(Setting) Languages

Common- The almost universally accepted language of the world is known simply as Common. It is the official language of Svalpana as proclaimed by that Grand Council, and it is spoken to some degree in all the planes. Most humans only know how to speak common. Common has a simple phonetic script.


Elven- The language of the elves was originally used in the Wilderness by both elves and sylphs. In the modern age, it is known by all elves but only used by half in Svalpana, and sylphs have almost completely dropped it as a language, picking up Common instead. Elven script consists of a complex array of phonetic characters that all look very similar.


Dwarvish- Created and used solely by dwarves. Most dwarves in Svalpana know it, but it is used rarely aboveground; only for ceremonies and ancient rituals. Its use continues in the Underworld, however, as most Underworlders simply refuse to speak Common. Dwarvish script is made up of a small set of phonetic characters combined with a large set of hieroglyphics.


Delvish- Originated in the Underworld. Orcs refused to learn Dwarvish, so they created their own language, and it has become not only the main language of even Svalpanan orcs, but all monsters in the Underworld capable of learning speech. Delvish has no written script.


Faux- A rarely used language known in its full form only by faux elders. Modern faux in the Wilderness use a hybrid of Common and Faux, and most Svalpanan faux just use Common. Faux script contains a vast array of hieroglyphics.


Draconic- Devised by the dragons of Svalpana, Draconic is spoken by most sentient monsters in Svalpana. It has a rather complicated phonetic script.


Divine- Created by angels when they were created themselves by the gods. It is still used in Heaven by angels and some others. It has no written form.


Infernal- Similar to Divine, Infernal was created by the Devils formed to do the evil gods' bidding. It is the accepted language of the Abyss. Infernal has no written form.


Ancient- The words of power spoken by the upper gods when creating the universe. A few are still known by the very most powerful wizards. There was a corresponding character set, but it is all but forgotten.


Distant- The original language of outsiders before they came to Svalpana. They now accept Common as their primary language, but a few outsiders know parts of the language. The script is a very basic phonetic set.

(Setting) Currency

In Svalpana, the currency which all value is compared to is the gold piece, notated as 'G'. There are additional elements to the system, however. The types of money officially recognized by the Grand Council are the copper piece (C), the silver piece (S), the gold piece (G), the platinum piece (P), and the diamond piece (D). The currency exchange rate is simple:
1D=100P=10000G=100000S=1000000C
The 'common' currencies, gold, silver, and copper, have a similar exchange rate, with 10C being worth 1S, and 10S being worth 1G. However, on the higher end of things, 1P is worth 100G, and 1D is worth 100P. This is to make huge transactions easier.


The standard design of any one of these pieces except the diamond is the same: a disc one inch in diameter and 1/8 of an inch thick, made of pure metal. Diamonds are cut in a square instead of a disc, but the measurements are the same. In high class-stores in large cities, only government currency, which is stamped on both sides with the insignia of the Grand Council, is accepted. Most everywhere else, any coin of the correct size is accepted.


To give a feel for the value of each of these pieces, here are some purchases involving each. An apple is worth about 2C. A cooking pan is worth 5S. A set of chain mail is worth 40G. A small chariot is worth 5P. An airship is worth in the neighborhood of 8D.


In the Wilderness, the concept of currency is basically non-existent. In the Underworld, anything that shines is treated as valuable, and substance doesn't matter as much as size. In Svalpana, the two types of currency that are not legally recognized but still used are the outsider azure crystal, colloquially known as 'az' (pronounced like measure), an ounce of which is worth around 10G to outsiders and less to others, and the Faux wooden piece, the Férnen, which is worth about the same as a gold piece to Faux and Sylphs, and also signifies trust.

(Setting) The Underworld

The Underworld is a maze of tunnels and caverns filled with monsters. It's basically one massive, never-ending dungeon. The plane itself is actually contained within the Wilderness's massive stalactites. Dwarves and Goblins call this plane home. There are many, MANY secrets contained within its stone confines.

(Setting) The Wilderness

The Wilderness is a vast flat, disc shaped planet that is covered in, well, wilderness. The northern part is all tropical jungle, while the southern half is deciduous forest. There is also a desert to the west and a very large swamp to the east. Underneath the flat surface, there is a giant, roughly cone-shaped mass of rock in which the Underworld is buried. There are said to be entrance points to the Underworld from the top, but their locations are closely guarded secrets.

(Setting) Heaven

Heaven is an infinite horizontal expanse of clouds which only those of good intentions can stand upon. It is the place where all good souls come to rest. In heaven, you can manipulate reality with your mind alone, meaning that you can create anything that you want. You cannot take anything from heaven, however, so you can't just shift up, make a sword, then shift back with it.Heaven is connected to the Abyss, so it is possible to find a hole in the clouds and simply fall down to Hell.

(Setting) The Abyss

The Abyss is the lowest plane. It is a dismal, blackened wasteland covered in fire-spewing volcanoes. It is an infinite plane, meaning that you can go in any direction forever. The Abyss exists as a home to the evil gods and as a final destination to the damned, who were evil before their death. The Abyss is directly connected to Heaven. The Abyss is the bottom of the system, and Heaven is the second layer, followed by open skies for infinity. Since it is possible to become judicial, and thus earning the white wings that come with the alignment, by doing enough good deeds, it is possible to fly your way out of the Abyss by earning your wings and flying straight up until you hit the bottom of Heaven.

(Setting) The Planar System

The entire world is made up of these five planes. They are all dramatically different, but they are not spatially exclusive, meaning when in one, it may be possible to travel to another without plane shifting. Heaven and the Abyss make up one system, and the Wilderness and the Underworld make up another. Svalpana is unique in its singularity.

(Setting) The Origin of the World

In the beginning of time, there were four almighty beings. Their names were Amaterasu, Menthu, Riojin, and Aolos. They poured all their power into making the planes. First they created heaven, then the abyss to compliment it. After those came the wilderness, and the underworld. The gods were running out of strength, so they decided to create one more plane, a combination of all the planes. It had the skies of heaven, the mountains of the abyss, the caves of the underworld and the forests of the wilderness. They called this plane Svalpana. The gods rested for 100,000 years, watching the plants grow, and fixing a mountain here and there. This was known as the first genesis. Next, the gods created creatures in their own image. Wolves, hawks, dragons, and minotaurs. This was hard, seeing as gods have awesome images. They required a suitable resting period of 500,000,000 years. This was the second genesis. When they were of full strength, they returned to looking at their collaborative creation and were astonished to find that the life they had created had changed, specialized, and evolved. From just four species had sprung millions of animals, ranging from rabbits to beholders. They were startled to realize that this evolution was possible, and decided to test how far it could go. They created seven single-celled organisms, and placed them in different planes and locations. The third genesis. It was a simple task for a god, so they began watching how the cells changed over time. They underwent many different changes, but sometimes the gods would find something in one of the creatures they liked, such as eyes, and hands, or the ability to walk on two feet, and nudge the rest in that direction. Eventually, assisted by the gods, those seven races became the dominant force of the world. Finally, a time came when one generation of all the races was absolutely perfect (according to the gods’ tastes, of course), and the gods picked one person from each of the races and made them a god as well. They were known as the lower gods, for they could not directly influence matter in the planes. They simply watched over their respective races, and if they saw a cause worth fighting for, they would fly down from heaven or the abyss, their homes. And when the races’ technology reached a certain point, the gods saw fit to stunt it indefinitely. This period was, and is, and forever will be called the Renaissance. And that is the story of everything.