Karador LRPG

The most common method of keeping track of time in the world of Karador is the Esrian calendar. One astronomical difference that Karador has from earth is that it takes 432 days to orbit it's sun. This makes for a longer year, and thus a rather different calendar. The Esrian calendar did not actually originate in Esrai, but rather it's fundamentals held over from Tzmyth. With the new nation and it's new ideals and deities, all of the labels were changes to rid it of Tzmythian appearance. Today most civilized places use the basic format of the Esrian calendar along with month names which have no religious or national significance. The names for days of the week do differ from place to place. Many of the holidays listed exist in different places in different forms with different names. Holidays listed will be in the form and date as celebrated in Esrai, Lomar and Kesner. The Esrian calendar breaks down into 12 months, each with 6 weeks of 6 days each. Months are named after mystical creatures often associated the feel of the month. The months of fall are the Ghoul, Litch and Vampire. Winter months are the Yeti, Ramoraz, and the Mamoth. Spring months are the Lammasu, Titan and Ki-rin. Finally, summer months are Pegasus, Solar and Unicorn. The days of the week are named after the Esrain gods. Because there are many gods in the pantheon, and only a few days, only those deities which have important weekly services like Drao who's third day of the week is the ceremony for the dead, and the following burials, and those who have no special holiday associated with them. The days of the week from first to last are Mancier's day, Nisma's day, Drao's day, Seeker's day, Gatter's day, and Weeks end.

Summer's Dawning - Pegasus 1
Popular civic holiday in which most have the day off. Many parades, picnics and dances are held. It is also the first day of the year and is a new years celebration.

Edavak's Day - Solar 24
Minor religious holiday where private and public burnt offerings are made to Edavak to help ensure that the soil is rich and that this year will be a good one.

Moradin's Military Ceremony - Solar 30
Large religious ceremony which is similar to a combination of Independence day and Veterans day. Military parades are annual grand events, and many nations and large cities hold large military training exercises and reenactments for the entertainment of the people and as tribute to Moradin.

Harvest Celebration - Unicorn 35-36
Holiday that is like a civic Thanksgiving. It is not a time to be at home with your family, but rather to partake in great public feasts to which all are welcome.

Hidings Day - Ghoul 1
Originally a holiday that was more a dreaded thing that marked the beginning of the season of the dead when man kind was tormented by the undead and spent the season indoors as much as possible. Today however, worshipers of Gatterplist and Narsil have turned it into a kind of children's holiday in which huge day long tournaments of hide and go seek are held and watched over by the clerics. The clerics also see this as a good time to keep an eye on potential future members.

Lock In's Day - Yeti 1
Marks the beginning of winter and the end of the seasons where travel is very possible. This is often a kind of private family holiday where members that live a distance away will be unable to see each other for many months.

Spring's Dawning - Lammasu 1
A welcome back to good weather. People celebrate an end to cabin fever and say fairway to those who travel for a living and will soon be heading off again.

Gift Giver's Day - Lammasu 5
An adopted Elven holiday known there as "Ley Trea Learitum em Flarteral. Quite simply a day upon which gifts are traded among family and friends.

Decention Day - Titan 9
A high holy day to all Esrian, Lomarian and Kesnerian people who attend services at the church of Mancier. Perhaps the most important holiday of them all. A celebration of "the Decention:" during which Dermage and a host of angles manifest from the heavens and directly intervened on the part of Esrai against those who would have surly destroyed it. Decention day marks the beginning of a nations wide fast for a week.

Festival of the Heavens - Titan 24
A holiday dedicated to Raos, the festival of the heavens incorporates large public displays of phantasm and glamour which help to explain to the population some of the secrets of the universe and it's workings.

Planter's day - Ki-rin 18
A celebration in people gather together and plant trees and gardens. this celebration is not with the trapping of modern thought that include the absurd possibility of running out of trees, but rather as a tribute to Wallis and Tempest for preparing the land with such care as to make it a place for man. Furthermore, it is believed that through the care involved with the planting and caring for plants, that they can somehow understand and relate to the care that the gods have for them that is often taken for granted.

Nations

Esrai
Esrai is perhaps the most powerful nation in the world. Though certainly not the biggest, it's population is at optimal levels, it has a vast resources, a good balance of races, and shares a large number of trade policies. Esrai is a primarily human nation, though nearly 30% of it's population is made up of elves, dwarves and halflings. Esrai is ruled by an ancient council which dates back to the nation's founding. Esrians have their own divine pantheon of gods worshipped that are originally from a number of races. Esrai is very much a father nation to Kesner and Lomar. These two were formed from after the ork war when the Esrian counsel told any standing citizen that any land they claimed from the orks would be legally recognized by Esrai as their own to do with as they pleased. For the most part, Esrai is a peaceful place. No human nations wish them any harm, yet humanoids still plague them to some degree. Esrai is surprisingly free of corruption, especially in the political arena. A reason for this is not known. Perhaps it's so completely corrupt, that cover ups are easy and it maintains the appearance of a ideal government. Esrai has it's share of internal threats like the many creatures that still make their unknown layers within it's borders. Many guilds and unusual groups have made an appearance here because of the great freedom, diversity, and prosperity. On this world at least, Esrai is the nation of nations. The gods considered to be part of the Esrian pantheon are Moradin, Dramisdun, Narsil, Gatterplist, Mancier, Avar, Raos, Walis, Tempest, Seeker, Etavak, Drao, and Nisma.

Kesner
Kesner is a relatively large nation to the north of what is now Esrai. In the year 54,253, after the human and Flaunthian armies repel the ork invasion of Esrai, The counsel of Esrai declares that any land that is claimed from what is now orken territory will be there's to keep. Needless to say, many bands of mercenaries and soldiers set out to make their fortune. In the north, Many many territories are claimed, both large and small. Each of the conquerors who did so lawfully (without routing and destroying other competing human groups) are officially recognized by Esrai as land owning. It was not long before the various territories, kingdoms, provinces, duchies that once made up what is now Kesner beganep it so. Kesner is for the most part an alley of Esrai. Most of those in the ruling classes respect the leadership of Esrai, and are thankful for it's continual intervention and assistance while still respecting completely it promise to let the various territories of Kesner rule themselves. Though the war with the orks is long over in Esrai, it is not necessarily so in Kesner. It seems that Kesner has pushed about as far as it can in any direction without starting another ork war that they are not likely to win.

Lomar
At the same time that Esrai allowed land to be taken that would lead to the development of Kesner, a powerful guild of merchants decided that nobility sounded a lot better. The devoted their vast resources to essentially buying what is now Lomar. Large armies were hired to systematically take land from the orks. Those who had land to the east from their own conquest were offered positions of lower nobility and great financial incentives to join the nation that would soon be Lomar. The conquest went very efficiently. Most of the mercenaries were already battle hardened. The orks were already retreating for the most part. And last but not least, greed and the gold piece was driving this conquest. The "Hilben" guild was already well organized for financial conquest. A military command structure was easily integrated into an already elaborate yet efficient structure. Not but a year or two later, the wars were over, and it was back to business. Lomar enjoyed a fair relationship with Esrai. They were not the best of neighbors, yet they were not hostile. That's not to say that they didn't have other more dubious plans such as attempting to subjugate Esrai and Kesner financially. Many of their plans were well in motion when their end came. In 55,001 Lomar's strategies for financial conquest did not intimidate the forgotten orks. Before the Lomarians knew what happened, the Orks had built up a huge army on their border, ready and suited for a war against a nearly defenseless Lomar. Oddly enough, an Ork emissary offered a deal to the Lomarian nobility. In exchange for allowing the Orks an on hindered and secret movement through Lomar to Esrai, the orks would leave Lomar un-touched. The nobility had no choice. They agree. The next thing they know, their capitol city is over run, and Lomar becomes the launching point for the next assault on Esrai as the Lomarians are put into slavery to support the Orks war effort. Though the military might of Lomar was puny and easily trampled. The forces of Esrai, Flaunth and Kesner united to smash the new ork uprising. The Ork assault is stopped cold. Now, this war only recently passed, Lomar remains a wasteland within which the orks have fortified themselves well. Lomar is again up for grabs by anybody willing to try and take it. Oddly enough, some Flaunthians are trying to form some colonies here now.

Essambria
Essambria is a large nation west of Esrai. In total size, it is approximately five times as large as Esrai or Kesner. Essambria is not exactly one nation. Rather it is an area made up of 12 duchies. Each of these duchies has their own ruling family, and they often squabble and occasionally mount limited wars against each other. This is not to common fortunately. There is no king that rules over the collective duchies. Rather, each does it's best to deal with it's neighbors. Ultimately Essambria is considered one nation rather than twelve because duchy borders change so often, and it is not uncommon for Essambrians to move from duchy to duchy with some frequency. Even worse, the web of noble allegiances has been woven in such a confusing way with royal marriages and the like that few have any real idea of exactly who owns what and why. There is also an underlying portion as of yet not mentioned. The dwarven kingdom exists here too. Yes, in the mountains around Essambria, under Essambria, and even intermingled with Essambria. The dwarven kingdom is kind of a false term too. It's not a kingdom, it's a lot of individual dwarven communities. Some have kings, there are a few emperors, and some are ruled by councils of elders. For the most part, the dwarves and rugged Essambrians coexist in a rather pleasant way.

Hill Haven
Hill Haven is the halfling homeland. It is located in the hills between the elven woods of Eraquathol and the dwarven/human settlement of Essambria. Hill Haven lacks any real government, relying only on the various governing bodies of individual towns and shires. For the most part, the denizens of Hill Haven are farmers and Craftsmen. Many make a good living as merchants providing metals and oars from the dwarves to the elves, and vice versa with woods. The halflings are rather remarkable actually with keeping on excellent terms with humans, elves and dwarves alike. Though Hill Haven is primarily a halfling nation, a surprising number of humans, elves and dwarves end up spending a portion of their lives there. Hill Havens "laws" are regional, yet remarkably alike and simple. An often disturbing thing about Hill Haven to outsiders is that an odd ideology of assumed generosity exists. For the most part, many mundane possessions simply require no need for permission when there is a need to borrow. This is often the source of the common label of halflings as thieves.

Eraquathol
Eraquathol is believed by most outsiders to the elven woods. They are indeed woods, and elves do live there, but they are not elven. Most think that Because the elves have several large cities here that they are in charge. In fact, three distinct kingdoms exist within the "elven woods". Along a relatively large ( about 20% of the woods total size) amount of the forest's center in a north/south running strip, the elves control. This is their nation of Eraquathol. To the south west, there is a large nation of Goblins. This Nation is called Grom, is rumored to be lead by a goblin sorcerer. Grom and Eraquathol are often at war, or at least performing raids upon each other. In the north east of the wood is Vashell, a relatively small kingdom of centaurs. Eraquathol is a bit of a xenophobic nation. They don't like outsiders, and are a bit raciest and stuck up. It is said that no non-elf has ever entered Quleni, the capitol of Eraquathol. Between constant struggles with the goblins, tolerating the Fey and their harassment, Devoting themselves to meditation and spiritual enlightenment, and trading only with (and through) Hill haven, the elves are not too well off these days. Now some facts that arn't' common knowledge, First, The fey folk run the "elven woods" The elves, goblins and centaurs are tolerated there because of their fey blood (even if thin). Most of what goes on in the wood is at the fey's discretion, and ultimately most of what happens does so because they allow. Oddly enough, they seldom care to exert their considerable influence. Secondly, The elves in Eraquathol have only been there as long as Esrai has. In fact it was the exodus from Tymyth that lead to the foundation of Eraquathol. Most speculate that the true elves live in the true "elven woods" someplace to the west. Occasionally elves have been encountered with nearly glowing golden skin that ride giant butterflies. These elves confirm that there may in fact be a "true elven wood", but have never been known to give any more information.

Eptu'
Eptu' is on the southeastern part on the Karador continent. It is notably warmer and much nearer the equator. Everything about Eptu' very closely resembles ancient Egypt. Eptu' is an exclusively human nation, and other humanoids are rare and feared there. Eptu' is divided in two halves by the great river Kahma. On the east side of this river, men go about their lives. On the west is the land of the dead. A mirror necropolis nation of the dead of sorts. Upon this west side, all manner of monuments are erected to house the dead, including the world renown pyramids and ziggurats. Mortal men are allowed by the "guardians" of this land to step foot on the west side only to construct monuments, bury their dead, and make offerings to the deceit. Eptu' is stuck between two deserts. The one on the east is the "Sadrine", and the one on the west the "Kilraus". Within the Sadrine, humans have formed some small cities and many wandering tribes that are more similar to what we would consider old Arabic. These people though originally Eptuian, are still within land "owned" by the nation of Eptu', yet they are so removed as to be considered a entirely different nation and society. Eptuians worship their own pantheon of gods, many of which are more animal spirits than humans raised to divinity. Those in the Sadrine desert have put aside these Eptuian gods and many worship a cast of hundreds of ancient and forgotten gods, or no gods at all.

Falunth
Flaunth is an old nation that dates back hundreds of years before Esrai. Much of it's history is lost, but legends persist that once Flaunth and Tzmyth we old enemies. Records of such times however seem not to exist. The culture of Flaunth is a relatively easy one to imagine. Picture Rome of our world in it's pinnacle of power after the conquest of the Greeks. Imagine this nation no longer have expanshionistic desires, and to have been completely unified under monotheism. Imagine a state like this that rather than devoting itself to self territorial conquest, but to the eradication of the forces of evil in a fanatic way. This is what Flaunth is like. Their government is an elected council, of which many are clergy. They are exceptionally peaceful and willing to offer aid to the civilized nations it has access too like Esrai, Essambria, Wavesedge. They acknowledge the existence of many gods, but worship only one called Onerus. Religion is a very important part of the lives of all Flaunthians.

Tymyth
Tymyth is no longer a real nation. It is more of a historical place that has great significance to the world of today. Tzmyth was once a great kingdom to the west of what is now Essambria, Hill Haven and Eraquathol. Even in the times of Tzmyth's last days (year 53,500), only Flaunth had yet begun. Most racial histories seem to begin at the end of this empire's reign. The empire of Tzmyth was in fact largely human and elven. For some reason, even the origins of that nation were lost, not to mention the origins of those who made up the empire. Tzmyth is remembered as a dark place. Though it's grounds fertile and green, and sky's blue, what went on there can only be thought of as evil. It was a place of great magic and mystic significance. Civil and holy wars were unending. What happened to end it all is uncertain, but is it not hard for hundreds of speculations. It's results are widely known however. Most of those people of good conscious left Tzmyth and traveled east. These are the people that would be the fore fathers of those who make up the great nations of today. What was Tzmyth itself died with a whimper. The land now beautiful but poisoned. Great and fabulous ruins are abundant, filled with all sorts of ancient lore, treasure, and the horrible remnants of a culture obsessed with military conquest, blessed/cursed with deep knowledge of necromancy, summoning, thaumaturgical engineering and lord knows what other secrets fortunately left in that damned place.

City States

Sarka
Sarka is a large independent city in what would be considered west most Essambria. Though technically it is barley within Essambrian Borders, It is part of no Duchy, nor do it's leaders maintain any ties to any of Essambria. Sarka is a place of great magic. The rulership controls a large organization that maintains the city which is nearly indistinguishable from the Sarkin school of Thamaturgy and Archeology. This is where Sarka's power emanates from. The Sarkin school is known to send a great numbers of researchers and adventurers into the ruins of what was once Tzmyth. There they toil at unearthing the ancient powers and magics that brought that empire to it's peak (and destroyed it). Sarka is not a nice place. It's rule is a totalitarian dictatorship, headed by the arch mage of the Great School. Life there is ridged and strict. All efforts are focused toward the enhancement of the state. Unlike most other places like this, Sarka has devoted nearly all of it's resources to arcane research. Those who have ever been there know the unusual fruits of their efforts.

Wavesedge
Wavesedge could only be considered a small city. It is the head of a small provenance of roughly ten towns known as the silver shires. It is located on a peninsula south of Essambria, near what is known as the Salt Desert. This City, and eventually the provenance around it were established by a cult of worshipers of Bahamut from Essambria. In the spring during the months of Lammasu, Titan and Ki-rin, a flock of approximately 200 silver dragons congregate in the Salt Desert for the sake of meeting and mating. The current Prince of the silver dragons ( Buhamat is king) named Studar is often at this gathering. The dragons and the people of Wavesedge have developed a good raptor, and often offer each other gifts, favors and assistance. Needless to say, despite the small size of Wavesedge, they suffer few real problems from conquering nations and humanoid raids.

Escar
Escar is a city located roughly between Flaunth and Eptu' Escar was originally a military fortification founded by Flaunth to serve as a point by which humanoid forces could be watched and controlled. Approximately a hundred years ago, the military leadership of that Fortification notified Flaunth that Escar was declaring it's independence. Flaunth was in no situation to dispute this claim due to the great distance between them, and the relatively low worth of the fortification as opposed to the effort it would take to reclaim it. Oddly enough, Escar still serves Flaunth's original intentions for it, weather or not Escar likes it. They still keep humanoid buildup on Flaunth's east border to a minimum. Escar is a very simple city, still developing around a large military base. It is thought that it will not be long before Escar births new towns and cities, and a new nation born from them. Over all, the people of Escar are very moral people having their roots in Flaunth. Because of the hard work of a frontier city, the people are over all hard working. Onerus is still the god of choice, but other forms or worship are coming about as a result of new found freedom.

Gods and Religions (Orks)

White Hand
White hand is the orken god of disease, pestilence and corruption. The orks desire to worship such a being is a bit of an enigma,. Most speculate that if many had a choice they would not. White hand is worshipped in a very generic way. Followers of White hand generally do not revel in a litany of plague and filth, but rather revere and give offering to him much like they would to any other god. Offerings of animal and humanoid sacrifice are not uncommon. Self injury and trials of hardship are equally common. Worship of White hand is not an institution of any sort. Instead, it is rather tribal. Generally on tribe member or a small cabal will begin worship on their own for personal reasons (normally personal power). Often this attracts White hand, who offers power and other favors in return for getting more worship. Soon, the situation snowballs until entire tribes are converted. It is not uncommon for tribal religious factions to war. The holy symbol of white hand is a black field with a white hand print upon it. Clerics of White hand may be of any race, but generally are orken. Clerics may wear any armor they want, but are required to wear mostly blacks and browns with white ribbons and such. Shields are allowed. Clerics of White hand are allowed to use any chained weapon or mace.

Gurmish
Gurmish is the ork god of war, and a sort of father figure. Ork legend states that when the races first appeared on the land, Gurmish was there. He and the other gods held a meeting to decide on the fates of the mortal world. Quickly, the dwarven gods decreed that the dwarves would for all time rule the mountains. The Elven gods quickly claimed the woods for theirs. The human deities claimed the plains for their people, and the halflings given the hills by the others. One of the elven gods snickered to Grumish, " Where shall your poor retched people live Grumish?" Grumish was Infuriated. He responded by striking his great spear first into the mountains, then into the woods, and finally into the great planes and hills and said " Because you have been so greedy for you and yours, you and your people shall never know peace again. My people shall live where we have taken from all of your people. From this day on, your people shall live in fear of the orkish hoards." To the orks, Grumish is the god of gods. It is his promise that they live to fulfill. He has led his people to many great victories, and the orks are proud to have lived and died in his name. The most true followers of Grumish are strong, brave and surprisingly noble orks who care very much for the plight of their people. followers of Grumish do not generally hate other humanoids, but have an exaggerated sense of justice, and are hyper sensitive to injustices of the past and present. Clerics of Grumish may only be orks, and there are no paladins of him. Clerics of Grumish may use any weapon or armor they choose. They do however have limited spell casting ability. They may only gain per day half the number (round up) of spells of each level as would a normal cleric. The holy symbol of Grumish is a Spear stuck into a mountain.

Steechus
Steechus is what could only be refereed to as the orken mother goddess. Often referred to as "The mother below". Steechus as a vicious hag like ork said to live in a deep cave someplace. It is said that from her all ork life began, though she not quite an ork herself. Of all the gods of "civilized" races, Steechus is arguably the most hideously evil. Even among orks, there are few that would worship her if given a choice. All of her willing followers are truly warped, and despised by those of their own race. All orks seem to fear the powers of Steechus, especially those who have family they care about. This is what Steechus is best known for. The slaughter of women and children. Followers of Steechus often sacrifice infants to their patron, not all to uncommonly their own. It seems the only reason worship of this creature ( the term god seldom refers to Steechus) persists is out of fear of the ramifications that stopping would result in. If not for this fear, there is little doubt that the orks themselves would purge this element of their society. If you're an ork and want to play a cleric of Steechus, I won't stop you. Don't expect to live long, I don't think other players will take kindly to it. Followers of Steechus may not wear shield or armor. They may use any weapon they like, but seldom feel the need to. After all, in their own society, no ork would dare to raise hand to them. Don't even ask, there are no paladins of Steechus.

Kleftin
Kleftin is a recently appearing ork demi-god. Kleftin grows more and more prominent as orks as a people begin to reap the rewards of a long history of war and conquest. As time passes, and orks grow more content in their place, some forget the story of Grumish, or dismiss it as begin irrelevant now. Kleftin appeals to the hedonist in many orks. In times and places where animosity between orks and other races cool, the worship to both Kleftin and his ideals begin to infect and make slovenly the orks. Kleftin is often described as a fat, swilling jolly ork. He is represented carrying a large tankard in one hand, and a hunk of meat in the other. Never is he without a grin on his face, and a belch in his throat. The primary tenant of Kleftin is " All good things in excess". His followers should always be cheerful and ready to engage in rampant revelry at the drop of a keg. Followers of Kleftin are receptive to all races, even the pansy elves so long as they can stand to stop eating tree bark and have meat for god's sake. Clerics of Kleftin can be of any race, though ork is still by far the most common. Clerics of Kleftin use the same merciful blunt weapons of a traditional cleric, and are allowed any armor they see fit to wear. Clerics of Kleftin are required to eat meals that are primarily meat. Kleftin's holy symbol is a tankard and a spork, which represent his cheerful and indulgent nature.

Gods and Religions (Elves)

Father Owl
Father owl is a fey god as opposed to an elven one. This deity is a kind of manifestation of the spirit of nature. This Spirit as it were is not quite as powerful as a god in the divine sense, but is ever present an ethereal form in the elven wood. To a great extent, he rules a court of various fey folk like a king would, and has emissaries acting as his agents all through out the wood. More than even the Fey people, Father owl's "followers" are the animals themselves. Father owl has no clerics or paladins

Shalshara
Shalshara is the Fey queen, and is honored by elves, and attended by the sprites. Shalshara and father owl are consorts, and she rules over the wood as an equal queen. Because her frame of reference and actions are more easily understood, noticeable and more able to be interpreted by elves and fey, she is often considered to be more powerful and active than father owl. This is not necessarily so. Shalshara does have a few clerics and paladins. These clergy may only be elves or half elves, along with other non playable fey races. Clerics of Shalshara are permitted to use daggers, short swords and bows. Paladins are allowed these weapons and in addition long swords and spears. Neither cleric or paladins may use shields or paired weapons. Clerics may wear only leather armor, yet paladins may wear up to chain. Paladins wear a magical fey chain mail that counts as an additional +1 HP for each piece. Fey being as flighty as they are have no real tenants other than to serve their queen/goddess. Simple moral codes that are generally childish and good tend to be the most in line with the general philosophy of the religion. The holy symbol of Shalshara is a butterfly carrying an arrow.

Reshlik
Reshlik is the elven god of archery and the hunt. Within elven society he is the patron of the providers and fathers. Reshlek is the typical arrogant, haughty elf that some of you have grown to and love, and that has made others of us want to kill off the elves entirely. Followers of Reshlik tend to be a bit catty, and take serious offense at even the smallest slight. Followers of Reshlik see the world in an odd scheme of good and evil, and anything that is not them is obviously evil to some degree, and as such is contemptible. Followers of Reshlik are generally so disgusted with things in general that they become loners, feeling honor bound to fulfill any obligations they have, but in a manner as such that they can be as independent and free as possible. There is an obvious contradiction in this philosophy. Reshlik has a number of clerics and paladins in a church that is a loose association at best. Clerics are allowed the use of bows and long swords. Paladins may use these in addition to a bastard or 2 handed sword. Both clerics and paladins may use leather, hide or chain armor. Neither may use shields, but paladins are allowed to use paired longswords, and gain a +1 to damage with their bow. The holy symbol of Reshlik is a two headed snake impaled upon an arrow. Only male elves (not half-elves) may be clerics or paladins of Reshlik.

Galsha
Galsha is the elven goddess of the home, motherhood, cooperation and fertility (both in it's association with child bearing and agriculture). Within elven society, worship of Galsha over the last sixty years or so has far surpassed the previously dominant worship of Reshlik. Galsha's churches and clergy are far more inclusive and cohesive. The tenants of Galsha are far more societal than spiritual. Her's is a philosophy that contains a lesson of a mixture of personal responsibility and striving for excellence through polite competition along with societal responsibility and self scarify for the good of all. Clerics of Galsha are for the most part natural leaders who serve to inspire, guide and aid their followers. Followers of Galsha are very much preoccupied with the general welfare, and the individual well-being of all around. Clerics of Galsha are allowed to wear leather, hide or chain armor. They may wield only a staff for personal defense (yes, they can fight for the general good). Clerics of Galsha may be of any race or gender. They wear long full white/tan/cream colored robes, generally belted with a cord that hangs at their side. Their holy symbol is a brooch, amulet or other round object that has with on it a pattern of five interlocking circles. There are no known paladins of Galsha.

Gods and Religions (Humans)

Mancier
Mancier is believed to be a human god worshipped in most human areas. He is known as the creator of magic. This is a title, and all know that the presence of magic predates him, though it was him who devised the modern formulas and procedures through which magic is woven by mortal creatures. Mancier is a very moral and active god. His intervention into mortal affairs is very common. Almost nothing goes on without he or/and his followers being connected to somehow. The holy symbol of Mancier is a silver disk with a mystical glyph on it titled "The Sacred Rankna". Mancier's church is titled "The Order of Altruistic Power" and is dealt with in the guilds section. Clerics of Mancier may wear only leather armor. They may not have shields, and wield only a single dagger. however, clerics and paladins of Mancier may choose the clerical spells from both the cleric and mage assortments. Paladins of Mancier are exceptionally rare. They work directly for the Arch Mage of the Order of Altruistic Power. They follow the normal rules for paladins.

Nisma
Nisma is a half-elven goddess who is not worshipped as part of the elven pantheon. She is the goddess of healing and respite. Though a god off "good", she is not held in the highest of esteem by her fellow gods. Nisma is notoriously neutral when it comes to aiding the wounded and ill, even when these are evil and treacherous recipients. Nisma is very neutral in her mercy. Temples to Nisma are very common, and are very loosely organized. Most of her clerics are individually guided by dreams. Clerics of Nisma wear exclusively blue colors. Their holy symbol and badge of office is a head piece of golden leaves. Clerics of Nisma may wear no armor, and wield only a staff to protect themselves. They may cast only spells that do not damage a living creature ( like and ork, dragon, or even a sentient undead or elemental), nor to aid others with destroying them.. They may destroy "un-living" creatures like skeletons, slimes, and the like. Yes, clerics of Nisma have a strange and often disturbing view of reality. However, they may cast healing spells at double their normal potency ( grants twice as many hit points, or doubles the number of characters effected if already more than one)

Etavak
Etavak is a human god thought to be a powerful lord of elemental forces. Etavak is a god seldom worshipped in his own sake, but more often than not acknowledged and paid homage to by scholars, sorceress and clergy of varying other religions. Etavak is often more of a distant benefactor of mankind rather than a leader or active participant in it. Despite the many who honor Etavak, few actually worship him. Fewer yet are clerics of him. Those that are do not remain among their humanoid brothers for long before they are lead to far off and remote places to do god only knows what. Clerics of Etavak are not allowed as plausible for players in LRPGs. Paladins of Etavak are unknown. Clerics of Etavak are known to wear light purple, mage like robes with gold trims. Their holy symbol is an odd golden ball much like an incense burner that often dangles from their belt.

Walis

Walis is an Esrian god that represents the spirit and forces of nature. He has no clergy, because he himself receives no worship. Walis for all particle purposes is a human like god who personifies nature. Rangers and druids view Walis in the same regards that the devout in the real world revere saints and angles. Mention of Walis, along with brief ritual in his honor are common through out most other of the more organized Esrian religions. Walis is said to play a very active roll in the affairs of the world, save for it is thought that those things he does are unnoticeable because the best workings of nature are invisible within nature. Because such things as the passing of seasons and the rise and fall of tides are commonplace and predictable does not make them any less miraculous.

Drao
Drao is the Esrian god of death and mortal passage. It is he who protects and tends the needs of mankind in the afterlife. Drao is often referred to as "The grim Lord", though he is not really that. Rather he and his clergy preach a gospel of living a life filled with the things that are truly important. Clerics of Drao serve as a ever present reminder that an end will come and to encourage the living to live. Clergy of Drao serve at three of an Esrian person's most important hours. First at their birth blessing, secondly at the time they take vows of marriage or to the clergy, and finally at ones death. Clerics of Drao wear exclusively black robes. underneath they are allowed leather or chain armor. Clerics of Drao may not use a shield, and their only weapon is a great sickle which is very similar to a LRPG Halberd. The holy symbol for clerics of Drao are a set of small dangling bones that hang from their belt known as " The Grim Chain". Paladins of Drao do exist, but are rare. They may use any weapon and armor they desire, but must dress in the same fashion as their clerical brothers.

Raos
Raos is the Esrian goddess of the stars and the sky. She is the patron of science, navigation, divination and mathematics. Raos is a female with long red hair. She is generally worshipped by scholars and other more intellectual people. The clerical order of Raos is relatively small, but exceptionally well organized. A majority if it's clerics are females, and they have a rare few paladins. Clerics of Raos are limited to the use of maces and flails, though they may equip themselves with any armor and shield they wish. The holy symbol of Raos is an emblem of a hand, above which float a number of stars. That number of stars oddly enough holds no relevance or significance. Clergy of Raos teach more of a doctrine of science, study and observation than one of salvation. They tend to look for answers in the mundane world rather than the divine, hoping to understand the wonder of the most basic, rather than the complex first. Clerics of Raos traditionally garb themselves in dark blues.

Seeker
Seeker is the Esrian god of fate, luck, and provenance. Seeker is never seem and seldom even referred to in any text. Seeker does not have an actual church, but does have a cult. The frightening thing about this cult is that according to myth, the followers of seeker are chooses directly by him, and often don't really know their lot in life, or who they actually work for until they are far into it. Seeker does not have clerics or paladins in a traditional sense. Rather he has his servants and associates. Though they do not cast spells like normal clerics, their reputed powers to warp fate and chance are legendary. Characters are free to worship or pay respect to seeker, though being a cleric or paladin of him are not an option. Generally his hand picked followers are of a great variety of classes, though thieves and mages tend to be favored.

Avar
Avar is the Esrian god of defense and protection. He is often referred to as the god of paladins as well, though this is a bit of an overstatement. It is Avar's will that all men be kept safe from that vast numbers of dangers that threaten him. Avar is as much a servant of mankind as his clergy are of him. The church of Avar is perhaps the only religion in the world which is made up primarily of paladins rather than clerics. Within the Esrian pantheon, Avar and Mancier tend to both appear as leader from time to time, and it is well written that the two of them along with Moradin are great friends. Clerics and paladins are allowed their normal choice of weapons. Both are normally encouraged to wear plate if at all possible, even if elven or another race that disfavors it. The holy symbol of a worshiper of Avar is his great shield, upon which is emblazoned "The White Rune of Avar". Worshipers of Avar all wear a white tabard as part of their vestments. Followers of Avar may never allow an innocent to go unprotected, a wrong doing unpunished, or ever show any fear or lack of courage.

Tempest
Tempest is the Esrian god of natural disasters and the son of Walis. Tempest himself is reputed to have both a great amount of anger and sympathy. He often serves as the protector of man from the natural world, but is also the means by which man often feels natures fury. Tempest is a rather obscure god who has few worshipers. He has no organized church, and most honors paid to him are done so in the wilderness in elaborate and creative ceremonies of the worshiper's own design, that normally involve some form of basking in natures forces. Worshipers of Tempest are normally half insane zealots who have no particular holy symbol or code of conduct. They are however "good" in alignment. Clerics and paladins of tempest alike may use only two handed swords, grand flails, and footman's maces. Because of this, they can not use shields. They may wear any armor they choose. Worshipers of Tempest are rare, and people who wish to play them had best do so as something more than a cleric that gets a big weapon.

Onerus
Onerus is the only god worshipped in the kingdom of Flaunth. He is a god of good, virtue and purity. His nation is run in part as a political democracy, and a church run state. The fingers of Onerus' church are in every aspect of the nation. Followers of Onerus are an odd paradox of being both tolerant and zealots. It seems in the past that they have learned the lesson that intolerance drive people farther from what you want them to become. Followers of Onerus truly live by the code of teaching others by how you act, not by what you say. An occasional reminder of exactly why they act as they do however is not uncommon. Ultimately the goals of the church of Onerus are simple. Help, learn from, and grow with any whom you find to be of good nature, and annihilate anything that can not be won over to goodness. The church and clergy of Onerus are always willing and attempting to offer redemption to those just on "the other side of the line". Onerus has both clerics and paladins that follow the normal regulations. They may both wear any armor and shield they wish. Paladins may use any weapon save for ranged ones. Clerics must use only blunt ones like maces, flails, staves, etc. neither may use paired weapons. typical dress for Clergy of Onerus is very similar to that of classical Roman. The holy symbol of Onerus is a stout white pillar with a sword pointed downward in front of it. An inscription on the base of the pillar reads "One God".

Gods and Religions (Halfings)

Narsil Ithlestone
Narsil is the Esrian and halfling god of thieves. Clerics of Narsil must be multi-classed cleric/thieves. Narsil is reported to be a cunning, good humored, kind of fellow who is always out looking for laughs, companionship, and a real nasty bad guy who's life he can make hell. Narsil like nothing more than using his skills, and those of his follower's to rid the world of the generally unfriendly. What he hates most is to see people using what he considers to be "his art" to bring misery, unhappiness, pain and death to the good people of the land. Followers of Narsil spend most of their time trying to foil evil capers, or being social and playing pranks on one another. Followers of Narsil are notoriously willing to get others into the spirit. Unfortunately not all is fun and games. When it comes to the things that threaten what followers stand for, they can be out right nasty. The clerical hierarchy of this church is very structured, and detailed under "The Brothers of Narsil". Clerics of Narsil being thieves too may use the weapons and armor of that class. They gain spells as does a cleric. Narsil's clerics have no actual garb, but normally wear a medallion that indicates their rank. Narsil's holy symbol is a gold ring with a strange symbol upon it which is known as the "band of the brotherhood".

Gatterplist Ninley
Gatterplist is the Esrian and halfling god of travel and travelers. Gatterplist is a god who receives a great deal of worship for many reasons. High among these is that fact that Gatterplist himself is one of the gods of Karador who's avatars visit personally the most. Stories of people bumping into him are not too uncommon. Most long time inn keepers can recount a tale in which they believe they may have had an encounter of this sort. Gatterplist has very few actual churches, but a multitude of small and normally unattended shrines all over the world. Gatterplist does have a vaguely organized church that consists of a network of connected trading posts. These posts serve as specialty shops where a number of unusual travel equipment from around the world may be purchased. More important are the map libraries that contain old scrolls and books that show locations and directions to any person the post supervisor feel is of a kindred spirit and of good heart. Clerical services are available based upon the ability of the supervisor. Donations are never necessary, but always appreciated. Generally clerics and followers don't like to sit in a town for any length of time and supervise a post. Most often a supervisor is there because he found him/herself owing the previous one a favor. Other groups of clerics take turns rotating as the guy who gets stuck at the post. The tenants of gatterplist are pretty simple. Live life, experience this beautiful and wonderful world. Enjoy the thrill of every part of life. Do everything within your power to help and assure that others can do the same. Clerics of gatterplist can be of any race, but halfling is common, and human is not to far behind. Clerics of Gatterplist may wear only leather armor and no shield, but may use the following weapons : dagger ( thrown and held) bow, blowgun, short sword and long sword. There is no clerical garb for clerics of gatterplist, though he is reported to favor an odd rainbow ( mostly yellow) colored cloak that he has been known to show off. The holy symbol of gatterplist is an odd compass star that is referred to as the "traveler's cross".

Gods and Religions (Dwarves)

Moradin
Moradin is the Esrian and dwarven god of war and battle. Moradin like Gatterplist is another of those gods who really enjoy physical manifestation, and does so relatively frequently. When manifest, he generally is so in disguise, but the most devout often seem to recognize him ( perhaps he want's to be recognized after all). Moradin himself is most frequently depicted wielding two battle axes which he has named "Valkerom and Greshnel". Unlike most of the other Esrian gods, Moradin is not of particularly good heart. In fact, by mortal standards, he and his followers are often considered rude, lazy, and out right disorderly. Despite this, the Esrian brother nations and the dwarves are his people, and he and his followers are loyal to their interests, in their own particularly vulgar way. Despite their reputation for being hot headed, brash, and even misguided, they are generally honorable and moronically brave and inspired. Clerics of Moradin must be multi-classed fighter/clerics. As fighters, they may use any weapon or armor they choose. In any battle of great significance, they must wield paired battle axes if it is at all possible. Temples of Moradin are generally simple stone structures. No services are held there, but rather it is much like an old traditional Viking mead hall. All of brave heart are welcome there as long as you bring with you food or beverage for all to enjoy, and at least one good story. The goings on at the temple can be loud, obnoxious and even hazardous. Beneath the great hall is always a sanctum which must be respected. Here lay the remains and relics of many of the temples fallen, as well as the greatest trophies. The holy symbol for Moradin as a pair of crossed axes.

Dramisdun
Dramisdun is the dwarven god of the forge, and is the patron of most workers in the construction crafts. Dramisdun is an old god said to have helped forge the world. Followers of Dramisdun are generally peaceful, being concerned with the practicalities of life. Patience, practice and skill are his tenants. Dramisdun is a nurturing and protecting patron who tries to help any who reach out for him to find the path that will best allow themselves to make something of themselves. Dramisdun states that the most important thing that any could forge would be their own good fortune. Followers of Dramisdun are required to teach the hungry to fish and hunt, the homeless to build shelters, and the poor to find employment. Dramisdun believes that there is no person so pathetic that he can not contribute more than enough to earn him a good living. Most of Dramisdun's followers are dwarven, though there are many humans and a surprising number off halflings. His clerics may be of any race, and he does have paladins. Clerics of Dramisdun use weapons and armor as per a standard cleric. It is not uncommon for warhammers to be used that are similar to maces or footman's maces. Dramisdun's holy symbol is a silver triangle around a fire toped with a hammer.

Gods and Religions (Eptuian)

Osiris
Osiris is the Eptuian god of plants and the afterlife. He is the father of Horus, and husband of Isis. The Eptuians are very concerned with making preperation for death. As such, Osiris is an important deity to them. As far as alignment or teaching goes, Osiris is a very neutral god. He is venerated and made offerings by mortals as a means of ensuring his attention to their death, though he tends to have little other worship. He has no teaching that he claims as his own, but warns that there is a code of behavior that must be lived up to, or he will be forced to abandon the soul at death to be devoured by a beast known as Mut. Clerics of Osiris have no need to propagate their faith, as that most seek them out to serve as guides in appeasing Osiris. Clerics serves as counsel for people of all kinds in matters of virtue to help ensure that people are forewarned as to what will be required of them. As with most of the Eptuian god, their holy symbol is the Ankh. Clerics are allowed no armor, but may use a shield for defense. Weapons allowed are limited to daggers and staves.

Horus
Horus is the Eptuain god of war and vengeance. He is the son of Osiris. Legend has it that at one time in the past Set had slain his father. After this, Horus set out to slay Set and lost his eye while only being able to injure Set. Later, Horus under the direction of Isis and Toth set out on a quest to reform his father. The followers of Horus are very just and vigilant against the evils of the world. They have a great hatred of Set, and all who are in liege with him. To followers of Horus, being evil is like being a part of, or being in league with Set. The rooting out of evil seems the be the follower of Horus' only driving goal. Followers of Horus are also very big into assisting those who have been wronged on their quest for vengeance. Clerics of Horus are allowed to be cleric/fighters. There are no paladins of Horus because the ruthless nature of the god leaves no room for things like honor. Clerics of Horus may use any weapon they choose, along with a shield if they wish. They do not however wear armor. The holy symbol for Horus is the "Eye of Horus" in addition to the traditional Ankh.

Isis
Isis is the goddess of magic and fertility to the Eptuians. She is the wife of Osiris. Isis has a large amount of worship among females who seek her as a patron of the wife and mother. Here clergy however is small and much more involved with the study of the arcane. Despite the fact that there is so much devotion to her among the normal population, only a rare few find themselves among her devoted clergy. Ultimately the church of Isis is unique in that it tries to put itself in a position of power not for it's own sake, but to further the ends of Osiris, Horus and their churches. A good position it often does find it self in indeed. among the Eptuain people, magic is very rare, and the followers of Isis are about the only ones ho have assess to it. Clergy of Isis are constantly struggling for more information and arcane lore. The quest for such knowledge goes far from home on many instances. furthermore, the keeping of such knowledge is of great concern. Evil has been known to covet such knowledge, and it is up to the faithful of Isis to keep evil's access to it limited, and eliminate those that know too much. Clerics of Isis may be cleric/mages if they wish, though it is not required. They are allowed weapon use as a mage. Armor use is not allowed however, nor is shield use. The holy symbol is Isis is her Ankh.

Ra
Ra, also known as Atten, is the Eptuian patron of the sun, and thus the giver of all live. In time past Osiris was considered to be the king of the gods. Today however Ra holds that position without question. Currently Ra is the only Eptuian god who has a large church and large numbers of regular worshipers who actually venerate him rather than looking to appease for the sake of gaining favor. Followers of Ra are generally honorable, and strive for the growth and well being of their people. They can be a bit un accepting of the followers of the non Eptuian gods. Ra has only clerics, and their weapon choice is limited to shot swords, daggers, and maces. Armor is not permitted to clerics of Ra, nor are shields. Dress for clerics of Ra are traditional Eptuian skirt, sandals, torso straps and elaborate head dress. The holy symbol of RA is a round disk that represents the sun. Emanating from the disc are many rays, each ending in a hand that holds an Ankh.

Toth
Toth is the Eptuian god of wisdom, knowledge, and secrets. Unlike the previously four mentioned Eptuain gods, Toth is in no way human. He is more an incarnate spirit. Veneration of Toth is rather uncommon and happens mostly among sages and scholars. Actual worship of him is even more rare and does no result in the becoming of a cleric. If you want to be a "cleric" of Toth, play another class like a mage and simply consider you patron to be him. Toth has no personal holy symbol, but has some association with the "Eye of Horus". Clergy of Isis tend to venerate Toth highly as an equal or partner to their goddess Isis.

Anubis
Anubis is another of the Eptuian gods of the dead. Unlike Osiris who is the one responsible for the passing on, transition and judgment of the dead. Anubis is the deity responsible for actually ruling and looking over those who have already passed away. Anubis is a figure not much of great importance to the living save for in the preparations they make for death. Anubis does not seem to receive worship from among the still living.

Set
Set is the traditional Eptuain representation of evil and greed. Set is often represented as being half jackal or half snake. Set is quite simply a jealous god who seeks what Osires had and Ra currently possesses. Adoration, respect, power. Unlike Ra and Osires, Set simply lacks a willingness to provide in a way for his people what might earn him some of these things. Instead he uses evil means in the hope that by destroying his rivals that mortals will have no choice but to serve him. Generally the followers of Set are madmen who are fiercely loyal to him for something they perceive him having done for them, or are also jealous of their fellow men and seek to gain power at a price from their god Set. Set has no paladins, though he has numerous clerics. His clerics are allowed to use any weapon they desire and up to chain armor. There is no structure to the worship of Set, rather a pact is made between the god and individual followers. Set's holy symbol is a scorpion's tail, often incorporated with an upside down Ankh.

Gods and Religions (Other)

Tiamat
Tiamat is the queen mother of all evil dragons. At one time she and Bahamut were consorts, but that was a long time ago and now they both seek to destroy one another. Followers of Tiamat generally do so in small cults. The most notable and large is the "Cult of Draco". True clerics and paladins of Tiamat are relatively uncommon, though they generally are ruthless and have some direct contact and leadership from Tiamat and her divine messengers. Both clerics and paladins of Tiamat follow the weapon and armor restrictions of their class as describe in the character book. Tiamat's holy symbol is a crown with five stars above it.

Bahamut
Bahamut is the king of dragons, and divine in his own right. He is the platinum dragon the sired all others. Today he is followed by the good metallic dragons and is engaged in a great war against his former lover and queen Tiamat along with her evil dragon followers. Buhamat and most of his good children play a small role in the world by aiding mankind and the other good races when they can along with keeping their evil brethren in check. Ultimately the role that human worshipers of Bahamut tend to play is one of having had extended contact with the dragons and having learned from them the wisdom of their great age and distant insight. Unlike clerics of Tiamat, followers of Buhamat are generally left to their own drives and abilities to find causes for themselves. Simple prayer in private is all service that is necessary. Clergy are expected to help lead all people to live in harmony and peace with one another. Clerics and paladins who choose to worship Bahamut follow all weapon and armor dictates associated with their class as described in the character book. The holy symbol of Bahamut is a platinum/silver goblet above which sits a rune symbol. Traditional garb for a follower of Bahamut is simple clothing, though often of elaborate shinning gold and silver material. The wearing of a great deal of jewelry made from precious metal is also very common.

Lolth
Lolth is the drow goddess/demon of spiders, vengeance, conquest and just about everything else. Lolth is about as nasty as they come and has both dreams and plans of world domination that include the eradication of most races and enslavement of the others. The religious organization of Lolth's worship is very structured, but also "dog eat dog". Lolth's clerics tend to have as much personal ambition as the demon herself, and she seems to like it that way. Ultimately, the teachings of Lolth are simple. Subjugate the weak, Kill those that threaten you, and take all steps necessary to ensure that one day Lolth will rule everything. Most followers of Lolth are left to their own devious devices to this end, but rest assured that if Lolth ever feels she needs one of hers she will let them know. Followers of Lolth tend to wear a lot of black and red and like the spider motif. Clerics and paladins of Lolth follow the same restrictions placed upon typical clerics in the character book. Paladins may however use poison. Lolth has as number of "holy symbols", but all incorporate a black widow spider or the red hour glass in some way.

Vorpak
Vorpak the Destroyer. Vorpak is a god of senseless destruction and war. Vorpak is a deity worshipped primarily by ogers trolls, and an occasional giant. What exactly Vorpak is, people really don't know. Most speculate he is some king of trolls. Vorpak has no real religion or church. Some ogres and trolls turn to him and offer him sacrifice for the sake of the power he may grant them. Some of his more fanatic shaman even reach levels as high as 4th in cleric. Clerics above level 2 may only be of ogre or troll blood. Clerics of Vorpak may use any weapon or armor they desire. The religion of Vorpak is one of hate, fear and carnage. The rules in the character book preclude ogres from being clerics do not apply here. Ogers may be clerics of Vorpak, and only of Vorpak. The symbol of Vorpak is a skull broken in half.

Kaltmak and Keetma
Kaltmak and Keetma are kobold gods. In stories they are known as brothers, though stories of Kaltmak seem to go back hundreds of years before ones of Keetma. Kaltmak is known as a very powerful warrior. It is said that he himself is responsible for teaching kobolds the arts of war, ambush and pillage. Keetma is known as being the more wise and cunning of the two. An assassin and thief the likes of which unknown to kobolds. Keetma is also known as a bit of a sorcerer. kobolds often hold great services and feasts in honor of their gods, especially before and after raids and battles. There are a few shamans among kobolds that are religious leaders. They most often are normal kobolds that have lived particularly glorious lives, and past their usefulness in battle. They now relate ancient stories to the next generation, and counsel them in the ways of war and life. It is not uncommon for these ancients to manifest the divine gifts of their gods, but are by no means clerics. There are no paladins of Keetma or Kaltmak either. They accept worship only from kobolds, as such there are no plausible LRPG characters able to be clerics of them.

Guilds, Groups and Organizations

The Roen Scouts
The Roen Scouts are an elven group from Eraquathol. They are primarily a military group chosen form the most loyal and capable. The Roen scouts work primarily on their own, on long term assignments from their government and queen. Within the Roen scouts there are only about four positions of authority, all others are pretty much equals. Duties of the Roen scouts range from delivering letters to thirty year observations of groups and places. It is not unusual for groups of Roen scouts to be formed into a posse to hunt down criminals, or to serve as glorified border guards. Generally, the Roen scouts make up a corps of individuals which are better trained and more reliable who are ready and willing to go out and do what ever the ruling body feels needs to be done.

The Epissil Circle
The Epissil Circle is an elven organization that runs out of Eraquathol. It is commanded by the Emperor himself. The Epissil Circle in theory is a very tight knit intelligence organization that serves the interests of the elven government. It is generally this organization that is responsible for taking care of all the really nasty and complicated affairs of running a government in a world where magic is relatively common, and a relatively small portion of a nation's threats come from natural sources. Historically the Epissil circle has found itself involved or connected to one degree or another in almost every major happening in the civilized world. Today however, things are a bit different. The queen had died about a year ago. A new, unknown elf was appointed as emperor directly by the gods themselves. His reign lasted for only about 5 months before he resigned and disappeared. For the last three years, a human named general Dallen has been running the elven military for a reason still to be determined. Eraquathol nobility is still debating over the choosing of a new emperor from among the ruling family. Lastly, the Epissile Circle has become very involved in investigating the Silver circle. As is commonly held belief today, these two organizations have so heavily infiltrated each other, it is near impossible to tell one from the other.

The Silver Circle
An unusually noble sounding name for a secret elven society of demon worshipers. Very little is known about their origins or their goals, but many scholars now acknowledge their existence. What is known about this order is that they have a few, as of yet unidentified, members of the ruling class of Eraquathol among them. Furthermore, the few that have been captured have undergone thaumatergical processes of unknown nature that have made them demonic in appearance and ability. Attempts at exorcism affected them as if they were in fact demons rather than as if they were possessed by demons. Needless to say, members of this cult are actively being sought out by the elven government.

Ador's Passage
Ador's passage is a thieves guild that has been around for about 120 years. It was founded and is still run today by a human named Ador and his wife Marlean. Ador is said to hail from Eptu'. Marlean is rumored to be a human vampire from Lomar. Ador's passage is founded in what we would consider a very Arabian tradition. Ador's passage involves itself exclusively in the trade and smuggling of various things. As far as thieves guilds go, Ador's passage is a very honorable organization. They seldom need ever protect themselves because they have friends everywhere. They do little to upset law enforcement, and most have learned that Ador's passage is little more than a middle man. Politics within Ador's passage is very simple. There is an obvious chain of command. positions are only given by Ador. Wealth is shared by lavish gifts each member is expected to provide to the best of their ability to all those within their organization they encounter. Of all the things the members of Ador's passage require and respect are, Fulfill all of your obligations. Indulge yourself with what you have earned. Share your good fortune.

The Bane
Quite simply The Bane is little more that the world's biggest street gang. It is a thieves guild of sorts, but operates exclusively in the larger cities of Esrai. It's activities are not well organized, and hundreds of individual factions run their own operations, ignorant of what else is going on. The Bane primarily traffics in muggings, robbery, looting, protection rackets and the like. That's not to say they haven't taken a stab of one sort or another at most other criminal activities. Leadership ( or the lack of) is this group's downfall. Personal power struggles over so little as a city block often result in the deaths of the groups most enlightened and ambitious leaders. Some speculate that there is in fact some power structure within the gang that a portion of it follows serve directly. What the purpose of this leadership is, and why it has not reigned in it's troops is unknown.

The Crimson Fog
The Crimson fog is an odd organization. It appears to be half thieves guild, and half cult. The activities of this organization are rare but known in Esrai, Kesner, former Lomar and less frequently Sarka. The work of this organization is recognizable gruesome, and appears senseless. Often there is no discernible motive at all. Needless to say that it is speculated that group has some demonic influence. Occasionally a member has been apprehended, but they always die very quickly after. A rare few supposed members who were apprehended were found to be wearing crimson red ceremonial robes with odd pale yellow symbol patterns on them. The goals of this group are as yet unknown. A few speculate that no such group even exists, and that it is a typically used explanation for otherwise unrelated group of mysterious and gruesome crimes.

Eyes in the Shadow
An organization known to be able to produce any information a person might desire is the Eyes in the shadow. This organization deals exclusively in information. The eyes have seemed to have gotten into the shadows of nearly every country and city. They have no qualms about who they will deal with. They will just as likely sell information to evil cults as to the city guard. The eyes in the shadow have developed many enemies over the years. It is suspected that organizational structure of the Eyes is highly dedicated and capable. It's efficiency is incredible, suggesting a large amount of magical and clerical assistance. Angering the eyes often means that your worst enemies suddenly find out a lot about you really cheap.

The Shadow Ranks
The Shadow Ranks is about the closest thing that Seeker has to a clerical order. There are many blessed by seeker, but only those who have proven most capable are initiated into this secret society. What exactly they do or why is unknown. It is commonly speculated that they serve the Esrian gods in a variety of covert activities here on Karador.

The Order of Altruistic Power
The order of Altruistic power is the religious and controlling sect of the Esrian mages guild. In a great many ways, it runs itself like a knightly order, save for the obvious difference that all of it's upper echelon are cleric/mages. Since the time of Dermage, the Order has had a very vital role to play in the arena of Esrian politics. Currently the arch mage of the order and three of his underlings sit on the Esrian high council of Esrai. The order's primary task is protect the people of Esrai and any other country possible from the many threats that exist. It's secondary function it to keep as close an eye on the use of magic as it possibly can, and to prevent situations before they begin. All clerics of Mancier are cleric/mages, and are automatically a part of the Order of Altruistic Power.

The Brothers of Narsil
The brothers of Narsil is one third thieves guild, one third law enforcement agency, and one third religious sect. The Brotherhood started as a small clerical network devoted to the study, practice and teaching of the words of Narsil Ithlestone. Today it is headed by a secret network of his most experienced and cunning clergy. It maintains public branches in most major towns and cities. Within these branches, Thieves who the brotherhood find to meet their moral standards may be trained in their art, apply for membership, seek gainful employment, and find clerical guidance and assistance. The brotherhood takes on a number of private contracts that are always well within the law to do tasks like scouting, recovering stolen items, foiling assassination attempts, etc. The Brotherhood also works to a great degree with local law enforcement, especially in such cased where less benign guilds and organizations are involved. In some smaller towns, the brotherhood is the law enforcement agency. The Brotherhood accepts only thieves as actual members, but maintain a great number of trusted affiliates of all sorts of profession. Despite the term Brotherhood, the brothers accept both males and females. The brotherhood is primarily composed of halflings, but humans are not uncommon.

The Cult of Draco
The cult of Draco is a humanoid group that worships Tiamat. This group holds all evil dragons in a light of holy esteem as the children of their god. A small faction of this cult are fanatic and devout enough to gain a little favor from Tiamat and have minor clerical abilities. Most of the worshipers/followers of this cult are so for the same reasons that so many people in the real world join cults. A few charismatic individuals within the cult are there not out of want to venerate "their" god, but because they may use it as an engine by which their personal goals and ambitions may be fulfilled. For the most part, Tiamat and the other evil dragons are well aware of the goings on of this group. For the most part, all but the truly devote eventually find themselves used as the pawns of the dragons, or as their meal.

Servants of Twilight
The servants of twilight is a newly forming group over the last three years. This group has no structure as of yet, and is a bit akin to the new age movement. The beliefs of the group are spread by word of mouth, and by a few rather popular books. Belonging to this organization is relatively simple. Simply say you do, and express the general beliefs of the group. This belief is generally pretty simple, with a magnitude of lesser beliefs. This belief is that the world is going to end soon. Within the next few years, it will all be over, and only a rare few will survive it. Cult members often say it all started as the year changed to 55,000, and has been gaining momentum for the last couple of years. For the most part, these people are among the most intelligent and creative of the trapped lower class, needing to find something great to be a part of. A great deal of concern has been noticed lately as a few truly powerful and potent people are beginning to join this movement. When the mages and clerics started to join, people really started to get concerned.

A Brief History of the World

53,600
Religious pilgrims leave from their homes in Tzmyth across the sea to their new home to be named Flaunth.

53,800
Estimated fall of the nation of Tzmyth.

53,810
Elven capitol of Eraquathol founded. A matriarchal government is established.

53,815
The city of Sarka is established. Since it's founding it has remained unconnected, and distant from other peoples as well as seeming to be in an eternal state of siege form various unnatural forces. further attempts to even describe the odd history of Sarka will be foregone here due to a lack of ability to do it justice in this section. Not to mention that it is a very secretive place.

53,850
Human settlers begin to build in a region currently known as Essambria. Conditions are harsh, but they discover native dwarves who help them settle in and welcome them. Settlement is chaotic, and every leader with a few men under him seems to declare himself king this or lord that.

53, 851
Elves grow tired of goblin raids and declare a full fledged war against Grom.

53,852
The elf/goblin war is halted by intervention of the other fey creatures of the "elven" wood.

53,900
Two small migrant kingdoms named Esscar and Raigess settle lands around what is now knows as Amar's peek. In Essambria, the humans begin to divide up teratory, being respectful of the few above ground settlements the dwarves have.

54,100
A powerful ruler in the kingom of Raigess named Amar conquers the nation of Esscar. The new nation is called Esrai, a combination of the two names. At this time, Amar leaves his small kingdom in the hands of his brother Darkner, gathers up his 12 most trusted companions and heads east to battle the Orks who at the time lived in what we now know to Esrai.

54,111
Eraquathol is upset that after a 10 year effort to finding trading routs with their naval fleet to the north that there are none that are viable. Elven nation however does gain a good accurate map of much of the northern coast line.

54,116
Amar returns to his kingdom after destroying many tribes of orks and loosing 8 of his companions doing so. The kingdom he left is now in civil war among 5 factions because of Darkner's inept rulership.

54,118
With the promise of new teratory to the east and Amar in charge again, the reunified nation of Esrai begins a great expansion eastward.

54,122
Contact made between Esrai and various territories of Essambria. Trade of metal for crops is good.

54,166
Amar appoints a council of 12 to rule the kingdom in his absence. Amar dies and is put to rest in a tomb inside the mountain of Amar's peak.

54,168
Eraquathol forces all who are not of pure elven blood from the capitol city. In a show of complete protest nearly all halflings living there leave the nation to start their own to the south. "Hill Haven" is established, and the halflings quickly make contact and alliance with the Dwarves. This action has grave repercussions for the elves who will from this point on have difficulty obtaining metals at reasonable prices.

54,170
A unified Essambria along with several dwarven kingdoms fight a defensive war against a hoard of undead that seem to have come from the ruins of Tzmyth. Expeditions there show no evidence to support this. This war lasts for about 2 years.

54,174
After the war is over and things get back to normal in Essambria, it seems that the very factionous nation of Essambria is now pretty much divided into only 12 relatively distinguishable territories

54,182
Esrai and Flaunth make first contact. Trade and peace agreements come almost immediately.

54,187
Flaunth and Esrai sign an alliance treaty.

54,211
A powerful archmage in Esrai named Dermage forms a wizardry academy for the sake of training students and providing defenses against the orks to the east and north who are becoming powerful enough again to be a threat to the nation.

54, 214
Dermages school has formed into both the church of Mancier and the Order of Altruistic Power.

54,226
The borders of Eraquathol are completely closed for 1 year. No person is allowed to come or go. reasons are still unknown.

54,246
An incarnation of the ork god White hand named Bubonicus Leads an all out war against Esrai. The fight is all too evenly matched.

54,247
Flaunth sends a large force to aid Esrai. Great numbers of giants, ogres, trolls and even demons begin to add to the forces of the orks. Battles similar to those that once raged in Tzmyth become the rule rather than the exception.

54,248
Dermage is slain in battle by Bubonicus. Humans begin a fighting fallback south to seek refuge across the sea in Flaunth.

54, 250
Just before The remaining military makes it exodus to Flaunth, Dermage somehow returns and strikes down Bubonicus. Dermage is never seen again. Amar is said to have appeared as well and led an attack with the remaining human troops and a host of angles against the now headless ork army. This assault is devastating. Amar is gone. The tide of the war is again turned. Troops that fled to Flaunth now return to reclaim their homes.

54,253
All of what is now Esrai has been taken by the humans. The Esrian council declares that it will recognize any land that mercenaries take from the orks as their new kingdoms, regardless of social cast or bearing they previously held. .

54,254
Many conquests take place to the north. A large area now referred to as Kesner begins to take form. Esrai begins the process of recognizing and sorting out the new territorial rulers of this place. Esrai is also called upon to use it's powers to mediate the vast numbers of territorial disputes there.

54,256
The nation of Lomar is essentially purchased by a guild of wealthy merchants who hired a large mercenary army.

54,259
The borders of what is now Kesner and a large majority of the smaller territories within are settled.

54,261
Esrai engages in another political act the likes of which has seldom been seen. In a bid to attempt to increase the population dramatically, the Esrian council offers land ownership rites and a small plot of land to all male children born for the next ten years. An entire generation of land owners is born. The concept of a class system will never be the same again.

54,283
Esrai responds to a report that the orks are again raising a huge army by sending an elite force to investigate the reports, and deal with the situation if they can. The group is never heard from again.

54,311
The orks begin a new war against Esrai, Lomar and Kesner. Their massacre that follows is a symbolic gesture at best.

54,319
Hill Have engages in this first war with a large group of kobolds. Halflings are immediately successful, and the kobolds retreat before too much blood is spilt. This war is remembered as "The little war".

54,389
An manifestation of Dermage and Amar are said to have revealed themselves in a great meeting of the rulers of Esrai, Lomar and Kesner. The details of that event never became common knowledge.

54,600
A flock of enormous birds known as Roc migrate to the western border of Esrai. This new threat reeks great havoc for some time, but soon many are killed off, and others are tamed and trained to serve as mounts for the Esrian military.

54,604
A group of worshipers of Bahamut form the independent city-state of Waves edge.

54,652
The Church of Mancier, The Order of Altruistic Power and the Esrian high council commence a project to fund the education of wizards to help serve the nation.

54,961
A military stronghold belonging to Flaunth to their east declares independence. The independent city state of Escar is born

54,998
A human known as General Dallin is appointed as the military head of the Elven nation of Eraquathol.

54,999
Elven Queen disappears. Never seen from again. General Dallin is obviously the perpetrator, but divination from the gods refuse to blame him. Dallin remains in his position by decree of the gods.

55,000
An ancient relic of White Hand, a blade known as Rotmyrth, turns up in Esrai. The artifact begins a great plague that ravages Esrai. Soon the artifact is destroyed with the aid of an artifact of Nisma. The plague is eventually stopped but not until after it has done great damage.

55,001
Orks intimidate and fool the government of Lomar into allowing their troops to pass through there on their way to Esrai. Orks sack Lomar and attack Esrai. The assault is again fruitless. Esrian government renounces it's recognition of Lomar's ownership, and announces that it will recognize any who conquer it as the new rightful owners as they did with Kesner.

55,002
Current year

Deity Spell Restrictions & Bonuses

White Hand
May receive only- divine blast, saving grace, lord should I, cancel magic, fear, salvation, slay living, and rust (D).

Grumish
Clerics of Grumish may receive any and all priest spells, though they only gain half the number a normal cleric would get.

Steechus
Clerics of Steechus may receive the clerical spells that follow in addition to the entire list of mage spells. divine blast, saving grace, turn undead, cancel magic, fear, slay living,

Kleftin
May receive only blessing of health, bless, saving grace, bless, asking the lord, neutralize poison, cancel magic, salvation, dispel evil, commune, reincarnate, raise dead, slay living, mass heal, and blessed feast.

Shalshara
May receive only blessing of health, bless, lord should I, saving grace, neutralize poison, cancel magic, commune, reincarnate, hornet strike (D), barkskin (D), nature's sanctuary (D).

Reshlik
May receive only blessing of health, bless, lord should I, nature's martyr (D), barkskin (D), salvation, commune with plants (D), dispel evil, reincarnate, slay living,

Galsha
May receive only blessing of health, bless, lord should I, turn undead, healing word, neutralize poison, cancel magic, salvation, dispel evil, commune, reincarnate, raise dead, mass heal, entangle (D), one with the woods (D)

Mancier
Clerics of Mancier have assess to all mage spells and the following clerical spells: blessing of health, bless, lord should I. and raise dead.

Nisma
May receive only blessing of health, bless, lord should I, saving grace, turn undead, healing word, neutralize poison,. cancel magic, salvation, reincarnate, raise dead, mass heal, blessed feast,

Drao
Blessing of health, divine blast, lord should I, saving grace, turn undead, fear, salvation, dispel evil, slay living,

Raos
Blessing of health, bless, lord should I, saving grace, asking the lord, neutralize poison, cancel magic, commune, know the nature (D) commune with plants (D) Cipher (M), Identify (M) Fire swarm (M).

Avar
Blessing of health, bless, lord should I, saving grace, neutralize poison, cancel magic, salvation, raise dead, barkskin (D), nature's sanctuary (D), flame shield (M), spell shield (M), protection from normal weapons (M).

Tempest
May only receive blessing of health, bless, divine blast, cancel magic, fear, raise dead, hornet strike (D), entangle (D), lightning bolt (D) rust (D) fire swarm (M) and ice shards (M)

Onerus
Clerics and paladins of Onerous may choose form all and only clerical spells

Narsil Ithlestone
May receive only blessing of health, saving grace, cancel magic, cipher (M), Identify (M), knock (M) one with the woods (D) raise dead, and reincarnate.

Gatterplist Ninley
May receive only blessing of health, saving grace, cancel magic, cipher (M), Identify (M), knock (M) one with the woods (D) asking the lord, mass heal, dispel evil and commune

Moradin
May receive the following only blessing of health, bless, divine blast, lord should I, saving grace, cancel magic, salvation, reincarnate, and slay living.

Dramisdun
May receive all of but only clerical spells.

Osiris
May receive only blessing of health, bless, lord should I, dispel evil, raise dead, slay living, entangle (D), nature's martyr (D), barkskin (D), and commune with plants (D)

Horus
May receive only blessing of health, bless, divine blast, lord should I, saving grace, cancel magic, salvation, reincarnate, and slay living

Isis
May receive only blessing of health, bless, lord should I, saving grace, asking the lord, neutralize poison, cancel magic, commune, reincarnate, raise dead, know the nature (D) commune with plants (D) cipher (M), Identify (M).

Ra
Clerics of Ra may choose form all and only clerical spells

Set
May receive only divine blast, cancel magic, fear, salvation, saving grace, raise dead, slay living, commune, and blast hand (M).

Tiamat
May receive only blessing of health, divine blast, saving grace, neutralize poison, cancel magic fear, commune, reincarnate raise dead, slay living, lightning bolt (D) and ice shards (M).

Bahamut
Clerics and paladins of Bahamut may choose form all and only clerical spells

Lolth
May receive only blessing of health, divine blast, saving grace hornet strike (D), neutralize poison, cancel magic fear, commune, reincarnate raise dead, and slay living

Vorpak
May receive only blessing of health, bless, divine blast, lord should I, saving grace, cancel magic, salvation, reincarnate, and slay living,

(D) signifies that a spell comes from the druid spell selection and is available to clerics and paladins of this faith.

(M) Signifies that a spell comes from the mage spell selection and is available to clerics and paladins of this faith.

back to Jeff Vs main page