Map of the campaign area:
Serpentcoil Mountains Master Map
Orcs
Orcs come in two main varieties: Grey orcs and green orcs. Green orcs favored class is Barbarian. Grey orcs are NE, not CE, and may choose a favored class of Fighter or Rogue.
Orcs are well known to take captives to farm, mine and work.
They use necromancy to keep the spirits and bodies of their enemies and dishonored dead productive after death.
They use fear spells in battle to scatter the weaker troops and slaughter the remaining strong combatants.
Vampires
-Vampires are genies corrupted by negative energy, forcing them to feed on the lifeforce of others instead of their own elemental nature to survive.
All Elemental Vampires can control the element they are associated with--forming it into shapes, telekinetically controlling it from a distance, and if they can enslave an undead spirit, form an elemental body for it to inhabit.
-Fire, Quenchers: Drain the victims mental energy, creating an unthinking slave.
-Earth, Marrowdrinkers: Drink bone marrow, killing and stripping their victims flesh.
-Air, Breathstealers: Drink breath, suffocate their victims.
-Water, Drowners: Drink blood.
Giants:
Giants are said to be huge humans, with equally overgrown emotional lives.
Hill Giants: Hill giants secretly fear those larger than themselves and see bullying and dominating anyone smaller as the only way to be secure. They often enslave ogres, ettins, orcs and other humanoids whom they use to dominate and terrorize the surrounding countryside.
Frost Giants: Their jealousy freezes them solid keeping them from changing. They live hundreds of years, their jealousy and envy keeping them alive.
Fire Giants: Fire Giants are full of anger. Their fiery tempers mean they hold grudges and work out their frustrations at the forge a lot. They forge many weapons and armor for other giants and monsters.
Stone Giants: Bitter and depressed, they mostly wish to be left alone. Their sadnesses are legendary.
Storm Giants: Storm Giants have an overabundance of love. Storm Giants find themselves struck by intense moods, sometimes angry, sometimes sad, sometimes joyful. They often dream of and obsess over creatures or things they see or hear about from far-off and steal or kidnap them.
Cloud Giants: Cloud Giants are proud. They take meticulous care of their appearance, wearing the finest, most elegant clothing and the most valuable jewelry.
Creating a Necropolis
A necropolis is created when a tomb is found or uncovered in some natural disaster. The undead inside kill someone who wanders too near or who is foolish enough to try and loot it, and another shadow is created. The local population buries their dead near the tomb, in the safety of daylight, and leaves hurriedly. Over time, more adventurers, soldiers and priests attempt to destroy (or control) the undead, and more undead are animated from the souls and remains of the dead around the tomb. Fortifications are made by someone attempting to inhabit or destroy the necropolis. A guardian temple or monastery is established, attacked, abandoned and then becomes part of the necropolis. In this way the necropolis slowly becomes larger over dozens if not hundreds of years. Soon enough it is the size of a city and its layers tell the history of the area.