The Imperium of Forao

[Son of the King]

I figured its about time I posted something reasonably detailed here, it's been a long time since I was last properly around!

This document is the "cliff notes" of my homebrew fantasy RPG setting that I've been running Pathfinder and D&D games in on and off for many years now. I have a few other worldbuilding notes and things from this world that I'll post later on in this thread.

This incarnation of the setting is aimed specifically at D&D 5e, and has mostly been used for running a bunch of vaguely connected one-shot games with players dropping in and out, so overall it's a relatively "standard" fantasy setting to reduce their barrier to entry.

The Pathfinder games (of which there's at least one AAR elsewhere on Exilian) took place hundreds to thousands of years prior to this point in the timeline.

The Imperium of Forao

Things mentioned in here are things that many/most people who have spent any time in the Imperium will be at least vaguely aware of; this is a version of the document that I give to players to help answer "does this character idea fit in to somewhere in the world already?" and similar questions.

// Note on Alignments:
The good/neutral/evil alignments aren't really super relevant in this world other than as a rough guide to roleplay. I don't really get on with the idea of people in this world being inherently evil by their nature, although obviously sometimes people do terrible things.

People

Species

Pretty much all playable species at least exist in the world somewhere, if not all native to the Imperium itself. Generally society is quite accepting of outsiders, the Imperium's expansionism having largely been settled down for most of its inhabitants living memory.

The most populous species in the Imperium is humans, however elves, halflings, dwarves, orcs, and gnomes are still numerous and have been in the region since time immemorial. Other species such as tieflings, dragonborn, genasi, and aasimar are less numerous but still a common sight in most larger towns. More obscure species (e.g. animalfolk like tortles and tabaxi) are a rarer sight and may occasionally turn heads in out-of-the-way areas, but it's generally considered rude to comment on a stranger's lineage.

Notably rarer are the likes of goblins, hobgoblins, and kobolds; according to myths they were driven out of the mountains in ancient days, and beset with such a fear that they rarely return. They're plenty common elsewhere in the world, but usually a notable sight in the Imperium. A period of reckoning with the problematic implications of those myths has already occurred in the early days of the Imperium, and these days those species are also welcomed despite their rarity.

// Mechanical note:
A notable tweak to the rules as written is around species lifespans. Overall lifespan range of creatures on the prime material plane is compressed around an average human lifespan, so no species are particularly long-lived.

SPECIES	YOUNG ADULT	ADULTHOOD	ELDERLY
Human	18-30	30-65	65-90+
Elf	18-50	50-150	150-175+
Half-elf	18-40	40-100	100-120+
Dwarf	18-50	50-120	120-150+
Halfling	20-40	40-80	80-100+
Orc	18-25	25-60	60-70+
Half-orc	18-30	30-65	65-75+
Gnome	20-40	40-120	120-150+
Tiefling	18-30	30-65	65-85+
Dragonborn	18-25	25-55	55-70+
Aasimar	18-30	30-90	90-120+
Genasi	18-30	30-65	65-80+

Names everyone knows

The most famous person alive in the Imperium is Marcus III, Emperor of Forao, King of Hirn, Voice of Vaeforus, and Keeper of the Imperial Peace. They ascended to the throne upon the death of their predecessor 9 years ago, becoming the 49th holder of the title.
Other nobles tend to be less well known outside of their own circles; but one or two have some name recognition, notably the Marcellae family who have been a wealthy and influential family in Imperium politics for several generations, being based in Forao and owning several vast estates in the country.

Places

(note: the climate notes in this section are subject to change, I'm in the process of a tectonic history simulation to determine the exact location of this continent on a globe, with the intention to do proper climate mapping afterwards, and I don't think this description will fully survive this process)

The Imperium covers around 720,000 square miles, an area roughly the size of Mexico (or three times the size of France). To the west and north is an ocean, partially frozen in the north. To the south is an almost impassable hot and arid desert, and the eastern border is marked by a combination of mountains, rivers, and in the south-east a smaller ocean. Beyond the borders are uncivilised and unknown lands (aka the neighbouring kingdom).

The Imperium is split into several provinces. The capital city Forao and its surrounding area are known as the Imperial Province. Forao is located south of the Stonehearth Mountains, and roughly 100 miles inland from the western ocean. Between Forao and the coast is the verdant province of Summervale, which along with the Bleakhorn Coast directly to the north is known as the "breadbasket of the empire".

To the north of the Stonehearths is the province of Old Hirn, a large grassland plain criss-crossed with rivers and fringed with forests. Further north are the cold and towering Aros Mountains, which form the practical northern border of the Imperium despite the official claims of ownership of lands further northwards.

South of Forao is the province of Mykaros, which along with Pelopos to the west stretches all the way south to the Great Expanse, the large southern desert.

To the east of Forao, the province of Essicao stretches to the great river Tirius, with the region of Sarmion stretching southwards and becoming more tropical as it reaches the Keshic Sea in the south east. North of Essicao is the region of Vardnor, which historically had many violent conflicts with the rulers of what is now Old Hirn, before the Imperium brought peace between them. Further east across the Tirius is the independent nation of Oskesh.

Some notable islands are provinces of their own. Off the coast of Old Hirn is Isle Dumont, and off the coast of Summervale is the Ilvao Archipelago.

Society

The Emperor holds absolute power over the Imperium. Their word is law.

Smaller levels of government are actually quite democratic, with most provincial governors holding elected titles, although elections are held only irregularly (usually triggered by death, disagreements with the Emperor, or egregious misconduct leading to civil unrest) and offer a selection of candidates put forward by the Emperor. A notable exception is the hereditary title of Lord Dumont, provincial governor of Isle Dumont.

In a similar vein, local "Ealdors" are elected for most towns above a certain size. These perform a role similar to that of a town mayor, being responsible for the town itself and the surrounding wilderness. Enfranchisement varies based on where you are; towns in Isle Dumont elect a small senate who in turn elect and assign Ealdors, whereas towns in the Bleakhorn Coast usually hold full ballots with any adult who has permanently lived in the town for over a year welcome to vote. These Ealdor elections work similarly to their provincial counterparts, occurring on an irregular basis.

Security is enforced mostly by local militia or guard forces employed by whoever is responsible for the area being guarded. There is no centralised police force or jail system.

For the most part, laws are adjudicated by local leaders as they see fit; and punishments are usually based around fines paid to the wounded party, or community work. The death penalty is an option, although meted out extremely rarely. Criminals have some right to appeal to higher authority for a second opinion, but there is no formalised court hierarchy.

It is also acceptable for the injured party to seek direct recompense without involving authority figures at all, and family elders will often come together to adjudicate and agree on things in this situation.

History

The known history of the Imperium is largely split into three eras, pre-Hirnic, Hirnic, and Foran. The present day is the year 586 of the Foran Era (FE).

Foran Era
This era began when the Imperium was founded after the conquest of the Kingdom of Hirn by the first emperor, Vaeforus.

The following 450 years were marked by a repeating pattern of peace followed by militaristic expansionism eastwards, depending on the whims of the emperor and their advisors. Most histories in the Imperium will frame this as a tale of glorious liberation of various peoples from tyrannical rulers, bringing them into the safe, vibrant, and modern society of Forao.

The last 100 years or so have been notable for their peace and stability. The Imperium has largely reached its natural borders, being surrounded by oceans, imposing mountain chains, and a desert in the south-east which is almost uninhabitable to most species in the Imperium.

Hirnic Era

The Kingdom of Hirn was the predecessor state to the Imperium, and the emperor still carries the title of King of Hirn even after almost 600 years. The former kingdom makes up a large part of the northern and western provinces of the Imperium, and it was upon conquering that kingdom that Vaeforus felt worthy to call themself Emperor.

This era of history spans from when various ancient peoples were first united under the Hirnic banner through to the fall of the kingdom, in 1043 of the Hirnic Era (HE).

Pre-Hirnic Era

This is pretty much "the rest of time", broadly analogous to prehistory in the real world. Spanning roughly 10,000 years, it's a catch-all term for a period that isn't very well understood by people in-universe outside of mythology passed down through time and antiquarian investigations into ruins.

Religion

The Imperium has a single, extensive pantheon which encompasses pretty much all gods that have ever existed in people's minds in the region. Religious tolerance is the norm in the Imperium, with disputes usually occurring along the same lines as disputes between deities themselves, and being rooted in those problems rather than stemming from general xenophobia.

The pantheon of the Imperium has developed mostly organically over the course of recorded (and unrecorded) history, and as such is split into three rough groups along the same lines as that history. Deities belong in the era that they are most strongly associated with.

The deities of the Foran Reformation either solidified as concepts or entirely came into being during the upheavals of the early FE or late HE, the Hirnic Pantheon deities similarly were settled into the characters worshipped in the present day during the Hirnic Era, and the Ancient Spirits are deities whose nature and names are passed down through many layers of tradition from pre-Hirnic days.

There are a number of "major deities", who are beings of immense power and influence over occurrences on the material plane.

DEITY	PRONOUNS	DOMAINS	FOCUS	SYMBOLS
Foran Reformation
Vaeforus	they/them	Knowledge, Order	Leadership, Imperial power	The Imperial crown
Victarus	he/him	Order, War	Soldiers, victory	Laurel branch resting on a shield
Volca	she/her	Forge	Blacksmithing	A hammer and anvil
Hirnic Pantheon
Aldiri	he/him	Nature, Tempest	Fishing, oceans	A boat with a trailing net, a fish
Basarinn	he/him	Arcana, Death	Misery, pain, suffering	A closed fist with knuckles outward
Brelf	he/him	Trickery	Debauchery, hedonism, partying	A lavish goblet of wine
Fanalla	she/her	Peace	Common people, festivals	A tankard of ale
Fellmar	he/him	Death, Grave	Death and the dead	Ravens, skulls
Ika	she/her	Nature, Tempest	Air, sky, weather	A collection of clouds, a snowflake, a sail
Merala	she/her	Nature	Rivers, travel	A waterfall crashing onto rocks, a sailboat
Morwela	they/them/any	Life, Peace	Interpersonal relationships, love, family	A tree with wide branches providing shelter
Pandir	they/them/any	Order, War	Combat, martial arts	A crossed sword and axe
Stenvir	he/him	Forge	Jewellery, fine metalwork	An intricately carved ring, often stylised
Wisfaer	she/her	Knowledge	Academic pursuits, foresight	A scroll in a ring of runes, an owl
Ancient Spirits
Certhia	she/they	Arcana, Nature	Natural magic and druidcraft	A sycamore leaf with cutout runes
Eritha	he/they	Nature, Trickery	Forests, fey creatures	A crown of ivy
Hirnalfar, god of two faces	they/them	Light, Twilight	Time (each face has a more specific focus)	A disk with one half golden with sun rays, the other pale and flat as the moon
Hirnal, sun face	he/him	Light	Daytime, sunlight, and the future	A stylised sun
Hirnfar, moon face	she/her	Twilight	Nighttime, moonlight, the past, and darkness	A crescent moon
Orn	he/him	Knowledge, Peace	Leadership, nobility	A finely carved staff, a bearded face
Taekde	he/him	Life, Nature, Twilight	Plants, animals, the living world	A pair of antlers tangled with leaves
Ysmerelda	she/her	Arcana, Tempest	Wind, sometimes fortune/fate	Starlings

In addition to the major deities listed here, there is an almost innumerable set of lesser deities or spirits which people somewhere worship or entreat. These range from simple embodiments of certain places in the world, like the local god of a forest glade, up to figures with similar renown to the major deities but with less actual power over their specific domain. Many of these figures overlap with the major deities in terms of their domain, but generally are seen as subservient or at least having only shared responsibility for their domain.

For example, the aforementioned god of the glade would be venerated by the local gnomes, but in conjunction with veneration of Taekde or Eritha as the major deity in the relevant domain. Some cults might focus entirely on a minor deity, attempting to further their goals and expand their power for whatever reason.

// Mechanical note:
The Warlock class in the basic rules states that "the beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are not gods".

The opposite is true in this world, with many warlock patrons (specifically for the Celestial, Fiend, and potentially Archfey or Great Old One pacts) having a spot somewhere in this pantheon as lesser deities/spirits. Angels, demons, devils, and the like are not distinguished from regular deities in this world.

It's also not unheard of for Warlock patrons in this world to be major deities, but that's pretty rare and unusual compared to a Cleric or Paladin style relationship.
Mundane warlock patrons (i.e. other pacts) continue to not be gods, as makes obvious sense, unless there's a narrative reason for them to be one.

[Jubal]

Very nice! I like the "this is how things normally work but with a bunch of exceptions like this one place that has hereditary dukes", which is very normal in historic polities and rather rarer in modern ones.

Also, TIL that Mexico is triple the land area of France. I absolutely did not think of it as being that much larger.

[Son of the King]

Very nice! I like the "this is how things normally work but with a bunch of exceptions like this one place that has hereditary dukes", which is very normal in historic polities and rather rarer in modern ones.

Thanks! I've made a conscious effort to make sure there's a healthy amount of this kind of variation in the world, both to keep things interesting whilst actually running RPGs in the setting and in an attempt to convey a sense of the history of the Imperium (and what came before it) without just loredumping. Kind of intending to have players think "oh, all these places are relatively close to each other and have these specific customs, I wonder where that came from", since that's one of my favourites things to think about when actually playing in someone else's setting.

Also, TIL that Mexico is triple the land area of France. I absolutely did not think of it as being that much larger.

I too was surprised to learn this when I was trying to find an analogue for the size.

[Son of the King]

This is the latest draft of an extract from one of my attempts at diegetic world building in this setting. It's a section of an in-world travel guide; I feel like I still need to fully dial in the tone of the author since this portion still feels a bit too dry for my liking, and I want to add more detail to each entry.

To provide some rough geographical context, here's a WIP hex map of the region in question.

Bleakhorn Coast

The grey hexes are the locations of the towns in the guide (they're listed south to north). Obviously there are many more smaller settlements not listed or mapped, the overall idea of the full guide is that the author is (a) trying to only mention places he spent time in, and (b) particularly interested in places which have an intersection of cultural significance, archaeological interest, and good alcohol. (This is all definitely unrelated to the way that 5/6 of these have been the locations for D&D one-shots that I've run).


Bleakhorn Coast

The Bleakhorn coast is an area of stunning natural beauty. The province stretches from the coastline in the west to the summit of Bleakhorn in the east. This region experiences a mix of climates, with the more inland and northern areas receiving a fairly mixed temperate climate, whilst the southern reaches and coastal regions enjoy a warmer climate closer to that of Summervale. It is this comfortable weather which has allowed the town of Fairhaven to become surrounded by renowned vineyards and olive orchards.

Fairhaven

The town of Fairhaven is surrounded by vineyards, where the famously high quality wine that makes up the majority of its exports is grown. Located at the mouth of the river Fair, on the western coast of the Empire, it has a large port on the south bank of the river. This has led to quite the north/south divide in town, where the north bank is home to upper class neighbourhoods and high-end wine bars, with the south bank being home to the less fortunate members of society.

On the topic of wine bars, there are many high quality places to get a drink in Fairhaven, but the pick of the bunch is The Vineyard on Temple Street. If you prefer a less pretentious environment for your drinking and eating, then The Barrel by the docks on the south bank is for you.

Lower Bleakhorn

The administrative centre and provincial capital of the Bleakhorn Coast is the town of Lower Bleakhorn. Located in the foothills of Bleakhorn itself, this historic farming centre and market town is a fairly pleasant sort of countryside town.

There's a farming museum in the southeastern corner of town which is a fun day out whilst passing through, with an excellent pie cafe. The market square in the north west in front of the town hall is also a nice spot, with several fine taverns and restaurants lining its edges. In the centre of the square is a picturesque fountain, which adds a small piece of Imperial grandeur to this otherwise relatively sedate town.

However, the most exciting sight in Lower Bleakhorn is not actually in Lower Bleakhorn. A walk of an hour or so northeast brings the traveller to the ruins of High Bleakhorn. Even in its current state of overgrowth and dilapidation, this ruined town gives an idea of the kind of splendour that could be found in the Kingdom of Hirn, back in the golden days before tyranny prevailed. The town is arranged around a high bluff, atop which the remnants of a once great temple of Taekde still stand proud.

Dustwharf

On the coast some 75 miles south of Elmsea is the picturesque town of Dustwharf. Originally a minor port town importing fine minerals and goods from the islands, Dustwharf is now more notable for its magic college.

The Dustwharf College of Magic is the foremost school of conjuration and transmutation magic in the Imperium. This palatial building towers high over the rest of the town, and is worth visiting just to witness its grandeur. Many noted conjurers have trained here, including Ulfbjorn the Magnificent.
Other spots in town worthy of a visit by a busy adventurer include the port, which in these latter days is only a few simple jetties but still notable for its history, and the wonderful Ocean's View Tapas Bar. The author spent several nights in this establishment whilst staying in town, and it is by far and away the finest source of Patatas Bravas on the Bleakhorn Coast.

When planning a visit to Dustwharf, it would be wise to time it around Sun's Return. Whilst most people mark this day one way or another, there's a lovely traditional festival in Dustwharf where the town elders and wizards from the college perform a ritual to ensure the return of the sun after winter, kicking off an entire night and day of partying.

Tackdell

Tackdell is an intriguing village in the depths of the Esgar forest around 30 miles south of Thornhill. Situated amongst the burial mounds and standing stones of the Tackdell ritual landscape, the atmosphere and tangible sense of history in this village is unparalleled across the empire.

The whole village is a must-visit for any self-respecting antiquarian, and also for anyone with even a passing interest in the history of the Imperium. Particular highlights include Tackdell Rings, a henge monument with a carved stone altar at the centre, and the Wishing Stones, a set of standing stones rumoured to be imbued with ancient wish-granting power. This rumour seems to be spread by over-excited treasure hunters, my brief visit to the stones had only the mundane delight of seeing such a fine ritual landscape.

After you've spent a day exploring the ancient landscape, The Wizened Pine provides a cosy and rustic place to stay, rest, and eat delicious country fare.

Thornhill

Nestled in the thick pine forests that coat the slopes of the Bleakhorn side of the Stonehearths is the walled town of Thornhill. Despite its decently sized population, this is a fairly unremarkable town in terms of wealth.

The most notable sight is the Thornhill Museum which is worth a visit if one finds oneself in the area. This museum covers the local history from pre-Hirnic through to the Imperium and is built around an in situ tomb dating to the ancient pre-Hirnic Bleakhorn culture. The town's walls themselves are also of interest to those of an antiquarian bent, with their fine stone footings dating to the height of the Kingdom of Hirn.

Most of the taverns in town are adequate, but The Stag's Head stands out for the quality of its food, with The Dancing Bat notable for its friendly regulars, good-sized rooms, and stewardship from Toromor, the landlord here who furnished me with fine wine and excellent rumours.

Elmsea

Elmsea is the largest settlement on the Bleakhorn Coast. The most northerly port on the coastline, Elmsea is a well-trodden stopping point for travellers sailing from the heartlands of the Imperium in the south up to Old Hirn and Isle Dumont. Since the fastest and safest way to make that journey is by boat, Elmsea does a roaring trade in hospitality.

Some of its establishments are definite tourist traps, but you can always find high quality fare here if you know where to look. It has been said that Elmsea is the last piece of true civilization on a journey northwards; this author can see the point, but argues that such a statement misses some of the attraction of the more rustic northern lands.

People passing through Elmsea must be sure to visit a theatre there; the thespians are usually top tier, most of them enrolled at the Elmsea Conservatoire of the Bardic Arts.