There's a lot going on in Zaelia. It's a bit overwhelming to read it all, and there are plenty of places to start.
Whether you're looking to study up on the history of the world, read some delightful stories of its inhabitants, or find out how everything works within the confines of the table, this is your place!
...
..
.
LORE .
..
...
The entirety of Zaelian lore is ever expanding and held mostly on paper. However, I am currently shortening bits and making it available on FableTop in Forums. Here they are!
Knowing the history of a world doesn't give you proper insight to its nuances, the characteristics of its peoples and nations. What does daily life look like? How do the citizens go about their lives, and what do they call certain things? Look no further!
At the end of the day, Zaelia is more than a world in which I tell stories; it is the stage on which we set your characters! Let's see how they shape the world. What great deeds would your character aspire to do? Or, would they simply want to live a quiet life, away from trouble? It's up to you!
If it were up to me, I'd host seven campaigns at once, devoting a full day of the week to each one in order to let the players create the history of Zaelia and etch the world's greatest battles, conflicts, and Heroes down in stone forever! But unfortunately, that's just not the reality we live in. So I've generally got one thing going at a time.
.
- WHAT MAKES A HERO? SVALBARD ( i.imgur.com/8SPAeD2.jpeg )
A remote mining village in the heart of Svalbard's icy wasteland is hardly the place for heroes or children, much less children who dream of being heroes. Can the fire of hope in a young adventurer's heart withstand the harsh freeze of reality?
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the tundra village of Sunder
- WAR COMES LIKE A WAVE ( imgur.com/quLDMuY )
It has been thousands of years since outsiders have stepped foot on Bulund's soil with ill intentions. Now, as you stand on the hill and watch a city burn at the hands of Renthian Dwarves, you wonder: can old enemies become allies once more, or is the age of Men over in Bulund?
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign set on a divided continent) fabletop.com/forum/topic/12464/zaelia-war-comes-li...
...
..
.
FUTURE WORKS .
..
...
What would any epic game/world/story be without a future? I'm always working on expanding the world, the lore, and the set of characters running on the table. The Campaigns will take place in one of a few eras in Zaelia:
- The Dark Age (stone tech, most magic) ~7,000 year period
... = Dark Age 0-3,700 are Years Perditus; years post 3,700 are Sensus.
- The Rising Age (early metal tech, high magic) ~3,000 year period
- The Silver Age (fine metal tech, moderate magic) ~1,800 year period
- The Golden Age (early steam industry, low magic) ~3,400 year period
- The Return (post-industrial, little to no magic) timing unknown
.
- = - CAMPAIGNS: These long-standing, multi-session story arcs will essentially 'write' the history of Zaelia and etch a few names into the very fabric of the world.
.
- METICULOUS PROVIDENCE The mysterious Mystics of Providence Temple have somehow learned that a prominent Leonidan city will come to ruin, spiraling outward in the destruction of the continent. Providence Temple is powerless to stop the calamity on its own, but the group manages to contact a handful of inconspicuous low-level Mystics, each standing on some thread of fate that can alter the long term result and hopefully, history itself.
. . . = (Late Golden Age Campaign set in the jungle-choked cities of Leonidan)
- THE GUILD OF MARRONSOL ( imgur.com/q3ySaXt )
A dying town in the Silver Age of Dracos holds onto its last hope of resurgence; a guild of its citizens. As peasants who aspire for something greater, take up arms and complete quests in and around the town of Marronsol to put it back on the map, and along the way, gather power and glory of your own.
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the ostracized town of Marronsol)
fabletop.com/forum/topic/12753.2/zaelia-the-town-o...
- THE FIRST STAND The continent of Bulund is a wild mess of unorganized villages, uncivilized clans, and unruly lords who all stake their claim on the seat of King. Trust is a commonly used and abused thought when the weight of a man's loyalty is measured in silver, not blood. Who among the Bulundian lords will rise to unite the land and take hold of its people's hearts?
. . . = (Rising Age Campaign set in the early kingdoms of Bulund)
- PRIDES BEFORE THE FALL The continent of Leonidan has always been at war. There are some who vie for the position of King, Warlord, or Pride Leader. Others want peace between the Prides. Others still want to see them crumble. You have the opportunity to aid or hinder some of Leonidan's most powerful people on their own quests to shape the Wartorn Continent...
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the jungles of Leonidan)
- THE FORGOTTEN TOMES In the small town of Eaglefalls, just on the edge of the Wylds, there live a pair of Half-Elf twins. They are in search of adventure and purpose when one day, a small talking golden statue and his band of so-called 'Spirits' come to them with tales of evil and malice. The request? Find a book and save the world. The problem? All paths lead into the Wylds...
. . . = (Rising Age Campaign set in the mysterious Elklands Forest of Bulund)
- THE CODE OF THIEVES ( imgur.com/a/q1jlB )
Rettan's infamous Thieves' Guild has been found and raided. Every member was captured and killed, or sold into slavery. As the Fates would have it, a small group of those chosen to be slaves have been shipwrecked on the shores of Dracos. With empty pockets and no identities, you stand before the sprawling Kingdom of Mereklund...
. . . = (Return Age Campaign set in the wealthiest Kingdom on Dracos)
- UPWARD EXPANSION ( imgur.com/eq4DobB )
Deep in Leonidan's harsh Northern Wilds stands a small village, built and rebuilt over generations as nature continues to push against it. One particularly ingenious Gnome has a plan to make a lasting settlement in the Wilds without creating a large enough impact to enrage it. Work alone or as a team to lay the foundation for the soon-to-be-famous Wilds Retreat Walled City...
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the harsh jungles of northern Leonidan)
- BLADES AND VESSELS ( )
You are one of the Onyx Blades, the most fearsome fighting force on Bastion Isle. Along with your fellow soldiers, you patrol the Black Wastes beyond Bastion's walls to keep the Evil at bay, along with the streets of Bastion's Kingdom to ensure safety on both sides. This job is not for the faint of heart. For even a Blade can become a Vessel, and the law of Bastion says that all Vessels must be cut down...
. . . = (Golden Age Campaign set on an island nation off Bulund)
- SEARCHING EAST ( i.imgur.com/x4ZIx7P.jpg - WiP )
You and your mates are the ill-fated newcomers to the crew of The Rising Dawn, a ship on the seas of Baron's Chains. Something is changing within Zaelia, and rumors are pointing past the horizon. Can you find land and answers on the villainous waters of New Zaelia?
. . . = (Late Return Age Campaign set on wood, water, and fear)
.
- = - ONE-SHOTS: These short stories, told in a single session, add flavor text and help to fill in details of Zaelia's colorful past.
.
- BLADES OF PELLENAL The armies of Man and Elf have lined up to fight and die across miles of once fertile but now barren land between the Human cities and Elven Strongholds. Captured and subsequently rescued, the Lord Pellenal, commander of the Men of the East, has new knowledge of the Elves and a plan to turn the tides of war in his favor, but he needs help...
. . . = (Rising Age One-shot set on the blood-soaked Plains of Dracos)
- FLAMES OVER VERGELGEN Vergelgen is home to several thousand Dwarven railway workers and farmers that help to supply The Depths with much needed food. Word has reached the Keep that Dragons have attacked Noordenham and Oostenham, burning much of their farmlands. Dark skies and the drum of wings against air tells you they may be near. Stop them...
. . . = (Golden Age One-shot set on the fire-and-ice surface of Renth)
- OUT OF THE FRYING PAN... The Veralaeos family has been cursed for generations. Niklaus has tried his best to keep that fact from his estranged daughter, but as he learns of her imprisonment at such a young age, he has no choice but to run to her aid. His voyage should take only days, and yet the poor Azra is not rescued for three years. What happened?
. . . = (Golden Age One-shot set in the theme of Homer's Odyssey)
...
..
.
COMPLETED WORKS .
..
...
- WHAT MAKES A HERO? The story of six children who broke class and race boundaries to come together under the common title of "Hero" and bring some good into the world that otherwise wanted to swallow up their hopes and ambitions.
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign in Giblund, of Bulund)
. . . = The Setting: ( fabletop.com/forum/topic/6250.5/zaelia-what-makes-... )
. . . = The Story: ( fabletop.com/forum/topic/8013.2/zaelia-the-city-of... )
- BY ORDER OF THE KING The story of six Heroes who answered the call to save a nation, from a King they came to disagree with, living as spies among the people they came to understand, trust, and love. A story of political espionage and the forming of a new nation filled with love and loss, though far heavier on the latter than the former.
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign in Bulund)
. . . = The Setting and Story: ( fabletop.com/forum/topic/8827.2/zaelia-highlands-s... )
- KILLING THE ORDER OF BLACK As Bulund's monarch struggles to maintain a grasp on his crown, a covert group of fighters works to ensure he has one less threat to deal with. When thousands of soldiers were summoned from all reaches of the continent, a small war band stopped a mortal from ascending to godhood and threatening the entire world.
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign set simultaneously with BootK) fabletop.com/forum/topic/13611/zaelia-corresponden...
- A FAVOR FOR A BROTHER A Western. The short story of one man searching for revenge and another for forgiveness. Both paths lead to family and death. A story fueled by equal parts hatred and love, and how one can overcome the other despite all odds.
. . . = (Late Return Age Campaign on Novaterr)
. . . = The Setting: ( i.imgur.com/DpSi2Qf.jpg )
Whether you're looking to study up on the history of the world, read some delightful stories of its inhabitants, or find out how everything works within the confines of the table, this is your place!
...
..
.
LORE
.
..
...
The entirety of Zaelian lore is ever expanding and held mostly on paper. However, I am currently shortening bits and making it available on FableTop in Forums. Here they are!
- History of the World: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6030.1/zaelia-world-info-...
- Racial Lore: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6269.1/zaelia-racial-lore
- Continent of Bulund: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6053.2/zaelia-continent-i...
- Continent of Leonidan: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6770.1/zaelia-continent-i...
- Continent of Svalbard: fabletop.com/forum/topic/12532/zaelia-continent-in...
...
..
.
IMMERSION
.
..
...
Knowing the history of a world doesn't give you proper insight to its nuances, the characteristics of its peoples and nations. What does daily life look like? How do the citizens go about their lives, and what do they call certain things? Look no further!
- About Time: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6599.1/zaelia-time-and-it...
- About Food: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6527.2/zaelia-eat-your-wa...
- About Clothing: fabletop.com/forum/topic/8229/zaelia-the-culture-o...
- About Money: fabletop.com/forum/topic/13720/zaelia-golden-age-c...
- About Animals: fabletop.com/forum/topic/7965/zaelia-a-guide-to-yo...
- About Speech: fabletop.com/forum/topic/13490/zaelia-colloquial-p...
- Side Stories I: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/6157.1/zaelia-side-storie...
- Side Stories II: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/6162.1/zaelia-side-storie...
- Side Stories III: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/6200.1/zaelia-side-storie...
- Side Stories IV: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/6259.1/zaelia-side-storie...
- Side Stories V: Leonidan - fabletop.com/forum/topic/7034/zaelia-side-stories-...
- Side Stories VI: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/12386.2/zaelia-side-stori...
- Journal (Annette): fabletop.com/forum/topic/10697.1/zaelia-journal-of...
- Journal (Azra): fabletop.com/forum/topic/10695.1/zaelia-journal-of...
- Journal (Castiel): fabletop.com/forum/topic/10696.1/zaelia-journal-of...
- Journal (Eric): fabletop.com/forum/topic/10698.1/zaelia-journal-of...
- Journal (Harry): fabletop.com/forum/topic/10699.1/zaelia-journal-of...
- Journal (Leoreak): fabletop.com/forum/topic/10700.1/zaelia-journal-of...
- Giblund: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/8013.2/zaelia-the-city-of...
- Faudree: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/8189.1/zaelia-the-city-of...
- Rettan: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/11061.1/zaelia-the-city-o...
- Stronghold: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/8827/zaelia-highlands-str...
- War for Bulund: Bulund - fabletop.com/forum/topic/12464/zaelia-war-comes-li...
- Mereklund: Dracos - fabletop.com/forum/topic/8560/zaelia-the-kingdom-o...
- Searching East: Unknown - fabletop.com/forum/topic/10601/zaelia-searching-ea...
...
..
.
MECHANICS
.
..
...
At the end of the day, Zaelia is more than a world in which I tell stories; it is the stage on which we set your characters! Let's see how they shape the world. What great deeds would your character aspire to do? Or, would they simply want to live a quiet life, away from trouble? It's up to you!
- Character Creation & Game Mechanics: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6098.2/zaelia-mechanics-c...
- Character Class, Fighter: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6068.4/zaelia-classes-the...
- Character Class, Rogue: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6096.4/zaelia-classes-the...
- Character Class, Ranger: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6067.4/zaelia-classes-the...
- Character Class, Mystic: fabletop.com/forum/topic/6065.4/zaelia-classes-the...
...
..
.
CURRENT WORKS
.
..
...
If it were up to me, I'd host seven campaigns at once, devoting a full day of the week to each one in order to let the players create the history of Zaelia and etch the world's greatest battles, conflicts, and Heroes down in stone forever! But unfortunately, that's just not the reality we live in. So I've generally got one thing going at a time.
.
- WHAT MAKES A HERO? SVALBARD ( i.imgur.com/8SPAeD2.jpeg )
A remote mining village in the heart of Svalbard's icy wasteland is hardly the place for heroes or children, much less children who dream of being heroes. Can the fire of hope in a young adventurer's heart withstand the harsh freeze of reality?
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the tundra village of Sunder
- WAR COMES LIKE A WAVE ( imgur.com/quLDMuY )
It has been thousands of years since outsiders have stepped foot on Bulund's soil with ill intentions. Now, as you stand on the hill and watch a city burn at the hands of Renthian Dwarves, you wonder: can old enemies become allies once more, or is the age of Men over in Bulund?
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign set on a divided continent) fabletop.com/forum/topic/12464/zaelia-war-comes-li...
...
..
.
FUTURE WORKS
.
..
...
What would any epic game/world/story be without a future? I'm always working on expanding the world, the lore, and the set of characters running on the table. The Campaigns will take place in one of a few eras in Zaelia:
- The Dark Age (stone tech, most magic) ~7,000 year period
... = Dark Age 0-3,700 are Years Perditus; years post 3,700 are Sensus.
- The Rising Age (early metal tech, high magic) ~3,000 year period
- The Silver Age (fine metal tech, moderate magic) ~1,800 year period
- The Golden Age (early steam industry, low magic) ~3,400 year period
- The Return (post-industrial, little to no magic) timing unknown
.
- = - CAMPAIGNS: These long-standing, multi-session story arcs will essentially 'write' the history of Zaelia and etch a few names into the very fabric of the world.
.
- METICULOUS PROVIDENCE
The mysterious Mystics of Providence Temple have somehow learned that a prominent Leonidan city will come to ruin, spiraling outward in the destruction of the continent. Providence Temple is powerless to stop the calamity on its own, but the group manages to contact a handful of inconspicuous low-level Mystics, each standing on some thread of fate that can alter the long term result and hopefully, history itself.
. . . = (Late Golden Age Campaign set in the jungle-choked cities of Leonidan)
- THE GUILD OF MARRONSOL ( imgur.com/q3ySaXt )
A dying town in the Silver Age of Dracos holds onto its last hope of resurgence; a guild of its citizens. As peasants who aspire for something greater, take up arms and complete quests in and around the town of Marronsol to put it back on the map, and along the way, gather power and glory of your own.
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the ostracized town of Marronsol)
fabletop.com/forum/topic/12753.2/zaelia-the-town-o...
- THE FIRST STAND
The continent of Bulund is a wild mess of unorganized villages, uncivilized clans, and unruly lords who all stake their claim on the seat of King. Trust is a commonly used and abused thought when the weight of a man's loyalty is measured in silver, not blood. Who among the Bulundian lords will rise to unite the land and take hold of its people's hearts?
. . . = (Rising Age Campaign set in the early kingdoms of Bulund)
- PRIDES BEFORE THE FALL
The continent of Leonidan has always been at war. There are some who vie for the position of King, Warlord, or Pride Leader. Others want peace between the Prides. Others still want to see them crumble. You have the opportunity to aid or hinder some of Leonidan's most powerful people on their own quests to shape the Wartorn Continent...
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the jungles of Leonidan)
- THE FORGOTTEN TOMES
In the small town of Eaglefalls, just on the edge of the Wylds, there live a pair of Half-Elf twins. They are in search of adventure and purpose when one day, a small talking golden statue and his band of so-called 'Spirits' come to them with tales of evil and malice. The request? Find a book and save the world. The problem? All paths lead into the Wylds...
. . . = (Rising Age Campaign set in the mysterious Elklands Forest of Bulund)
- THE CODE OF THIEVES ( imgur.com/a/q1jlB )
Rettan's infamous Thieves' Guild has been found and raided. Every member was captured and killed, or sold into slavery. As the Fates would have it, a small group of those chosen to be slaves have been shipwrecked on the shores of Dracos. With empty pockets and no identities, you stand before the sprawling Kingdom of Mereklund...
. . . = (Return Age Campaign set in the wealthiest Kingdom on Dracos)
- UPWARD EXPANSION ( imgur.com/eq4DobB )
Deep in Leonidan's harsh Northern Wilds stands a small village, built and rebuilt over generations as nature continues to push against it. One particularly ingenious Gnome has a plan to make a lasting settlement in the Wilds without creating a large enough impact to enrage it. Work alone or as a team to lay the foundation for the soon-to-be-famous Wilds Retreat Walled City...
. . . = (Silver Age Campaign set in the harsh jungles of northern Leonidan)
- BLADES AND VESSELS ( )
You are one of the Onyx Blades, the most fearsome fighting force on Bastion Isle. Along with your fellow soldiers, you patrol the Black Wastes beyond Bastion's walls to keep the Evil at bay, along with the streets of Bastion's Kingdom to ensure safety on both sides. This job is not for the faint of heart. For even a Blade can become a Vessel, and the law of Bastion says that all Vessels must be cut down...
. . . = (Golden Age Campaign set on an island nation off Bulund)
- SEARCHING EAST ( i.imgur.com/x4ZIx7P.jpg - WiP )
You and your mates are the ill-fated newcomers to the crew of The Rising Dawn, a ship on the seas of Baron's Chains. Something is changing within Zaelia, and rumors are pointing past the horizon. Can you find land and answers on the villainous waters of New Zaelia?
. . . = (Late Return Age Campaign set on wood, water, and fear)
.
- = - ONE-SHOTS: These short stories, told in a single session, add flavor text and help to fill in details of Zaelia's colorful past.
.
- BLADES OF PELLENAL
The armies of Man and Elf have lined up to fight and die across miles of once fertile but now barren land between the Human cities and Elven Strongholds. Captured and subsequently rescued, the Lord Pellenal, commander of the Men of the East, has new knowledge of the Elves and a plan to turn the tides of war in his favor, but he needs help...
. . . = (Rising Age One-shot set on the blood-soaked Plains of Dracos)
- FLAMES OVER VERGELGEN
Vergelgen is home to several thousand Dwarven railway workers and farmers that help to supply The Depths with much needed food. Word has reached the Keep that Dragons have attacked Noordenham and Oostenham, burning much of their farmlands. Dark skies and the drum of wings against air tells you they may be near. Stop them...
. . . = (Golden Age One-shot set on the fire-and-ice surface of Renth)
- OUT OF THE FRYING PAN...
The Veralaeos family has been cursed for generations. Niklaus has tried his best to keep that fact from his estranged daughter, but as he learns of her imprisonment at such a young age, he has no choice but to run to her aid. His voyage should take only days, and yet the poor Azra is not rescued for three years. What happened?
. . . = (Golden Age One-shot set in the theme of Homer's Odyssey)
...
..
.
COMPLETED WORKS
.
..
...
- WHAT MAKES A HERO?
The story of six children who broke class and race boundaries to come together under the common title of "Hero" and bring some good into the world that otherwise wanted to swallow up their hopes and ambitions.
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign in Giblund, of Bulund)
. . . = The Setting: ( fabletop.com/forum/topic/6250.5/zaelia-what-makes-... )
. . . = The Story: ( fabletop.com/forum/topic/8013.2/zaelia-the-city-of... )
- BY ORDER OF THE KING
The story of six Heroes who answered the call to save a nation, from a King they came to disagree with, living as spies among the people they came to understand, trust, and love. A story of political espionage and the forming of a new nation filled with love and loss, though far heavier on the latter than the former.
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign in Bulund)
. . . = The Setting and Story: ( fabletop.com/forum/topic/8827.2/zaelia-highlands-s... )
- KILLING THE ORDER OF BLACK
As Bulund's monarch struggles to maintain a grasp on his crown, a covert group of fighters works to ensure he has one less threat to deal with. When thousands of soldiers were summoned from all reaches of the continent, a small war band stopped a mortal from ascending to godhood and threatening the entire world.
. . . = (Early Golden Age Campaign set simultaneously with BootK) fabletop.com/forum/topic/13611/zaelia-corresponden...
- A FAVOR FOR A BROTHER
A Western. The short story of one man searching for revenge and another for forgiveness. Both paths lead to family and death. A story fueled by equal parts hatred and love, and how one can overcome the other despite all odds.
. . . = (Late Return Age Campaign on Novaterr)
. . . = The Setting: ( i.imgur.com/DpSi2Qf.jpg )