House Rules & Systems

Attendance: This is a game, and thus supposed to be only for fun. People are likely to miss a game from time to time. Missing a game nets no experience points. However, since it doesn't make sense to have characters zipping in and out of existence during the story, the DM reserves the right to use an absent player's PC in as limited a role as possible under the circumstances of the story. I will always set session dates for evenings all players can attend, but if there are last minute changes (usually within a week of the game) for a small number of players, the game will run, provided we have a minimum of four PCs.

Available Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul (Crake, Eleste, Gruumsh, and Moradin), Fighter, Healer, Hexblade, Marshal, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Scout, Sorcerer, Spellthief, Spirit Shaman, Swashbuckler, Warlock, Warmage, Wizard (inc. specialists)

Available Races: Bugbear, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Goblin, Half-elf, Half-orc, Halfling, Hobgoblin, Human, Goblin, Kobold, Lizardfolk, Troglodyte.
 
Charging: The text on pg. 155 of the Player's Handbook reads 'helpless creatures don't stop a charge', which is frankly idiotic (really, Wizards, I can't charge through a square with some pointy rocks, but I can charge over a paralyzed colossal dragon?). I am adjusting this to read 'Helpless creatures two or more sizes smaller than you will not interrupt your charge'.

Death: If your character dies, and you wish to roll another, you will begin play one level below the party average (see sidebar). A Raise Dead spell brings you back one level lower than you were, with no additional games played (as XP). Characters brought to a HP total below -10 due to massive physical damage, fire, acid or disintegration effects are considered to have been physically destroyed and not in proper condition for the use of the raise dead spell. Those dying from bleeding below 0, poison, drowning or other similar conditions are considered still in one piece and qualified recipients of the spell.

Dying: Any healing of characters at negative health levels does no automatically bring them to a positive HP score, unless the healing would mathematically bring them to 0 (zero) or above.

Experience: You can now refer to this post for all your level figuring needs.

Favored Class: As we are not using a normal XP system, there is no penalty for having your multi-class levels more than 1 apart, even if you're not classed into a racial 'favored' class. At the present time, though, I'm only allowing a maximum of two classes and one prestige class per character (this may change).
 
New Players: As of this time, new players begin one level below the party average (see the sidebar on the front page under the PC roster).

Tower Shield: You cannot use the tower shield's Total Cover against hidden opponents who have yet to attack you, or creatures with Reach, one or more sizes above you, provided they allow for 5' of extra slack to reach around the shield. In addition, effects like bull rush, disarm, and sunder can still be made as attacks against you, provided they are targeting the shield itself. Otherwise, the item functions as normal.

Training: There is no required training in your current class. You gain your skill ranks, hit points, new feats & abilities once you 'ding' to the next level. However, if you wish to take a 1st level in another character class, you must train for a week of game time, in addition to whatever costs the trainer might demand upon. You can do this training 'in advance' of your new level, during a pause in the campaign's game world time, however you MUST take the 1st level in the new class when you next level.

Variant Rules: We will be using the following variant rules from the Dungeon Master's Guide in the campaign. If it's not listed below, we're not using it.

Critical Misses/Fumbles (p.28)
Instant Kill (p.28)
Nonlethal Falls (p.303)
Skills With Different Abilities (p.33)
What Disabling a Device Means (p.70)

Fighter Upgrade: I am using the fighter variation from Paizo's Pathfinder RPG in place of the core 3.5 edition class. This will make it more appealing and less one-dimensional. This applies only to the Armor Training, Weapon Training and Bravery class abilities which scale. No other Pathfinder class variants are being considered at this time.

Prestige Classes: Some prestige classes from the Dungeon Master's Guide and other allowed source books are trainable somewhere in or in the vicinity of Floivin Province. Others are scattered as wide as the Eidolorn Empire and beyond. You must of course discover these trainers through your interactions with NPCs ,but feel free to 'build' your PC towards the prerequisites, so that when you do find who you're looking for you can train towards the new class. Once a trainer is revealed, it will be indexed at the original Classes of Udders Well post.

Permanency:  Permanency works largely like the original spell, only the XP cost is transformed into a GP cost for arcane materials, which must be gathered from either a magic institution (Arkana Arkiva, Wizards Elite) or a wealthy independent spellcaster or city market (at the DM's discretion). The cost is 500% the original XP value, and the casting time becomes 2 turns instead of 2 rounds (since it's becoming more or less a ritual that requires prepping). At the end of those 2 turns, you've cast the original spell and then permanency (so they're off the daily allotment of spells as normal). We'll start with allowing the Player's Handbook list (under the spell description) and then others might be possible upon request.

So, for instance, wizard A wants to cast Comprehend Languages and then permanency, it would cost 2500 gold once the character was at the minimum 9th level. Not a bad deal, all told, but the 5x value helps
offset the lack of loss to XP. It has to remain somewhat prohibitive. Or if someone wanted to permanently animate an object (at level 14), it would cost 15,000, etc.

Retirement: This is meant for folks who just wanna hang up their spurs and try something else. Perhaps you think the character's modus operandi no longer fits the campaign status quo, or he or she can no longer travel with other PCs due to personality clashes. Or perhaps you tried a class out for a few months and decided you don't enjoy playing it. Unlike character death, which is penalized by the 1-level loss of the succeeding character, this is a case where a player voluntarily turns in his/her character to become an NPC in the setting. When this occurs, you can begin a new character at the BEGINNING of the same level as the last one (no additional sessions). However, this should not be something taken lightly, or abused, so there is a limit of ONE voluntary character retirement per 18 months, per player.

Additional Notes:

* The character retains his/her gear and gold. It can't just be dumped to the party or even the party treasure.

* The character can't just be used as a permanent party NPC. In extreme circumstances, where it makes sense, he/she might turn up in an adventure, but otherwise it becomes an inactive character.

Retroactive Rulings: There are times where players and the DM are going to forget the maths, neglecting to factor in an attack adjustment, a resistance, a saving throw bonus, an item bonus or other factors that might have led to victory, failure, or death on either side of a conflict. If this happens, the events stand as they occur. No turning back the clocks and no retroactive reversals. If you were fighting a fire elemental and forgot that your dagger was enchanted with fire bane, or if you forgot you had Minor Globe of Invulnerability and took damage from a magic missile, the results remain the same. Chalk it up to human error and self-adjusting consequences. The one exception is if a player has just had his/her turn skipped and notes this the following round.

5th Edition Variants

Customizing Ability Scores (PHB.13): Yes.
Variant Human Traits (PHB.31): Yes, if you want.
Variant Backgrounds (PHB.129-14): Yes, if you want.
Equipment Sizes (PHB.144): No, within reason.
Multiclassing (PHB.163): Yes, absolutely.
Feats (PHB.165): Yes, absolutely.
Skills With Different Abilities (PHB.175): Yes, if it makes sense.
Encumbrance (PHB.176): Yes.
Playing on a Grid (PHB.192): Yes, we are playing on a square grid.

Renown (DMG.22): Yes, we are using it.
NPC Loyalty (DMG.93): Yes, I'm using it.
Villainous Class Options (DMG.96-97): Yes, I might use them.
More Difficult Magic Item Identification (DMG.136): Yes.
Mixing Potions (DMG.140): Yes.
Scroll Mishaps (DMG.140): Yes.
Wands That Don't Recharge (DMG.141): No, they do not recharge.
Only Players Award Inspiration (DMG.241): Yes, in group sessions, by hidden ballot only.
Flanking (DMG.251): Yes, flankers gain advantage.
Diagonals (DMG.252): Yes, we'll continue to adjust for diagonal movement.
Facing (DMG.252): No.
Session-Based Advancement (DMG.261): Yes, we will carry on.
Proficiency Dice (DMG.263): No.
Skill Variants (DMG.263-4): No.
Hero Dice (DMG.264): No.
Honor and Sanity (DMG.265): No, but I might institute Sanity at a later date.
Fear and Horror (DMG.266): No.
Healing Variants (DMG.266-67): No.
Firearms and Explosives (DMG.267-68): Yes, though they are rare.
Alien Technology (DMG.268): No.
Plot Points (DMG.269): No.
Initiative Variants (DMG.270-1): No.
Action Options (DMG.271-272): Climb Onto a Bigger Creature, Disarm, Overrun, Shove Aside and Tumble are all a 'Yes'. Mark is a 'No'.
Hitting Cover (DMG.272): No.
Cleaving Through Creatures (DMG.272): Yes.
Injuries (DMG.272): No.
Massive Damage (DMG.273): No.
Morale (DMG.273): No.
Spell Points (DMG.288): No.

Floivin Keep Map

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Hud Horrn Map

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Littlewolf Map

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Cedarway Map

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Hobfast Map

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Livenoak Map

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Tarndim Map

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Halehusk Map

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Vernal Valley Encounter Tables

Crown Pasture (1 in 10/3 hrs; 2d6)

02. Ankheg cluster (d3+1)
03. Ankheg (1)
04. Giant soldier ant gang (d3+1)
05. Medium viper (1)
06. Stray dog (1)
07. Goblin gang (d6+3)
08. Small viper (1)
09. Giant ant work crew (d6+5 plus 1 soldier)
10. Dire weasel (d2)
11. Huge viper (1)
12. Spider eater (1)

Frail Forest (1 in 10/2 hrs; 2d6)

02. Spider eater (1)
03. Owlbear (d8)
04. Dire wolf pack (d4+4)
05. Black bear (d2)
06. Elf squad (d3+1)
07. Kobold gang (d6+3)
08. Wolf pack (d10+6)
09. Krenshar (1)
10. Krenshar pride (d5+5)
11. Giant owl (d5)
12. Ettin gang (d3+1)

Skunk Ridge (2 in 10/3 hrs; 2d6)

02. Bulette (d2)
03. Ettin gang (d3+1)
04. Dire wolverine (d2)
05. Dire wolf pack (d4+4)
06. Dire weasel (d2)
07. Troglodyte clutch (d4+1)
08. Troglodyte squad (d6+5 plus d2 monitor lizards)
09. Giant wasp (d5)
10. Giant stag beetle cluster (d4+1)
11. Giant stag beetle mass (d6+5)
12. Hill giant raiding party (d4+5 plus d3+1 dire wolves)

Tooth Marsh (2 in 10/2 hrs; 2d6)

02. Tendriculos (1)
03. Manticore (d6)
04. Lizardfolk band (d5+5 plus 50% noncombatants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level)
05. Choker (1)
06. Lizardfolk gang (d2+1)
07. Stirge (2d4)
08. Orc gang (d3+1)
09. Crocodile (d6+5)
10. Orc squad (d10+10 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level)
11. Five-headed hydra (1)
12. Eight-headed hydra (1)

Udders Well, Rivers/Lakes (1 in 10/2 hrs; 2d6)

02. Five-headed hydra (1)
03. Merrow (d8)
04. Nixie band (d6+5)
05. Nixie gang (d3+1)
06. Troglodyte clutch (d4+1)
07. Kobold gang (d6+3)
08. Small viper (1)
09. Medium viper (1)
10. Crocodile (1)
11. Huge viper (1)
12. Scrag (d4)

Vernal Wall (1 in 10/3 hrs; 2d6)

02. Ettin colony (d3+2 plus d2 brown bears and d6+6 orcs or d8+8 goblins)
03. Ettin (d4)
04. Troll (d4)
05. Bugbear band (d10+10 plus 150% noncombatants, 2 2nd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 2nd-5th level)
06. Giant eagle eyrie (d8+4)
07. Bugbear (d4)
08. Dwarf squad (d10+10 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level)
09. Gargoyle (d12+4)
10. Mountain lion (aka dire lion) (d2)
11. Dire bear (d2)
12. Stone giant raiding party (d4+5 plus 1 elder)

Session 1 Notes (4/15/10)

Varony, Clairis 12th, 868 ID.

The PCs are summoned discretely to the Fiery Rat tavern in Floivin Keep to meet with Lt. Banghorn, an agent of the Last Eidolorn guard whose duties include keeping tabs on unruly and suspicious characters throughout the Province. As our heroes arrive, they are greeted by a bar wench in a mouse costume, and rumbles of unrest by various other patrons. Several dwarves express displeasure at the sight of the half-orc Mudgol, and all Hosspotch halflings in the room jeer and turn their noses up at the do-gooder Pockny Hosspotch. One halfling in a purple frilled shirt stands and promptly exits the establishment.

The PCs are called over to a private booth by a middle-aged man with a hoarse tone and very handsome (but fake) moustache and beard. This is Lt. Banghorn (the 'h' is silent!), and he explains why he has chosen these three recruits for a task of urgency. Our heroes are dispatched to trail the merchant-entertainer Shalabarr, who happens to be the halfling in the purple shirt that just left. On the way out, a grimy, weather beaten 'dwarf' adorned in animal hides, a spear and pick-axe, reeking of fats and body oils, who is accidentally set on fire by the Fiery Rat's 'interactive' sign outside. The PCs save the traveler, who introduces himself as 'Tundra Wolf', a frost giant scout from the northern province of Wintersbreath. In gratitude, Tundra Wolf offers the party a favor in return.

Pockny Hosspotch asks if he would guide the trio on a brief jaunt to the neighboring village of Halehusk, which he agrees to. The party gathers some supplies, Mudgol grabbing some ale to share with Tundra Wolf on the journey, and after some brief and unsuccessful bartering over a Melesthesian peddler's llama (which Mudgol desires a bite of), the four are on their way. When they arrive, they quickly case out both the Blind Vixen tavern, and the Lone Wheel House, since Lt. Banghorn told them Shalabarr often frequents the village. Mudgol manages to make an enemy of the mousy innkeeper at the Lone Wheel House, but Pockny and Tundra Wolf take a seat up on the balcony to watch the road into the village.

Eventually Shalabarr rides in on a strange rickshaw, guided by a warhorse in barding rather than a person. He is greeted by two swarthy, rough and tumble halflings outside, who then take the horse and rickshaw to the local, small stablery, run by a filthy boy named Pinyon. Pockny and Tundra Wolf exchange harsh words with Shalabarr in the Lone Wheel House. Apparently Shalabarr does not like being followed, and recognizes the cleric from the Fiery Rat. Attempting to dig up some information, Mudgol puts the stable boy Pinyon to sleep, while Imperion quickly examines the cart. The PCs find a map tucked into a drawer beneath the passenger's seat which has the various communities of the Vernal Valley marked off, each with a certain # of red 'x' marks. Most of the marks appear near Floivin Keep.

The PCs bribe the foul-lipped boy Pinyon when he awakens, and all is well, but another confrontation occurs out in the street when they come face to face with Shalabarr's two 'cousins', and a beautiful human woman rides into the village to meet the flamboyant halfling. Shalabarr then threatens the PCs, telling them to leave Halehusk within the next half hour while he, his sweetheart, and cousins take a meal and drink at the Blind Vixen. The PCs remain, with Tundra Wolf (who is furious that Shalabarr keeps referring to him as a 'dwarf'), and await the inevitable confrontation...

PCs: Imperion, Mudgol, Pockny

NPCs

Lt. Banghorn (human male): A master of bad disguises whose duty is to spy on suspicious folk in Floivin Province. His name is pronounced 'bang-orn', without the 'h', and he seems to take great offense at those who mismanage the phonetics. Most of the city guard refer to him as Bang-horn laughingly behind his backs. He is a gaunt, middle-aged human with graying hair and a short temper.

Pinyon (human male): A filthy stable boy in Halehusk, with a mean streak and a knack for foul language. He accepts a bribe of several gold from the PCs, and swears to retire to a life of fishing in Tarndim with his uncle. He gives our heroes all manner of information about Shalabarr once they initiate a 'windfall' in his career. He's a short boy of around 11-12 years old, smeared in grease and shit and not afraid to use the latter as a projectile weapon when threatened.

Shalabarr (halfling male): A flamboyant, well dressed midget in purple frills, who rides a rickshaw about Floivin Province, driven by a barded warhorse. He wears a fancy tophat and wields an umbrella which conceals a bladed weapon (likely a slender sword). Shalabarr is both a 'merchant' and 'entertainer', or so everyone claims, and has several connections with seedy types throughout the Province, including his 'cousins', a pair of Hosspotch grunts, and a mysterious human woman clad in leather armor. Shalabarr is a shrewd and dangerous fellow and does not take well to the PCs.

Tundra Wolf (frost giant male?): Appears for all purposes to be a dwarf hunter and tracker who has fallen on hard times and migrated south of his native Wintersbreath to seek out new opportunities. Tundra Wolf is a thickly bearded 'frost giant', or so claims to be, who appears in the size and shape of a dwarf. He reeks of oils and seal fats, and other things, and wears thick hides even in the heat of the oncoming summer. Perhaps this is another reason he smells so... Tundra Wolf has a devout sense of honor for those who help him in a pinch, and has attached himself to the PCs until his 'blood debt' is paid. He is quick to take insult at anyone who refers to him as a 'dwarf', and seems to know the Giant tongue (which Mudgol also speaks). Tundra Wolf travels with a gnarled spear and a handy pick-axe.

Vernal Valley Sub-Regions

Crown Pasture: Occupying the southeast corner of the Vernal Valley, the Crown Pasture is the primary farming land used by the citizens of Floivin Province. Much of the land is broken off into farmsteads, who trade among themselves and also bring their goods to Halehusk and Livenoak where they barter them for clothing and other necessities. Several of the farmsteads serve as local distilleries or breweries, and several are overseen directly by the Eidolorn government. The rest of the farmsteads pay an annual tithe to the Empire, but are allowed to buy and sell their produce as desired. While it's not an extremely dangerous area of the Valley, farmers are often beset upon by ankhegs, giant ants, dire weasels, vipers and goblin marauders who creep into the Valley through the Great Westermarch road.

Frail Forest: The Frail Forest is home to both bands of elves native to the Vernal Valley: the Roodeyes and Reddenbalms. Both are nomadic families who wander about the forest seasonally, occasionally crossing over to the Crown Pasture or Skunk Ridge to set up their camps. Otherwise, the Forest is a great source for woodland game, and the primary source of lumber in Floivin Province, so camps of woodcutters are quite common on the outskirts. In the center of the Forest lies the beautiful Eastnesse with its crystal waters, so clear that one can often see close to the bottom of its 30 foot depths during a bright summer day. It's the primary source of fresh water for the game in the area, so hunters will often set up around its shores. The villages of Livenoak and Littlewolf are also found here, and the ruined dwarf keep known as Ettencap, which is dangerous and off limits save for the Last Eidolorn soldiers who maintain a vigil upon it. The Forest has been cleared of most of its most deadly game by now, but some predators still exist, including krenshar, black bears, dire wolves and giant owls. Several small clans of kobolds are also believed to exist in the region, though they are known more as pests who steal supplies from hunting and logging camps than an outright threat.

Skunk Ridge: Skunk Ridge is so named for the plethora of bizarre skunkweed plants that dominate its otherwise rocky, rolling hills. The region comprises the entire area between the Pinewater and Midge Creek rivers, stretching south over the Udders Well and north through Oldbone Pass which eventually arrives in the Province of Wintersbreath. Tarndim is a fishing community on a small bridge of rock over the Well, and Cedarway is a small shipping stop located on the west ban of the Pinewater, where goods are checked and organized for trade to the neighboring Province. The skunkweed and other herbs are noted for their medicinal or olfactory traits, but the Ridge is also home to a number of dangers. Giant stag beetles, dire wolves, troglodytes and even mating bulettes are known to frequent the area, and citizens are advised to stay far away from them. In addition, there are a great many small, abandoned mines dotting the region, and many a hollow hill which might house a dwarf barrow from times predating Imperial rule.

Tooth Marsh: Perhaps the most diverse terrain of the Vernal Valley, the Tooth Marsh is full of swamp groves to the north, peters off into flat wetlands in its center, and becomes slightly more solid and rocky to the south, where a valley pass leads through the Mimresh to the Fyreklaw barrens beyond. A great range of herbs and wildlife can be found within, as the Marsh has a more diverse ecology than any other area of the Valley. Hobfast is the one settlement here, on the western bank of Udders Well, but scavengers, hunters and pickers can often be found scattered through the Marsh. Though the war against Fharkkas the Gnawer catalyzed the cleansing of most of the more dangerous creatures in the Marsh by the Last Eidolon guard, there remain a number of hostile enemies: lizardfolk, stirges, chokers and small hydras have been spotted here through the years, and there is always the threat of an invasion via the Mimresh.

Udders Well: One of the largest freshwater lakes in all of the Eidolorn Empire, the Udders Well is fed by the 'Udders', an ancient damn that controls the flow of the higher Dimnesse waters into the lake and out through the Pinewater and Midge Creek to lands beyond the Vernal Wall. The Well is a major resource for fishing, drinking water and recreation, and probably the real lifesblood of both the Empire living here and the previous Gnarlbottom clan. Small fishing craft are common on its waters, and occasionally a river barge from Wintersbreath, but the Last Eidolon guard maintain no naval force in Floivin Province. The Well is suspected to be close to 200 feet deep in its center, and there are a number of dangerous denizens which fishermen must do their best to avoid: scrags and merrow raiders that come upriver through the Midge Creek are not unheard of, dire bass are a deadly prize, and more than one freshwater hydra is known to lurk beneath its waters.

Vernal Wall: The massive mountainous enclosure surrounding the Vernal Valley is both a blessing and curse. It provides great protection from both the elements and invasion, provided you can defend the various river and land passes which offer access. But it's also home to some of the more dangerous monsters of the region, and its vast walls are dotted with old mines, burial sites and former dwarven holds: Haunted Horrn, Crowslode and the Dwarf Lords' Rest are all found upon its cliffs and slopes. There is only one community in the Wall, the Hud Horrn which lies below its overrun neighbor on the Haunted Path in the western mountains, but mountaineers, miners and even the more daring birdwatchers of the Empire are often found in the heights, which rise above 2,000 feet in some areas. It's suspected that deep below the Wall, various old dwarf fortresses and cities may lie, that predate Floivin Keep itself. The more common denizens of its heights include mountain lions, dire bears, giant eagles, gargoyles and bugbear tribes that ascend to the peaks from the subterranean depths, and who knows what else lies below the roots of the Vernal Wall's many, many caverns.

Faiths of Udders Well

Berronar Truesilver
The Revered Mother, Mother of Safety
AL: Lawful Good
Domains: Dwarf, Family, Good, Healing, Law, Protection
Favored Weapon: Heavy mace
Followers: Children, dwarven defenders, dwarves, fighters, homemakers, husbands, parents, scribes, wives.
Holy Symbol: Two silver rings.

Worship of Berronar was abandoned centuries past, as dwarven influence in the lands of the Eidolorn Empire had begun to wane. Though she is still spoken of in stories, and her husband Moradin holds some favor still among the most loyal of dwarves who have not devoted themselves to Eleste, there is no officially sanctioned or organized following left to her. That said, a recent expedition to the Sunken Forge in Floivin Province has turned up a religious text devoted to the goddess, and thus it would now be possible for there to exist a cleric devoted to her service, though it will take some time before a 'church' is developed. Those curious can inquire with the historian Monch Gnarlbottom for more information.

Clangeddin Silverbeard
Father of Battle, Lord of the Twin Axes, the Rock of Battle
AL: Lawful Good
Domains: Dwarf, Good, Law, Strength, War
Favored Weapon: Battleaxe
Followers: Barbarians, dwarven defenders, dwarves, fighters, monks, paladins, strategists, soldiers, tacticians, warriors.
Holy Symbol: Crossed battleaxes.

Worship of Clangeddin was abandoned centuries past, as dwarven influence in the lands of the Eidolorn Empire had begun to wane. Though he is still spoken of in stories, and his patriarch Moradin holds some favor still among the most loyal of dwarves who have not devoted themselves to Eleste, there is no officially sanctioned or organized following left to him. That said, a recent expedition to the Sunken Forge in Floivin Province has turned up a religious text devoted to the god, and thus it would now be possible for there to exist a cleric devoted to his service, though it will take some time before a 'church' is developed. Those curious can inquire with the historian Monch Gnarlbottom for more information.

Corellon Larethian
Creator of the Elves, First of the Seldarine, Coronal of Arvandor
AL: Chaotic Good
Domains: Chaos, Elf, Good, Magic, Protection, War
Favored Weapon: Longsword
Followers: Arcane archers, artisans, artists, bards, fighters, good leaders, rangers, poets, sorcerers, warriors, wizards.
Holy Symbol: Crescent moon.

Worship of Corellon was abandoned centuries past, as elven influence in the lands of the Eidolorn Empire had begun to wane. Though he is still spoken of in the stories of local elven and half-elven bards and sages, there is no officially sanctioned or organized following left to him. That said, a recent expedition to the Frail Forest has turned up a religious text devoted to the god, and thus it would now be possible for there to exist a cleric devoted to his service, though it will take some time before a 'church' is developed. Those curious can inquire at the village of Littlewolf in Floivin Province, where this sacred text was last delivered.

Crake
The Raven Lord, Warden of Roads
AL: Neutral Good
Domains: Animals, Good, Luck, Plant, Travel
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
Followers: clerics, druids, halflings, elves
Holy Symbol: raven with a sprig of mistletoe in its beak.

Crake is a popular deity among the halfing and elf folk of the Vernal Valley, as he represents good fortune for travelers. He is also venerated by druidic circles for his, natural qualities, and holds domain over the plants and animals of the field and forest. Clerics of Crake tend to favor earthy, unassuming robes or the garb of farmers and woodsmen. They are not often easy to spot out in a crowd, save for their love of ornate quarterstaffs which they dress in feathers and other baubles of their travels. Clerics and druids who follow Crake are also known to craft wreaths of berries, pine cones and dark feathers which they hang from the necks of patrons as a blessing. They are often referred to as the 'Ravenblessed'.

Dumathoin
Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain, the Silent Keeper
AL: Neutral
Domains: Cavern, Craft, Dwarf, Earth, Knowledge, Metal, Protection
Favored Weapon: Maul (or mattock)
Followers: Dwarves, gemsmiths, metalsmiths, miners.
Holy Symbol: Faceted gem inside a mountain.

Worship of Dumathoin was abandoned centuries past, as dwarven influence in the lands of the Eidolorn Empire had begun to wane. Though he is still spoken of in stories, and his patriarch Moradin holds some favor still among the most loyal of dwarves who have not devoted themselves to Eleste, there is no officially sanctioned or organized following left to him. That said, a recent expedition to the Sunken Forge in Floivin Province has turned up a religious text devoted to the god, and thus it would now be possible for there to exist a cleric devoted to his service, though it will take some time before a 'church' is developed. Those curious can inquire with the historian Monch Gnarlbottom for more information.

Eleste
Warrior-Saint, Greatmother of the Eidolorn Empire
AL: Lawful Good
Domains: Combat, Good, Healing, Law, Protection
Favored Weapon: Longsword
Followers: clerics, paladins, humans
Holy Symbol: Long sword over stone tower.

Eleste Eidolorn was once a mortal woman who founded the Eidolorn Empire for her love, Bendry Coventavon. Her deeds are essentially what crafted the great civilization of the age, and a massive clergy has spread up with cathedrals and churches in most communities of the Empire. She is not considered a goddess, per say, yet the clerics and paladins of Eleste use her veneration to channel a higher power, through healing magics and blessings of conquest. Many clerics and paladins of Eleste also serve as judges for the the tribunal of criminals, or public advisers to political officials. Most funerals, weddings and other religious ceremonies within the Empire are conducted by the clerics of Celeste ('Favored Blades'), and paladins are often found at the front lines of the Last Eidolorn legion, whenever the cause is just. Her clergy favor white robes with silver linings, making them easy to find and readily available for healing and other services. Donations to the Church of Eleste are expected as just recompense for the saint's blessing light.
 
Gruumsh
One-Eye, He-Who-Never-Sleeps
AL: Chaotic Evil
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Strength, War
Favored Weapon: Spear
Followers: clerics, fighters, assassins, orcs
Holy Symbol: Necrotic red eye.

Gruumsh calls on his followers to be strong, to cull the weak from their numbers, and to take all
the territory that Gruumsh thinks is rightfully theirs (which is almost everything). He harbors a special hatred for Moradin and his followers. Gruumsh is highly revered by the Slavemaster of Sothos Karr, who has a clergy established in his honor. Most half-orcs of the Eidolorn Empire and surrounding lands might externally appear to have abandoned this faith, but many still hold a quiet fear and reverence. Zealots who follow Gruumsh are known to often pluck out their left eye in tribute. Nonclerics are not permitted to refer to the god by name, only by title.
 
Moradin
The Soul Forger, Dwarffather, The All-Father, The Creator
AL: Lawful Good
Domains: Earth, Good, Law, Protection
Favored Weapon: Warhammer
Followers: dwarves, smiths, metalworkers, engineers
Holy Symbol: hammer superimposed over an anvil shape.

For the remnant descendants of the Gnarlbottom clan, and other dwarven enclaves located throughout the Eidolorn Empire, adaptation to the humans' worship of Eleste has never really been an option. Most prefer to remain faithful to the traditional God of their people, paying lip service to the Soul Forger more so than performing acts of worship (with the exception of the clergy). There are still a number of clerics and paladins who specifically do the bidding of this God, but they are few and far between, many taken to lives on the road or hiding their practice as humble metalworkers and engineers in larger urban communities. An order known as the Coldhammer Enclave is known to exist somewhere in Wintersbreath, known do-gooders who battle the forces of the waste and the agents of Vhorinyr to the North. Clerics who venerate Moradin are known as sonnlinnor ('those who work the stone'), as in other D&D settings.

Radhol Thidhe
The Path of Prosperity, the Fortune Fires
AL: Chaotic Good
Domains: Healing, Knowledge, Luck, Sun
Favored Weapon: Crossbow
Followers: Melethesz, thinkers, dreamers, inventors
Holy Symbol: a golden wasp.

Radhol Thidhe is a philosophy whose origins date centuries before the founding of the Eidolorn Empire, and even farther before the conquest of Melethesz. It's located primarily in its home province, but clerics and followers have spread far and wide through the Empire, occasionally teaching to small bands of converts. Followers of Radhol Thidhe believe in the power to Inspire, and that all living, thinking beings follow the Sparking Wheel. They believe that one's own innovations and self-betterment lead to ultimate fulfillment for their place on the Wheel, and also to improve the station of others. It's a karmic belief system which places emphasis on the self rather than a deity, thus it has brought the people of Melethesz into ideological conflict with the followers of Eleste. Teachers (clerics) of Radhol Thidhe are known simply as Sparks.

Sharindlar
Lady of Life and Mercy, the Shining Dancer
AL: Chaotic Good
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Dwarf, Good, Healing, Moon
Favored Weapon: Whip
Followers: Bards, dancers, dwarves, healers, lovers
Holy Symbol: Flame ring rising from a steel needle.

Worship of Sharindlar was abandoned centuries past, as dwarven influence in the lands of the Eidolorn Empire had begun to wane. Though she is still spoken of in stories, and her patriarch Moradin holds some favor still among the most loyal of dwarves who have not devoted themselves to Eleste, there is no officially sanctioned or organized following left to her. That said, a recent expedition to the Sunken Forge in Floivin Province has turned up a religious text devoted to the god, and thus it would now be possible for there to exist a cleric devoted to her service, though it will take some time before a 'church' is developed. Those curious can inquire with the bugbear monk Gruulsh, who has recently come unto the holy text.

Vergadain 
Merchant King, the Short Father, the Laughing Dwarf
AL: Neutral
Domains: Dwarf, Luck, Trade, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Longsword
Followers: Dwarves, merchants, rogues, wealthy individuals.
Holy Symbol: Gold piece.

Worship of Vergadain was abandoned centuries past, as dwarven influence in the lands of the Eidolorn Empire had begun to wane. Though he is still spoken of in stories, and his patriarch Moradin holds some favor still among the most loyal of dwarves who have not devoted themselves to Eleste, there is no officially sanctioned or organized following left to him. That said, a recent expedition to the Sunken Forge in Floivin Province has turned up a religious text devoted to the god, and thus it would now be possible for there to exist a cleric devoted to his service, though it will take some time before a 'church' is developed. Those curious can inquire with the historian Monch Gnarlbottom for more information.

Timeline of Udders Well

The I.D. in the roll of years is short for 'Imperium Domine'.

Local History

675 ID. The stronghold of Hale Horrn (now known as Haunted Horrn) is lost to invaders from the depths of the Vernal Wall. Hud Horrn is build lower in the heights to keep a vigil on the area.
718 ID. The Eidolorn army marches along the Great Westermarch road to the shore of Udders Well, where the village of Halehusk is established as a base of operations. King Kleeth calls up his limited forces to defend Floivin Keep, including a regiment from the fortified tower of Zevrak to the southwest (now Mimresh). For the winter of 719 ID, the humans and dwarves remain at a standstill, unengaged.
719 ID. Orc warbands mount a massive assault against the tower of Zevrak, capturing and claiming it in the name of Fharkkas the Gnawer. In order to save their land, the Gnarlbottom clan surrenders to the Eidolorn Empire, who turn their attentions towards mopping up the invasion force.
721 ID. The last of the Gnawer's forces are removed from the Vernal Valley, but the orcs maintain control over Mimresh, as Emperor Dascomb Darl wishes to push no further at the current time.
722 ID. After a begrudging, final agreement with the Gnarlbottom clan, the Vernal Valley is named Floivin, the Seventh Province of Eidolorn. Lord Brimm Bartlebuck is appointed the 1st Regent of the Province.
725 ID. The Band of the Oak, a famous group of seven adventurers hailing from the Imperial Capital of Carbadi arrive to explore and clear the Haunted Horrn. Their expedition seem successful at first, after killing a few score bugbear squatters and other beasts in the upper levels of the stronghold, but within a week they have all disappeared.
730 ID. Livenoak is established as a trade village along the Great Westermarch road.
743 ID. Tarndim is established as a fishing community on the shores of Udders Well.
758 ID. An ailing Regent Bartlebuck makes a final journey to his home province of Carbadi, where he passes away. His counselor Mopp Strudel is named 2nd Regent of Floivin Province.
759 ID. Cedarway established to hasten trade with the Province of Wintersbreath.
760 ID. Bolgrab the Marauder, a ruthless barbarian of Wintersbreath who has gone 'legit' as an adventurer and blade for hire, arrives to test his luck against the depths of the Haunted Horrn. He assembles a group of brave guides and swordsmen from the Valley to accompany him. After three days in the ruins, they are never heard from again.
764 ID. The tragedy at Crowslode. Over 40 human and dwarven miners killed by an unknown source.
788 ID. The local army is named the Last Eidolorn Legion, as it's the 'newest'.
804 ID. After nearly 50 years as Regent of Floivin Province, Mopp Strudel dies of natural causes. His successor is Marlene Meledegne, a troublesome Rothe merchant noble who is accused of an illicit affair with Emperor Klenn Darl the Drunkard. To shut her up, Darl sends her to replace Regent Strudel. Her rule lasts six months before she is murdered by a masked killer known as The Ferryman, who leaves a broken oar on the corpse of his victims. Meledegne is replaced by a young Last Eidolorn Captain, Glaive Goosearm.
809 ID. First assault on the ruined keep at Ettenhead meets with no success.
812 ID. The Order of Brightblood, a sect of paladins who serve Eleste, arrive to explore the ruins at Haunted Horrn. For a week or so, they seem successful, once again clearing the upper levels of bugbear raiders and other threats. Then they are all slain, but one, Breilor the Bold, who is taken with a great madness and retreats to eke out a solitary life in Skunk Ridge.
823 ID. Second assault on the ruined keep at Ettenhead also fails.
834 ID. This year, three adventuring companies are lost to the Haunted Horrn: the Flat Daggers of Rothe, ex-pirates with a hunger for the unclaimed riches of the Empire; the Hobfast Four, a team of enterprising burglars and fighters who worked for the Hosspotch House; and the Grash Harn, a band of dangerous orc blades for hire who were under the employ of the Arkanum Arkiva. Three wizards of Floivin were also lost in this expedition, though several of the Grash Harn soldiers were not sent into the ruins, and remain in Hud Horrn to this day.
840 ID. Third assault on the ruined keep at Ettendhead also fails. This time, Regent Goosearm has led the Last Eidolorn forces directly, and is killed by a pair of ogre spears lodged through his chest. A successful statesman and former soldier named Reginald Bauerkroft is named the 5th Regent of Floivin Province.
842 ID. The first reports arrive of Dror Gheel, the Slavemaster of Sothos Karr, rising to power in the Fyreklaw barrens south of the Vernal Valley.
859 ID. For the second time in history, the Ferryman strikes in the hamlet of Livenoak, slaying six wealthy merchant representatives traveling in from Toul Tabor. By this time, his murders have also been reported in Carbadi, Rothe, and Melethesz.
868 ID. The current year. Regent Bauerkroft is assassinated, and replaced by the General Gurd Gnarlbottom until a new Regent can arrive from Carbadi. There are stirrings of war to the north in Wintersbreath, a Vandrakki incursion. The General leads an army of about half the Province's Eidolorn regiment to meet with Toul Tabor and Wintersbreath forces. Meanwhile, an enigmatic group known as 'The Score' has set into motion a series of suspicious events. The villages of Hud Horrn, Tarndim, and Cedarway fall to various native humanoid tribes who have been organized by these villains. But a group of heroes stands between their nefarious plot and the fall of the entire Province...

Timeline of the Eidolorn Empire

The I.D. in the roll of years is short for 'Imperium Domine'.

Imperial History

-3 ID. Lord-Admiral Bedry Coventavon is crowned King of Carbadi. His first act is to launch a series of assaults by sea against the Raiders of Rothe, which slowly weaken their defenses.
-2 ID. Coventavon's fleet defeats the Raiders and lays claim to the Isles of Rothe east of Carbadi in the Sea of Chimes.
-1 ID. Coventavon swiftly conquers the pastoral land of Nobbish to the south of Carbadi, but is later slain through a terrible curse by the Nob Witches. On his deathbed, he gifts the lands of Carbadi, Rothe and Nobbish to his beloved (and most trusted general) Eleste Eidolorn.
0 ID. Eleste begins a unification and expansion that would topple much of the Western Lands, dubbing her holds the Eidolorn Empire and naming herself the first Empress. She swears by her fallen love that she will conquer lands far and wide in his memory.
48 ID. The First War of Expansion begins, as the Empire marches west into the vast kingdom of Toul Tabor, for a long and bloody war against the Sorcerer Kings.
49 ID. Eleste is slain by the Sorcerer King Scythe. Her nephew Yeobrid Gallogar is named 2nd Emperor of Eidolorn, and continues the Expansion War. Eleste is named the Warrior-Saint of the Empire.
58 ID. Toul Tabor finally falls to the tireless Imperial onslaught, and is annexed and named the Fourth Province of the Eidolorn Empire, after Carbadi (1st), Rothe (2nd) and Nobbish (3rd).
67 ID. Geri Gallogar, daughter of Yeobrid, is named 3rd Empress of Eidolorn.
80 ID. Geri Gallogar dies in childbirth, along with her twins. Her husband Brayl Barthe is named 4th Emperor of Eidolorn.
114 ID. Fearing the Empire's expansion, the White Dragon Woe commands her horde of frost giants, snow goblins and winter wolves, along with her own brood, to assault Toul Tabor to the southeast, slaying tens of thousands of Toul civilians and Imperial troops.
115 ID. Emperor Brayl Barthe decrees vengeance against the White Dragon Woe, and the Second Expansion War begins.
118 ID. Brayl Barthe is slain by the frost giant champion Fowlfjr. His 2nd wife, Aroya Barthe is named 5th Empress of Eidolorn.
121 ID. The White Dragon Woe is finally slain, and the Second Expansion War begins. The Empire mounts expeditions deep into Woe's territories to drive away the remnant horde of frost giants and snow goblins.
151 ID. The former territories of the White Dragon are at last cleansed, and the Empire begins to settle the cold lands, welcomed by the elves and dwarves that were formerly held captive by the horde of Woe. The region becomes Wintersbreath, the Fifth Province of the Empire.
155 ID. Aroya Barthe dies due to aging, and no heir is named. General Cadys Crowl is nominated as Regent Emperor of Eidolorn until a next of kin can be found.
160 ID. A bastard child of Aroya Barthe is uncovered living in the slums of the Toul Tabor city, Delvesh, a criminal and sorcerer. Nonetheless, he is the true heir to Eidolorn, and thus Tando Varr is named 6th Emperor, or the 'Bastard Emperor'. Due to life prolonging magics, he will rule for over five full centuries, in which the Empire endures a lasting age of peace and prosperity, with few conflicts outside humanoid hordes and rover fleets from deep in the Sea of Chimes.
672 ID. Emperor Varr had been disappearing from the Throne at Carbadi on and off for years, with the Eidolorn military ruling and his counsel ruling in his wake, but he returns to announce his official abdication in 672, choosing his 22nd-generation grandchild Vylon Varr as his successor.
680 ID. Vylon Varr begins a new campaign of Expansion, the first in centuries, towards the south and west beyond Toul Tabor. His first target is the nation of Melethesz to the south, a land of riches and renaissance. At first the Emperor's offer is peaceful, but when the Melethesians refuse to turn over their lands and join the Empire, Varr is quick to anger and order his forces across the border.
681 ID. After a year of intense border fighting, the Melethesians unleash an ancient artifact known as the Scepter of Plagues against the Empire. Pestilence and decay spread throughout the Imperial forces and beyond, to the Toul Tabor and as far as Carbadi and Nobbish. Many thousands of innocents are slain, until the Scepter is finally shattered. The Melethesians immediately surrender, but Vylon Varr seeks blood and revenge, ordering the murder of all the Noble Houses of Melethesz.
683 ID. Varr's genocide continues as he orders all Melethesians to convert from their faith of Radol Thidhe to follow the Warrior-Saint Eleste, who by this time has a massive clergy spanning all the Empire. Those who refuse are forced into hard labor, tortured or executed. Seeing and disliking this dark turn in Emperor Varr's behavior, a young Eidolorn Captain Dascomb plots to assassinate him to cease the atrocities.
685 ID. Dascomb's plot succeeds, and Emperor Vylon Varr is assassinated en route to his throne at Carbadi. A tribunal is held for the traitor, but he is exonerated by the Generals of the Eidolorn army. So impressed are the counsel of the Empire with the young captain that Vylon Varr's own daughter Esriele is denied her right to succession. Instead, Dascomb Darl is named the 7th Emperor of Eidolorn.
716 ID. A wise and fair ruler, Dascomb decides he will peacefully attempt to annex the small Vernal Valley to the west of Toul Tabor, which currently belongs to the dwarves of the Gnarlbottom Clan. A simple conquest, void of the tragic complexity which placed him on the throne.
753 ID. Dascomb Darl passes away. His daughter, Monada Darl, is named 8th Empress of Eidolorn.
782 ID. Monada Darl passes away. Her son, Klenn Darl (the Drunkard) is named the 9th Emperor of Eidolorn.
829 ID. Klenn Darl (the Drunkard) is assassinated. His wife (a former whore) is offered the throne, but refuses, instead passing the honor to her own, young son, Hahill Whitestoke, who she claims is the blood heir of Klenn Darl.
850 ID. Hahill Whitestoke, the 10th 'Emperor' of Eidolorn, is forcibly removed from the throne when it is discovered he was not in fact the son of Klenn Darl the Drunkard. Tando Varr returns to Eidolorn, now 700 years old and barely human, and convinces the Empire to hold an election for their new ruler. Many enter the campaign, but Varr sets up a series of strict tests of both mental aptitude and character that whittle away to just one man, a Nobbish cobbler named Freth Borth. Freth Borth is named the 11th Emperor of Eidolorn.

Calendar of the Eidolorn Empire

1 Year = 365 days

Flance (New-winter) 31 days
Longlax (Midwinter) 29 days
Esparne (Late-winter) 30 days

Sarrard (New-spring) 31 days
Embis (Mid-spring) 31 days
Flicours (Late-spring) 30 days

Clairis (New-summer) 31 days
Malarous (Midsummer) 30 days
Martenin (Late-summer) 31 days

Verget (New-autumn) 30 days
Vorlasp (Mid-autumn) 30 days
Mod (Late-autumn) 31 days

1 Week = 7 days

Aric - Tault - Varony - Verne - Essel - Ivric - Evalais (Saints' Day)

Adventure Sites of the Vernal Valley

Crowslode: Located in the Southern face of the Vernal Wall, far north of Floivin Keep, is a walled off mining shaft where a substantial operation was once thriving. In the year 764 I.D., a band of over 40 human and dwarven prospectors were killed by what rumors insist was the poisonous gas vents and various natural deathtraps. Few of the remains were recovered, but those that were seemed to show not only signs of asphyxiation or burns, but other evidence of struggle. Regent Goosearm, the 4th to hold the title in the Province of Floivin, sent a team of seasoned adventurers from across the Empire into the mine to see if it was salvageable. When the team never returned, it was decided that the mine be sealed off. The only individuals to venture here today are foolish prospectors with no sense for self preservation, and an occasional foot patrol from Cedarway, checking on the area.

Dwarf Lords' Rest: The entrance to this vast mountainside tomb in the southeast corner of the Crown Pasture is flanked by a pair of great dwarven statutes, carved nearly a thousand years ago. It's a landmark so impressive that the Eidolorn Empire has ordered the team sealed off since they took over the Valley. Legend has it that the entire lineage of the Gnarlbottom clan, as well as their predecessors, are buried deep within the tomb. While the 'official' word is that the vaults are guarded out of respect and the site's historical value, some speculate that the Last Eidolorn guard has long since plundered the graves of the kings. Of course, such speculations tend to arrive on the lips of the Gnarlbottom's bitter descendants who remain in the Valley today. The only thing for sure is that a patrol of 4-6 Eidolorn soldiers is found camped about the tomb at all hours of the day.

Ettenhead: A crumbling forest keep that was once the entrance to an underground passage that led through the Vernal Wall to an ancient dwarven hold on the other side. The Ettenhead has long since fallen to a savage clan of ogres and other brutes that are led by a crafty, hidden figure known as the Titan of the Glen. Every decade or so, the Last Eidolorn guard have launched a formidable assault on the site, only to be driven back by the dangerous defenses the ogres have in play. Yet, the giant-folk have never launched a retaliation, even on the nearby community of Littlewolf. The situation has long since cast an uneasy shadow on Floivin Keep. Are the ogres and their shadowy master slowly gathering forces through the years, from beyond the Valley, to launch one decisive strike? Or are they worried the Empire will get through? Most dwarves will answer that the old keep had fallen long before their time, and that the ogres have held it for many centuries.

Haunted Horrn: High in the Vernal Wall, towards the West of the Valley, and beyond the sheltered community of Hud Horrn, lies a ruined dwarf stronghold which was razed by predators from the depths of the Underdark, 50 years before the Empire arrived to claim the region. This site is very popular with adventurers, who come far and wide from all the Seven Provinces to test their hand in its dark chambers. Through the years, several of the upper levels of the Horrn have been 'cleared', only to restock themselves as more powerful creatures move up to replace the weaker. It is now considered one of the most dangerous places in the Vale, and the Last Eidolorn keeps a constant vigil that the denizens, which now include a potent warband of bugbears known as the Blooded Lash, do not expand their territory beyond the ruins.

Mimresh: A tower of obsidian and steel, which was once the property of the Gnarlbottom dwarves who used it as a defense against orc invaders from the Fyreklaw barrens beyond. When the Gnarlbottom Clan attempted to stave off the Eidolorn Empire's advance, they drew forces from the tower, leaving it relatively weakened, and it was then that the orcs would strike in vast numbers, under the guidance of then-warlord Fharkkas the Gnawer. Realizing too late their mistake, the Gnarlbottom Clan surrendered to the Empire that they might drive out the orcs and spare the dwarf families a life of harsh slavery. But while able to free the Valley of the Gnawer's invasion force, the foul creatures had successfully captured and defended the tower, now known as the Mimresh, and they hold it to this day, though they serve a new master, Dror Gheel, the Slavemaster of Sothos Karr. The tower is 60' feet of fortified stone and steel, with twisted, barbed coils of mesh that lie strewn about the pass before it, and over 100 orc troops that will defend for fear of failure. At all times, an encampment of at least 20 Imperial soldiers including one Sergeant or higher rank will be found a half mile to the north of the Mimresh, should the brutes decide one day to again attempt a violent expansion.

Sunken Forge: An extremely well fortified crypt that delves deep below the center of Greataxe Island on the waters of Udders Well, the Sunken Forge has stood for as long as the dwarves can remember, in the dawn of their earliest civilization in the Vernal Valley. Only the topmost level of the crypt has been accessed by the Eidolorn Empire, who always maintain a pair of guards on the Island to keep watch over it. But none have been able to bypass the perplexing puzzle that promises entrance to the rest of the Forge, not even some of the greatest thinkers of the Empire or beyond, who are allowed access by appointment with the Regent. Local dwarf descendants often ramble about an extremely powerful artifact housed within the Forge, and a massive store of the finest crafting ore available, mithril, but even they do not know the specifics.

Communities of Udders Well

Cedarway (thorp, pop. 60)
The tiny Cedarway is essentially a shipping stop where river craft are laden with supplies to and from the Province of Wintersbreath, which lies well beyond the Vernal Wall. Goods are inspected by Lieutenant Hoary and 10 handpicked soldiers of the Last Legion Guard. There are no drinking holes, few actual structures here and few goods and services available to those who happen upon the place

Floivin Keep (small city, pop. 6500)
A massive, fortified keep that sits atop the ancient, dwarven-crafted damn known as the 'Udders'. This is both the capital and cultural center for the Floivin Province of the Eidolorn Empire, and houses the current appointed ruler, Regent Bauerkroft, his family, and over 600 soldiers of the Last Eidolorn Guard. Other noteworthy institutions within the city walls include the Arkana Arkiva (wizards' guild), the Cathedral of Blades, House Hosspotch, and the Well's Edge Market, a large, open-air bazaar which serves both the local community and the wealth of merchants and travelers who visit the city during the spring and summer seasons. Famous drinking holes here include the Dirty Dagger Alehouse, Seven Flood Inn, Twin Lizard Tap and the Fiery Rat. The Keep is accessed through two massive iron gates flanking the city, east and west, along the Udders on the Great Westermarch road, and the structure is extremely difficult to assault, due to its location upon the damn and the various anti-siege armaments the Last Eidolorn can employ when needed. Floivin Keep was built over 300 years ago by the Gnarlbottom clan, before they were assimilated into the expanding Empire.

Halehusk (small town, pop. 1200)
This pastoral settlement town sits along the eastern bank of Udders Well, and serves as both a sizable fishing community and a farmer's market. It was the first settlement established when the Eidolorn Empire arrived in the Valley through the Great Westermarch road in 718 I.D. Today the population consists largely of cooks, fishermen, shippers and receivers who transport crops and livestock along the road to Floivin Keep and across the Well to other shoreline communities like Hobfast and Tarndim. The town is governed by Captain Tarl Treadmyr of the Last Eidolorn Division, and defended by a consignment of 40 soldiers. Travelers may rest their feet at the Lone Wheel House or take their spirits at the Blind Vixen.

Hobfast (village, pop. 700)
Hobfast is a small community located on the western bank of the Udders Well, home to the local chapter of the Anglers' Guild. It's location in the Tooth Marsh makes it a popular haven for herbalists and hunters, and all manner of interesting crafts and items are made from resources found in the swamp. There's also a sizable presence of the Hosspotch family here, which runs the Crimson Harpy, i.e. the sole barroom that doubles as an inn (and gambling den). There are over 100 Last Eidolorn troops stationed in Hobfast, but as many are assigned to patrol the southern borders of the Tooth Marsh, where a narrow pass leads to the orc hold of Mimresh, you can expect only half that many present at any given time, in the command of Captain Reckon, a dour and oft drunken dwarf who is one of the fewest of his kind to take up arms for the Empire.

Hud Horrn (hamlet, pop. 200)
The Hud Horrn is a former dwarven outpost upon which numerous human structures have been built. It's a popular location for prospectors as well as adventurers, for further along the Vernal Wall, on the Haunted Path lies a nearly identical stronghold known as Haunted Horrn. Rumors persist that the place is swarming with dangerous beasts from the depths of the mountains, and perhaps even the spirits of dwarf soldiers who were slaughtered here some 200 years past by an unknown force. The Hud Horrn itself is a tightly knit group of fortified buildings to protect against dire weather and other hazards of the heights, and a few abandoned mines lie beneath it. There's an inn here known as the Laughing Hand Lodge, and the Floivin Dungeoneer's Guild, which focuses on both exploration and mining for profit. A grizzled old mountaineer named Sergeant Mastiff is in charge here, with a score of his soldiers, but a number of folks dwelling here are pretty handy in a fight. They need to be.

Littlewolf (hamlet, pop. 160)
Littlewolf is a small community which technically lies outside the jurisdiction of Floivin Province, as it is largely a gathering place for those of the Roodeye and Reddenbalm bands. However, the Empire does maintain a presence of 10 soldiers here by permission of Herr Jaeger Reddenbalm, the eldest and wisest elf in all of the Vernal Valley, over 800 years old! The elven bands take turns governing the hamlet, each 20 years. There are no drinking establishments in Littlewolf, but spirits and entertainment can be had by all, as the elves love to entertain for a fee or a favor. It is also the one place in all Floivin province where the Circle of the Crow maintains an 'official' presence. You can contact their representative Shayla the Swineherd, who is constantly toiling about with her stable of wild boars.

Livenoak (village, pop. 600)
The hearty folk of Livenoak live on the border of the Frail Forest and Crown Pasture, and see a large amount of foot and mounted traffic through the year along the Great Westermarch road. Many foresters and trappers bring wooden craftable items, skins and furs to Livenoak to trade with merchants passing through, and the village is known for the beautiful sounds made by hundreds of wooden wind-chimes that hang from the tree-limbs and ramshackle tent houses. There's a large tent-hostel here known as Leaping Knuckle Lodge, where one can also purchase some cheap ale. Captain Morse Mooney is in charge of the village's protection, and a consignment of 30 Last Eidolorn troops.

Tarndim (hamlet, pop. 400)
The Dimtarn is a purely fishing community that lies on a small peninsula of land projecting into the Udders Well from the Skunk Ridge area. It's so deep in the Valley that there are only 10 soldiers assigned to its protection, and one of the few communities governed by a non-military personnel, Blake Bauerkroft, nephew of the Regent. Most of its business is conducted by trades in other shoreline communities, so there is no real market here, unless you need a swift water craft or fine fishing gear. There is one cheap tavern here called the Steady Oar.

Vernal Valley Map

Click to increase size.

Character Generation

Level: All characters begin at level one level below the average of the party. This is listed in the right sidebar below the roster on the front page of the blog.

Ability Scores: We will be using the Standard Point Buy method from pg. 169 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Please add any racial adjustments AFTER distributing your 25 points. You can use this handy calculator to total up your 25 points.

Races & Classes: These have been detailed for you in previous points. You can select any race or class from the Player's Handbook. More options will become available later. To see how the core races and classes fit in to the current setting, you can visit their respective posts here on the blog.

Hit Points:  You begin play with maximum hit points at first level, but if you're starting higher than first, the rest will be rolled with a witness (usually the DM). If you're playing a creature with a level adjustment and bonus hit dice, you maximize one of those HD and then roll the rest (as well as all your additional levels). In addition, you do NOT maximize the first level HD of any new class you adopt (prestige or otherwise).

Alignment: You can choose any alignment you'd like other than lawful or chaotic evil (or any restricted from your class), but keep in mind that a choice of 'neutral evil' may come with inherent problems, and the more difficult it may become for your character, especially if the other players are NOT evil. While I'm willing to remain flexible with most players' choices, this is NOT a 'villain' campaign, so please try to create a situation in which your aims/goals can run in sync with the largely good or neutral tendencies of the majority.

Wealth: All characters begin with the 'average' wealth of their class from table 7-1 in the Player's Handbook. You can use this to purchase any weapons and equipment from the Player's Handbook. If you are starting at a level higher than 1st, use table 4-23 from the Dungeon Master's Guide (NPC Gear Value) to determine your total starting wealth. Up to 75% of such wealth can be used on magic items from that book, but only 10% of your total can be spent on magical consumables (potions, scrolls, and other one use items). Example: I'm level 8, I get 9400gp worth of equipment, 7050 of which can be spent on magic items, and 940 of that on consumable magic. Please note that your 'masterwork' cost for weapons and armor can be drawn from the mundane half of your wealth. Also: characters working for the Eidolorn Empire in a direct capacity related to the plot of the campaign will receive an additional 1000gp to spend however they wish, whether they are members of the Last Eidolorn, Church of Eleste, or Arkana Arkiva attaches assigned to the PCs' unit. PCs will inevitably be able to access the Party Treasure as well.

Background: Character backgrounds may be further developed later, but all initial PCs will begin in the employ of the Last Eidolorn guard, either as a Private ranked soldier (barbarian, bard, fighter, monk, ranger), an envoy of Eleste (cleric, paladin), an envoy of the Arkana Arkiva (sorcerer, wizard), or a 'contract' agent (druid, rogue). Those re-rolling after character deaths should try to make something that fits into the central theme/plot. Please establish in advance a relationship amongst your characters to save the trouble of introductions, or if you're coming in late, work with the DM to arrive at a plausible intro.

Classes of Udders Well

Barbarian: Though a barbarian would be an anomaly within the Vernal Valley region, especially within Floivin Keep, it is possible that they might filter through en route to other lands of the Eidolorn Empire, or perhaps escaped from Sothos Karr to the South (humans and half-orcs), seeking employment within a more pastoral area. Several barbarians are known to have settled the Valley and turned to lives as farmers or woodsmen.

Bard: A good number of entertainers and troubadours pass through Floivin Keep and the surrounding communities, and some are home-bred, like the almost famous gnome minstrel Heckler Ronn, or the enchanting muse Mercede, daughter of Regent Bauerkroft, who is known to give public recitals at important events. Bards are also common within the elf bands of the Frail Forest.

Beguiler: Often used as spies and saboteurs throughout the Eidolorn, beguilers most often operate solo, however others have been known to coordinate groups of villains. One of the PCs' most persistent enemies, Shalabar Klasp, exhibits abilities that likely pin him as a beguiler.

Cleric: Almost all clerics in the Udders Well area follow Eleste, Warrior-Saint of the Eidolorn Empire. They are known for their flowing silver and white robes over armor, and the jeweled long swords they wield in her honor. However, there are many who favor Crake, the Raven Lord, a patron of travelers and revelry. Crake is most popular among halfings and elves, but even human travelers are known to offer him a limerick or prayer to guide them safely through the lands. Crake's clerics wield road-tested quarterstaves and are known to bless travelers with wreathes of pine cones, berries and raven feathers. Further information on clerics can be found in a further post.

Dragon Shamans: There are a great many regions of Thault wherein dragons reign or hunt, and its quite likely that dragon shamans might be connected (or severed) from an older true dragon. So this is a viable character option, if not a common one. If interested in this path, speak with the DM to determine an origin and possibly a dragon with which your character will have some connection, maybe even serve.

Druid: A small sect of Crake's following, the Circle of the Crow, has invested themselves more closely in the landscape of the Vernal Valley, and attempt to curb the farmers into practices most safe for themselves and the wildlife of the Valley. They are few in number, and the only druids known for many miles about.

Duskblade: These hybrid spellcaster/warriors are trained in the distant Southern land of Mitruul, so it's highly unlikely they would be discovered elsewhere. However, expatriates and adventurers have been known to wander far afield and teach the secrets and techniques of the trade to their distant elven and half-elven kin. It's possible that through some blood bond or other situation a non-elf could be trained in the class, but this would be such a rare case that the DM should be consulted first.

Favored Soul: Favored souls are often counted among the clergies of the various deities, though few if any have yet to be encountered in Floivin Province, with the possible exception of Everett Tasker, companion to Betrice Othen and possible favored of Eleste. It is assumed that such individuals also exist in the followings of Crake, Gruumsh, and Moradin.

Fighter: Fighters make up the crux of the class population in Udders Well, whether they're soldiers of the Last Eidolorn or adventurers for hire. Archers and melee men both are common amongst all the races of the Vernal Valley, and the orcs of Sothos Karr.

Healer: Specialists in battling wounds and ailments, healers are likely drawn from the ranks of adepts, civilian herbalists and other individuals who work behind the scenes. After the battle for Floivin Province against the ravenous undead hordes and goblin tribes, a number of folks surfaced who might possess these abilities.

Hexblade: Like warlocks, hexblades are a truly rare commodity among the adventuring types of the Eidolorn Empire. However, that doesn't mean they do not exist, and in fact the PCs might have already met one in their journeys.

Knight: Noblemen or chivalrous upstarts, they are usually encountered in Carbadi, the capital province of the Eidolorn Empire, where they have various order represented at the Court of the Emperor. The warring barons of Braul are also known to have knights in their service, but they are rarely found in the Western regions of Thault.

Monk: A monk is another rarity in Udders Well, and most encountered are likely to be mere passers through. However, it is not unheard of for an aesthetic monk to take residence in some tranquil area in the Vernal Valley, and there is supposedly a secret order hidden within the barrens of the Fyreklaw where ex-slaves train themselves to overthrow the tyrannical Dror Gheel.

Paladin: The clergy of the Warrior-Saint Eleste is also home to a small number of paladins, who serve as strong arms and complements to the ranks of the Last Eidolorn. Some are often given other goals which they work towards in the company of adventurers.

Ranger: Woodsmen and trackers are fairly common in the Udders Well region, especially the Frail Forest. Some work independently as hunters and guides, some alongside the Circle of the Crow, and others are found within the ranks of the Last Eidolorn as scouts and vanguards.

Rogue: Thieves and cheats are an unfortunate byproduct of Floivin Keep society, especially in spring and summer months when the population swells through a large number of travelers and traders. The halflings of the Hosspotch are widely suspected to contain many rogues among them, but they've been crafty enough to avoid any major incident with the law.

Scout: Scouts are used as vanguards and patrolmen by the Last Eidolorn guard, just as they would be in other military hosts. A few exist within the surviving ranks of the local Floivin infantry, though the one known scout, Pvt. Rigley of the Fourth Eidolorn who fought in the Commander's Cup and later traveled with Doorjamb, was slain.

Shadow Mage: Though a rare practice, there is one Arkana Arkiva professor (Koss Karn) who has studied in both shadow magic and necromancy. Now that Karn has been freed from the Astral Plane, where he was being held prisoner with numerous other staff, he can teach interested parties in this class, making it available to Floivin Province and surrounding regions.

Sorcerer: The sorcerer is perhaps the rarest class in the Udders Well region, practically an anomaly, but like most wizards in the region, they would be expected to report themselves to the Arkana Arkiva, a council of wizards in Floivin Keep presided over by Spurr the Meticulous, counselor of Regent Bauerkroft.

Spellthief: Spellthieves are in general looked down upon by the magic using community, but Grandmother is known to keep a few of her Hosspotches trained in this art to deal with magical threats, and any further inquiries to be trained in the technique should be directed at the clan, though some serious compensation might be required.

Spirit Shaman: Theoretically, spirit shamans would draw their number among the more primitive humanoid or demi-human trives of Thault. Thus far, none have been encountered in Floivin Province, but if one were to search, one might seek out the troglodyte, kobold or goblins and inquire with them...

Swashbuckler: Rare, dashing swordsmen and duelists who favor a lighter form of combat, the swashbuckler is not someone you normally find within the ranks of the Last Eidolorn. However, in his service, Doorjamb Grizzlebeard has encountered one individual who might fit this bill en route to Littlewolf, an elf named Grail 'Whistleblade'. Interested parties might seek him out.

Warlock: These strange spellcasters generally keep to themselves, a rarity not found often in the Eidolorn Empire, but possible to encounter individually. There are rumors of a warlock in the Wizards Elite of Toul Tabor, somewhere in the city of Tarair which the PCs have visited, but the exact identity is unknown.

Warmage: Though there is no active warmage trainer currently available at the Arkana Arkiva, there are surely a number of them belonging to the Wizards Elite of Toul Tabor, so those interested in this rare specialist class should inquire at one of the Elite Chantries in the major cities there.

Wizard: The magical arts are the province of the Arkana Arkiva, a guild-council of wizards that meets at Flabbergast Manor in Floivin Keep, so-named for its unusual, shifting appearance and location throughout the town. The master of this order, Spurr the Meticulous, serves as counselor and right hand man to Regent Bauerkroft, who has asked that the order keep a tight watch on who is performing magic in the area. Specialist wizards of all stripes exist within the Arkiva, and the Wizards Elite of Toul Tabor.

All classes use the standard spells and abilities found in the Player's Handbook 3.5. There are also additional NPC classes from the Dungeon Master's Guide: Adept, Aristocrat, Commoner, Expert and Warrior which make up much of the region's population, but these are not adequate for PC options.

Prestige Class Trainers

Abjurant Champion: unknown 
Acolyte of the Skin: 'Breather' Bem (Tarair, Toul Tabor)

Alienist: Teven 'the Worm' (Vettlar or Floivin Keep)
Animal Lord: unknown 
Arcane Archer: Madolan Roodeye (Floivin Province)
Arcane Trickster: Basqiam (Delvesh, Toul Tabor)
Archmage: Spurr the Meticulous (Floivin Keep), Regent Dharmark 'Spellhammer' (Olgest, Toul Tabor)
Argent Savant: unknown
Assassin: The Hello Men (Toul Tabor)
Avenging Executioner: unknown 
Battle Trickster: Nesh (Frail Forest)
Bear Warrior: Skaff (Gronggen, Wintersbreath)
Beastmaster: unknown
Black Flame Zealot: unknown
Blackguard: Balann Du'arr (Vhorinyr)
Bladesinger: unknown 
Blighter: unknown
Blood Magus: unknown
Bloodhound: Kalkan (Floivin Keep?)
Bonded Summoner: unknown
Cavalier: unknown 
Church Inquisitor: unknown
Cloaked Dancer: unknown
Combat Trapsmith: Hayden Groyd (Span Rapids, Toul Tabor)
Consecrated Harrier: Chath Mulforth (Tarair, Toul Tabor)
Contemplative: unknown
Dark Hunter: unknown
Darkwood Stalker: unknown
Dervish: unknown
Divine Crusader: unknown
Divine Oracle: unknown
Dragon Disciple: Bledd Wardai (Sothos Karr)
Dread Pirate: unknown 
Drunken Master: unknown 
Duelist: Rumbolt Roy ('Castle' Roy)
Dungeon Delver: Hroemer (Floivin Province)
Dwarven Defender: Captain Krennyk (Floivin Keep)
Effigy Master: unknown 
Eldritch Disciple: unknown 
Eldritch Knight: Asmalix (Faenak, Toul Tabor)
Eldritch Theurge: unknown
Elemental Savant: unknown 
Enlightened Fist: unknown
Enlightened Spirit: unknown 
Entropomancer: unknown
Evangelist: unknown
Exemplar: unknown
Exotic Weapon Master: Baxter the Mighty (Toul Tabor)
Eye of Gruumsh: Kraalt Zu'ut (Sothos Karr)
Fatespinner: Wuzowark (Faenak, Toul Tabor)
Fortune's Friend: unknown
Frenzied Berserker: Butcher Krazz (Floivin Province)
Geomancer: unknown
Geometer: unknown 
Ghost-Faced Killer: unknown
Gnome Giant-Slayer: Krory Batts (Osgot, Wintersbreath)
Gray Guard: unknown
Halfling Outrider: unknown
Havoc Mage: unknown 
Hierophant: Greatblade Grast, Favored Blade Fulkrek (Olgest, Toul Tabor)
Highland Stalker: unknown 
Holy Liberator: unknown
Holy Scourge: unknown
Horizon Walker: Scott Morrow (Flovin Keep)
Hospitaler: unknown
Hulking Hurler: unknown
Hunter of the Dead: unknown 
Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil: unknown
Invisible Blade: unknown
Justiciar: unknown
Knight of the Chalice: unknown
Knight Protector: unknown
Loremaster: Monch Gnarlbottom (Floivin Keep) 
Lyric Thaumaturge: unknown 
Maester: unknown
Mage of the Arcane Order: unknown 
Magical Trickster: unknown
Malconvoker: unknown 
Master of Many Forms: unknown
Master of Masks: unknown
Master of the Unseen Hand: unknown
Master Specialist: unknown
Master Thrower: unknown
Master Transmogrifist: unknown
Mindbender: unknown
Mindspy: unknown
Mountebank: D'loss Tarr (Toul Tabor)
Mystic Theurge: Mistlethroe (Arkana Arkiva)
Nature's Warrior: unknown
Nightmare Spinner: unknown
Occult Slayer: unknown
Ollum: unknown
Order of the Bow Initiate: Flelech Rabbitsbane (Thulemoot, Toul Tabor)
Pious Templar: Retta Bethrak (The Mimresh)
Rage Mage: unknown
Rainbow Servant: unknown
Reaping Mauler: unknown
Red Wizard: Merevos 'Melek' Tha (Floivin Keep?)
Sacred Exorcist: unknown
Sacred Fist: unknown
Seeker of the Song: unknown 
Shadowdancer: Grandmother Hosspotch (Hobfast)
Shadowmind: unknown 
Skullclan Hunter: unknown
Spellsword: unknown
Spellwarp Sniper: unknown 
Spymaster: unknown
Stonelord: unknown
Stormlord: unknown
Streetfighter: unknown
Sublime Chord: unknown 
Tactical Soldier: unknown
Tattooed Monk: unknown
Tempest: unknown 
Thaumaturgist: Mottle Thronn (Vettlar)
Thief-Acrobat: unknown
Ultimate Magus: unknown 
Uncanny Trickster: unknown 
Unseen Seer: unknown
Ur-Priest: unknown
Vigilante: unknown
Virtuoso: unknown
Void Disciple: unknown
War Chanter: unknown
War Hulk: unknown 
Warchief: Ex-Chief Chizel (Sothos Karr)
Warpriest: Favored Blade Jast Thumbyr (Olgest, Toul Tabor), Bishop Brandler (Floivin Keep)
Warshaper: unknown 
Wayfarer Guide: unknown
Wild Mage: unknown
Wild Plains Outrider: unknown
Wild Soul: unknown

Barred Classes/Prestige Classes: Daggerspell Mage/Shaper, Dragon Samurai, Fochluchan Lyrist, Green Star Adept, Kensai, Nightsong Enforcer/Infiltrator, Ninja, Psibond Agent, Purple Dragon Knight, Radiant Servant of Pelor, Ravager, Ronin, Samurai, Seeker of the Mystic Isle, Shadowbane Inquisitor/Stalker, Shining Blade of Heironeous, Shugenja, Suel Arcanamach, Temple Raider of Olidammara, Thayan Knight, Wu Jen, or anything from a source the DM has yet to unlock.