Project_1

World Morality: Black and White; Heroes are heroic, villains are super evil
Paladins are knights in shining armor riding griffins, while anti-paladins ride wyverns and dress in black armor with spikes all over it

Instead of gold as the currency of the day, people use silver in its place.

The world is split up in to independent city-states. Each city-state has its own government structure, usually following a structure set by an ancient race that ruled the world of Arthon centuries ago.
These people, known as the Empryeans, were a highly advanced people who came from the east and had colonized the continent of Uldaria while the races of man, elf, orc, and dwarf were still living in grass huts or in wandering tribes.

The culture of the Uldarian people is heavily influenced by the Empryeans and their empire. The introduction of monotheism, the state system, metallurgy, and other important inventions shaped and changed the cultures of Uldaria fundamentally. So, instead of a medieval world, or a renaissance world, it’s something of a mix. People still use plate armor and chain mail, but there are robots and motorized vehicles, even airships powered by bound elementals.

The primary power source of everything is magic of some sort. Magic comes from the supernatural force that flows through all things. The Empryeans had found a way to harness the power of magic through years of study and aligning the mind, body, and soul with the flow of magic, allowing for someone to manipulate the magical force.
The studies of the Empryeans led to the founding of the modern day schools of magic, found in the city-state of Toribyr in the north.

Magic is gathered in batteries made from a special magic-sensitive metal known as Oricalcum, found in the western mountains.
For larger, more complex machines (like air ships and locomotives), function on the power of bound elementals, creatures who are the very manifestations of the elements. These elementals are kept in control through magic wards and schematics that tell it what tasks need to be done.

Human shaped machines, known as Autobodies, are not an uncommon sight in Uldaria.
Autobodies are built in magical forges, constructed from iron and given life through the arcane force of magic. They’re born with an average adult’s intellect and intelligence. Autobodies are used for a variety of purposes, though they’re mostly used for labor and as soldiers.

The rulers of each city-state have the title Archduke. The Archduke has an advisory council of the most powerful people within the city.
•	The Duke of the Foundry, who oversees industrial production.
•	The Chief Treasurer, who oversees the flow of silver throughout the city.
•	The Commander of Law, who runs the constabulary and the chief legal advisor.
•	The Archmagus, the leader of the city’s mage guild and magic college.
•	The Commandant of the Knightly Orders, the chief military leader of the city.
•	The Director of Intelligence, the head of the intelligence and spy networks of the city.
Elves, orcs, dwarves, humans, and autobodies are the most common races seen in Uldaria, but there are some more uncommon races seen around the world.
•	The Halflings, commonly found in the green rolling hills of the southwest, living the simple life of the farmer. They rarely leave their small, humble residences, but when they do, they usually play the part of the bard. They’re a short and chubby race, looking like children with large, hairy feet.
•	Gnomes can found beneath the mountains in the north and in the west, originally fleeing there from Empryean colonists. During their time beneath the mountain, they have made their own progress. They built great halls beneath the mountains, monuments to gnomish engineering. They have developed their own technology, using coal and even lava as a power source, giving it a distinct look from the technology of the surface world. Gnomes are even shorter than Halflings, standing only knee height to an average human. They’re wide-eyed and curious, always looking for something new.
•	Worgen, a race of advanced lycanthropes who are in a constant state of half-beast. They are much like the orcs before the coming of the Empryeans, a nomadic, tribal people found travelling the bluffs and mountains of the heartland and in the south. They are reclusive, untrusting of others outside of their clans. They appear as a strange mix between grey wolves and men, with human torsos and arms, and posture. They’re huge, able to look an orc in the eyes.

Uldaria is littered with ruins of old Empryean colonies, most scattered along the coast to the east, especially in the north.
The remains of these colonies are adventurer and treasure hunter hotspots, looking for glory and loot. Ruins are filled with treasure and magic items that have remained unseen for centuries since the fall of the Empryean Empire.
A favored spot for the particularly brave (or particularly stupid), is Lost Nemia, the previous seat of power when Empryea was still standing. Once the center of the civilized world, it holds lost secrets and treasure of immeasurable power. However, it’s teeming with wraiths, ghosts, the undead, and creatures that have wandered in from the jungle encroaching on the ancient city.

Before the creation of the world, there were the gods.
The Eternals
•	LG-Life- Vita- Positive Energy, Healing, Good, Repose, Light, Law
•	CE-Death- Mortem- Negative Energy, Death, Evil, Darkness, Madness
The primeval gods, who have and will exist, one cannot exist without the other.
The Elements
•	LN-Earth- Terrus- Earth, Protection, Animals, Plants
•	NG-Water- Auquas- Water, Community, Travel, Destruction
•	CG-Air- Aurus- Air, Tempest, Chaos, Liberation
•	CN-Fire- Ignus- Fire, Sun, Artifice, War
The original essence of creation. They were made manifest and formed the world at the behest of the Eternals. The races were created from the elements, in combination with the power of life.
The Elementals Planes exist, surrounding the world of Eldorin, suspended in the Elemental Chaos. The areas closest to the Material Plane resemble the Material Plane, with cities and creatures that resemble beings on the Material Plane. Further beyond these places, the Planes look far more alien and are more purely the element they are, with infinite seas, endless flame, unspoiled air, and impenetrable rock.

There are mortals who have ascended to godhood.
	The Ascended
•	NG-Alduirn Greyspire (human) - Patron God of Warriors- Strength, Nobility, Glory
•	LN-Malikith Galdor (elf) - Patron God of Mages- Magic, Rune, Knowledge
•	TN-Scanlon Shortholt (gnome) - Patron God of Rogues- Luck, Trickery, Charm
These mortals did great, world changing things that allowed them to ascend to the realms of godhood. These heroes came about during the slave uprisings, when the Empryean Empire fell thousands of years ago. Their actions are exonerated in tales and songs.
The gods are active in the events on Eldorin, blessing certain clerics and paladins devoted to them, guiding heroes in battle, or subtly influencing certain events they deem important.

Aside from arcane magic (which has already been outlined), there is divine magic and elemental magic.
•	Divine magic comes from prayers to the god they’re devoted to. The power of the divine spell in question is dictated on the prayer and the faith of the person casting it.
•	Elemental magic comes from drawing on the elements from the Elemental Planes. The power of the spell is dependant on the physical strength of the caster.
Druids draw on the power of the Elemental Plane of Earth.
Pyromancers draw on the power of the Elemental Plane of Fire.

Access to Magic
•	Villages: Level 1 Spells and Items (Pot. of Cure Light Wounds)
•	Towns: Level 3 Spells and Items (MW- +1 items)
•	Cities: Level 5 Spells and Items (+2- +4 items)
•	Metropolis: Level 7 Spells and Items (+3- +4 items)
+5 items and Artifacts are rare, found in truly lost ruins.

Magical Creatures
•	Some villages have a guardian or patron magical creature, but most naturally avoid civilizations.
•	The powerful city-states have stables of magical creatures for ground and airborne cavalry.
•	Everyone knows a bit about magical creatures, such as zombies, goblins, deities, and dragons.
•	The Commoner doesn’t know about things like werewolves, vampires, or more uncommon creatures like trolls and mindflayers.
People tell bedtime stories of evil creatures that will snatch up and eat misbehaving and bad children, much like in reality.

Dragons are mostly found in very secluded and remote areas of the world, in places like Dragon’s Roost far in the north or in Lost Empryea to the east. Green Dragons find solace in the wetlands in the north and in the south. White Dragons can be found in the White Mountains and crowding around Whight Tower. Black Dragons and Red Dragons live in Dragon’s Roost, living together peacefully. Blue Dragons are very rare creatures, said to come from a place in the far west where it’s always raining.

The Major Cities:
Toribyr, the city of mages, is ruled by a Council of Archmagi rather than a single Archduke.