Odekor - Day 11

The Undersea.
When the gods died and reality fractured, thousands of planar microportals opened across Odekor. Most of these breaches sealed almost immediately.  Some, however, lingered.
One of the largest and the worst occurred in the Underdark.  The planar breach was large and opened onto the Elemental Plane of Water.  Before the breach sealed, billions of tonnes of water had poured through it, flooding the Underdark.
Untold numbers died in the subterranean flood.  Those who could, fled to high points in the shallowest portions of the Underdark.  Eventually, even the Underdark’s shallows flooded, and these holdouts were forced to abandon the subterranean world for the surface.
The planar breach responsible for the flood has sealed, but the subterranean world remains flooded. Now known as the Undersea, it is a mysterious and alien place, but hardly lifeless.
Abolethic mermaids haunt the lightless depths of the Undersea, nesting in the drowned cities of the drow and duergar.  Water elementals prowl the flooded caverns and tunnels. Swarms of quipper catch the unwary by surprise.  Kuo-Toa now make their homes in the deepest depths, far from any light, while powerful marids establish magical fortresses illuminated by shoals of luminous jellyfish.

Odekor - Day 10

Troglodytes.
Deep in the lost Underdark, far below the shallow realms where the drow and duergar made their homes, was the realm of the troglodytes.
When most people think of troglodytes, they think of the brutish, reptilian humanoids infamous for their stench and their penchant for cannibalism.  The fact of the matter is that these troglodytes, the ones encountered most often by drow and duergar, were the reviled castoffs of the main troglodyte society.
Deep in the earth, below where even dwarves hesitate to delve and drow do not go, the troglodytes built a sophisticated culture.  They carved cities out of pale stone, most of them situated around vast thermal vents, that were the equals to anything produced by the dwarves or drow.
Their culture was martial and ascetic. The chaos and gluttony expressed by their exiled brethren were anathema to these troglodytes.  Raised in communal creches, troglodytes often had their entire existence mapped out for them before they were even hatched.
The War changed all of that.
When a planar breach flooded the Underdark, most of the troglodytes drowned.  However, some troglodyte colonies in the volcanic southwest of Choan did survive.  They adopted a siege mentality, securing their homes and ruthlessly dispatching any creature that entered their territory.
Eventually, once the godstorms subsided, the troglodytes softened their stance.  They sent out scouting parties to assess the status of the surface.  Other parties were dispatched to investigate the Underdark.  When these scouting parties returned, the surviving troglodytes learned just how precarious their situation had become.  The surface and the Underdark had been devastated, and it did not appear as if either would return to normal any time soon.
They are one of the more common races to survive on Odekor, and control the area southwest of the Mountains of Desh.  Since the War ended, they have come together in the caldera of an extinct volcano, Mount Zedik, and built a fortified city called Ykysno.
After the aarakocra, the troglodytes are the most martial of Odekor’s surviving peoples. The two races respect one another, but do not get along.  Troglodytes do not allow aarakocra to establish citadels in their territory, and aarakocra will not tolerate troglodyte incursions into their protectorates.
If war is to come again to Odekor, it will most likely spring from the territorial animosity between the aarakocra and the troglodytes.

Odekor - Day 9

Kenku.
The kenku were discovered in an isolated area of Ashada after the Empire defeated the elves.  Living in small villages among the swamps, it was assumed that the kenku were an engineered race, created by elf wizards centuries ago.  Why they were created remains unknown, as no kenku served in elf households or fought alongside elf masters during the war with the Empire.  When the elves were questioned about the kenku, the only thing they would say was that the kenku were their ‘shame.’  They divulged nothing else, even under torture.
As for the kenku themselves, they have almost no contact with outsiders before the Empire arrived.  They were described as a quiet, peaceful race by the general who discovered them, and suggested they might be of some benefit to the Empire.
In stark contrast to the treatment of the elves, the Empire handled the kenku gently.  Some left their homeland, traveling to Choan.  There were reports that a delegation of kenku met with the Emperor, who seemed quite charmed by them.
Over time, more kenku left Ashada.  They established small communities on all five continents, mostly in the human-controlled cities.  When the Pilgrim’s Road was complete, linking the Holy City of Kirr to the Prophet’s Nativity in Temm, it was the kenku who established guest houses along its length.
Some kenku gathered in remote locations and established contemplative monasteries. Others returned to Ashada to help repair the ravaged land.  Most lived quietly, content to serve the Empire and its citizens.
When the War began and the godstorms came, many kenku died. However, many survived. The kenku monasteries weathered the worst of the storms, as did their traditional homeland on Ashada.
After the aarakocra, kenku are the most populous race on Odekor.  Since the end of the War, they have slowly spread across the planet.  Their monasteries and guest houses are known to welcome weary travelers, although they allow no one to remain longer than three days.  It is reported that the kenku have reclaimed the Pilgrim’s Road, and secured the ruins of Temm.  There are whispers that the kenku are actively working to secure Kirr, hunting down and eliminating the undead that haunt that sacred place.
It is widely speculated that the kenku are seeking the Prophet’s Stair, that they plan to use the stair to ascend to the Fields of Joy and learn the fate of the gods.  Others speculate that they plan to cannibalize the Prophet’s Stair, to use its components to open a gateway to another plane, one untouched by the War.
The kenku themselves do not comment on their goals.  Monastic kenku takes oaths of silence, and only the abbot and hospitaler is permitted to speak with outsiders.  Secular kenku are naturally taciturn, and keep their counsel to themselves.

Odekor - Extra

Considering the slimness of today's official post, I thought I would share some of the visuals that have inspired this setting.

Odekor - Day 8

The Stonewoods.
They stand in silent testimony to the old world’s death, once lush forests transformed into lifeless stone. On the continent of Choan, the stonewoods cover almost 120,000 square miles, extending west from the coast to the Panitir Foothills and as far north as the Afaraq Wastes.
People tend to avoid the stonewoods. They are the home to many monstrous denizens ranging from predatory scavengers to oozes and worse.  Undead haunt many of the stonewoods, particularly those close to the ruins of human settlements.
Druids who have ventured into the stonewoods claim that the trees are still alive, just . . . different. If pressed for details, however, they get quite irrate.  Many people assume these druids are mad and wisely don’t press the issue.
During windy days it is wise to avoid the stonewoods.  Their limbs and leaves are brittle and when shaken by a stiff breeze can snap and fall, seriously injuring or killing anyone beneath them.