Why Does This Exist, and Why is Everything So Broken?
Genesis
In the beginning, there was nothing. And then I decided to spend a lot of time on unecessary nonsense.
The canon D&D setting is stuffed full of fantasy races. There was a time when I found this to be annoyingly incoherent for the purposes of establishing stakes and setting. (It turned out to not be an issue at all.)
The Solution
"I'm smarter and hotter than everyone else," I thought. "I will simply build a new world where every race is built into the setting. And I will not create dozens of them to avoid bloat and dilution of the importance of each fantasy species. You can't have a crowded kitchen sink setting if you vet and create every option yourself. I am the greatest dude of all time."
The Problem
Players like having fun, actually. When they think about TTRPGs, they do not dream of their Dungeon Master's arbitrary ideas about game design. They want to do the cool things that got them excited about these games in the first place. And for many players, that involves getting to pick from the exciting character options available to them in sourcebooks; sourcebooks that they may have personally purchased. Why in the world would they want to dampen their experience or waste their money by dealing with any of this?
The Bargain
In order to entice my players into giving up some the normal options in return for what I thought would be a setting I would understand better and thus deliver a more compelling experience in, I made the New World races significantly more broken powerful than the standard D&D races.
My party of players turned out to be very kind and flexible, so again this compromise was also for an issue that wasn't real. But here we are.
Revelations
Initially just intending to make a custom race list with a few lore bits sprinkled into the descriptions, I soon found myself making a map. And factions. And gods. And an omelette, which wasn't part of this but I thought you should know.
One list of expansion races and an incomplete atlas later, I realized I had to make the full thing. 50 pages of labor later, I realized I did not have to do this and in fact could have used this time to do something actually productive like prank-calling politicians or painting my neighbor's house Minions Yellow without his consent while he's away.
The Age of Calm
The Age of Not Calm
The Cold North
Summary
The Cold North label refers to the arctic region of the New World. Its population is extremely low, and much of it is entirely uninhabited. The more accessible parts are home to only scant penguin villages and wandering polar bears.
Due to the lack of resources and livable land for most races, some of the less accessible parts of The Cold North remains unexplored, making them ripe opportunities for eager adventurers or secretive villains.
Farfall
This natural border and barrier is an absolute nightmare to get through, with sharp dropoffs on the north side making for an almost impossible descent for outsiders.
Sitting below the mighty mountains from which it draws its name, The Farfall Drop often fools ignorant travelers into thinking they've found refuge from the trials and tribulations of sailing around the Cold North, only for them to realize the mountain range makes docking anywhere except the unforgiving tundra impossible.
The Teeth That Take
Because of the clockwise winds of the Mindless Sea, one must pass around the rest of the continent and then the Cold North to get from the west to the east. The northwesternmost corner presents travelers with two options: take the perilous People's Elbow and risk losing sight of the mainland as they pass into open ocean, or take the "safer" but extremely slow and tedious Razor waterway through The Teeth That Take. Taking on even a little bit of speed in this passage makes avoiding the frequent rock formations nearly impossible, meaning that each vessel must crawl methodically through to avoid wrecking, nearly doubling their total travel time.
The Gray Area
Summary
Regional divisions can be hard to define. Somewhere south of the Farfall Range, the Central Valley begins, but it's controversial as to where that border is. In this transitional space is a biome of dreary skies and sodden earth, but the nature of it changes as one travels west to east. Hogstooth is a narrow realm of storm-tossed cliffs and equally morose inhabitants, while the Long Walk and the Chained Coast are calmer, yet emptier stretches of pointless tundra. Penguins consider it unpleasant, but workable. The thick taiga of The Brush makes it verdant enough for its halfling populace, but no such tree cover is found for the tiny human fishing towns on the shores of Ego's Bite.
The Long Walk
The longest contiguous stretch of the Gray Area is the Long Walk, which serves as a natural barrier to invasion for the Cold North, in case anyone wanted to suffer through the Farfall Range to steal three fish and a clump of snow from the penguins. Any trade heading through the Brush is normally met here by penguin merchants who are much more capable of taking the goods the rest of the way north.
The Point Triumphant
The other purpose of the Long Walk is the origin of its name: journeying on a pilgrimage to the Point Triumphant, back when anyone did that type of thing. Nowadays, summiting the peak of the highest point in the known world is considered both foolish and utterly impossible.
Hogstooth
The Mindless Sea can only be navigated in one direction for those wishing to head to the east from the west, making Hogstooth the last port of call before the dangerous yet inevitable journey around the Cold North. However, it is highly recommended you do not assume you will receive any generosity from the cold lords of these wave-crashed rocks and solemn keeps. Perhaps it's better if you don't dock there at all.
There is very little to smile about in Hogstooth if you prefer warm weather and the company of others, but the longterm residents of the region seem content to stay here, despite those facts.
As far as anyone knows, natural defensibility has made prevented anyone from ever launching a successful military campaign in Hogstooth, meaning the same families have ruled, served, and lived here without contest for thousands of years. Regardless, the nobility of Hogstooth still approach the issues of knightly honor, loyalty, and war with the same dreadful severity as they do everything else.
Hogstooth is technically part of the West Coast but has a miserable climate more reminiscent of the Long Walk and the other barely sub-arctic regions of the Gray Area. Because of this (and their general unfriendliness), Hogstoothers do not consider themselves West Coasters, a sentiment West Coasters enthusiastically share.
Ego's Bite
The Chained Coast
Named after its contained and remote location, the Chained Coast is the home to much of the non-penguin population north of the Central Valley. Modest fishing villages and people in the Witness Protection Program live peaceful but impoverished lives in a place that it isn't worth visiting or trading with.
Naturally, this means adventure and mystery abounds in this mostly unexplored region. And one begins to wonder what you can hide in a place no one cares to look.
Whisper's Reach
The lords of the Horn of Brass have entirely sealed off Whisper's Reach, forcing travelers taking the long trip around the Cold North to land in the Horn instead. No unauthorized visitors are allowed. What occurs in this prohibited zone is unknown.
Some rumor that it has something to do with the Horn's major exports: brass, gunpowder, and tyranny.
The Brush
The Brush is topographically bizarre, to say the least. Starting with a strong line of deep ever-brown trees, it carries on as a low visibility forest for some time before breaking into heavily wooded swamps and then taiga-shrublands, eventually emptying into the open tundra of the Long Walk as a sad plain of a few scarce bushes.
It is a common misconception that halflings make up the majority of the population here; the truth is that psionic prowess simply makes it easier to rise to positions of prominence in the tangled and chaotic environs of The Brush.
Another related but ruder rumor is that The Brush is mostly home to primitive halfling villages incapable of entering the modern age. While The Brush does feature many traditional halfling settlements, none of them are particularly backward and they engage with the wider world without issue or prejudice.
An actually true well-known fact is that a notably large coven of witches lurks somewhere out there in the undergrowth. Their motives are unknown, naturally, so maybe they're not up to anything? Right?
Lately, the Norval conflict has caused some light conflicts and heavy fires in the southern end of the forest. The normally peaceful realm is beginning to grow anxious, unsure if local insurgent factions will arise to aid one side or another in the tumult in the Valley. Maybe they're worried about potential violence, or maybe they're worried about what hidden secrets will be uncovered by the chaos of war.
The Central Valley
Summary
The Central Valley covers the vast majority of the New World's landmass, extending from the Western Mountains to their counterparts in the east. The whims of the many realms of the kingdoms of the Valley and the machinations of the rulers of the neighboring Horn of Brass often set the tone for all residents, human or otherwise.
The New World is a wide world of adventure, drama, and mystery, but many experience all this and more without ever traveling outside of the grand valley.
Dryval
Lots of trade passes through Dryval, whether it be caravans descending from the Eastern Mountains or emerging from the trip from the Savanna through the Greenbelt. The issue is that very little trade stops here. The dry marshes and uneven terrain of much of Dryval makes for a poor place to establish a metropolis or feudal empire, and so the marcher lords can only watch with dismay as valuable economic potential continues on to places with naval trade and the clout needed to enforce import taxes. A settlement at the mouth of the Greenbelt remains a notable exception.
Midval
The problem with being in the middle is that everyone always needs to pass over you to get anywhere. The constant presence of other powers constantly treading through their stormy lands has made stable and defensible expansion almost impossible for the lords of Midval. Thus, the region is split between many different honorable but tiny realms, with the only major players being the lords who are positioned to use the Eastern Mountains as a natural barrier.
Norval
Norval was a unified kingdom long ago, but old resentments split it into two still mighty halves: The Native Grounds (The Grounds), who occupy much of the original "core" of Norval, and the Original Group (The OG), who are more closely related to the founders of the kingdom. Tension is brewing between them, and proxy skirmishes have already spilt over into The Brush.
Soval
Soval faces a universal problem: the closer you get to the High Coast of Living, the more the imbalance of wealth grows. The closest coastal subregion, NoSo, features the most lucrative opportunities and well-appointed lords. MiSo, the central slice of Soval, fares less well, but not as poorly as the southernmost SoSo, which, like Dryval to the east, bizarrely does not benefit much from through traffic coming from the Greenbelt. This had led to some growing and potentially dangerous resentment from the latter two realms toward the former. But in uncertain times, it may be that desperation, not jealousy, is what ultimately pushes them over the edge.
Wrathbreak
Wrathbreak, named after its ability to discourage invasion, is a menacing inland sea that very few have bothered to build even the smallest docks on, making it basically impassable.
Freshglade
Freshglade is a forest clearing that became a kingdom, sort of. The world's only significant "druidocracy," it put its name on the map many years ago when a local druidic circle, figuring they had more than enough space they weren't using, allowed a group of settlers to move in as long as they didn't burn the place down. Not knowing this was the kindest and simplest set of demands these people had ever received, the druids were inundated with immigrants and soon found they were at the helm of a large peaceful community with zero tolerance for arson.
A druid council forms the official governing body of Freshglade, advised by a single High Druid. They pass harsh and complex laws like "let's plant more trees" and "we have to stop summoning woolly mammoths in spring." Council members usually train their eventual successors, who always prove their merit despite constant and understandable accusations of nepotism. The real bugbear is when a groomed apprentice decides to leave instead of serve, taking with them institutional knowledge and years of wasted training. The druids, of course, would never call this circumstance "a waste," but I'm not a druid, so I will.
The Sinkwood
The Sinkwood is a dark and murky wetland home to some truly murky people. Sinkwood natives rarely meet with outsiders, and respect them even less frequently. Light struggles to hit ground in this relentless unpleasant swamp, making Sinkwooders extremely pale under the mud that frequently cakes everything.
There is a rumor that a foul kingdom within the mire has plans to act on what is either an obsession or hatred for dragons, but few have the courage to venture deep enough to clarify. An even more ominous legend is that for every denizen of the Sinkwood, there are a dozen creatures eager to devour them and anyone else who might visit.
And yet, despite all this, if one wishes to travel from the Central Valley to the luxurious East Coast, avoiding the journey through the Eastern Mountains or the perilous naval voyage around the known world, the narrow road where the Sinkwood and the icy waters of Wrathbreak meet near the base of the mountains is surely the most direct option. I'm not doing it, but you do you.
Some guides have made it their specialty to guide brave or foolish travelers through the Sinkwood, but some guides are morons.
The West Coast
Summary
The West Coast is a cold but populated collection of built up coastal cities and small castles, notable mostly for having for modern stone buildings and paved roads despite its distance from most of the rest of civilization. And yes, in comparison to the desolate and lonely crags of Hogstooth, it is a lively, busy, and connected region, if not exactly metropolitan in culture.
A surprising amount of people live in these foreboding gaslamp ports, rare urban fantasy at the edge of the world.
Inland is another story. What type of ghoulish individual would want to put up with living the West Coast but not even benefit from the safety and utility of civilization? What are they up to?
The Western Mountains
It is hard to explain to West Coasters that the enormous mountain range that separates Hightree from the Central Valley is the less perilous of the New World's two major mountain ranges. And yet, while it is true that land travel to Hogstooth is all but impossible, the density of the Western Mountains gives way around the border to Hightree, making for an objectively easier climb than the long nightmare of crossing that other range.
Windwax
Windwax is named appropriately. Prevailing winds and poor options for disembarkment make getting there more trouble than it's worth, and so the wild region remains uninhabited. From a distance, it appears to have few trees to break up the strong winds, and thus it is assumed the natural fauna is pretty miserable. The people of the Woodland, however, greatly appreciate its protection.
The Inner Coast
The Coastwood
The Coastwood heralds to any and all travelers the upcoming High Coast of Living, sharing with it its scenic yet overhyped nature. Most of the sparse inland wood is so rocky that any use of the land is futile, meaning that starving ship crews will have to wait slightly longer to find a safe place to buy supplies. Despite this, in comparison to the dense Greenbelt directly across the bay, the nearby mountains bordering the south of The Woodland, and the Savanna's Luxor Highlands on the other side of the Treefall Sound, it is extremely welcoming.
The High Coast of Living
No major realm owns any of the land in this expensive stretch of real estate. Instead, rich city-states and powerful mercantile houses have carved out tiny fiefdoms along every inch of beach touching the High Coast, reaping enormous rewards for monopolizing the entire fishing, shipping, trading, and beach tourism economy of the Central Valley.
This is all thanks to its actually useable terrain, in contrast to the woods pictured above.
The Hightree Expanse
Summary
The Hightree Expanse is an enormous forest sitting on the ascent to the Western Mountains from the West Coast. It is surprisingly idyllic, given the West Coast's normal reputation. Heavy tree cover at such an altitude has proven difficult to clear for settlements to be established, so much of the wood is an unexplored world of uninterrupted nature.
Of course, the less traveled parts of the forest are rife with brigands and dangerous monsters. Watch out for the gloamglozer.
Hightree
The one exception to the Expanse's unspoiled landscape: the Kingdom of Hightree is a serene and peaceful realm, its greatest strength and weakness being its remote location. This tree-lined fantasy wonderland has all the comfortable wonder of a fairy-tale kingdom, and all the frustrating limitations of a small town. The Lord of Hightree, taking advantage of the former to offset the latter, hosts peace summits, guild conferences, and other major gatherings as a trusted neutral actor. Almost all of the power players of The New World take him up on his offers, because Hightree certainly isn't the worst destination for a business trip.
The Woodland
The Woodland is one of the New World's best kept secrets. Isolated from the strife of the continent by mountains on most sides and the ship-breaking winds of Windwax on the other, small forest and mining towns flourish without the need for external support. Its troublesome location does make it a little behind the times, but what good are the times?
Bears are not commonly found anywhere, but if they were, it would be here. There is possibly no safer sanctuary for the rarer races of the New World than this place, which makes it a great place for anyone to grow up and absolutely useless for adventuring. Perhaps there's some fun to be had deep beneath the mines, but if there's not, boy is this place unexciting.
Still, perhaps all fledgling characters could use a safe place to develop their skills, exploring stable ruins and tranquil forests as a rehearsal for the real thing.
Of course, like any apparently perfect place, dark tidings could be simmering under a superficial facade. They could be, but they're not. It's a thought, though. Maybe it's something in the air? The water? Nope. All fantastic.
Maybe what's truly treacherous about The Woodland: the true nature of the place gives us false hope about the world. Sure, every and any adventurer can look at it and aspire to retire there, but how many will actually get the chance? How many people will use the potential future of a promising epilogue to tolerate horrible narratives in the meantime? Few will live long enough to see the end of their adventuring days, and even if they do, old adventurers usually just become new administrators, guildmasters, warlords, and archmages. Is this endless baggage of responsibility truly worth it? Or are unlikely expectations deluding many into suffering?
Wait, now we're blaming The Woodland for being a nice place to live. Scratch everything else, the real problem with The Woodland is that its purity starkly contrasts with who we are. It serves as a painful reminder that we'd only ruin it with our presence.
The East Coast
Summary
The East Coast sits on the other side of the Eastern Mountains from the bulk of the New World's population in the Central Valley. Much of it is resort-like in climate and culture, the narrow space between the mountain and shore only matched in value by the High Coast of Living in the west. Unlike more isolated pockets of idyll like The Woodland or Hightree, this area sees an extremely high amount of tourists and economic traffic. The luxurious lords and merchant houses of the long coast have their hands fulll with more trade and opportunity than they know what to do with.
Wealth, however, is the East's only defense. Armies and armories are hard to come by on narrow beaches full of cabanas and lotion. And although the Eastern Mountains make invasion from the west all but impossible, it does mean that there's nowhere to run if problems should come from the north. And with the Horn of Brass not far, problems are definitely going to come from the north.
The Fist
The Fist juts out from the mainland, marking where the wind prevents any traffic sailing northward from the Savanna. Vessels that pass the Fist will have to circumnavigate the continent to return to the waters of the East.
Opal Bay
The most prime property in the East Coast sits on the edges of Opal Bay, a predictably pearlescent body of water. The available land between the mountains and Opal Bay is the narrowest stretch in all of the East Coast, the limited room creating an even bigger atmosphere of luxury and exclusivity.
You cannot afford it, but I can. I am richer than you. Call me Richard.
The Eastern Mountains
There is a lot of competition in The New World for most treacherous natural obstacle, but few can match the endless misery of the Eastern Mountains. Yet, travel through them is necessary if the Central Valley wants to trade with the East by land (and vice versa,) and so this perilous trek is undertaken by far more traders, travelers, and tax men than it should.
It is never clear how long it will take to travel across the Eastern Mountains; it seems to depend on how capricious they feel like being. Barely useable winding paths pass by bottomless drops, lit barely during the day by a seemingly persistently shrouded sky.
Others, however, embrace this challenge, perhaps because they're only going halfway. Making a pilgrimage to the sacred temples at Highgate is a strong ambition of many adventuring clerics, priests, and zealots.
Highgate
All paths through the Eastern Mountains meet at Highgate, which to the unaware is a very unexpected settlement to find in this wintery hellscape. The chief duty of Highgate's permanent residents is catering to such travelers...catering to such travelers and being very mysterious...catering and mystery.... Their chief duties are catering and mystery...and maintaining the wards that keep Highgate safe from monster attack.... Their three duties are catering, mystery, and ward maintenance...and an almost fanatical devotion to the gods.... Their four...no... Amongst their duties... Amongst their responsibilities...are such elements as catering, mystery.... I'll come in again.
The Horn of Brass
The Horn of Brass sits at the northern end of the East Coast, a bulwark of power unmatched by anywhere north of the Savanna. The region is not an united kingdom, far from it, but even as the feudal nobility aim to tear each other's throats out, they also collaborate to suppress the lower classes.
The Brassmen are leading innovators in the use of guns, rifles, and advanced cannoneering, making them a threat on both land and sea. They task their peasantry with long hours in the Horn's unique copper and zinc mines, searching for enough ore to transmute into brass. Almost no other region can produce enough of those resources to create brass on a large scale, and so the Horn profits greatly off endless demands for their exports.
However, neither munitions nor metal can match the Horn's true power: control of the Crownsguard. This neutral worldwide organization trains elite bodyguards to serve all rulers in The New World, benevolent or not. The Crownsguard are based in the Horn, and although they claim no allegiance to any nation, it is clear that the gift of their protection is a message from the Lords of Brass.
For those not under the steel boot of oppression and free from fearing the violence of their neighbor, the Horn is a safe and verdant autocracy. Young princes and lordlings from here have a fond nostalgia for this place.
The citizens of the rest of the East Coast are not soothed by the Brassmen's existence, though. Raids into the lower coast have become more and more ambitious lately, and it is only a matter of time before the Horn's cold demands clash with the freedom and bliss of the wondrous coast.
The Greenbelt
The largest forest in the New World: the Greenbelt marks the transitional space between the kingdoms of kings and men. Many paths have been cut through the endless wood, making the trip far safer than it has ever been, but those who stray from the known trails are likely to never return. Guides can be hired to help pass through the forest safely, although experienced travelers consider this somewhat embarrassing.
For a long time, the Greenbelt was the reason that the Savanna was entirely unknown to the Valley, and vice versa. The penguins made contact with the kings by sea long before the leonine people met with humankind by crossing through the forest.
Today it is a reliable, if tedious, way to move about the continent.
The Duskwood
The Duskwood, despite its daunting name, is a relatively safe patch of the Greenbelt that just happens to have almost complete tree cover. Weirdly enough, it seems almost impossible to leave or depart the Greenbelt on the northern side without going through it. It seems to move to meet anyone passing through.
The Greenpeaks
The Greenpeaks would be considered majestic wonders of nature if they weren't so annoying. These impassable mountains make approaching the Valley from the northwest of the Savanna completely untenable. If you're lost in the Greenbelt and you run into the Greenpeaks, you're nowhere near where you need to be, and you probably never will be.
The Savanna
The geographically isolated Savanna consists of the realms of the kings and the other New World races who accept their governance. Although traversing the Greeenbelt between the Valley and south has long since become an accessible affair, it is still overwhelmingly tedious, and no kingly warlord has ever seen a logistical path to riding north.
The Savanna is mostly not a desert, much to the chagrin of first-time travelers who saw it colored yellow on a map and assumed otherwise.
Bay of Pride
The Bay was named thousands of years before any king dipped a toe in. When they first did, there was a lot more anxiety in the air than pride.
The Crystal Coast
Much like the Coastwood to the north, the Crystal Coast is an aesthetically pleasing but ultimately unhelpful shoreline. Boats searching for ports must head into the Bay of Pride or back toward Merchant's Grove, for the Coast makes for a lovely but deadly barrier all the way to the Breezewood.
Eastmane and Westmane
Eastmane holds a far larger percentage of the population (and thus a far larger percentage of the power) than its sister across the bay, but a few formidable lords have arisen in the wedge of Westmane between the Luxor Highlands and the Greenbelt, including the illustrious Leon of Leon.
The Breezewood and Journeybark
Despite being situated on opposite sides of the Savanna, The Breezewood and Journeybark share many similar traits (besides having trees).
They both are (at least for those not native to the Savanna) far-off pockets of safety surrounded by danger in a place very far from the beginning or ending of a journey. Journeybark is mostly only accessibly by taking a detour through the Greenbelt, while the Breezewood is the last stop in strange lands before a ship from the Central Valley returns back home.
There is simply something ephemeral about places like these, places even the most avid explorers only reach once in a lifetime, perhaps staying for only a few hours. They firmly solidify the fact one has traveled far, that one's journey has taken them to a distinctly different place. And yet at the same time, they are not destinations, even if you wanted them to be.
They are mementos, if anything, places that will stick in your memory that remind you that there is a far off wondrous place that you once trod upon, an ethereal surreal location that contrasts sharply with the mundanity of everyday life.
An adventuring party from Norval may arrive at Journeybark after a bitter slog through the Greenbelt, already battle-worn from the preceding walk south through the Central Valley. There in the wood, for the first time, a reprieve will be felt, not the one of finality and accomplishment, but the one of a refuge that seems to applaud you for your continued survival. It's a place whose generosity one can never return to repay, like a friend you make on vacation as a child who you will never see again.
Similarly, a prince and his entourage from the High Coast of Living may be finishing a years-long odyssey, having sailed around the entire continent, stopping off in various places to enjoy a moment on land before being crammed back into close quarters at sea, solemnly trodding through this place that seems to have known where they've been.
There is nothing here, yet everything is here: what makes these places special is not the foliage or climate, it's how they give you a moment to look back and reflect on your adventure, giving you a sense of narrative accomplishment by rewarding you with a lull in action to reflect after your story's climax or midpoint before sending you off forever toward the end of your tale.
Luxor Highlands, Torchmont, and Merchant's Grove
Luxor Highlands
Luxor is the largest unsettled region in the Savanna. As such, this dry wasteland is crawling with monsters, bandit kings, strange tombs, and the skeletons of those who participated in overly zealous coming-of-age rituals.
Legend has it that the true king of kings will not ascend the throne until all the dead buried in Luxor arise to speak his name. If that doesn't happen in the next fifteen minutes, I'm going to lunch.
Torchmont
Torchmont is a sparsely inhabited hilly region that serves as the first sight of the Savanna for travelers approaching from the East Coast. The kings maintain a palatial lighthouse here, more out of pride and ceremony than actual concern for the safety of oncoming ships.
The Savanna's most traditionalist kings have settled in Torchmont, displaced from their traditional lands by their more forward-thinking kin. Despite there being very little civilized history in these hills, these xenophobic reactionaries have retroactively declared Torchmont to be a sacred place of kingly heritage. Stay out.
Merchant's Grove
Long isolated by the Greenbelt and the intimidating sea, kings were not aware of the presence of other sentient races until the arrival of an intrepid penguin trade expedition. These merchant-explorers first met with the kings here, although the grove was soon abandoned as a major port in favor of places controlled by more powerful rulers further into the Bay of Pride.
Today, Merchant's Grove is a mere historical curiosity and penguin-run tourist trap, the worst and most lucrative boardwalk in the known world.
Canvas
The Ashlands
Sitting on the western side of Canvas, the Ashlands are a gray-obsidian wasteland of dormant and not-so dormant volcanoes. However, the native Askalfar have ancient techniques and rituals that allow them to grow plants and dredge drinkable water from the soil, transforming the region from an uninhabitable hell to a very livable hell.
The Askalfar live amongst the ruins of the Great Askalfar Empire, which was destroyed by a major volcanic eruption long ago. The northwestern Ashlands never recovered in population or prosperity, and the capital region of the old empire is completely abandoned, given over to the curses and endless fires that plague the long-lost cities.
A local border war at the mouth of the Lower Font has escalated into a much larger conflict. With such a important trade artery jeopardized, far-off parts of Canvas may soon be forced to pick a side or intervene.
The Eastern Plains
The Eastern Plains are almostly entirely encircled by Canvas's impassable mountains. Only the routes through Truegrove, Trueport, and the hard-to-find pass to the Ice Fringe serve as points of egress.
The Eastern Plains are a medieval fantasy wonderland, but with one glaring exception: spots of magically-afflicted dead land are scattered throughout the region.
The origins of these deadzones are unclear, although they bear a passing resemblance to the Ashlands. Their true standout features, however, are enormous holes in the ground where pure volatile magic rockets into the air from beneath the soil, creating a fascinating but troubling multicolored steam cloud visible for miles.
Some merberatu worship these arcane geysers, while others see them as hazardous or even malicious forces of nature.
The Fontlands
The Lower Font
Making up the vast majority of the Fontlands, the Lower Font is a narrow mountain pass that serves as the sole passage between the Ashlands in the west and the Eastern Plains in the east. Despite the awkward nature of the region, the tight corridor makes for an excellent way to profit off of traveling marauders, merchants, and miscellaneous other adventurers.
However rich they may be, the powerful trade lords of the Lower Font are desperately hurting for land. For those closest to the grand landscapes of the Ashlands or Eastern Plains, conquest has become very tempting.
In fact, the Lower Font is currently embroiled in a war with the nearby Ashlands over such territory concerns, and it seems the entire continent is about to be dragged into it.
The Font
The most important feature of Canvas lies in its heart, halfway along the winding path of the Fontlands. Sitting in a pocket just north of where the trail continues south, this small region is almost entirely consumed by a everflowing cataclysm of magical color known as the Font. The giant maelstrom adds and subtracts color from the surrounding area, making the rest of the Upper Font a surreal dimension of ineffable appearance.
From within its impenetrable core, strange elementals known as the painted come forth, born into this world without knowledge of why or how. Many have chosen to worship this supremely powerful and vibrant storm system.
The Godwall
Impassable mountains mark the boundaries of the major regions of Canvas, and although chunks of the many ranges have more specific names, they are all understood to be part of the mighty Godwall. Mountaineering is a fool's errand in Canvas, and woe behold the cheeky individual who uses some form of magic to fly over the Godwall...
The Ice Fringe
Heading to the northeast of the Eastern Plains leads to a passage through the easternmost mountains and into the narrow strip of land between them and the sea. (If you can find the passage, that is). It is cold there. Not much else is known.
Campaign Themes and Other Information
War!
The New World's topography makes full world wars unheard of, at least in known memory, but a number of smaller conflicts could come to the surface if it is relevant to the players' backstories or actions.
The Brush
Few internal military problems exist in the Brush, but both major players in Norval claim at least some of the Brush as their own. With the escalating violence in Norval, communities in the Brush have been fortifying, or at least fretting, in preparation for what might be next to come.
Central Midval or Central Dryval
These regions lack major powers the way Norval and Soval do, allowing for the rise and fall of whichever minor dynasties take on the risk of power-grabbing in your campaign.
The High Coast of Living
Major realms in Norval and Midval do not have direct economic access to the High Coast of Living. Instead, city-states and other similar bodies hog the coastline, often developing economic rivalries with merchant houses in bordering cities. Between those squabbles and the constant threat of assimilation by the mightier powers inland, there is never a dull day in the High Coast.
The Horn of Brass vs the East
The brutal tyrannies in the Horn deeply contrast with the almost resort-like quality of the rest of the East Coast. And while they lack the tourist income of their more peaceful neighbors, the Brass Lords do patronize the Crownguard, a powerful but neutral faction intended to protect and advise all rulers in the Valley. Can the Eastern cities trust their supposed sworn swords?
The Horn of Brass vs Itself
In the Game of Brass, you win or you die, but probably both. The uneasy peace between Brass Lords allows them to collude on controlling and profiting from trade in the region, but trust in the Horn has never been a stable commodity...
The Horn of Brass vs the Valley
While not all Brassmen think the logistics of invading the Valley are worth it, some see any kingdom not ruled with an iron fist as weak enough to be taken, regardless of where it is...
Norval
Tensions between the Original Group (The OG) and Native Grounds (The Grounds) are at an all time high. Minor battles have already begun between some of the two confederations' members, but no formal war has yet to be acknowledged.
The Savanna
War in the Savanna is more of a past-time than a hateful or desperate activity. The kings are mostly interested in proving competence, not dominance, and so non-kingly towns and kingly noncombatants are ignored as they vie with their kin for control. These low-casualty bouts are more akin to life-sized games of chess than full out wars, and are mostly common away from major trade arteries where violence would disrupt the economy.
Occasionally, however, a warlord rises who seeks to conquer part or all of a region of the Savanna. Rumors are spreading of an ambitious young warrior in the north of Guccimane who seems to be hellbent on getting everyone to join his Guccigang.
Southern Midval and Northern Dryval
The northern border of Dryal is often fraught with conflict. The kingdoms that lay along either side of the river that marks the beginning of Midval have long and tedious reasons for dynastic vendettas against their neighbors. Knights fording the waters to settle a blood feud are not uncommon. Army-sized standoffs have never been part of the equation, but tensions are rising, and alliances may slowly be beginning to form...
Soval
The three kingdoms of Soval sit on long-defined ancestral borders, making territorial expansion an awkward proposition. And yet schemes abound in the delicate power balance between NoSo, MiSo, and SoSo.
Other Themes
Crime
Whether its profiting off the lush coffers of the city-states of the High Coast, doing strange jobs for a certain halfling crime syndicate, or bravely smuggling resources to freedom fighters in the Horn of Brass, there is ample opportunity for skullduggery and subtle objectives in the New World.
Exploration
Exploration, Guided
There are always travelers and traders in need of escort into the cold wastes of the Long Walk or the dark trails of the Greenbelt, as allegedly safe and well-traveled as those regions might be.
Exploration, Unguided
Most of the New World has secrets that have yet to be explored. Unreached depths of the Greenbelt and untouched ruins in the Cold North are just some of the potential sites for treasure and danger to be uncovered, and some New World factions are already dedicated to this pursuit...
Faction Disputes
There are other power players in the New World besides kings and kings. Not all of these groups are publicly known, but competent adventurers should eventually attract their attention, if their morals and goals are compatible.
Law
The prosperous realm of Hightree sits in a beautiful land surrounded by a foresty expanse, which unfortunately gives plenty of concealment for bandits. Whether it's helping out there or flushing out n'er-do-wells in the streets of the New World's metropoli, aid is always needed for stopping crime. The Savanna is particularly hostile to academic plagiarism, war-profiteering, and anti-intellectual rabble-rousers, and many kingly governments may pay well for bringing those types of troublemakers to justice.
Military/Mercenary
Standing armies are expensive and losing trained soldiers is an unpleasant circumstance. Almost all power structures in the New World would rather pay fearless adventurers to take on tasks rather than risk their own associates.
Upheaval
The Second Sons, an ideological mercenary group dedicated to freedom, can often be found destabilizing monarchies and riling up the peasants across the Central Valley. Whether or not the characters see them as noble heroes or crazy anarchists is up to them.
Trade
There is plenty of wealth to go around for enterprising adventures. Whether it's funding hotels in the East Coast or trips for noble visitors to witness the delights of Sharkwhistle, gold is there for those with the right enterprising spirit. Even more profit may be had for those adventurers willing to pass difficult or dangerous geographic obstacles, like the oppressive winds of the Mindless Sea or the unforgiving cold of the Eastern Mountains, in order to trade goods otherwise inaccessible to their clientele.
Calendar and Time
The New World follows a 12 month, 365.25 day calendar. It is currently the year 8054. No, no one knows why. Recorded history is less than half as long.
Seasons
The New World experiences all four seasons as per Earth, as well as two additional ones, but many regional features remain consistent year-round. For example, going from north to south, Hogstooth is cold, wet, and windy; The West Coast is cold and windy, Windwax is temperate and windy, and the Woodland is temperate. Going east from Hogstooth, the Long Walk is cold, dry and rarely blustery, the Chained Coast is cold, dry, and chill winds batter its edges, and Whisper's Reach is confidential, none of your business.
Other Details
Currency
Silver and gold are common in the realm. Brass coins are minted exclusively in the Horn of Brass, and are less and less accepted the further one gets from the region.
Technology
The level of technology in most of the New World is relatively consistent with the common assumption of standard fantasy roleplaying. The Savanna, however, boasts technology far superior to its northern neighbors, although the Horn of Brass is notoriously secretive about what cards they hold. Technologically enhanced-armor and airships are rare but not unheard of amongst the kings.
Magic item shops are always either well-kept secrets or unimpressively stocked. The general citizenry of the New World do not have access to magical tools to make their lives easier, and generally do not expect to come across or see much sorcery in their lives.
GODS OF THE NEW WORLD
THE UPPER PANTHEON
These deities are so inherently powerful and abstract that they transcend physical and personal manifestation. While they remain the undisputed masters of their respective domains and are worthy of reverence, they are conspicuously absent from the affairs of both gods and men. Attempts to engage in direct discourse with them through prayer are futile, as they allegedly exist more as embodiments of the concepts they represent rather than as personified deities.
COMMON
Common is the king of the gods and the patron of destiny, but most people don't know or care. His actual popularity comes from being the god of safe travel. In a dangerous world filled with monsters, brigands, and deranged adventuring parties, his name is most often invoked by the masses in the hope that they will arrive at their destination with all of their valuables and organs intact.
Like the other members of the Upper Pantheon, Common is not present in the worlds of mortals or lesser divines. Thus, the god Kadeem rules the Lower Pantheon in his absence, which, as far as anyone can tell, has been always. There is no record of Common ever intervening to overrule Kadeem's judgment.
TERREK
Known colloquially as "The Talker," Terrek extols diplomacy and fruitful communication, making him a popular icon for the less violently inclined. He is closely associated with Forben, who is probably either his brother, roommate, or someone who owes him money.
FORBEN
The ever perseverant Forben has reign over mental endurance and productive energy, making him beloved by those pursing magical, physical, or academic fitness. He is closely associated with Terrek, who probably just wants his 20 gold back.
JAM
Responsible authority, temperance of ego, and thoughtful pride belong to the god Jam. He is universally acknowledged as the most beloved and most important god, but no one can remember why. This mysterious entity counts many monarchs amongst his most devoted followers. Also, small note, don't freak out or anything, but there are rumors that he's dead.
THE LOWER PANTHEON
With the Upper Pantheon perhaps permanently unreachable, these are the deities most closely responsible for the welfare of the New World, with Kadeem at the helm.
EHNTO
ENTARMO
The unofficial patron of innkeepers and healers, Entarmo garners little respect in the halls of heaven for being the goddess of comfort, forgiveness, and safety, especially not from her brother, Ehnto.
KADEEM
With supreme authority and overwhelmingly superior strength, Kadeem leads the gods in the court of heavens in Common's name, ordained by the true king to serve as his stand-in until what appears to be the end of time.
Often depicted as a muscular bald judge sitting in an enormous marble chair, the Steward of All Existence claims dominion over clarity and stoic judgment. His following is naturally concerned with law and justice, with little love for the rebellious and insincere. Crusaders, justiciars, and other strict authority figures crush the freely dangerous and their dangerous freedoms in his name.
But do not mistake him for some niche god of rulership or jurisprudence. He commands outstandingly consistent popularity throughout the New World.
KYBIS
Accompanied by her mighty panther guardian Lordain, Kybis controls the whims of accomplishment and luck, making her a favorite of gamblers, entertainers, and scoundrels. But it would be foolish to mistake her for an unserious trickster deity. Despite how less-educated mortals have interpreted her domain, Kybis is a regimented administrator of her duties, mature and stable in her outlook and approach.
She is known to unambiguously and efficiently uplift mortals to be her champions, more than any other god.
She is celebrated by many cultures in the New World, including owning the allegiance of almost all of the few penguins who aren't fiercely atheistic.
NAILS
The uninformed identify Nails as the god of magic, but his canonical role is to represent fascinating mystery and fulfilling discovery, Despite his divinity, he is not seen as some unapproachable manifestation of impossible power, but instead as an adventuring demigod far removed from the normal grandeur of a member of the Lower Pantheon. (To any demigods reading this, he's not like you, he's still a god, he's built different.)
VET
Vet stands for two virtues highly appreciated by anyone living in a world overflowing with threats and hazards: pragmatic prioritization and self-preservation.
Vet is highly popular amongst the kings of the savanna. He most closely represents the sphinx gods of their original religion, which have long since been assimilated. To cope, kings depict all the gods of the New World pantheon as sphinxes. Checkmate, atheists.
VISSIM
Vissim is notoriously gregarious and quite wondrous: ingenuity, invention, and restoration belong to his portfolio.
In the mortal world, Vissim is cherished by anyone trying to make life better, as well as obviously being preferred by creators, thinkers, and students.
OTHER DIVINE BEINGS
CRIIR, THE ASTRAL GRIFFON
The little-known Criir is a patron of craftsmen and, for some reason, inter-dimensional travelers. He is currently missing.
DEATH
He declined to be interviewed for this guide.
THE FLOCK
???
HORIZON
Horizon, Lord of Space and Time, is the New World's resident platinum dragon. Like any all-powerful force, it's unclear why he doesn't just fix everything. Is he stupid?
THE STORM
The divine environment from whence the skyborn come. Not thought of as a sentient being. Might be dead, don't worry about it.
FALSE GODS
ELDRITCH HORRORS
These menacing creatures are in some sort of fragile alliance, although that doesn't stop their followers from slaughtering each other.
FIER
Fier grants impossible wisdoms in exchange for eternal allegiance, demanding that her followers torture those who refuse her offer. (Also those unaware of her offer).
Edict Deliver cruelty to the "ignorant"
MYZ
Followers of Myz hunt down Kadeem's inquisitors and other militant religious groups. Their long term motives are unknown, but they really like spiders.
Edicts Destroy the soldiers of heaven, punish divine pride
VREAV
Driven to madness by witnessing the unspeakable, the incomprehensible Vreav knows only nightmares and chaos. His followers are similar.
Edict Does "be batshit insane" count?
THE CONDEMNED
It is taboo, daunting, or impossible to speak the true names of these beings, so they must referenced using safer epithets.
THE BETRAYED
Allegedly formerly the patron celestial of healing, he was twisted by a devastating betrayal into a bitter spirit of vengeance. His followers abhor medical care of any variety.
Edicts Kill magical healers, poison healing potions
THE DEAD ONE
Contrary to popular belief, The Dead One's cultists seek not to take lives individually but to instead orchestrate the death of thousands in one fell swoop. Legend holds that the Dead One was born lifeless, but some speculate that he exists in a perpetual state of dying, sustained by the massive sacrifices offered in his name.
Edict Feed death to The Dead One
THE FORGOTTEN
With the name, faith, and essence of their god lost to time, acolytes of the Forgotten have but one known duty: thwart the influence of The Dead One, whatever the cost.
Edict Did I stutter?
CANVASIAN GODS
Anthropomorphic Gods
ANTON
Worship of Anton was reserved to an extremely small obscure sect of society until recently when his penchant for justice became popular among city dwelling thm concerned about prejudicial authoritarianism. Although he historically had been a god of swift justice, his worship has been repurposed into a matter more pressing to urban thm society: justice in the social sense.
LYRIA
As the Canvasian goddess of fate (and thus luck, magic, and mystery by proxy), the ubiquitously popular Lyria somehow has an equally distributed following in every culture across the entire continent. There is no corner of Canvas where she is unappreciated. Truly the Regina George of the continent.
MITHRIL
Worship of Mithril was reserved to an extremely small obscure sect of society until recently when his penchant for order became popular among city-dwelling merberatu concerned about urban unrest. Although he historically had been a god of cosmic order, his worship has been repurposed into a matter more pressing to metropolitan merberatu society: order in the civil sense.
Obsolete Deities
Many now prefer the New World gods to these ones.
| Name | Province | Reason for Deprecation |
|---|---|---|
| Ayncien | The Harvest | Farmers didn't want her getting credit for their hard work. |
| Jiord | Fishing, Sailing | Everyone kept thinking he was the god of water. It was a mess. |
| Ogo | Beasts | Who cares if goats and poodles have a messiah? |
| Opp Pok | Mischief | We realized the whole thing was too immature. |
| Raeko | Fire (Askalfar) Forge (Merberatu) | Kids kept burning shit down. |
| Saan | Air, Sky, Stars, Wind | Praying to breathe was wack. |
| Stonen | Champion of Humanity | It just seemed racist. |
Geomagical Phenomenena
MANA VENTS
Many merberatu venerate these arcane geysers that occupy dangerous deadzones in their homeland. They are considered manifestations of the concept of unpredictable potential.
THE FONT
Sitting in the middle of the continent, the existence of this powerful swirling magical cataclysm of color compels many to consider it Canvas's chief (or only) divine.
VOLCANOES
Many askalfar venerate these natural features that dominate their homeland. Volcanoes are considered manifestations of the concept of necessarily destructive change.
...What?
VIVIAINE, INCORRECTLY
The clearly mortal viviaine are not deities, but not everyone is convinced of this. Devoted cults of deluded idiots have sprung up across the Eastern Plains in sheer defiance of objective evidence.
Viviaine Pantheon
The Viviaine refuse to explain their religion to me. I think that these are more concepts that they venerate rather than deities that they worship, but your guess is as good as mine.
| Name | Province | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ivlen | The Circle of Life | And it moves us all |
| Lewyn | Lunar Energy | |
| Lyria | Fate | You cannot find anyone in Canvas who isn't ride or die for Lyria, I swear. |
| Riyyand | Natural Growth | |
| Yusor | Solar Energy | |
| Zayna | Art and Wisdom | I hope she's doing well |
Faction Guide
The Academy
One of the three wizarding guilds assigned an aspect of time, the Mage's Academy is solely focused on the future. The Academy is the New World's premier school for witchcraft and wizardry. Its location is a closely guarded secret, and since the headmaster and vice-headmaster seem to be on long term-hiatuses, various professors vie for control in their absence.
The Angry Bakers
They are angry and in charge of catering.
The Circle
One of the three wizarding guilds assigned an aspect of time, the Mage's Circle is solely focused on the present. The most politically active of any magical group, these high-profile mages seek to maintain the reputation of magic and those who use it worldwide. Besides its powerful board of directors, most of The Circle consists of non-magical bodyguards and support staff.
The Crownguard
Royal families across the globe regularly enlist protectors from the prestigious Crownguard, who solemnly vow to forsake all allegiances save for their unwavering dedication to their designated charge. Patronized by the influential Lords of Brass, the Crownguard operates under the watchful eye of those with a vested interest in maintaining unyielding hierarchical power on a global scale.
The Cult of Common
Commonly referred to as "The Guides," this ostensibly theological organization functions more as a guild of wilderness experts. Devoted to upholding the sacred duty of Common's edict of safe travel, they serve as knowledgeable guides throughout the New World, their affiliation in the guild a seal of trustworthiness to prospective clients seeking safe passage and reliable navigation.
The Cult of Entarmo
This charitable organization is mostly populated by innkeepers open to giving discounts to the needy and priests dedicated to giving alms to the poor. Entarmo's creed of comfort and safety is the guiding ethos of this faction, although wild rumors abound that a small elite group within the cult are actively involved in a fight against dangers beyond mortal comprehension.
The Cult of Jam
Jam is the god of thoughtful pride, responsible authority, and temperance of ego. These particular Jam worshippers take up advisory positions in the courts of local rulers to help steer those rulers toward those values. Sometimes lords don't even know their most trusted advisor is an official cultist of Jam, although the widespread worship of Jam, especially by the ruling class, suggests they wouldn't mind if they found out.
The Cult of Kadeem
Kadeem is the god of judgment. His cultists are judgmental. Led by the demigod Argon, these lawful inquisitors seek out those who they have deemed guilty. They are less likely to persecute people in power, though.
The Guild
One of the three wizarding guilds assigned an aspect of time, the Mage's Guild is solely focused on the past. This guild is frequently involved in archaeological expeditions and journeys into unexplored areas in search of ancient ruins and artifacts.
Hellknights, Order of Obsidian
The New World shares its Hell with multiple other dimensions, so while it can't claim Hell's stern protectors as its own, it is technically true that the Hellknights carry out their chaos-hunting mission in the New World's universe.
This particular order of Hellknights focuses on demon-slaying and other general security tasks needed to keep Hell a fun and safe work environment.
Kybis's Chosen
Occasionally, individuals of extraordinary talent awaken to discover that the god Kybis has bestowed upon them additional luck and charisma, enhancing their already impressive skills. In moments of dire peril, Kybis's immortal panther companion, Lordain, may manifest to shield them from certain death. Those who find themselves indebted to Kybis are recruited into this secretive faction, where they are tasked with duties ranging from recruitment to protection of other members.
The ultimate purpose behind Kybis's actions remains shrouded in mystery, leaving those touched by her divine favor to ponder her intentions.
The Lion (Lyin'?) Truth
This appears to be some sort of covert kingly intelligence service operating out of Westmane.
The Order of the Magebane
Every group in this anti-magic confederation uses magic as a part of their mage-slaying arsenal. Ironic perhaps, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fireball.
Busted Souls
Made up of those willing to do anything for the cause, "Brave Souls" often sign dark pacts and expose themselves to dangerous sorcery. The consequences of doing so have led to this colloquial name for these deranged hypocrites.
Department of Economic Illusions
These investigators-for-hire detain mages involved in magical currency manipulation and counterfeiting.
Druid Hunters
These former big game hunters assassinate rogue druids. Note that they decide who qualifies as a rogue druid.
Mothers Against Alternate Dimensions
MAAD was founded by parents weary of multiversal bullshit. They shut down that nonsense wherever it shows up.
Protectors
A disavowed offshoot and current competitor of the Crownguard known for their improvement of the shield spell and their reasonable rates; (long-term financing available).
The Second Sons
This former mercenary group has become a zealous crusade of self-proclaimed liberators, traveling across the New World to unseat any rulers they deem to be tyrants. Results vary.
Skipper's Crew
Smile and wave boys, smile and wave.
The Skullteeth
This halfling-run criminal organization claims that the economy of the New World is fundamentally unsound, and it is only with their scheming and machinations that the whole thing doesn't collapse.
Skyborn Sanctuary
Following targeted attacks on the skyborn in the Central Valley, a coalition of them formed to prevent further tragedies. Moved by compassion, a faction within the Second Sons generously granted them a small castle in Midval, recently seized from a local tyrant. This castle now stands as a secure refuge for the children of The Storm. To safeguard their location, its exact whereabouts remain undisclosed, with the Second Sons maintaining ownership as a cover story. Fortunately, they've acquired many castles recently, making it difficult to pinpoint which one it is.
The Smokers
These pirates sail the southern coast of the New World on infernally powered gunboats, preying on merchant ships headed toward the Bay of Pride. They are led by a mysterious figure known only as "The Deacon," who some say is the fiend responsible for their unique vessels.
Temple of the Golden Oracle
In Westmane, a majestic temple stands as the revered sanctuary of the most devout adherents to the Golden Oracle, but no gods are worshipped there. The Golden Oracle is not a deity but rather a creed of compassion, acceptance, and vague spirituality.
Throughout the New World, royal courts vie to recruit clergy from the temple, ostensibly seeking their moral guidance. However, in reality, the elegant priests and priestesses often serve as nothing more than status symbols for the wealthy elite. Their wisdom is frequently ignored, and many find themselves relegated to conducting rituals for faiths they do not believe in and somehow providing magical healing despite their lack of divine patronage.
The Watchers
The temple town of Highgate sits at the halfway point on the trek through the Eastern Mountains, protected by wards that make it the sole safe stop on the entire journey. The whole place is a mystery; its age does not match with the historical understanding of when humans first crossed the range, its eerie shrines to unknown gods are unexplainable, and why anyone would build anything there is baffling. The Watchers are the sanctuary's silent caretakers, observing but never interfering with outsiders. Perhaps they hold the secrets to Highgate, but they are not taking questions.
RACES SPECIES ANCESTRIES GENETIC BOOK CLUBS
CHARACTER CREATION
New World characters generate their ability scores through the point buy method. They do not use the flexible ability score rules from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
LANGUAGES
Languages are similarly but not identically distributed the way they are in the fifth edition's player handbook.
| Language | Speakers |
|---|---|
| Common | Everyone |
| Aarakocra | Penguins |
| Aquan (Primordial) | Viviaine |
| Auran (Primordial) | Skyborn |
| Draconic | Dragonforged, Dragons |
| Halfling | Halflings |
| Ignan (Primordial) | Askalfar |
| Primordial | Elementals, Painted |
| Sphinx | Kings |
| Abyssal | Demons |
| Celestial | Celestials |
| Deep Speech | ??? |
| Giant | Giants |
| Infernal | Devils |
| Sylvan | Fey |
Rarity
Rarity of Species in The New World
| Race | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Half-Dwarves | Common |
| Halflings | Common |
| Humans | Common |
| Kings | Uncommon |
| Penguins | Uncommon |
| Bears | Rare |
| Skyborn | Rare |
| Metahumans | Ultra Rare |
| Starchildren | Ultra Rare |
Rarity of Species in Canvas
| Race | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Humans (Merberatu) | Common |
| Askalfar | Common |
| Humans (Thm) | Uncommon |
| Painted | Uncommon |
| Viviaine | Rare |
| Dragonforged | Rare |
Human
ASKALFAR
Humans fond of fantasy literature would call these gray pointy-eared humanoids "ash elves", but elves aren't real. The askalfar lived in the volcanic Ashlands of western Canvas for thousands of years before the sudden arrival of the Font and the painted. Many avoidable conflicts were waged before a common understanding could be reached. Thankfully, the two races put aside their differences and now the brutal violence in Canvas is waged by equally multicultural states.
Features
Ashen Blood. Askalfar are at their best when shrouded in the gray light of their homeland, farming the food that only they know how to grow, covered in the ash that only they can stand to ingest. You have advantage on Constitution saves, are resistant to fire damage and are immune to the effects of extreme heat and respiratory hazards such as poisonous gas and volcanic ash.
Ashen Vision. Your eyes are adapted to the harsh environs of the Ashlands. You have advantage on saves against being blinded, and your sight is not obscured by ash, dust, fog, or smoke.
Ashen Step {Bonus Action}
Transform into pure ash and magically move up to 30 feet in a straight line to an unoccupied space you can see, returning to your original form at the end of your movement. You can pass through hostile creatures but not structures when using this trait.
Creatures of your choice that you pass through while using Ashen Step must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the end of your next turn.
The DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
HALFLING OF THE NEW WORLD
Small but clever, halflings are a leading contender for second-most prominent race in the human-dominated parts of the New World, mostly thanks to their innate psychic abilities. Some choose to live in traditional halfling settlements. but many can be found in more cosmopolitan locations.
You'll have to forgive these wise folk for their sometimes eerily calm and quiet homes. Halfling families tend to correspond entirely in telepathy when no one else is around.
Features
Mental Fortress. Halflings are extremely mentally sound. You have resistance to psychic damage and have advantage on saves against fear, charm, and illusions.
Mental Magic. Your spells do not require verbal components.
Silent Speech. You can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet of you. The creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. You can speak telepathically in this way to one creature at a time, but other halflings do not count toward this total.
Naturally Psionic. Halflings in the New World have traded physical agility for keener minds and it seems to have done them a great deal of good. You know the mind sliver cantrip.
Once you reach 3rd level, you learn the mind spike spell. You can cast this spell once, and you regain the ability to do so after you finish a long rest.
Once you reach 5th level, you learn the intellect fortress spell. You can cast this spell once, and you regain the ability to do so after you finish a long rest.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Lucky {Free Action}
HALF-DWARF
HALF-DWARVEN HERITAGES
COMMON HALF-DWARF
Over ninety-nine percent of half-dwarves fit into this category, boasting two primary traits that set them apart from their otherwise similar human neighbors. The first is their ability to focus. There is something distinct in their physiology that grants them the superhuman ability to stay concentrated on a task until its completion.
The second is their innate connection to the earth; more specifically: the ground. Feet stepping on the face of the New World resonate like foreboding melodies to the ears of half-dwarves, giving them the ability to sense danger from normally imperceptible tremors.
FEATURES
Tremorsense. You can detect and pinpoint the origin of vibrations within 30 feet, provided that you and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance. Tremorsense can't be used to detect flying or incorporeal creatures.
Focus Options
At 1st level, you must choose one of the following:
Critical Focus Level 1
Persistent Focus Level 1
Varied Focus Level 1
HALF-DWARVEN VARIANTS
Ultra Rare Race Disclaimer: This is where it gets weird. These bizarre races are highly susceptible to early deaths and/or severe levels of crushing tragic irony. Play at your own risk.
There's no solid proof that "full" dwarves have ever existed, meaning that if the half-dwarven race is not a biologically distinct offshoot of relations between ancient humans and extinct dwarves, it may just be that one day humans encountered a new species that looked half-similar to a fantasy creature and simply decided to name it accordingly. Some half-dwarves found this uncertainty to be unacceptable, departing from human society to uncover the secrets of their heritage. When they returned, they had been greatly changed.
These variants make up an infinitesimal percentage of the half-dwarven population.
God Scorched Half-Dwarf
Millennia ago, the progenitors of this lineage set out to find the truth through the use of divine magic, seeking to obtain comprehension of creation itself. It is rumored they got extraordinarily close, but found themselves undone by the very devotion that had brought them to that point. Instead, they returned from their journey irreparably deranged by some unspeakable horror, their vision forever destroyed.
Features
THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN. So impossibly terrifying and inscrutable was this devastation that it took sight from not just the witnesses, but every generation of their descendants since.
You are permanently and irreversibly blind but you're immune to fire damage.
Fate-Scorned Half-Dwarf
Millennia ago, the progenitors of this lineage set out to find the truth through the use of arcane magic, seeking a way to create infinite time to study the mystery. It is rumored they got extraordinarily close, but found themselves undone by the very tools that had brought them to that point. Instead, they returned from their journey completely sundered from the weave of magic, and perhaps even knowledge itself.
Features
IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR!. They were so vulnerable to their reliance on their magic than when it failed them, it fled not just their reach, but from their line for all eternity.
You no longer have the Tremorsense feature and you cannot read or cast spells, but you have advantage on all saving throws.
Kindred-Raised Half-Dwarf
Millennia ago, the progenitors of this lineage at first heeded the call to solve the mystery of their origin, but soon grew weary of the struggle and wary of the dangers. Instead, they began their own settlements in uncharted wilderness, starting a long tradition of exulting the value of half-dwarves, not the traits of some hypothetical forebears that may not have even ever existed. When they at last reintegrated into civilization, they brought this ethos with them.
Features
YOU ARE ENOUGH. Even now, many half-dwarf families teach their children that there is nothing incomplete about being half a dwarf. Some are even calling for a official renaming of their kind.
You no longer have the Focus feature, but when you're calculating your armor class, you add your proficiency bonus.
KING
Kings are regal (read: Leonin) creatures from the savannas at the southern end of the New World. Despite their fierce appearance(s) and martial prowess, they are also champions of scholarly thought and universal basic literacy. And, despite the considerable military strength of many kingly realms, none seem interested in conquering the human kingdoms in the New World's north. The savanna (and dominance over their fellow kings), it seems, are the only prizes that matter.
Kings are not found in large groups outside of their homeland. In their lands, they make up a sizeable percentage of the populace, although their heterogeneous societies also boast many humans, half-dwarves, and halflings.
Kings do not care much for sailing or naval exploration and because of this (and the mighty Greenbelt, a forest separating their lands from the rest of the world), they spent countless centuries completely unaware of other cultures. Even after being first greeted and welcomed into the continental community by a penguin-led expedition at (what would later be known as) Merchant's Grove, the kings continued to decline opportunities to develop aquatic transport, or really to get wet at all.
In recent years, they have found a fix to to their long-standing distaste for the sea by building ships of another kind- ones that take to the air. Skyships remain a rare and complex magical luxury, but it is now technically possible for kings to leave the Savanna without getting lost in the forest or seasick in the waters beyond.
Features
Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength or Intelligence modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Mark of the Sphinx. You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, as well as the effects of any divination spell you do not consent to.
Daunting Roar {Bonus Action}
You let out an especially menacing roar. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Intelligence modifier. You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, rounded down. You regain all uses when you complete a short or long rest.
CULTURAL OPTIONS
At 1st level, you must choose between Well Read and Fresh Eyes.
Well Read Level 1
Fresh Eyes Level 1
PAINTED
PENGUIN
Originating from the New World's frozen north, penguin aarakocra have integrated into society and are no longer fit to live in the wild as simple beasts. You can find penguins in most of the northern human realms, as well as in penguin-dominant villages in even colder climates.
Penguins are naturally inquisitive and for the most part not particularly religious. Most humans consider them impossible to discourage or demoralize.
Their most notable historical accomplishment was being the first race to circumnavigate the continent. This was entirely accidental. They had haphazardly sailed too far from home, at which point they discovered that prevailing winds in the seas around the Savanna made traveling back the way the came nearly impossible. To return to the Cold North, they realized, they were going to have to sail around the long way.
Their second most notable historical accomplishment was made during this legendary voyage. They famously made first contact with the aquaphobic kings of the Savanna, who had developed their society entirely separately from the other races of the New World.
They then completed their third most notable historical accomplishment, which was being politely asked to leave.
Features
Aarakocra in the New World have never known flight. Instead, they are mindful explorers, explorational masterminds and masters of the Mindless Sea.
Cartoon Physics 1. Penguins have a seemingly unrealistic mastery of flipping, sliding, dodging, and other acrobatic feats. You have have proficiency and expertise in the Acrobatics skill.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Kowalski, Analysis. Penguins are a crafty and clever bunch. You are proficient in four skills of your choice.
Thick Skin. You have resistance to cold damage and are immune to negative effects caused by extreme cold.
Tiny Bird. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you, but you have disadvantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Cartoon Physics 2 {Reaction}
BEAR
Occasionally, from out of the wilds of the frozen tundra or the expanse of the vast forests of the New World, a lumbering bipedal bear emerges. These bear-folk are born of regular bears, but for some reason are endowed with human-like intelligence, the capacity to speak, and the desire to seek out civilization. These anomalies are quite uncommon and are almost never found in groups.
Despite their wild origins, bears tend to acclimate into society quite well. After all, if they didn't want to, they would have stayed in those dusty caves.
FEATURES
Bear Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d10 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike
Bear Hug. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple another creature.
It's a Bear! It's Clearly a Bear! You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks and Wisdom (Survival) checks. You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) and Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks
Powerful Build. It's a god damn bear. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
BEAR-ITAGES BEAR HERITAGES
What kind of bear is best? There are two schools of thought.
GRIZZLY BEAR
Grizzly bears originate from forests across the New World. With no kin and and no knowledge of the world beyond their wild home, they instinctively set out to join civilization. It is always a strange day for the locals when a giant beast walks into town on two feet, but it usually ends well, especially if someone has surplus honey.
FEATURES
Keen Senses. The wild is awash in distinct scents and sights, all of which are
individually perceptible to a hyper sensitive nose and keen eyes. You have advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Natural Climbers. Grizzly bears have no problem clambering up trees in the blink of an eye.
You have a climbing speed of 30 ft.
POLAR BEAR
Polar bears hail from the cold ice floes of the north. With no kin and and no knowledge of the
world beyond their wild home, they instinctively set out to join civilization. They usually run
into penguin settlements first, where they are welcomed and trained in whatever they
wish to do, which usually involves fish.FEATURES
Arctic Beasts. Bro, they're polar bears. They're not gonna get cold. You have
resistance to cold damage and immunity to the effects of extreme cold.
Tough Hide. You are the biggest bear. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and
it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
DRAGONFORGED
Long ago, someone lost to a dragon, badly, and did not handle it well. Whoever sorely took that L built an army of draconic humanoid constructs in the image of their nemesis, probably hoping to take sweet satisfying ironic revenge. Unfortunately, it seems, that victory never came to pass. Despite their excellence, the dragonforged were still no match for whatever they were built to destroy, and so all further details about their creator were reduced to ash.
The surviving dragonforged sleep dormant in secret bunkers across Canvas, waiting for activation from a master long since burnt to cinders. Naturally, nothing stays hidden forever, and so enterprising groups of nosy adventurers may dredge up one of these robots every now and then.
With no prime directive installed, these beings are free to do as they please. Given their natural skillsets, this normally means violence. In the west, dragonforged serve as both mercenaries and countrymen on all sides of the Ashland/Fontland conflict, but in the east, many turn to organized banditry, overcoming caravan guards with their superior designs. Many a merberatu hero has spent their life with the dragonforged as their primary antagonists.
This is not the fate of all of these powerful creatures, however. There is no law stating that lethal dragon robots have to be homicidal or impolite. No one is against a dragonforged running a bookstore. Rumor has it that some of them have gathered in the lands beyond the eastern mountains, in the mysterious wastes known as the Ice Fringe. Their purpose remains unclear.
FEATURES
Constructed Resilience. You are a full-on optimized combat machine, proficient in the use of martial weapons and immune to disease, poison damage and being poisoned. You do not need to eat or drink (and frankly, I wouldn't recommend trying).
Heavy Metal. You are completely incapable of swimming and are vulnerable to fire damage, but when you are critically hit, you do not take increased damage.
Integrated Plate. Your robotic carapace has an AC of 18. You cannot don armor, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. A shield’s benefits apply as normal.
Sentry's Rest. You do not need to sleep, but when you take a long rest, you must spend at least 6 hours in an inactive, motionless state where you appear inert, but can see and hear as normal.
MECHANIZED DEFENSE {REACTION}
You activate your body's dragon-like metal scales, causing them to extend like daggers. Until the start of your next turn, you are resistant to slashing damage.
SHARD PROJECTION {BONUS ACTION}
The damage increases to 5d6 at 6th level, 7d6 at 11th level, and 9d6 at 16th level.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, rounded down. You regain all uses when you complete a short or long rest.
SKYBORN
Skyborn are errant products of the natural forces of the New World. They seem to appear out of nowhere after cloudy days or during large storms. Most societies consider their arrival either slightly good luck or a neutral occurrence, a mere side effect of climate.
Skyborn infants are often adopted by human households. Their humanoid appearance (their skin and hair colors notwithstanding) and mannerisms allow them to easily integrate into the various realms of the New World, although they are rarely found in the southern savannas.
Skyborn vary in appearance just as much as humans do, if not more.
FEATURES
Amphibious. Born of the rain and divine wonder of the skies, you do not share the respiratory needs of other mortals. You can breathe air and underwater.
Skyborn. Similarly, you are resistant to cold damage and you are immune to the negative effects of extreme cold, high altitude, heavy precipitation, and strong wind.
WIND'S EMBRACE {ACTION}
SKYBORN SUBRACES
The two known varieties of skyborn are cloudborn and stormborn.
CLOUDBORN
When grey skies and overcast gloom depart an area of the New World and leave behind a singular fluffy cumulus, there is a small chance for a cloudborn to appear. They are largely considered to be thoughtful and considerate, although they do tend to abhor stagnation, even at the price of
comfort. Many a thankful town has been befuddled to see their cherished cloudborn
spontaneously leave at first dawn, leaving only a calm soothing wind in the place they
had once called home.
FEATURES
Mindcloud. While you are under no pressure to live up to the cloudborn stereotype
of being thoughtful and considerate, you do possess a bit of skill in matters of mental ability.
You have proficiency in two Intelligence or Wisdom skills.
Born from Calm Skies. You know the gust and guidance cantrips.
You know the feather fall spell. You can cast this spell once, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
STORMBORN
Stormborn are far rarer and more tumultuous than their cloudborn cousins. They appear after devastating thunderstorms, often generating during ferocious blasts of lightning. While it would be unfair to call all stormborn unstable or temperamental, it is uncommon to find one who is particularly shy or boring.
FEATURES
Lightning Resistance. You have resistance to lightning damage... duh.
Stormfused. You know the lightning lure and shocking grasp cantrips.
You know the chaos bolt spell. You can cast this spell once, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
VIVIAINE
Viviaine are strange humanoids who originate from mystical bodies of fresh water in hidden groves across the Eastern Plains. They are born when a sword of sufficient magical power is placed in one of these rare lakes, often by another viviaine. Once they emerge, the sword cannot be retrieved until the viviaine perishes. When they reach a certain age, viviaine will instinctually return to their lake of origin to expire.
Viviaine have no standard appearance, with some of them taking on strange skin tones and facial appendages such as aquatic hair or pointed ears, but others simply seeming like remarkably serene humans.
Viviaine with more noticeable visages are often mistaken for powerful fey creatures, leading some in Canvas to worship them as "sword saints", given the viviaine's penchant for tending and defending nature, with an emphasis on flora and magical landmarks.
Occasionally, viviaine are drawn to caring for their fellow sentient races as well, granting them magical items to provide for their success and security, but strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
FEATURES
Viviaine may differ in presentation, but they all possess the powers of sharp blades and calm water.
Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
Of the Lake. You know the druidcraft and shape water cantrips.
You know the create or destroy water spell. You can use this spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
At 3rd level you learn the water walk spell. As long as you have one use of this spell left, you can magically pilot a water vehicle at a speed of 600 feet per minute. (The vehicle must have a capacity of no more than 10 Medium sized passengers and must remain in freshwater. Single capacity vehicles have a speed of 1800 feet per minute). You can use this spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Swordborn. You are proficient in the use of greatswords, longswords, and shortswords.
You know the sword burst cantrip. Creatures damaged by sword burst cannot make attacks of opportunity against you until your next turn.
At 3rd level you learn the magic weapon spell. Additionally, when another creature within 30 feet of you misses an attack roll made with a melee weapon, you may expend a use of this spell to add a d4 to the roll, potentially turning the miss into a hit. You can use this spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
STARCHILD
Ultra Rare Race Disclaimer: This is where it gets weird. These bizarre races are highly susceptible to early deaths and/or severe levels of crushing tragic irony. Play at your own risk.
Ethereal pieces of the cosmos born into humanoid form, starchildren are a great mystery to all denizens of the New World. Their bodies are stunning starscapes, both luminous and light-consuming. Despite their infantilizing names, most starchildren spawn as late adolescents or young adults. Unfortunately, they tend to wither quickly, as perhaps their existence in the mortal realm is some sort of intergalactic mistake. They are are extremely likely to die in combat.
FEATURES
Starchildren have the potential for great power, but they are extremely fragile.
Astral Body. Your mysterious form may be weak, but it is not without its advantages. Being comprised of the raw magic of the universe, (assuming the universe is indeed made of raw magic) grants you resistance to force damage and advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks.
Extraterrestrial Fragility. You are not long for this world, it seems. You have disadvantage on all saving throws. You die after two failed death saves, not three. You cannot be resurrected.
Proficiency Bonus. Your proficiency bonus increases by 2.
Starlight. You know the light cantrip.
Once you reach 3rd level, you learn the faerie fire spell. You can cast this spell once and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Once you reach 5th level, you learn the moonbeam spell, dealing force damage instead of radiant damage. You can cast this spell once and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Starcrash. You know the magnify gravity spell. You can cast this spell once and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Once you reach 5th level, you learn the pulse wave spell. You can cast this spell once and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Stellar Immunity. You're made out of space. This makes you hard to poison or otherwise
medically corrupt. You are immune to poison damage, being poisoned, and disease. You do not
need to eat/drink or breathe, although you may do the former if you wish. You are immune to
the negative effects of extreme cold, extreme heat, and high altitude.
Veil of the Weak. Starchildren who make it past their first day in the New World quickly learn the importance of staying hidden from mortal danger. You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.
You can cast the alter self spell at will without the use of verbal or somatic components. This spell has an indefinite duration and does not require concentration, but you can only use it to make yourself look human and once you have chosen your human form, you cannot alter it.
Once you reach 3rd level, you learn the darkness spell.
You can cast this spell once using this
trait, and you regain the
ability to do so when you
finish a long rest.
METAHUMAN
Ultra Rare Race Disclaimer: This is where it gets weird. These bizarre races are highly susceptible to early deaths and/or severe levels of crushing tragic irony. Play at your own risk.
Somewhere, someone unconcerned with ethics is experimenting on unwilling subjects, producing this small strange group of altered humans. No one knows why these experiments are happening... or why the experimenter is letting metahumans escape...
Metahumans are unable to recall anything about their mysterious captor or their lives before they were transformed, although it is assumed most were abducted shortly after birth.
Metahumans aren't exactly a "race," they're biologically human, but they have been modified enough to warrant some level of distinction. It is up to each member of this rare breed to decide how they will use their newfound abilities to deal with their haunted origin and the future that lies ahead of them
FEATURES
Metahumans exhibit many extraordinary abilities depending on how they were reconstructed, but they do not receive any ability score improvements or skill proficiencies from their racial traits.
Tortured. Even if your past no longer haunts you, your subconscious still fully hasn't recovered from its ordeal. You are vulnerable to psychic damage.
Whenever you take psychic damage, you have disadvantage on all saving throws you make until the end of your next turn. You can NEVER be immune to psychic damage or being frightened.
Your aura, eye, hair, or skin color is:
At 1st level, you must choose one of the following.
Blue Level 1
Green Level 1
Orange Level 1
Purple Level 1
Red Level 1
Your hair's natural style can be described as one of the following:
At 1st level, you must choose one of the following.
Aerodynamic Level 1
Explosive Level 1
Practical Level 1
Subtle Level 1
Thick Level 1
Your eyes are:
At 1st level, you must choose one of the following.
Astute Level 1
Cautious Level 1
Engaging Level 1
Unreadable Level 1
Unusual Level 1
The way that you move can be described as:
At 1st level, you must choose one of the following.
Aggressive Level 1
Agile Level 1
Spider-Like Level 1
Spring Loaded Level 1
Unstoppable Level 1
FULL POTENTIAL {BONUS ACTION}
- You gain temporary hit points equal to (5 times your proficiency bonus) plus your level.
- You gain one extra attack per turn, even if you have not taken the Attack action.
- You do not provoke opportunity attacks.
- Attacks against you cannot be made with advantage.
Full Potential Trait
You also gain one of the following benefits:
Angel Wings
Hypervision
Steel Skin
Teleportation
Wrist Blades
Full Potential: Powering Down
Once you've used this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
