#Auvia is a world of uncertainty in some places, where a city's social landscape is akin to the changing conditions of a battlefield. Favours are traded behind closed doors, laws benefit the few instead of the many, and folk struggle to find purpose in life.
But some hold fast to the belief that life can change, if the people lead the way to remedy injustice. With a silver tongue and a symbol to rally around, change follows at the heels of a Revolutionary Rogue.
#Lore24 06/10/24 #Subcloctober
A Revolutionary's actions can demoralise their foes or send them into a mindless rage, and inspire their allies to push their limits or fight on through adversity. They're at home among crowds who can be rallied to their literal or metaphorical banner.
In many cases, a Revolutionary's cause is paired with a symbol, to remind the commonfolk of what it is they fight for. With enough reputation and faith in the cause, the symbol takes on magickal properties.
#Lore24 07/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The study of psychic power and its practical applications, such as telepathy and telekinetics, is routinely practiced among Espre's people. Many train in the use of their mind to wield psychic power as an extra hand, and some even prefer to communicate through telepathy alone.
Those who train to push their physical limitations as well as their capacity for psionics become Adepts of Body and Mind, wielding both in their pursuit of the meaning of strength.
#Lore24 08/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Adepts who wield the Body and Mind style use psychic power to augment their strikes in combat, bolster their speed and traversal abilities, and blunt the damage of incoming strikes. More experienced adepts can fire blasts of telekinetic force, turn the weapons of their foes against each other, or stop an arrow dead in its tracks.
Body and Mind adepts are among the most inconspicuous. While they may appear to be fit, their unseen power is their best weapon.
#Lore24 09/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Creatures who rule over the dark corners of #Auvia don't hesitate to claim victims when the need arises. But what if one of their would-be victims had darker designs upon their attacker, and allies waiting to reclaim them? This is how the Order of the Night's Fang came to be. These blood hunters wage war on vampires by capturing vampire spawn and partially reverting their vampirism with alchemy. A harrowing ordeal for anyone, but Night's Fangs do this willingly.
#Lore24 10/10/24 #Subcloctober
Blood hunters of the Order of the Night's Fang share some of the vampire's supernatural resilience, speed, and stealth, matching their prey in the shadows before - and during - battle.
However, these powers come at a cost. Every Night's Fang harbours the vampire's thirst for blood. While it can be resisted, it is easy to sink newfound fangs into a living enemy in the heat of battle. Or savour the warmth of a trusting friend.
#Lore24 11/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Determining the future is a curious thing. Some pretend to know what will come to pass, with little more than lucky guesses wrapped in flowery language. Others read cards, roll dice, or simply say what people want to hear.
Those with the true power to determine another's fate must always be prepared to accept what glimpses they are afforded. For the tides of fate are Losastra's to command, and Their clerics of the Fate Domain deliver what They have seen.
#Lore24 12/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Clerics of the Fate domain are often familiar with the most common tools used for divination, and use them in a similar manner to the charlatans. However, their role as a conduit of the divine grants them actual insight into what may come to pass. Using this knowledge, they guide their allies toward favourable outcomes and hasten their enemies' defeat.
It is oft said that once one's fate is known, those who try to avoid it only bring it about sooner.
#Lore24 13/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The enigmatic Lyrosaris got their name from the first among their number. As just a handful of the many who suffered the werewolf's curse, they found a means to tame the beast within - but they were cast out from their homes all the same, forced to survive in the Wild Untamed until they banded together.
Some rangers choose to follow in their footsteps, doing so with druidic magicks of the Lyrosaris Conclave instead of exposing themselves to lycanthropy.
#Lore24 14/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The magicks of the Lyrosaris Conclave grant rangers a deeper connection to the wilds, along with a limited capacity to shapeshift much as the druids do. However, the Lyrosaris take time to study a creature of the wild in its natural environment before they first take its form. They acquire a small selection of forms over time, but the first species is traditionally the wolf. Understanding lupine habits reminds the ranger of their Conclave's shared purpose.
#Lore24 15/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The study of magic - the eternal quest to understand and categorise it - is confounded by many who know how to use it, even among those who help people learn more.
What some scholars find utterly baffling is the rare warrior known simply as the Wrathmage. These spellcasters most often hail from Khava and the Wild Untamed, more at home in the wilds than in cities and towns. When a Wrathmage flies into a battle fury, devastating magic follows in their wake.
#Lore24 16/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The magicks of a Wrathmage typically revolve around subconsciously tapping into the primordial essence that fuels elemental spells, mixed with the raw power of emotion. That emotion is typically anger: raw and powerful, but quick to burn itself out. It is possible for a Wrathmage to fuel their spells with other emotions, but few are anywhere near as potent to folk who know how to use their rage to shrug off injuries or gain bursts of raw strength.
#Lore24 17/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
When a revolution comes to pass, the streets of a city are thrown into turmoil, or leadership changes in the midst of armed conflict, too often the common folk have traded one tyrant for another. For many, seeing one such event is more than enough.
So it is that paladins swear the Oath of the People, to be champions of the commoners and stand against tyranny. Those who use their station to abuse others must have their crimes exposed and justice delivered.
#Lore24 18/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Paladins of the people, otherwise known as street knights or vigilantes, are not typically sworn into the service of an order or organisation. They prefer to act independently, beholden only to those who work for just causes.
Their sacred oath charges them with serving as a beacon of hope in times of despair, and the magicks born of their conviction revolve around aiding their allies, denying their foes, and inspiring all who consider them a friend.
#Lore24 19/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
In the depths of Thau's underground passageways, monsters roam in search of prey. Many learned to pick their living targets carefully, pursuing miners and explorers who show fewer signs of ability to retaliate. Others devour shipments of stone and metal that were meant for Thaun cities.
Thanks to Tannca pall Metapel, head of the Engineers' Guild, this predation has changed. Tankwrights build offensive and defensive war machines, riding them into battle.
#Lore24 20/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The signature vehicle of a Tankwright is typically made from a combination of metal and stonework, and inscribed with runes of power to ward it and its passengers against harm. An artificer typically outfits their tank to fill specific needs, including fitting it with weapons and heavy armour plating, converting the control seating to an expanded platform on which to stand, and even installing a magickal barrier generator that adapts to elemental attacks.
#Lore24 21/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Community holds power in many forms both unseen and tangible. As a town grows and develops into a city, it gradually develops an intangible, nigh-undetectable psychic presence reflecting its inhabitants and culture.
People aware of this psychic energy can learn to tap into it - but it always comes at a price. They must confront their greatest enemy: their True Self.
Should they succeed, they can enter into a magickal pact with none other than themselves.
#Lore24 22/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
A warlock who has entered into a pact with their True Self expands their psychic influence, establishing themselves within the collective unconsciousness of any city or town they visit. With unique abilities to alter how others perceive them and make perception into reality, they become a force to be reckoned with. They can also call their True Self into the physical world to guide them and aid in combat. Ultimately, these warlocks become their true selves.
#Lore24 23/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Every Aeskellian ship worth her pay has a dedicated chanter aboard. But few among them sing with the skill to truly raise their comrades' spirits with an inspiring chant and curse their foes with melodies that compel them to abandon hope or turn from a captain's orders.
Bards of the College of Sirens weave magicks into their singing to deter even the most hardened adversary. It is said that even the shark pirates of myth and rumour avoid a Siren's ship.
#Lore24 24/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The College of Sirens encourages its bards to seek out adventurers who work well together - or at least can tolerate each other enough to team up against a common enemy. A Siren is taught the value of lingering on the edge of a fight. Not out of self-preservation, mind, but rather to let their peers handle the bulk of close-quarters combat while the Siren sings curses to life. Enemies fumble their weapons, mistake ally for foe, and trip over their own feet.
#Lore24 25/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
"Have you ever wished you could join the birds in the sky? Free to go wherever you wished, to join migrations flying north for the winter, or to simply let the winds carry you wherever they please? I have, many times. I've climbed trees, hills, and mountains to savour the heights and gaze out at the horizon.
"Now, I share with you a secret. This wish can be granted. A druid of the skies can teach you, if you are willing to learn our Circle's ways."
#Lore24 26/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The Druidic Circle of the Skies pays particular respect to the air, weather, and wind. When the order gathers, its people meet at sites with clear views of the sky above, and many arrive in the form of flying creatures of all shapes and sizes, from small birds to dragonlings.
The magicks of a sky druid enable them to breathe freely in any environment, alter the weather around them, speak with and transform into airborne beings, and fly without wings.
#Lore24 27/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Bandit leaders, crime bosses, and other folks in charge of unsavoury operations tend not to dirty their own hands in their line of work.
Armies need soldiers to move siege weapons into position, ready them for combat, and defend them from attack.
Adventuring parties are often in need of raw strength: a disciplined fighter who can smash down doors and knock down their foes.
All these people - and more besides - benefit from having a Brute on their side.
#Lore24 28/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
Brutes might appear to be the basic hired muscle for a job, but they have a tendency towards tactics and cunning. They have the toughness to shrug off injuries that would severely impair others, and the strength to control the flow of a melee. They have an eye for battle and often know the best ways to destabilise a formation.
Of course, some Brutes just hit things really hard until they're told not to or there's nothing left to break, intimidate, or bury.
#Lore24 29/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
The influence of the Seven Gods upon all of #Auvia is a curious thing. While it is known that They assign the mantle of 'cleric' to priests at Their discretion, the gods rarely have cause to work together. Which means that when They do, it is cause for a cleric to take their holy duty seriously.
In times of upheaval and uncertainty, agent who are given the role of a divine conduit for all of the Seven - clerics of the Panthean Domain - are known to appear.
#Lore24 30/10/24 #Subcloctober
Clerics who wield the powers of the Panthean Domain manifest a wide variety of divine magicks. Some pray to the Seven and receive a sliver of power for a time. Others invoke whoever feels right in the moment, or even forgo prayer and let the gods speak for Themselves.
But regardless of how a Panthean cleric interacts with the Seven Gods, they all are capable of adapting to any scenario and can call forth magicks associated with any or all of the divine.
#Lore24 31/10/24 #Auvia #Subcloctober
(This concludes #Subcloctober for the year. Each of the subclasses I have described will be converted into full mechanical detail for use in D&D games set in #Auvia and elsewhere. I hope you enjoyed! ❤️)
Many of the islands off the coasts of #Auvia have been charted - but not all. Some, like Mount Auu, are sanctuaries where anyone can find refuge. The southeastern isles are largely used as hideaways or docklands for Aeskellian pirates. In the north, between the continent and Finality, the isles are contested between Zhel's defenders and ferocious monsters who fight for their territory. There are fewer islands to the east and west, and travel to them is rare due to the distance.
#Lore24 01/11/24
With the invention and distribution of printing presses across #Auvia, the written word has become much more prevalent than in generations past. However, most printed and bound books are less likely to be seen in smaller towns, as a printing house is still somewhat expensive to maintain; larger cities are better able to accommodate them.
Inks obtained from natural sources, such as squid ink, bone char, and the night's lily flower, often fetch a high price from printing houses.
#Lore24 02/11/24
The few Auvian sphinxes that have been documented have little desire to engage in what they consider to be basic tests of wordplay or problem-solving. Instead, they use games of strategy to examine the capabilities of those who approach their lairs.
One such sphinx even goes so far as to mix strategy and chance. Thuraia the Gambler particularly enjoys the Game of Castles - Rhizeli in origin - and won't hesitate to invite anyone who approaches to play against them.
Bonehead Pond is a lakeside town in the mid-west of the Wild Untamed. Originally named for the skull-shaped rock at the lake's northern point, the site is routinely shunned by most Auvian adventurers at the sight of its inhabitants: ogres, minotaurs, harpies, and many other monstrous beings.
Rumour has it the Lyrosaris come and go freely from Bonehead Pond, which prompts the question: what manner of pact have the seekers of knowledge forged with a town of monsters?
The development of specialised crystal and glass eyewear to aid in damaged or otherwise poor vision is still ongoing. The first sets were made several generations past by Espren artificer Termi the Seer - named for his craft, rather than any ability to perceive the future.
Though reliably shaping usable lenses remains difficult, the end result sits on the bridge of the nose and is held in place by a fabric or leather cord that loops around the back of the wearer's head.
There are, of course, regions of the world other than #Auvia. The difficulty of establishing international relations lies in distance more than anything else. However, it is said that when the Summer Court holds sway, sailors of all kinds meet in Sunharbour, and folk who travel there aboard one ship may depart on another to visit lands unknown to them.
It may be that the four fey moons hold the key to long-distance travel, but this requires further study.
Or so Ioh-Né says.
#Lore24 06/11/24
The Auvian calendar is divided into twelve months. A month is 28 days, divided into four seven-day weeks.
Days of the week are named after the Seven Gods, in order: Yatheday, Tempreday, Cheriday, Losaday, Vesday, Ataday, and Yolday.
The waxing and waning of power among the Courts of the Fey determines the length of the seasons, but it is widely accepted that a season lasts three months. The first day of a new year is always Yatheday 1st of Springrise.
"The main reason it is ill-advised to entreat the aid of a dragon of any lineage is because they simply don't think the same way we do. Even a dragonling treats Auvians they interact with as being... different, is the best way to describe it. It's not arrogance, prejudice, superiority, or anything like that. They consider dragons to be dragons, and Auvians to be not. Therefore, to properly speak with a dragon, you must *behave* like a dragon."
- Renya Shai, draconologist
A number of constellations can be seen in Auvia's night sky. Some are named for creatures of the wild; the Owlbear, the Veyahn, and the Dragon's Wing to name a few. Others are given titles that a person might take for themselves, such as the Drifter, the Breaker, and the Reader.
Some folk attribute spiritual significance to the constellations, and there is a Thaun practice of taking a child born underground to the surface, to behold the stars and bathe in their light.
"Adventuring isn't an easy profession. Early on, you'll often be taking each day as it comes, unsure if you'll have the coin for your next meal. A lot of failed adventurers turn to banditry to survive. But they, dear reader, didn't have this book to guide them. Or they did, and didn't pay attention. I cannot promise you all the answers, and I am not the be-all and end-all, but I will help you set your foundations right."
- So You Want to Be an Adventurer, Introduction
Meteors have fallen from the heavens several times in the history of #Auvia. A meteor shower is often cause for fascination among the general populace, but many strive to be the first to a landing site to claim the prize that lies within.
Meteors that survive the fall from on high contain an ore that cannot be found anywhere in Auvian mines. When refined, it becomes the incredibly durable metal known as 'starsteel'. Tools, weapons, and armour made with it are nigh-priceless.
#Lore24 11/11/24
Decks of playing cards can be found all across #Auvia, though the materials used to make them vary according to the needs of the people. Those with greater access to technological refinements and wealth use cards made of paper, while those without use vellum. Styles, card suits, and the number of cards in a deck vary by nation, as do the many games played for fun and in bars or dens.
Most playing cards don't last long at sea, so Aeskellians favour dice made from bone or stone.
#Lore24 12/11/24
Mysterious stone archways can be found in all manner of places across the nations, the Wild Untamed, and even Auvia's offshore isles. They are bedecked with runes in a language unknown to many, although scholars in some nations are attempting to decipher them. Many give the archways a wide berth on their travels, adding to the uncertainty that surrounds them.
They may hold the key to an ancient magick long forgotten... or they may simply translate to "Golraz wuz here."
The wood of the serilai tree has a variety of useful properties. It is a short, stout, and resilient specimen, especially after being treated in the same way as most lumber. As a result, it is highly valued for carpentry projects great and small.
Its thick bark also has its uses. When ground to powder and mixed into a potion, it grants serilai's natural resilience. Alternatively, it can be shaped into tough suits of armour for druids, Zesh-Murans, or Zesh-Muran druids.
The metalworker's trade lies not only in the creation of tools of war. Many talented smiths make their living through selling pots, kettles, frypans, and surprisingly, parasols. The principles of lacing scales into cloth or leather to produce a suit of armour apply to the commonly-used duck feather parasol. Each feather must be carefully secured, lest rainwater leak through to the fabric beneath. Owing to the reliability of smiths, they are the best suited to the task.
The Great Library of Ioh-Né is part repository of knowledge, and part temple to Yatherie, goddess of magic. Equal in size to any palace, it is the heart of the nation's capital and open to all free of charge. Iohnites and foreigners alike may browse almost all of the -many- tomes available, without fear of judgement or reprisal for their requests.
However, the Great Library has secrets of its own. Or, as an Iohnite might say, it has knowledge it doesn't want to share...
The use of spices in Auvian culinary arts originates in Espre. It was there that the first pepper vines were discovered, cultivated, and recognised as valuable trade goods. Other nations grow their own nowadays, but they have never quite been as flavourful as Espren pepper.
Other signature spices can be found all across Auvia's north, such as Khavan cumar, Dystan vanilla, and sey-samh, grown in the north of Zesh-Mura. But the humble Espren pepper is where it all began.
All manner of folks across #Auvia value the ability to carry as much of their possessions as possible without burdening themselves overmuch. However, in many cases, Cloaks of Concealment and Bags of Holding can be conspicuous, especially in environments where weapons are forbidden.
Rumours abound of a mysterious new magick, however, created by the Zesh-Murans. Apparently, their artificers can reach into a pocket and pull out anything that by rights should not fit in it...
#Lore24 18/11/24
According to those familiar with the scions of the night and their behaviours, vampires lurk in the dark all across #Auvia. They live among all manner of societies where they can prey upon the living unnoticed, instead of hiding away in gloomy castles or luxurious manors as stories might have you believe. Some dream of domination and leadership, but most are simply fighting for their own survival. A hunter taking up arms usually means a vampire's presence endangers innocents.
#Lore24 19/11/24
The curse of the werewolf and its peers, kararethropy, originates from the fey. The magicks of the Summer and Winter Courts bound the spirits of Auvian beasts to those who first tried to steal from the fey, and cast them back down to the earth below to live with their punishment.
Perhaps owing to their inherent capacity for destruction and carnage when a moon reaches its zenith, kararethropes are driven from cities and towns when discovered, if not killed outright.
Some Auvians afflicted with vampirism or kararethropy search for cures to their conditions, wishing to return to their normal lives free of secrecy and fear of reprisal. Whether a cure exists at all, they know not, but desperation leads to trying anything they can.
Some become adventurers as they quest for a cure, doing their best to stay in control of their around companions. A rare few realise they value the power they wield, and become at peace with their new lives.
Auvian mimics are believed to be creations of the god Atalex, that He might test the vigilance of wanderers. The presence of a mimicked chest is a reminder to the faithful: don't lose sight of your goals when treasures may lead you astray. Whether due to this divine mandate or some other quirk of evolution, mimics are possessed of surprising intellect and have the capacity to speak and reason. Some even claim ownership of entire domains and bargain with adventurers.
Bands of roaming centaurs keep to the Wild Untamed, familiar with many of its environs. They have a tendency to shun folk who disrupt the natural order, and keep druids among their number much as the Khavans do.
When a centaur corpse cannot be recovered for their tribe's funerary rites, the body is too good an opportunity for necromancers to pass up. They steal it away and transform it into a skeletaur. Centaurs hate the undead, their own kind used this way most of all.
The savannah hawk is a feathered but flightless creature that makes its territory in the northwest of #Auvia, in the biome that gives it its name. Its forelimbs resemble small wings that end in a wicked claw, and similarly sharp talons are seen on its feet. Standing roughly half the height of an adult human or half-elven, they can be used by smaller peoples as mounts if hand-raised. In the wild, savannah hawks are omnivorous predators who shred their prey with powerful bites.
#Lore24 24/11/24
Few can claim to have visited the depths of Auvia's oceans and returned to tell the tale of the sharkfolk that live below the waters. Of course, this doesn't stop the stories running rampant in coastal cities and island settlements. Some sailors claim they use great jagged rams to punch holes in sailing ships below sea level, flooding them. Others believe they've seen sharks wearing rough stone armour, or hurling kelp boarding lines with hooks to pull a vessel down.
When an adult or ancient dragon dies in combat while they have unfinished business, they may refrain from departing for the next world. In the moments before their demise, they leave themselves open to a fatal blow, and their body is wholly consumed in the energy associated with their lineage. Some time later, the dragon's soul manifests without a body to inhabit. A dragon soul might be persuaded to pass its burdens to others, and depart the mortal realm.
A close cousin to the river- and lake-dwelling hydra, the vinedra is wholly composed of awakened plant life, similar to a treant. A vinedra is indistinguishable from a mass of tangled vines and leaves until it moves or attacks, making it a perfect ambusher off the beaten path of a forest.
When a vinedra attacks, it brings its many heads to bear much as a hydra does. Observers have yet to determine whether a vinedra is as vulnerable to fire as its lizardlike counterpart.
The long-tailed magmakin is a curious creature, both in its own nature and as a subject of study. Its habitat in the depths of Thau make it a rarity in other parts of the realm, but the Thaun people have made considerable strides in domesticating it. Magmakin are capable of swimming in molten rock without so much as singeing their fluffy fur, and retain none of the magma's warmth when they emerge, leading some to wonder whether their resistance to high heat is magickal.
Adventurers who happen upon a lone riverside fisherman, especially during the spawning season of certain fish, had best be careful not to disturb them as they go about their business. Provoked or otherwise, any such person could be a trickster bear in disguise, waiting to attack in its true ursine form.
Trickster bears are capable of blending into their surroundings by altering the colour of their fur, chameleon-like, or assuming a disguise with a little fey magick.
Little is known about the diminutive creatures dubbed 'moonswatchers', save for their nocturnal behaviour of gathering on cloudless nights to gaze up at the moons in the sky. A typical moonswatcher stands at about a foot tall, shrouded in layers of gossamer robes that change colour with the season.
Some theorise that the moonswatchers are descended from exiled fey, pining for their former homes. If this is true, perhaps their fate was more cruel than that of the dryads.
The book 'So You Want to Be an Adventurer', penned by an anonymous author, is widely regarded as the essential guide for anyone tempted to take on the trials and tribulations of the adventuring life. Its pages are stuffed full with common-sense advice, counsel, guides for specific languages, and more besides.
The author's anonymity has done naught to deter readers from taking up the book. Indeed, many from generations past have passed down copies to their protégés.
"First things first. If you're deadset on leaving home and getting out into the world, you need to be able to defend yourself. That means knowing what you're going to do if a fight breaks out.
"Do not just trust that your sword-arm will remain strong. If you want it to stay strong, train hard. Push yourself beyond what you think you can do. And yes, this applies to magicks as well. Many a sorcerer has thought themselves unassailable because they can throw fire around."
"Dear reader, only when you can truly say that you have trained not until you get your strikes right, but until you do not get them wrong, will you be as prepared to do battle as you can be when facing a training target. I tell you this not to deter you, but to ready you for the challenges to come. For there will be many.
"But you need not venture out into the wilds alone. The greatest heroes worked hand in hand alongside allies whom they trusted with their lives."
"Many adventurers value diverse skills among their comrades-in-arms. Rightfully so! To employ one martial strategy across your entire party exposes you all to its weaknesses. By wielding a wide range of fighting styles, you and yours will be able to adapt to any situation.
"Reader, I must discuss magicks and those who wield them. It is not my place to speak for or against their use in battle. We all are free to decide for ourselves. Listen to what your heart tells you."
WriterRaven