09-05-2016, 08:51 AM
This is not the complete list but...
All Nations/Factions/Religions
The Aboleth
The Ilithid Combine
The Apologists
Seekers of the Fire
The Frontier:
Truth of Moradin
Assassin’s Guild
The Wavefarers
The Drodenzie Family:
The Drodenzie Family is a wealthy Dwarven noble household that specializes in the transport, oversight, and payment of most mercenary brigades within Central, Northern and Eastern Logasior. They have a few branches up and down the east coast of the subcontinent, each specializing in fitting and arming a different particular ‘brand’ of mercenary fighter. Long ago, the Drodenzie family had aspirations of ruling the then fragmented tribal fiefdoms of The Shining Frontier, but this vision was put to the halt when an attempted siege on Gurn’Gedat failed miserably.
Cowed, the then ruling family of House Gunnur, in an attempt to placate the unruly Drodenzies, offered a compromise of instating them as a noble household with their own lands. In exchange, and to this day, The Shining Frontier can call upon the Drodenzie family in times of martial need to raise them a mercenary army very quickly and very effectively.
The services of the Drodenzies are not exclusive to feuding Dwarven Households, however. They are well known as honing and subcontracting adventurers to various Logasior aristocrats who desire to have a Hero of their own. Though the Drodenzies no longer seek to rule The Shining Frontier in the same absolute fashion as they used to, they are still very active in Frontier politics, and have a large say in the country’s military operations.
Sinjai:
The nation of Sinjai tries its best to be benevolent and accommodating to the hard working lives of its constituent commoners. It is a large kingdom known primarily for its dedication to agriculture and the sciences. The cultural outlook is very positive and eager, with a sense of national curiosity that welcomes foreigners in the hopes of learning new things from distant lands. Even the most bucolic of grain farmers has a thirst for knowledge, if even just for practicality’s sake.
Sultaness Senkentadrassa is a psionic bronze dragoness who very much has a respect for her position within the enlightened society of Sinjai. She is a great patron of the arts and culture, and is well loved by her people. Despite this, she has no problem using Sinjai’s significant political clout to muscle and squeeze other nations in line with Sinjai’s goals.
Aside from growing its ever-flowing prosperity, Sinjai is currently occupied with a long term goal of establishing centers of learning and book publishing all across its lands. It is an infrastructure and logistics heavy endeavor, but one that Senkentadrassa hopes will lead to unmatched literacy and intelligence in even the most basic of peasants.
To do sustain this industry, Sinjai has started making aggressive forays into the Feydom, in the interest of keeping a steady supply of wood-pulp available for book-making. This, naturally, makes for a lot of friction with Feydom natives.
Aside from that, Sinjai also hopes to settle land disputes with Keldren Osst to the north, which have been contested for well over two-hundred years. The stolid, unmoving People of Frost are slowly if not begrudgingly being subsumed into the cultural invasion of Sinjaish settlers. Though Sinjai is inherently passive, that does not preclude any desire for consistent expansion.
The Secret Circle
The Secret Circle is an enclave of clandestine entrepreneurs and powermongers who seek to subvert the nearly utopian landscape of Sinjai into a capitalist’s dream. The head of this movement is an enigmatic figure by the name of “The Broker”, who is, in reality, a truly ancient Aboleth by the name of Xhazlbulib. Though putting on the auspices of being a ruthless capitalist, its real goal is to use Sinjai as a sort of incubator for the return of The Aboleth Empire.
The Secret Circle, or rather, Xhazlbulib’s, plan involves instilling a sense of cultural greed within the people of Sinjai, so they will be more receptive to a growing militaristic bent that The Aboleth seeks to plant within the duchies of Senkentadrassa’s government. Xhalbulib is patient, and over the next few centuries, plans to turn Sinjai into the most war-hungry, aggressive nation in Logasior.
Already, progress has been made at the highest levels of Sinjai’s government, with naive officials being easily lured into the machinations of the secret circle. Drest Nakai, once fully dedicated to the pursuits of the mind, is slowly turning into an unstoppable machine of commerce.
The University of Drest Nakai
Though The University of Drest Nakai values knowledge and the pursuit of intellect just as much as any other institute in Sinjai, it differs from the standard national ethos in that they greedily hoarde all of Logasior’s greatest thinkers and knowledge within their gilded hallways. Hiding beneath a veneer of prestige and cultural paternalism, The University’s reach spreads far and wide across Logasior, much in the same way that Sinjai’s crops do. Though the University’s Main campus is located in Drest Nakai, their base of power is located in Neshtai, on Key Island. It was the University that petitioned the Sinjai government to purchase Key island from the Sapphire Expanse, and it is an investment that has paid off handsomely.
As of current, The University of Drest Nakai has just about managed to suffocate or subsume every other higher learning institute in Logasior, to the point where it has campuses in almost every single one of the mainland nations. It is the hope of the University Council that all scholarly pursuits will one day fall under the purview of The University. Being that they are generally seen as a force of good within the land, there are few who think to contest their almost unmatched rise to supremacy.
Their current goal is to try and gain control of The Azure Citadel within the Sapphire Empire, so that they can claim dominion over the last great school of knowledge that has heretofore been beyond their utter control: Magic.
Sapphire Empire:
The Sapphire Empire is in an era of declining greatness. Gone are the days when its name carried connotations of fear and mystery. Having been humbled at the hands of some of the most legendary names in Logasior almost two centuries ago, The Sapphire Empire struggles to remain relevant in and age where peace and technological progress prevail. Though it still maintains a thriving magic and gem-mining economy, the financial health of the Empire is not as great as it used to be.
Though the Azure Citadel and We’Darastri remain unquestionably loyal to Suzerain Theredax, the rest of the Empire is, essentially, in anarchy. It has created a sense of great distrust and disillusionment within the halls of the High City, and desperation floats on the wings of angry accusations and blame.
Theredax, despite being young for a Suzerain, is keenly aware that the times may require extreme measures. Though Bastion has not made any overtly hostile maneuvers into Empire borders, Theredax highly suspects such an incursion is not far off. He preoccupies all of his days managing his network of spies and agents in Bastion to try and plumb for any information of this nature. Though resources are scarce, he has plans to try and bolster the Imperial Fleet as much as possible, suspecting that any attempted invasion by the Humans would come from the sea, seeing as incursions into the desert would put them at a severe disadvantage against the acclimated locals.
The Azure Citadel:
Gone are the days when the great Suzerain kings of the Blue Dragon dynasties roamed the wind-worn halls of the Azure Citadel. Though the towering sandstone structure has long been repaired after the Great Sundering two-hundred years ago, the mental and emotional scars of its arcane occupants have not been so easily healed.
Though The Azure Citadel still holds sway in Logasior as the most prestigious arcane college in the land, the declining popularity of magic as a vocational pursuit is putting even the legendary status of this august establishment at risk. Suzerain Theredax spends almost all of his time in We’Darastri, keeping a close eye on the affairs of the greater empire, and no longer funds the operations of The Citadel with his personal hoard, unlike previous Suzerains.
This forces the Citadel to be much more involved with the world around it than it used to be. Archmage Arkinian regularly hires out his scholars and arcane researchers to points all over Logasior, just to keep the Citadel’s most important experiments and operations funded. All in all, the Azure Citadel is a much more lonely place than it used to be. The Archmage’s only hope is that The Citadel can stand under its own weight until the current depression passes.
The Shalaha Tribe:
The Shalaha Tribe, (Shalaha being the desert dwarf the word for violent storms stemming from the plume of the Charred Vault) previously a rabble of disorganized raiders and bandits, has unified in the absence of a strong Imperial hand, and now has almost absolute control over the northern reaches of the Sapphire Empire. They are ruled by a Stone Giant Lord by the name of Foosk Omnanta, and have a constituency of all of Logasior’s spurned and rejected citizens. They relish the chances to attack convoys travelling in from the Gulf coast, and up through the reaches of the Oath mountains.
The Sapphire Empire is acutely aware of the threat they post to national stability, but their unseated style of ruling and guerilla tactics make it difficult to pin them down and crush them definitively. Worse still, an increasingly large number of Empire soldiers are defecting to the Shalaha in light of the fact that their payment is substantially less than what it used to be. Foosk promises large tracts of land to some of the more notable defectors, allowing them to become their own minor warlords with total rule over the land granted to them.
The only thing that really prevents the Shalaha tribe from being its own official ranked nation is the fact that its bloody infighting and lack of a central system of administration make it too unstable in the long run. Foosk is no fool, however, and is considering appealing to Bastion for outside help in mitigating the sum of his vast potential forces. King Hardwolf, though loathe to work with bandits and murderers, does not dismiss the idea outright.
The Handalan Nomads:
Unlike their Shalaha counterparts, the Handalan Nomads are a relatively peaceful if not highly martial group of wanderers that trek across the Sapphire Desert and the western reaches of Bastion in the interest of scavenging and looting many of the ancient ruins that used to be under the direct supervision of the Suzerains of the Sapphire Empire. Though they are just as much thieves and opportunists as the Shalaha, they differ in that they prefer not to impose on the well-being of others, if it can be helped.
Slowly migrating from ruin to sand-blasted ruin, the Handalan Nomads maintain a centralized culture of shamanism and pay tribute to Obad-Hai. They are well known to be specialized dragon-slayers; a specialty borne of necessity, seeing as how the blue dragon population of The Sapphire Desert has gone rampant in the absence of a firm, ruling hand. Though they are reluctant to leave their familiar lands, the Handalan have been known to hire out fragments of their forces to those who need brave souls to slay great beasts.
Deepwood:
The Domain of Deepwood is emblematic to the majority of Logasior as the pinnacle of urbane restraint and modesty. They do not seek to expand their borders, and they do not seek to undermine the power of those around them. Deepwood is, and always has been, concerned with the refinement of its own internal affairs; a self-preoccupation that the nation can afford thanks to its natural defenses.
Reveren of nature in the extreme, the Domain of Deepwood keeps a tight control on the cultural outlook of its citizens, and goes so far as to employ Druids as the heads of law-enforcement cartels. The legal system in Deepwood is allowed to self-govern, for the most part, which works out to be surprisingly effective in a land where most of the terrain is still choked with heavy forestation.
Deepwood is one of the few nations that is not even slightly beholden to Sinjai for its own foodsource, thanks to the ingenious work of its Halfling natives. As such, Deepwood holds no great agenda, nor secret plans for its future. It is simply content to watch the prosperity of its populace grow more and more. It does, however, always desire to shore up its already near-impregnable defenses.
The Ashen Council:
The Ashen Council is a robust group of druids and naturally-inclined citizens of Deepwood who unite under the ideals of preserving and living within nature. They are a deeply devout organization that is ruled by a central circle of eight druids, which itself is headed by the Primordial Druid.
Many confuse the Ashen Council as the central force of the Domain’s government, but in reality, the Dragon King Thelldrenalokan simply defers to their judgement in almost all matters. Though it is the Domain’s wish that the cultural purity of the Domain be kept intact, it is the Ashen Council that possess the means and knowledge of how to impose such strict moralism on the Domain’s citizens.
They do so enthusiastically with the assistance of using the very natural world itself as their eyes and ears. Animals, plants, and even the earth itself sends whispers of the populace’s thoughts back to the druidic seers of the Ashen Council. Though the Council is mostly loyal to the Domain’s wishes, they have been known to act on their own authority in response to arcane intelligence materials. For the most part, this has to do with suppressing local Kenku rebellions, but the Primordial Druid Ulsensethe, and elf of well over 800 years, has secret plans to eventually incorporate the Domain of Deepwood into the greater expanse of the Feydom, which already encroaches on the Domain’s borders. Ulsensethe is a childhood friend of Aasandredastriox, and is actually a loyal agent of the Fey Dragon’s.
The Braid of Yew
The Brain of Yew is a well-loved and highly public organization of druids and other natural arcanists who travel the lands of Deepwood and beyond, helping people beset by the ravages of nature and helping them learn to coexist and work with their environment, rather than be beholden or domineering over it. They emphasize the concept of symbiosis, and it is this doctrine that allows them to overcome the natural obstacles set in front of them.
They despise necromancy in any form, and to a larger extent, arcane magic, which they feel is just another way of exploiting the natural world. The Braid of Yew are not pacifists, but they do endeavor to uphold peace and unity within the communities they assist. To that end, though, they have been known to be a tad too presumptive with their authority, especially in lands outside of Deepwood. This usually leads to them being seen as a nuisance by official organizations, but to the common person, they are well received.
One of their larger ongoing projects is to try and break what they believe to be a curse over the Silent Wastes in the borderlands between Keldren Osst and The Frontier. The soil is perpetually nutrient poor, and very few things can exist naturally in this demi-tundra, despite such flora and fauna flourishing in the northern reaches of Sinjai.
The Braid of Sycamore
The Braid of Sycamore is an offshoot of The Braid of Yew, after a philosophical impasse drove the two sides of the faction in separate ways almost five hundred years ago. Whereas the Yew Braid has a symbiotic approach to living with nature, the Braid of Sycamore has a supplicant view. They revere the living planet, even over Obad-Hai himself, to be a thinking, breathing entity that they are but mites to.
They are naturalists in the extreme, often forgoing clothing, modern amenities and even written language in the interest of holding their natural roots dear. They are predatory and savage, behaving more like animals in the face of danger than humanoids, and are even known to sometimes resort to humanoid sacrifices and cannibalism.
They are seldom mentioned in the streets of Deepwood, more often considered a national embarrassment and children’s boogeymen more than anything else. Very few outside of Deepwood are even aware of their existence, though this should not mean they are to be underestimated. The Braid of Sycamore is allegiant to the Elementals, the first sentient beings in creation, and as such, can call upon the fiercest and most ancient powers in The World when they need to. The Braid of Sycamore seeks to undermine civilized living and encourage (if not force) commoners to revert to primal ways of life.
The Kenku-She
The Kenku-She is, for the most part, a clan of Kenku who are native to the hills of Deepwood who resist against the ethically oppressive Druidic rule. Over time, however, other races and towns have come to join their secretive ranks in the preference of living their lives the way they feel the need to. It is not as though the Kenku-She inherently disagree with the policies of The Ashen Council; they also are fond of simple, agrarian lifestyles. The discerning factor is that Deepwood would force this ideology on anyone who seeks to live an independent life.
Kenku Philosophy emphasized free-agency and independence above all things; and ethos that is reflected in the way Kenku-She carries out its guerilla operations against the Ashen Oppressors. They are premier experts in the ways of stealth and deception, and many people flock from all over Logasior just for the privilege of being taught the ways of the covert agent by the Kenku Masters.
The Kenku-She is not, however, well received by communities who do not align with them. They are seen as thieves and murderers, who opportunistically exploit weaknesses in the jurisdiction of Deepwood. This is not entirely untrue, but the motives behind such attacks are more nuanced than most people would prefer to believe. Also contrary to popular belief, Kenku-She and the Assassin’s Guild of Gurn’Gedat have a long standing rivalry as to who are the best infiltrators and killers in Logasior. They do not cooperate even in the slightest.
The Feydom:
Asandredastriox’s Court holds a majority of the sway over all tribal interaction and policy within the confines of the Feydom. It is by her decree that the forest is totally isolated and repels all incursions into its shaded depths. Asandredastriox is the absolute oldest dragon still living in Logasior, and the Gold Dragon queen still hails from a long tradition of wisdom keepers from the first age. She is aware of the true nature of the Aboleth and the Ilithids, and views the above ground world as a place that needs protecting from their dark ravages.
To that end, she keeps the Feydom safe from all interlopers, even those who are not under the direct influence of these ancient horrors. Though several of the Feydom tribes resent her rule, they respect her authority and the intent behind her strict rule. Currently she seeks to incorporate the Domain of Deepwood into the Feydom, a move which some of her loyal followers question as being too imperialistic.
The Whispering River Tribe:
Native to the northern reaches of the Feydom, the Whispering River Tribe is one of the few Feydom tribes who are allowed to interact with the Bald Lands. Their central village is centered around the Runtete River, which feeds the Clutchling Falls, the famous waterfalls of Deepwood. They specialize in living and fishing along the powerful rapids of the river, and they are adept kayak and canoe navigators.
The Whispering River Tribe tends to be the most modernized of the Feydom tribal states
The Watchful Moon Tribe
The Eternal Children of Oak
Dreamers of the Land
The Wolf Clan
The Sylvan Light Bringers
The Motes of Obad-Hai
The People of the Elements
Ereb Taure:
The Godless
The Nénharma Dynasty
The Bloodkin of Corellon
Bastion:
The Lupin Paladins
The Holy Inquisitors
The Family of Man
Keldren Osst
The Ice Eaters
The Court of Nønheld
The Court of Nibia
The Court of Penderünter
The Court of Askjall
Helvanya:
The Lindler Family
The Duchie of Ondrasker
The Hedrink Fiefdom
The Innerland Baronies
The Saltbloods
Minox Cretas:
The Shell Horns
The Sons of Minos
The Grath Gang
Saskirn:
The Blackscale Pirates
The Jundee Company
The Army of Shadow (Krupensha)
The Army of Darkness (Peldhenreean)
The Army of Gloom (Nebgreedo)
Lolthlothren:
The Enlightened Darkness
RELIGIONS
Bahamutio:
Origin: Late Second Age
Practitioners: Good Dragons. Non-Dragon worship is tolerated, but disliked.
Chief Deities: Bahamut, Io, Tiamat
Doctrine: Temper strength with wisdom and ambition with compassion. Oppose the thralls of Tiamat.
Bahamutio is the religion of metallic dragons and their allies, and the guiding principles that both protect themselves and others from the ravages of evil dragons across Logasior. Though they are benevolent, most practitioners of Bahamutio are strict, and abide little divergence from the Platinum Path. More patience is shown to non-dragon worshippers, however. Though Bahamutians do pay due respect to Io as their creator, reverence for the Alldragon extends no further than small tributes.
Dôbarism:
Origin: Late Fifth Age
Practitioners: Northern Gedatten, Frost Dwarves, Helvanites
Chief Deities: Moradin, Ioun
Doctrine: Protect the sanctity of The World, and strive to follow in Moradin and Ioun’s
foosteps of enterprise, dedication to craft, and pursuit of a stronger self.
Dôbarism initially started as a semi-heretical sect of Geshudin, who, though they
revered Moradin the same as Geshudinists, idolized his aspects as a god of Creation, rather than the god of Dwarves. The religion fully diverged when Ioun, who was revered as having similar traits to Moradin, was incorporated into Dôbarist worship.
Draconicism:
Origin: Late Second Age
Practitioners: Dragonborn, Kobolds, Lizardfolk, etc.
Chief Deities: Io, Bahamut, Tiamat
Doctrine: To venerate and serve dragonkind, and ensure their supremacy
Draconicism came about after the first dragon scourge, when monstrous races and many others began to worship not only the draconic gods, but dragons themselves, as divine beings who deserved to inherit The World. Alignment and morality do not factor in to Draconicism; to serve dragon kind is to serve the True Gods, ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
Druidism:
Origin: Early Second Age
Practitioners: Widespread, but concentrated in Deepwood
Chief Deities: The Natural World itself, but sometimes tribute is paid to Ehlonna or Obad-Hai
Doctrine: Protect and guide the natural world, and in turn, it will protect and guide you.
Though Druidism takes many flavors across the span of Logasior, the core beliefs and practices are still largely the same. Wildlife, forests, and even things like mountains and rivers fall under the reverence and protection of Druids. Not all druids are divine spellcasters; most are simply servitors of the natural order.
Geshudin
Origin: Early Second Age
Practitioners: Most Dwarves and Gedatten citizens.
Chief Deities: Moradin
Doctrine: Venerate the Father of the Dwarves by doing great works in His name, and seeing to the prosperity of dwarf-kind.
Geshudin differentiates itself from straight worship of Moradin by its adherence to the idea that Dwarves are the true inheritors of The World. Though this used to manifest as powerful xenophobia, Geshudin has since smoothed out its exclusionist dogma and now emphasizes community, family, and working for a common cause
Gwiliki
Origin: Middle Second Age
Practitioners: Kenku, Southern Deepwooders
Chief Deities: Air Elementals, Djinni, Avian Spirits
Doctrine: Live free from the shackles of the world, and strive to fly on your own wings. Never be bound, and serve only because you want to.
Gwiliki is the religioun of the Kenku people native to Deepwood. Between venerating denizens of the Plane of Air in general, the Kenku also pay tribute to the spirits of many native birds of Logasior. Gwiliki believers believe that independence is the key to an enlightened existence, and inherently encourages rebellion against oppressive forces. Over time, aspects of druidism have seeped into Gwiliki as well, and a general respect and love of the natural world is upheld as well.
Tiamatio:
Origin: Late Second Age
Practitioners: Evil Dragons. Tribute is often demanded from thralls, but outright worship
is forbidden.
Chief Deities: Tiamat, Io, Bahamut
Doctrine: Pursue and ensure the domination and proliferation of dragonkind at all costs.
Tiamatio was the second religion to come out of the Scouring of the Dragons, usually taken up by the chromatic dragons who want power and wealth beyond imagining. Conquest, fear, strength and violence are all tools to Tiamatians, and the religion as a whole brings normally infighting evil dragons together to form terrifying causes. Io is revered much more highly in Tiamatio than he is in Bahamutio, and Bahamut is just as often referred to as the Great Betrayer than by his given name.
All Nations/Factions/Religions
The Aboleth
The Ilithid Combine
The Apologists
Seekers of the Fire
The Frontier:
Truth of Moradin
Assassin’s Guild
The Wavefarers
The Drodenzie Family:
The Drodenzie Family is a wealthy Dwarven noble household that specializes in the transport, oversight, and payment of most mercenary brigades within Central, Northern and Eastern Logasior. They have a few branches up and down the east coast of the subcontinent, each specializing in fitting and arming a different particular ‘brand’ of mercenary fighter. Long ago, the Drodenzie family had aspirations of ruling the then fragmented tribal fiefdoms of The Shining Frontier, but this vision was put to the halt when an attempted siege on Gurn’Gedat failed miserably.
Cowed, the then ruling family of House Gunnur, in an attempt to placate the unruly Drodenzies, offered a compromise of instating them as a noble household with their own lands. In exchange, and to this day, The Shining Frontier can call upon the Drodenzie family in times of martial need to raise them a mercenary army very quickly and very effectively.
The services of the Drodenzies are not exclusive to feuding Dwarven Households, however. They are well known as honing and subcontracting adventurers to various Logasior aristocrats who desire to have a Hero of their own. Though the Drodenzies no longer seek to rule The Shining Frontier in the same absolute fashion as they used to, they are still very active in Frontier politics, and have a large say in the country’s military operations.
Sinjai:
The nation of Sinjai tries its best to be benevolent and accommodating to the hard working lives of its constituent commoners. It is a large kingdom known primarily for its dedication to agriculture and the sciences. The cultural outlook is very positive and eager, with a sense of national curiosity that welcomes foreigners in the hopes of learning new things from distant lands. Even the most bucolic of grain farmers has a thirst for knowledge, if even just for practicality’s sake.
Sultaness Senkentadrassa is a psionic bronze dragoness who very much has a respect for her position within the enlightened society of Sinjai. She is a great patron of the arts and culture, and is well loved by her people. Despite this, she has no problem using Sinjai’s significant political clout to muscle and squeeze other nations in line with Sinjai’s goals.
Aside from growing its ever-flowing prosperity, Sinjai is currently occupied with a long term goal of establishing centers of learning and book publishing all across its lands. It is an infrastructure and logistics heavy endeavor, but one that Senkentadrassa hopes will lead to unmatched literacy and intelligence in even the most basic of peasants.
To do sustain this industry, Sinjai has started making aggressive forays into the Feydom, in the interest of keeping a steady supply of wood-pulp available for book-making. This, naturally, makes for a lot of friction with Feydom natives.
Aside from that, Sinjai also hopes to settle land disputes with Keldren Osst to the north, which have been contested for well over two-hundred years. The stolid, unmoving People of Frost are slowly if not begrudgingly being subsumed into the cultural invasion of Sinjaish settlers. Though Sinjai is inherently passive, that does not preclude any desire for consistent expansion.
The Secret Circle
The Secret Circle is an enclave of clandestine entrepreneurs and powermongers who seek to subvert the nearly utopian landscape of Sinjai into a capitalist’s dream. The head of this movement is an enigmatic figure by the name of “The Broker”, who is, in reality, a truly ancient Aboleth by the name of Xhazlbulib. Though putting on the auspices of being a ruthless capitalist, its real goal is to use Sinjai as a sort of incubator for the return of The Aboleth Empire.
The Secret Circle, or rather, Xhazlbulib’s, plan involves instilling a sense of cultural greed within the people of Sinjai, so they will be more receptive to a growing militaristic bent that The Aboleth seeks to plant within the duchies of Senkentadrassa’s government. Xhalbulib is patient, and over the next few centuries, plans to turn Sinjai into the most war-hungry, aggressive nation in Logasior.
Already, progress has been made at the highest levels of Sinjai’s government, with naive officials being easily lured into the machinations of the secret circle. Drest Nakai, once fully dedicated to the pursuits of the mind, is slowly turning into an unstoppable machine of commerce.
The University of Drest Nakai
Though The University of Drest Nakai values knowledge and the pursuit of intellect just as much as any other institute in Sinjai, it differs from the standard national ethos in that they greedily hoarde all of Logasior’s greatest thinkers and knowledge within their gilded hallways. Hiding beneath a veneer of prestige and cultural paternalism, The University’s reach spreads far and wide across Logasior, much in the same way that Sinjai’s crops do. Though the University’s Main campus is located in Drest Nakai, their base of power is located in Neshtai, on Key Island. It was the University that petitioned the Sinjai government to purchase Key island from the Sapphire Expanse, and it is an investment that has paid off handsomely.
As of current, The University of Drest Nakai has just about managed to suffocate or subsume every other higher learning institute in Logasior, to the point where it has campuses in almost every single one of the mainland nations. It is the hope of the University Council that all scholarly pursuits will one day fall under the purview of The University. Being that they are generally seen as a force of good within the land, there are few who think to contest their almost unmatched rise to supremacy.
Their current goal is to try and gain control of The Azure Citadel within the Sapphire Empire, so that they can claim dominion over the last great school of knowledge that has heretofore been beyond their utter control: Magic.
Sapphire Empire:
The Sapphire Empire is in an era of declining greatness. Gone are the days when its name carried connotations of fear and mystery. Having been humbled at the hands of some of the most legendary names in Logasior almost two centuries ago, The Sapphire Empire struggles to remain relevant in and age where peace and technological progress prevail. Though it still maintains a thriving magic and gem-mining economy, the financial health of the Empire is not as great as it used to be.
Though the Azure Citadel and We’Darastri remain unquestionably loyal to Suzerain Theredax, the rest of the Empire is, essentially, in anarchy. It has created a sense of great distrust and disillusionment within the halls of the High City, and desperation floats on the wings of angry accusations and blame.
Theredax, despite being young for a Suzerain, is keenly aware that the times may require extreme measures. Though Bastion has not made any overtly hostile maneuvers into Empire borders, Theredax highly suspects such an incursion is not far off. He preoccupies all of his days managing his network of spies and agents in Bastion to try and plumb for any information of this nature. Though resources are scarce, he has plans to try and bolster the Imperial Fleet as much as possible, suspecting that any attempted invasion by the Humans would come from the sea, seeing as incursions into the desert would put them at a severe disadvantage against the acclimated locals.
The Azure Citadel:
Gone are the days when the great Suzerain kings of the Blue Dragon dynasties roamed the wind-worn halls of the Azure Citadel. Though the towering sandstone structure has long been repaired after the Great Sundering two-hundred years ago, the mental and emotional scars of its arcane occupants have not been so easily healed.
Though The Azure Citadel still holds sway in Logasior as the most prestigious arcane college in the land, the declining popularity of magic as a vocational pursuit is putting even the legendary status of this august establishment at risk. Suzerain Theredax spends almost all of his time in We’Darastri, keeping a close eye on the affairs of the greater empire, and no longer funds the operations of The Citadel with his personal hoard, unlike previous Suzerains.
This forces the Citadel to be much more involved with the world around it than it used to be. Archmage Arkinian regularly hires out his scholars and arcane researchers to points all over Logasior, just to keep the Citadel’s most important experiments and operations funded. All in all, the Azure Citadel is a much more lonely place than it used to be. The Archmage’s only hope is that The Citadel can stand under its own weight until the current depression passes.
The Shalaha Tribe:
The Shalaha Tribe, (Shalaha being the desert dwarf the word for violent storms stemming from the plume of the Charred Vault) previously a rabble of disorganized raiders and bandits, has unified in the absence of a strong Imperial hand, and now has almost absolute control over the northern reaches of the Sapphire Empire. They are ruled by a Stone Giant Lord by the name of Foosk Omnanta, and have a constituency of all of Logasior’s spurned and rejected citizens. They relish the chances to attack convoys travelling in from the Gulf coast, and up through the reaches of the Oath mountains.
The Sapphire Empire is acutely aware of the threat they post to national stability, but their unseated style of ruling and guerilla tactics make it difficult to pin them down and crush them definitively. Worse still, an increasingly large number of Empire soldiers are defecting to the Shalaha in light of the fact that their payment is substantially less than what it used to be. Foosk promises large tracts of land to some of the more notable defectors, allowing them to become their own minor warlords with total rule over the land granted to them.
The only thing that really prevents the Shalaha tribe from being its own official ranked nation is the fact that its bloody infighting and lack of a central system of administration make it too unstable in the long run. Foosk is no fool, however, and is considering appealing to Bastion for outside help in mitigating the sum of his vast potential forces. King Hardwolf, though loathe to work with bandits and murderers, does not dismiss the idea outright.
The Handalan Nomads:
Unlike their Shalaha counterparts, the Handalan Nomads are a relatively peaceful if not highly martial group of wanderers that trek across the Sapphire Desert and the western reaches of Bastion in the interest of scavenging and looting many of the ancient ruins that used to be under the direct supervision of the Suzerains of the Sapphire Empire. Though they are just as much thieves and opportunists as the Shalaha, they differ in that they prefer not to impose on the well-being of others, if it can be helped.
Slowly migrating from ruin to sand-blasted ruin, the Handalan Nomads maintain a centralized culture of shamanism and pay tribute to Obad-Hai. They are well known to be specialized dragon-slayers; a specialty borne of necessity, seeing as how the blue dragon population of The Sapphire Desert has gone rampant in the absence of a firm, ruling hand. Though they are reluctant to leave their familiar lands, the Handalan have been known to hire out fragments of their forces to those who need brave souls to slay great beasts.
Deepwood:
The Domain of Deepwood is emblematic to the majority of Logasior as the pinnacle of urbane restraint and modesty. They do not seek to expand their borders, and they do not seek to undermine the power of those around them. Deepwood is, and always has been, concerned with the refinement of its own internal affairs; a self-preoccupation that the nation can afford thanks to its natural defenses.
Reveren of nature in the extreme, the Domain of Deepwood keeps a tight control on the cultural outlook of its citizens, and goes so far as to employ Druids as the heads of law-enforcement cartels. The legal system in Deepwood is allowed to self-govern, for the most part, which works out to be surprisingly effective in a land where most of the terrain is still choked with heavy forestation.
Deepwood is one of the few nations that is not even slightly beholden to Sinjai for its own foodsource, thanks to the ingenious work of its Halfling natives. As such, Deepwood holds no great agenda, nor secret plans for its future. It is simply content to watch the prosperity of its populace grow more and more. It does, however, always desire to shore up its already near-impregnable defenses.
The Ashen Council:
The Ashen Council is a robust group of druids and naturally-inclined citizens of Deepwood who unite under the ideals of preserving and living within nature. They are a deeply devout organization that is ruled by a central circle of eight druids, which itself is headed by the Primordial Druid.
Many confuse the Ashen Council as the central force of the Domain’s government, but in reality, the Dragon King Thelldrenalokan simply defers to their judgement in almost all matters. Though it is the Domain’s wish that the cultural purity of the Domain be kept intact, it is the Ashen Council that possess the means and knowledge of how to impose such strict moralism on the Domain’s citizens.
They do so enthusiastically with the assistance of using the very natural world itself as their eyes and ears. Animals, plants, and even the earth itself sends whispers of the populace’s thoughts back to the druidic seers of the Ashen Council. Though the Council is mostly loyal to the Domain’s wishes, they have been known to act on their own authority in response to arcane intelligence materials. For the most part, this has to do with suppressing local Kenku rebellions, but the Primordial Druid Ulsensethe, and elf of well over 800 years, has secret plans to eventually incorporate the Domain of Deepwood into the greater expanse of the Feydom, which already encroaches on the Domain’s borders. Ulsensethe is a childhood friend of Aasandredastriox, and is actually a loyal agent of the Fey Dragon’s.
The Braid of Yew
The Brain of Yew is a well-loved and highly public organization of druids and other natural arcanists who travel the lands of Deepwood and beyond, helping people beset by the ravages of nature and helping them learn to coexist and work with their environment, rather than be beholden or domineering over it. They emphasize the concept of symbiosis, and it is this doctrine that allows them to overcome the natural obstacles set in front of them.
They despise necromancy in any form, and to a larger extent, arcane magic, which they feel is just another way of exploiting the natural world. The Braid of Yew are not pacifists, but they do endeavor to uphold peace and unity within the communities they assist. To that end, though, they have been known to be a tad too presumptive with their authority, especially in lands outside of Deepwood. This usually leads to them being seen as a nuisance by official organizations, but to the common person, they are well received.
One of their larger ongoing projects is to try and break what they believe to be a curse over the Silent Wastes in the borderlands between Keldren Osst and The Frontier. The soil is perpetually nutrient poor, and very few things can exist naturally in this demi-tundra, despite such flora and fauna flourishing in the northern reaches of Sinjai.
The Braid of Sycamore
The Braid of Sycamore is an offshoot of The Braid of Yew, after a philosophical impasse drove the two sides of the faction in separate ways almost five hundred years ago. Whereas the Yew Braid has a symbiotic approach to living with nature, the Braid of Sycamore has a supplicant view. They revere the living planet, even over Obad-Hai himself, to be a thinking, breathing entity that they are but mites to.
They are naturalists in the extreme, often forgoing clothing, modern amenities and even written language in the interest of holding their natural roots dear. They are predatory and savage, behaving more like animals in the face of danger than humanoids, and are even known to sometimes resort to humanoid sacrifices and cannibalism.
They are seldom mentioned in the streets of Deepwood, more often considered a national embarrassment and children’s boogeymen more than anything else. Very few outside of Deepwood are even aware of their existence, though this should not mean they are to be underestimated. The Braid of Sycamore is allegiant to the Elementals, the first sentient beings in creation, and as such, can call upon the fiercest and most ancient powers in The World when they need to. The Braid of Sycamore seeks to undermine civilized living and encourage (if not force) commoners to revert to primal ways of life.
The Kenku-She
The Kenku-She is, for the most part, a clan of Kenku who are native to the hills of Deepwood who resist against the ethically oppressive Druidic rule. Over time, however, other races and towns have come to join their secretive ranks in the preference of living their lives the way they feel the need to. It is not as though the Kenku-She inherently disagree with the policies of The Ashen Council; they also are fond of simple, agrarian lifestyles. The discerning factor is that Deepwood would force this ideology on anyone who seeks to live an independent life.
Kenku Philosophy emphasized free-agency and independence above all things; and ethos that is reflected in the way Kenku-She carries out its guerilla operations against the Ashen Oppressors. They are premier experts in the ways of stealth and deception, and many people flock from all over Logasior just for the privilege of being taught the ways of the covert agent by the Kenku Masters.
The Kenku-She is not, however, well received by communities who do not align with them. They are seen as thieves and murderers, who opportunistically exploit weaknesses in the jurisdiction of Deepwood. This is not entirely untrue, but the motives behind such attacks are more nuanced than most people would prefer to believe. Also contrary to popular belief, Kenku-She and the Assassin’s Guild of Gurn’Gedat have a long standing rivalry as to who are the best infiltrators and killers in Logasior. They do not cooperate even in the slightest.
The Feydom:
Asandredastriox’s Court holds a majority of the sway over all tribal interaction and policy within the confines of the Feydom. It is by her decree that the forest is totally isolated and repels all incursions into its shaded depths. Asandredastriox is the absolute oldest dragon still living in Logasior, and the Gold Dragon queen still hails from a long tradition of wisdom keepers from the first age. She is aware of the true nature of the Aboleth and the Ilithids, and views the above ground world as a place that needs protecting from their dark ravages.
To that end, she keeps the Feydom safe from all interlopers, even those who are not under the direct influence of these ancient horrors. Though several of the Feydom tribes resent her rule, they respect her authority and the intent behind her strict rule. Currently she seeks to incorporate the Domain of Deepwood into the Feydom, a move which some of her loyal followers question as being too imperialistic.
The Whispering River Tribe:
Native to the northern reaches of the Feydom, the Whispering River Tribe is one of the few Feydom tribes who are allowed to interact with the Bald Lands. Their central village is centered around the Runtete River, which feeds the Clutchling Falls, the famous waterfalls of Deepwood. They specialize in living and fishing along the powerful rapids of the river, and they are adept kayak and canoe navigators.
The Whispering River Tribe tends to be the most modernized of the Feydom tribal states
The Watchful Moon Tribe
The Eternal Children of Oak
Dreamers of the Land
The Wolf Clan
The Sylvan Light Bringers
The Motes of Obad-Hai
The People of the Elements
Ereb Taure:
The Godless
The Nénharma Dynasty
The Bloodkin of Corellon
Bastion:
The Lupin Paladins
The Holy Inquisitors
The Family of Man
Keldren Osst
The Ice Eaters
The Court of Nønheld
The Court of Nibia
The Court of Penderünter
The Court of Askjall
Helvanya:
The Lindler Family
The Duchie of Ondrasker
The Hedrink Fiefdom
The Innerland Baronies
The Saltbloods
Minox Cretas:
The Shell Horns
The Sons of Minos
The Grath Gang
Saskirn:
The Blackscale Pirates
The Jundee Company
The Army of Shadow (Krupensha)
The Army of Darkness (Peldhenreean)
The Army of Gloom (Nebgreedo)
Lolthlothren:
The Enlightened Darkness
RELIGIONS
Bahamutio:
Origin: Late Second Age
Practitioners: Good Dragons. Non-Dragon worship is tolerated, but disliked.
Chief Deities: Bahamut, Io, Tiamat
Doctrine: Temper strength with wisdom and ambition with compassion. Oppose the thralls of Tiamat.
Bahamutio is the religion of metallic dragons and their allies, and the guiding principles that both protect themselves and others from the ravages of evil dragons across Logasior. Though they are benevolent, most practitioners of Bahamutio are strict, and abide little divergence from the Platinum Path. More patience is shown to non-dragon worshippers, however. Though Bahamutians do pay due respect to Io as their creator, reverence for the Alldragon extends no further than small tributes.
Dôbarism:
Origin: Late Fifth Age
Practitioners: Northern Gedatten, Frost Dwarves, Helvanites
Chief Deities: Moradin, Ioun
Doctrine: Protect the sanctity of The World, and strive to follow in Moradin and Ioun’s
foosteps of enterprise, dedication to craft, and pursuit of a stronger self.
Dôbarism initially started as a semi-heretical sect of Geshudin, who, though they
revered Moradin the same as Geshudinists, idolized his aspects as a god of Creation, rather than the god of Dwarves. The religion fully diverged when Ioun, who was revered as having similar traits to Moradin, was incorporated into Dôbarist worship.
Draconicism:
Origin: Late Second Age
Practitioners: Dragonborn, Kobolds, Lizardfolk, etc.
Chief Deities: Io, Bahamut, Tiamat
Doctrine: To venerate and serve dragonkind, and ensure their supremacy
Draconicism came about after the first dragon scourge, when monstrous races and many others began to worship not only the draconic gods, but dragons themselves, as divine beings who deserved to inherit The World. Alignment and morality do not factor in to Draconicism; to serve dragon kind is to serve the True Gods, ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
Druidism:
Origin: Early Second Age
Practitioners: Widespread, but concentrated in Deepwood
Chief Deities: The Natural World itself, but sometimes tribute is paid to Ehlonna or Obad-Hai
Doctrine: Protect and guide the natural world, and in turn, it will protect and guide you.
Though Druidism takes many flavors across the span of Logasior, the core beliefs and practices are still largely the same. Wildlife, forests, and even things like mountains and rivers fall under the reverence and protection of Druids. Not all druids are divine spellcasters; most are simply servitors of the natural order.
Geshudin
Origin: Early Second Age
Practitioners: Most Dwarves and Gedatten citizens.
Chief Deities: Moradin
Doctrine: Venerate the Father of the Dwarves by doing great works in His name, and seeing to the prosperity of dwarf-kind.
Geshudin differentiates itself from straight worship of Moradin by its adherence to the idea that Dwarves are the true inheritors of The World. Though this used to manifest as powerful xenophobia, Geshudin has since smoothed out its exclusionist dogma and now emphasizes community, family, and working for a common cause
Gwiliki
Origin: Middle Second Age
Practitioners: Kenku, Southern Deepwooders
Chief Deities: Air Elementals, Djinni, Avian Spirits
Doctrine: Live free from the shackles of the world, and strive to fly on your own wings. Never be bound, and serve only because you want to.
Gwiliki is the religioun of the Kenku people native to Deepwood. Between venerating denizens of the Plane of Air in general, the Kenku also pay tribute to the spirits of many native birds of Logasior. Gwiliki believers believe that independence is the key to an enlightened existence, and inherently encourages rebellion against oppressive forces. Over time, aspects of druidism have seeped into Gwiliki as well, and a general respect and love of the natural world is upheld as well.
Tiamatio:
Origin: Late Second Age
Practitioners: Evil Dragons. Tribute is often demanded from thralls, but outright worship
is forbidden.
Chief Deities: Tiamat, Io, Bahamut
Doctrine: Pursue and ensure the domination and proliferation of dragonkind at all costs.
Tiamatio was the second religion to come out of the Scouring of the Dragons, usually taken up by the chromatic dragons who want power and wealth beyond imagining. Conquest, fear, strength and violence are all tools to Tiamatians, and the religion as a whole brings normally infighting evil dragons together to form terrifying causes. Io is revered much more highly in Tiamatio than he is in Bahamutio, and Bahamut is just as often referred to as the Great Betrayer than by his given name.
And, we dream of home I dream of life out of here Their dreams are small My dreams don't know fear I got my heart full of hope I will change everything No matter what I'm told How impossible it seems We did it before And we'll do it again We're indestructible Even when we're tired And we've been here before Just you and I
Don't try to rescue me I don't need to be rescued
Don't try to rescue me I don't need to be rescued