Player Guide #
Entering Aaruna
The vast, wide open plains of Aaruna stretch out before you for as far as you can see. The landscape is only broken up by a handful of small stands of trees and meandering streams as they flow on their journey toward the mighty Aaru River.
The first time you enter a settlement you stand in awe of the sheer scale of the architecture. Buildings here are constructed on a massive scale that makes a human feel tiny but at the same time, with their natural materials, they still feel light and airy. Everywhere you look there are wide tranquil water features and lush open air gardens. You can smell the mix of damp earth and fresh wildflowers.
Border Crossing
Aaruna’s vast open landscape makes the task of creating a secure border impossible but that doesn’t mean it’s not monitored. Long before you reach the gates of a settlement you will have been vetted for danger from a distance by sentries and patrols. So long as you do not appear to pose a threat, you will be able to continue on your journey.
Upon entering a settlement you will be asked about your intent while visiting and could be searched or subjected to greater scrutiny but otherwise outsiders are generally admitted freely so long as they don’t make trouble.
The Laws, Customs and Taboos
Speaking with some travelers on the road you learn a number of useful things that might help you in your travels.
- The nation is led by a council of matriarchs which are given the respect one would give a mother.
- They believe magic is a powerful tool that can help greatly with things that are not possible through other means but they value a good days work over using magic to save time.
- Education is free and revered here. Damaging stores of knowledge or scholarly equipment will result in harsh and immediate consequences.
- Loxodon value the slow and deliberate discussions of ideas for matters of great importance before taking action. They believe haste disrupts natural harmony.
- They have perfected the art of glass making and have created some of the finest celestial lenses in the world.
- While the Loxodon prefer to keep to themselves and not interfere in the affairs of other nations, they will defend their borders with brute force if provoked.
Currency and Commerce
The currency is minted as precisely cut shapes so that any shopkeeper can verify the coins authenticity by inserting them into calibrated slots on a shop counter. Coins have various shaped central cutouts that allow them to be secured on a cord of leather to help avoid loss or theft. The major banks of Kemet have joined together to standardize coinage to simplify trade across the world. While the face and shape can be designed freely, the coin must meet a standard weight and purity in Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum to be accepted as currency outside its minting nation.
- Droplet (Copper): A teardrop-shaped coin with a circular hole at the wide end of the drop.
- Crescent (Silver): A perfect half-moon with a small, triangular cutout centered along the wide portion.
- Halo (Gold): A wide, thin ring with a very large circular void in the center.
- Zenith (Platinum): A balanced, four-pointed star with a narrow, vertical slot cut through the center.
Rumors and Folklore
You also hear some things that may not be rooted in truth or which may be just wild conspiracy theories or folk tales.
- The Grand Matriarchs can truly speak to the stars and seem to know your destiny before you do.
- The Loxodon are never in a rush because they were born of the stars themselves.
- It is said the huge domed observatories aren’t just for watching stars, but are enormous engines that pull magic from the sky.
DM’s Guide #
(Click to expand sensitive lore)
Present Day Overview
Government Structure: Theocratic Meritocracy
Population: 313,257
Synopsis: A serene bastion of knowledge and celestial exploration in the heart of the grasslands of Monsherba.
True History & Key Dates
24,675 BR: The earliest Loxodon herds form into a loose coalition called Aaruna, guided by a collective of matriarchs and the founding myths of the Herd-Mother.
9,807 BR: Society evolves at a glacial pace; traditions solidify into a theocratic tone, leading to the Age of Ashta.
1,490 AR: The rise of great libraries and industry leads to the formation of a substantive government to interface with foreign powers.
Societal Norms
• Walk of Deliberation: Loxodon settlements often have one or more wide avenues generally referred to as Ecliptics which come alive at night. The steet lights and building lighting is dimmed at this late hour and it’s customary to very slowly stroll these avenues while looking skyward while in quiet contemplation.
• Labor Lineage: When you purchase an exceptionally high quality item from a Loxodon craftsman, they will include a small glass bead which is etched with markings denoting the number of days it took them to craft the item and who crafted it. These keepsake items are highly valued and a Loxodon would consider it very rude to try to haggle over the price of one. To do so would indicate you think their time is worth less than they do.
Internal Conflicts & Secrets
• Science and Spirituality: Rapid technological advancement has caused friction between the younger, scientifically-minded generations and the traditionalists who fear a loss of spiritual connection to the Herd-Mother.
• Divining the Future: The council has mastered astral divining magics to sense future events, but they keep this practice a closely guarded secret to prevent the power from being used maliciously by outsiders.
• Religious Secret: Modern theologians have discovered critical, deliberate errors in the original star charts that form the basis of the Herd-Mother myths, threatening to unravel their entire spiritual lineage.
Key NPCs & Power Structure
Coming soon
Economy & Military Might
• Economy: Aaruna prioritizes craftsmanship over volume within their economy. Their slow and deliberate nature leads them to take the time needed to put out a high quiality product that will last a lifetime. Glassmaking is their largest export and they have mastered the creation of simple glass as well as intricate and precise lenses that can be used for a variety of applications.
• Military: While Aaruna does have a military it’s primarily defensive. Their network of watch towers, with their precision lookout lenses, and patrolling sentries keep watch over a vast grassland but this is also an advantage becuase they can become aware of an enemy approaching days in advance. Their large forms and overwhelming strength also give them a decisive advantage in most battles. When they do choose to attack, they do so with all of their combined might with the objective of crushing any advance.
Adventure Hooks
• Political: A foreign diplomat has stolen a document detailing a vision of a world-shifting event; the party must retrieve it before the secret spreads.
• Exploration: The Chief Astronomer tasks the party with investigating a meteor crash site to extract rare metals and celestial data.
• Intrigue: The High Hierophant secretly hires the party to recover a relic she believes will prove the Herd-Mother’s existence once and for all.
Language and Linguistic Guide
Linguistic Influences
• Vowel-Ending: Soft endings (a, u, o, e) and double vowels (aa, uu) for low-frequency rumbles.
• Percussive: Soft consonants like B, M, K, T, and Z.
• Outsider: Intentional use of harsh “R”, “S”, or Germanic clusters like “gr” and “sh”.
Naming Conventions by Category
• Ancient & Revered: Use of suffixes (-ia, -ane, -wari, -kale) to denote age.
• Physicality: Names derived from anatomy, weight, tusks, or vibrations.
• Cultural Roots: Heavy influence from stylized Swahili and Zulu roots for a consistent aesthetic.
People & NPCs
• Standard Loxodon: Use prefix Ba- (collective/lineage) or Mu- (individual) + physical traits or resonant suffixes like -uu or -za (e.g., Batusk, Mutusk, Rumluu).
• Gods & Idols: Abstract concepts like Memory or Weight + Formal Suffixes (e.g., Kumbukale, Mvuawari).
Places & Locations
• Settlements: Use endings like -a, -i, or -o based on local industry (e.g., Udongo, Pembea).
• Ancient Sites: Use history-filter suffixes like -ane or -wari (e.g., Osuane, Zitoane).
• Natural Geography: Root-based naming reflecting the environment (e.g., Mvua for Rain, Pembe for Horn).
Organizations & Technology
• Groups: Pattern of “The [Noun] [Herd/Circle/Tusk]” (e.g., Glass-Tusk Circle, Deep-Rumble Council).
• Items & Artifacts: Combine a Material prefix (Kio- for Glass, Mchangi- for Sand) with the object (e.g., Kiostaff, Mchangio).