Obojima

Inspired by the Studio Ghibli films and Legend of Zelda, this world incorporates magic with vintage modernity; witches brewing by vending machines, flying aircraft and sea palaces, worlds of spirits living alongside day-to-day existences. Many strange phenomenon occur, tying into the spiritual, where it's not a fight of good and evil; but merely of finding one's existence in this strange land.

Gift of Shuritashi, Coastal Diver's Lounge, Matango Village, Okiri Village, Temple of Shoom, Lake Ellior, Lilywin Village (home of the Nakudama), Tidewater Village, Uluwa the Spirit Market, Yatamon (the largest city), Chisuay's Teahouse, Coastal Diver's Lodge, Hogstone Hot Springs, Sky Kite Valley, The Gray steps (on Mount Arbora), Jumaga's Roost (on Mount Arbora), Toggle, Domain of the Fish Head Coven, The Crawling Canopy, The Brackwater Wetlands, Corrupted Coastline, Polewater Village, Goodie Mart (abandoned), Hakumon's Ramen Shop, Roa Kala (home of the Dara people), Opal Falls, Broken Bird Airfield, AHA Headquarters, Domain of the Lionfish King (sea), the Wandering Line (location varies, changes), Canden and Moon's Academy of Swords, Lom and Salt's College of Arms, Tellu and Scale's School of Blades, Toraf and Boulder's School of Guts and Grit, Gale Fields, The Coastal Highlands, The Land of Hot Water, Mount Arbora

Human, elves, dragonborn, tiefling, halfling, gnome, half orc, dwarves. There are also the Nakudama, a race of frog people from Lake Ellinor, and the Dara from Roa Kala. The Dara are the only race that are born as full grown adults. There are also spirit kin, those with mixed ancestry from spirits that coexist in Obojima. Spirits in this world take on physical forms, sometimes varying between demonic appearances, animal shapes, or even that of mundane items or elements.

Though most villages live in peaceful coexistence, strange phenomenons have been occurring. After a series of major earthquakes several months prior, a massive tsunami struck the Brackwater Wetlands to the East, affecting villages like Polewater Village and casting a strange phenomenon called the Corruption across the coastline...to the point it became called the Corrupted Coastline. This Corruption is a phenomenon that can both empower and poison the body, and often forms strange, oily black creatures with low intelligence but dangerous intent. There is also the piracy affecting the west coast and places like Tidewater where the Lionfish King and his band of pirates rob and steal from those traveling by sea. Each village is often affected by unusual internal politics as well, with many strange spirit phenomenons occurring that often require an adventurer's insight.

Spirit Realm Spirits are found all throughout Obojima, and they have lived side by side with people for as long as anyone can remember, but despite living here, they originate from a mystical plane that is all their own—the Spirit Realm. The Spirit Realm is a plane of eternal twilight that is overlaid on top of Obojima; occupying the same space but existing and operating beyond the ken of most physical beings. What may appear to be an abandoned farmstead on the Physical Realm might be a bustling marketplace in the Spirit Realm. Most Obojimans know of the Spirit Realm, but few have traveled to it. There are, however, those on the island who know how to catch a glimpse of the Spirit Realm through potions or special magics. There are some who even have the innate power to enter it at will. Entering the Spirit Realm There are many ways to enter the Spirit Realm, but these methods are by far the most common: through a portal, casting a spell, catching the Wandering Line, drinking a potion, or using a magic item. Spirit Portals Spirit portals are locations on the island where the veil that keeps the Spirit and Physical Realms separated is stretched thin enough to allow a traveler to pass between them. These places are often areas of unearthly beauty or areas where strange occurrences are rumored to have taken place. For those that witness a person pass through to the Spirit Realm, they would see them fade out of existence, leaving no trace of where they might have gone. Stranger in a Strange Land When you pass into the Spirit Realm, you remain a phys￾ical being and spirits can sense the material nature of you. Spirits might remark that you “smell different” or are “abra￾sively loud”. Whatever the quirk is, they know that you are not of this realm. Spirits Spirits on Obojima are magical entities that come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and have lived among the island￾ers for centuries. Spirits are as much a part of Obojiman society as all the other races, and it has been this way for as long as anyone can remember. Spirit Creature Types In the world of Obojima, there are no other planes of exis￾tence other than the Spirit Realm and the Physical Realm, and because of that, extraplanar creatures such as Fey, Celestials, and Aberrations instead become the creature type “spirit”. That also means that spells and other special abilities that would affect those creature types affect the “spirit” creature type instead. Ghosts in Obojima Since there are no “souls” in the world of Obojima, there are no ghosts as we know them. Obojimans use the word “ghost” to refer to a spirit that never leaves the Spirit Realm but occasionally can be sensed on the Physical Realm. You could use the D&D ghost stat block for an undead anomaly or a corrupted spirit (see “Corrupted Spirits’’ below). Many Kinds There is a wide variety of spirits, from animalistic nature spirits that run through forests and wander along mountain ridges, to ancient and powerful elder spirits that guard sacred groves and mountain tops. There are chatty intelligent spirits who are shopkeepers and chefs, and there are non-sapient spirits who are everything from adorable critters to naughty pests. Unlike any other creature in the Physical Realm, spirits encompass an incredibly vast and diverse range of roles in the world. Because of this, material beings hold no univer￾sal opinion of them and it often boils down to a simpler and more common thought process—if your actions are not harmful, then you are respected and cared for. Language of the Spirits Although most spirits can speak Common, spirits have their own language of Torum that is generally only heard in the Spirit Realm.

The history of Obojima is best understood as a series of eras, each one named for the people who arrived at that era’s start. The only exception to this rule is the era of prehistory, known simply as the First Age, which encompasses all Obojiman history until the arrival of the Nakudama. Discussions of the First Age refer mostly to one of two topics—the peculiar technology scattered across Obojima and the spirits of the island, who may have always been part of it. The second age, which stretches back into myth, is the Nakudama Age. Whether we are to believe the myths about how the Nakudama queen swam across the vast ocean to land upon the shores of the island is not as important as understanding that the Nakudama have inhabited Obojima for generations beyond count. The Nakudama Age gave way to the Age of Humanity 1200 years ago, when the first humans—seafaring people— found their way to the island. Humans and Nakudama quickly took to one another, establishing many joint settle￾ments that continue to thrive today. This era also saw the first elves born among humans. The current era began 300 years ago, when the dara first emerged from the forest. It has therefore been dubbed the Dara Age. However, the coming of what has been called the Corruption may yet herald a new era altogether. Age of Unknown. Little is known about the time before the Nakudama. Scholars speculate that there was once a people who created the wonders of the First Age, but there is no understanding of how they came to be or where they’ve gone. Arrival of the Nakudama. Nakudama history states that the first Queen of the Nakudama swam across the great ocean to land on the shores of Obojima. It was on those shores that she birthed the first 100 Nakudama and founded her kingdom. Founded the capital city of Lilywin. Very little archae￾ological evidence has been found of the great Nakudama city, but historical texts state that Lilywin once stretched across miles and miles of the Gale Fields. Some scholars and historians believe that the roads and trails commonly used in the Gales Fields today could have origins rooted in the city of Lilywin. Ascent of Oghmai, The Demon Usurper. The fall of the Nakudama kingdom came at the hand of a powerful demon known as Oghmai. Through Oghmai’s manipulation, two factions formed among the Nakudama people, hatred grew among them, and an inevitable war would later devastate the countryside. Oghmai took the opportunity to seize the throne, which began his brief but brutal reign. Monarchy dissolves. Despite Oghmai’s cruelty, resis￾tance was never fully extinguished, and before long, the Nakudama rose up against the demon and his armies. Oghmai was deposed and imprisoned, but the kingdom was left in shambles. Rather than rebuilding, the remaining Nakudama, led by a sage known as Shalwin, chose to disband the monarchy and rebuild a new society in the areas unchanged by the war. Arrival of the humans. It is said that the first humans arrived by boat, but no record shows from where they traveled. What scholars do know is that the Nakudama historical texts state that the humans carried with them a greater understanding of the First Age—far beyond what Nakudama scholars had ever understood. First elves are born. As a gift to the people of Okiri, an elder spirit blessed the bloodline of humans that lived there so that their children and their children’s children would every so often give birth to an elf—beings connected to the Spirit Realm and bearing marks of power. Since the advent of this blessing however, the frequency of elven births are less and less. Vanishing Mountain first sighted. The first sighting of the Vanishing Mountain came with much excitement. The idea of a mountain that appears and disappears on the hori￾zon would go on to spur a generation of sailors and explor￾ers who ventured out and never returned. Earthquake & Tsunami shake the island. A destructive earthquake and tsunami rattled the island and its people, causing mass damage across many regions and nearly destroying the town of Polewater.

While everything can be paid for with gold flower, there are plenty of bartering options , especially with spirits who prefer New Age or First Age technology. On Obojima the most advanced technology is also its oldest. For as long as anyone can remember, and even as far as historians can discern, the island has always been home to this peculiar category of technology. Instead of being an oddity, however, the islanders have embraced what they call First Age relics and integrated them into their society so that Obojima today is a mix of vaguely medieval and near modern technology. The adoption of relics from the First Age into the everyday lives of Obojimans is one of the things that gives this setting its unique flavor. A wizard with headphones might cast spells from a cassette instead of a spellbook. A vending machine at a dangerous crossroads might provide a desper￾ately needed healing potion to an injured traveler. A floppy disk might be the key to a hidden vault. First Age relics don’t have to be fully understood in order to be fully embraced. That’s not to say that the mystery of the First Age is ignored. There are those who devote themselves to studying it, but technology has been part of island life for so long that it is just a part of their world. Spirits, Magic, and Tech Many relics from the First Age require power to run. With￾out gasoline, batteries, or outlets, Obojimans have had to find other ingenious methods to get them powered up. Certain spirits possess the ability to function like batteries or as a source of fuel known as “whelming”, and they are happy to lend their services for the right price. Alternatively, Obojimans can turn to magic. At some point in the island’s long history, wizards discovered the spell, Jolt, which can be used to power devices. First Age Technology Conditions Working Condition: The machine can be powered by a spirit or the Jolt spell. Damaged: The machine won’t work if whelmed by a spirit or targeted by the Jolt spell, but could be fixed by making the appropriate skill checks. Sundered: The machine is damaged beyond repair. It’s time to scrap it for parts. Here are some examples of how this technology has been incorporated into Obojiman society: Vending Machines. Obojima is full of wonders and oddi￾ties of every shape and size, but few are as numerous as the vending machines littered throughout the island. Most of these relics of metal and glass from the First Age stand as part of the landscape like any other rock or shrub. But many have been given renewed purpose. By means of magical enchantment, these once abandoned vending machines are operational again, but with magical trinkets on display. The trend is so widespread that it’s safe to assume a machine found in decent condition is already claimed by a young wizard making plans to turn it into their own magical shop. Over the years, many boastful wizards and witches alike have claimed the idea to enchant vending machines was theirs, but that’s an argument best left to historians. Leaving dozens of magical whatnots on display amongst the wilds of Obojima certainly has its risks. For every talented mage that enchants a vending machine, two talented thieves are plotting to steal the vulnerable goods. This is why most vending machines are protected by a guardian in the proprietor’s absence. Guardians are often spirits, monsters, or another willing person who has entered a deal with the wizard. Of late, awakened cats have become the guardian of choice. Cartridges, Cassettes, and VHS. Once the curious, crinkly black ribbon was first unspooled from the plastic casing of a cassette, it didn’t take long for sages to uncover it contained hidden messages—singing voices and music somehow contained within, and revealed only through the use of a cassette player. The same was true of the cassette’s larger cousins, the odd black blocks labeled VHS, only these contained images too. These objects, which seemed to reveal a world from beyond, captivated sages. Tapes were among the first objects from the First Age to be adopted by spellcasters when they learned to imbue tape with their own magic. This became incredibly popu￾lar amongst witches and wizards who would use the odd trinkets as spell scrolls. When portable cassette players were discovered, wizards quickly adopted them too, replacing their spellbooks with an array of cassettes. Instaprint Cameras. A favorite among the First Age gadgets that are found on the island is the camera, particularly instaprint cameras, which miraculously spit out a small card that reveals the captured image after a few moments, with the help of vigorous shaking. In addition to the (almost) instant gratification, it was discovered that the film cards these cameras use are sensitive to magic, which shows up as an aura in pictures. It was through the playful use of an instaprint camera that a family in Okiri Village discovered that their heirloom ladle was, in fact, enchanted with a powerful curse that soured every soup it touched. Original packs of film cards are hard to come by these days, but savvy alchemists have recently found a way to make new ones using silver dust and a bit of magic

. Factions This section describes organizations that have a presence throughout Obojima. Over the course of a campaign, char￾acters could become affiliated with one or more of them. Or, characters who run afoul of a faction might find they have created a whole slew of enemies. AHA ACADEMIC ADVENTURERS Much of Obojima’s past may be unknown, but the guild of archaeologists, historians, and archivists known as AHA believe it is not unknowable. From their observatory headquarters in the Coastal High￾lands, AHA oversees a collection of field research teams scattered throughout the island at no less than a dozen ruins and excavation sites. AHA is directed by a trio of academics—one drawn from each of the guild’s three traditions. Collectively, they are known as the Asloh. The trio is made up of an archaeologist known as Gurriko, a female Nakudama interested primarily in the ancient building techniques of her people; Loninni, a female human and historian from the foothills of Mount Arbora; and finally, a towering male blue dara named Uba, who serves as the guild’s chief archivist. The nature of AHA’s work takes its research teams to some of the most perilous and wild parts of the island, so they are always in need of intrepid research assistants and armed escorts. Mariners’ Guild UNDERSEA EXPLORERS Thirty years ago, enthusiasts of the world beneath the waves formed the Mariners’ Guild to support submarine exploration. Under the leadership of its founder, Captain Clintock, the guild established four lodges—one at each of the islands’ cardinal directions. These lodges serve as both home and workshop for the divers of the guild, each equipped with a small boatyard and launch, where members can test their latest seagoing vessels. After an initial boom in popularity, the guild’s member￾ship has diminished over the decades. Of the four lodges, only the north and south ones remain in use, with Captain Clintock’s two daughters, Holly and Paloma, operating out of them respectively. The captain only rarely comes ashore, preferring to remain aboard the Pointue, his famous sword￾fish submersible. Of late, Captain Clintock, his daughters, and the remain￾ing members of the Mariners’ Guild have all been working diligently to figure out how to fight back the Corruption that has emerged on the eastern side of the island. Most of their recent studies are regarding the Corruption’s effects on the marine flora and fauna. In an expedition to the corrupted coastline, the captain’s sub was damaged. His efforts to get to his daughter, Holly, a gifted engineer who could repair the Pointue, have been thwarted by the Lionfish King. Society of Young Stewards YOUTH SCOUTS Youths all across Obojima are members of their local chapter of the Society of Young Stewards, an organization dedi￾cated to teaching stewardship of nature and general good citizenship. Young Stewards earn special badges that mark particular achievements or masteries, such as whittling, making campfires, or demonstrating the best way to calm an angry hill dragon. Chapter leaders hold ceremonies to honor exceptional service, acts of kindness, and other achievements that exemplify what it means to be a Steward. As the saying goes, “Once a Steward, always a Steward.” Stewards have all kinds of ways that they help the community and the island, and there’s been more than one example of a Steward finding an ingenious way to save the harvest, cross a flooded river, or help a lost flock of goats get back to the safety of their barn. The wilderness is a Steward’s second home. That means it’s not uncommon for Steward camping trips to become imper￾iled by one of the many dangers the island has to offer. Howl￾ers might descend on a camp, or the Steward might wake to find themselves in the middle of the Crawling Canopy. In such cases, adventurers often muster to come to their rescue. Courier Brigade KNIGHTS OF THE POSTAL SERVICE “Deliverance Through Delivery.” This is the code of the Courier Brigade, an order of postal knights devoted to the safe delivery of parcels all across Obojima, no matter how dangerous the trip or remote the destination. Most of the time, couriers deliver packages, but they also serve as escorts for travelers. Most couriers prefer large flightless birds as mounts, though this is not a requirement of the brigade’s regulations. Most settlements have parcel boxes that fall under the jurisdiction of a courier, and the larger towns have brigade halls, where squads of couriers reside. The brigade also maintains a string of forts that protect important crossroads, including the formidable Fort Harglo in the Gale Fields. In Yatamon, Postmaster General Escalante oversees the brigade’s operations and personally leads a small group of elite knights who are dispatched to relieve imperiled couriers. Sword Schools RIVAL MASTERS OF THE BLADE Obojima boasts a proud tradition of swordplay—several, actually. Each sword tradition has two masters of equal rank who oversee a school and take on worthy pupils to share the secrets of their craft. Students who train at a sword school earn the oppor￾tunity to train alongside, and eventually test their skills against, one of the masters in a duel. These tests are most commonly first to touch, where the combatants use blunted blades to see who can land a blow first. The reward for scoring a touch against a master is something truly special—the opportunity to learn that school’s signature master technique. The schools are named after the founding masters. Here is a list of the current schools and their locations. ◊ Canden and Moon is located in Yatamon in the south of the Gift of Shuritashi. ◊ Lom and Salt is located on the northern slope of Mount Arbora close to the summit. ◊ Tellu and Scale is located in the Gift of Shuritashi’s northern coast. ◊ Toraf and Boulder is located in the middle of a water￾logged plain in the Brackwater Wetlands. Becoming a Pupil There are two common ways to gain admittance to one of the sword schools. The first is by invitation. Sword masters are always on the lookout for prospective pupils, so folks who have earned a reputation as a sword talent through their exploits are likely to garner attention from one or more of the schools. It’s not uncommon for a talented candidate to be given multiple invites to attend two or more of the schools. Alternatively, a warrior can earn their way into a school by proving their skill and challenging a designated champion to a nonlethal duel. At the champion’s discretion, they will gift a challenger with a signet, which can then be presented to any master that recognizes the champion at their school. Training Students train at a school for as long as they like. Some stay for a season, while others have become permanent fixtures and masters in their own right. During their training they’ll live alongside other pupils and work to maintain the school. Students who wish to train for longer periods can even be assigned quests and simple tasks, which they oversee and complete as representatives of the school. These quests are often charitable acts the school has chosen to take on and can take as little as a day to complete or stretch as long as a year’s time. The Duel When a pupil believes they are ready to learn a school’s master technique, they can ask to challenge one of the masters during one of the testing periods, which occur 4 times a year. The test is a duel with blunted swords. To prove they are ready, the pupil must land a hit on the master in three rounds without the use of magic. Those who succeed are given the opportunity to learn the school’s master technique. Those who fail must wait three months for the next testing opportunity. Witches and Covens WITCHES BOUND TO EACH OTHER BY OATHS Need to diagnose a curse? Are you looking for ingredients to brew a potion? Do you want to learn for yourself the magical secrets Obojima keeps hidden from those who don’t know where to look? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you’re likely seeking a witch. Witches are found all over the island. They are found operating out of settlements as resident magic specialists or in wilderness dwellings and strongholds where they develop their craft away from the prying eyes of jealous rivals. Most witches are linked to a coven—a group of witches sworn to aid the other members and share their arcane secrets with each other. Other witches remain solitary, preferring to stay out of inter-coven feuds. That doesn’t mean that covens won’t try to recruit them, or at least exert influence over them. Covens are always on the lookout for apprentices worthy of their unique tradition of magic. Individual witches, with the right kind of convincing, might agree to take on an apprentice as well. Joining a Coven The decision to join a coven is no small thing. Typically, young mages apprentice with a coven witch for a time before being asked to join. Others are talented witches who practice on their own and are then recruited directly into a coven’s ranks. In either case, when a new witch is chosen for potential membership, it is the coven who ultimately decides whether or not to extend an invitation to join. For a witch to be admitted into a coven, they must take the coven’s oath. This is a special ritual that binds that witch to the coven and in return the coven becomes bound to the witch. Those who take the oath become fully inducted into that coven’s ways. They gain access to the power and magical traditions at the coven’s disposal, and they gain the protection of their covenmates against threats both arcane and mundane. Some covens offer witches a place to stay and practice magic, though many witches prefer to keep their own dwellings. A witch who breaks a coven oath suffers a curse that manifests physically to mark the oathbreaker. The nature of the curse varies by coven. Fish Head Coven From their domain in the Gale Fields, the witches of the ascendant Fish Head Coven spread their arcane influence across the island to control the discovery and trade of magi￾cal ingredients, to feed their insatiable obsession with their art. Dozens of witches on the island are affiliated with the Fish Head Coven, answering to the whims of the coven’s ruling Council of Three and Thirty, an arrangement that smaller covens envy or bemoan. Other Covens Though the Fish Head Coven wields the most influence, there’s still enough room on Obojima for a handful of other covens, with lairs of their own. Inter-coven hostilities are usually kept to a sportsmanlike rivalry, but feuds bubble up from time to time, and some even result in duels. Other notable covens include: ◊ Cloud Cap Coven at the base of Mount Arbora ◊ Patchwork Robe Coven in the Land of Hot Water ◊ The Tall Hats who wander in their caravan primarily in the Gift of Shuritashi ◊ Crowsworn in the Brackwater Wetlands ◊ League of the Gilded Gourd in the Coastal Highlands