[Game Thread] Collaborative Worldbuilding: Ethereal Lands

[HotsuSama]

COLLABORATIVE WORLDBUILDING THREAD
THE ETHEREAL LANDS

NOTICE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS Although I'm still around, I'm maintaining less direct control over things here. The most current compilation of Ethereal Lands info is in writelite's impeccable compilation: An Overview of the Ethereal Lands

 

 

BOROS MAJOR AND THE BOROS DOMINION
A central region dominated by the Boros cultural bloc, with the Brackenridge as the eastern coastline.

Name	Type	Summary	References
Boros Major	Settlement	Ancient city on the Brackenridge Coast with dominion over the towns designated 'Minor'.	Brackenridge Coast, The Boros Major Oligarchy, Boros Major Engineer's Guild, Brakenridge Tidal Caves, the Boros Major temporal phenomenon
The Howling Gorge	Landmark	A fissure south of Boros Major, made from volatile magic.	the Boros Major temporal phenomenon, magic-blighted creatures
Orphan Point (Carapace Minor)	Landmark	A rocky peninsula home to Carapace Minor.	Howling Gorge expeditions, magic-blighted creatures, Carapace Minor
Port Carapace Minor	Settlement	A small but vital seaside establishment.	Carapace Minor, Festival of the Devilfish, The Ashari Morning
Festival of the Devilfish	Event	An annual festival in Carapace Minor founded upon local superstition.	Port Carapace Minor, The Devilfish myth, Water Goddess Falishta-rah, Water Goddess Falishta-asha, The Ashari Morning
The Ashari Morning	Event	A phenomenon that follows the Festival of the Devilfish.	Port Carapace Minor, Festival of the Devilfish
The Timeless Tree	Landmark	A tree at the end of the Howling Gorge that marks the centre of a magical storm.	The Howling Gorge, the Boros Major temporal phenomenon
Enstead Minor	Settlement	An affluent town closely aligned to the Boros oligarchs.	Boros Major, Boros Major Oligarchy, bourgeois merchant council, Enstead Minor guardsmen
Brightwood	Landmark	A large forest bordering the Boros Dominion, notorious for its deep magic.	The Howling Gorge, mana-blighted creatures, mana-blighted flora
Brightwood Oak	Flora	The remarkable trees of Brightwood.	Brightwood
Engineer's Guild of Boros Major	Faction	An influential guild operating within Boros Major.	Boros Major, the Boros Major temporal phenomenon, The Guildmaster Anan
Brakenridge Tidal Caves	Landmark	A system of caves near Boros Major prized for its smuggling opportunities.	Boros Major, the Boros Major black market, Boros Major black market runners
Cyrus Mancer	Person	A Boros Major oligarch and head of Mancer Trading Co.	Boros Major, Boros Major Oligarchy, Boros Major Docks District, Mancer Trading Co., Brakenridge Coast pirates
Aelith Minor	Settlement	A small town near Boros Major.	Boros Major, Boros Major Oligarchy, Aelith Minor guardsmen, Boros Major Eastern Highway
The Inn of the Sleeping Centaur	Building	An Aelith Minor establishment.	Aelith Minor, The God of Hospitality Gestristnus, the dream-rousing ale receipt, Boros Major, Dolpat Lythgren (person), Jilyth Bilwant (person), the Boros Major Tide Street Orphanage, Gennara Stonebread (person), Samford Bullcrow (person)
The Southern Pike	Building	A tower maintained by Boros Major, tasked to overlook Venus Sanctum.	Venus Sanctum, the guardsmen of the Pike, The Windbreaker, the signal chain of the pike, Carapace Minor, Veilo Raccelle
Veilo Raccelle	Person	The veteran elven commander of the Southern Pike.	The Southern Pike, Harpies
Ostelia, of the Oceans and Night Sky	Lore	A legend of the ocean's creation from Carapace Minor.	Carapace Minor, Brackenridge Coast
Penrith Reas III and Eudora Reas	Person	A high society oligarch couple in Boros Major with a strong banking business.	Boros Major, Boros Major Oligarchy,
Apa Ezlu Minor	Settlement	An island community and thriving port town of Zeth ancestry, recently (and reluctantly) brought into the Boros Dominion.	Boros Major, Strait of Keppana, The Broken Throne, Zeth, merfolk
The Bright Dawn	Lore/Deity	An account of a metaphysical bubble within Brightwood that may be the womb of a new god.	Brightwood, mana-blighted creatures
Kala'kash Minor	Settlement	A port town that administers Borosian jurisdiction over the Kin of Kalai, a collection of elven tribes.	Boros Major, Basnet River, Kin of Kalai, Wyerdvuud, Vul (God of Magic).
The Howling Gorge and the Timeless Tree	Lore	Rumours on the nature of the most volatile magical area in the Ethereal Lands.	Howling Gorge, Timeless Tree, Ouda, nature of magic

THE EASTERN SEA
A vast sea dangerous to navigate, with many unexplored islands.

Name	Type	Summary	References
The Broken Throne	Landmark	An archipelago off Orphan Point, home to the Zeth culture.	Orphan Point, the Zeth tribes, god Keppana
Strait of Keppana	Landmark	Dangerous waters off Orphan Point.	Orphan Point, The Broken Throne, twin moons Pluton and Bancon, low tides lunar event
No Man's Sanctuary	Settlement	A hidden and lawless town within the Broken Throne.	The Broken Throne, the Sanctuary's cave system, the Sanctuary's illusion wards
The School of Keppana	Race	The merfolk of the Broken Throne, a religious civilisation that still devotes itself to a slumbering god.	Merfolk, Zeth, Broken Throne, Keppana, Falishta-rah
Thick-Blood Alchemy	Lore	A merfolk magical art that brings one closer to Falishta-Rah, to plunge themselves into the deepest depths of the ocean and change themselves.	The Broken Throne, The School of Keppana, Falishta-Rah, Falishtu-unna (thick-blood alchemy), Zeth.
Nistalta	Settlement	A secretive underwater city encased by a crystalline dome.	Nistalta, merfolk, Underdark, jewellery trade

THE CENTRAL REGIONS
The valleys and grasslands between the northern mountains and the southern highlands, specifically the Lei Valley and Fellund.

Name	Type	Summary	References
Oveil-on-the-Lei	Settlement	An economically powerful independent city-state west of Boros Major.	Boros Major, the Lei River, Shellengeist, Brightwood, The Rot, the Oveil-on-the-Lei textile production near-monopoly, The Oveillian Arbiter (monarch of the city), the Eternal Guild of Oveil-on-the-Lei
The Lei Valley	Landmark	A river valley strewn with abandoned villages; the cause of their vacancy is a mystery.	Oveil-on-The-Lei, River Lei, silver mines
Morton Freed	Settlement	The last hamlet that is inhabited inside the Lei Valley	The Lei Valley, Boros Major, The Boros Major Oligarchy, the Emerald Skeleton
Fellund, and the Thri-keen of the Steppes	Landmark/Race	The grasslands west of the Lei Valley, currently seeing an influx of displaced thri-keen making the southern reaches a new home.	Eddazeth Mountains, Shellengeist, Lei River, the 'underground ocean' (Sea of Solemnity), Nethervale, thri-keen
The Grass Tide and Rosenstock	Landmark/Settlement	A strip of moving grassland between Fellund and The Desert, home to the most southwesterly settlement of Fellund.	Fellund, and the Thri-keen of the Steppes, Astabelle 'The Mad Rose-Witch', The Desert of Seven Eyes.
The Spineless Ones	Race/Lore	An ancient invertebrate race magically hidden underneath the Fellund grasslands	Fellund, Fellund's underground ocean (Sea of Solemnity), Fellund's dolmen circles, the Progenitor Species (plural), Fellund's hallowed earth, Princess Shaheelashar of the Spineless Ones, the magical law of Fellund's underground ocean (Solemnity's Law)
Solemnity	Lore	The fabled underground sea of Fellund.	Fellund, Fellund's dolmen circles, Nethervale, Edge of the World

THE NORTHERN WILDERNESS
A rough and rural landscape that extends to the tundra of the far northern coastline.

Name	Type	Summary	References
Casmore	Settlement	A free city constantly plagued by internal tensions.	the River Basnet, Lake Bredden, the Casmore salt mines, Casmore winesteads, the Casmore plague, the tyrant Lord of Casmore, Casmore's anti tyrant faction, the Casmore Grand Temple, the Casmore city watch, the Casmore Temple Knights, the tourneys of the Festival of Draezeth
Eddazeth Mountains	Landmark	A mountain range home to religious sites, druidic tribes and potentially dwarves.	Casmore, Lake Bredden of Casmore, Eddazeth Mountains landslides, The Mount of Silence (mountain), forgotten temple of the Mount of Silence, deep dwarves of the western Eddazeth Mountains, the Circle of Stones druids, the Casmore plague, mana-blighted creatures
Welkominn	Event	An ephemeral people or curse encountered by Orcish loggers in the northern forests of the Wyerdvuud.	the Wyerdvuud, the orcish loggers of the Wyerdvuud
Krugg's Rise, Kruggend Keep and Mhulgend Pass	Landmark	A pass surrounded by rocky ridges between the Lei River and Casmore, and claimed by Casmore through Kruggend Keep.	Casmore, Casmore Temple Knights, Eddazeth Mountains
On The Subject of Glasspinners	Lore/Fauna	An opinionated missive about the study on the subject of the mysterious glasspinner species and the dangers thereof	glasspinner colonies, the final colony exodus event, professor Wunim Thunderstout, Brightenai
The sixth Arcanist Eternal	Person/Lore	One Arcanist Eternal that had her sanctum inside the western reaches of the Eddazeth Mountains	The Arcanists Eternal, the Pantheon of the Ethereal Lands, the spell of immortality, Sora Stargazer, the Eddazeth Mountains, the Starcaller's Valley, the fallen star of Starcaller's Valley
The Saltmarshes	Landmark	A hostile but profitable region north of Basnet River, between the Eddazeth mountains and the eastern ocean.	Casmore, the Eddazeth Mountains, the River Basnet, the Casmore salt mines, Casmore's salt trade, the Brine Geysers of the Saltmarshes
Wyerdvuud	Landmark	the vast and primal woodlands north of the mountains, inhabited by orcs, elves, the troll-like Vled'javi, and ephemeral spirits.	Wyerdvuud, Hyperion trees, orcish republic (Ok-hom Republic), elves (Kalai), forest spirits, Welkominn

SHELLENGEIST AND SURROUNDS
The highlands that separate the fecund central regions from the arid south.

Name	Type	Summary	References
Shellengeist	Landmark	A region of highlands holding many secrets.	Brightwood, the Grassy Steppes, Desert of Seven Eyes, Shellengeist weather phenomenon, The Timeless Tree, the Shellengeist 'Blackstone Tower' myth
Bonaville	Settlement	An independent town surrounded by hostile and mysterious terrain.	Shellengeist, the Bona Hill, the Bonaville Bridge, Bonaville gambling economy, The Wanderer's Anvil (tavern), Boros Major, Lord Jocelyn Enfield of Bonaville, knightly order of Bonaville
The Fallen Acropolis of Venus Sanctum	Settlement	A ruined city rumoured to be the source of the Rot.	Boros Major, The Rot, the relics and lost wealth of Venus Sanctum
The Silver City of Brightenai	Settlement	A massive gnomish city between Shellengeist and the Desert of Seven Eyes.	Shellengeist, the gnomes races of Brightenai, the elder council of Brightenai, districts of Brightenai

THE DESERT OF SEVEN EYES
A vast region of sand and arid flatlands.

Name	Type	Summary	References
The Anhjorti at Hjorta's Eye	Landmark	A settlement within the Desert of Seven Eyes.	in the southern expanses of the Desert of the Seven Eyes
Desert nester	Fauna	A burrowing beast native to the Desert of Seven Eyes.	the seven hazards of the Desert of Seven Eyes
The Edge of the World	Landmark	A sacred rock spire in the Desert of Seven Eyes, home to the Sentinels of the Edge.	the Sentinels of the Edge, the spire's natural aqueduct, the Infinitely Raining Cave, the myth about the Edge of the World
The Sunswallower	Event	A feared menace of the Desert of Seven Eyes, part sandstorm and part mysterious entity.	the Desert of Seven Eyes, the nomadic tribes, the seven hazards of the Desert of Seven Eyes, mana-blighted creatures, Solar Dragons, the desert oracles
Solar Dragons	Fauna	Flying wrym-type creatures (no relation to actual dragons) that ferociously defend their territory.	Desert of Seven Eyes, Solar Dragons, Sunswallower
Qe Qosti	Settlement	A coastal city of elves, gnomes and harpies, famed for its singing glass artwork.	Desert of Seven Eyes, Eastern Sea, Regal First Turris Cretio, spice trade, pottery, singing glasswork, Glass Refrain
The Hopping Islands	Landmark	Three fecund islands bridging a strait, and the source of strange sailors' superstition.	Sandy Barricade, Spice Sea

RACES AND CREATURES
General information about races and fauna not specific to one single region.

Name	Type	Summary	References
Harpies	Race	A mostly desert-dwelling race of avian humanoids.	far northern desert, Desert of Seven Eyes, nomadic harpy tribes, the harpine ethical code
A Treatise on the Peoples of the Ethereal Lands	Lore	A venerated text that discusses the status of halflings, gnomes, elves, dwarves, 'merfolk', thri-keen and harpies.	Boros Major, the University of Boros Major, professor Solefia Primanis, human-kind, the Basnet river basin, Casmore, the halflings of Casamore, Brightwood, Forest Gnomes of Brightwood, Venus Sanctum, the Desert of the Seven Eyes, Shellengeist, the Thri-keen race from the Desert of Seven Eyes, Desert Gnome tribes from the Desert of Seven Eyes, Harpies, Strait of Keppana, the tritons of the Strait of Keppana, the dwindling dwarven race, first contact mountain dwarf villages
The Pompatus of Love	Fauna	A ferret-like creature known for its magical nature and alchemical value.	the Pompatus love potion, multiplanar space
The Vled'javik	Race	A sophisticated and reclusive troll-like race local to the far north beyond the Wyerdvuud.	Lake Bredden of Casamore, Casmore, the great orcish mercantile republic, the mega fauna of the Wyerdvuud heartlands, vled'javi craftsmanship
Selkies of the North	Race	in the coast region of the northern tundra beyond the Eddazeth Mountains and the Wyerdvuud	the great orcish mercantile republic, the Saltmarshes, Eddazeth Mountains, the Wyerdvuud, the northern tundra

MISCELLANEOUS
Everything else that doesn't comfortably fit the above categories.

Name	Type	Summary	References
Husks and the Rot	Event	A contagion with no known cure, turning its victims into mindless Husks.	The Rot, Husks
The Windbreaker	Settlement	A famous sky-ship once of the Boros Dominion, but now operating independently.	Boros Major, the Windbreaker crew
Gungalion the Misleader	Deity	The God of Misdirection - a malevolent trickster deity recently involved with mysterious events at Venus Sanctum.	Venus Sanctum, the schemes of Gungalion, The Howling Gorge, the Boros Major temporal phenomenon, the Cult of (Vitas) Zargul, The Rot, the Husk Lord
The Frayed Ones	Faction	A nomadic group of lone wanderers marked with a shared prophecy.	Frayers
The Greater Oveillian Calendar	Lore	The common 12-month calendar in use across most of the Ethereal Lands.	Water Goddess Falishta-rah, Water Goddess Falishta-asha, The God of Hospitality Gestristnus, Venus Sanctum, god Keppana, twin moons Pluton and Bancon, Festival of Draezeth, forgotten temple of the Mount of Silence, Hjorta's Eye, Ostelia of the Oceans and Night Sky, Oveil-on-the-Lei, Gungalion the Misleader, God of Magic (and sometimes Primal Nature) Vul, Goddess of Time and Journeys Temistris
The Great Pillars	Landmark	Large and invulnerable stone edifices scattered across the Ethereal Lands.	The Green Needle Pillar, The Godsend Pillar, Frayers, Eddazeth Mountains, Casmore, Lake Bredden, the druids of Eddazeth Mountains, the Broken Throne.
The Heart of a God	Lore	The remnants of a fallen god, still filled with the sort of power that could create or destroy worlds.	The Broken Throne, The Rot, magic storms, magic-blight.
Ouda, The Betrayed God	Deity	The brother of Gungalion, doomed by his own creations.	The Heart of a God, Gungalion the Misleader, The Rot, Ouda the Betrayed, The Ancients, Land of the Silver Lanterns.

Here's something I thought would be fun to try: we take a blank canvas of a world setting, anyone can contribute features or detail it it, and we see what we end up with.

Quick rules/guidelines:

• Baseline for this world is general fantasy, but genre-bending is allowed - you could add in steampunk nations, esoteric lands where the laws of reality work differently, or whatever else you can create justifications for.
• Anything is permissible, as long as it does not directly contradict what has been established before. (Edit: I understand there's a lot of content now and it can be hard to be sure you're not accidentally contradicting a single line written somewhere. The table and reference tags will hopefully help with finding anything that's close to your intended entry. If in doubt about something, just ask!)
• You may go large or small - create a region, a quaint little village, a single important NPC or location, or introduce an entire race to the world. Or something entirely different!
• Wait for at least one other user to post before adding something new. (Edit: This rule doesn't apply for 'OOC' conversational posts.)

When listing your feature, include:

• A name or descriptor, including how it fits in the world. Try to be specific about location, even if just 'on the west border of X nation'.
• At least two unique facts about your addition. You may add more if you wish.

I'm no artist but I'll attempt regular sketches of what we create so that we have a visual frame of reference. If anyone wants to volunteer their own artistic expertise, it will be welcomed.

To get the ball rolling, here's a starter!

BOROS MAJOR The city of Boros Major lies on the Brackenridge coast. It has dominion over other towns across the coast, designated 'Minor' in their names. The dominion is ruled by an oligarchy only interested in hoarding wealth, from tribute and trade. The city is ancient, and bleeding with unknown temporal magic - one may walk down a laneway, and emerge three days later with no time having passed for them.

[GabeTheKid]

THE HOWLING GORGE The overflow of magic that lazily trickled from the city for centuries grew to a whirling torrent down south, carving a great scar in its path deviding the land, giving birth to unspeakable creatures that roam the unclaimed forests and plains nearby.

[HotsuSama]

ORPHAN POINT A rocky peninsula situated a small distance south of Boros Major, made near inaccessible from the inland by the Howling Gorge. Once it was a popular launching point for hunts and research expeditions into the gorge, but most of those endeavours are abandoned with the increasing dangers of magic-blighted creatures. The lone active settlement is a small fortified town named Carapace Minor. It is reliant upon its fishing industry and trade with Boros Major for its survival.

[GabeTheKid]

Port Carapace Minor The port of Carapace Minor is the lifeline for the village. Since there are no trade connections or much value in the town, it's frequented by only those who trade with the small town itself and the fishermen who feed the townspeople. The port itself is sutiated a few hundred meters below Carapace Minor and the route between them is carved into the cliff that separates them, which makes Carapace Minor a great asset as a vantage point to overlook the waters. This might be the only reason why the dominion won't let it fall to the ever increasing number of creatures that wander near.

[Wishkamon]

ooohhh, great idea!!

Festival of the devilfish Each year there is a festival held at the port of Carapace Minor. The families of the fishermen walk colourful paper lanterns in the shapes of giant fish through the streets, hoping to ward of the fabled 'devil fish'. This creature is said to be a huge magical fish monster who lives in the warm waters around the peninsular. The story goes that the monster was once a woman who lost her husband at sea. She went mad with despair and threw herself into the ocean where the evil water goddess Falishta-rah externalised her suffering and turned her into the monster. The light of the fish lanterns represents the light of the good water godess Falishta-asha, and the families carry them to ward off the devill fish and remind Falishta-rah that the fishermen and their families are under the good godess' protection

[GabeTheKid]

Honestly i'm having way too much fun wiht this! I'll have to moderate myself

The Ashari Morning The morning after the Festival of the devilfish is important for the town as it is said that if the ever present fog is absent in the morning, the Festival of the devilfish has been successfull and the sea has been blessed by Falishta-asha. This is considered to be an Ashari Morning and every member of the town is expected to help carry as much of this blessed seawater up the Cliff and into the town as possible, where it's used to was the houses off and then it gets poured onto the earth in and around the small village to help ward off the blight stricken creatures for a while. Some say it's nothing but superstition and the protection comes from washing away the human smell but either way, it hasn't happened for a few years now.

[HotsuSama]

Loving the momentum! And it feels like the setting is starting to tell its own stories, which is awesome.

I'll probably keep to geographical posts for the moment to broaden the possible landmarks a little, but by all means keep posting about Carapace Minor if you feel there's more to tell!

THE BROKEN THRONE / ZETH A cluster of tropical islands, several days' sail north-east of Orphan Point. The local inhabitants call themselves the Zeth, and they maintain a quasi-feudal hegemony across the larger islands of the archipelago. These islands have their own tribe/clan councils, which all receive direction from a single 'monach' whose title roughly translates as 'Paragon'. Local myth says that the Zeth once acted as servants to their resident god, Keppana. When the god grew dissatisfied (or bored), their departure fractured the once intact land of Zeth, creating the current island structure.

[GabeTheKid]

It feels like the things to write about are allready infinite I never would have guessed that world building can be such a fun collaborative effort.

The Timeless Tree At the southern end, the Howling Gorge widens into a cliff lined lowland. It is rumored that in the center of it, there is a gigantic tree. The rumors are quite different from one another from this point on, and just about the only similarities between them are that it is in the eye of the whirling magical storm that is the culmination of all the magic that has flowed through the gorge over time, and the the name: The Timeless Tree. The storm itself is widely feared as many people lost their minds trying to unravel the lowland's misteries. It is said that staring into the storm long enough, you might catch the gaze of something timeless staring back, the likes of which the human mind can not comprehend.

[Arjent]

Strait of Keppana Located between Orphan point and the archipelago of The Broken Throne. This narrow body of water is treacherous to cross in the best of times. High winds fueld by the magical storm to the southwest and rocky outcroppings from the island chain make it dangerous. The strait becomes un-navigable when the twin moons, Pluton and Bancon, align once every three months. The massive low tides around this lunar event cause small volcanic atolls to be exposed. For those adventurous enough, this also promises easy access to the many jagged shoals whose shipwrecks and mysteries are revealed.

[wozrolland]

Enstead Minor The first major settlement north of Boros Major, along the Brackenridge Coast, is the rich, walled, merchant town of Enstead Minor. In the service of the oligarchs of Boros Major, it serves several functions: as a rest-stop, as a trading point for more superstitious merchants unwilling to travel to Boros Major, as a customs post for smaller trading ships and fishermen, and as a check-point to ensure those who have not paid their fair share in Boros Major are stopped before they can get beyond the reach of the oligarchs. Enstead Minor's day-to-day affairs are managed by a council of local petit bourgeois merchants. A well-trained force of guardsmen (many of whom are former caravan guards and mercenaries), led by a lieutenant in the service of the oligarchs, carries out various duties in the town and the surrounding area.

[HotsuSama]

The landscape's really coming together now! I'll have to look at getting something pictoral in my next post (unless there's someone with artistic proficiency here who'd like to volunteer?)

BRIGHTWOOD This forest covers much of the hilly ground west of the Howling Gorge. The mana-blighted creatures definitely haunt the woods, but reports of their nature vary. Some accounts call them savage and monstrous beyond reckoning; others claim types of beasts made perceptive and keen by the magical afflictions, even attempting to build dwellings reminiscent of village hovels. The northern rim of Brightwood is logged for lumber and other materials, and mages still attempt to venture deeper into the woods to find magically altered flora for experimentation. They often don't return.

[Crimson]

Digging this idea. Sorry my artistic ability is non-existent, or I'd try to map it for you.

BRIGHTWOOD OAK A mutation of the standard oak tree found only in the forest of its namesake, Brightwood oaks yield highly valuable timber. Furniture crafted from this material holds a gorgeous sheen upon the whorls of wood grain clear enough to make out one's own refelection in, even without the use of lacquer. Unlike normal wood, Brightwood oak seems to never warp or twist over time, no matter how much temperature change or moisture it is exposed to. Mages find that weapons and armor crafted from this wood always start out imbued with a random magical enchantment. Scholars theorize that the trees have somehow absorbed residual magical emanations from the Howling Gorge in the east to produce this wondrous effect. In any case, this characteristic causes Brightwood oak to be highly sought after by adventurers, despite the dangers of the mana-blighted monsters in the area.

EDIT: On second thought, let's make that one random low-grade enchantment. We don't want a bunch of low level bandits harassing people with vorpal clubs just because they got lucky and picked up the right stick in the woods!

[wozrolland]

Engineer's Guild of Boros Major The Engineer's Guild of Boros Major is a powerful civilian group dedicated to keeping the city ticking over. Adept at exploiting its ancient magic, its agents and officers know every trick of the city and continually attempt to control the leakage of temporal magic through the creation of wonderful machines and contraptions, some more successful than others. The Engineer's Guild is housed in a seemingly-small guildhall, which has vast underground chambers for experimentation. The Guildmaster, Anan, is a famed inventor, although constant temporal anomalies mean he has spent far longer than a single lifetime in Boros Major.

[Wishkamon]

hrrrmmm how about a race? Here's a bunch of friendly bird people trying to do good in the world

Race-Harpy One race, making up roughly 30% of the humanoid population, are a race of humanoid bird people who descended from desert tribes in the far north. They have horns on their heads under plush feathery hair, and beautiful bird-like wings and tails. They are known as great philosophers and warriors. ‘Harpy, Harpine, Desert-Folk, Bird-folk’ Geography- In the far south most bird-folk still live in nomadic tribes in the Desert of Seven Eyes, wandering with their herds. When two tribes meet they contest each other in the art of combat and philosophy, but live otherwise peaceful lives away from the toils of modern society. Some Harpy found that their journeys led them out of the desert and into the world of men, and these wanderers spread to almost every corner of the world. Mentality- Most Harpine live by a strong ethical code which they will never stray from; guided by their intensely philosophical upbringings they follow their ideals wholeheartedly. They tend to be confident, forward and outgoing and they don't believe in mincing words. They are candid in all subjects; they often find it frustrating interacting with other races who don't always say exactly what they mean. They’re honest to the point of brutality, and can often come across as rude and arrogant. On top of this, they are usually very open about intimacy too, and find the notion of monogamy or specific orientations completely baffling. Needless to say the combination of their natural beauty and promiscuity means they have a reputation to be heartbreakers and home-wreckers. Those who are able to get beyond these stereotypes and befriend a Harpy will find them to be deeply caring and motivated individuals. Their natural intelligence and charisma often leads them into positions of power across the continent, as advisors to nobility or councilmen, though just as many choose to live quiet, self-sustaining lifestyles as they try to live out their lives to the best of their moral code. Anatomy: Skin tones and feather patterns are a sure fire way to tell which tribe the Harpine originated from. Skin tones range from olive or dark brown and feather and hair patterns follow those of wild birds, most commonly birds of prey. Typically they tend to be very beautiful and exotic looking, generally lean and tall, and there is very little physical difference between males and females, with both tending towards androgyny. Traditional tribal clothing is a light sari or sarong, lots of gold jewelry Despite their beautiful wings, most Harpine can't maintain prolonged flight like their ancestors. Few can achieve it with a great deal of daily training, but these tend to be people who stay in the desert and dedicate the time to it. Ordinarily Harpys can use their wings and tails to assist them with running, jumping and swiftly changing directions. They are a very fast and agile race, due in part to their hollow bones. These make them very light but also susceptible to heavy damage. Their feet and lower legs resemble bird feet, and their hands, though more humanoid- have scales and claws. Up for 60% of their body may be covered in small downy feather Religion: There are no deities or churches amongst the Harpine, although some tribes have adopted them from other religions. Generally they do not believe in life after death, believing instead that one must make the most of the rare gift of life by defining their own morals and living and dying by them. While these moral codes vary from person to person, a generalisation of the most common philosophy would be “Do good in the world”.

[Crimson]

BRACKENRIDGE TIDAL CAVES Not far from the city of Boros Major lies a series of naturally forming tidal caves. The dominion's ruling oligarchy have had several warning signs in several languages posted at each discovered cave entrance, forbidding entry into the caves. This is due to the fact that at high tide, the caves are invariably flooded with sea water, drowning a few unfortunate souls every year. Even those capable of breathing water, be it through natural or magical means, will be beaten to death in the cave's many twists and turns by the force of water. However, it is an open secret that the caves connect directly to Boros Major's sewers, so brave (or stupid) "runners" for the city's thriving black market frequently smuggle goods through the caves at low tide during their narrow window of opportunity. In response, Boros Major sends regular patrols along the coast, but there are abundant hiding places among the rocks of the Brackenridge, and guards can easily be bribed to look the other way...