For a guide to character creation, see Player's Guide--Character Creation.
For a guide to planar cosmology, see Quick Planar Cosmology Guide
For a guide to the Gods and their worship, see Religious Tenets of the Congregation.
Nations and Civilizations of Western Noefra
The Federated Nations Council
Established in 204 AC through the actions of the Catalysts (a group of adventurers-turned-heroes), the FNC serves as an opportunity for the four nations (and one tribal group) that occupy Central-Western Noefra to communicate and solve problems peacefully. Each member nation has two representatives. The representatives from the Wind-walker Goblin Collective chair the council as neutral parties. It is headquartered at Fort Hope in the central plains along with the Adventurers Guild.
The Adventurers Guild and Adventurers
Once a part of the Council Lands and composed of convicted criminals given a second chance, the Adventurers Guild has been given to the FNC as the problem-solving arm of the council. Now a voluntary organization that draws from all the nations, it has taken responsibility for training adventurers and coordinating their efforts to respond to the needs of private citizens and governments alike. It maintains a training facility outside of Fort Hope as well as job boards and representatives in each of the larger towns and cities. Its members get special rates on adventuring goods as well as a centralized place to sell the loot from their adventures. For this service, the Guild takes a 10% cut of the sale of any adventuring item (already factored into the price). Adventurers are free-agents but are expected to respond to general mobilizations or other urgent calls for help.
The Council Lands
The most racial diverse nation, the Council Lands has large populations of elves, humans and dwarves, and halflings (as well as others). It occupies the north-eastern area of the western half of Noefra and is the largest nation by land area. The people of the Council Lands are tradition-bound and do not have a hereditary aristocracy as a general rule. Humans are the most common, with halfings, wood elves and dwarves about tied for second. The capital is Kaelthia, a mountain city watched over by an adult brass dragon.
The Remnant Dynasty
Occupying the eastern edge of the Kairen plateau, the Remnant Dynasty is a monarchy dominated by dragonborn clans. It has assimilated orcish tribes to the north and goblinoid tribes to the south. Other races are rarely native here. Millitant and proud, the Dynasty fights a continual war against creatures of cold and ice coming from the plateau. Since the fortress of Highpass was built 5 years ago the attacks have less effect, and the Dynasty is starting to look outside its own borders a bit more. Almost all of the dragonborn clans from the Council Lands moved here at the end of 204 AC.
The Children of Byssia
Along the southern edge of the Kairen plateau is the small nation of Byssia. Humans, half-elves, and wood elves are the dominant races, with genasi not uncommon. Byssia is notable for two main things—they use much less metal in construction or tools than other nations, and they are mostly atheist. Although they acknowledge the gods, clerics are very rare among them and most Byssians either revere their ancestors or practice natural shamanism (and so druids are more common here).
The Stone Throne
The Stone Throne occupies the jungle south of the Council Lands. Newly-freed from an ancient pact of demon worship (unwitting on the part of most of the people), the Stone Throne is theoretically a theocracy devoted to the Queen Ascendant (a formerly-mortal demigoddess associated with the Lady of Beauty). In practice, it’s a monarchy ruled by the Queen’s Fang. Snakes and snake-motifs are common. Humans and half-elves (high-elf ancestry that breeds true) are the dominant races, with yuan-ti purebloods (and other yuan-ti) as a genetically-engineered servant race.
The Windwalker Goblin Collective
A loose collection of goblin tribes occupies the central area of the continent. The center of the Federated Nations council is located at Fort Hope in their territory. A protected group, the goblins do not take active part in the business of the FNC most of the time. They are heavily engaged in training new adventurers. Note that goblins here are different from those presented in the books. For more, see Beast Races--The Goblins.
