Welcome to Dasaria

[Jehannum]

Dasaria was 1st born as a pen and paper campaign as a project among a group of friends to provide a unique gaming experience for our players, and as NWN was born...So was the online version of Dasaria. It originated as a collaborative effort with different people adding modules and episodes along a central storyline, and this continues in NWN

You will find that leveling is slower here in Dasaria than in the single player campaign, and that loot is quite scarce. We hope that by this...A level will mean more and a good item will be treasured. It is full pvp on the server. To be otherwise will, we feel, limit the role-playing capacities of our players and limit the fun. Grief PK'ing out of character and out of context of the world is frowned upon, but is possible here. If you’re having a hard time with someone, your best bet is to shout out for help, we are sure the stronger players would love to come to your aid and score a kill....

Dasaria is the name of the nation that is central to the storyline in this world. It’s a small nation that has been wracked by a war with a larger and richer nation to the west called Varana. The war has continued for over a generation and has slowed over the recent years to a less of a full scale invasion, to more of a constant economic pressure and isolated aggression. Some of the great cities of Dasar have been destroyed, while some are occupied by the enemies, and yet others retain their independence

It is required that players are familiar with the rules and the pvp-code of honor.

[Jehannum]

Dasar is the nation in which the module will take place. I will post more of its history soon.

Here is a link that shows the campaign map:
http://www.dasaria.net/files/dasariamap1.jpg

And Here is a little list of cities and areas and towns in dasar---its far from a complete list, but it may be helpful in making your character history and bringing it to life.

Rian--ancient forest- home of elves and a place of superstition. Legend says that people who venture into that wood forget who they are and never come home.

City of Dasar- Once a military stronghold and city- now is in ruins from the war with Varana

Varana- a rich nation to the west of dasar that has been at war with the county of dasar for an entire generation (around 26 years)

Lendose- a farming and very religous community- most people who live here are devoted followers of the godess Ki.

Solace: once the suburb of the city of Dasar, it has become a place of thieves and seedy characters predominantly.

Corda. A town famous for their horses. A rugged people of practical nature. A strict code of morality exists here. Tough and martial in nature.

Daris- an ancient village, once a community that sprawled for miles, but since the war has receded to what was once the center of town. Its people are un-pretentious and plain, but possesed of a strong courage and independance.

Caer. The home of a great university. A city of academics and commerce. Wizards are common here.

Kor- a mountainous region to the northwest of Dasar, home of orcs and rumored to hold a great citadel of the orcish race.

Morell- another small village, rumored to be aligning themselves with varana, a rugged and normally practical people.

DIETIES:
Heres some info on the Mythos that will be a good basic one for us to use for the "power-that-be" the the world
Ripped off from AD&D: Dieties and Demigods

Enlil-Air and War God-Ruler of the Pantheon, Alignment neutral good. Symbol: PickAxe. Animal:raven. Secrifices monthly of gems. Colors: red, white

Enki/ or Ramman- God of rivers and oceans- Alignment Lawful Neutral. Animal:Ibex (mountain goat) Scarifices monthly of precious metals. Colors: sea green

Inanna/ or Ishtar: War goddess/goddess of Love, Alignment Neutral. Symbol: Shepherds Staff. Animal: Cat Sacrifices monthly of artwork. Colors: lime. Worshippers- any lovers or warriors-not necessarily evil.

Ki Goddess of Nature. Alignment Neutral, her clerics are Druids. Symbol Iris. Animal: Tiger Sacrifices semiannually-burnt rams. Colors: Forest green

Nanna-Sin, Moon God, Chaotic Good. Symbol Jet black axe of Moon. Animal: Owl. Sacrifices monthly of gems. COlors: silver, blue

Nin-Hursag Goddess of earth. ALignment Neutral. Symbol:Blue-White Diamond. Animal: Mole. Sacrifices annually of weapons
Colors: dust

Utu -Sun God, Chaotic good Symbol Raidiant sun disc. Animal: Falcon. Sacrifices annually of weapons. Colors range.

Anu-God of the sky, animal-dragon. Colors: Azure. Holy Day- full moon. Alignment: Lawful Neutral. Worshippers alignment: Any. Symbol: Gold sun partially blocked by a black cloud.

Anshar God of darkness and the night. Animal-Raven. Color: Deep Grey. Alignment: CE. Worshipers alignment: CE-NE. Symbol: Black Sphere

Dahak- 3 headed dragon spirit of death.

Druaga- ruler of the underworld. Animal: Devil Colors- Yellow. Alignment: Lawful Evil. Worshippers Alignment: LE. Symbol: Ruby Mace

Girru God of fire Animal: Pheonix. Color: Scarlet. Alignment: Lawful Good. Worshippers Alignment- NG and LG. Symbol: Fire Enwrapped Axe

Marduk- God of the city, wind thunder, storms and rain. Animal: Any Bird. Color- Gold. Symbol: Silvery Net

Nergal-god of the underworld. Animal: Earth Grub. Color: Black..Symbol: Shield

Ramman: Sea God-Storms. Animal: Seagull. Color: Amber.. Alignment: Neutral. Worshippers Alignment: Any


If youre playing a cleric, try to choose the domains to correspond with your diety. Also dont forget to choose a diety in the "DIETY" listing when you make your character...it may be something we use later. So even if youre not a cleric- choose one.

heres a link with more info on the mythology. The names may be different, but you should find a correspondence. If you dont see a diety listed that you want listed- post it here.

Sumerian FAQ
http://home.comcast.net/~chris.s/sumer-faq.html

Babylon Mythos
http://home.comcast.net/~chris.s/assyrbabyl-faq.html

[Jehannum]

A little more info on the mythology- cut and pasted from various sources

A little more general Diety Info:


Anu "chief god"
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Holy symbol: Gold sun partially blocked by a gray cloud
Domains: War, Strength, Air and Law
Anu is responsible for bring Laws and order to the chaos that was mankind. Worshipers of Anu and especially clerics seek to bring order to all of mankind. The chief judge of any city will be the high-priest of Anu. His favorite weapon is the heavy mace.
Worshipers of Anu hold dragons in great reverence for Anu was given the control of dragons after the destruction of Tiamat by Marduk.

Anshar/Alinkahar "god of darkness and the night and magic"
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Holy Symbol: Black Sphere
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Magic and Earth
Alinkahar was one of the gods that sided with Tiamat to escape the wrath of Marduk. He escaped through the shadow cast by Marduk. Alinkahar is constantly plotting to bring about the destruction of the other Hibreew gods. Though there are no government sanctioned temple to him with in almost every city of the Hibreew there are temples located in either the slums of the city, a cave outside of the city or in some underground complex with in the city. He is worshiped by mages that wish to over throw the theocracy, thieves and others who trade is aided by the darkness both literal and the darkness of illegality. His favorite weapon is the envenomed dagger.

Druaga "god of the devil world"
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Holy Symbol: Ruby Mace
Domains: Evil and Law
Druaga was one of the earth gods to side with Anu, Ea and Marduk in the creation battle because of this he lost his domain of earth. Drauga was place in charge of hell after the defeat of Tiamat. His plots do not the overthrowing of the Hibreew gods like Alinkahar but rather to trick Marduk to take his place. He usually has a Temple with in the temple complex of the Hibreew and it is here that the execution of prisoners is held. His temples do not have priest. His worshipper and priest usually hold services in secrete outside of the city or a town that has been 'converted'. His favorite weapon is a red heavy mace.

Ea "god of magic and the sweet waters"
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Holy Symbol: A well
Domains: Water, Magic, Law and Protection
Ea got his domain by casting a spell to place his ancestor Apsu into a deep sleep to prevent his and Anu's destruction by the elder god. Ea is the god of magic and the most powerful wizard of the gods. He is also the god of the springs, ground water and protection. Mages and farmers are the most numerous of the professions of his followers. His favorite weapon is the sling. He attributed with creating mankind to work the lands for the gods. He is the wisest of the gods and is often in the role as advisor. His clerics often become counselors and diplomats.


Girru "god of fire"
Alignment: Lawful Good
Holy Symbol: Fire-enwrapped Axe
Domains: Fire, Law and Good
Girru persuaded Marduk to give mankind fire. Girru is a very good friend of Marduk and often acts as his conscience. Persuading Marduk to have mercy in his judgments. The clerics of Girru are the only people allowed to help those accused of crimes to find mercy from the judgments of the High priest of Anu. Girru often would battle Alinkahar on Marduk behast to prevent Druaga from taking Marduk throne in his absents. Worshipper of Girru cannot stand evil in any form and will try to bring the evil to justice. His favorite weapon is the battle-axe.

Ishtar "goddess of love (erotic) and battle"
Alignment: Neutral
Holy Symbol: Blue crystal rod
Domains: Strength, War and Luck
Ishtar is the goddess of all strong emotions love, hate, ecstasy and battle rage. Her worshippers seek the wisdom with in these strong emotions. Warriors, artist and prostitutes worship her. As the goddess of war she often appears as a bearded woman and as the goddess of love she appears as a beautiful fertile woman.

Marduk (Bel, Lord) "god of gods"
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Holy Symbol: Silvery Net
Domains: Strength, War, Law and Air
Marduk, king of the gods, slayer of Tiamat and creator of the world is worshipped by most of the citizenry of the Hibreew Empire. His favorite weapon is the bow. His clerics often take a quest to craft their own bows. His sacred animals are horses, dogs, and dragons.

Nergal "god of the underworld"
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Holy Symbol: A black sword and shield
Doamins: Death, Evil, and Destruction
Babylonian god of the dead, Nergal gained this position by the use of an escort of fourteen demons which followed him around;he descended to the netherworld and forced its mistress Ereshkigal to agree to be his consort, and give him dominion over not only her, but her realm also. Nergal was represented as wearing a crown and waited upon by the fourteen demons through which he had gained admittance to the underworld. He was the god of plague, pestilence, fire, battle and the desert

Utu/Shamesh "sun god"
Alginment: Neutral Good
Holy Symbol: Rising sun
Domains: Sun, Air and Good
Sin "moon god" Aliginment: Neutral
Holy Symbol: Cresent Moon
Domains: Moon, Air, Magic
Sin was the father of the sun god, Shamash (Sumerian: Utu), and, in some myths, of Ishtar (Sumerian: Inanna), goddess of Venus, and with them formed an astral triad of deities.
Nanna, the Sumerian name for the moon god, may have originally meant only the full moon, whereas Su-en, later contracted to Sin, designated the crescent moon. At any rate, Nanna was intimately connected with the cattle herds that were the livelihood of the people in the marshes of the lower Euphrates River, where the cult developed. (The city of Ur, of the same region, was the chief centre of the worship of Nanna.) The crescent, Nanna's emblem, was sometimes represented by the horns of a great bull. Nanna bestowed fertility and prosperity on the cowherds, governing the rise of the waters, the growth of reeds, the increase of the herd, and therefore the quantity of dairy products produced. His consort, Ningal, was a reed goddess. Each spring, Nanna's worshipers reenacted his mythological visit to his father, Enlil, at Nippur with a ritual journey, carrying with them the first dairy products of the year. Gradually Nanna became more human: from being depicted as a bull or boat, because of his crescent emblem, he came to be represented as a cowherd or boatman.
Sin was represented as an old man with a flowing beard-a wise and unfathomable god-wearing a headdress of four horns surmounted by a crescent moon. The last king of Babylon, Nabonidus (reigned c. 556-539 BC), attempted to elevate Sin to a supreme position within the pantheon

The Creation Myth
Overview:
From the mixing of Apsu (sweet water) and Tiamat (salt water) there arose the gods, Mummu (the waves), and Lakhmu and Lakhamu (gigantic twin serpents). The serpents produced Anshar (heaven) and Kishar (earth). From these two came Anu, Enlil, and Ea, as well as all the other gods of the sky, earth, and underworld. Apsu and Tiamat became angered because of the noise made by such a large group of gods, and began talking about killing off their progeny so they could get some rest. When Ea, the all-knowing, learned of this he used his magic to capture Apsu and Mummu. Tiamat was furious and raised a large army of gods and freaks to battle Ea and his cohorts. Anu and Ea became frightened and Ea created Marduk to battle Tiamat. Marduk promised to do so if he were granted supremacy over all the other gods. All the gods agreed and Marduk, armed with bow and arrows, lightning, the winds, a hurricane, and a special net sallied forth to battle Tiamat. When they clashed, Marduk caught Tiamat in his special net, and as she opened her mouth to swallow him, loosed the hurricane into her mouth. As she swelled from the hurricane within her, Marduk slew her with an arrow into her belly. Then he cast the net again capturing her army within it. These he chained and cast into the underworld. From her corpse the world is created. He was then proclaimed God of the Gods.
Tablet IV
They set up a throne for Marduk and he sat down facing his forefathers to receive the government. 'One god is greater than all great gods, a fairer fame, the word of command, the word from heaven, O Marduk, greater than all great gods, the honor and the fame, the will of Anu, great command, unaltering and eternal word! Where there is action the first to act, where there is government the first to govern; to glorify some, to humiliate some, that is the gift of the god, Truth absolute, unbounded will; which god dares question it? In their beautiful places a place is kept for you, Marduk, our avenger. 'We have called you here to receive the scepter, to make you king of the whole universe. When you sit down in the Synod you are the arbiter; in the battle your weapon crushes the enemy. 'Lord, save the life of any god who turns to you; but as for the one who grasped evil, from that one let his life drain out.' They conjured then a kind of apparition and made it appear in front of him, and they said to Marduk, the first-born son, 'Lord, your word among the gods arbitrates, destroys, creates: then speak and this apparition will disappear. Speak again, again it will appear.' He spoke and the apparition disappeared. Again he spoke and it appeared again. When the gods had proved his word they blessed him and cried, 'MARDUK IS KING!'
They robed him in robes of a king, the scepter and the throne they gave him, and matchless war-weapons as a shield against the adversary. 'Be off. Slit life from Tiamat, and may the winds carry her blood to the world's secret ends.'
The old gods had assigned to Bel what he would be and what he should do, always conquering, always succeeding; Then Marduk made a bow and strung it to be his own weapon, he set the arrow against the bow-string, in his right hand he grasped the mace and lifted it up, bow and quiver hung at his side, lightnings played in front of him, he was altogether an incandescence. He netted a net, a snare for Tiamat; the winds from their quarters held it, south wind, north, east wind, west, and no part of Tiamat could escape.
With the net, the gift of Anu, held close to his side, he himself raised up IMHULLU the atrocious wind, the tempest, the whirlwind, the hurricane, the wind of four and the wind of seven, the tumid wind worst of all. All seven winds were created and released to savage the guts of Tiamat, they towered behind him. Then the tornado ABUBA his last great ally, the signal for assault, he lifted up. He mounted the storm, his terrible chariot, reins hitched to the side, yoked four in hand the appalling team, sharp poisoned teeth, the Killer, the Pitiless, Trampler, Haste, they knew arts of plunder, skills of murder. He posted on his right the Batterer, best in the mêlée; on his left the Battle-fury that blasts the bravest, lapped in this armor, a leaping terror, a ghastly aureole; with a magic word clenched between his lips, a healing plant pressed in his palm, this lord struck out.
He took his route towards the rising sound of Tiamat's rage, and all the gods besides, the fathers of the gods pressed in around him, and the lord approached Tiamat. He surveyed her scanning the Deep, he sounded the plan of Kingu her consort; but so soon as Kingu sees him he falters, flusters, and the friendly gods who filled the ranks beside him- when they saw the brave hero, their eyes suddenly blurred.
But Tiamat without turning her neck roared, spitting defiance from bitter lips, 'Upstart, do you think yourself too great? Are they scurrying now from their holes to yours?' Then the lord raised the hurricane, the great weapon he flung his words at the termagant fury, 'Why are you rising, your pride vaulting, your heart set on faction, so that sons reject fathers? Mother of all, why did you have to mother war? 'You made that bungler your husband, Kingu! You gave him the rank, not his by right, of Anu. You have abused the gods my ancestors, in bitter malevolence you threaten Anshar, the king of all the gods. 'You have marshaled forces for battle, prepared the war-tackle. Stand up alone and we will fight it you, you and I alone in battle.'
When Tiamat heard him her wits scattered, she was possessed and shrieked aloud, her legs shook from the crotch down, she gabbled spells, muttered maledictions, while the gods of war sharpened their weapons. Then they met: Marduk, that cleverest of gods, and Tiamat grappled alone in singled fight. The lord shot his net to entangle Tiamat, and the pursuing tumid wind, Imhullu, came from behind and beat in her face. When the mouth gaped open to suck him down he drove Imhullu in, so that the mouth would not shut but wind raged through her belly; her carcass blown up, tumescent,.
She gaped- And now he shot the arrow that split the belly, that pierced the gut and cut the womb. Now that the Lord had conquered Tiamat he ended her life, he flung her down and straddled the carcass; the leader was killed, Tiamat was dead her rout was shattered, her band dispersed.
Those gods who had marched beside her now quaked in terror, and to save their own lives, if they could, they turned their backs on danger But they were surrounded, held in a tight circle, and there was no way out. He smashed their weapons and tossed them into the net; they found themselves inside the snare, they wept in holes and hid in corners suffering the wrath of god. When they resisted he put in chains the eleven monsters, Tiamat's unholy brood, and all their murderous armament. The demoniac band that has marched in front of her he trampled in the ground;
But Kingu the usurper, he chief of them, he bound and made death's god. He took the Tables of Fate, usurped without right, and sealed them with his seal to wear on his own breast. When it was accomplished, the adversary vanquished, the haughty enemy humiliated; when the triumph of Anshar was accomplished on the enemy, and the will of Nudimmud was fulfilled, then brave Marduk tightened the ropes of the prisoners. He turned back to where Tiamat lay bound, he straddled the legs and smashed her skull ( for the mace was merciless), he severed the arteries and the blood streamed down the north wind to the unknown ends of the world.
When the gods saw all this they laughed out loud, and they sent him presents. They sent him their thankful tributes. The lord rested; he gazed at the huge body, pondering how to use it, what to create from the dead carcass. He split it apart like a cockle-shell; with the upper half he constructed the arc of sky, he pulled down the bar and set a watch on the waters, so they should never escape. He crossed the sky to survey the infinite distance; he station himself above apsu, that apsu built by Nudimmud over the old abyss which now he surveyed, measuring out and marking in. He stretched the immensity of the firmament, he made Esharra, the Great Palace, to be its earthly image, and Anu and Enlil and a had each their right stations





Marduk

Babylon. Glorious city of the ancients. City of ancient gods. Home of Marduk. Marduk of the fifty names.
Mighty Marduk, the all powerful war god and sky god of the Babylonians, built Babylon as his home and created humankind to dwell there and toil there for the gods after he slew the evil Tiamat – so myth tells us.
Son of Ea and Dumkina, Marduk began his existence in the deep abyss, in the heart of the holy Apsu. He was born whole, strong, and beautiful with four eyes and four ears, and it is said that he spat fire when he spoke. He had the gift of magic and command over the winds. Indeed, Marduk was a hero, a leader right from his birth. He belongs to the younger gods and was chosen King of the Igigi to destroy Tiamat.
Tiamat, the terrible earth goddess, is primeval chaos. She belongs to the rank of the older gods, whom she has been threatening and abusing. And it is Marduk who is called upon to kill her in the Babylonian Creation Myth.
The Babylonian Creation Myth tells of the battle between Marduk and Tiamat, between good and evil. This myth was most likely first written down between the 8th and 12th century BCE but it comes from an earlier time, from ancient Sumerian mythology, from the Enuma Elish.
Marduk, greater than all the gods, was chosen avenger of the gods and made king. His heroic task was to kill Tiamat for her terror and abuse of the gods. So Marduk fashioned a net to ensnare her, then he called upon the winds and mounted his chariot led by his fierce team and set out after the great monster. He followed the sound of Tiamat’s rage and found her. Tiamat tried to undo Marduk with spells and words, but Marduk was too clever for her. He challenged her to one-on-one battle and she accepted. They fought hard and finally Marduk caught her in his net using the winds against her. Tiamat in return tried to swallow Marduk but he sent Imhullu into her. This wind raged through her body, holding her mouth open and blew her up. Then mighty Marduk shot an arrow which pierced her belly and her heart and he straddled her dead body in victory. Next, he destroyed her evil band of followers by trampling them into the ground and he recovered the Tablet of Destinies from them. Returning to Tiamat’s carcass he wondered what to do with her remains, so he smashed her skull and severed her arteries, the blood streaming forth on the north wind to the far reaches of the world. He ripped her huge dead body in two and raised the top half to create the arc of the sky. Her eyes became the source for the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers and from her udders Marduk made the mountains. The gods rejoiced in Marduk’s victory over the evil Tiamat and lavished him with gifts including his fifty names. Marduk surveyed the great expanse of the sky that he created and then chose Babylon as his home on earth and created humans to work the land.
This is the story of creation according to Babylonian myth. It recalls the violence we saw in the Norse Creation Myth where Odin and his brothers killed Ymir and then used his body to create the world. Though, of course, the Babylonian myth is much earlier than the Norse myth.
What does this myth tell us about the ancient Babylonians? It tells us that they revered their powerful god Marduk as the Great Creator, but it also give us insight into what they thought of themselves. Since they were created by their god solely to work the land and serve the gods they did not expect much in the way of eternal salvation. They were at the mercy of their gods for their lives and then went to a dreadful afterlife. They were the servants, the slaves of the gods. But they rejoiced in life, in simply being alive, and they enjoyed what wonders life had to offer them.