So, after four years of world building, I’m publishing it, so you can use it, or suggest me anything. This is a constant work in progress, and reflects how I see it today. For my world, I have numerous sources of inspiration, including obvious ones like Terry Pratchett or John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, Homer, George Raymond Richard Martin’s work, or artworks like Skyrim, Tales of Symphonia, Dishonored, or other myths from Greek and Scandinavian mythology. It is not plagiarism, it is pastiche. Keep in mind English is not my mother tongue, and some grammatical mistake can and will appear.
Myrgh’Or is a continent, on a back of a giant Tarasque, the Terrasque. It turns around it self, giving nights and days, and revolves around a star, giving the years. Each year is divided in 12 months of 4 weeks each. Each week is divided in 5 days:
Each days is named after a major divinity, which we give more detail in the next section.
Most of Myrgh’Or has a temperate climate. It gets warmer at the very south near the Great Mor’s Beak, and dry in the south-west in the Gado Desert. Temperatures can go very low near the Black Massif on the est, and Mount Caer Estae north-west. Except for the Gado Desert (which is due to a singularity in the Terrasque), the continent has green plains and large forests.
II The Mythology and Folklore
Before the age of the mortals, were the Thamerians, powerful magical creatures. They built an entire empire across the back of the Terrasque, leaving ruins and foundations of the major actual cities. Resourceful as they were, they built machines to help them in they everyday life, more and more sophisticated. At first, those machines were made out of metal, powered by energy cores (brilliantly called thamercores) but they improved their techniques and began making creatures made out of flesh and blood. But they were fragile and imperfect, as they didn’t last long, so the Thamerians, and especially one, called Vissaus, kept improving her creatures. Thus were created the humans, elves, and other task-specific creatures such as the dwarfs and the haffling. His dear friend and rival Kraenn thought they were too complicated for their purpose, and took inspiration to make the fauna, from the smallest fish to the greatest dragon, in order to help keeping the flora that had emerged from the back of the Terrasque, viable, and the fauna in a delicate balance. When any creature was broken (or dead) one of them: Mor, would take it away, giving it to Vissaus or Kraenn again.
Some tensions were built between the Thamerians, that eventually lead to war. Many Thamerians perished, and the survivors gave freedom, wisdom and knowledge to their creatures before leaving the continent. They were lead by Waz’kry, his brother Mor and his lieutenants Nordyr, Vissaus and Kraenn. They were eventually raised to the status of gods by the remaining population.
However, not every Thamerians were approving this liberation, and took revenge on this humiliation by attacking and tormenting the mortals. Nordyr help them, by giving them weapons to defend themselves against Naard’s assaults. When a more stable peace was achieved, they eventually went to the head of the Terrasque, minding their own business, while sometimes sending avatars to meet with the mortals, often from the creation of Kraenn, or Vissaus.
Waz’kry became the god of the gods, patron of justice. His avatar is a phoenix.
Mor became the god of death, and took the nickname “the Great Mor”, taking away deceased creatures when their time has come. His avatar is a pale humanoid that morphs into a crow.
Vissaus became the goddess of knowledge, arts and science. Her patron is also a humanoid, helping mortals solving problems.
Kraenn became the god of nature. His patron is a deer, guiding lost persons.
Nordyr became the god of war, travelers and merchants. His patron is a grey wolf.
Other Thamerians were also elevated to gods, among them: Tralunac, god of chaos, Naard, god of destructions, and other.
III History of the Mortals
Before leaving, some of the Thamerians left behind creatures of their own as a legacy, becoming Celestial beings and Tieffling, perceived as half-gods. Some of them, such as Hippolyte Waznal, son of Waz’kry, and his cousin Mornal were called to rule over the other mortals, making Waznal the emperor of Myrgh’Or, and starting the first era.
The calendar counts four eras so far. The first era starts at the foundation of the empire at its former capital city Vis Lyann ; and ends and year 317, during the revolt of the half-elves. As they were too human for elves and to elven for humans, they were segregated, until things went out of control. They founded the independent city of Skysod, on a low hill to the west of Vis Lyann, while the other mortals went south to the city of Val Magar, making it the new capital of Myrgh’Or.
The second era ends in year 553, by the end of the siege of Blüm, in the Gado Desert, that was independent city so far. In the same time, the half-elves of Skysod surrendered and accepted a peace trade with the empire. Those two cities would still have their own government, but be under the guardianship of Val Magar.
The third era ends in year 1072, when Theophrastus Mornal, son of the Great Mor, kills the last dragon, after almost 1500 years of crusade, to prove to his peers his valor and power. Some say that the dragon wrath first came from him, but it was this wrath again other mortals that lead Theophrastus on his killing spree.
The fourth and current era is now at 92 years of relative peace, even though about 50 years ago, the son of Theophrastus, Seth Mornal wanted to do as his father and began a cult to kill all lizardfolks (the Saurians) and Goblin. (He wanted to kill orcs as well, but they were to strong for him). He eventually got stopped quickly by the imperial armies, but many suffered from his insane crusade. This came from a long time racism from humanoids against other thinking creatures, especially from the Haffling toward the Saurians.
The contient is divided in six regions, with their own capital. The first is the region of Val Magar, in the center of the continent, and heart of the empire. Up north, there is the region of Vis Lyann, city of the archmage and the paladins; west Vis Norgur, great harbor and gateway to Blüm; south-est Dallah Rom, important economic city, at the crossroad of the north and south; south Strâtos, city of the Grey Elves; and south-west Blüm, formerly independent. Skysod is in the region of Vis Lyann.
Each region has its own leader, its Thael, often chosen by the emperor, or first offspring of the last late Thael; except for Dallah Rom, were the Thael has been overthrown by the local bourgeoisie and installed an elected government.
Each Thael (or equivalent, looking at you Dallah Rom) has its own army, but has to respond to the Empire. However, any military title from the empire is treated one rank under when dealing with local army. For instance, a sergeant of the imperial army will be considered as a corporal in any other army. This is to prevent abuse of power between the imperial armies and the local armies.
Every town has their color scheme and symbol. Val Magar is a silver tower, with two swords crossing in the background. The tower represents the emperor’s tower. Vis Lyann is a golden tower, with a green shield in front. The tower is the former emperor’s tower, now the paladin’s academy and archmage’s tower. Vis Norgur is three bronze manatees in top of each other, on a blue background. Blüm is a golden kopesh, with red gems on the side on a bronze background. Dallah Rom is an ox with dagger for horns, in front of a green background. Stätos is an eagle-owl with a scroll in its claws, over a marine-blue background. And the Empire is a flaming phoenix, over a red and silver background.
IV-b Villages and other cites
Each city has its own local government, of a mayor, chosen by the Thael, and several councilmen or councilwomen, chosen by the mayor.
Folks of the same races tend to gather into communities, forming cites. Lymbôs, in the Vis Lyann region and in the Noras forest, is mainly populated by wood elves. Bald’huin, in the region of Dallah Rom, in the Black Massif, is mainly populated by dwarfs. Mortas, in the Mortas forest, in the region of Stâtos, is mainly populated by dark elves and night elves. They are lead by the Spider clan and the Raven clan. Hillfoot, on the south cost, in the region of Dallah Rom, is mainly populated by Hafflings. Illpit, on the west cost, in the Vis Norgur region, is mainly populated by Saurians.
Few smaller scalled cities are famously known for very specific things. For instance, Ompolinburgh produces the best horses of the continent. They have this knowledge from a nomad tribe of tattooed elves, that once had a settlement here, and leaved when other races came. The city of Hillfoot, where most of the Haffling live, are famous for their racist chocolate, the Saucolote, with a smiling saurian on the package, and their raciste pipe weed, the Sanabis. The village of Littleburgh is known for having only small sized dwellers, such as dwarfs, hafflings, or just small humans. And Thamerburgh is known for its ruins of thamerian civilization next to the border of the city.
Raptor breeding is very prolific in the Elnias plains, on the west of the continent
Giants live in the south of the Black Massif, and it is bad luck to watch one in the eye. This doesn’t prevent people reproducing with them, making some curious hybrid.
The true half-elves (human-elf) are the only fertile hybrid of the Terrasque, all the other are sterile, but are still viable.
The closer you are from the elven race, the higher you are in the half-elf hierarchy.
The other son of Theophrastus, Garius Mornal, has accidentally woken up sleeping dragons that his father didn’t kill. They are now trying to regain strength
Tralunac is one of the only gods to actually interact with mortals, instead of using an avatar.
The cult of the Great Mor has significantly lost interest when his grand son tried to make a genocide. It has gotten a bit better since
Even if it is technically a mortal, the emperor hasn’t aged since the first era, making him the longest (and only) ruler of Myrgh’Or.
His cousin Mornal, and brother of Theophrastus, hand of the emperor, has been killed during the thrid era, and being replaced by Crowback, as the hand of the emperor. His name comes from the people of Val Magar, since everyone knows he ordered the assassination of Mornal, but no one can prove it.
Many guilds and organisations emerged from the society. Among them, the Silver Skull, an adventurer’s guild in Val Magar, lead by Garius Mornal, or the Black Feather, an assassin guild, lead by... also Garius Mornal. In Blüm, there is the Sand Dagger, an illegal guild, lead by Âhz-Ra, and all across the continent strikes the Alleged, who take care of problems they value worth the time.
Even if magic does exist, there is always a risk of becoming mad by using it, slowly corrupting the mind.
Some people are specialists in the making of special orbs, that come from the soul of any living being. The greater the soul is, the more powerful the orb will be. For instance, using an ox will strengthen the wielder, while using a orb from a Hag will boost the intelligence but also slowly corrupt the mind of the user, like using magic.
Many races, like orcs, goblins, or ogres, are nomads, and can be found anywhere on the continent. Even if they come from the same origin, they are mistrustful toward each other.
The personal guards of the emperor is constituted of Drakes that agreed to help him. For that, they have been banished from their clans.
[meta] The world is constantly evolving, as we are four DMs playing, using it as a canvas. Some cities appear, other are being destroyed. I have much more to say, but not all is relevant. Feel free to give me any feedback you seem useful, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Jules, the game master that loves you.
