The Peering Eye

Common Knowledge

This is what the average commoner in Bigany knows about the world. Well educated people, nobles and adventurers often know more.

 

The World

The home world of The Peering Eye setting is called Talamh.

It orbits a giant planet crystal called The Jewel which imposes The Balance.

It is orbited by The Charon Moon, The Shale Moon and The Cycles Moon.

The Cycles Moon interacts with Talamh as The Sun does on other worlds.

When the moons, align the eclipse is a Peering Eye a time when fateful events unfold.

The four seasons happen twice per year, but moons patterns are nearly unpredictable.

 

The Gods

The Chosen Gods are The Charon Gods, The Shale Gods and The Cycles Gods.

The Charon Gods lead by Cogadh, embody the physical and material on The Charon Moon.

The Shale Gods lead by Draíocht, envision the cerebral and intellectual on The Shale Moon.

The Cycles Gods lead by Croí, achieve and impose The Balance on The Cycles Moon.

The Fallen Gods lead by Feo, and The Hordes of Horror are exiled, bound in The Prison.

The Risen Gods lead by Cróga, watch them eternally from their self-exile in Starhome.

No god may set foot on Talamh

 

The Destruction

Táin MacLir was a great wizard of The Ancient DéDannan in The Golden Age 2000 years ago.

He created The Chain Gate accidentally allowing The Hordes of Horror to enter Talamh.

Misneach went to Talamh to stop The Hordes of Horror and was slain by the laws of The Great.

Cealg made all of The Chain Gates explode simultaneously causing The Destruction.

The Ancient DéDannan and all other civilisations were wiped out, the climate was ruined.

The Chosen Gods saved millions of lives and quickly recovered the climate, but billions died.

The Church of The Moons was formed to rebuild civilisation.

Draíocht prohibited arcane magic in the Abrogat Arcanum decree.

 

The Church of The Moons

The Church of The Moons is a global religious organisation that rebuilt civilisation.

It imposes the will of The Chosen Gods across all of Talamh by right of conquest.

It is by far the most powerful organisation in The Peering Eye.

It is ruled by The Val-Roi from The Great Temple of Bigany City in The King of Bigany.

It controls how religion is practiced in every nation and they suffer no other religions.

The Fallen Gods may not be worshipped. The Risen Gods may help fight them.

The Inquisition impose these rules with brutal, terrifying ruthlessness.

 

The Kingdom of Bigany

The Kingdom of Bigany is always ruled by a Kinnett psion, currently King Edgar Kinnett I.

The Bigany Nobility is divided into The Five Families each lead by an archduke.

Succession is always given to the most worthy heir as decided by The Order of Compléasc.

They rule over a patchwork collection of vast duchies, as vassals to The King of Bigany.

Loyalty to The Crown is psionically enforced by The Dominion Regalia.

The first king, King Jurius Kinnett I created these artifacts over 500 years ago.

Bigany City, a metropolis in The Heartlands grand duchy, is the kingdom’s capital.

It has The Bigany Army, The Black Guard and Crown Agents to enforce its will.

But the The King's Coteries and The Church of The Moons make it invincible.

 

High Road Travel

Most commoners never travel more than a few miles from their home even though it is their right.

The king's high roads are generally safe to travel and most merchants stick to those.

The Bigany Army patrols regularly between Royal Roadhouses and the roads are well maintained.

Most merchants travel in large caravans protected by guards and mercenaries.

These caravans travel slowly between settlements along the high roads and stop at them overnight.

The caravans pay tolls and any taxes or customs applied by the local nobles and city rulers.

 

Other Routes

Other roads are often dangerous due to bandits or dangerous creatures.

The Bigany Army, The Adventurers Guild and armed caravans from The Bigany Merchants Guild travel these roads.

The Bigany Nobility or The Bigany Merchants Guild will often pay to have these dangers dealt with.

Travel by sea is similar, the main trade routes are patrolled by The Bigany Navy, others are dangerous.

Magical travel, such as spelljamming and teleporting is highly restricted and costly.

 

Dangerous Places

Each Crown Duchy is considered extremely dangerous, only The Adventurers Guild or Crown Agents will travel there.

These duchies are primarily deep forests or frozen peaks, ruled by savage tribes and magical monsters.

Valaff's Isle, The Beastwood Preserve, Koltham Forest and The Lake Pirate Isles have well deserved fearsome reputations.

Commoners travelling to cities, stay on the high roads and avoid poorer areas if they can afford to.

 

The Law

The law favours the elite; the nobility, the clergy, the wealthy and those with excellent reputations.

The Bigany Nobility holds sway over secular matters and The Church of The Moons over religious matters.

In cities, The King's Law is enforced by city guards and judged by magistrates in courthouses.

Elsewhere the ruling noble's soldiers enforce The King's Law and its criminals are judged by that noble.

Some cases can be settled easily when a truth spell is used, but Cealg occasionally corrupts these proceedings.

Other cases can be settled by a trial by combat, a trial by magic or a trial by ordeal.

People who feel they are being treated unjustly can seek sanctuary in any Church of The Moons Temple.

Anyone abusing the right of sanctuary is dealt with by The Inquisition.