Mondevai - User contributions [en]

Rivers

2025-11-25T16:27:14Z

172.58.243.138:

[[Image:ThainRiver.png|thumb|right|A young hael looking over the River Burr (Thain) in the Marran Empire.]]
The [[Cartographers]]’ Guild is responsible for maintaining maps of the world’s rivers. While individual regions, people, or nations may have their own names for rivers, the Guild makes certain to categorize them by their composition: many rivers are not just their length from stream to sea, but instead travel through the center of [[Mondevai]] many times in their endless loop. These five rivers have outpours across the surface of Mondevai, and are usually denoted first by their official name then with their local, regional name below it.

Connected since prehistory with the afterlife, most cultures in the world still send their dead downriver to receive judgment and/or reincarnation. Many bodies do not make it to their alleged final destination and instead return undead to the surface, buoyed on uplifts to terrorize the population of unsuspecting towns many hundreds of kilometers away. Further, rivers in Mondevai are often not suitable for humanoid consumption. Beyond the threat of undead from those connected to uplifts, the toxic nature of many rivers is yet another impediment to inland living.

----

== Uplifts and Downfalls ==
The non-Nemic rivers of Mondevai make several loops through the center of the world as they descend and resurface along their paths. No true source is known for these four rivers, but it is certain that they are connected along their route – the returning undead prove it. Great uplifts – upward, swiftly flowing water – disgorge the water from the [[Shadowfell]] upon the surface of Mondevai. Maelstroms of hollow, swirling rapids called downfalls suck the rivers back down into the darkness.

----

== Major Rivers ==
;'''River Dara'''
:This acidic river is notable for its preserving properties. Undead in this river do not decay as quickly as other rivers. Long-term health effects are not well known by the Guild, but the nations it flows through, [[Ethasadril]], [[Ginwil]], and [[Zantaashi]], have reptilians with a slightly lower lifespan than those of the same race.

;'''River Thain'''
:Bitter and unpleasant, the River Thain is not particularly dangerous even if many prefer to seek other drinking sources. The river is known as the Ajord in [[Turath]] and the Burr in the northern [[Marran Empire]]. It also flows through [[Tiban]], [[Haelink]], and Ginwil, making it the river with the longest documented length on Mondevai. Much of its length is braided, giving it a reputation as a slow, placid river.

;'''River Iilikos'''
:A river of alternately sweet and sour characteristics, the Iilikos is definitely poisonous to the humanoid population of Mondevai. It flows through [[Echolst]] in Ethasadril, where it is known as The Tines, as well as [[Krace]] and Haelink.

;'''Banik River'''
:Salty, metallic river with well-documented health effects. Not safe for the general population without purification. The enclaves at [[Isamarr]] and [[Tamarr]] are notable for their aqueducts upon this river. The Banik River is present in the Marran Empire, Tiban, and Ethasadril.

;'''Nemic Rivers'''
:Superstition aside, rivers without an uplift at the source are typically free of detrimental properties. These rivers, known as Pure by the [[Átheists]], have no noticeable detriment to drinking them and are valuable fonts of fresh water to inland populations. These rivers are denoted as Nemic, but often left to their regional names on maps.

----

== Superstition and Religion ==
[[Image:MuerichoRiver.png|thumb|right|An artist’s rendition of the meeting of the rivers, just before a soul reaches Muericho.]]
All rivers flow to Muericho, or so the poets say. In any event, most rivers flow from above the surface down, down through the Underdark where they reach the Shadowfell deep below the surface. The dead are sent via these currents to reach their judgement at the hands of Banikon.

It is possible to tell a river's destination from a slight taste in the water if one is keen enough of tongue. Banikon's, it is said, taste like the blood of the fallen. Iilikos' taste of milk- but whether sweet or curdled one never knows beforehand. Dara's taste of a sweet cider or bitter vinegar, slowly changing over the harvest and planting seasons. Thain is said to have the slowest rivers, meandering along as though honey or molasses, and Nemo, the lord of the Vigils, has perfectly balanced rivers with astoundingly total lack of taste.

The Átheists don't hold faith in deities, but instead put their faith in Rivers, both physical and spiritual. Shrines where rivers join are common in northern [[Letier]], where Átheists are more prevalent.

Rivers

2025-11-25T16:25:13Z

172.58.243.138: /* Major Rivers */

[[Image:ThainRiver.png|thumb|right|A young hael looking over the River Burr (Thain) in the Marran Empire.]]
The [[Cartographers]]’ Guild is responsible for maintaining maps of the world’s rivers. While individual regions, people, or nations may have their own names for rivers, the Guild makes certain to categorize them by their composition: many rivers are not just their length from stream to sea, but instead travel through the center of [[Mondevai]] many times in their endless loop. These five rivers have outpours across the surface of Mondevai, and are usually denoted first by their official name then with their local, regional name below it.

Connected since prehistory with the afterlife, most cultures in the world still send their dead downriver to receive judgment and/or reincarnation. Many bodies do not make it to their alleged final destination and instead return undead to the surface, buoyed on uplifts to terrorize the population of unsuspecting towns many hundreds of kilometers away. Further, rivers in Mondevai are often not suitable for humanoid consumption. Beyond the threat of undead from those connected to uplifts, the toxic nature of many rivers is yet another impediment to inland living.

----

== Uplifts and Downfalls ==
The non-Nemic rivers of Mondevai make several loops through the center of the world as they descend and resurface along their paths. No true source is known for these four rivers, but it is certain that they are connected along their route – the returning undead prove it. Great uplifts – upward, swiftly flowing water – disgorge the water from the [[Shadowfell]] upon the surface of Mondevai. Maelstroms of hollow, swirling rapids called downfalls suck the rivers back down into the darkness.

----

== Major Rivers ==
;'''River Dara'''
:This acidic river is notable for its preserving properties. Undead in this river do not decay as quickly as other rivers. Long-term health effects are not well known by the Guild, but the nations it flows through, [[Ethasadril]], [[Ginwil]], and [[Zantaashi]], have reptilians with a slightly lower lifespan than those of the same race.

;'''River Thain'''
:Bitter and unpleasant, the River Thain is not particularly dangerous even if many prefer to seek other drinking sources. The river is known as the Ajord in [[Turath]] and the Burr in the northern [[Marran Empire]]. It also flows through [[Tiban]], [[Haelink]], and Ginwil, making it the river with the longest documented length on Mondevai. Much of its length is braided, giving it a reputation as a slow, placid river.

;'''River Iilikos'''
:A river of alternately sweet and sour characteristics, the Iilikos is definitely poisonous to the humanoid population of Mondevai. It flows through [[Echolst]] in Ethasadril, where it is known as The Tines, as well as [[Krace]] and Haelink.

;'''Xime River'''
:Salty, metallic river with well-documented health effects. Not safe for the general population without purification. The enclaves at [[Isamarr]] and [[Tamarr]] are notable for their aqueducts upon this river. The Xime River is present in the Marran Empire, Tiban, and Ethasadril.

;'''Banik Rivers'''
:Superstition aside, rivers without an uplift at the source are typically free of detrimental properties. These rivers, known as Pure by the [[Átheism|Átheists]], have no noticeable detriment to drinking them and are valuable fonts of fresh water to inland populations. These rivers are denoted as Banik, but often left to their regional names on maps.

----

== Superstition and Religion ==
[[Image:MuerichoRiver.png|thumb|right|An artist’s rendition of the meeting of the rivers, just before a soul reaches Muericho.]]
All rivers flow to Muericho, or so the poets say. In any event, most rivers flow from above the surface down, down through the Underdark where they reach the Shadowfell deep below the surface. The dead are sent via these currents to reach their judgement at the hands of Banikon.

It is possible to tell a river's destination from a slight taste in the water if one is keen enough of tongue. Banikon's, it is said, taste like the blood of the fallen. Iilikos' taste of milk- but whether sweet or curdled one never knows beforehand. Dara's taste of a sweet cider or bitter vinegar, slowly changing over the harvest and planting seasons. Thain is said to have the slowest rivers, meandering along as though honey or molasses, and Nemo, the lord of the Vigils, has perfectly balanced rivers with astoundingly total lack of taste.

The Átheists don't hold faith in deities, but instead put their faith in Rivers, both physical and spiritual. Shrines where rivers join are common in northern [[Letier]], where Átheists are more prevalent.

Rivers

2025-11-25T16:24:07Z

172.58.243.138: /* Major Rivers */

[[Image:ThainRiver.png|thumb|right|A young hael looking over the River Burr (Thain) in the Marran Empire.]]
The [[Cartographers]]’ Guild is responsible for maintaining maps of the world’s rivers. While individual regions, people, or nations may have their own names for rivers, the Guild makes certain to categorize them by their composition: many rivers are not just their length from stream to sea, but instead travel through the center of [[Mondevai]] many times in their endless loop. These five rivers have outpours across the surface of Mondevai, and are usually denoted first by their official name then with their local, regional name below it.

Connected since prehistory with the afterlife, most cultures in the world still send their dead downriver to receive judgment and/or reincarnation. Many bodies do not make it to their alleged final destination and instead return undead to the surface, buoyed on uplifts to terrorize the population of unsuspecting towns many hundreds of kilometers away. Further, rivers in Mondevai are often not suitable for humanoid consumption. Beyond the threat of undead from those connected to uplifts, the toxic nature of many rivers is yet another impediment to inland living.

----

== Uplifts and Downfalls ==
The non-Nemic rivers of Mondevai make several loops through the center of the world as they descend and resurface along their paths. No true source is known for these four rivers, but it is certain that they are connected along their route – the returning undead prove it. Great uplifts – upward, swiftly flowing water – disgorge the water from the [[Shadowfell]] upon the surface of Mondevai. Maelstroms of hollow, swirling rapids called downfalls suck the rivers back down into the darkness.

----

== Major Rivers ==
;'''River Dara'''
:This acidic river is notable for its preserving properties. Undead in this river do not decay as quickly as other rivers. Long-term health effects are not well known by the Guild, but the nations it flows through, [[Ethasadril]], [[Ginwil]], and [[Zantaashi]], have reptilians with a slightly lower lifespan than those of the same race.

;'''River Thain'''
:Bitter and unpleasant, the River Thain is not particularly dangerous even if many prefer to seek other drinking sources. The river is known as the Ajord in [[Turath]] and the Burr in the northern [[Marran Empire]]. It also flows through [[Tiban]], [[Haelink]], and Ginwil, making it the river with the longest documented length on Mondevai. Much of its length is braided, giving it a reputation as a slow, placid river.

;'''River Iilikos'''
:A river of alternately sweet and sour characteristics, the Iilikos is definitely poisonous to the humanoid population of Mondevai. It flows through [[Echolst]] in Ethasadril, where it is known as The Tines, as well as [[Krace]] and Haelink.

;'''Xime River'''
:Salty, metallic river with well-documented health effects. Not safe for the general population without purification. The enclaves at [[Isamarr]] and [[Tamarr]] are notable for their aqueducts upon this river. The Banik River is present in the Marran Empire, Tiban, and Ethasadril.

;'''Banik Rivers'''
:Superstition aside, rivers without an uplift at the source are typically free of detrimental properties. These rivers, known as Pure by the [[Átheists]], have no noticeable detriment to drinking them and are valuable fonts of fresh water to inland populations. These rivers are denoted as Nemic, but often left to their regional names on maps.

----

== Superstition and Religion ==
[[Image:MuerichoRiver.png|thumb|right|An artist’s rendition of the meeting of the rivers, just before a soul reaches Muericho.]]
All rivers flow to Muericho, or so the poets say. In any event, most rivers flow from above the surface down, down through the Underdark where they reach the Shadowfell deep below the surface. The dead are sent via these currents to reach their judgement at the hands of Banikon.

It is possible to tell a river's destination from a slight taste in the water if one is keen enough of tongue. Banikon's, it is said, taste like the blood of the fallen. Iilikos' taste of milk- but whether sweet or curdled one never knows beforehand. Dara's taste of a sweet cider or bitter vinegar, slowly changing over the harvest and planting seasons. Thain is said to have the slowest rivers, meandering along as though honey or molasses, and Nemo, the lord of the Vigils, has perfectly balanced rivers with astoundingly total lack of taste.

The Átheists don't hold faith in deities, but instead put their faith in Rivers, both physical and spiritual. Shrines where rivers join are common in northern [[Letier]], where Átheists are more prevalent.

The Ginwil Frontier

2025-11-25T16:16:14Z

172.58.243.138: /* Recommended Pages */

A wine festival dominates the city of [[Puerto Desafiar]], a moment of revelry before an expedition from [[Zantaashi]] sets out to the unexplored continent of [[Ginwil]].

== Players ==
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="5"|[[The Ginwil Frontier]]
|-
!colspan="5"|Winter 2025 - Ongoing
|-
!Player
!Name
!Race
!Class
!Levels
|-
| Devin
| ???
| ???
| Cleric (???)
| 1+
|-
| Fallon
| ???
| ???
| Monk
| 1+
|-
| Pam
| ???
| Yuan-Ti
| Paladin (Crown)
| 1+
|-
| Tiffany
| ???
| ???
| ???
| 1+
|}

----

== Recommended Pages ==
''' Mechanical: '''

[[Races]] of the world, to select from.

[[Herbalism]] and Alchemy, as practiced in Zantaashi.

'''Geographical:'''

[[Puerto Desafiar]]: The city the adventure begins in, at the height of the summer wine festival.

[[Setting|Mondevai]], a brief introduction to the setting.

[[Letier|A Map]] of the known world as of 1809 DGC. The campaign takes place in the 1860s, and some lands may have [[Shift|shifted]] since.

[[Rivers]] of the world. Many of these descend beneath the surface, pass through the Underdark and beyond, and resurface elsewhere in the world.

'''Political:'''

[[Zantaashi]] is the nation of origin for the Expedition.

[[Confederacy_of_the_Scale|The Confederacy of the Scale]] is a multi-national treaty dedicated to preserving the arcane and religious mysteries of [[Sigil]].

[[Tri-Cartel_Blanche|The Tri-Cartel Blanche]] are three guilds that span across most nations and have become powers to rival nations.

'''Religious and Philosophical:'''

[[Sylvanism]], a broad catch-all for elven relgions. This page discribes one of the more common belief set.

[[Karmic_Houses|The Houses of Karma]], a national philosophy of Zantaashi.

[[Cosmic_Church|The Cosmic Church]], the most prevalent religion on the continent of Letier. Unlikely to matter to the players, but any foreign members of the expedition may adhere to a branch. Due to the Confederacy, the religion has some presence in Zantaashi.

'''Historical and Legendary:'''

[[Myths_and_Legends|Mythical figures]] in the world.

[[Elynd]], the arch-fey that are said to live deep in forests or in the Feywild storm.

[[Enclaves]] are remnants of the ancient city of Sigil, full of mysteries and artifacts.

'''Arcane:'''

[[Fahrstone]], a critical resource in the world, protecting civilization from an otherwise inhospitable environment.

[[The_Flows|The Flows]], the sources of magic in the world. This page needs to be updated.

== Journal Links ==
[[Ginwil_Frontier_Journal|Journal]]

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== Major NPCs ==

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== Miscellaneous Documents ==

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[[Category:Beachfront_Real_Estate]]
[[Category:Campaign_Hub]]

Puerto Desafiar

2025-11-25T16:12:13Z

172.58.243.138: /* House Bureaucrats */

A bustling, sinking port town built on ancient stone ruins, small hills, and new wooden stilt-districts raised from the muck. The port sits perched at the edge of the [[Zantaashi]] mire on the northern coast. It houses soldiers, scholars, smugglers, wine-growers, and pilgrims of the five Karmic Houses. Ships here load for the crossing to [[Ginwil]], carrying hopeful explorers, exiled academics, and the [[Archeralds]]’ fame-hungry novices.

= Geography =
[[Image:PuertoDesafiar.png|thumb|right|600px|A southwestern view from the House of Chance, looking out at (from left to right) the Houses of Change, Life, and Death.]]
Tall ziggurats of the traditional [[Karmic Houses]] tower over the city. Sun-baked stone stepped platforms and trapezoidal buildings decorated with carved karmic sigils form the majority of the well-to-do households. There are balconies, wooden shutters, and clay-tiled roofs on these older structures. Many of them have partially-flooded first stories due to their foundations.

The great causeway, the [[Enclaves|Enclave]] that gives the city its right to exist, sits in the middle of the mire mandating the position of the structures around it.
Poorer neighborhoods stand on ramshackle piers and stilted walkways, the water below choked with lotus, peat pools, and drifting crocodilian shapes. Many of their rooftops are linked by crude rope-bridges used by smugglers and messengers.

The port itself has several piers extending from the causeway and nearby shores. Poorly organized, docking fees and customs are organized by the owners of each individual pier in coordination with the Karmic Houses they patronize.

== Locations ==

No enclave gate!

== People of Note ==

=== Aristocracy ===

==== Earl Vassaan Baas ====
[[Image:Earl_Baas.png|thumb|right|300px|Earl Baas looking over the causeway.]]
'''Foundling Lord'''

A tired man in his late forties, known for a calm voice and a fondness for long, silent walks along the causeway at dusk. He’s the grandson of Gasco Baas, the original explorer who found the causeway Enclave half-sunk in the mud after a Shift.

Baas rents causeway stalls to merchants, oversees port licenses, and tries—not always successfully—to stay ahead of Desafiar’s bureaucracy. Stern but fair, he is beloved by vintners and quietly mocked by smugglers. He is still recovering from the public embarrassment at the wine festival

=== House Bureaucrats ===

==== Seneth Vayran ====

'''High Priest of the House of Death'''

==== Xako “Daddy” Feliss ====

'''House of Change Lead Instructor'''

=== Guild Members ===

[[Image:Dumitru.png|thumb|left|250px|The foppish Archerald Dumitru]]
==== Dumitru Varcan ====

'''Senior Archerald of Puerto Desafiar'''

A tall, silver-spined Dravon of late middle age, Dumitru Varcan cuts an unforgettable silhouette as he sweeps through Desafiar in embroidered coats far too fine for the marsh air. Grey-skinned and hairless, with faint opalescent scaling along his jaw and pale blue eyes that seem permanently unimpressed, Dumitru cultivates an air of cultivated exhaustion — as though the entire city is a long anecdote he hasn’t yet decided whether to laugh at. He speaks with a gentle Marran lilt and dresses like a playwright preparing for a duel: layered silks, jeweled cuffs, and a cane he insists on calling Morality, because “it is the only thing that helps keep me upright.”

Despite the theatrics, Dumitru is an accomplished Archerald with decades of real field experience in the Marran Empire. That reality is precisely why he views his assignment to Puerto Desafiar as a punishment disguised as a diplomatic favor. He treats the local guild chapter like a provincial salon — charming, irritating, and in dire need of a leader who can “introduce it to better company.” Still, the man knows his craft. He spots forgeries at a glance, recites cataloguing codes like poetry, and will stop mid-conversation to gently correct anyone misusing archaeological terminology. Underneath the foppish exterior lies a razor intellect and a deep weariness: Dumitru does not expect greatness from Desafiar, but he would be delighted (and genuinely shocked) if someone proved him wrong.

==== Eblar Corress ====
'''Middling Archerald'''

Once respected, now overlooked, this middle-aged Yuan-Ti has reached the peak of his career as an archerald and settled in. He has a few apprentices, but none of the rising stars of the local guild. Eblar prowls the market hunting for old maps, broken instruments, or metal scraps that resonate strangely. He claims to be writing a book on Enclave acoustics. The book is mostly diagrams... and arguments.

=== Merchants ===
[[Image:Dorin.png|thumb|right|300px|The mild-mannered antiquarian Dorin in his shop.]]
==== Dorin Branescu ====
'''Antiquarian of Note'''

A thin, sharp-featured scholar with an unnerving habit of staring past people rather than at them. Dorin is an expert on Turathi and Cresean ruins, and will talk freely on the subject to anyone polite enough to indulge him. He is known for buying odd scrap metal and old tools from junk shops for research, and for sending long, scathing letters to the Archeralds’ Guild about their “misinterpretations.”

==== Henna Rosk ====
'''Keeper of Rosk’s Little Grocer'''

Henna operates a one-room grocery stuffed with dried fruits, hard cheese, rice-grass, rope, buckets, and whatever else she managed to obtain that morning. She has a small room above her store she lets out to sailors and other travelers.
==== Shal Perran ====
'''Owner of The Gilded Reed Inn'''

This stout, silver-haired eladrin is proprietor with a booming laugh and a talent for making even the most meager wine taste good with spices. The Gilded Reed is the busiest inn near the docks, famous for its “Reedfire Stew” and for the questionable musicians who play in its loft.
==== Vellin Craye ====
'''Chandlery Owner'''

A slender yuan-ti man with ink-stained fingers who sells candles, wax blocks, and oil lamps in a shop called Craye’s Lightworks. His wares range from basic tapers to elaborate sculpted votives. He keeps an entire shelf of odd wax molds “for special requests.”

=== Artisans ===
==== “Big Olo” Tenresk ====
'''Ship Painter'''

A burly, red-blotched ship painter infamous for his foul language and soft heart. His shop, Olo’s Ash-Pot, reeks of lye, resin, and pigment. Sailors swear his barnacle-ash mixture keeps hulls clean for twice as long. Olo swears at sailors for tracking mud into his shop.
==== Soro Galvas ====
'''Glassblower of Galvas Furnace'''
Runs a cluttered workshop producing bottles, beads, lenses, and odd reflective plates. Soro experiments with strange shapes that distort light, sometimes unintentionally.

=== Others ===
[[Image:Nera_Liscon.png|thumb|right|300px|Nera the fishmonger selling her catch.]]
==== Doln Kesh ====
'''Marsh Guide'''

A broad-shouldered dragonborn guide with skin like old leather. Doln knows every shallow, sinkhole, and reed channel north of Desafiar. He himself is responsible for finding navigation routes through half of them, but never passed the written portions of the Cartographers’ exams. He swears the marsh has moods.
==== Lurok “Spider” Salvan ====
'''Rooftop Runner'''

A nimble, rail-thin courier who navigates the rooftops with balletic ease. Spider can deliver anything to anyone if paid. He despises doorways and never uses stairs if a wall is available instead.
==== Mira Dolach ====
'''Vineyard Worker'''

A weathered woman who tends the vineyards closest to the marsh edge. Mira hires day laborers indiscriminately and keeps an ear to the ground for gossip, which she trades like coin.
==== Nera Liscon ====
'''Fisherwoman of the Lower Piers'''

A stocky woman with a permanent scowl and a loyal dog named Stonebite. Nera sells eel, mussel, and fish directly off her boat, calling up to the passersby on the causeway.

==== Telbor Vask ====
'''Carpenter and Rooftop Builder'''

A tall, rope-muscled man who builds elevated walkways, catwalks, and rooftop bridges for the lower-class quarters. Telbor insists all his work is perfectly legal, which it absolutely is not. He accepts payment in coin, lumber, or wine.

= Culture =

== Karmic Houses ==

=== House of Chance ===

=== House of Change ===

The House of Change was the patron of the first Earl Baas, and the first to establish itself in the port. Situated just inland of the Causeway, the ziggurat itself has undergone change, having been rebuilt twenty years ago (after the completion of the House of Time, the final House in the city.

The new ziggurat was constructed over the previous one, the former main temple now serving as the offices of the High Priest of Change for the city.

Within its walls, priests of this house scramble busily, authorizing citizenship, granting property transfers, and even teaching children and adults in the rooms connected to the Causeway.

It's not wrong to say that this is the true heart of Desafiar.

=== House of Death ===
The smallest ziggurat of Desafiar sits on small secluded island in the middle of the main channel. The only bridges to this island come from the larger, northern channel island or a private bridge from the upper district.

The House's island is primarily used as the place from which bodies are sent downriver to the sea on their journey to Muericho. The barracks for the three decades of First Legion troops in the city is on this island, as well as the home of the head of the militia.

=== House of Life ===

=== House of Time ===

== Wine ==
Puerto Desafiar is famous for mire-grown grape varietals grown in raised stone chinampas:
*Sangragruesa – thick, dark, almost syrupy; used in death rites.
*Vino del Cambio – sharply acidic; popular among the bureaucrats.
*Lagrimabrisa – pale golden wine infused with aromatic reeds, exported widely.
Wine-taverns double as political salons, smuggling fronts, and recruitment offices for voyages to Ginwil.
The town’s identity revolves around the idea that wine is the memory of the mire, representing the past purified through ferment.
Each year during the end-of-summer festival, vintners roll a cask the entire way down the causeway, stopping at various stations to allow sampling

= Economy =
== The Port ==
Prior to the Kingdom-wide excitement over exploring Ginwil, Desafiar was already a burgeoning port for fish, trade with the fey of Ginwil, and the underworld's tea smuggling. Now it's the staging ground for many ships of adventure, funded by aristocracy and merchant alike to trade, discover, and pillage the unexplored lands to the North.

== Occupations ==

== Tea Smuggling ==