Kurus

Campaigns set in Kurus

The Two Moons, Laluun and Lyluun

Laluun and Lyluun are the official names of the two moons. Laluun is the larger moon and sometimes also referred to as the “Protector” moon. The current calendar is based around Laluun’s moon cycle. It takes 40 days to complete one cycle and the start of a month is always when Laluun is full. Lyluun, on the other hand, appears to have no consistent cycle. Currently, the only certainties are that it will complete four full cycles in a year, and it takes at least a month to complete one cycle. However, there have also been documented instances where it took over five months for Lyluun to complete one cycle. Because of its oddities, Lyluun is often referred to as the “Lost Moon” or the “Chaos Moon.” The moons’ phases are rarely ever in sync but both are at least partially visible the majority of nights. On the rare occasion when the two do sync up or only one is visible in the night sky, strange things happen to the natural and magical balance of the world. Some effects are generalized but others affect only a certain area, defined by a shroud of twinkling lights know as a “Lunar Veil.” Anything can be happening inside a Lunar Veil so it is advised not to enter one and to try to exit immediately if inside one. The following are a few examples of the oddities that occur when one moon is full and the other is new, categorized by which moon is full:

Lyluun (Chaos Tide): All magic has a chance of having an unexpected side effect. Curse of Lycanthropy activates (anytime Lyluun is full). Wild animals become more adventurous, and plants experience a growth spurt. Entire areas of land will be swapped with each other.

Laluun (True Tide): Any magic with a percentage of failure will always succeed. Curse of Lycanthropy is suppressed. In games of chance, one will either always win or always lose (known as the Moon’s Gift and Moon’s Curse respectively). Areas of land will be returned to its original location.

The most significant effects happen when both moons are in the new phase. Most magic stops working, and everything: the animals, the trees, the oceans, the people, grows quiet. And a few things remain quiet after it’s over.

Religions in Kurus

A majority of the population is religious to some degree. There are many denominations, but they all share a few core beliefs: there are 16 primary gods that created the world, the gods are related to the moons in some way, and the gods use the Blessed to enact their will upon the world. The main difference between denominations is the relationship between the gods themselves, the relationship between the moons and gods, and the relationship between the gods and the people. While religious persons recognize all the gods, most individual societies naturally chose one or a few to focus their worship on. Normally, the one that relates most to the culture of the group.

1. There are 16 major gods in the pantheon. The names may be different but what they represent stays the same: Order, Chaos, Water, Earth, Nature, Heaven, Underworld, Knowledge, Love, Arcana, Civilization, Horror, Death, Life, Love, Morality/Justice
2. The gods power is connected to the moons. Because of their influence on the natural and magical world, Lyluun is associated with Chaos and Laluun is associated with Order. How they are connected and associated is the cause of much debate between the major denominations
3. Certain individuals are born with markings on their body related to one of the gods. These people have been connected to that god and have the ability to enact their will upon the world. All lesser gods/demigods/saints have a birth sign.

Paragons of Body and Spirit

8 “mental” and 8 “physical” gods. Physical good: Heaven. Mental good: Order. Physical evil: Underworld. Mental evil: Chaos. Believes in fostering and living a balanced life. Two sects each focused on developing whatever half their patrons feel needs work (or whichever half they decide needs work). If a person achieves balance before death, they will enter Bliss. Those born with a particular gods sign are regarded as a living testament to the dangers of imbalance. Often, vigilante members of the Paragons will seek out Marked persons to convert them (sometimes by force) to the opposite sect to attempt to “balance” them. Practiced mostly in the cities of the Altruan Federation.

Church of the Twelve

4 evil gods: Chaos, Horror, Death, Underworld. The moons were created by the other gods to imprison the evil gods and stop their corrupting influence on the mortal world. The gods remained imprisoned but can affect the world through the bodies of the Marked. The Church believes that while the Marked may not purposefully carry out the action of the gods, their presence is enough for the gods to influence the world around them. Practiced mostly in the Empire of Laplase.

Dalism

The most prominent religion across the continent. All 16 gods have unique relationships with the others but primarily focus on their own intentions. (Ex: Morality decides whether the dead go with Heaven or Underworld but Heaven and Underworld try to convince Morality that particularly powerful souls belong to them to bolster their kingdoms.) While the gods are more or less equal in power, Chaos and Order stand as the “leaders” of the pantheon. Dalists believe the moons are the domains of the gods and there used to be one moon but when the gods began to fight, Order split the moon to be rid of Chaos and its influence. While dalists do recognize all 16 gods, most chose to worship only one or a few that have the most impact on their daily lives and call on the others for protection/guidance when the appropriate situation arises. Dal temples are defined by appearing to only be in recognition of one of the gods.

Key Locations

The Mainland of Kurus

The largest continent and the location of the majority of the world population. It is home to various biomes, chaotic territories, and diverse peoples. The unspoken rule of the Mainland is “Power is Position”. Currently, the Mainland is comprised of many different noble houses that have been able to maintain a hold of their land and people throughout the years. The strongest singular house is House Laplase. House Laplase and its allies is simply referred to by most as the Laplase Empire (to the delight of Lord Laplase). The only group powerful enough to challenge them is the Altruan Federation, a group of houses that renounced their nobility to form a unified kingdom to stand against stronger powers. The rest of the continent is populated by other Major and Minor houses; the Free Peoples, individuals who on a map belong to one of the houses but neither side can be bothered to enforce that rule; and other groups that are strong enough to contend against the Houses like the monstrous tribes and those that dwell in the Great Forrest.

The City of Laplase

The capital of the Laplase Empire. Located on the Southern Peninsula, the Laplase family is the oldest house and created the canal that bisects the city. The canal allows for efficient trade between the Mainland Islands and the Tei Archipelago. The city is a bustling economic center and excellent tourist destination. House Laplase uses the funds the city generates to fuel its massive territory and support its allies standing between it and the other houses who might challenge their power.

Altrua

The capital of the Altruan Federation lies on the eastern coast of the Mainland just south of the Chasm of Kur. The Altruan Federation remains officially neutral but those old enough to remember know that it was formed to oppose the ever growing Laplase Empire. However, the tentative peace between the two has allowed Altrua to develop the Guild of Historians and spread them across the majority of the continent. Many Altruan citizens would say that the Senate has been focusing a lot on the expeditions of the Historians, but also that the quality of life improvements that their discoveries bring are almost worth it.

Monstrous Tribes

Individual tribes consisting of various monstrous races. The only two that are known are those that inhabit the Mountains of Kur and the outer edge of the Great Forrest as these are the most defensible. All the rest only remain because they have yet to be discovered; otherwise, the closest kingdom would exterminate them.

The Great Forest

An inhabited yet forbidden forest. Nothing is known about what lies beyond the outer treeline but surrounding villages claim inhabitants will occasionally wander out, trade normal goods, and return. No one has been able to discern any details from these peoples and no group has been able to conquer it. Many have tried; all have faced total defeat.

Tei Archipelago

A large group of islands spanning the length between the Mainland and the Dark Continent. The inhabitants of these islands refer to themselves by the specific island they hail from but Mainlanders call them the Din Tei since they don’t recognize the differences between each islander. As one might expect, the Din Tei are master sailors and expert traders. So much in fact, many Mainland sailors have adopted the expression “never sail away without a Din Tei.” While many are Din Tei are more than willing to share a vessel with outsiders, most are secretive about their island’s culture. But we do know that each island has an elected representative and those representatives chose a leader among them with limited power to protect the islands from internal and external threats.

The Dark Continent

Very little is known of the Dark Continent. It’s full of ancient ruins, powerful creatures, and an equally powerful race known by most societies as Strangers. Strangers are defined by an eerily human appearance perverted by a seemingly random mix of features from other races (ex: humanoid with purple tiefling skin, elf ears, and a beard to rival the proudest dwarf). Encountering a Stranger on the Mainland is a rarity and means almost certain death. Therefore, owning a Stranger as a servant is seen as a symbol of great wealth and power. The only contradictions to this belief are the Din Tei, the island peoples that communicate, trade, and capture Strangers; and the Altruan Federation that has decided owning another person is an “archaic practice” and should be abolished.