>>45300495
I'll start us off. I was dumb enough to attach the pic I meant for this to the OP, but it'll have to do.

>The Spires of Lysandria
The Spires of Lysandria are situated in the small republic of Lysandria, A country governed by a leader elected from a pool of nobles. These spires, made from a mixture of obsidian and marble, are spread all over the republic, and where they stop, the republic's borders end. The spires were created a few centuries ago, by a band of magic users called the Bearded Saints. They are ought to channel the land's natural energies in a positive way, to keep men of ill intent from the lands of the Republic. The energy these spires release, however, manifests itself as little, ethereal creatures called Lysandersprits. These playful little creatures fly all over the country, but once someone off ill intent, such as a rapist or murderer steps within the sphere of influence of the pillars, they start swarming around this person. The more tainted one's soul is, the more spirits will be attracted to this person.

>>45300495
I wish there was a higher resolution of that pic anywhere, I'd use it for a wallpaper.

That said, how about we start with what is in that very picture?

Dropping this now - the setting is high-magic, to the point where natural spirits are visible to the naked eye, and animals may also posess basic magic, e.g. levitation, healing, and so on. That said, magic is easy to learn at a basic level, but very hard to master. On a scale of 1 to 10, ~70% of mages are in the 1-4 category, with another 20% in the 5-6 category.

A lot of building is done via geomancy, molding soil or stone into the desired shape to create monolithic and ornate structures rather than brick-building or carving. Both of the latter are signs of poverty. Building out of wood carries the risk of angering forest spirits and shouldn't be done without their consent, thus rare.

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I do not really have much imagination, but I hope this picture could inspire someone to write some cool stuff for this setting.

>>45300665
>A lot of building is done via geomancy, molding soil or stone into the desired shape to create monolithic and ornate structures rather than brick-building or carving. Both of the latter are signs of poverty. Building out of wood carries the risk of angering forest spirits and shouldn't be done without their consent, thus rare.

This is good, I love it!

>>45300717
Feel free to drop some artwork, as long as it doesn't turn into a copy of the current noblebright art dump thread.

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>The blue god Ith'Milil
One of the most prominent religious figures in the setting is the god Ith'Milil, often referred to as The Blue, Bluewings, or Bluebird. He is the god of a monotheistic religion, which thinks all in the world came from the sky and will return there. This is why the worshipers of Ith'Milil are often seen building improvements, cleaning buildings and caring for those that need care, for they do not wish to disappoint their god once the world reascends into heaven.

Worship of Ith'Milil often takes place in Blue Churches, churches built into the shape of Ith'Milil. In smaller communities, these buildings often also serve for a central kind of building, where gatherings and feasts are held.

>>45300717
This is the Northern pole. The closer you get to the actual pole, the more prevalent these bizzare ice structures become. They are the remnants of an ancient catastrophic event that occurred to the planet many millenia ago.

Back then, this was a sizeable and vast ocean. But everything changed (tm) when a comet of colossal size grazed the planet with such speed that it tore part of the atmosphere off like a blanket, shifting its orbit and tilting it without colliding. The temporary vacuum froze the surface water of what was now the North Pole into mind-boggling shapes which have eroded over the years to result in these spires.

The forest of icy spires that stretches for dozens of miles has been given various ominous names involving teeth and various other sharp objects, and is generally avoided; the only reason why people still come is the residue meteoric material embedded in the ice, and the metals contained in it.

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Cause I like you and I have nothing better to do OP, I'll contribute.

>The town of Koln is a mining outpost located deep in the Elder Wood, north of Republic of Lysandria. It's an autonomous community, made up of all kinds of folks from around the world, gathered to seek a new life in the mysterious Northern Wilds. The ore that's mined here is characterized by its alchemical properties, and is a key component into the creation of Philosophers Stones. As the demand for the ore grew, so did the town, and what was once a small camp has become a thriving fortress placed on the edge of civilization.

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At the Inn at the Crossroads you will find many hallways and many doors. Many of these doors lead to other inns in other worlds, some open onto places of wonder and wild adventure.

At the Inn, you will meet many strange individuals, some heroes of legend, some mysterious messengers with secrets beyond imagining. Some come here to trade in goods, and some in secrets, but most come to hear the tales told by adventurers and travelers. If you don't have gold for your food and drink, a story will do. Tell it well!

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The petty kingdom of Vastmerk up by the Tetra peninsula is known for it's King, The King has over the years made the kingdom prosper by building a trade port that could connect the kingdom to other nearby realms.
Vastmerk is also known for it's good quality food that is said to have been made by a recipe given to the royal chefs by a mysterious diety.

It's not much, but I wanted to contribute to the setting

The Rhapsodes of Veritas are an order of musicians and true-namers who believe that all of the energy of creation is bound up in a single chord of truth, which was sung at the birth of the universe and whose power reverberates even now, giving birth to new songs and life itself. They study the music of the spheres - the harmonic mathematical formula gleaned from the study of the stars and constellations. In this way, they learn ancient sounds - sometimes even complete words! - of power they weave together for spectacular effect. A true Rhapsodes can cure the sick, exorcise evil spirits, cause crops to flourish or even alter the weather with their mellifluous singing. Mostly itinerant, they meet annually at a grand old keep known as Harmony in the Valley of Ringing Bells. They can usually be identifies by their colourful scarves and the oxen who pull their colorful wagons - their antlers adorned with intricate scrimshaw and jingling chimes

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>>45301367

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>The Ahm Lynx Monks
The Ahm Lynx Monks are a secular order of monks living in the high mountain ranges of their own autonomous theocracy. It is a very small country, stretching for about twenty miles and about three miles wide. They live in grand halls, carved out of the collosal mountains of their country.

Most of them are catfolk, a rare race, who are rumored to be the descendants of a mystical cat that once saved his owner, a noble man of royal blood, from danger, but the details of this legend have been lost to the times.

The Ahm Lynx Monks believe in a religion that has no gods. For them, everything exists for no reason but to grow and wither. Their sect is ancient, mayhaps more ancient than the catfolk race, and they are avid collectors of art. Many of the great halls of their land are filled to the brim with statues, paintings and rare works of literature.

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The Hallowed Mountains are a large mountain range that runs up along the eastern coast of the continent, forming the great divide between the ocean and the dry, barren canyons it borders. The mountains themselves are inhabited by nomadic Dwarven tribes, who have recently united to form the Kovari Shogunate. The current Shogun has absolute power over all military matters, and a recent campaign against the Kobolds of the deep mountains has greatly expanded their territory deeper into the mountain range.

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>Yion, Guardian of the Greenlands

>The Greenlands

Yion is a literal force of nature personified in the form of a Stag/Tiger Chimera, being omniscient when it comes to what occurs with his vibrant domain, knowing and seeing all that enters the forest. He stands as an eternal guardian to the Greenlands, a forest 50 miles squared in size nestled and sheltered from the outside world by a circular ring of craggy mountains. The Greenlands themselves are a primordial forest, yet it is unlike any other normal forest. There are no animals in the Greenlands... except for Yion. As a result, the forest is virtually always in a state of perpetual silence. The forest itself is a vibrant place, full of blooming flowers, delicious fruits, towering trees and gorgeous greenery. Anything can thrive here. However, Yion keeps an eternal vigil on this peaceful land, and forbids any sentient race entry. He will appear peacefully to any interlopers at first, simply blocking their paths at first. If they persist, he'll snarl and growl. Push it any further and Yion strikes ferociously, using his immense physical strength to swipe with his oaken paws. Yion is also in the possession of remarkable nature oriented magical abilities. By the use of his arcane horns, he is able to manipulate the forest to do his bidding, roots, branches and vines springing to life to ensnare and strangle opponents. These horns are incredibly valuable and can be removed, providing their bearer this very same ability to use on any woodland. His blood is also a potent remedy for many grave illnesses. Good luck getting either of these though...

Yion has immense powers of regeneration, able to recover from the most mortal of wounds thanks to his spiritual link to the Greenlands (Where many rumoured treasures lie...), and if he is slain, he will be reincarnated in a new body, albeit months, years or even decades from his last death, potentially. Fire is his critical weakness as it can nullify his regeneration.

>>45302353
Since we have dwarves and kobolds, might as well submit some fair folk.

Munrakhi archipelago is a cluster of smaller islands spread to south and north from larger landmass, almost large enough to warrant being called a continent, extends almost all the way down to the south pole but is kept warm by powerful water current conducting warm waters from the equator. The islands are covered by temperate forests riddled with overgrown ruins full of mysterious and arcane artifacts and inhabited by endemic animal species, some of which appear to be sapient.
The region is controlled by the elves that are suspected to be descendants of empire that created the aforementioned ruins. Elves seem to worship a creator god, and many tenets of their faith seem similar to that of >>45300862 although they don't associate their deity with any material creature - perhaps because the blue birds are not native to the region?
Elvish society is adventurous and slightly individualistic, and elvish youth usually tend to aspire to one of two roles: Scholar, deciphering secrets of the precursors, or Voyager, commanding a crew and a ship on explores to unknown, alien lands.

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>>45303167

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>The Gardendom of Cantalysium
The Gardendom of Cantalysium is an odd country, for there is no real leader, no laws to abide to and no economy to speak of. It is a small-to-medium sized country, surrounded by a thick, ivy-covered wall of marble that is considered impenetrable. There is barely any contact with the outside world, and those that try to climb over, dig under or breach the wall seem to be stopped by an impenetrable barrier of the purest magic there exists. This barrier is transparant though, so all who manage to climb the walls can see what's going on inside; something that appears to be a palace garden, with houses conjured from the whitest marble and purest crystal scattered accross the colorful landscape.

The Gardendom of Cantalysium is the direct result of the words of the dying emperor Cantarion II, whose empire passed onto the next realm with him. With his last breath he muttered: "Oh, how I wish for every free man and woman to enjoy my palace garden. There is no feeling that surpasses the awe you experience when you realize that mankind has subdued his own mother, cruel nature, just for the sake of making her more beautiful than she could ever hope to be". And so, the foundation of the gardendom was laid. The very day after the emperor's death, his diligent subjects set out to make his last wish a reality.

1/?, still writing

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>>45303846
It was not long until most forests in the area were uprooted, most streams were relaid, most roads paved and most peasant villages transformed into beautiful mansions that made the wealthiest aristocrats green of jealousy. The garden continued expanding at an alarming rate, assimilating or destroying all that it encountered. Exotic beasts were introduced to amuse those that lived in the gardens, and magical fairies and spirits were purchased to tend to the garden and its inhabitants. Yet many people were affraid of what was approaching them, seeing only the destruction at the edges, and not the beauty that followed. The nymphs and dryads were affraid too, for they did not know what became of their cousins that were swallowed by the garden's borders.

The peasants, kings and magical creatures from outside started an immense revolt, and eventually managed to subdue the "Gardeners" into building a great wall, enforced with magic to protect them from the outside and the outside from them. A pact was made, and the Gardeners would focus on improving all that laid within these walls from now on, instead of merely expanding. This pact has been honoured until this very day, and the garden is more beautiful than it has ever been before.

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>>45304191
Living in the garden has been described as the ultimate pleasure by the few lucky outsiders that were allowed inside and wished to leave again. The population is far from dense, yet social activities are very common. Many nights are spent at banquets, masquerades or fancy balls. At daytime, one is usually found drinking exquisite wine or nectar in one of the many pavillions with their friends, whilst watching swans and other more exotic creatures waddle around and garding fairies do their jobs. Many of the local fairies and spirits enjoy their work greatly and love to have a chat with the local populace, something rarely seen outside of the Gardendom. Centuries of magical interbreeding with fairies, spirits and other inhabitants have made magic way more prevalent among the locals, and it is not uncommon to see fae-like characteristics such as fluorescent pieces of skin or feather growth among the populace. The Cantalysians might be the most diverse looking people, but their culture has had the chance to homoginise for centuries and there are no significant differences in the areas of the Gardendom.

Whilst working is in no way required, those that still choose to do so often find work in either the culinary sector or in entertainment, and artists are extremely common too. Sometimes, Cantalysians travel the world, looking for the best plays, ingredients or works of art. Such a travel is called an "Uiytjaher riyse", or a "Year of travel outside", and is a sort of coming of age ceremony. Many return, utterly shaken by the relative poverty of the outside world, swearing they will personally change it, but often returning to their hedonist lifestyle within days, never to go outside again. Rarely, foreign nobles, scholars or other persons of interest are allowed to enter the Gardendom, and very few choose to return. Those that do bring with them tales of unknown grandeur and luxury.
3/3, done.

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Lovely work everyone, keep it up!
>>45302353
One of the very few passes through the Hallowed Mountains is the Crimson River, a river that starts all the way in the middle of the continent. In some way, many suspect with the help of a lost civilization, this river managed to flow from the low desert, through the mountains, into the seal that lies beyond.

The Crimson river is quite shallow for a river, which makes it easily passable. It thanks its name to the fact that one month every year, a red species of algae blooms in it, turning the river into a thick, red sludge. These algae, when dried in the desert winds and salted with salt from the hallowed mountains, make for a healthy, albeit somewhat sandy, snack, and they are the ideal rations.

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The Kovari Shogunate is composed of 12 different clans, each with ancestral holdings and territories scattered across the Hallowed Mountains. The Kovari Dwarves are re-known for being able to make sharp blades, high quality blades despite the mountains poor ore quality. These blades represent a Clans honor, and are passed down through the generations from father to son. It's seen as a great dishonor to lose ones blade, and to see a Dwarf without a weapon of any sort marks them as an exile from their clan. The Dwarven clans themselves make a living as hunter-gatherers, using compound bows to hunt wild goats, buzzards, and the infamous giant eagles that lie at the top of the Hallowed Mountains. Each year, a representative from each clan meets at the World Pillar, a giant stone monument that is considered sacred to the Dwarven race, located in a cavern deep underground, to discuss political matters and to determine the best course of actions the Shogan must take come wartime.

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Bumping this up one time before I go to sleep, would love to see this thread alive and well when I wake up.

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>>45305841
I'll bump it too

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The Wanderers are an order of magic users, pilgrims and followers of the Kind God. Their baseline clothing is a simple hooded robe, but persons of appropriate characteristics have been reported to wear region-specific equivalent of simple, cheap, unassuming clothes, making it nearly impossible to identify them unless they manifest their allegiance. One or few of them are always present in the Crossroads Inn >>45301181

They may turn up at most unexpected locations in the wilderness and urban setting alike, often impersonating an impoverished pilgrim. When offered assistance, they reward benefactor with minor enchantments or lesser, practical magical items. When attacked, they defend themselves with proportionate magical force, ranging from minor curses against small-time thugs up to magical combat of power comparable to senior magicians of a respected school of wizardry. Hostile conduct against them is ill advised.

Their headquarters and education centre is located in an ancient monastery that predates the order itself and still holds mysteries unknown even to leadership of the order along with store of magical tomes and artifacts that provides the order with funding and resources, although this is bolstered with donations of informed, benevolent patrons - usually the kind that would hang out in Crossroads from time to time. Trade in information is another, less well known source of funding for the Order, although the Order is very careful with information it provides to avoid supporting any nefarious agenda.
The order has safehouses in many major population centres, all well hidden, some of them connected with local charity or clergy of compatible (i.e. good-aligned) faiths.

Imposters and rogue agents are dealt with swiftly and with minimal necessary force, although in case of determined corrupt Wanderer such force may grow quite substantial.

>>45302152
>secular order of monks
>autonomous theocracy

What?

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Feel free to use this if you like.

>>45308080
You painted this yourself m8? Very nice.

It feels more symbolic than something that could be used directly, unless you wanted a nation of tiny people living in forest inhabited by levitating jellyfish and seeing green.

>>45308184
>You painted this yourself m8?
I wish! I just found it on an art discussion a few months ago and I saved it.

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"Goldfingers" is the name of a Fire Demon who once inhabited the Underworld. He was in charge of guarding the Underkings throne room from interlopers. However, he was cursed with an all consuming greed that surpassed any other desire, and was banished from the underworld and cursed with mortality for selling the Underkings Crown to an adventurer whom he was supposed to stop.

Today, he is the master of a large merchant guild run by him and his children, seeking to make a profit selling whatever goods money could buy.

He appears as a large, burning ifrit covered in robes and wielding a scimitar. He and his ilk have wandered the inner desert for many centuries, trading goods and traveling long distances in large merchant caravans, going where ordinary men could not go without tiring of becoming fatigued.

The Ifrit themselves are all offspring of Goldfingers, raised among the guild and brought up with the same lust for coin of their progenitor. This has lead to many Ifrit to leave the guild and instead seek their fortune as an adventurer in the lands beyond the desert oasis'.

The Sarossian Federation was born at the end of the last era. A highly maritime entity, its cities and towns are on nearly every coast. Originally populated by Humans and the Elves who taught them the fine craft of sailing and shipbuilding, it now claims constituents of nearly every race.
Given how far flung their different ports and population centers are, much autonomy is given to each local ruler, and this effect has trickled down to even lowliest peasants, and individuality is celebrated. As such democracy and variations thereof are the predominant forms of governance.
Landed nobility and hereditary titles are rarely heard of. Indeed, it is a common practice for wealthy families to foster their children with poorer families, and decide at a given age if the child is worthy of the wealth and advantage that their family can pass down to them.
More prestigious than land owned is ships owned. These ships may serve any purpose, for all are useful and play their role in the livelihood of the port.
The Sarossians wield considerable power over the waterways, and their banners alone are usually enough to scare off pirates. Each port fields its own naval component for self defense and patrolling. Additionally, each port donates a given number of ships, based on city-size, to a roving Federal fleet, who actively hunt pirates and sea monsters, and offer aid to any stranded, lost, or damaged ships they find. Service in this naval body is voluntary and extremely prestigious, and is seen as one of the highest forms of civil service.
Ports breed life, and lots of it, and the Sarossians have developed a method of combatting overcrowding that has lent itself to their spread. Whenever a city reaches too much population, they ask for volunteers, and, after locating a suitable spot, they send out a colonization fleet. To be a city's founding member is considered to be a great honor, and people from all walks of life eagerly invest their livelihoods to the venture.

There's an old cultural tradition in the continent were people congregate in the natural hot springs of Cantaria after the end of a serious war between two or more nations. Only men with a prestigious background can go and it usually ends in a happy sexual way.

The City of Erderos is world renowned for their yearly riding bird race, an event that has the racers rush around the city's walls twenty time before a mad dash towards the city center for the Gilded Statue of Erderos and the win.

Otherwise the city relies on it being the end point of a number of trade routes both by land sea, the most famous and lucrative the Spice Route of Kovari.

The Elven Kingdom of Aelinké is noted for it's warm weather, fine wines and nigh boundless bounty of staple crops. These crops have served the kingdom well over the last few centuries in ensuring that the neighboring kingdoms are able to buy food cheaply during droughts or other harsh weather. These neighboring states now ally with the Elves, defending their lands almost as fiercely as their own.

Bumpo

In my travels across the land I've seen many wonders: A Lysandrian spring ritual where playful sprites rejuvenate the land, ensuring good harvest. I’ve listened as two Rhaspodes exchanged soul fragments with each other. Their song so joyous, so pure that the entire world has heard it. The musicso powerful that it has finally laid low Tarlion’s plague-song. I’ve watched a Kovari smith present his life’s work to his daughter, a ring so beautiful that a wandering kami chose the ring for its abode, blessing the smith and his daughter with good fortune. I was fortunate enough to be granted entrance into the halls of the reclusive Ahm Lynx. I have plucked fruit from the Hanging Gardens of Cantalysium, the taste of purple sunshine laying low all other fruits.

But dear reader, it is not these wonders that I wish to speak of today. No, I speak of the town of Koln.

Less of a town and more of a camp, a place where hard work and danger lurk in every corner.

Nothing was more wondrous than the town of Koln. For those of you who know if it, you may look upon me like a fool, like a doddering old man.

For all the joy and protection Lysandria offers, the spires judge by the weave of one’s soul. The whys and hows of the weave are irrelevant, only that the thread is disharmonious. In truth I suspect that a sickness is growing in Lysandria, the sickness of being right and good for so long that all others become lesser.

1/2

Also there's a word for writing down a speech for future generations to read it right? Or am I just crazy.

Needs more knights

>>45311841

What of the Rhaspodes and their joyous union? True, their love song saved many from Tarlion’s hate-fire, but even years after Tarlion’s downfall they devote themselves so singlemindedly to making amends that they forget to look to the future. I have seen as scarves have passed from parent to child and with them so too do the shackles of the past. It is not for no reason that Veritas’ children dwindle like wheat before Her scythe. It is not for no reason that this is the first union we have heard of in so many years.

The Kovari Shogunate has unified the dwarves of the Hallowed Mountains and truly their culture of dedication to a craft and hospitality is a sight to behold. But the Shogun’s grasp on the clans remains tenuous. Desperately to buy time for his rule to steady itself he has made scapegoats of the many tribes of kobolds whom they once shared their home with. Displacing many and slaughtering those who will not abandon their homes.

The Ahm Lynx? They retreat from the world, content to watch it from the sides, already resigned to futilely record and collect all when those fragments could never hold capture the riotous colors, sounds and noises that is life. They wait for Her, not knowing that She would never want us to give up willingly what she sacrificed herself for us to have.

Cantalysium is paradise. That there can be no contesting. But it is a paradise for the few and only the few.

2/3

>>45311903
No, Koln is the most amazing of wonders because it is a chrysalis. Human, godling, kobold, dwarf, elf, fae or lynx, it matters not. History or culture? There is the struggle to survive, to better the community. All else pales before mutual survival. Only your skill, your dedication, your spirit and cooperation matter.

Against the unyielding might of nature, the various factions that comprise Koln have come together to create a song no Rhaspode can match. A fruit purple sunshine cannot match. A painting the Ahm cannot capture. It is a the beginnings of a symphony, a place where the future can be defined solely by the actions of the present.

Koln is the fragilest of promises that all beings may shed the shells they were born with, that we may define ourselve not as what we are born as or what scarves our forbears give us, but as what we decide to become.
~Excerpt of Houtai’s speech to the Inn at the Crossroads. Written by Scribe Lorun. Dated to B.T.R (Before Tarlion’s Retribution)

3/3

>tfw when you had to expand to 3 posts but didn't plan for it.

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The Faerie Alliance is a kingdom hidden in the forested cliffs of Mt. Feyfall. They are the ultimate magical authority of the world, in league with Aelinke. They create wands and staffs of their immortal trees. Their patron races are certain elves, gnomes, faeries, and others that have settled there.

Tik Tak is a Kobold scholar, and the oldest kobold to have ever lived and has accompanied many different famous adventurers in his time. He accompanied the famous Ifrit warrior, Trionus, and wrote an epic poem about his travels, his most famous being of his journey to the Elder Wood to slay an ancient Fae Dragon who was terrorizing the infant settlement of Koln. Since then, he traveled to almost all around the known world and is known as a hero among the Kobolds. Unfortunate that his original writings were lost during the siege of the Kobold fortress of Undermire by the Kovari Shogunate.

>Hiashem

God of love, forgiveness, charity, mercy, kindness. Champion of the weak, lost, & helpless. A very friendly, humble, calm, and wise God. The sort you'd want comforting you when everything has gone to shit. .

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>>45314850
The Desert of Kenal is a strange place. Sandy dunes constantly shift, forming small bowls where water elementals congregate for a time before losing their form. Pooling in the hollows of the dunes, they form small oasis of deep blue and green. This has led to the Kenal Tribes constant dune to dune travels, fishing all the sand fish up in one small lake only to move to the next.

>>45315303
Holy shit, I thought these were just little pools until I saw those people.what is the sauce of this?

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>>45306797
The Shattered plains:
Once home to the first empire these fractured lands are all that remain of the most powerful civilisation the world has ever known. Thousands of years ago the balance of power was destroyed when the god king's heir was born not alone but as a set of identical twins, Alpha and Omega.
When the old god king died the empire was thrown into chaos, A civil war rang throughout the lands and all other lesser races cowered and hid as the war raged. Finally all that was left was the shattered plains.
The only people that remain on the plains are the cult of Alpha and Omega made from priest of races who remember the first empire. They pray to the Eternal twins, hoping for the victor to return and once again raise the mightiest empire ever known.

>>45316226
Lencois Maranhenses national park in Brazil. Area is sandy (but not a desert) that is just out of the amazon basin so it gets lots of rain. Rain pools in these little lakes between the dunes. Shits real insane and beautiful.

>>45316281
That doesn't really sound, and definitely doesn't look noblebright.

>>45316911
God damn it really is

>>45315303
Looking at this, I am suddenly seeing an easy way to make rather nice desert terrain with a lot of sight-blocking dunes...

>>45317203
Sorry story is about the replied to photo, pic i posted i just find nifty, a good story/villian/world is only as good as the bad guys

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>>45317203
>That doesn't really sound, and definitely doesn't look noblebright.
Not him, but it could be just part of history. Perhaps the setting was not always noblebright, but underwent a transition, and these cultists are among the relics of the darker age.

At any rate, someone requested more knights, so what about these guys:

The Scales - This chivalrous order serves as peacekeepers, outlaw hunters and honor guards in Munrakhi confederacy. They ride reptilian flyer mounts of various sorts, and most accomplished among them bond with drakes, mighty and intelligent species of lesser dragons that perches high in mountains of the archipelago. They believe that legendary heroes of their order, sometimes referenced among uncovered precursor artifacts, bonded with true dragons.

They can be seen accompanying confederate dignitaries on diplomatic missions, out abroad when in pursuit of a dangerous outlaw, providing security to scholars surveying ruins in dangerous regions, patrolling the waterways between the isles and one or two sometimes accompany a larger naval expedition.

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>>45317324

Or these ones:

Dreambringers - This knightly order began as a ridiculed enterprise when a wealthy Vastmerkian noble, a baron Mungo spent most of his ancestral fortune his on building an hall for an order of knights that would travel the realm rescuing innocents and fighting all wickedness, outfitting it with imported Kovari weapons and armour and then riding off to parts unknown.

After a while, tales of unlikely adventures and misadventures began trickling back in by means of bards. The hall fell into disrepair in absence of its master and its armory was pillaged by local thieves, but baron Mungo's idea seemed to survive against all odds, just like the mysterious knight errant in the bard stories. And so one day a group of disillusioned nobles from Vastmerk and several other nations, upon hearing a bard sing one of ballads presumed to describe Mungo's exploits, swore an oath to restore the hall and uphold Mungo's ideals.

These knights would become the first Dreambringers, mocked only marginally lest than their spiritual liege they managed to renovate the order hall and even recover few of Kovari blades when they broke up a local smuggler ring. From that day on, the Dreambringers, easily identified by their genuine imitation Kovari weapons (after much deliberation, most of recovered blades were resold to fund regular weapons and armour for new recruits, but one of the swords is put on display in the order hall), flamboyant tabards and exaggerated speech, are frequently seen patrolling the countryside, performing romantic theatrics and lending their arm to causes others would consider lost.

>>45317551
>lest
less*

>>45317551
>>45317324
The fact that many of baron Mungo's tales involved slaying of evil dragons sours relationship between the two orders. While both recognize value and valor of their counterparts, they are also known of mocking each other in their respective downtime, and thanks to this rivalry they are not quick to cooperate. This can lead to friction in the rare cases where their duties bring them towards shared objective, as occasionally happens when a Scale pursues a criminal into territory patrolled by Dreambringers, or when Dreambringers come to deal with some ancient menace Munrakhi scholars may have inadvertently unearthed during their expeditions abroad.

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Universe (Multiverse?) is boundless and presumed to go on forever. Nobody knows if it has a beginning or an end, although some claim to.

Stories never truly end, and when one appears to, it could be seen as beginning of a new one.

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Magic waste

Thousands of years ago, a mage of unlimited power was jealous of Kind God's power, and decided to seize his power. Years and years have passed, he collected artiffact from all around the world, gathering magical energy enough to destroy a god. The land itself was transformed with his twisted power, towers of glass and fire rose across the forgotten planes. However, once he attempted to warp into the Kind God's domain, a powerful explosion tore mage's land apart. His soul torn asunder, his work- ruined. The very laws of nature seize to exist that very moment. Mountains covered in magic runes rose around that land, shielding the life outside from the calamity of the vortex. And as fast as it appeared- it vanished, leaving a waste of magic, filled with eldritch creatures and relic from another time and reality. Only the bravest of the adventurers dare to enter the realm of pure chaos and magic, searching for artifacts of unimaginable power and unattainable knowledge.
However it is unknown what caused such devastation. Some say, that in his search for power, this mage have meddled with someone far beyond his reach.

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Working on a shitty map, coastline in the south-eastern part is still wip. Any things that should be different?

>>45313197
Building on this:

Trionus was one of the most exceptional warriors in recent memory. An Ifrit, he grew up among the Desert Walkers Guild, but gold was never among the things he coveted. Instead, he desired adventure, and his wanderlust would lead him to travel to the republic of Lysandria, then ruled by a tyrant who had usurped the republic and proclaimed himself king. Joining a group of resistance fighters, Trionus was able to defeat the king and restor the republic back to Lysandria. Now known as the Hero of the North, Trionus went on to perform many more good deeds, and meet many new friends. He died 20 years ago at the age of 135, still healthy as ever, fighting and slaying a rogue angel of the God of death.

For this, a shrine was erected to him in the Lysandrian capital, where people still go to give thanks to the burning hero whose deeds brought much peace to the world.

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>>45318698
for my two cents I'll just say that if that archipelago to the right is meant to be the elven one, it seems to be pretty far up north for it to reach to south pole, and it was meant to have a dominant landmass among it. But whatever you feel fits best, m8. You've got a lot of work if you're serious about reconciling all this fluff, even if posters seem to have been careful not to conflict with each other.

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>>45318795
Whoops, completely looked over some of those details. Is this better? Incredibly wip coastline, will add some more islands.

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>>45318847
Sure, cheers man.

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Damn, I had some nice images of monsters peacefully interacting with humans on my old PC. This is all that remains.

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Coastlines are done, will do stuff like countries and water depth now

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Located off the coast of Aelinke, Northeast of the Desert of Kenal, lies the island of Glorian, characterized mainly by its enormous volcano, Mount Glorian, rising up from the ocean floor. Glorian is a beautiful place, but one which was too insignificant and small to care about until a fleet of pirates became shipwrecked there 50 years ago. These pirates found that Ash salts gathered from the volcanos edge can be made into potent healing salves. Thus, the town of Hidden Cove was born, made from remenants of the wrecked gallon the Pirates sailed in. The town has attracted quite a few settlers, seadog and landlubber alike, seeking to make a new life studying, gathering, or processing the Ash Salts generously provided by the volcano. The city itself, while technically a protectorate of Aelinke, enjoys trade with the Sarossian Federation more than anyone else, leading to a heated disputed among Glorians as to wether it be wise to defy the Aelinke, who are notoriously protectionist, and instead join the Sarossians.

>Archipel

No one knows exactly what Archipel is. Some say he is a God, others say he's a legend and there are those who think him a monster.

All that's known for sure is that whenever this worm or snake - like being of massive proportions leaves fertile islands wherever he burries into or out of the ground.

Many an island and archipelago have been created over the years...

>The Rightious Council of Five Paragons
Up until a few decades ago, political turmoil among the mortal races was all too common. Assassination, corruption, constant war, it seemed as thought there was nothing to keep in check the rise and fall of powerful states. It took a mage known as Yithri wielding an artifact of enormous power to bring lasting peace once and for all to the Kingdoms. Yithri himself was an Archmage who had lived through the reign of many Lysandrian tyrants, his school of Magic many times being suppressed, extorted, and once nearly exterminated. Wearing the Crown of the Underking (which gave him control over the spirits of the departed), Yithri sent a message to all the surrounding states, inviting their leaders to send diplomats to discuss the formation of a new political order. Knowing him to be a Mage of fantastic power, many of them agreed and those that did not were later destroyed by the Archmage and his ethereal legions.

Using his political clout, Yithri formed what is now known as the Rightious Council, an organization determined to settle diplomatic disputes peacefully. Headed today by Yithris chosen successor, the Council is made up of representatives from almost all nations, with a select five being elected every 5 years as "paragons" of governance that the other states should exemplify. It's a great honor to be elected a paragon as the position brings much prestige and pride to the nation. While the process is in essence democratic, it's usually influenced by the states political power as well as its economic influence. Lysandria, for example, has been among the paragons since the Councils inception, and there's usually a pattern between who retains a seat and the economic strength of a nation.

The current paragons are Lysandria, Aelinké, Sarossia, Cantalysium, and Erderos.

>>45319794
Hmmm... sounds like Yithri is "just" a powerful power-mad necromancer that browbeat major nations into joining his puppet council. I can sooner imagine these nations forming an impromptu alliance to defeat him, and then agreeing to keep the council as platform to discuss major diplomatic issues and in case any new global threat appeared.

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>in the noble brightness of third era, evil overlords still surface from time to time

>>45308029

I think he meant atheistic.

The two terms are close but different.

I propose that the night sky is particularly beautiful. As the stars move, the magical leylines of the realms interact to highlight constellations, so that every few nights a different pattern of stars is highlighted. These constellations dipict ancient heroes and virtuous deeds, as told in the tales of every region. The collective power of awe and admiration feeds into the magic of the land. Because every place has its own mythology or heroes or beliefs, the constellations change depending upon where you are. In many places, young people are told that one day, if they are brave enough or wise enough or lucky enough they can be remembered in the sky.

When there is war between nations, the night sky above battles reflects the conflict as two constellations appear to be sparring.

Some gods have more influence when different constellations are showing. Some people swear that in times of personal trouble or confusion, while star-gazing they have felt a god communicating with them through a constellation, giving advice or encouragement or inspiration. As such, star-gazing is popular in many places among young people.

Excursions by Pyromancers to find the source of all fire claim to have found it. The Burning One, living in the heart of a mighty volcano far to the south, he is a sympathetic being and will meet visitors, scholars and magicians seeking to learn control and mastery over fire in all forms. Those who have met him may no longer have any eye-brows, but claim that the Burning One was an enthusiastic conversationalist, keen to learn of what lies beyond his Volcano. A number of his worshippers have taken it upon themselves to always carry a lit brazier upon themselves, through which the Burning One can behold the world.

He enjoys being sat upon porches and overlooks where he can see the sunrise, though he finds sunset distressing and asks for his braziers to be carried inside as the night rolls in.

>>45300862
>Ith'Milil
Can I just say how annoying I find the "apostrophe in a word means its a fantasy and/or alien word" trope? What's wrong with Ithmilil? Or Ith Milil?

>>45320714
I'll be more constructive, because I realize I was being unduly negative.

What exactly does the apostrophe MEAN in the language the name originates? In English, an apostrophe in a word means one of two things: either it's a compound word or it's possessive.

I could see where the God has a very long proper name, one that is cumbersome to write in entirety, and so Ith'Milil is a shorter version, a contraction.

>>45320714
What if Ith'Milil isn't just one god, but twin gods who are generally indistinguishable (one Ith, one Milil)? So perhaps it could be Ith-Milil instead.

Maybe because the brothers share 99% of the same ideology, they are worshipped together and treated as a single entity. So people in the church of Ith-Milil only learn that it is two gods at extremely high positions. And part of learning more in the religion is learning the extremely slight nuances between the two. Ith and Milil don't mind being worshipped together by most people, but they REALLY like it when someone can tell them apart.

Thoughts?

>>45311841
>Also there's a word for writing down a speech for future generations to read it right? Or am I just crazy.
Memoir?

>>45320803
If it's a singing avian god, the apostrophe might be put in place for sound man can't reliably replicate.
if it's a god of exiles, the apostrophe might represent the homeland exiles have lost, and god's name in their homeworld - or in the celestial plane if the exile took place from something akin to garden of eden - might be something like Ith(something)Milil, like for instance IthlixtMilil.
Alternatively the worshippers are not allowed to speak the true name, or even unworthy of knowing it.
Or it's just word where apostrophe fits because it's not from english, and Ithmilil would be pronounced wrong while Ith Milil means something completely different.

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Map progress!
I think I've got every country, might be mistaken though.

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>>45321386
It will probably take time for people who contributed the various nation to opine.

>>45321386

Don't forget the Greenlands! Sorry, just had the idea brewing for a while, didn't want to waste it :)

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>>45323086
My apologies, added now!

>>45320550
That still doesn't make sense.

You can't have an atheist theocracy.

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>The Broken Boughs

Nobody knows what this ragged Knightly Order wants, only that they wander. They slowly plod along great city roads, down country lanes and village squares. All with no obvious destination, only that they move Northwards. Many view them as an omen of ill fortune, locking their doors or giving them a wide berth when-ever they come near. They are not aggressive however, if anyone blocks their path they simply attempt to move them aside or go round. If some ignorant knave or curious monster draws a weapon however, the entire band springs to life. They unsheathe their rusted swords from their dull green sheaths, lunging towards their opponent relentlessly. Their bodies are entirely wooden, and creak and groan as such. They do not take wounds like mortal men, how can one fell a tree with a mere sword? Let alone one actively trying to spill your guts. They are no true knightly order, only referred to as such due to their attire, armour old and decrepit. There are many tales of how they came to be, but the most widely believed tale is that they are the lost sons of a Great Oak, blown away as seedlings and enchanted with fae sorcery, searching for their parent. Nobody really knows, for the Boughs do not speak or at least not in the way warm-blooded folk do. Anyone sensible however, knows it is best to steer clear when the Broken Boughs come shuffling by.

>>45323483
As the elf guy I think it's a fitting place all things considered (occasional sapient beasts, legacy of old empire scattered throughout the land), but from the way greenland anon described the place I get the vibes of it being more readily accessible by wanderers from other nations.
Also I'm not sure how big it should be, seeing as it's magically sustained territory for a single entity but that's also something for greenlands anon to determine.

>>45323483
Sarossian Federation-anon here. This map looks fucking awesome dude. I'm running this setting next chance I get.
I'm extremely proud of all the contributions here, and thrilled to see all the little red areas on this glorious map.
Also, Standby for more information on the Sarossians.

>>45319902
Yithri guy here, that could pretty much be what happens. Yithri gets too overconfident, thinks he's invulnerability, then finds that he's been outsmarted by the other nations working together to counter him, so he has to accept reduction in his power over the council.

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Anyone got any ideas for dragons in such a noblebright setting? Different sub-species etc.?

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>>45300495
>Darkvale Commune

Northwest of the Magic Wastes lies the Endless Mire, a swamp that reaches across the land, stopping just short of the coast. It's here, deep within the inner swamps, that one may find a community of Druids of all races, known to the outside world as a place to go if you are unsatisfied with civilization.

Known as the Communes of Darkvale, these misfits are radical idealists, envisioning a world where cities and nations are a thing of the past, replaced only with with small communities working within their (and likewise, the lands) best interests. The idea of ownership of property, even ones mind, is completely abolished in favor of acting totally on behalf of the community. Their radical beliefs haven't exactly caught on though, and they occupy unclaimed territory in the Mire, though do not declare it there's as they don't believe in borders. That said, the communities they live in are characterized only by a single communal hall carved only out of a single dead tree. It's where the community sleeps, eats, and goes about their daily business.

Crime, dishonesty and laziness are virtually unknown, as the collective thoughts of all the inhabitants are examined by the community Dreamwarden as they sleep, looking for vice or otherwise seeking to improve communal happiness one soul at a time. This breach of privacy, considered abhorrent in most cultures, has become an accepted part of living in Darkvale.

The communities are run by a Grovekeeper, who serves to mediate the opinions of all, be they man, plant, or beast, in community decisions. The idea is that to avoid all possible reasons for conflict is the gateway towards the creation of a utopia. Many of Darkvales residents believe this utterly, and find it disgusting how people in other nations allow individuals to own huge properties while there are street beggars who have no homes at all.

>>45325123
I imagine the "True" dragons, fully sapient, majestic creatures size of a small ship could be excessively rare, opting to life in solitude. Some could be veterans of previous lost empires, contemplating the lost civilisations or watching the new ones from sidelines, grieving for their lost friends, unwilling to make new ones. They could be hoarding knowledge. Some of them could take on form of "lesser" species, walk among them as scholars - teaching them, or just working together with them to further their own research.

Or it could be that majority of them are dormant at any given time, with only a few of them soaring in the skies to survey the world below, or just to feel alive.

Then there could be lesser dragons, or drakes. Similar in form to true dragons but less powerful and growing less large. Or perhaps just adolescent dragons, more adventurous and willing to get into fight than their elders, and the more aggressive ones tending to get themselves killed before they reach size and age of a true dragon.
I'm not sure if they should be sapient or just exceptionally intelligent beasts.

And finally there could be various other reptilian species that only share with dragons passing resemblance.

Alternatively only various reptiles, up to exceptional drakes, could be "natural", while "true" dragons are fully magical beings, perhaps some of them previously being "normal" people who achieved such power that they transcended their original shells and forged a new form, epitome of might, cunning and/or wisdom. This dragonification process could be ancient knowledge, akin to path to lichdom in other settings, that got associated with reptilian form because wizards who originally developed it held reptiles (drakes or their precursors) in high reverence for cultural and/or religious reasons. This would also allow for wider variety of dragon aesthetics as opposed to having dragons be a "normal" natural species.

>>45325123
>Excerpt from "On the Study of Dragonkind" by Satashi Ironbrand, famous Kovari explorer and literary scholar.

The main subspecies of Dragon, Dracosauris gigantus, are found far to the North, within the vast expanse of the Frozen Forests. These Dragons can reach up to 20 meters in length, and their dens are made from many felled tree branches, much in the same design as a beaver, though much, much larger. The scales of Dragons helps insulate the beast from the biting cold, and keeps their bodies warm enough to survive tempuratures as low as -80 degrees Celsius. They're omnivorous and survive the winter by eating moose and pinecones before hibernating the remaining 5 months. Their only natural predator is the oversized Dire bear, which hunts young Dragonlings before they grow too large.

Dragons don't actually "breath" fire, though they be beasts, they have an instinctual knowledge of spellcraft that allows them to cast various elemental "breaths" on a moments notice.

The local Frostfury trolls of the Frozen Forest tend to leave most dragons alone, as their culture believes them to be demons that eat the souls of the wicked dead. Still, I was lead by my guide to the nearby den of a brood of 4 Dragons. If anything should be said when near these creatures, is don't bring any fish with you if you don't want to become a cooked entrée. Dragons can't stand the smell of fish.

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>>45325545
+20 to everything in this.
I also think qute pseudo-dragons are an absolute must have

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>>45325928

Small reptiles living/hatched in areas with high ambient magic granting them intelligence and powers?
Or perhaps conjured familiars, another art developed and perfected by ancient magic users? Or byproduct of research aimed at developing or rediscovering the dragon form?

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Amidst the vast Refran desert lies a great monolith, around which countless oases spring. They have supposedly done so since the instant that the Sage Refrennar was born here into a nameless nomadic tribe. Refrennar grew strong andtall amongst the new properity of his people, and travelled the world seeking wisdom and truth.

He found much of both, but not enough to satisfy him, so when he returned home he bade his people travel to the four corners of the world, to spread what he had learned and take knowledge in return, which they would gather at the great Oasis.

Centuries later, the caverns inside the monolith hold the greatest library in the world and a pilgrimage to the Oasis is considered the mark of a true scholar. Some venture there in search of the higher truth Refrennar sought, others the more worldly knowledge his followers gathered, but if there is any place where answers lie, it is at the Oasis.

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>Outsider's legion

An army of cultists, dedicated to worship the Outsider, a mysterious person from beyond this reality. This faction had appeared shortly after the creation of the Magical Waste, guarding the world from the things that lie beyond the runic mountains. Their interactions with the other sentient beigs of this world is sparse, but also destructive. Appearing out of nowhere, destroying a city or two and then leaving- such was the way they had interacted with the outside world for centuries. Although they appear barbaric and cruel, it appears that they were targeting rebeillion hedquarters, man kings and powerful necromancers, who lived in the areas they've pillaged. It seems that someone is pointing them at targets, to prevent destabilisation in the land. Most people claim, that they are nothing more than a bunch of terrorists, but only The Kind God knows the true answer, and he won't speak of it.

>>45320650
I love how quaint this idea is. Fire is all too often linked to either destructive or hot-headed tendencies, so its nice to see an (ironically) chill fire entity

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>>45300495
What about Sea Dwarves? I mean, yeah, when you hear "dwarf" you don't think of a maritime culture, but bear with me for a second.
Maybe they build great cities, fortresses and, why not, fishing villages in huge cliffs by the sea. I could really see those sea dwarves being traders and sailors, similar to the Byzantines/Greeks.
I'm thinking of something like this:
>The enormous Sosae Cliffs are home to many dwarven nations.
>This trading kingdoms, republics and city-states are the successors of a once mighty empire whose capital was conquered by nomadic human tribes.
>Although they share a similar culture, this dwarves will still fight eachother for territory or control over the trade routes.
>Although they are very open to outsiders, there are some parts of their mountainhomes where outsiders are forbidden entrance. Rumors say that, under the Sosae Cliffs, there is an enormous underground ocean, unseen by human eyes, richer and more dangerous than any surface waters known to man.

>>45300625
So, basically Switzerland with faeries.

>>45300862
>Fish for the seagull god!

>>45301367
Magic Gypsies. I like it.

>>45305841
Well, that's a pic that might aswell get some context...
>The Rossnyk Hussars
The Polrenski Confederation is a very diverse nation. Its vast lands encapsulate many different cultures and peoples, all under the rule of the High Kings of the Polrenski people, after years of conquests, royal marriages and alliance.
The most fearsome warriors of the Confederation come from the easternmost reaches of it, in the Rossnyk Marches. Those lands were taken from the tribes of Rossnyk barbarians of the Eastern Steppes, and later used as a buffer between the Confederation proper and the untamed wilderness beyond. Although order and civilization was brought to that savage region after the conquest, the conquered Rossnyks still keep their warlike culture and traditions, wich include the taming of the great steppe bears, terrifying oversized bears used as mounts by the elites of the Rossnyk clans. Still, this "bear hussars" are very different from the almost-naked bear riding savages inhabiting the unconquered steppes. The Rossnyk Hussars are heavily armored and very disciplined, and has prooven to be the most elite of the Confederate soldiers, and kingdoms from all over the known world spend fortunes in hiring their services as mercenaries.

Separate from the work going on in this thread, I've been working on a setting for a while that could very well fit into the Noblebright genre, though with one or two slightly grimdark factions or entities.

Basically a setting where the Gods walk the earth, doing cool shit (though they don't really interact with or ever acknowledge the present of mortal beings), all of whom are really fucking old and usually abstract or non-humanoid in appearance. There are also Demigods, heroes and vilains who, through methods unknown, reach a point where they stop simply being incredibly skilled warriors and mages, and start being unstoppable superhumans.

There's an Imperial Princess, a young woman named Octavia, in the west who was made Inspector General in the imperial army by her father, mostly as a means of letting her join the Legion without actually being in any danger. Wouldn't you know it, a lot of her "surprise inspections" of strategically important frontline camps coincided with enemy attacks, sometimes within the hour of her arrival. Octavia got into the nasty habit of routing said enemy raids, then pursuing them back to their bases (sometimes in well supplied fortresses) and capturing their strongholds.

At some point the men who followed her began to worship her as a Valkyrie and a Goddess of War, referred to by most as "The Red Lady". At some point, it began to stick. Octavia is now in her 70s, and hasn't noticeably aged in over 40 years. A few of her honor guard seem to be paladins, but when asked which god they worship, they answer "I serve only my Red Lady."

And that's just one of many examples I have under my hat right now.

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>>45327547
In an amusing twist, the Eastern Steppes also form western frontier of Voymir Empire which upon inspection by travelers from other parts of the globe (the world still needs a name btw) shares striking resemblance to Polrenski confederation in terms of language, mannerisms and social structure, including conviction of superiority vis-a-vis their neighbor - when they chose to acknowledge its existence as a political entity that is.

Voymir empire is also known for its mercenaries, only in their case the best known are its mounted archers riding flightless birds of dark plumage.

Boisterous rivalry between the two realms has become topic of many a humorous song, and their clashes throughout history are remembered in numerous ballads. Adventurers of either nation are regarded as hardy, loyal fighters, and while they rarely work together in a single troupe, it's not entirely unheard of and in fact is one of core topics of a few well known heroic sagas.

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>>45328689
was meant for >>45328148

>>45320650
>After years and years of preilous journeys, we finally found the source of all fires... Turns out he was a bro.