Seasons of the Macinar Year

A documenting of the Lunar Phases of Macinar by Master Gideon Thimus III of the Hand of the White Magic- Recorded in the Temple Of Liett in the center of Andisine, the Standing City

"The Azure Princess, Cloaked in white
Stands vigil over kingdom night
Her frozen tears take wind and wing
And guide the dawning of the spring

The Green Eyes Goddess slowly paws
Into the darkness sinks her claws
In prowl she seeks the hidden light
While cutting pinholes in the night

The Warrior with his golden shield
Rides brave across the midnights field
With lance of dawn held tight in fist
He races down the mornings list

A sanguine scar is carved on high
And bleeds across the broken sky
Like ripples in a crimson lake
It guides lost spirits in its wake

And after each the ivory woe
A ghost with gloom and death in toe
And while his eyes are last to show
He sees what others fear to know."

Houses of Alk'Hara

A list of the major houses in Alk’Hara and what aspects of government or trade they control. All houses serve the Queen.

Deities of Macinar: Part 1

Here is just a sampling of a few of the Deities that exist in the world of Macinar. It's funny to think how many have been with me since childhood, and how they have evolved along with me.

Sigmas the Ascended

Sigmas was once a great king of men. His leadership brought the humans into control of the mainland. His divinity was shown in his long life. It is said that he ruled for 200 years, then when he fell in battle he defeated the minions of death to come back to life and rule another 500 years. Before his ascension he divided the mainland into five kingdoms, leaving each under the leadership of his five children. He is believed to be the first mortal to ascend to godhood, and is the most worshiped god among the humans of the five kingdoms.

BRENN (The Burning Lord)

In many worlds the Sun is worshiped as a blessing. A warm giver of life, a symbol of life and harvest.
In Macinar, the sun is respected as a force of terrible power. A great beacon of truth that separates the weak from the strong. A symbol of suffering and perseverance. Brenn, the Burning Lord, was sent into the sky for the actions of his life, and cursed with the burden of pushing the sun across the sky. His dark arms are wreathed in flame, and he longs to be reunited with the love of his life, his sister, Quain'ess.

KARAZA-KARAK (The Tree of Origin)

When the world was barren and the sea and sky had yet to be born, it is said that the great tree of life, Karaza-Karak manifested and shed her seeds onto the lands and into the oceans. These gave birth to the trees, animals, birds, fish and even Humans, Elves and Dwarves. All life stems from the great tree that symbolizes the spirit of nature. Some also say that in order to purge herself of harmful magics, she first had to plant the seeds of monsters and darkness.

QUAIN'ESS (The Sword Maiden of the Sea)

Much like the terrible sun, the Sea is revered as a taker of lives and an all encompassing power that controls the fate of those who wish to see new lands. You honor the Sea, and give to her tribute, or you die in her dark waters.
Quain'ess was cast out from the land by the old gods to be lost in the endless waters, away from her beloved brother, as a punishment for the lives she took, but in her great strength she conquered that domain and made it hers. It is said that with each ship, sailor, treasure, bit of history, or entire civilization she consumes, her power grows. She stands out beyond the horizon swinging her horrible blades, causing the tide to rise and fall, waiting for her chance to have revenge. It is also said that at the end of each day, when the sun lowers itself behind the sea, for a brief moment she returns to the embrace of her lost brother, Brenn, the god of the sun, and their love burns in shades of red, pink, and orange.

The Five Kingdoms: Part 1

Lionne: Southwestern Kingdom of Macinar.
The people are known as Ivors.
The Symbol: The White Blade of Sigmas and the Hammer of Master Barthus (First priest of Sigmas). The shield of Halleden The Horsebringer. The Ivory Crown with the ancient script written in the old tongue “Blessed by the Gods, for we are they”
The currency here is Signian Coin. Copper Dithers, Silver Crowns, Golden Draks, and Platinum Zithers.
The Language here is Signian (Common)

It is lead by King Almsore, who dwells in the capitol city of Inlakes. A huge human metropolis built on large land masses between 9 fresh water lakes. It is the largest city in Lionne, by a wide margin. Well fortified and flush with natural resources.
The second largest is the Port City Luccinilli. Many years ago the down started to descend into poverty, forcing the wealthy and the poor to draw a line in the sand, evolving into a rich prosperous half of town looking down on a seedy laborious slums. Many call it the city with two faces. It is also home to the Lionne Navy, and has a strong military presence.
The oldest town in Lionne is Rogamia, nestled in the sacred Rose Hills. This collective of white stone buildings and lush vineyards houses a peaceful society of artists, musicians, philosophers and of course vinters, famous for the sweet and earthy Rogamian Red.

Major Landmarks:
The Ivory Coast, whos white sand seems to stretch on forever.
The Eastern Himl’Horn Mountains. Treacherous and icy glaciers that divine Lionne from Dorn’Heaim.
The Midras Wall: A large wall made from natural resources that divide Lionne from Chimarus, and keep what dwells there at bay.
Halladen’s Wood: A massive old forest that stretches nearly from the Eastern coast to the mountains, named after Halleden the Horsebringer.
The Oilstone Mountains: The jagged rocky, yet beautiful coastal mountains that are said the be the stone that the sea goddess sharpens her blade upon. Home to the Peak’s Dawning Festival, and lush natural habitat for many old creatures.

Alk’Hara: Northeastern Desert Kingdom
The people are known as Alk’Harans (or far worse depending who you ask)
The Symbols: The Royal Golden Sphinx of the Queen and the Red Manticore of the Order of Blades
The Currency here is trade cut gems known as Mr’umba, as well as hand written vouchers from the noble houses (and sometimes people)
The Language is Alk’Haran.

The leader of Alk’Hara is, and always has been a Queen. Any attempts to raise a patron to leadership in this kingdom have ended with tragedy. Some believe it a mandate from the gods. The current ruler is Queen Mio’Nalla. She rules in the Palace of the Sphinx in Den’Mezzier. Den’Mezzier itself is the gem of the Northern Coast. A city of immense wealth and art. It is made up of many smaller satellite towns that collectively make the largest city in all of Macinar. Mendra, Del’Menra, and Zanden are the three largest segments of this hive of cities. Some believe the reason for their great wealth is their use of slavery, frowned on by the other 4 Kingdoms, and often a source of conflict between them.

Major Landmarks
The Breathless Sands: Hundreds of miles of incredibly hot and deadly desert. Home to horrible sand storms, powerful beasts, and deadly foes.
Rhak’Tar Mountains: A large portion of rocky wasteland and tall stone mountains given by the old Queen to what many call the “savage” races. They stay in their territory, for the most part, and help defend the border during times of war. Orcs, Hobgoblins, Giants, and Gnolls can be found in many thriving colonies together in this place.
The Burning Wilds: A series of wild flat landscapes speckled with lush groves of old trees and oases wich lead into jungle the further west you travel.
The Nimarri Mountains: The highest altitude in all of Alk’Hara, these ancient mountains were once home many many older civilizations, but fell to ruin. Now, nestled along the coast at their base, the new home of the Dragonborn, Drakkar, can be found (not featured on map). These planar refugees fled the destruction of their home land and when they landed in Alk’Hara, made a deal with the Queen to align themselves with her if they could be granted land for their new home.

Modrons and the LUQ

I love the concept of Modrons as they appear in the D&D universe, but I wanted to make some changes to how they work and what they are for the purposes of telling the story of the League of Ultimate Questing. Rest assured, they are still fun, robo-brained, extraplanar beings, but they may not function or have stats like you are use to when the come up more in the story.