In an age known as the great before, the primordial and unrestrained world of Caedus was in constant conflict. Tribes of humanoids fought against each other for control, invaders from other planes seemingly popped up at will, and the very gods themselves fought for control over the world. Eventually, after one notable battle between Rarder, the god of the sun, life and emotion and Gino, the god of death, darkness and Apathy, a pool of concentrated divine and arcane magic had formed. The Well of All, as named by the gods themselves, is a concentrated accumulation of magical energy so refined that even they were unable to remove/erase it from the world. To prevent its use by the tribes it was decided that it must be hidden away.
Thousands of years later, the realms of mortals began to appear, prosper and propagate. Their numbers and territory encroached more and more on the hidden location of the well of all. But as the gods could not simply smite every mortal who came close, and also decided to have a bit of fun, they erected a grand coliseum around the well. The god's decreed that every 5 years, there would be a grand tournament of champions. The champions would fight in a tournament structure, in the coliseum's specialized arena. A council of judges would also be formed, the members would be the leaders of every nation. Each nation was expected to add champions to the tournament, though anyone was free to enter. Whoever won the tournament was given access to the Well of All, where supposedly it would grant one wish to whoever won.
For an unknown amount of time, this cycle continues without error. Most champion's wishes helped out their own nation, though this was even more common during times of war. But in one of these tournaments, a powerful wizard known as Sterlien won the tournament. This was odd as he was backed by no major power.
His wish should have gone down through history, yet it made such a thing impossible. The specifics of his wish are unknown, but what the wish did was felt throughout the whole world. History was gone, in the blink of an eye everyone, even the gods themselves, had forgotten every written language, every piece of history to have come before the collapse. Hundreds of thousands of years of history are gone in a flash. Not long after this wish, Sterlien had disappeared. Nations started to collapse due to this lack of knowledge, leading to intense civil wars or complete anarchy in some more severe cases. Eventually, a large group of the strongest adventurers of the time had had enough with the chaos. Going on a decade-long man-hunt for Sterlien, they eventually managed to find and execute him for his crimes against existence. These adventurers then went back and became the leaders of whatever nations were left, and made their own in some cases.
The group of heroes that took down the evil wizard Sterlien were known as: "The Septumvirate''. Sadly there are not very many of them left alive, either due to old age or internal conflict. One notable conflict was between Falloric, the most esteemed swordsman to have ever lived, and Curabao, the leader of the group and the smartest tactician to have ever lived as well. Through a brutal display of violence, Falloric had managed to slay Curabao. Not long after he himself was proclaimed dead, through causes unknown and his body was never found.
Background of the Campaign:In the year 720 A.A, the Supreme Thalassocracy of Falloric, one of the oldest nations and also the notably least respected nation, had found a new metal on their island. This metal, of which they named Fallorium, seemed to be the perfect metal for them due to its properties. Over the next decade and a half, Falloric had taken naval supremacy away from the Curaoban empire, the previously strongest nation in the archipelago. Falloric achieved this naval supremacy through the use of their new ships known as the Allorclads, massive warships coated in a thick layer of fallorium and using Fallorium Ammunition. One of these warships in particular, the Falloris Dreadnought, manned by the elite Falloric Guard, managed to destroy a whole Curabaon fleet on its own, forcing the empire to surrender from the mini-war, as well as having to pay a large sum of Ashral to Falloric. Ever since the war, the Curabaon Empire have been rather vocal in their distaste for the Thalassocracy of Falloric, vowing to wreak havoc upon them once they were able to challenge their Allorclads. Now, in the year 739 A.A, the Curabaon Fleet and Army have been fully rebuilt, reformed, and requiped. Sending them forth with another declaration of war, all of the nations of the world must decide on which side of the war they land, before it comes knocking to their doors without fair warning.
The Septumvirate:The Septumvirate is the group of adventurers that defeated Sterlien, the evil wizard whose wish deleted language and history. All but one of the members of the Septumvirate are still alive, though most are in hiding. The member who died was Curabao, the group's barbarian. In a scuffle between Curabao and Falloric that resulted from a difference in morals regarding how to govern a nation, Falloric slew Curabao, plunging the Falloric Archipelago into civil war. Eventually new nations broke off and formed alliances, yet a war that would continue for 700 years between the Supreme Thalassocracy of Falloric and the Curabaon Empire. Caedan Pantheon:
Altent, lord of destruction - God of destruction and natural disasters, Chaotic Neutral. He is known for visiting his shrines often, and ignoring his worshippers' prayers a majority of the time. His holy symbol is that of cracked earth, and his physical form is that of a massive tattooed Orc berserker, his eyes alight with fury.
Amera, the lady of magic - goddess of magic, True Neutral. One of the oldest deities, notable for her lack of morals. Her holy symbol is that of a staff with a large crystal ball at the end, her physical form is that of a young red Tiefling, her body radiating pure arcane power in waves.
Basto, the lord of knowledge - god of knowledge, Chaotic Neutral. A younger deity known for often visiting shrines to himself. His holy symbol is that of an open tome, his physical form is that of a truly ancient looking Half-Elven man, his white hair and beard both as long as his robes.
Bellum, the lord of war - God of war, battle, courage and honor, Lawful Neutral. One of the oldest deities, he is known for his willingness to aid the side that is more honorable in war. His holy symbol is that of crossed swords, his physical form is that of a massive armored Blue Dragonborn, an ornate and incredibly elaborate pirate captain's hat seated on his scaly head.
Commodore Callous, the Dread-Admiral - god of ships, pirates, naval combat. A feared deity due to the famed rumor that he shows up at random to hunt down ships he deems worthy of battle. He is also known for being the only god to actually be on the material plane at all times. His holy symbol is that of a mysterious warship, his physical form is a charming and very attractive male purple Tiefling, his horns and body covered in ornate jewelry, fine silken clothing, and intricate tattoos.
Ellel Corby - god of protection, Lawful Good. A deity known for his benevolence and good natured assistance. His holy symbol is that of a tower shield, his physical form is that of an attractive darker skinned younger Wood Elf in full armor.
Enryn, lord of healing - god of healing, Lawful Good. A newer deity known for his tendencies to visit his temples and heal any who he finds there. His holy symbol is the Caduceus staff, his physical form is that of a High Elven man wrapped in the finest red silk royal clothing.
Gare - Deity of the Endless White(the air ocean), Chaotic Evil. One of the oldest deities, notable for their incredibly fierce temper and tendency to send tornados in the rough direction of anyone who slights them. Their holy symbol is that of a tornado, their physical form is that of a Kenku pirate captain.
Gino - God of death, Lawful Neutral. The second oldest deity, he is almost unknown except for a small cult following. His holy symbol is that of a cracked skull, his physical form is that of a massive black armored body, the only part of him visible apart from that is a floating Orc skull, wreathed in blue fire.
Gonta - goddess of time, True Neutral. One of the oldest deities, notable for her seeming lack of care. Her holy symbol is that of a swinging pendulum, her appearance is that of a young albino Tiefling scholar.
Kharlous - God of invention, technology, hunting. Chaotic Neutral. A newer deity, he is most known for being the one to invent the airships that now dominate the planet. His holy symbol is that of a flintlock firearm, his physical form is that of a Human survivalist wearing an expertly made white ghillie suit.
Maly - goddess of earth, Neutral Good. One of the older deities, she's known for both her benevolence that can create fertile lands and her fierce temper that can destroy whole nations through extreme earthquakes. Her holy symbol is that of a mountain, her physical form is that of a large Firbolg.
Mesym - god of plague, Neutral Evil. An older deity, known for his tendency to ward off plague in areas where he has a shrine. His holy symbol is that of a virus, his physical form is that of a large armored necromancer, his actual body hidden beneath layers of diseased cloth and rusty metal.
Mythey - God of the Woodlands, Chaotic Good, the patron deity of hunters and druids alike. His holy symbol is that of a tree, his physical form is that of large and muscular aztec-like in design winged blue Lizardfolk.
Rarder, the lord of light - god of the sun, Neutral Good. The oldest deity, he is also the most well known and universally worshiped of the gods. His holy symbol is that of the Sun, his physical form is that of an angel-winged albino Tiefling man with a thick beard and teeming with muscle.
Sarrey, lady of plants - goddess of nature. One of the oldest deities, her followers are known for their disdain of brick and stone and their preference of natural materials. Her holy symbol is that of a maple leaf, her physical form is of a feminine Myconid covered in robes.
Scoti, lord of fire - God of fire, volcanoes, and heat, Chaotic Neutral. An older deity, he is most well known for his explosive temper and chaotic mood swings that match the chaos of a roaring fire. His holy symbol is that of a volcano erupting, his physical form is much the same, a combination of a lava spewing volcano, with the head and limbs of a charred obsidion Warforged.
Wene - goddess of animals, chaotic neutral. She's known for her severe disdain for pets, and her ability to turn pets against their former owners. Her holy symbol is that of bear's paw, her physical form is that of a furred mammoth-like Elephantfolk.
Ynther - God of luck, fortune, and wealth, True neutral. He's known for his trickery, deceit, and rather random blessings. His holy symbol is that of a pair of gem dice, his physical form is that of a roguish young Half-Elven man with a thick beard and small fangs.
Other Pantheons:All the pantheons from the Forgotten Realms, they are known as the Old *insert race* Pantheons, or in the case of multi-race pantheons, simply the Old Pantheon.
