Cast of Characters
Player Characters & Notable NCPs
NOTABLE NPCs:
Gods and Monsters:
- The Goose
- Anub - Goddess of Death (The Raven Queen)
- Mark - Death, son of Anub and husband of Kevin
- Sek - Goddess of Truth
- Heth - Goddess of Love
- Horu - God of War
- Tho - God of Wisdom
- Bast - God of Good Health
- Bes - God of Music
- Legion of Whispers - The Void of Balance
- Le Joueur - the Gambler: Master of the Tower of the Damned, Marwyn's Patron, son of Anub
- DeBella - Archfiend, Tez's Patron, spouse to Mephisto & stepmother to Marrow
- Mephisto - Lord of the Nine Hells, spouse to DeBella, father to Marrow
- Marrow - first generation tiefling sorcerer, son of Mephisto
- Sahlmon (AKA The OverLord) - Storm Giant who ruled Xodia through terror before being "overthrown" by an unknown group of knights and paladins. Son of Anub
- The Eater of Worlds - Great Abyssal Void Dragon
- Kevin - immortal wizard, husband of Mark (Death)
- Nicholas Goldegrave - immortal half-lich
- Luminos - Primordial of Time, mother to all old gods (AKA Temps de grand-mère = "Grandmother Time" per Marwyn)
- Tiamat
- Baphomet - Sleeping Lord of Dragons
BY REGION:
Sylnbel (the Capital) & Surrounding areas:
- Queen Eldoria Sweetbriar and Consort-King Edmond Mystwood
- High Priestess
- Count (vampire), his son & daughter-in-law
- Lady Grace
- Draug, Orc Barbarian Wizard recently arrived from the Southern Continent
Hyrim & Surrounding areas:
- Councilman La Faer (half-giant, stable owner)
- Steve & Mark (deceased; guards of Hyrim, newlyweds and adoptive fathers)
The Border Mountains & Surrounding areas:
- Lady Byshka (fairy)
- Silnir (Animagus Owlbear)
- Master Oolong (Tortle)
The Golden Tower:
- Rey’El Of House Nightingale (ancestor to Brooklyn Nightingale, partially-turned Illithid)
The Underdark:
- Alric Godhjärtad (adoptive father to Tez Arkanos)
Osteria (which in Giant means “The Seed of The Father”), island off the coast of the Highlands where one of the few existing temples to the Old Gods remains active:
- High Priest Meizel, elderly half-giant head of the Temple
- Liana, Cambian underling to Mephisto
Galorial, birthplace of the OverLord:
- Hrol & Aurora, adoptive parents to child Medusa
Lavndurhel:
- Kevin, immortal wizard, Draug's magical Mentor, and Le Joueur's brother-in-law
Marwyn Rosenthorne’s Family & Associates (mentioned in or pertinent to the histories):
- Ariadne & Jacen Rosenthorne (mother & father)
- Uncle Alaric Crystalheart (maternal uncle, marine trader)
- Marek Rosenthorne (twin brother, currently missing and presumed dead)
- Jasper Rosenthorne (younger brother, cleric candidate)
- Ganen Fireblaze, second son of the nearby Orc clan (husband, deceased)
- Lizbet Stonewall (ladies maid/companion)
- Pippin DarkShadow (bodyguard/driver)
- John (talented tanner from Sylnbel, anti-vampire human sent to live on Marwyn’s father’s estate with the refugees)
- Théoden and Nyssara Arkanos (missing and presumed dead, parents to Tez Arkanos)
How the World Works
Time and Money
MONEY:
Copper is the most common form of currency in Xodia. Gold is extremely rare.
- 100 copper = 1 silver
- 50 silver = 1 gold
TIME & THE CALENDAR:
Xodia's calendar is delineated by Eras, each Era lasting exactly 1,250 years. Each year contains 12 28-day months and each week contains 7 days.
Our adventure began in the month of High Waters, year 163 of the 2nd Era.
Xodia biome
The Xodian Calendar Explained:
ERAS
Each Era spans exactly 1250 years, according to the lifespans of the giants. "The Curse of Xodia" takes place during the Second Era.
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
Hearthfire
Last Snow
Rising Sun
First Plant
The Flowering
Second Plant
High Waters
The Harvest
Falling Sun
Hallowed Moon
First Snow
Frost Moon
DAYS OF THE WEEK
Mineya
Attaya
Neldeya
Cantaya
Lempeya
Enqueya
Otsoya
Xodian Government 101
Genasii Commonwealth
Created when the Highlands abandoned their territory due to the lava flows from Mount Alternate, the Genasii Commonwealth is a Military Dictatorship with a High Council. Membership is determined by honorable combat in which the first to submit (first blood) is declared the winner. While death in such battles is rare, it is not unheard of.
In the 18 months since the founding of the fledgling nation, their leadership has changed hands at least nine times, causing significant delays in hammering out treaties with neighboring countries.
The High Mountain Confederacy
The High Mountain Confederacy is a Confederation of loosely aligned tribal groups and is populated primarily by dwarves. There is some limited overlap along the borders by surface-dwelling races such as Orcs, Elves, etc.
The Highlands
The Highlands are a Union of Orc tribes (formerly the Highlands, Delgra, and the Horde of Beldr) brought together for common purposes. After ceding their original homelands to the Fire Genasii following the eruption of Mount Alternate (which made the terrain uninhabitable for them). They are governed by a Council about which little is known by outsiders.
The Eastern & Western Elven Empires
The Eastern Elven Empire is a Monarchy based on Primogeniture.
The Western Elven Empire is a Matriarchy. The Ports and Underdark are vassal states of the Western Elven Empire.
The Wilds & Beast Realm
The Wilds is a representative democracy.
Beast Realm is Tribal.
El Taryn
Perhaps the most complex of Xodia's governments, El Taryn is the largest nation on the continent and is a Feudal Elective Monarchy supported by two houses with different requirements for membership.
The first legislative body is the Senate, made up of representatives from each of the 10 Great Houses (see below). Senate positions are hereditary (usually by primogeniture, although not a requirement.) Senators are appointed by their family "House" (among the Ten Great Houses) and can be recalled and replaced should they be found wanting due to moral failures and/or criminal activities. The positions are for life.
The second legislative body is the Parliament. These are elected positions with each term lasting 6 years and a maximum of two terms. Elections for Parliament are held on a rotating basis for practicality with the Regions and Counties of El Taryn essentially taking turns to allow the Secretary of Elections the ability to monitor each election to maintain fairness, accuracy, and veracity. The Secretary of Elections is appointed by the newly appointed Monarch when they are elected.
The Senate and the Parliament together nominate the Monarch. Once the two bodies come to a consensus on who the next Monarch should be, there is a general election in which the general populace votes Yay/Nay on the candidate. Should a majority of the people vote "Nay", the Senate and Parliament reconvene and select another candidate, beginning the process anew. The Monarch is elected every 6 years. There are no term limits, but they must be re-elected every 6 years. Monarchs can be removed with a vote of "No Confidence", which will trigger a new election with a new candidate.
The Monarch's spouse is referred to by the title of Consort and has no authority in government. The current Monarch is Queen Eldoria Sweetbriar and Consort-King Edmond Mystwood.
The previous king was Wulfgrod Gro Sar, also known as King Wulfgrod the Diligent. King Wulfgrod never married and had no heirs.
The Ten Great Houses Are:
Rosenthorne
Wynn
Taryn
Mystwood
Battleborn
Whytestrafe
Willow
Blackheart
Silverwing
Dracu
Train routes across Xodia
THE CURSE OF XODIA Explained
PROLOGUE TO SEASON ONE
The first migration began over 1400 years ago, bringing forth a new era. Settlers from Fey'Rel established trade and colonies with the indigenous populations of beastfolk and giants. As new kingdoms were formed, keeping true to their word, all manner of humans, elves, beastfolk, giants and more integrated into these new kingdoms, holding positions from simple farmers to positions of great power regardless of race or background.
None held more power than the Overlord, a storm giant who conquered and ruled all of Xodia from 721-875 of the First Era. No army could stand against him, but in 801 a small band of knights under the orders of The Xodian Council stole the Nexxus Magika, breaking not only the Nexxus, but Xodia's connection to the Realm of Magic. Even with the connection severed, The Overlord's power barely waned. In 875 a legion of paladins captured The Overlord and through a secret ritual trapped him inside a vault on The Isle of Giants, where he is entombed to this day. With the severing of magic and the defeat of the Overlord , new powers and factions formed.
The Western Elven Empire, home of the high elves, grasped their remaining magic tightly, holding themselves in higher regard than the other races and kingdoms. The Eastern Elven Empire, however, saw saving their culture of greater importance: mixing and mingling with others and sharing their ways of life.
The dwarves formed The High Mountain Confederacy. More interested in their technological advances, some held to the old ways of magic while others found new sources of power.
The Orcs banded together to form The Highland Stronghold, made up of the Beldr, Highland, and Delgra Hordes. United, they became known for having the best-trained warriors in Xodia.
The Ports and The Underdark formed city-states and although the Western Elven Empire holds claim, the goblins are the true rulers.
The Wilds, a small nation made up of The Wilds and Beast Realm combined, remains populated mainly by the beastfolk. This region prefers to not involve itself in the politics of the other kingdoms, while keeping trades with the same, maintaining peace and comfort for its people.
Not least is El Taryn, a central kingdom who (for five centuries) maintained the peace between humans, elves, orcs, goblins, dwarves, and beastfolk - becoming a massive melting pot of races, religions, and cultures.
Season One:
In season one our adventurers were tasked with retrieving the various members of the Xodian Council in order to prevent a civil war. Their journey became even more difficult by the eruption of Mount Alternate, just days after they left the capitol to retrieve the first of the Council members. Hundreds of Xodian citizens died, and many more were displaced from their homes by the fallout, further straining already tense relations between the various factions.
To make difficult matters even worse, as they returned to the capitol a frightening figure appeared in the sky raining fire and debris down upon them all: an ancient black dragon from the Abyss known as The Eater of Worlds.
Once all of the Council members were assembled, the High Priestess tasked the group with restoring magic to the land of Xodia - perhaps their only chance of surviving the dragon. But this was merely the first step: the gods have all left Xodia, and no one remains who is strong enough to fight the dragon... except, perhaps, the sleeping giant history dubbed the tyrannical Overlord.
Season Two
Season two held twists and turns no one could have expected. They rescued myconid slaves, accidentally released Mephisto, were infected with illithid tadpoles (thankfully protected by Kevin, and so have not transformed into Mind Flayers), gained new allies, and awakened the OverLord... who turned out to be a little different than they expected.
Season Three
Season 3 found the addition of several new members to the Knights of Anub and Marwyn's brother Marek reappeared. The Elven Empress was assassinated by the Goddess of change, leaving Brooklyn's mother as the new Empress, and halting the imminent civil war that had been brewing. Upon delivering this news to the High Lord of the Western Elven Empire, our heroes discovered that there was yet another new threat targeting Xodians: Amegnon, Lord of Excess, and his cultists of cannibals, have joined the Goddess of Change, the Elder brain dragon, and the Void dragon.
Season Four
Season 4 found our heroes on the battlefield, confronted with all their enemies joined together for one last fight, a fight none were confident they would win and one that ultimately took the life of one of their own. That sacrifice was not in vain, and they Knights of Anub were ultimately victorious.