THE KINGDOM OF DUNADOR
Dunador is a realm built on the bones of a fallen empire, loosely based on some of the "Barbarian" Kingdoms that arose after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Very loosely. The players wanted a game in and around a desert (as that's a biome we've rarely used) so I'm taking some geography and the like from North Africa - a strip of settled land above a Great Sand Sea that is thinly populated but crossed by rich trade routes. Dunador is bordered by high mountains to the north (beyond which are a collection of coastal and island city-states), rocky desert to the south, two major (if troubled) kingdoms to the east, and chaotic minor princedoms and grand duchies to the west.
Dunador is very much "Feudalism in a Hurry" I'm generally trying to strike a balance between my own need for some level of verisimilitude in politics and how pseudo-medieval nations work, and the core assumptions of D&D. Also, my previous campaigns have tended to go from zero to "Cthulhu wakes" before level 3 so I'm trying to keep this one more grounded and the stakes a little more earthly.
One other thing I'm trying to adjust in the way I set up the world is transitioning from "the Dark Ages are chaos and death and nothing good" to "yeah things are unsettled and violent but at least we're not ruled by those assholes with their slaves and imperialism". So the "Old Empire" goes from "I miss those guys who knew how to build stuff", to "good riddance".
1 - What's the deal with my cleric's religion
The Thirteen Titans
Worship of the Thirteen Titans is the predominant religion, practiced across most of the land. The grand temples of the Thirteen can be found in every city and town, and most villages have at least one shrine to sacrifice at. The Grand Clerics of the Thirteen are wealthy and respected, and some are as powerful as dukes.
The faithful believe the Thirteen affect all aspects of life, and must be propitiated to ensure good fortune and ward off ill in specific, practiced rituals that have been passed down for generations. Oaths (or curses) spoke aloud are regarded as especially binding as the power of speech is a gift from the Titans themselves. Public festivals are common and lavish.
The Thirteen are a pantheon of my own design I have details for elsewhere, but their worship is most directly inspired by ancient Greek and Roman polytheism, though preferably a little less No Fun Allowed than the Roman.
The Most Holy and Orthodox Church of the Sacred Daughter
Nicknamed "heliopapists" by outsiders, the worship of the Daughter has grown from a localized cult to a widespread religion after its adoption by the Old Empire. Heliopapists are strictly monotheistic, believing it their duty to 'enlighten' those still bound by the old ways. The Church itself has spawned numerous sects, schisms, and heresies, but still the Solar Pope in the ancient city of Thule is reckoned as powerful as any king.
Heliopapists believe that the Dawn had a Daughter who was so beloved and admired by all of creation that the old gods (commonly identified as the Thirteen) struck her down in jealousy. In sorrow, the Dawn struck down the old gods in turn and burned them as a pyre for her Daughter, and set the pyre in the sky for all to see. From the ashes of the old gods (body) and the divine breath of the Daughter (soul) was born the mortal folk.
For Heliopapists, life is a quest to purify away the physical taint of the old gods until the soul can be freed from the endless cycle of reincarnation and can dwell forever in light of the Dawn and the Daughter - who will be reborn when all souls have been purified and her divine essence rejoined.
The Church enjoins believers to live simply, without indulging in passions or the weaknesses of the flesh (including vegetarianism in the strictest sects) or enjoyment of world possessions. Prayer, fasting, purification rituals, and above all tithes to the Church. Temporal rulers are encouraged to donate land to the Church (and of course the ensuing tax revenues) to speed the purification of their souls. The fact that the hierarchy of the Church grows rich and powerful from tithes, indulgences, and donations does not go unnoticed, and has been the cause of external derision and internal schisms.
I stole the word "heliopapist" from Rakehell by Brian Richmond because, like, c'mon. It's an amazing word. Full credit to Rakehell for being amazing in general. The Church in general is a mix of Orphism and the early Christian church. I still want to create a quick list of the biggest heresies and schisms in the Church because who doesn't love a good heresy.
The White Prince & His Divine Shadow
Worship of the White Prince is thoroughly proscribed in every land and law - with varying levels of effectiveness. To most of the world, The White Prince is better known as the King of Hell and All Demons. To his faithful, he is Phosphoros, Son of the Dawn, a liberator and teacher whose will is communicated by his earthly incarnation His Divine Shadow. Accusations of worship of The White Prince is a frequent used as a political weapon and more than one war has been fought over it. It's even occassionally true.
Those who follow His Divine Shadow, through the many Lesser Shadows who lead regional cults, are taught that the mortal flesh is the true existance, that "do as thou wilt" is the only law, and that magic is the gift from The White Prince to mortals. Worship of The White Prince is by necessity clandestine, but the gifts and influence it can bring means it is found all levels of society - from the downtrodden seeking ease and liberty, to the mighty and powerful swollen with ambition.
If you recognize the phrase "His Divine Shadow" then you know me for the trash I am. The rest of the worship of The White Prince is a relatively straight take-off of pop Satanism.
The Green Faith
In the old times, before the Old Empire swept away cultures and gods and imposed its own, the peoples of this land worshiped the land itself and the gods born of it. Through their priests, the druids, they spoke with the spirits and gods of each place and sought balance. These old folkways still exist, particularly in the north-east of the kingdom, and have been syncretized with the traditions of the Thirteen and the Church. Many villages have local saints of wells or groves they pray to for health, fertility, and safety, and the Church is only too happy to absorb these customs, with some gentle corrections of course, as it spreads their influence. There are always rumours of actual, surviving druids who have kept the old ways alive down the centuries hidden in the wildest of places - rumours that invariably come with warnings of human sacrifice and children sold to Faery and men transformed into beasts for a hundred years.
Druids are a core part of D&D so I need support for them, and the way folkways get syncretized into mainstream practices are endlessly fascinating for me. Plus this way I can make Saint Guinefort canon in my setting. In both meanings.
2 - Where can we go to buy standard equipment?
Towns+ will (usually) have (most) everything, villages will have only what's needed by villagers. Sundries stores are only found in towns and along major roads, otherwise you need to go to the maker
3 - Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?
You'll need to go to a specialist in a city
4 - Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?
Ustripeth The Hollow, who defeated the demon lord Grand Excruciator Ernarog and his infinite horse-demons. Ustripeth now dwells his tower in the caldera of Eastern Brother.
True names are A Thing, and wizards are Lawful Extra.
5 - Who is the greatest warrior in the land?
Nanba Tori, who alone humbled the Despot of Dodapolis and his army of 10,000 at the Innemar Gates and returned alive from the Misty Isles of the Eld with the secrets to repair the Great Dam. Now lives in hermitage on the slopes of Mount Innemar.
6 - Who is the richest person in the land?
Hildegarde de Maromme, Duchess of Verdirmont. Her lands are the most fertile in the kingdom, and the streams that run down from the mountains are said to glitter with gold.
I decided that the names in the kingdom would roughly breakdown as pseudo-Norman in the west, and most of the nobility in the north, pseudo-Slavic (cough Slumbering Ursine Dunes cough) in the south-east, and pseudo-Anglo-Saxon among the north-eastern nobility and peasantry everywhere, with a healthy dose of bastardization when it comes to naming places.
7 - Where can we go to get some magical healing?
Temples of the Thirteen will provide it for a donation to the temple. Churches of the Sun Lady will provide it for the baptised only. Village witches and healers prefer to deal in trade and favours.
8 - Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?
Senior (more powerful) clerics of the Thirteen for a price, wise folk and druids if you can prove your worth. Heliopapist will probably tell you that you deserve it, and maybe try to burn you alive.
9 - Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?
The Adventurer's Guild can provide access for worthy (and wealthy) members.
The Adventurer's Guild is more correctly know as The Royal Dunadorian College of Gladiators, Slayers, and Knights-Errant and was founded by a monarch of Dunador who figured it would be better to regulate all these sellswords and wandering mages of negotiable morality and direct their energies towards monsters, each other, and the border marches. And as a bonus, they represent a powerful collection of trained fighters not loyal to any Duke or priest who are all sworn to a charter that includes provisions for being conscripted at royal demand.
10 - Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?
Towns might have one or two. Most true sages and alchemists require a noble patron, so the courts of the monarch and dukes are the most common location. The largest cities, too.
11 - Where can I hire mercenaries?
Hirelings can be found in any town and less-isolated villages. Common in cities.
12 - Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?
Bearing arms (including spellcasting) is prohibited in cities except to lands aristocrats and their households and soldiers. Temporary bans are added to anywhere the ruling monarch or member of the royal family is present.
13 - Which way to the nearest tavern?
All towns have at least one and so do most villages along roads. Smaller or more isolated villages may just have a rotating public house.
14 - What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?
- Wyverns are a persistant threat in the north. Manticores often haunt the southern road. Sea serpents have been known to harass boats on the Lake and terrorize fishing villages. There are frequent sightings of undead in the central highlands above the Lake, including wights and bog-mummies. Any of those will earn you local renown and free drinks for at least a few months.
- Killing a worm (purple, sand, or river) is considered truly heroic. And there hasn't been a true dragon slain in at least a generation.
- Giants make periodic forays down from the mountains to raid farms and villages, and giantslayers are always instant celebrities.
15 - Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?
- Dunador has been at peace with the Achaean Despotates to the north ever since the Battle of 10,00 Against 1, but the despots themselves are ever at war with each other and in need of mercenaries.
- To the east, the Acralan and Zazomid kingdoms have always been in a state of constant tension that flares into war on a regular basis.
- To the west and south-west along the edge of the Great Sand Sea the minor princedoms are being swallowed up by the expansion of the Writha Dominion.
- The Mountain Kings, a loose confederation of bandit-lords, exiles, fringe cultists, and would-be princelings, are a permanent threat to Dunador and often make war upon the duchies bordering the northern mountains.
- The Dukes and Counts of Dunador area fractious lot, and the Barons even moreso, and rarely a summer goes by without at least a few of them fighting. The Queen is old and weak, and her power base fragile enough that the northern and western lords in particular do as they will.
In my mind both Acralan and Zazomid are both larger than Dunador, forcing the monarchs of Dunador to balance the desire for stability on their borders against the very real possibility that if either neighbour gets bored they could invade. Or worse, they could starting working together. Maybe they were once a single, larger realm that was divided between two heirs or something.
16 - How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?
Duncaester, the largest city in Dunador, still has the (slightly ruined) arena built by the Old Empire where they forced slaves to fight mock battles for the amusement of the rich and powerful. The monarchs of Dunador have carried on the tradition, though now it's adventurers and convicted criminals who fight, against captive monsters and each other. These adventurer "bands" often go on tours through the kingdom, and neighbouring realms, battling for fame in pits and arenas built by dukes or just carved out of the land.
If you're wondering, yes, there are absolutely battle of the bands events.
17 - Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?
- Worshippers of the White Prince certainly qualify.
- There are endless whispers of a cult dediced to an old, forgotten god of Chaos that seeks to tear down all nations from the inside.
- In the days of the Old Empire, many soldiers were inducted into the mystery lodges of Mithras, the bull-god of warriors, and this secretive fraternity has persisted into the current day.
- There are many who believe the democracies of the Despotates or the republic from which the Old Empire sprang are superior forms of statehood than monarchs and tyrants and seek to bring their ideals to life.
Demon worshippers, republican revolutionaries, a mystery cult, and evil libertarians. I just wish I could find a good gender-neutral word to replace "fraternity".
18 - What is there to eat around here?
Northern Dunador, which is watered by snowfall and mountain runoff, and the area around the Lake are the breadbasket of the Kingdom, dominated by barley and sorghum. To the south, the land dries out as it approaches the Great Sand Sea and herding, particularly goats and sheep, is the primary agriculture industry. Vegetables such as cabbage, onion, garlic, and beans are grown by every family, along with keeping chickens. Goat cheese, fried flatbreads, smoked meats, and apples and pears grown on the mountain slopes are the staples of Dunadorian cuisine. Boiled or fried dumplings are also widely eaten, especially in south-eastern Dunador, and they are a key component of festival and religious meals across the kingdom.
Fish are a delicacy, as the Lake is restricted by ancient writ for the use of the monarch only and those few granted license to fish those waters price their catch accordingly. Hunting and large game meat is largely restricted to the nobility, as the forest preserves are held to royal and ducal prerogative. Small game such as wild fowl and rabbits are free for anyone to hunt, and thus seen as peasant food.
Dunador sits on the great Spice Road that leads east across the northern Great Sand Sea and as such salt, black pepper, coffee, and tea are readily available for those that can afford it. Olives, figs, grapes, and almonds are traded with the Despotates to the north.
Now I'm hungry.
19 - Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?
- The aristocrats of the Old Empire had a penchant for being buried with all their worldly goods, and they're only mostly cursed.
- The elves tell stories of a time when the Great Sand Sea was much smaller, and they built cities that have since been swallowed by the sands.
- There is a legend that when the legions of the Old Empire conquered this land, the last heathen king Caticorix, gathered up all the treasures of his people and threw them into the earth rather than let the Imperials claim and set his last one hundred loyal warriors to guard them for all time.
- The northern mountains are replete with underground ruins, left by the goblins of ancient times and then dwarves who subjugated the goblins and built their own nations atop them.
- Early in the history of Dunadon, a great was fought against Faery - the fir bolg king Eochaid invaded and was only defeated with the aid of, it is said, the Thirteen themselves. There are still portals to Faery left behind by this war and the riches of the fey are said to surpass all earthly treasures.
- In the centre of the Lake are a small group of islands eternally blanketed in mist, hence the name "the Misty Isles" or more formally "Misty Isles of the Eld". Only a very few have ever gone there and returned alive, and those that do have spoken of strange, elf-like beings with alien magics and golden barges.
20 - Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?
- The most ancient dragon All-Withers-In-Time sleeps beneath North Mother, atop a hoard of nations.
- The Old Empire had a treaty with a dragon named See-Excellence-In-Scales, said to rule large reaches of the Great Sand Sea, though it hasn't been seen since the time of grandmothers.
- The sea-serpents of the Lake claim there is a greater dragon that lives in the deepest part of the lake, though everyone knows sea-serpents are liars and tricksters.
- When the Old Empire was breaking apart, an Imperial general named Syragius claimed the area that is now Dunador and declared a new empire - the Syragian Empire. His empire did not outlive his son, who was defeated by the ancestors of the current monarchs of Dunador. Legend says Syragius never died, but became an undead lord by foul magics and waits for the day he can reclaim his conquests. The legends are also quite specific as to the vast quantities of magic treasure he guards, of course.
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