Namkural

Born from a magical disaster that tore apart its home planet, the world of Namkural exists as fractured pieces now floating in Torresind's sky. It is home to the numerous and varied Faerie races--peoples connected to their magic more deeply than those that evolved on the land far below. Regarded by humans as a place of mystery and danger, Namkural is the object of myth and legend.

From the civilized lands of the sidhe and sylphs to the tangled, feral faewilds, legions of adventurers seek to make their fortunes plundering ancient ruins, defeating wicked monsters, and by involving themselves in the intrigue of nations at war. Yet even the most experienced must beware, for at times the Faeries can be less than friendly to outsiders.

Life not only clung to the shattered pieces of Vyril, it flourished.

The Land of Namkural

Most of Namkural's land mass consists of three continent-fragments large enough to have seas as well as dry land. While these are where most of the races live and interact, pockets of life are dotted throughout the smaller pieces of earth and rubble.

Airships and teleportation are the most common means of travel between Namkural's shards. The airships are usually small and deft in order to facilitate any tight maneuvers that a captain would have to employ to navigate the more densely-packed regions of sky. In addition to treacherous masses of rock that can loom out of clouds and fog trapped between the floating pieces, winged monsters are not uncommon sights. Some of the biggest will have no qualms about choosing even a large airship as their next prey.

The majority of Namkural is faewild--regions of primal and feral magic that have the potential to corrupt and change not only the outcome of spells, but also the climate, the flora and fauna, and the evolution of races that live within it for any great length of time without the proper protective wards. It is this accelerated evolution that allowed for the diversity of Faerie races that appeared after the cataclysm.

Faewild is most commonly thick areas of tangled, primordial forest. However, the wild magics are not limited to one type of terrain, and can also be found in the realm's other climate zones.

Wild magic is not the only danger present in the untamed wilderness. Numerous monsters stalk the uncivilized lands, from the terrifying Dullahan knights to the toxic gancanagh, and from the carnivorous feather faeries to the hai'kamai who hunt with banshee-like cries. Even other Faeries are wary of such creatures, but non-native adventurers must be particularly careful, for they will have none of the immunities that their Namkural-born brethren might.

The People

The humans of Torresind have been telling stories about Faeries since the two planes discovered one another, but even their wildest tellings pale in describing the true diversity of those races in both action and appearance. Far from being the benevolent, goodly spirits of some common folk tales, many of the Fae races are distrustful if not downright hostile towards their Torresind brethren. Most regard humans as inferiors -- amusing at best and annoying at worst. While the luna and copper sidhe are openly friendly towards mankind, the majority of other Faeries will barely negotiate trade with them.

Numerous conflicts, both ancient and recent, have shaped the way that the peoples of Namkural interact. The longest-standing war is that between the goblins and the sylphs: it has been raging virtually since the day that the fragments first broke off of Vyril's planet and carries on still today. As they fight for dominance over the northern half of their continent, the jotnar, shadowkin, and kitsune attempt to remain neutral to both parties. Meanwhile, imperialistic luna sidhe colonize the islands south of them one by one, infiltrating the native cultures with trade more often than force. To the north and east, the siabhra have been stirring in their dark forests. Their true intent remains unclear, but they seem to be flirting with the idea of invading the gold sidhe nation and enslaving its residents.

The only conflict on which the denizens of Namkural seem united is the informal war against the redcaps -- cannibalistic terrors that hunt and devour other Faeries.

Civilized Races

The largest populations belong to those cultures that crept out of the faewild's influence, slowing the speed of their evolution and standardizing their magic by warding their settlements against the chaos of Namkural in its natural state. Their cities tend to be large and beautiful, with well-managed governments and powerful economies. It is these peoples that most commonly interact with Torresind. As their schools teach a variety of occupations and subjects, they are more equipped to deal with worldwide trade and intrigue.

Because they see themselves as superior to their wilder neighbors, rivalries often spring up between the two. Though the real reason for the Sylphen-Goblin war has been lost to the fog of time, historians theorize that it began with one such opposition. Traditionally, even the haughty gold sidhe keep away from the thick forests to the east out of fear of siabhran raiders. However, now that Queen Neamhain has been commanding her Dullahan knights to raze outlying sidhe towns, they can avoid the conflict no longer. Even the luna sidhe Thaumaturge is currently involved in negotiations with the Tai'skelen, a race already occupying one of the islands the sidhe are attempting to colonize.

Commonly, the civilized cultures have a greater emphasis on magic and casters than their "uncivilized" cousins. Nevertheless, all natives of Namkural are naturally more attuned to magic than humans.

Savage Races & Monsters

As a result of the wild magic's impact, any race that continued its development without protective wards has adapted to living within the tempest of the faewild. Naturally, this has made them more at home in that unpredictable environment -- and more chaotic as well. The most prominent of the "wild" cultures include the goblins, jotnar, redcaps, and siabhra. While not necessarily evil, they are typically less tolerant of other races, especially humans.

Evolution so affected by the faewild creates beings more animalistic than those such as the sidhe or sylphs. Many do not have permanent settlements, but instead move about the remaining wild places of Namkural -- of which there are many. Those that do establish cities or towns have smaller populations than those that have warded themselves. Oftentimes, their governments are more poorly constructed and may crumble in the face of heated disagreements. However, their sheer power and deadly adaptations to an unkind world make them a force to be reckoned with regardless.

Perhaps even more deadly than these races are the various monsters that stalk the same faewild. While the majority of Faeries have learned to live with and avoid such creatures, unwary adventurers could fall prey to a variety of disasters. And even being of Fae blood is not necessarily an assurance of safety. The Wild Hunt, an ever-moving group of jotnar gods, will pursue any mortal that has the misfortune of crossing their path.

Yet for those that can navigate these dangers, a fortune may await. Crafty mercenaries and adventurers have the opportunity to not only loot old ruins, bring in expensive bounties, but also hunt and harvest the very monsters that may chase them in turn. Many are considered valuable on Torresind as delicacies, exotic pets, or crafting materials.