The following is a primer for a D&D Setting, written for those who were more curious and wished to grow immersed in their roleplay, and for myself, as DM, to better grasp the world that I was crafting for my players.
I structured this in a way that provided additional details to several of my players that were heavily invested roleplayers, providing information to people who may have grown up in the region, and information to those who were visitors.
The rest became a general guide to the region, providing insights into settlement populations, racial distribution, key points of interest, critical organizations, and general descriptions.
This described a region and a concept I’ve been fascinated with for a great deal of time – a land ruled by benevolent necromancers. The culture here believes that our body is just a shell for our soul, and when we die, the bones of the fallen are to be used – for tools, construction, and labor. They celebrate the passing on of the soul, then ritually clean and prepare the bones for use in other purposes. As such, necropoli, bone-made structures, and the sight of skeletal laborers and soldiers are common sights in the region. And yet, the society itself is generally “Good” aligned by nature. They have a strong rule of law, a tempered and accepting approach to religion and other cultures, and are open and accepting of others. This created an interesting situation in the campaign, where outside cultures typically looked at them as if they had to be monsters, while they themselves were noble in their pursuits.
The rest follows below!
Information:
About the Land:
Nol’Tekara is bordered in the north and east by large mountain ranges. Around the mountains are expansive foothills that typically lead into long, sprawling fertile plains. There are eight primary settlements in Nol’Tekara – Veilwatch City, Bonepeak Landing, Shadewood, Talonfire, Takrenfel, Netheris, Tekaran Trinius, and Raven’s Point. There are two large areas of swampland, known as Shademire and Ravenmire. Some major points of interest are The Shadowpeaks, Raven’s Rift, Shadewood Forest and the Shadowglade. The towns and cities are typically populated by Humans and Elves, though they welcome many travellers, so it’s not uncommon to see other more exotic races. Talonfire typically hosts a small number of Dragonborn from Draconus to the north, in addition to a mostly human population and a small sum of Dwarves. Small dwarven settlements also exist in the northern mountains and periodically come down to trade metals for supplies.
Information Known to Outsiders:
Nol’Tekara is generally a friendly, if otherworldly and bleak looking place. Many of the structures are created with stone and a material made from crushed and processed bones, and skeletons are a common sight amongst laborers. The people, known to most as Tekarans, are welcoming, friendly, and often quite helpful to outsiders. The land is anything but colourful – most structures are tan, grey, black or white, and most outfits are similar. A faith of Tekara, the god of Life, Death and Judgement, known as The Heralds of the Dead, rules the land through their church. Tekarans are named for and worship Tekara, and Tekaran death rites allow for them to use the bones of the fallen to provide manual labour and construction materials. They rarely go to war but their armies are typically formed of soldiers, skeletons, and powerful Bonekeepers. Stories tell of Bonekeepers, great necromancers (Though calling one as such will get you looks that could chill a corpse) who fought in times of war, animating fallen enemy soldiers and spurring them to fight against their allies. Tekarans will adamantly argue that this is a complete fabrication.Most trade with other territories and nations occurs in Shadewood, Tekaran Trinius, and Veilwatch City. They typically don’t like resurrected beings and absolutely hate beings that cheat death. If a person dies in their land, they will respect the death rites of other religions and societies but will offer to bring them to the local church to have Tekaran death rites performed upon them.
Information Known to Residents/Natives:
The Heralds of the Dead control the entire nation and keep it under a state of relative peace. The Speakers of the Dead are the highest council of the Heralds and are comprised of the head priests from every town. Each settlement’s church or cathedral also doubles as the primary administrative center for the settlement. There is no difference between religion and state in Nol’Tekara. A Speaker of the Dead is at the head of every church, and therefore every settlement, forming a member of the council that makes all decisions for the nation together. The church operates many important positions within the town, including the Bonekeepers and the Carver-Priests. Bonekeepers are the controllers of skeletal laborers, guards and soldiers. They are often in charge of law and punishment within a given settlement, construction of new homes and manual labor such as the procurement of raw materials (Wood, Ores, etc.). Most Tekaran Mines are occupied solely by the bones of fallen members of society, and the few bonekeepers who control them.
Carver-Priests get their name from the original and ancient practice of carefully carving the flesh of a fallen member of Tekaran faith from their bones, before having them reanimated for use by Bonekeepers. Tekarans believe that the essence of a person is their soul, and that the body is merely a shell, a vessel to be used for their time on this world, before their soul is released to be judged by Tekara and released to the afterlife he chooses. As such, the body is merely a base material with which to be worked. The Carver-Priests now use an alchemical method, submerging the body in a tank of magical liquid that dissolves flesh and muscle, and strengthens the bones. It is during this rite that the last ties to the material plane are severed, releasing a fallen person from the world and onto the afterlife. After this procedure the family of the fallen leaves and a Bonekeeper animates the submerged bones and adds them to the workforce.
Tekarans hate other forms of unnatural undead. They revile animating fallen people on the spot without properly performing rituals and removing the flesh from the bones of the fallen. As such, stories of Tekaran warlords with vast zombified armies made of the remains of those they slay are complete falsehoods. Agents of the faith seek out and destroy zombies, liches, spirits who refuse to cross over into the afterlife, and resurrected persons that their god has specifically called upon them to destroy. They hate those who cheat and avoid what should be their rightful deaths, and often seek to out and destroy these beings. They employ elite soldiers of their faith, simply known as “Reapers” who are Paladins akin to inquisitors who will take any steps necessary to destroy their quarry. Reapers are respected in all towns and cities in Nol’Tekara, and citizens are often willing to simply given them travelling supplies, food or lodgings if a Reaper requests it.
All is not perfect and balanced in Nol’Tekara. There are two primary enemies of the faith that hide in the shadows within their land and into other lands. One such organization is the Cult of Thay, members known as Thayans. This breed of evil necromancers takes the raising of the dead to a dangerous level, and often try to infiltrate or destroy Tekaran society, undermining it with cult activities and the raising of zombies, wights, ghouls, and other creatures. Leadership of this cult is often either vampiric, some variation of lich, or other powerful undead creatures who saw life as a limitation to overcome, and persist far beyond their years. The Speakers of the Dead work tirelessly to unravel the networks of cultists and servants that the Thayans have created in an effort to destroy the organization and this practiced vile necromancy in its entirety.
A second hostile faction that lurks within the borders of Nol’Tekara, is known as the Celestial Court. The Celestials abhor all Undead, including the skeletons employed by Tekarans. Their clandestine force attempts to undermine Tekaran society by placing individuals within the church to try to argue for change, but more radical and militant factions often attack labor camps and sometimes even large construction sites where many skeletons can be found. It is said that these people are given their orders by Celestial beings from the outer planes, beings of purity and radiance who do not care for the stability and neutrality that Nol’Tekara has adopted. As such, Reapers are often appointed to root out hidden bases and outposts controlled by the Celestials in an attempt to quell these uprisings. Reapers are often trained to banish Celestial creatures, then make short work of their weakened mortal servants. Many important areas have been guarded against Celestial beings because of this organization and their raids.
Regions:
Western Nol’Tekara (Greater Tekaran Plains)
The Western portion of the land is characterized by open plains, farmland, rolling foothills leading into the Eastern Vol’Drakan mountain ranges to the north. The mountains extend down the western border, with a river cutting through them settling in Northwake Lake just beyond the northwestern border. The capital city, Veilwatch, dominates the central area with the small mining settlement of Bonepeak Landing to the north. Lake Ysel forms the border to Ysenfel just to the south of Veilwatch City, and roads leave the city, heading west towards Solraena, entering that nation at Webspinner’s Reach. A northern road leaves towards Bonepeak Landing, an eastern road crosses the Great Tekaran Plains, through the Vol’Drakan Foothills, skirting the Shademire to arrive at Fort Talonguard. A southern road leaves Veilwatch, crossing the Ysel River, skirting Lake Ysel and leading down towards Takrenfel, the small city on the border between Ysenfel and Nol’Tekara.
South-eastern Nol’Tekara (Ravensland)
South-Eastern Nol’Tekara is comprised of Shadewood Forest, beginning at Takrenfel and following the road east towards Fort Ravenwatch. The northern border of the region follows Soulpath Road from Shadewood to Netheris in the north, and finally to Fort Shadowgate. The northern area of this region is comprised of hilly plains, with a small mountain range, possibly unnatural, known as the Shadowpeaks, forming near the center. Dark clouds mask the tallest reaches of the peaks, and winding tunnel systems extend deep underneath the mountain. It is the source of a rare magical obsidian used in much of the Tekaran Clergy’s wands, staves, and scepters. The peaks are kept under the highest guard and most people have never seen the interior. A river runs from the peaks down through grooves in the foothills about the peaks, curving at a large damn and flowing into what is known as Ravenmire. The flooded plains have twisted into a dark and treacherous bog, bisected by a man-cut path that formed the second part of the river, creating a small pond at the end.
The large fissure known as Raven’s Rift runs down from the eastern mountain ranges, bordering Taffaren, forming a gaping chasm that stretches southwest across the southern section of Nol’Tekara. It was once a river, but the magical cataclysm that occurred in Ancient Avrencia caused the river to collapse into a large rift that formed in the ground. The rift seems impossibly deep, and water from the Shadowpeaks once drained into it before the dam was constructed to redirect the flow of water. South of the rift is Raven’s Call Desert, bordered in the north by the rift, the south by the Kavenian Sea, the east by the Taffaren Mountains and the west by the southern portion of Shadewood Forest. A road extends down, skirting the forest and the edge of the desert to the Trinius, specifically Tekaran Trinius, the large trade town on the shared border between Kavenos, Ysenfel, and Nol’Tekara. A road dances along the edge of the Kavenian Sea eastward, eventually leading to the small Oceanside fishing and trade town known as Greyport.
North-Eastern Nol’Tekara (Tekaran Headlands)
North-Eastern Nol’Tekara is an area mostly dominated by mountain ranges and the surrounding foothills. There are a few settlements, mostly on shared inner borders with Western and South-Eastern Nol’Tekara. The largest settlement in the region is Shadewood, the centrally positioned city in Nol’Tekara, where most trade caravans from surrounding settlements and nations often pass through to reach other nations. To the north of Shadewood is lightly wooded area known as the Shadowglade. A road runs north from Shadewood to Fort Talonguard, which maintains a small regiment of skeletal soldiers and military Bonekeepers in the event of a Draconic incursion. Talonfire is the northernmost town, housing a number of Tekarans and Dragonborn from the north, the latter of which are usually refugees who fled the more hostile and cruel dragons’ domains, where they are often kept as slaves. East of Shadewood lies Netheris, a small farming community out in the Headlands. For Shadewatch guards the Wall of Bones, a large emplacement built to dissuade Taffaren raiders from attempting to enter Nol’Tekara. Much of the landscape around North-Eastern Nol’Tekara is made up of sparsely vegetated rolling hills leading to large peaked mountains that form the border between Tekaran lands and the surrounding nations of Draconus and Taffaren.
Settlements:
Veilwatch City
Population Level: High
Classification: Large City
Leader: Tandraeis Noventus (Human Female Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: Veilwatch, Tekaran Capital City, The Capital (Tekarans only)
Trade: Extensive, large marketplaces and many shops. Trade with Solraena, Ysenfel, Draconus, Kavenos.
Guild Halls: Fighters’ Guild, Mages’ Guild, Thieves’ Guild (Hidden, Outlawed), Freelancers’ Guild, Craftsmen’s’ Guild, Merchants’ Guild
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Cathedral), Small churches of other faiths
Description: The capital city of Nol’Tekara. Displays a characteristically gothic architecture, with most buildings made of grey, black, or white materials and paints. Around double the population in skeletons working throughout the city. Many travellers visit this city for trade or exchange of knowledge, or even just to see a land where skeletons walk alongside living beings, toiling day and night on construction and other endeavors. Surrounding outskirts of the town is all occupied and cultivated farmland.
Bonepeak Landing
Population Level: Very Low
Classification: Village
Leader: Arcanon Nightshade (Human Male Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: Northern Mines (Tekarans Only), Bonepeak, The Landing, Bonemines (Non-Tekarans only)
Trade: Minimal. Tekaran Caravans cart ore, skeletons, bones and food back and forth between Bonepeak Landing and Veilwatch City.
Guild Halls: None
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Shrine, Small Chapel)
Description: A small mining town nestled in the northwestern foothills. Populated by a few workers and craftsman, their families, a few people who enjoy seclusion, and a number of Bonekeepers who manage and control the workforce in the mines themselves. On occasion a few Dwarves will come down from the mountains to trade precious stones for food.
Talonfire
Population Level: Low to Moderate
Classification: Town
Leader: Luthian Moonshadow (Elven Male Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: None
Trade: Moderate – caravans between Shadewood and Talonfire, as well as trade with Noble Draconic Settlements.
Guild Halls: Craftsmen’s Guild
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Church)
Description: A small town nestled in the foothills of the Vol’Drakan Mountains, at a small point where the mountains die down to allow travel between Draconus and Nol’Tekara. The town itself is moderately populated by all manners of Dragonkin, Tekaran Humans and Elves, and the occasional noble dragon in an assumed form. Many of the Dragonborn are excellent craftsmen, so a guild hall opened up in the heart of the city and materials are imported from Shadewood on a regular basis. A unique mix of Draconic and Tekaran architecture gives this town an exotic feel for travellers and natives alike.
Takrenfel
Population Level: Moderate to High
Classification: Small City
Leader: Thanatos Gravesinger (Human Male Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: Border Town (Ysenfelians and Tekarans), Takren
Trade: Moderate/High: Marketplace, exchange of goods between Ysenfel and Nol’Tekara. Lots of trade caravan traffic and a small marketplace.
Guild Halls: Thieves’ Guild( Hidden, Outlawed), Bards’ Guild, Merchants’ Guild, Fighters’ Guild
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Church), other small temples and shrines to other gods
Description: A small border city trapped somewhere between Tekaran and Ysenfelian culture. Architecture is in Tekaran style but often with some lighter and more varied colours. A small central core houses the church for the Heralds of the Dead, a number of guilds and a moderately sized marketplace. There are also a moderate number of storehouses where goods from either nation are stored for processing, inspection, and trade.
Shadewood
Population Level: Moderate
Classification: Small City
Leader: Illidaria Syl’astir (Wood Elven Female Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: None
Trade: Moderate: Lots of traffic through the city to other cities, but only a small marketplace in the city’s core.
Guild Halls: Mages’ Guild, Fighters’ Guild, Freelancers’ Guild, Thieves’ Guild (Hidden, Outlawed).
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Church)
Description: A small city at the heart of Nol’Tekara. Most of the structures are wooden but retain the gothic architecture style and are often painted black, white, or some shade of grey. There is a small marketplace in the center of town
Tekaran Trinius
Population Level: Moderate-High
Classification: City
Leader: Sirenia Morrowdusk (Human Female Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: The Trinius (Tekarans), The Triangle, Tekaran Point
Trade: Extensive – Trade with other two Trinius cities in Ysenfel and Kavenos, within walking distance of eachother. Much of the town is marketplace, most of it in static shops though there are many open market stalls as well.
Guild Halls: Merchants’ Guild, Craftsmen’s Guild, Thieves’ Guild (Outlawed, Hidden), Freelancers’ Guild
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Large Temple)
Description: One part of the three-city area known as The Trinius, this town enjoys direct trade with Ysenfel and Kavenos through their own Trinius cities. It sits on the border with the other two nations, Nol’Tekara actually giving up a small portion of coastal land against the Kavenian Sea to allow such a unique trade opportunity to exist. Most buildings in the towns are shops of some sort and the merchants and their families typically live in the upper or basement floors of these shops. Architecture is varied between the rich colours of Ysenfel, the clay and wooden structures of Kavenos and the gothic grey, white and black of Nol’Tekara. This place is a haven for adventurers selling their gains from various quests, as well as magical artifact hunters. If it’s available to buy, you can likely find it here.
Greyport
Population Level: Low-Moderate
Classification: Town
Leader: Elisabeth Mournstone (Human Female Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: The Port (Tekarans), By-The-Sea (Tekarans)
Trade: Moderate (Shipping between Port Kavenos and Greyport, a few shops, no marketplace)
Guild Halls: Craftsmen’s Guild
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Church)
Description: A small sea-side town that lives up to its name. Often the shipping port for bulk goods from Kavenos, it’s nestled between the sandy dunes of Raven’s Call Desert and the cool shores of the Kavenian Sea. Small trade vessels traverse back and forth across the sea. A few small warehouses and shops can be found amidst the dockworkers’ homes, but there is little else to see.
Netheris
Population Level: Low
Classification: Town
Leader: Draylas Locke (Human Male Speaker of the Dead)
Aliases: None
Trade: Low – mostly caravans brining tools and goods shipments, and trade to Shadewood from Netheris carrying grown foods
Guild Halls: None
Organizations: Heralds of the Dead (Shrine and Chapel)
Description: A tiny northeastern farming town. Settled along the road to Fort Shadewatch, it sits in a small plain tucked between the Shadowpeaks and the Vol’Drakan Foothills. Most of the area around the town is farmland and there are only a few shops, mostly general stores and supply centers for trade caravans for mercantile pursuits. Generally a very quiet town. Periodically sees soldiers moving from one of the Western forts to Fort Shadewatch pass through.
Fort Talonguard
Classification: Keep
Leader: Tor’ayl Witherbranch (Wood Elven Male Bonekeeper-Commander)
Military Strength: Moderate
Fortification Strength: Moderate
Description: A walled keep that usually houses several hundred skeletons and their associated Bonekeepers. Patrols typically leave from this keep to guard the border between Draconus and Nol’Tekara. Usually don’t allow travellers inside the walls unless under extreme circumstances, or for their protection. Also operates as one of Nol’Tekara’s largest jails.
Fort Ravenwatch
Classification: Keep
Leader: Daeroth Ebongloom (Human Male Bonekeeper-Commander)
Military Strength: Low
Fortification Strength: Moderate
Description: A walled keep that houses a small complement of skeletons and their associated Bonekeepers. Keeps watch over Shadewood Forest and anything that might dare to creep out of Raven’s Rift. Usually don’t have to deal with much outside of the occasional bandit organization.
Fort Shadewatch
Classification: Fortress
Leader: Lamora Netherwisp (Elven Female Bonekeeper-General)
Military Strength: High
Fortification Strength: High
Description: Usually houses a large complement of around 20 Bonekeepers and up to one thousand skeletons and additional soldiers. Built into the mountain pass to Taffaren, with a large wall extending across the pass to block raiders from getting through. Patrols skirt the mountains and constant watch is maintained to ensure that no raiders attempt to get through the wall. Parties have attempted to strike at the walls in the past but nobody has done significant damage to the fortress in hundreds of years.
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