The Pantheon Major of Autica: Part II, the Old Gods.

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The Old Gods______________________________________________________

These are the divine beings native to Autica, either created by Mot, or intrinsic to it's very being, they are some of the most powerful entities on the planet, rivaled only by the New Gods. Nothing better represents Autica's struggle between the natural world and the march of progress better than these colossal beings.

The Pantheon Major of Autica: Part I, the New Gods.

Picture credit: A Trip to the Theater, by Peteamachree

Below is a brief overview of the God's whose followers make up the majority of Autica's faithful, or who hold a similar amount of sway as those with the larger followings.

This list is divided into three articles, the New Gods, the Old Gods, and the Transients (or Minor Gods).

The New Gods_____________________________________________________
Built by the Second during the Origin War, these colossal machines soon surpassed the intelligence of their creators, improving their bodies with technology of ever increasing complexity. To this day, little of the New God's wondrous tech has been decoded and fully understood, and what has is closely guarded in the immense libraries of the Church. Only three New Gods were ever created, two of which are listed here.

Emissary Balance Changes 1.0

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Upon conclusion of the first play-test, it became apparent that the Emissary needed a few tweaks, listed below. The original article has been updated to reflect these changes.

Weapon Damage:
(The Emissary's guns were under-performing damage wise, so they received a minor buff to damage.)

Emissary Pistol: Damage increased to 1d8 (Was 1d6)
Emissary Rifle: Damage increased to 1d12 (Was 1d10)

Guide:
(Guide received a redesign. Instead of using Guide to correct for missed shots, it was primarily used for the damage bonus, which wasn't the use case I was looking for. So, it's been split into two components, and the Emissary now has a new resource called Guide Points. In addition, added a passive damage component to smooth out damage, now ideally shots will still feel impactful, even when you're out of Guide uses.)

Taken from the Emissary Article:
Guide____________________________________________________________
Starting at 2nd level, you are able to beseech your God to guide the path of your bullets. Whenever you make a ranged attack with your Armament, add your Wisdom modifier to the damage done. You also gain the following feature:
 
Guide Points:
You gain 2 Guide points, and you gain more as shown on the Guide Points per Day Column of the Emissary table. You regain all spent Guide points at the end of a long rest.
You may spend your Guide points with the following two options:

 . Guided Strike: Whenever you make a ranged attack with your Armament  you may spend 1 Guide point to add 1d6 to the attack roll. You can choose to activate this ability after the DM has told you if the attack is a hit or a miss, and if the extra 1d6 brings your attack roll over the target's AC, then the attack is considered a hit.

 . Condemn: Spend 1 Guide Point, and choose a target that can see and hear you within range of your Armament. You condemn that foe to death in the name of your God. Once per turn, when you hit with a ranged attack using your Armament, your attack deals an extra 1d8 Radiant or Lightning damage (Your choice). This damage increases as you gain levels, as shown on the Condemn Damage column of the Emissary table. You may only have one foe Condemned at a time, and you may not use the Condemn feature again until the current target is no longer afflicted. Condemn lasts for 10 minutes, or until the target is dead or incapacitated.

The Savant

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 "Here, hold this. Now, put that bit over there. Yes, by the little whirrer. No. No, not there. The LITTLE whirrer, Goddamnit no! Well, of course if you put it there it's going to do that."

- Last words of Savant Mary Venmodez.

(As dictated by a scorched apprentice.)

Thick, black smokes rolls across the battlefield, flashes of light appearing as a woman throws explosives into the fray.

Blueprints in one hand, and an arcane tome in the other, a dwarf mutters incantations over a set of small crystals, before gingerly placing them in a box.

Eyebrows smoldering, a gnome grins as his creation lurches and shudders to life. Metal fists crush a band of goblins as their master looks onwards.

All these people are Savants, mechanical masterminds and academic rogues, drawn to the wondrous power promised by the march of progress sweeping Autica.

Steel and Fire.

Savants fight with everything from explosives and magical artillery, to swordplay under obfuscating smoke, but far and away the most recognizable weapon in their arsenal is their Golem, an animate amalgamation of machinery and arcane magic, bound entirely to the will of it's creator.

Every Savant crafts a Golem unique to it's creator. These towering creatures serve as menial labor, carrying and working larger components that the Savant might have issue with themselves, as well as serving as bodyguards, using their impressive bulk to dissuade potential attackers, and to quickly dispatch more committed foes.

Mad Geniuses.

Savants dabble in the many disciplines of magic, along with whatever secrets they can learn (or steal) from the tightly kept libraries of the Church of Ito. This peculiar blend of primitive technology and arcane magic is seen as dangerous and impure to the more accomplished arcane academics, and blasphemous by the Church. As such, Savants tend to either work alone, or in collaboration with other like-minded scholars.

Some manage to find employ teaching and conducting research in the cities, while others work as simple handyfolk in smaller villages, while working on pet projects in their spare time. The only place where their work is not given queer looks is the military. The practical uses of their inventions overshadows any moral quandaries employers may have, and so many Savants find work in military installations, or as mercenaries or adventurers.

Those Savants who follow the adventurers path typically see the world as one big workshop, just begging to be tested and improved upon, seeking new and interesting knowledge wherever it lies.

Savant Spell and Gadget Lists.

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Class Customization Options.

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This article contains additional options for class customization, including new archetypes, and modifications to existing ones.

Races of Autica: The Warforged, and the Shifters.

The Warforged____________________________________________________
"The modern Warforged suffers an interesting dilemma. With bodies made for fighting, what do they do in a city no longer at war? Inevitably, there can only be so many mercenaries and so many bodyguards and bouncers. Eventually one of the brutes is going to end up pounding a lump of dough with the zeal of trained soldier, and the strength of a bear. I only worry the day when they decide to turn those talents towards the good people of this city."

-Sir Tufford, on the Warforged in Greyhearth.

(A politician notorious for spreading

anti-Warforged sentiments)

Created by the New Gods as soldiers for the Origin War, the Warforged are a people without a cause. With intimidating physical countenances, and strength to match, many humans are unwilling to work with them anywhere but in battle. As such, many Warforged find employ in Northedge's armed or police forces, acting as shock troopers or brutal enforcers. Those that cannot find employment in the army, or in peaceful establishments often turn to a life of crime in Greyhearth's rotten underbelly. Warforged such as these are prized as bodyguards and "tax collectors". 

The majority of Autica's Warforged live in Greyhearth, and the surrounding provinces. Some choose to wander the world, looking for a place where their talents are celebrated instead of feared, but all return to Greyhearth at some point in their lives, as it holds the key to their existence deep within the city.

Nestled far under the metropolis of Greyhearth, lies a secret place, the exact location of which all Warforged guard with their lives. This place is the Forge, the only place left in Autica capable of creating new Warforged. It is constantly manned by the Iron Collective, a team of Warforged blacksmiths and engineers that work tirelessly to keep the forge running, and fight to keep outsiders from learning it's secrets. The process of creating a new Warforged can take as long as two to three years, but more commonly takes between one and two. As such, the Warforged population is comparatively quite low. This creates a camaraderie among Warforged, who will often go out of the way to avoid conflict with those of their own race.

All Warforged must return to the Forge one every five or so years for repairs that can only be done with the specialized equipment there. This is the chain the binds together this race of stoic guardians.

Timeline of Autica's History, and the Autican Calendar.

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The Autican Calendar______________________________________________
Autica is a land dominated by it's elements. Dramatic separation between the four seasons shapes the calendar of it's people. The Autican year lasts for 380 days, separated into 8 months of alternating 47 or 48 days. Each month is marked by the cycles of Autica's dual moons, as approximately every 47 days both moons enter the new moon stage of their cycle simultaneously. Weeks last 7 days, and use the common denominations for their days.

The seasons change approximately every two months, with the coming of spring occurring at the beginning of the calendar year, follow by summer, autumn and finally winter. Spring and Winter last slightly longer, on average, by a week or two, than Summer and Autumn.

Years are currently tallied AGT (After Golden Tyranny). The current year is 264 AGT. This years stars-sign is the Leviathan.
Dates are written in Day/Month/Year format, whenever noted by scholars.

The Emissary

"Beware, you who keeps to the shadows and streets. A man comes to purge you with thunder and light. There is nowhere to hide, for he sees with the sight of the Gods. Make your peace, and pray your death is quick."

-Archbishop Gerard XI, Head of the First Church of Ito.

With a deafening crack, a flash of white light explodes from an alleyway, and from out of the smoke strides a man with a gun at his hip. The body of a thief slumps to the ground inside.

In a pristine workshop, a woman tinkers with a long rifle, before turning to silent prayer at an altar.

Light shimmers over the steel components of a man's arm, as he grabs an Orc by the neck, and slams him against a wall.

These people are Emissaries, enforcers given the wondrous gift of the New Gods.

Hands of Thunder.

Devotee's of the New Gods, the Emissary wields their technological weapons in battle. Each Emissary has his or her own Armament, a electromagnetically powered firearm, the source of their power, and their intimidating reputation. They channel the divine power of their patron to fuel these terrifying weapons, blasting their way through a battlefield, and leaving only the charred corpses of the unbelievers in their wake.

Devoted, Mind and Body.

To help in handling the immense power generated by their weapons, all Emissaries implant their arms with New God Tech, strengthening the flesh and bones, while giving the shoulder joint the requisite dampening ability to absorb the recoil of the guns. 

Most Emissaries worship Ito, and work as part of his Church. They work as enforcers, bodyguards for important personnel, and as missionaries, or crusaders, seeking out the enemies of the Church, and removing them. Many police departments in Northedge are headed by Emissaries, and people both respect and fear them.

Not every Emissary works for the Church though. Some choose to worship Ito in their own ways, wandering the world enforcing his will, and gathering knowledge. Even rarer, are those Emissaries who worship Bismuth, Ito's mad brother, entombed beneath the sea. These Emissaries tend towards chaos, but wield the same power as other Emissaries.

Witch Spell, Hex and Brew lists and descriptions.

The Witch

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"Leave the towers and scrolls to the dull, dusty men that occupy them. Only we know the true nature of magic. Magic is a mother's wish for a dying child, or a curse of hen-bone. It is stories, legends and  wives' tales. Raw, and brutal, it suffuses everything here, and you only need know where to look to find it. Most are not prepared for it's true face. We are."

-Dunwitch Mizarel

A human sorts through walls of exotic ingredients, before adding a chosen one to a frothing cauldron.

Shadowed by the ancient forest, an elf mutters a dark curse. Miles away, a corrupt nobleman is wracked with pain.

Quick as a breath, a halfling darts through the fight, driving a foot-long metal spike into the flesh of a dragon. She smiles as the muscles in his legs tighten and fail him.

All of these people are Witches, the arcane masters of Autica's rural villages and wild places.

Folklore and Wild God's.

Drawing from the primal magic that saturates Autica, the Witches are arcane spell casters like no other. Where a wizard spends years studying tomes, a Witch lives among the people, learning from their stories. Their magic pulls from the rich folklore of their people, superstitions and omens that the Witches shape into deadly hexes and powerful brews. Not all herbalists or healers are Witches, but many do find their livelihood plying that trade. While distrusted and feared in more civilized lands, many a rural villager owes their lives to the potent power of a witch's brew.

Swift and Deadly

The Witches of Autica are no gnarled crones, or reclusive mage. Lithe and agile, they forsake the careful deliberation of Wizards and prefer the chaos of close combat. Every Witch carries their Pin, a foot long sharpened length of hard material, generally wood, metal or bone. This implement is the mark of a true witch. Adorned with runes or talismans of power, the Pin serves as a focal point for their debilitating hexes.

To survive the rigors of close combat without the heavy armor of a fighter, or divine magic of a cleric, the Witch relies on imbibing powerful brews that grant them temporary fighting prowess. These concoctions, while powerful, leave the Witch vulnerable after their effects wear off. This takes it's toll on the bodies of these adventurers. Witches, while physically fit, often look older than their actual age.