These pages are meant for both Players and Game Masters!
If you’re a Player, links stemming from this page contain lore to flesh out your backstory and weave your character into the very fabric of the setting.
If you’re a Game Master (GM), the info will help you create a PFC campaign, tied in with the history and legacy of PFC members from the very start of this club. You could set your campaign entirely within one of Jaern or Cahyali's main regions, or perhaps feature many varied cultures from across the planet(s) in the same campaign. For the ambitious, you can use the information in this book to explore beyond the Cefa'zisto and into the multiverse beyond.
The two major shared Campaign Settings of PFC are the worlds of Jaern (pr. JARHN) and Cahyali (pr. kai-YAH-lee), collectively termed the Cefa'zisto, the Paroli term to mean “Primary Existence.” They are described in detail on their individual pages. The histories of each world are documented and organized on the History page. The current in-game date is designated and maintained on the Game Date page.
There are several other planes of existence relevant to the PFC settings, from the spirit worlds to the hellish Beneath and beyond.
There is an expanding number of Races that inhabit the planes of Jaern and Cahyali, both native to the settings, or travelers from distant existences. These are categorized into a few main groups: Humanoids, Lizards, Orcish, and Avians. Each race has its own history and lore, described in detail on their pages. A few additional racial options exist, adding options of supernatural origin to the repertoire of playable races.
Fauna and people of the world that are not necessarily playable as an adventurer is instead detailed in Creatures.
There are 14 Gods acting as the sources of divine magic on the shared campaign settings of the PFC. Each deity has their own claimed domains, as well as personality and aspects. The specific traditions, beliefs, and practices of mortal followers can be influenced by the deity themself, but more than often differ from place to place.
Collectively, these gods are referred to as the Jaernian/Cahyalic pantheon or the Fourteen. The name for a god's body of faith, including its people and places of worship is called its Temple. The word “church” is semantically related in English, but this term does not exist on Jaern or Cahyali.
| God | Domain(s) | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Anubis/Anpu | Death, Grave, Judgment | ah-NEW-bihs/AHN-poo |
| At'ena/Seherine | Time, Fate, Wisdom | ah-TEE-nah/SAY-her-een |
| Isis/Aset | Life, Health, Peace | EYE-sihs/ah-SETT |
| Neptune/Vahrun | Sea, Trade, Aquatic Creatures | NEHP-toon/vah-ROON |
| Orus/Arakh | Emotion, Instinct, Subconscious | OHR-uhs/aur-AHK |
| Osiris | Nature, Earth, Terrestrial Creatures | oh-SIE-rihs |
| Ra/Peregrinus | Light, Order, Leadership | RAH/pear-uh-GRIN-us |
| Rudri/Tenebrus | Darkness, Chaos, Night | ROO-dree/ten-EE-bruhs |
| Tarus/Thoth | History, Preservation, Secrets | TEH-ruhs/THOTH |
| T'or/Marutuk | Justice, Law, Righteousness | TOHR/MAHR-oo-tuuk |
| Almar | Soul, Energy, Magic | AWL-mahr |
| Vormaxia | Wisdom, Learning, Knowledge | vohr-MAX-e-uh |
| Zepherin | Body, Athletics, Health | ZEFF-uh-rihn |
| Mishra/Aremakh | Destruction, War, Change | MISH-rah/ARE-e-mahk |
The six Backgrounds of the PFC system are inspired by the common trades and occupations that adventurers hail from. Each of these backgrounds has its own history and traditions on the planes of Jaern and Cahyali. The listed information on these pages represents the most common traditions, and are by no means an exhaustive source… Your adventurer may have had a different experience entirely!
There are four main types of magic that exist on the planes of Jaern and Cahyali, each with their own unique structure, sources, and philosophies: Nomadic, Psionic, Elemental, and Divine. These details are presented as part of their associated Background pages. The designers of the AQ system presented in AQ: Jaern (2016) included an overview on their design process for a magical system that is inspired from the physics of the real world, which is reiterated in Majykology, detailing the nature of magic, and its application in customizing and creating new magic.
Many adventurers have left storied histories on the world. You can read excerpts of the tales of some of Jaern and Cahyali's legendary heroes on the Adventurers page.
The calendar of Jaern and Cahyali is somewhat different than our own. Weeks are 6 days, all months are 30 days, and a year consists of 300.3 days (10 months or 50 weeks). Every 10 years, a “leap” holiday of 3 days is added to the end of the year to adjust the calendar.
Jaern has antiquated Units of Measurement that were first used to calculate the curvature and radius of the planet. While these units are no longer used in favor of Imperial units for ease of understanding, they may sometimes be referenced by old texts.
The study of how magic, energy, and matter interact, as well as the properties of various other arcane phenomena is termed Majykology. This field of meta-magic is usually studied by Mages' Guilds, as well as at universities across Jaern and Cahyali.
The common (and sometimes uncommon) Diseases and Illnesses that affect the people of Jaern and Cahyali are detailed and described, as well as optional mechanics for GMs to use them in games.
Herbology presents various plants that grow on Jaern and/or Cahyali, and their effects.
Materials details various materials and natural resources that naturally occur on Jaern and Cahyali, some of which can be used for crafting.
GM Lore is kept on separate pages and is set to be restricted access except to GMs and GMs-in-Training. This contains info that would spoil campaigns or plots, as well as behind the scenes mechanics for the deities. If you believe you should be able to see this info, contact the current Story Coordinator.
Non-GMs are able to see the homepage, however. Access the GM Advocacy page if you need to contact a GM that runs a specific thing, such as a god or a region.