Transcription
Four months ago, a little question turned into a big worldbuilding project. One where I aimed to create five distinct planes where only four colors of Mana existed on each world. Think something like Shards of Alara.
In the first episode, I explained the basics of each plane. In the next, we learned of some of its factions. And today, I will be adding two additional factions for each of these worlds.
If you're a curious Magic: The Gathering player, an imaginative D&D connoisseur, or just love worlds and stories, then this video is for you. Don't worry if you miss the previous two episodes, as each is written in a way to stand on its own.
With that, stand back as I open a portal into the Nephilim Plains of my own imagination to learn what odd factions form on four-color worlds.
Dorium is a plane defined by the warring Dragonkin Clans and the elder dragons that came before them. Of constant bloodshed and the rumble of war machines. Our previous visits may have led you to believe that this is all there is, and that the Dragon Kin are the only sentient race to call this brutal world home. But the truth is, they are not the only race upon its soil. These other races and factions have found a way to survive or thrive in a world where war is a constant reality, and the threat of the encroaching Dragon Kin are ever present.
One such faction are the Grimstone Dwarves of black and green, who have carved out a vast kingdom in Dorium's greatest mountain, the Everhall. Nestled within its rugged peaks, the Grimstone Dwarves have forged their realm as a bastion against the eternal shadow of the dragon's flame. Over the centuries, the Dragon Kin have attempted to lay siege to it, and over those centuries, they have failed. For the Everhall is nigh impenetrable, with its gates made of ganite, the hardest ore on the plane, and of its many cannons that jet out from cliff bases like fingers that reach out to C Legions. But if by some miracle you do manage to breach its gates, you're met with great warriors who, while stout, can stand toe-to-toe with the fiercest Dragon Kin. It's even said that for a Grimstone to be considered for the right of barenhood, they must lay down a dozen Dragon Kin skulls along their hearth. Such is the way of those who have relied on the traditions of strength to carve out their own place among Dorium for centuries.
Lost now, while aggressive defense has kept the Grimstone alive in such a hostile world, there are the Blue-Red Goblins who have instead Eed out a symbiotic relationship with the most technological factions of the Dragonkin. Unlike their Dwarven counterparts, the Goblins have sought not to confront the dragons head-on, but instead have learned to coexist with them in a delicate dance of survival through usefulness. Through the years, these Goblins have become a part of the Dragonkin hordes because they are both reckless and clever, with a keen eye for artifice and a willingness to put their bodies on the line to test it. Often times, you will see these Goblins at the front of any Legion, some with rockets strapped to their backs, or others, ten in total, riding lumbering contraptions, each with a hand on a knob or lever. Their laughter echoing alongside the roar of engines and the clash of metal. The Dragon Kin by no means respect these little critters, but they cannot deny their ingenuity and [Music] spunk.
Among the ancient, unchanging lands of Aracelis, we have learned of the factions who build homes in great numbers, and of those who thrive through the magic manifested in festivals. But in today's excursion to these lands, I will introduce you to the factions of black mana, the Zodel Death Shapers, who've utilized sacrificial rites to carve out a great empire, while those of green mana, the Autumn Accordance, who heed the call of the seasons, migrating long distances on the back of mammoths.
The Zodel Death Shapers have long since depended on the magic born from necrotic energies found in sacrificial rites. These rites are so important to them that all their rulers throughout history have been either priests or priestesses, necromancers with great power who were able to draw out the energies found in one's soul. Such magic has provided these people with bountiful harvests, the ability to control weather, and to erect great wards to keep their kingdom safe. This has granted the Zodel people with wealth and power, a nation unlike any other on the plane of Aracelis. As such, these rites and those that are sacrificed are treated with great reverence, and it's said the first priests sacrificed their own son as to impress upon the people that death was only the beginning of one's journey. Such is their reverence for death, with every aspect of their lives intertwined with the rituals and sacrifices that sustain their power, whose dominion extends far beyond the mortal realm.
In contrast is the Autumn Accordance, who have not drawn any lines on a map to call their own nation, and who have chosen to live a nomadic existence. Long ago, these custodians of the seasons heed the ancient call of nature's cycle, embarking on arduous migrations that span vast distances on the back of their mammoths. It's said that they follow the cycles of Aracelis, and whether this is true or not, their migrations are a sign that change is coming. Among the Autumn Accordance, you will find druids and shamans, those in touch with the very soul of this ancient plane. As such, they seem to care little for the goings-on of the mortal races of this world, only halting their movements to care for the land and animals themselves. Some animals have even adapted their own migration patterns to follow behind the Accordance. No one really knows who the first of their kind was, or where they originate from, but all know of their presence, which serves as a silent testament to the eternal rhythm of nature, marking their journey through the realms as harbingers of the slow, methodical change of time.
Luminesca, the plane that radiates light and is built upon the words of the Old Father, an unnoble being who, it is said, crafted the plane itself. This is where you will find four major factions forged around the four Keepers. In our previous visit, I told you about the blue and green Keepers, that of the Keeper of Knowledge and of Tradition, respectively. But in this episode, we will discuss the white and red Keepers, that of Order and Empathy.
As with all things, the Keeper's first job is to aid in the orders of the Old Father, an entity that only the Keepers may speak with. As such, it's the job of the Keeper of Order and their followers to write the law, the words of the Old Father, and to enforce them. While rebellious actions are limited in this plane, as without the presence of black mana, there is no desire to grasp for more than what is at hand. Nevertheless, rumblings of discontent still worm their way into society. You see, human nature still has a way of acting erratically in ways that the Old Father deems against his order. As such, it is the role of the Keeper of Order and their followers to ensure that any transgression is punished twofold, so that every citizen understands the importance of the Old Father's teachings. They do this out of love, as they do not wish any citizen to step out of the golden path, and it hurts them to execute one of the Old Father's children, but that is what must be done to maintain order.
When it comes to the Keeper of Empathy and their followers, the task is to maintain the radiant essence that courses through the plane like a stream. This radiant light is what ensures every citizen is calm, kind, and empathetic to their fellow man. But of course, to produce something so magnificent, it requires equal exchange. As such, this Keeper and their congregation not only are tasked with maintaining the light of the Old Father but providing it with the sustenance it needs to radiate as it does. This is where the Heart Well comes in, the mechanism for powering the light. Here's where those whose emotions have begun to pour out of them in ways that are not conducive to a proper society are sent within the well. All of a person's negative emotions are drained as they stand in its waters, turning them docile. This ritual then fills the light with the opposing positive emotions and helps those who follow the way to feel as the Old Father would want them to feel. As you can see, every Keeper has a job, and every follower is devoted to the ways of the Old Father, so that when he does return, his people are [Music] ready.
Mathia, a plain devoid of red mana, is a land of somber skies, endless bureaucracy, and countless guilds and companies. Two such guilds that we spoke of in our last episode were that of black-green, the Eentong, the lawyers and scribes of endless cases, as well as the Auditors of Truth, those in white-blue. But these only scratch the surface of what factions populate the streets of Mathia, such as the Futurist Company, the blue-black faction with an eye for technology and magic, as well as the contrasting Tundian Collective of white-green, who wish to unite the workers of this plane and bring it back to a time before it was ruled by the companies.
The Futurist Company is one of the most influential companies on the plane and are often credited as the driving force for change on Mathia itself. It is them who invented the soul-powered automatons, machines which provide companies with value out of their employees even after their death, the steam rail, a fast-moving machine that snakes across the plane, and the Aonic Resonator, a contraption which harnesses the power found deep within the plane's mana lines, converting it into the energies that power this world. Because of their work, Mathia was pulled out of the Dark Ages, or at least that's what they like to claim. Being the largest company on the plane, they have their hands in everything, and this includes running much of Mathia's government. Gone are the days of lobbying; now is the time where company representatives hold seats in Parliament. They look forward to a day where Mathia can fully break the chains of the past and move into the future.
But of course, such ways of thinking are always contrasted. As such, the Tundian Collective was founded by the Druid Alth as a rebellious movement to what he believed was Mathia turning away from both nature and people. He saw the land being called by great machines, workers toiling away past their own death, and had enough. Though he was a level-headed man, he knew something had to be done, as no debate in court would accomplish anything, for they would just be playing into the system that he saw as broken. So instead, he rallied others around him to sway the people right at the source. As such, the Tundians march upon the streets, stand upon soap boxes, and in some cases, take more drastic actions. Their goal is one of a united Mathia, but no company wishes to see them succeed, and so clashes with the Tundians occur often on Mathia's streets. Despite facing opposition from powerful corporations and encountering resistance from those invested in the status quo, the Tundian Collective remains steadfast in their mission, fueled by the determination of those who refuse to accept the current state of affairs. Who knows what the future for Mathia holds, but whatever it is, a rising conflict seems to be on the horizon.
In a world that is hostile to life, where every organism has faded away except for the Stone Kin, there are but four factions, consisting of each of its colors, who have found their own ways to survive. We learned of the Alchemists of blue mana, who live along the Silver Sea, and of the Stone Kin of black mana, who have come from the swamp they call mother. But there are those who reside in the jagged and violent mountains that are made up of red mana, as well as those in white mana, sedentary beings of the endless sands who move slowly with heavy stones upon their backs.
Those Stone Kin of red mana, with bodies like jagged volcanic stone and oozing magma, have sustained themselves by feeding off of lava flows. As such, their bodies have evolved as a result. These Stone Kin can only be found on the violent mountain ranges of active volcanoes, but on a plane like Ax Prime, such ranges are numerous. This diet and way of living have caused more than physical adaptations; it has also buried its we into their soul, shaping their very temperament to be like that of the volcanoes they call home, always ready to burst out and rage down the hills. These Stone Kin are violent and destructive for its own sake, laying waste to whatever crosses their path. Their very essence shaped by the relentless fury of the molten Earth.
Perhaps this is why the slow-moving Stone Kin of white mana reside in the open spaces of endless sands, far from the mountains and all that come with it. In order to survive, these entities have learned that sticking close, sharing what is found, and moving with purpose is the only way to make it on Ax Prime. These Stone Kin are a cautious lot and move little, which has allowed sediment to aggregate on their backs. This growth slows them down while providing a dense skin that protects them as well. It's also this growth which sustains them, absorbing into their own bodies so that they may never waste away, and as such, they're almost stuck in place, forming groupings that could be mistaken for a hillside all its own if seen from afar. When they do move, mostly out of necessity, whether from danger or better-suited conditions, a dust cloud follows in their wake, the sand kicking up under the weight of their colossal feet. It's here on Ax Prime where we learn that even if the land itself wishes you dead, that life still does find a way in one odd form or another.
Another, I just want to say thank you so much for joining me on this worldbuilding journey. It's fun exploring one's own creativity, but that said, this is where my part of the story ends, as I want to give myself the chance to explore new ideas, new concepts, and maybe new worlds. But this is where it begins for you. Take what I made, twist it, mold it, make it your own. I would love to hear stories of it used in your own D&D games, story, or whatever. Also, keep an eye out, as I will put all three of these episodes together into one video to help inspire your own works. With that, friends, I will catch you in the Multiverse. Bye.