Megonoth: A Vast world of magic and conflict! The ethereal abounds, and the world is relatively young, only a few thousand years old. Life is flourishing, and the map is slowly being coloured in by the residents, though not without its dark spots here and there.
The Quirks of Megonoth:
D&D Stats and Abilities: Firstly, the basic rules and stats of D&D are well known and measureable in this world! Through the power of fairly common magic and crystals, people can be measured and their ‘stats’ and abilities can be shown. Essentially, your character can know their own stats! That being said, everyone else can grasp them too, so people generally know things like “Fighters have their action surge” and “Sorcerers only have a certain number of spells at x level” etc, etc. People don’t question this knowledge, that’s just how the world works!
That being said, Homebrew classes still exist, and are deviations from the norm and will make for interesting character interactions!
Mundane, Gifted, and Heroes: 80% of the worlds Mortal Races are Mundane, which means that they cannot rise above level 5 and are limited in stats to 16 and below. They also gain experience at only 25% the rate that ‘Gifted’ do.
Gifted are standard D&D characters. They gain experience from monsters and encounters at the rate the book states and can level all the way to 20, and their maximum stats are also 20. This is almost all of the rest of the population, and while there have been some conflicts between mundane and Gifted in the past, most accept the situation as it is, as any race knows that no matter how many Gifted are killed, more are born to replace them and keep that ratio of about 80%.
Heroes are the final step, and exceptionally rare. Only one in 10,000 mortals are born a hero! Heroes are even more powerful than the Gifted, gaining experience at double the rate of normal. Not only that, but at level 20, they can choose to level a second class up to level 10(or any mix up to the caps). Their basic stats are strangely unlimited in some respects, and they’re also granted powers from birth! More on that later. Heroes can all, innately, also understand the Lost Runes.
Dungeons of Lost Runes: Throughout the world, there exists and plethora of dark, deep places of danger and death, but none are like the Dungeons of Lost Runes. They are completely indestructible, even to the wrath of Gods and Demon Lords, Dragons and Eldritch beings. No one knows how many exist, or where to find them all, but there are several rules common to all of these strange structures.
1. There is always only one entrance.
2. At the entrance, before the dungeon opens, there is a single panel that lights up when any being approaches. It shows three symbols. <> [] () Only Heroes can read these symbols, and only the left most symbol is lit up for those who have not completed the dungeon before. For anyone who has fought their way through the dungeon, the second symbol will be lit, and again for the third. The dungeon is always the same lay out, depending on the ‘difficulty’ it is set to upon entry.
3. The dungeons are their own world, and have their own rules. Anything found inside them cannot be taken out, lest it vanish from your hands or pack when you cross the threshold back to the real world. Additionally, anything lost inside the dungeon is lost forever, as once a party leaves(or is killed inside) the dungeon, the interior ‘resets’ and anything that is not meant to be inside vanishes. The exception to this strangeness is the rewards that are received at the end of the dungeons.
4. All dungeons of Lost Runes offer a unique reward for completing them. For the first ‘difficulty’ it’s usually something mundane, like a sword or shield, however, the higher difficulties bestow even greater rewards. This reward is constant, and each dungeon can be attempted by the same mortal being once each day, without limit.
5. A party size is limited to four in the dungeon, but there is no limit to the number of parties that may enter the dungeon (the dungeon seems to fold different groups into different layers), and fewer may also enter.
There are a few more rules, but those are the ones that anyone who has heard of dungeons are familiar with.
Monster Variants: Monsters are a specific kind of being in Megonoth. Harpies, Goblins, Orcs, etc. These beings do not follow the rules of Mundane, Chosen and Heroes, rather, they are all more or less the same, with a little variation depending on the individual. A harpy on one continent is much the same as a Harpy on another continent, their stats being measurable in the same way peoples are. HOWEVER, there exists variations in monsters, Mutants, who do not follow the rules of their species. These variations have three types, Acute, Broad, and Unknown. Acute variations are small, and while they usually make the monster more dangerous, aren’t often terribly important. Perhaps a monster has an extra head, or extra sharp talons, or a slightly tougher hide. These beings will usually rise up the ranks of their kin, but aren’t much better than their fellows. Broad Mutations are just that. Much about the monster has changed, from size, to colour, to even the most basic abilities it could have had! These are freaks that can be immensely dangerous. Imagine a goblin that can breathe fire! Still, most of what makes that creature its species will remain pretty constant. Unknown Mutations are when all rules are off. Legends are crafted around Unknown Mutations, whole species of monsters have sprung out of these aberrations. When a Unknown Mutation occurs, the world shivers in unison, so they say.
A Little More about the World and Races of Megonoth
There are ten large, and three smaller continents, ocean covering much of the world. There also exists two moons, a large white one, similar to earth, but also a smaller orange one, with its own specific behaviour.
The Major Powers/Races: These races and such set the stage of the world. They are the rising powers that be, their influence spreading to other lands and eventually creating the conflicts that shake the world!
The Domain of Man: Three main continents, one of which is entirely isolated. Humans completely dominate and form 90% of the population, for the isolated continent, it’s upwards of 98%. Various powers, countries, states, and factions operate across each. One continent is more oriental, one is generally more European, while the isolated continent is more of a south American/Aztec culture.
Chaos Lands: (Two of the smaller continents, closely joined) A melting pot of races and conflict, located at the ‘center’ of the world. It’s a treasure trove of natural magic and strange resources that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, but it’s also rife with monsters and dangers few can even comprehend, much less survive. For the foolhardy, it’s the ultimate place to explore, but for sensible folk, it’s the last place you want to find yourself.
Nozair Empire: Roman-Lizardmen. Three distinct races, the Nozair: the majority of the empire, mostly human, but more bulky and reptilian. Short Tails, wicked fangs. The Surl, lizardmen with powerful legs and much longer tails, a more stooped appearance. Little shorter than a human, but faster. Morn-Kal, Huge, lumbering lizard men with a much greater wisdom and intelligence than most races. Similar to elves, they live for hundreds of years, but having giant bodies and little procreation, are much rarer, and form a core of seers, spiritual leaders and advisors, rather than warriors or true society or military leaders. Occupy most of a larger southern continent, their main foe being green skins and Kobolds.
The Green Mob: The world over has issues with orcs, goblins, trolls, and their ilk. The vast majority are savages with no more intellect than apes, able to cobble together war parties and clans just for the sake of murder and food. However, a small ‘country’ of orcs has formed around several ‘mutants’ of the green skin races. Somehow these ‘Greenskin heroes’ are awakening something deep within their races that few have ever seen before, rallying and controlling them, forming a war host that is nearly unstoppable. Moreover, even behind the front lines they’re forming into a more cohesive society, albiet one of crude design and very cruel disposition. For now, only the Nozair have to worry about this, and even they are in denial of the threat that is brewing on their border.
Lands of the Ancients: Four Distinct Peoples live in this domain, the Elves, split in their internal feud of High and Wood, the Dwarves, and the Dragons. They’ve had their own internal struggles over the millennia, but all four came to form a tenuous agreement and tacit alliance when their lands came under threat from humans seeking to expand their reach. This alliance was solidified under the attack of the undead scourge, unleashed by men’s arrogance.
The Eternal Kingdom of Night: the continent between the domain of man and the Lands of the Ancients, it was once a thriving part of human territory. Trade between man, elves, dwarves, and even the dragons and their kobolds and dragon born was common, but man grew jealous of the ancient races long lives. They sought ever more extreme ways to extend their lives, delving deeper and deeper into magic they had no place practicing until disaster struck. After many years of building darkness, a wave of undeath swept the land, any who did not flee were taken in by it, the once thriving continent turned to a pit of death and eternal night. Thick, rumbling clouds cover the continent at all times, rarely ever raining, allowing the undead to do as they wish anywhere within its boundaries.
The Mermaidian States: With a very greek culture, the mer-people live in relative isolation from most other cultures, especially other underwater folk. Their society is fairly peaceful, but isolationist, They prefer quiet days of contemplating philosophy and writing literature to war or digging for gold. They aren’t pacifists though, and when pushed, their state system has a robust military to call upon, small in number, but exceptionally well armed and trained. Few who seek to tangle with the Mermadian states live to regret their decisions. Mermen and mermaids can grow legs when on land, though it takes a full day to transition from tail to legs, or back.
The Tentacled Menace: Nearly the opposite of the Mermadian states, the squid like Phasha are an almost invasive species of malevolent creatures who seek control over most other life forms. While not unintelligent, their interest in high learning is so muted they never form into anything larger than clans to raid in larger numbers. Strong and many armed, they very much resemble squids, with the main exception being a human-esque head, though the features are mostly cosmetic, save the pair of eternally glaring eyes. The only people they’ll cooperate with are other Phasha, and attack any others who enter their territory, which is a constantly expanding area they claim to control. They can operate outside the water, but only for short periods. Long enough to make hunting raids on port cities and sea side villages, but never anything further inland than a few miles. Rumours abound of more developed Phasha cities deeper into the ocean, where they have a real society and culture, but so few have seen it, it’s basically just a myth. It ISN’T however, and they do have a single city, ruled by the immortal God-King of their people. All Phasha are subservient to him and his will, and he has many dark plans for the surface world.
The Frozen Savages of the North: Once, an eternal war was waged between the Vikings and the Frost Giants, or Jotun as they call themselves. Legend states a warrior maiden Descended from Valhalla to stop the conflict, giving birth to a single member from both races and allowing the formation of a peace. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, that meant these once mortal enemies banded together to journey south and assail nearly everyone else in the world. Warriors and Raiders by culture and creed, they’re more civilized than most give them credit for, but they have little interest in trade with outsiders and like to fight more than talk.
The Forsaken Land: The Greed of men knows no bounds, and their folly created not one, but two continents of evil in the world. While the undead rule theirs, demons reign in another part of the world. In reality, it’s still a vastly human controlled territory, but demonic influence reigns supreme there. Cults that worship and summon demons are the only organized religions, tieflings and other half demons are common, while many strange and dangerous beasts stalk the land and hunt with impunity, as if they were sacred beasts. Demon make poor leadership though, so Humans are actually still generally in charge, though a lot are puppets of demonic masters, but not all.
The Secret Enemy: Veiled by their Gods and their own vile magics, Dark Elves(or Drow) and Pale Dwarves, as well as evil dragons, devise strategies to destroy their mortal enemies from afar. It’s a small land, compared to most peoples, and their secrecy is their highest priority. To see a Dark elf or Pale Dwarf is to be killed, and few who know of their existence survive long. Luckily, infighting keeps them mostly occupied, and they rarely make any drastic moves against the outside world.
The Vyntian Dynasties: Strange, Animal headed people, this Egyptian style culture is one of prosperity, but relative isolation, living at the oasis’s of a vast desert continent. Few have met these strange people, though they’re fairly friendly, and few will talk about them for fear and being called mad from the desert heat. They have the literal dark skinned bodies of humans, with the large, anthropomorphic heads of other animals plopped upon their shoulders. Eagles, hawks, camels, Dogs, jackals, oxen, all manner of animal, it appears to make no difference to them. Different headed people have slants towards certain personalities, but they’re all one race. Their government is fairly imperialistic, but they have few people and even less territory to try and take, so they’ve largely contented themselves with controlling their vast desert for many millennia.
More Minor Races: These races flit through the edges of civilization, or infiltrate the larger societies somehow. They lack their own culture or lands, largely, and history does not truly pivot on their whims, but they exist all the same.
Little Folk: Halflings to humans, Hill Dwarves to the ancient races, halflings are nearly a constant in the world. Their friendly, open nature, combined with a great fondness for food and farming, make them welcome in nearly any place in the world. Humans and dwarves get along with them especially well, but all civilized races have a nearly open border policy for halflings looking to establish homesteads. That being said, there are few Halfling kingdoms, owed mostly to the fact that Halflings, as a whole, have so little interest in the responsibility of leadership and governance that they just don’t organize such things. More specifically, they also lack any of the monarchist trappings that most other races have, no god appointed leaders and what not. They fall quite willingly into the cracks of other societies, perfectly happy to take up the worship and societal norms of other races, so long as they can contentedly raise livestock and grow crops.
Froggen: Literally Frog People, this race is an odd one. Possessed with many of the traits of their amphibious cousins, they’re stocky and strong, but also lethargic and sedated. They live in small, isolated communities in swamps and along rivers where they simply and quietly exist. They’re friendly enough, but not in the same way Halflings are. More, they just tolerate others presences and go about their own business, regardless of what else is happening. Their skin is naturally poisonous, and they’re notoriously impervious to the curse of undeath, as well as hypnotism and lycanthropy, not to mention most natural venoms and poisons. They can eat pretty much anything, including rotten wood, though they prefer fish and bugs. They’re so inert and harmless, that few bother them, and that’s usually how they like it. Strangely, Froggen have an affinity for caretaking of quiet places, graveyards and such, and many a Froggen gravedigger can be found throughout the world. Often, it’s how a Froggen community will make its money, the men working in nearby towns as grave keepers, sharing what little they make amongst their families, especially since they don’t need much.
Isqual: Isqual are an odd people. Most basically, they are an aquatic nomadic people. They travel the world in tight packs of 20-50, following their spiritual elders wherever they decide the travel. They’re amphibious, though much more comfortable in the water, they only travel short distances across land, usually from river to river, or around natural barriers, like waterfalls. Isqual keep to themselves almost entirely, avoiding all others as much as is possible. Their caravans are built upon 2-3 Moss Beasts, giant turtles who grow a strange grass-like moss upon them so thickly that they seem more like a woolly plant creatures. The Isqual eat the moss, and use it for clothing. Few know much about them, or why they wander waterways and the open sea. Some say they’re looking for something, others say they’ve simply lost their way. In truth, the Isqual are guardians of the waters, searching for natural impurities in rivers the oceans and trying to cleanse them. The Mermaidian states are their only real allies, few land people understand them at all. In physical appearance, they resemble humans with wide black eyes, pale, scale covered skin, and flowing, almost ethereal membranes from their forearms and thighs. They have a single fin close to the crown of their head, slanting backwards.
Cluck-Cluck: Oddly enough, that is what they call themselves. Even once they learn the tongues of other races. Every race has a different name for them. Some mistake them for the monstrous harpies, but they’re far less evil. In fact, the Cluck-Cluck are generally very good and pure, though very mischievous. At full size, they stand a little shorter than humans, and thinly built. They have two pairs of wings on their backs. Their heads are mostly like hawks, but a little more human than that, with their arms almost human. They love to play and twirl upon the wind, but they’re very scatter brained and naïve. Often they’re taken advantage of, even killed and enslaved for their plush plumage, so they’ve developed a mistrust of other races. They live in isolated places, the world over, mountains, canyons, steps, even deserts and the tundra of the north. Those who encroach on their territory will find things missing, or awaken to their things strewn about in the morning. Cluck-Cluck are curious, and impishly devious, but they never mean real harm on others, not unless they’re defending themselves or their family. Isolated communities of other races that manage to bond with any nearby Cluck-cluck clans find the relationship very rewarding, if somewhat trying at times, as the childish creatures are immensely helpful when put to the right tasks, including hunting, scouting, and caring for children. Despite their avian appearance, they have live children.
Naga: Unlike the monstrous Lamia, Naga are actually a mortal Race! Similar in longevity to elves, Naga can live for hundreds, even more than a thousand years. Like the Lamia, Naga have the upper bodies of humans, with the lower bodies of snakes, but there are several differences. The first and most obvious difference is that Naga have four arms. Secondly, Naga patterning is always black, white, grey, and blue, whereas Lamia can be many myriads of colours. Finally, Naga are a very civilized people, and though they’re hunted almost to a man by the other races, they continue to hide and live as best they can in the deep jungles and forests of the world. Their culture is a warrior race, with 90% of their population being female. Their men are no less warriors, but are actually smaller than the slightly larger than human female Naga. Despite the persecution of the world, Naga hold their collective chins up, striving for cooperation and civilization. The few Naga who have managed to integrate successfully into other cultures inevitably end up as either military commanders or civil leaders, their knack for level-headed decision making peerless amongst all of the mortal races. It is said that to see a Naga show emotion is the same as hearing a fairies true name. While that’s not true at all, Naga rarely emote in front of other races, not even to show pain or anger. They refuse to be seen as monsters, like the Lamia, and to a (wo)man behave as if they were the highest of aristocracy. In the same vein, like Lamia, Naga CAN breed with other races, always siring Naga, but they NEVER make sexual advances on other races, once again fearing to be seen as the sexual seducers most fear them to be.