World Overview
Welcome to The Drowned Veil, a fog-shrouded coastal realm where reality bends around fear. Technology sits at a late-medieval level — taverns, lanterns, and shipwrights thrive — but beneath the cobblestone streets and salt-stained docks lies something ancient.
Magic is low and dangerous, often born from whispers, blood, or emotion. “Old Gregg’s Tavern” serves as the last light between the waking world and Derry Below, a reflection of Pennywise’s influence that spreads through wells, mirrors, and drains.
Unique Elements:
Fear manifests as physical corruption (called the Red Taint).
Dreams bleed into waking life.
Red balloons appear as omens — gateways to places that shouldn’t exist.
The tavern itself shifts location nightly, drawn to areas heavy with dread.
Geography & Nations
Derry Proper – A fog-soaked coastal town rebuilt atop the ruins of a drowned kingdom.
The Maw (The Reservoir) – A cursed inland sea connected to ancient tunnels below; rumored to be alive.
Old Gregg’s Tavern – A liminal tavern that appears at crossroads, on piers, or even underground. It’s a meeting ground for adventurers, lost souls, and entities posing as both.
The Sunless March – Vast marshlands where voices mimic loved ones to lure travelers astray.
The Pale Cathedral – A sunken church that occasionally surfaces during lunar eclipses.
Races & Cultures
Humans – Survivors of Derry, pragmatic and paranoid. Known for charm, courage, and short lifespans.
The Hollowborn – Ghostly figures born from those the Maw devoured. They remember fragments of old lives.
The Drowned Folk – Amphibious scavengers who trade in memories and secrets.
The Candlepriests – A monastic order devoted to holding back “The Red.” They bless homes with light wards.
Relations:
Uneasy alliances hold — humans rely on Candlepriests for safety, while Hollowborn are both feared and pitied. The Drowned Folk are tolerated only for their knowledge of the tunnels.
Current Conflicts
The Red Flood: The reservoir’s waterline is rising unnaturally, flooding lower Derry.
The Candlelight War: Some Candlepriests believe sealing fear is heresy — they seek to control it instead.
Disappearing Children: Red balloons appear in doorways. Those who chase them vanish, leaving laughter echoing through the drains.
The Tavern’s Shift: Old Gregg’s Tavern itself has started moving inland, as if avoiding something beneath the shore.
Magic & Religion
Magic stems from emotion and memory, not study. Fear, grief, and courage shape the spells that hold the world together.
Those who wield it risk losing parts of their mind — or inviting IT’s gaze.
Religious Beliefs:
The Light Below – A fractured faith; some claim it’s a benevolent god, others that it’s Pennywise disguising itself.
The Lantern Creed – Worship of unity and bravery, practiced by the Candlepriests. Their magic burns bright… but always leaves shadows.
Planar Influences
The Dream Veil acts as a bridge between the mortal world and the Red Plane — Pennywise’s domain.
Fearful thoughts open rifts, allowing manifestations (red balloons, laughing drains, phantom children) to cross over.
When the tavern’s mirror fogs or a drink ripples without touch, it means the Veil is thinning.
Historical Ages
The Flooded Age – Civilization drowned when the reservoir consumed the land.
The Age of Fear – The Red Taint began; Candlepriests formed to fight it.
The Age of Laughter (Present) – Pennywise’s cycle returns; every 27 years the Veil weakens again.
Ruins of the Flooded Age can still be found under Derry — cracked mosaics depicting smiling gods with too many teeth.
Economy & Trade
Currency: Iron pennies marked with lanterns (called “lights”). Some trade in memories instead — a drop of fear exchanged for information.
Trade Routes: Sea routes constantly shift because the coast moves at night.
Exports: Salt, candles, and nightmares bottled by Hollowborn traders.
Old Gregg’s Tavern accepts stories as payment. The darker the tale, the stronger the drink served in return.
Law & Society
Justice is local and inconsistent. Candlepriests serve as both healers and judges.
Adventurers are both revered and feared — many townsfolk believe they attract IT by facing fear too often.
Public trials are rare; instead, guilt manifests physically — liars bleed from their mouths when swearing false oaths.
Monsters & Villains
Pennywise the Endless Hunger: The god-clown beneath the reservoir, feeding on collective terror.
The Red Children: Echoes of the lost, haunting alleys and basements with laughter.
The Hollow Shepherds: Masked zealots who guide victims to “sacrifice their fear.”
The Mirror Wives: Pale entities that mimic loved ones in reflections, convincing mortals to drown themselves.
The Drowned King: An ancient mariner turned lich who believes Pennywise is the key to immortality.