The Theocracy of the Pale
The Theocracy of the Pale (often simply referred to
as “The Pale”) is a moderately sized country of
834,000 human citizens. In this predominantly human
nation of Oerdian and Flan ancestry, non-humans are
not counted in the census. The Pale’s nine major towns are home to only 20% of the population.
The remainder of the Pale’s citizens reside in smaller towns, villages and rural areas. His
Worshipful Mercy, Theocrat Ogon Tillet, Supreme Prelate of the Pale serves as the Theocracy’s
political, spiritual, and military leader.
History
Fleeing religious persecution in 254 CY, worshipers of
Pholtus left the Kingdom of Aerdy and moved north,
settling in the western valleys of the Rakers. In this harsh
land they made a place for themselves, dedicating their
newborn nation to Pholtus. The Council of the Nine was
formed in 342 CY and the first Theocrat, the representative
of Pholtus on Oerth and the leader of the Pale, was chosen.
In 356 CY, Nyrond too broke away as an independent
kingdom, claiming the lands of the Pale and Tenh as its
own. The Pale resisted Nyrond’s claims and fought a short
war for independence in which the capital city of
Wintershiven was burned to the ground. The Pale would be
an occupied subject of Nyrond until its emancipation in 450
CY. Wintershiven was rebuilt to the north of its former
location and is once again the Pale’s capital.
In 588 CY, Theocrat Ogon Tillet marched the armies of the
Pale across the Yol and Zumker rivers into the Duchy of
Tenh, securing the eastern edge of that country for the
Theocracy.
The Church, the Government, and
Military
the
The Pale is a Theocracy; its government is run by the
Pholtan church. The Theocrat rules from the Throne of the
Sun and is Pholtus’ chosen representative on Oerth.
Supporting the Theocrat is the Council of the Nine, which
includes each of the prelates from the various archdiocese.
The vast majority of the
Pholtus
citizens of the Pale adhere
Show us the Path
to
the
state-favored
Lead us to Victory
worship
of
Pholtus.
Guide us in Law!!
Worship of other dieties is
suppressed, taking place
only in private. Those citizens and visitors who do not
worship Pholtus are at least careful to pay lip service.
Mages are distrusted, due in part to their propensity to
worship dieties other than Pholtus.
The armies of the Pale are among the most fervent, welltrained and disciplined on all of Oerth, bordering on
fanatical in their duty. Templars of the Church Militant
serve to back up the standing army and guard the
sovereignty of the Church.
The People
Predominantly lawful by nature, the population of the Pale
is a combination of the original Flan inhabitants of the
region and the descendants of the Aerdi settlers.
Intermarriage between the aristocratic Aerdi and the Flan is
uncommon. Common and Flan are the primary languages
of the Pale. Only humans are counted in the census, though
elves, gnomes, dwarves, and halflings can be found in the
outlying areas.
Economy and Resources
The Pale’s greatest resource is its people, in the form of
scholars, artisans, and craftsmen. The land itself is harsh,
and natural resources are few. While small tracts of arable
farmland in the western region produce meager crops, most
food is imported from
Monetar y Ex c hange
Urnst and Nyrond.
• Bright (pp),
• Gold Glory (gp),
Copper and Gem mining
• Silver Sun (ep),
provide the bulk of the
Pale’s material wealth • Silver moon (sp),
and resources.
• Basic (cp)
Geography/Weather
The Pale is divided into nine Archdiocese. These nine are
further subdivided into 18 low diocese and nine city wards.
Centrally located, the archdiocese of Wintershiven contains
the capital city, the theocrat and the Council of the Nine.
The Gamboge Forest forms a portion of the Palish border
with neighboring Nyrond, though neither nation holds claim
to it. Largely unsettled, the Phostwood divides the Pale
from both Tenh and the Bandit Kingdoms. It is home to
reclusive elves, renegades from the Bandit Kingdom, and
refugees from Tenh. The lower edge of the Nutherwood
forms the Pale’s southern border, and further divides it from
Bandit Kingdoms. The Troll Fens
border the Pale to the north, keeping
the many forts of the archdiocese of
Hawkburg
busy
resisting
the
increasing troll uprisings. The Raker
mountains form the eastern border,
dividing Palish lands from Ratik and
the Bone March. To the far north is
Stonefist, across the Griff Mountains.
Politics
Lands
and
the
Neighboring
Fiercely protective of its independence
since the emancipation, the Pale
remained apart during the Greyhawk
Wars, failing to take sides. Treaties are
few and always to the theocracy’s
advantage. Stonehold and Iuz are
sworn enemies of the Pale. Other
nations not dedicated to Pholts are
viewed as heretics. A century and a
half after occupation, distrust of
Nyrond still burns in the hearts of
some Palish. With the conversion to
Pholtus of many of the duchy’s nobles,
eastern Tenh benefits from the
protection of the Church Militant.
Notes to Players
There are several considerations which
players should take into account when
creating a player character from the
Pale.
♦ There is a special prestige class
available only to characters from the
Pale. This prestige class is the Justicar,
a Lawful Neutral holy warrior very
similar to the Paladin, except that her
main focus is fighting chaos rather than
evil.
♦ Chaotic characters will have a difficult time acquiring
divine help (spells, etc.) from the temple of Pholtus. This
means that chaotic characters may not be able to have
curative spells cast upon them by members of the Church.
They may also find it impossible to be raised from the
dead by NPCs.
♦ There is a certain amount of prejudice against nonhuman people in the Pale. Players of non-human
characters may find it difficult to advance to the higher
ranks in certain meta-gaming organizations (e.g. the
Church Militant, Prelatal Army, City Watch, etc.).
The Theocracy and surrounding area
Contact Information
Website:
http://theocracy.oerth.com
Triad POC:
Jason Singleton: [email protected]
Triad members:
Pete Willis:
[email protected]
Catie Martolin: [email protected]