Welcome to the world of Tomalyr!

Tomalyr, as depicted above, is a homebrew dnd campaign setting that's still in the works by yours truly, along with the assistance of some other friends.

On this blog I will be providing lore, updates on its progress, and occasional links to resources for players and DMs alike to make use of in their own campaigns.

While the various resources that will be featured on this blog are created with this particular setting in mind, many of them will be able to be removed from the setting an implemented into any other setting, be it Forgotten Realms or your own fantasy land!

I'm very excited to be able to share this project with everyone as it comes together!

Welcome to the World of Tomalyr!

A new chapter of The Realm Hopper's Guide has been added to the Tomalyrian Archives! This entry is all about the Eternal Orchard

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62326390/chapters/163113199#workskin

When choosing to study in depth magic as we know it, it is imperative first before all else to learn and fully commit to understanding what magic is and the very foundations of how it interacts and interlaces with reality as we know it.

At its very core, magic can be divided into three parts: Aether, ether, and mana. These three energies we cannot prove the existence of in any scientific manner, but they explain the phenomenon that is magic itself.

First and foremost we must understand aether, for aether is the very foundation of everything. Aether is the word we use to describe the fabric of reality, that substance that is at the very smallest part of every tangible thing. In this way, you may also here scholars of the arcane refer to aether as The Weave. Anything you can touch, every true ans real thing that we have, is apart of The Weave.

We must then understand ether, for etheric matter is the exception to the above. Souls and spirits, life essence itself, and similar facsimilies of it, are made of ether. This distinction is important, and you will soon understand why.

Mana, that final energy, is the energy spent when casting spells. Like your stamina, everyone has some level of mana that they can train overtime, allowing for the casting of more spells and more powerful spells. To explain it more scientifically and so to bring all of these ideas together, mana is the energy we expend to manipulate aether, and this combination, this action, is what we recognize as performing magic.

However, one might be familiar with necromancy, magic that deals in souls and life essence, and remember that such things are made of ether rather than aether, and it is in the only answer we've thusfar found that we understand why necromancy is so difficult a school of magic to excel in.

Where other schools of magic seek to reshape aether, to take reality and bend it to their will, necromancy seeks instead to use aether as a tool. Those who excel at necromancy are recognized as powerful, because they are essentially pulling the strings of a marionette in order to create and surgically reimplant a heart.

That is to say, if you were to understand aether like fabric, most magic is some form of using that fabric to make or otherwise do something that fabric was meant to do. Evocation is compelling the fabric to sew itself into a shirt, Illusion is making a poor quality fabric appear like an expensive one, and Transmutation is taking a pair of trousers or two and turnining it all into a jacket. Necromancy, however, is taking that fabric and turning it into strings with which you will puppet a marionette, and using that puppet to perform surgery, where the actual surgery itself is the spell and the creation of the puppet and the puppeteering is merely the casting of the spell.

In basic terms, using mana to use aether to manipulate ether.

This is the foundation of magic, the core elements at play when any magician meaningfully alters reality itself. Next, we will discuss the various schools of magic and what they all mean, and then the building blocks of spells, the components that make a spell and determine what it will do when cast. If at any point you struggle to keep up, do not fret. It is only with confusion and curiosity that we can meaningfully change reality.

- Arcane Foundations, by Headmaster Galitheo of the Lariance Institute of Arcane Learning

So I might have gotten a little Silly lately and redesigned the sigils of the Alurnian territories...

In order are Warzone, Ashdolyr, Wavedreal, Everwillow, Icolyth, Infernium, Tombheart, and Heavtalys

I'll be turning all of these into custom wax seal designs for myself

Very excited :D

The realms are a tricky thing to map out physically in a way that is both accurate and also comprehendable. The trouble with them, many scholars and realm hoppers alike believe, is that they likely were never meant to be understood by mortal minds. But we try nonetheless.

Imagine Tomalyr as an orb at the very center of a much larger sphere. The miniscule core the other realms encase and orbit. Now imagine that larger sphere encasing Tomalyr. This sphere represents both The Eternal Orchard and the Ethereal realm. Both are infinite expanses, but I must ask you to temporarily ignore that fact, and also to imagine that Tomalyr is very close to the Ethereal Realm as opposed to being in the center of this sphere, as the Ethereal Realm runs parallel to Tomalyr.

On the Orchard, part of the sphere are three bubbles (smaller realms directly attached to the Orchard itself, governed by separate beings but still connected by The Path), one is Faewood, one is the Cat Trees, and the other the Bloodfields. Beneath Death's Door (the Ethereal Realm), but not quite touching Tomalyr, are 2 other bubbles, the Halls of Fate and the Labyrinth of Insanity (the labyrinth almost touches both Death's Door and Tomalyr).

Multiple other realms orbit The Orchard (but not the Ethereal Realm) and are accessible from it. The Fire Fields, Serpent's Cove, the Red Cathedral, and the Crystal Wastes (which contains the Tinkerer's Attic) can all be reached directly from the Orchard, like branches off a tree, but are not connected by The Path.

Similarly, the Hells, also known to us as Gehanemi, is a branch off of Death's Door that contains 2 of its own sub-realms, the War Room and the Executioner's Chamber. It notably does not connect to The Orchard, only to the Ethereal realm.

Assuming you have not yet gone mad attempting to imagine the strange contraption that would have to be made in order to properly visualize the realms thus far, we must now further complicate things by adding yet another sphere. This sphere, which encapsulates all the others, represents both Celestria (the astral realm) and Aphroskaia. While separate realms, much like the Orchard and Death's Door, they are connected to one another, 2 halves of one whole, so to speak. Thankfully, no sub-realms so far appear to attach to either.

If this wasn't enough, I must now ask that you take this collection of spheres we've made and add another around it, but violently break this one and then attempt to rebuild it, but poorly so that it does not connect all the way around and is actually a mix of 2 different metals now haphazardly interwoven. This is Kushiro, Light and Darkness broken and interlocking together. What should be two realms are forcibly one, and there are holes in it where one can fall beyond its bounds.

And now you must be thinking that surely this is it, and it nearly is, but now is when truly most give up on trying to understand. You must now acknowledge the 2 final realms, Magia and Abyss. Magia is everything tangible in the collection of spheres, it is the weave itself, and Abyss is nearly every bit of empty space in and around it. Abyss is almost everything that is nothing. I say nearly because there is, around every sphere, a small barrier of intangibility that manages to connect them all. This is the Space Between as we Realm Hoppers call it, and we know very little of it other than to jot fall into it. None have ever returned from the space between.

It is rumored that somewhere within all of this, there is one final realm that connects them all together; a domain ruled by none, referred to as Haven's Rest. We do not know where it is in relation to all other realms, merely that it does exist and the gods desperately want to keep us Realm Hoppers out of it. But we are mortals. And therefore, we try nonetheless.

- The Realm Hopper's Guide, by [REDACTED]

I haven't left! Just been doing a lot of work behind the scenes with actual players and have been playtesting some of our bigger stuff!

Maybe I'll post something later tonight after my session with one of my parties, I think we could stand to see some items posted here.

For longer than written records have been kept, the empire of Bracktoss has been ruled by Croilia Larynx, a woman dubbed The Iron Empress many years ago.

She elevated the economy to a point at which poverty became known as living only with functional shelter, functional clothes, and enough food to eat.

She funded technological efforts that have brought the empire well into the age of steampunk, most laborious duties now being tended to by technology, and the people of the country being encouraged to practice craftsmanship.

She took hold of the military and was able to finally begin to beat back the neighboring country of Rhystus and reclaim lost land and cities.

Few rules must be followed.

Did I mention she wants to to take over the world?

Surely corruption cannot rule if she never passes on the throne.

While it was long ago agreed upon that currency across the lands should be consistent, that hasn't stopped the continents of Tomalyr from trying to differentiate themselves.

The currencies of Alurn, Berolan, and Eratainia in that order.

The emblems seen on the Alurnian coins from left to right: Ashdolyr, Tombheart, Everwillow, Wavedreal, Heavtalys

Berolian emblems: Rhystus (sword and shield) and Bracktoss (5-petal lily)

Eratainian emblems: Rubius (diamond) and Saphros (cloud and waterdrop)

Jalicho Ranier is a well renowned and scarily infamous Alurnian wizard, known for pulling spells apart at their seams only to put them back together in destructive combinations. Here is one such spell.

Jalicho's Acid Flame

1st Level Evocation

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self (15 ft cone)

Components: VS

Duration: Instantaneous

Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock

As you hold your hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, a thin sheet of sickly green flames shoots forth from your outstretched fingertips. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The fire ignites any objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried, and burns like acid, allowing it to slowly burn through typically non-flammable materials.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

In conjunction with the development of the Timekeeper artificer subclass, a new cantrip has been created!

Minor Immovable Object

Enchantment (Chronurgy) Cantrip

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: 10 feet

Components: VS

Duration: 1 minute

Classes: Bard, Wizard, Artificer

You temporarily freeze an object in time, immobilizing it entirely wherever it may be.

Choose 10 nonmagical objects within range that are not being worn or carried by another creature. Tiny targets count as 1 object, Small targets count as 2 objects. You cannot choose an object larger than Small.

Until the end of the duration, or until you end the spell early as a bonus action, the chosen objects cannot be moved in any manner.

Any frozen projectiles maintain their momentum after the spell ends.

Updates on some developmental stuff!

Warlock Patron: The Alchemical Fear Eater

The Alchemical Fear Eater patron is an alchemist that has taken their experiments far beyond what the field of magical medicine would ordinarily reach. Those who have taken their serums and used them to create horrible creatures and spread powerful poisons. Pestilent and powerful, these beings thrive on the fear and unease that is spawned by their abominable creations, fast acting poisons, and swift-spreading diseases.

Warlocks who fall under patronage of these alchemists often seek to harness this fear and learn the ways of managing poisons and diseases. To harness pestilence is to keep your enemies at a distance in fear of the havoc your patron’s domain may wreak. Only the strong willed are willing to fight at the side of one of these warlocks

Expanded Spell List

Aura of Fear

Starting at 1st level, your patron grants you the ability to frighten those around you. As an action, you create a 15ft radius in a sphere centered on yourself that moves with you. For the duration of a minute, any creature that is within or otherwise enters the radius must make a Wisdom saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, creatures within the outer 10ft are frightened of you until the end of their next turn and must use their full movement speed at the start of their next turn to flee as far as possible from you. A creature who is afraid of you in this manner will not knowingly run into dangerous terrain or a physical trap. 

If a creature is within 5ft of you when you use this feature, on a failed save the creature is instead paralyzed for a minute, and is frightened as listed above on a success. A paralyzed creature may make another Wisdom saving throw at the start of their turn each subsequent round, ending the effect early on a success.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), and you regain all expended uses of this feature when you complete a short or long rest.

Air of Pestilence

At 6th level, your patron bestows upon you an affinity to poison and sickness. You are immune to poison and disease and your blood becomes toxic. Any creature that bites you must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d10 poison damage and become poisoned.

Additionally, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

Veil of Terror

At 10th level, you have learned to let fear envelop you to get your way. When a creature you can see that can also see you makes an attack roll, before knowing the outcome of the roll, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack. When you do this, the creature must also make a Wisdom saving throw against your Warlock Spell Save DC or be frightened by you for a minute. You may do this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), and you regain all uses upon completing a short or long rest.

Additionally, you now have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Abominable Creation

At 14th level, your patron grants you the secrets to manifest a creature of fear. As an action on your turn you may summon a Gibbering Mouther in an unoccupied space you can see within 30 ft of you. It is loyal to you and will not directly attack you or your companions. All saves made against the effects of the Mouther are made against your Spell Save DC instead.

As a Bonus Action on each of your turns you can instruct the Gibbering Mouther to move 10 feet in a direction of your choice or to attack a creature of your choice that you and it can see. The Gibbering Mouther melts away into a puddle of blood after 1 minute or if you dismiss it as an action.

You must complete a long rest before making use of this feature again.

Eldritch Invocations

Pestilent Force 

Prerequisite: Alchemical Fear Eater patron, Pact of the Blade feature 

When you make an attack with your pact weapon, you may add your Constitution modifier to the attack and damage rolls instead of your strength or dexterity.

Frightening Familiar 

Prerequisite: Alchemical Fear Eater patron, Pact of the Chain feature 

When you use your Aura of Fear ability, you can choose instead for the effect to be centered on your familiar. 

Diagnosis 

Prerequisite: Alchemical Fear Eater patron, Pact of the Tome feature 

Place a creature's hand (or an equivalent appendage) on your Book of Shadows. After 1 minute, there will be a page within it describing the creature's race, age, height, and weight. If the creature hosts any wound, disease, or poison, a diagram of that creature will also appear, showing the location of said wound, disease, or poison on and/or in the body, as well as the name of the poison or disease. This feature cannot be used on constructs. 

Fight Or Flight 

Prerequisite: Alchemical Fear Eater patron, Pact of the Talisman feature 

When the wearer of your talisman takes damage from a melee attack, they may use their reaction to harness the fear you emanate. The creature that dealt the damage must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Warlock spell save DC or be frightened by the wearer of your talisman for a minute. 

This feature may be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. All expended uses are refilled after completing a long rest. 

In Sickness And In Health 

Prerequisite: Alchemical Fear Eater patron, 9th level 

Once per day, you may use this feature to create a vial of a liquid. You may choose one of the following effects for the liquid to have: 

Healing: The liquid has the effects of a greater potion of healing (4d4 + 4). 

Paralytic: A creature that ingests the liquid must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be paralyzed for 1 minute. 

Poison: A creature that ingests the liquid must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 5d10 poison damage and be poisoned. 

Disease: A creature that ingests the liquid must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become feverish. The creature suffers a point of exhaustion. 

The liquid maintains the chosen effect until used or until you use this feature again.