Introduction

From Tearsofblood

"Save your tears! The dead have Wept enough."

Imagine an empire of glorious power. An entire race of militaristic, technologically advanced people rule over the better part of a continent. They are the Feldarin and they have ruled the humans for 5 centuries. Their invasion was stuff of legend, and bloody. But they brought with them advanced metallurgy, civil engineering, superior farming, construction, art and science. The humans were already divided amongst themselves by different cultures and internal wars. The Feldarin brought a semblance of unity as they spread across the lands, aided by the dwarves and halflings. The cities built by the Feldarin Empire are testaments to the power of the Feldarin: amazing churches, tall apartments, canals, paved streets, running water, golden statues, universities, amphitheaters, palaces. The gnomes from the Beneath in their vast underground kingdoms even treated with the Feldarin, to be left primarily alone in return for sharing some of their secrets of magic. They formed the universities of magic where wizards learn their skill and sorcerers practice their craft. The Feldarin had it all. Until The Weeping...

That was not the plague's first name though. Nearly 20 years ago now a plague struck the people of the empire and killed thousands. It appeared to be treated by magical curing and subsided. The empire was recovering nicely when, a decade later, it returned, much worse than before. This time no magic could cure it. Indeed, magical efforts were rumored to make it worse, causing people near death to bleed from the eyes. It is not known for sure if magic caused this or not. Lots of causes were blamed. Now tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands died horrible, bloody deaths. But some, oh, some recovered, but not completely. They were warped by the disease, their bodies deformed. They would also continue to bleed from the eyes on occasion and were subsequently shunned by everyone they encountered.

Magic also came to be shunned, and blamed for the woes of the world. The Feldarin, fearing that magic would weaken their own power within the empire if used against them, quickly tightened control over the use of magic. The gnomes retreated from the halls of learning. All known wizards and sorcerers were required to be registered and magic use substantially curtailed. Ever increasing taxes were put on items of magical nature. This only served to spawn a black market, and underground movement of spell users. They had much to fear however, for an elite hit squad was formed out of the ranks of the Feldarin military. The Watchers were formed and it proved difficult to evade their magic detecting powers.

So much of the population was decimated by The Weeping that now, 5 years since the last outbreak was seen, the empire is a shadowy husk of its former glory. Whole sections of cities lay deserted, whole towns have become ghost towns, figuratively and literally. The chaos that followed the plague is barely under control and if any Feldarin lord thinks his domain is safe and secure, he is surely a fool. The Emperor himself succumbed to the Weeping Death and having no heir, has left the throne open. It is primarily up to the church to secure a new heir to the Empire, but attempts to find a suitable successor have not be fruitful.

Outside of the empire, the Weeping had its affects far and wide. Only one race mysteriously escaped the contagion, the large Giantkin. What resistance this large, docile, nomadic people of the north possess is hardly understood, but many would like to know.

The Tone of the World

People in the Tears of Blood campaign world have suffered great losses from the recent plague and are struggling to recover. As such, the world has a feeling of grit where day to day survival is not taken for granted, mistrust is fairly high, and the pleasures of life are things once dreamed of, now long forgotten. Even the stability of the Feldarin Empire is not what it once was and some speak of throwing down the kings of old and rising fresh and stronger out of the fetid squalor.

The World of Ursoule

EDIT NOTE: I think this section should focus on what the world is like today, but some of this seems more appropriate to be moved up to the Intro section. Some is just repeating where this should rather expand on what is mentioned above, or just move up entirely. Since I wrote the above Intro, I'd like some second eyes to edit this please. ~ MostlyHarmless

The campaign setting is focused around the Feldarin Empire, which until recently stood as an unassailable bastion of order and strength, dominating its human subjects and the neighboring realms. The Feldarin conquered the human lands five centuries ago, when they escaped their cursed homeland. Basing their empire around an inland sea and submitting the humans to lives as serfs, the Feldarin built canals, roads, and great cities across the continent. The Plague threatened to bring all of that to ruin. Appearing out of nowhere and spreading like wildfire, the Plague brought panic and terror wherever it appeared. People fled their homes, leaving farms untended and cities undefended. As waves of refugees spread across the land, so did the plague. Terrible atrocities were committed as local lords attempted to keep the sickness from entering their territories. The most ruthless of these succeeded where the merciful did not, and spared their followers some of the horror accosting the nation. Finally, the Plague died away. It vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared. Though it occasionally appears now and again, it doesn't seem to spread as fast as it did. It left behind a grim legacy, however - fully one third of the populace have died and (even worse in the eyes of some) some of the survivors have become plague touched, pitiful wretches who survived infection but were horribly warped by the ravages of the disease. Ten years on, the realm struggles to recover from the devastation. People now flock to the cities, their fear of the Weeping (as the plague has become to be known) forgotten in the face of new dangers - starvation and anarchy. Bandits run rampant through the countryside, and the farmlands have lain untended for a decade. As if this weren't enough, the rule of the Empire is being questioned across the continent. The Emperor himself was struck down by the Weeping and his various potential heirs now jockey for position. Lords of all ranks question the right of the Imperial Council to issue edicts or proclaim their independence, whether due to a selfish need for power or a desire to improve the lives of their subjects. Worse still, some of those subjects have decided not to leave the matter in the hands of their lords - humans have begun to take up arms against their rightful masters and declare themselves free. Embracing magic as a weapon against the Imperial military and their Dwarven mercenaries, they have seized whole cities, and elsewhere Feldarin nobles look to the swarms of refugees gathered in their cities and wonder if they can stem the tide. Outside of the Feldarin Empire, there are several points of interest. Beneath and above the Empire are two contending factions of gnomes: the Nether and Aether gnomes who are masters of magic but mysterious, selfish, and secretive with this knowledge, traveling in flying crafts belching toxic fumes in the skies as well as the tunnels Beneath. On a separate continent lie the Orcs who have their own rich culture of tribal warfare and ritual sacrifice. Ruling the seas in between these continents are the halflings. Basing their sailing ships on island chains and certain mainland ports, they are merchants, naval experts, and occasionally pirates. Finally, some human cultures are so remote that they have escaped Feldarin occupation: the Yujung, the Pahali and the Omeshik.

Ten Things You Need To Know

1. Character Races are different than in the standard rules. Most of the standard races are present in Ursoule, but you should forget almost everything you know about them. All have been altered to better fit this setting. Half-Elves have been replaced by the Feldarin, an aggressive race that rules much of the world. Instead of half-orcs, Orcs themselves are a playable race, with their own unique cultures and history. The Giantkin, a strong but spiritual people of the frozen north, are entirely new. Additionally, the Fleshwrought and Plaguetouched are a new bloodline and template, respectively, available to players.

2. Tone and theme. Ursoule is a gritty place: its main theme is the recovery of a world from the effects of a devastating, magical Plague. Its aftermath has left the social order in upheaval, destabilizing governments and spawning revolution. The regimented and oppressive Feldarin Empire is struggling to maintain its dominance over the human world. The primary philosophical conflict in Ursoule is between order and chaos; good and evil characters may often find themselves fighting together.

3. The Weeping. "Tears of Bloodâ" refers to the most iconic symptom of the most gruesome malady Ursoule has ever seen: The Weeping. In its final stages, this magical disease causes its helpless victims to bleed profusely from the eyes. Death follows soon after. Other symptoms include loss of muscle control, personality changes, degradation of the senses, catatonia, deformed bone structure, and convulsions. The Weeping first appeared in a small outbreak twenty years ago, subsided, and then returned to wreak havoc a decade later. After nearly six years of unprecedented misery and death, it vanished as mysteriously as it had come, leaving the world in ruins. Now, five years later, nations and empires struggle to re-establish control and feed their people, while revolutionaries and other malcontents seek to exploit this opportunity to further their own goals.

4. Adventuring is dangerous. Adventurers in such a world are most often viewed as troublesome meddlers or worse, and face suspicion and distrust wherever they go. Travel is difficult, for in this Plague-decimated world the roads are watched by many malevolent beings: highway bandits, revolutionaries, apocalyptic cultists, armies, and powerful monsters. Well-armed travelers stand out in a world where most people are struggling to survive, and the locals often feel that it's better to kill first and not worry too deeply about asking questions.

5. The Five Gods. Almost all sentient creatures in Ursoule worship the same Five Gods. However, each of the Five have many "Aspectsâ", each a separate identity with its own name. Aspects of a god share the same holy symbols and basic commandments, but can differ in personality, domains, followers, and even alignment! Each culture has its own pantheon of five Aspects, and each approaches its religion in a unique way. Most cultures don't worship all Five equally, instead preferring those who most impact their way of life. However, every culture has an Aspect for each of the Five, representing Life/Death, War, Magic, Nature, and Travel.

6. Alignment. The standard alignment scheme is present in Tears of Blood, but its emphasis is on the Law vs. Chaos axis rather than the Good vs. Evil axis. Even before the Plague, Lawful races like the Feldarin and the Orcs contrasted sharply with more Chaotic races like the Elves and the Giantkin. In the aftermath of the Weeping, the conflict has intensified between those who seek to preserve order at any cost, and those who desire to remain free. The most important gameplay consequence of this is that paladins in Ursoule can be of any Lawful alignment, rather than being restricted to Lawful Good. This emphasis on combating Chaos over all other moral concerns is a major factor in the dominance of the militaristic Feldarin and their Orthodox Church, whose Ecclessiarchy commands the largest force of Paladins in the world. However, Paladins can serve any Lawful Aspect, and do not require the sponsorship of an organized church to represent their deity.

7. The Feldarin Empire. Five hundred years ago, the Feldarin escaped from the mysterious Isle of Veloct and launched an all-out invasion on the unsuspecting Human continent of Terdusas. Although far more numerous than the militaristic invaders, the diverse array of Human cultures had never united politically and many lands were overwhelmed by the surprising onslaught. The astute and charismatic Feldarin leader, Conastania, declared herself Empress over the conquered lands and established the strict and oppressive regime that continues to this day. Before the Plague, the Feldarin Empire was the dominant political, social and economic force in Ursoule. All roads led to its glorious capitol, Port Conastinium. Today, still reeling from the pandemic ruin of the Plague, which claimed the Emperor himself, the Feldarin strive desperately to reunite their battered kingdoms and restore sanity in their once unassailable realm.

8. There is another world Beneath. Below the unsuspecting feet of the average surface dweller lies an entirely alien world. Under the fields and mountains of Ursoule, lightless caverns stretch for untold miles. The bedrock of this world is riddled with labyrinthine chambers and passages, home to count less vile and unimaginable horrors. It is also the realm of the Gnomes, whose Halfling ancestors first explored its depths through seaside caves large enough to sail through. There they discovered the ruined cities of the Masa, a longvanished race that had sought out the deepest secrets of arcane magic. It is their magical engines that lift the Gnomish airships aloft. Somewhere in the concealing dark lies Nekrazzabar, the restored city of the Masa that now serves as the spiritual capitol of the Gnomish race.

9. Powerful Beings: Ursoule is home to several extremely powerful entities. The most well-known (mostly through legend) is the Plague Fiend, the avatar of a potent Celestial who traded his glory to the Elves in exchange for refuge here in the mortal plane. Now a being of ineffable corruption and filth, he derives his near-godlike powers from the suffering caused by all disease. Worshipped by a few deluded followers (such as the Morvanima, an elvish splinter faction), he is feared by all and none yet know his fiendish intentions. Another example is the Dracolich, an unspeakably ancient mockery of life who guides and teaches the Gnomes in their chief city of Nekrazzabar, and who serves as the highest worldly authority of Curuiindor, the Gnomish aspect of the god of Magic.

10. This world is not yet finished! Perhaps the most important thing to understand about Tears of Blood is that it is still a work in progress. If you are playing in or DMing a Tears of Blood campaign, you are among its first playtesters and your input is welcome! Don't feel afraid to speak up when you feel that something is unbalanced or doesn't make sense. Furthermore, everyone is welcome to join the ongoing creative effort, which can be found in the Giant in the Playground forums, located at: http://www.giantitp. com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=19 Come on over and join up! The community is very welcoming to new contributors, and there is still a lot about this amazing world that needs to be fleshed out. Hope to see you there!