Alignments of Monvesia 3: Temperaments Across Orbimond

RETCON NOTE:  The creation of this post has caused the two previous installments of the series to be edited--both "Alignments of Monvesia: Temperaments" and "Alignments of Monvesia 2: Codifying Perception."

While the basis of human religious tradition, the Temperaments of the Monvesia campaign setting are universal concepts that races throughout Orbimond accept as being representative of the basic attitudes of intelligent beings.  From a cosmological standpoint, they represent the six spheres that form the world itself.  On a legendary level, they correspond to the colors of dragons and even the ancient giant races.  In daily life, temperaments are associated with race, birth date, occupation, and the like.

Geographic Temperament

Nothing in Monvesia is free from temperamental association--not even its geography.  Even each geo-political region of Orbimond is associated with one temperament or another.  These are:

• Altruist Fuhon, a land where people are concerned with Honor.
• Materialist Prace, where the Drajan Empire is both church and state.
• Dynamist Ombo, a place where natural law trumps civilization.
• Idealist Henjal, the cultural center of psionic traditions.
• Vitalist Xahaca, which is subject to the whims of the Frenetic Ocean.
• Nihisit Raviq, home to the Desolation of the HMDJVNW.

The Crown is not listed above, for it is mostly uninhabited.  Races of the Crown are associated with a nearby region (neanderthals and duergar with Prace, firbolgs with Henjal).

Deep Reflexions of Infinity

Per Speculum (aka. Near Infinity or the Mirror Plane) is an almost-perfect simulacrum of the Mortal Realms; anything apparent in the Mortal Realms can be seen in reflection in this region of Infiniy.  It is an ordered world, though that order is reversed from a mortal's expectation.  Duplicating creatures fill this world with a society of their own--living, working, and worshiping according to their own ideals.  They have their own kings, their own priests, and their own criminals.  They also have their own gods.

The archdaemons of Infinity are ancient doubles who have transcended from their malleable nature to become pure mirrors to the Mortal Realm.  They have become immense, amorphous humanoids who skin has transformed into a solid, polished, reflective surface.  Four in number, each is the embodiment of a different type of reflection. Collectively, they are known as the Faal'sjern (while the lesser doubles of Per Speculum are the Faal'truen)

Homebrew to the Rescue!  Warlocks who serve the Deep Reflexions have the Man in the Mirror patron.  Furthermore, they typically choose the Pact of the Mirror--and often select invocations tied to that pact.  Archfey and Fiends (Vices) have also been known to offer this pact.

NOTE:  In other settings, these beings would be powerful aberrations, akin to Great Old Ones. 

Planes of Monvesia: Dominions, Part 2

In the cosmology of Monvesia, demi-planes are called Dominions.  These are further divided into Greater Dominions and Lesser Dominions.  The former include the Thrones, which unite the Comic Marches with the Elemental Planes ans serve as home to aeons, angels, and archsaints; also the Powers, which unite the Mortal Realm with the Otherworlds and are home to particular otherworldly mortal races. Principalities are the lowest class of the Greater Dominions; these unite the Otherworlds with the Cosmic Marches, and serve as home to the immortal archdaemons.

The Lesser Dominions are all other demi-planes, great or small.  Though never as large as a Power or Throne, many lesser dominions do rival the Principalities in size.

Principalities

The Principalities are shared by an Otherworld and three Cosmic Marches.  Each Comic March contains two principalities; while each Otherworld contains only one--therefore, their are eight Principalities.  These are the domains of the archdaemons--transcendent immortals of the otherworlds.

Mortals know very little about these planes--for few have conceived that they might exist, and even fewer have had the chance to visit them.  While not visible from the Mortal Realm by mundane means, they could be perceived through the use of extremely complex astrological equipment.  If detected, they would be seen as companions of the Powers.

Earthling Houses (Artifice Saga)

Robotech is a multi-generational story involving the members of two major families:  the Sterlings (Max, Miriya, Dana, Maia) and the Grants (Claudia, Bowie, Vince, Jean).  Along with these, the name of Hunter is spoken of with a reverence akin to that given royalty--a place of reverence earned in part by deeds done and in part by marriage.  To translate these tropes for the Artifice Saga, I present the Great Houses of "Earth" (with apologies to Game of Thrones).

Relevant great houses are listed below, with their coats of arms.  Any member of any Great House in service to the Artifice Expeditionary Company may select the noble background; and most others may also select either the soldier or sailor backgrounds--representing the officers, combat personnel, and support personnel of the Company respectively.  In addition to these, one or two other backgrounds will also be available to each house, representing its history or current role in the company.  If applicable, the religious affiliation of each house is also listed--though it is not uncommon to go against family tradition.

Humans and Language.  Since the human language is not the default common tongue in this campaign, all humans begin play knowing two languages:  Earthing ("human") and the Zentraedi ("orc") dialect of Common.

Orcs and elves speak their own dialects of Common--Zentraedi or Tirolean, respectively.  In addition, Orcs speak Earthling and Elves may speak one other language of their choice (typically Invid ["goblin"]).  Half-Orcs and Half-Elves speak Zentraedi/Tirolean and Earthing.

Minotaurs of Raviq

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Language Analog:  Akkadian (Assyrian, Babylonian)
Inspiration:  Greek myth (Minotaur),  Egyptian myth,  Old Testament (Moloch)
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Tainted Counterpart: Minotaurs (Monster Manual)

Minotaurs are their own tainted counterpart.  When necessary to draw a distinction between the two, non-tainted minotaurs may also be called cattlefolk.

Temperamental Association: Materialist

Male Names:  See "Male Babylonian Names"
Female Names: See "Female Babylonian Names"

In the grasslands north of the Neshu's desert river valley, west of the Tengu's mountain nesting grounds, there are great cities and nomadic herds of cattlefolk--commonly called minotaurs.  This race resembles humanoid cattle, with subraces ranging from bull-like (cow, bison) in the south, to ram-like (sheep, goat) in the north, and even buck-like (antelope, gazelle) in the west.  They are a proud and ancient people.

NOTE:  Stag-like minotaurs resembling deer, elk, moose, caribou, etc. are not known in Monvesia.

Endowment Power Category (Revised Heroes Unlimited)

Endowed heroes are characters—ordinary or heroic—who have gained the extraordinary ability of transforming into a more powerful form.  Stereotypical, an endowed hero is weak or frail in their “normal” form, and they transform into a hulking, glorious hero under particular circumstances.  However, examples of heroic characters transforming into godlike beings are also common.

While heavily based on Mystically Bestowed characters, Endowed heroes replace the following power categories & sub-categories:  Enchanted Weapon, Enchanted Object, Mystically Bestowed, Empowered, Imbued, and Symbiotic (the latter three from Powers Unlimited 2).

Three factors govern an endowment:  Source, Focus, and Trigger.  By combining these in different ways, there is great variety in endowments.

Source of Endowment

The reason for a hero’s endowment determines the powers that are gained; it may also have a minor effect on the appearance of the character’s heroic alter ego.  Choose or roll on the table below.

Universal bonuses that apply to all endowment types are:
+2d6 to P.S. (minimum 20)
+1d6 to P.P. (minimum 18)
Multiply Spd. By 2d4 (minimum 24)
+ 3d4x10 to S-HP
These bonuses only apply when the character is transformed.