Dice Delinquents and Despots || D&D 5e Evil Campaign || - Lore

[erembore]

• The World
• The Nations
• The New Order
• The Religion

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  Oblitius is a world of many breathtaking natural sights.
  
  Its southern hemisphere is taken up primarily by the seemingly endless expanse of water that is the Vorago ocean, which spans all the way to the ice continent of Numquam, to which none dare venture save for the scarce expeditions organized by the elves of Xandeel. It is unknown why they would take the risk of exploring that harsh frozen wasteland, yet what allows them their trips is the close proximity of their nation - the Fae Islands of Xandeel. Communication between the mainland and that country has been severed for centuries, owing the elves' political doctrine of strict isolationism. However, what records are left from past travels to the islands claim that there the veil between the Material Plane and the Feywild is so thin that the latter freely bleeds into the former, creating a landscape maddening in its strange beauty.
  
  Far to the north of the Fae Islands of Xandeel rests the sole inhabitable continent on the face of Oblitius - Vehem, which takes up the entire northern hemisphere and spans cleanly from east to west, intersected only by the Imus (Lower) and Laus (Upper) inner seas, the landlocked sea of Rys and the Arx mountain range. Most importantly, this landmass houses the four great nations of this world - the human Republic of Baldurian, the human Republic of Nuarwain, the dwarven Ormedrew Union and the elven Kingdom of Libaldur. Despite all these titanic sovereign states possessing a race of majority within their population, they are all very much multicultural. This is most evident in their biggest cities, where all races mingle together and it doesn't matter where one hails from, for they have now become a citizen. City-dwellers are usually characterized by their lack of prejudice, faith and values. It is in the hearts of the nations that crime has taken its roots.
  
  The case is quite different in the countryside. Villages and small towns are scattered throughout, away from the technological and political innovations of the world. Many of them still possess obsolete rule, obsolete technologies, obsolete possessions, obsolete crafts, obsolete morals, and in some cases obsolete slang, involving unintelligible dialects and words no longer in any official dictionary. On top of that, it is not rare that one should stumble upon a tiny settlement comprised of a single race. And walking through it, if one were to be of a different "breed" than the residents, they would most likely not be welcome. Often ruled by a council of elders, villages don't take nicely to outsiders, holding on tightly to what's familiar to them, including long-lived traditions. While in the cities people have mostly given up on religion, superstition runs rampant in the less densely populated areas, resulting in shams pretending to be seers or beasts and demons putting on the pretense of false gods.
  
  What of the actual Gods of Oblitius? No one knows exactly what happened to them in the past or if they even existed in the first place. What is obvious in the present moment is that, if they were indeed once governors of this world, they have now either died or become dormant. Historical books show that centuries ago a 100-year long war was raged throughout the entire landscape. Some claim that it was instigated by the deities themselves, yet proof of that is vague and unsure. However, the consequences of that tiresome conflict are undoubted - acolytes and scholars alike have come to refer to it as the Great Madness, owing the fact that all nations seemingly participated in it without a concrete reason. Kingdoms rose and fell constantly during that time, many resources were exhausted in combat and countless lives were lost. The mourning and disheartening of the people, after years of enduring bloodshed and disease, turned into rage towards the governments. Hence, the monarchs of that time were overthrown.
  
  Despite this, some believe that the dethroning was not carried out by the common folk, but by an organized group with sinister plans for the future - what is now known as the crime syndicate, the Council of Kings.
  
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  The Republic of Baldurian is by far the largest nation in the world of Oblitius. Its territories span for miles and are home to all the different types of terrain that nature has to offer. The country's topography naturally divides it into five sections, each with their own respective capital and characteristics - the northern province Aquil, the southern province Aus, the western province Occas, the eastern province Ortus, and the central province Medie.
  
  Aquil, located closest to the northern pole, is a cold, dark corner of the world. Its landscape is littered by dense evergreen forests that progressively turn into silent and lonely tundras. The most impressive natural sight here is the landlocked hypersaline sea of Rys, which shrinks in size with each passing year. There are stories of creatures riding on flying beast living past its murky waters, yet no one actually dares go further north for fear of the animal life that has been record to populate those lands. This province is the least densely populated one, and yet it's still a vital part of Baldurian's economy, as the biggest provider of ice and salt in the world. The capital - the port city of Gilbeorn, which sits on the shores of the Laus sea - holds a monopoly over those trades.
  
  Aus is a province in stark contrast to Aquil - it is an always sunny area with a constant view of the glimmering Vorago ocean. Its landscape is comprised of vineyards, fields, meadows and wild grasslands, which turn into ancient forests only close to its borders with Medie and Ortus. This part of the country is the second in population density, seeing as many individuals are needed to maintain and work the land, which provides them with fruit, vegetables, bread and the best wine to ever grace a man's lips. Its capital, Acill, is an olden canal city with mesmerizing architecture. It serves as Baldurian's waterway link with all other countries.
  
  Occas, in comparison with the other provinces, is very much unimpressive. Its landscape is mostly taken up by mixed forests, though it does sport a series of lakes that are prized for their crystal-clear waters. The most striking feature of this area is its capital, or rather capitals - the twin cities of Renver and Raldir, homes to the finest craftsmen in the land. It is here that architects and builders reside, along with the best blacksmiths, artificers and alchemists, hired out by the government to constantly be supplying Baldurian with siege technology and innovative weaponry.
  
  Ortus is a mountainous region, and as such it provides the nation with both timber, minerals and precocious stones. In the past it used to possess an impressive mining system, though it has been abandoned for decades due to one reason - this is the area where currently Baldurian is waging war with the Ormedrew Union. The cause for this strife is simple and, unsurprisingly, fueled by greed - the small part of the Arx mountain range within the territories of the nation does not meet its want for gold. As a result, the province has become devoid of civilians, now overrun with armies, as well as lone-wolf outlaws that have taken advantage of both the lack government control, and organized crime control. The capital, Eldore, is possibly the sole unchanged stronghold, though it is a constant target of dwarfs and delinquents alike - it is, after all, a city of gold.
  
  Medie is what criminals refer to as the wastelands. Located in between the Imus and Laus inner seas, and then proceeding into the west and east respectively, its borders are strangely comprised of an ancient forest referred to as the Screaming Thicket. The vegetation there is as old as time itself, and so thick that it allows for no sunlight to penetrate through and shine upon the black earth and countless swamps. Only fools venture through this part of the nation, and those stupid enough to usually are met with their imminent demise. In the past these woods have actually served as a living defense wall for what lies beyond them - a rocky plane with close to no sentient being in sight. However, if one was to look closely on the horizon, they would witness numerous structures towering against the sky. They belong to the fortress city of Silmund, the heart and the great capital of all of Baldurian. It is in here, in this single settlement, that most of the country's people have gathered. And despite the region not being notable for any particular trade, it is the seat of the government and the place where all political decisions are made. Built on a steep hill, directly overlooking the sea, Silmund is believed to be the oldest metropolis, along with the best fortified one. Having its two defensive walls and the Screaming Thicket as protection, its way of communication with the world is via a waterway, directly connected to both Gilbeorn of Aquil and Arcill of Aus.
  
  Silmund is the most important city, both historically speaking and in the present day due to its political leverage. However, it is additionally the center of crime in Baldurian. People whisper that within its underground is where the meetings between the Council of Kings are held. One name constantly gets brought up in such hushed discussions - Navarre...
  
  
  
  
  The Republic of Nuarwain is considered by many to be a simple extension of Baldurian, seeing as the latter often will hire out people from the prior for military purposes, including in its current war against the dwarfs. The reason behind this connection between the two nations is that Nuarwain has a reputation for producing some of the finest warriors, while Baldurian possesses the funds to support armies of great proportions. The reach of the great republic goes so far into the inner affair of the smaller nation that it pretty much doesn't have sovereignty.
  
  Being a mountainous country, Nuarwain is famous for its jagged terrain, viscous wildlife, places crossing over into the Shadowfell, and solitary monasteries high above ground. Its capital, Aegmund, sports the largest organization of this type, though it has strayed far away from its traditions, going commercial and selling its members out to Baldurian with over-exaggerated promises. Still, the nation is desolate and its landscape is harsh, meaning that there are many unreachable cliffs, upon which stand seemingly abandoned castles that in fact serve to house orders, which the rest of the world has forgotten about. One such example is the enigmatic Order of the Blood Hunters, located within the infamous Fort Greycastle, which remains uncorrupted to this day, though in order to survive it does carry out occasional favors for powerful people, including the standing head of the Council of Kings.
  
  
  
  
  The Ormedrew Union is an amalgamation of three dwarven nations, each with its own capital - the mountain cities of Kromwel and Jagor each, and the port of Waladron. The majority of the Arx mountain range goes through this nation, which is the second largest in Oblitius after Baldurian. The two mighty countries have often come under alliance throughout the ages, though at the same time battles have raged between them for the unearthed riches beneath of the earth. The present is yet another period of war between them, forbidding free travel across the shared border.
  
  
  
  
  The Kingdom of Libaldur is the last remaining monarchy. While Baldurian and Nuarwain are democracies, Ormedrew is a confederacy and Xandeel is claimed to be gerontocracy, Libaldur has a ruling family from the oldest aristocratic lineage still alive in the world. Despite this at first glance impressive fact, the current head of state is thought to possess little to no actual power. Many view him as a sham that's being puppeteered from the shadows by some outside force, while his subordinates are jokingly referred to as "domesticated elves" in contrast to their brothers down south.
  
  
  
  
  The Fae Island of Xandeel comprise a nation that has restricted all travel from Vehem to its shores. While the first elves that settled there arrived from Libaldur, even communication with their land of origin has been cut entirely. No news from Xandeel reaches the mainland nowadays - the last contact with that mysterious land happened some 300-400 years ago, when supposed conspirators against its rule were exiled to the southern parts of Baldurian.
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  There have been many a dispute regarding the essence and origin of the Gods of Oblitius. Theories have constantly been thrown around in the past - maybe the Gods never existed in the first place, or they were not of a divine nature since they got forgotten so easily. Maybe they are in actually all different parts of one omnipotent being that's silently watching, or they used their worshipers in the past as vessels to draw power from so when religion lost its sway they simply went away. No matter what the truth might be regarding these entities, the general consensus is that they are either dormant or dead.
  
  However, nowadays no one even cares for that. Often people aren't even aware that there once was a heated debate on this issue in the first place. Brought up in a society where the divine simply isn't, they don't exactly know what the concept of holiness is. Consequently, the ancient pantheon has been completely wiped from history - the names of the deities have been lost, seemingly forever. Their magnificent temples have been destroyed or re-purposed to house the cities of the modern world. The last sources that held information pertaining to the Gods - religious scriptures and scrolls - were lost in heaps centuries ago during the rampage of the Great Madness. The few tomes that do remain in comparatively legible condition are in the possession of eccentric collectors that don't realize their true value and cannot decipher them, or fanatical cults that plague the land.
  
  Religious lunatics have became a vermin some years ago, and they only keep multiplying. Under an unknown incentive, foul sects sprung up around the world, practicing dark magic and grotesque rituals. Due to this, cultists became an enemy of the state and of the people, public persecution being issued out against them. In recent years it appears that the situation has been put under control, though religious extremists are still very much looked down upon and hunted.

 

[erembore]

ValkyrieRose Error 420 chaotics jaydude guys... I still haven't completed the entire lore... But, I did decide to share what necessary information I have for you all so far, since it's actually important to decide what nation your characters will hail from, seeing as that might give them some additional knowledge regarding it. Do note that the story will take off in Baldurian's capital, Silmund.