Talidor

The world of Talidor is defined by an inhabited, crescent-shaped, strip of land on the east coast of the continent of Bendhaven, running from the frosty north to the equatorial jungle islands in the south. The civilized races that live on Bendhaven know that more lands lie beyond the horizon, but few have traveled far in recent memory to find out what is there.   Life in Bendhaven is relatively peaceful. The civilized races rarely go to war with each other. Overland travel is very common because of the geographical limitations presented by Bendhaven's mountainous coastline and rough oceans. There are few ports available to support ocean-going ships, but that doesn't prevent a good deal of trade between the coastal nations and the island nations.   Monsters are rare within the boarders of civilized nations of Bendhaven. Over the last few hundred years more monsters have been encountered in the wilds on the edges of civilization. People are starting to feel the pressure and travel in less populated areas is becoming more hazardous.   Talidor is largely feudal, with a number of kingdoms influencing the politics and societies of the world. Social rank based on family and occupation is common. Noble ranks are the highest but religious and military personnel are able to rise into the ranks of even highborn nobles. While many remain static in their social status, it's not unheard of for someone to rise from a lower rank to a higher one through the accumulation of wealth as a merchant, or to be voted into a leadership role in a village, or to lose rank in a similar fashion.   The sky of Talidor hosts three moons, Sebagan, Melbega, and Tofagan, which keep the nights bright and change their faces throughout the year with clockwork precision.   Talidor has a long history, but it is shrouded in mystery as much knowledge was lost when everyone was forced to flee the continent of Gerhame across a chaotic ocean to land in Bendhaven many years ago. Since their arrival in Bendhaven, the people of Talidor have been slowly rebuilding their societies and spreading into their new home. Continuously ravaged by plagues and illnesses, the population on Bendhaven has never grown much. Even after thousands of years, with populations small and sometimes dwindling, much of the continent remains unexplored.   Talidor suffers from periodic episodes called Glooms and Blooms. Occuring randomly throughout the decades and lasting for months to years at a time, these episodes cause major changes in the world. During a Gloom, the world becomes darker and depressed, the skies are cloudy, it's foggy and shadowy, nights are darker and the world is filled with dread. During a Bloom, the world is brighter and more vibrant, days feel happier and life becomes hectic.    The people of Talidor worship a pantheon with about a dozen major gods and many minor ones. A group of five gods are worshipped together by the followers of the Road to the Verdant Plain. Other gods are worshipped individually.