House of Splendid Isolation

House of Splendid Isolation
Ritual 18

At the conclusion of the ritual, a small area around the caster comes out of sync with reality, being pulled part of the way to the Far Realms, with the following effects:

1.No one can perceive events in the isolated area, in any way. Not with scrying, not with cameras, not by peering in the window. Anyone who tries to look into the area sees it as it would normally be when no one is there. Ie, if you use this Ritual in your bedroom, and someone walks by your window to try to look in, they see a perfectly empty, neat bedroom. (or a perfectly empty messy bedroom, as appropriate.)

2. The effect works in reverse as well. If you look from the isolated area to anywhere else, all you see is perfectly empty and devoid of life. So if you look out your window, you see an empty street. This effect starts to distort if you try and use it to scry. The further you go, the more distortions you see; the less the area appears as it really does and the more you start to see visions from the far realms. Attempting to scry truly distant areas could cause insanity. On the upside, your target won't notice you watching him.

3. While isolated, no attempt to record communication works. If you write a book while isolated, when you return the pages are filled with gibberish. Even memory may be a little dodgy.

4. The isolated area becomes a comfortable temperature. Any torches or lights in the area keep working indefinitely. The weather elsewhere does not effect you.

5. You can't effect anyone outside the area, and no one outside the area can effect you.

6. Anyone entering or leaving the effected area ends the ritual.

Characters: The Wizard's Guild draft a

Most characters in the Wizard's guild will be graduates of one of the Magical Academies.

Races

Human:

Magical Creatures:

Classes for Guildmembers:

There are two types of characters: Those who graduated from one of the Academies, and everyone else. All guild characters use the arcane power source. The guild has, through painful research, learned to replicate many differnt types of magic using the Arcane power source. So a guild member could be a Shapeshifter (Arcane Druid), Abjurer (Arcane Invoker), or so forth. This little trick has earned them a lot of mistrust from those who take their Divine and Primal roots seirously.

All Guild classes have the Arcane power source, and their powers are spells. All have the Wizard's Cantrips class feature and the Arcana skill as a Trained Skill.. All can use wands, rods, or staves as an implement. For other modifications, see below.

Guild members can multiclass only to other guild classes. The Spellbook class feature applies only to their primary class, the multiclass feat replaces one of their Spellbook spells with a spell from another class.

Artificers: Artificers typically work with older style technology, including a lot of gears and vacum tubes, as this is seen as the best way to learn. Adult artificers may travel and learn other types of technology.

Enchanter (Arcane Bard): Lose Skill Versatility, Song of Rest, and Multiclass Versatility.

Healer (Arcane Cleric): Lose Nature as a trained skill.

Shapeshifter (Arcane Druid): Lose Nature as a class skill and trained skill.

Abjurer (Arcane Invoker): Lose Religion as a Trained Skill and as a class skill.

Summoner (Arcane Shaman): Lose Nature as a trained skill.

Sorcerer: The Guild considers sorcerery a particularly physical style of wizardry. The Guild teaches it through exercise, zen lessons, and special alchemical formulas. Most are Cosmic or Storm type.

Swordmages are considered a bit old fashioned, dashing, and more than a little romantic.

Warlock: As soon as the demons brought a new arcane class into the world, the Wizard's Guild wanted to imitate them in a morally satisfactory manner. It wanted it very, very badly. After 50 years, it declared victory, creating the Dark Wizard - a sort of Warlock that makes a pact not with any external spirits, but with the darkness inherent in his own soul. Not everyone thinks that training creating a lot of charismatic, magically empowered narcissists is a good idea, but, well, a lot of things aren't a very good idea. Only the Dark Pact is available to guild members. They can learn spells from any of the pacts, although Infernal pact spells are not taught by the guild.

Wizard:

Civilization: The Wizard's Guild

East through the forest from the Kingdoms of Men lay the Sorceror Kingdoms of Ulm. These are a realm where the Wizard's Guild rules.

The Wizard's Guild has Academies all across the world. These are secret places where the young are trained in the arts of magic. With their access to potent magic, the Wizards see themselves as the guiding hands of history. They secretly meddle in basically everything around the world, and one way or another. Many think they are responsible for all of history (although the Demon Wars and the rise of the Dragon Isle seems to have been something of a surprise, so make of that claim what you will.)

In the Sorceror Kingdoms of Ulm, the Wizards truly rule. The original culture of Ulm combines the heritage of the Kingdoms of Man with the religion of the southeastern isles. This religion still gets lip service, but Ulm is dominated by the wizards. The culture is professional, mertiocratic, but yet gentle. It loves children and innocent past times. It tolerates, even encourages small rebllions. The gentleness of the wizards at home combines oddly with their history of ruthlessness abroad.

Ulm invented the Wizard academy, banking, navigation, law and many other arts. It sets up academies throughout the world with the quiet goal to educate and thus influence as much of the world's professional classes as possible.

In general, think Harry Potter, but Dumbledore is running a big secret conspiracy to control the world.

Characters of the Dragon Empire

Characters of the Dragon Empire

There are no good adventures to be had in the Dragon Empire, so those who wish to seek trouble travel to the less fornutate parts of the world. They tend to travel in groups, and are motivated to adventure for the thrill of it or out of altruism. They tend to be well educated compared to the residents of most of the world (except, of course, for the Wizards and Citizens.)

Races

Dragon-Blooded: Dragons can take mortal forms to dabble with humans. When they do, they often produce children. These are Dragon Blooded. These look more or less human. They have some minor marks depending on their heritage, frequently including brightly colored eyes and hair. They breed true, and almost all dragon blooded now existent are the childen of dragon blooded, not directly of dragons. They tend to be particularly wealthy and confident and rarely have any meaningful employment.

Dragon Blooded use the same mechanics as Dragonborn. They don't look like Dragonborn, they look more or less human, but mechanically they are identical.

Human Humans are the most common race here by far. Many have a few drops of dragon blood but are not truly "Dragon Blooded". (They may try to pretend that they are, but the lack of dragon breath is a real give away.) Humans in the Empire now enjoy the same wealth as their dragon blooded copatriots, but they have to work for it.

Shifters: Are fairly common here, although still a small perent of the total population. While not considered quite human, they're not seen as monsterous as they are in much of the world. They enjoy most of the rights of citizens of the Empire, which still puts them ahead of most of the world. Both types of shifter are common.

Other Races: Are rare. A few were brought over in former times as zoo pieces, and some of their descendants still linger, but they aren't allowed to travel and don't make good PCs.

Classes:

The Dragon Isle operates government schools and univeristies which train many of the classes. (The Wizard's Guild is unknown here.) This is the source of Artificers, Bards, Fighters, Monks, Rogues, Rangers, Sorcerors, Swordmages, Warlords and Wizards. These are by far the most common classes.

Most divine classes are unknown. The one exception is the Paladins of Bahamut. All Paladins of Bahamut belong to the military unit of the same name, which doesn't allow for retirment.

Warlocks are rare. They are people who discovered their magic on their own, and they generally keep this fact to themselves. Known warlocks are in danger of being exiled if the authority's judge to be dangerous, a judgement which can be difficult to repeal. Infernal warlocks are put to death.

The gentle environment of the Dragon Isles does not lend itself well to the primal classes. There are a few around, they are self-taught and much admired, but not common.

Languages

The official language of the Dragon Empire is Draconic. Dragon Empire characters start with Draconic instead of Common. Most PCs choose Common as a second language, but its not universal.

Equipment

Basically anything short of ultratech equipment or level 20+ magic weapon is available. High tech weapons are not uncommon.

Backgrounds

Gap Year: Your family is one of those who has to work, possibly in the army, a factory, or a government ministry. Nonethless, they lead a rich and proud life. You've decided to get some adventure while you're young.

Government Official: Military officials don't venture off the Isle in official capacity, but its easy to get a transfer to a civilian ministry or claim to be taking a vacation if you have a mission which needs doing.

Anthropologist, Tourist, Merchant: You're out to learn, buy, see, or whatever.

Civilization: The Dragon Empire

History

Over the seas and far away, lies a vast continent where the Dragons live. For thousands of years, the Dragons lived here, ignoring the rest of the world. They lived in peace for the most part, exiling their criminals to the lands of the mortal races. To serve them, they brought over human slaves. Over the years, some dragons took on mortal form and mated with the humans, creating a unique race. And so it was for milennia.

But when the Demon Empire started to spread over the world, the Dragons act. From the lands of the Sorceror Nations of Ulm to the Kingdoms of Men, the Dragons flew forth, bearing their children as ambassadors. They taught their allies how to fight, and flew over them in battle, and many of the great beasts fell in battle against the forces of evil, but at the end the day was won.

Today, the Dragons have returned to their island. They rarely venture forth, and are known to the rest of the world as distant and scary. Their children, the Dragon Blooded, travel the world, keeping the peace, doing good deeds, and bringing home treasures to add to their parent's horde.

Society

The Dragon Empire, always wealthy, has become incredibly rich. The land is magically fertile, pleasantly warm all year around, and the monsters common in the rest of the world are unknown here. Its people occupy themselves in the creation of magical wonders or training for war. Needless to say, the Dragon Empire has no need for warriors on its own territory, and so those who wish to adventure travel forth to the other nations. This is a major source of the world's trouble makers.

The society of the Dragon Empire favors things which inspire awe. Everything is as big as is possible, and tends to be made with simple lines and bright colors. Exotic pets are common. Technologically is basically industrial era. There are lots of magitek cars, tanks, planes, and the like, along with huge numbers of magic and ultratech weapons. The 10,000 gp minimum cost for magitek is less of a barrier here than elsewhere, so you see more frivolous items.

The only rule for cities of the Dragon Empire is that they feature large amounts of public space. Beyond that, you see all manner of fantastical architecture, public gardens, and the like.

The Dragon Empire is meritocratic and brutally competetive. Many people have only nominal jobs, those who do want meaningful positions have to compete hard for them. The human government is in effect a military bureaucracy, guided occasionally by the Dragons. Elaborate mock battles and skirmishes in fantastic stadiums is common.

The Dragon Empire maintains no formal embassy or outpost outside of their native empire, so those of its citizens who travel make do on their own. Being able to make it outside the Empire and return succesfully is considered a major triumph. Of course, many don't come back. And the Empire's tight controls on immigration mean those who do can not take their companions.

Technology

Magitek is the law, and looks quite modern. Trains, horses, motorbikes, and the like are all known. These devices operate on different principles than in the real world - the laws of physics don't operate quite like they do in the real world. High tech items are all partially magical, and are described as Magitek. These magical items are run by bound spirits. Anything which we would think of as a technical object is a magitek item, and costs at least 10,000 gp.

As a result, you don't have the cheap high tech items you get in the real world. There are no cell phones or televisions. Magic items which do the same thing exist, but are not common because they are so expensive.

Technology in the Kingdoms of Men is mostly still medival. These areas are too poor for Magitek. Some gets imported, but its not common.

By contrast, Magitek of every sort is common in the Dragon Empire. You get tanks, remote communication devices, airships, magitek construction equipment, and basically anything you like. Technology here is classy, modern, clean, and functional. It is roughly 20th century in appearance.

Magitek in the fallen Demon Empire is more or less steampunk. It tends to be dangerous, rickey, and focuses on industrial or wartime applications. You see lots of steam mecha, airship which are real ships with mazes of whirring gears inside, demon trains, and so forth. Communication and recreations are less advanced.

The Ancient City has the most advanced Magitek of any of the civilizations. This is where you get the futuristic stuff like Sentient AI, Robots, and so forth. Its all made out of organically grown metals or glass. (think Dresden Kodak.) The City has a couple of vast train networks, each of which is one magitek item with an ancient spirit bound into it. The vast Thought Machines which run the City give the citizens of the city access to something like personal computing, although its....different. The City rarely wastes spirits on individual tanks, planes, or the like, so citizens who live the city have to rely on horses or buy personal vehicle from some other nation.

Characters of Men

The Kingdoms of Men was a vast, medival civilization that ruled over a third of the area of earth. History has not been kind to it, but still it forms a sort of cultural zone. All through the kingdoms, the following sorts of characters can be found:

Races

Human: Most people of the world are humans, and the Kingdoms of Men are no exception.

Dwarves, Gnomes: Dwarves and gnomes are unique to the Kingdoms of Men. These proud people come originally only from the Great Mountain, but they spread out with the armies of Men, and are now found everywhere throughout their old lands.

Elves: The Kingdoms of Men conquered most of the old kingdoms ofthe elves, and elves are still most common here.

Tieflings: The Bastard Children of the Demon Empire have come north to bother the Kingdoms. They are not well liked, and did not exist in the days of the Kingdom's glory, but none the less, they are fairly common.

The Classes of Men

Many of the classical professions now known to men were invented or perfected by the Kingdoms of Men. The classes available to individuals from the Kingdom of Men are all of the PHB1 classes plus Bards.

Bard: The bawdy traditional culture of the kingdoms gave birth to the Bard, and they are still well loved here.

Clerics: The Kingdoms of Men were the first to truly exploit the battlefield power of clerics. With many religions, they have many clerics. Kingdom Clerics must worship a specific diety known to the Kingdom.

Fighters: Knights were the backbone of the old Royal armies. Although these armored warriors are considered somewhat odd elsewhere, they are still common in the Kingdoms.

Paladin:

Rangers: The vast stretch of territory once controlled by the Kingdoms could not have been patrolled without the proud orders of rangers. Bow using rangers are the most common type.

Rogue: Rogues are regretfully common almost everywhere.

Warlock: Warlocks were unknown during the Kingdom's Golden Ages. Those who are now present are almost all infernal Warlocks come from the Demon Empires to the South. Foreign warlocks visiting the Kingdoms are often mistaken for infernal locks for this reason. Openly practicing Pact magic in the Kingdoms can be a very dangerous endeavour.

Wizard: Although the Kingdoms are now seen as a magically barren place, it is the birthplace of the Spellbook. The Wizard Academy is a later invention, however, so most wizards in the kingdoms are Hedge Wizards.

Any other classes present will be foreigners, or those trained by foreigners, and as such will experience heavy discrimination. (Warlocks technically fall into this category, but the close proximity of the Demon Empire makes them regretfully common.)

Religion:

All of the gods of the PHB are found here, and each has its worshippers. A central tenet of life in the kingdoms is the worship of these Pagan dieties. All from the Kingdoms recognize the existence of all of the dieties, but they worship only one.