New Belvaria Wiki

New Belvaria, an echo of its former self. Once a mighty kingdom, now overtaken by invasive magics of a leaking portal to Limbo. What civilization that remains is confined to a handful of colossal cities dotted across the region. When society is pushed to do whatever it takes to survive, the line between right and wrong is blurred. Adventure, ancient mysteries, and great fortune await those willing to get their hands dirty.

Magic is built into the very fabric of the world. It pervades everyday life. It provides comforts and conveniences unknown in either the modern world or any world of medieval fantasy. Mages and artificers constantly push the boundary of what is possible by harnessing the raw power found in the wilderness and using it as a tool--to build cities, to sail ships through the skies, and to create both wonders and weapons.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, all classes and races. They travel the world, battling villains in instants of over-the-top action. And they unearth fabulous treasure, and deal with narrow escapes and ominous mysteries that are as likely to shed light on centuries of secrets as they are to threaten the world's safety.

Stories don't always end well, and there isn't a perfect answer to every problem. Crime and corruption lurk in the great cities of New Belvaria. Mortal greed and ambition might prove more dangerous than any dragon or fiend. This darkness affords opportunities for a group of bold adventurers to make a difference--for better or for worse.

*This setting is largely inspired by the official D&D campaign setting Eberron: Rising from the Last War, and as such, some of the content is borrowed and adapted from that book. Additionally, this is a work in progress. Pages will be added as the story is developed and secrets are uncovered.*

## Important Things to Know

What is New Belvaria? Here are the key things to know:

1. **A Gate to Limbo.** Centuries ago, a mage hungry for power opened a permanent portal to Limbo and plunged the region into disarray. Over time, wildly powerful magic crept into the material plane. Flora and fauna were mutated by this immensely chaotic energy which resulted in the destruction of countless villages.
2. **Massive Cities.** Only the largest, most organized cities survived, each with their own strategy to keeping the ever creeping chaos at bay. They have since prospered and grown into monoliths of civilization each with unique cultures and industry.
3. **A World of Magic and Technology.** The technology of New Belvaria has developed not only through the advancement of science but by the mastery of magic. The widespread use of magic pervades life in the cities. Airships and rail transport make rapid travel across the continent possible. Advances in magic item creation have led to everything from self-propelled farming implements to sentient, free-willed beings created in artificers' forges.
4. **Lands of Intrigue.** The war is over, and the cities of New Belvaria now try to build a new age of peace and prosperity. Ancient threats linger, however, and the world needs heroes to take up the cause. Cities compete on many levels--over economic dominance, political influence, magical power, and more--each looking to maintain or improve its status by any means short of all-out war. Churches both pure and corrupt, crime lords, monster gangs, psionic spies, arcana universities, secret societies, sinister masterminds, dragons, and a multitude of organizations and factions join the struggle for position and power in the aftermath of the war.
5. **Order vs. Chaos** Civilization and Wilderness. Law and Freedom. War and Peace. This theme pervades the setting of New Belvaria. Good and evil aren't clear cut. It will be up to you to determine where your character stands with the factions and people of the world.
6. **D&D with a Twist** Every race, class, spell, and monster has a place in New Belvaria, but it might not be the place you expect. Mortal creatures are products of culture and circumstances, rather than the direct influence of the gods. As a result, you can't assume that a gold dragon is good or a beholder is evil; only in the case of celestials, fiends, and certain other creatures whose identity and worldview are shaped by magic is alignment a given.

## Locations

### Cities

* Stonesfield
* Xienshao
* Meztepec
* Trovenkellig
* Khovetska
* Astropolis

### Wilderness

* Sunderrior Woods
* Bayuki Jungle

## Lore

#### Miasma (1142-present)

The power of the bygone Belvarian Kingdom largely came from the immense wealth of its capital, Daea. The city had an excellent harbor on the Kesvarian Sea and straddled the border between two continents, thus linking lucrative trade by both land and sea.

The Belvarian military was the largest of its time, but the kingdom was becoming increasingly threatened by the burgeoning magics of their enemies. In response, Belvaria established the College of Arcana in Daea to better understand magic and to defend themselves from it. King Bertram, the Last King of Belvaria, desired to expand their boundaries with the power of their mages. His daughter Eliza, a prodigy at the College, knew there was much they didn't understand, but the potential was there. In her studies, she heard of a place overflowing with magical energy, a plane known as Limbo. She was eager to please her father and in 1142, she haphazardly tore open a portal to this plane and brought about the Mageblight.

Pure chaos spewed forth from the dimensional gate, tainting the region with odd phenomena. Shifts in gravity hold once grounded mountains aloft. Violent storms bombard the landscape. Time seems to stand still in the north where it's perpetually winter. Belvaria was ill prepared to handle such devastation. Daea, nearest the portal, was quick to fall, and with it, the rest of the kingdom.

Much of the wildlife died off as well. Over centuries, what survived underwent rapid adaptation. Some species are merely echoes of their ancestors, some are largely unchanged, and others are believed to actually be entirely new species that crossed over from Limbo.

#### Belvarian Civil War (1481-1488)

Good King Omund was the architect of the Age of Law of New Belvaria. He united the leaders of the Great Cities and repelled the encroaching chaos of the wilderness. His court wizard, Ebine, created the incorruptible Dragonknights to uphold law and justice throughout the lands.

Leventus, High Cleric of Meztepec, became a close confidant of Omund's when he was only Blade Saint of Trovenkellig, and was one of his electors to kingship. However, Omund's implementation of his Dragonknights throughout the cities put him at greater odds with the New Belvarian nobility. They took it as a grab for greater power, just as King Bertram had done long ago. Levuntus pleaded with Omund to withdraw his Dragonknights, but Omund persisted.

Levuntus eventually came to oppose Omund and fought on the side of the United Free Cities, led by Grand Duchess Adelais of Stonesfield, against Omund in the Belvarian Civil War. The brightest artificers and engineers of Stonesfield and Khovetska came together to create their own elite fighting force, the Warforged. Eventually, Adelais and her armies were defeated, after which Levuntus surrendered to Omund, who granted him amnesty.

However, the underlying political tensions that led to the war had not been resolved. Several leaders, calling themselves "Liberators", plotted to assassinate him. They recruited Levuntus, who took a leading role in the assassination.

Afterwards, stricken with guilt, Levuntus took his own life. His name has since become synonymous with acts of intimate public betrayal and treason.

#### Present Time (1523)

With the Good King's Death, the Great Cities were thrown into political disarray. Decades later, the city leaders still squabble over who should be King or Queen of New Belvaria, all while crime rates and monster sightings sky rocket.

## Religion

Creatures can become powerful by any number of ways but can only reach godhood from the will of mortals.

### Alydian Pantheon

* Ezteus, god of stars, space, knowledge, wisdom, story telling, language, and regret.
* Fynx, goddess of the night, shooting stars, secrets, shadow, dark, imagination, sleep, and dreams.
* Alios, god of the day, sun, sky, light, agriculture, truth, towers, and architecture.
* Vyric, god of the moon, light, beauty, sculpting, art, balance, and order.
* Yhnir, agender god of lightning, thunder, love, family, home, passion, loyalty, and guilt
* Thades, goddess of volcanoes, islands, lava, creation, life, hope, beginnings, and destiny.
* Akone, god of time, death, change, music, poetry, healing, forgiveness, and grief.
* Ryndall, god of earthquakes, land, mountains, war, endurance, justice, metalworking, construction, and vengeance.
* Zaedra, goddess of fire, nature, life cycle, growth, wilderness, the hunt, and blood.
* Ibelia, goddess of water, civilization, prosperity, trade, fortune, industry, and jealousy.
* Levean, goddess of wind, air, clouds, storms, travel, communication, language, luck, and trickery

#### Alydian Family

* \*Phatia, goddess of power, control, and perfection
* \*Sugoaris, god of destruction and pain
* \*Odum, god of twilight, protection, honor, resistance, thresholds, and borders
* Elayna, human mother of Levean

*\*These gods are members of the Alydian Pantheon family tree, but are currently "dead" and therefore not considered to be proper members of the sitting pantheon.*

## People

### Player Characters

* Drozhan Angari
* Lumaté
* Saral Sarenhal
* Vilthraen

### Races

* Changelings
* Dragonknights
* Dwarves
* Goblinoids
* Humans
* High Elves
* Wild Elves: Tairnadal
* Warforged

## Homebrew Systems

#### House Rules

1. Natural 20s and 1s on ability checks are not automatic successes and failures.
2. When rolling for hit points while leveling up, reroll 1s.
3. Healing potions are a bonus action to use on yourself and an action to use on someone else.
4. There will be some ability checks that you can make only if you have proficiency or an appropriate background, profession, etc.
5. Warlocks can choose to use Intelligence as their spellcasting ability.
6. The number of items you can attune to is equal to your proficiency bonus.
7. Flanking does not give advantage.
8. Rapiers have the light property