An Explorer's Guide to Falezir Part 5
A System Agnostic TTRPG Setting
The following is the next bits of manuscript I’ve written for my ttrpg setting Falezir.
I actually have my first addendum to a previous post. In the 4th installment of this series I used the term “Humans” but I felt this was fairly limiting as the 3 main ancestries of the “Foreigners” to Falezir encompass many types of humanoids.
In this installment of the Falezir series I’ll introduce three new “Foreign” ancestries from the Southern continent Elezir. The Homken, the Kakhra and the Bruinstein. Each is an umbrella term for several morphologies, with similar traits, living together.
The more I write and talk about them, the more I feel I ought to expand on my explanations in a less lore-driven way. Although, I might save the more plain language for the Dungeon Master section of the project.
I still have a long way to go on this project but I think this setting is unique and full of interesting life that your gaming tables can use to spice up characters or explore the wilds of Falezir.
Gaidaji- Those not of Khodo (003)
All along the shores of the Falezir coast are dots of foreign civilization. Some were refugees seeking a better life. Some mean to seize a better life for themselves. The word for foreigner in the Falezi tongue is Gaidaji. For a long time, the term was used withing the Khodo community as slander for those of opposing tribes. However, it seems events in their history united them beyond such infighting. A homogenous community, the Khodo would not reuse the term for several centuries and at that time, they had grown into a more communal group. The term lost its derisive nature and became a word for the objective notion for someone not of their own lineage.
Homken Short lives, great feats. (003.1.1)
While not the first to land on the Falezir shores, Homken made a lasting impression on the Khodo. Spurned by our relatively short lives, we Homken tend to rush through our lives vying for greatness. For most of Homken history the struggle to be remembered drove many to do great things. Some pursued great yet terrible ends for the sake of carving their legacy into the Southern lands of Elezir. Now we gather under the unified rule of the Bertrand Empire of Auguste Bertrand III and the Senate for the good of Homken free-folk.
Physical Traits and Mannerisms – Any skin color (003.1.2)
Homken typically stand between five and seven feet with statures developed from the work they perform. From the traditions of the tribal times, Homken vary greatly in their appearance, from tall and broad shouldered to short and mousey. Long ago it was found that familial marriage brought about sickly children and the Homken wrote into their law protections against such deficiencies. Homken tend to be bold in their demeanor and carry about them a drive with the understanding that their short lives are fragile compared to the ancient Kakhra of the Desert lands. Homken developed a polite manner of dealing with each other as a means of avoiding conflict and great traditions of hospitality arose from such occurrences. This intrinsic understanding of their lifespan has given Homken a bit of a chip on their shoulder. A chip which often manifests as detest for the long-lived races. The Homken are typically adorned in loose blousing and trousers accessorized with garments of worked leathers. Their nobility and entourage typically style themselves in finer attire are hand worked jewels. Truly the divis between the classes is stark.
Special Abilities (003.1.3)
As a means of survival, Homken have trained and developed themselves into a capable ancestry. They strive to achieve whatever they set their minds to regardless of the struggle it may take. From a young age, Homken are encouraged to pursue many passions and to give an honest effort to anything they try. This struggle builds camaraderie and a great culture of collaboration which makes Homken adaptable. When a Homken attempts something they’re not necessarily proficient in, they attempt to try multiple times until success is achieved or a dramatic failure is realized.
Typical Formes (003.1.4)
Homken culture tends to revere the land as a utility, rather than a sacred being. This view of nature typically precludes them from touching the natural weave of energy all around us. However, a tradition of working magic through rigorous study thrives. The Magi understand there is a natural knitting of magical energy around us and seek to use various techniques to tap into the resource using brutish force. Their years of study produces minds capable of remembering great amounts of spells. The Homken proclivity towards expansion has produced a great many warriors among the Bertrand Empire. Young adults are encouraged to train in their teens to prepare for service as adults in the Army. They’ll undergo further training to hone their skills. Within the standing army, some are tapped to take great oaths of allegiance or to the cause. This separation takes strong warriors and gives them elite training to produce knights. The presence of a knight on a battlefield can change the tide as their mere presence tends to invigorate the warriors. Their grand armor and heavy weapons strike fear in their foes.
Kakhra Terraforming Desert Dwellers (003.2.1)
Deep in the yellow dunes to the East of the Southern Continent Elezir, the Kakhran tribes live in a tentative peace. For now, the Tribal Elders have all agreed to work towards a unified Council and avoid bloodshed unlike the countless years before. While not immortal, without continued bloodshed, the Kakhra can live long lives. Their desert, known in the Bertrand Empire as Landsend, had grown inhospitable. The old ways of living off the hardy plants began to fail them. Together they would stand a chance. The tribal Council decided they could no longer wait for gifts from the desert. Instead, they would bring their gifts to the desert. Slowly but surely a vast subterranean structure was carved through stone and sand. Once the foundational work had been completed a great ziggurat began rising as a bow of a corsair rises above the waves. Here the council would grow their new society.
Physical Traits and Mannerisms – Dark skin color (003.2.2)
A stoic lot, the Kakhra have a deep appreciation for their Elders. Heremna, or “the ones who provided”, are honored for their sacrifices so the newer generations can thrive. From youth, through adulthood, their appearance is that of a long limbed yet athletic sort. Once they reach a certain period however, their youth retreats into wiry sagely forms with bent backs. Some of the oldest Kakhra have lived for over a millenium but have forgotten their own exact age. Their skin ranges from a dark greyish hue to a chalky light blue, all with long pointed ears, that help radiate body heat, and their eyes are often dark hues of solid color. It is said if you were to see the true color of their eyes, you’d be in trouble. Unlike the other empires of the continent, the Kakhra don’t separate themselves based on gender. They appear to follow a cooperative style of parenting where the children are cared for or even reprimanded by anyone older within the tribes. They communicate in a specific language but will often use silent communication and posture to indicate their thoughts. Stylistically they dress in loose, light-colored robes made from fibrous plants they grow within the ziggurat. Various tight organic patterns are often dyed into their clothing with little ornamentation beyond beads of crystal they harvest underground.
Special Abilities (003.2.3)
Kakhra are in tune with their homeland and surviving the harsh heat provides them a wealth of knowledge for overcoming great difficulty. Through continuous work their bodies develop tightly packed muscle that is often disarming; at least until you find yourself flat on your back wondering how they managed to flip you. Additionally, from a young age, in this new era of the Tribal Council, the children are raised with cooperation at the forefront of everything they do. Without each other, without the Tribal Council’s peace, the desert would swallow them whole. Kakhra are formidable when they are Cooperative. While groups of Kakhra can be unmatched, if a Kakhran trusts anyone enough to see them as a comrade, they will often work together and develop styles of fighting or working together to become more efficient.
Typical Formes (003.2.4)
Unlike the brutish treatment of the land from the Homken, the Kakhra have lived in harmony with their surroundings and terraformed the desert. This deep physical connection leads to some practicing the ecological arts. They study the land and know the levers of power to change a landscape for the better or worse. A history of hunting and gathering within the Landsend benefits the whole of Kakhran society, however, there are sects within that organize and train as wardens of their territory. They have a wealth of knowledge to adapt and survive in the harshest stretches of desert. Lastly, keeping with the traditions of their past, the various tribes maintain a standing fighting force of crusaders. The crusaders used to be how one tribe would raid another for resources or revenge. In this era of relative peace, they are used more as defenders or as explorers. The first Kakhra to land in Falezir were crusaders who found out quickly the Khodo were not an ancestry of pushovers.
Bruinhein A Militaristic Collective (003.3.1)
Enigmatic and hearty, the Bruinhein easily weather the icy conditions on the southern reaches of Elezir. A proud ancestry of mountain dwellers they rule over the southern ridge of mountains known as Whitevale. Beyond this ridge few dare to tread as giant-like beings walk the snowy lands and kill anyone they find in their territory. They are very protective of their technology which helps to delve further into the deep mountains under Whitevale. They have yet to divulge their goals for the region, but their work continues despite the vast empty caverns they leave in the wake of their great rumbling machines. Within the caverns and silos closer to the surface, they grow food using magical light and there is a great tradition of fermented foods among the Bruinhein. If you can stomach it, you’ll find the food is surprisingly light on the body and has medicinal benefits.
Physical Traits and Mannerisms (003.3.2)
Stout and bold they typically appear in large fur-lined coats which have been dyed in a dark red. The color is derived from berries harvested from the chilly bushland north of Whitevale, where the Bruinhein hunt game. It’s rather difficult for an untrained eye to distinguish members of this ancestry as they seem to have a customary uniform and cut for their hair and beards. However, one distinguishing feature that helps is hair color which appears to grey and whiten with seniority over the centuries. Once you’ve ingratiated yourself into their inner circle, the Bruinhein are known to be jovial, strong-willed yet logical. They’re focused on the objects they work with and the projects they tirelessly tinker on into the late night. Similarly to the Khodo people and Kakhran tribes, they live in a communal but militaristic society. Rather than an Emperor or Elder, the Bruinhein are bound in allegiance to their Premier which is a position passed down from one Premier to the next appointed individual. The current Premier, Durghel Brohm, has led the group for nearly half a century.
Special Abilities (003.3.3)
Bruinhein society values wisdom, order, and action. A Capital, somewhat of a boss, leads a crew of between 10 and 20 citizens who are made up from the families of their neighborhood bloc. The organization is rigid with a chain of command becoming so granular that even within a family, the mother or father could be deemed the leader with the other members reporting and receiving instruction. In the face of such structure, individualism is sequestered and each member of Bruinhein society understands they are expected to work and move towards the unified goal from their Premier. This dedication to their cause gives them a Stalwart mindset. When a member of their crew requires assistance, those with the strength with serve as intermediaries and take up the slack. This mostly manifests in battles, but I’ve seen game of Davinch, a traditional Bruinhein tavern card game, last much longer. Members of the table who had drunken themselves under the table had their space covered by friends until he sobered.
Typical Formes (003.3.4)
Dedicated craftsmen, the Bruinhein deal in oil and fire. Their great machines roar to life with stoked fires, clangs of tools, and thrumming engines. No aspect of their society escapes the touch of their unique technology. Those who craft these machines are often referred to as Mechanics. They wield large tools and use the art and magic of smithing to provide for their crews. Owing to their attitudes of devotion, some Bruinhein take to constructing great suits of mechanized armor. Colloquially they’re known as Heralds, as one hears them before seeing them, and usually when you see them, you’re already in trouble. They serve as the bulwark on the front lines of any skirmish. The last forme is one that has only been described to me by others. The school which teaches this forme is held in great secrecy, as I’m told, because it could change the world. They called it an artillerist. From what I surmise, this is a group who eschews the bawdy and communal nature typical of a Bruinheim person for one of individualism and secrecy. They are said to be able to strike foes from great distances without ever needing to be seen. I surmise it’s some magical pursuit but that too would fly in the face of the gritty, tactile nature of the other Bruinheim formes.
I’m posting here in the hopes to receive feedback and hopefully generate some excitement for this project. I’m pulling this information directly from my first draft manuscript as a rough layout idea for the end product as well. If you are someone who’s done this before, I’d love to hear tips from you or get a peek into your writing process.
For context, these first sections will be character options. A Game Master kit will take the other half of the end product including a lot of information on the setting and how to adapt it to your table.
In an effort to get a handle on the entire process for making a ttrpg, I’m choosing to produce this in a DIY fashion. I’m researching and writing at this time and eventually I will move onto art, layout design, sales and production. Doing things this way I’m further developing my skills and reducing the overall costs for such a project to hours of my free-time spent doing something I’m enjoying. I suffer from having a multi-passionate brain that craves creativity in various forms so taking on a project for a hobby I love is really scratching a creative itch I’ve had for a long time.
This is a passion project I’m doing in my spare time and I’d love to eventually use this experience to make ttrpgs a career. However, for now I’m happy to receive any support you can afford. Whether it’s a share, a like, a comment, a cup of coffee or constructive critique, I appreciate anything I’m given. If you’re so inclined, please follow or subscribe for more of this project, my transcripts of older lore writing (I’m adapting to this project), inspiration posts and general game advice.
Interested in learning more? check out my Lore 24 posts to see the initial writing I did to build out this setting.
Until next time, be well and be kind to one another.
I love the insights into the world you are building. Well done. I love the way you are answering questions and posing seeds for stories, character arcs, and conflicts.