Table of contents
- The Reliquaries
- The New Gods
- Aldae, Goddess of the Astral Plane
- Davien, God of Gamblers and Thieves
- Elmourn, God of Protection
- Faemoara, Goddess of Lust
- Kraken Boors, God of Valor and Battlefields
- Lamia, Goddess of Revelry
- Os’Mhorigan, God of Pain and Pestilence
- Raes Tilmira, Goddess of Retribution
- Sillmerian, Goddess of the Abyssal Sea
- Talmorhan Von’Drer, God of the Broken
- The Twins, God and Goddess of Magic
- Abyssal Sea
- Divine Magic versus Abyssal Magic
Use this information to prepare your campaign. You can also share it with your players as needed.
I shamelessly use Esperanto as a con-lang for this setting. If at anytime you see a word and wonder how to pronounce it, it’s most likely Esperanto. To that point, consider Esperanto to be the ‘common’ tongue within the world.
The Reliquaries
Each landmass floating within the Abyssal Sea is called a Reliquary, for each holds the last living Relic, an Exemplar of the dead god Palaghast. Individually, they are named after their respective Exemplar. To help distinguish the Reliquary from the Exemplar, mortals append the prefix Pala- to the name.
Exemplar
The Nine Relics, the last physical manifestations of Palaghast, beings of such vast divine might they are able to grant powers to their adherents – these are the Exemplar. After the Rending the world was beset by daemons. What remained of the People were forever changed and in constant battle for survival against the remaining forces of the Demiurge.
That was until the appearance of the Exemplar. With their power the Exemplar drove out the Abyssal Horde from their Reliquary and summoned the firmament to protect what was left of Palaghast’s creation.
Each Exemplar embodies a slice of what made Palaghast the god-of-all, relics of the now dead god. While they are free to travel wherever they wish within their domain, they bound to it for all time.
Arkanoj - Arcana
Corrupted None of the Reliquaries are as mysterious and dangerous as Pala-Arkanoj (Are-can-oy). When the Demiurge first arrived, they began corrupting Divine Magic by sewing in new forms of magical knowledge. These formulae and rituals no longer required Palaghast to function, but drew their power from something all together alien to the divine mages of the time.
After the Rending, Arkanoj proved to be the most affected by the corruption, unable to fully shake the Demiurge’s meddling. Spell storms rage across the landscape, rifts between worlds can suddenly appear, dumping awesome and horrific creatures into the Reliquary.
Arbar - Sage
No Reliquary is as green as Pala-Arbar. Nature in all its splendor flourishes within this realm, cultivated by the Halflings, Galapa, and Fungril aided by Arbar. This Reliquary holds the most landmass of them all. With its abundance of nature comes beauty and danger. Gargantuan beasts roam the expansive woods. Unchecked groves hide plant life willing to feast on meat as well as sunlight.
Villages and settlements are few here. The Halflings move about the land in small clans to prune the wild growth, while the Galapa and Fungril prefer to let the woods do as they please.
Nearing the center, closer to the lush capital city, you’ll find more cultivated lands with small towns and cities. Here the bulk of the population can be found.
Graco - Grace
The smallest of the Reliquaries, a veritable island by comparison to those that float nearby. The Reliquary of Grace is considered a serene and untouched land. Once a mortal crosses into the realm they are washed with a sense of peace. It would be assumed that this Reliquary would be favored by all, with every inch of available land and sea inhabited by people. But this is not the case. Mortals report that staying for too long there begins to cause a physical ache, despite their mental state being at ease. As if the mortal body was not meant to experience such an ever-present calmness.
Lukton - Blade
The Reliquary of War. Pala-Lukton is harsh and unforgiving place. A deadly swamp lay to the south, full of vipers, giant spiders, and — if rumor is to be believed — a dragon made of living poison. Past the mountain range is the massive Gor’Kurak Desert. So named after the Daemon Lord who fought Lukton and armies during the Daemonic Purge. To the East swirls the Bay of Swords. Its shallow depths reveal the tips of craggy tips of broken rock.
Pala-Lukton has hardened its people. It is said that every child is born with a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. They pride themselves as the protectors of the Eight Reliquaries. Here the Knights of the Silvered Sword, the most revered army in the Eight, are forged through relentless training. They believe that the Demiurge will return — that the Abyssal Horde will one day break through the firmaments.
Despite being the known as the Exemplar of War, Lukton is not a warmonger or despot. Those close to him have said he sees his position as a cruel necessity. For without his knowledge and steel, the Reliquaries would have fallen to the Abyssal Horde long ago. As far as he and the Knights of the Silvered Sword are concerned, they are all that stands between peace and oblivion.
Lum - Valor
Ruled by the soft spoken Lum. Pala-Lum consists of two major landmasses. On the Eastern side rests the capital city of Luminaire, nestled in the center of three smaller land masses connected by short isthmus’. To gain an audience with Lum followers must ascend the Steps of the Sun to reach the Shining Citadel.
Malseren - Bone
Storms rage across the expansive oceans of the Reliquary, thrashing craggy islands. Rarely does the land see the light of day. If it is not overcast, it is raining. Even on “clear” days a crack of lighting will strike the sky.
In the center of the largest landmass floats the capital city, and throne of Malseren, Gale.
Abyssal Touched seek this Reliquary as a place of refuge due to many New Gods cementing control of the area.
Major Cities and Locations
- Bradia
- Faelen
- Gale
Morto - Midnight
Pala-Morto, the Realm of Death, the Underworld.
Unlike the other eight, Pala-Morto resides deep within all Reliquaries. Here ancient creations of the Demiruge still slither and bide their time. Daemon Lords that have managed to make their way beyond the firmaments hide and build their forces.
Where Lukton fights above, followers of Morto find themselves in a constant state of survival against the creations of the dark. They work tirelessly to keep the deadliest of monsters from making their way to the surface.
Vast caverns and tunnels crisscross the realm with small pockets of citadels and keeps. At its heart lays only one city, Shroud. It is uncertain even to scholars of Scio which of the Eight Reliquaries this city rests beneath. There are claims that anyone can reach it from any of the Eight by traveling deep enough through vast cave networks found all throughout the Reliquaries. Doing so, however, is to take your own life in your hands as even the natives may find you suspicious and would rather attack than parlay.
Scio - Codex
Corrupted Pala-Scio is considered the Font of Knowledge. Every city boasts a public library, often specializing in a particular subject. This has turned into a soft rivalry where each city works to create the most grand and lavish library in the Reliquary. Some have even gone so far as to fill entire wings of the buildings with empty books, just to have an excuse to build new editions.
While each library is extensive, none compare to the capital city Scio’s Library of the World. Since the beginning of the Exemplar’s reign, Scio has called for all written lore to be brought to the city for cataloging and storage.
Unfortunately, this has led to rumors that there are secret areas of the Grand Library that hold forbidden Arcane and Abyssal Knowledge. Whispers spread among the Acolytes of Knowledge that dark tomes have survived the Rending and now are locked within secret rooms. Tales of a cabal of wizards swirl, claiming they have started their own collection the threatens to open a rift to the Abyssal Sea.
Vivo - Splendor
Corrupted The Reliquary of Life. A verdant landscape teeming with flora and fauna only to be outdone by Pala-Arbar. It is seen as the idyllic Reliquary. Peaceful and serene. The capital city of Verda hugs the edge of the Reliquary overlooking the Heart of Palaghast within the Abyssal Sea. There, Vivo sits on his throne as the self-proclaimed ruler of the Exemplar and ruler of all living things.
While Vivo resides in Verda, the largest city of Vanya is the crown jewel of the Eight Reliquaries. A sprawling city of commerce, trade, and political might. Here the delegates and representatives of the Nine meet and discuss current events and hash out deals among the people.
While Pala-Vivo may seem like the perfect Reliquary, not everything is as it seems.
Vivo has an intense hatred for the Abyss and hunts any and all practitioners, labeling them daemons. Those caught consorting with the Abyss are harshly punished. It is said his righteous hatred comes from the fact that Splendor had been corrupted by the Demiruge long before the Rending.
Astral Bridges
Massive Columns rest at the edges of broken landmasses. Four sets, standing 50 ft tall with 20 yards between each column. The last set floats out past the edge, touching the Abyssal Sea. One must pay a fare to the Bridge Keepers who will unlock the bridge, opening a passage.
Walking between the powered columns transports the travelers to a pocket dimension within the Astral Plane. While the true distance between Reliquaries is hundreds of thousands of miles through the Abyssal Sea, the bridges cut the travel time to mere hours.
Traders and merchants use the Astral Bridges the most in order to ship their goods from one Reliquary to another. Unfortunately, the bridges appear to be specifically paired, with each Reliquary only having a select few connections. Many divine scholars and dwarven craftsman have worked tirelessly through the ages to craft new bridges or look for ways to circumvent this weakness, but none have yet to find a solution.
The bridges are connected as such:
- Pala-Arbar is connected to Pala-Vivo, Pala-Arkanoj, Pala-Lum, and Pala-Graco.
- Pala-Graco is connected to Pala-Arbar and Pala-Lum
- Pala-Arkanoj is connected to Pala-Arbar and Pala-Scio
- Pala-Lukton is connected to Pala-Malseren and Pala-Vivo.
- Pala-Lum is connected to Pala-Arbar, Pala-Scio, and Pala-Graco.
- Pala-Malseren is connected to Pala-Scio and Pala-Lukton.
- Pala-Morto has no Astral Bridges, rather one may travel to it through the Underworld.
- Pala-Scio is connected to Pala-Malseren and Pala-Lum.
- Pala-Vivo is connected to Pala-Lukton and Pala-Arbar
A Silver Lining
At the edge of each Reliquary is a silver lining of light from the Heart of Palaghast. This provides a type of shimmering twilight. Here here firmament is also the thinnest, allowing viewers to view a vast expanse of stars.
The Firmament
Each Reliquary is protected by a divine firmament, a dome of power, that prevents daemons from entering. Though mortals have found ways of bypassing the firmament through summoning rituals or other dark means to circumvent this barrier. It is said that the Exemplars have made the firmament such that it prevents mortals from seeing the vast hosts of daemons that swirl just beyond it.
The New Gods
To wield divine power one must pay tribute to a chosen Exemplar. That was until the New Gods arose. With self-directed divine power these elevated beings are able to wield vast power and are able to anoint followers with divine gifts. Many have been easily crushed by the Exemplar and their host, while others have remained hidden long enough to obtain a sizable following and foothold throughout many Reliquaries.
There is a belief that the Exemplars were shepherds, a transition from a dead god to a new divinity, one where society can choose for themselves how to lead their own lives. A few of the New Gods have posited that the Demiurge was not an evil entity, or perhaps not a living presence at all, but a metaphor for the death of Palaghast and the transition from one age to another.
A dangerous thought has spread among the Reliquaries. “The Exemplars have been kind rulers, but their time is done. They must step aside for the Demiurges to take the rightful place within divinity.”
If only the Exemplars agreed.
Small skirmishes have wracked the Reliquaries. With each battle becoming more protracted than the last. Talmorhan Von’Drer, god of the Broken, has proven to be a deep thorn in the paw of the Exemplar. Talmorhan’s adherent are the disenfranchised, the lost, and broken; a beacon for the abyssal touched, Clank, and Infernis.
While a growing number in society see them as beings of divine power, more so swear by the Divine Eight that they are power-mad and have sold their souls to daemons, or perhaps the Demiurge has returned once again with a new plan to corrupt the world.
Aldae, Goddess of the Astral Plane
Davien, God of Gamblers and Thieves
Elmourn, God of Protection
Faemoara, Goddess of Lust
Kraken Boors, God of Valor and Battlefields
Lamia, Goddess of Revelry
Os’Mhorigan, God of Pain and Pestilence
Raes Tilmira, Goddess of Retribution
Sillmerian, Goddess of the Abyssal Sea
Talmorhan Von’Drer, God of the Broken
The Twins, God and Goddess of Magic
Abyssal Sea
Also referred to as the Astral Sea, this is the realm of Daemons–beings crafted by the Demiurge. Abyssal fortresses and engines of war are crafted upon the smaller masses of the planet that freely float outside of the protective firmaments. It is a cold and uncaring place, whose only light comes from the Heart of Palaghast at the center of all things and it’s tendrils of light which hold the Reliquaries in place.
No mortal has physically been to the Abyssal Sea, but divination spells and the ramblings of the daemon possessed have gleaned only small portions of information.
Abyssal Horde
After the Rending the daemons of the Abyssal Horde–beings crafted by the Demiurge–were shunted into the “sea.” They now roam this realm in celestial craft and erect fortresses of war among the floating debris, all in service to their dead master’s final will.
Their attempts to invade the Reliquaries are thwarted by the firmaments of the Exemplar. Only through the aid of citizens can a whole be punched through giving a few daemons at a time a chance to break in. Their true numbers are a mystery. A mystery that by the Exemplar’s grace no one will uncover.
Daemons are the abstract concepts of destruction, fear, pain, and hate given form. They are the essence of all corruption and filth. This fact causes them to appear in all manner of shapes and sizes, with rarely ever any two looking the same. Suffice to say their preferred appearance is often times hideous, twisted, and conjoined parts of mortals. Skin tones are never a natural shade and is covered in exposed bone, sores, fur, and spines. Their heads can be a literal twinning of beast and sapient being.
It was ancient rights from before the Rending that taught or beguiled mortals into summoning daemons into the Reliquaries. Perhaps by a blessing of Palaghast, these rituals tend to only allow one up to a handful of daemons to cross the firmaments. A few, potent daemons have been able to establish hidden fortresses and keeps within the dark and uncharted places of the world. There they draw cultists and worshippers to their side. Ceaselessly Abyssal Wizards work toward tearing down the firmaments for the Final Confrontation.
While a daemon’s body may be destroyed, its essence will always be drawn back to the Abyssal Sea to be reformed once more, making victories always temporary.
Celestial Vessels
While some daemons are able to travel the seas upon their own volition, others require physical vessels powered by matter mined from remnants of Palaghast and magic. They range from small crafts that skim Astral rifts holding a warband, to hulking monstrosities that could be mistaken for floating cities.
Like daemons themselves, celestial vessels are a mockery of mortal creations. They can be a parody of wooden sailing craft, appear as lashed and holed out animals, or a jumble of towers and buildings left over from before the Rending fused together.
Divine Magic versus Abyssal Magic
Before the Rending there was only divine gifts granted to worshipers by Palaghast. Any supernatural power was considered divine in origin. Only after the Demiurge did the idea of magic other than a gift from a divine source emerge.
Wizards and Sorcerers, primarily those who worship Scio, practice a type of divine magic wherein the knowledge to cast spells is granted to them by an Exemplar. Those who stray outside of these teachings, flirt with Abyssal magic. This type of magic claims to be drawn from within a mortal’s own life force, or tapping into some evil within the Abyssal Sea.
Corrupted Domains
During the war between Palaghast and the Demiurge, several magical domains were forever corrupted. Dark secrets were whispered to divine wizards, who introduced new magical theorems designed to lead others down a path to accepting and practicing Abyssal magic.