Fono's campaign setting: Tarsius [WIP]

[Clow]

So, calling an all two people who read my shit. I want ideas for the general shape of the landmasses of Tarsius. Here's your rules:

Two Antarctic-like continental ice sheets on the top and bottom (Bulnd-Hugn and Narag-Luh). Shape isn't important, just include them.
A large lower continent that holds Doren, Tulia, and Fut'Mundas, connected to Bulnd-Hugn.
A large upper continent that holds Eupharas and Tipharas, disconnected from Narag-Luh.
Kecil to the northwest of Tipharas.

Just come up with ideas for the general shapes of the continents. I'll work off of any decent ideas if anyone has any, and leave the borders and fine tuning to me.

[Forb]

General continent shapes:

Large one like Africa if it were sideways and Australia.

A series of straits like the one coming off off Alaska and forming a ring of some sort.

Large one that is a large stretch of land skinnier in the middle but the ends flaring in all directions.

[Clow]

I spent most of my shift tonight thinking up things for Grekka, Draksha, Galk, Zog Zau'zogtar, Madom Goth, and Kodar Nagithas. I don't feel like tapping it out on my phone so as soon as I get back from work I'll make you guys much more aquainted with them!

[Clow]

I lied. I'm exhausted. I'll do it after I wake up.

[Clow]

So yeah, this thing. Only two days late. Let's get rollin'!

INC WALL O TEXT.

Grekka:
Age: 26

Draksha:
Age: 21
The middle child of the three siblings, Draksha is the Thane of Frukshul, one of the smaller settlements in Fut'Mundas and a fishing town. Publicly she is known as someone who preaches peace between Fut'Mundas and the outside nations, Bulnd-Hugn especially. She often holds talks in public squares all around Fut'Mundas about how advantageous it would be to enlist the assistance of the Dwarves, both in arms against the Su'Laug and in cleaning up the bad blood between the two nations.Although she does powerfully believe in these things herself, she largely preaches this as a favor to Grekka. Grekka, in her campaign against the Su'Laug, feels her hands too dirtied to preach peace to her people. Because of this Draksha often serves as her voice to the people, and on occasion as an envoy to other nations. Draksha has a slender, frail build for a Half-orc and a face fairer than most for her race so she is known throughout Fut'Mundas as its pacifist beauty. She does have a secret she and her siblings keep from the public, however.
She assassinates people for Grekka. All Grekka need do is call a hit and Draksha will have the deed done in a week's time. Although not overpoweringly talented as her siblings are, Draksha has used her slender build since a young age to build her abilities as a rogue and an assassin. Hiding this fact from her adoring people both in Frukshul and accross Fut'Mundas, she sneaks around the shadows of the great nation cleaning up Grekka's hit list.
Her personality is a bit strange and complicated. She emits a persona of tenderness and pacifism in her sister's place for the sake of spreading the message, but those are in the first place only Draksha borrowing her sister's ideals. Draksha's following Grekka is much less independent than her brother's. While Galk usually has a strong sense of his own will in his decisions Draksha usually turns to Grekka for her ideals and opinions. Draksha also has a much stronger attachment to Grekka. Born weak and raised in Grekka's shadow, all Draksha could do was eventually worship her sister. Left completely to herself without Grekka and while not acting for her sake, in other words showing her true personality, Draksha doesn't have too much of a personality honestly. Almost introverted, she tends to keep to herself and has to think long and hard to form any opinions by herself. She can act independently, but it doesn't happen often. Grekka knows this, of course, and tries to tease her into becoming her own self, but mostly to no avail. Draksha is extremely attached to Grekka in a number of ways. (I can build more on this later.)
There is one thing that Grekka has said Draksha hates completely of her own will, however. During one of her assassinations she lost her right eye to her victim. She was very shaken by this because of what having an eye out commonly means to her people. Worshiping Gruumsh, and more importantly, opposing Grekka. She wears an eyepatch now and gave her people an excuse they all quickly accepted to hide what she has been doing in the shadows, but it still greatly disturbs her.

Galk:
Age: 18
Galk is the youngest of the three siblings, however his fame throughout and even outside of Fut'Mundas rivals that of his Grekka. This is not only because of his Thanehood over Majat or his relation to Grekka, but because of his build. Upon reaching puberty it was made very obvious that he had been gifted with wondrous build. By the time he turned 14 whispers of him receiving the body of Kord himself rolled throughout Fut'Mundas. Well, Kord wasn't a Half-orc but, you know, Half-orcs. Anyway, a towering stature, Galk stands at an overpowering 8' 6". His build also very sturdy and tone for his height, he weighs nearly 500 pounds and is an immovable object even against a group of assailants. His body is also unnaturally hardy and resistant to poisons and illnesses. It's been said that his can take a dosage of lethal poison meant for an elephant without batting an eyelash.
He does not waste these gifts, either. The citizens of Majat know him as a gentle leader who is a great aid in their survival in the desert. his kindness and love he shows to any innocent, especially ones who show loyalty to his eldest sister, is great enough to sneak its way into his reputation despite all else. Grekka's followers look at him as a young but respectable warrior worthy of their pride. However, members of the Su'Laug see him as a vile and dangerous enemy. Galk occasionally travels with the title "Eye of Gruumsh Hunter" as a warrior who specifically targets the stronger members of the Su'Laug (who usually ascend to a form of warrior with the title Eye of Gruumsh) and ruthlessly hunts them in the name of his eldest sister. A great number of times he enlists Draksha's aid in the hunting of more influential leaders of the Su'Laug. Basically, Galk busts through the door causing a giant distraction while Draksha sneaks in the back door and puts a knife in the throat of the Su'Laug leader. It works quite well.
His personality is pretty simple, honestly. He's not too bright so he doesn't try to act it. He's very simple in a number of ways. He is, however, mostly a gentle giant. He is naturally kind and good-natured, and it takes a very large amount of provocation to receive a response form him. He is very protective of people he cares about, however, Grekka and Draksha especially. He's also been shown to be very protective of the citizens of Majat.
When he fights seriously it's usually against someone who opposes Grekka in some way, most often a member of the Su'Laug. During these battle he channels his anger towards those who would seek to crush his eldest sister's dreams, making him nigh unstoppable. His weapon of choice is a giant wooden mace made specifically for him by Madom. It features a wooden handle that ends in a large wooden body which is covered by thick iron plates. It hurts to get hit by it.

Zog Zau'zogtar
Age: 39

Madom Goth
Age: 43

Kodar Nagithas
Age: 48

Fuckkitty fuck fuck I got tired after Draksha and Galk. Moar laters. I need sleep.

[Forb]

First, I feel like this belongs in Media. That's just how I think of it.

Second, I have a few things written that I was going to share. Not sure exactly what to do, I could just post in here.

[Clow]

I could see it in Media. It is pretty much a worldbuilding project before a D&D project, at least at this stage. I don't really mind where it is. Also, please, feel free to post whatever you want here. Even things like a picture of an Egyptian town saying "This would be a good reference for how Kokan should look." Literally anything. Half of the point of thread was so that anyone that wanted to could help me build Tarsius.

Also, I swear I'll get to the other characters soon. I'm also almost done with a v2 world map.

[Clow]

So yeah, these losers. I'll save Grekka and Nagithas for last. Just wanted to go ahead and throw up my ideas for these two since I've already got it written out.

Madom Goth
Age: 43
Of all of the leadership of Fut'Mundas the one second-best known is Madom Goth. She is the Thane of Magath and also recognized as the leader and commander of all of Fut'Mundas' organized military forces. Being an older woman she has has ample time to establish herself as a trusted and fierce warrior of the Highthane, having survived many campaigns against the Su'Laug, and a number of skirmishes from other lesser foes. She does well to protect both Magath and Fut'Mundas as a whole. Of all the Thanes beside Galk and Draksha she is the one who most strongly supports Grekka. Madom was a great close friend of the siblings' mother, Lapus, and had a large part in raising all three of them. Because of this all three look to her as an aunt or a godparent, and they are all very close.
Madom Goth has a personal obsession with blacksmithing, and especially loves crafting weapons. She personally crafted all of the weapons that the three siblings carry into battle, as well as the weapons of several other Thanes and important members of their armed forces. Being gifted a weapon from Madom Goth is thought of as the highest honor to anyone serving Grekka.
Madom's is a woman who values discipline over most things. She was very stern with the siblings as they were being raised, albeit understandably because of the roles she knew they'd play. Approaching old age but feeling that she can not yet retire, Madom also shows high value of self-discipline by training rigorously every day to keep her physique and forging weapons and armor in her spare time to further perfect her craft. Other than that, however, she tends to be decently gentle with her friends and allies. Although always alert and almost never resting, she can occasionally show hints of a lax attitude when she's around people she trusts. Her long life has taught her caution, a lesson she'd rather not soon forget.
She is well-known for being a master of many weapons, and has no preference for one over the other. She does, however, always carry a pair of battle axes with her. The twin axes, one made by Zog and the other by Madom, were born in the heat of their competition to out-craft each other and are considered masterpieces. They arose from a challenge Zog issued to Madom to craft the same simple weapon to see once and for all who was the more skilled. In the end Zog gave his to her as "A token of gratitude to you, who pushes me to be a greater craftsman." while adding "I wouldn't use it, anyway." Together the pair is known as Mir'Armauk, which is Orcish for "good enemy", or rival. No one has ever been able to decide which of the two is more finely crafted.

Zog Zau'zogtar
Age: 39
Zog Zau'zogtar, called ZogZog or Zoggy by those close to him, is the light-hearted, big-bellied thane of Kokan. Like Magath Kokan is a town largely known for its blacksmiths, although it does not have a long history of this. Zog had a passion for smithing since childhood and brought that passions to his people, establishing Kokan as a second large smithing settlement in Fut'Mundas over his Thanedom. Zog is a very talented one much like Madom, and some rumors state the quality of his works is just a little better. However he does not have the same miltary influence she does. Devoting his entire life to his crafting and his Thanehood, Zog is a non-combatant. His is quite hefty, spotting a giant belly won by years of mead and boar's meant, but still possesses the strength of his people. Years of smithing has hardened and strengthened his arms to the point where his bare-fisted blows devastate, even though he has never seen real battle outside of beating down ruffians that pester his favorite bar.
Because of Kokan's location, at the top of a giant mountain and a great distance from Mobalt, he makes regular trips there himself to handpick materials for his next masterpiece. Because of this, along with the simple fact that Kokan is on top of a bloody mountain, he's also well-known for his survival skills. Zog and his guard have been outstanding aid to the people of Kokan in surviving the harshness of elevation. His crowning achievement born of the love for smiting he brought to Kokan is the construction of the Great Kokan Forge, a giant stone structure underneath Kokan that is used both to forge weapons and heat the people of the settlement. Because, you know, snow. Mountains. Etc.
Zog has a healthy friendship with Madom. They often compare works and joke about whose is of the higher quality. Like Madom, Zog's loyalty to Grekka is fierce and has been bred since his youth when he followed her father. He is generally laid-back, however, wasting his time on booze, boar's meat, and striking the irons of his latest masterpiece. He is also generally friendly, although he shares with Galk the protection of the people from his settlement, and the settlement itself. He considers Kokan itself his child, and he deserves to.

[Clow]

OKAY.

IF I'M NOT GOING TO FINISH ANYTHING ELSE I HAVE TO AT LEAST FINISH THE LORE BEFORE I GO BACK TO SCHOOL.

ALDFHALJlkasjdAKLSJf"AsdasdFKJ.

[Clow]

So. Some more ideas. Also plot spoilers.

There are going to be two main ways that the campaign can go with how I'm setting it up. Depending on several decisions made by the group it can either follow a storyline for Tipharas/Eupharas or a storyline that focuses on Fut'Mundas, Blund-Hugn, and Tulia. Let me give you the setup of the basic situations behind both. I'm going to go into much more detail about the latter as I've developed it much more than the Pharalan storyline. Seriously, there's going to be a lot for the Dwarves and Orcs.

The relationship between Bulnd-Hugn and Fut'Mundas is very fragile. Although they seem to be uniting in a small way through assisting one another with being harassed by the Su'Laug it isn't much. Despite Grekka's best effort to tame her brethren and earn the trust of Dwarf-King Ardim Ironbeard there are simply too many things still weighing against diplomacy:
Long-term relationships between Orcs/Half-Orcs and Dwarves are made inherently awkward or difficult due to their radically different lifespans. The average Dwarf lives to be three times the age of an Orc or Half-Orc. This adds difficulty in their ability to connect. Also, a Dwarven King may see three or four Half-Orcish Highthanes come to power throughout their reign (even more with premature deaths) making diplomatic consistency difficult.
The historic situations between the two nations have also bred racism from both sides. For the Orcish it isn't very hard to understand. Some of them, mostly the radicals, still find the loss of the Khazad-Uruk War to be a grave insult. They still demand an apology or recompense. As for the Dwarves, it really is a little more complicated in their case. Dwarven society, like most, is a society that respects its elders. Although Ardim himself is only 128 years old (barely over middle aged for a Dwarf) a large portion of elderly Dwarves were alive during the Khazad-Uruk War (it occurred between 273-262 years ago). Ardim's father and former king Gahzim was among them, and Ardim only took the throne recently (within the last five years) so even amongst the elite and leadership of Bulnd-Hugn there is a powerful loyalty to the will of a dead, but extremely racist man. They cannot be blamed, though. Wars are never lovely, and a war against an army of Orcs is no better. Most of the rest of modern Orcish hate, and the hate that is largely bred in Dwarven youth, comes from the wanton razing of Dwarven lands by the Su'Laug and other rogue bands of an Orcish nature. This breeds the stereotype that all Orcish people are mindless, destructive brutes. And, well, let's be honest... Some Orcs are just good at breeding that.
So that's why relationships between Dwarves and the Orcish blow. NOW TO ZE STORY.

Spoiler: show

The party starts out taking a job escorting an group of cloaked figures from Hajat'Uruk to the border of Bulnd-Hugn. If anyone wants to play the role of a bounty hunter (most bounty hunters settle into hunting Su'Laug for Grekka because of how profitable it is) they would be one with an outstanding record and known either for loyalty to his contracts of money, so he gains trust of the Highthane enough to be given this mission with the promise of glorious dosh. If not, fuck it, I'll think of a sensible excuse. He is given money to recruit a party of (NUMBER OF PCs HERE) for the trip. He collects the party, and off they go. They are told nothing about the cloaked figures except for the fact that they can fend for themselves, but are extremely important so they're being extra careful. Oh, they also need a tracker to help them find their way if someone in the party is good at tracking or something. One of those things I'd have to roll with. Anyway, they are diplomatic ambassadors to Bulnd-Hugn, as one might suspect. The excuse for being covert and being extra careful is that the Su'Laug have caught wind of this diplomatic mission and were going to try and murder the ambassadors before reaching Bulnd-Hugn.
The party meets them at a designated hidden special place of special that I'll make up later. Or a tavern. Either works. The first thing everyone... everyone notices (even anyone that's blind, because fuck it) is that one of the party of three being escorted is FUCKING ENORMOUS. Seriously. Being meta, he's a Half-Orc that qualifies as a large creature. The other two are riding on his shoulders with little inconvenience to him, and plenty of room to sit. At this point if any player has any knowledge of the Highthanic family they pretty much know it's Galk. Seriously, it has to be. The fact that the other two are obviously female, and Half-Orc, is meant to invite thoughts that the other two could be Draksha and Grekka, at which point thinking "What the fuck have I gotten myself into?" would be appropriate. The party is given the names of the three which isn't important enough for me to have come up with yet. You set up when to leave, rest for the night, and leave the next morning.
LOTS MORE STUFF HERE.

Fuuuuuuuuuuck I'll write more later. I promise this time!