Pre-Cataclysmic Cultures of the Great Waste

There are ruins in the Great Waste of Sind. They are not prolific, but the sages of Sayr Ulan, the main city of Sind, believe that these ruins predate the Great Rain of Fire that devastated the  ancient civilizations of Blackmoor and Arvoria, causing the collapse of the first and forcing the survivors of the second underground. The Great Rain of Fire caused massive dramatic climactic upheavals as Mystara was tilted on its axis. What was the north pole became southeastern Brun and the pole shifted to where it is now, where a continent-sized hole in the crust leads to the Hollow World. 

Before the Great Rain of Fire the area that would become the Great Waste was the Kallinth Forest, a great woodland, mostly conifers to the east but shifting to deciduous woods such as oak and elm towards the west. As well as plentiful wildlife the Kallinth forest host several different tribes of humans as well as sylvan creatures such as dryads, centaurs and pixies. Some of the tribes stayed nomadic, wandering the forest but others, most notably the Kallinthians (naming themselves after their forest home), the Hyskians and the Darvonians settled into early cultures with cattle and horse farming in cleared areas. 

The Kallinthians

The semi-nomadic Kallinthians espoused moderation and common sense in their approach to life. Of the three, the Kallinthians were the closest to nature, and also were friendly towards tribes of elves and centaurs in the forest. They  dwelt in the eastern part of the forest, around what is now Sind. 

The Hyskians

These were the most volatile and ruthless of the three tribes, and their clerics would worship the primal forces of Chaos. They also had great mages and were pioneers in their explorations of magic, some of which would be considered dark sorcery. It is believed that their most powerful sorcerers opened up portals to the Planes of Chaos, one of which is still found in a ruined temple in the Great Waste (see B4: Master of the Desert Nomads, the section on the Buried Temple). Some of these mages would use corrupted forms of magic to extend their lifespans, and inadvertently turned themselves into the first nagpas, vulture-like creatures with magical powers, though the Hyskians are not the only culture to have spawned these vile sorcerous monsters.    

The Darvonians

The Darvonians were great craftsmen, pioneers of bronze and copper as well as pottery and architecture. Some suggest they learnt this from the dwarves or gnomes, though their own legends speak of being gifted this knowledge by the scorpion god Ixitak (possibly the avatar of an immortal). They also used cuniform writing on clay tablets and became a structured society with laws. 

Their most devoted clerics were sometimes transformed by Ixitak into Scorpion-men, monstrous looking centauroid beings with the lower bodies of giant scorpions and the upper body, arms and heads of humans. Despite their scary appearances, these scorpion-men remained benevolent and lawful at least until the Great Rain of Fire. 

The Great Rain of Fire

The first effect to be noticed in the Kallinth Forest when the Blackmoor device exploded was the massive earthquakes as shock waves rippled out from the epicentre of the explosion and travelled across the planet of Mystara. Many were killed as buildings collapsed, crushing people in and around them. Others fell into the crevasses that suddenly opened up across the lands. Further to the east a chunk of Brun was torn from the south coast; The parts that did not sink beneath the waves would become the Ierendi Islands. To the east the previously modest Black Mountains had been pushed up into taller, more jagged and volcanically active peaks.   

Then came the actual rain of fire, the fallout of the explosion. Flaming hot debris fell from the sky, catapulted from Blackmoor. Conflagrations fell amidst the devastated towns and farmland, setting buildings, crops and people on fire. The people were in abject terror, convinced it was the end of the world and they were all going to die. For some of them this was true. 

This all happened within a space of three days as the ground convulsed and the sky pelted the land with fire. Afterwards there was an eerie calm. The survivors had no idea what had happened. Were the immortals angry with them? They noticed that the stars in the sky had changed position - even the heavens had been shaken. There were various attempts to rebuild shattered towns and livelihoods . 

Then the climate shifted. The change in Mystara’s axis meant that temperatures became warmer, the rains stopped falling on the forest and after a year or two the process of desertification began. The smaller plants died first, then the trees, then grazing animals and after three years the human survivors of the Great Rain of Fire realised that the disaster had not concluded yet. 

The Migrations and Aftermaths

As the land dried up and became a desert waste, the Kallinthians, who were already used to migration, set off east into what is now Atruaghin and Darokin. Their connection to nature and balance may have been shaken by the cataclysm but still remained. Their flexibility and adaptability allowed many of them to survive though no longer in their homeland. Their culture disappated but many of their lineages blended in with the human tribes that would become the Atruaghin clans. 

The Hyskians did what they had to do to survive and moved west through the Black Mountains which were now far more formidable. Not all the Hyskians survived that journey west, but those that did found themselves in the great basin that would eventually become Hule. Their belief in Chaos has remained, and Hule these days is still a chaotic hagiocracy. There was a split, as some Hyskians decided to stay and endure the changing climate. Many of them became the ancestors of the human desert nomads that now roam the great wastes.

The Darvonians suffered the most. They had become so reliant on a stable, predictable society that when the Great Rain of Fire struck, they had no way of coping with the complete upheaval of the world around them. Some of their clerics and even the blessed scorpion-men lost their faith and renounced their patron Ixitak. They instead turned to Chaos. Some of them joined the Hyskians in Hule, while others were offered a new transformation to help them survive in the desert. A mysterious being (actually a Chaos Prince) called Serathis transformed those who swore loyalty to him into Manscorpions, vicious and corrupted versions of the noble scorpion-men of Ixitak. A lucky few found the newly formed Asanda river and settled along its banks. Although not the true founders of Sind, they would merge with the Urduks, a tribe migrating from the east that would also settle in the fertile Asanda valley who would be instrumental in the settling and growth of Sind. 

source

Author’s Note 

I was considering moving B4: The Lost City to this region but I think at the moment it is well established to be in the Emirates of Ylaruam, as indicated in the Mentzer Expert set. The culture of the Cynidiceans seems closer to Mesopotamia or maybe ancient Turkey than ancient Egypt (which is the inspiration for the Nithians of northern Ylaruam). Nonetheless I believe it is simpler to go along with canon on this one. There is also the level difference - B4 is for levels 1-3 while the adventures set in the Great Waste are for levels 6 to 10, both official ones and my own humble attempts. In terms of the flow of the campaign, B4 seems more suited to Ylaruam. 

The principal published adventure set in the Great Waste is of course X4: Master of the Desert Nomads. The sequel, X5: The Temple of Death is really set in the land of Hule to the west of the Great Waste. There are two main ruins in X4: the Buried Temple and the Abbey of Evil. The Abbey of Evil feels too new to be linked to the ancient cultures discussed here. My suggestion is that it was originally founded by Sindhi Mystics and built about 100 years ago, but they were infiltrated and then killed by the Bhuts about 10 years ago. 

The  Buried Temple dates back to those pre-cataclysmic centuries and is actually my main inspiration for this blog post. My two dungeon posts set in the Great Waste, The Pillared Halls of Serathis and The Tower of the Nagpas have both drawn from B4, especially the section on the Buried Temple. This post is my attempt at explaining and giving historical context to the Buried Temple as well as my own two dungeons of the Great Waste. I hope it proves satisfactory.

The Independent County of Iryanland

Iryanland is a region of Toutus on the west coast, immediately north of the Godsblood Straits, and several hundred miles south of the Walrus Freehold. 

During the latter stages of the Wars between the Empires, the Count of Iryanland proclaimed that he would no longer fight for the Emperor of Toutus and that Iryanland was neutral and independent. The county had already received a battering during the wars from invading enemies, but the count still had an honour guard of 200 troops, and using these he fended off Toutian, Bursian, Telthian and monstrous incursions. These honour guards were soon bolstered by deserters fed up with the war and other Toutians fleeing the Emperor's wrath. It came through after the Summoning weakened but intact, which was better than most of its neighbours and the Toutus Empire (which completely collapsed as a coherent entity).
The present count, Count Carnovon, is the great nephew of Count Barastin who proclaimed independence. His court advisors include two wizards, two clerics, two merchants and four generals.
Iryanland is relatively stable and peaceful. It has some problems with wild frontiers but is otherwise a safe, lawful place. Its economy of agriculture and trade supports 125,000 people and a standing army of 2000, including 2 regiments of 300 longbowmen each, a 400 strong heavy cavalry regiment 200 light cavalry and three regiments of heavy infantry.

Heriston, City of Cynics
Heriston was an important Toutian port city overrun by armies and then monsters and left for dead. It is amazing that it recovered, but this can be in part attributed to Iryanland's need for a usable sea port. The port flourished and proclaimed independence from Iryanland which was too busy defending its own borders to do much except protest. It is less safe than Iryanland and law enforcement is haphazard. The 60,000 strong population rely on fishing and external trade.
Heriston has acquired its unusual epithet because of its angry and ruthless attitude towards clerics. Worshipping gods is not allowed in Heriston, and clerics face the death penalty if caught preaching. 

The Border Baronies
These states were formed as the Count of Iryanland paid off restless mercenaries and shifted refugees by giving them licenses to settle and expand the borders with the rest of the Empire.
Like other borderlands, the baronies are not really cosmopolitan or under full control. The federation between the barons is a loose one and inter-baronial conflicts are common, as are monstrous raids.
The economy is based on sheep, cattle, furs and timber. The small population of 15,000 people are all trained with weapons of some sort and in times of great need a militia of 3000 can be raised.

The Clanhold of Duradin
The Duradin had suffered raids and losses from the wars when Iryanland declared its independence. The Thane of the Duradin Clan quickly followed suite, recalling any of its warriors it could contact. Iryanland and Duradin became allies and much of Duradin's food now comes from Iryanland. In return, Duradin shields Iryanland's eastern border from various incursions. Of its 18,000 inhabitants, about 6000 are warriors.

Trade between Duradin, Iryanland, Heriston and the Baronies is vigorous, with many dwarf-forged armour and weapons and dwarf-brewed ales traveling across the region to paying customers.

Astarril County
This realm collapsed during the Summoning. It was spread across the north coast of Mackerel Bay and Khorid Island. During the Summoning Khorid Island was shattered by a massive earthquake, that both leveled the main city of Mostor and also split the island into three smaller isles. Further north the city of Telverhain was invaded by monsters as a Chaos Portal opened up in the city. These chaotic monsters overran the County, and now it is against these monsters from Telverhain that the Border Barons stand guard. 

Bursia - the Human Empire

In the west of Kaelaross, beyond the ocean that borders the western side of Toutus, there is Bursia, the Empire of Humans. For the most-part this racial monopoly is not intentional - humanoids and demihumans simply have not made it to the Bursian landmass in any great numbers. However, there is a streak of xenophobia that means that those humanoids who do make it to the shores of Bursia will not always find a warm welcome - at best they will find themselves treated as curiosities bombarded with awkward questions, at worst treated as non-sentient animals or invading aliens.

A History of The Empire of Bursia

From around -800 BY, humans established a number of nations and city states along the east coast, and until the Wars between the Empires they were gradually colonising westwards across the continent (a map of which is found here) - the further west you go, the less civilised Bursia gets. Cities have often been more important than wide areas of land (such as kingdoms and provinces) and Bursians will often identify themselves as belonging to a city or town rather than a region or kingdom. Cities have always had a level of government of their own, but in later years the city-states became more of a local government, overseen by the Imperial government.

There had been a few cities that were ruled by kings in the early years, but they were often overthrown by popular uprisings. From -205 BY to 0 BY, Bursia was a republic with elected senators from cities meeting in the capital Thoraxis. However, this was never entirely suitable, and when a crisis arose in BY 0 (several city-states wanted to secede from the Republic, forming a rival), the requirement for strong leadership meant that the first Emperor was chosen. The quality of Emperors has varied considerably - the good ones maintained the Empire and established good laws and financed great public works. The bad ones were notoriously despotic, tyrannical and whimsical and on occasions outright insane. The succession evolved from senators being elected as Emperors by their peers to Emperors making their sons senators and directing the senate to elect their sons, to Emperors choosing a worthy successor and adopting them as a son.

During the Bursian Civil War (BY 482 to BY 497) there was a rapid exchange of Emperors as generals seized the Imperial throne with their armies, and were then bloodily overthrown by rival generals. There were over 30 “Emperors” in this civil war, some of whom were murdered after only months in office.

This ended in the rather strange compromise of the Age of the Tetrarchs (BY497 to BY 561), where Bursia was split into four quarters, each ruled by a Tetrarch (effectively an Emperor of a quarter of the Empire). The Age of Tetrarchs collapsed into the Tetrarch War (BY 561-562) but ended when Aurelius the Great re-established the Empire as a whole once again, this time with the backing of the mages of the academies as well as the Senators.

This Second Empire, with the Emperor being backed up by the Senators and the Academies, proved quite stable and survived even through the Wars between the Empires up until the Summoning. Not even the mighty Bursian Empire could withstand the wrath of Bhael, especially after being weakened by the dreadful wars against the other empires. 


After the Summoning

The Bursian Empire collapsed along with Toutus and Bellenos during the Summoning. The chaotic god Bhael opened up numerous Chaos Portals in the middle of cities, and chaotic monsters flooded out, attacking other nearby settlements. It is interesting that hardly any of the chaotic monsters in Bursia are humanoid. Instead, the portals have connected to Planes of Chaos that include many human Chaotic cultists. Thus even the enemies of the Human Empire are humans, rather than humanoids.

The tendency to form society around a city has re-emerged after the Summoning - surviving settlements have formed into city-states, with smaller towns and villages becoming junior partners or vassals to larger, independent cities.

The Continent of Bursia is more than the Empire of Bursia. The Empire still had not colonised the western half of the landmass, and there are huge stretches of wilderness, particularly in the arid, dusty southwest beyond the Greycap Mountains. Not only are there wild beasts and monsters, but also human barbarians. It is interesting that there are no orcs, goblins, gnolls or other such humanoids in this wilderness - men can be just as brutal and savage, and the tribes of western Bursia were just as much enemies of civilization and order as any ogre or kobold.

The follow-on posts to this are Notes on Bursia and a Map of Bursia

The Bellenos Empire

While the classic medieval stories of knights in armour, splendid castles and feudal chivalry of Britain, France and Germany have inspired a lot of Toutus, Bellenos, one of its main rivals before the empires collapsed, is from further south - namely the Renaissance Mediterranean, especially Venice, Florence and Genoa. While feudal loyalties were what bound the various duchies and counties of Toutus together, it was trade that kept Bellenos together. The Bellenosians certainly had powerful armies, but they were more a means to an end when trade and diplomacy failed rather than the reason for the state. 

If this makes it sound like the Bellenosians were more benevolent than the Toutatians, think again. At their best they were charismatic, sophisticated, cooperative diplomats. At their worst they were cynical, greedy lying bastards who would buy large tracts of land from ignorant natives for just a handful of glass beads, and then viciously repel the angry natives with steel when they realised the deal they had struck was unfair. In other cases the Bellenosian explorers simply conquered hapless natives in foreign lands, claiming the land for the Bellenos Empire (with the expectation of being governors of these new territories). 

Bellenos arose as a coalition of city-states on the home island of Bellenia, which then spread  around the Vendalian Archipelago. The empire had grown powerful through their merchant-explorers, travelling around the archipelago and beyond - even reaching the shores of Toutus, though never establishing anything more than trading enclaves in Toutatian towns and cities.
They also explored east and south. To the east they came across the huge continent of Keshiss, with its northern and southern halves both projecting west towards Bellenos. To the south the Bellenosians found the Cynidean islands, with the dying Cynidean culture that collapsed just as the Bellenosians made contact. The Bellenosian towns and trading posts only cover some of the islands - a lot of it is still wilderness and abandoned Cynidean ruins. One of the most notable of these Bellenosian towns, which has survived the Summoning and subsequent collapse of the Empire is Tekhumis the Desert Port. 


The Bellenos way of war was less feudal and more regimented than in Toutus, and with less reliance on armour and more on manoeuvrability - lightly armoured crossbowers protected by ranks of pikemen and halberdiers were common among the regiments of the city-states. Since Bellenos was based on an archipelago with many overseas outposts and colonies, there was a much greater emphasis on its navy - not just slow, crude cogs, but sleek, fast schooners and mighty galleons, while closer inshore there were galleys manned by hundreds of rowers each. The sailors who manned these ships were reluctant to wear armour that could drown them if they ended up in the water, so in Bellenos the Swashbuckling style of fighting was developed. 

Elkhorn Island

Elkhorn Island, just north of the Godsblood Straits, is sparsely inhabited with no major settlement. Before the Summoning it was claimed by the Duchy of Urdus. However, it is generally accepted that what went on there was not accurately recorded. Some say that there was a cult of chaos on the island that performed some sort of unspeakable rite, while others say that a flaming green star crashed to earth there three hundred years ago.

These days the biggest population is the shrine of Adonor which sits on an old site that contains ruins that predate the Toutus Empire. There are five clerics here, one of whom is always a high priest. They will not say why a shrine is maintained here, and especially why a high priest is required, but they are friendly and helpful to visitors. Visitors are warned not to stray too far from the shrine, as the clerics do not patrol the woods.

The woods of Elkhorn Island include a selection of wildlife, including a clan of werebears (most of whom are true-breeding, not infected). The werebears have a truce with the lawful clerics of the shrine, and the two groups do not interfere with each others' business.

The truth about the island is disturbing. There was an ancient temple of Bhael on the site where the shrine of Adonor now stands. Chaotic cultists flocked to it from all over Toutus until BY 1312 when the Toutus Army invaded and put a stop to the cult. However, in its final hours when the cultists saw the army approaching, they appealed to their dark overlord Bhael to assist them, and a powerful demon fell from the sky. This demon slew many Toutatian soldiers and a few cultists as well (the forces of Chaos do not care about collateral damage). The force of soldiers had come prepared, and advising and assisting the commanders were some powerful clerics of Adonor. They used powerful clerical magic as well as divine assistance from their patron - first they tried to banish the demon back to the Planes of Chaos, but somehow it resisted. They did manage to imprison it deep under the cultists' unholy gathering place and put it into a deep slumber.
As the Toutatian soldiers gathered their wounded, buried their dead and finished off the cultists who were trying to flee, the clerics decided to maintain a vigil over the imprisoned demon, and thus a shrine was established on the site. The strong aura of Law from the shrine counteracts and suppresses any malign influence the buried demon might have on its surroundings - the clerics know and encourage this as they do not want the island to become more tainted by chaos than it has been.
The one relatively accurate description of what happened in Elkhorn Island is written down in a book called "The Abominable Cults of Chaos Worshippers", but very few copies of this still remain.

Forces of Chaos might well seek to unleash the demon, but getting past the lawful clerics would be a problem. If it were unleashed, it would cause as much death and destruction as a mobile Chaos Portal, and creatures and worshippers of chaos would flock to the demon as the most powerful leader of Chaos on Kaelaross. Certain members of the Traitor Legion know this, and the contingents of Traitor Legionnaires both in the Salty Forest and on the Island of Lost Souls are well-placed to sail to Elkhorn Island if they could overcome or bypass the clerics of Adonor.

A Timeline for Kaelaross

This is a work in progress - as more details are added to the setting, I expect this timeline will expand. The standard timescale in use across Kaelaross is the Bursian Year (BY) reckoning. 

BY -14,000 Rise of the Warrior Kingdoms of Kzuth
BY -6000 primitive humans colonise Toutus and spread over most of the continent
BY -1200s Rise of Cynidean empire in what would eventually become part of  Bellenos
BY -800s First city-states on eastern coast of Bursia
BY -350s "Papyri of Zoth" written in Cynidea
BY -205 City-States of Bursia become a republic
BY 1 Bursian Empire is founded as the first Bursian Emperor is crowned
BY 223 Great dust storms buries what is left of Cynidea, leaving nothing but ruins
BY 300s Human kingdoms form on south coast of Toutus continent
BY 430 In the Grulven Mountains the Dwarven kingdom of Urrugorn collapses
BY 482 Bursian civil War begins
BY 497 Bursian civil war ends, start of Age of the Tetrarchs in Bursia
BY 500s Toutian Kingdoms form an alliance 
BY 561 Start of the Tetrarch War in Bursia
BY 562 End of the Tetrarch War in Bursia, founding of the second Bursian Empire
BY 722 Toutian kingdoms are unified into the Toutus Empire in response to a humanoid threat
BY 820 Urdus Isthmus is colonised by the Toutus Empire
BY 826 Construction of Seaview Keep started
BY 830 Port at Maquosmouth formally starts to accept ships
BY 844 Zelchus takes over ownership of Seaview Keep
BY 850 Toutus Empire invades the Dwarves of the Ten Peaks
BY 860 Teiglin is incorporated into the Toutus Empire as a colony
BY 899 Dwarves of the Ten Peaks form a Confederacy
BY 1050 Dwarves of the Ten Peaks revolt against Duke of Urdus
BY 1067 Ironmarket becomes regular trading place between humans of Urdus and Dwarves of the Ten Peaks
BY 1221 Warlock Harbour built off coast of Teiglin
BY 1312 Chaos Cult on Elkhorn Island is destroyed, shrine to Adonor established on the island.
BY 1322 "The Histories of the Ancients" is written
BY 1330s Human trappers and hunters form settlement on what would become Walrus City. 
BY 1423 Construction of Hurin Fort begins
BY 1432 Walrus City formally established
BY 1456 "Magic Weapons I Have Known and Loved by Snorrvord the Elder" written
BY 1466 Najask City formally established
BY 1483 Walrus City governed as Imperial colony
BY 1501 Walrus City and other cities around the Walrus Channel become the Walrus Freehold
BY 1511 "The Abominable Cults of Chaos" commissioned and written
BY 1550 The Wars Between the Empires begin
BY 1551 "The Noble Families of Toutus" is written
                Vettrel Keep on Kaynor Islands abandoned by Teiglin, taken over by pirates
BY 1557 Weberin Island is sacked by Bursian Forces, resulting in anarchy
BY 1560 The Summoning - for 3 weeks Bhael roams Kaelaross on his own, for another 3 weeks Bhael does battle against Rhondus and Adonor across the face of Kaelaross. Many apocalyptic disasters happen and Chaos Portals are created. 
               Capital of Teiglin officially moves from Erkhart (now ruined) to Thaldion
                The Urdus Isthmus sinks below the sea, forming the Godsblood Straits. Other geographical changes also happen. 
BY 1561 Construction of string of forts to the west of Ironmarket begins
BY 1565 Klantorr Island officially ceases to be a Barony and becomes a Theocracy
BY 1591 A company from the Traitor Legion establish a base on the west of the Island of Lost Souls
BY 1595 Failed attempt to recapture Erkhart in Teiglin. Castellan Keep is reoccupied instead.
BY 1601 Thestor II begins his reign of Teiglin
BY 1610 Current Year

Ruins of Cynidea

The Cynideans were a civilization that ruled a number of large, hot, dry islands in the south-east of known Kaelaross from BY-1200 to BY 223 when a great dust storm covered the remnants of the civilization with the desert. During their time, the Cynideans were great city-builders, producing temples, tombs, fortresses, palaces and other such monuments. The Cynideans worshipped strange gods alien to most clerics of Kaelaross today - Gorn, Madarura, Usamigaras and Zargon.

Temples: The temples built by the Cynideans were generally above ground, but often had crypts and catacombs below ground.
Tombs: The royalty and nobility of Cynidea could afford their own personal tombs, and these were often as small pyramids, or else dug straight into a rock face. The Cynideans took burial and proper preparation of the body for the afterlife very seriously, with much thought and effort going into royal tombs, including treasured possessions, and vicious traps to protect the deceased from villainous tomb robbers.
Palaces: The kings, nobles, high priests and merchant-princes of Cynidea liked to live big - as well as places inside towns and cities, they often had their own retreats out in the countryside, guarded by a garrison of soldiers and tended by dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of servants and slaves. 

Fortresses: Cynideans often built fortresses at strategic locations, such as outside a city, on a restless frontier or at junctions on important trade routes. These fortresses were usually thick outer walls studded with towers, with buildings and rooms on the inside of the walls, surrounding a central courtyard. There were variants, including forts with central keeps or with concentric rings of walls and building. 

Cities: There were twenty five recorded cities of Cynidia from written histories, yet adventurers and explorers from Bellenos and the other recent empires only managed to find twelve of them. The ruined cities all used to have at least 5000 citizens and slaves - anything smaller was considered a town or village. Although some of the cities are disorganised masses of hovels and huts, the major ones were carefully planned and neatly laid out for maximum grandeur and magnificence. 

Pyramids: Although originally created as tombs for kings of Cynidea, pyramids evolved into more than just a single burial chamber, and often later constructed as vast complexes with dozens of storeys and hundreds of rooms in which priests, servants and soldiers worked. 

In the fifty years before its collapse, Cynidea was taken over by the emerging Empire of Bellenos, which has in turn collapsed during the Summoning. The ruins can be found dotted throughout the islands, including Valcio, the large island on which Tekhumis the Desert Port is now situated.
The ruins so far discovered close to Tekhumis are:

• The Lost City of Abraxos
• The Buried Pyramid (where the module B4: the Lost City is located)
• The Tower of Indissa
• The outposts of Huskoss, Eckragg and Yippross

p.s. If you're admiring the pictures, they were done by David Roberts of the British Royal Academy on his visits to Egypt and the Holy Land, and they are in the public domain.

Weird and Rare Books of Toutus

These books are all difficult to find, and though most are not magical, they all contain knowledge that adventurers could put to use.

The Histories of the Ancients
This is a scholarly work written in BY 1322 about the pre-Imperial cultures found on the continent of Toutus. Chapters include the Lengkar Theocracy, the shortlived Republic of Jaroketh, demihuman clans and cultures and even one on large and stable non-human societes such as as the Turrokoth Despotship of hobgoblins. The work, although highly praised at the time, is not entirely accurate, and is a mixture of sensible academic study, plagiarism from other works and artistic license. Nonetheless, it does point to a number of specific ancient ruins dotted around the continent that are far older than the more recently destroyed cities from the wars and the Summoning, and suggests where further ruins might lie undiscovered.

The Abominable Cults of Chaos Worshippers
Commissioned 50 years before the start of the Wars between the Empires (BY 1511) this is a guide for lawful clerics and righteous investigators to detect, track down and destroy chaos cultists, especially those lurking within civilised society. It gives a reasonably accurate description of different cults including their aims, activities, recruitment and how they try to remain hidden. A lot of what is written here is still true 100 years later, and adventurer reading this may gain valuable clues and insights when dealing with Chaos cults.

Travels Under a Blood Red Sky
This book is banned by some lawful folk, while others advise great caution in reading it. Written by the mad archmage Androsomus, it describes his travels around the Planes of Chaos, including Hestoris, Urdonor and Aegothis. The book gives advice on surviving these malevolent realms and also includes some magic-user spells for travelling to these planes.
More controversially it talks extensively about demons, both as adversaries and as potentially useful creatures. It describes Androsomus' attempts to command and control demons while on the Planes of Chaos and on the Material plane.

The Papyri of Zoth
These bundles of ancient crumbling sheets are unique, and are believed to be in the hands of a private collector who fled the capital with her collection during the Summoning. These papyri are at least 2000 years old themselves, but they speak of a great and terrible civilization called Zoth from way before the rise of the Empires of Toutus, Bellenos or Bursia. The exact location of Zoth is not certain, but it seems that they gave rise to the Cynideans (the remains of whom are found dotted around the Tekhumis region) and the Lengkar Theocracy (in eastern Toutus, mentioned in other books) and possibly even the Telthus Empire. This would be dry academic theory, were it not for the descriptions of some of the spells inscribed on the walls of the ruins of Zoth. The Papyri do not contain the spells themselves, but talk of mages of Zoth wielding incredible powers. Any wizard would give his right arm and all his treasure just to know where these spells are engraved.

Magic Weapons I Have Known and Loved by Snorrvord the Elder
Written in the dwarven language and in dwarven runes, this book is a catalogue of nearly a hundred weapons of different enchantments and potencies that the blacksmith-cleric Snorrvord the Elder had either personally made or had come across during his travels (which spanned 300 years). Although originally from the Confederacy of the Ten Peaks, Snorrvord visited dozens of dwarven settlements and strongholds around Toutus. He often wrote about the methods and techniques of weaponmaking and blacksmithing, including case-studies of particular weapons. Also included are the weapons' initial owners, and where they might have been or where the weapons ended up around the book's completion (BY1456).

The Noble Families of Toutus
Genealogy is of little interest to adventurers, but to those who believe they are of noble descent this book is considered the definitive reference to who is entitled to which seats of power. The book also talks about heraldry and coats of arms, etiquette and protocol, as well as brief biographies of great or infamous Toutatian nobles. Only five copies of this book were produced by the office of the Imperial Herald  BY1551, just as the Wars between the Empires were getting serious, and it was intended to be used by the Herald to help him sort out claims and counterclaims after the war. Even though the Toutus Empire has collapsed, some surviving nobles or would-be nobles are desperate to prove their claims are true - and a few seek to hide or destroy the book that would show them to be usurpers or frauds.

Map and Overview of the Varreshiss Islands

The Varreshiss Islands are a small archipelago of islands off the coast of western Toutus, southwest of the Walrus Freehold and north of Teiglin. The climate is subarctic, wet, dull and misty. It freezes in winter, but in summer it rarely gets properly warm, just slightly less cold.
During the Toutus Empire this was the Duchy of Varreshiss, with each large island being a barony. Politically the Duchy has ceased to exist since the Wars between the Empires, but culturally the islanders remember their common membership of the Duchy.

Narvellis
The Baron of Narvellis had been subverted and seduced by the powers of Chaos, particularly Storshin. He had been a Commander among the knights-protector of Toutus and had a contingent of 30 knights. When he fell from grace and his true allegiances were known, the Order kicked him out. Half his knights left him and the other half joined his descent into Chaos. When the Summoning came, Bhael briefly appeared over Narvellis island. Instead of creating a Chaos portal, he turned the Baron into a death knight along with his loyal knights.

Klantorr Island
Klantorr island is now a strict theocracy, with an archbishop rather than a baron or duke ruling. The capital, Charventown, is dominated both physically and socially by the towering cathedral of Rhondus, and clerics of Rhondus act in place of nobility, particularly with regards to justice, crime, the military and social policy. The current laws are stricter than normal (such as Teiglin or Walrus Freehold) but tolerable particularly as the clerics use the threat of Chaos invasion or cultists such as in Narvellis to cow the population - "Adhering to the laws of Rhondus is the best, nay, the ONLY defence against the foul damnation of Chaos!" Previously during the days of the Empires, the Baron of Klantorr was a secular nobleman. In the years leading up to the Summoning a series of three politically astute bishops drew more political power from weak barons in the name of delegation and spiritual guidance. When the Summoning came, the clerics simply took over in the name of emergency contingencies but when five years later they dismissed the baron telling him he was no longer needed, the situation was clarified.

Werberin island
Werberin Barony had been the seat of power of the dukes of Varreshiss, particularly the grand castle of Westlier Keep, with the Senechal of Werberin looking after the day-to-day administration from Cornaxville. It was not Bhael and his Summoning that threw Werberin into turmoil but invaders from Bursia across the ocean during the Wars between the Empires. They launched a surprise attack and cornered and killed the Duke, the Senechal and a hit list of top Varreshiss nobility on Werberin with a combination of stealthy assassins and powerful wizards, followed by a conventional invasion force of Bursian Legionaries.
The assassins succeeded but the invasion did not. The Bursians were thrown back to their ships, but only after causing heavy damage and looting to the towns of Hastlin, Cornaxville, and Endorell, and killing half the soldiers of Werberin. After the Bursians left, Werberin collapsed into anarchy without any clear rulers.
These days Werberin has settled into something in between a federation of the settlements and a less violent anarchy. It is rough, mostly lawless but stable. The towns are filled with ne'er-d0-wells, pirates, roguish merchants and exiles from more lawful realms (especially Klantorr with its repressive morality).


Ryolis Island - Set aside as a game reserve. Plenty of wildlife and some monsters including a pride of manticores and a breeding pair of Chimeras. A hunting lodge for nobility is abandoned but could be reclaimed as a base for adventurers.


Skylock Island - Desolate, windswept and mostly ignored. Several villages (unmarked on the map) of human and halfling shepherds and goatherds who claim nominal loyalty to the clerics of Klantorr but prefer to be left alone.


Serridor Island - The only island with a significant number of elves. Before the Summoning the elves paid nominal fealty to the Duke in Westlier Keep. These days the Theocracy of Klantorr want the elves to recognise the clerics' authority. The elves are having none of it.

The Dwarves of the Ten Peaks

Dwarves have inhabited the Ten Peaks for at least a thousand years - they were there when the Toutus Empire was first formed, and they have stayed around long enough to see it fall apart. Now they are the largest civilized force in the Godsblood Straits.

In the early days there were three Thegndoms which often fought against each other. These internecine wars among the dwarves were known as the Thegn Wars. These wars weakened the dwarves considerably, so when several external threats appeared in rapid succession, something had to be done. First a wave of orcs attacked the Ten Peaks, causing great damage and grief. Then human barbarians in the Talloak Forest began raiding the northern settlements, Finally the predominantly human Toutus Empire growing in the east launched an invasion and succeeded in BY 850.

The Toutus Empire split the Thegndoms into the ten clans that exist today and forbade the creation of any Thegn or King of the dwarves - the humans believed that this would stop the dwarves from unifying into a threat. This caused some upheaval but in BY 899 the dwarves secretly formed the Confederacy with a central council of clan chiefs rather than a single leader.

During the dwarves battle with the Duke of Urdus in BY 1050 the dwarves were led by Kazzor Bluegem, leader of the Bluegem clan - the first time and so far only time that the dwarves were united under a single dwarven leader.

After they had sworn allegience to the Emperor and separated from the Duchy of Urdus, Kazzor was infuriated when the other nine clan chiefs reverted back to the Confederacy Council and he only grudgingly attended the council meetings.

The council meetings of the leaders of the Ten Clans is fraught with bargaining, underhand diplomacy and personality clashes. It is rare when the Council of the Confederacy all agree on something and this is a sign of a serious situation where normal bickering and horse-trading has to be put aside. 

The architecture of the Ten Clans is extensive, both on the surface of each of the peaks and within each mountain. After over a thousand years the industrious dwarves have created towns on the surface while underneath there are miles and miles of mines, passages, chambers, catacombs, prisons and barracks. Many of these are centuries old and have been abandoned for a long time - thus clearing out these dwarven dungeons is a continuous task.

Complicating this is the discovery of connections to the Underworld, a vast network of underground caves and tunnels that span across Kaelaross. Creatures from the Underworld, such as gray worms (caecilians), minotaurs, displacer beasts and white apes sometimes emerge to cause havoc in the lower levels of the dwarven strongholds.

Dotted around the hills and valleys in between the ten peaks there are farmstead of humans and halflings, growing barley, wheat and vegetables, and raising sheep, goats and sturdy ponies who are used by dwarves instead of larger horses.

Other areas of the hills are wild, and in these less civilized areas there are goats, stags, wild boar, pumas (also known as mountain lions), wolves and brown bears, as well as the occasional ogre, wyvern or griffon.

Clan Name       Population

Copperring      2,210      
Capable wilderness explorers.Often clash with inhabitants of Talloak Forest when cutting timber

Ogrebane        2,530      
Reputation for being tough warriors, but arrogant and proud

Fireforge       1,910      
Renowned craftsmen, notorious for being greedy and thrifty

Weatherwatcher  1,800      
Diplomatic, often dealing with Ironmarket and halflings

Bluegem         1,990      
Old, noble, previously leaders of the Confederacy

Griffinclaw     2,390      
Noted for architects and engineers. Not noted for friendliness or diplomacy

Flagon raisers  2,040      
Considered drunken partygoers - partly true, but also capable of putting on an act and being sneaky

Diamondshield   1,730      
Religious with lots of dwarven clerics. Also old-fashioned and traditional

Steelpick       2,580      
Industrious miners who are also the most experienced in dealing with the Underworld and its monsters

Cyclopsslayers  2,150      
Renowned fighters and woodcutters. Occasionally eccentric and possibly insane.

Walrus City

Walrus City (population 12000) is the largest city in the Walrus Freehold, and the de-facto capital for the region - even giving its name to the area. Walrus City is closest to the walrus populations and mammoths that provide the main income for the region. As such it is the wealthiest city even if it is quite isolated. The city relies almost entirely on its port and sea routes for trade and communication - overland travel is difficult in summer and usually fatal in winter.

Walrus City is a plutarchy, with the wealthy merchants bossing around the spineless town council. The town council has a small group of 130 town guards, but the merchants all have their mercenary guards who total at least 500 troops of mixed loyalties. They will probably defend the town if there was a major attack, but their merchant employers have the final say as to whether, and who, the mercenaries will defend or attack. Walrus City is the base for Uldur’s Scouts, a company of human light cavalry with studded leather and fur armour, lances and maces who go out on patrols on the Icemud Tundra, visiting trading posts and trappers.

Walrus City was formally established in 1432 BY although a trading post had been there for about a hundred years previously. There was a brief period from 1483 to 1501 BY when the Toutus Empire tried to run Walrus City directly as a province, but the first Imperial governor found it difficult to run the city without the constant support from the rest of the Empire. He resigned and returned to the heart of the Empire. The second governor was even worse - he appeared to be noble, but turned out to be a degenerate worshipper of Pelepton who was embezzling much of the hard-earned gold to fund cult activities. It was the merchants who discovered his devious behaviour and ousted him - this was the start of the current political situation as they installed their own "governor" who was effectively in their pockets.


During the wars between the Empires, Walrus City was raided several times, and many areas burned down or damaged. However, the location is so popular with traders that most of the damage has been repaired by those interested in keeping Walrus City open as a centre of trade.


Walrus City is not a very religious community but there are shrines to Sturnornel, Haaken, Vought and Rhondus. There is also a cell of the Red Hand active within the city who have influence over several bands of thugs and also blackmail the crooked harbourmaster. Merchants have been complaining of valuable  goods going missing from warehouses and ships and thieves are suspected. The Red Hand is organising the theft and fencing of these goods while trying to keep a safe distance should anyone be caught. The harbourmaster is involved, but he wants to get out with his life intact and he may ask adventurers for help.

The Western Half of Toutus

The areas described so far have been part of continent and former empire of Toutus. The above map is not complete, but gives a good idea of how the current regions connect to each other.

The regions described so far include:
The Kingdom of Teiglin
The Godsblood Straits
The Walrus Freehold
The Varreshiss Islands
Iryanland

The regions I have not started describing are
Hilvernia

As you can see, these are works in progress. None of the regions are truly complete, as there are always new aspects, new locations, new characters to be described. Thus although I might introduce a new region one week, I may still go back and describe another part of an older region the next week.

An overview of Toutus:
Toutus is a continent in the northern hemisphere of Kaelaross that stretches from subarctic through temperate to Mediterranean climates. From 6,000 BBY (before Bursian Year 0) the land has been colonized by humans, clashing with or making peace with the resident demihumans who have been on Toutus seemingly since the beginning of the world.
Human kingdoms arose along the southern coast east of Hilvernia from 300 BY to 500 BY and formed a coalition. When faced with a humanoid horde in the north of unprecedented numbers and savagery (at least 110,000 orcs, 50,000 gnolls and 10,000 ogres according to historical sources) these kingdoms formed the Toutus Empire in 722 BY.
The Orc-Head War was bloody and attritional for both sides, but the Toutus Empire survived. Furthermore, the Emperor had shifted the war effort so that the component kingdoms were in no position to break away without permission - they were too exhausted and the bulk of the surviving troops were loyal to the Emperor himself.
The Toutus Empire was a feudal empire, with the Emperor at the top, the kings ruling the old original kingdoms, the dukes ruling over newer colonies (including the newly formed duchy of Teiglin and duchy of Urdus), and smaller counts, earls and barons ruling under them. Along side this there was the Church of Law, which was almost an empire within the Toutus Empire - a collection of the different lawful religions (notably Chelmor, Rhondus and Adonor) forming hierarchies that spread across Toutus, giving spiritual guidance and moral support to the feudal leaders.
The Toutus Empire was also known for its knights in shining armour with their splendid heraldry and their devastating charges with lances. These knights, and particularly their feudal overlords, built magnificent castles as both prestigious noble homes and as fortresses to dominate the surrounding lands.
This all came crashing down in 1560 BY when after 10 years of the Wars between the Empires, the Summoning occurred and the Toutus Empire, along with the three other Empires, ceased to be a coherent entity and collapsed.

A History of the Godsblood Strait

This entry refers to the map of the Godsblood Straits.
The Urdus Ismuth was colonised by settlers from the Toutus Empire about 820 BY and the town of Urdus was founded soon afterwards. There were clashes with indigenous humanoids and demihumans as the humans of Toutus took over the rich plains that would form fertile farmlands. 

Gnolls and orcs were slaughtered, with only a few survivors fleeing to the Talloak forest to the north. They have never been removed from the Talloak forest, and from those early days, through the height of the Toutus Empire, the Wars Between the Empires, The Summoning and the present day (1610 BY) the north of the region has fended off orc and gnoll raids and banditry. 

The dwarves of the Ten Peaks were treated with a little more respect - they were conquered but not slaughtered by the Toutian troops. For the first two hundred years they had to pay fealty to the Duke of Urdus. However, in 1050 BY the Duke of Urdus treated the dwarves so badly that they revolted. They fought and defeated several human armies sent by the Duke. Then the Emperor of Toutus sent several legions of his own Imperial Army and beseiged all ten clans simultaneously. Rather than fight to the death, the dwarves offered surrender as long as they swore loyalty to the Emperor himself and did not have to answer to the Duke of Urdus. The Emperor Justinius IV himself came along and visited each of the ten clans, accepting their allegience and also requiring them to provide troops and weapons for his army. 

The Duchy of Urdus developed and grew, and by the start of the Wars between the Empires, the duchy boasted a number of impressive trading ports - Harielport, Maquosmouth, Ermish and  Aerisport. These not only traded within the Toutus Empire, they also received ships from other Empires, particularly Bellenos, while inter-imperial relations were good. The relations turned bad in a big way in 1550 BY. 

During the Wars Between the Empires, the Duchy of Urdus was hit hard several times - the city of Maquosmouth was besieged and sacked by Bellenosian troops, the town of Ermish was sacked when enemy ships from Bursia sailed straight into the port and unloaded Bursian troops straight into the heart of the town, the capital Urdus was beseiged, though this was relieved by a column of Toutian Imperial Army troops. The town of Harielport was attacked and almost flattened by rampaging elementals summoned by war-wizards of Bursia. The wars between the Empires was also a major drain on manpower and production - a lot of the food produced in the Duchy of Urdus and the metal from the dwarves of the Ten Peaks went straight to the war effort, impoverishing the normally wealthy region. Tragic and bloody though these wars were, they paled in significance compared to the wrath of a God of Chaos. 

Whereas Teiglin lost its capital when Bhael briefly appeared and created a Chaos Portal, during the initial phase of the Summoning, Bhael created three Chaos Portals in the Duchy of Urdus - one in Urdus itself, one in Aerisport and one in Maquosmouth. These were the major population and trade centres of Urdus - maximum disruption with just three Chaos Portals. This would have brought the Duchy of Urdus close to collapse.

The second part of the Summoning was the battle between the three gods - the Chaos god Bhael on the one hand, and two gods of Law, Adonor and Rhondus on the other trying to stop his apocalyptic rampage. During this titanic battle Bhael appeared about a mile above the city of Urdus. Adonor and Rhondus caught up with him there and they battled there for three hours before Bhael teleported to somewhere else in Kaelaross and the two gods of Law followed him. The effects of the battle ripped apart the very land over which they fought. The City of Urdus, the town of Ermish and much of the land of the Isthmus was pushed beneath the sea, and the waves came crashing over the towns, farmland and thousands of helpless people. 

Like some sort of tectonic seasaw, as the isthmus sank, the Island of Lost Souls and the Godsblood Hills were both pushed up out of the sea, with whales, sharks, shoals of fish and one hapless dragon turtle all being stranded on newly created land. 

The City of Aerisport, already infested with Chaotic monsters from the Chaos Portal, became landlocked, and its inhabitants quickly fled eastwards.

The town of Maquosmouth was abandoned to the forces of Chaos, although physically not as damaged or geographically altered as Aerisport. 

A tidal wave hit Sterin Island, causing death and damage to the village of Estian. 

In the wake of this cataclysm, the survivors of Urdus tried to find shelter where they could and to rebuild as best they knew how.
The Barony of Sterin, hit hard by the tidalwave, but mostly unaffected by chaotic monsters, has become independent, and is one of the safer areas in the region.
The town of Ironmarket, previously a trading post with the dwarves, has become the centre of humanity in the west of the region. To defend against chaotic monsters and the resurgent threat of humanoids of the Talloak forest, a string of forts has been constructed since the Summoning, each named after a lawful deity. These forts are still being improved and developed, but the arc they form is considered the current line of defence against the chaotic hordes from the chaos portals.
The dwarves of the Confederacy of the Ten Peaks now find themselves as the most powerful nation in the area. Some feel they should exercise their new power, and make Ironmarket a vassal, a reversal of fortune for dwarves and humans.
The coastal region on the east side of the straits are now abandoned to the forces of Chaos until the humans and dwarves can work out how to close the Chaos Portals created by Bhael.
The west side of the straits have also been abandoned. The ruined town of Harielport and Seaview Keep were previously on the border between Urdus and Teiglin - now nobody except monsters of chaos from Erkhart claim them.

A History of the Kingdom of Teiglin

Teiglin is a small but strong realm off the coast of Toutus. It has undergone great change since the Summoning. From being a duchy it is now an independent kingdom. From being a peninsula it has become an island. And from being a quietly prosperous realm it has turned into one of the last bastions of civilization on Toutus, fending off hordes of chaotic monsters emerging from its former capital, Erkhart.

Teiglin had become part of the Toutus Empire early on, being colonized around 860 BY. As the Toutus Empire grew, the Duchy of Teiglin became more and more integrated politically and economically.

During the wars between the Empires, Teiglin suffered brief raids from both Bursia and Bellenos, but did not suffer the extensive invasion and plundering that some realms endured.

When Bhael emerged and rampaged across the face of Kaelaross, Teiglin was severely shaken when Bhael teleported into Erkhart, the Ducal capital, killed several hundred people on a whim, created one of his dreaded Chaos Portals and then magically departed to cause havoc elsewhere. Although some officials and a number of the ducal guards were killed, the Duke, his family and most of his advisors evacuated from Erkhart to Thaldion, which is now the capital of Teiglin.

Defences were hastily erected in Glensor and Bauglir baronies and all males of fighting age were given weapons and mustered

However, more was to come – a week later Bhael appeared to the east of Teiglin over the town of Ermish, this time in furious battle with the Lawful gods Adonor and Rhondus. During this cataclysmic battle the isthmus that Ermish was on was pushed beneath the sea, creating the Godsblood Straits and turning Teiglin from a peninsula into an island. Soon after the news of the collapse of the Toutus Empire, the Duke declared himself King of Teiglin.

Things have been relatively stable, though in BY 1595 there was an attempt to retake Erkhart. Teiglin launched a large military offensive into the lands of Chaos, straight towards Erkhart. However, the forces of Chaos were stronger than they had anticipated. Crucially, when the vanguard fought their way into the heart of Erkhart, they found they could not close the Chaos Portal. The offensive was thrown back into disarray and the only thing to show for the effort and spent lives was the capture of an old fort in the borderlands which was renamed Castellan Keep, and is still the easternmost outpost of Teiglin today.

A Brief History of Kaelaross part 2 - The Summoning

As the war dragged on, there arose a shortage of young soldiers, most having died in battles or from other, more subtle dangers of war such as hunger and disease. So the Emperors turned to their wizards. The wizards at first actually fought the battles, but then decided that it would be more convenient if they were to simply summon hordes of monsters. Such monsters were effective against the general populations and armies, but not against the enemy wizards who could defend themselves with magic. Those wizards who sought assistance from the powers of Chaos to summon monsters from the Planes of Chaos became known as twisted summoners. They particularly worshipped Bhael, Lord of Monsters and Fear.

Then in BY 1560, the summoning stopped as if something was blocking the passage of the monsters into Kaelaross. With great concerted effort the wizards brought the blockage along the passage and into Kaelaross. The blockage was the chaotic god Bhael, and the wizards had just summoned his avatar.

All of the wizards who had participated in his summoning died instantly heart attacks and strokes as a massive wave of evil magic hit them and surged through their weakened bodies. For twenty days and twenty nights he stalked the land, teleporting from city to city and from continent to continent, slaying indiscriminately, creating many monsters and destroying features both man-made and natural. No mortal who saw his face survived the horrifying shock they received; all died of fright.

It took the personal appearance of two Gods of Law, Rhondus and Adonor, to apprehend and banish Bhael. The battle took three whole weeks, and like Bhael's initial rampage, the combatants teleported across the surface of Kaelaross, seeking some tactical advantage that mortals could not understand. The battle was so violent and powerful that land masses were raised, lowered, shifted around, split up and amalgamated. The whole physical geography of Kaelaross was deformed, in some parts out of recognition.

The four empires had collapsed into anarchy as monsters roamed, raided and multiplied. Humanity was now on a collision course with extinction as farmlands were now seas and cities had been thrown up into mountain ranges. Humanity had fallen from a war against itself into a fight for survival against the unhuman hordes of chaos formed by Bhael and their own wizards.

It was only through the work of the priests of Law that humanity managed to pull itself back from the brink of oblivion and the maw of Chaos. With guidance from the Gods of Law, humans, halflings, elves and dwarves began to rebuild their world. The four empires had collapsed and split into regions that were now on their own. 

The year is now BY 1610 and fifty years have passed since Bhael's banishment. Things have begun to stabilise. Out of the untamed wild lands where monsters roam, the brave and the strong are carving out their own dominions, while bands of terrible monsters still prey on the weak and foolish.

New kingoms are forming, possibly the start of a new generation of empires. However, the priests of Chelmor and Rhondus have been charged with keeping detailed and truthful accounts of the Wizard Wars and the Coming of Bhael. Wizards are a lot less popular and accepted than before the war, though some have proved their worth.

This is in many ways a new dark age. Life is often too short, and ignorance is widespread. Towns lie in ruin and much of the wealth is in the lairs of fell beasts.