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Races

The Averian Empire is ruled mostly by humans. However, working alongside the humans are a variety of races, each with a part to play in the empire. The followinf section deals with the races of Averia, and their role, as well as how they are dealt with by the other races they coexist with in the empire. The races from the Player's Handbook that are mentioned below are somewhat unchanged (except the elves), and all their racial information can be found in the Player's Handbook. The information for the Half-Giants can be found in the Expanded Psionics Handbook.

Human

The Human race has, as believed by the Averians, usurped control of their blessed territory from the faltering civilization of the Giants hundreds of years ago. Their resourcefulness and ingenuity outsmarted the Giants, overwhelming them in the war. Since then, the humans have taken over, creating, in their opinion, a far superior civilization.
The humans in Averia believe they are a superior race than many other races. Their flexibility, adaptability and resourcefulness that allowed them to usurp the Giant's empire are used to ensure that no one, but the humans, remain in power. They believe the elves who helped them are good fighters, but too obsessed with nature and art to really control the world. Their assistance in the wars with the Giants has been useful but the humans feel the elves are an old race that takes to long to adapt. They would much rather deal with the hybrid races of half-elves and half-giants, because they are both partly human. These hybrid races are seen as examples of the superiority of the human spirit, allowing them to combine, and better other races. The Halflings are seen a the epitome of cheap labour. They hardly ever complain and they are ready and willing to farm for the humans. The humans leave the halflings alone in their farmlands, essentially ignoring them. The humans believe that the haflings are their farming workforce.

The humans are described in the Player's Handbook.

Elves

Since the inception of the world, elves lived peacefully in the forests. During the early ages of the world, the elves wrestled each other for control and rule over the lands. Many great wars spread through the forests, causing elves to fight amongst themselves. Many thousands were killed. The giants saw this squabbling race and attempted to squash it beneath its technology as they spread their civilization. The elves were not going to let their culture be destroyed, so they combined their forces and attempted to stop the encroaching giants. In order to halt the hostilities, the elves took an oath never to harm another elf again. They knew that if they were going to harbour these hostilities, their differences would cause the giants to overrun their divided realm. There were a few years of war between the two races, each one ending in stalemate. Eventually, the wars, along with the giants way of life, crippled their mighty empire. The humans soon arrived to assist the elves in their defeat of the giants. The elves took the victory as a sign of blessing from the gods, and kept the oath. The elves since retreated into their forests, outliving the giants.
Since then, they have taken interest in the development of the humans. They watch with curiosity at how the humans advance technologically. The elves that reside in Averian borders are active in the Averian state, as much as the humans allow them to be. Some have forsaken their forested homes to assist in the development of the empire. Unlike the giant empire, the elves see flexibility in the way the humans run things. They challenge the humans way of thought, trying to make them see things in a different light. Many elves feel that they are to watch over the humans, assisting them in the ruling of a fair, and mighty empire.
Elves are somewhat uneasy around half-giants. They feel that these hybrids are able to show the cold-heartedness of the giants at any time. They also fear the strange power many of them hold, seeing it as a possible threat to their arcana. The elves look at the halflings with pity, seeing their hard working nature as a blessing. They often defend, or even help halflings in need, showing a soft spot for the small folk. Half-elves are seen a a blemish on the elves. Elves are proud of their heratiage; they were able to survive the opression of the giants, and eventually helped the humans overthrow the empire. Most elves view half-elves as a weakness, blood mixing with a lesser race that is prone to rash decisions. Though, many elves do have a curiosity about humanity, allowing the curiosity to go that far is often looked upon as taboo by many elves.

Averian elves are like the elves described in the Player's Handbook with the following changes:

  • +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy. Averian elves are often in diplomatic discussions with other cultures, and internal clans.
  • +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Sense Motive on any checks against a creature of the Giant type (ogres, trolls and hill giants, including half-giants).
  • +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against creatures of the Giant type (ogres, trolls and hill giants, including half-giants).

Half-Elves

The integration of the human and elf cultures in Averia has created this hybrid. The half-elves of Averia are well liked by the humans, representing a union of the two cultures. They are often used as a bridge between the humans and elves, allowing the half-elves ease of passage in any situation. Some of the elvish population are not so accepting of this hybrid race. They see the humans trying to thin the pure elvish blood, and often take these feelings out on half-elves. Half-elves get along best with the half-giants. They both share a common life: being marginalized because of their heritage. They have bonded, and both become stronger because of it.

The Half-Elves are described in the Player's Handbook.

Half-Giants

A remnant of time past, half-giants are a reminder of the giant civilization. Half-giants are those with giant blood in them. They are usually larger than their human and elf brethren. They are believed to have come from cruel experiments done by the giant wizards during the war. These hybrids were created as an army against the humans. However, the half-giants fought against this, and eventually won their freedom. Since then the half-giants were allowed to survive the empire, and begin to integrate themselves (very slowly) into the Averian empire.
Half-giants attempt to become more and more human to gain acceptance. They have an innate curiosity, and unique view on the world that allows them to have natural similarities to the humans of Averia. However, they are, no matter how similar in human traits, a reminder of the savage wars fought by the Averians years ago. Half-giants have developed psionic abilities. It is not known how this occurred, but a running theory is they developed this from the experiments that created them. The half-giants believe it is a blessing from the Goddess of wisdom and the mind.
Half-giants respect humanity, trying to emulate them the best they can. Half-giants can come across as very harsh at times, more harsh than a single-minded human can be. Nevertheless, half-giants are well cultured, often intelligent contributors to society.

Half-Giants are described in the Expanded Psionics Handbook.

Halflings

These diminutive, simple folk live outside the urban centers of Averia. They agreed to become part of the Averian empire in return for protection. The halflings are simple agricultural people who tend to the farmlands of the Averian empire. They entered the Averian empire around the time the humans migrated into the Giant's empire. The exact origin of the halflings is not known. They are believed to be blessed creatures, given to the humans of Averia to protect, and in return for this protection, Averia is granted with prosperity. Halflings have become revered as lucky in the Averian culture. They are, though, mistreated, and often ignored. The halflings do not mind, as they are usually left alone in their small hamlets to farm for themselves, and the empire. They rarely leave their homes. Those that are forced to live in the urban centers of the empire show great ability to adapt to any situation.

Halflings are described in the Player's Handbook.

Classes


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Bard

The bards role in Averia is the same as in many other cultures. Bards are wonderers, who collect tales, and pass them on as they travel the land. When the Averian culture was expanding and developing, bards were of great importance. They ensured that every settlement outside the capital were reciting the same legends, and tales. Since then, Averia has written down most of their legends, putting the bard on the brink of becoming obsolete. However, the bards still survive, if not on stories, then simple performances, plays, music, and magical displays. They are travelers, learning from every step they take in the world. They are uncommon in Averia, as many of it's citizens believe in a good education and training in one specialized field.

The Bard is described in the Player's Handbook.

Cleric

Averia is a deeply religious culture. Their religion plays into every aspect of their daily lives. The clerics of Averia are entrusted with the upkeep of the religion, as well as ensuring the proper worship of the gods. A cleric chooses one god to represent, and as they rise in the clerical ranks, they gain more responsibilities. Lower ranked clerics look after minor details of shrines and temples, like attendance, cleanliness and the wardrobe of the clergy. Many lower rankes clerics also are sent on pilgrimages across Averia to ensure that all the people of the land are worshipping the gods properly. They wander the lands teaching the populace. Middle ranked clerics have more pressing duties, they often run temples, or a group of temples. They are often seen running the temple major services. They do not travel as much as lower ranked clerics, but do travel, especially if they are needed. Higher ranked clerics accompany the leaders of the cities, provinces, or even the emperor. They ensure that each province is run properly, worshipping in accordance to teachings.
Clerics are respected around Averia for the special insight and guidance on many subjects. The emperor, and indeed many of the lesser heads of state, often have clerical acquaintances, who lend advice in times of need.

The Cleric is described in the Player's Handbook.

Fighter

The Averian army has won respect across the known world. They have fought off the Giants years ago, and successfully defended the borders of Averia since then. They are highly trained and well disciplined warriors. Many of the young in Averia dream of entering the ranks of the Averian army. The army puts these young dreamers through rigorous training before allowing them to be part of the army. Those who fail, or drop out usually keep what training they had gained and use it for themselves, often becoming mercenaries for themselves, or even the government.

The Fighter is described in the Player's Handbook.

Paladin

The Averians are strongly devoted to their gods. Occasionally, some are so devoted to their god, justice, and the protection of Averia that they are given divine strength for their devotion. These chosen souls are shining examples of power in Averia. They are given a special respect among the clergy and the military, often given command of a military unit before they are trained properly. The Averians are proud of their paladins, but are always afraid of frauds, looking just for glory. For every true paladin, there are ten self-proclaimed defenders of justice. Paladins are tested early in childhood (or when ever divine power shows in them) and are often exulted by the clergy before they exult themselves.

The Paladin is described in the Player's Handbook.

Psion

The Averiand have known of the power of the mind for a long time. They have always looked for ways to expand the mind, and its abilities. They thought the arcane was the end of this expansion, the coupling of knowledge and the mind. Recently, the hybrid races of Averia began showing abilities that the arcanists could not understand. This power soon became known as psionics, a powerful metal energy that can be obtained through long mental training and discipline. The psions are new to Averia. Their place among it's culture has still not solidified. Many are frightened of the psions, not understanding their use. Others are more than willing to give them a job. For the most part, psions are left to the fringes of society, fighting for themselves. It is very hard for a hybrid race displaying psionic powers to arise to a place of respect in Averia.

The Psion is described in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Only half-elves or half-giants can choose this class.

Psychic Warrior

As new as psionics are to Averia, many people believe they are useful to defend the interests of the empire. Those showing psionic tendencies are often taken under the wing of the military where they develop their abilities. The psionic warriors are given a special role in the Averian society. They are rare, but treated as unique individuals, slightly better than the average soldier of the same rank. Being trained as a psychic warrior evens the racial playing field for many hybrids.

The Psychic Warrior is described in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Only half-elves or half-giants can choose this class.

Ranger

The rangers are, most often, elves who have trained themselves in the defense of the forest. However, there are some members of other races that desire to be rangers, and are trained my themselves, or by the Avararian elves. They are used a scouts or specialized forest units by the Averian army. The majority of rangers, though, remain in the forest they were trained in protecting it, or are mercenaries.

The Ranger is described in the Player's Handbook.

Rogue

The ever adaptable rogue is a common fixture on the urban streets of Averia. They are skilled in whatever they need to survive, and are adaptable to whatever the world is ready to throw at them. Rogues commonly enter thieves guilds, which are commonplace in the major Averian cities, where their broad range of skills are often used to their fullest. Many rogues are left to their own devices on the streets. Because of the wide range of skills a rogue can pick up, some rogues are able to pick up a decent job in Averia. Many become wandering traders, merchants, or even find a place in politics.

The Rogue is described in the Player's Handbook.

Warmage

The Averian army is forever looking for ways to expand and improve. The meshing of the arcane arts and melee combat has created the warmage, a worthy adversary on the battlefield. Warmages are trained in the special war colleges in Averia specifically for the battlefield. The majority of the warmages that graduate are placed in the military for highly specialized missions. However, some warmages leave the college for whatever reason, and become mercenaries.

The Warmage is described in the Complete Arcane.

Wizard

The arcane has been a mystery to the Averians for a long time. Arcane magic was first used against the Averians by the giants. The Averians tried to cast their own magical spells, but always failed. The elves were the first to perfect it, watching the giants cast their spells. The elves taught each other and the humans and it was not long before the war was won. Since then, wizards have been a staple in Averian society. Most wizards are trained in the arcane academies of Averia, and are mostly absorbed by the military. Many wizards continue their studies on their own, and become freelance wizards, often melding their skills with other training.

The Wizard is described in the Player's Handbook.

Religion

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Abyssium

Greater God
Slaving away in his forge beneath the earth, Abyssium is eternally forging weapons, armour and metallic goods for the armies of the world. He represents perseverance, determination and skill. He takes his work very seriously, slaving over it until it is absolutely perfect.
Portfolio: Forge, fire, craftsmanship, blacksmithing
Domains: Craft, Endurance, Fire, Metal
Cleric Training: Training begins at an early age. The worshippers of Abyssium believe that the level of determination and perseverance must be taught as early, and quickly as possible. The would-be clerics are taught a variety of crafts, all having to do with the forge, including weaponsmithing, glass blowing and pottery.
Quests: Some clerics of Abyssium leave the forge they trained in to travel abroad. They ensure that the craft is being taught across the world, and to gain more knowledge for themselves. Clerics of Abyssium want to learn all they can about the forge and fire. Some clerics find themselves using their knowledge of the forge and fire to assist others, they are employed a weapon-smithies, tactical analysts, or even soldiers.
Prayers: Prayers to Abyssium praise his abilities, then ask for guidance in the clerics predicament. Usually prayers are asking for guidance in the current task at had, desiring the god to lend focus, skill, determination or insight.
Temples: All temples of Abyssium double as forges. They are found in larger settlements. They are places to go to purchase high-quality weapons, armour, and metallic items. They are also places to go if you want to hire a mercenary who knows a great deal about fire.
Rites: There are few celebrations organized by the followers of Abyssium. The most common is the acceptance of the new cleric.

Avine

Lesser Goddess
Avine is a beautiful god, who desires all those who follow her to enjoy life to it's fullest. She respects life, and it's pleasures, desiring her followers to share pleasure with as many people as possible. Sharing wine, food, your love, or even just sex are all things Avine teaches should be shared. The point of existance is to forget all the wrongs that have happened to you, and fall into the plush comfort of pleasure.
Portfolio: Parties, wine, love, sex
Domains: Charm, Community, Pleasure
Cleric Training: Each new member is taught how to give pleasure in various forms. They are taught how to brew wine, beer, how to cater, cook, write and recite poetry, dress, court a member of the opposite sex, and how to make love. Each cleric usually takes a specialty in one of the fields they excel in, and share their abilities with the other clerics, and the city they are in.
Quests: Clerics of Avine that desire to roam the world are often on quests to lighten up peoples lives. They seek the depressed and downtrodden and try to liven up their lives by showing them the finer sides of life. Some clerical quests are life-time goals, such as, to make a certain person understand life and it's pleasures.
Prayers: Many of Avines prayers are said during pleasurable acts. They range from the simple few words of thanks when drinking wine, or eating fine food, to the deep involved prayer recited before and after sex.
Temples: Avines temples are found in every major city of the Averian empire. They are opulent digressions from everyday life. They are beautiful displays of wealth, each having numerous breweries, fermenting houses, beds, baths and kitchens. People attend these temples to wash away and forget their everyday problems.
Rites: Avine is often invoked before a meal, especially special meals, like a victory meal, a birthday meal, or especially a wedding feast. There are also some rites surrounding sexual rites taken by clerics. These often last an entire day.

Constellos

Greater God
Constellos is the second most powerful god in the Averian pantheon. He is a muscular god with shining yellow hair. He is praised for his courageous military victories, and skillful displays of swordplay. He is always competing against the other gods, winning as often as he can. Constellos is the most widely worshipped god in Averia.
Portfolio: War, competition, games, power, strength
Domains: Competition, Courage, Strength, War
Cleric Training: Every cleric who worships Constellos is essentially a specially trained soldier. They get the exact same training as a soldier, except they are also trained in the religious aspects of Constellos. Once graduated, the clerics of Constellos are formidable warriors.
Quests: Every cleric of Constellos believes life itself is a constant quest. The main point of life is to prove ones self in competition with ones peers. They are constantly traveling looking for victories along the way. To a cleric of Constellos, if they survive life, they have won life. The most sought after quest a cleric of Constellos looks for is to go to war. It is at war where one is tested most.
Prayers: Prayers to Constellos are all simple, and short, quickly asking for something before a deed. The most common are "Valiant Constellos, grant me courage!" before a war, or "Great Constellos, grant me victory" before a competition.
Temples: Temples to Constellos are all over Averia. They function as a military training facility (and sometimes double as one) as well as a religious school. They are, of course, heavily guarded by highly trained Constellos worshippers.
Rites: Constellos is praised after every victory. Simple victories, such as a small fight, or a successful raid, to large victories, such as a successful war are all celebrated in similar ways. There is a feast of some sort (size of which is dependent on how large the feat was) followed by a long prayer, lasting anywhere from fifteen minutes to a few hours.

Dasya

Greater Goddess
Sometimes called the Mother Goddess, Dasya is the goddess who has given life to the world. She is portrayed as a beautiful, perpetually young woman. She is praised by women and men alike for her flawless beauty. She represents fertility, life, family, and the mother.
Portfolio: Life, agriculture, beauty, fertility
Domains:
Charm, Earth, Family, Healing, Plant
Cleric Training:
Clerics of Dasya are trained to revere life. They are shown how to care for life from a young age. To the Averians, life is anything that grows, so this includes plant-life as well as animals and humans. The most important role for a cleric of Dasya is to ensure that life will go on in the world. Followers of Dasya also are trained to look very beautiful and alluring.
Quests:
Many clerics of Dasya leave their home cities and wander the world healing any hurt they see, trying to get life to sprout anywhere they can. Clerics of Dasya are primarily concerned with life; during wars, they are used as healers on the field, ensuring that the downfallen troops can be restored.
Prayers:
Prayers to Dasya are long and lyrical, often complimenting and thanking Dasya before asking for something in return.
Temples:
Temples to Dasya are places for people who need care can find refuge. More often than not, unwed mothers find refuge in Dasya's temples. There are often shrines to Dasya on farmlands, as well in married couples bedrooms, to increase fertility in both instances.
Rites:
The clerics of Dasya have long ceremonies done every year to ensure the harvest will be a bounteous one. There are also ceremonies during childbirth, and during pregnancy.

Sanora

Lesser Goddess
The younger sister of Dasya, Sanora is the goddess of wisdom, and art. Her place in the pantheon is less important, but never ignored. She is worshipped for insight, both creative or otherwise. She is is a humble goddess who keeps to herself, yet has an uncanny knowledge of the unknown. She is often portrayed as a homely, shy middle-aged woman.
Portfolio: Wisdom, humility, art, the unknown
Domains:
Craft, Knowledge, Oracle, Planning
Cleric Training:
Clerics of Sanora are chosen by other clerics. Would-be clerics are observed by existing clerics for signs of deep though, humility, curiosity, or abundance of knowledge. They are then accepted into the ranks of the clergy and the traits they were noticed for are expanded and built upon.
Quests:
Clerics of Sanora are always going out into the world to see what they can learn. They often go on quests to gather information or to feed their curiosity. Many are employed by high ranking officials to answer some of the questions of the future.
Prayers:
Prayers to Sanora are short, and humble. They rarely ask for anything out of the ordinary, just some guidance. They never praise Sanora or themselves.
Temples:
Temples to Sanora are small, and rarely decorated. They act as living quarters, workplaces and areas for study for the clergy, and don't try to be anything else.
Rites:
Sanora celebrates the joining of every cleric with a small ceremony allowing Sanora to acknowledge the joining of the new cleric. It is very small, and not at all flashy. Other rites are very quiet and low key, simply acknowledging, and not praising aspects of the celebration.

Solleren

Lesser God
The livelihood of the Averians is built in their strong economy. Solleren is the god who has allowed the Averians to build their empire, or so their believers preach. Solleren is the god of economy, money, trade and commerce. Solleren is in command of the flow of money from government to business to citizen. He is dipicted as a middle-aged man dressed in fine garb, with golden hair.
Portfolio: Trade, profit, money
Domains:
Luck, Trade, Travel, Trickery
Cleric Training:
Followers of Solleren are always looking for more people to join their ranks. They are either out looking for potential clerics, or teaching them in their temples. Anyone who has exceptional luck, or understanding of commerce are perfect for joining the clergy of Solleren.
Quests:
A cleric of Solleren is best suited for a domestic setting, helping merchants, or if they are suited, governmental tasks. But, Many clerics of Solleren venture into the world to make a fortune for themselves. Solleren wants his followers to make money any way they want, he has given little guidelines on how, or now not to do so.
Prayers:
All the prayers to Solleren are exchanges. It is believed that the prayers must somehow be fair, or in Solleren's favour, or he will not grant them.
Temples:
Solleren's temples double as banks in many cases. Although governments have their own banks, Solleren's followers keep banks themselves. Clerics gather in these temples to worship and learn, as well as trade and attempt to make money. In smaller settlements, temples to Solleren double as marketplaces.
Rites:
Any large deal that has passed through in the clerics favour is celebrated in a large and flashy manner, spending some of the money on the celebration. This spending is meant to give much of the money back to Solleren, paying back the guidance and gifts of Solleren. The larger the celebration, the larger the deal.

Taos

Greater God
Taos is the creator of the world, and everything in it. He continues to watch over the world from his flaming orb in the sky. He is a vengeful god, who punishes those who disobey him. Taos is worshipped by almost everyone in Averia, either as a primary god, or a secondary.
Portfolio:
Sun, sky, fear, command, life, nobility
Domains:
Fate, Fire, Force, Law, Nobility, Sun
Cleric Training:
Followers of Taos are trained to be respectful of those above them, and strong leaders to those below them. Within the clergy of Taos, discipline is mandatory, and taught to the would-be clerics. Taos is a god who demands worship, and so do the clergy. It is said that the clergy of Taos teach their would-be clerics arrogance, as well as the teachings of Taos.
Quests:
Many clerics travel outside their home towns and training temples to learn about the world. The more worshippers of Taos there are in the world, the better. Clerics of Taos go on quests to change the religious views of everyone and anyone.
Prayers:
Every prayer begins with: "Glorious Taos, I kneel before your might..." and continues on pleading to the god for whatever the cleric is praying for.
Temples:
The temples of Taos are everywhere, and are usually as large as the settlement can afford them to be. They are made of as much gold as they can be, usually outside so they shine in the sunlight.
Rites:
The rites of Taos can be extravagant glorious affairs seen one a year, or short, respectful acknowledgments of every sunrise and sunset. The rites are always respectful, and every cleric is expected to attend, or perform on their own every rite expected of them.

Talcinia

Greater Goddess
The beautiful wife of Taos, Talcinia is the mother of many of the gods, but not of the earth. Talcinia loves her children, but is weary of the people below the gods. She can be like a mother, caring, loving and protective, but usually, she is cold. Talcinia loves only those who she bore, or those who show the utmost respect to her, and understand who she is. She is the timekeeper of the world. She is a tall, thin, beautiful woman with dark skin and silver hair.
Portfolio: The moon, time, dreams
Domains: Cold, Dream, Healing, Oracle, Protection, Time
Cleric Training: Those wishing to be welcomed into a loving family of clerics will not enjoy the clergy of Talcinia. The new clerics are often ignored, and forced to learn on their own. They are expected to learn the secrets of time, its inflexibility, and how to get around it. They are expected to learn the life of Talcinia, and how to properly worship her. Every cleric of Talcinia is ignored until they understand the secrets of the religion, where they are welcomed as if they were lost children. It is very difficult to enter the clergy of Talcinia. But, when one does, they are treated closer than family.
Quests: The duties of the clerics of Talcinia are very secretive and not well known. The clerics are always looking for new recruits, and the secrets of the universe. They are not helpful, but have a wealth of knowledge about the world. They find secrets and keep them hidden until they are required by others, where they are traded for worship, or other gifts.
Prayers: The prayers to Talcinia all praise her as the "Ultimate Mother of the World, Ruler of all Things, Including Time itself..."
Temples: The temples of Talcinia are usually hidden, and not easy to discover. They are filled with secrets collected by the clergy and given to them in exchange for other secrets. Most people do not survive a visit to a temple of Talcinia.
Rites: The most holy rites for the clerics of Talcinia take place every new moon. They worship the goddesses ability to hide herself, and still come back into the world, this time with more secrets than before.

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Deity Domains
Abyssium Craft, Endurance, Fire, Metal
Avine Charm, Community, Pleasure
Constellos Competition, Courage, Strength, War
Dasya Charm, Earth, Family, Healing, Plant
Sanora Craft, Knowledge, Oracle, Planning
Solleren Luck, Trade, Travel, Trickery
Taos Fate, Fire, Law, Nobility, Sun
Talcinia Cold, Dream, Healing, Moon, Protection, Time

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