty local ale.

93. Llewellyn Longhand’s Residence
Lord Llewellyn the 60-year-old duke’s Master-at-Arms, has been a retainer of the Dukes of Norvik since the time of Duke Conan, who was the grandfather of the present Duke. He is one of the true movers and shakers in the town, being well entrenched in city politics his entire life. He knows where all the bodies are buried, figuratively and literally.
Duke Conan made the faithful Llewellyn Master-at-Arms for the duchy, an office he has dutifully fulfilled for 30 years. As such, he has both led the duke’s followers in the field and defended the castle while the duke was away. He currently enjoys his high status as a Banneret by having earned it with repeated use of his knightly sword. Sir Llewellyn was knighted at an early age by Duke Conan.

95. Faerel’s Shrine (Harvest House)
Maerovyna presides over this large, stone establishment which is also known as Harvest House. Not far from the Farmers’ Gate, she administers 14 druids between 1st and 5th level who are often traveling throughout the North ministering to the faithful. This shrine to Faerel is of great importance to all the farmers and ranchers of the Daggerford area, as the priests spend their time fulfilling the needs of the community, including blessing fields and researching new plants.

109. Abandoned House
This falling to ruin house once belonged to Samuel; after he left, it was allowed to be looted by locals, and eventually fell into disuse. Inside several merchants have dumped unsellable or ruined stock; it is a maze of boxes, barrels, and junk. A secret entrance in one corner leads to a old part of town that was swallowed by the earth during the last volcanic eruption a few hundred years ago; the Triad has a abandoned citadel down here. Imlik and his fellow Triad members sometimes meet here.

125. Thieves Brotherhood
Headquarters of the thieves’ guild, as it is (they are not very organized or have any sort of formal leadership in this city), this stone house stands two stories tall. It has a single, low doorway with two shallow steps and a few small, barred windows. Unknown to the general public, the guild makes use of all three of the vacant buildings in the Farmer’s Quarter (Locations 119, 131, and 139). They plan to continue using several of the floors for nefarious guild purposes until they’re sold. Imlik, a Triad member, is nominal head of all criminal activity in Norvik and anyone practicing thieving in Norvik would be well to seek out his approval.

144. Caravan Gate
This is the largest of the city’s three gates and is usually kept shut, opening only when a merchant caravan or company of entertainers is camped outside. There are two 24-foot towers flanking the gate with a walkway over the gate between them. The gate itself is 16-feet tall. The flanking towers have arrow slits covering the gate area on both stories.

145. Marketplace
This large, empty area is the site of the market which takes place every fiveday and tenday of each month. Farmers and small merchants bring their goods to the market and sell them from temporary booths. Recently, the booths have become more permanent, thanks to the installation of the drill field near the southern wall. Many of these booths would take a full day to dismantle. On a given day, the number of vendors changes; roll on

11/14/2008

Gods of Azura: Faerel (Druids)

FAEREL

GREATER POWER

Deity/Priest Alignments: N/NG or NE
Portfolio: Nature, Druids
Requirements: Wisdom 14, Intelligence 12
Weapons Allowed: Blowgun, Club, Dagger, Dart, Knife, Scimitar, Scythe, Sickle, Sling, Spear, Staff
Armor Allowed: Padded, Leather, Hide, Wooden, Bone, Shell, Non-metallic Shield
Magic Items Allowed: As Priest
Major Spheres: All, Animal, Healing, Plant, Sun, Weather
Minor Spheres: Elemental
Bonus PRO: Animal Lore, Herbalism, Survival (one type)
Required PRO: Weather Sense
Clergy: Druids, Shamans
Turn Undead: No/No
Command Undead: No/No

FAEREL (Fair-el)

The Power: Faerel is the neutral god of nature; the divine guardian of all natural plant and animal life. Although Faerel is an elven god (with gold, wood, and aquatic elf manifestations), she has many human followers as well. Priests of Faerel have a close relationship with the priests of Sybaris.

The Ethos: Faerelian priests, known as druids, believe themselves to be caretakers of the natural world in which they live. To them nothing is more perfect than the complex web of life which stretches throughout all Azura, and this relationship between the many animal and plant species of the world must be cultivated and nurtured. Druids are charged with protecting the wilderness from unnatural creatures and forces which seek to disrupt and destroy the intricate natural balance found therein.
Unlike other worlds where all druids are ‘true neutral’, Azuran druid’s must take a position on a human’s place in the natural cycle; a question which divides the Faerelian clergy into two opposing philosophical groups. A druid’s alignment is dependent on which faith he chooses to serve. Druids of the golden faith (refers to the gold elf manifestation of the god) believe humans to be just as much a part of the natural world as every other wilderness creature. A human’s need to supply himself with food and shelter is not unlike the basic instincts of every wilderness creature. As long as humans are capable of limiting their use of the wilderness to what they need to survive, gold druid’s believe there is no need for confrontation. The druid’s of this faith therefore believe that humans can and should try to live in harmony with their natural surroundings and the creatures within. All gold druids are neutral good in alignment.
Philosophically opposed to the gold druids are the wood druids (refers to the wood elf manifestation of the god) who believe humans to be an ever-present threat to the natural world. As proof, wood elves point out the many examples of the natural order being destroyed by expanding human civilizations and growing populations; such as cutting down forests for shelter and ships, slaughtering animals for food and sport, and cultivating plant life in an unnatural manner by using agricultural methods to grow abundant crops. As a result, wood druids are no less hesitant to stop a human from damaging the wilderness environment than they would be for an orc, goblin, or troll doing the same. Their disrespect of human life in relation to plant and animal life results in their neutral evil alignment.

The Clergy & Followers: Regardless of the druid’s philosophy he is only responsible to the will of Faerel and not to others of the faith, even if those druids are of a higher level. Only Faerel has the right to judge a druid’s actions. As a result, there is virtually no church organization to speak of. Azuran druids do not need to compete with higher level druids to move up in level and there are no limits or restrictions to the number of druids who can be of a particular level or who can reside in a certain region. Druids are not entitled to any of their usual special powers which are not specifically prescribed for specialty priests of Faerel.
Druids of any level can found a sacred grove which will serve as a temple to their god, although only a druid who establishes a grove and is of 7th or higher level will attract followers. The type of followers attracted to a druid (similar to the followers listed for Rangers) depends on which faith they follow. Both wood and gold druids attract lower level disciples, but wood druids tend to attract more faerie creatures as well. A greater percentage of a gold druid’s followers are demi-humans. Once a druid founds a sacred grove they rarely adventure beyond their locale, choosing instead to become permanent guardians of their wilderness area. The areas served by a druid can be of any size; from a corner of a small island to an entire archipelago. Before a druid settles down and establishes a sacred grove, he usually has spent his time wandering the wilderness as a nomadic crusader confronting wilderness threats while learning about the habitats of many different creatures and plants in regions throughout Azura. Druids have little need to venture into cities or towns.
Wood druids are almost always half elves, wood and gold elves and are commonly encountered in the southern half of Azura including the elven continent, the Southern Isles, the Azeirian Empire, and islands bordering the Memeyrian and Ivory Seas. Gold druids are mostly human, gold elf, and half elf and can be found almost anywhere in Azura, but are most common everywhere north of the Saerelian Sea in the west and the Linarian Sea in the east. Aquatic druids (refers to the aquatic elf manifestation of the god) are also known to exist in the undersea kingdoms of the elves.

Specialty Powers:

1st Level:
· Speak With Animals (2nd Priest) once daily for every other level of advancement (i.e. 1st=once, 3rd=twice, 5th=three time, etc.)
· The druid can accurately identify normal animals, plants and clean water while in natural terrain (i.e. outdoors).

3rd Level:
· Immune to any natural charm spells cast by any magical creature.
· The druid can Pass Without Trace as the spell whenever traveling over natural terrain (i.e. outdoors).

5th Level:
· Speak With Plants (4th Priest) once daily.
· The druid saves at +2 vs any cold, fire and electrical damage (natural or magical in nature).

7th Level:
· Shape-change into a reptile, bird, or mammal up to thrice daily with the druid only being able to use each form once each day. The form of any normal animal can be assumed as long as it is between S to L in size and is indigenous to a specific environment of which the druid has knowledge (usually the same as the druids Survival PRO skill). Upon assuming a new form, the druid heals 10%-60% of all damage he has suffered (round fractions down). The creature shape-changed into must be of normal proportions with it’s physical characteristics, which all become those of the druid. Any clothing and equipment of up to moderate encumbrance will also be shape-changed into the new form. Any protective spells or magic from worn Rings of Protection will continue to aid the transformed druid. Any of the druid’s specialty powers to converse with animals or plants may also be used in the new form.

FAEREL Specialty Spells:

1st Level: Beastmask
1st Level: Heal Plants
2nd Level: Animal Spy
2nd Level: Gift of Speech
2nd Level: Spear
3rd Level: Greenwood
3rd Level: Insect Ward
3rd Level: Invisibility To Animals ‘10
4th Level: Briartangle
4th Level: Thorn Spray
4th Level: Treeheart
5th Level: Control Giant Insect
5th Level: Mulch
6th Level: Ivy Siege
7th Level: Unwilling Wood

1ST LEVEL

Beastmask (Phantasm)
Sphere: Animal
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 12 hours
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: One Creature
Saving Throw: Neg

Beastmask may affect a single person or animal, or characters may cast it on themselves. It allows the subject to take on the illusory form of a single animal species, but only that species of animal can perceive the illusion. The subject may not assume an animal form more than twice or less than one quarter the character’s size.
The almost perfect illusion the spell creates deceives the animals sight, hearing, smell and touch. The animal believes the druid is that animal, while to humans, other races and other creatures the subject remains the same. Beastmask does not allow communication with the animal species, although it can be used with animal communication spells.
The material component is a miniature wooden mask carved to look like the animal.

Heal Plants (Alteration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 10 ft/lvl square or one creature
Saving Throw: None

This spell heals natural, non-monstrous living plants of up to man-size within the area of effect. All damage from fire, frost, cutting trampling, parasites, mold, fungus, or disease is cured. The spell purges all parasites and disease so that they cause no further damage. The spell does not heal large trees, does not restore growth that has actually been destroyed, nor does it counteract the effects of poor soil or lack of water. The spell affects plants growing in a square area of 10 feet per side per level of the caster (10x10 feet at 1st lvl, 20x20 feet at 2nd lvl, etc).
Alternatively, the druid can cast the spell and touch a single plant-like monster to heal it of 2-8 pts of damage. Touching such a creature---even green slime or yellow mold---to discharge the spell does the caster no harm.
The material component for the spell is the druid’s holy symbol.




2ND LEVEL

Animal Spy (Phantasm)
Sphere: Animal
Range: 10 yards
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 turn/2 lvls caster
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: One Animal
Saving Throw: None

Only a normal animal or a giant version of a normal animal species may become an animal spy. This spell enables the caster to share the animal’s senses---see through the animal’s eyes, hear with its ears, smell with it’s nose, and so on. The animal is completely unaware of the spell’s effect, unless the druid warns the beast before casting. Animal Spy grants no control over the creature, however, most casters will use it on a trained animal or one befriended via the Animal Friendship spell.
For the duration of the spell, the caster remains in a trance, unable to move or use human senses. Characters attacked while using the spell cannot feel injuries to their bodies. However, at the start of any round, the caster may choose to return the animal’s senses to the creature and resume control of the human body. The decision ends the spell immediately. The spell also ends if the animal travels more than 100 yards away per level of the caster.

Gift of Speech (En/Charm)
Sphere: Animal
Range: 10 yds/lvl
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn/lvl
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: One animal
Saving Throw: None

The gift of speech spell grants a normal animal (or a giant version of a normal animal) the ability to speak any one of the languages the caster knows, whichever the caster chooses, along with the ability to understand words and simple concepts expressed in that language. The affected animal's reactions do not change, nor does its Intelligence increase. The spell has no effect if cast on a creature with an Intelligence score of less than 1.
The material component is the priest's holy symbol.

Spear (Alteration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 4 rounds+2 rd/lvl
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: One tree branch
Saving Throw: None

This spell transforms the still-living and still-attached branch of a tree into a stout magical wooden spear that the priest can easily remove from the tree and use in combat. A spear created by this spell gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls (2-7/2-9 pts of damage). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th and again at 10th level, to a maximum of +3. The caster must wield the spear. When the spell terminates, the branch reverts to its original form, but cannot be rejoined to the tree.
The material component of the spell is the tree branch.


3rd LEVEL

Greenwood (Alteration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 10 yds/lvl
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn/lvl
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: 9 cubic ft + 1 cubic ft/lvl
Saving Throw: None

By means of this spell, the caster can temporarily make dead and withered trees appear living, green, and healthy. The caster can affect one plant (or object made from one), or a mass of plant material up to 9 cubic feet plus 1 cubic foot per level of the caster. Dead or bare trees, shrubs, or vines can be cloaked in leaves. Sufficient foliage appears to afford concealment for the caster, but not enough for an entangle spell.
Dry firewood becomes green enough that it does not light. If the wood is already alight, the flames die down to a thick, choking smoke in a cloud that lasts for one round per experience level of the caster. This cloud, which totally obscures vision beyond 2 feet, fills a volume 100 times that of the fire source, and covers a roughly spherical volume from ground level (it conforms to the shape of a confined area). A creature in the cloud must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or suffer a -2 penalty to its attack rolls and Armor Class.
Dry, seasoned wood, such as a ship's mast, can be made to bend and snap under a strain like green wood. Rotten wood, such as an old bridge or ruin, usually collapses or becomes unsafe to carry any future load.
Damage to plants or wood suffered by being made "green" is permanent, but the wood otherwise reverts to its former state after the spell ends. In other words, if the greenwood spell is used to collapse an old bridge, the wood returns to its previous condition when the spell ends, but the bridge is still collapsed.
The material component is a leaf of holly.

Insect Ward (Abjuration)
Sphere: Animal
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 month/lvl
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

The druid casts insect ward on special foci of the spell, a pair of rune-carved wooden stakes. The druid then plants one stake in the ground, walks up to 100 feet per level away, and plants the other stake. The spell forms an invisible barrier extending between the stakes along the path the druid walked. The barrier is 99% likely to cause a normal insect encountering it to turn and go in the opposite direction. If one or several barriers join to completely enclose an area, affected insects depart the area as well. Those insects trapped in the area become lethargic and slowly die off. While the spell remains, the warded area has only 1% of its normal insect population, which will affect the area's ecosystem as insects form a large portion of many creatures' diets. Details of this are left to the DM.
By means of the runes carved into the stakes, the druid determines what types of insects the spell excludes. This can be specific (for example, only mosquitoes and aphids) or general (for example, all plant-eaters, or all blood-drinkers). Giant insects are unaffected, as are magically summoned or controlled insects. The stakes radiate magic until the spell ends. If either stake is removed from the ground, even for a moment, the spell is broken.

Invisibility to Animals, ’10 Radius (Alteration)
Sphere: Animal
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn + 1 rd/lvl
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 20 ft diameter sphere
Saving Throw: None

This spell renders all creatures within the area of effect at the instant of casting totally invisible with respect to normal animals (Intelligence under 6). This includes giant-sized animals, but it excludes any with magical abilities or powers. The affected creatures are able to walk amongst animals or pass through them as if they did not exist. The effect is broken for a recipient when that individual attacks.
The material component is holly.

4th LEVEL

Briartangle (Alteration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 10 yds/lvl
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/lvl
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: 10 ft radius + 10 ft/2 lvls
Saving Throw: ½

A briartangle spell causes living shrubbery or undergrowth of any type to be instantly changed to densely tangled briars of the thorniest sort, growing to 6 feet in height and increasing in horizontal volume to a radius of 10 feet plus 10 additional feet radius for every two levels of experience of the caster, rounded down (thus, a 7th-level priest would cause a briartangle of 40-foot radius).
Creatures can force their way through the briartangle readily, but the briars snag and halt missiles, thrown objects, or flying creatures within their confines. All creatures trapped within a briartangle when it forms - or those who enter it thereafter - suffer 1d4+2 points of piercing and scratching damage per round (or portion thereof) that they remain moving and in contact with the spell. Those clad in banded, scale, or plate mail have all damage reduced to 1d3 points per round. This reduced damage also applies to creatures made of rock or with skin of comparable hardness, but creatures with lesser armor, such as chain, take full damage, even if a shield is carried. Beings who do not move at all after the first round take only the damage from the first round of contact. In all cases, a successful saving throw vs. spell results in half damage (round up).
Spellcasting requiring a somatic component is impossible within a briartangle. If the owner is moving, clothing and exposed cloth, paper, or vellum items must save vs. acid once per round (or portion thereof) within the briartangle or they are rent and torn. Such items must make at least one item saving throw (for the initial round of contact). Magical items receive a +2 bonus to this saving throw.
Fire destroys a briartangle in a round (regardless of the size of its area of effect), but creatures within it take 2d6 points of fire damage and receive no saving throw against this damage. The area where a briartangle was cast radiates a faint dweomer for 1d4+2 turns after the spell has expired, and this after affect can be used to confuse creatures who are following a pass without trace trail by detecting the spell's dweomer.
A briartangle vanishes instantly if the caster so wills, but otherwise exists until the spell expires or is dispelled. When the briartangle ends, the affected plants revert to their former state.
The material components are mistletoe, a thorn from any plant, and a bud, petal, or leaf from a briar (wild rose).

Thorn Spray (Alteration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 10 yds
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 4 thornlike objects/lvl
Saving Throw: None

By means of this spell, a priest can cause barbs, spikes, thorns, spines, or nonmetallic darts, either naturally growing or magically created (in other words, by use of a spike growth, wall of thorns, or briar tangle spell), to spring with enough force to serve as missiles from his or her hand or from bushes or resting places within 10 yards of himself or herself. The thorns fly up to 120 yards within the round of casting and strike as many creatures as the priest wishes within the limits of the number of thorns able to be animated. The priest can direct the thorns in any combination at any living or non-living (a scroll, lantern, or wineskin) creatures that he or she can see. The priest can animate a maximum of four thorns per experience level.
The thorns strike only if a successful attack roll is made for each creature. The attack roll is made as though the thorns were directly wielded by the priest and at a +4 attack bonus in addition to any other applicable bonuses the priest might have; no range penalties apply. The thorns inflict 1 point of damage each. Sleep-venomed wooden darts are sometimes carried by priest (especially druids) who use this spell often.
The missiles of a thorn spray twist and turn in flight to follow moving creatures and avoid obstructions, and are fast enough to catch most birds on the wing. The thorn spray spell works underwater, but the priest has only normal attack rolls, and the range is reduced to 90 yards.
The material components are magical or natural barbs, spikes, thorns, spines, or nonmetallic darts that the priest animates.

Treeheart (Alteration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: 1 being and 1 tree
Saving Throw: None

Casting this spell creates a link between the caster or a touched being and a tree. The tree can be any distance from the spell recipient when the spell is cast and during its duration, so long as the spell recipient remains on the material plane.
At any time after the spell is cast, crushing the material component causes the spell to activate. For the next three rounds, any damage done to the spell recipient does not harm him, but instead affects the distant tree. The tree mystically becomes the target of all spells and the subject struck by all attacks. If the tree is dead before the spell is cast, the spell does not work, and the caster knows this, although the spell is lost. If the tree dies of the damage done to it during the treeheart spell, the linked being suffers a permanent loss of a hit point. The recipient of a treeheart spell does not regain hit points through rest until the tree is entirely healed because while it is injured, it receives the linked spell recipient’s naturally healed hit points. The spell recipient can be magically healed during this time, though. A being can be linked through treeheart to only one tree at a time and can only have one treeheart in affect at a time.
The material component is a tree leaf from the tree the spellcaster wants to be linked to.

5th LEVEL

Control Giant Insect (En/Charm)
Sphere: Animal
Range: 100 yds/lvl
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn + 1 rd/lvl
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: One giant insect
Saving Throw: Neg

This spell works on any giant or magically enlarged insect that fails a saving throw vs spell. Only one insect can be controlled per spell. The insect can be used as a steed by the caster or told to attack any enemies in the area. Because of the particular nature of the magic, which enables the caster to precisely control the insect from afar, the spell only lasts as long as the caster concentrates on controlling the insect...loss of concentration will cause the insect to revert to his true nature on the round following, which could lead to his attacking the controlling priest. An insect that has been released from this spell either willingly or inadvertently can be taken control of again with the casting of another Control Giant Insect.
An insect under the caster’s control can also be used for other tasks as needed. This involves the caster making movements that are imitated as precisely as possible by the insect (giving differing body types). Thus, a priest could force a beetle to follow a route, pull a lever, push chess pieces about on a board, and perform other complex tasks, to the limits its body allows.
The material component is a scale, piece of chitin, or body part of the same type of insect. This can be a dried husk or remnant, and can be from any size of related insect.

Mulch (Necromantic)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 5 feet/lvl
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 10 cubic ft/lvl (90 cubic feet minimum)
Saving Throw: Special

This spell causes dead wood (such as a tree, shrub, door, or cottage wall) or once-living organic material (such as leather straps or rope) to rot away instantly. Carefully applied, this can make plate mail fall off a foe, free a bound captive, and so on. When used with less care, it can destroy clothing in a trace, cause weapons to fall off friendly warriors in all directions, and devastate gardens or stands of trees. The spell must affect a minimum of 90 cubic feet if the caster's level so allows; the spell's area of effect above this is increased at the caster's discretion, but limited by his or her experience level.
This spell instantly kills yellow musk creepers, violet fungi, and various harmful molds, but intelligent plant life receives a saving throw vs. spell at +5 to avoid death. Plant beings (such as shambling mounds and vegepygmies) successfully saving against a mulch spell suffer 5d4 points of damage instead.
This spell has no effect on living non-vegetable creatures. A dead body of any sort can be caused to rot away immediately, making Raise Dead impossible (Resurrection may still be attempted due to the victim's dust being present, unless scattered after the spell is cast).

6th LEVEL

Ivy Siege (En/Charm)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 90 yds
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 6 turns
Casting Time: 9
Area of Effect: One Building or similar structure
Saving Throw: Special

The ivy siege spell must be cast upon a stone or brick building constructed upon the earth; flying castles and the like remain unaffected. Immediately after casting, ivy begins to grow at a fantastic rate, climbing from the ground up the building's walls. At the end of one turn, the ivy has climbed the walls. At the end of the second turn, green creepers have covered the structure. On the third turn, the ivy has turned into a black-green and begins to squeeze the building.
Starting on the third turn and every turn thereafter, the building must make a saving throw against siege damage, as if attacked by a small catapult (see the DMG). Two cubic feet of the building crumbles away for each point by which the saving throw misses each turn. This cycle continues until the spell ends or the building is destroyed. The ivy rots away instantly when the spell ends.
A druid can cast only one ivy siege per building at a time. After the ivy has rotted away, the druid can cast the spell on the same building again. However, multiple druids can cast several ivy siege spells on the same building. In the case of a large interconnected series of buildings (like a castle), each casting affects only a single tower, keep, or wall segment, to a maximum of 1,000 cubic feet per level of the caster.
The material component is an ivy leaf.


7th LEVEL

Unwilling Wood (En/Charm)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 5 yds/lvl
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 30 ft radius
Saving Throw: Special

A caster can transform one or more living creatures within a 30-foot radius into unwilling wood, causing them to sprout roots, branches, and leaves. The creatures become trees of a type native to the region and of the characters' age before the transformation. The spell works only if cast on beings occupying ground that could support a tree; recipients flying or suspended in water at the time of casting remain unaffected.
This spell can mutate a number of creatures equal in total Hit Dice (or levels) to the caster's level. If the area of effect holds a group of creatures with Hit Dice (or levels) totaling a number greater than the caster's experience level, the caster decides the order in which the creatures are affected. Unused Hit Dice or levels are lost. For example, a 14th-level druid casts unwilling wood into a target area containing a giant with 12 Hit Dice and two 3rd-level warriors. The druid can transform either the giant or two warriors, but not all three.
Each creature affected is allowed a saving throw vs. polymorph. The spell mutates all those failing their saving throw, along with any items they carry. A new tree has a height of 5 feet per level (or Hit Die) of the creature. The effect is permanent; a creature transformed into a tree ages as a tree and dies as a tree. However, affected beings retain awareness, memories, personality, and intelligence. Only damage severe enough to kill the tree can kill an unwilling wood creature. Tree-characters can return to normal if a spellcaster of greater level than the original caster uses Remove Curse. The original caster can release a transformed entity at will.
The material components are a bit of tree root and the caster's holy symbol.

Races of Azura: Dwarves

Dwarves

Dwarves of Azura are divided into 3 separate sub-races: Mountain Dwarves, White Dwarves (Derro), and Gray Dwarves (Duergar). Each sub-race has their own language. All dwarves have a life-span of 200-250 years. Due to the mountainous nature of the world’s many islands dwarves can be found most anywhere in Azura.
Unlike the elves, the Dwarven race of Azura is a flourishing one, as their future is full of hope. With only the race of Duergar and Derro to fight with for underground space and resources, in the last millennia their numbers have grown exponentially and their culture has entered a renaissance age of discovery and creation. Dwarven artisans are well known for the incredible statues and busts they create, and in the community being an artist is considered just as important as any other profession. While they dislike most other races except for gnomes (who they live with and share gods with), they are not gruff, rude or unruly towards either elves or man (they actually feel a bit sorry for elves, although they would never admit it, and have conceded the world above to humans as the best of several bad choices). They have other cultural quirks: there are no female dwarven leaders, adventurers or clerics (it is unheard of in their society for a dwarven female to leave the Clanhood; few dwarven females have ever been seen outside of a dwarven city). Dwarven females are housewives and mothers only, and rarely must deal with issues outside of home and hearth. Dwarves who leave the Clanhood to “adventure” are considered insane by “normal” dwarves and completely shunned, to the extent that they are not even allowed to worship Moradin and are “excommunicated” from the faith (since Moradin tells his children that above all they must serve clan, family and community). These outcasts have their own deity, the dwarven god of wanderers, and have been known to mock or ridicule any dwarves openly worshipping Moradin (leading to ugly scenes on many occasions in the surface world between exiles and representatives of one clanhold or another).

Although Dwarves are not overly rude or hostile to non-dwarves, they see no need to interact with elves and humans unless necessary, barely tolerate halflings, and detest humanoid races, Derro, and Duergar equally. Gnomes are the exception and often treated exceptionally well within a dwarven community. Although anti-social to some other races, dwarves are very social creatures within their own clans, and those privileged enough to see Dwarves interact within their own people are typically shocked at the kindness, love and friendship that is shown within their own family and the extended family of the clan. Unlike other fantasy worlds, on Azura dwarves are not a “dying” race, and have actually been growing in number since the devastating events that led up to and after the Destruction of Standing Stone (this includes Derro and Duergar also). Except for conflict with evil underdark races such as the Kuo Toa, Dwarves have expanded their communities in the last millennium with little opposition, and have seceded control of the surface world to humans while growing and consolidating themselves underground. Most dwarven cities are as large as their surface human counterparts and have been known to stretch miles underground. Unlike halflings or gnomes, dwarves are heavily hierarchal and are ruled by kings, and band together in large numbers either above or below ground in almost exclusively dwarven communities.
In dwarven history, nothing looms more important than three events. The first is the Cataclysm, which wiped out millions of dwarves across Azura and destroyed clans that had existed perhaps as long as the world itself. The scattering of dwarves afterwards were gathered and led by one of the greatest of Dwarven kings, Hammerstone, who followed a vision of Moradin to the location of Standing Stone, a gigantic mile high and wide cavern set upon a marble base many miles deep.
Many years later, the clans of dwarves gathered at Standing Stone fell prey to hubris, vanity and the lure of dark knowledge. A group of dwarven mages made a pact with dark powers and became the Derro. These villains secretly allied with the Duergar, (who had long been jealous of Standing Stone) who launched their armies in a gigantic attack on Standing Stone while the Derro worked their evil within with spells, felling the king and his family. In one long week over 1000 years ago Standing Stone fell to this treachery, and once again many dwarves wandered the underdark in seach of a home, pursued by the Derro-led Duergar forces. The Fall of Standing Stone is another seminal moment in Dwarven history, a lesson that even the most impregnable or strongest fortress or clan can be overcome by treachery.
The third greatest event is the founding of Mithral Hall. Escaping the fall of Standing Stone, the clans of refugees traveled many weeks and many miles, led by the dwarven hero Rockbeard (again guided by the visions of Moradin), and finally found another large cavern that was easily defensible. Here the refugees made a stand and turned back the Duergar, using exceptional mithral weapons and armor left in the cavern from a pre-Cataclysmic era lost to Dwarven history. After the enemies were defeated and turned back, mines of pure mithral were found and another dwarven civilization arose there, wiser, stronger and more humble than before. Rockbeard was made the king of Mithral Hall and the society he constructed allowed the dwarven community to divide and expand throughout the underdark hundreds of times in the last millennium.
Azuran dwarves are more magically attuned than dwarves in other fantasy worlds. Azuran Dwarves have the standard abilities of AD&D Dwarves with regards to CON saving throw bonuses and detecting natural phenomenon while underground. Azuran Dwarves receive a +1 to attack kobolds, orcs, troglodytes and Duergar (their deadliest underground enemies). When attacked by any creature over nine feet tall (including Ogres, Trolls, and Giants) these monsters must subtract -4 from their attack rolls because of the Dwarves small size and combat tactics against such large foes. Azuran Dwarves have infravision up to 60 feet in the dark.
Initially an Azuran Dwarf can speak his Dwarven Clan language, gnome, Deep Gnome and Duergar. Most also speak Underdark, a simple language known to most underground races that involves gestures as well as words. Dwarves do not automatically speak any surface languages, although most who live near a large city or settlement on the surface may have a smattering of the human tongue.

Mountain Dwarf: The Mountain Dwarves live in underground complexes near the surface, although some clans of Mountain Dwarves dwell farther down in the Underdark or deep within mountain ranges. Sometimes their towns or cities will expand beyond the underground and stretch out over the side of a mountain or a large hill. Large cities and towns of mountain dwarves are common on the northwestern islands of the barbarians, the rocky islands of the Shards, and atop the peaks of the Kasian islands. Smaller communities are scattered elsewhere throughout Azura.
Dwarven groups are typically made up of “clans”, which are similar to a town or city in surface terms. Each clan is made up of anywhere from ten to a hundred different dwarven families who choose to live and work together as a group. Most clans and their families can proudly trace their lineage back before the Cataclysm or the founding of Mithral Hall. The standing of each family in a clan is very important, as the oldest and most influential family will rule the clan. Rule is through heredity, always male, so certain clans have been ruled by the same dwarven families for almost two thousand years (since before the destruction of Standing Stone). When a ruling family dies out, there is seldom an easy or quick change of power, and often the resulting disagreements between houses can cause a clan war that lasts decades.
The surface world populated by men and elves has little appeal for the average mountain dwarf. Mountain dwarves do not particularly like to maintain close relationships with humans and elves, although they will aid these societies in times of crisis and will trade with them in times of peace. Dwarves ignore halflings, who they consider silly and frivolous. Dwarves have good relations with gnomes, who they often use as intermediaries between the other surface races. Dwarves hate Duergar and Derro above all other races, perhaps even the goblinoids, and will go out of their way to deal death and destruction to them. Dwarves are seldom found living in surface cities, which they view as shoddily built and squalid compared to the magnificence and sturdiness of a stone complex which could serve as a dwarf’s home for hundreds of years. In addition, even in a world dominated by oceans, mountain dwarves see the prospect of sea travel as repulsive especially when an underground route could be available. For these and other reasons, dwarves encountered outside their usual environment are rare and are usually outcasts of dwarven society or possessed of an unusually adventurous spirit.

White Dwarf: The white dwarves, also known as Derro, have scattered communities throughout Azura but are more common along the world’s southern islands. In particular, large clans are known to live in the extensive mountain range on the western edge of Saerelia where they have warred with neighboring elves for centuries. Derro clans usually live in caverns far enough underground to keep them from ever seeing sunlight, but they remain close enough to the surface to raid and pillage during the night. All Derro are neutral or chaotic evil.
The origins of Derro are pre-cataclysmic, but involve an offshoot of the Dwarven race that studied and was eventually corrupted by evil magic. Dwarves disdain the use of magic for this reason, as the racial enmity towards the evil Derro goes deep. Even Duergar dislike Derro, although on occasion they will trade with them or even hire out as mercenaries. Derro consider all other races, particularly Dwarves and Duergar, to be inferiors and used as needed for either experiments or slaves.

Gray Dwarf: The gray dwarves are almost unknown to most surface dwellers of Azura although their kingdoms wield great power and influence in the underworld. The majority of gray dwarves encountered underground are lawful or neutral evil, but good and neutrally aligned communities are not uncommon. Gray dwarves who are evil are also known as Duergar. The animosity between Duergar and Dwarves is legendary, and there are underground wars between clans that have been fought for centuries with no winner or loser. Duergar are an offshoot of Dwarves that chose to serve the Overlord, and Dwarves blame them for the destruction of their greatest city, Standing Stone.
Since the destruction of Standing Stone and the formal splitting of the Mountain Dwarf and Gray Dwarf communities, there is little contact between the two and almost always such contact results in battles. Duergar will on occasion deal with Derro, but dislike them due to their highly magical nature and will not ally or serve them for long.

Classes:
Dwarves can be a Fighter (Standard, Barbarian or Deep Ranger); a Priest of any Dwarven God (or an Earth or Fire Elementalist); or a Thief (Standard or Outcast). Dwarves may never be mages of any kind….Dwarven mages, if they exist, would be treated as Derro and killed on sight by other dwarves. The evil pact that gave the Derro magical powers has formed a deep aversion and hatred of all spellcasting when it concerns Dwarves, although there is evidence that pre-Cataclysm there may have been Dwarven mages of great power. A Dwarf may dual class in either Ftr/Priest or Ftr/Thief (although no Barbarian or Elementalist dual class is allowed).

Races of Azura: Halflings and Gnomes

Gnomes

There are three separate sub-races of gnomes on Azura: Deep Gnomes, Forest Gnomes and Rock Gnomes. Forest and rock gnomes speak the same basic language but with different dialects while the deep gnomes have a unique language all their own. The life span of all gnomes is between 150-200 years.
Gnomes are seen as an intermediary race on Azura. Because they maintain excellent relations with all other races (humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, and even half-orcs or other sub races) they often play the part of trader, peacemaker, or traveling salesman between communities. Gnomes, however, are not known as particularly sociable within their own race. Rarely are large gnomish communities formed, as the typical gnome is a intellectual seeker/teacher of knowledge, or a tireless worker on gems or rock, both lifestyles lending little time for socializing. Gnomes are fascinated by history and hoard knowledge and it’s many forms the way other races hoard gold or gems. Interestingly, gnomes in Azura form their most lasting friendships with like minded others of different races. It is not unusual to find a gnomish scholar teaching at a human university, or a gnomish smith working side by side with Dwarves in a clanhold smithy. Most gnomes tend to be loners that only maintain close relations within their own family unit and certain non-gnomish close friends. Their other close relationships are with burrowing creatures such as badgers, moles, rats and weasels, who often live in a home with a gnomish family and are treated more like companions than pets or watchdogs.

Some of the most powerful mages in Azura are gnomes, and they excel in any field of magic equally. Gnomes are the only race to get along with both elves (the elves respect their knowledge of history, especially relating to warfare) and halflings (the little folk amuse the gnomes, who are usually serious in all other aspects).Azuran gnomes have the standard AD&D magic resistance and ability to detect natural phenomenon underground. In battle gnomes add +1 to attack kobolds or goblins. When attacked by any creature over nine feet tall (including Ogres, Trolls, and Giants) these monsters must subtract -4 from their attack rolls because of the Gnomes small size and combat tactics against such large foes. Azuran Gnomes have infravision up to 60 feet in the dark.
Azuran Gnomes can speak both Gnomish and Dwarvish, and most can also speak either Halfling, Underdark, Deep Gnome or one of the surface languages. Most gnomes can also discern the meaning of the squeaks and noises of burrowing mammals like moles, badgers, weasels, rats, etc. Unlike traditional gnomes, Azuran gnomes mages are not limited to Illusionists, although that is the only variety they can specialize in.

Deep Gnomes: Deep gnomes dwell far underground and seldom have contact with surface-dwellers. Separated for the most part from their forest and rock gnome cousins, deep gnomes have developed a culture all their own in the underworld. Deep Gnomes are very reclusive and rarely reveal themselves, but they have been known to befriend Dwarven communities nearby.

Forest Gnomes: Forest gnomes live anywhere in Azura where dense woods can be found, choosing to isolate themselves from the world of men and monsters. They maintain friendly but distant contact with elves and other sub-races of gnomes. Forest gnomes consider themselves guardians of their woodlands and will defend their woods against whatever foe may threaten them. Forest gnomes, unlike their rock gnome cousins, are less knowledgable and more nature-oriented in their outlook. They are more primitive than their cousins, and generally shun cities and civilization. However, they also have an insatiable itch for historical things, and often a tribe of them can be found guarding (and sometimes inhabiting) ruins, gathering and protecting the knowledge and treasure within.

Rock Gnomes: Rock gnomes are common to virtually every region of Azura. Although their communities reside in rocky and wooded lands away from elven and human cities, rock gnomes maintain good relationships with these races. They also have close contact with their dwarven cousins allowing them to serve as intermediaries between them and other races. Rock gnomes are not uncommon in the cities of Azura often providing their services as merchants and traders. These gnomes are the ultimate adaptors; they co-exist with dwarves, and act as the scholars and teachers in dwarven communities. They also serve this purpose in large human communities on the surface, often serving as sages, historians, or librarians. Gnomes have an insatiable curiosity concerning the past, and will often join expeditions for the hope of learning a bit of historical knowledge (giving them great status in the gnomish community; the leaders are always the most intelligent and well-read, and they have no concept of a dynastic rulership by lineage). Gnomes are ever adaptable, worshipping dwarven, gnomish and human gods in equal measure, with no animosity between those of different religious beliefs. Gnomes seldom take gold or gems as payment for service: books, scrolls, and any sort of written history are considered payment far more valuable.

Halflings

On Azura there are two sub-races of halflings with one living in forested regions and the other in more mountainous ones. Forest halflings can reach 4’ in height while their mountain dwelling cousins are only 3’ tall, otherwise the two sub-races are similar physically. Relationships between the two are good with both sharing a similar halfling language with each having their own distinctive dialect. All halflings have a lifespan between 100-125 years.
Halflings in Azura are a nomadic race, seldom forming their own communities but instead living on the fringes of human, elvish, dwarven or gnomish society. Due to their wandering lifestyles they are treated little better than gypsies in most civilized societies. When they do form a community, it is typically an extended family of 20-30 members who form a small village of burrowed out cottages in the wilderness; or when in a city/town setting often they all live in one building and work in one halfling owned inn or shop. It is not unknown for an entire community of halflings to suddenly uproot themselves and move the entire group to another city or hillside with very little notice. As such, most Azurans will look upon individual halflings with suspicion and dislike until they prove themselves, as it is felt they cannot be relied on or trusted to finish a task or job. Since many halflings drift towards the edges of society and specialize in rogue activities, this furthers suspicion.
Thus, Halflings are basically gypsies, and perceived as such by all other races. They have no permanent homes (no “hobbitowns”), tend to travel in large groups and settle on the outskirts of a community, then make themselves unwanted by stealing and grifting from the populace and then packing up one night and disappearing, leaving an unholy mess where their camp was...despoiling nature and civilized society both. They are distrusted by all other races (no one, for example, will swear an oath with or trust a promise from a halfling) and have adapted by becoming a race of glorious vagabonds. Halflings are often sailors, because this allows them to travel and escape unfortunate situations quickly, and some of the most feared pirate captains in Azura are halfling rogues (with a large complement of bloodthirsty family members making up most of the crew).
Azuran Halflings have the standard AD&D bonuses for magical spells and poisons. They are able to speak halfling and sometimes a human language, although many can also speak Dwarvish, Elvish, or Gnomish depending on where they live and what races they associate with on Azura.

Forest Halfling: Forest halflings enjoy living in harmony with nature and they always dwell in woodland areas. They shun cities and sea travel. Forest halflings have close relationships with wood and gold elves and their communities are often found near elven lands, particularly those of Saerelia, Mimeyria, Telara and more rarely on the islands of the Weyrith League. Very few forest halflings are encountered outside the southwestern region of Azura.
Forest halflings tend towards a “traveler” type lifestyle, vagabonding with their large extended family across a continent or isle, stealing and grifting all the way. They will travel in large caravans of perhaps 20-50 halflings, going by pony drawn wagons to wilderness spots, avoiding large civilization centers. While they will inhabit the outskirts of cities, they dislike most large cities, and will do everything possible to avoid sea travel. Surprisingly, they respect (and fear) elves enough to avoid despoiling their lands and stealing from them. Humans, dwarves, gnomes and humanoid races are fair game for their thieving lifestyle.
Forest halflings do not have infravision and gain their surprise bonus only when in a woodland setting. They are also expert archers resulting in a +2 to hit when using a bow.

Mountain Halfling: Mountain halflings are more common than their forest cousins and can be found in all regions of Azura. They tend to build their communities wherever gnomes and dwarves are common. In addition they have no reservations about living alongside humans in cities and towns and do not share the forest halfling’s fear of sea travel. All halfling pirates and sailors are mountain halflings, and some of the most feared rogues on the sea are halflings (many having all halfling crews!). While more belligerent, violent and adventurous than their forest-living cousins, they also tend to drift to the seedier side of life. Many run confidence and investment scams when they are in port, trusting they will be far away at sea before their marks discover they have been fleeced. Another quirk of mountain halflings is their love of seafood, particularly crustaceans (shrimp, crab, or lobster) which they cook up in huge soups and gumbos. They consider most beef and fowl nauseating.
Mountain halflings have 30’ infravision and can use their surprise bonus only when in rocky terrain. They do not possess their forest cousin’s ability with bows but do receive a +1 to hit when using thrown weapons and slings.

History of Azura

ANCIENT HISTORY OF AZURA


Over 1500 years ago a cataclysm submerged a continent and devastated its advanced civilization. All that remained of the world was an immense ocean dotted by hundreds of thousands of small islands. The island world of Azura is now the home to new civilizations striving to survive and prosper in a very different environment. Separated by hundreds of seas, the people of Azura’s islands have developed new and widely varying cultures and lifestyles. However, ancient ruins and the unearthed magic and treasure within them serve as a constant reminder of the old world their ancestors once ruled. Following is a brief history of ancient Azura and the Cataclysm which spelled its end.

A History of Lyria and the Rise of the Overlord

In present day Azura, the term Lyrian is used to denote great age and antiquity. Anything described as Lyrian means it predates the environmental upheaval and societal destruction caused during the Cataclysm centuries ago. Lyria was in fact the name of the continental land mass which existed before the Cataclysm; home to tall mountain ranges, long rivers, great fresh water lakes and large expanses of plains, woodlands and deserts. Stretching for thousands of miles, Lyria was bordered on the north by a large glacier and ice choked ocean waters. To the west lay a sky scraping mountain range beyond which extended a vast desert plain. The Great Forest stretched far to the south and southwest while the east and southeast were bordered by the Azuran ocean. Within these natural boundaries lay the heart of Lyrian civilization. Here numerous city-states, nations and even the occasional empire carved out their realms. It was a late medieval society with many organized governments, populous cities, brisk trade, and frequent conflicts between peoples.
The most developed and culturally advanced nations were located in south central Lyria, just north of the Great Forest. Large cities and nations prospered upon the fertile plains of the south which were blessed with vast rivers and many fresh water lakes. Governed by enlightened monarchies and republics, the people of this region enjoyed a wide array of rights and privileges which led them to economic prosperity and allowed their cultures to flourish. Although border skirmishes and small wars were not uncommon between the armies of the southern nations, a balance in military power insured relative peace and stability in most peoples lives.
To the east of south central Lyria, along the Azuran coast, provinces and city-states prospered from the trade between inland Lyria and the ports of nearby islands and far off lands. Although the governments of the coastal nations tended to be more interested in obtaining higher trade profits than promoting the welfare of their citizens, they fostered good trade relations with their western neighbors, thereby insuring political and economic stability throughout the largest and most advanced Lyrian societies.
Beyond the borders of the southern and coastal nations of Lyria, other races and cultures flourished as well. Notable among these were the dwarven communities which populated the western mountain ranges, the nomadic tribes who wandered the desert plains, and the barbarian clans who clashed with each other on the northern glacier. To the south, an elf king and his royal court claimed the entire Great Forest as the dominion of the Elven Empire, which they ruled from the capital city of Saerel, known throughout Lyria for its unparalleled splendor and beauty.
The least prosperous region on the continent lay among the barren wastelands and dark forests of north central Lyria, between the developed nations to the south and the glacier in the north. Here war and chaos reigned as evil warlords built large strongholds and castles as bases from which to wage war. Boundaries within this region were often contested and constantly changing as rival armies engaged in bloody conflicts. To make matters worse, the nations to the south and the coastal states to the east often used this region of Lyria as an arena for their armies to battle against one another to avoid seriously endangering their own homelands with the ravages of war. Bandit lords, humanoid armies and marauding barbarians often served as mercenaries for invading armies or pillaged the land for their own sake. Nations and city/states would rise in power only to quickly collapse in a region where organized government, trade and the security of the local inhabitants was impossible to maintain.
In the midst of this chaos stood the walled city of Kandar Kas, protected by a huge fortress complex which surrounded the sprawling city. Kandar Kas was the most populous city in Lyria, swelled by those escaping the persecution and battles which ensued in the nearby countryside. Protected by high sturdy walls and elaborate fortifications, the city was the only one in the north which enjoyed some security from the destruction so common everywhere else in the region. Many times throughout Kandar Kas’ history it was attacked and besieged by forces attempting to consolidate power in the region, but it had never been overrun by its enemies.
Ironically it was the struggle for power within the city which led to misery and often death for its inhabitants. Blood feuds among noble families and riots between the garrison and the ever increasing numbers of peasants resulted in much bloodshed. The city was ruled by a long succession of tyrants who usually had to engage in intrigue or battle to become ruler. The tyrants owed their control of the city to more powerful and influential residents of Kandar Kas who would choose to either support or oppose their rule. One such person was Lyria’s most powerful necromancer, Mazcel.
As Kandar Kas’ most powerful mage, Mazcel had been a participant in the politics and power struggles within the city for many years. Although her vile studies into the undead and experiments with planar summonings disturbed many of the city’s other leaders, they were reluctant to challenge the power of such a high level necromancer. Nevertheless calls for her execution rang out as soon when it was revealed that her newborn son was the result of her mating with a summoned Pit Fiend. Mazcel responded to the charge by attempting to gain control of the city herself. Conjured demons were sent to assassinate city leaders while the garrison fought her undead creations which were released into the streets. Her attempts soon failed however, and her tower within the city was besieged. Although Mazcel was eventually seized and executed, her loyal servants did succeed in smuggling her immortal child out of the city.
The son of Mazcel lived in hiding for many years until his flight was little more than a forgotten footnote in Kandar Kas’ long history. During this time, he practiced and later mastered the necromantic arts to a degree that only a son of a devil could achieve. Necromancers and practitioners of black magic across the world sought him out for favor and knowledge and eventually they would serve him as his loyal followers. With the aid of his magical retinue, the son of Mazcel set about raising an army. The core of this army would be a loyal contingent of human soldiers made up of kidnapped peasant children taught to protect and satisfy the will of their immortal master. The most capable of these children were taken aside and taught their master’s magic. This contingent of sorcerers would eventually be organized into combat units of a sort never before seen on a Lyrian battlefield. The remaining bulk of the army was filled by many units of organized humanoid troops supported by legions of undead.
The rumors of a powerful army being formed in the countryside under the leadership of a half-devil was confirmed when the evil legion surrounded and laid siege to Kandar Kas. In only three days the evil forces breached the city’s sturdy walls and defeated the garrison. Upon the city’s takeover, the son of Mazcel ordered that all the nobles, city leaders and guards be executed and animated as undead to serve in his army while all other inhabitants of Kandar Kas were enslaved to serve his will. Kandar Kas was declared to be the capital city of a new empire which would extend to every boundary of Lyria with the son of Mazcel presiding as the Overlord of all.
With expanded resources, the Overlord was able to field an army of unprecedented size and power. The borders of his new empire remained an eternal battlefield as his army set forth to conquer and force submission from all. Quickly the Overlord’s army overran nearby lands claimed by petty warlords and mercenary armies. Their castles and strongholds were besieged and reduced to rubble. As his successes mounted, humanoid bands and evil creatures of intelligence flocked to the service of an evil master who granted them riches, glory and exalted positions of power. Conquered peasants were enslaved and forced to labor for the benefit of the Overlord. Fallen warriors were animated into undead who served as a relentless and seemingly inexhaustible source of combat troops. Within a short time the Overlord was in firm control of northern Lyria.
Once in control, the Overlord took time to consolidate his gains in the north and created an elaborate centralized government to manage his dark empire. The once chaotic northern region was now tightly ruled by a government that extracted as much wealth and labor from its people as was possible while at the same time choking the people with a myriad of regulations, taxes and decrees. Loyal provincial governments were established with the duty of rigidly enforcing compliance upon all down to the lowliest peasant. The least popular measure which was introduced was the conscription tax of one child per family who was to be transported to Kandar Kas and trained as a loyal follower in the Overlord’s service. Any resistance to this or other measures was commonly unsuccessful and always brought about the cruelest reprisals.
Also unpopular was the rise to power of many practitioners of black magic and necromancy. Historically the practice of magic had for the most part been restricted to elves and a few other gifted individuals. However the Overlord advocated wide scale training in the black arts and appointed a select group of his most powerful and sadistic necromancers to be his personal councilors. Necromancers commonly served as commanders of imperial troops and were often placed in positions of power in conquered territories. Contingents of evil magic-users were also formed to find and eliminate dissension within the empire, to serve as loyalty officers for the military, and to perform covert acts of spying and sabotage against enemy forces. These dark mages cultivated a reputation of fear among the populace who witnessed all too often the amount of death and destruction of which they were capable.
In the southern nations of Lyria, fear and panic prevailed. Hordes of people near the border of the menacing empire to the north abandoned their homes and fled south to escape the anticipated attack. The armies of the southern nations responded by uniting for defense. Called the Silver Alliance, the south’s military forces erected large fortifications and numerous towers along the border and planned for the defense of their homelands. However, the coastal nations in the east were unable to sufficiently fortify their borders and were without the military resources of the Alliance nations. In turn they sought to maintain peace with the empire through economic and military concessions. The Overlord accepted the bargain to spare their existence; however, the price for sovereignty continually rose as time went on and the coastal nations were compelled by the empire not to aid the Alliance.
A decade went by as the Overlord tightened his hold over the northern provinces and continued the building of the most powerful army ever to trod Lyrian soil. In the western mountains he made a pact with the evil Duergar clans. To the north he pitted barbarian tribe against one another until they were weak enough that they could no longer resist his influence. To the east, the coastal nations already brought under submission with restrictive concessions were eventually occupied by imperial troops and their governments disbanded. Along the coast of the Azuran ocean, pirates were paid to fight as privateers and marauders in the Overlord’s service.
Finally, after years of preparation, the full force of many mighty legions were unleashed upon the borders of the Alliance nations to the south. It quickly became apparent that the combined armies of the Alliance proved no match for the wave of loyal imperial troops, monsters, and undead invaders who swarmed into their homelands. Despite the elaborate fortifications and carefully planned defenses, the armies of the Alliance were forced into flight to keep from being overrun. Entire nations and their cities were swallowed as they retreated. Many of the retreating forces sought refuge in the relative safety of the Great Forest while most others escaped to one of the most southerly provinces which was surrounded by high mountains and wide rivers. Only from this highly defensible position could they manage to take a stand and prevent the Overlord’s horde from obtaining total victory. Unable to quickly overrun the last stronghold of the Alliance, the imperial troops encircled the region and settled in for a long siege.

The Overlord as a Deity

Even before the takeover of Kandar Kas, the Overlord was worshipped by his followers and other evil sorcerers across Lyria for his knowledge of necromancy, conjuration and other black magic. At the time, magic was primarily the domain of elvish gods. The absence of any Lyrian gods devoted to non-elven magic allowed the Overlord the opportunity to dominate this area of worship. The Overlord established himself not only as the immortal master of a growing evil empire but also as a demi-god to all Lyrians interested in necromancy and black magic.
At the head of Lyria’s most powerful army, the Overlord had the ability to further his spiritual ambitions by military means. The power of other evil deities often depended on how supportive they were of the Overlord’s regime. Loyal deities found that their priesthoods could profit and flourish under the empire’s tightly controlled society. As the borders of the empire expanded so did their influence and power through the Overlord’s patronage. Previously weak and obscure evil gods who had found it difficult to attract adherents before were allowed to spread their sadistic and demented ethos in return for their loyalty and service to the Overlord.
As the Overlord worked to empower lesser evil gods who were loyal to him, more established deities fought to maintain their spiritual power. The priesthoods of gods who would not submit to the Overlord’s power found themselves to be outlaws within his empire. Their high priests were assassinated, churches razed, and entire congregations were enslaved or butchered. Eventually the power of some deities waned as the remnants of their clergies and followers were ruthlessly hunted down within the empire. The Overlord had violently made his point that no other god would be permitted to rival his power over his imperial subjects.
The Overlord’s control over his people even extended to their worship of venerable evil gods. The oldest known evil god on Lyria was Inari, the god of darkness. Inari was such a respected ancient god that the faith of his followers never wavered despite his lack of support for the Overlord. His priesthood was directed not to aid the Overlord in his conquests nor to offer their loyalty to the empire. The dark god’s following continued to be a symbol of evil faith beyond any influence of the Overlord. The Overlord considered Inari to be his only spiritual rival and decided that either the god of darkness had to be coerced into supporting the empire or be declared an enemy of it.
As the imperial armies were sweeping over the nations of the Alliance and total victory appeared imminent the Overlord sent the god of assassins, Grijir, as his emissary to convince Inari to join him in his victory. Grijir traveled to Inari’s basalt castle beneath the black atmosphere of Lyria’s second moon, invisible in the night sky. There the dark god resisted the demands for his submission to the Overlord. Having failed to obtain his support, Grijir suddenly attacked Inari, severely cutting the dark god’s throat. Inari retaliated by picking up and hurling the Overlord’s emissary down to the planet below. Impacting on one of the empire’s largest cities much like a meteor, the god and most of the city were annihilated.
Just as the Overlord contemplated his victory against the Alliance, he was humiliated by the dark god’s blatant defiance. In retaliation he outlawed the worship of Inari. Followers were executed, temples were burned, and particularly gruesome and lengthy tortures awaited any captured priest. Communities in which an Inari priest were found hiding were completely destroyed and even uttering Inari’s name resulted in an offender’s tongue being removed. In spite of the Overlord’s draconian measures, peasants living in the oppressive empire saw hope in an god powerful enough to defy the Overlord and survive. An underground religious movement within the empire was instrumental in the hiding out of many Inari priests who trained and planned for the day when they would strike back at their oppressor. Just as the dark god’s moon still quietly affected the tides of Lyria’s seas, his faithful secretly worked towards one day avenging the Overlord’s treachery.

The Battle of the Breach & The Fall of the Empire

Although confronted on all sides by the besieging imperial army, the Alliance managed to maintain a stalemate for many years. Relentless attacks on all fronts continued season after season while attempts to break out of the siege or counterattack ended as miserable failures. Critical shortages in both supplies and manpower threatened to force the collapse of this last pocket of meaningful resistance against the Overlord. Clearly overmatched by the more numerous and better supplied imperial troops, the southern armies eventually were fighting to merely survive, but without reinforcements and supplies defeat was inevitable.
As the grueling siege in the south wore on, imperial troops were busy stripping their newly conquered lands of wealth and resources to support their war efforts. The people of the occupied nations were deprived of their food and homes to support the Overlord’s occupying forces. Once displaced, the people were put to work as slaves to support the needs of the imperial troops while their children were seized and transported to Kandar Kas to become the next generation of the Overlord’s loyal guard. Any sort of rebellion, real or suspected, was brutally suppressed under a rigidly enforced military rule. Resistant communities were annihilated and suspected rebels and their families were regularly executed then animated to replenish the ranks of undead soldiers in the imperial army. The people of the occupied nations were in no position to aid the efforts of their armies under siege any more than those armies were capable of liberating them.
However, just as the Overlord and his military commanders were anticipating the complete collapse of organized resistance in the south, an unexpected source of concern appeared. The Great Forest which bordered hundreds of miles of occupied southern lands bristled with new activity. Remnants of the Alliance which had sought refuge in the forest following the empire’s invasion were now being supported by a large buildup of elven troops. Hitherto the elves of the Great Forest had always remained neutral in conflicts among humans, however the elven army now appeared to be mobilizing in preparation for a massive assault against the imperial army’s flank. Never before in Lyrian history had an elven king led his army past their woodland borders to do battle with humans, which worried the Overlord’s generals who had no idea what kind of resistance to expect from this new opponent.
Not willing to risk being out maneuvered by an unknown enemy, the imperial army immediately broke their siege and retreated the bulk of their forces to a great valley in the center of the occupied southern nations. The great valley, called the Breach, extended hundreds of miles from east to west and was a geographic point by which any army attempting to move north would have to go through. All along the northern edge of the Breach the imperial armies entrenched themselves along high cliffs which overlooked the valley floor to the south. Meanwhile the elven king advanced his army and their forest allies to just south of the Breach where they united with the remaining armies of the Alliance recently freed from their long siege.
The resulting Battle of the Breach was not so much a single battle as hundreds of battles extending along the length of the valley. The battle began with a mass advance of Alliance armies along the entire front, but the large scale action quickly gave way to smaller theaters of combat. The Alliance sought to pierce the fortified lines of the Overlord’s army to invade northward and liberate the remaining occupied territories. For their part, the Overlord’s generals engaged in a strategy to hold their defensive line and bleed their opponents dry as they attacked from exposed positions along the valley’s floor.
The human armies of the Alliance fought fiercely to rid their homelands of the Overlord’s occupation, but the deciding factor in the combat was the addition of their elven allies. Although the elven army was only half the size of their imperial foe, their combat ability was superior to all but the Overlord’s most elite troops and like the imperial army the elves had many exotic and magical allies to aid them. Groups of high level elven enchanters and magic-users proved to be a match to the Overlord’s contingents of sorcerers who until then had always enjoyed magical combat superiority on the battlefield. Liches and beholders who served as generals in the Overlord’s army now faced Alliance forces led by good dragons and storm giants. Evil dragons supporting the imperial army were harried by high level elven warriors mounted on griffons and pegasi. Even the legions of undead were held in check by battalions of centaurs who were much more mobile on the battlefield and capable of employing more sophisticated battle tactics.
Attacks and counterattacks continued as every possible resource and military reserve was committed by both sides. At times, the Overlord would come to personally lead his army into battle; the first time he had done so since storming the walls of Kandar Kas. One of the most memorable stories of the battle was the combat that ensued between the Overlord and the elven king when they confronted one another on the battlefield. Fearlessly the elven king and his best warriors engaged the more powerful Overlord and his retinue. Although they perished at the hands of the evil god after a long battle, their bravery is still remembered with pride by all elves and the story of their courage has been taught to elven children for centuries.
Nevertheless, despite the imperial army’s superiority in numbers, a decisive victory continued to elude the Overlord. For months the battles dragged on without any apparent victor and with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Large scale battles gave way to skirmishes and sabotage missions as the military ranks thinned. The likelihood of either side winning the battle outright dwindled as each day passed. Unfortunately for the Alliance, a stalemate was tantamount to victory for the empire. The Overlord’s plans of conquering the entire Lyrian continent had been thwarted, but a stabilized front with the Alliance would assure imperial control over all lands north of the Breach. After half a year of battle, the Alliance had no choice but to begin contemplating a retreat to regroup and attempt battle some later day. But just before the order to withdraw was given an unexpected blow to the empire turned the tide of battle for the Alliance and broke the Overlord’s rigid control over his empire.
The fall of the empire began on the Day of Shadows with simultaneous assassinations of key imperial officials and generals in every corner of the empire. The Day of Shadows occurs only once every half dozen years and is marked by the eclipse of the sun for most of the daylight hours by Lyria’s second dark moon of Inari. For Inarian priests, the eclipse of the sun by their deity’s moon is the most hallowed day of their religion; a day in which their powers are at their peak as their god covers the world in twilight and shadows. It was at this time of heightened ability that Inarian priests everywhere chose to rise up out of hiding and slaughter hundreds of the Overlord’s most powerful and devoted servants. For years the Inarian priests had lived underground in the empire sowing seeds of dissension and rebellion and planning for this day when they would avenge the assassination attempted on their deity years before.
The mass of assassinations crippled the Overlord’s empire. The Court of Kandar Kas, which managed the day to day affairs of the empire, was decimated by the killings. With the empire’s most powerful commanders dead and the imperial armies locked in combat to the south, northern provinces became vulnerable to peasant insurrections. To make matters worse, power struggles broke out amongst those left after the assassinations as they vied for control of their leaderless local governments. Even in Kandar Kas, enslaved peasants within the city began rioting against the city garrison. Only the return of the Overlord himself restored order.
The situation was even more dire for imperial troops still engaged in battle with the Alliance. Most of the imperial army’s most gifted and respected generals had been assassinated, causing panic throughout the lesser ranks and a disastrous power vacuum that eroded the military preciseness of the imperial troops. Without strong leaders to control them, groups of evil monsters and humanoid battalions began fighting amongst themselves or abandoning the battle altogether. Some army groups on loan from various provinces withdrew to return and restore order at home. The Alliance quickly took advantage of the situation by hurling all their armies against the fractured imperial battle line. Only the core of the Overlord’s elite troops withstood the onslaught as the Alliance pushed northward to liberate the occupied lands beyond.
With the Alliance in close pursuit, the remnants of the Overlord’s legions were forced to fight their way back through a thousand miles of conquered lands in rebellion and imperial provinces engaged in civil war. Only a fraction of the Overlord’s once mighty army managed to survive the rapid retreat and made it back to the gates of Kandar Kas. Soon thereafter, the armies of the Alliance took positions around the city and began to lay siege. The Overlord’s empire, which once threatened to engulf all civilized Lyria, now extended no further than the walls of its capital city.

The Cataclysm

The Overlord’s great empire had been shattered and the Alliance stood on the brink of victory. Only the Overlord’s heavily fortified capital still remained, surrounded and under siege by his enemies. Destructive magic and missiles from siege machines rained down upon Kandar Kas, quickly reducing the mammoth city to rubble as waves of enemy troops attempted to storm every wall. The city’s garrison fought a valiant but losing defense from behind the elaborate system of fortifications ringing the city. Taking advantage of the ever increasing number of cracks in the city’s defense, the invading armies of the Alliance compelled the city’s defenders to retreat and fight their battles in the city’s streets.
As the armies of the Alliance secured large sections of Kandar Kas, the Overlord and his remaining followers sought refuge from the battle by retreating to an extensive underground complex beneath his palace. Originally built as a dungeon and temple area, the underground encompassed scores of levels with miles of catacombs and caverns connected by maze-like passageways. Unwilling to sustain heavy losses by pursuing the Overlord into his underground lair, the Alliance decided to imprison him forever within the bowels of his own city. Entryways to the underground were buried under tons of rubble left over from the demolished city and powerful magic seals were placed upon the area to prevent the Overlord’s escape. Finally, work was completed on a large fortress built upon the ruins of Kandar Kas. The garrison was charged with forever protecting the world from any attempt by the Overlord and his followers to return. The rule of the Overlord and his attempt to conquer Lyria seemed to be over.
Imprisoned in his underground lair for decades, the Overlord planned his revenge against those who defeated and humiliated him. Although the magic seals physically bound him to the confines of his underground temple, the Overlord still commanded tremendous spiritual power and influence which extended far beyond the walls of his temple. The Cataclysm which soon befell the entire continent is believed by many to be the instrument of the Overlord’s final vengeance against the Lyrian people.
The Cataclysm began with the eruption of a long extinct volcano near Kandar Kas. The eruption showered a mountain of rock, ash and lava upon the surface of the nearby city annihilating its fortress and the garrison within. Soon thereafter massive earthquakes were felt across the entire continent and other volcanoes began to erupt. Tidal waves caused by the earthquakes devastated the coastal regions as magma began to spew from large fissures which were now appearing throughout the land.
The people of Lyria, still recovering from a devastating generation of war, were unprepared for a natural upheaval on such a large scale. Tidal waves and eruptions destroyed entire cities and even nations without any warning. Rivers left their banks and changed course resulting in deadly floods. Any cities and towns that remained were leveled by constant earthquakes. The Lyrian people were forced to migrate to far flung regions in an attempt to escape natural disasters at home. In the face of such massive displacement, organized governments ceased to exist and anarchy and chaos prevailed as people sought to merely survive in such a hostile environment.
Within 10 years of the Cataclysm’s beginning, virtually all written histories ceased, thereby launching Lyria into a dark age of which little is known or recorded. All that is known is that the environmental upheaval of the Cataclysm continued at different times and places for the next 200 years. In that time nations were destroyed, cultures erased, and religions and gods were forgotten. The people of Lyria became nomads always in search of safer lands in which to settle. And at some unknown point during the Cataclysm either the seas rose over the land or the continent itself slipped below the ocean’s surface creating the ocean dominated environment of present day Azura.
How the Overlord managed to cause the hundreds of years of environmental upheaval is still a matter of contentious debate. Most sages and scholars believe that the Overlord persuaded one or more of the elemental gods to unleash their power upon a world which had been neglecting their worship for centuries. He enticed the elemental gods with the promise of a primitive new world whose people would revere and worship the elements that remained after the destruction. Naturally theologians of the elemental and nature gods dispute this interpretation. Instead they place the blame on the black magic of the Overlord himself who brought about the Cataclysm as a last act of vengeance against a world allied against him. Still others believe the Cataclysm to be a purely natural phenomena which was beyond the power of either the Overlord or elemental gods.
Whatever its cause, the Cataclysm only came to an end when the Lyrian gods intervened. Many had virtually ceased to exist during the two hundred year disaster, as their power was tied to the faith of their priests and worshippers who were perishing by the millions. Realizing that their powers were fading as those beings who still existed began turning their worship from increasingly forgotten abstract gods to daily survival and the Elemental powers, an unprecedented alliance was formed among the few surviving non-Elemental Gods of what was left of the Lyrian pantheon. To bring the destruction to an end the gods had to sacrifice nothing less than their ability to travel between their planes and the Azuran world forever, but the effort was successful. Furthermore, as their last act affecting the planet the Lyrian gods united to punish the Overlord by making him unable to grant spells or powers to his faithful for 1,000 years. This effectively was a death knell to any ambitions the still-surviving Overlord may have had concerning a return to the spheres of man. Still sealed within the walls of his underground temple and now no longer able to influence the outside world, the Overlord was soon forgotten by most people. Soon thereafter the seas stopped rising and the people of the world were allowed to settle and rebuild. Within a mortal generation the destruction ceased and the period known by scholars as “The Cleansing” was replaced by a period priests and scholars call “Refyorte” (“Rebuilding” or “Restarting” in the Old Elvish language), where many decades passed without any recorded natural disasters at all.
Many cultures base the beginnings of their calendars during this time, including humans, elves, halflings and gnomes (Dwarves use a much older calendar, dating from before the Cataclysm and the destruction of their greatest city Standing Stone by the Duergar and the foundation being laid for The Mithral Court, their millennia old Underdark capital city). All Azuran calendars do not coincide, but generally most cultures consider the present year to be anywhere from 1463 to 1470 (beginning from when the oceans subsided and the natural disasters stopped), depending on religious or racial backgrounds. Elven scholars have an elaborate pre-Cataclysm calendar system which delves back before the disaster itself, but most other races merely refer to these ancient times as “Pre-Cataclysm” or “Lyrian times” without a date attached.

The Dawn of A New Age

After hundreds of years of upheaval, the great continent of Lyria had sunk below the rising waves of the ocean until little more was left than dots of land piercing the watery surface. Nations had been erased, many cultures had died and some religions were forgotten or even vanished as their followers perished beneath the waves of Azura. Slowly, the displaced people were forced to rebuild in a new world named after the massive ocean which now covered it.
Since the Cataclysm, over 1500 years have passed on Azura. In that time new nations have rose and fell, a variety of cultures have developed and old religions are now worshipped anew. The dark ages of the Cataclysm have come to an end and new histories have been written for the different island chains and regions of Azura. But the stories and legends of the Lyrian world detailed in the ancient history above will be remembered and retold by Azurans for centuries more to come.
Lyrian culture and ideas rarely effect the thoughts of modern Azurans, but often it is found that the Cataclysm has not obliterated all ancient artifacts. Hundreds if not thousands of ruins dating to pre-Cataclysmic times lay untouched above and beneath the waves of Azura, waiting for intrepid adventurers or seekers of knowledge to unlock the buried secrets of a watery world.

About Me

"Badmike" is a DM of 30 years experience and a frequent poster on The Acaeum.