An Overview of Gessa Part Two

Hello Adventurers, Arewys here with another installment of details on the Original 5e Content we are working on. The World of Gessa. We hope you enjoy the sneak peek.

This Overview of Gessa, will be released in several parts, as there is a lot of ground to cover and we wanted to parse it in digestible posts.

• The Great Archipelago
• The Great Archipelago connects Kerana with Xerac and is a well populated hotbed of various micronations. With ships running along the Archipelago frequently, this is also a hotbed for piracy.
• Samara
• Tailed Monkey Race, small, very common in the archipelago
• Baboon, Orangutan, and Monkey subraces
• Also found in Xerac and Nakta
• Modeled after various cultures where monkeys are found and various Island cultures
• The Mer
• The islands are their own, the sea is theirs. True Fish people of several subraces of various fish, including Shark, Octopus, and Fish subraces. 
• Culture largely based on Polynesian and other island cultures
• The Tauren
• Northern Archipelago, greek like 
• Island chain of warlike city states and famous for their wise philosophers.
• Races across Gessa have made settlements in the Great Archipelago, creating micro cultures on every other island, often mixing together and forming their own unique cultures
• Nakta
• Nakta is a continent east of Xerac and south of Kerana sitting over the Gessan Equator. A mix of races live here inspired by various African cultures
• Loxodon
• Elephant based race of Nakta and Xerac (African, Asian, and Mammoth based)
• Naktan Loxodon live on the plains and sometimes deserts in large villages.
• Builders of great monuments with a complex religion of many gods and spirits.
• Tabaxi (Panther and Lion)
• New Tabaxi subraces of different racial ability bonuses, features, and skills now divide the race into Big Cat, like tiger and lion, Tropical Panther like cats, and smaller Temperate and Desert cats
• Live in small villages and loose communities spread throughout many nations, with the largest concentrations in Nakta and Xerac, but most communities are temporary and mostly for the rearing of young or for banding together for protection.
• Nomadic and often spending most of their life solitary
• Gnoll
• Gender reversed, the Females lead the pack, males are subservient
• Desert dwelling, often acting as traders over the wide desert that divides the continent.
• Builders of Pyramids and obelisks along the shores of the longest river in Gessa, focused on celestial worship, though vastly different mythologies than the Astaran religion. 
• Xerac
• The Broken Continent is an epicenter of magic in the world, accelerating the evolution of many races, now flourishing cultures, distinct to every one of the 5 main Subcontinents and various islands. Unifying these races is the Ryukahn, a large imperial nation that either controls or trades with all of the other nations in Xerac. Compared to Kerana, spirits here are treated as people and are far more common place as the region is filled with more magic, left over from the fracturing that broke apart this continent. 
• Humans in Xerac
• Humans are found throughout Xerac and make up a large proportion in the multispecies societies found there. 
• Aarockora
• Monk-like nomads living in the high reaches of the mountains of the Northern Subcontinent. Gravity seems to be affected in this mountain range, with numerous floating islands making up their home.
• Ryukan
• The Dragonborn are now upgraded to a common race, living on all of the Xerac subcontinents, divided by 5 Elements covering Wood, living on the North western subcontinent  (Poison breath, Copper to Green scales), Fire living on the large Southeastern subcontinent (Scales ranging from Red to Brass), Water living on the small southern continent (Cold Breath, Ranging from Silver to Blue). Earth living with the Aarorckora on the Northern subcontinent (Acid breath, Brown and Black), and the Metal ones of the small central continent (Grey and burnished bronze scales, Electric breath)
• Imperial Society that controls much of Xerac. The nobility of the Ryukhan believe themselves to hold rule over the other races of Xerac by divine right. 
• Loxodon
• The Elephant based race live in the jungles of the western Xerac subcontinent
• Smaller than their Naktan cousins, they are similarly religious, though with a completely different pantheon. They create and steward many temples around Xerac
• Tabaxi (Rakshasa subrace)
• The Tiger-like Rakshasa subrace of Tabaxi are proud and ferocious. Their society has overtaken several smaller ones with a medium sized empire on the southern part of the Western continent. 
• Tortle
• Living in the swamps and rivers of the eastern continent, these Tortles live a quiet life fishing and tending to fields
• Naga
• The Snake derived Naga live in the jungles of the Eastern subcontinent, building cities in the midst of the rainforest. Come in Viper and Python esque subraces, corresponding to two subcultures within this society. 
• Builders of temples with a reputation for sacrifice. Fatalist religion believing that the spirits rule over each aspect of their lives. 
• Vulpe
• Fox derived race. Have a reputation for trickery and solitude, the Vulpen live in small communities or alone throughout Xerac. Two subraces, the White and Red Vulpen divide them by climate and culture. 
• Selacia
• Hobbit
• The Hobbits were native to this island before the Cataclysm, or so it is thought. They grew smaller as the wildlife around them grew larger. Giant bugs, vermin, and other animals grew to staggering proportions, and Hobbits domesticated many of them. From the Giant Hamsters they herd from the backs of Giant Badgers and normal sized dogs, the Dragonfly Riders of the Southern peaks, the Rabbits in their burrows, and the stewards of Firehoney producing insects from the Ataraxi Hive all form loose tribes, though the Firehoney tribe has spread further and wider due to their extensive trade of Firehoney products. Other pocket communities exist from diasporas following famines and war on Kerana, Jotunlund, and Xerac. 

Stay tuned for Part 3 of an Overview of Gessa next week!

Until then, Arewys...