Below is a few excerpts from the ever-evolving Wiki for my homebrew campaign. You can also click the link here.
The Mardochaios Clan (link)
Races:
Human
Pantheon:
“Old Egyptian” (Mesopotamian), but primarily Mardochaios/Marduk
Loyalties:
None – All factions and kingdoms are required to grant them safety and passage, as well as one’s full cooperation.
Known for:
Neutral protectors of the world and slayers of dragons
History:
After Mardochaois helped defeat Tiamat and became a god, he created a Clan of ten from various parts of Tiamat he sheared off with his Legendary Greatsword in the Rapture. This Clan was uniquely imbued with the essence of Tiamat, and so were granted special ability in fighting dragons. He taught them how to forge Dragonbane swords, and one was made for each of the ten original Clan members. They set out to destroy any remaining chromatic dragons after the Rapture, as well as most of the metallic and gem dragons. After proving their worth with this purification of the world, Mardochaios gifted them with his Legendary weapon.
Nowadays, the Clan has grown considerably and mostly concerns itself with keeping the peace between dragons and humanity. Clan members are often found traveling in pairs or groups of four to keep tabs on the few remaining dragons – and killing them if necessary. Though many factions (such as the Cold Iron Empire) have tried to buy them off or recruit them to another cause, the Clan is resolute in its duty and refuses to take sides in “humanity’s petty squabbles”.
Each member of the Clan wears a mask on the lower half of their face, red paint around their eyes, and an extensive dragon tattoo on the right half of their body. Most members wear armor and clothing that proudly display this tattoo.
Decade Mercenary Companies (link)
Though the formal Mercenary Guild spans the entire world, ten companies are the most powerful and well-known. Every ten years, their ranking among the other companies is calculated based on the number and quality of contracts they have successfully completed. “10 Star Company” is the most coveted title, while the “1 Star Company” must constantly defend itself from challenge by lower-ranked companies hoping to rise in status.
The current rankings -
10. Golden Redeemers
A band of Redemption Paladins who always manage to find a way to solve conflicts with minimal bloodshed.
9. Twilight Ki
A group of Shadow and Sun Soul Monks who complement one another as much as they contrast.
8. Battlesmiths
A company of Artificers and Forge Domain Clerics at the cutting edge of battle technology.
7. Fun Guys
A Circle of Spores Druid coven with an exhausting affinity for puns.
6. Ragtag Band
A more diverse group of adventurers can never be found! They will accept members regardless of class, species, legal standing, beliefs, affinities, or anything else.
5. Dragonhide Desperados
A secretive band of Dragonborn and Draconic Bloodline Sorcerers who are often hounded by the Mardochaios Clan.
4. Deadeye
A cold, detached group of fighters whose precision and accuracy is legendary – snipers. It is rumored that every member is an ex-member of the Assassin or Thief Guilds.
3. Banshee Scream
A band of bards trained at the Port of Ra’s Banshee School. In between mercenary contracts, the band also tours for their small fanbase.
2. Brain Trust
A close-knit group of graduate students from the various mage schools around the world. Most are Wizards, though they are starting to attract more Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters.
1. Fledgling Fighters
An energetic company comprised of young Barbarians and Rogues just getting started in the Mercenary Guild. Despite their inexperience, their tenacity has made them the newest member of the Decade.
Dragons of Kirrion (link)
General
Dragons have roamed the lands of Kirrion since the dawn of time – and perhaps even before. Without a doubt, they are the oldest beings in the mortal world, and some suspect they are older even than many of the gods. More often than not, they are at the heart of great disasters and conflicts in the world, such as the Rending and Rapture.
In modern times, though, most people have never seen a dragon. Only those in Chrysocolla near the topaz dragon colony see one with any regularity, and even then the dragons usually keep to themselves and sightings are rather rare. In some parts of the world, many common folks hardly believe dragons exist at all anymore – hunted to extinction by the Mardochaios Clan.
There are a handful of secret societies devoted to dragonology, but still little is known about the dragons of the world, mostly due to the Clan‘s influence. Any scholarly works published on dragons are quickly hidden away at the library in Port of Ra, lest the Clan finds them and uses the knowledge to continue their war against dragonkind. Some dragonologists work for the Clan, but most do not agree with the Clan’s purpose.
Types of Dragons
Dragons come in three distinct types – chromatic, gem, and metallic. Chromatic dragons are generally considered evil, gem dragons neutral, and metallic dragons good. Because they draw their power directly from the spirit world, some have theorized that it is impossible for a dragon to change its alignment from that of its color. Beings from the spirit world often embody a firm virtue, and it is difficult for them to stray from that path. For that reason, the Mardochaios Clan has long claimed that chromatic dragons should be killed without hesitation, which few disagree with. The disagreements come when the Clan insists on hunting gem and metallic dragons, which people are more hesitant to say deserve to die simply for being dragons.
Dragon Culture
Very little is known about dragon culture, except that they generally prefer to be solitary. Sometimes they gather in large family units, like in the caves of Chrysocolla, but outside of that particular colony of topaz dragons, they usually only group together to mate. Any dragon can father a brood or lay eggs with another dragon, but only certain dragons can impregnate humanoids. The result of such a union is usually a half-dragon, but in some cases the offspring may be a changeling or take on the racial characteristics of the non-dragon parent and instead be a draconic bloodline sorcerer.
Because of how old dragons are, they do not seem to subscribe to any particular pantheon in the world. It is theorized that they instead worship very old gods, or dragon gods that are unknown to humanoids.
Known and Suspected Dragon Locations
Skypiercer Range (Snapped Bone Pass) – Sapphire dragon
Cold Iron Empire (Sekhmet’s Breath) – Obsidian dragon
Cold Iron Empire (Great Island) – Black dragon
Cold Iron Empire (Desert) – Bronze dragon
Coalition (Chrysocolla) – Topaz dragon colony
Coalition (Dragon’s Maw Lake) – Silver dragon
Ghostwhisper Wood (Fae Wilds) – Amethyst dragon
Dayfields (Long Island) – Gold dragon
Commonwealth (Floating Isles) – Copper dragon
Bonedry Wastes (Far West) – Brass dragon
Snowflats (Cave of Lost Souls) – White dragon
Pocket Dimensions (link)
Within Bags of Holding and Portable Holes, there is an extradimensional space into Limbo that is wholly separated from the rest of Limbo. In this way, all Bags and Holes are connected, but there is no way to reach into your Bag/Hole and pull out objects stored by someone else – unless, of course, Calculus Algebraf moves those items.
Folktales tell that he is an undead who was stored in a Bag of Holding thousands of years ago and now rules the Pocket Dimension, but no one has ever seen or interacted with him in any way. The only “evidence” bards spout of his existence is that sometimes objects you don’t remember putting in your Bag show up, or objects you thought you stored suddenly disappear. Calculus is very curious and likes to look at the objects people store, and isn’t always the best at putting them back in the right Bag/Hole.
Southwestern Desert (link)
“Lawless frontier justice” does not even begin to describe the Southwestern Desert. The Cold Iron Empire has all but given up on this stretch of land, and as a result it draws shady ilk from all sorts of black market and underhanded factions. Been kicked out of your thieves or assassin’s guild? Chased out of every city for selling questionable drugs or potions? Want to start a gambling ring where prostitutes fight their dogs? Come to the Southwestern Desert.
The most famous town in this area is Tombstone, a surprisingly well-organized area with a sheriff known for his bravado and showmanship. A savant of thunder magic by the name of “One-Shot” Sawyer, the sheriff keeps things running smoothly for the outlaws in his town – everyone in Tombstone has a bounty on their head for one reason or another. Sawyer is known for the odd somatic components he uses to cast his spells: index finger pointed forward and thumb straight up in a sideways “L” shape.
Many famous bards make their home in Tombstone, giving outsiders a taste of what life in their city of outlaws is like. In particular, Vali the Chaos-Renderer, Saxxon Violins, Ari4na, and Zeke Parcell have all lived in Tombstone at one time or another, inspiring dozens of future bards to practice their craft there.
Other highlights:
Comments