Lithfall

Long ago, before the gods could remember, the Elder Elves walked the Earth. No other being could compete with their intellect, their wisdom. It was they that discovered interplanar travel and who built the first gates to those planes. These gates (while powerful) only opened to the Inner Planes. The Elder Elves may have been gods among mortals, but they suffered from the same curses; greed, curiosity, fear. It was all of these that drove them to create The Vast Gate; an arcane gate of such magnitude that it could (in theory) bridge all of space and time to reach a timeless, infinite dreamscape. The Far Realm. Through the use of divine, arcane and psionic magics, the Elders empowered the gate: this gave it the power to pass through reality and into the Far Realm. They had achieved what was thought to be impossible. But they soon found it was impossible for a reason. Elder Evils (gods of The Far Realm) forced their way through the Far Gate, sparking the War of the Dark. The War raged for hundreds of years before a wizard by the name of Evras Kirgend banished the Elder Evils to different corners of the realityscape and in doing so tearing the Weave asunder. The gods left after that, taking their angels and celestial avatars with them; they had left Lithfall to the wolves. Or, more accurately, the monsters.   The world began to become corrupted after the monsters staked their claim of the world. The mountains formed into unnatural peaks. The seas became bleached and acidic. City and towns were bulwarks of light against the encroaching darkness that had enveloped the world. As bodys piled up, magiks began to run amok as well. Corpses refused to stay dead, children were shunted into different Prime Planes, only to return seconds later 20 years older. This plague of chaos went on for several thousand years, prompting the growth of religions and cults, all beseeching long departed gods for aid. This was until a brave and brutal few began to fight back. The Order of the Daedric. Soon the content of Nido Titania was cleansed, and other countries began to take note. Wendigos were hunted for furs in Aflana. Bushyata and other devils were driven back to the tattered wasteland of Avernus. Corpses were burned and buried in the crypts of Cin. Mosnter Hunter outposts where set up all across the world (though few still remain active to this day). Eventually, monsters became stories, works of fiction picked free from the minds of those old enough to remember them for a story around the campfire. And as monsters left, the world became more habitable again. The oceans became filled with fish, the forest full of fauna. The cities full of only the corruption of man and machine, not magik and monsters. Both the Daedric and the Monster Hunters faded into the maw of time, becoming mere history lessons. And that has how the world of Lithfall has stayed. Full. Complacent. Unsuspecting.   The world is split into 5 continents: Zabera, Equin, Kradath, Iqelora and Ufix. Zabera is the smallest continent and is split into 6 countries: Nido Titani, Aflana, Spanglax, Ogria, Geskain, Quintalos. Nearly all these countries have some sort of coastline, and as such, all have set up trade roots along the vast expanses of the Neveashar. The countries in these continents all have an uneasy alliance with each other; purely for the sake of survival rather than the pretence of them being allies. They hold an annual peace summit at one capital city of a country each year. As of 2020 A.D, it is the turn of Eryport in Nido Titania. During this peace summit, the many leaders gather their discuss everything from trade agreements to border disputes. Nearly every leader from every country and city come together, apart from the tribes of Quintalos and Ogria, who prefer to stay as neutral parties. The leaders have split into two main political parties; the Imperium and the Liberation. The Imperium is composed of leaders such as Xamoch Gravelfist and The Star Council, whereas the Liberation is headed by Dur'tan Tuskbane and Fassen Darkbane. Of course, like all political parties, there are varying degrees of zealotry throughout each one.   Nido Titani is the only island country on the content and is home to 6 relatively small cities: Xam (which exports silks and spices around the countries) Cin (which is under the corruptive hold of The Dread "Necromancer" Vexaura), Slasla (one of two port cities) Eryport (the largest and most populated city) and Starmin (the highest city on the planet). Nido Titania is the only country (other than Spanglax) to be considered "civilised", with all the other countries being much more tribal. Many scholars theorise that because it was the Order of the Daedric that removed the plague of monsters from Nido Titania in their conquest for hope. Since Nido Titania was cleansed first, the cities on it had the longest to develop without the fear of monsters running amok their cities.   Aflana is a savage place, filled with huge jagged peaks. It only has one city, Aberdunda. Aberdunda is what is referred to as a "hunting ground". Aberdunda is a huge maze complex run by a Chosen of Baphomet by the name of Fassen Darkbane, a brutal minotaur whose blood-lust and primal instinct are rivalled by Baphomet himself. The entire country is covered in unkempt wilderness, handled only by wandering tribes of barbarians and druids, conclaves of rangers and other nomadic tribes. It is said that in those ancient woods reside beings of wild power. Crones as old as the Darksteel Trees, Treants as wise as the Elder Elves; it's said that Leshen reside in those woods, stunting the growth of civilisation and the expansion of mortals. Most men dare not venture near the Darksteel Trees or the twisted peaks of the Blood-Drop Mountains. Only the bravest of druids, barbarians and ranger conclave dare to venture into the dense, dark woods of the Ebony Pines. Of course, the Treants, Leshens and Hags disappeared in the 16th century, culled in ardent massacres by the Daedric and Monster Hunters.   Spanglax is an incredibly small country, riddled with huge chasms and blister-like hills. Those cracks go down deep into the Earth, forming a huge labyrinthine complex of tunnels. Clustered communities of hermits and fanatics live in these tunnels carving out homes and cities in the walls. There are 3 major cities, each representative of the 3 forms of magic. The first being Kirgend, the City of Arcane. The second being Srosa, The Psionic Castle and finally, there is the third. The ruined city of Veamont, the once beautiful and the beating heart of divine magic in Zabera. Kirgend is inhabited by the High Elfs, Srosa is occupied by the mind flayers, although it was once home to the drow. Veamont now holds only one inhabitant; Ornstein, the Grand Executioner of the Daedric.   Bordering Spanglax is Geskain, the largest country on the content. Covered in monumental sand dunes and ruins of Elder Elf heritage, Geskain has very few inhabitants. Those foolish enough to inhabitant these arid wastes tend to be nomadic and venture across the country, scavaging the ruins, looking for anything that might be of value. They are two mains tribes, each ruled by a Grand Chieftan. The most well known of these being the Twin God Kin, a tribe of orcs lead by Grand Shaman Dur'tan Tuskbane. The Twin God Kin own all the Mesa Arches and Mesa Mounds. Due to their ownership of the Mesa, they tend to position their outposts and permanent residents (as well as their infamous Carved Blood Arena) atop the mountainous mesa growths, where they can look down upon the Landsurfers, the other clan they share Geskain with. The Landsurfers are a much larger band than the Twin God Kin, yet they are a lot less powerful than their orcish counterparts. The Landsurfers have developed the art of Sand Surfing, and using this technique have managed to create Land Boards that allow them to zip around the sandy dunes at breakneck speeds. The Landsurfers Grand Chieftan has not been seen for years, after plunging deep below Geskian and into the ebony expanses of Dark River searching for the fabeled Farspawn.   Bordering Geskians western sands are the swamps of Ogria. Ogria is relatively unexplored place due to its wasteland quagmires and blood swamps filled with toxic ichor. This is partially due to the severed left hand of Ghaunadar grasping into infertile mud of the infamous Blood Swamps, so-called due to the waters thick, red colour. While there aren't any decided cities or alliances , there are tribal powers. Grand Shaman Fudo, Blood Warrior Arakan and Dragon Monk Daitan. Ogrians tend not to meddle in the affairs of others, preferring to stay within the confides of their swamps and mangroves. They are one of the few cultures to still practice "blood magic", using it to develop all manner of wondrous effects.   To the North West of Ogria is the final country in Zabera, Quintalos. A mass of dense jungle trees and thrashing white water rapids, Quintalos is populated by savage tribes, isolated from the world around them. Any attempts to contact them have been met with the same response; the messanger's heads on sticks with the eyes plucked out. All that is know about the tribes that occupy Quintalos is that have a grotesque obsession with eyes, believing that they are windows to the soul. Quintalos is also home to huge volcanoes, some of which have been due for eruption since the 1400's.