[Pathfinder] Final Pathfinder X Campaign Setting

Final Pathfinder X: Spira's Hope

A thousand years ago, Spira existed in a time of peace. Great cities, built upon the powers of magic and artifice, covered her surface, granting her people life and luxury. Spirans lived lazily, content, their every need provided for by the artificers and alchemists who ran those ancient cities.

Yet peace of this kind, by its very nature, could not last.

Devoid of meaning to their lives, the Spiran Alchemists turned their powers of creation to newer, better, more incredible machines, things of wonder... but also, things of ruin. With these devices, Spira went to war. The Artificer's War, as we call it now, ravaged the land, threatened to destroy the world. The humans of Spira were poised on the brink of self-destruction.

That was when the dragon came.

Bursting from the sky in a shower of fury, it laid waste to the Artificers' armies. They turned their machina, their devices, their magic, against it, but could not prevail. Wizards and sorcerers tried to pierce its hide, but could not succeed. No one was safe - and the Artificers' cities fell, one by one. Spira once again cried out for a hero - and a hero answered.

She called herself Yunalesca, and she was a Summoner, practitioner of an ancient and sacred art, the summoning of an Eidolon. She claimed to have had a vision, that the great high god Yevon had spoken to her. Naming the dragon Sin, she said that the God had sent it down to punish the wicked artificers, who had seduced Spira into the ways of war. Delivering the Teachings of Yevon to the high priests in Bevelle, the only city still standing, by Yevon's mercy, she told them of a way with which to placate Yevon's wrath, to destroy the dragon. Yet she said that this method would only work of Spira truly repented for its sins.

With her Guardian, the Lord Zaon, she traveled to the far city of Zanarkand, the first city to be destroyed by Sin, and performed the Final Summoning, a ritual which grants a summoner's Eidolon near-infinite power. And, for a time, Sin was defeated.

Yet the dragon returned.

In time, other summoners came forward, taking a pilgrimage to each of the five Temples of the Lesser Gods, to strengthen body, mind, and soul in preparation for the Final Summoning. A few have even defeated the dragon, the ancient Sin... and yet the dragon always returns.

Still, the summoners' efforts are not in vain. Each time the dragon falls, Spira experiences a time of peace. To give one's life for this peace... that is a Summoner's one and only goal.

Truly, Summoners are Spira's hope.

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(Next post: Races of Spira!)

Well, this does sound like fun. Post the rest soon!

Geography of Spira

Sadly I don't have a map of Spira for the setting yet. Well, I do, it just has all the locations taken off, which I have to thank my lovely and talented friend Liz for, as the original map I found had all the secret hidden dungeons from the game marked on it for some reason! I just need ot go through and put the relevant locations back on it.

Spira is divided into six main provinces, each containing one capital and most containing several smaller towns that fall under the capital's purview. All but one of these states are centered around a Temple of Yevon, dedicated also to one of the Five Lesser Gods, specifically the patron of that province.

Besaid: A small island province off the southern coast of Spira, it makes its living through fishing and weaving. Most Besaid towns are fairly small; even its capital, Besaid Village, is exactly that, a small village that sprang into existence surrounding the central temple. Besaid is notable for the Artificer City ruins that almost literally cover its surface. Its patron goddess is Valefor.

Kilika: In the same island chain as Besaid, Kilika is a much larger island, and has political power over most of the other small islands. Kilika, like Besaid, is tropical, and is covered in lush vegetation. Kilika exports many exotic fruits for consumption, animals for pets, and monster bits to be used in the making of armor and weapons. Kilika's largest claim to fame is that one of the High Summoners, Lord Ohalland, not only hailed from Kilika, but had a long career as a Kilikan athlete. Kilika Village, the capital of Kilika, is larger than Besaid Village, though not by much. Its patron god is Ifrit. Kilika's smiths are without equal.

Luca: A bustling port and one of the largest provinces, its capital is also the largest city in Spira. It is the center of Spiran trade, having easy access both to the ocean and to the Mi'ihen Highroad which runs through the heart of Spira. Port Luca, the capital of Luca, is also the home to Spira's most popular sport, and tournaments are held there yearly. Luca is the only Spiran province to have neither a temple nor a true patron.

Djose: A craggy, stormy province upon the banks of Spira's longest river, the Moonflow. Its capital lays at the Moonflow's delta, taking advantage of the naturally fertile land there, beneath the cliffs. In the rocky crags of Djose's northern reaches lies the Djose Temple, which is dedicated to Yevon and to Djose's patron, Ixion. Djose is known as a city of scholars, second only to Bevelle, and its main exports are Crusaders, who have their main base of operations in that province, and wizards.

Elvhenam: Not a true Spiran province in the purest sense of the word, most maps place Elvhenam, a city built within the caverns formed by the roots of the forest that grows on the northeastern bank of the Moonflow, within Djose's borders. It is the city of the elves, and guards the gate to the Farplane, where it is said the souls of Spira's dead travel to rest. There is no temple within Elvhenam, and the elves once worshipped the land, rather than Spira's gods, though most now worship Yevon.

Macalania: Northeast of the Moonflow, at the center of Spira, lies the enchanted land of Macalania. Its southern half is dominated by the Thunder Plains, a vast wasteland wracked by the throes of a permanent magical thunderstorm. At the heart of the province grows the Macalania Crystalwood, a fey forest of crystalline trees, with many secrets. North of the Crystalwood lies an icy, mountainous region, dominated by a frozen lake. Built on pillars sunk into that lake is Macalania's temple to Yevon and Shiva, its patroness. As a province, Macalania has little to offer, but there are mines within its mountains for those brave enough to mine them. Its largest export is furs and meat from those who trap the icy wastes.

Bevelle: Covering the entire northern half of Spira, Bevelle is the spiritual and political capital of Spira. It's capital city, simply known as Bevelle, sits on a land-bridge between the two pieces of the Spiran continent, overseeing all travel between the mountains of Macalania and the calm flatlands of its own territory. It is the oldest city in Spira, and considered by some to be the most beautiful, its graceful arches and pillars a testament to ancient architecture. A large portion of the land held by Bevelle is taken up by the massive Calm Lands, the traditional battleground between Summoners and Sin. Bevelle is the highest center of spiritual learning in Spira. The High Temple of Yevon is here, along with the Temple dedicated to Bevelle's patron, Bahamut.

Zanarkand: At the tip of the world lies the ruined city of Zanarkand. Here, the dragon Sin makes its home. Here, a Summoner will learn the Final Summoning. Here, the fate of Spira will be decided... here, in these ancient ruins, a city of the dead, Spira's new life will someday be born.

Classes in Spira

In order to really make Spira feel like Spira, I had to make some changes to how the world 'works' and 'sees' certain classes. They have their expectations that come with them for every Pathfinder/D&D player, and some of them may not be theway things work in Spira. For example, the Summoner has a huge cultural role in Spira, and anyone wanting to play in the campaign setting who wants to play a Summoner will have to deal with those social and political expectations.

Most of this is just background information; only the Summoner has a mechanical footnote because it was brought up to me by our group's Summoner in the test game.

This is by no means a comprehensive writeup on classes; there are far too many classes for that. Instead, I noted the ones that either have major differences (that aren't noted above; I didn't add Gunslinger or Alchemist since only Al Bhed can take them) or that generally have some differences or setting requirements that might not be intuitive (where do druids train on Spira? How do magic users work?). Eventually I'll finish this list with at least all the core and base classes (I enjoy Pathfinder's class options - in my mind, the Chocobo Knights are Cavaliers, no question), but for now, this is the salient list.

Summoner: Perhaps the most important of all of the Spiran character classes, the art of summoning eidolons is intertwined with Spiran history and culture like no other. Though its origins are lost to time, summoning is a sacred art to the Yevon church, and those with the Talent for summoning are often trained from an early age in its mastery. Summoners are held above the rest of the common people, apart from them, as it is a rare Talent to have. There are usually no more than five to ten true Summoners active in Spira at any one time, and most undertake the Summoner’s Pilgrimage, Yevon’s holiest rite, and the only means to destroy Sin. Most who attempt the rite fail - in one thousand years of suffering under Sin, only five have ever succeeded in successfully performing the Final Summoning and destroying the dragon. Each time, after a period ranging between ten and sixty years, the dragon has returned. It is the dream of Summoners to one day prove that Spira has atoned for the sins of the Artificer’s War, and usher in the Eternal Calm, when Sin will die and return no more.

One of the most important duties of the summoner is the Sending of the dead (more on this later), Spira's funeral rite. It is a magical ritual that is best performed by Summoners, though Clerics can perform it as well, and hastens a soul's journey to the Farplane. Due to the importance of this ritual dance, Perform (Dance) is a class skill for Spiran Summoners.

Barbarian: Barbarians are almost nonexistant in Spira - civilization is small, perhaps, but most people of Spira band together, seeking the comfort of families and friends. What barbarians do exist are often orphans, lone survivors of settlements that were destroyed by Sin or travelers who were killed by fiends and wild animals, who have learned to survive by mimicking the wildlife around them.

The only exceptions are among the Ronso, where being a barbarian, who fights with rage and primal strength, is simply another path to being a warrior of the tribe.

Cleric: Clerics in Spira are almost always Clerics of one of the Five Lesser Deities, though generalist Clerics of Yevon do exist. Clerics usually hail from the province their god or goddess is the patron of, but some Clerics embark on their own, lesser pilgrimages to the temple of the god or goddess they are drawn to serve. Clerics of Yevon can study at any temple, but must finish their clerical training in Bevelle; Clerics of one of the Five must begin and complete their training at the main Temple of their deity in that deity’s province (Kilika for Ifrit, Besaid for Valefor, Macalania for Shiva, Djose for Ixion, or Bevelle for Bahamut), though after they complete their training (or sometimes as part of their training, depending on their god) they are often called to wander. All Clerics of the Five are still considered part of the Yevon priestship.

Druid: Spiran druids are somewhat of an enigma to the civilized world - those who choose, willingly, to seek out the most dangerous places in the world, and live there, are anathema to the structured, community-driven peoples of Spira. Most druids are Elves, forsaking Elvhenam for the deep places of the world, with humans making up a significant minority, often stragglers wishing to escape the oppression of Sin against cities and townships, or seeking to preserve the beauty of nature’s wonders after humankind is gone, or to protect it from Sin’s ravages. The only large concentration of druids is within the Macalania Crystalwood, a large, magical forest inhabited by secretive nature spirits who are said to be the origin of the Druidic Arts. The small selection of Ronso druids are highly revered among the Ronso, and often return to their tribe to act as shamans, easing the harshness of Gagazet’s winter storms. Rumor says that there are druids among the Al Bhed, as well, desert druids who call much-needed rain for the people and who are masters of the wind and sand.

Monk: Monks in Spira are almost always dedicated exclusively to Yevon. A large order of warrior monks (though not all of whom are Monks, as in the class) forms the bulk of the Spiran army, and all true Monks are required to serve in it for at least two years of their life as part of their training. Spiran Monks are highly respected and often travel, singular warriors with a reputation for reticence and loneliness. Summoner’s Guardian is a common profession for monks after their service ends.

Paladin: It takes a highly exemplary Spiran to be made a Paladin of one of the Five; it takes a truly outstanding one to become a Paladin of Yevon. Paladins are always called by some inner calling, many starting as priests or priestesses before waking to their true need. They dedicate themselves fully to the service of their patron god, and Paladins are the only people in Spira allowed to potentially place one of the Five over Yevon in their lives, because of the level of their spiritual calling. Paladins act as the avatars, the eyes and ears and arms, of the gods among ordinary Spirans. Instead of how most fantasy sees paladins, as purely Lawful Good champions that are exemplars of the right and just, Spiran paladins are instead embodiments of their deities' concepts. Not all deities on Spira take these 'Champions' (Valefor, for example, is too changing to hold any kind of official anything) but the paladins of those who do are revered throughout Spira.

Secular Paladins do exist in Spira, though they are rare, and almost exclusively found within the Crusaders. They dedicate themselves so fully to the defeat of Sin that they find a Paladin’s abilities waking within them, a gift which is believed to be granted by all the gods equally, as a mark of one who has overcome Sin. A Paladin in Spira must either be of Good alignment or match his deity on the moral axis (AKA, Neutral), and match his deity on the Law/Chaos axis (For example, a paladin of Yevon could either be Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral, but a Paladin of Bahamut must only be Neutral Good). Secular paladins must be Lawful Good.

Deities on Spira who take Paladins: Yevon, Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva

Sorcerer: Sorcerers who cast spells innately are actually slightly more common in Spira than wizards who cast spells through practiced and careful study. While innate magical power is still something of a ‘big deal’ in Spira, it is not any more so than those who come to the magical arts through careful studies. Some are simply ‘born with it’; certain Spiran bloodlines are known for their ability to produce sorcerers and wizards with remarkable frequency. Almost all Spiran sorcerers have the Arcane bloodline; most of the ones who don’t have either the Elemental or Aquatic bloodlines. Other sorcerer bloodlines for Spiran sorcerers include Starsoul, Stormborn, Maestro and Dreamspun bloodlines.

Wizard: Spiran wizards are less common than their sorcerers, though only by a little. Most are scholars by trade or nature, taking their small amount of talent for magic and studiously turning it into a profession or obsession. Spiran wizards (excepting Al Bhed, who don't follow Yevon) are forbidden by Yevon from creating constructs of any kind, and the crafting of magical items is regulated by the church (wondrous items, specifically of the slotless variety, are the most highly regulated, as magical crafting can quickly turn from innocent toymaking into serious artifacting). The creation of undead is unheard of in Spira (see below as to how undeath in Spira works) and thus, traditional necromancers don’t really exist.

Hrm. OK. And what about items and such? And magic? After all, death seems like a minor penalty when you can cast Life or hit someone with a Phoenix Down.

Ok then.

You and me both. Lost more than a handful of friends that way. Also why I tend to avoid voice chat stuff.