Translated Lorebooks

The Wodensammar and Yggdrassil

The wodensammar come from the realm of Nordheim, where the Planeswalkers once traveled to reclaim Valhalla from the clutches of the Frost Giant necromancer Grimir. This place exists outside time and space, and historical events can appear out of order.
The world tree “Yggdrasil” exists as a metaphysical entity outside time and space. It connects “midgard” to the realms of Niflheim, Muspelheim, Asgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim and Helheim. The world tree is only visible while traveling between its branches, which exist as direct conduits through the border ethereal and elemental planes into the astral sea.
A race of giant sentient squirrels known as the Ratatoskr live among the branches of Yggdrasil, and attack anyone that tries to remain there (but often helps travelers along between realms). They refer to everyone as a kind of squirrel (stubby squirrel for dwarves, hairless squirrel for humans, elves etc.)
After the events of Ragnarok, Odin and his fellow gods traveled the astral sea looking for a new “midgard” to plant Yggdrasil anew from its last remaining branch. They found the world of Arlyss, already inhabited by various sentient life.
They battled with the dragon broods of Tiamat and Bahamut and carved out a home for their followers on Dragon’s end. In the north, they were barely able to beat back their ancient foes the Giants to carve a home for their people there, and so the northmen would forever live in conflict with the giants and nature.
Odin, with the foresight granted him by the wisdom of Mimir, enacted a plan to sow the seeds of rebellion in the human slaves of the mistlands (knowing they would otherwise be destroyed in the coming doom). He taught them the secrets of seafaring, and sent them on their way. One group traveled north to Dragon’s end, while another traveled south and found their way to the north of Arlyss. Passing through the mistwall, they lost all memory of the masters and their ancient religion. Eventually, Odin would present himself to the ancient Sydonians and northmen (who referred to him as “Woden” and “Odin,” respectively). The influence of the brood of bahamut on the ancient Sydonians influenced their language, while the northmen were influenced by the tongue of their Giant foes and the Dwarves of the north.
As his followers grew, Odin once again grew in strength and was able to replant Yggdrassil. This metaphysical process connected the world of Arlyss to the realms of Nordheim, replacing the destroyed midgard with Arlyss. Other realms exist in the astral sea, with other gods and entities who have influenced the people of Arlyss over the millenia. Mirror realms such as the Fey and the Shadow Realm exist concurrently atop Arlyss.

The Far Realm and the Great Below

At some point in the ancient past of Arlyss, before the coming of the ………….. and even the elven colonization, a massive Obelisk traveling through the far realm jumped through the astral sea to the material realm but miscalculated and found itself embedded in the rocky depths of Arlyss. Legions of aberrations living within the obelisk slowly carved out the great below and began influencing creatures from the surface to delve below and join them. From this obelisk came the mind flayers, who would enslave dwarves and create the Duergar. The unknown entity leading the Obelisk would also become a god to the dark elves (who referred to it as The Great Whisperer) and grant them power over the minds of others.
Mind flayers from the far realm also once manipulated the ancient people of ………….. The primitive lizardfolk viewed them as gods, and built huge structures in their name (using Tabaxi slave labor). The knowledge of such construction was lost when the mind flayers mysteriously vanished. Without the guidance of the illithid, the lizardfolk empire of ………………..

The Fey Realm

The elves were created by gods known as “The Fey” in the fey realm as Leanaí. After discovering paths to the material realm, the Fey sent the Leanaí there to colonize it and extend their influence. But the chaotic forces of the fey realm prevented the Leanaí from returning without the aid of the Fey, who proved too fickle to bother. Thus the Leanaí, cut off from the Fey, became the Elves of Arlyss. Over time, all knowledge of the fey realm and their time as the Leanaí was lost. Their connection to nature and druidic magic flows directly from the fey realm, but most are unable to open paths to the Fey Realm without direct intervention from the other side.
They spread across the vast forests of central arlyss, but avoided the north due to its cold climate and aggressive Giants. Their realm stretched from the western coast of Arlyss to what is now known as the sunscorch mountains. Before they could spread further east, the treachery of Arawn twisted the elves in the east into the orcs and created the badlands, cutting them off from eastern Arlyss.
The Fey itself is a realm of immeasurable beauty, but also of chaos (thanks to the discordant song of Arawn). The feyfolk themselves were twisted by this chaos into fickle, chaotic creatures who are delighted by intricate game, plots and ruses. They are as likely to help as to hinder or even murder travelers. What order there may have been during the time of the Leanaí is long gone, but pockets of Leanaí settlements still exist. The realm exerts its influence over travelers by causing confusion, ellation, and eventually madness.

The Shadow Realm

The Shadow realm, being the opposite of the Fey, is the realm of Arawn. It is a realm of chaos, death, and misery. Here, Arawn was banished by the Fey for his discordant song during the creation of the Fey (realm). Arawn willingly opens paths between the Shadow Realm and the material realm in places of emotional significance, such as the sites of great battles or slaughters and in the dark recesses of tombs and cemeteries. Arawn revels in misery, and his realm directly influences the emotional state of its denizens to mirror this. If the hordes of undead and shadowy creatures don’t kill travelers then depression, apathy and madness surely will.

The Mistlands and the Masters

The masters were ……………..
………….In roughly 1,200 BD, a group of Tuhka slaves escaped ………….
……………attempted to ascend to Godhood through the manipulation of planar energy………….. killed all plant life, turned the land into an ashen ………. poured forth legions of ………….. destroyed their remaining civilization, the …………..
…………. so they continued a simple existence in …………….. struggling to survive, the Tuhka …………… The steppes east of the sunscorch mountains………………..broke off from their empire………………slaves. The immortal ………………..steppes, and after a thousand years……………………..collapsed. The ………………………ascension project………..Arlyss.