FFD&D: Dalmasca
Some background for the Dalmasca from my Ivalice D&D game. Since not all of my players have played FF12, and since I've taken some liberties by merging in the generic 4E background and the gods of Pathfinder's Golaria, it should still be fresh to FF12 veterans as well.
The Kingdom of Dalmasca
Capitol: Rabanastre
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Primary Religion/God: Sarenrae (Goddess of the Sun)
Other Popular Gods: Iomedae (Goddess of Justice), Shelyn (Goddess of Beauty, Art, and Love), Pharasma (Goddess of Fate, Birth, and Death)
Current Ruler: Dynast-King Raminas
Description: Located at the crossroads of the region, between Rozarria and Nabradia, Dalmasca (and its capital, Rabanastre) was founded roughly 700 years ago by the first Dynast-King, King Raithwall. Raithwall had divine backing in the form of three relics of Sarenrae - the Dawn, Midlight, and Dusk Shards - that confirmed his right to rule and established the sun goddess as the state's patron diety. Since that time, Dalmasca has flourished as a hub for travel and trade.
The capital, Rabanastre, is located at the intersection of two major trade routes. Caravans from the west carry goods and people from Rozarria, and the lands beyond, across the dangerous Yensa Sandsea, while wagons and airships travel south from Nabradia, Archades, and other kingdoms on the Valendian continent. As a result, the population is very cosmopolitan, coming from all manner of races and walks of life. Besides the humes, seeq, and bangaa that make up the bulk of the populace, dwarves from the north and tieflings and moogles from the west are not uncommon, and even the rare garif trader or viera outcast can be found. The markets and bazaars are always buzzing with activity, full of items both mundane and exotic, and the taverns are full of merchants and travelers exchanging tales, rumors, and secrets. Below the main streets is Old Town, the undercity where business of a less legal sort can often be found.
Outside of Rabanastre, Dalmasca is sparsely populated, consisting mostly of open dunes to the west and desert canyons to the north. Small waystations dot the trade roads, and scattered oases in the desert support small but thriving villages, both of which provide rest and refuge from the blazing sun. The kingdom extends north to the Nibra river, a blue ribbon of water that marks the end of the desert and the beginning of the Mosphoran Highwaste. Small towns dot the river, surviving on fishing and ferrying travelers across. Scattered throughout the area are ruins - a fallen tower here, a lost dwarf delve there - that are the last reminders of the civilizations that rose and fell centuries before Raithwall claimed his domain. In fact, Rabanastre itself is built on top of the Garamsmythe Waterway, an ancient dwarven aqueduct.
The western portion of the kingdom is mostly empty wastes, dominated by the Yensa Sandsea, a massive expanse of flowing, shifting sands. Ancient spires can occasionally be seen poking up through the wave-dunes. These are the remnants of the ancient kingdom of Bael Turath, which fell to its own hubris in a magical cataclysm. The Sandsea is dangerous for two reasons. First, it is jagd, permeated with energies that wreak havoc with airships and render direct air travel impossible. Second, it is peopled by the Urutan, an insect-like race known for their aggressiveness and xenophobia. Armed escort is a requirement for caravans wishing to brave the east-west route between Rozarria and Dalmasca.
To the south, the desert gives way to the warm, grassy Giza Plains. During the dry season, nomads herd flocks of large birds and gather sunstones, dark chunks of magicite found only on the plains that absorb the sun's radiance. These stones are then sold to travelling merchants and are one of the materials in sunrods. When the rainy season comes, the nomads retreat into the mountains to the north and east, and the plains become boggy wetlands. Seasonal tides along the coast also cause the land bridge leading to the Ozmone Plain, to the south, to become alternately passable and impassible.
Comments and critiques are welcome!
The Kingdom of Dalmasca
Capitol: Rabanastre
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Primary Religion/God: Sarenrae (Goddess of the Sun)
Other Popular Gods: Iomedae (Goddess of Justice), Shelyn (Goddess of Beauty, Art, and Love), Pharasma (Goddess of Fate, Birth, and Death)
Current Ruler: Dynast-King Raminas
Description: Located at the crossroads of the region, between Rozarria and Nabradia, Dalmasca (and its capital, Rabanastre) was founded roughly 700 years ago by the first Dynast-King, King Raithwall. Raithwall had divine backing in the form of three relics of Sarenrae - the Dawn, Midlight, and Dusk Shards - that confirmed his right to rule and established the sun goddess as the state's patron diety. Since that time, Dalmasca has flourished as a hub for travel and trade.
The capital, Rabanastre, is located at the intersection of two major trade routes. Caravans from the west carry goods and people from Rozarria, and the lands beyond, across the dangerous Yensa Sandsea, while wagons and airships travel south from Nabradia, Archades, and other kingdoms on the Valendian continent. As a result, the population is very cosmopolitan, coming from all manner of races and walks of life. Besides the humes, seeq, and bangaa that make up the bulk of the populace, dwarves from the north and tieflings and moogles from the west are not uncommon, and even the rare garif trader or viera outcast can be found. The markets and bazaars are always buzzing with activity, full of items both mundane and exotic, and the taverns are full of merchants and travelers exchanging tales, rumors, and secrets. Below the main streets is Old Town, the undercity where business of a less legal sort can often be found.
Outside of Rabanastre, Dalmasca is sparsely populated, consisting mostly of open dunes to the west and desert canyons to the north. Small waystations dot the trade roads, and scattered oases in the desert support small but thriving villages, both of which provide rest and refuge from the blazing sun. The kingdom extends north to the Nibra river, a blue ribbon of water that marks the end of the desert and the beginning of the Mosphoran Highwaste. Small towns dot the river, surviving on fishing and ferrying travelers across. Scattered throughout the area are ruins - a fallen tower here, a lost dwarf delve there - that are the last reminders of the civilizations that rose and fell centuries before Raithwall claimed his domain. In fact, Rabanastre itself is built on top of the Garamsmythe Waterway, an ancient dwarven aqueduct.
The western portion of the kingdom is mostly empty wastes, dominated by the Yensa Sandsea, a massive expanse of flowing, shifting sands. Ancient spires can occasionally be seen poking up through the wave-dunes. These are the remnants of the ancient kingdom of Bael Turath, which fell to its own hubris in a magical cataclysm. The Sandsea is dangerous for two reasons. First, it is jagd, permeated with energies that wreak havoc with airships and render direct air travel impossible. Second, it is peopled by the Urutan, an insect-like race known for their aggressiveness and xenophobia. Armed escort is a requirement for caravans wishing to brave the east-west route between Rozarria and Dalmasca.
To the south, the desert gives way to the warm, grassy Giza Plains. During the dry season, nomads herd flocks of large birds and gather sunstones, dark chunks of magicite found only on the plains that absorb the sun's radiance. These stones are then sold to travelling merchants and are one of the materials in sunrods. When the rainy season comes, the nomads retreat into the mountains to the north and east, and the plains become boggy wetlands. Seasonal tides along the coast also cause the land bridge leading to the Ozmone Plain, to the south, to become alternately passable and impassible.
Comments and critiques are welcome!