This is where I am storing-and fully intend to update often-the ideas for my own game. Many things have yet to be worked out in full, and things to talk over, but much of the groundwork of the world it is set in is already set up...

This is largely due to the fact that world this game is set in is the same as a duo of adventures co-DMed by a friend and myself is set in, except set a great deal of time later, adventures becoming legends. The world is a mix of 4th edition lore combined with a variety of tweaks, creations...and a sense of constant, dynamic change.

To make that clear, yes this is, essentially, a 4th edition game. However, distinct knowledge of the rules is...unlikely to be necessary. In truth, one of the things I have yet to work out is the actual system of play, so I can't truly say. Basic knowledge of 4th edition lore will help, mind you.

Set almost two hundred years after the disastrous "God Wars", and even longer after the event that sparked the God Wars in motion, an event known to few but generally known among scholars as "The Scouring of Rog". The Common Realm has settled, as best as it can, since the multi-realm-shattering events, and though whole cultures or even continents are devastated beyond repair, the hardy races that inhabit the realm, both mortal and immortal, magical and mundane, have done their best to rebuild their broken world.

Of course, just as aftershocks from an earthquake may take time, perhaps the true Aftermath of the God Wars simply has yet to hit the realms...

(I will post more soon, giving further insights into the world)

"-I can't say what drew me to it, but it felt as if I was meant to...no...it felt like someone, something, WANTED me to have it, perhaps some remaining vestige of the dead God of Knowledge, Ioun. It was not greed that motivated me, of that I am certain.

The book was blank, despite it's heavy bindings and amount of pages. All that was on it, etched on the cover an again on the spine, was what I have found to be almost pure, liquid gold spelling out clearly the title of this blank book. 'The Common Realm, a collection of Cultures and Histories'.

Maybe some God led me to it, I cannot say...for sure, it may sound like a trivial thing for a God to do, but it given me purpose beyond all other, and so it is in this book, this same book, that I begin the collection of all I can of the known Common Realm.

Perhaps it should be described, to those less academically minded, to those not even of this realm, that the Common Realm is named such due to the variety of races calling it home, or at least, their original home. Humans, Goliaths, Minotaurs, Lizardmen, Dragonborn, Halfings name but a minute fraction of the wonders of a realm so often called "mundane". To a more...arguable point, Goblins, Hobgoblins and Dwarves are yet more examples of those that dwell in the realm, including in some manner of speaking the great Elves whom were once Eladrin before generations over generations in the Common Realm changed them forever.

The Common Realm's lack of mighty forces of power leave it of less interest to so-called "Greater Beings" in many cases. The Astral Sea, Shadowfell, Feywild and Elemental Chaos, for certain, are more perilous and hold more ferocious powers, but the Common Realm links to so many of these realms that near all who travel through planes would have stepped on it at some point. Like all realms, it's seeming limitless expanse suggests no end, so two Humans from the realm meeting in the Astral Sea are unlikely to even have remotely similar cultures.

A deeper look will show one Realm-traveller the complexity and variety of the realm, though, with all forms of magic and combat practised somewhere. It's placement, situated directly below the Astral Sea, and above the Underdark and Elemental Chaos, is stable and unmoving, but subject to threats from the many realms at times. Many races vie for land there due to it's inherent livability, from the immortal Githyanki to the cruel Demons, but the ultimate influence in the realm is held by the Divine Gods, most of whom reside in the Astral Sea.

Of course, not all Gods feel the same about what the realm stands for, since when have Gods ever agreed? I think the God Wars was proof of that..."

~An Excerpt from "The Common Realm, A Collection of Cultures and Histories", a work-in-progress by recently-made legend among scholars, Tryaen Creek. Human Scholar, Cartographer and Explorer.

"-As I had stated previously, the true scale of any realm is beyond the knowledge even of the greatest of mages. However, over time I have come to be familiar with a portion of the Common Realm, at least the area I originally come from.

You see, the Common Realm, unlike many other realms, is surprisingly static, and change happens over years, decades or centuries rather than hours, minutes and seconds as seen in the Elemental Chaos. All landmass remain more or less unmoving, each of these so-called Islands or Continents laying within an endless ocean of salt water. Both ocean and land are home to endless species, of course, but the land is home to most sentient life, and is of the most interest.

I grew up in a relative cluster of continents, from which no length of sailing has travelled anyone far enough to establish contact with any other, besides legends of strange foreign lands beyond the horizon. The cluster has no name, as in no sense-politically, religiously or culturally-have they ever held even a smidge of unity. Most continents do not have even remote unity within themselves...unsurprising, considering the variety of races and the sheer size of the land which may stun those from the Astral Sea, where landmass of any kind is rare. Because of this lack of unity, most of the continents are not truly named, either, however I will refer to them as per the names I have heard them described as.

Before I move on, however, for simplicities sake this 'cluster' I shall refer to as "The Scarred Continents", due to certain tragedies that befell many in the cluster.

Within the Scarred Continents, it is entirely possible to find literature and stories mentioning many of the others, but as far as many of the races go, not a lot of kingdoms or nations can truly claim they have an accurate map of their own continent's shape or the nations within it, let alone significant contact with another. With that in mind, many who read this book from these areas may have never even have heard of their partnering continents...so you can tell how difficult this can be for me. The Common Realm appears to lack great, mighty, limitless cities that have left eternal legacies forever among the realms, such as cities known in the Elemental Chaos and Astral Sea, such as the City of Sigil to name one. The lack of any landmark such as these perhaps contribute to the lack of knowledge about the realm as a whole.

However, in the Scarred Continents there is the Western Kingdom. By far the largest of all, tens of thousands of miles from one end to the other, the Western Continent is tentatively named such as there are no discovered lands to it's easy. It's size leads to variety, and few of it's northern dwellers know of the lands on the other side of the continent, and vice versa. It is also the continent where I am from, but we will move into specifics about this land another time. It's largest city for a long time was that of Copperstone, but recent events have put Arvale as holding that title. Indeed, Arvale is quick becoming known among the realms...perhaps the dream of an eternal, mighty city in the Common Realm still may be recognized?

Next land of note is that of Silvour, many months travel by sea to the North-East of the Western Continent. Barely qualifying as sub-continent, it's meager hundreds of miles from one end to the other leaves it minute in comparison to the Western Continent...and why it is one of the few lands which you can probably find a full, accurate map of. It's city of Moonstare holds many secrets in it's history, and it's placement on an unstable rift in the planes make it a common entrance and exit point to other realms...also making Silvour even more racially diverse in some manners than the much larger Western Continent. Like the Western continent, I will speak more of Silvour later.

To the south-east of the Western Continent, with a naval trip that will take over half a year to get there, is the continent of Rog. Like Silvour, the fact that it has a true name shows that it had some level of unity at some point, but that was ever so long ago. About half the size of the Western Continent, Rog is a cursed land, and blamed often for beginning the devastating God Wars. Cut off by plague and war, my meager knowledge of Rog will be explained later.

To the North-east of Silvour, only a month's travel by sea, is the final of the large continents, Pandemonium. It's size is unknown, but my research leads me to believe it is much smaller than Rog, though still many times that of Silvour. It's name is all I have ever heard it referred to as, yet so few have stepped foot in the strange continent. I can give no knowledge of what is there, besides that some great portion of the entire continent is more or less in the grasp of demons and many otherworldly, terrible beasts. The Humans that live there are hardy and cold, known as "Harshmen".

South of Silvour, east of the Western Continent, a couple of months travel from either is a large island...but still smaller even than Silvour. With a diameter of only a few dozen miles, it is hard to find accurately on a ship, and perhaps that is for the best. All I know of it is that it is called K'seil'iss, or some spelling reminiscent of that, and is controlled by Yuan-Ti. I hear whispers that it used to be much larger, but whatever happened is known only to the Yuan Ti. And they aren't talking.

Finally, we come to the last of the continents. At least, I think so. In the past decades, so recently, Silvour sailors have made tentative contact with a string of island-based nations that appear to be unnamed. Besides a particular lack of Humans, Elves and Eladrin, I know almost nothing about the so-called "Archipelago".

Further information on the Western Continent, Silvour and Rog I will mark down later."

~An Excerpt from "The Common Realm, A Collection of Cultures and Histories", a work-in-progress by recently-made legend among scholars, Tryaen Creek. Human Scholar, Cartographer and Explorer.

"-I am a human. One of the most populous races on the Common Realm, and indeed across the cosmos. As a race, humans lack particular longevity, physical strength, magical prowess or intelligence, but are among the most varied of races in all aspects. Adaptable, creative and aspirational; bravery and a remarkable affinity for change has kept our race alive and widespread.

More specifically, however, I am a citizen of the primarily human kingdom of Tamjar, in the northern reaches of the Western Continent. There was once a time when I was convinced that Tamjar's reach was long and great, but as mighty as the kingdom is and as many lands it claims, I have long since realized the world beyond it's borders.

Lifetimes ago, Tamjar was the most influential in a trio of allied countries. The Tamjarian Alliance, though perhaps more accurately also named the Allied Kingdoms of Bahamut. The large human kingdom of Tamjar, the small, independant lands of Silverveil and the powerful Dragonborn nation Kar'Me made up this alliance. We held strong together, united, against many threats, and under the banner of the patron God of each and every one of our lands.

The Silver Dragon, the God of Justice himself, Lord Bahamut. Though worship was not enforced by any measure, the Allied Kingdoms considered themselves, as nations, followers of the kind, fair God.

Kar'me held the strongest and most sturdy economy, and had both defensible and politically stable lands. Their soldiers, Clerics and Paladins were second to none in their strength. Tamjar was varied in its populace, and mighty in it's standing armies. Though politics were sharp, as always in Human lands, they were effective and just. Also, Tamjar had a solitary academy, in it's great lands, of Arcane Learning. Perhaps I should state the various forms of magic and where they can be found in the Common Realm, but that is another note for later. For now, suffice to say, Arcane magic-be it affinity or deep knowledge of it-is remarkably rare so far north. However, due to our Godly protector, those touched by the Divine, those able to wield "Divine Magics" instead, were very common in comparison to many other places within the continent.

Finally, there was Silverveil. A minute nation, with no true army, yet Silverveil City was considered the center of all Bahamut worship, with a great temple devoted utterly to Him in it's center. Bahamut and the lands of Silverveil were intricately entwined, and though since th God Wars many records have been lost, it is believed that a Silver Dragon was buried within those lands. The High Priest and Chosen Paladin of Silverveil were considered the chosen of the God himself. Indeed, it was from Silverveil where some of the greatest mortal heroes of the God Wars were from, or at least travelled to.

And in Silverveil, in the time between the Scouring of Rog and the God Wars, there was a town known as Arvale...the birthplace of Sra-Amun Himself. When he was mortal, when he was a Dragonborn in service to Bahamut. Before the God Wars, it was at Arvale where Sra-Amun returned as a Demigod, returned from the role he played in the Scouring of Rog. He returned, and ascended, leaving his mortality behind to join Bahamut within the realms of Celestia, a minor god at the time of Protection and Ownership of lands.

But that was all ever so long ago. Now things have changed so much.

Bahamut's name is being slowly forgotten, a casualty of the God Wars. Though in truth, as many may already know, Bahamut was not truly killed in the war. No, rather he was...lost to us. He re-united with his other, his dark half, Tiamat, against the other's wishes, with the aid of a group of great heroes as well as the evil God Zehir. This was in order so that the two halves-Tiamat and Bahamut-would rejoin and once again take their original form, their true form of Io in order to fight against a great threat that broke free in the midst of the Wars. I cannot find a mention in any text, though, of what that threat could have been, so desperate that Io must have been remade... Perhaps that is information best left unknown, though.

I do not need to recount the teachings or more of Io's history, of course. He has returned to the major pantheon since the God Wars, and there are many texts besides my own detailing the intricasies of the Gods.

With Bahamut gone, the Allied Kingdoms collapsed, and Bahamut's disappearance happened not long after Silverveil was already scarred by war with the nation of "Paradise" to it's south.

The loss of the foundation for every citizen was disastrous in many cases. Strife, loss, madness. Many turned, instead, to Io-such as the kingdom of Kar'Me-holding what Bahamut had become as Bahamut himself. Some went to Kord, known as an ally of Bahamut of sorts already. Many whom went to Kord moved to Paradise, as they were known for their temples to Kord.

But the one God whom stepped in, sending an angel of His own to speak for him, was the one whom took up Bahamut's empty throne, Sra-Amun. Many turned to him as Bahamut's successor, and Tamjar and Silverveil rebuilt our countries, allied once more, in His worship. His birthplace and place of Ascension, Arvale, became more, and more, and more widely known. Now, all of Silverveil is city, every settlement in the land-including the once much larger Silverveil City itself-long since absorbed into the growing metropolis of Sra-Amun's Holy City. Home at times to his First Angel, and among the varied leaders of the city including High Priest Devoted...a Daeva in Sra-Amun's service, and another hero of the God Wars and the Scouring of Rog both.

Now, Silverveil, or Arvale, and Tamjar are one and the same, and either name is used. In truth, the widespread human lands of Tamjar still is ruled by royal family, but the Holy City of Arvale, ever expanding, is considered an integrated city-state, rather than an entirely seperate entity. Peace is tenuous between our old allies, Kar'Me and us, and more tenuous still between our old enemies, Paradise. But with an alliance on the verge of being forged with the Halfling nations to the north, Arvale-and Tamjar-are cementing their position as the center of worship for Sra-Amun.

I myself, am a follower of Sra-Amun. God of Justice, Truth, Protection and Mercy. May His light protect us all from shadow."

~An Excerpt from "The Common Realm, A Collection of Cultures and Histories", a work-in-progress by recently-made legend among scholars, Tryaen Creek. Human Scholar, Cartographer and Explorer.

Anyone playing the game does not have to know the lore inside and out, just know of how the world has changed since the God Wars from normal Fourth Edition lore.

Also, feel free to post any questions. Or any notes if you're interested in this. Or advice, really. Don't say to tone down on the depth of the lore, though, this is-more or less-just a collection of in-depth notes on the world.

Oh, and I will allow 'unique' classes and such, in certain circumstances and backstories, of course. Some time later I will place on the forum the list of Gods (considering the changes to the Pantheon) and other relevant information for character building in this world.

P.S. I hope I'm not scaring everybody away with my walls of text (and use of the Fourth Edition) already.

looking good at the moment

Next up is an excerpt on Rog, then of Silvour. If any information is specifically asked for, then that will come up next.

Otherwise, I'll be starting to put together certain basic character prerequisites (or, at least, prerequisities unless a unique backstory proves otherwise) after my descriptions of Rog and Silvour.

Oh, actually, while I'm here right now, I'll put down a list of Gods that were killed from the fourth edition basic Pantheon, and ones that have arisen since. (Courtesy of member 'clockwork demise', who came up and orchestrated the "God Wars", as well as Silvour and Pandemonium)

Actually, also, in the new gods I have placed their alignments on the 3.5e scale, as I've always liked it better. For those only familiar with 4e, just know that, roughly... "Lawful/True/Chaotic Neutral" = Unaligned. "Neutral/Chaotic Good" = Good. "Lawful/Neutral Evil" = Evil.

DECEASED...

-Ioun
-Vecna
-Bahamut (No longer truly Bahamut, at least)
-Tiamat (No longer truly Tiamat, at least)
-Lolth
-Melora
-Bane

ARISEN...

-Actalieus Val-Shaea
(Ancient God of Power, Energy and the Realms. Unknown Realm of residence.

DESCRIPTION/HISTORY: Once thought almost entirely forgotten, he made his mysterious reappearance during the God Wars and had strong influence in them, despite lack of knowledge of what. Many evil and neutral cults, especially those that once followed Vecna, worship him. Some ex-followers of Melora worship him as the embodiment of Natural Energy and Nature's power

ALIGNMENT/OPPOSITIONS: Unknown, presumably True Neutral. His followers punish those who would seek power through unnatural and cruel bargains with Devils or worship of Demons.

DEPICTION: Varies. Often seen in icons and pictures as a glowing orb or sun, with hands reaching out from within. Statues to him are usually hooded and cloaked figures holding a sun-like orb.)


-S'hiras Ahrân
(Young God of Knowledge, Sacrifice...occasionally known also for Secrecy, or "Justified Secrecy". Inherited the spheres of both Ioun and Vecna on some levels. A wanderer, sometimes residing in the Bright City.

DESCRIPTION/HISTORY: A recent arrival, rising after the God Wars. Once a follower of Vecna, S'hiras was betrayed by his own god and forced into Lichdom. S'hiras, despite his violent tendencies and lichdom, was known among the realms as one of the greatest heroes in the God Wars, aiding in the true slaying of Lolth and the rebirth of Io. Raising on his own from Demigod to a true-if minor-God, many once-followers of Ioun and Vecna worshipped him as he inherited their spheres. His number of followers gives him strength, but that is limited by the significant infighting of his religion.

ALIGNMENT/OPPOSITIONS: Lawful Neutral, though many of his followers tend towards Lawful Evil. Blood sacrifices are known in his worship for power, but strictly without unwilling sacrifices, and not for misused power. He urges his followers to show respect for the Raven Queen and the traditions of her followers, but-unlike her teachings-not to damn those that muster the strength to try and change fate. His followers show hatred for Gruumsh and Zehir for their destruction or warping of knowledge.

DEPICTION: Often seen in icons and pictures as a skeletal hand immersed in beams of light and shadow, bone turning to gold where the light hits it. Statues and idols of him are often that of a tall, skeletal figure in white or golden robes, sometimes with or without a golden goblet filled with blood in his hand. The skeleton is always elvish in form.)


-Sra-Amun
(God of Protection, Redemption/Mercy and Borders of the Realms. Heir to the throne Bahamut left and inheritor of many of his spheres. Resides in Celestia.

DESCRIPTION/HISTORY: Once hero, then exarch of Bahamut, and rose to Godhood with his blessings shortly before the God Wars. Sra-Amun is mentioned, or alluded to in many tales and songs of heroes in both the Western Continent, Silvour...and even areas in the Astral Sea. Known most for the Scouring of Rog, saving the realms from a madman as well as hundreds of thousands of souls. His First angel, known often as "Forge-Daughter", usually resides in his great temple on the Common Realm, situated in the Holy City of Arvale. His followers include those once of Bahamut, and are expanding in Dragonborn, Human and even peaceful Orc and Minotaur cultures as the primary God of benevolence and Good.

ALIGNMENT/OPPOSITIONS: Lawful Good, though sometimes at odds with Moradin's identical alignment due to a stronger stance on mercy and forgiveness. His followers are mortal enemies of Asmodeus and Torog for their cruelty and their dominance through fear, yet show pity for the Chaotic followers of Gruumsh, seeing that they know no better.

DEPICTION: A rune-like symbol, with a series of semi and partial-circles of silver on a golden shield, each covering a different portion of the shield's edges, as well as each other. Statues and Idols depict him as a blue-scaled Dragonborn in heavy armour, usually holding a staff of metal and wood combined. Depicted in his greatest of statues as a Dragonborn figure sitting on a throne, the throne entwined by a statue of the great silver dragon, Bahamut.)


-Balen
(Young God of Honour, Righteous Rule and Righteous Action. As many kings are now crowned in his name, he inherits many of Bahamut's duties alongside Sra-Amun. Resides in the Bright City.

DESCRIPTION/HISTORY: Arising during the God Wars, the Shifter known only as Balen spent much of his rightousness-driven life fighting to unite the good and defeat all evil, even against impossible odds. However, he was almost unknown before his ascension, as-if rumour is to be believed-he had dedicated himself to repairing and rebuilding Pandemonium, a continent long since left by most to the demons as a lost cause. When the Wars called for him, though, he became one with the Divine Gods, fighting to establish order and to bring about the end of the Divine wars that wracked the realms.

ALIGNMENT/OPPOSITIONS: Neutral Good; his followers are disgusted by those who limit their rightous actions and beliefs by laws and politics, but ultimately defend the actions of all who fight for truth, justice and peace. Crusades have been made in his name, usually against all that stand for evil and mindless destruction, pitting his followers against Demons and Gruumsh amongst all others. Though his teachings are almost identical to those of Kord, his followers despise Kord's followers as to fighting for their own benefit and bloodlust, rather than for others and for peace.

DEPICTION: Varied. Some pictures and icons depict a bloodied sword over a corpse-filled wasteland, followed by a sheathed sword on fields of sunlit grass and farmland. Statues and idols show him as an armored knight usually equipped with a staggering array of weapons, from maces to swords to bows to shields to crossbows... More complex, and larger statues show him, armour battered and scratched, standing protectively with a shield in front of a mother and child, arrows embedded in him meant for the family behind him.)


-Io
(Ancient God of the Dragons. Sphere unknown, and conflicts with itself, but presumed to ultimately be that of Protection of Life, Dominance of Land and Self-empowerment. Residence is unknown, but his followers claim he is building a Dominion of his own beside that of Tytherion. From the Common Realm and it's reflections, the Feywild and Shadowfell, in the stars that represent the Astral Sea, a minute spark of light can be seen on the edge of the darkness representing Tytherion, domian of Zehir and once that of Tiamat, seeming to support this theory.

DESCRIPTION/HISTORY: Io was among the first of the Gods, and created the dragons, as legend says, to represent the pinnacle of mortal form, creatures of the Common Realm with the power of the Elemental Chaos through their veins, yet with the keen minds and self-certain spirits that linked them to the Gods of the Astral Sea. When the Gods went to war with the Primordials countless ages past, Io's arrogance and self-assurity was his downfall, refusing the aid of the other gods and was split from head to tail when he went to fight the King of Terror, the primordial Erek-Hus by himself. However, from Io's sundered corpse rose Bahamut from the left side, Tiamat from the right, and together they fought and killed Erek-Hus, before turning on one another and only returning to fight in the larger war against the primordials when Tiamat turned and fled.

During the God Wars, however, circumstances called for a God of such power as Io, and even as most Gods were busy fighting amongst each other or against the growing threat of Demons, Bahamut saw the only way that this upcoming crisis could be averted was if he were to reunite with his dark sister, Tiamat, and gave his throne to Sra-Amun in order to achieve this. With the aid of a group of heroes and Zehir-the evil god sharing a common interest as to defeating this threat-, Tiamat was tricked into a ritual that recreated Io. In the last moments of their seperated existence, Tiamat is said to have let out a scream from each of her five heads of rage at the trickery of Zehir and the loss of her self, and Bahamut to have let out a tear for all of his followers he knew would be left Godless and without direction.

And so, Io was reborn. After Io, allying for once with many other Gods and Heroes, stopped the crisis, he retreated from the activities of both mortals and Gods. Retaining the memories and feelings of both Tiamat and Bahamut, Io is left conflicted with himself, from feelings of guilt to greed, envy to solemnity. Unsure of what to do, and fearful of what he may do if he were to reach out and truly take the power, the mantle of protector and ruler his followers are lavishing upon him, Io seperated himself from everything, slowly building a dominion for himself, stone by stone with his own two claws as he thinks on what to do, trying to take control of his own conflicting mind. He has made no contact with any of his numerous followers that have appeared besides the divine energy all Gods allow thier followers to draw upon, and as such his teachings in the realms are rather salvaged teachings from him since before he seperated into Bahamut and Tiamat. His worship is vastly varied, disorganized and contradictory, but many still claim him to be the most powerful of all the gods.

ALIGNMENT/OPPOSITIONS: Alignment is entirely arguable, and though often described as "True Neutral", it varies massively from Chaotic to Lawful as well as Good to Evil actions. His followers consist of those who worship him because they once worshipped a part of him, or those that feel some sort of kinship or owe some reverence to him for their existence. As such, his followers include those who once worshipped Bahamut or Tiamat, as well as many other Dragonborn, Dragonspawn, Kobolds and many of the Dragons themselves. There is no organization in his religion, and his followers fight amongst each other just as much as against others, and so there are no direct oppositions, though all of Io's followers will band together if a threat from Primordial powers or that of the Far Realm present themselves.

DEPICTION: Any draconic form. No single icon or statue depiction truly represents Io among his followers, and some still use the marks of either Bahamut or Tiamat to represent him. However, a growing portion of cults dedicated to him are using a combination of both symbols-the head of a silver dragon in front of a multicoloured 5-pronged star.

"-Rog is a continent of misery. In many ways, it always has been. It is hard to find concrete facts of what it is and what has happened there, and even I myself have never stepped foot on the land.

With that in mind, please know that what I am about to descibe involves a lot of assumptions and information from unrelaible or biased sources.

While the Western Continent is home to a massive variety of races and cultures, and the tiny sub-continent of Silvour also known for variety, the continent of Rog, despite it's great size, dozens of times larger than Silvour...is not known for variety.

Indeed, as far as I can tell, though pockets of humans and goliaths exist, the entire continent is dominated by Orcs. Evidence seems to imply Gnolls, Giants, Shifters, Ogres, Lycanthropes, Centuars, Cyclops and Hobgoblins too, though, but clearly not even resembling the sheer number of Orcs. I hear that there have always been Shadar-Kai there, though, strangely, living in great temples to the Raven Queen that take on forms far more resembling fortresses...even castles. And with on a continent of Orcs, I can see why such fortifications would be necessary.

I don't know for sure how many of the races I listed are actually there, or even if there are still more. True, these are all races that can be found in places on the Western Continent and some in Silvour, but Rog has them on a whole new scale. Indeed, with so many different warlike and powerful creatures, perhaps it is no wonder that there are so few humans, or indeed any other race. I can't see any settlement surviving for long.

The continent, from what I knew, has always been locked in endless battle between different groups, tribes, alliances, betrayals, family fueds... And almost all in the name of Gruumsh, the One-Eyed God, Chaotic Ruler of destruction and lord of marauding hordes. The presence of Gnolls suggest servants of demonic lords, too, wage war on the continent, though. The constant, unremitting war seems to protect it, strangely though, as if a full demonic or otherworldly invasion were to attack, such as Githyanki, Drow, Elemental or Far Realm, they would surely be stopped by the vicious fighting nature of every race in the realm.

It's barbaric, and destructive and mindless. But it kept the continent alive, in some cruel twist of fate. Even if it was mostly his own followers fighting amongst themselves, the violent and trying nature of the continent gave Gruumsh power, and there was no sense of order that was needed for any opposition from gods such as Kord or Bane.

That all changed, though. With the rise, almost two and a half centuries ago, of someone...something. I don't know it's name, as legend claims that the Raven Queen herself destroyed that knowledge. That seems unlikely, but whomever knows the name isn't talking. It...or rather he, I think, was a Cleric by some definition of the term. At least, he was a priest of war, dedicated to Gruumsh and a wielder of divine power. Survived and hardened in the battlefield that Rog is, he gathered power in the slaughter, drawing tribes to fight under him, and holding a certain unity between tribes.

He was power-hungry...and, worringly, more organized and directed in his desires and ambition than one would expect of a priest of Gruumsh. Indeed, perhaps he never gave more than lip-service to Gruumsh. Perhaps he took on that worship as protection of some kind, to become part of a group to make his survival more likely.

Whatever the case, he was...smarter than you'd think anyone from Rog would have a right to be. Most records say he was an Orc, but from descriptions, I think he must have been half-Giant, half-Orc, if that is even possible.

He gained significant power, and even tore down a whole fortress, a great temple, of the Raven Queen. I don't know what he found there, but whatever he did, whatever rituals he learned...are things that should never have been used. He, somehow, began to draw...energy, power, from others. Almost like how a God is given form and power through worshippers. This unnamed cleric, though, TORE that power out, somehow. As if taking the Divine Spark...the Soul itself, from a person, and consuming it. Divine Spark describes the process best, I think, since he used this on clerics, warpriests, invokers and the like, rather than on the ordinary fighting orc.

Whatever happened, it seemed to corrupt him, body and mind. It is claimed that he wanted to gain so much power from this, as to use it as some sort of corrupted way to ascend to Godhood-by binding the divine energies of numberless mortals permanently into himself. In this, he would become a God that needs no mortal followers, once with such power that he could overthrow and destroy the Divine Gods themselves.

I have no doubt that he was mad.

Obliterating those inside, at some point he took control of yet another fortress to the Raven Queen, using it as his base as, through fear and feats of power, he annhilated opposition and began to exert control over Rog, piece by piece, in an empire larger than any of all of the realms. A home for a God, based in the Common Realm, something built on constant warfare, and on a size impossible to comprehend.

His power was becoming too great, though. Gruumsh had halted his endless battle with Bane, feeling the godless energy his 'follower' was taking, stealing. Bahamut saw what was happening, and could not allow it to continue, and at a time when followers of Avandra were making alliances with those of Bahamut, and an alliance of the two Gods were forming despite Bahamut's individualism. As a final piece, the Raven Queen was furious. At the destruction of her followers, the unnatural power this Cleric had stolen, and the rituals of Her own (or as her followers that I have questioned about this claim, rituals she was trying to protect the world from) that this Cleric was using.

They had all had enough. One of Gruumsh's true followers, a Psionic warrior-a Battlemind, began a full scale uprising against the empire being constructed, commanding armies made from all of the races on Rog to tear everything down.

Then came the Raven Queen. Portals opened from the Shadowfell, out of which came dozens of her powerful followers; Shadar-Kai that trained in wielding Her divine energies as Blightspeakers. Working in groups, these Blightspeakers tirelessly marched the entire continent, unaffected by need of rest and filled with the Raven Queen's power. Everywhere they went, words of supernal power tore through the land, spreading disease, blight, plague. All of the races were slaughters en masse, the empire crumbling between mass-scale civil warfare and endlessly spreading, destructive plague, sent by a God hersef as punishment. Only the remaining Great Temples of the Raven Queen, their gates closed to all and their walls guarded by mages and invokers, were left untouched by the devastation.

As the Empire burned and fell, Bahamut sent in His champions, as did Avandra. Led by the mortal Sra-Amun, a team of these champions, four in total, struck at the Cleric himself. The archives of Sra-Amun's temple detail this event with far greater clarity than any other source, and so I am fortunate to know this. I give my thanks to Sra-Amun himself, and to his First Angel, Forgedaughter, for the honour I was given to know this, and for the permission to recount here.

The four included Sra-Amun, at the time a Dragonborn Demigod-an Exarch-serving Bahamut himself as an Invoker of his wrath.

There was Emilia Forgedaughter, at the time, a human sorcerer of immense strength, and wife to Sra-Amun. Now she is his First Angel and Exarch, and his agent within the Common Realm.

There was Cursed, or as he was otherwise known as Savior, a Minotaur Psion who had travelled and fought alongside them for decades. Beyond the power of nearly any other Psion, Savior was a Godmind, capable of morphing things around him by thought rather than power, and has since ascended the need of a phsyical body, and exists as a travelling entity. I believe that somewhere, today, he still exists, travelling, a being of immense power. But he is no Divine God, or even Primal Spirit as such, and neither wants nor needs worship. He allies himself with Sra-Amun still, even today.

Finally, there was the Daeva-a mortal being that was once an angel. Though once an angel of Avandra, and still a follower of Her, this Daeva also was in the service of Bahamut as an Avenger, and was a strong force in tying the two religions together in alliance. An ambassador, of sorts. This Daeva had also travelled with Sra-Amun before, and is mentioned in stories and legends as named "Faithful".

The four held between them near-limitless power, as much as any mortal can strive to ever achieve. True champions of Bahamut and Avandra, they fought with the Cleric, the Clerics greatest allies long since drawn away by the devastation occuring to the Empire. The battle was long, and finally the Cleric chose to flee, opening a portal to the Astral Sea and closing it behind him even as he caused the entire fortress to collapse, awakening some great collossal Eidolon-a golem animated by Divine energy-beneath it all. Emilia Forgedaughter gave her life in a spell that destroyed all that remained of the temple to destroy the creation, making time for the remaining three gave chase to the Cleric, Sra-Amun gifted the power by Bahamut to create a portal to follow the Cleric.

The archives stopped there. But what is known is that on the scrap of land respresenting a dead God that the Cleric fled to, he killed Faithful, who had stepped in to take a spell meant to kill Sra-Amun, before both Savior and Sra-Amun fought the Cleric to a stalemate before the Gods themselves finished the battle now that it was in the Astral Sea, destroying the Cleric utterly. Sra-Amun freed the hundreds of thousands of Divine Sparks and Souls that the Cleric had stolen, giving all of them, both Good and Evil alike, a place in Celestia where they would be forgiven for all past sins after the torment they faced led to the realm by Bahamut himself.

Only one soul did Sra-Amun do otherwise, releasing the soul of Faithful-who had been absorbed by the Cleric-into the void of the Astral Sea, knowing of what happens to Daeva after death.

Faithful, his soul free, reincarnated on the Common Realm mere days later, in a new body that over the years slowly recovered the memories of his previous life. The new Daeva born was Devoted...A later hero in the God Wars and now High Priest of Sra-Amun in Arvale.

And so goes the story of the Four Champions, of Sra-Amun himself and whom are now his three most trusted and powerful followers.

Since the Cleric's defeat, the event known as the Scouring of Rog, what happened to the Battlemind that started the rebellion of the empire is unknown, but the Shadar-Kai remained, letting nothing stop them from tearing down every corner of Rog, agents of vengeance for the Raven Queen. That is the limit of what I know. i do not know how long the Raven Queen's vendetta against the continent remained, though I have been told it has been stopped since. I do not know how well the Plague-torn continent has survived, as all have been cut off since the Scouring.

All that I know, that I learned from a Shadar-Kai, was one other fact about Rog since the Scouring. There were areas that, no matter what the Blightspeakers tried, would not carry plague or anything. Forests where even whole giants fleeing from the wrath of the Blightspeakers would suddenly disappear into the foliage against all reason. Places where some force, some energy besides that of the Gods, protected parts of the continent.

And in all of my research, the only thing that fits all of the criteria the Shadar-Kai explained to me is the influence of the Primal Spirits..."

~An Excerpt from "The Common Realm, A Collection of Cultures and Histories", a work-in-progress by recently-made legend among scholars, Tryaen Creek. Human Scholar, Cartographer and Explorer.

(Phew) I know, I know. A hell of a lot of text and lore.

But again, these are as much detailed notes for me as much as anything else. You don't have to memorize it all...and it's not like it's going anywhere.

Thank you, anyone patient enough to get all the way to here, or even just scanned the pages to here.

And thank you for anyone who has or intends to express interest, whether in the world itself or actively playing within.

Just one more large block of text to do, then the history of the major areas in the Common Realm is over and done with, then actual game-related things (Characters/Classes/etc) can be worked with.

Also, a question...does anyone think I should make another forum topic on Recruitment for this game (character specifics, posting frequencies desired, etc), and leave this one completely seperate, and used just for reference for Lore and History? Or would that just be essentially spamming topics?

"-Silvour. A continent built upon magic...indeed, one could say literally.

Though not a large continent, Silvour is the only whos existence and name is relatively commonplace among the Western Continent. In other words, Sailors, Travelling Merchants, Wizards, Kings and Scholars all have reasons to know of the area. Of course, many a peasant would look at you blankly if you were to mention it...travel between the continents is long and rare in the Common Realm, each and every one usually as much as anyone needs for a single lifetime. Few besides great heroes, merchants and explorers seek to travel altogether very far from their homeland.

Magically, Silvour is both unique and valued, though, as it's major city, or rather city-state, Moonstair-a massive hub of trade and culture-is built upon a 'rift', commonly known as a 'realmic rift' or a 'planar rift', and one that has only weakened further since the God Wars. That is to say, the borders between realms aren't very strong, there, and making a portal, a pathway, into another realm entirely is not as great a feat there as it otherwise would be. However, though this isn't far off how the famed city of Sigil acts; unlike Sigil, the great City of Doors that is somehow between and of both the Elemental Chaos and the Astral Sea, Moostair is quite clearly part of the Common Realm, and unless one was particularly attuned to the forces of certain forms of magic otherwise, no one would be able to tell of the rift's existence otherwise.

Because of this, though, Moonstair holds a rare and powerful thing in all of the Common Realm...consistent, if incredibly high-staked in expenses, trade between the realms. Though powerful magic is still required, Moonstair's more expensive markets host materials and constructs that could only normally be found in the Astral Sea, Elemental Chaos, Feywild or even the Shadowfell. It's links to the realms also would explain the number of academies within the city, both for arcane magic and-in particular-divine magic. Specifically, academies of Avengers. In all of my research, I could not find why the paths of Avengers were so sought after or necessary, but Moostair was known as being a center of sorts for many of these agents of Gods...many different Gods. In many ways, since the Avengers of many Gods have nothing against assassinating any who stand in their way, they held true political power in the city. A city built on murder, hired assassinations, and turmoil between Gods.

And it is because of this natural weakening that may explain on some level the races seen in Silvour. Eladrin, Elves, Lycanthropes, Minotaur, Orcs, Hobgoblins, Halfings...even Drow. It also means it is a prime area for demonic incursions and the like, some kingdoms even known to be caught between wars by Demogorgon cultists fighting agianst Orcus cultists. Indeed, it was more or less because of this that Silvour took the most direct brunt of the God Wars, as far as the Scarred Continents go, not counting what the loss of some Gods did to nations. As Demons suddenly multiplied in strength, dark, underground cults from all over Silvour suddenly succeeded, Demons of all sorts exploding into the realm. Strangely, political unrest saved the continent from being immediately swarmed under, as the militaries of various nations and kingdoms were often thick on borderlines due to constant border 'disputes'.

And so, though some nations crumbled and fell under the assualts, many other areas put aside fueds and made quick alliances, using traditional powerful and varied militaries to make holdouts agianst the drawn-out war against the demons and their followers. A common enemy in sight, the Avenger academies in Moonstair stopped their constant infighting with the aid of unnamed heroes, and spread out among the nations, striking against the most powerful of demons, acting in strike forces to retake lands and cities as the considerable militaries of the land worked to fortify and defend all that had yet to be taken.

In time, as the God Wars ended and more of the Gods direct exarchs and forces were able to be directed against the demons, striking at the Abyss and forcing their vast armies to retreat for the most part, and Silvour had survived, barely.

But it rebuilt, and even now, old fueds are arising again, and political power is shifting. In particular, three leaders have, strangely, survived since the God Wars, and are commanding three of the largest nations on the continent, and, slowly, their influence is spreading. Quickly becoming the three most powerful people in all of Silvour, one is an Eladrin, whom by my count must have lived for more than 300 years, if records are correct...he must be at the end of his lifespan, but people who hav met him claim he is relatively young and healthy, named Malakai...or Malakay. I am unsure how it is spelled, as I have only heard his name, strangely.

Then there is a great warlord, a human, a...an exarch of Balen. At least, apparently. I am dubious that a primary agent of a Divine God would be ruling a small nation in Silvour, however. His name escapes me at the moment...but the final one, as far as I know, has no name. At least none that I have heard spoken. He is reclusive.

All of them have been around for far too long, as have myself. This nation troubles me, and I am glad to leave it. I am currently writing this on the cart ride to the coast, having left the city of Moonstair. The bumpy ride is my excuse for my poor handwriting.

Moonstair was a strange city. Like Arvale, it bustles with activity, but it's as if everybody is afraid, watchful. I too, have heard of it's undercity currents. It was oppressive.

I must cut my description on Silvour and it's culture here short, for the ride is over. I can smell the ocean in my nostrils, I think I am at the docks...

Once I have reached the inn, I shall make the last entry I will make on this continent, if all goes well."

~An Excerpt from "The Common Realm, A Collection of Cultures and Histories", a work-in-progress by recently-made legend among scholars, Tryaen Creek. Human Scholar, Cartographer and Explorer.

"-My hands are trembling. I'm sure the fear will dissapate over the trip...it will take over a year, assuming all goes well, to reach our destination.

There is still another day to go by before we leave. For whatever reason, the captain says we should set sail at nightfall. I always had read it was dawn. Books can only teach you so much, it seems. That's why I'm going on this journey after all.

Truly, this is madness. What am I thinking?

Well...I've got together the best group of people brave enough, mad enough, curious enough or greedy enough to come. Perhaps Avandra will smile on our journey, and send others still to aid us. Gods know we need more, still.

Hiring and finding a crew and ground party willing to bring me to Rog. I must be mad. No-one's even sure the plague has truly stopped. Indeed, the place is probably still a cursed battlefield for Sra-Amun's sakes!

But...someone must find out what the place is now. What happened after. May the Raven Queen forgive me, for I do not intend to damn the decisions she made. May Sra-Amun protect my crew, do not let them suffer for my decisions. May Kord protect our travel, and direct his storms upon his enemies and avert them from us, for we are not they.

May Avandra insure that our travels end well. May S'hiras Ahrân respect our search of knowledge, and protect us from creatures of secrecy and darkness.

Well...we'll be stopping along coastal areas along the Western Continent. I'll see if I can pay the captain a little extra, to take the crew out of our way a bit to stop by Arvale, to see my family. It may be a bit north-westerly than where our original route would be, but I doubt the crew are any more keen than I to see Rog. Especially that Wyrepynn. It will be good to give him a break, I'm still not convinced how well he'll function outside the cities.

I'll pray at Sra-Amun's temple while I'm there.

I only hope that will just be a precaution, though."

~An Excerpt from "The Common Realm, A Collection of Cultures and Histories", a work-in-progress by recently-made legend among scholars, Tryaen Creek. Human Scholar, Cartographer and Explorer.

By the standards of the New Tamjarian Calender, this entry is dated at 14/1/198 AW, or the 14th Day of Solsten, Year 198 After the War.

Well, following, admittedly, rather unexpected excitement from a good friend and Co-DM of the adventures this is (partially) based on, and having been granted more time to spend than I expected, I'm as ready as I'll ever be to start getting this seriously started.

First, some character basics, though. Due to the VERY heavy lore detailed in this forum, I'm starting a new topic.

I'm not intending to spam this game or anything, I assure whomever is reading this. Just organizing my notes from the recruiting.

(NOTE: This excerpt, unlike the others, is unlikely to be particularly relevant in any way, shape or form for a long time, if ever. However, it does mention a name that will pop up again, soon. Also, please note in advance this is not written by Creek)


"Dear Sheahnie and Jill,

I hope this letter reaches you safely. It is sent by a messenger I trust explicitly, and I suspect he will have ridden for months, searching, before finding you, so be nice to him, alright? He's perfectly capable in combat, and you may consider that a recommendation if you needed any backup. Short of active suicide missions, he's eager to help, I'm sure.

I wish those magical defenses you have weren't necessary, though I know they are, then I could Send to you and make sure you and Jill are alright. I guess I shouldn't have to worry, though, all things considered, but you're treading in dangerous territory, even for us.

But I didn't write to mother you both, I'm sure you know how dangerous He can be. I'm writing to you, primarily, about William. You remember him? It's been a few years, I know. Will Fortune, the Tiefling Psion, once a friend of Winter and Z'Rhal'Khai'Rivan. Well, as unofficial Spymaster of Silverveil, he's been busy. Since we lost Bahamut things have been falling apart, thank Sra-Amun for Emilia though. But Will was essential in keeping order, stopping dangerous charlatan and cult leaders before they arose, not to mention trying to stop the tension that Kar'Me brought with their seperation from breaking into war, even so many years ago.

Well, over the years, especially with Z'Rhal and Winter gone, Will was growing...tense. His wife had spoken to me about it, and he had started telling his wife that work kept him busy and away from home, yet he was absent from his desk all the time. He couldn't always have beeb doing field work, off-the-books or not.

Things got worse. Whenever I tried to speak with him, he argued. To me, his body language was clear, I could see into his mind how deep it was. He's so jealous of me, for my eternal life, while he has always feared nothing more than the Raven Queen's touch. It begun to scare me to look at him, how deeply his feelings ran. Finally, he left without a trace, and never came back. Not even his family knew...poor Trish. I've brought her into the temple with her children, though she's insistent that her children are not covered in the guise of humans through Runic magic. She says that her children are always pure and beautiful regardless of horns or skin colour. And I agree, but even after all of our attempts, there is still a lot of anti-Tiefling feelings in Silverveil and Tamjar.

But it's Will that really worrying me. His need for longer, if not eternal life is...strong. Fortunately, he is no arcane user, nor would he ever follow Asmodeus or Orcus, so necromancy, demons or devils are out of the question. But as Spymaster, he may have been able to track down Aegune's court since the war...if that's the case, he may willingly submit to them to become a Vampire. Please, when you get the chance, track Will down, wherever he's gone, and quickly. Don't let him make that mistake.

Be well, my friends. I shall pray for you.

P.S. Oh yes, Z'Rhal asked me to pass on a message whenever I could, Jill. 'Sorry for stealing your kill and all, but that Forsaken was really starting to piss me off.'"


~A letter from Devoted, High Priest of Silverveil to his friends and veterans of the God Wars, Sheahnie Trueleaf and Ji'Li'Kei "Jill", concerning the whereabouts of William "Will" Fortune, Tiefling Psion.

By the standards of the New Tamjarian Calender, this entry is dated at 29/2/7 AW, or the 29th Day of Ssyssiruss, Year 7 After the War.

NPC Entry #1: Tryaen Creek
Full Name: Tryaen Vallas Creek
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 28
Height: 5'7" to 5'8"
Profession: Scholar
Notable Combat Art: Bardic Arcane Talents
Known Quote: "This is primarily diplomatic...though I use the term loosely. History of the continent brings me to believe that if we find living races there, our most likely welcome will be an arrow to the eye."


Scholar, Linguist, Herbologist, Historian, Cartographer, Explorer and Fledgling Wizard, Tryaen is a man of knowledge and talents. Ambitious, yet open-minded, fair and honest, he would be a model follower of Sra-Amun in His most holy city, if not for the fact that Tryaen has clashed with the Paladins of the city in the past, largely due to the problematic nature of some of those Tryaen calls 'friend'.

Having spend most of his life in the great city of Arvale, Tryaen's name is known among certain circles within the city, due to his contribution to a variety of fields ranging from Magical Theories to Historical Records. Most recently, his brief return to the city he calls home after a four-month crossing to the continent of Sylvor, has generated infamy due to the seemingly suicidal expedition he is attempting to create. Taking in those brave, curious, strong, trustworthy or foolish enough, Tryaen has had remarkable fortune in his long-winded and certainly dangerous endeavor to restore contact with the apparently Plague-Ridden, wartorn continent of Rog. Certainly, his good fortune is at least in part due to the generous payment he offers, though where his money comes from is unknown.

Tryaen's fine clothes and accent place him among the upper classes of Arvale...but interestingly, his hair - more blond than brown - and eye colour - a deep green - are not common sights for humans born in the Arvale/Tamjar area. More interestingly still, there is no rich or affluent family anywhere in said nations of Tamjar and Arvale by the name of 'Creek'.

The General Calender Format is the closest classification of a Universal method of describing the course of time in the realms, or at least the most popular. The concept of the General Calender Format is to break time down into what most dialects of the Common tongue dictate as 'Years'. Each Year is comprised of 4 Seasons, 10 Months, 52 Weeks and 365 Days.

In the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos, the course of time is rarely relevant, and usually only measured in centers of civilization so that cities may archive events and for the benefit of the races without the gift of immortality. In the Feywild and Shadowfell, the course of time is measured too, but its importance varies from culture to culture and area to area.

The most populous of civilizations and cities in such realms, though, often measure time in a manner that is either compatible or identical to the General Calender Format.

In the Common Realm, the concept of a Calender takes far more importance, however. This is for many reasons, including the limited lifespan of almost all whom are native to the realm, but also for the realm's tendency for more events to occur in shorter times, with whole kingdoms and empires or even races to rise and fall at what most immortals would describe as horrific paces. Another primary reason is the importance of Seasons in the Common Realm, the Primal Spirits enforcing the stage-by-stage cycle the realm undergoes, from Summer through Autumn and Winter to Spring. The season dictates the growth of food, of livestock and of family, and a measurement that is understood between seperate cultures is invaluable, especially when considering trade and economic pursuits.

The General Calender Format seperates the all-important seasonal changes into three-month periods. Spring and Summer comprise the first 5 months, with one month of 'overlap' between the similar seasons, and the second 5 months comprising Autumn and Winter.

The month overlaps are given a variety of terms to describe them, though many cultures prefer to instead adapt the format to instead dictate Seasons as two-and-a-half months each. Regardless, the opening and closing ends of a year are always split into 5 months of warmer climates, and 5 months of colder climates.

How the General Calender Format became so widespread is unknown, though many cultures have myths of the Divine using it to establish order between their followers. Most believe it originated within cults of Erathis, and became known among followers of the entire pantheon and beyond. The myth has basis in the fact that cultures that have never had any contact with one another have been known to use a near-identical format to the one described, certainly suggesting the hand of some Divine God.

However, it is far from all-encompassing, culturally. Even in the Common Realm, there are more nations than not that do not use this calender format, despite its popularity. Of course, this is not surprising, as only a fraction of the so-called "Scarred Continents" have ever been fully mapped, explored, archived or united, and there are many whom follow religions besides the most well-known of the Divine Pantheon of Gods.

Currently, the General Calender Format is used in all areas of Sylvor, as well as all coastal nations of the Western Continent on the North, East and South coasts. It is unconfirmed how many inland nations use this format.