The World

Concepts

The pages below explain various core concepts across all cultures of the world.

People

Below is a list of the different cultures from in and around the continent of Varris. All of these are valid options for player characters.

Native cultures

The chromatic dragons and fey are believed to be the first sentient inhabitants of what is now known as Varris. Then came the elves, created by the Archfey in an effort to defeat the dragons and assert their rule over the continent. Centuries later, those same Archfey opened planar portals that brought many other humanoids and creatures onto the continent, plucking them from their original home worlds.

Though the ancient elves left behind many ruins, artifacts, and even written works, several aspects of their culture prior to human contact are debated by modern scholars. Many among the elves themselves are also eager to recover their lost legacy and cultivate the traditions of their ancestors.

The Varra and the Varszi

One of the human tribes that arrived on the continent soon turned on the elven neighbors and conquered much of the continent, founding the ancient Varran Empire. Though it only existed for a few centuries, the impact of this empire can still be felt all over the world, stretching even beyond the continent. The powerful Varran wizards enslaved all non-humans and established a strict hierarchy based on race, gender, and magical prowess. However, even their power was no match for the masses they tormented, and their empire was eventually destroyed following a rebellion of their former slaves, aided by the Archfey with the newly introduced divine magic.

The term "Varszi" refers to the kingdoms founded in Varris after the collapse of the Varran Empire. They are united by their shared history, the Common language, a regional lingua franca itself derived from the Varran tongue, as well as their religious beliefs. The Varszi religion is Archfey worship, a mix of ancient elven beliefs and the many traditions of the humans of the continent. But most of all, the Varszi kingdoms are united by an idea - to never again let mortals harness arcane magic and be corrupted by it like the ancient wizards were. To that end, spellcasting and the heretical worship of dragons and fiends is outlawed in Varszi kingdoms, though the severity of these laws varies.

Beyond the Varran lands

Though the Varszi kingdoms listed above occupy the majority of the continent, they do not govern the tall mountains that stretch across its western end, or the very north, where the remote kingdom of Tisenya lays. To the east, beyond Varris itself, is a vast sea. Two major island archipelagos can be found there - the Aisone and the Madhdine. Each of the cultures listed below is outside the Varszi framework - outside the Varszi religion, outside Varszi social hierarchies, political structures, and view of history, and outside the hegemony of the Common language.