World of Dorander
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General Overview
Also known as the sandbox setting of my 5E group game I'm trying to get off the ground. The World of Dorander is a world in recovery. A thousand years after the Second Catastrophe, a chain of events that caused the collapse of nearly every civilization, the world is finally recovering and starting to seek to recapture its past glory. The lone political entity to survive the Second Catastrophe is the City-State of Starfall, its name derived from the First Catastrophe. It became the hub of a civilization in those dark times and remains one of neutrality, a place where any and all can gather seeing trade, diplomacy or aide.
This world is going to very much be collaborative. I am just fleshing out the very high level pieces of the world to set the stage. I highly encourage players to come up with details of their past that can be shared with others and, if lucky, subsequent players in this world. We're a creative bunch here at Elliquiy and I do look forward to seeing what we can create together.
The History of Dorander
The history of Dorander comprises three eras - the Mythic, the time before the First Catastrophe of Starfall; the Golden Age of Civilization, rising after Starfall but before the Second Catastrophe; and the Current Age, the current day and the period in which the world is recovering from the Second Catastrophe. The adventures center around the City-State of Starfall and the surrounding areas, eventually ranging further across the land as they seek more and more of what was lost.
The Mythic Age
Very little is known of the Mythic Age except legend and story, as so little primary sources or ruins have been found. Few believe that all the legends are true, especially the smaller races who believe they are not second-run but rather just as worthy as their own. History, however, is written by the victor.
What is known is that the dwarves emerged in their mountains first, working great arts and technology, allowing for them to move in their realms without limitation. But their greed and arrogance were their undoing, falling into petty squables and engaging in butchery, their great cities and empires devolving into clans that sought territory; some moved to the surface while others dug even deeper.
Then the elves emerged, carving their territory first from the primal forces that dominated the surface. But they fell into a brutal civil war that spanned all their realms, the more violent of their kind seeking power. They were eventually defeated and were cast out with their gods, becoming more violent over the generations until any semblence their their elven cousins were gone. But in the closing years of that war, the elves as they are today were betrayed by their own kind, seeking to gain power while the mighty armies were away. They were defeated and cast out as well, fleeing underground as well.
As the wars of the dwarves and elves ended, new races that had emerged in their traditions, halflings and gnomes, each seeking a different path from their "progenitors". Gnomes however claim that their great gods brought them from another realm of existence to have them safe here, but if that were true would they not have been sheltered from the Catastrophes? Halflings believe that they instead were born from their gods and given life and any connection to the elves are heresy.
Humanity was the last to appear but also the most significant. The built up in generations what took the other races centuries. Their brash, bold views led them to great heights and their determination bought them a place among the courts of the other races. They interbred with the other races and even the great dragons at the edges of civilization. They brought together most of the civilized races, more or less, in to grand attempts to reshape their world, ultimately being struck down by the gods in the First Catastrophe, Starfall.
The First Catastrophe, Starfall
Most agree that the great sin committed was at the height of the Mythic Age. With the cooperation among the races, they had pushed the orcs into the hinterlands, the drow deep underground and then, in the greatest show of hubris, opened permanent portals to the outer and inner planes. They raided the Elemental Planes, seizing Primordials from the Elemental Lords, bending them to their will; others dared to approach the gods in their own realms, the Outer Planes, as the greatest of them considering themselves equal to the gods.
Furious, the gods struck back at them in what is now called the First Catastrophe, Starfall. Scholars still debate what it was and how it could leave what it did, but whether it was a moon or some other celestial object, it destroyed most of civilization when it collided with the surface, leaving a great crater at the point of impact. The gods themselves descended, walking among the survivors, explaining why they had to bring their judgement and how they wished for them in the future, even if those wishes did vary depending on what deity was making the pronouncement. While most, having seen first hand what the combined wrath of the gods could bring, accepted their wishes, some revolted, in once instance even managing to slay the god.
Not all the gods, however, had agreed to what was unleashed. Many of the gods of the Deep or Savage races objected as thousands of their followers were slain for the sins of the surface races. Vendettas were formed that would play out in for centuries to come and others awakened to the terrible power that could be unleashed, making plans for themselves, whether in the Outer Planes or on Dorander itself.
The Golden Age
Also called the Age that Was, civilization was rebuilt, cautious not to overstep their bounds and be too prideful. It was a time of politics and empires rising and falling. What history has been recovered show that before the Second Catastrophe, the gods were just as active, but in different ways. This was the time that the Aasimar and Tieflings emerged, the gods attempting to create more loyal servants in the aftermath of the Mythic Age. But the Elemental Lords saw the ruins of Starfall as a time to strike back. The Elemental Wars were a series of invasions that the gods of Dorander themselves had to intervene in to protect their peoples. A planar truce was reached and the Elemental Lords withdrew, although not all their forces managed to return and their interactions with the races begat the Genasi.
Most is know about the last great polities of the Golden Age, but many details are still unrecovered. Five major political powers dominated the three main continents of Dorander
- Tel'Quessin Solaris, an empire claiming to rule over all of elvenkind, ruled by the Phoenix Kings
- The Empire Below, an empire of dwarves and gnomes ruled by a meritocratic Council of Stone
- Zaratorin Empire, a human-led empire led by a council of powerful wizards
- Freelands, a confederation of independent city-states, lead by the City-State of Starfall
- The Sunless Realms, a powerful drow empire that engaged in near-constant war with the Tel'Queessin Solaris, led by feuding matriarchal noble families
No one knows what these realms and peoples did to bring about the Second Catastrophe as the gods did not descend to explain a second time. That is the most urgent quest of the current age so those sins, whatever they are, will not be repeated.
The Second Catastrophe
Unlike the first, the Second Catastrophe began slowly. Records show that some of the divine servants found themselves cutoff from their gods or that magic began to behave in unexplained ways. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occured; not auspicious at the time but with hindsight, they were signs of something happening. Finally, the day most historians call the Ending, the Second Catastrophe occurred.
All but the most devote of the divine followers of the gods found themselves cut off and those that weren't were spirited away to their realms in the Outer Planes. Magic ceased to function entirely, causing the death of thousands in the first few hours. Tidal waves swallowed entire coastal cities and the eruptions of long-thought dormant volcanoes destroyed entire kingdoms and darkened the skies.
What remained after those events were exposed to the horrors of plagues that followed, the depravity of warlords and the brutality of the brutal races that used the chaos to raid deeper and more violently than ever before. Snows fell and ice covered the lands for hundreds of years as civilization was reduced to a single large city and the enclaves huddled together trying to survive. Prayers to the gods were not answered and when magic finally returned, few knew how to wield it.
When the first rays of sunshine finally split the clouds, the prayers of the devout were answered and civilization again began to take hold and Starfall, once the head of the Freelands, sent scouts across the lands to find any survivors it could, hoping to bring them back and possibly one day, rise again to perhaps-not-so-prudent heights of the Golden Age.
The Current Age
The Starfall Scouts, as they were called, found much more than they had hoped for. It seemed that many of those that once simply sought to survive had made themselves thriving villages and defenses. Many were racially dominated - elves, dwarves, gnomes, dragonborn - but some were haphazardly cosmopolitan. Many sought trade with Starfall, some returned with the Scouts, and some wanted nothing to do with anyone else, but it was clear that some civilization had survived outside Starfall. With the exception of the Solitudes, those villages and peoples who want no contact with anyone outside themselves, most everyone agreed that rebuilding and restoring what was lost was the highest priority.
To this end, groups began to form in Starfall to seek out and find relics of the past, hints as to their history and anything else they could find. Some were more organized than others and some developed rivalries, but most agree that it is for the greater good. But that's also not to say that there are no political differences in the current age. Old rivalries still exist and the brutal races still lurk at the edges of civilization, striking at times they must feel is right. The drow and deugar below are always a threat and no one knows what is behind the corner of the next ruin to be found, nor what other adventures wait in the world being reclaimed.
The City-State of Starfall
Jokingly called the Capital of Civilization, it is the oldest extant, continuous city in the known world and almost home to the most complete libraries and repositories as well, overseen by the Order of the Starseekers. Founded nearly seven thousand years earlier in the Golden Age, it somehow was spared the devastation of the Second Catastrophe. Theories range from divine intervention (although there was none elsewhere) and some mystical properties of the crater of Starfall to sheer, random luck. That is not to say it did not suffer; its population is roughly 1/3 of what it was before the Second Catastrophe, even counting those who have left to recolonize.
Founded within the Crater of Starfall, it originated as an outpost for research into Starfall itself, slowly growing over time as researchers and workers brought their families. At its height, it boasted nearly seventy thousand people and great magical and technological works, some of which have been rebuilt, mostly out of necessity. The greatest of these is the Water Halo, a massive aqueduct that encircles the rim of the crater and its offshoots that run down into the city proper to provide water; one of the few cardinal crimes is to damage this engineering marvel.
The Crater itself sits abreast the coastline and the the tides have worn down part of the rim, filling the center with water. While most think of Starfall as built within the crater, but the crater itself has become part of the city itself. The rim has been carved over the ages and dug into as both warehouses and living quarters. The main port of the city, where its navy now moors, is within the crater, but some goods that are not destined for the inner-city itself come into one of the ports outside the rim.
The city is run lead by the Grand Burgher, a hereditary title, although in function most of his power is delegated to his appointed council. These counselors serve at his pleasure.
The Great Library
The Great Library represents the greatest collection of knowledge and history in the known world. Not a building, per se, but rather an old star fort built just outside the harbor thousands of years ago, access to the island is highly regulated and to take anything off the island without permission is a capital offense. Its operations are overseen by the Order of Starseekers. Starseekers are uncommon off of the island that is the Great Library and outside Starfall exceedingly rare. The protection of the Great Library falls to the Fellowship of the Dawn Star, the militant order that reports outside the normal hierarchy of the Starseekers to the High Scribe him or herself.
Membership into the Order is open to any who wish to join, though they do require some sort of "substantial" contribution. At the beginning of their organization, this tended to be relics, scrolls, books or the like, but some new members simply pay a great sum to become part of the organization. To then become one of the Fellowship of the Dawn Star one has be nominated by a current member or nominated by the High Scribe.
Although they do not technically answer to anyone other than themselves, the High Scribe nominally respects the authority of the Grand Burgher give that his forces protecting the town also directly protect the library. In return, the Grand Burgher has always had the High Scribe on his council.
City Forum
The historical heart of the city, the Forum is more or less the political and economic heart of the city. Away from the docks, its paving stones have been well worn by rain, cart wheel and boot, but is more alive now than ever. Most anything that can be bought will be found here if one looks hard enough, but its secondary purpose also drives most of its vendors - pronouncements from the Grand Burgher or the Starseekers is made official with declarations from the steps of the Grand Burgher's palace. The normal course of action is for an alert to be sent to the man adventuring companies in the city as well as other organizations who send a representative to listen and return to spread throughout the city.
Starfall Scouts
If there was a loose organization that coordinated those who would scour the countryside for artifacts and history, gather resources for longer forays deep into areas where the maps failed to show new growth forests and cities that no longer existed... that would not be this organization. It once was, but now it was a loose collection of information brokers and seekers - called "Scouts" - that relied upon them. Some would call them adventurers, other fools, but the Order of Starkeepers feeds a steady supply of rumors and sees that any other tasks need doing make their way to the Scouts.
Other Locations and Organizations
These are locations either visited during adventures or referenced in character's backgrounds
Fireshine
An mixed village of elves and humans. Home of Miranda.
River's Bend
A small hamlet roughly two weeks travel from Starfall, known for its wood and woodworking. Four years ago, heavy rains resulted in a flood that heavily damaged the hamlet and it was largely abandoned. Former home of Roan.
Unnamed Bandits
An organization of bandits that Lena once belonged to.
Gods, Religion and Churches
Below is just a summary of the major gods for character creation purposes. More details can be found here.
(Name, description, gender, alignment)
- Asmodeus - Lord of Hell, one of the three gods of knowledge (M, LE)
- Sharay - Goddess of Beauty, one of the three children of Zoaoz (F, CG)
- Wyan - Guardian of Knowledge, TN god of knowledge (N, TN)
- Penpi - Goddess of Ice and Conflict, one of the three children of Zoaoz (F, LE)
- Valori - the White Goddess, one of the three gods of knowledge (F, LG)
Character Creation Information
Approved Sources
- With the exception of races, anything from the Player's Handbook (PHB), Elemental Evil Player’s Companion (EEPC), Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide (SCAG) can be used without prior permission.
- Races outside the Player's Handbook require DM approval with the exception of Aasimar, Genasi and Tabaxi
- "Deep" races (Drow, Duergar, Svirfneblin) require DM approval as well
- If you chose to play a ranger, I will allow the Revised Ranger here
- As the SCAG relates to specific things in Forgotten Realms, adjustments will be made to fit this world as fitting
Character Creation
- Point Buy (27 points) for ability scores (PHB 13)
- Custom Backgrounds allowed, pending approval (PHB 125)
- No Evil Alignments
Current Adventures
| Adventure Name | Description | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Ironmote Annexation, Pt. 1 | A recent landslide roughly two weeks to the north-north-east has revealed a previously unknown mine entrance to. Locals from the village of Ironmote, noted that some kobolds have been seen near it. Given the relative importance of region's mines, and the fact Starfall has been trying to annex the area, both sides see it as an opportunity for everyone to win. | Repentance, Leo, Brannock, Rosalie, Sora |
| Solitude's End | The closest group of Solitudes (those who want no contact with anyone after the Second Catastrophe) to Starfall is a of wood elves, humans and halflings that make their home in forests roughly a week to due east. Violent about their isolation, their recent kidnapping of some trappers has the nearby towns ready to fight for them back. | Miranda, Lena, Roan, Caine, Varanos |
| Trade War | While Starfall likes to say that it has full control of its territory, with all the comings and goings of all sorts makes it difficult for the relatively small militias to ensure that trading routes remain unmolested. A year ago, a rather famous (or infamous) archaeologist had his entire caravan seized. When his pleas to Starfall's authorities went unanswered (he would sell to nobles rather than share the knowledge) a local rounded some men and went out to handle it himself. Since then, the trade route has been a warzone and Starfall can tolerate it no further. | Kaija, Alliera, Rini, Gaz, OPEN |
