Tibil
As the story goes, the proud radiance uthra Abatur ordered his emanation Ptahil (some say this was done against his superiors’ orders) to create a place on the Prime Material Plane, where uthras could make their kip and mortal souls could come to know the way to the World of Light. However, perhaps the instructions given by Abatur were incomplete, or perhaps Ptahil just wasn’t cut out for the job, because his creation didn’t achieve the desired effect. The proud uthra managed to create a crystal sphere, a sun, planets and stars—but no life. But just as Ptahil was about to give up, he felt a strange presence.
This was Ruha the Seductress, an eternal being of life, death and their chaotic juxtaposition. She said she was the one who truly disseminated life across the Planes, and that the so-called powers merely took all the credit for her work. Ptahil’s world was made shoddily, she explained, but she could set it right and aid him. Ruha would provide the spark of chaos and tumultuous emotion that were missing, while Ptahil would provide the stability and sacred knowledge of the law. Together they would fill the world with living beings. Now at this point, the legends diverge, but most Tibilians believe that there was a catch in that deal. Ruha asked for her influence to not be confined to just living things, and thus her power tainted and warped the celestial bodies of Tibil, bringing them to life as powerful, almost godlike beings, who sought to control the crystal sphere themselves. In the ensuing squabble between the uthras, Ptahil and Ruha fled the newly created world, but have continued to exert their influence over its various factions. And don’t think that fiends, the genies and other outsiders haven’t tried to put their grubby hands (or tentacles) on this place either. Despite looking bleak, Tibil is nevertheless a highly contested world…
Cosmology
Tibil is located in a relatively small crystal sphere that holds a single star system. It is filled with something similar to ether—a substance called ayar, which allows creatures to freely breathe throughout the sphere. At the centre of all is Shamish, the sun of the realm. Shamish is a red dwarf star which exhibits constant unpredictable ebbs and flows of energy. No creatures live on this star permanently, although aurora dragons and radiant quasielementals do sometimes pay a visit. Shamish is said to hold multiple portals and vortices which lead to Mount Celestia, Bytopia, Radiance, Fire and likely to other planes too, through which uthras and other monsters visit the system. This is why the sun is viewed with both gratitude and fear by the inhabitants of Tibil. Some even worship Shamish, receiving low-level spells, which may or may not imply that the burning world is alive in some capacity.
There are seven planets in the crystal sphere. Going from the closest to Shamish to the furthest these planets are: Nirig, Libat, Nbu, Tibil, Bil, Sin and Kiwan. Some of these planets have tiny moons, but asteroids are almost non-existent. The crystal sphere that holds Tibil is painted with twelve constellations—actually these are constellates, and weirdly aggressive ones at that. They shoot starbursts at anything that approaches the sphere from any direction. In fact, the celestial bodies being alive is the main feature that differentiates Tibil from other crystal spheres. Every planet except for one is actually a genius loci—a giant being (it isn’t really clear whether they are spirits, elementals or oozes), that can reshape itself at will and take control of other, lesser creatures. Tibil, the namesake of the world and the most populated planet is the only one without its own mind—at least it appears like it. Unless specified otherwise, the rest of this article will use “Tibil” to refer to the planet, not the crystal sphere.
Geography and Life
Tibil is a strange world of extreme conditions. Due to Shamish being a volatile star, aside from the simple summers and winters there are also cold years and hot years. One year the whole place resembles tundra, the next—scorching desert. This means that the wildlife is adapted to quick and drastic weather changes.
The first thing you’ll notice are the plants—they are much darker, sometimes even completely black. Thus, they can absorb more light, when the sun dims down. During hot years, some plants shed their leaves, while others change colour to red or white. Tibilian forests during this time can be quite beautiful. However, actual forests are rare—grasslands are much more common.
Perhaps due to Ptahil’s mistakes (or maybe due to his attempt to bring more law), Tibil is seismically inactive and frozen to its core. There are few mountains or deep trenches, and no volcanoes at all. This means there’s nothing to catch rain, and continents of Tibil are mostly covered with steppes, deserts and xeric shrublands. Meanwhile, shallow seas, if you can call them that, are giant swamplands, overgrown with lush reeds and duckweed. Only in the very center of such seas can you find open water. These places are fertile ground for mosquitoes, biting insects and diseases, but also for agriculture, fishing and keeping livestock such as water buffaloes.
There’s one other important thing about Shamish. Occasionally, every 20 to 100 years it flares up, sending storms of deadly radiance throughout the sphere. Their arrival is preceded by one or two days of planet-wide auroras, which all creatures of the planet have learned to recognise. Those who cannot find shelter or dig a burrow, will have their skin burnt off by the treacherous sun. Fortunately, these flares don’t last for more than a day. Additionally, all that evaporation from the swamps and seas creates clouds that constantly cover most of the planet, shielding it from radiation bursts and softening the climate. However, even with all that protection, sunburn is a real threat to the population, and as such, most animals, including humanoids, have evolved their skin, hair or hides to darkly melanated shades of black or brown.
The northern pole of Tibil lies in the centre of the largest continent of the whole planet. Polar areas are barren, very cold and showered by radiation even in hottest of years. No mundane animals lives there, but apparently, some isolationist crystal dragons claimed this land for themselves. A bit closer to the tropics are the lukewarm circumpolar areas. They are perhaps the best suited for life, as the rains happen relatively often here, and thus, this land is full of forests and bogs. These lands are also known as “tiger lands” by some nomads, since this ecosystem, among other things, supports large cats similar to tigers and leopards. Their prey—deer, hares, small bears and large, bustard-like birds—is abundant as well.
The main continent continues to the south only on one hemisphere. The northern hemisphere is occupied by a great shallow marshy sea. It is truly a bountiful site for wildlife. Buffaloes, hippos, flamingoes, herons, crocodiles and even stranger creatures like giant frogs, mosquitoes, eels and leeches live among these wetlands, where they are hunted or farmed by boating locals. Most of these creatures will hibernate during cold years, when the marshland turns into a mossy tundra. Not all however, so don’t be surprised if you meet a hairy hippo, a white flamingo or a rare swamp mammoth. Oh, and one other thing—millennia of decaying plant material being buried under the anoxic waters have created large deposits of valuable peat and oil. When droughts strike the swamp, they almost always bring with them devastating fires.
At the center of the southern great sea there’s another continent, where one of the few mountains gathers rain, creating a small paradise. It is controlled by less than a pleasant faction, which we will discuss later.
The marshlands constantly shift their borders due to erosion and drought. However, one large landmass always stays consistent—the Swept Desert. This is one unpleasant place, berk. Rainfall is rare, and strong winds constantly rile up sandstorms. In hot years, the sun scorches sands enough to warm an efreet, while in cold years even the summertime wind can chill a sod to the bones. Camels and alpacas are the only large animals who can survive in such places, though jackals, lions, antelopes and giant lizards can live near the rare water sources. Snakes, owls, gerbils and various bugs live in warmer areas as well. Vegetation is scarce, but cacti, succulents and shrubs can be found here and there.
At the south of the great marsh, the water becomes saline. Fauna becomes much less common, and various dragons and creatures of Quasi-Elemental Salt take its place. Near the South Pole lies an actual open sea, although it is shallow and saline. According to the chant, large marine reptiles, fish and manatees live in this sea, and even multiple tribes of humans make their kip there too. The pole is covered by a sheet of ice, and it is fully unknown what lives there. Very few brave bloods have visited, and none have yet returned.
The Underdark is vast on Tibil, but not particularly deep. It is mostly formed by water eroding carst hollows in the limestone. The Underdark is laregely unexplored due to its natives, with the majority of dwarves (called “chalk dwarves” by other races) being quite territorial about their safe home. It appears that it is rich in life, by the standards of the underground. Some sods believe that the World of Darkness sits inside Tibil, and the fiendish lord Krun is the planet’s core—but most learned scholars dismiss that as screed.
People and Monsters
Humans make up the bulk of Tibilians, with other races being uncommon. Dwarves come in two types—your average hill dwarves and white-bearded chalk dwarves. Hill dwarves live among humans, typically providing metalworking services. They retain their ancestral faith (although it had intermingled with native faiths quite a lot) and as such are persecuted in many places. These dwarves are among the only Tibilians who aren’t destined to pass through the matartas after their deaths. Chalk dwarves are instantly recognisable by their pale skin and white-washed hair. They’ve adapted to living in the limestone caves and as such are sensitive to sunlight. Since the caves offer excellent protection from harsh weather and Shamish’s deadly flashes, quite a lot of folks have tried to occupy them, but isolationist chalk dwarves usually manage to drove them off. Due to their secluded nature, not much is known about these dwarves, but from what we know it seems that they like water much more than other dwarves and make greater use out of elemental magic.
Elves, gnomes, goblins and other fey creatures are virtually unknown on Tibil due to the world’s weak connection to the Feywild. The one exception to this rule are hobgoblins, whose mercenary troops roam the southern lands. Unlike dwarves, hobgoblins were more than ready to abandon Maglubiyet for whatever faith was required of them, so even if one considered their grim professions, they are less persecuted than religious dwarves. Halfling and orc tribes used to live in the northern forests, until their lands were colonised by the Mshishians, and they were slaughtered or assimilated by the invaders. Some halflings still live on in hidden villages, but orcs only survive in the form of dromaar humans with a tint of orcish blood.
Other major Prime races you can think of—dragonborn, kobolds, tabaxi, merfolk and so on—are completely absent on Tibil, with few exceptions. Tortles are known in the Great Marsh, but only in their savage, snapping variety. Goliaths remained in the ancient ruins of the giants and make up a large portion of the Shamishans. Planetouched beings however, are more numerous than on other Prime worlds, as fiends, celestials and genies are all quite active. All of the nephilim, even the aasimar, are treated with suspicion, if not outright hatred. Those folks on Tibil really don’t seem to like planars, do they?
It seems there can’t be a Prime Material world without dragons, and Tibil isn’t an exception. Brown and yellow dragons are the most common types, inhabiting deserts and salt marshes respectively. Crystal, topaz, blue and brass dragons are rarely seen, and presumed to be nearly extinct. Catastrophic dragons, however, visit Tibil unfortunately often.
Giant pyramids and megalithic structures built by ancient giants can be found in any place on Tibil from the North pole to the deserts to the marshes. But the giants themselves are nowhere to be seen. Plenty of gigantic petrified corpses have been left behind though, suggesting that Tibilian giants may have been subjected to the same kind of curse as the desert giants of Toril. Dark rumours tell of enormous cysts with sleeping marsh giants lying below the marsh peat, but fortunately, no one has woken them up yet.
The cold, sandy, muddy world of Tibil is unpleasant for most elementals, but para- and quasi-elementals of certain varieties are well-known here. Ooze and salt elemental creatures arise in the salt marshes, dust quasi-elementals stalk the deserts and ice beasts are often seen in the polar area. Additionally, radiance quasi-elementals sometimes get left behind after solar flashes. Summoning of genies and mephits is sometimes performed by sha’irs of the south, even though this practice is looked down upon by the state. Desert nomad legends tell that a strange smoky variety of genie lurks in ethereal castles that they’ve built in the desert.
Fiends of all varieties are ever-present in the lands of Tibil. Although asuras and divs are the most prevalent, baatezu, tanar’ri, ‘loths and qlippoths are ever-present as well. Tibilians are constantly vigilant about fiendish threats, and it seems their world isn’t seen as the most prized possession either. Because of this, Tibil has tended to slip under the noses of high-up fiends. Nonetheless, occasional conflicts between various fiendish races spill out into this world to devastating results. On the other hand, celestials (except for the uthras) seem reluctant to ever touch the world. Peris and asuras are among the only ones who can be counted on to visit, and even they are feared and hated by many folks, who expect every extraplanar presence to be some kind of threat.
Dangerous monstrosities such as lamias, ankhegs and lesser sphinxes, as well as non-sapient aberrations like otyughs prowl the world under the sickly light of Sin. The same can be said about the shadowspawn and undead like ghuls and wraiths, who crawl out of the Shadowfell when the evil planet comes especially close.
Civilisations
Religion is what defines the culture of Tibil. Almost everyone here believes in Hayyi Rabbi and his monotheistic supremacy over other powers. Any perceived infidels and worshippers of other gods are discriminated against at best, and hunted down at worst. And yet, different cultures in Tibil have wildly different beliefs and ideas about what Hayyi Rabbi demands of them, and who else deserves to be venerated alongside them. Even though major empires try to prevent religious frictions, schisms and tiny crusades are dime-a-dozen.
The circumpolar forests of the north are controlled by the Enlightened Boreal Empire, perhaps the most technologically advanced of all of the countries of the world. Its people call themselves the Foliant Keepers or just bookmen, and they venerate the planet Nbu that is said to grant knowledge and enlightenment. Knowledge and science are immensely valued across the Empire, with magic being extensively used in many places. However, religious beliefs and political agendas still heavily affect all parts of the society. The empire is heavily influenced by its priest caste, who get their teachings from writings of Mshisha, the messenger of Nbu (as such, they are called Mshishans).
The Boreal Empire believes that its successes are the sign they are destined for greatness and have a right to take anything they want from the world. In fact, that’s why it became an empire—by conquering nearby lands and enslaving or displacing its natives. Slavery is still widespread in the empire, even if certain groups push for its prohibition. One of them is a Magocratic Confederation—a loose coalition of political forces that calls for the cutting down the influence of priesthood and making wizards the leading force of the government. They are opposed by the Regressors—a faction that demands a return to traditional and simplistic lifestyle. Both of these parties have certain influence on the Royal Court of the Empire, but none can hope to achieve its goals while the ruling dynasty benefits from the current religious views. Chant goes, something big is bubbling in the north, a revolution, perhaps, but it won’t be the first attempt to rebel nonetheless…
The major opponent of the Boreal Empire is the Southern Union that controls deserts and marshlands of the southern tropics. These people denounce the worship of any power or uthra besides Hayyi Rabbi, but still use a lot of Nirig symbolism in their regalia. Southerners are painted by their enemies as bloodthirsty warriors, but this is not really the case. Once, they were as advanced and powerful as the Boreal Empire, but after century of war with the northerners, worsening religious conflicts and the death of the ruling caliph left the Union (previously known as Caliphate) in ruin. Multiple nobles and warlords have declared themselves to be rightful rulers of the land and engaged in bloody wars with each other. Eventually, a constant threat from the Boreal Empire has caused them to join forces and form a Southern Union, but even now the tensions between different fiefdoms sometimes explode into conflict. Due to these pressures, many southerners are now distrustful of outsiders and, frankly, paranoic. They live by a strict code (similar in some regards to genies’ beliefs of Fate) and denounce arcane magic.
Revelationists are a peaceful community of people who live among the marshlands. They claim to be the only ones who possesses the true knowledge of uthras, and this is true to the certain extent. They condemn the worship of planets, abstain from violence and they value purity of the body and mind. This non-conflicting attitude (and the hardships that come with waging war in the swamp) made them tolerated by the Southern Union. Revelationist clerics are known to be best healers on the planet, and their spiritual wisdom is unparalleled. Perhaps this is why they are targeted by monsters sent from the Midnight Mountain.
The Kingdom of the Sun is a relatively small coastal country that lives among the ruins of the giants. Shamishans, as they call themselves, studied and repurposed these stepped pyramids into farms and fortresses, making use of the residual magic they’ve found in the giant-kin carvings. Shamishans still follow Hayyi Rabbi, but in a way others consider heretical. They equate him with Ahura Mazda (the power that dwells on Mount Celestia) and, unlike other nations, welcome archons and other celestials in their courts. As evident from the name, they also venerate Shamish, pointing out that its rays are not just deadly, but necessary for life and prosperity. Chant goes, shahs of the Kingdom have learned to store solar power in the crystals left behind by giants. As expected, Shamishans wage prolonged war with the parts of the Southern Union. While southerners dislike “archon-worshippers” indeed, the Kingdom of the Sun is not without the blame—their ruler has long been wanting to reclaim the giantish ruins on the southerners’ territory, arguing that those “savages” do not know the value of the magic anyway. Of course, the Boreal Empire aids and sponsors the Kingdom of the Sun in many ways, hoping to finally vanquish the Southern Union.
There are a multitude of other small cults and nations on Tibil, such as the members of Conjoined Faith or the Gnostic Heresy. But the most prominent of all is the desert nomads—a conglomerate of various tribes and faiths that inhabit the endless cold desert between the north and the south. The harsh conditions of this place made these people knowledgeable in ways of survival and quite helpful to outsiders (in the wasteland cooperation is more important than petty differences). Nomad guides are sought after by caravans of traders crossing the desert—surprisingly enough, despite two nations being at war, merchants from the Empire and the Union engage in illegal trade quite often.
And in the centre of the marsh, on an isolated continent far from any other civilisation stands the Midnight Domain. Very little is actually known about it and for a simple reason—its rulers, worshippers of Sin, are the masters of illusion. Their illusions are so advanced, that some sods (at least according to the folktales) can live their whole lives without knowing they’ve been kidnapped from their home and kept in the Midnight. No one knows why Sin-sorcerers steal humans, but they it happens—or at least undead and monsters, who do it, bear their inscriptions. They are especially keen on those, who exhibit differences from their kin, like folks with birth defects or natural-born sorcerers.
Technology and Magic
Technology-wise, Tibil is not an advanced world. There are few riches the earth has to offer—even the low-quality bog iron is really valuable here. Due to the rarity of trees, homes are typically built from clay and mud, and bows are rarely used, being replaced by slings. However, Tibilian clothes are nothing short of a wonder—light, very warm and beautifully coloured and embroidered. Since religions of the world place a large emphasis on books and manuscripts, paper and parchment are widely used here, and even common peasants know how to treat papyrus and sheepskin the right way.
When it comes to magic, things are more interesting. Priests of Hayyi Rabbi are, of course, the most prominent spellcasters by far. They typically cast spells associated with healing, light, rulership, order and protection, but can burrow spells from almost any domain—Hayyi Rabbi is supposed to rule the perfect forms of everything, after all. The unique feature of the Tibilian priests is their ability to perform laufa—an exalted state of being that greatly empowers the cleric. It is thought that laufa is a way to communicate with Hayyi Rabbi, since the Power doesn’t reveal himself in regular ways. Certain factioneers of Sigil are more inclined to believe that it is their own belief that gives them spells and powers, much like the Great Unknown of the Athar does.
Wizards are viewed differently by different nations. The Boreal Empire relies on wizardry magic in great many ways, while the Southern Union and the Revelationists forbid them as an unnatural practice. Many mages belong to the school of star magic that draws magical practices from the constellations and planetary movements. Witches, warlocks, sha’irs and other pact-bound spellcasters, however, are generally disliked everywhere—but this make them rare. A lot of warlocks strike their pacts with the genius loci of the planets or with the constellates, although fiendish warlocks also exist. Druidic magic is known to chalk dwarves, desert nomads and some Revelationists, although organised religions look down upon such practices. Finally, while sorcerers can appear virtually everywhere, they are commonly associated with the Midnight Domain. It is believed that all midnight sorcerers [5e: use Lunar sorcerer subclass (New and Crescent moon phases) for reference/inspiration] get both power and exceptional ugliness from the rays of Sin, yet conceal the latter with illusions and phantasms, which are rumoured to be so advanced, they feel real for every sense.
There’s one very specific type of magical item likely unique to Tibil. With priestly spells and special magical clays and reeds Tibilians can craft a flying canoe, also known as a spelltugger. It works very similar to a spelljammer, but with a few key differences. It is a small and mobile flying boat that can barely hold a crew of four and, since it is made of reeds, cannot withstand attacks. It still allows cutters to travel through Wildspace (although not through Phlogiston, as it isn’t sealed). Brave souls that dare to go into space in a canoe are in minority, however, since most spelltuggers are used to quickly glide across sands or marshes or in warfare. Of course, flying canoes can’t be used in direct combat very well, but they are incredible at raining burning peat and boiling oil down on the enemy, not to mention the scouting benefits. Like spelljammers, spelltuggers require a spellcaster to operate them, but unlike them, flying canoes need a guiding pole instead of the helm. It is, of course, much cheaper to make than a helm, but also harder to use, since the operator has to perform complex rowing motions, while standing on the flying vessel. Indeed, a good spelltugger pilot is one of the most prestigious professions a berk can have in Tibil.
Source: Margarita. Mythwatch: Tibil is homebrew, but is based on the ancient Gnostic religion Mandaeism. In Mandaeic “Tibil” is literally a name for Earth. Influences from Abrahamic religions and mysticism aren’t unheard of in D&D and Pathfinder (archons, qlippoths, peri, divs and devas, azatas—basically the entire spectrum of Near Eastern religions is already canonically present), but my version references living religions much more, so if you are Mandaean or know more about this religion than me and notice some misrepresentation, then please comment it and I’ll gladly change or remove it.