Setting ideas

A work in progress

Intro
The time of the kings of men have ended. Where once mighty empires stood there are now only ruins. The fae such as elves, goblins, dryads, gnomes, fairies, and more roam the world in open day, taking those they will to their realms for purposes unknown, as none ever return. But humanity has found sanctuary among whom some would say were once their foremost rivals: the dragons. The fair folk fear dragonkind who take joy in preying upon them and stay away from their lairs, which now form the many centers of human civilization. Most humans now live within a few miles of a dragon, well within its hunting range.

The dragons have also begun teaching mankind some of their secrets in the arcane and martial arts, and now people take the fight to the fae. Dwarves also, who had been pressed into their delves, wish to rid the world of the cursed fae and drive them back to their own world. Also in the world are found the fae touched, those who have lived under their dominance so long that they have taken on some of the fae's own attributes, but still strive to be free. And they are not the only people of a mixed essence, as those of dragon and man have arisen as well, and they fight for their joined heritage against the fae.

Quick note on cosmology: There is a single creator god, and a bunch of lesser created entities referred to here as Lumens, but are basically the equivalent of the typical D&D gods. Inspired by the Valar from Tolkein's work.

Icons
(Borrowed from 13th Age. Most Icons are strongly connected to one or more factions, and vice versa, but there's also some factions that are particularly connected to an Icon or might have connections to multiple Icons)

Gildedwing The Regal Lord, Dragon
Dragons have many lords among their kind, and Gildedwing is among the more prominent, least of all because it was his clan at his command that harbored the first human refugees from the hunts of the fey. Many dragon lords give deference to him and have done likewise.

The Elders/The Crown, three Dragons
The dragon lords are not the only leadership among dragon kind. There are those of a more mysterious and mystical nature.

Sorrow the Mother, Dragon
Elder dragoness, her children, their children, and so on, suffered the worst before and after the elven cataclysm. As such she has no great love for humans and much less for elves.

Silverfang the Predator, Dragon
Most dragons are content to stay within their own territory and hunt what game comes there, whether fey or beast (or occasionally man), but not so Silverfang. She desires to hunt all there is to hunt, savoring the chase and the final devouring. She and her pack travel through the whole realm searching for prey, and right now that prey is elves.

The Wizards, two Humans
The two headmasters of the first and last academies. They work to teach humanity practical uses of magic in order to repel the elves. Generally working together, they still have some rivalry and mistrust from their lives before the elves. It is rumored by the students that some of the exchange students are really does for the other wizard.

The Prophet?, Human


The Sorceress, Dragonborn
When humans began living in dragon territory it was only a matter of time before the occasional trysts bore offspring, a blend of human and dragon. Among these magical power is strong and none more so than the Sorceress.

The General, Dwarf


Khuz the Artificer/The Alchemist, Dwarf
A deranged and brilliant dwarf wizard. Desires to know all the is to know about the workings of the universe. Has been delighted by the elven invasion as opportunities for new kinds of experiments.

The Forest Lord, Fey touched

The Elf King

The Master (of The Hunt), Elf

The Princess (of Flames?), Elf


Factions

Name (idea seeds of the form: Mythic "Event"; Ultimate Toolbox motivation; Ultimate Toolbox virtue, vice)


Dragons

The Patrons (Heal a path - start a castle - honor, procrastination)
By far the vast majority of dragons humanity interacts with, these dragons routinely house humans on their lands and seek to help them regain their old kingdoms.

The Hidden Crown (Deceive randomness - live vicariously - thankfulness, rudeness)
A group of dragons with several traits common to druids (or perhaps druids emulated them). They have less interest in letting humans stay on their land (a few is fine), but are willing, perhaps even eager, to help out in other ways, and (mostly) forgetting the old rivalries between man and dragon. They dislike the unnaturalness of the fey and want to get rid of them from the world. Rather than direct battle (aside from the normal hunting for prey) they work by confounding the elves and lead the humans to safety, preferably to another dragon's territory rather than their own. They will not tolerate a fey touched lingering long in their territory, as they considered them defiled and just some more prey.

(three elder dragons lead them, a "junior" member having been recently added to replace an old one, though cooperation is a bit poor; but they love getting together over some dwarven hard drink)

The Children of Sorrow (Malice energy - overturn a decision - generosity, hatred)
These dragons are some that had suffered the greatest by the rivalry between dragons and the human kingdom before the elves came to both their detriments. As such they do not have a favorable view of humanity, though they do hate the elves far more. Dragonborn intrigue them, however, and many are in favor of replacing the human race with that of the dragonborn, most through a more peaceful selective breeding while there are a few who wish to accomplish this via culling.

Humans

The Order of the Crystal Shield (Heal elements - learn someone's future - detachment, despair)
An old order of knights and paladins, from before the time of the elves. They were the protectors and enforcers of the (Theocracy kingdom). They were never much liked outside of their realm and now that the nations have been destroyed they do not have any allies to call upon. They have been holding out in seven small fortified pockets hidden from the elves and well away from dragon lands, but they are slowly dying out. Each fortress has its own captain, and they have a means to communicate with each other magically to decide on matters.

The Two Academies (Create Benefits - research a project - determination, impatience)
Dragons are not the only refuge from the elves, as a powerful enough wizard is able to keep them away. However, there are only two such wizards who are willing, now the heads of two different wizarding academies where before they were just two wizards living in their towers on the outskirts of their home cities. They are now training new wizards as quickly as they can, accepting apprentices that before they would have looked over. It is their goal to find a final solution to drive out the elves back to their realm.

The Ten Lineages (Propose success - chronicle history - modesty, dishonor)
Remnants of the ruling and noble families of the surrounding kingdoms have banded together to try to maintain their significance in these disastrous times. They try to be the ones who set and enforce the laws, at least when the dragons allow it, which they often do for the more mundane aspects of human life that they don't care for. It is the Families' goal to restore the kingdoms as they once were. They have taken the duty of keeping track of all the people so as to maintain who is descended from which kingdom in the event they are able to return there, and lately have begun to dictate who can marry who, in an effort to keep the people "pure".

The Friends (Expose status quo - assume another's identity - tolerance, dependence)
Not every human is in opposition to the elves, there are some who favor them as the masters of the world, with their trusted task masters of course.

The Midnight Cloak (Extravagance technology - investigate - integrity, foolishness)
A group of explorers and treasure seekers, who are specifically looking for the various empires old weapon caches and magical artefacts. They are very honorable and do not tolerate any underhanded dealings of their members. However, they are a bit reckless and sometimes causes trouble.

Dwarves

The Apprentices of Khuz (Overindulge transform - end suffering - diligence, irresponsibility)
 The Apprentices of Khuz are a group of dwarves who are dangerously interested in the physiological changes to fey touched, and how it might be harnessed or replicated in other ways.

The Sapphire Tree (Returns emotions - gain a reward - respect, unscrupulousness)
There's dwarves who want wealth and then there's these guys. Professed to be paladins of the [appropriately dwarven Lumen] though with a measure of honor and respect, they are among the greediest wealth seeking dwarves there are. They often go on treasure seeking out in the world controlled by the fey, having some means of combating small groups they come across. They are particularly interested in ancient dwarf holdings and artifacts.

The Iron Gate (Divide magic - end a rivalry - humility, unfairness)
A group of lesser nobles of the various clans, they seek a reestablishment of an older dwarven religious system, the lack of which they blame for the ability of the elves to have gained entrance to this world. They are also against the very idea of the dragonborn and the fey touched and see them as an upsetting of the natural order.

Dragonborn

_____ (Persecute balance - gain approval - orderliness, bigotry)

______ (Attainment stalemate - find an antidote - consideration, disobedience)
highly focused on keeping the fey from winning, but not much interest in outright defeating them.

_____ (Praise proceedings - regain fame - love, addiction)

Fey touched

The Grey Edict
A group of outcasts from all societies, they have taken to banditry on the outskirts of dragon lands. They use their new nature and skills to avoid the fey.

Orcs (and other similar sorts)


Elvish/Fey factions

The Stars of Night
A group of bards, storytellers, historians, spies, and blackmailers, this group plays off the internal frictions of the fey courts to rise in power and leverage. They have less interest in external conquest and hunting humans, though individual members typically enjoy a good wild hunt. They have very few allies, and very many who hate them, but find them to be too useful or too dangerous to do anything about them. They know all the secrets that there are to know among the fey, and some that aren't. Elves who demonstrate a high level of artistic talent and deviousness are sometimes invited to join.

Their leader, an Elvish lady of high station won her position in a duel of arts and blackmail. She keeps a notable number of exotic, perhaps magically altered, pets, from the two headed house cat, to chimeras. She desires to obtain the greatest pet of all, a tamed dragon. (alternatively she goes through many "pet" dragons, get them when they're very young and kills them before they reach an age where they are too threatening to herself)


Mixed/Other