Class Options

In this setting, all current class options are accessible in one way or another. Some may be regionally-based, while others may be widespread but have the potential for regional variations and theming. The goal is to make these options as open as possible, and you are encouraged to consider the mechanics of the class and subclass you're considering and think about how the flavor of that class/subclass can be adjusted.

This page is intended to provide guidelines and inspiration for how each class and subclass can fit into this setting rather than hard rules, which in the end are at the discretion of the DM.

Artificers

Traditional artificers are fairly rare outside of Ithara, where aetheromechanical technology is regularly developed. Those artificers who have studied their craft outside of Ithara or Azuma are unlikely to have gained proficiency for and access to firearms, and in Azuma, only the military of the southern Suzaku region has easy access to firearms.

Alchemist

Alchemists are the most widely-viable artificers. All nations have members who could study alchemy and chemical combinations. Such people could either be official scholars of the ruling class, or more isolated individuals in villages or the wilds.

Armorer

Armorers are most likely to be found in Ithara, where the study of aether-based technology is common. These artificers would most likely be in service to one of the Merchant Kings of Ithara, acting as both government scientists and guards for official shipping transports.

Rarely, armorer artificers could also emerge from Tron Daurat, Azuma, or Ogygia, where their armor is less technological and instead takes the theme of enchanted plate armor. Instead of the helmet retracting or deploying, it would instead fade into or out of existence. Some mages could even count as armorer artificers by theming the armor as a magical projection around themselves.

Artillerist

Artillerists, like the firearms they rely on, are almost exclusively found in Ithara or Azuma. Like armorers, Itharan artillerists are more likely to have actual aether-based technology, while in Azuma, specifically the Suzaku region, the military has almost exclusive use of simple firearms and magic-using artillerists could be found among their ranks. An artillerist in any other situation has probably smuggled this equipment out and may or may not have the knowledge and resources to repair the firearm and craft ammunition.

Battle Smith

The mechanical steel defender used by battle smiths is, again, likely to be found only in Ithara. A battle smith artificer from Tron Daurat, Ogygia, or Azuma could reskin the steel defender as another kind of construct: a living stone statue, a fired clay figure, or an intricately-carved and articulated wooden model, for example.

Other than the steel defender, the mechanics of the battle smith work well with people from any nation.

Barbarians

Barbarians are one of the most widespread of classes, easy to fit into any nation. Here are some suggestions for potential reasonings for each path. These aren’t the only options, but are easy suggestions to build off of.

Ancestral Guardian

Ogygia, with its history of constant conflict, has a strong affinity for past heroes and the deeds of warriors. Additionally, the Genbu region of Azuma is strongly touched by the essence of death, and the ancestral guardian barbarian could either be an exorcist attempting to control grudge-fueled spirits or a warrior calling on benevolent allies through history. In Ithara, the inpu beastfolk have a culture that revolves around the dead and ancient mausoleums.

Rather than ancestral ghosts, these could also be skinned as Azumese nature spirits or ethereal Ogygian nymphs.

Battlerager

There is no reason for this class to be race-restricted, and the theme works very well with the reckless warriors of Ogygia, the battle-loving gnolls of Ithara, or the oni of Azuma.

Beast

The wilderness of Ogygia is at war with humanity, and it can often be a corrupting force. A beast barbarian could be a former knight tainted by service to nymphs or encroachment on their territory. Similarly, Nightmare-tainted regions in Tron Daurat are in constant night, and the corruption of the Nightmare has caused lycanthropy in elven druids. The aether storms of Ithara that warp living things and turn normal creatures into beastfolk could also be responsible for a beast barbarian’s abilities, or, in Azuma, it could be the effect of possession by a fierce yokai like a nue or raiju.

Berserker

The most basic of barbarians, berserkers can easily come from any nation. Like the battlerager, they are easiest to find in the warrior-nation of Ogygia, among the gnolls or destroyer apollians of Ithara, with the oni of Azuma, or even the moon elves of Tron Daurat.

Storm Herald

While storm herald barbarians can be found in any nation, different types would be easier to find in different locations. Desert auras would obviously be easiest to draw from Ithara, or from the Suzaku region of Azuma, with its semi-dormant volcano. No nations are fully landlocked, but sea auras have the greatest affinity with Ogygia or the water-themed Genbu region of Azuma. Tundra auras are most likely to be found in the Hekaton Mountains or the Peaks of Azul around Tron Daurat, or the frozen mountains of the Genbu region of Azuma.

Totem Warrior

People living in the wilderness of Ogygia, the moon elves of Tron Daurat, and the beastfolk and rural folk of Ithara are perfect candidates for the totem warrior barbarian. They may also use non-standard creatures for their totem animals: an elf from Tron Daurat may use a hippogriff instead of an elk or a griffon instead of an eagle; a barbarian from Ithara may use an ox instead of a bear or an adjule instead of a wolf.

The regions of Azuma are also named after four celestial beasts that can be drawn from for the barbarian’s totem: Seiryu, the azure dragon; Suzaku, the vermillion bird; Byakko, the white tiger; and Genbu, the black tortoise.

Wild Magic

The volatile aether storms of Ithara perfectly mimic the chaos of wild magic. While much less volatile, the latent creation magic of Tron Daurat could also infuse a wild magic barbarian with the power needed to follow this path. Azumese yokai are known for their chaotic magic and trickery, and this also blends well with wild magic.

Zealot

While deities don’t exist in the same way in this setting as in Forgotten Realms, a zealot still has plenty of room to exist in any nation by reskinning its purpose. In Ogygia, a zealot barbarian could instead be a fierce hero who leads armies, refusing to fall and inspiring their allies almost like a bard. Elves of Tron Daurat could be inspired by the eternal sun, infusing them with a radiant fury, or afflicted by the Nightmare. In Azuma, a servant of the celestial kitsune could become a zealot barbarian fighting against malevolent yokai to protect humanity, or they could be infused with the necrotic fury of a vengeful spirit or possessing yokai. In Ithara, the sobekite beastfolk are known to defend their allies and territory to the death, and those trained in their communities could match the rage of a zealot barbarian.

Bards

Music, storytelling, and the arts are large parts of cultures in every nation, and bards can find a place anywhere. While there aren’t actual colleges in the same way as Forgotten Realms, the following are suggestions for where bards of different specialities can fit in.

Creation

Flavor-wise, the elves of Tron Daurat teach the ten phases of creation that the world originated from and are still in use to manipulate creation magic, and are a perfect fit for a creation bard. In Azuma, the tsukumogami (objects given life after being abandoned for decades) are very appropriate for this subclass’s Animating Performance feature. Itharan cultures also value dance, and manipulation of aether could be enough reasoning for the Animating Performance feature granting temporary sapience to plants, stones, or statues.

Eloquence

Any culture can have great orators. Azumese haiku poetry, elven theater, and Itharan scholarly debate are very fitting sources for an eloquence bard to pull from.

Glamour

In this setting, the nymphs of Ogygia and the yokai of Azuma are the most appropriate analogues to the fey and are fitting tutors for this subclass. In addition, the abilities of Ogygian sirens perfectly fit the features granted to a glamour bard, and the Unbreakable Majesty feature could be described as their chromatophores pulsing in hypnotic fashion.

Lore

Ithara is easily the nation most equipped with schools, libraries, and museums for the flavor of a lore bard, though other nations also have these sorts of facilities. The cyclops king Polemos in Ogygia has established a welcoming city-state that is home to all manner of trade schools and libraries, elven culture focuses strongly on documentation and study of the arcane and history, and Azumese scholars have published many academic works both practical and theoretical. A non-traditional lore bard could also come from any rural culture who values oral history or study of the natural world, such as the mokele beastfolk of Ithara.

Spirits

All cultures and nations have their stories, and a bard of this subclass could come from anywhere, channeling the magic around them to manifest its spirits. People of the Genbu region of Azuma and the inpu beastfolk of Ithara have a particular affinity for the departed spirits of their ancestors or other ancient figures, and their spirits bards could be skinned as calling on the actual memories of these figures.

Swords

Ogygia’s martial focus is an easy source for a swords bard, but any nation could have a bard of this style. Dancing with weapons is fairly common in Ithara, and some Azumese dancers will use tachi and wakizashi in their dances. In addition, you may choose a more appropriate martial weapon to gain proficiency in instead of a scimitar: consider twinblades for Ogygia, chakrams or shotels for Ithara, war fans for Tron Daurat, or tachi or wakizashi for Azuma.

Valor

Ogygian history is replete with warriors and tales of their great deeds, and a valor bard would have many sources to pull from in this nation. In Azuma, the heroic feats of the kitsune, shoguns, and other ancient heroes stretching back to the man who slayed Yamato-no-Orochi are similarly potent sources.

Whispers

While any nation could have a scheming and manipulative bard like this, the demonic forces of Tron Daurat most closely align with a whispers bard’s powers, particularly the shadow-formed nehemoth. Similar training or powers could also come from Ogygian sirens, Itharan rakshasa, or malevolent Azumese yokai.

Blood Hunters

All nations have monsters that lurk in the wilderness and the darkness, and blood hunters can arise from any culture at risk from these beasts. They may have different names depending on their region: for example, in Tron Daurat, these only appeared with the onset of the Nightmare, and so most are referred to as “demon hunters” instead.

For the most part, these are not formal “orders” in this setting; instead, a blood hunter varies depending on their chosen adaptation and enemies.

Ghostslayer

Among the fallen civilizations of Ithara and the death-touched region of Genbu in Azuma, the living dead and restless spirits are a perpetual threat. A ghostslayer could be any exorcist dedicated to destroying the undead, especially if their tactics are more violent than someone like a grave cleric who would rather put them to a more peaceful rest.

Lycan

Lycanthropy originates in Tron Daurat, but a lycan blood hunter could easily come from another nation with a change in name. A lycan blood hunter in Ogygia could be a servant of the nymphs or be infused with a chimera’s hybrid blood. Itharan aether could create more unpredictable transformations, and a blood hunter infused with a yokai’s abilities in Azuma could take on a variety of bestial transformations.

Mutant

People of any nation are capable of crafting the alchemical components for a mutant blood hunter’s mutagens. The aether-rich creatures of Ithara, chimeras and hydras in Ogygia, demons of the Nightmare, and yokai in Azuma can all provide potent materials to craft these mutagens, or they could be reskinned as shifting mutations from possession or infection by any of these sources as well.

Profane Soul

See the Warlock section for ideas for different entities a profane soul blood hunter could make a pact with. Rather than this subclass gaining power from a pact with an entity, you could also reskin it as a person being infused with the power of one of these entities through magic or genetic manipulation. For example, an elf infused with demonic power from the Nightmare could be a profane soul blood hunter under the Fiend, Great Old One, Hexblade, Undead, or Undying pacts.

Clerics

Gods as entities don’t exist in this setting in the same way as Forgotten Realms. Instead, the power of clerics is drawn from their belief and faith in legends, mythology, and symbolism. While a warlock draws power from an actual entity they can commune with, and sorcerers draw power from their bloodline, clerical magic is actually closer to bardic magic in that legends and stories power their ability to shape the world around them. Clerics still believe that their power comes from the object of their worship, as it is that fervent belief that gives them their powers; losing faith in the object of their worship would cause a cleric’s power to falter. Think of it as worshiping saints instead of deities.

Below are some examples of revered legends and symbols that clerics of different nations can draw from, and some viable domains these legends can cover.

Ogygia

The legends of Ogygia predominantly feature heroes and monsters throughout the nation’s history.

The Silver Saint

Domains: War, Ambition, Forge, Order, Light

The Silver Saint embodies the virtues of Ogygians, for she was said to have started from the pits of slavery and proved herself through the colosseums and battlefields until she was worthy of ruling her own kingdom. Her silver armor and two-headed labrys axe became symbols of the Silver Saint and are often worn by clerics inspired by her ferocity and ambition, with the axe sometimes shown severing a set of shackles.

The Wisp in the Dark

Domains: Tempest, Trickery, Twilight, Knowledge

The Wisp in the Dark was a crafty siren whose curiosity led her to disguise herself as a human in coastal villages and eventually defend them from the other horrors of the sea. Legends of the Wisp in the Dark rarely reveal her identity until her magical voice turns the seas and storms against the monsters of the deep, or her flickering lights are seen in the waters at night before a village finds a wealth of fish in their nets the next morning. Clerics who fight against biases toward their ancestry or who reside in coastal villages find inspiration from the Wisp in the Dark.

The Autumn Huntress

Domains: War, Twilight, Order, Grave

The ferocity of nature is embodied in the Autumn Huntress, a leader of the nymphs said to exist in the declining transition between summer and winter and to guard the wilds against man and abomination alike. Legends of the Autumn Huntress are a warning to all to respect the wilderness, often depicting necromancers and tyrants who anger the wilds and find themselves haunted by a relentless figure of bone and rotten leaves wreathed in amber light. In the end, they are always consumed by the woods, never to be seen again.

The Nurturing Spring

Domains: Nature, Life, Light, Peace

Despite being polar opposites, the Nurturing Spring is said to be the twin of the Autumn Huntress. Representing the ascending transition between winter and summer, the Nurturing Spring is the benevolent gift that nature can provide to all. Where the Autumn Huntress teaches respect of nature through fear, legends of the Nurturing Spring show the bounty that respecting nature can provide. In many tales, crops decimated by villainous armies suddenly grow back ten times as vibrant the next day, and lost travelers find springs and orchards in the woods. Only when these gifts are abused does the Autumn Huntress intervene, bringing vengeful punishment to the interlopers.

The Devourer

Domains: Death, Strength, Arcana, Zeal, War

Of all the beasts slain by heroes in Ogygia, none compare to the Devourer, a hydra said to be the size of a mountain with a hundred writhing heads. Legends tell of its fury and hunger: whole legions consumed in a single gulp and kingdoms dissolved to mud from its acidic blood. Clerics of the Devourer alternately draw inspiration from either the brave heroes who sacrificed themselves against the monstrosity until its eventual defeat, or the sheer might and horror of the beast itself. The latter claim that the Devourer is not truly dead, only slumbering beneath Ogygian swamps until its countless wounds are finally healed.

Ithara

Ithara’s wide variety of beastfolk means that there are several legends and figures unique to different cultures, but the nation still has overarching figures that clerics of all cultures draw inspiration from.

Ithara

Domains: Arcana, Tempest, Life, Knowledge, Zeal

Said to be the embodiment of aether itself and just as fickle, the goddess of aether shares the same name as the nation it so strongly impacts. She is said to live in a lush garden on a high plateau, drawing the course of aether flows like brushstrokes on a canvas. She is simultaneously a creator and destroyer, bringing vibrant life, overwhelming power, and the collapse of civilizations as she chooses.

The Gilded Fiend

Domains: Ambition, Trickery, War, Strength

Of the many kingdoms that have fallen in Ithara, one in particular is known to have collapsed from the selfishness of its ruler rather than unpredictable aether storms. This tyrant cared only for herself, neglecting the needs of her people even as her armies demanded further tribute from neighboring kingdoms. At the kingdom’s breaking point, a rogue sorcerer transformed the queen into a bestial djinn, forcing her inner monstrousness onto her outward appearance and binding her to a golden bracelet. Even in bondage, however, the queen’s ambition never wavered, and it is said she still works to bend those she serves into bringing her to a new throne, so that she may one day become a usurper queen.

The Turquoise Serpent

Domains: Nature, Life, Grave, Twilight

The Turquoise Serpent is the one landscape that aether storms cannot change, and this has led to many varying beliefs about its nature. The most prominent is that the Turquoise Serpent is an actual serpent spirit who took pity on the beastfolk and turned into flowing, pure waters. In this state, it is said that the Turquoise Serpent has the power to cure any illness or curse, and can even revert the transformations caused by entering the corpse-realm of Ersetu. While the river’s water isn’t so potent in reality, clerics of the Serpent tend to focus on these purifying and protecting realms of magic.

Gallu-Eaters

Domains: Grave, Order, Strength, War

Deep within Ersetu, the celestial chimeras called ammit hunt down rakshasa (referred to as gallu in an older time) with zealous fury. Those ammit that reach the surface treat criminals and tyrants with a similar uncompromising retribution, and clerics inspired by them often devote their lives to wiping out oppressors, wrongdoers, and any form of evil without remorse or question.

The Parade of Beasts

Domains: Life, Solidarity, Trickery, Peace

A caravan of myriad beastfolk travels through Ithara, led by a mau whose guidance and healing powers have been a salve to the oppressed and the downtrodden. These nomads promote a message of peace and equality, but at no point have espoused inaction or complacency. Word of their activity has spread across Ithara, and even without directly joining this caravan, clerics have been inspired to journey through the desert and grant aid to those in need and defense against mistreatment.

Tron Daurat

In the war against the Nightmare, the once-complacent elves have experienced a renaissance of worship and reverence. Debates are frequently held over what their people should rely on for salvation, and below are the most prominent beliefs that clerics of Tron Daurat have settled on.

Father Sun

Domains: Light, Life, Order, Forge, Zeal

Before the Nightmare, there was no night in Tron Daurat, and so the sun has become a symbol of determination, order, and steadfastness to the elves who still cling to civilization. Many elves even believe that the demonic emperor is a false copy of their true emperor, whose soul still resides in the sun to watch over and guide them through this calamity.

Mother Moon

Domains: Nature, Twilight, Grave, Arcana, Solidarity

Regions infected by the Nightmare shift from endless day to eternal night, and it was in these areas that the moon first appeared in Tron Daurat. Those elves that believe the hubris and decadence of their current society were the cause of the Nightmare’s arrival have retreated to the wilderness, and to them, the moon has become a source of strength like the sun once was. Clerics of the moon view themselves as bringing a soothing light to the darkness while rejecting the oppressive brilliance of the sun, and many even make their homes in Nightmare-afflicted regions to fight the demons at their source.

Primordial Dragons

Domains: Knowledge, Peace, Strength, Tempest

The primordial dragons, each embodying the raw potential of creation, have always been a source of reverence and awe to the relatively younger elves. It’s no surprise that many have been inspired by them in the fight against the Nightmare, alternately as forces of raw power, symbols of endurance against change, and sources of wisdom from a time long since past.

The Spark of Creation

Domains: Life, Knowledge, Arcana, Nature, Order

Elven religion primarily revolves around the ten phases of creation, said to have brought existence from a formless, infinite potential with a mysterious consciousness into the myriad forms of reality, and these phases are still used to teach the manipulation of creation magic in Tron Daurat. Many clerics view this as a process to manifest wishes into reality and find comfort in the laws of this process in their ever-growing chaos.

Emperor of Eternal Darkness

Domains: Death, War, Strength, Ambition, Trickery

Theories for why Emperor Malkuth called the Nightmare to Tron Daurat abound, but none have yet been confirmed. Some agree with the emperor’s act, viewing their society as stagnant and a feeble shadow of what it could be; to them, the emperor is an ambitious figure, either making elves stronger through conflict or playing a lengthy game to bind the Nightmare into a new and incredible source of power under the command of every elf.

Azuma

The majority of Azuma's legends come from the heavenly kitsune who have served as humanity's protectors for generations.

Empress of High Heaven

Domains: Peace, Order, Light, Life

The leader of the kitsune is a nine-tailed kitsune of incredible power. With centuries of knowledge behind her, she guides the kitsune in their protection of humanity across Azuma, and her wisdom has prevented Azuma from falling into total chaos. While she resides in Takamagahara and has never set foot in the lower world, tales of her radiance and soothing presence have spread throughout Azuma. In times of fear, the Empress of High Heaven is the closest all Azumese have to a true god.

Guardian of the Restless Dead

Domains: Grave, Twilight, Knowledge, Peace

In the death-touched region of Genbu, this seven-tailed kitsune keeps watch over Yomi and the grudge-fueled dead that pour from it. The Guardian of the Restless Dead is a warden in the night, keeping humanity safe from the fury of those who passed without peace and ensuring they find a final rest. No matter the cause of their anger or how they conduct themselves in death, she ensures that they are given respect and treated with care, and clerics who follow her path espouse the respectful treatment of all in life so that they do not become consumed by hate in death.

Thundercloud Over the Mountain

Domains: Tempest, Nature, Forge, Solidarity

It is said that the stormclouds above Byakko are the home of this four-tailed kitsune as she watches over the crumbling mountain range, manifesting a particular duality. The Thundercloud Over the Mountain brings soothing rain and cool wind, but so too does it bring the retribution of lightning and the roar of thunder to oppressors. She inspires ingenuity in the metallurgical arts, but when that ingenuity becomes oppression and mindlessness as it did with the Fukuro Shrine, it must be brought crumbling to the ground.

Archer of Nine Suns

Domains: Forge, War, Tempest, Light

Once, Azuma was home to nine raging suns, each controlled by a massive, three-legged crow. When they all rose at once and threatened to burn Azuma to ash, this three-tailed kitsune shot down eight of the suns and their crows, leaving only one that was sealed in the volcano of Suzaku. Those inspired by the Archer of Nine Suns know that even the most overwhelming circumstances have fatal weaknesses, and both might and focus can win any conflict.

Orochi’s Bane

Domains: Trickery, Solidarity, Strength, Zeal

Before the yokai, before the kitsune, humanity was under the thrall of a titanic eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent. While Yamata-no-Orochi held insurmountable power, however, it was through ingenuity, collaboration, and sheer force of will that he met his downfall at the hands of mortals. Clerics of Orochi's Bane find inspiration not in a single figure, but in the unyielding strength that can be found in collaboration, careful thought, and patience.

The Scarlet Eclipse

Domains: Trickery, Strength, Ambition, War

When a kitsune is branded a nogitsune due to their malevolent goals, they are shunned from society and most often repent their ways, for all kitsune deeply long for the companionship of their kin. Not so for the Scarlet Eclipse, a nogitsune who endured through force of will and determination for nine hundred years to become the only nine-tailed nogitsune in history. She raised a castle in the mountains of Byakko and led yokai across Azuma in rebellion against the kitsune, and while her powers were eventually stripped and her path of conquest halted, some say she still bides her time, waiting for her powers to return. Her patience, cleverness, and ambition have inspired a growing sect of clerics, particularly among those yokai who wish for unfettered freedom.

Druids

All nations have a respect, reverence, or fear of nature and the wilderness, and people similar to druids can be found anywhere in the world. When creating a druid, consider reskinning some features to match the ecology of the area your druid comes from. For example, an Ogygian druid is just as likely to revere and protect the oceans and rivers as they are forests and swamps, and Itharan druids can be found in sandy wastes as well as relatively-lush savannas or oases. You may also work with your DM to count non-sapient monstrosities as beasts for the purposes of your abilities, beast shapes, or totems.

Additionally, if a subclass gives you the ability to speak/understand Sylvan, you may change this to Wild Ogygian, Ancient Itharan, Primordial, or Draconic as appropriate to your place of origin and background.

Ogygia

Druids of Ogygia are almost always in service to the nymphs, or at least have a good relationship with them. Druids of the circles of the land, moon, and shepherd are easily the most common, drawing power from the natural magic of the earth around them, but circles of the stars can also be found in some remote, nocturnal sects, and the wars and skirmishes across the nation have started inspiring more and more wildfire druids. In particular, more and more satyrs have become disillusioned by their pacifistic kin and the destruction caused by war and have turned to fire magic and raiding settlements instead of restoring and defending their natural homes.

Alongside deer, elk, wolves, and boars, Ogygian druids may also take the form or iconography of fish, karkinoi, varanus, catoblepones, and even wyverns.

Ogygian Wild Shapes

CR0-1:

• Badger
• Bat (flying)
• Black Bear
• Blood Hawk (flying)
• Boar
• Brown Bear
• Cat
• Crab (swimming)
• Deer
• Dire Wolf
• Draft Horse
• Eagle (flying)
• Elk
• Frog (swimming)
• Giant Badger
• Giant Bat (flying)
• Giant Crab (swimming)
• Giant Eagle (flying)
• Giant Frog (swimming)
• Giant Octopus
• Giant Poisonous Snake (swimming)
• Giant Rat
• Giant Sea Eel (swimming)
• Giant Sea Horse (swimming)
• Giant Toad
• Giant Wolf Spider
• Goat
• Hawk (flying)
• Lizard
• Kampos (swimming)
• Mastiff
• Mule
• Octopus (swimming)
• Owl (flying)
• Ox
• Pig
• Poisonous Snake (swimming)
• Quipper (swimming)
• Rat
• Raven (flying)
• Reef Shark (swimming)
• Riding Horse
• Sea Horse (swimming)
• Sheep
• Spider
• Warhorse
• Wolf
• Varanus (swimming)

CR2:

• Cave Bear
• Giant Boar
• Giant Elk
• Hunter Shark
• Xiphios

CR3:

• Giant Lightning Eel
• Giant Snapping Turtle

CR4:

• Giant Coral Snake
• Xystoselachus

CR5:

• Catoblepas
• Giant Shark
• Sea Lion

CR6:

• Karkinos
• Wyvern

Ithara

Itharan druids are often found among the beastfolk or living within their communities, and many druids take the role of guides in the harsh desert to give aid to ailing travelers. Rarely are druids aligned with or under the employ of the merchant kings; the bustling cities, technological advancements, and forceful expansion of these rulers often comes into conflict with the ideals of Itharan druids. Itharan druids are most often of the circles of the land, moon, shepherd, stars, and wildfire, but a druid of dreams could also arise in service to one of the Itharan celestials or djinn.

Wildlife in Ithara is very different from standard medieval fantasy, and Itharan druids will often reflect this. Elephants, rhinos, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, ostriches, and secretary birds roam the savannas and scrublands; the rivers are home to ibises, cranes, hippos, and crocodiles; scorpions, sun spiders, locusts, and scarabs, both giant and normal, survive despite the sand wastes’ arid conditions. Primordial beasts (dinosaurs) are as common as normal wildlife, as well. The karkadann in particular is a revered figure for Itharan druids, holding the same importance as unicorns in standard fantasy.

Itharan Wild Shapes

CR0-1:

• Baboon
• Bat (flying)
• Cat
• Camel
• Constrictor Snake (swimming)
• Crocodile (swimming)
• Draft Horse
• Frog (swimming)
• Giant Bat (flying)
• Giant Eagle (flying)
• Giant Frog (swimming)
• Giant Goat
• Giant Hyena
• Giant Lizard (swimming)
• Giant Mantidfly (flying)
• Giant Poisonous Snake (swimming)
• Giant Mongoose (reskin giant weasel)
• Giant Spider
• Giant Sun Spider (reskin giant wolf spider)
• Giant Vulture (flying)
• Giant Wasp (flying)
• Goat
• Hawk (flying)
• Hyena
• Jackal
• Jaculus (reskin jaculi)
• Kudu (reskin elk)
• Lion
• Lizard
• Mongoose (reskin weasel)
• Mule
• Okapi (reskin deer)
• Olitiau (flying)
• Ostrich (reskin axe beak)
• Owl (flying)
• Ox
• Pig
• Poisonous Snake (swimming)
• Quipper (swimming)
• Riding Horse
• Scorpion
• Shadhavar
• Spider
• Tiger
• Vulture (flying)
• Warhorse
• Warthog (reskin boar)
• Yamur

CR2:

• Adjule
• Giant Constrictor Snake
• Giant Kudu (reskin giant elk)
• Giant Scarab
• Giant Warthog (reskin giant boar)
• Makalala
• Rhinoceros
• Zoureg

CR3:

• Cerust
• Giant Scorpion
• Lau
• Mbielu
• Muhuru

CR4:

• Elephant
• Giant Elephant Beetle

CR5:

• Giant Crocodile
• Kongamato
• Ngoubou

CR6:

• Apshai
• Emela-Ntouka

Tron Daurat

After the onset of the Nightmare, elven society split between the sun elves, who hold on to their historical ideals and civilization in an effort to return to what they had before the calamity, and the moon elves, who feel that the decadence of civilization is the cause of the Nightmare’s devastation and have reverted to frugal life in the wilderness. Druids in Tron Daurat almost always come from moon elven culture, though the elven reverence for birds, dragons, and the art of creation can inspire sun elves to become druids as well. Many moon elves choose to reside in Nightmare-corrupted regions where the sun never shines, leaning them more toward the circles of the moon, stars, spores, and dreams, while those of sun elven culture are more likely to channel their reverence of the sun as wildfire druids.

Tron Daurat is home to many unusual hybrid creatures, including many varieties of cockatrices, griffons, and hippogriffs, as well as the plant-sheep barometz. Elven society in general uses a great deal of bird symbolism, and this is also true of most druids in Tron Daurat.

Azuma

In Azuma, spirits are present in almost every natural formation, much like the nymphs of Ogygia, and many yokai are the natural result of beasts surviving for unusually long periods of time. Azumese druids may therefore take on roles closer to shamans or ascetic priests, communing with the spirits of the world and working closely with benevolent yokai. These druids are usually closest to circles of the land, moon, shepherd, dreams, stars, and wildfire.

Each region of Azuma is attuned to a specific season and element, and Azumese druids usually echo these: Seiryu has spring and wood, Suzaku has summer and fire, Byakko has autumn and metal, and Genbu has winter and water. Beasts of particular significance include foxes, raccoon dogs, badgers, weasels, whales, tortoises, tigers, and various birds.

Azumese Wild Shapes

CR0-1:

• Badger
• Bat (flying)
• Black Bear
• Boar
• Brown Bear
• Cat
• Crab (swimming)
• Crane (reskin eagle) (flying)
• Deer
• Draft Horse
• Fox
• Frog (swimming)
• Giant Badger
• Giant Bat (flying)
• Giant Centipede
• Giant Crab (swimming)
• Giant Frog (swimming)
• Giant Octopus
• Giant Poisonous Snake (swimming)
• Giant Rat
• Giant Salamander (reskin crocodile) (swimming)
• Giant Sea Eel (swimming)
• Giant Spider
• Giant Toad
• Giant Weasel
• Giant Wolf Spider
• Goat
• Hawk (flying)
• Lizard
• Macaque (reskin baboon)
• Mule
• Octopus (swimming)
• Owl (flying)
• Ox
• Poisonous Snake (swimming)
• Quipper (swimming)
• Rat
• Raven (flying)
• Reef Shark (swimming)
• Riding Crane (reskin giant eagle) (flying)
• Riding Horse
• Sheep
• Shiba Inu (reskin jackal)
• Spider
• Tiger
• Warhorse
• Weasel

CR2:

• Cave Bear
• Giant Boar
• Hunter Shark
• Yak (reskin aurochs)

CR3:

• Giant Lightning Eel
• Giant Snapping Turtle
• Killer Whale
• White Tiger (reskin winter wolf)

CR4:

• Giant Coral Snake

CR5:

• Colossal Salamander (reskin giant crocodile)
• Giant Shark
• Hulking Crab

CR6:

Fighters

Fighters can come from any nation in the world, but more importantly, the mechanics of any fighter subclass could come from any nation: for example, a samurai in Azuma does not have to be a fighter with the samurai subclass, and while they may not have the same name, you could use the mechanics of a samurai fighter for any warrior of noble bearing and swift fighting style in Ogygia, Ithara, or Tron Daurat.

Since a fighter’s identity relies more on their equipment than other classes’, consider referencing the unique weapon types of each nation when choosing your fighter’s equipment. While functionally similar to a battleaxe or throwing axe respectively, an Itharan fighter using a khopesh or mambele makes much more of a statement about their character and history due to the cultural significance of these weapons.

Ogygia

Ogygia is the nation of conflict, training fighters of all kinds and from all walks of life. One of the twin Pans leading the nymphs, Agrea, is a magical huntress and this art could be passed down to an arcane archer fighter in defense of the wilderness. Banneret fighters are often generals of great armies. Cavalier fighters often ride varanus over horses for their flexibility with a variety of terrain, and the wyrmriders of Spartoi hold the secret of taming loyal riding wyverns. Rather than learning from giants, rune knight fighters could learn from Ogygian wizards or nymphs. A samurai fighter by a different name could be any warrior of noble bearing in Ogygia, adept at maneuvering in both the courts and the battlefield, but the Iron Hawk also trains his forces in Azumese combat and weaponry for a more literal samurai.

Ithara

Aether can be used to replicate the abilities of most fighter subclasses in Ithara, particularly the arcane archer, echo knight, eldritch knight, and rune knight fighters. Guards and fighters under the employ of the merchant kings also have access to aetheromechanical technology that can be used to explain the supernatural abilities of the more unusual fighter subclasses; many of these fighters are also given access to vajra-blades, which they can load with aether canisters to cast low-level spells. While these may seem similar to artificers, the difference is that fighters are less likely to have the knowledge to craft or repair this technology, while artificers might lack direct combat experience but have intimate knowledge of how this technology is developed.

Cavalier fighters have a variety of riding beasts to choose from, including camels, elephants, rhinos, ostriches, giant sun spiders, giant mantises, and even some primordial beasts (dinosaurs).

Among the beastfolk, sobekite fighters are known for training fighting styles that rely on protecting their allies, and destroyer apollians use their innate psionic abilities to train psi warrior fighters.

Tron Daurat

Between the nebulous power of creation magic, the primordial dragons, and the Nightmare, fighters of all kinds can come from Tron Daurat. Communion with primordial dragons and the imbibing of their bodies, whether given or taken by force, can grant an echo knight, psi warrior, eldritch knight, or rune knight their powers, and similar strength can come from corruption by the Nightmare. Even without this direct influence, the power of creation magic can allow even a standard elf to manifest similar powers in combat.

Rather than horses, elven cavalry usually employs a fire-breathing breed of cockatrice derived from the cassowary, which can use the fire strider statblock. Cavalier fighters of particular renown may also choose to ride griffons or hippogriffs into battle.

Azuma

While samurai fighters are an obvious choice for Azuma, actual samurai are only under the employ of one of the four shoguns, similar to traditional knights serving a king or duke. While not official samurai by title, fighters with similar mental fortitude and fighting style can be trained by the tengu and often end up as mercenaries rather than knights of any particular affiliation. Renowned fighters from the more magical subclasses are often trained by the kitsune or other benevolent yokai, assuming they can be convinced to spend that kind of time on a creature. In a more obscure example, tsukumogami are tools or items that have been abandoned for long periods and come back to life, and as part of their awakening, these tools may recall the memories of the people who once used them and mimic their fighting styles.

Characters with the kasha nekomata culture are capable of summoning a flaming cart with the same stats as a warhorse, which could make for a very different cavalier fighter.

It is worth noting that many Azumese fighters use weapons other than katanas (the tachi and wakizashi, in particular), especially those not trained in a shogun’s military. The kusarigama is a concealed weapon of choice among peasantry, the naginata is often considered to be a woman’s weapon, and even regular humans not trained by oni will use heavy iron kanabo to crush armor and bones.

Monks

In this setting, the flavor of ki and ascetic monks are almost nonexistent; instead, monks can be found in any nation as warriors, largely hand-to-hand, that channel the magical energy of the world through their bodies. Depending on the region, this energy could come from a variety of sources that can influence the subclass of your monk character, and these monks do not necessarily have to live a monastic life in order to obtain their abilities.

Ogygia

Ogygian monks are usually referred to as pugilists, so named because their fighting styles more closely resemble boxing and wrestling than the fluid motions of the traditional monk. Many pugilists find their employment in the great colosseums and make use of the cestus, which allows them to use a weapon while still functionally acting as an unarmed strike. The drunken master, open hand, and kensei subclasses are the closest mechanically to these pugilists. A student of the nymphs could also become a monk of four elements, mercy, or sun soul, channeling the power of nature into these various magical benefits.

Ithara

The aether that suffuses everything in Ithara is a perfect vector for a monk’s ki, and all monk subclasses could fit with Ithara’s magical nature or even come from aetheromechanical technology, like fighters. Rather than drawing from the astral plane, an astral self monk could instead channel aether into a ghostly duplicate or enhance their physical bodies. A long death monk may draw from the powers that animate mummies or may have been partially twisted by the corrupting aether of Ersetu. An ascendant dragon monk, rather than drawing power from a dragon, could instead derive their powers from supernatural creatures like the anzu, rakshasa, simurgh, sphinxes, or even primordial beasts.

Tron Daurat

The military of the sun elves tend to prefer more fluid (though not unarmed) combat, and a monk's focus and fighting style are very appropriate for these elves. The moon elves, meanwhile, are more willing to use their bare hands and feral strength, closer to Ogygian pugilists than traditional monks.

As with other regions, the creation magic of Tron Daurat is a fitting vector for the effects of ki, but it could also be a more innate power spawned from communion with dragons or demons. In particular, the astral self monk has a very close tie to the many-armed kalvari of the Nightmare, and the long death and shadow monks have similar ties to nehemoth demons. Sun soul monks would be very unlikely in moon elf culture, but most sun elf monks would likely find strength in that path.

Azuma

Azuma is the nation closest to the traditional monk aesthetic, though Azumese monks almost always prefer use of a weapon over hand-to-hand combat, leading them toward the path of kensei monks. The tengu in particular are extremely knowledgable warmasters who adopt the clothing and equipment of mountain-dwelling yamabushi monks, and - if they could be convinced and the student survives - would be incredible mentors. The tanuki, meanwhile, would be well-suited for a drunken master monk with their love of relaxation and alcohol, and the trickery of the itachi could inspire a shadow monk's techniques. The heavenly kitsune would be more willing mentors of a sun soul or astral self monk. Even the kappa could teach a monk, as they are masters of grappling above their weight and taught the arts of medicine to humans.

Paladins

Much like in Forgotten Realms, a paladin is not empowered by service to a deity, but by the strength of an oath they have forged, whether that is to a cause, organization, or individual. In this way, they are remarkably similar to clerics in that their personal conviction and belief is what grants them power, but while a cleric believes in and emulates a legend or individual, a paladin is more likely to be the inspiring legend, powered only by their own force of will.

When making a paladin, think outside of the standard image of a holy European knight-crusader to what other cultures might consider noble or holy. You may also change the mount obtained by find steed or find greater steed to a creature more aligned to your paladin's origin, in visuals if not stats. Additionally, the oathbreaker paladin could be reskinned as a paladin who has made an oath of evil or destruction, rather than strictly one who has broken their oath.

Ogygia

Many of Ogygia's great heroes and loyal knights could be considered paladins of some kind, whether empowered by an oath to a warrior-ruler, defense of the nymphs' wilderness, or their own goals of power. Ancients, conquest, crown, and glory paladins are perfect fits for all types of Ogygian values, while those whose homelands have been ravaged in the wake of armies may take the mantle of a vengeance paladin, and those with a raw hatred of the nymphs and the invading horrors left by Phorcys and Ceto may instead take the oath of the watchers.

An Ogygian paladin's steeds would most often be a varanus or warhorse, though those of the wliderness and rural lands may also choose elks, boars, smaller wyverns, or even young cetea.

Ithara

In Ithara's great cities, the most devoted knights in service to the merchant kings can easily be paladins, particularly those with oaths of the crown or devotion; a paladin with the oath of the watchers may also stand guard against the rakshasa of Ersetu or the anzu who carry aether storms with them.

The beastfolk and those in rural Itharan towns, meanwhile, have a much closer attunement to nature and a need to survive and protect those around them. Paladins of the ancients fight to uphold life in an arid land, while paladins of devotion may fight to uphold order where chaos may suddenly overturn everything. The sobekites and girtablilu in particular uphold a cultural value of protection and community, inspiring the work and fighting training of many paladins. Destroyer apollians and their goals of obliteration to create a new paradise may form oaths of vengance against the merchant-kings or oaths of conquest.

An Itharan paladin's steed would vary greatly depending on their homeland: those in the savanna or scrublands may choose a zebra, kudu, lion, rhinoceros, ngoubou, or abuqarn; those in the sand wastes may choose a giant sun spider, camel, or scarab beetle; those in the canyons or rivers may choose a simurgh, kongamato, giant crocodile, or young nguma-monene. In particular, the karkadann is a powerful symbol for those attuned to and protective of the natural world.

Tron Daurat

With the onset of the Nightmare, many paladins have taken up oaths in Tron Daurat to defend their kin and fight the demonic incursion. Those of the watchers, vengeance, devotion, and crown oaths are the most common by far, even among both the sun elves and the moon elves. On the other hand, some have also taken the power of the Nightmare; an oathbreaker paladin could have taken on the Nightmare's power while still attempting to fight against it as a dark knight. A redemption paladin, meanwhile, may travel Tron Daurat in an attempt to keep the elves from warring with one another, especially considering the social upheaval between the sun and moon elves.

Many mystical creatures in Tron Daurat could be the mounts of a paladin, including the standard options of elks, griffons, and perytons. Fire-breathing cockatrices derived from cassowaries serve most of the cavalry of the sun elves, using the stats of a fire strider. Heavy owlbears and larger amphipteres could also act as mounts for a paladin.

Azuma

A few Azumese paladins may serve the shogunate as personal samurai and paladins of the crown and devotion, but these warriors are more often found as folk heroes, half-yokai exiles, and servants of the heavenly kitsune protecting humanity from malevolent yokai. In Seiryu, oath of the watchers paladins may be devoted to fighting against the spreading poison of the mukade and their lord Omukade, while the same may also guard the entrances of Yomi to ensure the restless dead never threaten the living.

While warhorses and ponies are standard mounts for a paladin, those in Byakko may be able to bond with the fierce tigers that give the region its name. Those who train in kasha nekomata cultures can learn to summon a sentient flaming cart with the find steed spell, which may be suited to a paladin determined to hunt down sinners and wrongdoers with an oath of vengeance. More holy paladins may instead bond with a kirin or hou-ou, while a paladin bonded with a raiju becomes a fiercesome lord of lightning on the battlefield.

Rangers

Much like druids, rangers can be found in any region with equal frequency. Every location has need for individuals who wander the dangerous wilderness and act as guides or protectors.

Ogygia

The wilderness of Ogygia is home to both the elemental nymphs and terrifying monsters, and rangers can find a niche either alongside or against these natural protectors. Beast master, hunter, gloom stalker, and monster slayer rangers are perfect choices for rangers who protect either civilization or nature from monstrous oppressors such as hydras and chimeras. While not spawned from an actual dragon, the drakewarden ranger could instead have a young wyvern as a companion, either thanks to the knowledge of the wyrmriders of Spartoi or through a yet-unknown bond.

As attuned (or tainted) by nature as they become, rangers in service to the nymphs (such as those with briar-touched or centaur ancestry, or simply humans aligned to the wilds) are particularly suited for the more mystical ranger subclasses. A fey wanderer ranger could be an actual nymph or merely blessed by their magic, while a swarmkeeper's nature spirits could be lesser nymphs or literal swarms of insects.

Ithara

While the cities of the merchant kings are not well-suited to rangers, aside from those who make a living hunting powerful beasts and collecting bounties, the wilderness and rural settlements have a great need for rangers who can give safe passage through the desert. Merchant or travel caravans who cannot (or will not) use the services of the merchant kings' technology commonly employ a ranger as a guide, and many choose to wander and aid the lost and the oppressed.

Due to their life in the wilderness, it is much more common for these rangers to receive (either willingly or unwillingly) strange mutations and gifts from powerful aether concentrations. This can be an easy way to describe the powers of a gloom stalker, swarmkeeper, fey wanderer, or even horizon walker ranger. The spirits of a swarmkeeper or fey wanderer may also be minor djinn or rakshasa; the destroyer apollians in particular believe that they descend from an all-consuming rakshasa king, the Destroyer, and his legion of monstrous locusts.

Tron Daurat

Rangers are most common among the moon elves who have forsaken civilization in favor of natural life. An elf devoted to the destruction of the Nightmare might easily obtain the skills of a gloom stalker or horizon walker ranger, while the strangeness of creation magic could lend a fey wanderer or swarmkeeper ranger their powers. Obviously, Tron Daurat is the best suited region for a drakewarden ranger; dragons are sources of overwhelming power, and merely obtaining one of their body parts could grant a drakewarden their abilities and miniature companion.

Azuma

Azuma is a region constantly in danger from the malevolent yokai of the wilderness, and rangers find many opportunities as protectors, guides, and yokai hunters. Many kitsune carry out the lives of rangers, never locked to one place and more attuned to the natural world than the cities of humans. The yokai are also closest in demeanor to traditional, capricious fey, and a fey wanderer's abilities and fey spirit work perfectly to emulate the entrancing powers of a half-yokai. The drakewarden's abilities and companion could also be reskinned as a yokai of some stripe, particularly the lightning-wreathed raiju, a nue, a large fire-tossing nekomata, or, of course, a young ryu.

Rogues

Much like fighters and barbarians, a rogue is such a broad archetype that they could come from anywhere in the world.

Ogygia

While Ogygians value physical strength, cunning and strength of mind aren't frowned upon either. Every warrior-ruler values someone who can learn the secrets of their enemies and find the cracks in their walls, and rogues of this occupation may operate in the shadows or openly in the courts. Assassin, inquisitive, and mastermind rogues are most suited to this type of role, while scouts and thieves can better serve armies on the fields to track enemy movements. With its high connection to seafaring, pirates also find a foothold in Ogygia, and the fantasy of a swashbuckler rogue fits perfectly among their kind.

Ithara

Many civilizations have fallen in Ithara, and the corpses of their cities are ripe for plunder. It's no surprise, then, that rogues act as treasure hunters in this region, either acting solo or in bands. The merchant kings pay handsomely for items obtained from these civilizations, especially magical artifacts and relics of Ithara's history. On the other side, the spoils of the merchant kings are a tempting target for thieves as well; the horde of magical relics within Maruthala Moti has been broken into just once before, and many other attempts have been made in the past.

In the wilderness, the airships, trains, ships, and caravans of traders are also tempting targets for raiders. In fact, the merchant king Fayruz Hashmi was once a pioneer of airship technology in its early days and gained her riches raiding the convoys of the merchant kings themselves.

The strangeness of aether can also be used to explain the powers of more esoteric rogues like the arcane trickster, and a rogue touched by the chaos of Ersetu may develop the powers of a phantom or soulknife rogue. These may also come from the psionic powers of an apollian or one with rakshasan ancestry.

Tron Daurat

In the post-scarcity economy of Tron Daurat, where those in need can simply create the fundamentals to survive, rogues are much less common. Only with the onset of the Nightmare and the social divison of the elves have rogues started to appear locally, either infiltrating the courts of suspicious elves to catch hidden lycanthropes or vampires, or twisted by the Nightmare's power to grant them the abilities of a phantom or soulknife rogue.

Azuma

The obvious choice for a rogue in Azuma is a ninja under the employ of the shogunate, particularly that of the Imagawa shogunate, whose hot spring resorts are often staked out by his ninja to gain material on his political opponents. Even outside of these government spies, however, some individuals may take on a rogue's skills to fight the yokai of the wilderness or act as mercenaries for hire. Itachi yokai in particular have a fondness for the fighting style of rogues, and their warriors are known for the incredible speed of their hit-and-run tactics in the forested mountains.

Sorcerers

Like in Forgotten Realms, sorcerors gain their magical abilities through their bloodline or from affliction/empowerment from an external force.

Aberrant Mind

The most obvious source of this bloodline is the interdimensional Nightmare that currently assaults Tron Daurat. Demons of the Nightmare come from an unknown source beyond the sun and breed horror and slaughter in their wake. This power could also come from the maddening aether of Ersetu in Ithara, either from affliction or heritage with one of the rakshasa. In Azuma, rather than being skinned as a tentacled, slimy horror, this power could instead come from one of the restless and angry phantoms who refuse to pass on and infect the world around them with their resentment.

Clockwork Soul

The visuals and flavor of a clockwork soul sorceror only match the Fukuro Shrine in Azuma and some aetheromechanical technology in Ithara, and neither match the order-inflicting powers of the clockwork soul. Instead, a clockwork soul sorceror could come from an entity heavily focused on maintaining order over chaos, such as a dragon of Tron Daurat, a celestial kitsune or tennyo of Azuma, or a sphinx or ammit of Ithara. Golems are already present in Ithara and Tron Daurat for use with the summon construct spell, and an Azumese clockwork soul sorceror could spawn a clay haniwa or stone guardian.

Draconic Bloodline

The dragons of Tron Daurat are an obvious source for this subclass, as either their blessing or imbibing their body parts could grant these powers; the dragonborn themselves originated from this.

However, the mechanics of this subclass could also use other species. A fully fire-aspected draconic bloodline sorceror could draw its power from a phoenix in Tron Daurat, while one that uses fire, poison, or acid could be infused with a chimera's adaptational blood. The anzu of Ithara that embody volatile aether storms could imbue a creature with these powers as well, changing out the scale growth for multicolored feathers, and the powerful sphinxes and simurgh could also lend a mortal this power. A sphinx would give the sorceror feathered wings and patches of sandy fur, while a simurgh would give magnificent peacock wings and feathers.

Divine Soul

While not necessarily divine, each region has some entities that could grant a sorceror these powers. In Ogygia, the nymphs could suit the good, neutral, or law affinities, and rather than wings, they could give auras matching the nymph's elemental nature: swirls of mist or banks of clouds for air nymphs, floating gemstones or streams of flowing reeds for land nymphs, swirling leaves and flower petals for plant nymphs, and bubbles or hanging droplets for water nymphs.

In Ithara, a sphinx or simurgh could suit the good and law affinities, granting radiant peacock wings, while a rakshasa would suit the evil or chaos affinities. A djinn could grant the evil, neutral, or chaos affinities depending on its nature, spawning elemental or bestial wings to suit the djinn's form than the predetermined selections. An anzu would easily fit the chaos affinity, granting multicolored eagle wings with a stormy aura.

The dragons of Tron Daurat are another fit for the neutrality affinity, granting an array of draconic wings, while any demons could give evil and chaotic affinities with wings of gnarled tendrils, writhing shadows, or strange hybrids of owl and moth wings.

Yokai of all kinds could spawn this divine bloodline in Azuma. The power of celestial kitsune or tennin aligns well with good and law, and instead of wings, a tennyo's heritage could impart a spectral version of the tennyo's rainbow-feathered robes. Any sufficiently powerful malicious yokai could align with evil and chaos, while the more complex tengu - particularly the daitengu - could lean toward neutrality.

Shadow Magic

While the Shadowfell does not exist in this setting, it is not without its shadowy, malevolent entities. Demons or the raw energies of the Nightmare in Tron Daurat, rakshasa and the corrupted aether of Ersetu, and the nue that feed on fear or the malevolent spirits of Yomi could all pass on the powers of a shadow magic sorcerer.

Storm Sorcery

A storm sorcerer's power and ability to speak Primordial perfectly aligns with the magic performed by sirens in Ogygia, and it's not impossible for a crew to have formed an alliance with a curious, friendly siren. Air nymphs are also good candidates to pass on this heritage. Some dragons in Tron Daurat and djinn in Ithara are capable of manipulating storms and wind. In Azuma, the raiju in Byakko are near-embodiments of thunderstorms, and some yokai living off the coast, such as the umi-bozu, manifest storms simply by existing. While more aspected to ice and snow than lightning and rain, the phantoms known as yuki-onna are also capable of creating storms to match a storm sorcerer's powers.

Wild Magic

The chaos and unpredictability of Itharan aether is a perfect mirror of wild magic, but the creation magic of Tron Daurat, left to swell in power and gone out of control, could also surge in the fickle ways of this subclass. Your DM may choose to change the creatures spawned by wild magic surges or the flavor of certain surge effects to match your choice of power source.

Warlocks

Much like in Forgotten Realms, warlocks in this setting gain their power from another entity they have personally interacted with in some way. Many of these come from forming a pact that both entities agree on, but this is not always the case: elven warlocks who take power directly from demons of the Nightmare, referred to as demonologists among their kind, have learned to forcibly take a part from a demon such as a head or arm, and through a complex ritual of imbibment they can then exert control over the demon. Hungering blades from Azuma, meanwhile, may form a more parasitic pact with their warlock, draining a weaker warlock's will with each passing day.

Archfey

The yokai of Azuma are the closest to the fey in this setting, and the powers granted by the archfey patron have a strong mirror to the powers of the kitsune and tanuki in particular. While both tend to be less malicious, they are still capricious creatures that also align with the will of an archfey patron, tanuki even more so.

While less exact, some of the fearsome and all-powerful dragons of Tron Daurat could also share the powers of an archfey patron, as could djinn of Ithara or air and plant nymphs or particularly skilled sirens in Ogygia.

Celestial

The unicorns and phoenixes of Tron Daurat easily align with the holy and immolating power of a celestial patron. In Ithara, the ammit, sphinxes, and simurgh are all celestial beings who could be convinced to impart their power to others, and while they resent civilization and most sapient creatures save the beastfolk, the karkadann are essentialy Ithara's version of unicorns. In Auma, the heavenly kitsune and the enlightened tennin are the most powerful celestial patrons to be found, while a baku or hou-ou could also serve this role despite their relatively lower power. They may even be willing to travel alongside their warlock companion.

Fathomless

With its strong connection to the sea, and the beasts that have arisen from it, Ogygia has powerful patrons for a fathomless warlock in the form of the cetea, sirens, and water nymphs. While they remain sealed within the trench of Lethe, if a particularly dedicated warlock managed to contact them, the ancient titans Phorcys and Ceto may well be able to act as a fathomless patron. There is little doubt they would want freedom in return, however, which may spell the end of Ogygia if fulfilled.

In the Genbu region of Azuma, powerful yokai such as the bakekujira, sazae-oni, and umi-bozu could easily serve as fathomless patrons. Acting more as forces of nature or omens of disaster than conscious creatures, they may even lack significant demands of their warlocks, in exchange for not responding much in times of need.

Fiend

The lower planes do not exist in this setting, but similar locations and power sources can still be found in most regions. Demons of the Nightmare or vampires in Tron Daurat are an obvious choice for this patron, with the Hurl Through Hell feature sending the target hurtling through the cosmic horrors of the Nightmare. Rakshasa of Ithara and oni or kasha nekomata in Azuma are further options, with Ersetu and Jigoku as their feature locations, respectively.

Genie

Itharan djinn are the obvious choice for this patron, and while they don't have the clean separation of genies in the Forgotten Realms, you can still select an elemental focus as normal for your warlock's patron. The flavor for the abilities and vessel can remain completely unchanged.

For an option that matches the mechanics but not necessarily the theme, a yokai such as a tanuki, nekomata, itachi, or kitsune could also serve as a genie patron in Azuma. A tanuki could serve as a dao, a nekomata as an efreeti, an itachi as a djinni or marid, and a kitsune as a djinni or efreeti. The vessel, then, could be made into a particularly well-crafted teapot, a paper lantern, or a small protective figurine.

Great Old One

Demons of the Nightmare are once again a perfect choice for great old one patrons, due to their otherworldly nature and maddening abilities. Nehemoth and balor demons in particular are well-suited as great old one patrons due to their love of disorientation and fear.

Outside of demons, some rakshasa of Ithara could also serve as fitting patrons with a little reskinning, as could many yokai in Azuma, particularly the nue that feed off of fear and psychic trauma.

Hexblade

While the Shadowfell doesn't exist in this setting, any region could be host to a cursed weapon, whether or not that weapon has true sentience. The rare hungering blades of Azuma are powerful weapons that drive their users to slaughter and feed them with blood, and Nightmare-tainted creation magic in Tron Daurat or the corrupted aether of Ersetu in Ithara could imbue a weapon with strange power and will. A particularly malevolent djinn sealed within a weapon could even act as a hexblade patron in Ithara, cursing those it touches and driving its user to find a way to free the djinn within.

Undead

Warlocks of an undead patron are less concerned with preserving their mortal forms and are willing to succumb to the rotten visages of dessicated corpses, skeletons, and mutilated ghosts, as exemplified in their Form of Dread, Necrotic Husk, and Spirit Projection features. The risen mummies of Ithara and the restless undead of Azuma, such as bakekujira, gashadokuro, and myriad phantoms, all can serve as an undead patron. The greatest possible patron for this warlock would be Nami, empress of the rotten land of Yomi.

Undying

While warlocks of undead patrons are willing to return to life after death, warlocks of undying patrons are more concerned with cheating death in the first place. While they can therefore share similar patrons to undead warlocks, undying warlocks have more esoteric options at their disposal.

Vampires from Tron Daurat can turn even mortal creatures immortal through their curse, and the defilement caused by accepting the infestatoin of a mukade centipede in Azuma prevents the afflicted person from ever dying. The lord of the mukade burrowed deep beneath Seiryu, Omukade, is a more powerful patron whose poison aspect matches the disease-based spells of the undying warlock.

Wizards

All nations are replete with magic and those who study its power, allowing wizards to study their art nearly anywhere. Only Ithara and Tron Daurat have true schools for the study of magical energies, but the listed subclasses can still be used to show a wizard's chosen specializations, and they can either be self-taught through intense study or find a magical mentor to learn these arts.

Ogygia

The elemental, natural energies emanating through Ogygia are the source of many wizards' studies. This naturally encourages focuses on conjuration and evocation, and war magic in particular is attractive to any wizard who wants to fight on the front lines. Some necromancers have also found success in Ogygia, for the promise of an undying army is a powerful temptation in a land of eternal war. Necromancy is blasphemous to the nymphs, however, and many a necromancer finds enemies in the wilderness. The only exception to this rule is one of the leaders of the nymphs, Agrea, who may reanimate the wicked to force them to repent in death.

Those aligned with the nymphs may also study abjuration to ward their territory from attackers, while the sirens may teach enchantment.

Ithara

Many wizards find study and employment among the merchant kings, employed alongside artificers to study the magical effects and applications of aether. Aether's power naturally aligns well with wizards who study transmutation, evocation, and even graviturgy. Scribes, too, are always in demand among Itharan libraries.

Itharan wizards do not need formal education in major cities to study their arts, however. Most small settlements require the aid of abjurers who can defend them against aether storms, and the sobekite beastfolk in particular study the arts of deflecting curses. The monthu also favor mixing melee combat with magic, and could train bladesingers and war mages in their ranks. Necromancy is also remarkably common, particularly in the dusty tomes and mummies of ancient civilizations and among the corrupted aether of Ersetu; death is common in Ithara, and some choose to lean into its power for survival.

Tron Daurat

The creation magic of Tron Daurat is a remarkably flexible power, able to manifest a wide variety of abilities if the user is able to learn how to effectively channel their creations. Conjuration, evocation, illusion, and transmutation are all common vectors for channeling creation magic, and its power is an excellent reason for the living book of a scribe. While the art did not originate with elves in this setting, many elves also train to become bladesingers. Those who have spent ages studying and perfecting creation magic may even be able to bend reality itself, becoming practitioners of chronurgy.

The elves have always had a fascination for the reaches beyond the sun, and even before the onset of the Nightmare, some have chosen to study the stars and the power they can provide. These astrologians often end up as diviners or practitioners of graviturgy.

Azuma

The yokai of Azuma necessitate the study of abjuration to keep the most vicious of them out of human settlements, and these exorcists are always in demand when the powers of the heavenly kitsune cannot come in time. Similarly, the powers of diviners are always in demand, and the shogunate has several of both in their employ to defend against yokai and give insight into their political rivals.

The magical powers of the yokai also align well with many schools of wizardry. Conjuration, enchantment, evocation, illusion, and transmutation all come naturally to certain types of yokai, and they may be willing to teach their arts to others. Alongside abjurers, necromancers also find a surprising niche in their ability to quell the restless dead and allow them to pass on, or at least to temper their fury.

The awakened book of a scribe also aligns perfectly with the description of a tsukumogami, and while a tsukumogami may be capricious, there is no doubt that a living book that can speak all its knowledge is a valuable tutor.

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