The World of Brill

	Brill is a highly magical world full of gods and wondrous thing.  The world of Brill has three continents, Ryenden, Numark, and Hyberia.  Ryenden and Numark are connected, though separated by a mountain range.  Hyberia is located far across the Jrian Ocean away from the other two.  Contact between Hyberia and the other continents is sparse.  It takes an eight month journey to sail across the Jrian Ocean.

The Land of Hyberia

	Civilization has existed on Hyberia for over five thousand years.  Hyberia has gone through seven great cataclysms.  Most of these effected the world of Brill as a whole and some only affected Hyberia.  The further back the cataclysm, the less is known about it.  The continent is split up into two main landmasses.  There is the mainland which is the dominion of five different countries.  The other landmass is the island of Esgala, ruled by the Asharigati Dominion.  There are also small islands that make up the rest of the continent.

The Seven Cataclysms

	The first cataclysm is known as The God's War.  During this time the gods all fought each other in a battle royale.  While some gods were opposed to fighting they were dragged in regardless either out of self defense or in the protection of others.  This was a battle for supremacy.  Mortal champions were used as weapons by many of the gods.  It's believed upwards of twenty gods died in the conflict, knowledge of them lost to history.  This war shaped the whole planet.  It is unknown what history was lost before this time as this cataclysm more than any other devastated the world's population, the land, and any records of time before.

	The second cataclysm is known as The Sundering.  This one only effected Hyberia.  Dalod, the god of craftsmen, split land of Hyberia in two.  Large portions of the land were completely obliterated.  Esgala was formed from this, once connected to the rest of Hyberia.  It is unknown why Dalod did this.

	The third cataclysm is known as The Ocean's Rise.  During this time the oceans of the world rose, reducing the size of the continents as part of the land on their edge were below the new sea level.  The continent of Jrian sunk into the sea during this time.  The two oceans once separated by the continent were renamed as one ocean, the Jrian Ocean.  There is little knowledge as to why this occurred.

	The fourth cataclysm is known as The Age of Monsters.  For a period of two hundred years monsters were much stronger and much more plentiful.  The whole of Brill was overrun and by the end of it only small portions of the population survived.  The monsters were finally returned to normal by the actions of champions of the gods.

	The fifth cataclysm is known as The Rot Plague.  A disease spread across Hyberia that would kill the infected by making them begin decomposing before they died.  This disease was confined to Hyberia.  A cure to the disease was found, said to have been a dark green potion.

	The sixth cataclysm is known as The Folly of Man.  During this time a great empire called the Drull Empire was said to have spanned across Ryenden and Numark.  This empire was at constant war with the Re'alt Empire which ruled over all of Hyberia.  This was is said to have lasted over one thousand years.  During this war a weapon was used that decimated the land currently known as the Barren Wastes.  The land still hasn't recovered.  The war was said to have gotten more and more devastating as both sides grew more advanced until finally both empires with over thrown by rebellions.

	The seventh and most recent cataclysm is known as The Time of Dreams.  Over six hundred years ago The Time of Dreams lasted for ten years.  During this time the dreams of mortals had the ability to alter reality, though not directly.  A small portion of mortals would have the same dream over and over again.  After six months of the same dream occurring the mortal would recreate the dream.  These dreams always fell into one of two categories, either being about the creation of something or the destruction.  The mortal who had these dreams would always succeed when they were compelled to reenact their dream even when it defied all possible logic.  The Time of Dreams ended when Malgath Keawenys, a powerful elven wizard, dreamed of end of The Time of Dreams.

The Countries of Hyberia

	The Republic of Re'alt is a land of free people of all races.  Re'alt is the most prosperous of the nations of Hyberia thanks to it's booming trade.  Re'alt has two large cities and a number of smaller villages.  The smaller of the two cities is Heon, a coastal city with a thriving fishing industry.  The larger city is the capital of Re'alt.  It is called Yera.  Yera is a major hub of trade and is said to have the finest craftsmen outside of Stonegall.  The ruler of Hyberia is elected from the citizens of Re'alt once every twenty years and given the title governor.  The same person can not be elected twice.  The current ruler is Governor Archibald, a human who has ruled for the past fifteen years.

	Ysum is a kingdom that borders Re'alt.  Both have their northern borders stop when they reach the Brubrick Mountains.  Ysum is currently at peace with Re'alt, having signed a white peace treaty ten years ago.  Ysum is mostly populated and ruled by dragonborns.  The king of Ysum is a gold dragonborn called Y'mat Thabrin.  The laws of Ysum heavily favor dragonborns.  Tieflings and half-orcs are discriminated against in particular.  There are two cities located within Ysum and many small towns.  The smaller one is Arkont, a city known for its arcane studies.  The larger city is the capital Trag, a city where only dragonborn are permitted to live.

	Stonegall is the great dwarven city in the Brubrick mountains.  The mountains and all surrounding lands are considered the domain of Stonegall.  The population of Stonegall is almost entirely dwarven and in order to be permitted entry into the city the person attempting entry must demonstrate that they can speak dwarven, the only language spoken inside.  The city has the finest craftsmen of the world and is well supplied with ore from the many mines in the Brubrick mountains.  The city has no one ruler.  Instead, it is ruled by a council made up of the heads of many guilds for each  of the crafts practiced in the city.

	Frutili is a country that occupied the lands directly north of the Brubrick mountains.  The land is ruled by King Shamil Hadri, a gnome.  Much like its ruler, gnomes make up a large amount of Frutili's population.  All races are welcome in Frutili.  Humans, hill dwarves, and halflings make up a large secondary population in Frutili.  There are two cities within Frutili and a number of towns.  The larger of the two is Horgol.  This city boasts strong trade with Stonegall thanks to its close proximity to the Brubrick mountains and its large hill dwarf population.  The smaller of the two cities is Osc, which despite its size is the capital.  Leading straight into the city is the Great Osc Bridge, a massive construction that crosses the Uqut River.  The city is famous for its entertainment, art, and seedy underbelly.
	The Barren Wastes was once the Kingdom of Isbi until the cataclysm known as The Folly of Man occurred.  The land became a desolate place after the cataclysm.  All that remains of civilization in the Barren Wastes are those attempting to restore the land, mostly druids.  Their efforts are mostly concentrated in the city of Isbi which isn't so much a city as it is an inhabited forest.  Those that reside in the Barren Wastes end up relying heavily on trade in order to avoid starvation.

	The Asharigati Dominion rules over the island of Esgala.  It is ruled by an elven matriarch.  The current ruler is Ashura Asharigati.  Elves, halflings, and hill dwarves make up almost the entire population of the Asharigati Dominion.  The halflings and dwarves mainly live in villages located in the many hills of Esgala.  The capital city of Werta is almost exclusively populated by elves.  Werta has produced some the strongest magic users on the continent thanks to the famous Werta Academy, a school for training the arcane arts.  The Asharigati Dominion had a policy of closed borders until two hundred years ago when the Republic of Re'alt convinced them to open up.  The two countries have since engaged in much trade.  Most races are accepted in the Asharigati Dominion but humans, half-orcs, half-elves, and tieflings are distrusted a bit more than the other races.

The Gods

	There are many gods in the world of Brill.  They rarely choose to interact with the world directly outside of some very notable occasions.  The largest indirect influence a god will enact upon the world is often by making a mortal their champion, giving them boons and a goal to accomplish.  The act of a god choosing a champion is incredibly rare.  Most of the peoples of Brill have either never heard of such a thing or believe it to be a myth.  Despite this there is little doubt that the gods exist.  Atheists and agnostics are few are far between though how devoted to the gods someone is can vary wildly.  The gods listed below are not the only gods to exist, just the only gods that the current world still has memory of.

Knowledge Domain Gods

Arcanatu is the god of magic.  It is believed that he created the arcane arts and passed them down to mortals.  He is often depicted as a wise old human male, bald with a long white beard and flowing robes.  He is most commonly worshiped by those studying magic.

Bidus is the god of secrets.  He is said to be able to ferret out any information he desires and rarely give any.  He is depicted as fly.  Common belief is that the flies of the world are his children and they all report what they learn back to him.  He is rarely worshiped but many have said a quick prayer to him.

Sorcus is the goddess of memory.  Sorcus is believed to have never forgotten a single detail of her existence and that she is capable of even make the other gods forget what she wants them to.  Depicted as a raven in the act of reading, she is worshiped primarily by scholars.

Dalod is the god of craftsmen.  A highly popular god amongst dwarves and craftsmen, he is said to have the knowledge of how to create everything.  He is often depicted as a dwarf in the middle of crafting something.

Life Domain Gods

Serenity is the goddess of medicine.  Often depicted as a kindly old woman, Serenity is worshiped by many healers and prayed to by the sick.  Serenity is believed to cure those who devoutly ask for aid and to make those who draw her ire ill.

Bratus is the god of life.  Bratus is depicted as both genders, all races, and many different animals but always metal collar on.  Bratus is said to have given the spark of life to everything.  Bratus is believed to consider Dalod a rival.  Bratus is a popular god, commonly worshiped by many but less frequently by dwarves.

Neren is the goddess of forgiveness, comfort, and mercy.  Neren is believed to be able to help those with troubled minds.  She is often prayed to by those at their lowest moments.  Worship of her is not uncommon.  Temples dedicated to Neren are commonly used to broker peace deals within.

Quar is the god of consumption.  Depicted as rotund man with a bow on his back, Quar is said to be able to help crops grow as well as be an expert hunter.  He is worships by both hunters and farmers and is one of the most popular gods in all of Brill.

Light Domain Gods

Seeld is the god of protection.  He is depicted as a man in full plate armor wielding a tower shield and a mace.  He's said to watch over and protect mortals and is popular to worship as a result.  His defenses are said to be unbreakable.

Ballad is the god of music.  Ballad is always either depicted as a human playing an instrument or as a song bird.  Ballad is said to play music more beautiful than anything a mortal could create.  He is worshiped mostly by musicians.

Hara is the goddess of truth.  It is believed to be impossible to lie in front of Hara.  Hara and Serut are often depicted as both lovers and enemies.  They are depicted as many different species but when depicted together are always the same species.  Hara is not commonly worshiped as many find it difficult and undesirable to constantly attempt to be truthful.

Giji is the god of love.  Depicted as a handsome young man, Giji is worshiped widely and is very popular with those looking for love.  Marriages are often held within temple dedicated to Giji.  Giji is believed to be beloved even by the other gods.

Nature Domain Gods

Reddun is the god of plants.  He is said to be able to command all plant life.  He's not commonly worshiped but many of his follows are within the Barren Wastes attempting to revitalize the area.  Reddun is often depicted as a sturdy tree.

Ulacanda is the goddess of beasts.  The animals of the world are said to bow to Ulacanda.  Hunters and ranchers commonly worship Ulacanda.  Depicted as a woman riding a variety of animals, she is believed to be a good friend of Quar.

Fiphe is the god of aquatic life.  He's depicted as a rainbow scaled fish that commands all life within the sea.  Fiphe is heavily worshiped by fishermen.

Gaius is the god of growth.  Always depicted as a strong human male, Gaius is worshiped by those seeking self improvement.  It is believed that amongst the gods Gaius is the one with infinite potential.

Tempest Domain Gods

Patinda is the goddess of weather.  It's believed that the weather is directly effected by Patinda's mood and feelings towards an area.  Patinda is depicted as a fickle young woman of varying races.  She is worshiped by many but most commonly by farmers.

Gyrm is the god of fire.  Depicted as a gold dragon, he is said to be able to burn away impurities with his flames.  Gyrm is worshiped heavily by dragonborns and is the official deity of Ysum.  Wildfires are often considered to be the will of Gyrm.

Sesa is the goddess of the sea.  She's believed to have dominion over all the water of the world.  She is commonly depicted as a beautiful mermaid.  Sesa is worshiped most commonly by sailors.

Haiendies is the god of wrath and vengeance.  He is believed to have incredible power that he unleashed on those that draw his ire.  Haiendies is often depicted as a dog barking.  He is very rarely worshiped, often only by those seeking vengeance or those who have short tempers and embrace it.

Trickery Domain Gods

Serut is the goddess of deception.  Her wily words are said to be able to trick even the most astute.  Serut and Hara are often depicted as both lovers and enemies.  They are depicted as many different species but when depicted together are always the same species.  Serut is not commonly worshiped openly but mean seedier individuals privately worship the goddess.

Joth is the goddess of humor.  Joth is not widely worshiped by is the god of choice for many a wannabee comedian.  Joth is said to be fond of pranks and that she can crack a joke that makes even the most dour smile.  She is always depicted as laughing but as what varies wildly, including inanimate objects.

Olen is the god of thievery.  He is naturally worshiped by many thieves and worship of him is almost universally banned.  Depicted as a mischievous looking young boy, Olen is purported to have even stolen some of the most precious items of the other gods.

Girtilda is the goddess of the unnatural.  Worship of her is more heavily banned than any other god.  Despite this there is still some worship of her amongst cultists.  She is linked closely with many types of monsters and is said to have dominion over them.  She is most commonly depicted as an undead woman.

War Domain Gods

Tyra is the goddess of battle.  She is worshiped by many soldiers and adventurers.  Her skill in battle is said to be second to none.  She's is often depicted as a physically strong woman wielding a greatsword.

Kor is the god of death.  He is said to possess the souls of all those who have shed the mortal coil.  Kor is respected but worshiping him is often frowned upon and considered the domain of cults.  He is depicted in variety of skeletal forms.

Dorland is the god of valor and courage.  Dorland is one of the most worshiped gods, popular among the common folk, soldiers, adventurers, and even ofter nobility.  Dorland is always depicted as a dark skinned man with glowing eyes and often with a wide smile.  He is said to be able to inspire his allies to reach heights that would otherwise be unachievable.

Naranca is the goddess of weaponry.  She is always depicted as an elven woman with many weapons on her.  Her skill in crafting weapons is second only to Dalod and her technique with any weapon is far superior to anything anyone else could hope to reach.  In battle as a whole she does not reach the heights that Tyra is able to and is rivaled by several other gods for prowess in battle.  She is closely tied to the god Dalod and is often depicted as requesting him to make a weapon for her.  Naranca is mainly worshiped by blacksmiths and anyone with cause to use a weapon.  Those who worship Tyra can sometimes be dismissive of those who worship Naranca, saying they are following an inferior war god.  Others say those who rely on weapons are stupid to badmouth the goddess of weaponry.