My First Savage Worlds Setting: The Lost Continent

These are the broad strokes.  I'm using the Deluxe Explorer's Edition, the Fantasy Companion and will sprinkle in bits from the Horror Companion for flavor.

 Elevator Pitch

Post-cataclysmic homeland of an extinct but sophisticated culture of sky-faring magic-users is re-discovered a millennium after their fall in a pulpy mash-up of medieval fantasy and lost world genre fiction.  

Movers and Shakers

The Luminous Church of the Prophet:  Or more commonly “The Church”, a dominant, world-spanning, monotheistic religion instructs human society on moral and cosmological norms and attenuates the influence of paganism, magic and the occult. (arcane background: miracles)

The Society of Cartography: Multi-faceted adventurer’s guild sponsors map making, treasure-hunting, resource-finding and other expeditions upon Eld*.

­The Order of Cerberus:  The ancient order of magi credited with the rediscovery of the Lost Continent and the secret of making sky-ships. They have a keen interest in magic artifacts and sites. (arcane background: magic)

The Merchant Houses: Multi-national cartels who control prices, production and availability of various goods and services.  (arcane background: alchemy for the Alchemist’s Guild)

The Mystery Cults:­   Semi- secret, sometimes fraternal and sororal orders that were revitalized in the wake of rediscovered Eld*.  Looked at with suspicion, skepticism and even hostility by the Church.  (arcane background: ritual magic)

The Shadow League:  Underworld syndicate interested mostly in smuggling contraband & defying governments, the Church and the Merchant Houses for fun and profit.  

The Free Kingdoms:  The collection of independent but culturally similar nations (mostly human monarchies) upon the continent north and east of Eld who were once the remote provinces and tributaries of the Ancient Empire and now jockey for influence and riches upon the Lost Continent.  

The Caliphates of Khadesia:  Confederation of theocracies south and east of Eld who share the broad strokes of a dogma that diverged from that of the Luminous Church some 500 years ago.  

Denghai Empire: Distant, centrally-ruled & militaristic realm upon a far-eastern continent who have founded a trade and exploration center analogous to Beacon upon the Lost Continent.

Playable Races

Humans:  Multi-cultural “default” race

Descendants:  Spirit-creatures physically similar to the Eld* who materialize amidst re-occupied ruins for unknown reasons. 

Saurians:  Lizard people native to the river lands and swamps of the Lost Continent.

Rakhashani:  Cat people native to the jungles and forests of the Lost Continent.

Gnomes:  Former slaves (constructs?) of the Eld*, naturally gifted in the ways of ancient magic artifice.

Monsters

 

Any “large” or “dire” versions of mundane creatures (wolves, spiders, beetles, crabs, etc…)

Anything fantastic but not explicitly Tolkein (no to orcs, yes to re-skinned trolls, no to hobbits, yes to gnomes, no to elves, yes to rat-men, no to ents, yes to wyverns, etc…)

Lots of centaur analogues (spider-men, scorpion-men, snake-men, etc…)

Undead

Dinosaurs?

Places

Beacon:  Once a ruined city of the Eld* at the northern extreme of the continent, now a trade and exploration gateway to the Lost Continent ruled by the Order of Cerberus. Campaign starting point.

Ruins of the Eld: Ubiquitous, millennium-aged, yet-to-be plundered ruined cities, towns and fortifications provide endless dungeon-crawling fun.

Eld Itself:  The Lost Continent is DENSE forests & jungles, BIG mountains, LONG rivers and ENDLESS deserts all surrounded by TRACKLESS seas. 

* = Eld is both the name of the continent and the people/ culture.  I know the term has made the rounds already within Old-School RPG circles.  I'm not ashamed to steal the things that work.  :-)