Intro to Nerilia

Nerilia is a world of Strange Magic, where nothing can be assumed. In fact, magic so dominates the planet that very few mundane creatures inhabit it. The cause of this is an event known as the Great Cataclysm, wherein colossal titan laid waste to the surface, leaving residual magic embedded permanently in the world. This had many effects, from cutting the world off from the other planes of existence to resurrecting extinct species. Since then, humanoid ancestries have slowly returned and begun to establish societies, while the descendants of those who survived the cataclysm mostly live in the underground Darklands.

Regions of Nerilia

Nerilia has four continents. Yiaroth lies westernmost on the map, and was the most affected by the cataclysm, as it was where the titans originated. To the southeast of Yiaroth is Iyas, and to the northeast lies the frigid Sasheth. Finally, farther east is Eashinth. These continents are further divided into regions based on their characteristics. Each region contains enough variety to be the focus of an adventure all its own, but is unified by certain themes. If you are a player in this world, the regions' themes can help you tie your character to the world more strongly. A map of Nerilia can be found here.

Beast Lands

Location: Northern Iyas

Theme: Dangerous Wilds, Great and Fearsome Beasts

The sprawling expanse of wilderness known as the Beast Lands is nearly bereft of humanoid civilizations. It is ruled by, and home to, great and powerful animals, some of whom are sapient enough to have their own laws and traditions. Humanoids who live here are almost all beastfolk descended from animals themselves, and hunting and gathering is the dominant lifestyle. Many gods here take the form of divine beasts, and even those without deific power have a place in many religions. The legendary wardens of the wild, who wander the world as protectors of nature, return here to choose their successors.

Example Characters

• A barbarian from a group of hunter-gatherers, well accustomed to battling great monsters and rival warriors alike.
• A witch who draws power from a powerful animal spirit to harness beastly magic.
• A ranger who nursed an injured animal to health and gained a loyal companion in return.

Dominion of Steel

Location: Northern Sasheth

Theme: Military Might and Unbreakable Oaths

The mountains in the frozen northern bounds of Sasheth are home to only a miniscule scattering of mortal souls; it is the region's immortal inhabitants that give it its name. The god Kozrumon's knightly order of oath-bound devils make their headquarters on the northmost point of the continent and continually expand their influences by building fortresses throughout the mountains. Their reasons for doing so remain a mystery, and they demand very little of the people living in their sphere of influence. Still, they are not merciful to those they deem trespassers, and their goals cannot be anything but sinister.

Example Characters

• A champion, sworn to Kozrumon as a knight for all eternity.
• An investigator, wandering the world in search of information that may reveal Kozrumon's designs for their homeland.
• An oathbreaker, fleeing from the consequences of their transgression.

Dragon Kingdoms

Location: Western Eashinth

Theme: Supernatural Guidance of Society

The Dragon Kingdoms are centered on the Qiang River Valley and get their name from the imperial dragons who brought the knowledge of how to build a society. The dragons guide, and in some cases outright rule (whether as tyrants or protectors, the nations they inhabit. This has lead the Dragon Kingdoms to much greater prosperity than the surrounding regions, but also created conflict and strife. Those who reject the dragons believe that their people should find their way on their own. After all, how can one know their capabilities if they never face their problems alone?

Example Characters

• A draconic sorcerer seeking to find their own destiny, away from their draconic ancestors' control.
• An anti-dragon rebel searching for the strength to drive the dragons from their country.
• A traveling merchant, gathering wealth and knowledge to bring back home.

Great Expanse

Location: Northern Eashinth

Theme: Freedom and Lawlessness

The region called the Great Expanse is known primarily for how flat and open the terrain is, consisting primarily of plains and tundra with scattered woodland. As a result, civilizations don't tend to be larger than individual city-states, and most people are nomadic. Unlike the Beast Lands, though, the wilderness does not definitively rule. Humanoids are common and well established, and though there are very few geographic states, a wide variety of cultures and nations exists regardless. While there are certainly points of interest, such as the ruined city of Yherong, it is the people one encounters, not the places they go, which broadly define their experience in the expanse.

Example Characters

• A bandit, adventuring for greater treasure than can be found in robbing travellers.
• A bard, trained in the magical verses of your people and seeking inspiration for their own songs and tales.
• A horseback archer, adept at both hunting and warfare.

The Jotunlov

Location: Northern Yiaroth

Theme: Honor and Glory in Battle

The Jotunlov is a region primarily inhabited by giants and subject to their laws. The giants fight constantly both with each other and with the humanoids that coexist with them. While a culture of honorable battle pervades much of the region, not every kingdom in the Jotunlov is warlike, and war is not the only thing that people care about. Genealogy, religion, and loyalty are all just as important as glory in battle, if not more, to its people. Despite their broad similarities, however, the Jotunlov's people are very diverse and so far no attempt to unite them under one ruler has succeeded. If anyone with the will to accomplish such a task ever appeared, a united Jotunlov would be a fearsome force indeed.

Life is hard for humanoids living in the Jotunlov. While they have had kingdoms to call their own in the past, these rarely last long, and most humanoids there live their lives in fear and awe of the terrifying strength of the giants who rule them. Many are treated as slaves, while a select few earn respect as merchants, bringing goods from foreign lands. A few particularly steadfast individuals can rise as warriors and be treated as equals.

Example Characters

• A giant instinct barbarian, inspired by the strength of giants and seeking glory.
• A tricksy rogue who slips by under the noses of those who underestimate them.
• A skilled sailor and warrior who carries out raids on poorly-defended settlements.

Living Lands

Location: Southern Yiaroth

Theme: The Will of the Earth

The Living Lands contain what was once the nation of Phodr, guarded by a god of the same name who claimed domains of earth and nature. His death shortly before the cataclysm, paired with the cataclysm itself, infused the region with a will of its own and the power to act upon it. The landscape of this region constantly shifts, and most of the plants can move as well. Fey and nature spirits are common, and the tree of the dryad goddess Duona resides here as well. Life for humanoids in the Living Lands can be difficult, but not for scarcity of resources, as nature thrives throughout the region. Cultivating crops is largely impossible, however, as the land itself refuses to be controlled in such a way. Leshies are the most common ancestry by far.

Example Characters

• A cleric who serves Duona, travelling to ensure the safety of the natural world.
• A druid of the leaf or stone order, drawing magic from the power in the land.
• A sorcerer who gained their spellcasting from a magic power-granting fruit.

Old Cyrdia

Location: Eastern Yiaroth

Theme: Remnants of Ambition and Empire

The once-great Cyrdian Empire was responsible for creating the titans that caused the cataclysm, but they created many more strange and unsettling things that were left behind after the empire collapsed. Ruled by a lich, the empire was no stranger to necromancy and undeath, and large numbers of both mindless and sapient undead still haunt the region, with more being constantly created both by the powers of already-existing undead and by latent magic. Those willing to delve into the ruins of the empire's cities will find andvanced knowledge of wizardry, alchemy, and machines, along with ancient constructs lying dormant at their posts. The android ancestry, which resemble humans but are created artificially, are now being created by ancient labs altered by the magic of the cataclysm. And there are more sinister secrets still hiding beneath the surface.

Example Characters

• An alchemist or inventor making use of the scientific knowledge of the empire.
• A gunslinger using firearms found in Cyrdian ruins.
• A wizard who reconstructed the used of magic from old texts.

Rotting Jungle

Location: Western Yiaroth

Theme: Decay and New Life

The cataclysm killed most of this great jungle and poisoned what was left, allowing fungal growth to rampantly consume the dead matter and become dominant. It continually expands, though why is unclear, and presents an existential threat to the people of nearby areas. Surviving long-term in the jumgle is nearly impossible due to the prevalent toxins, but to those daring enough to brave its hazards, the jungle holds many treasures left from before the cataclysm. But would-be explorers must be wary, as more than just idle mushrooms and hardy insects inhabit its vast stretches.

Example Characters

• An alchemist who draws inspiration from the jungle's toxic spores to synthesize deadly poisons.
• A fungal leshy native to the jungle, who left to expand its influence or to see the outside world.
• A refugee from a settlement that was overrun by the expanding jungle.

Rune Desert

Location: Eastern Eashinth

Theme: Ancient and Powerful Magic

This vast desert was once fertile, in a time that was ancient even before the cataclysm, and was home to one of the first major civilizations on Nerilia. Its people were highly skilled in the use of runic magic, and the cataclysm reawakened these ancient runes. Untold knowledge and power waits in the desert, but the magic is dangerous and unpredictable, and the ruins are guarded by ancient wards and newly mutated creatures.

Example Characters

• An archaeologist hoping to find and preserve important artifacts before looters claim them.
• A distant descendant of an ancient runemaster who feels a call to discover the power of their ancestors.
• An oracle, cursed by the ruins with visions of runes that spell the future.

Shattered Lands

Location: Southern Eashinth

Theme: Divine Destruction

The southern part of Eashinth was once a single landmass, and the destruction it experienced was beyond even the capabilities of the titan. The people of this region had always had a particularly strong connection to their gods, and so when the cataclysm occurred, they prayed for salvation. The gods answered, but by that time Nerilia was already being cut off from the other planes, causing the gods' powers to lose their focus, mix together, and arrive as a single mass of divine magic. This magic destroyed much of the land, breaking it into an enormous cluster of islands suffused with divine power. Many new gods emerged as a result of this power, and they vie for worship across the region, causing even more destruction in their wars.

Example Characters

• A cleric or champion of a local god, hoping to spread their faith to other regions.
• A divine sorcerer with a deific ancestor.
• An exemplar with a piece of divine power, coming into their own as an adventurer.

Snowswept Reaches

Location Southern Sasheth

Theme: Survival in an Extreme and Desolate Land

Southern Sasheth is not quite so bereft of mortal inhabitants as the northern half, with parts of the region still being south of the tree line, but life is still hard, and survival through the harsh winter far from certain. Humanoids living here must work together to stay alive, so they form strong bonds with those who share their culture. This makes the fear of outsiders prevalent, but some people, often dangerous spellcasters or cults, seek the region out specifically because of the privacy it affords them.

Example Characters

• An exile, banished from their group for stealing food or otherwise undermining their lifestyle.
• A monk who builds their body's endurance by facing the elements.
• An experienced ranger who can find food and shelter even in the winters of the tundra.

Spirit Lands

Location: Northwestern Eashinth

Theme: Spirits and Occult Influence

The Spirit Lands consist of a largely wooded, partially mountainous region that has served as a natural gathering point for lost spirits on Nerilia. These spirits take many forms, from angry undead to benevolent guides and even purposeless elementals or evil fiends. As a result, religious and occult practices are important to remain safe, ensuring that allied spirits will provide protection from malevolent ones. People tend to live in isolated towns and villages, with travel between them being a dangerous undertaking. The spiritually-gifted kitsune are said to originate from the Spirit Lands, and the demon lord Ujimune makes his home high in the mountains.

Example Characters

• A bard whose muse is a spirit they draw inspiration from.
• A thaumaturge versed in the many ways to entice and repel specific kinds of spirits.
• A witch whose familiar serves a mysterious and powerful spirit.

Treacherous Lands

Location: Southern Iyas

Theme: Horror, Corruption, and Tyranny

The Treacherous Lands are named for the multiple dangerous beings and locations that they contain, which make travel and life within them particularly hazardous. To the west lies the desert home of the worm god Ilusha and its offspring, who mindlessly wander the sand eating anything they find. To the east is the Wucrolux Empire of kholos, bolstered by the power of the witch goddess Vunlene and violently oppressive. Between the two sits the Maw, an enormous pit from which demons emerge. Fortunately for those living there, it is not the land itself which presents a danger (except in the desert), and anyone who can hold their own in a fight or enlist sufficient protection can survive there.

Example Characters

• A freedom fighter seeking to overthrow the Wucrolux Empire, or at least free their oppressed people.
• A pitborn nephilim or demonic bloodline sorcerer with a demon for an ancestor.
• A kholo witch with Vunlene for a patron and a hyena for a familiar.

Witchwood

Location: Northeastern Eashinth

Theme: Monster-Infested Wilderness

The Witchwood is a vast taiga on a peninsula, which is named for the terrifyingly brutal monsters, evil witches, and deadly apparitions which call it home. These threats are not omnipresent, however, and humanoid people do survive there through cunning and perseverance. Of course, there are those who seek power from the beings of the Witchwood, whether to protect themselves and their people or for their own gain. The mysterious goddess Moyrae has most often been seen here, often battling monsters in the midst of the snow, and most of her followers live here as well, taking inspiration from her strength.

Example Characters

• A champion of Moyrae adventuring to test their own abilities.
• The last survivor of a village that was massacred by a monster from the woods, haunted by their past.
• A winter witch of some powerful patron of the woods, granted power for their unknown agenda.