Waverider Story - Campaign - Author's Notes
Zverilov
A small coastal trading nation with a beastly secret.
| Story |
|---|
| The fire crackled in the heart of the clearing, throwing sparks up into the black sky. Around it sat a circle of figures, some in human form, some resting in the shapes of beasts. A wolf lay with its head on a woman's lap, and though its fur was silvered, its eyes were the same amber as hers. A raven perched on the shoulder of a man, pecking at his ear while he laughed. A young boy, still flushed from his First Change, panted with pride as he shifted from marten to child and back again, the transition rough but real. |
| No one thought this strange. This was life. |
| An elder spoke, her voice low but firm, as steady as the jungle around them. "We are Zveri," she said. "We walk on two legs and four, but we are never less than ourselves. The beast is not a mask. It is not a curse. It is who we are." |
| The others nodded, each touching the small talisman that hung around their necks. A bear paw carved in amber. A coiled serpent in bone. A bird with outstretched wings in polished wood. Each was different, yet all belonged to the same whole. |
| The boy looked around the fire, wide-eyed, his new marten ears twitching at every sound. "But why hide?" he asked. "Why not let them see what we are?" |
| The elder reached for him, brushing a hand over his hair. Her fingers left a streak of ash on his brow. "Because the world fears what it does not understand," she said softly. "They would not see us as kin, but as monsters. And monsters they burn, or cage, or slaughter for sport." |
| The wolf beside her raised its head and growled low, a sound that rumbled like thunder. The circle grew silent. The fire popped, sending up another stream of sparks, drifting into the night. |
| Then, slowly, the elder smiled. "But one day, the Dragon will rise among us. One day the jungle will no longer keep us hidden. Until then, we endure. We celebrate each First Change. We honor the spirits. We live." |
| The circle of Zveri leaned closer to the fire, voices rising together in song. It was not a song of sorrow, nor of fear, but of joy-deep, wild, and proud. A chorus of human voices and beast cries, woven into one. |
| For they were Zveri. And that was enough. |
| Story |
|---|
| The merchant ship rolled on the humid tide, its sails drooping in the still air as it neared the jungle coast. The sailors stood at the rail, squinting at the green wall of trees that rose behind the harbor like a living curtain. The place was always unsettling, but the coin was good, so they came. |
| Beneath the water, a sleek shape glided alongside. A dolphin surfaced with a sharp breath, arcing gracefully before plunging down again. The crew cheered at the sight, pointing and laughing. "Look there! A good omen!" one cried, tossing a scrap of salted fish into the waves. "Even the beasts welcome us!" |
| The dolphin kept pace with the ship, circling it once, twice, then slipping under the keel. Her keen senses caught more than the men could ever guess: the faint tang of silver packed in wooden crates, the stench of oil on spearheads meant for hunting, the hard, metallic song of hidden chains. She listened also to the sailors' careless words, shouted down into the hold. They joked about the price of "rare animals" and about "breaking the jungle's secrets." |
| She clicked and whistled, her cry echoing beneath the hull, but to the crew it was nothing more than the playful chatter of a sea creature. |
| The dolphin surged ahead, her body cutting the waves like a blade. She leapt once, high into the sun, droplets sparkling from her back. The sailors laughed again, slapping the rail. "Beautiful beast," one said. "Exotic waters, exotic creatures." None thought twice. |
| By the time the ship dropped anchor in the harbor of Moryanev, the dolphin was already gone, vanishing toward the shallows. On the pier, the guards stood at ease, feigning the sluggish boredom of dockhands. But when the dolphin slipped close to the piling and whistled sharply, one of them straightened. He touched the wolf's tooth at his chest, then turned to pass the signal along. |
| The jungle had been warned. |
Description
The country is known outwardly as Zverilov, the "Beast-Country". The name itself comes from foreign sailors who dock at its sea ports, since inland few outsiders have seen more than a wall of endless jungle and swamp. Zverilov's rulers have carefully cultivated this image of mystery and barrenness, letting merchants believe there is nothing of worth beyond the harbors.
Geography and Settlements
The coast have two major sea ports, the largest of which are Moryanev and Kamenport. These towns are bustling, with goods from across the sea arriving and being shipped onward. Inland, however, lie the hidden heartlands of Zverilov. The jungle is thick, humid, and filled with ruins of ancient stone circles and crumbling colonnades overgrown with moss.
To the north, it's blocked from Ashkar through the majestic Thunder Falls, a massive waterfall in a thundering down a narrow ravine.
The true cities of the wares are hidden deep within. The capital, Drevobor, is built in harmony with the jungle, a sprawling settlement where wooden longhouses and carved totems rise among banyan-like trees. The second largest city, Zverynets, serves as the gathering place for councils and elections of leaders. Smaller towns like Volchi Yar (Wolf's Ravine), Medvedov (Bear's Rest), and Yazykovo (Tongue-town, known for storytellers and singers) reflect the animals most common among the people.
The Wares
The people, known simply as zveri among themselves, live dual lives. To outsiders they are simple jungle folk and traders. Among themselves, their identities are deeply tied to their animal forms.
Some of the more common forms:
Mammals
- Volk (Wolf): Natural leaders, organizers, soldiers, or scouts. Strong sense of group loyalty.
- Medved (Bear): Builders, smiths, warriors, known for patience and endurance.
- RyÅ› (Lynx): Quiet hunters, trackers, watchers in the shadows. Often loners, but highly respected.
- Bars (Snow Leopard): Rare in the jungle, but often shamans or spiritual guides, aloof yet wise.
- Kabán (Boar): Stubborn, strong, quick to anger. Often farmers, but also fierce fighters.
- Olen (Stag): Poised, noble, with natural authority. They tend to be diplomats or ceremonial leaders.
- Zayets (Hare): Quick-witted, fast, tricksters, sometimes scouts or messengers.
- Vydra (Otter): Joyful, curious, lovers of rivers and trade. Often traders and fishers.
- Lis (Fox): Clever, sly, schemers, spies, and storytellers.
- Plavuny (Dolphin): Playful, curious, social. Never far from the sea, often pearl divers or fishers.
Birds
- Orel (Eagle): Warriors and watchmen, visionaries who see far and wide.
- Sova (Owl): Lorekeepers, teachers, interpreters of dreams.
- Voron (Raven): Tricksters, jesters, often wanderers who weave between roles.
- Sokol (Falcon): Hunters, archers, proud and ambitious.
- Pavlin (Peacock): Dancers, singers, performers, proud of their beauty and charm.
- Zhuravl (Crane): Wise, patient, mediators of disputes.
- Drozd (Songbird): Musicians, poets, lighthearted spirits who keep morale alive.
Reptiles
- Zmey (Snake): Secretive, analytical, keepers of poisons and medicines.
- Yashcheritsa (Lizard): Pragmatic, resourceful, adept at surviving harsh conditions.
- Krokodil (Crocodile): Strong, dangerous, respected for their patience and deadly power.
- Cherepakha (Turtle): Slow, thoughtful, keepers of traditions and law.
- Vasilisk (Basilisk, myth-born lizard): Extremely rare, feared, considered ominous but also honored as seers.
Rare and Almost Mythic Forms
- Zubrov (Bison): Massive, rare, embody endurance and raw might, often guardians of sacred sites.
- Pantera (Black Jaguar): Silent hunters, feared and admired.
- Aist (Stork): Bearers of omens, often associated with births and beginnings.
- Zmei-Drakon (Dragon): The prophesied form, never yet seen, believed to herald the age of revelation.
Each ware wears a carved talisman of their spirit animal, usually of bone, wood, or amber. It is both a reminder of their gift and a personal spiritual guide.
Magic
There are no magic users among the Zveri, but they do have amplified versions of their spirit animals' powers. Strength, vision, venom, charm and so on. The do recieve guiding wisdom from their spirit animals.
Customs and Beliefs
The First Change, which happens during puberty on the night of a full moon, is a great communal event called Velikaya Noch Zverey, The Great Night of Beasts. Unlike other changes, this first change is not a conscious, voluntary action. Families and friends gather, feasting and drumming, until the child changes for the first time. Their animal is celebrated and welcomed into the tapestry of the community.
Relationships and cohabitation is fluid, and many households form according to animal natures. Wolf packs live communally, bears often in smaller tight-knit groups, snakes in looser shifting associations. There is no shame in leaving or joining new groups, and they have no concept of marriage.
Among the zveri, clothes do not change with the body, and are often shed before a transformation. Because of this, there are no nudity taboos inland. A person may walk from beast-shape to human and think nothing of standing bare among their kin, for the body is seen as only another face of the spirit within. Modesty is a concept that belongs to outsiders, not to them. Only in the sea ports, where foreign eyes watch, do the zveri keep the customs of clothing, playing their roles as ordinary folk and hiding what they truly are.
Religion is more guidance than worship. Each animal is seen as a facet of the great cycle of life. The zveri speak of Mat' Zverey, the Mother of Beasts, who once walked the world as the first ware and birthed the many animal-spirits. It is whispered that one day, Drakon, the supreme spirit, will return in mortal flesh and lead them into the open world.
Governance
The ruler of Zverilov is chosen every twelve years in an election known as the Sobor Zverey, the Council of Beasts. Each settlement sends a speaker, and the people vote in great assemblies. The current ruler is Queen Yaromira Volchitsa, a wolf-ware known for her charisma and cunning.
Legends say that one day a Dragon-ware, the incarnation of Drakon, will be born. This one will not be elected, but rule eternally, leading the zveri into a new age where they will live openly. Until then, rulers are bound by term and oath.
Secrecy and Security
Zverilov's greatest law is Ne vydavat' sebe, "Never Reveal Yourself". The zveri are aware of the hatred against changelings and the superstitions about warewolves, and know the outside would would hunt them to extinction if they knew. The ports are strictly controlled, and outsiders are only allowed in specific zones. Guards in the jungle ensure that foreigners do not wander too far inland. Rumors of beasts in the forests, venomous snakes, and haunted ruins are spread on purpose to discourage explorers. Outsiders who disappear in the jungle often never return, and if the bodies are found, it's obvious that the rumors of the the animals in the forest are true, as they are clearly killed by beasts.
Slavery is forbidden, both for secrecy and for the belief that freedom is the essence of all animals.
Relations with Others
Trade is brisk but shallow. The zveri sell hardwoods, spices, rare furs, and dyes. They buy metal, salt, and crafted goods. Diplomacy, however, does not exist. There are no envoys, no treaties, no marriages across borders. To the outside world, Zverilov is a strange, closed nation of jungle traders who trade wilingly, but speak reluctantly.
Oddly enough, despite their common need for secrecy and somewhat similar abilities, they still fear the changelings, just like the rest of the world.
Hidden within the green depths, the zveri live as they always have, hiding their truth and waiting for the dragon-child who will one day set them free.
Possible Secrets
The entire existence of the zveri is a secret.
Salvation in Fire
The prophecy of the dragon-child may not promise salvation but destruction: Drakon might be born to cleanse the world with fire.
Leaving Tracks
The Zveri's magic leaves traces in the land; outsiders who study long enough could discover their presence.
Leave No Witness
A hidden caste of crocodile-wares acts as silent executioners for the ruling council, disposing of those who threaten the secret.
How Did It All Began
Certain elders know more of the ruins in the jungle than they admit, guarding knowledge of an older people who also bore beast-spirits.
"All animals are equal, but some are more equal"
Some clans believe their spirit forms are superior, quietly scheming to dominate others.
Adventure Hooks
The Missing Merchant
A foreign trader has vanished after leaving the port of Moryanev, last seen heading inland against warnings. His powerful trading house blames the locals and threatens to cut off all trade. The zveri council hires outsiders to quietly locate the man before his people send soldiers. But the truth may be darker: the merchant saw something he should not have.
The Child of Two Worlds
A sailor's child, born in Zverilov, shows signs of being a ware during the full moon. The foreign parent wants to take the child back across the sea, but the community insists the child must remain hidden. The players must navigate the conflict before it draws too much attention from outside.
The Hunter's Ship
A ship docks at Kamenport, crewed not by traders but by monster hunters from the Empire. They bring silver weapons, nets, and cages, and insist they are only passing through. In truth, they know something of the wares' secret. Can the adventurers mislead them, or will blood spill in the port?
The Whispering Jungle
Deep in the jungle, ruins older than the wares themselves are discovered. Strange carvings show beasts transforming, but also chained, enslaved, and sacrificed. A group of zveri scholars wants protection to explore them. But something still dwells in those ruins, and not all of it is friendly.
The Snake's Poison
A healer from the snake-wares has created a venom-based medicine that could save lives far beyond Zverilov. Some wish to trade it to outsiders, others warn it could expose their secret if studied too closely. The adventurers must decide whether to smuggle it out, protect it, or destroy it.
The Wolf's Rebellion
A powerful wolf-ware warband begins speaking openly of breaking isolation and challenging the Empire directly. The ruling queen Yaromira fears they will spark an invasion before the dragon-child arrives. She quietly hires the adventurers to deal with the rebels-through diplomacy, sabotage, or worse.