Setting Guide

491 Solada of the Imperial Age

Black smoke chokes the air and burns the lungs amid the sharp crack of gunfire and the flash of fire from flint against steel. Horses scream as musketballs tear through the charging cavalry. Lines of infantry kneel and stand in turn. Below them, blood soaks the grassy plain, and the anguished cries of the dying echo in the heavens.
Cannonfire roars across the deck of a wooden ship with tattered sails. A goblin in coarse robes and a scaled eyepatch stands on the quaterdeck brandishing a glowing crystal as waves pummel the fractured hull of a man of war. The ship shudders and moans as water pours into her gaping wounds. The pirates jeer and brandish cutlasses of glinting steel in the light.
An elf stands in the middle of a withered wheat field and sings a lament to the gods. Her voice carries across the town, and dark clouds gather above her. She raises a golden goblet to the sky and stretches out her arms. In reply, the skies open up with rain, and the wheat straightens up and turns golden brown.
Deep underground in a long forgotten ruin, a dwarf archaeologist sweeps dust off a large mural. It depicts a great dragon standing above a city breathing fire. Behind the dragon, small figures hold up weapons towards the beast. The mural is gouged from ceiling to floor with even spacing between each cut.

Valtena world map

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The World

Celestial Bodies

The world resides in the Void as the only known planet. It circles a sun named Kana, and there are two moons. The larger moon is Magorai. The smaller moon is Ilu. Time is calculated primarily on the lunar cycles called Major and Minor Turns. A major turn is 43 days, and a minor turn is 15 days. A solar year is 582 days, and the year begins on the spring equinox. The three celestial bodies play a vital role in religious life with festivals being based on the moon phases and seasons.

Kos

Kos is the northernmost continent on Valtena and is the main continent in the setting. It's a richly diverse area with mountains and boreal forests in the north, sweeping grasslands, a desert near the center of the continent, swamps in the southwest, and dense forests of brightly colored trees. It's the homeland of elves, centaurs, and lizardfolk, though the dominant nation is the human ruled Empire.

Akea

The continent lies just to the south of Kos, and it's dominated by a massive mountain range. The northern part of the region consists of a large island which is the homeland of dragonfolk and kobolds. Akea is primarily inhabited by beastfolk and dwarves. Moors and hills cover the eastern part of the continent.

Evirs

Evirs was once a lush and fertile continent, though it's now only a shadow of its former self. The dense forests on the western edge are the last reminder of what the land used to be like. Now, it's dominated by a harsh and unforgiving desert and the ruins of a once great human empire. It was the homeland of humans, though only a few small groups remain. There's a large archipelago north of the continent which is easily accessible to those on Kos due to favorable ocean currents.

Flying Islands

One of the more mysterious parts of the world and largely inaccessible are the flying islands. They usually sit above the cloud layer unseen to the people below. They're inhabited by halflings, and the islands are kept aloft by large deposits of levitation crystals. Periodically, the halflings sink their islands below the cloud layer where they become visible as more than just distant shadows.

Magic and Technology

Magic

The people are very familiar with magic and are used to seeing it in their daily lives. Within the empire, magic items can be readily acquired, though they are only capable of having small effects. A self stirring spoon can be purchased in most villages, and in the city, it's possible to find recordings of concerts sold after the performance.

Technological Level

The world is in the midst of a gunpowder age. Flintlock muskets are readily available, and swords are still a common sight in war. The printing press has come into its own, and the sudden increase in printshops makes pamphlets and newsletters a common sight in all households. Advances in mathematics and navigation allowed for large sailing ships to more accurately cross the seas. The world is recognizable to people living in the mid-late 1700s.

The Empire

The country Otorveia is more commonly just referred to as the Empire. It is the largest country on Kos encompasing much of the western part of the continent. It's ruled by an emperor and his ministers, and the current emperor, Zeferon Salros, is old and near the end of his life. For the average citizen, the empire is known as being very egalitarian with guilds dominating artisans and commerce. Large cities and towns act as beacons of civilization on the landscape amid swathes of farmland and wilderness. Currently, the empire is embroiled in a twelve year long war with its overseas colonies. But for the common folk, the war is far away with little impact on their day to day lives except for the regular presence of the military and periods of conscription.

Royal Mage Academy

Within the empire, all mages are trained at the Royal Mage Academy from a young age. It's the center for magical research and academia. Graduates of the academy are often recruited into the military, though just as many choose a civilian life or that of an adventurer. The Academy was established in the wake of the Necromancy War, and the campus called the Costellium dates back to the time of the Dragon Lords.

Adventuring Guilds

Every city has their own Adventuring Guild which is a member of the Adventurers Alliance. For any city residents interested in taking on mercenary and monster hunting work, the guilds are the only legal way to be an adventurer. They each have jurisdiction within a hold. Travelling adventurers operate outside of the guilds, but many have contracts with local lords and the Alliance. Adventurers play a vital role in keeping the empire safe.

Sisterhood of the Three Fanged Serpent

The Sisterhood is an all-female religious order dedicated to the primordial Fate who is depicted as a serpent with three fangs dripping venom into a stone basin. The members are members of the clergy and view their duties as carrying out Fate's will. They swear allegiance to the Three Fanged Serpent and seek to influence politics and commerce.

Knights of Volterra Kodanza

The Knights are a military order created in honor of the demigod Volterra Kodanza. It's restricted to officers, and they vow to uphold their ideals of bravery, honor, good leadership, chivalry, and brotherhood. They accept members from every branch of the military, and they remain a fairly secretive organization. Under the current emperor, the Knights are seen as a threat to assuring a smooth transition to the next ruler.

Hundred Brothers

Among the criminal underbelly, the Hundred Brothers functions as both a code of conduct and a loose confederation of independent guilds and families. Each local syndicate acknowledges the power and positions of the others, and they agree to assist each other within reason. The system relies on honor and trust among its members. To everyone else, the name is associated with assassins and dangerous criminals.

Playable Species

Sapient Species in Valtena

Humanoid	Draconid	Goblinoid	Beastfolk
Human	Dragonfolk	Goblin	Catfolk
Elf	Kobold	Hobgoblin	Ratfolk
Dwarf	Lizardfolk	Orc	Centaur
Half-elf	Serpentfolk	Half-orc	Rabbitfolk

The Gods

Pantheon of Valtena
There is a vast pantheon of deities who are real and play an active role in people's lives. The exact names and depictions vary from culture to culture, though the traits associated with each deity are common throughout. The primary deities are known as Gods of Creation for their role in creating sapient creatures. Minor deities have smaller roles and are frequently invoked for specific needs. Finally, demigods are mortals who have ascended to godhood as a reward for their deeds and heroism. Deities primarily reveal their intentions through Speakers. These individuals are born with a unique connection to a deity and have a physical mark to show their connection. They are viewed as prophets and oracles. Worship of the gods comes primarily through prayer and sacrifice. Some deities demand that their followers live and act in a particular way to gain favor, and they can confer magic abilities upon their most devoted followers with continued devotion required to maintain access to those abilities.

Name	Symbol	Domains
Valtena, The Beast Mother	Swan	Mythical Creatures, Nature, Healing, Conjuration
Ril, The Gaunt King	Lantern	Humans, Death, Justice, Necromancy
Tauna, The Bright Queen	9-Pointed Star	Elves, Magic, Wisdom, Alchemy
Selene, The Sea Mother	Fish	Merfolk, Water, Mystery, Winter
Qazakthein, The Sky Father	Dragon	Kobolds, Dragonfolk, Weather, Fire, Elemental
Ateus, The Wind Singer	Harp	Birdfolk, Music, Poetry, Air, Autumn
Menaan, The First Mare	Wheat Spike	Centaurs, Agriculture, Family, Marriage, Spring
Larena, The Eldest Sister	Woven Basket	Rabbitfolk, Fertility, Love, Abjuration
Amel, The Deceptive Prince	Open Eye	Catfolk, Darkness, Trickery, Illusion
Zyrdolros, The Restless Brother	Chariot	Ratfolk, Travellers, Hospitality, Summoning
Dione, The Vengeful Daughter	Boar	Orcs, War, Strength, Summer
Hathchan, The Earth Shaker	Hammer	Dwarves, Mountains, Earth, Transmutation
Cedun, The Rebellious Son	Grape Bunch	Goblins, Hobgoblins, Revelry, Wild Places, Enchantment
Khemina, The Star Gazer	Quill	Lizardfolk, Serpentfolk, Knowledge, Stars, Divination

The Calendar