The Setting is a heavily wooded region, with tribal cultures with a slight spirit magic theme.
Think dark age/early medieval German forests.
Lots of thick woodlands, with several large rivers running through them.
Human settlements are based in cleared areas of the woods, as are the roads connecting many of the towns and villages.
The main culture is a tribal one, with a number of Clans who hold sway in different areas. It's not like each clan is a country, and members of different clans are found all over. But each settlement or region tends to be dominated by one or two clans. The clans are human for the most part, although some clans include elves, gnomes or halflings.
The main region is known as the Clan lands, and is the area that is under the control of the eight clans.
The region is ruled by the Council of Elders, which is made up of 2 elders from each of the 8 clans. Of the two council members from each clan, one is always the Speaker of the clan the senior elder and leader of that clan, the other is normally which ever of the clans elders the clan elects to represent them in the council.
The centre of Clan lands is the city of Sanctuary, at the heart of which is the Sacred Grove in which the Council of Elders meet, and where important sacred rites are carried out. The sacred grove is normally forbidden to all but the Council of Elders and their appointed representatives, and the druidic/clerical order of The Green Heart which maintains the grove. Sanctuary itself is not under the control of any of the individual clans, instead each clan has a section of the city radiating out from the Sacred Grove like the spokes of a wheel. Sanctuary is a large city, population of over 100,000.
Clans:
Silver Raven's ChildrenOne of the oldest clans, also one of the smallest and the most independent. They like to follow their own path, and don't necessarily like to restrict themselves to the traditions of the clans. They are the most welcoming of outsiders, even some of the more savage non humans, and as a result there are many clan members who are not human, there is for example a high proportion of half elves in the clan, and a good number of half orcs also.
Wizards, Bards, and Sorcerers are all common, and anyone who devotes themselves to a cause is respected, such as Paladins or Cavaliers.
The leadership of this clan is a lot more fluid than the other clans, with different elders stepping the fore at different times. This has lead to the rumour that the Silver Raven's Children never send the same elder to the council twice, although this is not actually true.
Whispering Mist SpidersFangs of the Stone WolfThis clan has a vigerous martial outlook. Fighting, hunting, adventure and travel, as well as a respect of nature are looked upon favourably. Pride is taken in your own deeds and those of your kin. Fighters, Rangers, and Barbarians are common amongst this clan, with Druids, and Bards also respected but less common.
Burning Oak DisciplesThe Swarm of DarknessThe oldest, strongest and most respected of the clans. They have a reputation as warriors and protectors, both of the clans and of the spirits, and as diplomats and leaders. Fighters, Paladins, Clerics, and Druids are common.
The Walking Devil BearsThe Drowned River GhostsIron Boar AdvocatesThe youngest of the clans, founded less than 200 years ago. They have a great love of knowledge and creating things, especially new things. There are many craftsmen among them, and wizards and alchemists are common. Any practitioner of the arcane arts is respected.
There is also a seafaring culture made up of a number of coastal city states, that controls small sections of coastal plains. For these think Greek city states. They refer to themselves as the Descendants of Talassa.
They came from a large city state called Talassa on another continent, which was destroyed many hundreds of years ago in massive disaster. The decendants cities were small trading colonies at the time, when Talassa was wiped out. Some survivors of the disaster fled to the colonies and they've grown stronger over the centuries. They're only united by their common heritage, and many of the cities spend a lot of time fighting with each other.
There are some mountain regions scattered around, each of which is home to settlements of dwarfs. They also have a clan structure, but different from the humans.
Various elven tribes also claim territory scattered across the region.
Many of the deeper areas of the woods contains many dangerous creatures. There are also some savage humanoid peoples lurking around. Want something like beastmen, only not goat like, maybe more like bears, so claws, sharp teeth.
GodsNo gods as in the standard D&D setting.
Instead have various spirits which provide divine power. Some of these are tribal, some racial, some regional. So you have spirits that are totems or protectors of various tribes, others that are spirits that are focused on a race of beings, so elves, or dwarfs, or orcs or whatever, and others are spirits of a particular place or region so City spirits like the Mesopotamian City Gods, or a spirit of a river, or so on.
The Swarm of Darkness: War, Community, Darkness, Glory, Law, Nobility
Silver Ravens Children: Chaos, Charm, Nobility, Liberation, Sun
Whispering Mist Spiders: Air, Darkness, Magic, Trickery, Weather
Fangs of the Stone Wolf: Animal, Glory, Protection, Strength, War
Burning Oak Disciples: Animal, Fire, Healing, Plant, Repose,
The Walking Devil Bears: Travel, Liberation, Luck, Protection,
The Drowned River Ghosts: Destruction, Water, Healing, Madness, Strength
Iron Boar Advocates: Artifice, Earth, Knowledge, Magic, Rune
The Talassa colony cities worship the Founding "God" Talas of the original city of Talassa: Glory, War, Protection, Community, Sun
The various other races have their own Spirits/Gods who they worship/revere.
