Vwei

## Vwei world

The world of **Vwei** is the setting of campaigns such as Fall of Vaoweil.

# PreHistory

## **The Opal Nebulous Period**

A largely Nebulous period of Pure Creation where creatures more powerful and chaotic than anything currently living on Vhwei comes close to. This is an astoundingly difficult period to research as nothing was written down and the artifacts that teach the most are dangerous nests of various magical schools. Researchers are lucky to find artifacts that maintain a singular stable shape and even more so if they don’t find themselves cursed by the rampant magical energy contained within them. This Magic bears traces of every school of magic and no two curses have ever been the same. They usually appear bound within a fossilized object like a bottle or stuck in something natural like bubbles of Amber. There is often conflict between wizards and Clerics who can't decide whether to store these objects in secure vaults or church reliquaries.  While most of what we know of this period walks the debated line between Religious theory and Wizardly speculation there are a few factors that can be commonly accepted between them.

This was the time when Magic was born as a pure force of change. Beyond transmutation or Necromancy it was the ability to convince reality itself that this is how something exists. *Something* wielded this magic and used it to create the first beings to inhabit each plane of existence on the Great Wheel. These beings were not created with care but rather in a moment of passion that left them to figure out how to survive the world around them. The best of these beings have likely evolved into Celestials while the worst of them evolved into the aberrations that live on the outskirts of the universe. Elementals and Outsiders fall somewhere in the middle of those two. There is no way of knowing how long this period lasted.

In the Late ONP, many of these Creations banded together to sort the many disparate pieces of this universe into the functioning Planar Landscape we know today. Chiefly important among this is Prime Material where a very different version of the world of Vhwei existed. The path to find this original creator is suspected to still exist although it is lost somewhere between the Elemental Chaos and Limbo.

## **The Golden Age of Prophets**

Soon after settling in the prime material, These creations went to work inhabiting the land with the World's first mortal species; the Dwarves, the Fey, the Giants, the Kua Toa, and the Dragons. However, while better than their predecessor it was soon apparent that these creations had no Clue what resources were required to sustain these mortal creatures. Its uncertain from the few remaining depictions whether they were revered or hated by the mortals early on. Every weapon carried toward these massive mountain sized beings could be equally interpreted as a tool or offering. Most of the interactions between races at this time staggered between inquisitive and violent as they fought for resources on the mostly unexplored singular continent.

A compromise was quickly established where 1 member of each of the races would be designated a prophet with the sole goal of explaining the needs of mortals to these creations. Its vague whether the ancient prophets were inherently magical themselves or if their connection to the Creations allowed them great power to change the World. Interaction between Races did not immediately calm down except between the prophets who did discuss with each other the needs of each Race. The relationships between these early prophets were the primary framework for how citizens of each race imagined each other. The Kua Toa after negotiating that the oceans to be filled with various species of Fish did request much else. This left the majority of their time at meetings to be spent ensuring there wasn’t tremendous conflict between the other 4. Dragons and Giants were often at each other's throats as the respective large creatures demanded the most resources to sustain themselves. After establishing they could be fed, Dragons spent most of their energy gaining a frankly absurd amount of abilities. The Fey and Dwarves shared a mutual curiosity for the universe although in two separate directions. The Dwarves looked to what could be learned from the soil while the Fey questioned the very forces that brought them into being. It was decided that the first Continent would be cleaved in two. The Northern Continent would give the Giants more than enough land to develop while Dwarves and elves would develop the island to the south. Dragons refused to be bound to only 1 place to hunt and such traveled to follow the migration of various prey between continents. The Kua Toa established themselves as outsiders upon deciding to live primarily in the seas and occasionally in secluded settlements in the north.

Depictions of the Creations appear to bear a large number of different features but the main commonality are distinctly feline ones such as sharp eyes, tall ears and long fangs. This has led to the speculation that these creations, which would come to be known as his children, all descended from some unfathomably large feline beast. The Creator is never depicted in ancient text, so he has been depicted in many different forms by modern day religion depending on the Period. He is commonly accepted as a many-limbed Spinx. Still active in the universe during this period, The Children would monitor the Creator and help protect the mortals by reporting on his activities.

The Giants greatly terriformed the North. Razing Miles of Forests into Farmland. Carving mountains into the gates of their cities, Creating Valleys when they needed to make the mountains themsleves. The Giants and their Prophet tamed the North in a way that will never be replicated. Their relatively close relationship with dwarves and Kua Toa (compared to anyone else) allowed them to harvest their resources into gargantuan boats that occasionally reappear in the world of Vhwei today. In the centuries since the last Giant civilization was seen, The techniques they used to tame the Terrain of the North have been lost to time. It is one of the Primary reasons “the Northern Wildlands” have kept that name for so long.

The Dwarves and Fey of the south were also able to develop answers to their questions of the universe. The Dwarves built their first mines and forges. The Fey with the help of their prophet began developing the 1st Warlocks, Druids and Clerics. The Southern Races were seldom wary of sharing information with each other leading to their first civilizations prospering under the Children and Prophets.

During this age races started to develop from the old. Lizardfolk, Halfings, Gnomes all appeared around this time.

## **The Onyx Age of Prophets**

We don’t know why the Children stopped telling the Prophets about the changing Universe, but what little text remains of this period tells us that the Prophets were reluctant to let go of their power. The Children remained close for a time but began to disappear for longer and longer periods before reappearing with little new information. While the Prophets attempted to maintain peace. People grew distrustful of the Children and Prophets suspecting that something was being hidden from them. The Fey and the Giants relied the most on the Children’s power and thus were the 1st to change because of it. The Fey birthed the first Wizards as they grew secluded and withdrawn into their studies of the Cosmos. Divination was derived as the first recognizable school of magic. The dwarves recoiled from the sudden dismissal of the relationship but otherwise kept as normal. The Giants who had already seen themselves as the strongest of the mortals sought to prove it during this time. They used everything at their disposal to try and rule over the other species. They succeeded in subjugating some dragons, many dwarven fortresses and all of the elves who had never had to defend against such a force before.

The Kua Toa however managed to cause the most damage during this time in an effort to help. The Kua Toa had always focused their attention on the deification of the Children and studying the Chaos that brought them to life. When the children starting leaving, and Kua Toa became progressively less sure if they would come back as the World went to War around them, the Kua toa took matter into their own hands. What happened is the Best kept Kua Toa Secret that has led to their distrust to this day. No one knows how but they know its effect. The Kua Toa Prophet took arms against the Creator and from their Corpse brought Demons into the World.

There are remnants of the Children in the world still. Rakshasa, Tabaxi, Manticores etc. There are religious sects that pray trusting that the children or the Creator will come back one day. To the secular world however, The Prophets as well as the children are not forgiven for the events of the Onyx age. The Creator is assumed dead.

## **The Os Rien**

The Os Rien is the elven title for this age and the most commonly accepted. Os Rien describes the worry you feel when you’re not at home and the reluctant acknowledgement that for those moments you have no say in what happens there. Had there been no War going on, perhaps the Kuatoa would have been able to give their companions a warning but instead Demons tore into the World and every race was taken by surprise. Some Fey were able to escape through a rudimentary use of Plane Shift bringing themself and the hundred not captured by Giants to hide safely in the Feywild. Wood Elves and Halflings were able to wait out the worst of Os Rien while studying magic in the company of the Eladrin. Those elves who had managed to stay in touch with dwarves hid deep underground, discovering the underdark, and eventually evolving a subculture of Drow and Duergar. The Kua toa were the last to remain mostly unscarred as they hid beneath the sea for centuries while studying the demons mostly unnoticed. The Giants were wrecked by this event. Few remain to this day and the civilizations that weren’t burned to the ground never recovered enough to sustain more than a few dozen. Dragons were powerful and had never before been forced to form a civilization. While not strictly black and white, This decision marked the 1st division between Chromatic and Metallic dragons. The tribes of mostly Metallic dragons raised the dragonborn in the image of what the world used to be. The individual chromatic dragons eventually saw the merit of this, kind of, and reared kobolds to help defend and/or feed them. Lizardfolk get adopted by either side.

In a similar way to how the Children had reared the mortals on the Prime Material, Devils arose to empower the demons that were now going to take that plane for themselves.

Kobolds, Dragonborn, Sahaugin, Trolls, goblin folk are born during this time. Distant ancestors of the Tieflings appear here as well. While a human would slap you for saying this, early tribes of human likely evolved from Giants at this point. Giants kinda came in hard and then died out so humans, given their current position, don’t enjoy the comparison.

Due to the pillaging and destruction of this period, very little is actually concretely known about the events that came until it ends. Even worse, it becomes very rare to find artifacts from this period. What we know largely comes from sparse draconic texts and paintings and what little the Kua-Toa have sought to share with the World. The descendants of the prophets exist to this day although their power is greatly diminished and they can sooner expect prejudice than respect.

When people eventually return to this world the continents themselves have changed shape. The North is a crumpled mess compared to where it once was. The southern continent was torn into the various islands we know today. The biggest among them being Elven Isles and Vaowiel itself.

# Recorded History

(Here's where we start counting. PoR= Post os Rien)

* Quartz Reclamation Era **(000 PoR-115 PoR)**
	+ The new gods appear to help heal the World. Various Folk tales appear as their interactions create new creatures.
* Pearl Age of Saints **(50 PoR- 300 PoR)**
	+ Various figures known as Saints are chosen to help lead their races back to vhwei by the new gods. Dwarves have the most left standing and eventually pick up where they left off. Eladrin watch the wood elves create new villages. Nomadic tribes of Humans watch the new world warily as well. In the North Dragonborn begin to travel with their dragon guardians. Saints become known for legendary acts of divine intervention.
* Reign of Goldhammer **(300 PoR- 500 PoR)**
	+ All nations have come together to defeat the Trolls and live in an age of peace. The Elves, Eladrin and Drow establish their meritocracy on an island in the east. Human Tribes begin to modernize away from their previous nomadic structure. Dwarves have a Golden age of industrial development. Fairly early on, the new gods stop appearing as often.By the end of the age only the elven bred phoenixes and on rare occasions dragons can be found.
* 1st Valore Expansion period **(501 PoR- 701 PoR)**
	+ Exploiting the Dwarven change in Leadership, Valore begins conquering their continent. They force Dwarves into the mountains and adopt many Fey into Valorian society. Huntsman expand in power.
* The Copper Trade Wars **(700 PoR- 850 PoR)**
	+ A War started by Valore and the Elves that eventually forced the Kua Toa back into hiding. Advertised by Vaowiel as an extinction of Kua Toa that helped raise morale for their military forces.
* 2nd Valore Expansion period **(895 PoR- 900 PoR)**
	+ Valore tries to expand their territory into the north which conflicts with the Elves' attempts to do the same.
* **The Quiet Century (900 PR-Present)**
	+ The Wall cuts Valore’s expansion short before they can properly establish any cities in the north. Valore changes its name to Vaowiel and begins crafting a public image focused on the arts. Since the Wall went up is when everyone expects war. Every nation is behind walls and everyone is assumed to be planning something. Especially in Vaowiel. Elves continue exploring and colonizing the north.