Hello everyone!
As of right now we're trying to create an entire campaign straight from homebrew scratch; this includes the character classes and setting!
Right now we have created the setting of the campaign which is Bat Country! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
We currently don't have images, but that'll eventually change in the future! Our main artist is also the creator of the homebrew campaign, so to prevent current burnout, images are not being made, but we do have a couple of NPC's in the works!
(Below is a direct copy/paste from our founder and creator of The Metallands campaign who has been on a hiatus from posting to focus solely on improving the classes!)
BAT COUNTRY
The biggest nation in the modern era, Bat Country, is a place that could be thought of as an entire land of its own. Considered by many in the Metallands to be a mysterious and treacherous region, this place has a well-deserved reputation for being foreboding and ruthless. This has changed very little since the days that the area was known to the other nations simply as "The Obsidien" and was a collection of clans, tribes, gangs, and nomadic communities made up of different dialects and cultures. Echoing in these spooky savannas are the famous events of the Metallandsâ history. From the final battle of the Nocturne Rebellion to the Lugosi Curse that haunts everything from the inhabitants to the highways that crisscross the landscape of horrors. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that these lands, the soil, the very air, are very haunted. With the teachings of the hero, Victor Lugosi Nocturne, and the regional affinity for necromancy, the locals have created a place of eerie danger and wonder that proves Batlanders live up to the culture and reputation that their home has cultivated over the ages.Â
Cursed Landscape
The once lush savanna is now tainted by the oversaturated and lingering necrotic energies of the defeat and death of the historical hero, Victor âLugosiâ Nocturne. The soil is scorched, and twisted, gnarled, thorned trees dot the horizon. The atmosphere is thick with a power that is always trying to bring out the inner darkness in things, making Bat Country an eerie and foreboding place for those who stay too long above ground. No one quite remembers how it was before the curse, or even its history before the reign of the tyrannical devil Belzoroth and his reign of terror that ultimately led to the Nocturne rebellion. The animals that live here are strangers, transformed into more off-putting versions of what they were. At times, even more vicious because of what else lives here.
As night falls, the land transforms into a realm of nightmares. Monsters and the undead emerge from the hiding places, wandering the savanna as their own. Werewolves, vampires, ghouls, and much more roam freely, making the nights in Bat Country particularly dangerous. Where there were once civilizations are now home to these creatures to make dark communities and lairs in the ruins of the mortal exidos. There is life in the savanna, but there is no living up here. This is a lesson that the inhabitants of Bat country learned long ago and have taken to heart in their way.
The Cavern Cities
Fearing the dangers above ground, Batlanders had no choice but to adapt to the encroaching darkness. Instead of fighting against it or succumbing to its allure, the people found a way to live alongside it. The creatures of the land would not permit them to have the surface. So instead, they have established intricate underground cities connecting each other through tunnels and vast cavern networks. These subterranean havens serve as shelters against the roaming surface horrors of the night, so that the residents have the peace of mind to live, work, and make peace with the land. The infrastructure of these havens is crucial, as are the tunnels and highways that connect them all are well-maintained and equipped to handle anything that the land and the night can bring to bear. The land cracks and swallows whole entrances, flash floods and brush fires push wildlife to stampede to the safety of these watchpoints and entrances. To make things worse, the creatures of the night also will not rest till all that is alive is devoured and dead. Efforts have been made to keep legions of monsters of all sorts from laying siege to all that Bat Country has tamed and created. From throngs of skeletons, vampiric camarillas, and packs of werewolves that seek to conquer Bat Country for themselves, there is no lack of the need for security. Above ground, remnants of Lord Nocturneâs battles with the forces of Belzoroth can still be found. With much effort, many of these sites have been determined to be the fastest way between Cavern Cities as well as places that hold the most dangers. They have been given the name âhaunted highwaysâ; now tainted and cracked, they serve as eerie reminders of the landâs history.
Necromancy and Corpzs
A revered and considered central aspect of Bat Countryâs culture is the centuries-long pursuit of necromancy across the different peoples and generations that came together to call each other Batlanders. Even before the time Victor Nocturne came to these lands, there had been necrotic energy in the very soil of the savannah. Local traditions of dark magics and necrotic rites vary from method to method, but he ideals of the cycle of life, the inevitability of death, and the power that comes from both permeate all tribes and clans alike. Today, necromancy is one of the cornerstones of life in Bat Country and shows no signs of changing for anyone.
As time pressed on and travel was needed between cavern cities, a new form of necromancy and artifice came to be from necessity. While quite new in the lifetime of magic and even the practice of necromancy, strides in the art have grown immense are far-reaching. For the skilled necromancers of Bat Country have come to be known the world over for their amazing and iconic creations: the âcorpzâ. These horrifying amalgamations of living and undead creatures blended to make mounts to conquer the night. The corpz were originally guardians for the above-ground highway entrances and a means of transportation for people who still tried to brave the savannah despite the sun. Nowadays, they are a form of expression, with the inhabitants treating them like over-modified vehicles, showcasing their craftsmanship and creativity. They have perfected blending monsters and machines. The bigger, faster, meaner, more menacing a corpz is, the better. A corpz is more than a testament to someone's necromantic mastery, but also a symbol of status and power among the locals. It is a boast of ferocity, freedom, and the power to go anywhere you want. Often, those seeking a challenge try to on the night and its horrors to showcase their formidable corpzs by testing themselves on the haunted highways scattered throughout the savannah. From races to survival runs, many people come out at night for these events and the Curse for all to see. While these events are never guaranteed to be safe and have claimed many lives, Batlanders still come time and again in what may now be considered a rite of passage for a corpz pilot and their creations.
Even with the widespread use of necromancy, particularly in the creation of corpzs, there are still ethical questions that are raised both in and out of Bat Country. The land has always been a place with potent necrotic energy, only brought to terrifying heights by the power of the Lugosi Curse. On the other hand, necromancy has been here long before Victor Nocturn ever came to these lands to learn his first curse. Today, there are organisations in every Cavern City that are responsible for ethical necromancy as well as dealing with the diplomatic issues that will occur when a Batlander leaves home to travel the world. The tradition was, and still is, seen as a means of survival and a way of life in Bat Country, battling night creatures as a way to tame the land. But necromancy is now seen to be more than a mere tool, but an attitude and personal identifier. So the issue will be one that Bat Country will be dealing with for a very long time.
Culture
Whole districts are dedicated to residential and commercial living in the cavern cities. Homes are townhouses and mansions made of opulent stone and wood, detailed with intricate and elegant craftsmanship. The style, inspired by the original Lugosi Manor, is still felt today with the building being adorned with towers that can reach the ceiling, gargoyles dotting the roofs and doors, and green spaces of courtyards and gardens that try to emulate the natural beauty of what may have been Bat Country of old. The farther down the economic scale you get, people tend to live closer and closer to the surface within reach of their closest highways. They resemble smaller, more rustic counterparts to these manors. They are closer to cottages, ranches, or kraals. These homes are no less beautiful or impressive, but give a more gothic and country aesthetic with overgrowth, rust, dust, ornate graveyards, and hidden spaces that blend nature and stonemasonry.
The resident fashion leans to the practical and formal in a more "Victorian" or "antique" style. The gentry upper class, including local ruling bodies called the "Council of Lords," has held on to this tradition from the time of Lord Nocturn, but even the people of Cinder Fall, for where the late lord hailed originally, have moved on from these styles. More modern people adorn themselves in dark, elaborate attire, ranging from sleek silhouettes and bodysuits to day dresses, doublets, vibrantly patterned skirts, hats, animal furs, and jewelry fashioned from mined gems and treated "night creature" parts like teeth and bones.
There is quite a divide between the commonfolk like the ranchers and corpzcrafters, the scholars of necromancy, and the nobles of the gentry. Power and authority are separated by influence, money, and distance. For while representatives are chosen by the masses to be appointed to the council of Lords, all bets are off the farther away from the caverns you get, and you can see the sky. Class has always been a strong factor in how people interact with each other in Bat Country, only given horrifying substance with modern necromancy to be wielded like a ruler's scepter or a cudgel. It is no surprise that outsider communities will be created. These places are normally ruled with corpzs and heavy metal, the sound that freed Bat Country in the first place. The Metal of goth and horror punk has roots here, considering its past and how much it represents an upheaval of the status quo. Some even say that the noble power structure that Lord Nocturne brought was the real curse of Bat Country.
But itâs not all doom and gloom in some cursed hole in the ground. The caverns are no strangers to street racing - traversing unknown, deeper caverns, and even savannah ruins- with the vibrant nightlife of people just trying to escape from the surface. This makes the modernness of the inner cities meaner monsters entirely. Whole spaces are made closer to the surface to capture and âsource meatâ for corpz-components. As you continue in, you easily move through several different âbizaarsâ before even this begins to be replaced by the new chaos of the cityscape. Sometimes, even the ceilings crack open as if the entire place were swallowed by the earth itself. Intricate magical force fields are erected across here to make a protective canopy that only allows air in. Other times, bioluminescent plants and fungi are cultivated for natural illumination. Just enough lighting fills the walkways with the ambiance one may have come to expect here. Interconnected buildings with huge panes of windows contain the many grand wares the storefronts and artisans hold for the passerby. Public spaces are plentiful and with much to see and do, like boutique cafes, cinemas, parlors, open-air record stores, and interactive displays. The bizaars connect the locals and serve as places of community and business, and are considered the place to be during any large celebration, normally referred to as night parades. It's a chance for Batlanders to celebrate their unique culture with these events; extravagant displays of necromantic prowess, strutting out their most fearsome corpzs, even the gentry of the city to make grand spectacles of their own or show the people something from outside the savannah.
The Legacy of Victor Nocturn
In Metallands' history, the founder of the nation of Bat Country, Victor Nocturne of the former Lugosi Clan, remains a formidable and legendary figure to this day. Before their last stand, Lord Nocturne was a charismatic but irregular nobleman hailing from a prestigious lineage in the nearby realm of Cinder Falls. Leaving his place in the aristocracy, he departed his home upon learning of the corruption of Belzoroth and the atrocities committed by his forces across the Metallands. Disturbing rumors spread of Belzorothâs relentless advance, with whispers of soul-reaping and devastation echoing through local communities.
Victor recognized the imminent threat posed by Belzorothâs calculated march and sought to rally support against it. He argued that the devilâs encroachment on smaller nations would inevitably lead to a siege on larger territories. However, convincing the other noble houses of Cinder Falls proved to be a futile endeavor. Faced with the prospect of distant conflict and uncertain victory, the other clans hesitated to raise an army, leaving Cinder Falls vulnerable and unprotected.
With few viable options remaining to safeguard his homeland and the Metallands at large, Lord Nocturne, accompanied by some loyal clansmen, departed Cinder Falls for the Obsidian Expanse. But this decision carried profound consequences; Victorâs exit marked a significant loss of aristocratic influence within Cinder Falls, leaving his familyâs once-prominent clan grappling with the aftermath of his absence. To no one's surprise, there are still scholars and historians to this day who believe that the late Lord used the coming of Belzoroth as an opportunity to break away from the Cinder Falls aristocracy. It was no secret that he was deeply fascinated by the power that magic can have and the mystery that Obsidian represented. It is said that Victorâs research led him to look towards the Obsidian Expanse, where many say he sought to harness the dark energies that permeated the land.
Upon reaching the Obsidian, Victor Nocturne bore witness to the truth of the land.
Here, life flourished in unexpected abundance in a swirl of life, death, and rebirth, with the necrotic power of the land being seen from the tall grasses to the blackish-red claybeds. Discovering that the many different people of the Obsidian had always lived in harmony with these mystical forces since before the Eruption, Victor was more than enthusiastic to not just wage war here, but help fight for this land. He may have originally come as a would-be crusader and opportunistic scholar. But after some time, as he came to understand the many different indigenous traditions and cultures, and became a part of the community, these communities imparted to him their traditions of necromancy. It was much much-needed skill, since even locals Obsidianites knew of the Devil Belzoroth and how he had already influenced and corrupted everything. With their organization and newfound strength, Clan Lugosi started its effort against the monsters that slay in the name of Belzoroth and even rooted out his traitors and spies. Working alongside other local organizations, the Lugosi were slow to warm up to but eventually welcomed as allies in their fight against this great evil. Over time, Victor Nocturne became a formidable necromancer in their own right, harnessing vast reserves of negative energy to fuel their most potent spells. Through this newfound mastery, he sought after enough influence to help keep the union of all the Obsidian so they could turn the tide against the encroaching darkness. Turning away outsiders and feuds between groups and cultures were the norm in the Obsidian. While it was not uncommon for groups to join for a goal, they seldom lasted. But with a threat this big, the pleading from an outsider who put their very life at risk to safeguard not just their lands, but also that of the Obsidian, it became only a matter of time before Victor Nocturne went from respected voice to a respected leader.
After many battles against the devilâs minions and rooting out schemes and corruption made by Belzoroth, lord Victor Nocturne became a figurehead of resilience and defiance for the Metallands, willing to take on anyone willing to fight for his cause. His allure and charm drew in many followers, both mortal and supernatural, who were captivated by his vision of wielding the very essence of the night. This force of like-minded warriors, and their time keeping Belzoroth at bay, was known as the Nocturne Rebellion. Using the caves and caverns of the Iluwanne, strongholds and fast tracks for secret transportation helped in the effort to keep the evil at bay. As the rebellion raged in the savannas, it gave time for the other nations to commit and purge more interior assaults and push out Belzorothâs influences. Soon after, all of these groups came together under one cause and banner. To no oneâs surprise, Lord Victor Nocturne was pressed into the position of leadership of this new conclave. By his choice, the flag of an expansive field, a purple moon, and the icon of a giant bat in the sky became the symbol of what we all know now as Bat Country.
However, despite the promise of the budding union in the fires of rebellion, the final moments of the Nocturnes would come to an end.
Ultimately, the final battle against Belzoroth proved too perilous an undertaking for Lord Nocturne and his supporters. They sacrificed themselves in a valiant effort to save the new nation of Bat Country by pushing the vile devilâs forces out towards the unsettled lands of what would later be known as Demon Head. This defeat and the death of Victor Nocturn would mark the darkest chapter of the Bat Country. With the lordâs well-known capacity and necropotence, it was an opportunity for Belzoroth to use Victorâs death and the escaping energy as the catalyst for the shadow that veils Bat country to this day; the Lugosi Curse. Fearing the devilâs retribution, the survivors made their way back to the Iluwane homes to battle the night to this day. Victorâs legacy lives on in the landâs twisted landscape and the unique culture that emerged from the aftermath of his noble yet tragic pursuit.
The Lugosi Curse
As a result of the curse, the local animals, and even some inhabitants of Bat Country, have transformed to resemble fiends, monstrosities, and even the undead. Some individuals willingly embrace this change, adapting their lifestyles to the nocturnal nature imposed by the curse. While many people are affected by the constant assault of night things, the rest have become more mundane. People die, but they sometimes come back. Trying not to hit a dog with your corpse is not just for safety; it may be someoneâs kid.
While many people embrace the darkness and the night, they are under no illusion of its enhanced dangers. The idea of your homes constantly being under threat and siege makes the people more vigilant, but even so, the youth are becoming very rebellious. Many want to explore the savannah, study the communities of the night, and even search the ancient and abandoned locations of forgotten Obsidian. The older generations instead try their best to make the cavern cities more hospitable to live in and develop the bounds of necromancy and everything the original rebellion was forced to create. It is not that they are not willing to reclaim the surface, but that there is so much more underground that they still do not know as well. Despite the generational gap, Batlanders are constantly more concerned with what lies beyond the palisades and in the darkness of the haunted highways. In essence, Lord Victor Nocturneâs curse has transformed Bat Country into a realm where its denizens and the supernatural live and coexist in a constant delicate balance. But Bat Country has proven that it is not dead, nor is it going away anytime soon; neither are the people nor their need to push every boundary. Besides, you canât do anything when youâre dead, except maybe sleep.
