Just an update and a few sort of rambling musings

I have reached a point where I have to figure out how to transform all my notes into a more useful and detailed description, which is a lengthy process, and one that requires a lot of thought and consideration as things are now being finalized, so posts will be more infrequent. In addition I am attempting to revive my Zaidan-Tai campaign, an oriental flavoured Birthright PBEM –  there are lots of positions available if anybody is interested (hint, hint), and that will take up a lot of my time for the next little bit as well.

So, I thought I would talk a bit about designing a Birthright campaign, since that is, in effect, what I have been doing all along.

For those who don’t know what I mean by a Birthright campaign, Birthright was the setting TSR developed in which players took the role of kings and rulers of realms rather than just being adventurers. Scans of the rule books have been offered for sale/download on the dndclassics website

Now a few basic resources…

Birthright.net is an invaluable resource for all things Brithright. They have a ton of downloads, and have developed a d20 version of the rules, and rules for 4th edition, and are currently plugging away at updating the rules and setting to the new 5th edition rules.

Personally, I use a slight modification of the Ruins of Empire variant rules by Bjørn Sørgjerd. A copy of the latest complete iteration of these rules (he is working on an update) is available here in the original docx format, and here in pdf format. More information and discussion on the rule set can be found on the Ruins of Empire website.

Besides having the players be the rulers, the rules open up the possibility of a confrontational, rather than cooperative campaign. In most standard D&D settings, the players are allies, working together as a group to defeat the opponents the DM throws in their path. The Birthright setting opens up the possibility of having your players contend with each other, each controlling a rival duchy or kingdom. On top of that, the DM can introduce an encompassing storyline or plot arc that will push the players to want or need cooperate at least to some degree, or perhaps to urge them into rival camps rather than just a free-for-all.

The conflict between the centripetal pull of the story line and  the centrifugal pull of national interests makes for some very interesting and entertaining campaigns, with subtle diplomacy, devious plots, glorious crusades, and dastardly betrayals.

This sort of campaign is not easy to create. The inter-player rivalry for supremacy part is easy to achieve, just leave the players go to and it will happen. But the plot line that draws them together is trickier. Clearly there must be some threat or lure that draws the disparate lords and bishops together, but it can’t be so overwhelming or obvious as to overrule the player’s national self-interest entirely (i.e. the “stave-off-the-end-of-the-world” sort of scenario so often found in standard campaigns won’t work).

Ideally, several such overarching plot lines would be built right into the setting, which I have tried to do in Tòlanar.

There are the obvious religious ones, ranging from a Muslim expansion/Crusades sort of thing between the Triadic sects and the Ìasite sect, or a Reformation era war of religion type of campaign between the various Triadic sects. There are also several racial or political situations that could be used. For example, a campaign could be centered on the dwarven realms, with each realm vieing to reunify the dwarves under their control, all the while having to work together to stave off the encroachments of the surrounding states. Or maybe the various primitive arctic/antarctic tribes facing the invasions of the more advanced Tòlan peoples.

The next project I have for Tòlanar, is to finalize the history of the continent (at least in terms of the rise and fall of the various states). That will open up several more such potential meta plots as well.

Well that’s it for now, this post has become far longer than I had first intended, thanks for reading it all through.

Gods of Tòlanar

Sorry for the delay in making a new post, but this one took a lot of time to get the website ready to support it. I had to track down all the clerical domains and copy paste them, etc. and make all the pages for the deities (boring and repetitive!). Most of my design notes consist of spreadsheets with notes, comments, etc. so it takes a while to write it down in a presentable format. So, with that out of the way, on with today’s post

When designing my pantheon for the setting I started out by deciding what I needed out of it I came up with three criteria

1. I wanted a single pantheon with room for sectarian conflict
2. I wanted it to have a different feel than the usual male-centric pantheons
3. I wanted it to have some internal consistency

So I went looking for some inspiration (i.e I started looking up deities, etc on Wikipedia). I found the Egyptian pantheon had all the necessary ingredients, so I started researching the various deities of that mythos.

I worked out the various deities and their relationships with one another and their relevant spheres of interest, building a family tree and clerical domains, etc. and so had my pantheon. Except for the names. I didn’t want to use the original names because that would have carried too much baggage and would have inclined players to think in terms of a pharoanic setting rather than the high middle ages feel I wanted, so I had to rename them all. This step stumped me for a while till I noticed that a lot of the Wikipedia entries had an etymology section, giving the meanings of the Egyptian deities’ names. So I researched all the deities, getting the meanings of their names (I had to make up a few of them), simplified them, and then using Google Translate I translated them into a modern language (in this case Albanian, because that is the language I chose as the basis for the Uhasu in the Knovdark) and then ran them through the Chaotic Shiny Language Mixer app (using the Sibilant2 converter), and then used a little fudging to get the final names. Some of the names were sort of silly, but I figured that if we could accept deities named Obad-Hai and Weejas, we could accept a deity named È.

As explained in an earlier post, there are no separate temple networks dedicated to individual deities, but rather all temples are dedicated to the pantheon as a whole, with prayers offered up to whichever deity or deities are appropriate for the occasion.

The gods of the Yazilìan pantheon each have a particular sacred animal, and they are represented in three forms:

1. As the animal itself, which is the form preferred by the Ìasite church.
2. As an anthropomorphic (or orcomorphic) version of the animal, which is the preferred form among the Nuekìnar.
3. As a human (or elf, or centaur, or dwarf, etc.) with the head of that animal.

List of deities sorted by rank (a more detailed listing including domains is on the website):

THE GODS OF TÒLANAR

SUPREME DEITY
YAZILÌA
[ya-zil-AI-ah]
Yazilìa, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Opener”, is the supreme deity, the creator of the universe, and the particular patron of all craftsmen. His sacred animal is the lion.

QUASI-DEITIES
SUSUÙR (DEIFIED ATTRIBUTES OF THE SÈAUSU)
These entities are not actively worshipped and are more theological concepts than actual deities. They are always portrayed as pairs, a male and female aspect of the attributes of the primordial chaos out of which the universe was created. The males all have the frog as their animal and the females all have the eel. While each couple is associated with one of the four primal deities, and are referred to as the parents of that deity, this is an allegorical sort of parenthood. They are, in alphabetical order:
1. RÖIS & RUSU [ROO-is & RUH-suh]: Their names are derived from roots meaning “Hidden” or “Unseen”and they represent the hidden nature of the Sèausu, its invisibility and unknowableness. They are said to be the parents of Ìasu.
2. SUS & USURÙ [SUHS & UH-suh-ryu]: These two, whose names are derived from roots meaning “Darkness” represent the formless and lightless nature of the primordial chaos. They are considered to be the parents of Ursur
3. ŤURSILU & SURSU [thuhr-SIL-uh & SUHR-suh]: These two, whose names are derived from roots meaning “Matter” represent the primordial “waters” of the chaos, the pre-matter out of which the universe was formed. They are considered the parents of Sìas.
4. ZÈÌSURÙ & ZUSILSURÙ [zee-AI-suh-ruh & zuh-SIL-suh-ryu]: These two, whose names are derived from roots meaning “Endless” represent the eternal and infinite nature of the universe and the primordial chaos out of which it sprang. They are considered the parents of Ùs.

GREATER DEITIES
There are four greater deities in the Yazilìan pantheon, they are the first deities and the progenitors of all the others.
ÌASU
[AI-ah-suh]
Ìasu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Gladness”, is the acknowledged male ancestor of all the gods, he is also a god of fresh water (rivers, springs, etc), youth, creativity, and the patron of potters. His animal is the goat. The Ìasite sect believes he was the firstborn of the gods and that he is the reigning deity.

IRHILÙRU
[ir-HIL-yu-ruh]
Irhilùru, whose name is derived from a root meaning “nursing” is a goddess of the harvest. Her animal is the python.  The Irhilùrite sect believes that she is the reigning deity

SÌAS
[SAI-ass]
Sìas, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Sprouting”, is one of the three primal mother goddesses. She is a goddess of animal fertility (specifically of wildlife), hunting (in the sense of the chase), patriotism, siege warfare, and the granter of wishes. Her animal is the gazelle. The Irhilùrite and Syasuan Szasite sects believe she was the first born of the three great mother goddesses.

SUÙŠ
[SUH-yush]
Suùš, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Sun”, is a god of the sun, warmth, rulership and governance in general. He is the patron of kings and the creator of Relkìanèr (humans). The heron is his animal. The two Suùšite sects (Ecumenical & Autocephalous) believe that he is the reigning deity.
Parents: Ìasu & Ursur
Consorts & offspring
With Filusus: Sìasfus, Hušù, Zèrsus, Rusèur, Sazu, Nèasurù, and Ruru
Domains: Alignment, Community, Creation, Domination, Law, and Sun.

SZASU
[SZAH-suh]
Szasu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Complete”, is a god of creation and entropy, and also the setting sun. His animal is the mongoose. The Ùsian Szasite and Syasuan Szasite sects beklieve he is the reigning deity.

URSUR
[UHR-suhr]
Ursur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Weaver”, is one of the three primal mother goddesses. She is the goddess of fate, forbidden or arcane knowledge, archery and hunting (of the ambush sort), war (specifically strategy and missile troops), and the patron of both weavers and weaponsmiths. Her animal is the spider. The two Suùšite sects (Ecumenical & Autocephalous) believe she was the firstborn of the gods.

ÙS
[YUS]
Ùs, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Year”, is one of the three primal mother goddesses. She is the goddess of time. Her animal is the tortoise. She is believed to be the firstborn of the gods by the Ùsian Szasite sect.

INTERMEDIATE DEITIES
È
[EE]
È, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Dwarf”, is a god of luck, good, the arts, fertility, and the protector of households (particularly mothers and children). He is also the creator of the Ralurì (dwarves) and the Nìrurikì (halflings). His animal is the raven.

ÈHÙRUN
[ee-hyu-ruhn]
Èhùrun, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Powerful”, is a god of life, death, resurrection, and the afterlife. His animal is the phoenix.

HRÙSUS
[hur-YU-suhs]
Hrùsus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Falcon”, is a god of the daytime sky, defensive war, retribution, and protection from enemies.  The falcon is his animal.

HÙHUS
[hyu-HUHS]
Hùhus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Sky”, is a goddess of the stars and the night sky. Her animal is the goose.

HURSRUN
[HUHR-sruhn]
Hursrun, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Beautiful”, is a goddess of healing and natural beauty, particularly flowering plants. Her animal is the humming bird.

HUŤUSAR
[HUH-thuh-sahr]
Huťusar, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Existing”, is a god insects, the rising sun, and also of the rebirth of the spirit in the afterlife. His animal is the scarab beetle.

ÌA
[AI-ah]
Ìa, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Recompense”, is a god of storms, deserts, chaos, foreigners, war (specifically ambushes). He is also considered the progenitor of the Nuekìnar. His animal is the jackal.

IŠURÙ
[ISH-uh-ryu]
Išurù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Wisdom”, is a god of wisdom, knowledge, written magic and the sciences. His animal is the ibis.

RUSÈUR
[RUH-see-uhr]
Rusèur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Healer”, is a goddess of physical pleasure, dance, and the sexual aspects of love. She is also the protector of lovers. Her animal is the cat.

SAHU
[SAH-huh]
Sahu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Earth” is a god of the earth and soil, as well as the patron of brewers. The gnu is his animal

SAR
[SAHR]
Sar, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Throne”, is a goddess of health, marriage, romantic love, and primordial magic. She is also the patroness of royalty. Her animal is the meercat.

SAZU
[SAH-zuh]
Sazu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Cow”, is a goddess of beauty, fertility (particularly in females), familial happiness, maternal love, and pregnancy. She is also the protector of non-believers. The cow is her animal.

SÌASFUS
[SAI-ahs-fuhs]
Sìasfus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Distant”, is a god of war, the particular patron of armies and soldiers. His animal is the cheetah.

SYAUS
[syah-UHS]
Syaus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Emptiness”, is a god of the air, calmness, peace, and moral balance. His animal is the albatross.

UNYASRIS
[uhn-YAHS-ris]
Unyasris, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Unifier”, is a god of agriculture, fertility (of crops), healing (of diseases), hunger, robbers, wealth, and war (specifically military prowess and the granter of victory). He is also the god of protective wards of all types. His animal is the crocodile.

ZÈRSUS
[ZEER-suhs]
Zèrsus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Power”, is a goddess of war (particularly leaders and leadership in war), healing (of wounds), and the protector of leaders and rulers. Her animal is the lioness.

ZÙSUSURU
[zyu-SUH-suh-ruh]
Zùsusuru, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Priestess”, is a goddess of grief and mourners, service, laments and the night. Her animal is the kite.

LESSER DEITIES
ÈRSUS
[EER-sus]
Èrsus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Bitch”, in the sense of a female dog, is a goddess of dead, specifically a protector of the dead and against undead. She is the female counterpart of the god Hur. Her animal is the she-wolf.

FASÙHU
[fah-SYU-huh]
Fasùhu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Jaws”, is a goddess of grain and agriculture. She is the female counterpart of the god Faťur. The raven is her animal.

FAŤUR
[FAH-thur]
Faťur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Jaws”, is a god of grain and agriculture. He is the male counterpart of the goddess of Fasùhu. The raven is his animal.

FILÙRINSRU
[fil-yu-RIN-sruh]
Filùrinsru, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Awakening”, is a goddess of magic. She is the female counterpart of the god Fùn. Her animal is the dragon.

FILUSUS
[FIL-uh-suhs]
Filusus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Green”, is a goddess of fire and the protector of priests, kings, nations and women in childbirth. Her animal is the cobra.

FÙN
[FYUN]
Fùn, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Awakening”, is a god of magic. He is the male counterpart of the goddess Filùrinsru. Her animal is the dragon.

HAZARZ
[hah-zahrz]
Hazarz, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Garden”, is a goddess of spring. Her animal is the pheasant.

HRÌARSAS
[hrai-ahr-sahs]
Hrìarsas, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Slitherer”, is a god of chaos, deceit, lies, and the sea. His animal is the sea serpent.

HUR
[HUHR]
Hur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Dog”, is a god of dead, specifically a protector of the dead and against undead. He is the male counterpart of the goddess Èrsus. His animal is the wolf.

HUŠÙ
[huh-SHYU]
Hušù whose name is derived from a root meaning “Massacre”, is a goddess of death and war, said to inspire slaughters and massacres. Her animal is the tiger.

ISUSÌAS
[ih-SUH-sai-as]
Isusìas, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Traveler”, is a god of the moon, travel and travelers, and also presides over births (seen as a journey into life). His animal is the crane.

IŠUSÙ
[ISH-uh-syu]
Išusù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Virility”, is a god of fertility, specifically in males. He is considered the progenitor of the Edheledur (elves). His animal is the stallion.

IŤU
[IH-thuh]
Iťu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Water”, is a goddess of water in the form of rain or dew. Her animal is the duck.

NÈASURÙ
[nee-AH-suh-ryu]
Nèasurù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Greatness”, is a goddess of fertility in people and childbirth. Her animal is the rat.

RURU
[RUH-ruh]
Ruru, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Mother”, is a goddess of motherhood the nurturing or mothering aspects of families. Her animal is the bear.

RÙZUS
[RYU-zuhs]
Rùzus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Above”, is a god of light, freedom, and summoning magic. The eagle is his animal.

SYASU
[SYAH-suh]
Syasu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Emerging”, is a goddess of shadows, trees and mothers who have lost their children. Her animal is the vulture.

URÙHUSÙ
[uh-ryu-HUH-suh]
Urùhusù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Loyalty”, is a god of the swords and swordsmen, and is also the punisher of the guilty and protector of the innocent

UŠUSU
[USH-uh-suh]
Ušusu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Truth”, is a goddess of truth, balance, harmony, the law, justice, morality, and social order. Her animal is the Owl.

YANU
[YAH-nuh]
Yanu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Luster”, is the god of smiths and craftsmen. His animal is the bull.

ZUŠYAURÙ
[ZUSH-yah-uh-ryu]
Zušyaurù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Embrace”, is a goddess of rivers, and islands. The hippopotamus is her animal.

DEMIGODS
ARŤU
[AHR-thuh]
Arťu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Lady”, is a goddess of stealth and thieves. The puma is her animal.

HRISYUR
[HURIS-yuhr]
Hrisyur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Scribe”, is a goddess of scribes, learning, and the hard sciences) architecture, astronomy, mathematics, surveying, etc.). His animal is the swan.

HURFUSÈUS
[huhr-FUH-see-uhs]
Hurfusèus, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Musician”, is a god of music and song. His animal is the canary.

HUSURÙ
[huh-SUH-ryu]
Husurù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Silence”, is a god of executions, mounted warfare, blood, oils, wine, and perfumes. His animal is the leopard.

ISUÙ
[ih-SUH-yu]
Isuù, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Guide”, is a god of secrets, war (specifically scouts & reconnaissance), spies , and espionage. His animal is the hyena.

NUSÌAS
[NUH-sai-as]
Nusìas, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Tact”, is a god of purification and cleanliness, and also of the south. His animal is the rhinoceros.

RURUSURAS
[ruh-ruh-SUH-rahs]
Rurusuras, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Health”, is a goddess of protection against diseases and poisons. Her animal is a two-headed snake.

SAILSÈAS
[sah-il-SEE-as]
Sailsèas, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Preserver”, is a goddess who is concerned with preservation, particularly of the soul. Her animal is the elephant.

SÌAHÈUR
[sai-ah-HEE-uhr]
Sìahèur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Racer”, is a god of cold and the North. His animal is the fox.

SILNU
[sil-NUH]
Silnu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Breath”, is a goddess of venom and all things poisonous and protection against them. She is also the goddess of the undead. The scorpion is her animal.

SURHYUR
[SUHR-huy-uhr]
Surhyur, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Refreshing”, is a god of lust, greed, and the west. His animal is the secretary bird.

YASISÙN
[yah-SIS-yun]
Yasisùn, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Adoration”, is a god of the east, hunger, starvation and the patron of hopeless love. His animal is the baboon.

ZRUSU
[ZRUH-suh]
Zrusu, whose name is derived from a root meaning “Cave”, is the god of dreams, demons, and the protector of sleepers and tombs. His animal is the sphinx.

Dekmekom Weapons

Dekmekom Weapons & Equipment

Dekmekom warriors wear studded leather armour and spiked gauntlets (Romkrôkar). Blades also employ spiked bucklers (Bakriszar), while Shields use a larger bladed shields (Dremsakrerd).

Male Blades wield a sickle sword (Kekrarkvars) and a smaller sickle knife (Dràmakvars), while female Blades wield a parrying spear (Kvarkrerd) and a short stabbing spear (Draemkvàk). All Blades are also equipped with a powerful longbow known as a great bow (Srukbusam).

Male Shields wield a sickle sword and females wield the short spear.

Each triad fights as a unit, with the Shields tasked with protecting the Blade.

Weapons

Bladed Shield (Dremsakrerd [DREHM-sahk-rerd] “sword shield”): The Dremsakrerd is a medium shield with a long sword-like blade extending out in line with the forearm. Proficient users can use the weapon to attack and defend at the same time (non-proficient users cannot). It confers a +1 AC bonus against up to 3 opponents and gives a +2 to block or parry attempts.

Great bow (Srukbusam [sruk-BUH-sahm]): The Srukbusam is a powerful compound recurve longbow measuring 6′-7′ in length with a pull of 130 lbs or more. It fires large arrows over 4 feet long, which come in a number of specialized varieties.

Parrying Spear (Kvarkrerd [KVAHRK-rerd] “spear shield”): This weapon is designed for parrying, it consists of a small spiked shield attached to a short spear with a blade on either end. This is functionally a double weapon, allowing the wielder to fight with it as if fighting with two weapons. This weapon gives a +2 bonus to any attempts to block or parry, and in the hands of a proficient user it confers a +1 AC bonus against 2 opponents.

Short Spear (Draemkvàk [drah-ehm-KVAYK] “small spear”): The kvàk is a short-hafted spear with a two-foot shaft with a large, broad blade one foot long. It is used as a stabbing weapon during melee attacks.Sickle Knife (Dràmakvars [DRAY-mah-kvars] “small sword”): This is a smaller version of the Grukkvars, with a blade 25-30 cm long. Sickle Sword (Grukkvars [GRUHK-kvahrs] “large sword”: The Grukkvars has 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) blade that curves midway along its length to form a sickle-like curve. The blade is only sharpened on the outside portion of the curved end. This weapon provides a +1 inherent bonus to trip attacks.Spiked Buckler (Bakriszar [BAHK-ris-zahr] “protector”): The bakriszar is a small shield worn on the forearm. It is equipped with a spike which can be used as a weapon. Being small, it only confers a +1 AC bonus against a single opponent.

Spiked Gauntlet (Romkrôkar [rom-KROY-kahr] “hand blade”): A romkrôkar is a thick leather glove with small spikes or blades along the knuckles. Wearing a romkrôkar converts an unarmed attack into an armed attack. Monks may not use their unarmed attack bonus with these weapons. When using a romkrôkar you cannot be disarmed.

TABLE 1: Derkmekom weapon stats

Name	Type	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Bladed Shield (Dremsakrerd)	Martial Melee	15	1d6 piercing	10	Heavy Special: Proficient users can attack and get the AC benefit (others do one or the other); +1 to Knockdown in a Shield-Rush; +2 to Block; AC Benefit is +1 (+3 if proficient) vs. any 3 frontal or flank Opponents
Great Bow (Srukbsam)	Martial Ranged	75>	1d10 piercing	3	Ammunition, (Range: 150/600), heavy, two-handed
Parrying Spear (Kvarkrerd)	Martial Melee	15	1d6 Piercing	10	Finesse Special: +2 to block; acts as a small shield (+1 AC vs. 2 opponents/Rnd) for Proficient user
Short Spear (Draemkvàk)	Simple Melee	2	1d8 piercing	1	Light, Thrown (range: 20/60)
Sickle Knife (Dràmakvars)	Simple Melee	10	1d6 slashing	4	Light, finesse
Sickle Sword (Grukvars)	Martial Melee	15	1d8 slashing	7	–
Spiked Buckler (Bakriszar)	Martial Melee	3	1d3 piercing	3	Light, Finesse Special: +1 AC vs 1 opponent
Spiked gauntlet (Romkrôkar)	Simple Melee	10	1d4 piercing, bludgeoning	2	–

Image sources

Bladed Shield (Dremsakrerd): http://pre06.deviantart.net/84cc/th/pre/i/2014/032/c/6/kolfel_blade_shield_by_jrcoffroniii-d73l3dd.jpg

Longbow (Romsbusam): http://www.greatreearchery.com/viewproduct.asp?menu_id=2&category_id=1&itemtype_id=3&item_id=252&pgsize=n&t=

Parrying Spear (Kvarkrerd): http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/parrying-shield-3d-obj/163585

Short Spear (Draemkvàk): http://www.isandlwana.com/assets/gallery/weapons/assegai-spear.jpg

Sickle Knife (Dràmakvars): http://sappara.turbosquid.com/3d-Models/3ds/max/xsi/c4d/obj

Sickle Sword (Grukvars): http://longshiparmoury.deviantart.com/art/Khopesh-2-208461806

Spiked Buckler (Bakriszar): http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11473

Spiked Gauntlet (Romkrôkar): http://imgarcade.com/1/spiked-knuckle-gloves/

 

Nations of Tòlanar

Nations of Tòlanar

1. Lands of the Kavakörö
2. Realms of the Kàakö
3. Unsubdued Kuanòvod lands
4. Unsubdued Rinakèkuk lands
5. Unsubdued Aàvov lands
6. The Udramxös (Ìbarkör)
7. Galdìyar (Eternal Empire)
8. Losòmìkur (Losòm Empire)
9. Principality of Suekas
10. Kingdom of Qatarxò
11. Federation of the Legikqegò
12. Nidmolak League
13. Principality of Rudlòkolgò
14. Grand Principalities of the Sireyò
15. Grand Principality of Klakeyò
16. Dsordikit Realms
17. Laòsomì Principalities
18. Knovdark
19. Knadarkod (The Knarunate)
20. Dòkràkr
21. County of Fèol-Zaulos
22. Kingdom of Laulolru
23. Principality of Ròròak
24. Kingdom of Rìelulaos
25. High Kingdom of Awaròla
26. Kingdom of Zaulin
27. Kingdom of Mòkamhòa
28. Kingdom of Zardixas
29. Principalities of the Kùvramkar
30. Lands of the Bàxkam (Yòègisenô)

 

Nature of Religion in Tòlanar

Another issue I have with many settings is the way religious conflicts tend to be non-existent. In the real world, religion tends to be the basis of the bitterest conflicts, yet in most D&D worlds there are no such conflicts. Far too often it is just a case of crushing the evil temple. There are no pogroms, crusades, wars of religion, heresies, inquisitions, or internal strife. Another problem I have with most D&D religions is that a person’s alignment, reliability, expected actions etc. can be predicted simply by knowing which god they worship. So, with that in mind, I have setup the religions differently in Tòlanar.

What I wanted was a set up that allowed for political in-fighting within and between sects, and also one that would allow for major conflicts between the sects with the sort of depth of hatred that such schisms tend to generate in the real world. I also wanted there to be the opportunity for Cardinal Richelieu types who while privately evil are publicly seen to be respectable people.

This wasn’t too hard to set up, you just have the pantheon worshiped as a whole, rather than the individual deities, with priests being privately dedicated to one individual deity, which would dictate his ethical stances, domains, spell choices, etc. The problem is that I also wanted clerics of the same alignment, and even those dedicated to the same deity to see each other as enemies much as the Protestants and Catholics, or Christians and Muslims did. The issue is that if they are opposing each other, then how can they both get their spells from the same deity?

The solution turned out to be pretty easy, but I didn’t see it until I came across a post on Beardly’s Greenbeard Codex blog. They both get their spells because that comes from a higher entity than the deity they are dedicated to, namely the demiurge (Yazilìa). The deities that people pray to and to whom a priest will dedicate himself to are, to use Beardly’s term, “middle management”, they are not the source of the power, the demiurge is, and they are only the channels through which the demiurge’s divine power flows, just as clerics are the channels on the mortal plane.

So, with that in mind, here is the solution…

The Yazilic pantheon has 60-odd deities, each one with various, often overlapping, spheres of concern but no temples to those gods specifically; instead all the gods are worshiped together, with prayers directed to whichever deity or deities are most relevant to whatever is being prayed for, somewhat similar to the way prayers are directed to patron saints. Similar to patron saints, each temple has one of the deities as its patron, but this doesn’t affect the priesthood, though priests will tend to gravitate to temples with the same patron. This extends to priests as well, each clerical type character will have a particular deity that they have chosen as their patron, but this is not generally publicly displayed with symbols or specific garb. Rather than being priests of a given deity, they are priests of one of the theological denominations (outlined in this post). Thus there can be good and evil priests in any given temple.

The major sects are as follows.

1. Ìasite: This sect considers Ìasu to be the first god created by Yazilìa and therefore the head of the pantheon.
2. Irhilùrite: This sect considers the goddess Irhilùru to be the head of the pantheon
3. Suùšite: These sects believe that Suùš was the first deity created by Yazilìa. It is divided into two major denominations which differ on purely political grounds. The Ecumenical Suùšite church claims that the Primate of Lausòem, who they call the Arch-Primate, is the supreme head of church, and the various Autocephalous Suùšite sects reject this claim and hold that each Primate is co-equal.
4. Szasite: Both of these sects consider Szasu to be the head of the pantheon, but they differ in their reasoning. The The Ùsian church holds that Ùs is the senior of the Triad, and that the divine authority passes through her to her son Szasu, and thus on to his descendants. The Syasuan Szasite sect, like the Irhilùrite sect, believe that Sìas is the senior of the Triad, but they hold that it is Syasu, not Irhilùru, who is the senior of Sìas’ two daughters, and that the authority therefore passes to her son (Szasu) through her, rather than through her consort Suùš.
5. Yazilite: Consider Yazilìa to be the only true deity and all the others to be lesser beings subservient to him.

Within each of these major sects, there exist sub-sects which differ doctrinally from the main sect on similarly obscure grounds, for example, within the Ìasite sect there are sub-sects based on which of the primary goddesses was the first born, or which of Ìasu’s children was born first, etc. These sub-sects are generally seen as heretical and are usually suppressed by the dominant sect.

Languages of Tòlanar

In Tòlanar there are a large number of languages and dialects. They can be divided into three families (Dsòrkitan, Nònòkurku, and Tòlan) and 6 language isolates (Èòilger, Hòarlslè, Kö, Nukavul, Šiš, and Tòversxrir).

Each of these is further detailed on the Tòlanar site.

Language Rules (5E) — updated for Beardly

LANGUAGE RULES

As on earth, the languages of spoken in Tòlanar can be classified into various phylogenetic families. For the purposes of the game, these families are divided into Branches, Groups, and Complexes. The individual languages themselves can be subdivided into dialects which can be grouped into clusters of closely related dialects. The linguistic classification tree is shown below.

Family

A. Branch

1. Group

a. Complex

1) Language

A) Cluster

a) Dialect

Not all levels will be present in any one language’s classification, which means that there is no differentiation at that level. For example all the languages in a linguistic family that has no branches listed are considered to be of the same branch, and languages within a branch that has no listed groups are all considered to be part of the same group, and so on.

Where a language is listed as having dialects, a character is assumed to learn either the local dialect or the “standard” dialect of that language, if that language has one (not all do).

When a character learns a language, he is assumed to be at least functionally fluent in that language and generally will not have to make an ability check when talking unless the character is attempting something beyond normal speech, such as trying to influence an audience, understand a complex or esoteric subject, pass as a native, read lips, eavesdrop, etc.  The Ability on which the check is based will be determined by exactly what task is being attempted, for example Charisma will be used of oratory and Intelligence for understanding an obscure passage in an ancient tongue and so on. As well, a Check is required when attempting to speak a language in which the Character is not proficient. The following table gives some rough guidelines.

TABLE 1: Sample Language Tasks

Task	Difficulty	DC
Ask for directions, express greetings and farewells, say, “I don’t understand,” “I like,” and “I don’t like,” describe colors, etc.	Very easy	5
Carry out a full conversation with a native speaker as long as the topic of discussion is straightforward. Identify a speaker of a language known to the character by their accent.	Easy	10
Speak and understand the language as well as a native, although with an obvious accent, or identify the native language of the speaker of a language not known to the character (or the native dialect of a known language) by accent.	Medium	15
Understand technical topics, esoteric poetry, and similarly complex linguistic areas, speak with only a slight accent, or identify the native dialect of a speaker of a language not known by the character by accent.	Hard	20
Speak the language so fluently that even native speakers cannot identify you as a foreign speaker unless they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC 15). If the listener is familiar with your native language, the DC falls to 10. In terms of the extent or speed of the character’s comprehension, success at this level of difficulty in a language does not differ from full professional-level proficiency.	Very hard	25

 

If the language in question is the character’s native language (or equivalent – see Improving a Language below), then the relevant ability check is modified by a +10. When trying to communicate in a language with which the character doesn’t have skill, the check is modified by how closely related the language in question is to a language the character speaks as follows:

TABLE 2: Language Task Modifiers

Target language is…	Mod1
Dialect in the same dialect cluster	-1
In a different dialect cluster of the same language	-3
In the same complex	-10
In the same group	-15
In the same branch	-20
In the same family	-25
In a different family	-302

1. These modifiers stack with the Native Language bonus, so a character trying to communicate in a language in the same group as his native language would have a total modifier of -5.
2. The Native Language bonus does not apply to languages in a different linguistic family.

Learning a language.

According to the section on page 187 of the 5E PHB, to learn a language a character must first find a teacher (any proficient speaker or specific group of proficient speakers will do as long as the character has regular daily access to them for a number of hours) and then spend 250 days learning the language. As this number is somewhat arbitrary and does not fit nicely into the Tòlan calendar, for this setting it requires 240 days or 8 months (this change applies to learning any new skill or set of tools). If the character is in an area where the language is commonly spoken and he has the exposed to it and has the opportunity to speak it on a daily basis then the time required is reduced to 6 months (180 days). Learning a language is progressive, and a character will learn it gradually over time as shown in the following table.

TABLE 3: Progress Learning a Language

Days1	Mod	Days1	Mod	Days1	Mod
0 (0)	-30	90 (45)	-19	180 (90)	-8
30 (15)	-26	120 (60)	-15	210 (105)	-4
60 (30)	-23	150 (75)	-11	240 (120)	0

1. The number in parentheses is used when the character has both a teacher and is in an area where the character has daily exposure to the language.

Note: If the process is interrupted and the character does not have the opportunity to use the language daily, then the process effectively reverses and the character loses proficiency as time passes.

Improving a language

If a character spends a second 240 day period learning a language (in this case the character needs only a teacher or to be in a place where the language is commonly spoken; however the time required is not reduced unless the character has both ) then the character gets a +5 bonus when using that language.

If the character spends a third such period learning the language, then he is considered to speak it like a native and so gets the +10 native language bonus in that language. As with learning a language, this is a gradual process and the bonuses are gained incrementally over time as shown below.

TABLE 4: Progress Improving a Language

Days1	Mod2	Days1	Mod2
30 (15)	±0(+5)	150 (75)	+3(+8)
60 (30)	+1(+6)	180 (90)	+3(+8)
90 (45)	+1(+6)	210 (105)	+4(+9)
120 (60)	+2(+7)	240 (120)	+5(+10)

1. The number in parentheses is used when the character has both a teacher and is in an area where the character has daily exposure to the language.
2. The number in parentheses gives the modifier gained during the third training period.

Note: Unlike with the initial learning period, this process does not reverse if interrupted, and the character can break the time into blocks as long as each block of time is a full 30 days (or 15 if both a teacher and daily exposure are available).

Hybrids & Half-breeds or Holy Miscegenation batman!

In order for the meta political milieu to function the various rulers need to marry foreigners at times, and so the list of viable hybrid races needs to be expanded beyond the usual Half-Elf and Half-Orc.

So, in the Tòlanar setting the following races can interbreed: Bugbears, Dwarves, Elves, Goblins, Halflings, Hobgoblins, Humans, Orcs, & Orogs.

Basic stats for the crossbreeds can be found here: Half-Bugbear, Half-Dwarf, Half-Elf, Half-Goblin, Half-Halfling, Half-Hobgoblin, Half-Orc, Half-Orog. All of these are very generic, except for the Halfling one, which has each variety of half breed detailed separately, which will have to be done for the other races.

I have not decided yet if all of these races can interbreed with all the others or not yet, but humans and orcs certainly can, as can all the goblinoids with each other. In addition male minotaurs can interbreed with female humans, the result always being a minotaur.

 

 

Tòlan Calendar

The Tòlan calendar is based around the moon and tides. It consists of 13 months called “moons” of 30 days, each with two 15 day periods called “tides”. The months are simply numbered (First moon, Second moon, Third moon, etc.). The tides are named after the general weather or agricultural tasks common for them in the northern temperate zone; they are, in order: Brightening, Warming, Thawing, Flowing, Lambing, Calving, Sprouting, Budding, Flowering, Stinging, Grazing, Fattening, Haying, Winnowing, Ripening, Reaping, Milling, Smoking, Brewing, Hewing, Storing, Turning, Storming, Darkening, Freezing, Snowing.

The following graphic shows the general seasons during each month/tide.

Seasons of Tòlanar by climate zone

The days are numbered One-day, Two-day, Three-day, etc. Dates are given using either the Moon or the Tide, for example the 17^th day of the first month could be expressed as either Seventeen-day of First Moon, or as Two-day of Warming Tide.

Years are numbered from the supposed date of creation, so the current year would be the 7050^th year since creation. Formally years are calculated by year, decade, century and era. Years them selves are named Year followed by the number of the year in that decade (Year One, Year two, year Three, etc.). The Decades and centuries are simply numbered (First Decade, Third Century, etc.). An era is 500 years long and each is named after it ends, with the current era being referred to as the current era. So the current year (7050) is: Year ten of the 4th decade of the 1st century of the current era.

The eras before the current one are named for some prominent event or characteristic, though these names are not universally agreed upon, and different areas will use different era names. This lack of uniformity in the names of the eras causes no end of difficulty in historical research, etc., and so in scholarly circles the eras are also numbered (First Age, Second Age, etc.). By this usage the current era is the 14^th age.

Note. The Tòlan calendar is 390 days long and published calendar for Cerilia (or at least the one on Birthright.net) is only 388 days long. I went with the 390 days because I wanted the calendar to be different, but there really was no other arrangement of months, etc. (12 months of 32 days & 4 intercalary days) that works for 388 days.

Seasons

The seasons are defined by Wikipedia as follows:

Early spring (Prevernal): Deciduous tree buds begin to swell. Migrating birds fly from winter to summer habitats.

Spring (Vernal): Tree buds burst into leaves. Birds establish territories and begin mating and nesting.

Summer (Estival): Trees in full leaf. Birds hatch and raise offspring.

Late summer (Serotinal): Deciduous leaves begin to change color. Young birds reach maturity and join other adult birds preparing for autumn migration.

Autumn (Autumnal): Tree leaves in full color then turn brown and fall to the ground. Birds migrate back to wintering areas.

Winter (Hibernal): Deciduous trees are bare and fallen leaves begin to decay. Migrating birds settled in winter habitats.

Hot: Average monthly precipitation less than 60 mm (2.4”), and average daily temperatures over 30°C (86 °F).

Wet: Average monthly precipitation between 60 mm (2.4”) and 100 mm (4”).

Monsoon: Average monthly precipitation over 100mm (4”).

Dry: Average monthly precipitation less than 60 mm (2.4”).

What “feudalization” looks like

In my previous post I mentioned wanting a highly feudalized setting, and I figure an example of what I mean might be in order.

The accompanying map shows the nation of Zaulin

Holdings of the noble families of Zaulin

 

The shades of green indicate the various branches of the royal family, the darker the higher in the order of succession. And as can be seen, the King of Zaulin holds land in the neighbouring kingdom of Laulolru.