Shadows of Caedria: Overview

This is the final version of the first page of my player’s guide for my setting. It is intended to provide a basic understanding of the setting and what the player’s can expect in games as well as keep my ideas focussed as I add details and build campaigns.

Genre:  Heroic Fantasy

Core Ethos Sentence: Kingdoms grow and fall and the destinies of many are decided by the actions of a few.

Thematic Elements: The struggle between freedom and oppression.

Setting Elements: 3 goddesses shaped the world, Natara, and its inhabitants. In time jealousy poisoned Callach’s heart and conflict grew between the goddesses. This conflict ultimately shattered the world and erected a barrier between it and its reflections and the Planes beyond. In time an alliance was formed between a human king and a gold dragon and from this grew the great empire of Caedria. The empire grew until it touched all the known world by either its authority or with trade. In its shadow grew its downfall, Dragonspire, whose dragon lords defeated the Empress at great cost. This lead to the collapse of the empire as greedy and ambitious rulers made their own claims. Now a hundred years later the regions of the world begin to emerge into new lands, their destinies to be shaped by their as yet unknown heroes. The setting stands united by a common past and divided by its future.

System: 5E DnD

Who are the heroes? The heroes are those people who take up weapons or magic to protect the freedom of others, either by intent or consequence of their actions.

What do they do? They explore, fight monsters, uncover plots, unite disparate groups in a common goal and through their actions protect the freedom of others.

Threats, Conflicts, Villains: Threats range from localised dangers such as criminal organisations or beasts to dangerous groups like the Durosh’kan all the way to powerful kingdoms like Dragonspire. Conflicts happen between groups driven by beneficial co-operation and those who seek power over others. Those motivated by power are often driven by mundane political ambitions, but groups such as the Istathri seek the release of evil beings into the world on the promise of great rewards for their service.

Villains include Callach whose agents work to free her and the draconic rulers of Dragonspire. In addition many classic DnD villains easily fit into the setting, including the Scarlet Brotherhood, the Temple of Elemental Evil (which is a cult of Callach).

Nature of Magic: The ability to perform minor magics is relatively common. However the knowledge, or faith, required to perform greater spells is rare and as a result people who can wield it are sometimes met with fear.

Firearms: Pistols, muskets and cannons all exist in the setting. They are the invention of the dwarves commonly called Sea Dwarves and outside of that cultural group are extremely rare.

See the DMG page 267-268, only the Renaissance Firearms are available in addition to the pistol listed here.