Folterran

Folterran's planar cracks bring forth the chaos of ever-mixing dimensions. Life and death fall into one another in this ancient world whose history is marred by warfare and the millennia long revolver of its blood-soaked lands. It is the setting of Moonlit Paths.

## History

Long ago, the world of Folterran was made completely of the simple essences for life. Magic was rare, elemental, and wild. It was ancient and strange. As time progressed the divine began to expand and become one. The first of these Divine beings was Lyf. Lyf is the mother of all deities, and from her all beings are born. She had nine children, all of whom came to our world in different ways. From these nine children, otherwise known as "The Greater Ones", the divinity of the other became known. These were the "Lesser Deities". These then birthed the Demi-gods which were able to actively not only walk among us without the use of shapes and avatars, but also could now die. Divinity is potent, and its bloodline passed down through the world.

Gods and races are all different. Many of the races come from places that are strange of different. The Elven races all come from the fey wild, and as such are weak to iron which is the bane of magic and fey alike. The Dwarves are from the earth. They have two different origin tales depending on if they are hill or mountain, but interbreeding has led them to be mostly similar. Kobolds came from Dranir, who is the greater god of Dragons and draconic ideals. The Orcs and Goblinoids came from Kimuno, the mother of Monsters. Many races were made in ancient times. The exceptions to this are three cases that are VERY important. Humans, Drow, and The Warforged. The Humans came from the material plane itself. they evolved naturally and were said to have no associated God. Because of this they are a young race and can interbreed and adapt with all others. The Warforged and Drow were not made peacefully. They both had been made in the great war of mages in ancient times. That which started the event known as the cataclysm. The Drow betrayed their race to Lolth for the gift of demonic resistance to iron, their blood now red instead of blue. The Warforged were made by the Dwarves to be tireless beings. After a revolt, now only two creation forges are left standing to keep them alive.

Magic once, long ago, destroyed the world through war. It ravaged it. This left scars that lasted for centuries. Some still exist. Due to this magic has been studied, defined, and investigated. It is alive just like it was long ago, and its power is great. Only now, a millennium after the cataclysm is magic being used enough to see the power of it become something new. To see the potent magics used once more. Some decry this, others rejoice. Magic is important throughout modern history as well given its wide spread use.

## Notable Locations

#### The Maw

> "*The Maw understands things other people don't...*"
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The Maw has existed since just before end of the Last Age about 1,100 years ago. This giant chasm holds an expansive dungeon system that randomizes itself every time you enter its chambers. The Maw seems to be an alive in some capacity. Its walls have always been recorded to have 'wounds' on them. A gash in the rock drips water like blood, its dirt and stone acting like its flesh. Truly deep gashes reveal a crystal-like bone under its 'skin'. The Maw cannot seem to self-heal. Adventurers must externally heal the creature using healing magic and potions. Earth melding magic doesn't work to cure its aliments. When the wounds are healed there is a 'sigh' of relief that echoes around the entire room. Healing a truly deep gash has been rumored to generate a voice. The Maw seems to be linked intrinsically to the Moonlit Paths somehow, as when one opens up the Maw hurts more.

Several of the Maw's levels rely on fountain activation. Levels with these special fountains in them do not randomize. Touching one or solving its presented puzzle will 'lock' an adventurers progress through the Maw, meaning that the floors they've gone through will no long randomize. Once a person has been gone from the Maw for six months, however, this effect wears off. A few of these fountain levels contain the Grizzwald's- a family of ogres that have taken residence in the Maw as merchants. Their main tavern is called "The Maw's Lips" and is located on the fifth level, which is the first fountain adventurers encounter. The deepest shop is run by their hermit son Agwulg on the 35th floor. Books found within the Maw that are 'made' by it are in gibberish, though they all use the Common alphabet. Most people come to the Maw to reach its bottom layer and fight the mythical Protector that lies within. Others come for the easier treasure and sense of adventure.

**Party Progress:** Azure and Fallia= Level 11 (9,10 are locked. 6-8 are randomized). Sofi and Joli= Level 2

#### Eye of Magnus

A dense micro chasm of different environments and ruins held within a canyon shaped like an eye. There isn't a single point that's untouched-- except for the very center that has bright, shiny dragon looking creatures near it. Its right entrance has a gatehouse guarded by undead guards and a bridge with a red dragon guard. One can fly or use the sewer system to get past these forces.

#### The Underdark

Though many Drow still remain trapped in the web of Lolth's monotheistic manipulation, they still have a varied culture. Northern Drow value decorum and ritualistic behaviors, believing that discipline is the key to power. For example, they poison check their meals in food lines in an orderly fashion alongside their peers. Northerners tattoo typically themselves with dark grey dots along her collarbone and under their eyes to display their strong Clan ties. In contrast, Western Drow heavily value individuality and risk taking as a way to create power. The West is not a place of impulse however. Rather, their culture focuses on harnessing primal emotions and desires as a preferred means of power grab. Westerners poison check their food at their table as they value privacy over publicly preformed rituals.

There are several paths to the Underdark that start around the Guild. Many paths are found in mountain regions as they often use old Dwarven and Duregar tunnels for the final climb to the surface. A bloodroot grove near hook horror fields in the Northern Underdark leads to the mountain, as does a labyrinth in the West that begins inside the cavern trapped attic of an old wizards tower.

## Religion

### Kimuzo, Mother of Monsters

*Kimuzo (Kim-oo-z-oh)*

Kimuzo is a goddess of monsters, fertility, mutilation, and strength. She is often called the mother of monsters, the three-eyed maw, and the womb of terror. She is often a protector of often harassed, weaker races such as goblins, kobolds, and mites that use sheer numbers to overwhelm their foes. Kimuzo is also worshiped by humans and other groups who find an interest in the power of monstrous beings. Kimuzo is often sought for one ability that she has that no other deity possesses: she can grant fertility to any two beings in existence, at a price. What that price is exactly often changes, but deformity or monstrous features are often expected in some fashion. Some see her as a terror, others merciful and misunderstood due to her ugly and horrific form. Whatever side they are on it is no doubt of her power in many cultures across the world.

##### Worship Practices

Masses to Kimuno are held on every full moon and new moon night. During each meeting worshipers will communally feast on giant platters of food. During this time the clerics speak the words of the deity, and everyone listens while seeing what they can do to please the goddess. Usually those who have attacked or wronged these groups are brought in after this and mutilated for the goddess' benefit. They are not killed, however. They are usually used for work, released into the wild/prison, or in highly extreme cults they are turned into a monster. Being the Goddess of fertility, many of Kimuno's worshipers also participate in ritualistic orgies. The Goddess dislikes traditional killing sacrifices. Instead, mutilation in front of her shrines and statues is effectively to her a sacrifice. Mutilation makes a being more monstrous and thus brings the offering closer to her and her children.

Many of Kimuno's followers are monstrous races themselves. The Goddesses compassion for mothers brings many of them to her worship as well, who seek protection from those who would harm them or their children. Sometimes guards of woman's wards, Handmaidens, or other groups that protect fertile women worship her as well. Members of fertility cults that discover they cannot carry or have exhausted other methods of bearing children turn to her. Those born under Kimuno's blessing of fertility tend to have sharp teeth, claws, talons, and are born as a monstrous race such as a goblin, lizardfolk, or tiefling, even if neither parent have the genes of these races.

### Rizznat, God of Puzzles

*Rizznat (Ruh-iz-gnat)*

Rizznat is the god of Riddles, Puzzles, and hidden meanings. He is favored by puzzle makers, trap masters, writers, poets, tricksters, and diplomats. He is an interesting deity in that, obviously, he always speaks in riddles. He is known to have only spoken certainly on one occasion, during the crisis of the eye. Other times he often will speak riddles directly to his followers. Rizznat "releases" volumes of his riddles in books of exactly 859 riddles for each book. These riddles are each spoken by him to the church, and together they are said to speak his will. Each riddle has an answer, but oftentimes it is understood that each riddle is filled to the brim with hidden meaning between the lines. Riddles are often memorized by the faithful and quoted. Such as the following:

> "*Why do I fear myself*
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> *My friend*
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> *My mother*
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> *My love*
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> *And my end?'*"
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> ― Rizznat's Scripture: Volume 3, Riddle 33
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The answer, death, is often cited by worshipers of Rizznat as an example of his comforting ideas given through these riddles. Exact interpretations of these puzzles vary wildly between individuals and clergies, which Rizznat seems to support. Violence between these interpretations is not prevented by him, but it is sometimes limited by the clerics of Rizznat and his paladins. Opinions or questions of his teachings are encouraged.

##### The Crisis of the Eye

One of Rizznat's riddles once caused a full scale war between three different countries. This war went on for exactly 859 days before Rizznat intervened and explicitly stated the answer to the riddle, with the addition that there was NO hidden meaning. This conflict was named "The Crisis of the Eye" as the riddles answer was 'eye'.

## Calendar System

*Pictured above, The Gondari Calendar; the most prominent calendar in the modern age.*

There are 3 calendars in use within Folterran: the Gondari Calender, the Architect Calender, and the Ventur Calendar.

The Gondari calendar splits the whole year into 365 days. Each month is split into 7 day weeks and is 30 days long. There are five Holidays that exist outside the months, and an extra holiday called Crossroad every four years, acting as a leap day.

The Architect calendar does indeed include leap years as well, but instead of the even 30 day months it uses 18 months made up of 20 days with the same five holidays. This system is often used by architects and businessmen due to how exact it is. There are no weeks, instead each month divides nicely into quarters.

The Ventur calendar is lunar, and as such does not contain leap years. Instead it has 13 lunar months. The 13th month is used to "catch up" to the seasons and act as one giant prolonged holiday each year. A massive, multi week long festival is usually held in the Elven and Gnomish nations that use this calendar. The Ventur system is also often linked to the fey and lycanthropes due to its reliance on nature.

## Cultural Icons

Presti-Ball is a popular wizard sport where two teams of four players compete to send balls into a series of magical nets set around a large playing arena. The game can be played *either En-Terra*, on ground, or in flight, usually with rugs, brooms, or via the fly spell. Five goals are spread evenly around the field so a ball scores by being the color of a team. Teams cast prestidigitation on balls to make them change color, thus allowing them to score.

There are five balls. Two of these balls are Stickers, which are sticky and cannot be held with the hand unless cleaned off with prestidigitation- though the balls regain its stickiness in a minutes time. Stickers score only five points, and if they are thrown without being cleaned will stick to the net and cannot score any more points. There is one Drifter, which stays exactly level with the nets and has to be smacked with staffs or thrown with a cantrip to hit the nets. Drifters score 10 points. Then there is the Flash-Ball, which flashes brightly whenever it's touched by anything that isn't magic. It needs to be carried rather by Mage Hand or another clever technique. The Flash-Ball scores 15 points each. Lastly is the Sinker that, if it touches the ground, ends the round for all. After 11 rounds, whoever has the highest score wins.