S - Sethrophos

"Sethrophos" is made up of the verb trepho, meaning is “to cause to grow”; and Seth, a father of mankind in many religions. Sethrophos embodies the transformative power of chaos and adversity in fostering growth and resilience... a belief that through confronting storms of disorder and challenges, individuals or civilizations can achieve profound development and harmonious equilibrium. 
FYI - All Pages on this wiki, in this world, will start with an S - Tag. 
=== The Excretion of Sethrophos ===
In all the storied traditions of mythology throughout Sethrophoss, there is one story that appears in some form in every culture.  The Devourer Wyrm, also called The Great Beast, is said to come to Sethrophos at the end of each age to consume it.  After the world is consumed, a new world is shat out, with bits of other places mixed in from sludge in the cosmic beast's guts. In some stories, it is stopped by a great Hero, like Crag - The Fell Hammer of Dwarvenkund; or Conan of Cimmeria; Sir Harold of Baal... but other stories, like those told by ice miners of Stormhold or the Centaurs or the Ethos Plains, say that it is unstoppable and none can face it.
=== The Supreme Irony ===
Earth, Air, Fire. Water. Magic. These are the five classical elements.  Sethrophos has another, more subtle element that binds, draws on, and controls these elements, and everything else in Sethrophos: The Supreme Irony. The Supreme Irony has organized Sethrophos as to give full expression to contradictory impulses, attitudes, and realities. Sethrophos is a place that lives, breathes, and thrives on contradictions.  It can be both cosmopolitan and xenophobic, beautiful and horrifying, humorous and serious, often at the same time.  There is a dark sarcasm involved, and one of the primary natural forces is that of the supreme irony... like karma gone terribly wrong. In a place so infused with magic, all words have some power, so you must never forget that sometimes the supreme irony will infuse a particularly powerful pun or funny joke, and bring it to life in the most terrible way imaginable. Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs is the way of life here, so much that those who live here often fail to notice.  
The Supreme Irony is mainly used in Sethrophos to provide a solution to a common problem in gaming, that the players are here to have fun, no matter what the characters are experiencing.  The Supreme Irony allows you to stimulate and utilize the players’ sense of humor as an element of play, even in serious situations, instead of having it be a distraction.  And besides, having the characters attacked by a Calzone Golem only works if you have established that funny does not equate unreal or harmless.  Just as sarcasm can hurt real feelings, encounters created or inflated by the Supreme Irony can often prove more dangerous than those that were expected to be.  Ironic, don’t ya think?
=== Points of Light ===
Sethrophos is populated by a variety of intelligent races, strange monsters lurk on other planes, ancient empires have left ruins across the face of her, and so on. But one of the key conceits about Sethrophos is simply this: Civilized folk live in small, isolated points of light scattered across a big, dark, dangerous world. Most of Sethrophos is monster-haunted wilderness, here is a map of the world. The centers of civilization are few and far between, and Sethrophos isn’t just carved up between nation-states that jealously enforce their borders. A few difficult and dangerous roads tenuously link neighboring cities together, but if you stray from them you quickly find yourself immersed in ork-infested forests, haunted barrowfields, desolate hills and marshes, and monster-hunted badlands. Anything could be waiting down that old overgrown road… Given the perilous nature of Sethrophos around the small islands of civilization, many adventures revolve around venturing into the wild lands. 
Since towns and villages do not stay in close contact, it’s easy for all sorts of evils to befall a settlement without anyone noticing for a long time. A village might be terrorized by a pack of werewolves or enslaved by an evil wizard, and no one else would know until adventurers stumbled into the situation. Many small settlements and strongholds are founded, flourish for a time, and then fall into darkness. The wild lands are filled with forgotten towers, abandoned towns, haunted castles, and ruined temples. Even people living only a few miles away from such places might know them only by rumor and legend. The common folk of Sethrophos look upon the wild lands with dread. Few people are widely traveled—even the most ambitious merchant is careful to stick to better-known roads. The lands between towns or homesteads are wide and empty. It might be safe enough within a day’s ride of a city or an hour’s walk of a village, but go beyond that and you are taking your life into your hands. People are scared of what might be waiting in the old forest or beyond the barren hills at the far end of the valley, because whatever is out there is most likely hungry and hostile. Striking off into untraveled lands is something only Heroes and adventurers do.
Another implication of this is that there is very little in the way of authority to deal with raiders and marauders, outbreaks of demon worship, rampaging monsters, deadly hauntings, or similar local problems. Settlements afflicted by troubles can only hope for a band of Heroes to arrive and set things right. If there is a kingdom beyond the town’s walls, it’s still largely covered by unexplored forest and desolate hills where evil folk gather. The king’s soldiers might do a passable job of keeping the lands within a few miles of his castle free of monsters and bandits, but most of the realm’s outlying towns and villages are on their own.
In such a world, Heroes are aberrant. Commoners view them as brave at best, and insane at worst. But such a world is rife with the possibility for adventure, and no true Hero will ever lack for a villain to vanquish or a quest to pursue.
== Nation-States ==
Kingdom of Meridian, situated in the northwest of Sethrophos south of the Borea Peninsula and the Ork Vales, embodies a devout Baroque-era society fiercely dedicated to the sphinx goddess Argia, epitomizing divine monarchy under the belief in the divine right of kings appointed by Argia, bolstered by the Church of Epaiketa. Known for its grand cathedrals and aggressive enforcement of the doctrine of divine judgment, Meridian is both revered and criticized as "The Pinnacle of Vanity," welcoming primarily humans while integrating other races like half-elves, dwarves, and halflings under strict scrutiny, with clerics and paladins leading opposition against Abbadon's demonic forces amidst internal debates on religious tolerance and zealotry.
The Noocracy of Thalassia, renowned for its magical prowess and celestial wisdom operates under a meritocratic system led by Archmagus Lysandra and a council of mages who govern from the capital city of Astralum, famed for its shimmering magical architecture and enchanted streets. Founded by migrating mages seeking refuge from the Forsaken Lands, Thalassia's society thrives on its ability to predict oceanic currents and weather patterns through star readings, although their practice of blocking out the sun to optimize these readings has inadvertently led to the rise of a vampire population. Guarded by elite mage guards with neon blue eyes, trained rigorously in concentration cubes exercises, Thalassia remains hospitable to outsiders, especially fellow mages, while venerating their primary deity, the sphinx Astrael, God of Stars and Knowledge, amidst ongoing challenges with managing the vampire threat and navigating ethical criticisms from neighboring nations.
The Vervanna Expanse, located on Sethrophos' central continent, is renowned for its lush rainforests and rich natural resources, anchored by the ancient Alpha tree that sustains life and lures seekers of its legendary fruit. The region's economy thrives on its diverse flora, providing essential medicines and materials amidst a backdrop of perilous wildlife such as assassin vines and predatory insects. Steeped in history, Vervanna is guarded by six immortal protectors embodying aspects of strength, intelligence, wisdom, charisma, constitution, and dexterity, symbolized by the jaguar, monkey, hornet, macaw, caiman, and piranha respectively. However, the expanse has been subjected to colonial exploitation by powers from Meridian, Jormungand, and Abbadon, leading to conflicts over its resources and disrupting the balance of its tribal societies. Coastal cities engage in trade and diplomacy, while inland tribes, guided by figures like High Priestess Ixchel and Elder Hildo, preserve their animistic beliefs and safeguard their ancestral lands from external influences.
The Kingdoms of Ethos, situated on the northern continent of Sethrophos, comprise a unified collection of micro-kingdoms under the Sun-King Amenemhat's rule, renowned for their rich history, diverse culture, and spiritual depth rooted in the celestial legacy of Mbaba and her mortal lover, thriving economically through the skilled production and trade of metal, glass, and gemstones, and known for their vibrant landscapes including the arid Aerengeti, rich cultural practices like martial arts stemming from Mbaba's legacy, and a diverse pantheon worshiped by its inhabitants, despite facing challenges from internal factions and external threats like the Yuan-ti sect devoted to the chaotic god Apep, with notable figures such as Sun-King, High Priestess Anuket, and General Khepri playing pivotal roles in maintaining unity and stability.
Jormungand Protectorate is a military autocracy on Sethrophos shaped by its dragon heritage and characterized by unwavering dedication to military prowess, cultural sophistication, and spiritual depth, which bears the scars of an ancient war with sphinxes that led to dragons being grounded and founding the nation in pursuit of reclaiming skies, with dragons revered for power and wisdom, their influence evident in architecture, art, and religious rites, while military strategy rooted in draconic teachings and marked by gunpowder innovations and Jade Fleet naval supremacy prepares constantly for conflict with sphinxes, fostering a society of resilience, martial discipline, and enduring pride under Dragonborn rule.
The Forsaken Lands occupies the central southern continent of Sethrophos, are a realm of dark magic and endless torment, where necromancers and demons vie for power amidst necrotic swamps, ominous cities, and haunted waters, dominated by the imposing Abbadon Citadel—a sprawling metropolis of windowless black basalt monoliths—and the eerie Necromancer Villages—swampy encampments infused with necrotic energy; to the northeast lies the Bay of Fog, a shrouded harbor with a bustling port city, Necropolis, maintained by an army of civil service zombies, while the Blackwater River flows from the mountains near Abbadon Citadel down to the bay, carrying spectral paddleboats manned by the dead, and overlooking Necropolis from a precipice stands the decaying Cathedral of Ynq, exuding malevolent power; finally, in the foothills alongside the river, Ol’ MacDonald’s Farm is a site of grotesque transmutation and rumored origin of the Tiefling race, making this land one of the most feared and avoided regions.
Exiles Island is a remote quarantine location on Sethrophos for individuals afflicted with lycanthropy that blends historical penal practices with modern therapeutic approaches, featuring sanatoriums designed for treatment and management, thus providing a controlled environment where inhabitants can seek stability and redemption while adhering to a strict arrangement with various kingdoms for regular supply drops, and fostering a unique society where the afflicted strive to coexist with their condition amidst the island's dual heritage of a harsh penal colony and a network of specialized sanatoriums.
Chogha Zanbil, known as Women's Isle is a peaceful paradise of their own. The uninformed believe their lack of any kind of formidable military leaves them without adequate safety from outside dangers. Those people would be VERY wrong. Chogha Zanbil is a secluded matriarchal society on Sethrophos, founded by women of many species fleeing mainland wars, where the Kayani Women nurture colossal Kaiju for protection, uphold a culture valuing femininity, motherhood, and nature, and practice rituals honoring their astral goddess Pinikir, blending love and warfare in celebrations that reinforce their societal unity and resilience against external chaos.
FYI - All Pages on this wiki, in this world will Start with an S Tag.
Link to Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZsOnq3I1SJuMasZptI9GE?si=a70a5214ea6a4338
== CURRENT HOUSE RULES. ==
MANA instead of INSPIRATION.
Colors of Mana
== GAMEPLAY LOG ==
Session OO1, OO2