Legacy of Darkness (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Geography

=Geography= Sometime in the mists of time, the world suddenly was divided into thousands of self-contained, magically sustained little worlds. Whole civilizations found themselves separated from one another, entire empires divided from their own people. These worlds became known as "shards".

The Velaque
When the world shattered, it created a light-less, airless void that holds all of its' fragments in a strange orbit around the Center. Unlike space, the Void is not entirely a vacuum. Instead, throughout the vacuum strange currents of viscous golden magic flow, creating a mystical "breeze" which has in recent years been harnessed to propel voidships from shard to shard, in much the same way as wind and waves upon the ocean. These currents bring light from the Center to many of the shards, although more than a few shards remain in darkness. This magic is really quite harmless, although certain creatures are known to dwell within them, preying on voidships and stranded creatures.

Outside of these currents, the Void is indeed a vacuum, which is quite dangerous to unprotected creatures. On the third round of exposure to vacuum, a creature must succeed on a Constitution check (DC 20) each round or suffer from aeroembolism (“the bends”). A creature that fails the save experiences excruciating pain as small air bubbles form in its bloodstream; such a creature is considered stunned and remains so until returned to normal atmospheric pressure. A creature that fails the Constitution check by 5 or more falls unconscious.

The real danger of vacuum comes from suffocation, though holding one’s breath in vacuum damages the lungs. A character who attempts to hold his breath must make a Constitution check (DC 15) every round; the DC increases by 1 each round, and on a successful check the character takes 1 point of Constitution damage (from the pressure on the linings of his lungs). If the check fails, or when the character simply stops holding his breath, he begins to suffocate. In the next round, he falls unconscious with 0 hit points. The following round, he drops to –1 hit points. On the third round, he drops to –10 hit points and dies.

The Coruscal
The most mysterious, yet important part of the Void, the brilliant mass of glowing energy known as the Coruscal provides the light, and energy necessary for life to flourish throughout the shards. Almost resembling a giant golden nebula of swirling energy, the Center has a vaguely spherical shape, although it constantly shifts and swirls, making a definite design impossible to discern.

For many scholars and astrologers, the Coruscal has become a hotly debated subject. It's composition seems to be the same as the numerous borea that flow to and from it, throughout the Void, however, ships that have gotten within about eighty miles of it have experienced bizarre situations. The I.V.N Isrid reported eight missing crew members, and terrible hallucinations. A small ore-bearing galleon from Argonis Lycar disappeared, but was found-crewless and battered within the second tier of the Aswen, two days later. Numerous other accounts, most famously those of Sir Tylen Argonith report strange diaphanous beings swimming in the energy, hundreds, if not thousands of feet long.

The Borea
Throughout the Void, rivulets of the same coursing energy from the Coruscal wander far and wide. Borea provided a much needed source of light to many shards. The borea react much the same around the shards, providing warmth, although at a much lesser rate than the Coruscal. Where those inner shards such as Palantium, Helsinsid and Argonis Lycar are so hot that their desert is perpetual (about 86 °f during days), shards warmed by the borea are about three degrees colder per thousand miles from the Coruscal. Certain shards, of course, aren't able to receive light from either the Coruscal or it's borea, resulting in extremely cold climates. Borea fluctuate in their power, mimicking seasons on most shards that rely on them.

Certain borea are known as tidal borea: these exist only during a certain time of the year for a brief (or sometimes extended) period of time before dissipating. While dissappated, shards that rely on it may become extremely cold and dark.

To separate the two different shards: Coruscal-warmed and borea-warmed, the Licil Karcere classifies those shards that have little potential to receive energy from the Coruscal as part of the "Outer Ring", while those that receive the majority from it are of the "Inner Ring".

The Shards
While no one can yet explain why, the world shattering created hundreds of miles wide spheres, called "shards".

Most shards still retain the same ecosystem that existed before the Shattering, although millenia of isolation has caused many organisms to evolve very strangely. Many races have changed greatly from others of their kind, adapting perfectly to their own little worlds.

The shards are divided into four categories based on their position around the Center: inner shards, outer shards, deep void shards and transitory shards.

Inner Shards
Inner shards occupy the area closest to the Coruscal, with the closest known being Argonis Lycar. Most of the Inner shards are controlled by the Empire, however a small few retain their own governments.

Due to the constant light from the Center that most of these shards receive, the Inner shards possess the highest concentration of life, with only a rare few lifeless, usually due to extraneous circumstances. Inner shards tend to be very hot, often as deserts when one ventures nearer the Coruscal.


 * Ael'Plament
 * Ael'Terinsin
 * Ael'Therax
 * Argonis Lycar
 * Helsinsid
 * Kinda
 * Kuthiri
 * Maaren
 * Palantium
 * Cuesecan

Outer Shards
The Outer shards number in the hundreds, if not potentially thousands. Most have yet to be explored, while many are difficiult to due to extreme environments. The borea provide most of the light and warmth out here, breeding societies that worship the waxing and waning of them. Many shards receive no light at all, which often means that these shards are devoid of life entirely.

Other organizations are more prevalent in the outer shards, especially the Confederation and the numerous fleets of pirates that stalk the Void.


 * Amone Faer
 * Arquiura
 * Dryx'a and Yellik
 * Sayatai
 * Senulia
 * Lebiia
 * Emilios
 * Paraß
 * Rygnea

Deep Void Shards
Past even the wild outer shards, dozens of shards exist in the area known as the Deep Void, a section of near total darkness breached only seldom by distant light.

Life is sparse in the dark, barren shards, made even rarer by the strange proliferation of planar bleed-through and breaches. The most common are often outer planes such as the Nine Hells or The Abyss.

No governments are known to control any deep void shards, although the Empire has a small outpost on Descada, accessible only two weeks out of the year through a tidal borea known as Thuerxune's Tongue.


 * Therentil
 * Ghyu'saelan'is

Transitory Shards
A select few shards move slowly from one section to another sections, these shards are known are transitory shards.

The most famous transitory shard to date is known as Uvifluen, which moves from the inner shards in the summer through the outer ring into the outer shards in the winter, in a magnificent cascade of fierce thunderstorms.
 * Dai'rone
 * Resana
 * Vagus-Dal
 * Uvifluen