Veltria Background Information
Tideswallow, Tenebria, and other stuff...

The continent of Veltria exists in much the same space as many other 5th Edition locations. A high fantasy setting with a medieval-to-renaissance era level of technology, magic capable of making up for technological shortcomings, and a plethora of fantastical races and monsters roaming the world.

Gunpowder has only just barely begun to be used in conventional weaponry; for most of the world it still only sees use as an ingredient for making explosives, fireworks, and shot packets for large-bore cannons. Pistols and muskets have only been rarely seen in the hands of Imperial forces and pirates who have stolen the plans for making such things.

Magic is common enough throughout the world, with nearly every major nation sporting a university dedicated to the study of the arcane. Yet certain types of magic still tend to be far rarer than others. While the typical schools of wizardry are studied universally, necromancy is often frowned upon in open society. Likewise the Eldritch persuasions are looked on with vehement mistrust, as the entities which grant such powers are still widely unknown and seen as a threat to reality. Demon-based magics, likewise carry a near universal distaste, though they are certainly more common than most practitioners would care to admit. Imps and simple demonic familiars can often be found in even the most upstanding of magical societies, and rumors of even the greatest of leaders occasionally calling on the aid of fiendish allies and advisors permeates nearly every culture’s history.

Technology is often supplemented with magic to make life as luxurious as possible. Much of Tideswallow, for instance, is lit by whale-oil lamps and lanterns. However, the Roe’s below-ground portion is lit by magically enchanted lamps which float throughout the great cavern the district exists in; drifting here and there seemingly of their own accord. This represents a common theme within the continent as a whole: If it is unclear how something functions at any point, magic likely plays some role in its existence...

Tenebria
The Empire of Tenebria is a continent-spanning super power that rose many centuries ago from a single point in the dead-center of Veltria’s heartland. The little drow civilization of Tenebria was once nothing more than a simple crossroads trading settlement; conquered on a near yearly basis by its neighboring countries. It’s people lived in a constant state of fear and oppression, enslaved as vassals by the more powerful militaries that encircled its borders. Then, after a particularly violent revolution led by a local folk hero well over 400 years ago, the tides suddenly shifted. Tenebria became a military super power nearly over night, and was soon conquering its former masters in one of the bloodiest periods of Veltria’s long, storied history. The Decade of Decimation was followed promptly by the Tenebrian Golden Age. A time of relative peace as the hero who had led her people to freedom decided what to do with the newly obtained heart of the continent. Over the course of the following centuries, she would lead a slow but steady campaign across the entire continent, bringing almost 80% of Veltria’s cities, nations, and cultures under her banner either by diplomacy or show of force. The only places immune to her conquest were those various city-states and free-holds who had come to Tenebria’s aid in the her darkest hour to help secretly bolster the little slave-state’s people when they had needed it most. For hundreds of years, the Tenebrian Empire considered these former allies untouchable by their dominion; a subtle way of thanking them for their aid in the earliest days of rebellion. Yet as the millennia nears it’s close, the Eternal Empress Velia Morthricarn has set her eyes on finishing the conquest she began so long ago. Now that Tenebria is at the height of prosperity and advancement, she aims to bring the final free-holds under her banner and reforge Veltria into one single, unified empire. As peacefully as possible, of course...

Which brings us to one of the few remaining free city-states in the southern half of the continent. A strategic deep-water port that sprang up from the humble beginnings of a simple fishing settlement.

Tideswallow
The city of Tideswallow is a place of great disparity. The richest of the rich are ridiculously wealthy while the poorest of the poor face a daily struggle just to survive. The districts that make up the town range from bustling metropolis, to dreg heaps quite literally collapsing in on themselves. The beautiful serenity of the harbor during the day gives way to the eerie stillness of a body of water that has no right being as calm and glassy as it is while still open to the churning seas beyond its mouth. Brightly lit streets full of festivity and revelry distract from back alleys and darkened corners rife with crime and bloodshed. It is a city of extremes. And one that anyone can find a place for themselves in; if they are willing to put in the work to claim a piece for themselves.

The city exists above a complex network of caverns which play host to a variety of strange neighbors. A clan of kobolds closely affiliated with the city maintain the structures below it; leading to the town having access to wonderfully efficient sewers, but also an over-abundance of monstrosities leaking up from the pits deep below. The lowest tunnels touch the uppermost portions of the Underdark, causing the town to have a constant need for adventurers and mercenaries willing to stem the tide of horrors lurking just below the surface. Meanwhile, a crime syndicate operating out of the city’s oldest, most lawless district has slowly infiltrated the town guard; leading to a severe mistrust between the populace and their supposed defenders. The City Council likewise has its fair share of corruption. While its ten member are voted in by the people, once they gain their seat there is little to actually hold them accountable. As such, seats change hands often, and rarely ever in a bloodless manner. While the current council members are all fairly well liked, the recent disappearance of the resident Lord of Sails has left one seat open and many questioning the manner of his exit from city politics.

If you have any questions regarding the world, its history, or some aspect of existence within it, please do not hesitate to ask! This thread is meant to act as a general primer to the world you will be playing in and as such I’d like everyone to be able to find any answers they may be looking for here.
This message was last updated by the GM at 05:23, Wed 16 Sept 2020.

From my neverending list of questions...

1. Is the economy/prices here generally as found on pages 157-159 of the PHB?

2. Is there a set pantheon of deities in Veltria? Are they laid out somewhere so we can know who they are and what their domains are?

3. How well known is the heraldry of city officials and church officials by various levels of the public, i.e. kobolds up through high end merchants? I assume nobility knows this inside out.

In reply to Shivom Grozvog (msg # 2):

1. Yes, we’re sticking to generally that format for pricing and such.

2. The pantheon consists of literally anything you can find in 5th Edition books, a bunch of homebrew stuff that the warlocks of our group are currently working with/experiencing, and a bunch of Pathfinder gods. Said gods from Pathfinder are basically seen as the old-world gods, similar to how you might view the Greek Pantheon nowadays, and there are very few worshippers of most of them; but you still find a few here and there. They mostly don’t have dedicated temples or shrines in the city itself though so much as personal shrines in homes and such.

Tideswallow in particular follows a few dedicated with temples in the Town Square. These including the Platinum Dragon, Amaunator, Sune, an open-air shrine to the Raven Queen, Chauntae, and Torm. The city doesn’t typically discriminate on the lines of religion.

3. While the insignias aren’t necessarily universally recognized, each seat on the Council has a different colored checkerboard pattern that goes along with their position. For reference:


This message was last edited by the GM at 04:05, Fri 25 Sept 2020.

So someone with the noble background might be connected here? Or is there a separate nobility from the council? How is nobility recognized upon the continent over all?

In reply to Redrick (msg # 4):

There’s definitely an aristocracy class in the city, the actual Council are voted on though, so there’s no line of succession or anything like that for actual “nobility” exactly. Just rich folks at the top ruling from the Office District. Someone with a noble background old definitely be from one of the wealthy families living there and would have plenty of opportunity to make  some court appearances.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:11, Fri 25 Sept 2020.

Are titles for sale?  That is, does the Council allow for something similar to a Baronetcy, whereby a moneyed commoner can buy into the infancy of noble status?

In reply to Leena (msg # 6):

Yes, which is part of the reason so many folks in the office district have titles of some manner, even if they don’t necessarily mean much of anything. Most of that has to go through the Baroness, as she’s something of a moderating force for the rest of the council (tie breaking vote, law-master, seller of titles, etc.)

What are the laws and social norms regarding prostitution outside of brothels? To what extent is streetwalking legal? Can a prostitute operate out of a bar, inn or private residence without much trouble? Are bar owners opposed to self-employed prostitutes basing themselves out of a bar or inn? Is it mostly legal, but socially frowned on and actively curtailed by higher end tavern/inn owners, or does society accept it and bar owners run the spectrum?

I assume much of this follows different levels of social class, but I was wondering if there were any nuances that were widely followed.

In reply to Shivom Grozvog (msg # 8):

Within the majority of the city it is kept separate. The brothels have a monopoly on prostitution, while the taverns are kept as their own thing. High end places like the Golden Fleece have bars within, but aren’t public taverns and expect a fair amount of coin to be dropped to stay at them. The Master of Entertainment (currently Lord Sulthor van Ellsworth) is responsible for maintaining the separation so that prostitutes within the city aren’t taken advantage of by establishment owners/patrons.

The Roe is the key exception. Since it’s a pretty lawless town down below the streets, it’s much more loose with the city rules. And since the Council rarely ever venture down to enforce said rules, even less so.