Encyclopedia of Crithea

Arturo

Aylar

Bazzacar
Bazzacar is know as the mercenary king. He keeps a stronghold of paid fighters somewhere between the Great Rift and the Daggertooth Spires. Bazzacar was originally a general for the king's army. He in command of a siege against the Dark One's stronghold. It is said that Bazzacar penetrated the defenses and meet with the Dark One face to face. The Dark One used a devastating mind attack against Bazzacar. Where a normal man would have been killed Bazzacar was instead driven insane. He became incredibly paranoid and would only trust his soldiers and only if they were well paid. He leads his soldiers on a series of raids to ensure people will fear his might. It is only through terror that he can feel secure.

Creation
In the beginning the world was a disgrace to all those who beheld it. It was a dark place ruled over by idle gods, inhabited by horrible creatures with no more sense than to enjoy the cruelty they inflicted upon one another. After millions of years of tormentous existence the world was visited by a new pantheon of gods. They were disgusted with the condition of the world. They transformed the idle gods into grotesque serpents and created a lead sphere. There they banished these demon serpents to writhe forever on their lead prison. This lead sphere became known as the demon moon (actually the planet Crithaa orbits).
Now they were faced with the task of remaking the world. Temlar was given the task of destroying the creation of the former gods. He first froze the planet and then cleansed it once again with flame. He then pounded the landscape with his great hammer and carved out great canyons which he filled with water. He then breathed the air into the sky. Flaurana covered the ocean floor and the land with plants and created animals to live among them.

Crithinica
The capital of the Crithinican human city-state. It is the economic and cultural center of the upper plateau. It houses the School of Magic. The population is mostly human with a few sections of the city being Derin. Almost every race can be found somewhere within the city.

The Dark One
Crithinica has always had a Dark One. A great many mages worship the evil gods but few know the powers of the demon spirits of the lead sphere. The Dark Ones seeks to release these banished gods from their lead prison to bring on a war with the ruling gods. In the aftermath of such a battle The Dark One will seize the power of the battle weakend gods and reign supreme over all Crithinica

The Death Bog
The Death Bog is a putrid land completly lacking in life and that which sustains it. However it is abundant in slime, plague and undeath. It is home to Karath, Worm Eaten and his undead order. Karath was originally a cruel ruler over the once fertile land covered by the death bog. His greed led the land to be stripped of resources and the farmland destroyed as he searched for gold. A terrible plague swept the land during his rule. Everyone in the kingdom was killed. Karath was reborn to rule over the dead as punishment for his cruelty and waste in life. Anyone who dies within The Death Bog will be subject to Karath's rule.

Derrin
The Derrin are an arguably noble race of halflings who inhabit the cities of Crithea. They stand about 4' tall and have black, straight hair. Their features are angular and slightly elven in appearence. They have an obsession with money and all things of monetary value. Many hold honest jobs as accountants and merchants. However they are known for thieving and swindling.

Dread Lantern
The Dread Lantern is a large carnivorous fish known to inhabit cave lakes. It has massive jaws and barbed tentacles. It is known to lure it's prey with a phosphorescent blue light.

Ezermoria
Ezermoria is a Gnomish city inside a network of caverns. Crystal is their prime building material making the whole city appear as one multi-faceted gem. Some crystals are also used to power bizzare Gnomish inventions such as the Whooshwagon.

Gods

Protus, Lawful Neutral: God of civilization and thought. Inspiration behind conscious decisions. Dictates justice and order, writing and scholars. Symbol: scroll.

Praxus, Chaotic Neutral: God of fate and chance. Dictates outcomes of risks and random occurrences. Rules the dice. Often worshipped by gamblers or anyone who prays for good luck. Symbol: a die.

Flaurana, Neutral: Goddess of all living things. Plants and animals. Symbol: Tree.

Temlar, Neutral: God of the elements rock, earth, air, fire. Remade the world.

Death, Neutral: Appears to each being as a personification of their death to carry them to the afterlife. A soldier dying on the battlefield may see Death as a blood soaked butcher whereas someone dying of age may see an old man dressed in a flowing white robe. His typical form is a black skeleton wielding a sword which severs soul from body.

Nokk, Evil: God of disease, deciet, murder and treachery. He embodies all acts driven by evil.

Kessendra, Evil: Nokk's Queen. Embodies evil thoughts and charicteristics rather than actions.

Mithriss, Good: God of loyalty honor and honesty. He personifies all pure and good will.

Dimandra, Good: Goddess of healing and protection. Queen of Mithriss.

The Great Rift
The Great Rift is a massive cliff that spans the width of Crithea. It varys from 500' to 2000' feet tall. The divide has always been a severe obstacle in trade and foreign relations.

Hastorn
Hastorn is a large human city state on the edge of The Great Rift facing the Rift Desert. Hastorn is part of the Crithinican city state. The society of Hastorn is primarilly militaristic as they anticipate attack from the Orcs of the East. Nearly all men must serve in the guard at some point in their lives. A special order of knights, the Protectors of Hastorn serve as the Military and Police.

Iltswetsix
The Iltswetsix is a giant Lizard creature about 400 yards long from head to the end of its two enourmous tails. It sleeps for a thousand years before it awakens on it's month long rampage of destruction.
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Jerith

Karig

Kislar Lord of the Eagles

Living Hills

Mechus
Mechus is a sentient machine and overlord of Mechus: the Metal City. Mechus was originally an automaton created by a Crithinican scientist. Mechus' creator was able to make the automaton move mechanically but to add intelligence he had to use magic. He served his creator faithfully until his creator ordered him to murder two soldiers. He soon became distrustful of his creator and escaped. He studied magic and founded Mechus: the Metal City. Story

Mechus the Metal City
Mechus is an industrialized city populated entirely by magical/mechanical beings. It is ruled over by Mechus. Until the Hastorn war for independence Mechus refrained from the affairs of organic beings except for the Gnomes whom they often enlisted the service of. But after gunpowder and other technologies were used by the humans in the war Mechus deployed his machines upon the humans and other races. When civilization was exterminated Mechus the Metal city unerwent an electonic revolution. When it was discovered that highly conductive material ran through the planet's axis the Mechians began to drill. This caused the planet to gardually fall out of it's orbit and into the Demon Moon.

Oleus

Plibbly

Rockmire
Rockmire is a Dwarven nation carved into the mountains. There they are constantly mining for minerals or expanding their great stone halls.

Slarnook

Taton Flats
The Taton Flats is a sub-tropical semi-arid grassland west of the Living Hills. It is home to several Minotaur clans.

Terror Hawk
A bird of prey with a wingspan of 15ft native to the Living Hills. The terror hawk resembles a large dark brown raptor with a black curved beak and black feet with sharp talons. The terror hawk hunts its prey by flying over it and casting its shadow. The potential meal with be paralyzed momentarily and the terror hawk will close in for the kill.

The Wasteland
The Wasteland is a place where absolutely nothing grows. Those who wander far enough into the Wasteland not to see where they came from will not be able to find their way out because the land looks identical in all places. The Wasteland is impossible to cross.

Wirm Canyon

Yoll
Yoll travelled with the heroes of the shield (see heroes of the shield). He was the first warrior Ondonti. He spent the first 20 years of his life preparing to lead the life of a farmer like the other Ondonti. When Yoll met a mongrelman bard he was told of the true nature of the orcish race. At first Yoll was horrified and could not believe the Ondonti could be related to such a vile race but when the mongrelman told him of the knights Yoll became fascinated. Disobeying the wishes of his father and the community, Yoll left his village to seek adventure in Hastorn. After arriving in Hastorn Yoll became involved in a bar fight and accidently killed a man. He was thrown into prison to await his hanging the next day. In his cell he met Jerith who picked the lock and helped him to safety.

Zire
Zire is the last remaining Elf of the ancient Elven civilization Crithinca was built on. Zire has lived for nearly ten Elven generations and will live as long as Crithinica remains. The savage humans who conquered the Elven civilization were unable to subdue the powerful mage, Zire. Instead they allowed him to live among the underground tunnels of the city. There he remained for over 10 Elven generations as the guardian of the records and relics of the city. Zire cannot be destroyed as long as Crithinica stands nor can he ever leave his ancient underground passageways. He acts as an adviser to the king and a mentor to the Heros of the Shield.