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# BLOOD AND BLAME #### Setting Guide: Taalist’s 5th Age
}} ## What is The AOG? It started 40ish years ago. I still remember the day my cousin brought out this thin blue book with a white sketched dragon on its cover and a pile of strange dice. He told eight year old me that we were going to play a game where I could be anything I wanted (as long as it was an elf, dwarf, human, or halfling). I immediately developed that love of bringing people along on journey after journey, and through all the moments and four decades of playing, the trip has never lost its wonder. : Now, I think we are best described as a network of Table Top Role Playing Gamers (Mostly D&D). I had been sharing my work online for some time but decided in April 2021 to open a Patreon and Discord. Honestly, I knew I was behind the Patreon Train, but it made sense as a platform. I’m not interested in money, but I am interested in sharing with and helping others in the hobby. So I run the site 100% free of any paywalls. More like a Digital Magazine than a Patreon. : It has been a year in and we’ve grown quite a bit. We host One Shots through the Discord. I do a lot of requests for our supporters and some commission work. I coach many of our subscribers regularly on DMing and fantasy cartography. My son helps write our “Year One” series which are adventures designed for entry level DMs and players, and we use our content to run an after school Jr High Group. We even support a podcast my youngest son and I lend our voices to. It has been a busy year. : ### Contact us : [PATREON](https://www.patreon.com/amplusordogames) Amplus Ordo Games : [DISCORD](https://discord.gg/GDp7a3CFtA) Join the Network : [REDDIT](https://www.reddit.com/r/amplusordogames/) Our Sub in Reddit (Not super active) ### ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Wizards of the Coast and D&D for the amazing job they do providing RPG Content for us to use! - Original Content Written by Amplus Ordo Games DMs and Players - All Maps and Handouts were done by Amplus Ordo Games using Inkarnate - PDF Formatting done using The Homebrewery ::::: #### Guide Version 1.1.2 ## Welcome to Taalist Taalist is my home brew world. It is a labor of almost 40 years of work. I started playing when I was 8, and have never really stopped creating. Sure it has changed, but every change has been built upon up to today, and what comes next will be the pinnacle of my work until tomorrow, which will set a new pinnacle of my work, until I am finished. What did Shakespeare say?
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” *Macbeth: Act-V, Scene-V*
I know it has nothing to do with D&D, but it inspires me. Tomorrow never stops coming. Neither should creativity, which is really a solid juxtapositioned answer to Lady MacBeth’s lament. There isn’t much that lasts the tests of time, but creativity is surely one of them.
Now I can’t take credit for everything here. A lot of this has been at least “player flavored”, if not outright created. Also other DMs in our network use this stuff and create new and fresh ideas with it. Our campaigns tend to run “simultaneously” in a shared world and our actions and reactions affect one another. It is a beautiful experience. A lot to wrangle… like herding cats… but It is something I have come to cherish and love.
So on to Taalist?
Taalist is a world much like ours ... in fact it is a parallel ours. At one point I just left that answer hanging out there. It was a fun mystery. Over the years players just became more connected with the idea of Old Earth, and it became natural for it to be so. Honestly, saved me a lot of work. So we got a moon, sun, and stars, and all those good things! The moon has a Star Base on it, and a Kobold Engineer from there drilled a hole in the planet in order to save it from a strange cataclysmic event that dragged the Forgotten Realms into the solar system… real long story… anyway. Old World Tech is out there, but rarer than legendary magic items. It is a real treat when I let players find it. Oh, it is also forbidden by the Celestial Courts… Yeah...
Anyway… that’s all in other parts of the guide, so back to Taalist. For the most part it follows the Stereotypical fantasy tropes that D&D and other RPG's use. Elves are old and have pointy ears, they like bows and nature. Dwarves are tough and earthy, Humans are dominant for some inexplicable reason (probably feats), Halflings are fat, and of course... gnomes are weird. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}}
I do lean into tropes a lot, there is a foundational security in them that allows you to flair out with unexpected artistry. Deep diving into different is often jarring, but a brilliant stylistic change, now that is interesting. And easy for your players to build off of. Which is really kind of important because we’re not all super creative people. Some of us just want to laugh in our pajamas and yell at plastic math blocks for displaying the wrong number.
Taalist's greatest diversion from typical D&D is religion. I'm a faithful Christian Reverend and have a hard time fully embracing the pantheon of deities. Again because of familarity. It doesn't make sense to me as clearly as monothiesim does. (And to be fair even with my strong beliefs, my own faith doesn't always makes sense) So no judgment if you play with one god or lots of them or none of them. I just have some personal preferences as a creator. I'm a big fan of Tolkien and Lewis as I'm sure many of you are, and my world tends to lean heavily into their style. Not quite as mysteriously aloof as J.R.R. but not nearly the beautiful childlike clarity of C.S. To me it makes sense, and that's part of the trick to running a good game. Be comfortable with what you do. So I do monothestic with flair. But any objections I have are very soft and it really end there. This is simply a game after all.
Therefore, many civilizations follows The Maker. The Church reflects a very generic and renaissance form of Christianity where Christ is referred to as the Martyr and The Holy Spirit as The Mystery. The world was at one point full of cathedrals, statuary, and stained glass. But the Church has fallen on desperate times. That doesn't mean The Maker has. I don't want to get all Biblical on you, but there is a solid running concept throughout the Scriptures that even in the worst of times, even when heaven is silent, even when all hope is faded and faith is lost… there is a plan. I will never in this guide get "preachy" but know going into things as a content creator… there is a plan. God's not dead.
So if you're here and you want to be a Paladin of the Raven Queen, cool, you can do that, the change though is that the Raven Queen isn't a "God". She is a "Celestial Authority" working under The Divine, and you work through her. Although, you may or may not know that right away… up to the player and DM I suppose. All these differences are really just semantic, but they give me just enough peace of mind that I roll with it. I also have similar thoughts on how the Hells and Demonic interaction with mortals work. I jigger it enough for my taste. You do you. And honestly, it also saves me some headaches of dealing with any crazy and ignorant super fundamentalists who want to stone me for playing D&D. Although I could truly care less about their opinions I just don't want the moronic conflict… different conversation though I suppose.
Let's move on to what you’ll find here shall we? ## Table Of Contents {{toc, - ### [{{ BLOOD AND BLAME}}{{}}](#p2) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 1}}{{ 4}}](#p4) - [{{ History & Philosophy}}{{4}}](#p4) - #### [{{ Campaign 1-2}}{{ 4}}](#p4) - [{{ Brush Strokes of the Past}}{{}}](#p4) - #### [{{ Campaign 3-5}}{{ 5}}](#p5) - [{{ Hope in The Era of Light}}{{}}](#p5) - #### [{{ Campaign 6}}{{ 7}}](#p7) - [{{ Blood and Blame}}{{}}](#p7) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 2}}{{ 10}}](#p10) - [{{ The Timeline}}{{}}](#p10) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 3}}{{ 13}}](#p13) - [{{ The Races of Taalist }}{{3}}](#p13) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 4}}{{ 16}}](#p16) - [{{ World Locations & Culture}}{{}}](#p16) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 5}}{{}}](#p21) - [{{ Adez-Ogg, Clan Blood Axe}}{{ 22}}](#p22) - [{{ Al’Ali’Hiem, The Realm of}}{{ 23}}](#p23) - [{{ Balinovia, The Republic of }}{{ 24}}](#p24) - [{{ Cetnovia, The Kingdom of}}{{ 25}}](#p25) - [{{ Cuzzano, The City State of }}{{ 26}}](#p26) - [{{ Dio Vouna, The City State of }}{{ 27}}](#p27) - [{{ Elinosian Empire}}{{ 28}}](#p28) - [{{ Hincona, The Tribes of }}{{ 29}}](#p29) - [{{ Ithikian Republic}}{{ 30}}](#p30) - [{{ Kar-Yiros}}{{ 31}}](#p31) - [{{ Kapsani, The City State of }}{{ 32}}](#p32) - [{{ Kavasto}}{{ 33}}](#p33) - [{{ Khik-Thri-Kreen, Colony of }}{{ 34}}](#p34) - [{{ The Kren Imperium }}{{ 35}}](#p35) - [{{ Oranimus}}{{ 37}}](#p37) - [{{ Port Cielo}}{{ 38}}](#p38) - [{{ Riogchald}}{{ 39}}](#p39) - [{{ Runir Uspir - The Black Spiral}}{{ 40}}](#p40) - [{{ The Sea Kingdom of Cantrelle}}{{ 42}}](#p42) - [{{ The Sea Kingdom of Juturem}}{{ 43}}](#p43) - [{{ Silver Kingdoms, Chamsburg}}{{ 44}}](#p44) - [{{ Silver Kingdoms, Silver Gate}}{{ 45}}](#p45) - [{{ Silver Kingdoms, Silver Song}}{{ 46}}](#p46) - [{{ The Stolregard Barony}}{{ 47}}](#p47) - [{{ The Kingdom of Thivas}}{{ 49}}](#p49) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 6}}{{ 51}}](#p51) - [{{ Special Locations}}{{}}](#p51) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 7}}{{ 57}}](#p57) - [{{ Groups and Organizations}}{{ }}](#p57) - #### [{{ CHAPTER 8}}{{ 59}}](#p59) - [{{ Stories of the Weave's Return}}{{ }}](#p59) - #### [{{ ADVENTURES & MORE}}{{ 70}}](#p70) - [{{ Adventures, Maps, and Guides}}{{ }}](#p70) }} \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## CHAPTER 1 ### History & Philosophy What follows is a collection of Essay type pieces I have written to better flush out the cultural and history of the Campaign Setting. They do not necessarily flow directly into one another, but they do focus the lens of perspective for the world on which the Players will walk. A few years ago I began writing one each time I launch a new Campaign Era. For this iteration of the Campaign World, the only necessary history will be Blood and Blame.
In the Next Chapter you will find a more practical timeline. Well, some of it is practical. Some of it may feel out of step. That’s because our dozens of players and other DMs, all have… well… a lot of creativity. Stuff happens and it isn’t always mine. But I hold my works open to my friends and players and allow them to create alongside me. I don’t really care that it might feel different in tone. In fact to some degree I don’t really mind if they break it. What I care about is that my friends and I have things to share that last well into all of the tomorrows of life… and beyond.
Welcome to being part of that… try not to break it but if you do, do it with all the awesome you are! ## Campaign 1-2 ### Brush Strokes of the Past It is only from the heights normally reserved for those able to soar well past the wings of eagles that one can actually see the crater marked divisions of the world. Thousands of these craters cover the planet and range in size from a few dozen to several hundreds of miles wide. They are most often surrounded by mountains or partially swallowed by the seas. These lands were formed eons ago during what the Nomads of the Xiestian Desert came to call the Sky Fire. You would have called it Armageddon. Whether it was brought on by man's own foolishness or if it came from the hands of an angry God no longer matters. It was simply another note in the anthem that all people of all ages sing … war.
War is the only skill which created beings are truly masters of. It is, in many ways, a masterpiece of art sculpted in the blood of critics. It is the medium to which all mankind can relate. Whether plied in the courtroom of embattled property, in which otherwise peaceful neighbors destroy one another socially, or the battles of passion to which nations send their children to end their futures upon the fields of petty grievances, it matters not. War is in its most base nature, conflict. Humanity, no matter the time, race, or culture, has always known conflict and thusly will always, in order to survive, master war.
The western cultures, which have, as all nations of the time, long since faded from the pages of history and been dreamt away from the depth of memory, called it The Reckoning. The day the sky across the planet was ablaze with Heaven’s fury. The day that the planet was struck with the force of a mountain hurled from the very hand of God. The day the clouds of fire rose from the land to lap at the edges of the sky. The day that changed the face of the world.
The world was split. Sundered from mighty masses of land into fractured and broken pieces that spread across the globe like debris riding the ripples caused by a thrown stone into a once still pool. Billions died the day the heavens fell. More in the aftermath, when the sky darkened choosing to withhold the rains, and the world cooled, choking what still struggled to survive with the icy hand of death.
People however, thrive in conflict, a war against nature is little different than a war against brothers. Once the rules of engagement are known, people will always fight till the bitter end. So they sought what refuge they could for years beyond count and waged war against what seemed like the inevitable death that sought them.
Many fled into the depths of the mountains hiding their faces from the sky. Others retreated from the cold, searching out what few places remained where the air in summer still hinted at warmth. Little of the old ways and the world their ancestors knew survived, and nearly all that did had been buried underneath the ash and earth that fell from the sky for centuries. But as all things do, the Shadow Years, as they are known, ended.
In time, the clouds thinned and the sun once again began to peak down on people. The air warmed and the ice melted. Then it happened, the skies broke again, not with fire, but with rain. The world had begun to right itself. The rain washed away the pain of the past, while the sun dried the sorrow from the face of the planet. Men, many deeply and drastically changed in both culture and form, once again walked freely on the land without devastation surrounding them. All around them life flourished. Plants grew and insects came out from a slumber of centuries. Animals resurfaced alongside of the people. In a short span of years it became difficult to tell that the Shadow Years had ever been. As a tree sleeps in seeming death through the winter, coming once again to life in the first days of spring, so too the world had slept in the shadow, waiting only for the right time to come to once again vibrant and alive.
The mark of years, however, was not easily missed on all creatures everywhere. There now existed a great diversity in the races of men and the species of beasts. None now remembered, but the seeds of change had been sown before The Reckoning. Mankind had begun to, through what most considered dark scientific and even what some would call “magical” practices, change themselves and the creatures of the world in hopes of bettering all things everywhere.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} So-called enhancements to mind and body were commonplace and widespread, beginning when children were born and continuing on into adulthood. We gave our children strength beyond nature and intelligence beyond wisdom. Some were even capable of speaking to one another without words, using only the power of their minds. Others could manipulate objects and the very elemental building blocks of nature through simple concentration. The cry of the day was for a better, more perfect, mankind. Few bothered to considered that Mankind lived in perfection once, and had long since destroyed it.
Animals were bred for purposes long forgotten. Their original created structure replaced by the hands of men hoping to gain more than God had intended. Cross breeding began and unnatural creatures, used for a multitude of purposes, became a common sight across all lands. Creatures long extinct or once thought to be only myth and imagination lived, simply because they could. Even the plants were not spared being greatly tampered with. Some were enhanced to bear more and much larger fruit, with others stricken, unable to achieve their former growth. Men had changed the world into their image, a veritable nightmare to the natural order that it had once had. And like so many creations of men, it spiraled out of their control in such a grand fashion that many in the years to come blamed The Reckoning on the arrogance of man. Crying out that we had brought such destruction upon ourselves, which in one way or another, is ultimately true.
The Shadow Years had catalyzed those changes bringing about such a drastic difference to the environment of the world that all who had lived before the Sky Fire would have felt completely alien in this new world. So much so that many races could no longer even be looked upon as human, and some animals had such magnificence and intellect that they could hardly be thought of as beasts. Some, to the shame of us all, were now nothing more than pure monstrosities. Those that had spent centuries below the earth had little desire to once again look upon the sun, and had well adapted to subterranean life. Those left above ground conquered their environments, becoming readily at home in the forests, plains or mountains of the land. Some even came to be at home in the waters forsaking the land of their forefathers.
Regardless of the changes, countless generations passed, time moved forward, and the world healed as best it could, regaining a natural order from the unnatural pieces it had to work with. Men, however regardless of race, have short memories, and even the ancient among them quickly forget the lessons of the past, even if they could still recall the events that taught them. Nations arose and people gathered under banners of kings and queens. Wars of blood and blame, which had nearly murdered its creators, quickly awoke and revisited people. Its brushstrokes painting the same scene as it had for all of time with a medium as simple as it was tragic.
It mattered not that men’s features had changed during the Shadow Years. It was the heart of the Children of Creation to which the most tragic changes had come. Some, few but some, had taken heart at a second chance that the world had been given. They knew not the reasons or the events that had pushed them to the brink of extinction, only that it had happened. They rebuilt what they could with wisdom and peace. They constructed magnificent cities and lands flowing with joy and contentment.
However, most races that survived had forged into their hearts the bitterness and pain of thousands of years of tragedy. It is in the heart that the multihued oils of hatred find their most vibrant colors. For the heart is deceitful above all else and within every free willed creature there lies a raging torrent of selfish desire.
Greed clashes with Generosity. Love clashes with Lust. Honor struggles against Depravity. All men feel the tension. What we rage against in our own hearts pours over into the lives of those around us, and so in a very real sense all the wars of men begin inside of themselves. Unfortunately for all people, our internal wars need a canvas on which to paint.
With the lessons of The Reckoning long forgotten, the thinking races of the broken lands once again drew sides. Those that desired peace were preyed upon by those that lived the twisted and broken lives of pain. The Under Kingdoms warred with the Surface Lands. Peace was forsaken for Protection and the strong arm of Conquest soon followed. As millennia after millennia of time passed and memory of long forgotten tragedies faded, the Master Artist’s mural of blood and struggle once again covered all lands. ## Campaign 3-5 ### Hope in The Era of Light We call it Taalist. It had another name long ago. Others before that. Someday none will remember what we call it. It is a small blue planet mostly covered with wide oceans and shallow inland seas. A seasoned traveler or armchair cartographer would be able to tell you that the scattered continents of land are made up of “linked craters” or “chained calderas”. They would point out the dramatic changes and rings of elevation where land pushes up from the waters, further discussing how it is often covered with rugged hills and steep mountains. Whatever the maps call them, nestled between the cliffs and crags, laying in the cradle of their heights, or on the wave kissed shores beneath their feet, are plains and valleys that most of the people living on the surface of Taalist simply call home. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} Indeed there is an oddness to the land, and the oldest known documents, those held in the library deep in the Desert of Endless Sands, say that once the world was a very different place. Once there were huge sprawling continents, with a rich diverse geography and every manner of climate. Then a great tragedy befell mankind and nearly destroyed the planet itself. It was this tragedy, the “Sky Fire”, that caused the very land to buckle and swallowed much of the world beneath the waves of the sea. None live that remember what caused the Sky Fire and no surviving documents accurately record the event.
Whatever the cause, all these thousands of years later, many countries in the world enjoy a natural wall of mountains around most of their borders. This has been both a blessing and a curse to mankind. After the clouds broke, ending a thousand years of darkness, much of mankind once again began to prosper under the light of the sun. Sadly there were those that loathed the light of day and as the Shadow Years drew to a close they retreated below the surface choosing instead to form great societies far underground. Most grew violent and twisted, now only coming to the surface under the cover of night to wreak havoc on the people of the surface, often taking whole communities below the surface to be used like livestock. In time the world divided itself into the Upper Kingdom, of surface dwellers, and the Under Kingdom where those that shun the light.
On the surface the mountainous borders allowed groups of survivors to once again grow accustomed to the land without the interference of others nearby. It did not however, stop the growing hatred between the Upper and Under Kingdoms. This gave rise to great nations of city states. So men everywhere built magnificent walled cities and gathered armies to defend themselves from the raids of the Under Kingdoms, and to protect precious resources both above and below the ground. Most lived peaceably with their surface neighbors, and yet, as civilization grew and the need for more resources and needs became apparent, what were once walls of protection became those of prisons.
Over the past millennia wars have raged, nations have risen and fallen, and the geographical isolation of cultures have for the most part kept the various kingdoms at odds with one another, but there has been one uniting factor amongst the Upper Kingdoms. In 1332 P.S.E. Luther of Xiest discovered the Holy Scriptures in the Desert of Endless Sands, and brought about a rebirth of the followers of the One True God. The faithful have spread across land and sea and now most civilized nations have long since abandoned their tribal forms of faith, although worship of various gods can still be found almost anywhere. But by and large the religious in civilization affiliate themselves with the Order of the Cross.
Those still dwelling in the darkness of the Under Kingdoms have almost wholly rejected the message spread by the Order and cling to, what most consider, the diabolical and barbaric worship of the Darkness and the servants of the Evil One. This caused, what none thought possible, an increased hatred between those that live above the land and those that live below.
This change had widespread and sweeping ramifications. It deeply affected how magicians practiced their arts. Most came behind the Order and although they clung to belief that Magic was a combination of natural gifting and arcane process, they rightly gave credit to the Divine as the ultimate source of any power. The Mages Society was born and began to manage the practice of magic. They spent centuries reigning in practitioners whose studies didn’t fall in line with the teachings of The Order. Those that chose the path of unbelief or practiced forbidden arts were cast out, at best shunned, and often hunted as heretics. Even after all this time The Order still is wary of magic users, declaring their powers to be a dangerous slope that, while it has undeniable benefits, far more often than not leads people astray. And in that assessment they are not entirely wrong. The pursuit of magical power has been one of the most destructive lusts of mankind.
To the more reclusive societies, like the wood elves and the hermetic folk of forests and wilds, following a singular divine power simply made sense. They had already connected themselves to nature as the ultimate authority in their lives, coming to the knowledge that Nature itself is guided by a Supreme Being answered a number of questions that folk such as themselves, who spend lifetimes unraveling the mysteries of nature, had long wondered. For most of them very little changed. This new knowledge simply put a Being behind their pursuit of balance in the natural world. There are a few who’s zealoted desire to serve the Lord of Creation has gone long into extremism, forgetting that mankind is also part of creation. These few are considered some of the most reclusive and dangerous of the wilds.
Churches were built in every town, missionaries carried the message of the Order to people in all lands. Governments began to function differently. The Order became an influence that crossed borders and united cultures. No longer did men live simply to exist, the Order gave a different purpose to people of all races. The healing power of their Clerics and Paladins didn’t just remedy the physical. There had been a long broken spirit in the hearts of men that was knitted back together by the promises of the Divine nature. For the first time since long before the Sky Fire, mankind believed.
Sadly, while the Order has done so much to unite the free people of Taalist, the resurrection of a belief in the One True God did not heal all wounds. Mankind has long loved to draw its own lines on the subjects of good and evil. In most cases the decision of right and wrong is painfully obvious, but far too often when the lines of morality blur the only outcome is pain. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} Long and bloody crusades were launched in order to drive "evil" from the land. Many fought their way into the Under Kingdoms, hoping to drive out the darkness that lives there. Few returned, and those that did were so changed in their souls that they came to be called “Deep Touched”. While some of these “holy” wars were just and righteous, often they proved to have more unsavory purposes.
The heart is deceitful above all else and over the centuries there have been those in the populace, the governments, and in the Order itself that have used and abused their power for their own selfish ends. Land grabs and control for power often use an inspiring facade to put forth a proud visage, simply to cover a greedy leer. The Cross has been an excuse to conquer as much as a symbol of healing.
And so borders and cultural lines have remained. Bigotry and prejudice still find homes. Ignorance and hate continue to live. Yet all is not bleak. There is still much good in the world. There are those who live lives with honor and integrity. There are leaders and folk who desire nothing more than to live long peaceful lives surrounded by friend and family. There are those who selflessly risk their own lives to protect the kind and simple folk that make up the majority of the Upper Kingdoms. There are weddings and there are children. There are festivals and there is dancing. There is a Creator who loves his creation and there is a peace for all men when they pass from this life to the next. These were the things that the people of Taalist celebrate. ## Campaign 6 ### Blood and Blame Among the countless worlds and systems of spheres created by The Maker when the Prime was sung into creation, one could easily overlook the small yellow star, orbited by two habitable spheres, Taalist and Abeir-Toril (Although the later is a magically created duplicated which arrived by somewhat nonsensical means…) They sit near the edge of a nondescript spiral galaxy that was at one point called The Milky Way, a terrible name really given likely due to ignorance and a deep misunderstanding of the Astral Sea. About the same point in history the inhabitants called their home Earth, which was a synonym to their word for dirt, which makes more sense… It is now most commonly called Taalsit.
At a glance, Taalist has little to offer that would set it apart from other habitable spheres. Still, it should not be discounted. It was the first of its kind created by the Maker’s Song, and therefore has a unique status among the spheres inhabited by sentient beings. I suppose that is where much of its uniqueness ends. ( Although its people carry a bit more) Taalist, like all the other spheres, exists in a cycle of societal growth followed by crippling calamity. The Deceiver's Plummet. The Breaking of Eden. The Great Flood. The Fall of Babel. The Green Winter. The Gene Wars. The Singularity Plague. The Sundering. Historically mortals blame the Maker for such things, and while it is true The Maker does indeed have the power to stop such things, placing the blame on the Divine Being is a dangerous philosophy. The truth is mortals are almost always the author of their own destruction. All these great calamities were brought on by the choices made by the creation, not the Creator. But the placing of Blame and the shedding of Blood is a far easier response to the fears of life than simply accepting responsibility for our own actions and that of our fellows.
And so it was just over 100 years ago. The endless battles of blood and blame that plague the Hells and turn their ire toward the Heavens once again spilled over onto the Prime. And once again brought the sphere of Taalist, in fact all of Creation, to the brink of destruction. The crisis was halted by those that opposed the forces of Evil. Though most never perceived it the End was nigh, but the Apocalyptic Horsemen were once again returned to their stalls. Few know of how perilously fragile Creation is, fewer still know the truth of the steady hands that guide it. So the mortals of Taalist recorded in their history a cataclysmic event, never understanding just how far the ripples of destruction had spread. And while not nearly as world shattering as the meteoric Casting Down of the Deceiver, or as nearly complete as The Flood or The Sundering had been, the world most recently endured a major calamity in the form of The War of The Pentad.
What started in the eyes of most mortals as simply a rise of cultic activity that had come in response to the failure of the Order of the Cross, became a crisis upon which the balance of the universe itself teetered. Five beings, who are or were in possession of demi-god-like power, struck a pact, to use their combined might to rip apart the very fabric of the universe and remake it in their combined images. Thankfully, mortals are not purposefully condemned to destruction, in fact moments like these are often cosmic tests. Tests through which their spirits are forged and purified and shown to all people as a demonstration of self sacrifice and righteousness. The intention is that other mortals may learn and eventually find a way out of their own darkness. Sadly, although those called and chosen succeeded in stopping The Pentad, the people of Taalist failed in their lesson... Over the next decades the hearts of mortals grew darker.
Mortals have always leaned toward individualism and selfishness. Turning away from the sacrifices of altruism and cultural unity, which is where their strength truly lies. Living in such a way hurts their inherent selfishness and pride and often chaffes against their need to feel individually powerful. Many often feel weak or forgotten when united, but it is in such weakness they are truly made strong. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} It is a hard lesson to learn. Taalist has struggled more deeply with this lesson than other spheres. Some say it is because the inhabitants have the freest of wills, and that the Maker has gifted them greater freedoms of will and crafted their spirits closer to that of the Divine. But a gift so powerful comes with far greater expectations and far deeper consequences. So, as has always been the plight of mortals, when their hearts darkened… they blame those around them. That blame always leads to bloodshed and soon they find their suffering increases… which usually leads to more blame....
The first real suffering after The Pentad was the Plague of Worms. Just shy of fifty years past the Pentad War, the Necromancer Tomast Desperanza, the last son of a vile king, came to power. Taking upon himself the title King of Worms, Desperanza launched an assault of undeath upon those he blamed for the death of his father, and on those who assumed his throne. This assault was partially thwarted when Heroes of old defeated him at The Battle of The Misty Gate, but they did so at the cost of their own lives. The King of Worms was killed and his army was partially scattered, his mindless undead minions wandered the Stolregard Barony wreaking havoc. Those undead with some form of intellect continued their masters mission and marched deeper into Barovia where something unholy happened during the Battle of Valaki. As the undead swarmed Castle Argynvost, Razyia Callington, the granddaughter of King Titanbrooke struck a deal with the Mists of Shadow. Barovia was pulled back into the Realms of Terror. Desperanza did not live to see his success, but his goals were complete. The Titanbrookes, the Callingtons, the Von Zaroviches, and their most powerful allies were all dead or trapped in the shadowy prisons of the Realms of Terror.
This event sent shockwaves across Taalist and the veil across the world between light and shadow grew perilously thin. Creatures of darkness crept through with alarming frequency. And while that was frightening enough… as thousands and thousands of undead lay rotting across the lands, the Plague of Worms was born. Writhing masses of nearly invisible parasites swarmed across the realms. They infested animals, and bored into crops, they thrived in drinking water, and some said they even were carried on the winds. Once infected death came slowly, and those who carried the disease spread it quickly to others. People withdrew only coming out when absolutely necessary, and the world became a distrusting, fearful, and lonely place. The Plague of Worms lasted four years and quickly spread from Cetnovia, decimating populations worldwide. With people everywhere blaming the Order for failing them during the War of the Pentad, and their numbers having never recovered, the faithful of Taalist were almost powerless to stop the spread of disease. This led to the full rise of folk religions and pagan cults everywhere. By the end of the plague almost a half of the world's population had died, and people had almost completely turned away from the Unifying Faith of the past 400 years.
And so, deeper into darkness traveled the hearts of mortals. With King Titanbrooke dead, the Order crippled, and the Circles of Mages broken, Spellcasters whose powers were fueled by dark pacts, were left unchecked, and began to dominate the lands replacing the laws with their whims. Altars to unclean spirits and beings of darkness began to appear alongside roadways and not far from settlements. Families traded everything to their Dark Mage Overlords bargaining for safety from local marauders, often giving their sons and daughters as slaves in hopes of reprieve. When no real relief came they even turned human sacrifice, often burning their babies the flames of harvest pyres, crying into the night for any listening ears to bring them enough food for those who remained to last the winter. There were plenty of ears to listen and many settlements found themselves entrapped by dark bargains.
The world never fully recovered from the Plague of Worms, but it had settled into its new rhythm of bloody brutality and blame placing survival. Hope was a rare feeling and those that held were often treated with distrust, even anger. People often longed for death. Although not enough to actually seek it out. Internally they cried for salvation, for their suffering to be lifted. It was then that among them began to appear prophets of the Maker. Their message was simple. The wrath of the Maker was growing. Turn from their wickedness. Return to the paths of Righteousness. Repent and their lands would be healed. Mortals are odd beings, they desire their situations to change, but they rarely change themselves. Mortals do not typically change until it hurts too much to stay they same. It did not yet hurt enough. There was no repentance. Only the spilled blood of prophets who forgave their killers even as they died.
The dark reign of black magic did not last long, only a dozen or so years. A reader at this point may be inspired to give thanks for such a thing to come to an end, they should not. During the winter solstice 40 years ago The Weave ran dry. Without warning, magic, which once flowed like a river, almost completely disappeared. It was suddenly so scarce, that even those with great skill found themselves nearly empty. Much of the world had come to deeply rely on magic to aid and fuel their societies. Crops had been grown with magic. Buildings were often constructed by those who could control The Weave. Items of magical power were hoarded and consumed in futile attempts to reignite a Weaveworker’s ability to touch and control magic. They were typically unsuccessful. In their desperation, the magical wonders that had been created to serve the world were lost. Without the weave entire cultures crumbled like sun dried sand castles. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} Mortal races, like the Dwarves and Elves, whose longevity and cultures relied on the natural power of the Weave, found old age to be a frightening haunt lurking much closer than it ever had. The source mattered little. Natural, Divine, Arcane… gone… Druids no longer spoke to nature. Clerics no longer could touch their gods. Sorcerer’s whose power was tied to their very being often died. There were exceptions. A small handful of magic users recaptured a connection to varying degrees, but very few of them past even the most remedial powers, and even those spells they found truly difficult to muster.
Beings whose existence was not considered natural, or ones that drew their power from other Planes seemed to fair better during the drought. Many magical creatures still lurked in the wilds, and desperate Mages often attempted to seek them out in hopes of tapping into their power. Hags and other manipulative Fey beings found themselves with a great upper hand, and began to ply their magic powers to any willing to pay their prices. And although they were not ignorant of their wickedness many desperate people sought them out. Soon nearly every household claimed some sort of connection to a “protective” spirit or a patron hag. This led to a social competition of sorts, with no one wanting to lose advantage to others. Thus small idols and fetishes began to appear with great frequency, each placed in order to give their patron more attention. Which those making the deals did not mind in most situations, as there was no real competition. There were ample fools willing to give themselves over to increase their power. In fact the continual escalation of devotion could only be continued through if the people believed they could gain an advantage.
It did not take long for the poor and the starving of the populace to realize that the Mages who had lorded over them in recent years had become powerless. Urged onward by the Fey creatures to whom they now owed debts, it was soon the practitioners of magical arts on the pyres and not their children. The people cried out against those they blamed for their suffering and in return received their blood. There was a great purge of magical material. Common folk everywhere feared the day The Weave would begin to rain down its power again. And so they fuled the fires of rebellion not only with their former master’s bodies, but with books, arcana, and any knowledge of The Weave.
Sadly, the poor rarely win in a rebellion. Instead they traded one master for another. The sword, not the spell now ruled the land. Magic, even in its most wild and wicked forms, has an elegance to it. The rampages of armored warlords does not. The brutality through which most lands were subdued was almost unprecedented. War became common and nations held onto their lands through the blood of conscription. Boarders shifted little during this time, but old friendships and alliances died as each nation blamed the others for the gurgling blood choked cries of farm boys who had been dragged away from their homes to fight for a line of pencil on a Warlord’s map.
Four decades the world existed thus. The Age of Red Steel they call it now. People now fear and blame one another for ills that come upon them. Racism has become far more rampant. Even among those that tend to be agreeable to one another, their societies rarely mixed for reasons other than business and war. The common races in an area typically considered others “abnormal” and outsiders are at best shunned in most settlements. Tales of mobs running outsiders into the wilderness or publicly executing them are common. The general population is by and large uneducated. The type of Higher Education necessary for strong civilizations is almost as scarce as real magic, and typically only found in the circles of the wealthy. Anger toward magic users has faded although suspicion of them has not. Thus superstition grew and spread like wildfire giving rise to Charlatans and Frauds claiming to have found old world powers that could protect and save people became common. Such chicanery is a quick road to coin and often a fast path to the grave, still many risk it. The hags still hold power over most of the people, and they do not take lightly infringements on their authority. Travelers are wary, for people are quick to blame strangers for anything that runs foul while they are nearby. The wild places of the world have grown thick with danger, as have the streets of most settlements. Whether it be creatures prowling the wilderness, rogues preying on the unsuspecting, or tyrants extorting those they have subjugated, there are many things in this world seeking to spill blood.
Now… Things are worse. But perhaps the world is poised to hurt just enough to change.
For only a short time ago, on The Winter’s Solstice, as suddenly as it had gone dry, the rivers of magic flowed once more. The Weave Has Returned. Thus far, it has brought with it only chaos and destruction as real items of magic and creatures thought long gone from this world began to awaken. A scramble for power has begun among the nations. Those who rule are desperate to keep their rivals from gaining an upper hand. Any who display magical abilities are being detained before they can realize their potential and become a problem. The Age of Red Steel will not go quietly into the night. And the people…? The people reacted as people always do to the unknown, with fear. And there are two certain things to happen when mortals are afraid.
There is Blood and There is Blame. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## CHAPTER 2: Timeline **The 1st Age** begins Taalist's known history, The Time Of The Ancestors. That Age came crashing to a close with the cataclysmic event that stories call The Reckoning or The Sky Fire.
**The 2nd Age** of the world is known by all as the Shadow Years. A dire time in the history of man. A time when we lived more like animals than people. There is little to no record of actual history of these years. What man did to actually survive and why no one recorded those events has been lost to time. It is believed to have lasted 1000 years, but none know for certain.
**The 3rd Age** began when the clouds broke and the Sun reemerged in the sky. Civilizations once again thrived and unique cultures arose across the globe. In several places mankind made great social advancements giving rise to powerful nations.
**The 4th Age** begins with the Prophet Luthor returning from the Desert of Endless Sands of Xiest with the Scriptures birthing a revival of Faith in The Maker leading to the founding of the Order of the Cross. It ends with The War of the Pentad which brings on the The Hour of Fading Light and the Time of Red Steel.
**The 5th and current Age** of Taalist marks the Return of Magic. And that is where this Campaign Guid Begins. ### The Ancient Timeline - Time of the Ancestors - A time of technological wonder and humanity's advancement. - The Reckoning (Sky Fire) - The nearly world ending cataclysm that ended the Ancestor's Era. - The Shadow Years - Dark clouds begin to cover the sky most liquid water on the surface freezes. ### Shadow Years - 1 - Surviving people flee underground. Those that remain on the surface freeze to death. - 950 - The sky opens. Light and rain begin once again. Taalist begins to warm. - 1000 - Mankind begins to live civilly once again on the surface. End of the Shadow Years. ### Post Shadow Era - 100 - The Races of Light begin to move away from their underground shelters and permanently settle the surface. The major first city states begin to form. - 500 - Definite nations have arisen. The continents of Xiest and Krenshad both have flourishing kingdoms. They are unaware of the existence of the other. The oceans separating the two people are vast and dangerous, no safe shipping lanes are believed to exist. - 552- Explorers from Xiest discover Krenshad and settle on Al'alinem. - 603 - The Kren Empire begins to conquer much of the Eastern Half of Krenshad - 720 - Atticus the Uniter, leaves the Kren Empire and settles in Balinova in the West - 730 - Balinovia unites under the Council of Nations. - 740 - The Great Sands war takes place between the Upper Kingdom Races of Xiest. Cooperation between the people of Xiest ends for centuries. - 740 - The Kren Empire dissolves into warring factions - 780 - Cetnovia is settled by refugees from the Kren Empire - 872 - Balinovia is nearly destroyed in what became known as the The Serpent Wars. - 1032 - Hendruis The Black lays waste to southern Cetnovia by unleashing a magical plague of undeath. - 1267 - The Kren Empires temporarily unite to attack the Underkingdom, beginning the Black War. - 1273 - The Kren Empire abandons the war in the Underkingdom.Once again dissolves into separate City States. - 1302 - The War of Souls begins in Xiest and rages for 30 years. Denizens from the Underkingdom, led by General Turtin'ad of Xiest siege the entire continent. Luthor is exiled. - 1332 - The Prophet Luthor of Xiest returns from exile. Bringing with him the Scriptures found in the Library of Ancients in the Desert of Endless Sands. - 1333 - The Upper Kingdoms of Xiest Rebel against Turtin'ad. The Prophet Luthor leads the combined armies to victory - 1333 - End of the Third Era ### The Era of Light - With the ending of the War of Souls there is for the first time in centuries peace on the continent of Xiest. - 4 - The Order of the Cross is officially established as the people's religion. - 6 - The Prophet Luthor dies. The Kingdoms of Xiest unite under one banner. - 17 - Sailors from Al'Alinem return to Xiest making their knowledge of the safe route across the sea known. - 18 - Missionary efforts to Krenshad begin. - 19 - Al'Alinem officially accepts The Order of the Cross. - 26 - The Order of the Cross frees Cetnovia from three centuries of the Undeath plague. - 27 - Cetnovia officially accepts The Order of the Cross. - 32 - Balinova officially accepts The Order of the Cross. - 35 - The Isle of Ithika officially accepts The Order of the Cross. - 42 - The Kren Empire officially accepts The Order of the Cross. - 43 - The Kren Empire reunites under The Order's Guidance. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} - 74 - The order begins multiple expeditions across the seas and over the mountains to the North West Crater. Few return. The land is described as think with dark twisted forests and teeming with deadly wildlife. The forests are so large and dark that denizens of the Underkingdom walk freely in the day time. - 77 - Exploration of the North West Crater is abandoned after The Order declares the area unreachable by normal measures and too dangerous to settle. - 105 - The Kren Empire launches an assault on Cetnovia capturing most of the country. The Order unilaterally condemns the invasion, but does not intervene. - 107 - The Underkingdom begins heavily attacking settlements on The Ken Empire forcing a withdrawal of the occupying forces in Cetnovia. - 111 - The Kren Empire attempts to return to Cetnovia, but is thwarted by the combined Cetnovian and Balinovian Naval forces. - 123 - Safe passage by sea has been discovered to small gap in the mountains leading into the North West Crater. - 123 - The cult of the Black Sunrise poses a major threat to the world. Adolf Von'Chamsen and Benedict Duprang lead the Balinovian Adventurer's Guild and a large contingent of Order Soldiers to the Northern Crater in an effort to stop them. - 123 - The Kren Armies invade Cetnovia. Balinovia marches to war to aid their neighbors. - 124 - The Von'Chamsen Expedition defeats the Black Sunrise - 125 - Adolf Von'Chamsen and King Kharnos of Silver Gate unite the people of the Northern Crater under one banner. The country of Chamsburg is born. - 125 - The Kren Empire briefly seizes the Throne of Bones in Southern Cetnovia. A group of Adventurers led by Pieter Bonniet and Deleran Callington foil the Kren's plans to use the Throne to create an undead army. - 131 - The Kren are repelled from Cetnovia ending what came to be known as the Sunset Wars. - 135 - The Kren Emperor Demitrious is assassinated. Throwing the Empire into a state of turmoil and civil war. The Southern Empire breaks away from the Northern. - 162 - Kren Emperor Allurious reunites the North and the South. - 227 - Chamsburg is nearly destroyed by the Brotherhood of the Chromatic Scales who resurrected Cagarrirth Lord of The Ember Scale as a Dracolich, during what came to be known as the Nameless Crisis. - 272 - Ballinovia is devastated by a magical plague known and the Mage Blight. - 312 - Kren Emperor Allurious IV transforms himself into a lich starting the War of All Flesh. - 352 - Emperor Allurious is defeated by Coireall Tourios who is granted the throne, he instead turns the rule over to a democratic council, he is assassinated two months later. - 373 - The Council of Kren is destroyed in an Act of magical Terrorism. - 373 - In the aftermath Allurious the VIII claims the throne returning Kren to an Empire. - 375 - Allurious the VIII is slain in the Arena during a Trial By Combat by his brother Xellisthan, who then takes the throne. - 385 - Count Malamir Von Zarovich and his allies restore the lost country of Barovia from the Realms of Terror. He pledges his allegiance to King Louis Desperanza the III beginning Barovia under the banner of Cetnoiva. - 385 - Samuel Kainne is Sainted and named High Priest of the Grave. She secretly sets up an order of cult hunters known as The Garden. - 386 - A major planar convergence wreaks havoc in Cetnovia. Particularly in the Stolregard Barony. The Unliving, a race Sentient Non-Evil Undead, appears as a result - 386 - King King Louis Deveroux Desperanza the III, Ruler of Cetnovia is assassinated by Baron Esmet Callington. Desperanza was later proven to be a Necromancer who desired to activate the Throne of Bones. - 387 - Gabriel Titanbrooke takes the Cetnovian Throne ### The War of The Pentad - 387 - Powerful groups of adventures take center stage in world events. Among them are The Seven Sevens an Adventurers Guild run by The Dwarves of Clan Graniteback, The Crimson Brands who were former slaves turned adventurers, a gaggle of young ladies known as The Teen Girl Squad, and a group of traveling musicians Tenacious D&D who became the Greatest Road Band of all time. There was also talk of a group of adventurers out of Stone-Sight Expeditions that was lost in the Azure Ocean for a time. - 387 - The Kren Empire is embroiled in a Civil War. This war ends when the EMperor refuses to shed any more of his own people’s blood and relocates to the Southern Empire. - 387 - The North reforms as the “Free States of Krenshad” a loose alliance of City States, while the South becomes the Kren Imperium. - 387 - The Rise of the Pentad begins. An alliance of powerful beings intent on destroying creation and remaking it in their image. - 388 - The Pentad begins eating away at the stability of the Order through a series of attacks on their strongholds. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} - 388 - The Granitebacks are given land and title in the Kren Imperium. Graniteback hold becomes a location of major influence in the coming events. - 388 - The Pentad suffers their first major defeat at the hands of The Crimson Brands. The Brands, while successful at stopping the world ending plans of the Storm Lord, unfortunately could not prevent a continent shattering earthquake that split the lands between Chamsburg and The Free States of Kren killing hundreds of thousands. - 388 - For protecting the Stolregard Barony numerous times the Teen Girl Squad is granted a Keep of their own. The Alabaster Palace. They then stopped the reactivation of the Throne of Bones. - 388 - Cetnovia is torn asunder after Orcus, the Prince of Undeath, launches a feint against the Alabaster palace. Something during the course of this battle is believed to rip the Southern half of the country away into the Realms of Terror. - 388 - The Tidal wave that resulted in the aftermath laid waste to most of the nation and washed over the Free States of Kren as far as the Three Sisters Sea. - 388 - Tenacious D&D is thought responsible of large scale murder and mayhem as they pillaged important artifacts from various secure locations. They later have their names cleared. - 388 - The Order forces, under the leadership of Saint Kainne, march toward a gathering point of the Pentad’s Armies in hopes to thwart their plans - 388 - The Pentad suffers another major setback as Dagon, Lord of the Writhing Deep, is slain by The Crimson Brands and The Seven Sevens. - 388 - The Pentad puts their final plans into motion, but are stopped by the combined strength of the world’s Heroes. Though the battle was won it was not without grave consequences. ### Aftermath of The Pentad - 389 - Adventurers and Nations enjoy years of relative peace. The people of Taalist blame the Order for the Pentad and become embittered toward the faith. - 340 - Othig Graniteback becomes the first (and last) non-human Emperor of the Kren Imperium. - 341 - Emperor Othig leads an assault against Yuan-Ti forces attacking Elinos in the North. THey successfully repel the invaders and save the city preventing a complete slaughter. - 342 - Believing the Granitebacks, including the Emperor Othig, are lost while attempting to prevent the freeing of the Titan of Time, the Kren Empire moves on without them and Marista Copallis, the first Female to lead, takes the Reaper’s Throne. - 402 - The Tenuous Alliance of the Free States crumbles. Kavasto and Elinos go to full scale war. - 407 - Tens of Thousands of Orcs from The Blood Axe Tribe swarm down from Black Peak and the mountains North of The Blood Marsh and invade Balinovia as it tries to recover their Norther lands. - 410 - The Elinosian Empire defeats Kavasto - 412 - Balinovia pushes the Orcs back across the Great Divide, but has completely lost the North. - 423 - The Sanguine Star Killer begins murdering people in Deleran’s Crossing, the killer turns himself in stopping the murders. - 434 - The Second Sanguin Star Killer begins murdering people in Deleran’s Crossing. It is revealed they are attempting to summon a powerful Elder Child onto the Prime. - 436 - Tomast Desperanza, The King of Worms, takes vengeance upon those he believes wronged his Father. An army of undead decimates the Stolregard Barony and New Baroiva. The ruling lines of Cetnovia, Barovia, and Stolregard, along with Saint Kaine are killed during this assault. - 436 - Barovia is pulled into the Realms of Terror. - 437 - The Plague of Worms, a parasitic disease born from the rotting corpses of Desperanza’s army, decimates the world’s population. - 438 - Organized groups such as Adventuring Guilds, The Society of Mages, Circles of Druids, and the Order of the Cross are left without leadership and greatly weakened. - 441 - Left Unchecked the practitioners of Dark Magics seize power across all realms. Putting an end to any organization that opposes them. - 441 - The Order completely retreats to the Isle of Unity. Druids to the depths of the Wilderness, and good aligned Magic Users go into hiding. - 443 - Citing the campaign of genocide on the Thri-Kreen and the impossibility of continuing that conflict Graniteback Hold withdraws from the Empire promising alliance and friendship, but rejects the current Emperor. Rumors of war and high tensions abound but no actual fighting begins. - 452 - The Weave Drought begins, magical sources suddenly run dry. Great destruction follows in the next few years as a panicked populace reacts. - 453 - The Rebellion of Ashes begins. The Populace turns on Magic Users of all kinds, burning them and anything connected to The Weave in great bonfires. - 455 - The Age of Red Steel begins. Warlords no longer held at bay by the fear of powerful Magic Users begin conquering local lands. - E.O.L. 457 - Although there are a few exceptions, violent Feudalism becomes the standard form of government. Warlords have taken control of areas passing out Governances to their generals. For the most part the Nations’ borders remain, but old alliances and friendships have been broken. Aristocrats and Nobles no longer rule. Those with blades and the lack of morals to not turn them on the innocent do. - E.O.L. 492 - End of the Era of Light. The Weave Returns. Chaos ensues… A Magical Arms Race begins as local Warlords gather the returning of magical power to themselves. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## CHAPTER 3 ### The Races of Taalist Taalist is a land made up of all manner of inhabitants, and what follows is a description of the dominant peoples that populate most areas of the land. However, even those descriptions vary from continent to continent. Also, this is by no means all the sentient races inhabiting these lands. As of this Campaign Guide many of the Races have undergone both cultural and physical changes. Overall there really isn't much difference between my races and stereotypical fantasy lore, but I like highlighting them all the same.
#### “Beast” Races Humanoids come in a lot of shapes and sizes. And often they seem more beast than being. I am open to any manner of Beast Race a player wants to go for. We will work out the details together. If there is source material for the race we will by and large default to that. Again, remember that there will likely be unique interactions due to your race that may not always be pleasant.
#### Dragonborn The Dragonborn are complicated, as they come into existence through a number of fashions, which creates a lot of diversity among them. Although by and large they are typical to the PHB. Still if a player would like to have a background similar to the Draconians of Krynn, or a Half Dragon I would welcome the experience.
After the War of the Pentad the Dragonborn became “feared”, and arent often welcome in civilized areas. Being a race of slow reproduction they often become hermits or live small communities far from others.
#### Dwarves Dwarven culture on Taalist is usually a culture is a mix of Clans and Social Class, although neither of these is as constant as most things Dwarvish, and scholars have come to agree that their fluid standing among one another is a reflection of their love of bartering and trade. Clans are typically family based although Dwarves of a weaker clan will often petition to become a member of a stronger Clan. Family means a great deal to Dwarves but not as much as advancement. There is no disrespect given when a Dwarf leaves their family and joins a new Clan. In fact they are often praised for taking the chance to better themselves. Their social status, or Class, functions similarly, although is far less likely to shift. There is great equality among the Dwarven people and their rulers do not esteem themselves highly over their people. You can tell a Dwarf’s class by how they keep their hair. Most dwarves take a very neutral stance on life and have a flair for the dramatic, or as some other races have observed, the over dramatic..
**Elder Dwarves** The ruling class. They wear their hair long, the Men never trim their beards and the women never cut their hair. Very rarely seen above ground they spend their entire lives in the Mountain Halls unless great reason draws them out. Would make awful PCs but pretty interesting NPCs.
**Hill Dwarves** Typically the more scholarly class of Dwarves, becoming Artists, Teachers, Mages, and Religious figures. Female Hill Dwarves wear their hair short and the men fully shave their heads. They wear no moustache, but instead grow mighty beards. They are the most common Dwarf to be found on the surface.
**Mountain Dwarves** The more Craft oriented and the working class of Dwarves. Smiths, Masons, and Merchants are commonly Mountain Dwarves. The men shave the tops of their head and wear their hair in a long single braid. They keep elaborate moustaches but no beard, and when they come of age they braid their hair and moustache together. Females wear their hair long and carefully woven into two braids. They spend the majority of their lives in the Mountain Halls, although do venture oustside for various reasons.
**Shunned Dwarves** These are dwarves who have deeply dishonored themselves. They are removed from the rest of the society and forced to keep all of their hair shaved. They typically form small colonies in abandoned mines and are permitted to trade menial labor for their survival. Families are not held responsible for a Shunned One’s plight and are treated by the rest of the Dwarves as if the Shunned family member never existed. Families and employers are the only ones allowed regular contact with them.
**Duergar** Deep Dwarves, Duergar, Black Dwarves, Gully Dwarves… many names with little understanding. Little is known about this group of Dwarves other than they exist and are ferocious when provoked. Among surface Dwarves, they are the only group to be considered a “sub-species” and esteemed less than a Shunned Dwarf. Although recent events have begun to shift that attitude. Duergar played a significant role in stopping the destructive events of The War of the Pentad. They are Dark skinned with cracked skin and broken facial facial features often giving them a monstrous look. They live far beneath even the lands of the Surface and in the deepest places of the Underdark. Some say their culture is similar to that of Dark Elves and are quite wicked. Others claim them to be similar to the Sea Elves and merely isolationist. Rumors of the Duergar are common throughout Dwarven society. Some say that their existence is due to the betrayal of the Surface Dwarves who locked them in the deep places to become the slaves of the Illithid while they made their escape. Most settle into the idea that they are more akin to wicked Fey… The Black Dwarves that come in the night to steal away naughty children and ruin the lives of Dwarves who have committed wicked acts. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Elves Elves are close to standard in D&D lore. Although the Sea Elves and Drow do have some uniqueness to them worth noting so I’ve written some info up. Generally speaking, Elves are the most racist of the races of beings on Taalist. They have a haughty superiority that is hard to rival. Still, it typically manifests with them treating others like children or as ignorants. Much of that is due to their formerly long life spans. It is hard to take anyone seriously when you live almost a thousand years and look as though you haven’t aged a day. Although that is likely to change soon as their lifespan was dramatically cut short by The Weave Drought and hasn’t seemed to have been restored upon its return.
**Sea Elves & Merlings** The shortest of the elves often under five feet in height. Sea elves features usually have a green or blue tint. They long ago adapted to living both in and out of the oceans. They are not necessarily isolationist, but don’t typically travel far from their homes. Pacifists at heart, they are welcoming and helpful, but will fiercely defend their culture if they feel threatened. The seas near their homes are often filled with the wreckage of those who though that the simple appearing elves were an easy target.
Merlings are yet another subrace descended from Sea Elves. Their long centuries in the sea have transformed their legs into tails enabling them to better master their domain. Merlings reproduce faster and in greater numbers than their cousins, making them the more dominant of the line, however their elusive behavior makes them seem far less common. A small percentage of them have a transforming ability which allows them to turn their tails into legs while on land. In this form they are almost unmistakable from Sea Elves.
**Dark Elves** Dark Elves, often called Drow, average five and a half feet tall and very muscular. They have dark skin and large milky eyes and white hair silvery hair. Dark Elves never returned to the surface and now carve out large civilizations in the Underdark. During the Ear of Light they refused to accept the resurgence of faith in One God and continue in their polytheistic belief system and very often worship dark creatures or demonic powers. It is rumored that they have a central deity and rever arachnids. They are a matriarchal society and notoriously culturally wicked and brutal in their treatment of each other. They view all other races as abominations to be eradicated. Some mistake them as a culture of deceit, and while mechanically that is accurate, the truth is that lies and deception are more a part of a cultural powerplay centered on a game of words that they believe makes manifest their desires. So if you were to meet a Drow a good portion of the lies they tell you are more likely a reflection of what they would hope for and want to see become true rather than an actual attempt to deceive someone.
**Eladrin** Fey touched High Elves whose existence is tied to the seasons. Often they feel alien and strange to the other races and so when they are not being confused with more common Elves, Eladrin are often shunned simply for being odd. Much to the surprise of others Eladrin were among the least affected people by the Weave Drought. This is not to be taken as though they were not affected, more, that Eladrin had a greater success rate when it came to still touching the Weave. Most believe that this is due to their deeper connection to the Fey.
**Firbolgs** The vast majority of Firbolgs live in small villages built upon the massive branches in the trees above The Paths of the Àrsaidh. Their size causes them to almost always be feared when they show up in civilized areas, which is typically the opposite reaction good nature desires.
**Gnomes** Just a little extra cultural flavor here. Often mistaken for small skinny Mountain Dwarves gnomes are one of the more peculiar races of Taalist. Gnomes are thin and agile, rarely growing taller than three feet. They live a few hundred years, the oldest gnome, Mxtickriktip, whom they all celebrate, died at 551. They are fair skinned like High Elves. Male gnomes shave their heads and wear their beards long, which leads to their confusion with dwarves. They bear no ill will toward dwarves but to make such a comparison is a great insult. They grow to passionately love their environment and develop skills reflective of it. Gnomes living near natural wonders tend to become powerful druids while those in cities become craftsmen and artificers of great renown. They love all things mysterious and magical, often combining the two with unpredictable results. They rarely form large communities of their own but tend to live in small family groups spread through civilized lands. They have been found living everywhere from depths of the Underderdark to the great deserts of the world.
**Goblins and Kobolds** Goblins, and to a lesser degree, Koblods, have a weird place in my world. I love their destructive little gremlin-esq nature, but I also really like the idea of them being involved in most societies. So for some strange reason I have made them tolerated races. Maybe it is more akin to people’s abilities to love domesticated dogs and fear wild packs of canines. IF they behave, they’re fine… if not… time to hire some adventurers to wipe them out. They typically exist on the fringes of settlements or in the alleyways of cities doing their things. It is not unusual at all to find a family of Kobolds living somewhere in a town scraping together a living or a Clan of Goblins nearby who have adjusted to a more civilized life. But by and large they are the vile murderous problems that D&D tropes them out to be. And for some other races, Dwarves in particular, having a goblin neighbor is going to be a hard sell.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} **Goliath** I like the standard 5e version well enough, but I feel this leads to keeping them particularly pigeon holed to being Barbarians and butes. Which is fine if that’s what you want. But on Taalist Goliaths are keepers of ancient lore and wisdom. Their chants can be heard echoing the stories of the past through the hills and wilds of places others typically stay away from. If you’re looking for stories that others may have forgotten, you’re looking for a Goliath.
**Half-Breeds** Yes that term sounds offensive. Here it should. Taalist is a racially divided place and it has no love of Half-Anything. Obviously some individuals who can pass off as a standard race fare better than others, but it is a secret that if it can be contained, will be kept well guarded.
**Halflings** D&D has drifted away from the more Tolkien-esq Hobbit-y Halflings, and that makes me sad. One of my favorite things about them was the inner struggle between their child-like wonder and common folk sensibilities. The trend lends them more toward being more human and elvish, which I think robs them of their identity. So I tend for my halflings to be far more like Shirefolk. But you do you.
**Hobgoblins** I like them the way they are. On Taalist, and in the source material, I feel like they very often fit into an angry Feudalistic Samurai Honor Bound Warrior type vibe. Very cool race, though hard to play and pretty hated on Taalist. There are two warring nations of Hobgoblins, Matawi and Matazul. Most would claim to hail from one of these two nations. Matawi being the more culturally good among them.
**Human** Humans on Taalist are fairly Textbook D&D. They tend to be impulsive and prone to recklessness. This has often led Human individuals to push themselves to accomplish great feats within their lives. Unlike most races, the wide spread of culture, causes their moral alignment to cover all points of the spectrum and are known worldwide for both their heroism and hedonism. Personally, I would tick them a bit more toward an evil race culturally. Not necessarily due to any murderous intentions. But they tend to be very racist, and their lust for power, selfish ambitions, and propensity to cause chaos, make them at best Neutral. Humans reproduce quickly in their younger years and have greatly outpaced (in population) the other races of Taalist
**Kenku** Love these little guys, but they’re dang hard to roleplay correctly. If you wanna play one, don’t worry too much about the mimicking speech. That’s a background thing for me. It is just too hard for most of us to duplicate it. Focus more on the attitudes and quirks.
\column **Lizardfolk** I’m not sure if any other race other than Dwarves has captured my fascination as much as Lizardfolk. I like their way of alien thinking being instinctual rather than social. I like how that plays out with today you are their best and most loyal friend, but tomorrow, if you died, you would be their best and most tasty meal. They are fantastic workers and resilient beings which has led ambitious and industrious people to attempt to civilize and train Lizardfolk. Those efforts have been met with varying degrees of success and failures and always… at least in game... hilarity.
**Monster Races** Unless otherwise noted they are at this time pretty PHB standard. Although it is my world so be ready for surprises. Also, I’m open to adopting other sentient creatures into player races. So if something tickles you let me know.
**Planar Races** Aasimar, Genasi, and the Gith are among just a few of the more otherworldly races that can be found here. They play pretty much according to the source materials.
**Tieflings** So a lot of Tiefling lore is going to be pretty PHB, however, they have carved out a niche or two for themselves here on Taalist. In Krenshad it is the City State of Kevasto. Which in some circles gives them a leg up socially… but in others it is actually a downgrade.
**Tritons** Traditional D&D Tritons are cool, but I prefer the style for the Theros Setting. They fit more into what I envision for them on Taalist.
**Yuan-Ti** There is no race that is more universally hated on Taalist than the Yuan-Ti, and just being one is a death sentence in most cultures. Still there are some Pure-Bloods that can pass well enough for human that have made a life among the other races. But it is a secret they would never share unless absolutely necessary. They tend to keep to forgotten and secret places, but a large society of them does live openly in Kavasto.
**Warforged** Warforged cover both being of the ancient past and more contemporary tinkering. Sentient humanoid constructs with vastly varying abilities and powers. They do all share one thing in common, they are powered by the Weave, so when the Drought came they simply turned off. They are just now waking up to a world that has almost completely forgotten them.
In the world of DiveCloud, which my friend Cole created, is a race similar to Warforged known as Chattle. They are nearly identical looking to the race that creates them, but they are not organic. They were created more as a servant type of construct, but have evolved from that original designation. I have used and will continue to use these. I’d be happy to discuss this race further with interested players. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826467488069976124/826558916003233802/Taalist_493_Globe.jpg) {position:absolute;top:8px;right:8px;width:800px;height:400px} {{margin-top:370px}} ## CHAPTER 4 ### World Locations & Culture Taalist is a diverse planet with several continents and many large islands. There are also multitudes of smaller ones scattered about the oceans, typically found in clusters. The larger ones are inhabited by a mixture of civilized races. The the smaller ones tend to have their own cultures that range from contemporary to tribal. There are also quite a few places that are completely uninhabited by humanoid cultures. These areas tend to be environmentally hostile to mortals, and sometimes contain deadly remnants of forgotten times.
The following list of Continental Type areas is in Alphabetical Order, and is always a work in progress. This guide mostly deals with the Continent of Krenshad, which is where the majority of my decades of playing has happened, and so that is where the bulk of information lies. Although I’ve taken players on a few merry jaunts to other places. Those I have sketched out in my brain… but there isn’t a lot of substance to them and so are subject to frequent change. I’ve penciled in some ideas in case you want to go wandering.
#### Note About Culture References in D&D I want to drop a note here about Cultural adaptation. D&D and fantasy RPGs often use European settings as their backdrop. Which is wonderful, but we’ve troped them so frequently that it is hard to imagine anything else. I have chosen to use the spread of humanities mythology to broaden and brighten my world. Implementing these settings is no more offensive than every other Dwarf being Scottish or Elves speaking with posh British accents or Halflings being lazy whitebread bumpkins or Tabaxi being Russian or Indian kitty cats… {{margin-top:370px}} There are multiple unique and beautiful cultures full of rich mythology and poetic history in our world, and I intend to celebrate them in my games. If this bothers you, then that is on you. The intention is only to include cultures and mythology other than European. Anything else you think is happening is happening in your mind, not mine.
But let's still address that, since not everyone using this material is me. Where things usually take a wrong turn is when we play into the negative stereotypes of the cultures we are trying to embrace as a form of social and comedic leverage. You know like angry drunken Scotts and ignorant African tribals or broken english speaking Asian Buddhists. When the truth is yeah some Scotts are angry… … … but its not all of us. I mean I’m sure some of my people out there are sober… maybe…
Anyway, using a culture in a fantasy setting is not a blank check to be an unthinking goon. If you’re going to use another culture’s mythology handle it with care and respect. It isn’t an excuse for you to be the comedy relief, and at the same time the clashing of cultures can be comical. Please learn the difference between the two.
Oh and one last thing… this goes really for any stereotype. Cultural, religious, sexual, personality, disability, etc… just be smart, respectful, and loving. Treat your character’s backgrounds and personalities the way you’d treat real people… well maybe not all the way, you probably wouldn’t throw a real person into a volcano just so they could get an extra crit on a primordial dragon…
Or maybe you would… hmmmmm \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Aranha I’m thinking that Aranha should have a Northorthern South America. I also like the Idea that the jungle has grown so tall and thick that it is actually home to surface Drow who build their homes dangling from the trees in webs of their domesticated giant spiders. No light reaches the forest floor in The Land of the Spider.
### Azure Archipelago Filling the center of the globe, in the remains of North Western Africa, is the massive chain of islands known as the Azure Archipelago. Named after the Sea in which it lies, these islands are one of the most diverse places in all of Taalist. From the Snowy Peaks of Xin-ji, to the rainy jungles of Panitube, to the grassy coasts of Matawi there are few if any places quite like it in creation. Most of the islands are clearly tropical and covered with varying degrees and types of tropical biomes. There are a few nearby continents that share part of this chain and a few notable sites within these isles worth mentioning as well. Many of Taalists’ more exotic races make their home somewhere in these islands.
First is the Tortle homeland. The Shelter of Tortal (Tortogal). Shelter of Tortal is a 30 mile wide turtle shell left behind from what the locals say was a Star Turtle that swam across the Astral Sea with the Tortle people on her back. When she at last found them a home, in the sheltered bay of a massive Atol, she passed into her final rest leaving a home for her children forevermore. The Tortle people live there to this day.
Laying mysteriously at its center is a round grouping of eight islands almost perfectly spaced around a central island. Together they are known as The Compass Isles. These obviously magical landmasses float in the sea rather than forming up from the ocean floor. Furthermore they float in a mysterious circle around the center island with one of the islands always pointing toward the most powerful Magical Convergence occurring. (See Chapter 8) Even stranger than their appearance and behavior is the fact that they are not unique. There is another island structure on the opposite side of the globe, and it functions in the exact same manner. The Compass Isles in the Azure Archipelago were home to a seafaring culture that most simply consider the Pirates of the Azure Ocean. And that is by and large a accurate assessment. The Weave Drought devastated the Compass Isles, but… with it ending…
### Bolrayar The lands of North Asia were unforgiving in our day. The endless march of time has only reinforced their inhospitality. Bolrayar is a massive continent. The largest on the globe. For mapping purposes it is divided into Eastern and Western halves mostly by the placement of the Radiant Sea, which is a massive body of radioactive water laying at the center of the continent. Much of the area around the Radiant Sea still cannot support normal life as we know it, though aberrations and monstrosities of various kinds do thrive there. On all but the northern shores there are massive and deep old forests with trees that grow huge beyond measure. The landscape is rugged and craggy making travel difficult. Deep canyons and steeply rising mountains cover almost all the land. In the north this landscape is repeated only it lies under a sheet of ice. Now some would say this makes travel inland easier, and were it not for the bitter cold and the hungry predators that lurk there that statement would be true.
Bolrayar is home to many various types of Animal Hybrid races. The more Humaniod-like people are rare. The Arrakocra have a sizable kingdom in the massive trees in the West and guard it diligently. Ursin and Centaur settlements are commonly found in the hills throughout the inner lands. There is a loose tribal network of Orcs in the north that hunt the frozen steppes and the taiga. They do not commonly associate with one another but do sometimes trade and will come to aid if called upon during times of war. Along the frozen coasts in the Sea of Glass there are communities of Walrus and Seal folk who hunt in the icy waters far too cold for other races. The southern reaches have scattered and mixed settlements of other races, with Dwarves being the most common among them. The North Eastern edge of the continent has many scattered villages of large Siberian Tabaxi.
### Eitsoh-Diz I plan to explore my love of Native American culture here in The Rocky Mountains and what is left of North America. The name loosely translates to The Mountains of Memory. I haven't gone much further than that yet, but I really want to. I've tinkered with a collection of short stories set here in a Fantasy Wild West. But that's a bit off for this time period.
### Esarro Did you know there is an island in South America completely covered by millions of snakes? Well there is! And so The Scale Lands. A Thriving Yuan-Ti culture that have been magically imprisoned in a small territory. When the weave came back what happened to the barriers that they expanded beyond? Don’t know yet!
### Hanau-Ahi I’ve recently spent some time in Hawaii. And while there learned a ton about the Native Hawaiians and how the United Stated genuinely stole their Kingdom. Bastards. Since then I have really and deeply fed a respect for them and other Polinisean peoples. And as a bonus their mythology is really fantastic!
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Krenshad A mid-sized continent in the Northern Hemisphere, where Europe once lay is Krenshad. At one point Krenshad was one of the most advanced continents on Taalist, but has been decimated geographically and culturally in the past century. In most places, enlightened governance has been torn down and replaced with barbarism and tyranny. The velvet glove truly wears an iron fist. The land itself has always been divided by the mountain ranges and some seas, but the destruction caused during the Pentad War has broken it further introducing multiple new waterways and seas. The area on a map now almost looks like a dinner plate dropped onto the floor. These natural barriers have only increased cultural distinction and national tensions. Climatewise, a general rule of thumb would be that forested areas are in the West and far North while more arid climates tend to be in the Center, East, and South East.
Racially Krenshad is not very diverse. Humans dominate the racial spectrum at an almost 8 to 1 ratio. Among them however is a fair amount of cultural uniqueness. Throughout the land the Elves and Dwarves have their own Homelands and places where they are dominant, but they pale in comparison to the lands Humans dominate. Others races are present but only make up 10% of the population. There is a great distrust for any race that is not locally “normal”. For example Gnomes are tolerated in a Dwarven settlement, but would likely be shunned in an elven one.
### Matawi and Matazul The Hobgoblin Homelands. I love me some Hobgoblins. Particularly in the regard that they're not inherently morons by most lore standards. Here they are extremely militaristic and disciplined. They live by certain codes that they consider honorable. The lands themselves are sub tropical in climate and covered in wide sloping mountains. Culturally they have a Feudal Japanese feel to them. Their cities are beautiful, and filled with multi-story pagodas and wide, well cared for gardens. In many ways it is hard to tell the two nations apart. However, they are extremely different when it comes to social ideals. The Matawi (The Enduring Branch) revere freedom and encourage one another to better themselves. The Matazul (The BRanch of Strength) rule with an iron fist and live under a strict caste system. The two nations have been at war for as long as anyone can remember. And the world is thankful for it. Were they to ever stop fighting one another they could easily make a play for the rest of the world.
### Panitube, The Isle of Dread Pulled from the adventures of yore, harkening back into the AD&D era is Panitube, or as it is more commonly known, The Isle of Dread. This has long been one of my favorite D&D things of all time. OK it is my favorite. Most of my players would say the Ravenloft setting is my favorite. I do love it and gothic horror is my jam, but The Isle of Dread was my first official module as a kid and I still treasure it over any other content.
So what is it? Well it is basically a King Kong, Skull Island, Land of the Lost mash-up and rip off. It is a dark forgotten jungle complete with giant walls, forgotten civilizations, and most importantly Dinosaurs! It is the perfect place to dump some unprepared adventures and force them to survive. Currently Panitube is a forsaken island. Multiple attempts to tame it have all failed. There are a few primitive cultures thriving on the island, and they are welcoming of visitors. And they know they will just be visitors because the island itself seems to bend its will against outsiders. Those that can, flee. Those that can’t are never seen again. ### Maegera's Rest Sitting far to the North surrounded by the dangers of the Sea of Fangs and The Sea of Broken Glass lies the small continent of Maegera’s Rest. It is a frigid and cracked landscape of ancient glacier covered islands connect by ancient sheets of ice and deep geothermally heated caverns and ravines where there is land. From the shore it for the most part looks featurelessly white. Blanketed in eternal frost and snow. But for those daring enough to travel to the furthest Northern reaches one could find one of the pure wonders of the world. A massive obsidian dome that extends several square miles. This would be Maegera’s Rest. The still warm grave of the Primordial Maegera, who was slain here long ago by the Frost Giants that live in the Sea of Broken Glass. Maegera’s demise superheated the ground throwing uncountable tons of ash into the frigid air where it flash froze into the black dome that now covers the Primordial’s remains.
There are precious few civilizations on Maegera’s Rest. The cold is simply too extreme. Although there are small settlements living in or near the edges of thermal vents, and a large city of Gnomes who have built their civilization over Maegera’s remains using the heat inside the dome to power their inventions and sustain their culture. The gnomes are mildly xenophobic, but that is due more to a misunderstanding of the outside world. Their civilization is powered by steam and machines and they know little to nothing of magic. Which has helped them endure the last century better than any other land. Say what you will about the frozen isolation of the north, but it was the saving grace of Maegera’s Rest.
### The Red Wastes In the old world this was Australia… Now transformed by apocalyptic nightmares and fantasy magic. God help us all. There are a few settlements along the eastern coast, but none further in. The land and the creatures that live there are just too dangerous. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### The Southern Reach An uncovered Antarctica. The first place people emerged from below. The ruins of the oldest “new” culture on the planet can be found here. Long ago the people left this land for an unknown reason, although legends tell of a blight on their food. Few have gone there to explore as The Southern Dead Winds surround the continent and sailing there requires ships that do not need the wind. Sailors claim the island is cursed and most would refuse to go even if they could. No one has resettled these since. I have not done much with this yet but I do plan to soon. ### The Underdark At one point I called this the Underkingdom just to be different, so you may notice that phrasing in certain places. Whatever, it’s the Underdark, I got enough different stuff to worry about. The Underdark is as frighteningly simply as it is amazingly complex. A massive network of super caverns in which entire civilizations exist apart from the goings on of the surface world. Home to the Drow, the Duergar, The Illithid and the Mychonid. The Underdark is a fascinating place.
But it is big… really freaking big. Like actually larger than the surface if you think about it because most of the surface is covered by water. And so I’ve only worked out a little of this. Just the places I need. But it is a land filled with twisted horrors and depraved monstrosities. And that just covers most of the civilizations.
I have not deviated much from typical playbook D&D presents for the Underdark. I’ve just added a few interesting things. My favorite being the City of Chains. You can read more about this and a few Kingdoms I’ve worked out in the Nations and City States section. ### The World Beneath the Seas What would a fantasy world be without an Undersea Kingdom. Now… here is the deal. The oceans are freaking big, and seeing as how we haven’t explored even a quarter of them in our time I’m not going to do a lot of work here. However, I will let you know what I have cooked up.
Krakens and other ancient intelligent sea creatures are the uncontested rulers of the oceans. They divide the territories up amongst themselves and will sometimes, but rarely, battle for dominance. They rarely involve themselves in the affairs of the mortal races living below the waves or sailing above them, but they will from time to time. Young among them are allowed to swim and dwell in the borderlands between territories, and are more likely to take interest in the affairs of lesser beings.
As far as races that dwell beneath the waves. I’ve stuck a Triton Kingdom off to the West of the Sea of Fangs and a Sea Elf (Mer-Folk) Kingdom just off the East of Krenshad. Sauhaugin and Kou-Toa are common sights in the depths and do the things they do, but do not often form large sprawling territories. I also have stupidly large sea giants roaming the waters. I don’t really know why, but I really love the idea of these massive brutes just wandering the ocean collecting ships to wear as hats. This is probably inspired by the film Time Bandits. If you haven’t seen it stop what you’re doing right now and go watch it... Well… Go!! ### Xiest Xiest, is what remains of the Middle East. A mid sized continent central to the hemispheres, and is home to some of the oldest cultures on Taalist. The landmass is mostly intact with two large islands just off the main shores. The landmass is covered almost entirely with various degrees and types of desert with a few savannah type grasslands. The real exception to this climatology is the one large crater in the North East which is almost completely closed off by the mountains. There is ample water that pushes up from streams in the mountains and a humid and dew laden atmosphere that allows a thick tropical forest to grow. The central mass of the continent is a seemingly endless desert of sand dunes. Very little here survives, although there are rumors of secret oasis and even a secret civilization that can move through the sand. The Eastern Island is a rocky craglands of mostly dormant volcanic terrain. Its Western shores barren but the East picks up a fair amount of humidity from the Boiling Sea and so it does have a reasonable amount of plant growth. The Southern island and shore right above it is a thick grassy plain with scattered trees.
Xiest, like most places, is predominantly Human, but not nearly as heavily as other lands. There are large numbers of Dwarves, Elves and Orcs here as well. All three of those races are indigionous to the continent. There is about a 1 to 1 ratio here between Humans and the other three. Any other races present would have some time immigrated to the land. Currently there is little cooperation among the races, and each has claimed territory where outsiders are no longer welcome. ### Xin-Ji Xin-Ji, has a heavy Chinese influence to its culture. It is a smaller continent with a more or less triangular shape dominated by a good sized inner sea. The terrain is covered in steep snow topped sleepy volcanic mountains. These peaks have exposed rocky tops and lightly forested foothills. Thousands of streams and rivers gently work their way down the slopes of the mountains through the colorful forests below and then out to the ocean beyond giving the entire continent an enchanted feel. The inner ocean is crystal blue and more or less calm. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} The continent sits at the meeting waters of the Azure Ocean, The Malevolent Deeps, and The Straight of Storms which makes the waters to the east extremely perilous. To the West lay the shipping lanes of the world and many trade ships pass through the area daily. As do many pirates. The Xin-ji loathe piracy and have been know to execute any sailors in their ports for even being rumored pirates.
Xin-Ji is predominantly Elven followed closely by humans. With the Ruling Classes being almost entirely elven. This is due more to their deep respect for long life than actual racial issues. While there are precious few other races present the ones you would find would be quite exotic. Many Tabaxi, Giff, and Ursins make their home on the islands of West Xin-Ji. It is one of the few places still welcoming of visitors in this hurting world.
Conceptually Xin-Ji shouldn’t be where it is, but I wanted an easy reach point for the culture of ancient Chinese Dynasties and honorable Japanese Warlords. And so Xin-ji is sitting about where North Central Africa would be. I suppose “historically” some deal would have been struck with the powerful Asian Corporations of the 21st Century and thus the area became a hub for Asian expansion. Look man, just like you, I just make this crap up as I go. (Some time after writing this I learned this is actually a thing, as they need the resources for production of microchips, and some time after that it has gotten aggressively worse.) :::: ### GOING TO LEAVE SPACE HERE FOR NEW PLACES \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} {{wide ## CHAPTER 5 ### Nations of Krenshad You’re going to find a lot of information here. The Nations of Krenshad have been my centerpieces for about two decades of campaigns. Prior to that there were cities and world jaunts and things there and there, but Krenshad came to be when I really cracked down and crafted out a World larger than the adventure that ran around in it. My first stop was Chamsburg.
Still got a lot of love for that place and I do think it is one of my more interesting locales. However, I had a bit where I wanted to draw the wagons in and do things smaller and that’s when Deleleran’s Crossing and the Stolregard Barony were born. A shared locale with lots of character overlap and ongoing adventure. It worked for a time, but as the game network grew so did the need and desire to go back to a larger world. And then it got too big for its britches, and I had to scale back what I engaged with. I’d say in many ways Deleran’s Crossing and The Stolregard Barony are still the hub of the player world but that may well change with Blood and Blame
I have once again listed these places in Alphabetical Order. }} ![Map](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826467488069976124/826559060840808488/Krenshad_Year_493.jpg) {position:absolute;top:310px;right:8px;width:100;height:65%} \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Adez-Ogg, Clan Blood Axe #### History
The Adez-Ogg, or Blood Axe, Orcs had been isolated in a large valley in the Red Peak Mountains and overlooked for Centuries, rarely coming into contact with outsiders. The Pentad War changed all of that. When the Crimson Brands crash landed in their backyard the Orcs’ eyes were opened to a world beyond. Shortly after that they marched south into the Blood Marsh and claimed the territory. They lived there for decades, completely unnoticed. They had however noticed Balinovia which lay across The Channel of Despair, and in the untraveled hills of the Dragon’s Teeth Mountains they gathered slaves and soldiers from among the other dark races quietly building a powerful army.
The timing of their attack couldn’t have caught the Balinovian’s at a worse time. The county had spiraled into a bloody feudal war as local nobles led their people to battle in an attempt to assert dominance. The Orcs swept in and raided the entire center of the nation within a month. Although this forced the Balinovians to work together to push the Orcs back they had already carried off a great amount of plunder. The Orcs withdrew back across the river and have continued to rebuild their strength. Warcamps line the north side of the Channel and the drums of war can be heard up and down the waterway every night. They have also taken to building vessels and raiding merchant ships darting through the Strait of Corpses, but their eyes always lay to the South where from time to time they launch raids against their neighbors, but it is never anything more than a skirmish or a quick plunder run. Skirmishes are one thing, but every Balinovian knows that someday the Orcs will return and when they do there will be blood.
The Blood Axe tribe’s public leader is always The War Chief. War Chiefs are chosen out of the strongest among them. The Orcs gain “Stripes” across their backs. A wicked slice of a poison coated falchion after they perform a great deed. The festering wound stays open for weeks and if the Orc survives then their bravery is true. If they die… they were a coward. A great wound in battle also counts as a scar when it comes to standing among them. So it is not uncommon for the sitting Warchief to have dozens of scars. The warchief is not always the warrior with the most scars, but the one who is strongest in battle. Any Orc with six or more scars can challenge the sitting Chieftain for the right to lead. But it is not the Warchief that truly leads the Blood Axe Tribe by the prophets of Gruumsh who are the shadowy puppeteers of the tribe’s leaders. No Warchief dare disobey Gruumsh, and it is the shaman who declare the will of their god.
\column #### Currently
The sitting Warchief is a massive female by the name of Zurgha Flesh-Eater and the High Prophet goes by the title The Night Mother. They make a terrifying team and have been preparing day and night for their next invasion of Balinovia. Which, they will launch as soon a Gruumsh speaks. Zurgha has a battalion of 100 of her strongest warriors at her side nearly night and day, and Night Mother has a coven of both Orc and Otherworldly beings dedicated to Gruumsh at her beck and call. Were there not so much hate between the family tribes of Clan Blood Axe, they would be the most dangerous force on the Continent. Even so, they still may be. #### Summary
A brutal Orc nation living in the swamps of Blood Marsh. They have made it their goal to destroy Balinovia, their neighbors to the south.
- **Racial Breakdown:** 85% Orc, 10% Goblinoid, 5% Kobold, 1% Other - **Cultural Motif:** They have a European Tribal, particularly that of North Central Europe. - **Government:** Barbaric Feudalism, controlled by the High Priestess of Gruumsh from the shadows. - **Religion:** Extremely Zealous. Practice resembles the darker sterotypes of paganism and witchcraft. - **Economy:** Weak, with most Orcs infighting for resources. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, they follow their own rules very closely and steal or destroy all else. - **Racial Tensions:** High “Orc Is Best. Eat All The Rest!” - **Philosophy:** “Only the Strong and the Chosen are Worthy” - **Current Leader:** Warchief Zurgha Flesh-Eater - **Current Leader:** High Prophet Night Mother Vashak \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/gin1m6l.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations ***Note:*** *Balinovia was once a much larger country, stretching all the way to the Sea of Glass in the North. The cataclysm of Tidal Waves and Earthquakes caused by the Storm Lord during the Pentad war changed the landscape in the North forever. The land has two things in abundance. Orcs and Undead.* #### The Blood Marsh
Once the farmland of Balinovia thousands of lives ended here. Corpse Bloom, a strange and deadly red flower, grew out of the corpses, giving the swamp land its name. Those corpses later became undead and spread the Corpse Bloom as they wander the land. #### The Channel of Despair
This split through the land formed during the Cataclysm. It devastated the cities along the river including the Capital of Old Blaiovia. The Orcs camp along the channel and attack any ship that attempts to travel through, making it impossible to use as a waterway. #### The Ruins of Old Balinovia
This once shining beacon of peace and civilization was sundered during the Cataclysm when the mountains tumbled down and split apart. It is now overrun with Goblins and other far more dangerous creatures. #### The Ruins of Old Veccia
When the tidal waves hit, all evidence of this port city was nearly washed away. Now only a ruin sunken into a swamp remains. #### The Blightwood
South East of the Blood Marsh is a thick and twisted forest. The trees grow no leaves and the bark is covered with fungus and weeping sores. Naturalists are unsure how it thrives. #### Ghost Water Lake
The Smaller of the two inland lakes, Ghost Water is so named for the lights that appear in the water once the sun sets. Most believe the lights drift in from the Shadow Fey and not Undead in nature. #### The Bleeding Forest
North of the Blood Marsh lies another forest, although forest is probably not the right word. The trees here are petrified, and covered in a type of Corpse Bloom that grows in a more vinelife fashion. #### The Eye of Gruumsh
This fetid lake dominates the center of the Blightwood. Out in the middle of the water is an island where the Priestess of Gruumsh conduct their god's bidding. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #### Corpse Water Straight
As the Cataclysm waters receded a new straight was formed where the Balinovial Lowlands once were. Thousands of bodies washed into this straight warning it the name Corpse Water. The Undead still haunt these waters and those that travel them are considered cursed by other sailors. #### The Dragon's Teeth Mountains
The Mountains are riddled with caverns and home to the Orc city of Adez-Ogg. They form miles of connected tunnels and in many places lead deep enough to touch the Underdark. There are multiple rumors of lost civilizations below Adez-Og.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Al’Ali’Hiem, The Realm of #### History
A large island country in the east of Krenahad. Most believe that a group of Xiestian explorers settled the island some two hundred years before safe passage was discovered across the Malevolent Sea. There they discovered a thriving culture of Dragonborn. The two cultures were friendly to one another, but as often is the case when people of distant places meet, disease follows. The Dragonborn culture was decimated, but never blamed their human friends, and the two have thrived together for centuries.
Those who havee traveled to both Al’alinem and Xiest cannot help but notice the strong similarities in architecture. The people of Al’Ali’Hiem unsurprisingly revere Dragon Kind and believe that their Nation is guarded by The Shepherd, one of the First Dragons ever created.
The crater of Al’Ali’Hiem clearly is a hotspot for natural magical phenomenon, and the rivers were clearly at one point designed to flow the way they do. Their waters have a fortifying property which grants a considerable benefit to the crops they grow, as well as bolstering the long term health of the people. It is extremely rare to see a feeble Hemite, even among the elderly. The flaura here grows abundantly and quickly. A copse of their large palm trees can sprout in a week and be fully grown in a month. Most of the plant life here has uses either as a food source or as potent medicines.
The forests are brimming with life, but it too grows large and with more intelligence than typical beasts, making much of it extremely dangerous. Still, the people have domesticated a large number of creatures not normally capable of being used by mortals. Particularly, the insects of the valley some of which grow as large as horses, and take direction quite well. These have been used in all manner of uses from manual labor such as farming and construction, to household pets, and instruments of combat.
While not a warlike people, they are extreme isolationists, inflexibly distrustful of outsiders, and fiercely defensive of their home. They do not keep a standing army, but all Hemites are trained for defensive purposes. The valley has a serene peacefulness about it, but that does not mean it is safe. There are many dangerous things lurking in the jungle and they do attack from time to time. When the Kren Empire began to expand they found an impenetrable constructed wall around the Al’alinem border open to the ocean, and a swarm of Giant Bee riding warriors defending it. Not wanting to engage in a long drawn out siege from the sea against an unorthodox foe, the Empire wisely looked elsewhere.
\column #### Currently
Al’Ali’Hiem was brought low by the Weave Drought as much of their nation’s infrastructure was supported by harnessed and raw magical power the valley exudes. Still, they were spared many of the other horrors the past century brought and found a way to thrive. The jungle became more dangerous and its many wonders ceased to give their benefits. But they survived and endured much in the way they always have. This has only reinforced their refusal to interact with the outside world. It is currently unknown who leads the nation. The individual is simply referred to as The Steward of The Shepherd. #### Summary
An isolationist nation of Humans and Dragonborn living in an almost utopian-like peace. They greatly revere Dragonkind, which is clear in their art and architecture, and believe their lands protected by an Ancient Celestial Dragon known as The Shepherd.
- **Cultural Motif:** They have an ancient Middle Eastern feel to their culture. Particularly in their fashion. - **Terrain Type:** Thick lush Jungles filled with giant insects and large animals - **Racial Breakdown:** 70% Human, 25%% Dragonborn, 4% Elves, 1% Other. - **Racial Tensions:** They are xeneophobic but not necessarily racist. They believe that “The Maker created us all. However, if The Maker made you elsewhere. Please be there.” - **Government**: Led by a Nobel Caucus led by a Priestly Steward. This Steward is treated as though every word they speak is The Shepherd’s. - **Religion**: They worship the Divine, but with heavy Dragon tones. They do not believe The Shepherd to be Divine but their reverence of him does come very close to worship. - **Economy:** The economy is chiefly agrarian and needs based industry. Which they perform at advanced levels. They engage in little trade, intentionally staying out of the affairs of those outside their land. - **Alignment**: Lawful Good, They deeply respect both law and order and a righteous and good lifestyle. - **Philosophy:** “The Shepherd guides the faithful.” - **Current Leader:** The Steward of the Shepherd \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/fZ9X1zv.jpg){position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations
#### Traveler's Marina & Foriegner's Rest
The only city and port on the island where foreigners are allowed without special permission. #### The Shepherd's Gate
A Massive 200' tall and miles wide wall with several gates large enough to sail multiple tall ships out of. #### Scale Blight Caverns
Rarely a Dragonborn will develope a disease that causes them to turn feral and hate the sunlight. The disease is not contagious and the cause is unknown. They are banished to this cavern. #### The Tower of the Sky
This is the governmental seat of the island and if rumors are true home to the Shepherd. #### The Six Pillars
There are six scattered ruins throughout the jungle. They predate the arrival of the first settlers here. Each is dedicated to a virtue. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and Gentleness. It is said another ruin lies below the lake dedicated to the virtue of Self Control. #### The Grey Temple
A monastary at the edge of the Ashway. It is said they guard a great treasure and a horrible secret. #### The Ashway
Toxic volcanic activity keeps travelers out of this area. #### Turcin's Well
They say this crater was formed long ago in from an arcane accident, and that the Kracken Turcin dwells in a cavern deep below the water. #### The Shrouded Sea
A sea constantly covered in a thick fog. #### The Skyless Sea
Sitting on the edge of the Malestrom this sea is typically overcast. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Balinovia, The Republic of #### History
A Large forest country in the South West of the continent of Krenahad. Balinovian history teaches that Atticus, one of the brothers from the Old Kren Empire, was so disillusioned with infighting and the division of the Empire after their father’s death and sailed west with his army and their families. Shortly after building their first settlement Atticus and his men discovered a local tribe of elves who welcomed the newcomers to their land.
As it turned out, the immense forested area of the country was home to dozens of tribes from nearly every race of Surface Folk all living in relative peace. Atticus invited the tribal leaders to join him in what would later be called “The Council of Nations” and soon after the newcomers were an accepted member of the society. Centuries later Balinova was a racially diverse land with a fully functioning Democratic Republic government. The only country on Krenshad with an Eastern and Western Seaport they became a nation at home on the sea and in the deep forests of the world. In other Nations races people aren’t accustomed to seeing were often labeled as Balinovians, and actual Balinovians are often stereotyped as wanders, adventurers, and explorers.
After the War of the Pentad much of that changed. The devastation the Storm Lord brought about in the North fractured this side of the continent. Balinovia was split into pieces. The North West was drowned in the ocean that rushed in upon them and is now known as the Straight of Corpses. The North East struggled for years to recover and eventually become the Nation of Rigochald. The floodwaters washed over the central areas transforming them into The Blood Marsh, a reeking bog land filled with the bodies of the dead. It is now inhabited by the Orcs of Adez-Ogg, the Blood Axe Tribe. The South split away along the river that once marked the line between North and South Balinovia. The fracture was so great that it dropped half of their capital city into the newly created canyon below. The river was widened by miles and created the Channel of Despair which now connects The Sea of Unity to the Dragon Maw Bay. Although few sail this route due to the high risk of being attacked by the Blood Axe Orcs.
#### Currently
Balinovia has become a never ending battlefield as factions and groups attempt to size power for themselves. If it were not for the Blood Axe invasion in 407 the Nation surely would have torn itself completely apart. But they rallied together to push the Orcs back across the Channel into the Blood Marsh. This event brought some unity back to the people, but not much. With all the distrust and infighting among the leaders of the Balinovians one would be hard pressed to consider them a unified nation. Balinovians have come to believe that they can only really truly depend on themselves and no one else. They are loosely led by Andro Cordasco, Pirate turned conqueror. Andro cares not if those under him struggle for dominance, as long as the tribute he demands is paid. He runs the Nation under the facade of a Council of Nobles, which is really just a group of local tyrants sharing a semi common goal. Get rich and die old.
#### Summary
Balinovia was once an advanced cultural and industrial society that has stumbled backward thanks to brutal infighting and rebellions in the past century.
- **Cultural Motif:** It has a Renissance Italy feel to it. - **Terrain Type:** The nation is flanked by steep mountains and filled with farmlands and forested valleys. - **Racial Breakdown:** One of the more Racially diverse countries being about 50% Human, 20% Elf, 15% Dwarf, 10% Halfling, 5% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Even still Racism is prevalent and folk tend to draw into communities of their own people. - **Government:** They present themselves as a Republic Governmentally, but the reality is that they are a Dictatorship with fierce infighting Maffia Families who form a “Noble Council”. - **Religion:** They tend to be Monotheistic, but a little on the mysticism side with a heavy Nature theme. - **Economy:** Their economy, once the envy of the world, struggles to even care for its own people. The rural communities farm enough to feed themselves, but they are usually taxed so heavily that starvation and hunger among the common folk is rampant. - **Alignment:** Neurtal, Balnovians have little respect for law, but there is some for order. - **Philosophy:** “Everyone for Themselves” and “If you’re not part of my group you’re probably a problem.” - **Current Leader:** Andro Cordasco, Pirate turned conqueror, sits as “Prime Minister” and rules from the city of Bruchella. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/gin1m6l.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations
#### The Channel of Despair
This split through the land formed during the Cataclysm. It devastated the cities along the river including the Capital of Old Blaiovia. The Orcs camp along the channel and attack any ship that attempts to travel through, making it impossible to use as a waterway. #### The Ruins of Old Balinovia
This once shining beacon of peace and civilization was sundered during the Cataclysm when the mountains tumbled down and split apart. It is now overrun with Goblins and other far more dangerous creatures. #### The Ruins of Old Veccia
When the tidal waves hit, all evidence of this port city was nearly washed away. Now only a ruin sunken into a swamp remains. #### The Franssisi Mountains
Named after San Franssisi the Parton Saint of nature and beasts the mountains run the length of the southern border of Balinovia. The mountains are forest covered and teeming with wildlife, some of it quite dangerous. #### The Touno River
The Thundering River. The river spills down from Cuzzano and runs across the countryside. Skirting the Franssisi Mountains the river rushes wildly and is filled with rapids and waterfalls making it technically impassable by boat, although there are stretches where one could use a small craft. #### The Whisper Wood
A thick old growth forest covering a 50 mile stretch of land between the Touno River and the Franssisi Mountains. The Whisper Wood has long held a dark reputation. It is said those who wander too far from the road never return. #### The Verdant Forest
Nestled in the mountains of the South West lies one of the most luscious forests in the world. It has long been home to Druidic folk and nature lovers. #### Dragon Maw Channel
Most think the channel was named after its shape. Ancient histories say otherwise. #### The Void Waters
The space left behind after the Southern portion of Cetnovia was pulled into the Domains of Dread. Nothing lives in these waters, nor are there any winds or current. Sailors avoid the Void Waters at all costs. #### San Erasmus Lighthouse
A major destination for magical study, pre Weave Drought, the Lighthouse was a world renowned as a place of mystery. Few were admitted and rumors of strange and dangerous experiments were common \column ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ### Adventures in Balinovia ##### The Hushed King Trilogy - ##### [Terror in the Whisper Wood](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-terror-54058579) - ##### [The Caverns of Lost Hope](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-cavern-54738704) - ##### [The SIlent Throne](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-silent-58021339) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Cetnovia, The Kingdom of #### History
A Small country in the South half of Krenahad bordering the Void Waters. The Cetnovians were originally refugees from the constant warring of the City States of the Kren Empire. Having no love of war they fled their home and settled across the sea in a land of lightly forested rolling hills. The Cetnovians enjoyed many centuries of relative peace advancing in the arts and agriculture. Although the country was almost destroyed when Hendruis The Black, a necromancer, created The Throne of Bones in the Southern Swamps and unleashed a plague of undeath on the country.
They were dealt a major blow when shortly after the reunification of the Empire, when the Kren invaded them. Not caught fully unaware but woefully outnumbered the Cetnovian army and people were pushed back halfway through their country and would soon have succumbed to the vastly superior force of the Kren had not a series of major attacks from the Under-Kingdom forced the invaders to head home to defend their own lands. The Cetnovians quickly rebuilt and regrouped. They called to the Balinovians for aide and were answered. The Balinovians sent much of their navy to defend their ally to the south. The Cetnovians used advanced magics to strengthen the hulls of the Blainovian warships and when the Kren did return they were defeated before they ever made landfall. The lands once again enjoyed a tense peace, but it did not last.
The Kren have long eyed the fertile lands of the Cetnovians and when the Black Sunrise Cult drew the attention of the Balinovians away to the Northern Crater they once again invaded. Claiming the Throne of Bones in the south, they used its power to create an army of undead subjugating Cetnovia for the next five years.
They would likely have been in control for years to come if not for the actions of Deleran Callington and Pieter Bonniet's group of adventurers who wrestled the power of the throne away from the Kren and turned their own undead army against them. The remains of that army still roam the far southern swamps. For his bravery Callington was awarded Lordship of the Stolregard Barony, which he and his companions settled, founding the town of Deleran's Crossing. The guidance of the Callington's and the natural beauty of the Stolregards built the Barony into one of most idyllic places in Krenshad until the coming calamities isolated it.
During the War of the Pentad the Southern half of Cetnovia was pulled away into the Realms of Terror. Ocean water rushed into fill the void creating a massive Tidal wave that destroyed the central part of the nation separating Cetnovia from the Stolregard Barony. With most of their farmland washed away the Cetnoivans scrambled to recover. Under the leadership of King Gabriel Titanbrooke the Nation had almost fully recovered. Unfortunately The King of Worms managed to kill the King Titanbrooke and The Plague of Worms that followed left Cetnovia floundering for decades.
#### Currently
There is a general sense of lawlessness and banditry and thievery are as common as rain. The Nation is currently held by Devoria Serrano The Red Breasted. A tyrant of no more than twenty five summers. Her skill in battle has become almost as legendary as are her bare breasts which she covers in the blood of those who have opposed her. She cares little for governing, but even less for challenges to her whims. #### Summary
Cetnovia was once the world’s capital for magical ingenuity and advancement. But over the course of the past one hundred years has spiraled into chaos, and is now overflowing with banditry and thievery.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally they are reminiscent of France and Spain. - **Terrain Type:** Sprawling Grasslands with light forests sprinkled with hills and surrounded by moutanis and rocky shorelines - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially they are 75% Human, 15% Halfling, 5% Elf, 5% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Non-humans tend to form their own communities and are often the target of Human raiders. They have a general attitude that says “If you’re not like me then you probably stole something from me.” - **Government:** Warlord Serrano gives her warriors great freedom to govern their territory as long as they are paying their taxes. She is ruthless but very few would ever think of challenging her. - **Religion:** "Gypsy Like” Spirit Based form of Mysticism, that is heavily influenced by the Vistani, who travel through the area frequently - **Economy:** The local economy is agrarian, with some industry still thriving in the few larger cities. - **Alignment:** Chaotic Neurtal, There is no real law and order. The warlords do understand that beating commoners to death would result in a backlash, so there is just enough brutality to keep them submissive. - **Philosophy:** “Take what you can today for tomorrow is a day on a fool’s calendar.” - **Current Leader:** The brutally skilled warlord, Devoria Serrano The Red Breasted, who cares little for her people.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/A8hlJWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations Note: No nation was more devastated by the Pentad Cataclysm than Cetnoiva. The entire southern region disappeared and the tidal waves almost completely destroyed the land. #### Tumbling Water Pass
A massive underground river pours down into the city of Cuzzano and then splits down into the the Nations of Balinovia and Cetnovia. On the Cetnovian side there are hundreds of small waterfalls and rapids
#### Crescent Isle & The Circle of Arcanum
King Gabrie Titanbrooke founded a school for magical practices here. The island itself is said to be a focal point of the Weave.
#### Bitter Marsh
After the Cataclysm, the farmlands were drowned, and a massive saltwater fen formed. Both the water and the land are tainted by arsenic allowing only razor grass and scraggly trees to grow.
#### The Well of Shadows
Once a massive strip mining operation measuring miles wide, The Well collapsed during the Cataclysm when it was flooded. The collapse revealed a large passage to fungal forest in the Underdark.
#### The Sanctum of Worms
The Dungeon of the King of Worms. It was here that the Necromancer Desperanza secretly grew in power until he unleashed his wrath on his enemies. It is said he had attempted Lichdom but was killed before completing the ritual, and that his spirit is attached to the dungeon but unable to take physical form. Those that have attempted to explore the Sanctum of Worms come back with horrible stories of nightmares and undead. If they come back at all.
#### Tristus Canticuma
The Sorrow Song Shoals. A once mighty mountain range washed away by the waves. The Sorrow Song Shoals are now home to sirens and harpies who lure sailors to the doom on the sharp and shallow rocks. Smart captains steer clear of the Shoals.
#### Oburos Prison
This Fortress Prison is the only permanent settlement in the Tristus Canticuma. It is a heavily warded prison designed to keep the magically gifted contained. Once prisoners pass the barrier their magic no longer works, and returning through the barrier is impossible. Inmates are allowed the freedom of the island, though little grows there but weeds and lichen. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #### The Void Waters
The space left behind after the Southern portion of Cetnovia was pulled into the Domains of Dread. Nothing lives in these waters, nor are there any winds or current. Sailors avoid the Void Waters at all costs. #### The Bay of Shallow Graves
This was once the World's Breadbasket. Farms and fields as far as the eye could see. Now a shallow bay no more than fifteen feet deep at high tide, in most places less than ten. Hundreds of thousands of people died here when the waters washed over them. Most of them live on in some form of undeath. They say the dead continue to work the land below the water in an unholy mockery of their former lives. The bay is only safely passable in the channels that were once rivers and even then under heavy guard because of the undead. :: ### Adventures in Cetnovia ##### [Sirens of the Sorrow Song Shoals](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-sirens-53263831) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Cuzzano, The City State of
#### History Cuzzano is considered by many to be one of the wonders of the world. Nestled high in the mountains between Balinovia and Cetnovia the city is built at the conjunction of several large waterfalls and one large underground river that bursts out of a cavern. Naturally these waters flowed into only Cetnovia, but 300 years ago clever engineers from the neighboring countries built an immense retaining wall some ten miles in diameter around the outer edges of the area and let it fill with water creating a vast reservoir. They then opened floodgates on either side letting the water flow into great rivers that feed both their neighbor's.
For centuries the two nations considered Cuzzano a shared city and resource, and this arrangement created an extremely diverse racial population. The city itself is built into three districts. The wealthy have constructed a large settlement on the pillar in at the center of the reservoir some two miles wide. The middle class occupies the space created on the walls and up the sides of the nearby mountains, while the poor live in a shanty town inside the river cavern where no permanent structures are allowed to be built out of fear that they might endanger the integrity of the cavern and cut off the major water source.
Cuzzano proclaimed its independence after the Plague of Worms, and there was little to be done about it. Both nations had been devastated by natural disasters, the plague, and infighting. Cuzzano now holds thier main source of freshwater for ransom demanding a high price to keep the rivers flowing. Again, there is little either nation can do to change the situation, a wall large enough to keep in ten square miles of water also happens to be a formidable defense. Balinovia attempted to lay siege and Cuzzano simply opened the flood gate and washed the army down the mountains to their deaths. The siege lasted less than a day.
#### Currently Cuzzano holds to a deep Caste System chiefly based on aptitude and economic standing. Humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes make up the bulk of the ruling and middle classes. It greatly values those with skills. Afterall skills produce coin. Folk that display an aptitude for artisan level work whether in practical pursuits or the arts can find themselves quickly elevated out of lower statuses. It is also one of the only places left on Krenshad that bothers to educate its people. Even the poor have access to schooling. THose who show little or no aptitude are sent to the caverns and rarely find their way back. Cuzzano is currently governed by Water Baron Xalgrim Bloodgear. He was born Xalgrim Brassgears. It was the people who began calling him Bloodgear due to his unique style of eliminating his enemies with his machines. Xalgrim was tickled by the moniker and adopted it as his surname. #### Summary
Cuzzano is a fascinating city, with advanced steam level technology, built at the mouth of a massive cavern riverway and on top of a ten mile round water reservoir.
- **Cultural Motif:** Resemble Switzerland in Architecture and Culture. - **Terrain Type:** The City is Nestled in a pass between rocky mountains with a Massive River Cavern. - **Racial Breakdown:** Fairly diverse racial profile with 45% Human, 25% Dwarf, 10% Gnome, 20% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Cuzzano doesn’t have racial tensions. It is said in Cuzzano that if you have skills you don’t need a race. If you have no aptitudes then you don’t exist anyway. - **Government:** Cuzzano is run by Councils of Craftsman’s Guilds, Merchants, and Artisans, but all of these are overseen by Baron Xalgrim Bloodgear. - **Religion:** Faith wise they’re agnostic, flavored with arcane mysticism. - **Economy:** They are heavy traders with a lot to offer, not just water. Their inventions are world renown. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, Cuzzano has plenty of Law and Order, too much if we're honest. The society is extremely structured and if you don't fit or lag in usefulness you're heartlessly cast aside. - **Philosophy:** Advancement is the only worthy pursuit. - **Current Leader:** Water Baron Xalgrim Bloodgear, a genius level gnomish inventor and artificer. Xalgrim is known for his deadly inventions as well as his ruthlessness in both trade and social situations. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/A8hlJWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations
#### The Reservoir
Using the area's natural rivers Cuzzan has built a massive ten mile in diameter Reservoir. It is extremely defensible and they have built their entire civilization atop it.
#### The Pillar
The Pillar is a two miles in diameter structure at the center of the Reservoir. It houses the elite of the city above and the mechanisms that operate the floodgates far below. It connects the outer ring of the Reservoir by four bridge-like arms that hold the outer ring in place. #### The Arms Four bridge-like arms connect the outer ring to the central pillar helping to keep the walls from buckling. They are quite wide and the Middle class people of Cuzzano have built their neighborhoods on them.
#### The Ring
The outer wall of the Reservoir is called The Ring. The bulk of the city's residents and industry is found here.
#### The Shackles
The cavern of Cuzzano was formed by the massive underground river that bursts up from inside and feeds the Reservoir . It is nearly a mile across with a large lake formed by the river in the center. Several Dozen smaller tunnels work their way deeper into the mountain from here. Many of them are sources of water as well. Ringing the lake in the cavern are hundreds of shanty structures where the cast offs from Cuzzano live. The unuseful are considered dead weight or "shackles" to advancement and are sent here to prove themselves or perish. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Dio Vouna, The City State of #### History
Originally, the most Western City of The Kren Imperium Dio Vouna simply found itself independent after the Pentad War and Plague of Worms. For a while it thrived with New Barovia as its main trading partner, and served as a travel stop for those moving between Barovia and the Empire. Once Barovia was pulled back into the Realms of Terror those sources of importance dried up and it returned to being little more than an outpost for watching the Thri-Kreen of the Chittering Wastes.
Dio Vouna found itself with a huge flux of Refugees when the King of Worms launched his attack. Much of New Barovia fled before the Battle of Valaki and they ended up settling in Dio Vouna after Barovia disappeared. This has led to a very strange clash and blending of cultures in the region creating one of the more unique feeling civilizations in the setting. Their unique location is somewhat cut off from the rest of the world and this helped them a great deal when it came to enduring the Plague of Worms.
But Dio Vouna is not the most rich environment for resources. They do have several unique mineral mines, including a salt mine whose odd green tinted salt is said to have healing properties, and all the resources necessary to make gunpowder. While both of these are quite valuable, they do not feed a population. Sitting wedged in the mountains with the Misty Vale to the East, the Chittering Wastes to the South West, and a long road through the desert to The Kren Imperium leaves them with only a few options for food. And so they built a satellite town on the seashore to the north, and have managed to develop fairly solid fishing and mercantile fleets. They soon become master traders, privateers, information brokers. With access to all that gunpowder, their heavily armed fleets quickly became one of the terrors of the seas.
#### Currently Diovouna is currently led by Burgomister Shihab Chafik who has held authority in Diovouna since shortly after they broke away from the Imperium. Chafik demands obedience from his people and in return he does treat them fairly well. He keeps a harem of 100 unwaveringly loyal and viciously trained female spies and assassins. It is considered the greatest honor in their culture to be chosen for the harem. In fact, there are yearly competitions for aspirants to prove their worth. Chafik, by nature of having 100 wives also has a veritable warehouse of children. Infighting among them is common and encouraged. Chafik has kept his power through his spies who have no problem eliminating anyone even slightly considered a threat to the throne… even his offspring. \column #### Summary
Dio Voiuna's existence is odd. For decades it was little more than a stopping point on the far end of the desert. But now it is something, quite a bit more.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally it is a mix of Moroccan and Eastern Europe - **Terrain Type:** The City is Nestled in a pass between rocky mountains with the Misty Vale in the West and the Chittering Wastes in the East. - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially they are predominantly Human 75%, with Dwarves at 25%, 5% Elves and others. - **Racial Tensions:** The Humans and Dwarves get along fine. The rest not so much. - **Government:** They are governed bya Burgomister, who rules over the people like a King. - **Religion:** Religiously they are mostly Monotheistic, but do not seem to deeply care for faith. They are however hyper superstitious and have a flair for Supernatural Mysticism. - **Economy:** It is a nation with few resources that deals in the trade of Information gathered by spies, Blood spilled by assassins, and Gunpowder backed Piracy. Dio Vouna's only abundant resources are the ingredients of Gun Powder, which they have put to great advantage. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, The laws are just and do provide well for those that obey, but are unrelenting to the disobedient - **Philosophy:** You use what you have to gain the upper hand. Always. - **Current Leader:** Burgomister Shihab Chafik, He is a harem keeping sadist who holds all the wealth in the city. Everything is his and he only "allows" his people to use his resources in order to build his wealth. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/rcqPMPn.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Misty Vale
The Misty Vale is no place to wander, unless you intend to drift into the Domains of Dread. Long ago Count Marlamir Von Zarovich redeemed Barovia from the Domains. The King of Worms saw it returned. What remains now is a haunted valley tick with pines and mist. It is a cursed place that one should only travel in the most desperate hours.
#### The Chittering Wastes
The wastes are almost completely void of flora and fauna. Only the hardiest of creatures exist in the barren lands. Massive insect hives stick up from the ground here, some almost a mile high. These are home to the Thri-Kreen.
#### Deleran's Fall
Deleran Callington, First Baron of the Stolregards met his fate here at the fangs of a Blue Dragon. There is a large cavern in which the beast dwelt. Some say it stretched for miles and miles in countless directions until it opens up into the underdark.
#### Dune Walker's House
Dune Walker is a Desert Giant from a land far away that has made a home here. He collects knowledge and is often willing to freely part with it in exchange from more. That is if travelers can survive the journey to see him.
#### The Red Scarab's Fortress
The Grandaughter of King Gabriel Titanbrooke was pulled into the Domains of Dread along with New Barovia. There she became the Red Scarab, a bandit queen, eventually clawing her way home after many long decades.
#### Neutral Zone Outpost Once the Kren and the Thri-Kreen kept an uneasy peace. This peace was monitored by both sides at the Neutral Zone Outpost. Now it will likely be the first place that falls when the Thri-Kreen seek their vengeance on the Kren.
#### The Monastery of St Mercurius
This port city is held by Dio Vouna and they conduct most of their foreign trade here. It is built into the cliff sides and connected through many tunnels. One of the only above ground structures is the Monastery of St Mercurius, a warrior of the Faith who gave his foes every opportunity to surrender. They never did. It is said that the entire port hides buried caches of Gun Powder and should it ever fall into enemy hands the soldiers of Dio Vouna have orders to detonate it. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Elinosian Empire
#### History
Once part of the mighty Kren Empire, The Elinosian Empire formed after the War of the Firstborn which split the Kren Empire in two. They had sided with the Emperor in the fight but after Xillisthan headed to the South they were cut off and formed an Empire of their own, much to the displeasure of their neighbors, The Free States. They originally determined to work in partnership with one another, and Elinos being the major breadbasket of the region was intended to be a key player in that partnership. Elinos quickly withheld resources from many of the City States in the area, trading instead only with the Dwarves of Kar-Yiros and the Kingdom of Thivas, which formed right after Elinos in response to their move toward an Empire.
During the War of the Pentad, Elinos and her neighbors found themselves thick with Dragon Cultists. This sparked much conflict between the Empire and their neighbors Kavasto and Oranimus who were being pitted against one another by the Agents of The Many Faced Lord. This conflict nearly evolved into another full scale war. Thanks to the work of the Seven Sevens Adventurer’s Guild, war was avoided. For a short time.
After the Pentad Crisis ended the Empire suffered greatly. The Plague of Worms ravaged the recovering populace and ruined many harvests. Weak and starving the Empire was ripe for invasion. Kavasto launched a series of attacks, but the only thing they managed to capture was the plague. The disease made further military action impossible and the forces of Kavasto withdrew across the Vigilant Channel. After the passing of the plague The Empire, not wanting to suffer another invasion, became far more militant than they had in the past. Kevasto, fearing a reprisal for their attack, offered a solution to the conflicts. Together the Nations and City States constructed a battle arena in which battalions of troops would settle disputes in True Krenshad Fashion. The Machi Meh Erini, or Peace By Blood Arena has been the adjudication site of dozens of disputes over the past century and allowed the nations in the area to live in relative peace from one another.
#### Currently
They have set themselves up much like the old Kren Empire, but the Throne has been a bit more contentious. In the past century they have had sixteen emperors and only a few of them have been of the same family lineage. Currently the Empire is ruled by Kade Tomolis, whose grandfather Cadmus led the Elinosian branch of the Seven Sevens Guild. Cadmus was known for his bold spirit and his unrelenting pursuit for justice. His grandson is known for his cruelty and black sense of humor. Kade delights in the torture of those he believes oppose him. He holds his Empire together with blood and steel. #### Summary
The Elinosian Empire forged itself out of the ashes of the Northern Kren Empire. When the Free States formed, Elinos attempted to partner with the others, but the constant attacks from Kavasto and the silence of the other’s in the alliance really pushed it to become its own nation. It is a stern militaristic culture and violent place for those who do not conform. - **Cultural Motif:** In many ways they reflect ancient Greece but angrier. - **Terrain Type:** Rocky tree dotted plains and scrub brush deserts. - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially they are predominantly Human 75%, with Dwarves at 25%, 5% Elves and others. - **Racial Tensions:** The Humans and Dwarves are cooperative but usually keep to themselves. Other races are treated harshly and often imprisoned simply for being an other. - **Government:** They are ruled by an Emperor, much like the old Kren Empire - **Religion:** They tend toward Polytheistic Demi-God Mysticism which is a little abnormal for most of the continent but somewhat in line with their closest allies Thivas and Kar-Yiros. - **Economy:** The Empire has a strong internal economy that feeds its people adequately and arms its military quite well. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, Kade’s forces keep the peace, and they frequently have to deal with combat situations as the lands around seem to always be gnawing at the Empire. Locals are expected to deal with their own issues so when the soldiers have to get involved they tend to come with a harsh and cruel reputation. - **Philosophy:** Do what you’re told and remember that those who cannot wield a spear are most likely to die on them - **Current Leader:** They are currently led by Emperor Kade Tomolis who is a brutal leader with a dark sense of humor and justice. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/vrqIlSA.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Makers Palm
Named for its geographical shape this highly fertile area looks like it was stamped by Heaven’s Hand. They do not get much in the way of rain but the Razor Wheat that grows here pulls moisture out of the humid air blowing in from the Sea of Unity. #### The Split
During the war of the Firstborn an arm of Yuan-Ti and their Serpent Demon caused a great Earthquake that tore the land and created The Split. Afraid the Snake-Folk still dwell in the deepest caverns the Elonosians guard it day and night above and below the surface. #### The Three Sisters’ Sea
Named after a Trio of Sea Hags that legends say dwell beneath the waves, the Three Sisters Sea was at one time Landlocked. The Cataclysm tore open the waterways creating the North and South channels. #### The Goldwood
Tall broad leaves of golden hue give this forest its name. It was long ago home to a nation of Elves, and some Elves have still live here in small nomadic communities. But Elves and other races the Humans and Dwarves of the Empire deemed “lesser” did not fare well under the Kren Empire, and had long been kept as slaves. During the CIvil War slaves led uprisings or fled to the North into the Goldwood. Slavery was officially done away with, but being officially abolished and ended in society are two separate matters. The folk that hide in the Goldwood choose to stay hidden. #### The Tower of Accord
This tower has stood here for as long as mortals in the area can recall. In fact it is said the Tower was already there when the first explorers reached the Sea. It plunges deeply into the depths of the water several hundred feet before pushing down well into the rock bed below. No one knows its original purpose, or who built it, but the Kren Empire used it frequently for various purposes, and has had many names. The Spear, when it was a Military Fortress. The Forsaken Shaft when it was a Prison. But when the surrounding Nations used it to sign the peace accords ending the War of the First Born it became the Tower of Accord. #### Tyrenia and East Watch Citadel
The City of Tyrenia and East Watch Citadel are shared settlements and fortifications by the Elinosian Empire, Kar-Yiros, and The Kingdom of Thivas. The idea that was the Free States of Kren did not last long, and the City States and Nations that made up the Union began forming armies against one another. East Watch was built by the North to be a deterrent to Kavasto and keep an Eye on the East. A significant portion of the Three Realms armies are stationed there. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #### The Ruins of Krenshad
The old capital of the Kren Empire was decimated by a Fiendish Invasion During the War of the First Born, and then further by the Pentad. Once a wonder of the World it burned and crumbled as her people fled into the night. There have been various efforts to reclaim it, but many creatures and evils now prowl the streets and haunt what halls are left. Emperor Othig Graniteback was lost during the last attempt. After that most gave up hope on reclaiming the city. If a warrior of Emperor Othig’s standing did not survive, what chance was there? #### The Stained Temple
During the War of the Pentad the armies of Hell were subverted by Echidna’s schemes. In the Early days of the war her forces attacked Order Holy sites and Temples in a concentrated effort to weaken the Order both physically and spiritually. This particular Monastery was the first one attacked. By the time Adventurer’s arrived to clear it out hundreds of faithful had been sacrificed on a hell forged altar. After the war the Order attempted to cleanse the Temple and spiritually they have, but no matter the chemical or the magic, nothing removes the blood stains left behind. Even replacing the stonework cannot remove the past. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Hincona, The Tribes of #### History
Hincona, is made up of two islands, the Northern and the Southern. These islands are dramatically different in ecology and society. In many ways opposites. In both cases, the tops of the mountains are always covered in thundering storm clouds, although the weather systems do not reflect the raging storms above them. The North has some of the fairest weather imaginable, sunny or partly cloudy throughout the day with light rain overnight. It is considered to be something of a paradise. The South has clear nights and heavy rainfalls throughout the day in rainforest fashion. The South, while equally beautiful, is considered deadly to most folk. The strange weather and ecological differences of the islands lead many to believe the islands themselves were artificially created in some magical process.
The Northern has dozens of villages and small settled areas on its shores. The island was settled by Sea Elves who longed to return to the surface. However, they did not care for the civilization that mortals had wrought onto the land. It wasteful and without respect to the waters they believe birthed life. So they traveled back to their home, but found no welcome there. Wandering the sea and shores for many years they eventually settled on Hincona. The settlement grew and attracted many Elves and folk who shared their distaste for structured society. Hinconians happily interact with the rest of the world, and allow travelers use of their bays and ports. But they accept no one into their culture unless they vow to live freely and cast off the trappings of society. This has led nations and those ignorant of their ways to believe them easy targets for raiding. Many a vessel of slavers and even a few armies have found themselves drowned when an angry storm drives them back into the wrath filled sea that has risen to protect Hincona.
The Southern Island is populated by tribes of savage and even feral beings, and are usually in conflict with one another and in many cases themselves. Clans of Gnolls, Lizard Folk, Orcs, Grung, and other beastial creatures have carved out territory across the island and ferociously protect it. Each governs themselves by their own standards, usually in a “might makes right” fashion. The land itself is filled with dangerous predators and hazardous environments. Scattered ruins cover the landscape, but they have been long picked over by the locals and those in search of treasures.
When Dagon of the Black Waters rose to dominate the seas during the Pentad War many Hinconians died as Dagon’s forces attempted to take the island. Had he not been defeated elsewhere his minions may well have succeeded. The Plague of Worms was extremely deadly to the island nearly 80% of the population died. They fared better than most during the Weave Drought. They saw the absence of magic as a test rather than a blight and endured it with pride.
#### Currently
Hincona’s tribes live relatively close together and function as one although each is led by their own Druid. An Arch Druid lives up in the mountains and is said to sleep until the sea warns them of danger. Every ten years the wisest of tribe leaders cast lots to decide who will take a journey into the mountains to check on the welfare of the Arch Druid. The one who travels to the peak never returns. The Hinconians believe that they become one with the storm and continue to protect the island. The last Druid to ascend was Baynor Duine, a Wood Elf Druid who had come to the island, almost 600 years ago, as a child. He was the oldest living member of Hincona society. He volunteered to go knowing his life would soon end, and ironically took the pilgrimage days before the Magic returned. #### Summary
The Tribes of Hincona are more of a collection of Elf and Sea Elf tribes than they are actually a nation, although in many ways they do function as one. The island lies off the Southeast coast of the Imperium near the southern mouth of the Narrow Gambit.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally they have a Polynesian Islander feel - **Terrain Type:** Beautiful tropical islands with lush jungles and steep mountains. - **Racial Breakdown**: Racially have an interesting split of culture. 45% Elves 45% Sea Elves (Mer-folk), and 10% Other. - **Racial Tensions:** They are pretty non aggressive and don’t really connect with racist attitudes. - **Government:** They are led and governed by local Druids under the mysterious guidance of the High Druid in the Mountains. - **Religion:** They are Monotheistic with a heavy emphasis on Sea and Sky based practices. While they don’t necessarily worship the seas they do deeply personify it and often refer to it as The Mother believing that the Maker has created the waters of Taalist as supreme and her children are the heirs of creation. - **Economy:** They do not have much of a flourishing economy, as their culture teaches them to live very minimalistically and to share freely with others who honor their ways. - **Alignment:** Neutral Good, Hiconians strive for peace and balance in all things. They desire to live a simple and pure life that brings goodness and kindness. They welcome all travelers, but are quick to expel anyone that causes trouble. - **Philosophy:** To live free one must live minimally and responsibly. To live in harmony all must do so. - **Current Leader:** Each tribe is led by a local Druid. Collectively they are led by a chosen Elder Druid but the seat is currently empty. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/4If42Fb.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Honor Spires
The mountain range on the Northern Island. These mountains are steep and jungle covered. Many springs and waterfalls tumble down their sides. #### The Vile Pond
Hidden away in a valley deep in the Honor Spires is a fetid pond. The water is rank and can be smelled a long way off. Those who drink of its water end up sick for weeks even months. #### The Feral Peaks
The mountain range of the Southern Island. The terrain here is rough with vine covers tumbled jagged rocks. Water tends to pool up during rain storms and let loose causing flash flood down the slopes. #### Glass Water Lake
Located in the middle of the Feral Peaks is a beautiful valley so a lake whose water is so calm that it is hard to imagine. Those lucky enough to find this place call it a taste of Heaven and say the waters have restorative power. #### The Luminous Straight
The Luminous Straight is home to an extremely diverse bioluminescent ecosystem. Truly it seems as if every living creature and plant glows in the dark. More so in the moonlight. There are also a large number of shipwrecks in the straight. Either destroyed by the protective storms or sunk by the pirates to the south. The creatures of the straight have now claimed them as their homes. #### Chewed Bone Citadel
Home to a large clan of Gnolls. As chaotic as the creatures tend to be, these ones have mastered ship building and sailing. Gnarl Garltooth and a Hag Lolly Green Eyes run the town and the Pirates that call the port home. #### Blood Axe Fortress
When the Blood Axe Orcs were first made aware of just how large the world is, many of them set sail with the Crimson Brands. After the Pentad War they settled here away from the main clan. While not nearly as bloodthirsty as their cousins to the West, make no mistake these are still Orcs and they are fierce. #### Grung Home
A tribe of Grung live in this swamp. They live here under large rocks. Yup, they’re pretty happy about all that. They also eat trespassers. Because it isn’t easy being Grung. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #### The Raptor Queen’s Throne
Lizard folk can be found in abundance throughout the jungles of the Southern Island. Here they fall under the sway of the Raptor Queen, a massive female easily twice the size of her brute guards. She is extremely intelligent and holds her minions in complete obedience. If the legends are accurate, she also has an otherworldly patron that has granted her both physical and mental boons, and will continue to do so as long as she continues to sacrifice folk on the altar. #### The Caverns
Each Island has a large and mysterious cavern. They say the shape of it changes every time you enter it. Subtly, but enough to notice. During the new moon the cavern fills with fog, and those that enter are never seen again. The Druids believe the caverns are gateways to the Feywild, but no one has returned to confirm it. :: ### Adventures in Hincona ##### [Feast of the Raptor Queen](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-feast-50990282) ##### [The Druid's Atrium](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-druids-66301270) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Ithikian Republic #### History:
Ithika is a highly advanced country of almost exclusively indigenous people. Early in the Post Shadow Era a large tribe of Humans and a small tribe of Gnomes took to the surface. The two peoples have worked and lived side by side in peace since that day.
Ithikites are considered by the other countries of Krenshad to be among the most skilled combatants in the world. Like the Kren every individual on Ithika trains from birth in the arts of combat and war. Even those who have taken a divine or magical path are still proficient in the use of arms and armors. Their skill is regarded so highly that, even in their most militant years, the Kren have never attempted to invade Ithikis. Although they have a great love of combat the Ithikis have never gone to war, instead they have become lovers of adventure and their society is built around both sporting and professional combat. They believe that each being was created with a role in a great story they call The Epic. These roles are to be played as close to the Epic as possible, whether an individual’s part be of adventure, art, or artisanship, only those who live in fear do not embrace their parts in the tale. It is not uncommon to find adventurers from Ithika traveling the world seeking their part in The Epic.
Ithika was nearly obliterated when the Southern half of Cetnovia disappeared. Were the land any less mountainous surely the destruction would have been complete. About two thirds of the population was swept away when the tidal wave crashed over their shores. They spent the next few decades rebuilding. The Plague of Worms found its way to the shores of Ithika late and so the people were prepared to deal quickly and harshly with the infection. Military quarantines and immediate execution by fire for anyone or anything found to be infected kept the people safe, but in many ways cost them their souls. The leadership of Ithika had never had to deal harshly with its people, and the experience left a poor taste in the mouths of the populace. The disease was not as real to them as it had become for many other nations and it was not long before rebellions began. The Weave Drought affect them as it did all people, maybe more so, as much of what they had built needed magic to thrive. But the Ithikians pride themselves on their own skills and while they embraced magic, they preferred hard work and the trust in spear and shield. It did not take them long to learn to survive without the help of The Weave. However, like most other places, its disappearance further fueled internal conflicts. #### Currently
Ithika keeps a massive standing army and their government is led by the democratically elected military leaders. They are diplomatically peaceful, but isolationist in culture. Travelers are allowed to stop and trade, but rarely are outsiders given the right to become residents in their land. Currently, the republic currently is only a Republic in name. It is ruled over by High General Caesia Esdras who took control from her brother whose bowels she spilled on the senate floor. The Senate still claims to be the voice of the people, but it is filled with those who dare not use that voice to cross High General Esdras #### Summary
Ithika boasts a sophisticated culture of skilled warriors and brilliant scholars who believe deeply in their pantheon of gods and the power of Fate, and mortals and immortals alike are all part of a grand Heavenly story they call The Epic.
- **Cultural Motif:** They have a Roman Empire feel to them culturally, minus the need to conquer, they have no real interests in unnecessary expansion. - **Terrain Type:** Tropical volcanic islands with thick jungles and steep rocky mountains. - **Racial Breakdown:** Their racial demographic breaks down 80% Human, 15% Gnome, 5% Other - **Racial Tensions:** They are not necessarily Racist, but they are nationalistic. Believing that most other cultures are at least several steps behind them in any way that matters. - **Government:** They run a Representative Military Government, in which those in the military elect the High General, but the people do appoint their own senate with whom the High General is supposed to collaborate with. - **Religion:** They are Monotheistic with a heavy emphasis on Sea and Sky based practices. While they don’t necessarily worship the seas they do deeply personify it and often refer to it as The Mother believing that the Maker has created the waters of Taalist as supreme and her children are the heirs of creation. - **Economy:** Their economy is a sophisticated bartering system that treats most work equally and is designed to meet the needs of the citizenry. They do use currency, but not as heavily as other cultures. - **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral, They are a society of law and order but often their belief in Fate causes them to hand wave away wicked behaviors. - **Philosophy:** The Epic has spoken. What is and will be always is what it would have been. - **Current Leader:** Their current High General is Caesia Esdras, who violently took the reins from her brother during what most would call a coup, but was later properly ratified. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/OnA4ZKl.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Atlas Arena
This Massive Arena is built around and on top of a small island that the Ithikans believe was the first place Ithikis Valan anchored his ships. Legend says the island had smooth beaches and a lush grove of fruit trees. Ithikis did battle here with a Guardian Spirit and defeated it. He spared the Spirits life, and in return it granted his people dominion over the area. The Arena was built to commemorate both battle and gift. Two giant statues straddle the arena in the likeness of the combatants and the structure’s floor has been carved into a map of Old Ithika (Before the Cataclysm). It can only be properly seen from the shoulders of the statues. The center of the arena has a ringed garden of palms and fig trees with a small open area for contests. The Ithikans hold yearly games here. Reachable only by boat there are canals built into the structure to allow the people access by ship. The wealthy often sail their ships right to the edge of the arena floor which is ringed by open water. #### The Ruin of Aspertia
Aspertia was the largest city of Old Ithika. It was a majestic place and home to many Gnomes who used their inventions to build up from the shore and into the mountains. Sadly Aspertia, like much of the land, was destroyed during the Cataclysm. The waves broke over the mountains and tumbled down upon the people. Those it did not wash out into the bay were drowned in the water, buried under rubble, and entombed by mud. It is now a haunt of dark creatures. Haripes, Sirens, and worse lure those who travel too close into their clutches. #### The Watcher’s Spire
These strange towers have been constructed throughout all lands. They have no known entrances and none have been able to grasp their purpose. It is said that during times of magical major convergences they glow, giving researchers some clue to their design. #### Echidna’s Garden & House of Typhus
According to Legends and Lore, the Celestials Echidna and her Husband Typhus (Also known as Typhon) were the first to intentionally breed evil monsters. Though some speculate that they are simply a metaphor for bad parents. In either case they were transformed into hideous serpentine monstrosities (Echidna a Medusa like creature and Typhus a writhing figure of snakes) and then cast into the Hells. They wrestled control of the Hells away from an unknown entity and ruled there until usurped by Asmodeous, who imprisoned them on an island. Echidna was the shadow behind the Pentad’s rise to power. She and Typhus were defeated and cast down from the Planes at the Battle of Hell’s Breach where the combined armies of Mortals, Heaven and Hell rose against them. It is said that the two crashed to Taalist in the mountains of Ithikia and claimed an ancient and abandoned temple as their dwelling. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: None have seen either of the cast down beings, but the jungle there is dangerous and filled with “statues” of adventurers who drew too close to the Temple. While it may not be Echidna and Typhus themselves that lurk there something powerful does. #### The Writhing Jungle
Very aptly named, the Writhing Jungle has an unusually high serpent population, many of them quite sizable and easily capable of devouring medium sized creatures. It is rumored that there is a hidden settlement of Yuan-Ti living hidden in the mountains not far from the Volcano, but reports are too varied to be taken seriously and no actual evidence has ever been found. #### Bay of Sorrows & Western Decimation
Once a low lying fertile plain with dozens of towns and settlements. It was completely washed away when the tidal waves struck. The waves crashed against the mountains and left the area completely desolate for decades to come. Only recently has the jungle in the area begun to recover. The area is known to be rife with undead and other creatures that thrive in forlorn places. #### The Void Waters
The space left behind after the Southern portion of Cetnovia was pulled into the Domains of Dread. Nothing lives in these waters, nor are there any winds or current. Sailors avoid the Void Waters at all costs. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Kar-Yiros #### History
Kar-Yiros is the oldest settlement on Taalist. Some of the Deep Halls date back to the Shadow Years, before the Dwarves pushed their way to the surface. A century ago, Yiros was a thriving part of the Kren Empire. Their settlements followed the Goldstone river out of the mountain and down the valley to the forests of the south. Unfortunately, Yiros had become a location of strife, and inadvertently gained their independence after the War of the Firstborn. They never intended to leave the Empire, and many lived as part of it until the calamities brought on by The War of The Pentad. Their attitudes quickly changed when the earthquakes and flood waters came. Their land was ripped apart along the Goldstone, and the continent would never be the same. Thousands of Dwarves and Humans were washed into the Frost Waters that day. When no one came to help Yiros, the Dwarves readopted the ancient phrase “Kar” in front of their settlements. It means “For the Dwarves”. For decades they simply closed the gates and retreated into the mountains, and Yiros became exclusively for Dwarves.
That changed during the Plague and the Drought. The Dwarves struggled in self imposed underground exile. The Plague of Worms worked its way into their tunnels, likely through the goblins who are prone to raiding the surface and making war against the Dwarves, but none know for sure. Many blamed the Gnomes that live here, Sadly, Gnomes are often the scapegoats for Dwarven woes. The Weave Drought was worse. They could contain the plague, but when they lost control of the elementals fueling magical forges it nearly spelled their doom. They headed back to the surface for relief and were forced to abandon their deeper tunnels, which remain so to this day.
But Dwarves are among the most resilient races of mortals and refuse to be subdued. Thus they turned their eyes to the sea. They had long kept a port in the bay to the West for trading purposes, but now with the sea on both sides of their homeland they became determined to master it. They logged out a large portion of the Goldwood which enraged the elves living there and ignited old hatreds. The Elves, too few in number, could not push back the advance of the Dwarves, only slow it. Eventually the loggin evened out, but there is still tension between them.
#### Currently
Now the Dwarves have their fleets and the combat rekindled the warrior spirit that lives in Dwarf Kind. Those that did not desire to conquer the waves turned their eyes below toward the depths of the mountain. Since then the Dwarves have taken to the seas and the stone. Both above and below they have become fierce raiders and warriors. Kar-Yiros is governed by a Council of Magisters gathered from the leadership of the twelve most influential Clans. It has always been this way and it will always be so. The Current ruling clans, listed in order of strength and influence, are the Stone-Axe, Gravel-Boot, Iron-Fist, Blue-Stones, Black-Forge, Steel-Grit, Deep-Walker, Copper-Beard, Rock-Heart, Ale-House, Gold-Hand, Marble-Back. Among the Magisters the three most influential Clans hold most of the power. Most Dwarves care not for politics, but for those that do, there is no greater battlefield. #### Summary
Kar-Yiros is an ancient Dwarven homeland nestled under the White Crown Mountains. It is a land of fierce combatants and lasting traditions. They have recently rekindled their warrior and explorer spirits, reminding the world how strong the Dwarves can be.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally, they are a mix of typical fantasy Dwarves, with a touch of Ancient Judaism for flair. (Much like Tolkein intended, but we often ignore for fear of being called anti-semitic) - **Terrain Type:** Mountains and Dwarven Halls! - **Racial Breakdown:** The people are 95% Dwarves, 4% Gnomes, 1% Other - **Racial Tensions:** They consider themselves the Marker’s greatest creations and the chosen race, but are tolerant of others, to a degree. They typically consider outsiders of any kind potential problems. - **Government:** They are a Clan governed society. The Twelve most influential Clans send representatives to sit on the Elder Council to govern the people. - **Religion:** Monotheistic Maker worshipers, but they also tend to be a superstitious, with many strange habits and traditions they developed to “ward off evils”. They are particularly concerned with things relating to dreams and nightmares. - **Economy:** Their economy is almost completely self contained. They farm subterranean mushrooms and herd creatures native to the deep. They are astounding Smiths and Masons. They get everything they need from the Mountains. - **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral, They have a keen sense of right and wrong, causing their laws tend to be a bit unwavering and often lacking in compassion. - **Philosophy:** The Will of the Maker is the Will of the Dwarves. We are The Chosen of Creation. - **Current Leader:** Elra Stone-Axe - **Current Leader:** Moritiz Gravel-Boot - **Current Leader:** Orin Iron-Fist \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/7c9T5pF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Three Gates
Kar Yiros is a city that exists almost entirely inside the mountains. However, the main entrance from the outside is a series of gates, each with a small town that had built up around it. The First gate is the Sea Gate, it extends out into the bay and the Dwarves keep their ships on the inside of this area to protect them. The second gate is called Stone Wall, a massive defensive structure that doubles as a garrison capable of housing thousands of troops and defenders. It extends between the mountains and the Sea Gate. The Final Gate is the Graniteback Bulwark, named after the Dwarves who saved the city from the clutches of The Nightmare King. This gate appears more decorative than the other two but closer inspection reveals many defenses hidden by cunning Dwarven stonework. #### The Underpass
Over the centuries the Dwarves built many settlements in the mountain. These locations are connected by a large thoroughfare they call the Underpass. The Underpass is lined with houses and shops of all kinds, and in most places it is a settlement in and of itself. #### The Ice Crown Mountains
These tall peaks are ice covered year round and circle Kar-Yiros like the peaks of a crown, thus the name. They are continually pummeled with icy storms blowing in off the sea and the air is thin and bitter cold making traveling across them especially perilous. #### The Ice Crown Passage
The Dwarves do have a surface road through the mountains, although calling it a road is being generous. In fact saying it is on the surface is really only half true as well. The Passage winds around the cliffs, passes over and through glaciers, and occasionally slips back underground. It is a difficult trip, often the road narrows to allow only one cart to pass at a time, in other places handholds and chains have been installed to help travelers keep their balance on the slippery terrain, and depending on the weather the trip can be impossible. #### The Gold Stone Channel
Formerly the Gold Stone River, this waterway was widened during the Cataclysm. The river was a popular Gold Panning site for the Dwarves, but now is lost under the waters of the seas. It is a pastime of Dwarven Engineers to come up with new inventions to attempt to mine the bottom of the channel. #### Gold Spire Peak
Ironically named solely for it being the island in the Channel, there is no gold in this mountain. Many attempts to mine precious metals in this mountain have been attempted, but if it contains treasure, it has chosen to hide them from the Dwarves. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #### Mar Duil
This Dwarven city is actually within the boarders of the Nation of Thivas. It exists as part of the Three nation Alliance between Elinos, Thivas and Kar Yiros. #### Kar Hiros
This is a small but heavily fortified port city that the Dwarves constructed back when Kar-Yiros was and locked. The Dwarves that live here are of a bit different breed, as they were the first of their people to fall in love with the seas. #### The North Wall Archipelago
This frozen chain of islands between the Frost Water Sea and the Sea of Glass is one of the most inhospitable places on the sphere. There are a few fishing and hunting villages that struggle to survive, but not much else. Except for the Dragon, sailors and locals alike have all claimed to have spotted a large White Scale Dragon flying off in the distance. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Kapsani, The City State of #### History
Left to its own devices after the War of the Firstborn Kapsani found itself in a troublesome position. There was little supportable infrastructure without the backing of the Kren Empire. When the Emperor went South, leaving Kapsani was a major part of the Peace Accords. The other Free States knew that if the Emperor kept a foothold here that it was only a matter of time before he returned. And so they attempted to jointly rule the city. But Kapsani is far removed from the other Free States and across some of the most brutal deserts on Krenshad. The commitment to run the city jointly lasted all of four years before the cost of keeping the territory grew too high. The people, furious over taxes forced upon them, turned on their leaders, and so their leaders simply and quickly abandoned them rather than attempt to subdue a rebellious population. Kapsani begged for a return of the Emperor, but knowing that to do so was to incite another bloody civil war, Emperor Xillisthan also refused them.
Embittered by the rejections, Kapsani did what Kren people do. They began building up their military. Desperate for resources they began the dangerous work of farming the Blue Kelp forest in the bay nearby. The Kelp there grows thick and if properly worked can be easily substituted for wood. The trick was to not enrage the local Sahagin tribes, which they pacified with human sacrifices. They built what they could, and that which they could not, they stole. Kapsani quickly became the Privateer hub of the East. Unlike most nations, the Pentad War actually bolstered their strength. They pledged themselves to Dagon of the Black Depths and with most nations caught up in the struggle the Kapasians sailed the seas picking off the weak and giving their bodies over to the sea. When Dagon was killed, they simply continued to do so.
They were not so lucky when it came to the Plague of Worms. Sailors aren’t known for their hygiene and Privateers tend to cross paths with all manner of travelers. It didn’t take long for the Plague to sweep through the city like an out of control fire. Ships fled the port enmasse taking their chances on the sea, leaving the poor and weak behind to fend for themselves. Unfriendly ports became the only reliable way to resupply, so many attempted to remain at sea, hoping to take ships that had what they needed. It was a failed strategy. One by one almost all of them all encountered a vessel or a port carrying the Plague. It became quite common to find derelicts floating in the waters with all aboard dead and festering with worms. These were typically burned, but desperation usually led to scavenging the vessel first… that only ensured the next derelict.
\column #### Currently
Without their fleets of privateers, Kapsani became a ruin of desperation. Enough people survived there to still call it a city. But poverty and starvation were the norm. However, they did fare the Weave Drought quite well and have reformed their nearby settlements which thrive under a more normal structure existing mainly as resource gathering locations. Mines in the north, lumbering and harvesting along the coast where trees do grow. Someone living in the area nearby can almost have a peaceful life. There is no formal government, but they follow some strange code of conduct known as “Water Law”. Someone with muscle or solid wits can usually be found in charge for at least a while in areas of the settlements, but they don’t normally get along with others in charge. There is little they all agree on, but there is a thin “Honor Among Thieves” code of conduct, and they’ll all draw swords to protect their ports and the taverns that fill them. Newcomers had better know their place, and understand that if you piss off someone above you, there will be blood. They do still keep the Captains Circle and its current head is Galiar "The Oath Breaker" Bessalin, paladin turned pirate. He is not someone to be trifled with and executes those he considers a problem without mercy. #### Summary
A film a long time ago said “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” That individual had clearly never been to Kapsani. The entire economy revolves around smuggling, slavery, piracy, and thievery.
- **Cultural Motif:** For a cultural reference think Pyramid Era Egyptian Pirates. - **Terrain Type:** Mountains and Dwarven Halls! - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially they are diverse 40% Humans, 20% Dwarves, 20% Elves, 20% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Races....? “I’m a pirate... you think I care about your skin color or horns?” - **Government:** There is no real government, but they do have a Circle of influential Captains who help keep the city, and supporting towns, from burning themselves down. They’re not quite a military power, but other nations stay clear as Kapsani will band together against attackers with a hornet’s nest level of ferocity. They have a reputation for tactical recklessness that makes them extremely dangerous. - **Religion:** Their religion depends on the individual. They are all superstitious Sea Worshipers in one form or another though. - **Economy:** They thrive off of Piracy and stolen goods. - **Alignment:** Chaotic Neutral, There are no written laws, but live by a flexible code known as Water Law, and a loose sense of honor among thieves. Conflicts arise daily. If it isn’t settled by blood, the parties find someone of influence to judge the matter. - **Philosophy:** There is a pecking order. Don’t take from those above you. Unless they can’t catch you. - **Current Leader:** Galiar (The Oath Breaker) Bessalin \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/X4npkWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### Blue Kelp Bay
This bay of cloudy water grows massive kelp that have trunks sometimes over ten feet in diameter. The Kelp is harvestable for both food and lumber. The only problem with doing so is the Sahaugin that live here defend their territory ferociously. Thankfully they are small in numbers and can usually be avoided. #### Zykris
This village exists to farm the Blue Kelp of the bay. It has the typical trappings of a small village. #### Bylissia
This secondary port is home to less aggressive and retired Captains. There are multiple Inns and Taverns here. #### Kindius
This town is a bit bigger than the other two settlements under Kapsani’s control. They mine Iron and some other metals in the mountains, but more importantly they guard against and accept trade from any forces in the East. There isn’t much of a standing army but all the citizens here are usually ready for a fight. #### The Ship Works
Just East of Kindius is a hidden cove that is nearly impossible to spot from the sea. Pirates use this cove to both repair their ships and offload goods they don’t want seen in a major port. #### The Splintered Sands
Two centuries ago the land here was a thriving forest filled with life and dotted with elven settlements. Kren Emperor Allurious IV drained all life from the area to transform himself into a lich starting the War of All Flesh. Everything in what is not the Splintered Sands dried to husks and crumbled as Allurious died and Vul’Kaal the Everlasting rose in his place. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Kavasto #### History
Kavasto is one of the more feared Civilizations on Taalist. Not because of their military might, which is substantial, but because of their lack of moral principles. Kavastians are as notorious for their brutality and viciousness as they are for their unashamed dealing with otherworldly beings, particularly of the fiendish sort. The city was quietly given over to the rulership of the Yuan-Ti and the Fiends of Hell who subtly, over many years, turned the course of the Kren Empire toward civil war. They played heavily on the Kren’s racist culture, turning Humans and Dwarves against one another and the other races scattered across the wilderness. Once the War of the Firstborn had completely fractured the people and the Nation, the hidden rulers of Kevasto became secrets no more.
The city grew in strength and power, and as the Elinosian Empire weakened from the Plague they struck. Militarily the move was brilliant, hit your enemy fast and hard when they are already weak. At the time the World was not yet aware of just how quickly and silently the disease spread, and so unknowingly the Kavastians foiled their own plans. The Elinosians had already gotten through the worst of the epidemic, and as the parasites ate their way into the Kavasto Army Elinos launched their counter attack pushing the invaders back across the Vigilant Channel. An uneasy peace settled in afterward with the nations and city states engaging in what seemed like endless skirmishes amounting to nothing. Eventually the idea for a central place of combat that satisfied their needs for blood and blame was constructed at the far edge of the Iron Plains. The Machi Meh Erini, or Peace By Blood Arena, has served to soften the fury of the nations in the area to live in relative peace from one another. But none of Kavasto’s neighbors trust them. Nor should they… #### Currently
Kavasto is always secretly planning one nefarious plot or another. Most of their neighbors blame any death of an important figure on a Kavastian assassination, and more often than not, they are right. They were “secretly” building an army and were certainly going to use it on one of the nearby civilizations. But then the Weave Drought hit and Kavasto society, which was nearly completely built upon the foundation of occult magic and dark pacts, collapsed into absolute chaos. It was only by the iron will and savvy grace of the Damaxic Crime Syndicate that the City State survived. Plying their trade and wills against the other factions the Tieflings rolled the dice and came out on top. They now hold the city with a soft hand on the shoulder and a pointed dagger in the back. They had learned to survive and thrive without the need of The Weave, but they also planned for its return. Completely prepared for change, they quickly went from Crime Overlords to Sorcerer Kings and Queens. The calculating nature of the family is as predictable as it is deadly. Plan. Take. Plan. Eliminate. Plan. #### Summary
Once a part of the Kren Empire, Kavasto was usurped by Yuan-Ti, Tieflings, and actual Fiends. They have a very dark reputation, which has been well earned. If it has a redeeming quality it is that the city became a safe haven for some of the more rejected races of Krenshad.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally, they have an Ancient Mesopotamian feel to them. - **Terrain Type:** Desert and dry plains that do manage to grow some basic crops. - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially they are 25% Tieflings, 25% Yuan-Ti, 25% Fiends, 25% Other - **Racial Tensions:** The current racial attitude could be summarized with “I don’t care what you were born with, I care about what you can give me now.” - **Government:** Kavasto has a puppet government that takes the form of a High Council and Prime Minster, but everyone knows the city is actually run by the Organized Crime Families. - **Religion:** Religiously, they are anything goes, with a heavy leaning of Fiend Patronage and Worship. This makes for a strange mix of cultural sophistication and diabolical tendencies. It should come as no surprise that the city is run by cults and syndicates. - **Economy:** They produce enough food and goods for their own people, but relies heavily on trade to generate wealth. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, Although there is a constant tension among the ruling powers, they do tend to keep the city from devolving into a bloody gang war. There are laws, but most of them are highly flexible, if you have the power and means to bend them. - **Philosophy:** Take what you Need. Seize what you Want. Own what you Seize. Plan for others to think likewise. - **Current Leader:** The Tiefling Tethren Damaxic and the Damaxic family rule the city. They have been rumored to have held onto sorcerous powers during the drought. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/X4npkWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Iron Plains
The rocky hard ground of the Iron Plains is an unforgiving and bleak savannah. The sun beats down ferociously withering all but the most hardy of plants. Even Razor Grain only grows with help from farmers. In the West the Plains do allow some trees to grow, but in the east they dry up into rocky and empty desert. #### Tyrenia and East Watch Citadel
The City of Tyrenia and East Watch Citadel are shared settlements and fortifications by the Elinosian Empire, Kar-Yiros, and The Kingdom of Thivas. The idea that was the Free States of Kren did not last long, and the City States and Nations that made up the Union began forming armies against one another. East Watch was built by the North to be a deterrent to Kavasto and keep an Eye on the East. A significant portion of the Three Realms armies are stationed there. #### The Valley of Kings
The Ziggurats in this valley were intended to contain the remains of all the Emperors of years past. These tombs were sealed by the strongest of magics, guarded by eternal creatures, and heavily trapped in the deadliest fashion. It wasn't enough to keep Vul'Kaal from raising them as undead generals in his army. After the War of All Flesh what remains that could be gathered were returned. The Emperors that followed in the centuries to come have all been entombed there, and the Order has sealed them in forever with powerful Divine wards. #### The Splintered Sands
Two centuries ago the land here was a thriving forest filled with life and dotted with elven settlements. Kren Emperor Allurious IV drained all life from the area to transform himself into a lich starting the War of All Flesh. Everything in what is not the Splintered Sands dried to husks and crumbled as Allurious died and Vul'Kaal the Everlasting rose in his place. #### Walking Bones Chasm
As the War of All Flesh drew to a close and the Kren Empire was closing in on Vul'Kaal's forces in the Valley of Kings the mad Lich did something wholly unexpected. He turned all of the fallen on the battlefield into undead that seemed unkillable. The Kren forces would strike them down only to see them rise again. It was then that Orin Graniteback, one of the Empire's Field Engineers, hatched a crazy plan. Burry enough explosives under the sand and then lure the undead onto the field. The plan worked far better than expected as the explosion collapsed a before unknown cavern under the pass, dropping the whole of the Lich's army into the canyon-like hole in the ground. The Empire pushed forward, crossing the gaping hole on the edges of the Mountains, and destroyed Vul'Kaal that very day.. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Orin was lauded as a National Hero but chose to return to his simple traveling merchant clan. The Granitbacks would one day form the Seven Seven's Adventuring Guild and were instrumental in stopping the Pentad. The undead wander in this cavern to this very day. #### Machi Meh Erini
The Machi Meh Erini, or Peace By Blood Arena, was built as a place for the Free States of Krenshad and neighboring nations to work out their grievances in smaller scale battles. It has not truly functioned in that manner, but it has created a neutral place that the nations all gather in once a year to watch their champions compete, and this has served to soften the fury of the nations in the area, allowing them to live in relative peace from one another. :: ### Adventures in Kavasto
##### [City of Thieves Campaign Guide ](https://www.patreon.com/posts/supplement-city-52850356) ##### [Canons of Kavasto](https://www.patreon.com/posts/52683954) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Khik-Thri-Kreen, Colony of #### Summary Khik-Thri-Kreen is a massive colony of Hive Minded Thri-Kreen with little to no room for individuality or independent thought. In fact 99% of them are incapable of it. Once long ago the Hive maintained a certain size and stayed far from most civilizations, keeping only to what was known as the Hive Spire. Then something changed and they began to grow rapidly. Their neighbors now consider them an invasive species and a serious threat to the region.
- **Cultural Motif:** If you’re looking for a cultural reference… umm… Ants? - **Terrain Type:** Wasteland surrounding the Colony on the surface. Thousands of miles of tunnels below. - **Racial Breakdown:** 95% THri-Kreen, 5% other enslaved inscect beings. - **Racial Tensions:** There are Thri-Kree and there are others. There is always tension with others. - **Government:** They are goverened by their Empress and her court of Queens. However they are ruled by the Song, a strange rythmic pattern of life that they all take part in constantly humming. - **Religion:** The Song is their way Life, their Governemnt and their religion. To them it is the same as something Divine but also as natural as the ground on which they stand. - **Economy:** The entire Colony is sustained internally. Though they will harvest resources from the land above. They do not understand trade very well. - **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral, The hive operates by a strict caste system of Queens, soldiers, and workers. Thri-Kreen that are capable of individual thought are used by the hive in unique and valuable roles. Any of their kind that is found away from their colony is almost certainly one of these or servants of one. - **Philosophy:** You guessed it, The Song - **Current Leader:** The Thri-Kreen Empress #### History
There is no place on Krenshad more alien feeling than the Chittering wastes. Hundreds of square miles of barren canyon riddled rocky terrain that has been transformed into termite like mounds thousands of feet tall. They are the tallest constructed structures on the continent. Even more astounding are the thousands of miles of insectoid tunnels below the surface. It is said there are more roads below the Chittering Wastes than there are on the entire sphere. And while no one knows for sure… it is likely true.
Thri-Kreen seem to care about one thing only, The Song. Those that have spent time with them know that this refers to the endless buzzing and chittering of the colony, beginning with the Queen and traveling through their entire social network. It is a mix of sounds, psychic vibrations, and biological pheromones. It creates order, instructs, teaches, praises, and kills. It divides them into four castes. The Worker. The Soldier. The Keepers. The Queens. About 1% of Thri-Kreen are born a “Chi-Chik-Tik-Kreen” or Thinkers and are born with the ability to think outside the Hive Mind. These thinkers become the equivalent of Nobles. Most are immediately made consorts and advisors of the Queens, but a few are sent to other hives across the underdark as ambassadors. Few ever willingly leave the hive as most are still uncomfortable with independent thought.
Khik-Thri-Kreen had long been nothing more than an oddity and a nuisance to the Kren Empire. They lived in an inhospitable place void of valuable resources. They kept to themselves in a singular tower known as The Hive Spire. After the Pentad Crisis something changed… Drastically. The Thri-Kreen began to expand at an alarming rate leading to a major conflict with the Kren Imperium. One the Kren were woefully unprepared for. As the Emperor’s armies took to the field Thri-Kreen warriors burst from the ground around them, outnumbering the Kren 20 to 1. The Insectoids swarmed over the Kren Warriors, decimating the most skilled combatants on the continent with nearly equal battle prowess and insurmountable numbers. Had it not been for the discovery that Thri-Kreen are terrified of fire, the Empire surely would have been lost.
The two cultures settled into an uneasy peace. Communicating with Thri-Kreen is difficult even with magic. Their minds simply do not work the way that most do. Still, they agreed to keep to the wastes, and the Empire agreed not to burn them to death. The Empire and Dio Vouna began to station those skilled with fire magic nearby, and the Thri-Kreen turned south. When the plague hit the Kren intentionally attempted to pass it to the Thri-Kreen, but they could sense an infection and were quick to eliminate it.
#### Currently
True terror washed over the Empire the day that Magic disappeared. They made the realization that without fire magic there would be no stopping the Thri-Kreen should they invade. However, something quite unexpected happened. As the Emperor was demanding that all citizens begin to focus on the production of gunpowder, oil, and pitch, a messenger arrived. Khik-Thri-Kreen had fallen asleep. The Emperor wasted no time and ordered his troops to the West. He sent them into the tunnels and began the wholesale slaughter of the Thri-Kreen. In the depths they discovered that the Thri-Kreen hoarded riches. Ores, gems, strange natural works of the earth. The work was wretched and dangerous. There was great wealth, but the work began to cost the lives of too many Kren, and so the job became prisoner’s work. To be sent to the hives is a horrible sentence and all too common.
And then the Weave returned and the Emperor received a new message. Khik-Thri-Kreen had awoken... \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/rcqPMPn.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Chittering Wastes
The wastes are almost completely void of flora and fauna. Only the hardiest of creatures exist in the barren lands. Massive insect hives stick up from the ground here, some almost a mile high. These are home to the Thri-Kreen. #### The Hive Spires
Each of the spires that bursts up from the ground has a unique “personality” to it. Most scholars speculate this is a form of racial differences inside of the greater hive. Similar to the differences between High elves and Wood Elves. Chkit-Khik has more flying Thri-Kreen capable of flight. Kakt-Khik raises more elite warriors. Zkikki-Khik excels in training of other insects. Thkizik-Khik breeds more Chi-Chik-Tik-Kreen (Thinkers) than any other spire. Zik-Tik-Thik is believed to be the home to the Empress Thri-Kreen, who has never been seen, although multiple Sub-Queens were found at this location. #### Deleran's Fall
Deleran Callington, First Baron of the Stolregards met his fate here at the fangs of a Blue Dragon. There is a large cavern in which the beast dwelt. Some say it stretched for miles and miles in countless directions until it opens up into the underdark. #### Dune Walker's House
Dune Walker is a Desert Giant from a land far away that has made a home here. He collects knowledge and is often willing to freely part with it in exchange from more. That is if travelers can survive the journey to see him. #### The Red Scarab's Fortress
The Grandaughter of King Gabriel Titanbrooke was pulled into the Domains of Dread along with New Barovia. There she became the Red Scarab, a bandit queen, eventually clawing her way home after many long decades. Neutral Zone Outpost: Once the Kren and the Thri-Kreen kept an uneasy peace. This peace was monitored by both sides at the Neutral Zone Outpost. Now it will likely be the first place that falls when the Thri-Kreen seek their vengeance on the Kren. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### The Kren Imperium #### Summary
The Kren Imperium was once the largest nation on Krenshad, but is now well past its glory days. Still, an invader would be gravely mistaken to assume they were easy prey. Furthermore, many believe a change is in the air for them, and the Scorpion may soon rise again.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally they resemble a lot of the Western Mediterranean, particularly Greece militarily and Egypt socially. - **Terrain Type**: Craggy desert and hard plains broken up by lush river valleys - **Racial Breakdown:** 75% Human, 20% Dwarves, 5% Other (Others are almost certainly "servants") - **Racial Tensions:** The Kren have a long history of Racial issues including various forms of slavery for any races they considered lesser. The closer a race feels to being human the less they hate it. - **Government:** They are governed by an Emperor, but the title is not inherited, it is earned in a trial by combat against the sitting Emperor. Militarily they are a powerhouse, and every member of the society spends at least two years in the army and is trained for war as soon as they can hold a spear. - **Religion:** Their religious practices have a lot of influence in their culture, and believe they are The Maker's favored people. - **Economy:** Their economy is stable and diverse, and their land is rich in natural resources. Their only struggle is food, and a season of poor farming can cause major ramifications. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, The Kren, while not outright wicked, are a society where might makes right, and that leads to a lot of abuses of power over those not as mighty. Furthermore, their strict laws and tyrannical leadership leave little room for personal freedoms. - **Philosophy:** All for Kren. Subjugation and combat superiority are the true path to peace. - **Current Leader:** Emperor Kravis Astaltos
#### History
The Kren Empire had long been the largest nation on the continent, separated into a North and South states by the Sea of Unity. Founded by Warrior King Otillios Krenshad, who at one point boastfully claimed the entirety of the continent as part of his Empire, which was untrue, but he made the claim all the same and few risked an argument with him. After his death in battle against an Eye Tyrant, his sons divided the country amongst themselves. After their deaths the Empire devolved into a half dozen fiercely competitive city states. The spread of the Order unified these States who began once again to function as an Empire. The sitting Emperor is always the victor of a series of deadly athletic and combative games that each State sends a champion to compete in every five years. The Kren tend to be an aggressive and fearless people, often threatening their neighbors. They are notorious slavers, and have been responsible for a number of full scale wars over the years. The other nations of Krenshad would perhaps worry more about their aggressive neighbors if the early Kren Empire hadn’t been so prone to sending crusades of soldiers into the Underdark, whom they have been at constant war with since their founding.
The last Century was devastating for Kren culture. Just over 100 years ago the country was divided by a brutal civil war known as The War of The Firstborn. Though short, the death toll was high, and ultimately what led Emperor Xillisthan to pull back his forces to the Souther Empire and grant the Northern territories their freedom. He refused to continue shedding the blood of his own people. Though a wildly unpopular opinion at the time, Xillisthan was the Emperor and those loyal to him followed him across the sea. However there they found no peace. Shortly after the construction of his new palace a magical convergence dropped a mile high stone tree out in the Petrified Barrens. This tree was inhabited by a society of Vulture Folk who wasted no time attacking the locals. The Emperor rode off to war once again, but at least this time it was for his people not against them. This conflict lasted almost a year, but the Kren were victorious. The tree, The Dentro Apolithoma, was gifted to and settled by a number of the Dwarves from the Iron-Fist Clan, who became known as the Stone-Trees. You can still find many Ironfists at Graniteback Hold or across the seas in Kar-Yiros.
Xillisthan still found no peace, for mere days after defeating the Vultures of Apolithoma, the Pentad began massing their forces in Hell’s Breach, a volcanic wasteland just over the mountains from his encampment. Xillisthan marched his war weary soldiers to the edge of the Hell’s Breach and joined the rest of the world in stopping the Pentad’s plans. Unfortunately, Xillithan had been long ago replaced by a sleeper member of The Black Soul Blades. In the heat of the battle he turned on his allies and friends dealing a severe blow to the forces fighting the Pentad. This duplicate was slain and the Empire was left leaderless.
Othig Graniteback, the First Dwarf to sit on the Throne, rose to fill the void left by Xillisthan but he was assumed lost on one of his adventures. In another first, Tetria Demotopolis, The Empress took the Reaper's throne; she was assassinated five years later. Xillisthan's son, Petrilis then took the throne. Unfortunately continual fighting with the Drow and Khik-Thri-Kreen kept the Kren forces on their heels for the next forty five years. They were never really able to settle into a rhythm as a nation without the North. He disappeared during the battle of Valaki fighting alongside his father's friends in New Barovia. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} The country was still in the process of naming a new Emperor when the Plague of Worms found its way there. Without direct leadership and control things devolved quickly for the Kren and the disease ravaged the capital city of Minos, and it spread from there. The nation was held together by the iron will of General Mazious Horatial, who used the military to claim the throne and then quickly enforced quarantines. He had the army burn down any and all homes, ships, fields, and citizens suspected of having the plague. Except for those he turned into weapons. The Emperor was known for sending infected people to his enemies, a strategy that did little to help the Kren cause and only further spread misery. In fact historians blame Horatial for continuing to spread the disease when it could have been stopped.
Horatial was still Emperor when the Weave Drought hit. He didn't remain so for long. He died almost instantly when the amulet that had been sustaining his life ceased working. As did many other things in the Imperium, for a society that prided itself on the strength of the spear they had come to rely quite deeply on magic. As in most places, chaos upended the normal way of life in the Empire, and it took them years to recover. By the time they did five Emperors had come and gone. It was Emperor Tonatis who led them back to stability. Tonatis was a just man, a refreshing change for the people. He led the nation for 30 years before being defeated in the arenas. During that time the Kren grew strong again, but they also grew restless.
#### Currently
When his successor, Kravis Astaltos, began to return to the more traditional, might makes right, way of the Kren many of the people smiled in approval. When he reinstituted slavery they praised his wisdom. And when he allowed the hunting of “beast races” they cheered him. But soon, as is usually the way with tyrants... they began to fear him. After an assassination attempt he turned his wrath on the populace that once loved him. Today Kren is a clear picture of a violent tyranny. Complete with roadways marked by the rotting corpses of the executed and the begging cries of Kravis’ enemies dying in cages. Kravis, attempts to hold the nation by the throat with his army, and is not so secretly afraid to leave his palace for fear of what the people will do to him should they get their hands on him. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/rcqPMPn.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Shifting Plateau
This highland plateau is nearly void of life. An sea of sand and dunes stretching for miles. The winds here swirl the sand endlessly causing the terrain to be ever changing. It is said many secrets are buried under these dunes, but few are foolish enough to spend time looking. #### The Petrified Barrens
At first glance this plateau is covered with wondrous and beautiful desert rock formations. Upon closer inspection one realizes this is a forest of petrified trees so massive some are miles in circumference. #### Hell's Breach
An area of violent and dangerous geothermic activity. There are typically a half dozen active volcanoes, and countless magma vents. Craters from oder eruptions cover the landscape, some of them quite large, and geysers of acrid water and vents leaking toxic gas are common. It was here that the final battle of the Pentad took place. Many of those slain and lost on both sides were never recovered, lost to the crags and swallowed into the rivers of molten rock. #### The Blazing Jungle
Accurately named, the Blazing Jungle grows up out of fields of tar pits, powerful geysers, and boiling hot springs. A great number of creatures make their home her, many of them extremely dangerous. In fact between the predators and the hazards there are only a few settlements at the Jungle's edges, leaving much of it unexplored. #### The Arch of Typhus This massive arch was constructed by the Pentad in order to bring Typhus through from his planar prison. Though it no longer functions, it will likely stand for centuries to come. #### Graniteback Hold
Gifted to Clan Granteback for their extraordinary valor during the War of the Firstborn, Graniteback Hold has become a refuge for Dwarven kind for over a century. It was once home to Emperor Othig, but their friendship with the Empire has become strained. The Dwarves of the Hold do not subscribe to many of the sitting Emperor's values, and so while technically still part of the Empire they tend to keep the rest of the Kren at arms reach. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #### The Dentro Apolithoma A Convergence during the War of the Pentad brought the Apolithoma, of the Petrified Trees from long ago, into the present time, and with it an army of violent Vulture-Folk. They were defeated in war with the Kren, and the tree gifted to Clan Ironfist. It is still home to the Ironfist descendants. The city of Dentro has grown at its feet, but in a rare case the Dwarves call the Tree, not the mountains, home.
#### The City of Champions
One of the world's greatest arena's was built on the coast of the Kren Empire. It was intended to be a meeting place of the greatest champions of the continent and beyond. It has become something... less. It is a bloodsport pit in which the criminals and the enemies of the Imperium find themselves battling beasts with which they cannot contend while Noble and Common citizens gamble on their lives. It is a city of vice and debauchery. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Oranimus #### Summary
Oranimus was a painfully average city until a Deck of Many Things changed its future. Now it sits on the world’s only known vein of Black Iron, and is a hotspot for Planar activity. It is a place that feels utterly average and uniquely bizarre all at the same time.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally, they feel similar to the Byzantine Empire. - **Terrain Type:** Oranimus is built up in the mountains. - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially it breaks down to about 45% Human, 35% Dwarves, 10% Planar, 10% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Racially they basically don’t care what you look like as long as you help them make money. - **Government:** The city is owned and run by Torbert Iron-Scale and Jorgen Jorgen Jorgenson. They tend to treat it like their personal playground and piggy bank making decisions on whims and forcing the people to deal with it. - **Religion:** They practice a form of Monotheism that feels very Orthodox Christian and relies very heavily on the patronage of Saints. - **Economy:** They are almost completely dependent on their Black Iron trade for the goods they need to keep a city of this size working properly. - **Alignment:** Chaotic Neutral, The city has what one would consider standard law and order, but the people have developed paying people off and finding loopholes into a cultural art and pastime. - **Philosophy:** Morally they are a bit indifferent to most things, and believe that making deals is the true nature of mortals, but keeping them is not. - **Current Leader:** Oranimus is now mainly split between two factions. Torbert Iron-Scale, a Dwarven Merchant turned Warlord and Jorgen Jorgen-Jorgensen. #### History
Nestled up in the mountains, Oranimus, in many ways, has always been on its own. It gained its independence during the War of the First born, although that mattered little to their way of life. Long ago a small colony of Dwarves were found by the expanding Kren Empire, who immediately informed them they were now Kren citizens. It didn’t seem wise to make an issue out of it, and so… they were Kren. All these years later they are still decidedly Kren by culture, but loyalties were something that never really meant much. They continue living no matter which flag flies, so for many there is little reason to fly one.
Oranimus never impacted the flow of the Empire in any meaningful way. They had average resources, and an average climate. They were fine enough warriors, but not really outstanding. In fact for almost all of its existence Oranimus was perfectly average. It was only recently that it became of importance to others. Just before the Weave Drought, a magical Deck of Cards surfaced. Although no one really knows who pulled the card, they know a wish had been made. A number of things happened immediately afterward. First, a strange type of iron was discovered under the mountains. Black Iron they call it, and with far less work, it was capable of being refined into a metal similar to adamantine. This led to people from all over the Continent to flock to Oranimus to trade for the Black Iron. It also led to several armies attempting to lay siege to the city. And to the town became a trading hub for Planar beings who were far better at making deals than the locals.
Overnight Oranimus found itself on the map. And overnight they found out how pitifully prepared they were for any of that sort of attention. The leaders of the city made one deal after another in an attempt to dig themselves out of the trouble they now found themselves in. They did manage to turn Thivas and Kavasto against one another and start a war out in the Iron Planes rather than on their doorstep. This sat well with them, and they continued to use their own debts to turn their debtors against one another. Then The Weave Drought hit and the Planar visitors disappeared and the armies went home to tend to their own lands and Oranimus for the first time in a long time was left alone.
#### Currently
Recently several things have happened. After being sacked by Runir Uspin, Oranimus spent a long time recovering. Three years ago a man named Torbert Iron-Scale, a former Dwarven merchant turned Mercenary Warlord came to town, with legitimate legal documents, claiming that he owned Oranimus. Apparently, it was sold to him some 55 years prior in exchange for a vast amount of Titanbrooke Ale. His troops occupied Oranimus’s streets collecting taxes for anything they saw fit. A minor rebellion started up against Torbert, but they were bought off with several large payments from the national treasury, and then heavily taxed. When The Weave returned, with it came a number of Planar beings all claiming land and title here. Chief among them is a strange gnomish man, one Jorgen Jorgen-Jorgenson, a mysterious Gnome known who sometimes calls himself The Lord of Appetites, appeared and produced documentation claiming that he has ownership of Oranimus. This led to a series of legal and physical battles between Torbert and J.J.J in which it is said that Torbert released his pet Dragon to thwart the Gnome. Afterward a peace accord was struck which has ended in yet another deal… one not necessarily in Oranimus’ favor. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/X4npkWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Black Iron Mines
All around the area there are several mines that work night and day to draw out the Black Iron ore that Oranimus has become so famous for. The mines are for the most part property of the City State themselves but there is no end of paperwork possessed by interested parties claiming that they own the mines. #### The Iron-Scale Estate
Torbert Iron-Scale keeps a large estate up on the mountainside overlooking the city. It has high walls and strong defenses. Being a Dwarven Warlord much of the complex has been built into the mountain. He keeps a considerable force on site and more down in the city. Furthermore, though it is rarely seen, Torbert does have a Blue Dragon in his employ. How he managed to convince such a creature to work for him is anyone's guess. #### The Crossroads Inn
Shortly after arriving in town, before presenting paperwork that he supposedly owned it, Jorgen Jorgen Jorgenson headed for the Tall Tankard Tavern, and won it from the owner in a game of Guess My Weight. Jorgen got the answer perfectly while the former owner, one Gerber Kalis, was way off. Jorgen immediately renamed the establishment The Crossroads and continued with business as usual. The next morning Jorgen presented paperwork that indicated he had bought the city from its former owner, Heb Esont. The paperwork seems in order, but there is one problem. Heb also sold the city to Torbert, on the same day! The two began fighting each other in court and the streets, but eventually an agreement was struck. They each manage portions of the city. Ever since, Jorgen has contented himself with running the Crossroads while the courts decide Oranimus' fate. The Inn attracts a lot of strange folks and is often used as a brokering house for agreements and deals. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Port Cielo Early in the Era of Light missionaries arrived from Xiest and began to spread across the continent. They brought with them the power of the Divine and delivered it with kindness and compassion. Krenshad had only known conflict since their people had returned to the surface. The Clerics of the Order brought healing and hope to the people. They first found a foothold in Al'Ali'Hiem. With their cultures being so closely related the Hemites were quick to listen to the Message the Order Brought. From there they set out across the continent, and at first found an indifference from the people. But when the Order's armies destroyed the plague of undeath lingering in Cetnovia the world stood up and listened. Some were seeking the Order's power, others the truth the claimed to possess, and many clung to the hope they offered. Within three decades all the nations of Krenshad had converted to The Order.
Soon after they consolidated their strength on the Isle of Unity and built a settlement there to educate future Clerics and be a center for cultural and spiritual growth. They remained the dominant religious presence in Krenshad for almost 500 years. And in most cases The Order followed a just and kind interpretation of monotheistic doctrines found in the ancient scriptures, and spread their message and good will everywhere they went. They had influence in nearly every aspect of daily life on multiple continents, and for centuries the Church was a source of stability and hope.
Unfortunately, complacency and comfort ate at the strength of their resolve. Their hierarchy became racially divided. Internal politics and bureaucracy grew like weeds. Maintaining power became more important than serving the people. They became an easy target for their enemies. The Pentad found undermining their leadership far easier than it should have been. With a few smooth strokes the Order began to crumble. Within a year their influence and power structure was either knowingly or unknowingly serving the Pentad’s goals. During the War, they were slaughtered by betrayal and battle. After the war, people had simply lost faith in the Order, and there just weren’t enough members left to keep up their infrastructure. So they abandoned the continent and withdrew to Port Cielo and Unity Isle. #### Currently
Since then they’ve become more or less a strict sect of faithful that no longer reflect the goodness of their original divine mission. They do have some presence on the mainland, but not much, and it is often mixed with the local beliefs that emerged in their absence. They are loosely affiliated with eh Free States of Krenshad, as more a pact of non aggression than any actual partnership. Those in Port Cielo often refer to mainland Clerics as Hedge Priests and often Apostates. There has long been talk of driving the heretics from the land and returning the Glory of the Church. Years of bitterness and blame seems to have made them blind to their own doctrines of kindness and self sacrifice. Not to mention that any "Glory" should be given to the Maker, the Martyr, and the Mystery. There are of course dissenters among them who point these things out, but they are quickly silenced and often sent as Missionaries to the mainlands. With the return of magic they see an opportunity, one they see as a divine moment, one they militantly refuse to miss. #### Summary
When the Order’s influence in Krenshad was shattered over this past century they retreated to the Island of Unity. There they maintain a semblance of their glory, but it is now held together with a strict unbending hand and regular rituals designed to cleanse the unbelief from them. What was once a true place of Unity has become nothing more than a Brutal Theocracy.
- **Cultural Motif:** The Island’s culture resembles the Gothic Style of Catholicism that was prevalent in Early Renaissance Europe. - **Terrain Type:** Port Cielo is a fertile sub tropical island flanked by mountains. - **Racial Breakdown:** Racially they are 40% Human, 15% Elves, 25% Dwarves, 20% Other - **Racial Tensions:** They have a very haughty pecking order of racial standings. The belief that The Maker created Humans in His Image and others in His Likeness, is basically a church doctrine, though the concept cannot be found in the Scriptures. - **Government:** They are led by The Shield, The Sword, and The Staff, who are the High Priests from each of the Order’s Branches. Although The Staff does most of the day to day governing. Militarily they are not a powerhouse, but the Island is very defensible, more than enough to keep invaders away. - **Religion:** They practice a form of strict Monotheism that feels Roman Catholic from the Renaissance and relies heavily on the patronage of Saints. - **Economy:** Economically they are quite wealthy and self-sustaining. There is more than enough fishing and farming to feed the people, and ample trade to keep the coin flowing. - **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral, Laws are extremely legalistic, both common and religious. Violations are taken very seriously. There is little to no grace shown to those who commit crimes. Being sentenced to hard labor being expelled from the island are common punishments. There is a rising attitude of conquest among them as they begin to reflect on just how much they have lost over the past century. - **Philosophy:** We are the Truth and Mankind's only hope against the Darkness. - **Current Leader, Staff:** Isemay Heloyson the Gracious - **Current Leader, Sword:** Radulf Guimar Evil's Bane - **Current Leader, Shield:** Magdela Reche the Fearless \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/X4npkWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:60px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} ### Notable Locations #### The Pinnacle of Justice
Rising up three times higher than any other building in Port Cielo is The Pinnacle of Justice. Headquarters of the Order’s Civil Servants it looms over the city as a constant reminder to those who would attempt to cause strife among them. The Order keeps a large force of peacekeepers and is quick to deal with those who break the laws. You will not find mercy in this tower, and ironically, justice is often lacking as well. #### The Hall of Saints The second largest building in Port Cielo is the Hall of Saints. Part Mausoleum, part Museum, the Hall stands as testimony to the Order’s former glory. Thousands of fallen Clerics are entombed here and remembered in one way or another. Art of all kinds tells the tales of their many accomplishments. To walk among the sacred dead and study their lives is often a heartbreaking experience. The testimony of those honored here is usually one of sacrifice, compassion, and kindness. A stark contrast to the religious malignancy of today. #### The Divine Citadel
The Citadel is The Order’s Governmental, Military, and Spiritual center. Originally it was a simple Temple in the mountains, that the leadership of The Order would go to to seek Divine Wisdom. Overtime they added a seminary for Religious Education. A compound for Martial Skills soon followed. The Original Temple still stands here, but a massive Cathedral was constructed to better “reflect” the Divine’s greatness. With the addition of a Governing Rotunda, lavish homes, and dormitories for the thousands of people living and working here, what was once a site of pilgrimage became The Divine Citadel. A city so large that at one time had a population larger than Port Cielo. It has since, like the Order itself, diminished in population, but if the current leadership has anything to say about it, that situation will be temporary. #### Petros’ Landing
A good sized fishing village on the East end of the island. It is heavily defended for a fishing village, but the traffic between Kavasto and The Kren Imperium is not as friendly as it once was. Thankfully the fishing ships don’t have to go far to get a good catch. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} # Riogchald ### Summary The land of Riogchald is fiercely independent yet culturally linked clans of mortals that deeply revere the Fey. After the Pentad War survivors formed nomadic tribes meagerly living off of the land. Most of these tribes found a home south of the Riogchald river where the lands are thick with Fey and Otherworldly influences.
- **Cultural Motif:** A clan based warrior nation that culturally is a combination Viking and Scottish lore. - **Terrain Type:** Fairly diverse, ranging from Fey touched swamps, to old growth forests, to rocky pastures and foothills. - **Racial Breakdown:** 40% Human, 25% Elves, 25% Dwarves, 10% Other - **Racial Tensions:** They are accepting of others but typically still settle in communities by race. - **Government:** They rule over themselves with a Clan Based Feudalism, and there aren't really written laws, only a general sense of right and wrong. If you piss someone off or wrong them in some way, it is usually just worked out over punches and ale. - **Religion:** The Chaldites would tell you that they believe in the Divine, however, they are deeply connected to the Fey. So much so that from Common Business to Household Blessings to Funeral Rites, everything they do revolves around Fey Spirits and has their complete devotion. - **Economy:** Their economy is self contained, stable, and diverse. The land is rich in natural resources and they take a very naturalistic approach to governing it. They have recently begun raiding ships and other lands to increase their wealth. - **Alignment:** Chaotic Neutral, religion and battle are their uniting threads, as all of them are deeply reverent of the Fey and tied to Natural Mysticism. They also love a good fight, and really are only divided until they spill blood together, often one another's as a common way to get to know other clan members in Riogchald is to start a fist fight. - **Philosophy:** If you're too weak to fight for what you have then you don't deserve it - **Current Leader:** Laird (lord) Malcom Ruthven of Clan Drummond
### History After the Northern Half of Balinovia was devastated in the cataclysmic events following the death of The Storm Lord the surviving people fled to the rocky highlands in the shadow of the Dhagdha's Mountains range. The land they left behind was thick with ancient, Forests and Otherworldly influences, particularly Fey. Settling south of the Rioghcald river they scraped back together a strong but simple civilization. They spent much of the next few decades cut off from the rest of the world and turned with open arms to the Fey patrons of the nearby wilds for support. Which was readily given.
They developed a culture that most would consider “barbaric” but there is a hearty joy in it that only they seem to understand. A welcomed friend that has been gone for years could easily be greeted with a punch to the face or a hug. A good night in Riogchald involves a large fire, a hearty meal, an unhealthy amount of ale, and at least one fistfight. They are a people in touch with natural and supernatural places, and have a deep respect for nature. They also learned over time to fear and reverence the spirits that their forefathers called upon, knowing that while they will indeed answer the pleas of mortals that they do not do so without a price. As they thrived they culturally awoke to the idea of exploring the world around them. It had been long since the clans had anything to speak of other than the stealing of sheep and the capturing of other Clan’s maidens. It was almost as if something collectively came to life among them. They began building ships and set off to raid and plunder their neighbors. Which they did with frightening recklessness and substantial ability. A Riogchald warship on the horizon gives even the most battle hardened buccaneer reason to sail the other direction.
The Plague of Worms pushed them to the brink. They believed that the plague only killed the weak, and so lived as though they could just eat and drink it away. They died by the thousands. Were it not for the intervention of the Fey Spirits they worshiped, Riogchald may have disappeared. By the time the Weave Drought hit, a growing nation of tens of thousands of proud warriors had been stricken down to a few villages of starving survivors. They had respected magic, but their people never relied heavily on it, so in a strange way the Drought gave them a chance to recover. What botherrd them was the withdrawal of the Fey. Chaldeans believed they had deeply offended their protective spirits by shedding of too much innocent blood. For a brief time they believed that the Plague and the Drought were caused by their sins. So they returned to the ways of their forefathers. But they are a wild people and their hearts have grown restless again. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Currently
Laird (lord) Malcom Ruthven of Clan Drummond has called a war council. He arrived with a powerful old crone in his company and wrestled control of Riogchald away from the other Lairds. Some by politics, some by competition, and some by blood. What he will do with this power is still unclear, but he has taken the Crown of Lairds from Castle Forbund and those who have spoken out against him have been taken into custody and brutally beaten. They have later been released once an oath eternal fealty has been pledged. ### Notable Locations - **The Glowbog:** It takes only one visit to understand why this vast swamp carries the name Glowbog. The veil between the Prime Material and the Feywild is thin here, and large communities of pixies, whisps, and sprites make their home here. Furthermore, a good number floura and fauna that live here have bioluminescent properties. It is a commonly visited place by the Chaldites, but that doesn't make it safe. The difference between a dangerous Fey and a helpful one is simply their mood. - **Dhagdha's Mountains:** Named after one of the Chaldites favorite Giant legends, and home to a fair number of actual Giant Kin. Thankfully these creatures stay mostly up in the cliffs and hills. - **Direfang Forest & The Howling Isle:** The Chaldites aren't known for their creativity with words. The Dire Fang is named after all the wolves that live here, many of them Dire. The Howling Isle is said to be inhabited by an ancient Fey and Patron of Lycanthropes. There is a colony of wild-folk living there, and most Chaldites stay clear, but from time to time a young warrior goes looking for a blessing. - **Corpse Water Straight:** As the Cataclysm waters receded a new straight was formed where the Balinovial Lowlands once were. Thousands of bodies washed into this straight warning it the name Corpse Water. The Undead still haunt these waters and those that travel them are considered cursed by other sailors. - **Paths of Arsaidh & The Circle of Ancients:** The valley belongs to the Raven Circle of Druids. A group dating back since before the Skyfire and Shadow Years if the tales are true. The forest here is primal and untamed filled with geothermic activity and thick fir trees that grow well over three hundred feet tall. - **Weave Guardian Fortress & The Round:** Shortly before the Pentad War a magical mishap yanked a huge portion of the forest into the Astral Sea where it still floats along today. When the waters washed away Balinovia this crater became a sea that is referred to as The Round. The area is still a hotbed of odd magical phenonmon and attraced the Weave Guardians an Order of Adventurers who study the Weave in order to prevent its misuse. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ![Map](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826467488069976124/968983214301515846/AOG_WORLD_MAP_-_Rioghachd.jpg?ex=658c9371&is=657a1e71&hm=ab5d2c96ec4f3674fe9ebc0e715fb80f2208a5d04858f2da395234f450236896&) {position:absolute;top:20px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} - **Skauldis' Island:** This island has been claimed by the Legenday Black Dragon Skauldis. The Dragon has formed a partnership of sorts with Riogchald. They pay him tribute and he doesn't melt their villages to the ground. He does also offer protection from outsiders as well, but only sort of. He demands tribute from any vessels that enter the area, and that keeps intruders away. - **The Red Beacon & The Crimson Creater:** When the Storm Lord's plan to return the world to a Primal Paridise literally blew up in his face it created is crater. The Adventuring group The Crimson Brands were mostly responsible for stopping him, thus the name. The Red Beacon, an impressive arcane lighthouse built from the local red granite, was constructed shortly afterward by the Gnome Mage Kelwrin Gloginxpizixl. Kelwrin traveled to the Astral Sea years ago in search missing friends and has yet to return. The tower is managed by fellow gnomes. ### Adventures in Riogchald ##### [Murder at the Drowning Lass](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-murder-49862530) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Runir Uspir - The Black Spiral #### Summary
Runir Uspir (The Black Spiral) is a great walled city with a large spider web dome covering it that has been built around a mile wide shaft leading down into the Underdark. It is home to both the Drow and the Duergar living at the edge of the surface at peace with one another. They are not at peace with the rest of the surface however.
- **Cultural Motif:** The Architecture is reminiscent of Dark Gothic Middle Ages. Emphasis on “Dark” with traditional fantasy Under Dark Race notes at play - **Terrain Type:** Craggy mountainous desert. - **Racial Breakdown:** 45% Drow, 45% Duergar, 10% Other races - **Racial Tensions:** They have a very haughty pecking order of racial standings. The belief that The Maker created Humans in His Image and others in His Likeness, is basically a church doctrine, though the concept cannot be found in the Scriptures. - **Government:** The city is governed by a Matriarchal Feudalism style of rulership. - **Religion:** Both cultures tend to reject anything to do with the Divine. The Drow worship their Spider Queen Lloth and the Duergar have a form of Ancestral Worship tied to a Pantheon of Fiends. - **Economy:** As much as the rest of the area would like nothing more than to dislodge them from the surface but at this point it would take a combined front that no one is willing to form. Due largely to the valuable trade routes that Runir Uspin provides. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, They are a society of strict laws and caste systems with little wiggle room for disobedience. They have made war against their neighbors to the North and West, but have left Kapsani to the East alone as they are more useful as a major source of slaves that they sell to other factions down in the Underdark. - **Philosophy:** Shape reality with the words you speak. Particularly the things you want to be true. - **Current Leader:** The Tarantula Queen, Her Majesty Zarrene Talldalyn Yril’Lysesz - **Current Leader:** High General Bretsaela Blast-Forge
#### History There was a city in the Kren empire here once a little over Century ago. That city, Muratil, was wiped off the face of the map when a beam from heaven bore a hole through the ground to the Underdark below. This was part of a series of crazy events that brought a duplicate of Albir-Toril into the solar system. A Kobold Engineer stuck on Moon Base Alpha used a laser to do some physics science mumbo jumbo to keep the planets from tearing each other apart. No one on the surface had any real clue what was happening. That beam left little of the original settlement behind, save a few outlying buildings and some goat ranches in the hills.
People quickly flocked to the hole, fascinated by its existence. There was a good sized crater at the surface but the actual bore hole was almost perfectly smooth. The beam had superheated the stone cutting it like a knife through butter. A new settlement formed as exploratin began into the depths below. Unfortunately for them, the same was also happening below.
In the Underdark the mile wide hole in the cavern ceiling over The Darkened Sea through which bright light flowed down daily became something of a global wonder. The Duergar were the first to arrive and began construction of a large stone framework in the water to act as a port. The Drow arrived soon after, and as the two usually do they fought over the shaft. When the surface world began using it to gain access to the Underdark the fighting ceased, neither the Drow nor the Duergar were about to let the surface gain the upper hand, and so in a rare instance of cooperation the two decided that the shaft would be of benefit to both societies below. They would gain access to the surface and if they needed to, fight about the spoils of war there.
The surface wasn’t about to let the Underdark simply bubble up out of the ground, and they fought back, for a time... Muratil was not an easy place to settle. Constructed around the only oasis in the desert mountain pass between Kapsani and the Iron Plains it was really just a stopping place for merchant caravans crossing the sands. With the only water resource within miles obliterated, and the War of the Firstborn drawing the attention of the surface world elsewhere. It should be no surprise that they abandoned Muratil. By the time the surface wars had ended, the Duergar and the Drow had successfully settled the top of the Well and begun construction of a roadway that wound around the sides of the hole giving it the likeness of the threading on a screw. Thus giving it the name the The Black Spiral.
The Underdark races found the surface to be extremely inhospitable. Dangerously hot with precious little shade. Ground unsuitable for sustaining their agriculture, and little game to hunt. They had found several underground streams of water when carving their road, but they still needed rerouting and porting to the surface. Provisions were harder to come by, but they were determined. By the time the surface turned their attention back to the shaft, a thriving city had formed, carved into the very walls of the shaft below. Runir Uspir, The Black Spiral was born. They attempted to dislodge the Underdark folk, but a web domed wall had been constructed around the outside of the shaft and defenses put into place. The Black Spiral was here to stay.
Limited trade began between Runir Uspir and nearby city states. They found their greatest allies in Oranamus and Kapsani. Particularly Kapsani, something about the way the Buccaneer City carried themselves appealed to people of Runir Uspir, and many left to join the Pirate Captains of Kapsani. These partnerships, although for a time profitable, ended poorly for Runir Uspir. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Currently That partnership became the contact point for the Plague of Worms. The parasites spread throughout the Underdark at a faster rate than they did the surface decimating entire cultures below. When followed by The Weave Drought it is a wonder that any survived at all. Most believe that it was being exposed to the light that saved them as the worms preferred darkness, but no one knows for sure.
Like many of the decimated civilizations, Runir Uspir rebuilt itself in the years to come. Being the only known example of the Drow and Duergar living side by side as equals, there was hope peace could be had with the other neighboring City States. It began to open its gates to more traditional trade in the area, and for a time things flourished. That is not to say there still weren’t cultural issues, but there was peace and partnership. Was… In the past few decades, the other city states turned so inward that it became easy to forget about The Black Spiral. But the Drow and Duergar did not forget that once they were on the verge of conquering the region. To make matters worse, they took great offense at being ignored, and blamed surface worlder stupidity for both the plague and the drought. And so for decades, while they rebuilt their culture, they built an army. The Rulers of Runir Uspin decided that Kapsani was far too impoverished to be worthy of claiming, but could still provide slaves. Oranimus however, now that was a tempting target.
Twenty years ago Runir Uspir smashed through the gates of Oranimus plundering it into poverty and contining to raid the surrounding lands, extending their reach as far as the territory of Kevasto. The Criminal Syndicats of Kavasto did not take kindly to being plundered and rallied the other City States against The Black Spiral in a united front, but were unable to push them back into the Underdark but they did decimate their forces. Balance had been restored to the area. But the Underdark does not forget or relent so easily. They have spent their time rebuilding their forces and plotting the downfall of their enemies.
Runir Uspir is led by The Tarantula Queen, Her Majesty Zarrene Talldalyn Yril'Lysesz and High General Bretsaela Blast-Forge. Both are skilled in the arenas of war, political and practical. Both are known for their brutality and cruelty, and both hide their predatory nature behind a polite words and a beguiling smiles. ### Notable Areas - **The Black Spiral:** A miles long shaft extends all the way to the Sea of Ever Night in the Underdark. A road spirals around the edge and is lined with settlements, markets, and mines. - **The Drow Embassy:** The ruling seat of the Drow living on the surface. It is a large complex of domed buildings connected through underground tunnels. ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/X4npkWF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:20px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} \column ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: - **The Duergar Citadel**: This large square compound sits up above most of the buildings in town. It is easily the most fortified building in town. - **The Blood Tower:** Home to Runir Uspin's Arch Mage. This is the tallest building in the city. - **Runir Uspin Vault:** It is said this is the most secure vault in the world. And that's true, but mostly because no one is foolish enough to steal from the primary "investors" of this establishment. - **The Red Dusky Valley:** The rocky land in the area are covered in a red silt that tends to be easily stirred up in even the slightest breeze and often hangs in the air often dimming the sunlight. The locals loves this. - **Murene's Steps:** Just East of Runir Uspin on the north side of the Duskway the land is filled with steep cliffs. In many places these cliffs rise at such a patterned formation that they resemble steps leading up into the mountains. There is a legend about the area claiming that very thing. Some say the Desert Giant, Murene lives somewhere up in the mountains. - **The Iron Plains:** The rocky hard ground of the Iron Plains is an unforgiving and bleak savannah. The sun beats down ferociously withering all but the most hardy of plants. Thankfully Razor Grain grows with a little help from the farmers. In the West the Plains do allow some trees to grow, but in the east they dry up into rocky and empty desert. ### Adventures in The Black Spiral ##### Beligeraire's Baubles Trilogy ##### [The Bronze Dove](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-temple-61793628) ##### [Escape from Deleran's Crossing](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-lost-64623859) ##### [The Towers of Sand and Sky](https://www.patreon.com/posts/adventure-towers-67935549) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### The Sea Kingdom of Cantrelle
#### Summary
Chantrelle is an “Under” and “Over” sea kingdom of Merlings that stretches the East Coast of Krenshad. Land wise it likely covers more ground than even the Free states do combined, however the population is so spread out that claiming all that territory is more of a cultural statement.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally it has a Steampunk East Mediterranean feel to it. - **Terrain Type:** Undersea Kingdom - **Racial Breakdown:** 99% Merfolk, 1% Sea Races - **Racial Tension:** They are not necessarily racist but they are isolationist. While they may want to “like” outsiders they will never trust them. - **Government:** They are normally led by a Royal Family, and for centuries that has been the Chantrelle’s, but currently General Onlolyn Lavallath, a leader known for her patient wisdom and swift judgment is in charge. - **Religion:** Religion wise they are a Sea Based Polytheistic Demi-God Mysticism which includes the worship of Krakens and other Ancient Beings. - **Economy:** They have a self contained economy founded on Oceanic Harvesting with Naturalistic Industry and a penchant for tinkering and artificery. . - **Alignment:** They are a society of Law and Order, and punishment is often gracious and rehabilitatory but that is unto themselves. When dealing with outsiders above and below they feel no need to deal with them according to their own ways. - **Philosophy:** Curiosity and Helpfulness are our nature, but so is defending what is rightfully ours. - **Current Leader:** General Onlolyn Lavallath
#### History
Sailors once told of a city beneath the waves, and most who told and heard the tales laughed. They also spoke of beautiful humanoids with tails of fish. Again they laughed. They made art and crafted legends. People drank and caroused and laughed at the notion of people who lived beneath the waves, but every so often a story would circulate that gave pause before being dismissed as the fancy of lonely men trapped aboard a ship. Then just before the War of the Pentad a city burst from the depths floating just West of Al’Ali’Hiem ever since.
Once sunken beneath the waves, at the edge of the Malevolent Deep lay the Mer Kingdom of Iiluracona. Its settlements and outposts stretch the entire Western edge of Krenshad but the heart of their nation was the city of Deep Light. Little was known about the Mer Kingdom other than that if it existed it was so deep below the waves that the sunlight does not easily touch it. That the Merlings were once elves who long ago abandoned land and chose to dwell beneath the waves, the long years under the water transforming their lower bodies transform into that of a fish. It was said that they were good natured but a prideful and reclusive people and do not often tolerate outsiders.
During the Pentad War they were nearly wiped out by the forces of Lord Dagon of Dark Waters. But one of their Princesses, Muse Chantrelle, was born with the ability to change form a tail to legs when on dry land. Taking advantage of this power she had gone to the surface to explore and report back. There she traveled the world as part of a powerful group of adventurers known as The Crimson Brands. When she heard her city was under attack THe Brands, along with the Seven Sevens, and her Kraken friend Turcin, went to Dagon’s lair and slew the Elder Being, freeing the city of Deep Light where the Merling had taken refuge. She then returned home to find that cultists of The Many Faced Lord were manipulating her people from the shadows. She rallied the people behind her and claimed the throne from her mother, it was then that the assassins attacked openly and nearly toppled the leadership of Deep Light. But Muse and her friends won the day. She was crowned Queen, and then pledged to hide from the surface world no longer. Activating the ancient power of her city she rose Deep Light to the surface where it now floats as a bowl shaped island.
Much changed for the Merlings after. The people there began to call the city Chantrelle after their Royal Family. They discovered that many of them were like Muse, and they learned to transform their tails into legs when out of the water. Those that could leave the sea did so, settling on the shores of their new island homes. Chantrelle has the feeling of paradise, with wide sandy beaches at its edges and palm covered hills rising steadily up before plummeting back down into an inner sea commonly called the Lagoon. Waterfalls tumble down the cliffs to both the inner and outer waters, and a canal has been cut into one side of the island connecting the inner and outer seas. At the very center of the Lagoon still remains the original city of Deep Light. It is covered by the magical dome that once held Dagon’s forces at bay. Now it holds water in so those that cannot walk on the land can still thrive in Chantrelle. They move the island with the seasonal weather and so Chantrelle always remains a paradise for their people.
Queen Muse had a love for all things mechanical and was a legendary artificer in her time, and left an amazing legacy with her people. The city and the culture adopted much of her wild curiosity and love of adventure over the decades of her reign and created wondrous machines and magical items. Their structures began to commonly use such items in their construction and in the day to day life of the people. It became normal to find entire buildings made out of bronze alloys that held up against the salts of the sea or metal ships that could speed through the waves without the power of the sail. Craft that could even take those who were not native to the seas down to some of its deepest places.There were even a few that could fly, though none could match the quality of her old air ship The Baroness. And for a brief moment in the history of mortals the attitude of the Merling was one of open arms and welcoming attitudes. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}}
It did not last. When the Plague hit Chantrelle, closed its port fearing that the disease would find its way to their Capital. They sailed their home far from normal sailing routes and it was rarely spotted afterward. It had not been seen in almost half a century. Most believed the magic keeping it buoyant failed during the Drought and it catastrophically sank beneath the ways. However, there have now been reports of a new island just South of Turcin’s Well. Many believe this to be Chantrelle returning from the deep. Others fear something more ominous… perhaps it is both.
**Currently:** Chantrelle is still out there somewhere… Their domain stretched for thousands of miles and included countless smaller settlements. They have just chosen to not return to the surface, as they recently had. Their cousins, the Sea Elves, do share some gossip. They tell travelers that the Merlings thrive under the waves. They are currently led by General Onlolyn Lavallath, a leader known for her patient wisdom and swift judgement. But as for the fate of Chantrelle… they share precious little, but what they do share comes with a warning. Leave those who wish to be left alone, alone. If their cousins in the deep want to remain hidden, then that is their choice. The Merfolk are masters of lesser sea beasts and creatures but still remain in partnership with the Krakens of the West. Particularly Turcin the Deep Caller, although it is rare that the Krakens interfere with Merling business. ### The Sea Kingdom of Juturem **Summary:** Juturem is a constant and ever changing undersea culture who defend their long running traditions but are daily guided by their whims. As a cultural reference they are basically Underwater Greeks, so The Little Mermaid…? Racially they are fairly exclusive to Tritons 95%, with 5% Other Undersea Races. They are a racist people, but in a friendly sort of way. They consider themselves the pinnacle of thinking beings, but are not hostile or cruel to others due to differences. It is more like “If you’re not like me I find you interesting, but you’re a lesser being than I am.” This creates an odd tension with the surface world and other sea races. They are extremely chaotic in nature. Not in a destructive way, but in a “This no longer interests me” sort of way. So much so that they can fluidly change their gender if they want to. Most believe this to be a product of their environment, as the area they call home is prone to change. Religiously they worship of Lord of the Waves, the Great Flow of Life. Basically it is their watery view of The Maker. Their government is Dynastic in concept but their strange whimsical nature causes it not to be long lived as far as passing it down to family members. Currently they are led by Mad King Odexes, who loves to declare incoming festivities, but never sets a date or time for them. Then they just happen, to the delight of his people. Their economy is mostly needs based Oceanic Harvesting with Limited Defensive Industry. They are fierce warriors and have a strong sense of personal rights and wrongs that flow over to others in their society, but having written laws has never really connected with them. Their overall attitude has become “We embrace the Sea. It is constant and constantly unpredictable.”
History: The Triton Kingdom of Juturem is a cultural “abnormality” by most of the surface world’s reckoning. Their territory covers almost the entirety of the Sea of Fangs, spread out in small settlements in the stable areas where the Spear Coral, for which the Sea gained its name, does not grow. It is a stretch of water reaching from just North of Dragon Maw Bay all the way to the Sea of Broken Glass. In most of the Ocean there is a general flow of currents that is steady and predictable, even if it does change by the seasons, but the Sea of Fangs is rather unique due to it ever changing underwater landscape. While it does not typically effect the currents, the local waters are a constantly evolving maze of underwater ebbs and flows.
And so the Tritons have grown to embrace the wildness of their surroundings. Creating for themselves a culture of curiosity and whims that seems counter to their militant stoic nature. The only laws are the laws that work today. The laws of the past are as impractical as building your dwellings on the ever shifting coral. They are literally gender fluid, not just in tastes, but in the ability to transform their sex when the need, or desire, or whim arises. Commitment is binding until the situation declares it otherwise. One would think that this would cause rampamt internal conflict, but oddly enough change is so rooted in their culture that there is usually agreement in regard to the need for a new course. Bartering and negotiation are second nature to Tritons and they are often willing to make sacrifices simply to enable any change they believe positive.
Unless, of course, that direction harms their people or the sea itself. The Tritons of Juturem see themselves as the shield and weapons of the Krakens and other ancient Sea Beings that claim ownership of their waters. They do not tolerate outsiders who seek to pillage their waters or disrupt the natural course of the sea. Some time ago there was a great conflict with the Silver Kingdoms when the Dwarves of Silver Gate widened and deepened the Canal leading into Chamburg. This work angered the Tritons so fiercely that they intended to wipe out every coastal city in their territory and beyond. Were it not for an outbreak of war with the Sahuagins that also live in the Sea of Fangs they would have likely done so, but the people of Chamsburg offered them aid in the war in return for allowing them to finish the canal. Once negotiations started the Tritons were hard pressed to refuse, they needed the help and well the sea brings change.
Currently: The Tritons are currently led by the Mad King Odexes, whose decrees change as frequently as the weather in Riogchald. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Silver Kingdoms, Chamsburg #### Summary Chamsburg is a country with a tumultuous history. It has seen the heights of cultural unity and the depths of fractured peace. The Three Kingdoms of the Northern Crater once functioned in perfect unity and harmony. But that was a long time ago. Chamsburg has teetered on the verge of complete collapse since the destruction of the Red Peak Mountains, when the Storm Lord died, during the War of the Pentad.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally they feel very German - **Terrain Type:** Diverse landscape varying from snow capped mountains to thick bog riddled swamps - **Racial Breakdown:** 70% Human, 10% Elven, 5% Halfling, 5% Dwarven, 5% Gnome, 5% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Once a nation racial equality, but that has changed over the years and is now something akin to - Humanity first. Followed by Dwarves and Elves and those little guys that farm. - **Government:** The Kinship is typically hereditary, but Wegner, a wealthy noble, eliminated the last of the previous ruling family, and claimed the Throne for his family. He has a nasty reputation for brutality and is well known to be a merciless man. - **Religion:** They adhere to a harsh Liturgical Monotheism which heavily supports their Kingship. - **Economy:** Theeconomy could be better, although it is not completely broken. The nation relies on each settlement doing well with the resources near it, and the people endure heavy taxation. - **Alignment:** Lawful Evil, They are a nation that takes laws seriously. Perhaps too seriously. Minor infractions are met with public punishment, and anything considered even mildly serious carries a penalty of a lifetime of hard labor and is often executable. Both the government and the church address the philosophy of obedience the same. - **Philosophy:** Obedience brings life. Obey the Crown. Obey the Maker. They are one in the same. - **Current Leader:** King Isaac Wegner, First of his Line #### Historically Also known as The Northern Crater, Chamsburg is a younger country on Krenshad. Over the years there had been multiple attempts to traverse the mountains and settle the region. A combination of deadly environments, a lack of good route over the mountains cutting off steady supply lines and and no safe waterways access through the Sea of Fangs caused all attempts to colonize the Northern Crater to fail.
Then about 300 years ago Adolf Von'Chamsen's merchant fleet discovered a safe route through the Sea of Fangs which led to a pass through the mountains. This discovery paired itself with the rise of the Black Sunrise cult, and the Kren Invasion of Cetnovia. These events became known as the Sunset Wars. To stop the Black Sunrise, the Balinovian branch of the Order helped Von'Chamsen fund a massive expedition to the Crater under the guise of colonization. So coincidental was the timing of the events that there are some who speculate that it was no coincidence at all. The Expedition defeated the Black Sunrise and united the people groups indigenous to the Crater under the Von'Chamsen Banner.
At the close of the conflict Adolf Von'Chamsen II, with support of the Dwarves of the Silver City and Men of the Plains was crowned King and named the Northern Crater - Chamsburg. The Von'Chamsens ruled in ever increasing prosperity for over a century until an assassination wiped them out. The event was magically hidden from the people for decades until a group of adventurers revealed the truth during the Nameless Crisis. The land came then to be ruled by a council of three. The Crown of Stone, The Crown of Forest, and the Crown of the Land.
For years Chamsburg remained the most isolated and most dangerous of the nations on Krenshad. Centuries of colonization and still there were still many areas almost completely untamed and unsettled. The crater is supremely rich in natural resources, easing some of the pain of isolation. There was little poverty and much wealth. Dwarven engineers had opened the Southern Channel and built a road through the mountains to Balinovia, but both trips were long and depending on the time of year, arduous. Their inclusiveness of races had forged them into friendly and peaceful people when it comes to dealing with others, and they enjoyed a very cooperative relationship with their Balinovian neighbors with whom they did almost all of their outside commerce.
That came to a screeching halt the day the Storm Lord Destroyed the Red Peak Mountains. The magical explosion caused by the event shattered the mountains on the South Eastern border where the tunnel to Balinovia lay. The blast sent large debris as far as Northern Port of Persistence. Countless Thousands died in the aftermath and the geography of the land was forever changed.
Since that time the country has continually crumbled. The Elves were the first to withdraw from the unification and gathered in the far north. They venture out to trade but warn outsiders to not approach their borders, which they protect ferociously and many who do not heed those warnings simply disappear. The Dwarves, although far less murderous in the defense of their home, have barred the entrances to the city of Silver Gate to any non citizens, and most have retreated into the mountains. Chamsburg, the human side of the nation continues to attempt to rebuild. But constant infighting over resources has hampered any real hope to restore their nation.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Currently They are led by King Isaac Wegner, a wealthy nobel, who claimed the crown out of the very clutches of King Sebastian Olbrich while he begged for his life. He is responsible for killing the entire royal family. King Wegner does not answer the pleas of those who beg. He has also leveraged the Church as a weapon against the people. To disobey the Crown is to disobey god. Either offense is punishable by dismemberment and death. #### Notable Locations - **Bastion’s Rise:** Centuries ago the final battle of the Black Sunrise Crisis was fought here in the valley. Thousands of The Order’s most stalwart champions, including several Bastions. A memorial to their sacrifices was erected here in their honor. The memorial has a protective aura that lasted through the Weave Drought and kept them safe from the Plague of Worms. It is technically part of the Kingdom but operates more like an independent City State. - **The Wash Lands:** The land here is riddled with deep canyons that have been carved out of the rock by the numerous flash floods that unpredictably rush down the mountainsides. The frequent storms that crash up against the mountains drop an enormous amount of precipitation that causes the floods. The canyons are rife with caverns and creatures that take advantage of the devastation caused in The Wash. - **The Wooded Fields:** The serene plains and fields are dotted with small patches of trees and light forests. The land here is extremely fertile and home to both farmers and a few remaining tribes of plainsmen. - **The Valley of Giants:** this long river valley is home to the Goliath Tribes of the North and to the Giant-Kin that call the mountains here home. Clans of ogres and flocks of Trolls live higher up in the foothills and often come down to cause trouble for the Goliaths. Higher still there are true giants that live here, though their numbers have thinned significantly over the years. - **Drakthar’s Throat:** This was once an impassable passage overgrown by the Fang Coral coming up from the Sea of Fangs. The Dwarves of SIlver Gate Spent a decade mining out the channel. It takes it’s name from the lead engineer who died in the process during a dam breech. - **Black Water Bay:** At one time this bay was a vast swamp. It was flooded after the the calamity caused by the Storm Lord during the War of the Pentad. - **Kelwrenn’s Tower:** This Mage’s Tower was constructed by the Gnome Mage Kelwrin Gloginxpizixl. Kelwrin traveled to the Astral Sea years ago in search of some missing friends and has yet to return. The tower is managed by fellow gnomes from Silver Gate. \column :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: - **The Ruins of Dehur-orhim:** Some time ago an Ancient Dwarven City was found in the passes of the mountains here. Filled with riches and history it was plundered by the Dragon Cult, and very little of that treasure was ever recovered. It is now a dangerous ruin that attracts adventures who return empty handed, if they return at all. - **Black Raven Circle:** The Black Raven’s are one of the more powerful Druid Circles on the continent. They have a number of Holds in the forests of the North. This being one of the larger gatherings. - **The Red Beacon & Crimson Crater:** When the Storm Lord's plan to return the world to a Primal Paradise literally blew up in his face it created this crater. The Adventuring group The Crimson Brands were mostly responsible for stopping him, thus the name. The Red Beacon, an impressive arcane lighthouse built from the local red granite, was constructed shortly after the cataclysm caused by the War. - **Red Peak and Black Spire:** These two tall mountains once flanked a narrow passage that was the only roadway into the Valley. They are named after the colorization of the rock that can be found there. There are numerous legends surrounding each mountain, everything from blood stained cliffs to the beating black heart of the Deceiver himself. ### Adventures in Chamsburg ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/FAEwSJU.jpg) {position:absolute;top:20px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Silver Kingdoms, Silver Gate #### Summary
Silver Gate is likely the oldest Dwarven Kingdom on the Continent. It would likely be a dominant force in the Realms were it not for the wars with local goblins that have lasted for over a thousand years. If something doesn’t change for them soon. The light of their nation will soon be extinguished.
- **Cultural Motif:** They feel very Traditional German, with a lot of Wolf Imagery - **Terrain Type:** A mountainous kingdom with far reaching underground network of tunnels and ruins. - **Racial Breakdown:** 80% Dwarves, 9% Gnomes, 1% Other - **Racial Tensions:** They are a bit racist, unless you’ve come to fight and die with them. Then you’re almost as true as any Dwarf. - **Government:** They govern themselves through a combination of Hereditary Kingship and Military Leadership when there is no sitting King. Their current leader is Axe Master Jorus Bristlebeard, as there is no living King and no one has bothered to claim the throne. They are too busy trying to survive. - **Religion:** Their religious practices are a Stoic flavored Liturgical Monotheism. The church plays a large part in the social lives of the Dwarves, and it is rare to find one who doesn’t have a strong unshakable faith. - **Economy:** They’ve lost so much, there is no economy. They trade anything and everything for what they need to continue the war with the goblins. - **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral, They are a people with solid laws and practice, but being on the brink of utter destruction kind of makes laws and economy moot. Everything here is about survival. - **Philosophy:** They’ve developed a fatalistic philosophy that does not allow them to relent. They believe.society is colored by traditions. But it is built on the blood of sacrifice. - **Current Leader:** Axe Master Jorus Bristlebeard #### History
Most find it odd that the banner of Silver Gate bears the imagery of a wolf. For most folks that seems rather un-Dwarvish. But like all things Dwarven, there is a story. The Dwarf and Gnome Kingdom of Silvergate is one of the oldest civilizations on Krenshad. It at one time consisted of a network of cities and highways that spread both under and over the Silver Spine Mountains and surrounding wildernesses in the North Eastern Crater. In ages past they were a jewel of culture. Masters of all the claimed. And then the Goblin Wars.
For three centuries the Dwarves were continually assaulted by waves of goblin armies that seemingly had no end. They collapsed large portions of their cities down around their enemies hoping to stop their relentless advances. It did not. Eventually the Dwarves were pushed almost completely to the surface onto a large plateau near the peak of mouth Frendilbar, there they were able to hold the goblins off long enough to construct an impenetrable wall of magical steel. They call it the Shield Wall, and upon it are fastened thousands of shields representing the Dwarves, Gnomes, and Clans that were lost to them. The goblins have never completely left the Dwarves alone but as they continued to build up their defenses the war devolved into a standoff. Eventually, this area became the City of Silver Gate.
It rose to power once again during the Sunset Wars when an elderly Dwarf by the name of Kharnos fell into the pages of history. During an adventure with members of the Order known as The Zoo, he was inflicted with Lycanthropy. Kharnos had lost much in his travels and now afflicted he was in the depths of despair. He was planning to take his own life before the disease fully took him, but they discovered something. The lost Tombs of the Silver Kings. There was a story, shared over Dwarven memory, that the first Kings of the Mountain too were infected with the spirit of the wolf, and that only one of their line who was willing to bear the curse could lift their crown. But the tombs had been lost during the wars, but now… were found…
Kharnos claimed the crown and led his people to victory over the forces of the Black Sunrise as the cult marched on SIlver Gate. Reinvigorated by the wolf, he then led the Dwarves off to war with the Von Chamsens under the banner of The Silver-Fang. When the war was won Kharnos returned to his home and his people thrived. For the first time in centuries they didn’t just exist. For the next 200 years his family led the people. Then his grandson Kharfrin began reclaiming their lost tunnels, and in the deep he angered a sleeping terror. Illithids. Kharfrin was lost in darkness and shadow and then once again the line of the Silver Kings came to a close.
After the Nameless Crisis in Chamsburg they withdrew for the Treaty of Crowns and proclaimed their friendship to the Elves and Humans but also their independence. Being up in the mountains saved them the catastrophe caused by the tidal waves created when the Storm Lord died, but they were not spared the earth quakes. Much of their city came tumbling down and the Shield Wall was badly damaged. They were still repairing it when the Goblins surged through. Were it not for the timely arrival of the Silver Song Elves the Dwarves would have been slain to the very last. Silver Gate took no further part in the War of the Pentad.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} Just when they started to rebuild they were once again devastated, this time by the Plague of Worms. The disease swept through the city quickly, killing three quarters of their people. They say that the smoke from the funeral pyres could be seen as far south as Balinovia. Then the Weave Drought... The magic of the Shield Wall failed and the Goblins once again returned. They pushed the remaining Dwarves across the mile long bridge connecting Silver Gate to their memorial Island out in the Silver Sea. From there Gnome Engineers collapsed The Bridge of Heroes and sent tens of thousands of Goblins plummeting to their deaths. The goblins withdrew and the people of Silvergate had survived another day.
#### Currently Led by Axe Master Jorus Bristlebeard they have fortified the Memorial Island, and have attempted to further collapsed what they could of the tunnels. They now sit waiting for the goblins to return. It isn’t a matter of if, but when. They have been offered refuge in numerous Dwarven homes across the continent, but refuse to leave. Bristlebeard still leads them and daily asks if anyone would like to flee. None ever do. #### Notable Locations - **The Silver Stand:** There is a solitary mountain island sitting in the Silver Sea separated from the mainland by a quarter mile channel. Upon this rock the Dwarves built a great monument to their past that later became something of a museum and eventually their last stronghold against the Goblins. From here they have fortified the island and brace for the goblins final assault. - **The Silver Pine Forest:** This ancient forest of silver tinted fir trees covers a wide band of the Northern Crater. There is a peaceful quality to the woods that is fairly deceiving. The forest is actually quite dangerous and rumored to be home to a number of Lycanthrope clans. - **The Valley of Giants:** this long river valley is home to the Goliath Tribes of the North and to the Giant-Kin that call the mountains here home. Clans of ogres and flocks of Trolls live higher up in the foothills and often come down to cause trouble for the Goliaths. Higher still there are true giants that live here, though their numbers have thinned significantly over the years. - **Black Raven Circle:** The Black Raven’s are one of the more powerful Druid Circles on the continent. They have a number of Holds in the forests of the North. This being one of the larger gatherings. \column ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: - **The Galnea Forest & Rotwood:** The Galnea lay over some rocky foothills to the East of The Silver Pine. It is a dark and foreboding place filled with ancient trees, sad memories, and dangerous creatures. Once home to a thriving Kingdom of Wood Elves something catastrophic befell them. There is little trace left of their culture now though some ruins still stand near Crescent Lake. Sown in the South East corner is The Rot Wood. A festering bog haunted by angry spirits. - **Kelwren's Tower:** When the valley was colonized and settled during the Black Sunrise Crisis one of the heroes that arose to champion goodness was Kelwren Tixiplirk, a Gnome illusionist of great skill. After the wars he settled here and built this tower to be a home for gnome mages and artificers. He disappeared in the Astral Sea looking for some friends that went missing, but his legacy remains to this day. ### Adventures in Silver Gate ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/FAEwSJU.jpg) {position:absolute;top:20px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### Silver Kingdoms, Silver Song #### Summary Silver Song is an Elven kingdom that has almost fully withdrawn from other nations. It is unknown what the current state of their culture is, but there are hints and clues as to what has happened beyond the Silver Falls.
- **Cultural Motif:** Culturally they have an Aristocratic German feel, and tend to come off quite haughty and snooty - **Terrain Type:** Rushing rivers, Deep Valleys, High Mountains, and Thick Pine Forests - **Racial Breakdown:** 99% Elves 1% Other - **Racial Tensions:** They are not cruel to other races, but it doesn’t take long to realize that they think Elves are superior and no one else matters. Even among their own kind they are a bit prickly as there is a noticeable cultural difference between the different subraces of Elves that reside here. - **Government:** They are a Queenship. It is still believed to be Queen Mylaela Liacyne on the throne. She is known to be a fair and just leader. However, since the closing of their borders no one is sure who is in charge. - **Religion:** They are a deeply religious people, practicing a Nature Themed Liturgical Monotheistic style of worship. - **Economy:** Internally sufficient nature based industry and communal economy - **Alignment:** They tend to approach the world from a very neutral stance, falling back on the cycles of nature as a guide for their daily lives as well as their philosophies and worldview. - **Philosophy:** Nature is our master. She is both beautiful and brutal, which are one in the same. - **Current Leader:** Queen Mylaela Liacyne
#### History
Silver Song itself, isn’t very old at all, but traditionally it rivals Silver Gate in time. Their history is shared by the Wood and High Elves of the Northern Crater. Long ago the Northern forests were home to a vast Nation of Tribal Wood Elves, and a smaller but more settled nation of High Elves. Their holdings spread across all the crater North of The Wash Lands, save that which the Dwarves claimed in the Silver Spine Mountains. They were nations bound together as spouses would be. And then the unthinkable happened.
A warlock made a pact with beings from beyond our sphere, and the Black Sunrise cult was born. This warlock cursed the High Elves, and one by one they all magically aged and died. Hoping to outlast the curse they enacted a desperate plan. They turned themselves to stone, but the plan failed. By time they were discovered during the Von Chamsens expedition there was no bringing their culture back. The Wood Elves, devastated by the loss of their Kin withdrew deeper into the Forests and were not seen for a thousand years. They were drawn out by the conflict between the Order and the Black Sunrise and brought against the cult by their arch druid Dellorouis of The Crescent Moon. They remained allies of the other settlements in the valley and did join the Treaty of Crowns.
After the Nameless Crisis the Wood Elves, began to take back the valley in which the High Elves once dwelt. Now the territory of Giants, they called for aid to the Dwarves who happily swept up the chance for battle and glory. Which proved fortunate for them when the favor was returned during the Goblin Wars. After a handful of years the Elves reclaimed the valley and resettled it into the city of Silver Song.
They sang to the trees and the lands reshaping them into a glorious domain that fills those who travel there with awe and wonder. Five rivers rush down from the mountains, their waters singing over rocks and dashing between the three hundred foot tall silver tinted pines. The rivers converge in a central lake before tumbling down a two hundred foot waterfall to the south. At the center of this lake grows a singular silver pine tree that towers some six hundred feet about the others. “I’Celeb’Manis” The Silver Spire can be seen from most high points South of their lands for miles.
But few, if any travelers visit. The Elves became aware of the Plague of Worms before it found its way to their land and shut the rest of the world out. Other than flight, or a deadly climb through the mountains, the only known entrance to the valley is through a maze of caverns behind the waterfall that the elves refer to as “Tel’Avae’ya” The Way of Refinement. This entrance is said to be guarded by more than just the elves. Rumors persist of a great scaled beast and screaming spirits that haunt the tunnels.
#### Currently
The Weave Drought was particularly difficult on them. The darkening of The Silver Spire is the major indication that things beyond the falls have nt gone well. The elves still man their outpost just south of the falls at “Guardian Rock”, but the only thing they share with outsiders are warnings to move along or arrows in the neck. Before the Plague their last leader was Queen Mylaela Liacyne, her reign dating back to before the coming of the Von Chamsens. She is said to have been a fair and just ruler, albeit a little cold of heart, but with the lives of Elves dramatically shortened it is hard to say who now sits on the throne. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Notable Locations - **The Silver Song Valley:** This valley has been magically shaped by Elven Druids and represents their natural but controlled way of life. Five rivers pour down from the mountains forming a great lake with a singular island up which their great tree, I'Celeb'Manis or in common The Silver Spire, sits at the center. Their civilization is built around, upon, and underneath it. - **The Silver Stand:** There is a solitary mountain island sitting in the Silver Sea separated from the mainland by a quarter mile channel. Upon this rock the Dwarves built a great monument to their past that later became something of a museum and eventually their last stronghold against the Goblins. From here they have fortified the island and brace for the goblins final assault. - **The Silver Pine Forest:** This ancient forest of silver tinted fir trees covers a wide band of the Northern Crater. There is a peaceful quality to the woods that is fairly deceiving. The forest is actually quite dangerous and rumored to be home to a number of Lycanthrope clans. - **The Valley of Giants:** this long river valley is home to the Goliath Tribes of the North and to the Giant-Kin that call the mountains here home. Clans of ogres and flocks of Trolls live higher up in the foothills and often come down to cause trouble for the Goliaths. Higher still there are true giants that live here, though their numbers have thinned significantly over the years. - **Black Raven Circle:** The Black Raven’s are one of the more powerful Druid Circles on the continent. They have a number of Holds in the forests of the North. This being one of the larger gatherings. - **The Galnea Forest & Rotwood:** The Galnea lay over some rocky foothills to the East of The Silver Pine. It is a dark and foreboding place filled with ancient trees, sad memories, and dangerous creatures. Once home to a thriving Kingdom of Wood Elves something catastrophic befell them. There is little trace left of their culture now though some ruins still stand near Crescent Lake. Sown in the South East corner is The Rot Wood. A festering bog haunted by angry spirits. - **Kelwren's Tower:** When the valley was colonized and settled during the Black Sunrise Crisis one of the heroes that arose to champion goodness was Kelwren Tixiplirk, a Gnome illusionist of great skill. After the wars he settled here and built this tower to be a home for gnome mages and artificers. He disappeared in the Astral Sea looking for some friends that went missing, but his legacy remains to this day. \column ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ### Adventures in Silver Song ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/FAEwSJU.jpg) {position:absolute;top:20px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### The Stolregard Barony #### Summary
Stolregard was once a crown jewel of the Continent, but has fallen on desperate times. Environmentally they have been cut off from the rest of the world except for one struggling seaport in the North. They are now little more than a string of failing settlements and the Barony is on the verge. Of renewal or utter ruin… that’s anyone’s guess.
- **Cultural Motif:** As a cultural reference the Barony is really a mix of Quaint Rural Central European. - **Terrain Type:** Thick ancient oak forests split by deep valleys, creeks, and river dells in the North and swampy rotting boglands to the South. - **Racial Breakdown:** 70% Humans, 10% Elves, 10% Dwarves, 10% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Although tensions have grown quite a bit over the past few decades and the different races have for the most part formed their own little communities. - **Government:** The government is a royalty with the sitting royals titled Baron or in the Current case Baroness, Maya Snowbrooke, Grandaughter of Skylar Snowbrook, hero of the Pentad War. - **Religion:** They have all but abandoned the idea of true monotheism and instead have embraced Otherworldly Spiritist Mysticism and Gypsy like Supersticion. - **Economy:** Minimal economy exists basically just enough to survive. The people of Stolregard struggle daily to meet ends meet and receive little to no help from their crown, but they also do not suffer under a heavy burden of tax either. - **Alignment:** Maya is an indifferent leader, and it shows, there isn't any real enforcement of standard laws. They exist, but no one really enforces them. Each village and locality has become by and large self governing, or in many cases, governed by something powerful lurking nearby. - **Philosophy:** Stolregard is a hot spot for weird things. Planar Convergences and Fey Influences which fuel the local’s superstitious behaviors. And for good reason, the area has long been plagued with strange abnormalities. They have developed the attitude that “One should speak little evil for evil is always listening, or little good for evil is always listening.” - **Current Leader:** Baroness Maya Snowbrooke
#### History
Once a thriving part of Cetnovia, The Barony was founded long ago after land and title for the Eastern forests of Cetnovia were granted to Deleran Callington as reward for stopping the Kren Empire from using the Throne of Bones to dominate Cetnovia. Callington and his band of adventurers “somehow” managed to thwart a much superior force of Kren soldiers. (The truth is they were aided by another party who were time traveling and searching for a way to stop Orcus during the War of the Pentad). Callington’s group became national heroes and are all still celebrated, even in these dark times. Now one might get the idea that Callington and company “lucked” their way into glory, and while that may be true in regard to the Throne of Bones, they time and again proved themselves capable people and excellent leaders.
At the time the forests Callington was titled were wild and dangerous. Cetnovia was by and large a land of rolling hills dotted with patchy trees. The thick gray oak forests laying at the feet of the Stolregard Mountains were both foreboding to behold and troublesome in reputation. The group, secretly knowing pieces of their own future, mastered the land they had been given and in doing so founded one of the most idyllic cities on the continent, Deleran’s Crossing. Built on a river island and a series of dells deep in the heart of the Gray Wood, Deleran’s Crossing grew and thrived. That was no easy challenge however. The land was riddled with pockets of angry Fey creatures and had more than its fair share of monsters lurking in the deep dark of the forests.
However, Deleran and his followers overcame the challenges, and soon discoveries of rich and unique resources in the hills and mountains brought even more attention to The Barony. It became a travel destination for the wealthy and where the wealthy go, artisans are soon to follow. To say that The Barony flourished would be an understatement. In a small span of years the little forest settlement grew from hundreds to thousands. Other towns we founded and soon The Storegard Barony was a small nation inside of a nation.
But not all was “perfection” in The Barony. The area is notorious for Magical Convergences, which while typically unnoticeable nuisances have been powerful enough to rewrite the history of the area and in one case the entire Sphere. The Callingtons, who held the ruling seat for hundreds of years, were a family plagued with tragedy. Deleran Callington himself was slain fighting a Blue Dragon that had taken up residence in the mountains. Others of his line were assassinated. One lost at sea. And near the end of their rule the line was afflicted with the curse of “The Unliving”. Through it all they were beloved rulers, for the most part, who did right by their people, and often at great personal cost.
During the Pentad War, Cetnovia was torn apart and the Southern half was pulled into the Realms of Terror. The Barony was nearly destroyed by a tidal wave that came crashing their way as the sea rushed in to fill the now empty space. The Arch Mages Pieter Bonniet and Algren the Goblin, members of Callington’s original adventuring party, combined their considerable might to erect a magical barrier, and diverted the water. The strain of the effort killed Bonniet and left Algren shattered emotionally and physically. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}}
This saved the Stolregards, but contributed to the flooding of the Lavender Plains, Cetnovia’s bread basket, and killed tens of thousands. The Lavender Plains are now a stretch of sea, rarely deeper than six feet at High Tide and known as The Bay of Shallow Graves. The Southern area filled in with sea water, which lays almost perfectly still. No waves, no wind, no life. That area has become known as The Void Waters. With the Void Water to the south and the Bay of Shallow Graves to the North, travel in and out of the Stolregards became difficult. It was at this time that Cetnovia and The Barnoy separated. They remained close allies, as they were ruled by the same family, but the division marks the moment when the Barony began to truly wither.
Both the Barony and Cetnovia were later dealt a major blow by The King of Worms. Who first planned the assassination of the current Barron Esmet the IV, and then launched the undead attack that killed Cetnovia and the Barony’s rulers along with many other powerful heroes. The attack devastated the land and began the Plague of Worms. The Barony had not even begun to recover from the Plague when the Weave Drought hit. Deleran’s Crossing and many of the other settlements in Stolregard had come to deeply rely on Magic as a cornerstone of their society. Without it the nation began to fall apart.
Forty years later and still recovering from its wounds, some a century old, The Barony struggles more than any nation on Krenshad. They are surrounded on all sides by reminders of tragedy and malicious beings, many of which held at least some of their dark powers through the Drought. The Convergences that plagued it also took a darker tone, and what was once a strange source of natural strength, now caused the forests and dells to darken and twist. The Gray Wood is now a haunt for wicked things that love darkness and love to bring it upon others even more. The people there still attempt to cling to culture and life, but living in the Barony is like breathing while slowly being strangled. Sooner or later you just give up. It is a place desperate for any hope and desperately awaiting a savior. The once mighty land is now little more than a string of failing settlements and forgotten villages. The Barony is on the verge of utter ruin… or perhaps renewal… Which it is, is anyone’s guess, but a betting soul would put their coin on ruin.
**Currently:** Still recovering from its wounds, some a century old, The Barony struggles more than any nation on Krenshad. Surrounded on all sides by reminders of tragedy, many of which still held at least some of their dark powers through the Drought. The Convergences that plagued it also took a darker tone, and what was once a strange source of natural strength, now caused the forests and dells to darken and twist. They are now a haunt for wicked things that love darkness and love to bring it upon others even more. The people there still attempt to cling to culture and life, but living in the Barony is like breathing while slowly being strangled. Sooner or later you just give up. It is a place desperate for any hope and desperately awaiting a savior. ::::: If you're interested, we published a guide for Deleran's Crossing, the capital of Stolregard. You can find it here [Town of Tragedy](https://www.patreon.com/posts/62746174) \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ### The Kingdom of Thivas #### Summary
If any nation on Krenshad has maintained the “adventuring spirit” it is Thivas. A diverse country of both landscape and people that prides itself on great and glorious deeds. They are often reckless and foolhardy… but they have done some of the most amazing things.
- **Cultural Motif:** They resemble Classical Greek with a portion of Hun Empire. They excel at both naval exploration and horse mounted combat. - **Terrain Type:** - **Racial Breakdown:** 50% Humans, 20% Dwarves, 10% Elves, 20% Other - **Racial Tensions:** Racially they are extremely diverse and they put emphasis on deeds rather than race. - **Government:** This ideology translates into the government as well. They in theory have a Kingship, but the current King or Queen can be dethroned at any time if someone else does a feat considered new and more amazing. So the culture is in a constant race of advancement through adventure. - **Religion:** They do not necessarily worship a supreme being, but instead idolize heroes of the past who have done great things and in their minds become everlasting. - **Economy:** Their economy is strange, and often their people are not well cared for as those who could care for needs have perished in some foolhardy adventure. - **Alignment:** Chaotic Good, The fervor by which the culture approaches acts of courage gives them a very chaotic sense of law and order as they are often cheating and sabotaging one another in order to get ahead, although for the most part this is done in a competitive fashion and not a malicious one. - **Philosophy:** They also consider accomplishing great deeds as a mark that the gods have noticed the individual and thus made them more important. It makes them a thriving but unbalanced society. - **Current Leader:** King Horasiu Macek
#### History
Thivas always felt a little outside of the Kren Empire, which it had been part of for hundreds of years. Most of the Empire is Arid Grassland and Deserts, but Thivas is green and forested. So while like other Kren Territory they adopted a way of life that centered around heroic conquest with spear and shield, they developed a day to day culture and sensibilities of their own.
When the War of the Firstborn came to a close and the Emperor sailed across the sea to the south. Thivas simply staked its territory out with her neighbors and continued living. They watched from a distance as Kevasto and Elinos began to war with one another. They were wondered and inspired when Oranimus began to suddenly matter. When Runir Uspir rose up from the very earth they were shocked and awed. But it took them decades to figure out who they were without the Empire.
They began to develop an identity that focused on those among them they considered heroes. The culture turned from the notion of conquest of land and celebrated conquests of great deeds. They focused on education, arts, and of course adventure. Legends and tales were pursued with great fervor. Treasure seeking became something of a national pastime. Adventurers would hunt down great beasts and bring back trophies worthy of song. Ships were built and explorers embarked on expeditions out into the unknown. They began to see it first as a diving calling, and later as a way to achieve a form of divinity itself.
They are led by either a King or Queen and a Council of Heroes. These individuals are always among the most revered in the society, and their deeds must be verified. They may have found the greatest treasures. Killed the most dangerous creatures. Sailed to the furthest places. Or even gained the most secret knowledge. Once a deed is verified the individual is brought into the Council of Heroes, and they elect from among themselves the Hero most worthy to hold the title of Queen or King. It is often a messy and embattled process that has often ended in blood or an impossible quest, which to be fair, usually ends in blood. They also do not always play fair. Winning is the goal, and while murder is considered cowardly as it ends the competition, sabotage… well… that is another matter entirely. Once Crowned the ruler is treated as though their voice is divine, at least until a worthy challenge can be made against them.
They do not favor war, but as their neighbors know they are ferocious warriors. Skilled with Spear and Shield as well as marvelous horsemen the Thivians could likely conquer the entire North if they wanted to. But they do not consider war to be overly heroic, more of a necessity and duty. Heroes are those who chose to seek out glory, and not often those forced into soldiery, this can be done in war, but the blood soaked soil of the battlefield is fertile land for bravery but not necessarily glory.
Both The Plague of Worms and The Weave Drought affected Thivias much like any other afflicted nation, but the Thivians dealt with it internally somewhat differently. The calamities simply became another challenge to be conquered. People die overcoming hardships, that is the way of things. How they die proves their worth. And a lot of them, just like any other place, died. But they pushed onward and continued doing what Thivians do, chase the next greatest challenges.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Currently
Thivians tend to be a selfish lot, although not necessarily out of greed for wealth, which they have no problem distributing among the less fortunate in their society. But glorious deeds are often snatched from the hands of rivals whose very presence causes the magnitude of the deed to be amplified. For example their current leader King Horasiu Macek, won the crown by racing his rival, Rozalia Troester, around the Globe. Macek gained the upper hand in the race by luring The Fisherman, a wandering Sea Giant of Titanic size, to the harbor where Rozalia’s had anchored for repairs. He had no doubt that Rozalia could escape the giant, as the fisherman was usually uninterested in people, but loved collecting ships. And besides, if somehow she managed to kill it, well then she was the worthy Ruler. As planned The Fisherman snatched up her vessel, shook out the sailors, and wandered back to sea. Horasiu returned to Thivas after seventy one days at sea, with dozens of trophies to prove the journey, and was crowned King. Rozalia has yet to return. #### Notable Locations
- **Crystal Bay:** This bay in the North of Thivas is not named for its clear waters. It is named for the thousands of blue-green light shedding crystals that have formed in its basin. These crystals cause the entire bay area to glow at night. Folk have attempted to harvest them for centuries with no success. The crystal the gather is still valuable but it stops glowing the moment it is removed from ground. Like the crystals in the Marsh these here attract or perhaps create strange and unique life forms. - **Crystal Marsh:** They call it a Marsh, and while it shares some of those characteristics, it is really something more unique. Large Crystal formations rise up out of the water around which swampy marshlands form. The area is home to some very unique creatures and plantlife. - **The Oracle's Shoal:** As the bay transforms back into typical stone it created a rocky shoal. It is said that within this shoal there lives a group of highly intelligent serpent like sea creatures. One of these creatures, the Oracle, is said to have been gifted with the ability to glimpse the future. - **The Iron Plains:** The rocky hard ground of the Iron Plains is an unforgiving and bleak savannah. The sun beats down ferociously withering all but the most hardy of plants. Thankfully Razor Grain grows with a little help from the farmers. In the West the Plains do allow some trees to grow, but in the east they dry up into rocky and empty desert. - **Tower of Mages:** One of the last existing Towers from the previous age of Wizardry. The Thivians treat it with suspicion but also protect it. They understand the value of magic and the power ot has. \column ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: - **The Gold Stone Channel:** Formerly the Gold Stone River, this waterway was widened during the Cataclysm. The river was a popular Gold Panning site for the Dwarves, but now is lost under the waters of the seas. It is a pastime of Dwarven Engineers to come up with new inventions to attempt to mine the bottom of the channel. - **The North Wall Archipelago:** This frozen chain of islands between the Frost Water Sea and the Sea of Glass is one of the most inhospitable places on the sphere. There are a few fishing and hunting villages that struggle to survive, but not much else. Except for the Dragon, sailors and locals alike have all claimed to have spotted a large White Scale Dragon flying off in the distance. - **Watcher's Spire:** Three of these towers were built around the continent just before the Weave Drought. Their purpose is somewhat unknown, though most believe they were created to watch Weave Based Cosmological Events such as Convergences. ### Adventures in Thivas ![Map](https://i.imgur.com/7c9T5pF.jpg) {position:absolute;top:20px;right:18px;width:100;height:37%} \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## CHAPTER 6 ### Special Locations
This is a list of interesting locations throughout Krenshad. It is divided into subcategories. Structures, Significant Geography, and Bodies of Water. There are many more on more localized maps, but these are the areas designated on the Continental Map. ### Bodies of Water
#### The Azure Ocean
A massive body of water that spans from the south of Krenshad all the way past the Azure Archipelago and the Compass Isles and beyond the Continents of Matawi and Matazul to the Southern Reach. Volumes could be written about the Azure Ocean and the lands it contains, but those details are better discussed in works dedicated more to those specific areas.
#### The Bay of Shallow Graves
When the Southern Half of Cetnovia was pulled into the Realms of Terror a massive tidal wave crashed across the farmlands of Cetnovia leaving The Bay of Shallow Graves in its aftermath. The water in the bay averages a depth of six feet at high tide leaving much of it exposed during low tides which makes travel by ship across it extremely difficult. Worse… it is rife with undead. As the spirits of those who died in the calamity are restless.
#### Corpse Water Straight
Corpse Water Straight was formed when the Storm Lord attempted to destroy the world, but was stopped by the Crimson Brands. As the Western half of the continent split open hundreds of thousands in Chamsbug and Northern Balinovia died. In the aftermath bodies floated in the newly formed straight until they rotted enough to sink. It is the fastest route to Chamsburg and the North from the Sea of Unity, but most sailors would rather stay clear of it if possible as it is considered one of the more haunted stretches of water. Which isn’t untrue, but the greater danger lies in the geography of the water and the Raiding ships of Riogchald. The water is consistently dark and murky with both rocks and ruins laying hidden just below the surface, and the consistent fog give the raiders who know the area quite well the upper hand. Whether from haunts, shipwrecks, or Raiders, the area is littered with wrecked and sunken vessels.
#### Dragon Maw Bay
Sitting at the southern edge of the Dragon Spine Mountains this bay is surrounded by jagged rocks and stony peaks giving it the look of a fanged mouth on maps… but that isn’t where it got its name. Legends tell of an ancient dragon like sea serpent that lairs here. It sleeps for decades at a time, and when it rouses from slumber spends the next year or so devouring and plundering both the seas and the shores. Of course no one has seen this serpent in centuries… but by and large sailors refuse to travel there unless the need is dire or the purse is heavy.
#### The Endless Ocean
The vast dark waters of the Endless Ocean lay off the Western Shores of Krenshad. Many have tried crossing it, but only a precious few have claimed to have succeeded and returned home. They tell tale of a strange inhospitable lands of fouled waters and barren mountain ranges covered in petrified trees.
#### Frost Water Straight
The Frost Water lies between the NorthEastern edge of the Continent and the North Wall Archipelago. Between the way the currents divide a large amount of geothermal activity below the surface the water is far warmer than one would expect. This causes a fair amount of humidity with icy fog being a normal weather phenomenon. Ice build up on vessels that travel through the Strait is a daily hazard with varying degrees of severity and sailors who ignore it quickly regret the decision. There are stories of a lost civilization below the waves, but there are large predators in the waters that keep most sane folk from traveling into the depths.
#### The Crimson Crater
The Crimson Crater was formed when the Storm Lord detonated the Elemental Stones in an effort to destroy the sphere. Shortly afterward it was discovered that the area riddled with rifts and portals leading to the elemental planes. Before he finally passed of old age, the Gnome Wizard Kelwren had a tower constructed on the western edge of the Crater and founded a group of Mages and Druids dedicated to keeping an eye on the activity in Crater.
#### The Malevolent Deep
The Malevolent Deep is aptly named, and the most dangerous stretch of water in the hemisphere. The area is thick with storms which circle toward the center where a massive Maelstrom pulls water in from above and pumps it out below in a never ending cycle. The Maelstrom long kept the Continets of Krenshad and Xiest from connecting until daring sailors from Xiest learned to navigate its edges and ride the currents until the water shoots them out on the other side. It is a dangerous trip but one that is made quite frequently. Common sailors give the Malevolent Deep a wide berth.
#### Crystal Bay
This bay in the North of Thivas is not named for its clear waters. It is named for the thousands of blue-green light shedding crystals that have formed in its basin. These crystals cause the entire bay area to glow at night. Folk have attempted to harvest them for centuries with no success. The crystal the gather is still valuable but it stops glowing the moment it is removed from ground.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### The Narrow Gambit
With sailors often seeking to avoid the Maleveloent Deep the Narrow Gambit becomes a tempting alternative. But with a swift current, sharp rocky shoals, and shallow reefs The Gambit is aptly named. The area has been traveled for hundreds of years and is littered with wrecks and warning markers helping to guide sailors away from hidden danger. It is also a point of pilgrimage for many of the more nefarious seafarers. They say a Hag dwells among the wrecks. She give crews her blessings in exchange for adequate tribute.
#### The Sea of Division
Once part of the Sea of Unity the Sea of Division was given its name after The War of the First Born split the Kren Empire. It is a relatively safe body of water in terms of sailing. However, the Sea is a favorite hunting ground for pirates from Dio Vouna and Kapsani.
#### The Sea of Fangs
Perhaps the most dangerous stretch of water on the Continent, The Sea of Fangs has claimed thousands of ships that dare to cross it. It is named for the Fanged Coral that grows there. It is a breed of coral that grows with a spectacular speed. Literally hundreds of feet in a minute. It shoots out of the water in a curved fang like spear that once it grows large enough snaps off and tumbles back into the ocean where it breaks down into silt and washes away until it reforms into another fang. Sailing the edge of the sea one can watch this happen dozens of times an hour. The coral is strong enough to easily puncture or crush ships. A few channels and passages have been discovered leading around the dangers, but those areas are home to Sauhagin who love nothing more than to raid passing ships and devour the sailors.
#### The Sea of Broken Glass
The Northernmost body of water on Taalist, The Sea of Broken Glass is named so for the way ice builds up here in massive sheets and then breaks off floating away to the south. These sheets are often startlingly clear and almost undetectable in the water. Ships that accidentally run into them could be sliced apart as easily as a hand running across broken glass.
#### The Sea of Unity
The Western Half of Krenshad’s inner sea. Named after the Order of the Cross brokered peace between the nations in 43 EOL. The peace didn’t last more than a few decades, but the name has remained to this day.
#### The Shrouded Sea
The Shrouded Sea has earned its name for the thick fog that builds up over the nights and dissipates in the late afternoon giving only a few hours of direct sunlight into the area. Few sail here, although Pirates often flee to this region to avoid pursuit.
: #### Three Sisters Sea
Before the calamities caused by The War of the Pentad, Three Sisters Sea was a body of freshwater known as Angel Lake. There are mixed stories as to who the Three Sisters are. Some say they were maidens betrothed to Kren Warriors who never returned from war and so they drowned themselves in the water. Other say that the Sisters represent guardian spirits who protect the waters. And there are some, some with good memories… who recall a trio of hags that almost blighted the entire area making way for the Nightmare Lord. But it was probably the maidens.
#### Turcin’s Well
A deep water crater formed when a Sorcerer King of old dared claim his power greater than The Maker’s. He and his people who supported him were quickly smote with a fiery mountain from the heavens. It was home to a Kraken, Havaricia the Ever Watching, before she was slain by Dangon of Dark Waters while defending the Merling city of Deep Light, during The War of the Pentad. Dagon claimed the area as his lair but was later slain here by Havaricia offspring Turcin the Deep Caller, The Crimson Brands, and The Seven Sevens. It is now home to Turcin who has assumed her mother’s role as Guardian of the Merling Kingdom of Chantrelle. The ruins of the older civilization can still be explored by those willing to barter with Turcin for permission.
#### The Void Waters
Not a naturally formed sea, the Void Waters came to be when Southern Cetnovia was ripped out of the Prime and taken into the Realms of Terror. There is a complete absence of natural order here. A Void if you will. There is no life. Nor is there weather. The currents of the waters and the wids in the air simply stop when they reach the Void. The only phenomenon that occurs is a thick mist that appears during the full moon. The edges can be sailed and are frequently. The center can be rowed across but very few of those who attempt to do so return. ### Significant Geography
#### Blood Marsh
Central Balinovia was once a forested land that was sprinkled with spring fed wetlands and flowering bogs. When the water from the Storm Lord’s demise crashed through the land it altered the landscape dramatically transforming it into a reeking swamp. Thousands died in the catastrophe and where the corpses rotted into the marsh strange crimson red carnivorous plants sprouted. These plants have the ability to mimic the form of the corpse they grew out of and will often plead for help if travelers are nearby. If the plat is killed it explodes in a shower of sticky red fluid similar to blood. When the “blood” settles a new plant will grow. The Blood Marsh is currently home to all manner of dark creatures and the territory is claimed by the Orcs of Adez-Ogg.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### The Chittering Wastes Crags, Canyons, and Ravines fill this red clay desert. Rising up out of the ground at regular intervals are the mounds and spires of the Thri-Kreen that make their home here. Although a number of different types of desert creatures still live here, the insectiods have stripped bare almost all of the organic material in the area to fuel their relentless expansion.
#### Dark Spire A towering dark black granite mountain on the southern edge of The Crimson Crater. Dark Spire has a bad reputation. The people of Chamsburg long avoided the area as it was where the Black Sunrise Cult almost succeeded in summoning an Elder God known as The Other to the sphere. The mountain is said to be filled with caverns and tunnels in which a long forgotten civilization once thrived.
#### The Galnea Forest Galnea is an ancient word that loosely translates to The Dreams of the Moon. The forest is old. Maybe the oldest on the Continent. It is plainly Fey Touched and also somewhat self aware. Druids who have attempted communication with the forest say that from what they can gather, the thoughts of the trees are clouded in mental fog and somewhat nonsensical, almost as if they were dreaming. Galena is a dangerous place, filled with dangerous creatures and other worldly threats. There are few mortals that travel here, save those deeply connected to nature and the Fey.
#### The Glowbog A sprawling low lying area North of the Riogchald River, the Glowbog is both feared and awed by Riogchaldeans living in the Highlands. It is clearly a place touched by the Fey. Fairy Folk, Bizarre Plants, Creatures and Wisps flourish in the environment. It is clearly dangerous but does not have an ominous feel to it. Just a non specific sense of reverential caution that travelers here experience. They describe it as a subconscious warning to do no harm to the swamp and those that live there. But that warning does not seem to carry over to the things that dwell in the swamp, who are under no such compulsion.
#### Goldwood Forest Like many places in the world Goldwood it is readily apparent where The Goldwood gets its name. Tall thin trees with golden leafed canopies grow here. They average one hundred feet in height and have a look similar to a seeding dandelion. They to do not grow thickly and allow much light to make its way to the forest floor, where the underbrush of a similar color pattern flourishes. The forest has the typicals dangers that woodlands hold, but there are two that stand out. The Giant Serpents that camouflage themselves almost perfectly in the trees, and the Wood Elves who after The War of the Firstborn grew tired of invaders into their lands.
#### Hell’s Breach A fire blasted and lava cracked nightmarish landscape covering a length of land that stretches along the edge of the southern half of the continent. It is an inhospitable and alien feeling landscape. Dangerous gasses leak up out of the ground that can kill a mortal before they even realize they are dying. Molten rock shoots up from the ground as water does in a geyser, of which there is also plenty, many of them shooting volatile acids high into the air. It is a land reminiscent of mortals worst fears in death, and a place where thousands of them have died. The War of the Pentad came to its end here, as did the lives of countless mortals and other beings.
#### The Ice Crown Mountains Many of the northern mountains are covered in ice, some year round, but none as spectacularly as the Ice Crown range. Almost always sitting under clear skies the ice that covers them is smooth and glossy, almost like a white metal. They can be seen from hundreds of miles away and in the daytime reflect the sun, appearing as if they have been polished by very hands of The Maker.
#### The Iron Plains The expansive and flat plains have reddish ground so hard and baked by the sun that land bears its name with good reason. Little but determined scrub brush and cactus type plants flourish here. There are scant few resources that mortals need to flourish found in the Iron Plains. And the few that are tend to attract predators waiting in hiding nearby for an easy meal to appear.
#### Paths of the Àrsaidh A small island caldera filled with giant trees lies along the Northern Edges of Krenshad. The trees here grow so thick and tight together that very little light makes its way down and the ground feels more like a cavernous labyrinth than a forest floor. Àrsaidh is home to the forest loving Firbolgs who make their homes up in the trees where the light still touches them. It is also home to many Druids who wander the roots and the branches. At the center of the forest is a ring of stones and a pool. It is said they hold great power for those who serve the natural order.
#### North Wall Archipelago A chain of mountainous islands that lay between the Frost Water and the Sea of Glass. There are Sea Elf ruins scattered about the islands for a kingdom long ago destroyed. It is a dangerous place where Frost Giants dwell and hunt. There is a Watcher’s Spire on one of the more Eastern islands. The Giants are wary of it and do not travel there.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Mad Billy’s Island Mad Billy’s Island could easily be dismissed as the standard type of tropical volcanic land mass. There is a settlement here, mostly a fishing village, but it also serves as an emergency port for ships if their captains’ know how to find it. There is a large tavern in the village called “Mad Billy’s” But that isn’t why the island is named as it is… although most believe that to be so. In a secret underwater cavern lies the Shrine of Blibdoolpoolp, a strange and enimagit sea being of great power. She has the body of a mortal woman and the head and claws of a lobster and prone to whimsical behaviour many would describe as madness. Crazy as she may be, she is powerful, and some denizens of the deep even worship her as a god. During the War of The Pentad Dagon began his siege of the sea here. Throughout the war she often gave aid to those fighting against Dagon and the Pentad. After his defeat she returned home. It is said that if you can gain the friendship of Blibdoolpoolp, you descendants will always have the blessing of the sea… or at least her version of those blessings… which you may or may not want… and may or may not turn you into a Kuo-Toa…
#### Red Peak The tallest mountain in the Red Granite Mountain Range that border the Eastern side of the Northern Crater. Red Peak was once quite difficult to get to. Now with the Crimson Crater having blasted away the mountains in the area passage is quite a bit easier. Red Peak is home to a tribe of Red Tinted Stone Giants who were not necessarily happy that their back yard exploded.
#### The Round In the very early days of the War of the Pentad, the Green Tower, home to mages that focused on the Natural Order of the world had an accident. A perfectly rounded crater some 80 miles in diameter appeared centered on where the tower once was. It became almost immediately clear that a magical accident of some kind had occurred. Trees, rocks, and in a few cases animals were perfectly shorn at the edge of the circle. And there was a massive amount of Raw and Wild Weave Energy pouring out of the area. Mages from across the realms came to contain the breakage, and after the area settled, It was discovered that the area had been plane shifted to the astral sea. A rescue mission was launched, but only a handful of survivors remained. No one knows what caused the accident, though some speculate it was an act of The Pentad.
#### The Spiral Shaft Ok so this one time another DM wanted to bring the Forgotten Realms into my world. And I was like…. Ok… so we cooked up this crazy scheme and poof there it was. We solved the gravitational problems and other crises of physics by saying a moon base that had long ago gone to sleep awoke and blasted a hole in the surface to stabilize the strain on the planet. The Kobold in charge then took his new friends and rocketed off to the Astral Sea… … … SCIENCE! If you want to read more about the hole and what happened afterward read up on Runir Uspin back up in Chapter 5!
#### The Splintered Sands A vast dune covered sea of sands covers a large portion of East Central Krenshad. At first one might wonder why the area is called the splintered sands. That is until you begin traveling through them. Just under the dunes lay thousands and thousands of skeletons, their bones long splintered by the environment. No one know where they came from or why they are there.
#### The Split Historians have come to know that although the message of The War of the Firstborn was one that beat the drums of independence from the Kren Empire. The real reason the Nation turned upon itself was that the Yuan-Ti manipulated multiple cultures, including the Drow in the Underdark into attacking one another. The Split happened when they caused a massive Earthquake to release a Serpent Titan upon the surface. The Quake created The Split, the largest canyon on Krenshad, it extends all the way down into the Underdark. No one is sure why, but the Serpent chose not to rise. Although some Dwarves will tell you that it was because it was frightened of the Granitebacks. Which at the time would have been absurd… but perhaps the Snake could see the future… if such a thing were possible. What ever the case, the Split remains, there are tunnels below filled with Yuan-Ti, and somewhere there is a snake approximately a mile long.
#### The Tristus Canticuma The Shoals of Sorrow. A forlorn place wedged between The Void Waters and the Bay of Shallow Graves. It is what is left of a small range of mountains that used to have many Cetnovian towns and settlements nestled in them. Now very few live in these haunted tidal islands. And they are indeed haunted. The restless dead wander the tidal pools and swim in the waters just beyond the rocks. Their siren like calls and cries can be heard well out to sea, and often lure the unaware to their doom. But it isn’t just the undead that plague these rocks. Harpies nest here by the hundreds, and wicked watery Fey make keep secret lairs in well guarded caverns. The only settlement here is an old prison whose inmates long ago overran the guards. They never left the islands and no one wants otherwise.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### The Washlands Sitting in the Western edges of Chamsburg is an area known as The Washlands. It is a heavily frosted spread of land filled with deep narrow river canyons that crisscross their way for hundreds of square miles. It is a beautifully place filled with breathtaking views and gorgeous wooded plateaus. It is also extremely deadly to the ignorant. The Dire Beavers up in the Granite Peaks to the west have a notorious habit of retaining water and then suddenly unleashing it. Yes I said Dire Beavers… deal with it. These waters race down the sides of the mountains and rage through the canyons below with extreme ferocity. Anything caught in their path will be washed out to sea, after it is drowned and pummel for miles. The phenomenon also happens during rainy seasons and when the snowpack melts. Long story short… keep to the higher ground. ### Structures and Settlements
#### The Arcane Academy On the Island of Chechenia just off the coast of Cetnovia sits the world’s tallest tower. Well probably, I mean who knows what is out there beyond the Endless Ocean. It was constructed by King Gabriel Titanbrooke as the center for magical learning and attracted all manner of magic users from across the realms. For a time the school flourished. Then Titanbrooke died. Then the Plague. Then the Drought. The Drought was the final straw for the tower. The locals nearby, who had been brutally subjugated by a wicked Sorcerer who went by the name Veritis the Almighty, gathered in rebellion at the base of the tower. Veritis laughed from above and threatened them with magical death. They lit fire to the tower with him and all his henchmen still inside, anyway, surprised that the tower actually caught, Veritis attempted to destroy them with an Ice Storm… but while he threatened the people the Weave had left Taalist. Without the full strength of its magical protections, much of the tower burned with the Mages still inside of it. (Side Note: Veritis was most responsible for the slaughtering of magic users who used their powers for the good of mankind. He would suffer no threats to his claim as the most powerful magic user alive.) The Arcane Academy still stands, a hollow and charred marker that serves as a warning to those who abuse the power of the Weave.
#### Black Glass Fortress Few dare to travel The Void Waters, but people are bold… and stupid… recently explores have made a discovery. On a large grouping of islands they claim to have caught sight of a fortress made of obsidian. They tried to get closer but the land was lost in a green fog that caused them to become violently ill.
#### The Coral Keep Deep in the heart of the Sea of Fangs sits a castle constructed completely of Coral. Its vibrant colors catch the light of the sun and the reflections of the sea causing them to seemingly ripple as though the structure were still underwater. The Fortress is home to a Sea Giant who the Tritons would tell you is not fond of intruders.
#### East Watch Keep Less of a Keep and more of a seven mile wide military embankment, East Watch was built by the Elinosian Empire while at war with Kevasto. Kevasto has many times since asked them to tear it down as a sign of peace and trust. The ELinosians have replied that the trust they have in their wall keeps the peace.
#### Machi Meh Erini The Peace by Blood Arena. The Arena is built upon the grounds in which The Firstborn of Krenshad won their freedom when Emperor Xillisthan refused to kill any more of his people and traveled across the sea to the south. It continues that tradition of being a place of combat that exists solely to settle national disputes between the Free States of Kren and other nearby sovereignties. Although it still serves that purpose, the Arena has in recent decades taken on second role. After Runir Uspin sacked Oranimus the Free States along with Elinos and Thivas have kept joint forces there to keep the Underdark in their tunnel.
#### Sollvar’s Hold A huge Ice Fortress and home to the one of the Frost Giant Jarls who sail the Sea of Glass. Sollvar is a Frost Giant of great size and power. It is said he wields the strength of their forefathers in a way no Giant has done since before the Ordning.
#### The Shepherd’s Gate A two mile wide, quarter mile high and an eighth of one thick wall stretches between the mountains and the sea at the entrance to Al’ALi’Hiem. It is known as the Shepherds gate and is likely one of the most impressive structures in the world. It has a large retractable gate easily capable of allowing even the largest sailing velles through should they choose. They choose not to. There is a good sized man made bay nearby and port city for travelers, but they are not allowed past the wall.
#### Split Guard Keep A imposing fortress not far for the capital of the Elinosian Empire keeps an ever vigilant watch on the Split leading to the Yuan’Ti controlled tunnels deep below the surface. Unity Isle and the Order Citadel When the Order’s influence in Krenshad was shattered over this past century they retreated to the Island Citadel of Unity. There they maintain a semblance of their glory, but it is now held together with a strict unbending hand and regular rituals designed to cleanse the unbelief from them. What was once a true place of Unity has become nothing more than a Brutal Theocracy.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} #### Tilman’s Isle Some years ago, a small colony of people from Xin-Ji attempted to carve out a settlement here at the edge of the Shrouded Sea. For a time the settlement grew and thrived. And then the Plague of Worms found them. They died to the last man. No one is quite sure when it happened but the island was claimed by a strange hermit that goes by the name Tilman. A group of Thivians attempted to dislodge him and claim the settlement, but their ship was devoured by some great seabeast that Tilman summoned. They returned with a fleet and that too was destroyed. No one bothers Tilman now.
#### Weave Guardians Fortress A century ago a small group of Heroes dedicated themselves to the goal of keeping Magic out of the hands of dangerous people. No nation supported them, and to be fair, few knew they existed, even though their members had been responsible for saving the world several times over. They liked it that way however, their mission was better carried out in relative secrecy. When Magic users seized power after the death of King Titanbrooke, the Weave Guardians gathered what few good magic users they could, and headed for the North, away from populated areas. There they constructed a fortress and began to lay the groundwork to bring Magic back into the control of those who would use it to benefit others. The Drought hit before they could make any real difference. The group dispersed, although a few remained behind to guard the knowledge hidden away in their library. At some point between the beginning of the Drought and now, their reservoir of knowledge disappeared along with the last of the Guardians. Where it went and who now holds that power is unknown, but with magic returning, there are many would would very much like the answer to those questions.
#### The Watcher’s Spires Long before the Pentad… even before the first Kren Empire, someone built the three Watcher’s Spires. Mortals know where they are, but they do not know why they are. Each is in a fairly remote place, and magically sealed, with magic powerful enough that it has endured centuries of time, and countless attempts to enter them. The Spires even remained unaffected by The Weave Drought. Over each of their doors is a phrase written in a script that any and all can read. “We the 100 watch the world so mortals might endure long enough to one day choose life.” beneath that phrase is a symbol. A SIlver Crescent Moon and Hammer set against a round field of black. There are rumors as to who these watchers are… some say they are celestials. Others say they are powerful wizards. Some believe that the towers are relics of ages long gone. But a few… a few believe that they are simply Heroes who have been chosen to save the world. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## CHAPTER 7 ### Groups and Organizations
#### Adventurer’s Guilds People who seek adventure and excitement gravitate toward one another. Sometimes with destructive force. Often they end up forming partnerships and alliances which attract more like them. These groups are generically called Adventurer’s Guilds. Over the course of years some of these groups have been more standout than others. The Balinovian Adventurer’s Guild and The Seven Sevens are two such groups whose exploits saved the world. #### Arcane Academy Over a Century ago the Council of Mages asked King Gabriel Titanbrooke of Cetnovia to build a Wizard’s Tower for and help with the guidance and education of future spell casters. He did, and then as was typical to the King’s style, he built a bigger one. On the Island of Chetchenia just off the shore of Cetnovia he constructed what is believed to be the Largest Tower in the World and hired the best Arcane Educators available. The Academy flourished until the King’s demise at the hands of the King of Worms. After his death the Arcane Academy was seized by an ambitious Sorcerer calling himself Veritis the Almighty. Many young spell casters died in the turmoil. The Veritis and his subordinates were killed at the very start of the Weave Drought when the locals burned the tower to the ground in a revolt. #### Black Glass Consortium Most educated people understand that there was an older and more advanced civilization in the world that has been long lost. There is a general notion that there must be remnants of that civilization out there. But for most that simply feels like something so far out of reach that giving it any more than a passing thought is a lot. Members of the Black Glass Consortium do not fit into that category. They not only understand that the old culture was there, but actively seek out old world technology and secure it or destroy it before it can be abused. #### Druid Circles Mortals have attempted to master the forces and cycles of nature since they were first placed on their spheres. Many who set out to master nature end up being mastered by it. Thus, Rangers and Druids, and to a lesser degree Clerics and other Spell Casters. Those who give their lives over to the protection of the Creation, much like Guilds and Faith Organizations, often find themselves grouping together on common ground. Generically these groups are called Circles. And much like Nature itself… circles are not always safe. :::: #### Council of Mages The Council of Mages no longer exists. Those who can control aspects of the Weave hold great power. Many become some of the most dangerous beings in creation. The Council of Mages was an answer to that problem. Unfortunately the problem outgrew the platform. When King Titanbrooke died it was like pulling the keystone out of an arch. Those with dark ambitions immediately took advantage of the power vacuum and then took advantage of the people. The scales of power tipped and had not the Weave disappeared the world would likely still be under the thumb of Wicked Magic. But now The Weave has returned and the Magical Arms Race has begun. Who will be the Problem and who will be the Keystone has yet to be decided. #### Illusionary Broadcasting Companies In the not so distant past The Xanathar and a Druid had coffee. The Beholder’s people talked to the Mooses people, and they came up with an idea. Take adventurers, drop them in the Fey completely Naked and see what happens. And while it is happening we make an illusionary recording of it, and then… show the world. Not only was the idea great. It made money. They sold magical stones to every tavern in the multiverse that would display the weekly broadcasts. By the thousands people flocked in to catch the latest episodes. Soon other companies popped up and a bit of an entertainment war began. And once that happened costs went up, and up, and up. Soon IBCs were catering premium content to the rich and upper class alone, and making more money doing so. The Weave Drought hurt their business on Taalist, but there were thousands of other customers out there. And someone was always willing to pay to live vicariously through people they will never know. #### Knights of Argynvost After Barovia was redeemed from The Realms of Terror Count Marlamir refounded the Knights of Argynvost. The order was dedicated to justice and goodness. In their brief moment in the Taalist Sun the Knights made a large difference for a good number of people. Unfortunately, the vast majority of their number disappeared when Barovia was pulled back to the Realms of Terror. There were a few scattered about the world who later found one another and attempted to carry on but unfortunately the Order fell into obscurity. #### Order of the Cross The Order of the Cross was the dominant religious presence in Krenshad for almost 500 years. The Ordered followed strict monothestic doctrine of the ancient scriptures, and spread their message everywhere they went. They had influence in nearly every aspect of daily life one multiple continents, and for centuries the Church was a source of stability and hope. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} Unfortunately, complacency and comfort began to eat at the strength of their resolve making them a prime target for their enemies. The Pentad found undermining their leadership far easier than it should. With a few smooth strokes the Order began to crumble, and within a year their influence and power structure was either knowingly or unknowingly serving the Pentad’s goals. During the war they were slaughtered by betrayal and battle. After the war people had simply lost faith in the Order, and there just weren’t enough members left to keep up their infrastructure. So they abandoned the continent and withdrew to Unity Isle. Since then they’ve become more or less a strict sect of reclusive monks. They do have some presence on the mainland but not much and it is often mixed with the local beliefs that emerged in their absence. With the return of magic they see an opportunity, one they see as a divine moment, one they militantly refuse to miss. #### Pirates of the Compass Isles In the center of the Azure Ocean float the Compass Isles. In those isles sits a large black fortress from which the Pirate King collects his tribute and directs his fleets. For most of known history the Pirates of the Compass Isles were some of the most feared savages of the sea. But when Pip Longbottom won the Pirate crown things began to change. The Lawful Good Drow Paladin changed the tune of piracy in the Azure Ocean forever. He took his ships and aimed them at other Pirates. The trips were longer and the dangers a little bit steeper, but the rewards have been ever so sweet. The coffers have never flowed as freely and Pip’s pirates, loyal to the bone. The Plague and the Drought hit them hard and the Pirates almost disappeared from the seas, but Pip held them together through the dark years. And just when the other buccaneers thought they were in control of the seas, the flag of the Compass fleet have unfurled and once again. #### The Gathering of Ancient Beings It is well known among the scholarly that Ancient Beings, even those at odds with one another, are part of a collective of sorts. Living for an eons gives a being perspective. And so there are certain things that they all tend to agree on, and matters that they as a group take seriously. Many of these things are well beyond the comprehension of mortals, but there are some that trickle down. One such thing is that almost all ancient beings agree that mortals should never again reach the heights of power Taalist had achieved before it was destroyed in The Reckoning. #### Weave Guardians A century ago a small group of Heroes dedicated themselves to the goal of keeping Magic out of the hands of dangerous people. No nation supported them, and to be fair, few knew they existed, even though their members had been responsible for saving the world several times over. They liked it that way however, their mission was better carried out in relative secrecy. When Magic users seized power after the Death of King Titanbrooke, the Weave Guardians gathered what few good magic users they could, and headed for the North, away from populated areas. There they constructed a fortress and began to lay the groundwork to bring Magic back into the control of those who would use it to benefit others. The Drought hit before they could make any real difference. The group dispersed, although a few remained behind to guard the knowledge hidden away in their library. At some point between the beginning of the Drought and now, their reservoir of knowledge disappeared along with the last of the Guardians. Where it went and who now holds that power is unknown, but with magic returning, there are many who would very much like the answer to those questions. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## CHAPTER 8 ### Stories of the Weave's Return ## Short and Stout Obidian’s bones ached. Storm must have be brewin. He smoothed his mustache, tracing its elaborate path from his upper lip across his cheeks and into the braid of his hair. His almost white hair. His knuckles cracked as he sighed and put the teapot on the fire. Some Whitebark tea ought ease the stiffness and make the day more bearable. At one hundred fifty seven Obidian shouldn’t feel old… he shouldn’t be old. Was a time before the drought when a century and a half was only about a third of a Dwarf’s life spent. Now… now he didn’t have long. Maybe a decade. Probably less.
He was a fighter. Had a warrior’s spirit. Lived the life of a true Dwarf. But age has a way of robbing that from even the mightiest of soldiers. He had lived and fought through so much. And he’d do it again. Without hesitation. He was there the day Cadmus Tomolis led the Elinosian Branch of the Seven Sevens against the Pentad at the Battle of Hell’s Breach. He fought alongside The Granitebacks, The Girl Squad, Tenacious D&D, and The Brands. He stood in the face of the apocalypse and lived. But time comes for us all. His only regret now was that he wouldn’t be much a part of the uprising.
It galled the old warrior that Kade Tomolis, grandson of Cadmus now sat on the throne of Elinos. A dishonor to his Grandad’s memory and a right bastard in every way but his birth. Obidian stretched his arm across the counter reaching for the tin of medicinal tea. Smirking to himself as he reached past the other Kettle in his kitchen. That one wasn’t for the fire… not yet. He kept the black powder hidden in that pot, and one day he’d serve up Kade’s men a very special brew. Obidian smirked. He certainly would. He may not be able to swing an axe anymore, but he’d be damned if he was just gonna sit by while Kade’s men raped, robed, and murdered those who didn’t cough up every last coin in taxes. The Giff had long ago taught him the art of explosives and he planned to display his works real soon. Obidian wondered for a moment what happened to that Old Hippo… probably blew himself up.
He put his morning eggs on and went to the window, as was his routine. The streets were quiet, always were this time of the morning. The Baker was just putting out his loaves now. A message boy was running down the street, headed as fast as he could on some errand someone with coin thought important. Old Sari was getting ready to open up her shop. Fine lookin lass when they were younger. They had a thing for a bit. Almost married. He pa, a wizard, said she needed to be with someone who had a future. Obidian didn’t necessarily disagree. Guild work was dangerous. She left him her favorite Teapot, to remind him of her when it whistled. Their eyes met and Obidian nodded at her, as was their morning routine. He did love his morning routine… it was predictable. Most days…
A teapot started to whistle. Loudly. But it wasn’t the one over the fire. He knew that sound… But it couldn’t be. It didn’t work anymore! But the soft blue glow coming from the kettle on the counter left no doubt, and was the last thing Obidian ever saw.
She heard her teapot for just a moment, and smiled. Thinking of fond memories of younger days. Then the wall of the building across the street from Sari disappeared in a cloud of thunder and fire. Rocks screamed across the way tearing into her flesh knocking her to the ground as debris rained down around her. Her ears were ringing and she couldn’t hear anything. She tried to wipe away the flow of blood pouring into her eyes as a small familiar kettle landed in the road and bounced off to the side. It was glowing blue and spinning on the ground wildly as steam poured out of the spout like fire from a dragon’s mouth. She couldn’t hear it screaming. She couldn’t hear the others nearby screaming. She couldn’t even hear herself screaming. But the blue glow told her that there indeed was screaming. A least for a moment, just before everything faded to black. ## Zephyr Maksis spurred his horse forward. Red mud squelching up around Cloud Skipper’s hooves. The foul smelling mire often came up to his mounts knees and threatened to suck them under, but Cloud was a strong mare, brave and tireless. She wouldn’t fail him. She wouldn’t fail them. Time was of the essence. He would have to push her limits like he never had, riding all night, for several nights, if he were to make it back to the front in time to warn the Blood Watch. The Orcs had mobilized, and they would be ready to launch an attack on Balinovia within the month, likely the week.
He and three others had traveled deep into the Blood Marsh on a scouting mission. It wasn't his first. He was a regular volunteer for the trip. Most thought him insane. The Blood Marsh was one of the more hostile places in Krenshad, and not just because of the Orcs, it was a foul land overflowing with parasites and undead. But it also home to lost ruins and forgotten treasures. Many of which the war effort needed. On his last trip he brought back an entire crate of horseshoes which netted him two hundred extra coins. The time before a cache of medicines from an old healers hut. This time he abandoned treasures, instead carrying a warning that might save his people. Yesterday he had gone to the rendezvous point to regroup with the other scouts. His gut was screaming to skip the meet, as the information he had was too important to suffer much delay, but one of the others was his brother-in-law. Maksis didn’t much care for the man, but his sister loved him.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} He should have listened to his gut. All he got for his trouble was an arrow to the shoulder. The wound wasn’t mortal, but it could have been. He had brought anti-toxin. Orc Hunters are known for pissing on their arrows, it isn’t quite poison, but it always causes raging infection. Even with the anti-toxin it had gotten mildly infected and hurt like the Devil’s Backside. But it wasn’t the wound that worried him. The Orcs knew of their spies. They knew of the meeting location. And they knew he had rode off. They had captured at least one of the scouts, maybe all of them. Maksis managed to put some distance between them, but the howling of their Dire Wolves, even distant, was a constant reminder that they were still on his trail. Worse… gaining on him. The wolves didn’t have as much difficulty traversing the Blood Marsh that Cloud did. He and Cloud were exhausted, beyond exhausted really, but should they stop, the Orcs would catch him.
Light filtered through the trees and stung his eyes. He started awake. Cursing himself, Maksis spurred Cloud forward. He had fallen asleep in the saddle. And still over two day’s ride to the Channel of Despair. To home. He couldn’t rest. Cloud whinnied in panic and Maksis instinctively pulled the reins to the side, turning his horse inches from the snapping jaws of a Dire Wolf. He ducked low in his saddle as Cloud leapt forward saving him from the business end of an Orc War Axe. Both panicked, the horse and rider raced across the Blood Marsh. They somehow managed to put distance between themselves and the Orcs. Maksis couldn’t believe it. The bog seemed to not slow Cloud at all.
That’s when he noticed it. There was no sound from her sprinting. The slurping trot through the mire that he had grown accustomed to was gone. He could hear the Orcs shouting and bellering behind him. He could hear the wolves howling, but they were outpacing them. And as they did there was only the sound of rustling brush and grasses as Cloud raced through them. Staring down at her hooves it was then that Maksis noticed the white glow coming from them. The horseshoes! He had her reshod with the quality shoes he had recovered on his list trip! Could they be… magic? The Weave had gone, but what other answer could there be!
For half a day Maksis and Cloud raced ahead of the Orcs. They had lit signal fires and attempted to intercept them numerous times, but the magic of the shoes saved them at every turn. They floated several inches above the ground. Raced over rivers as if they were solid ground. Even Soared through the air when they leapt over fallen logs. Cloud was her very name. A wisp on the wind. Uncatchable!
They passed an outer marker. A quarter mile to the Channel. Cloud did not tire and sprinted through the Marsh as if a racing track. They had made such haste as to cut more than an entire day’s travel off of their return. They were going to make it. His shoulder burned with the pain of infection but his heart pounded with the fires of hope. He broke the last line of trees and came into sight of the river. High up on the cliffside held by his people horns blew. Alerting him to pursuit. It didn’t matter. He would hit the river and race across it. It would be a tale told for years to come.
And it was… but not because those up on the battlements witnessed an amazing magical wonder, but because they watched hope snatched from a man at the final moment in such a dramatic fashion. As Maksis and Cloud raced toward the shore of the river, Cloud pitched forward. Her front hooves digging into the final edges of the Blood Marsh. Maksis heard sickening snaps as his horse’s legs, bound up in the mire, could not withstand the momentum of her own weight and broke like dried twigs. The horseshoes magic had failed at the very last moment. He tumbled head over heels forward onto the rocky shore of the Channel of Despair. His head hitting a stone with a sickening thunk. There were horns, howls, and screams from his horse. From above he could hear men yelling “Get up! The Orcs are coming!”, and as the axe came down to take Maksis’ head, he could only think that they had no idea how right they were
## A Simple Man’s Job Yrgul takes out garbage. Yrgul has always taken out garbage. Some garbage smells. Some garbage is messy. Some garbage cries for help and tries to tell Yrgul that it has children and didn’t mean to upset the Damaxis Family. This is the garbage that Yrgul likes to take out the best. Why? Crying garbage tells secrets. Begging garbage tells Yrgul where treasures are. Sad garbage makes Yrgul happy.
The well dressed Ogre moves further down the street looking at the scrap of paper in his hands. He removes his businessman’s hat and scratches his scabbing scalp. He isn’t stupid as far as Ogres go, but unfortunately that isn’t very far. Still, this one can read basic words, and can speak common quite a bit better than the typical “Ogre, angry!” “Ogre hurt man!” “Ogre poop pants again.” Yrgul “The Janitor” is one of Tethran Damaxis’ favorite weapons of mass destruction. The others started calling him The Janitor years ago, in a bit of irony, as Yrgul often leaves the scene a far greater mess than he finds it. But like all good irony it has the ring of truth. If Yrgul has come to your door, you’ve been discarded by the family, you are now trash to be taken out.
“Flowers on sides of door. Door is Blue. Has a moon on it.” In the dimness of predawn Yrgul squinted at the drawing meant to help him identify his target, and then again at the door in front of him. He smiles, pretty sure he had the right place
Then in a flash with a reflexive speed one would not normally expect to see from an Ogre, he rushes forward \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} turning the fine wooden door and framework into a pile of splinters as he lay his shoulder into it. The woman inside screams in terror and gathers her children behind her. She begins begging for her life and for The Janitor to spare her little ones. All of whom are now sobbing in unison like some tearchoked street choir. She begs him to refrain from eating them.
Yrgul thinks this is a foolish request. It is hopeless. If Tethran wants them dead then begging will not help, and there are few things more offensive to an Ogre than suggesting that he waste food. Yrgul has spent more nights enraged at the waste of the people in Kavasto than he can remember. Bodies left rotting in the street. Piles of carcases burned. Burry the dead? Such a waste.
Sadly, Yrgul was told not to eat the wife and children. At least today. Most of the time a visit like this is usually followed up by another in a week or two. That made Yrgul happy. Children’s heads are like little candied fruits. Yrgul loves candy.
“Where is your husband?” The woman begins to blubber something unintelligible. Maybe it was because Yrgul isn’t as smart as others, or maybe, it was because crying people often sound like they have a pot roast in their mouth when they’re trying to speak. The twelve foot monstrosity of rippling muscle and foul odor leans forward, its jowls dripping with saliva between it rotting teeth. Yrgul puts a finger to his lips. “Ssssshhhhhh… Don’t have to die today. Where is husband?”
The woman wretches, heaving what was in her stomach onto the floor. The smell of the ogre’s breath and the panic in her guts simply becoming too much. Yrgul puts a finger in the vomit and then sucks it clean in the way a child would test cake batter. He then smiles calmly. Too calmly. For a moment there is peace but he then grabs one of the children by the head with lightning like reflexes in one hand and punches a massive hole in an outer wall with the other. Early morning light poured through the hole illuminating The Janitor in a halo of glowing dust as he dangled the four year old in front of the woman as a dog’s master would a treat.
“WHERE!?” He bellowed loud enough to rattle dishes. The Children stopped crying for a moment. Stunned by the sound. Everything stopped for a moment. Then the little one he was holding by the head began screaming. Yrgul moved it closer to his mouth. “Where? Is? Husband?”
“He… he… is down at the docks. He is expecting a shipment. Look for a boat… the Ocean Rose.”
“See, not so hard.” Yrgul takes the screaming child and passes it with perfect gentleness back to the woman. He pats it on the head. And caresses its face with a dirty calloused finger. Looking around he smiles and grabs an old cabinet filled with what appear to be family treasures. “I like these. You mind?” The woman shakes her head no, and then begs him to take the items and leave.
The Ogre smashes his way out of the hole he made in the wall and strolls off down the street casually bruising the debris from his clothes. Yrgul is rather proud of himself, and he rips the glass door off the cabinet, and begins fiddling with the items inside. Silverware goes in the pockets. A few statues, meh, but he can trade them for a goat or something. What has really caught his eye was the gold ring. Probably something a human would wear on their head. To small for Yrgul’s head. So he slides it over his meaty thumb.
And that’s when the world around Yrgul begins to change. His words and thoughts become extremely clear. His memory sharpens and he begins recalling events from years ago. He can read all of the words on the signs over the street shops. He stares in awe for just a moment at the ring on his finger. It is glowing a faint red but slowly fades. Magic?! He stops and takes in the sights as with every passing moment his intellect increased.
The bright rays of the morning sun had fully crested the buildings now, he has been thinking for an hour. Thinking! What a marvel. He needs to hurry though, and as he jogs toward the docks he begins to work through his assignment. Tethran was worried that Mr Irniks was holding back coin from his payments. Not much, such a small amount that it was almost unnoticeable. But Tethran Damaxic notices things like that. You don’t become head of the largest crime family in the continent by being unobservant.
Yrgul arrived at the dock just in time to watch the Ocean Rose come in. Its captain guiding the craft expertly into port while the port hands efficiently tethered it to the dock. The captain disembarks and greets Yrgul’s target. The exchange pleasantries as the captain passes the man a well crafted box. Stolregard Gray Oak by the look of it. Gold cornered, with silver inlay. The box alone is obviously worth hundreds. Yrgul approaches the men.
“Pardon me gentleman, I’ve been sent by Mr Damaxic. He believes you owe him a sum of coin. I will take that box as payment and if you have any disagreement with this arrangement, I’ll beat you senseless right now, and you can take it up with Mr Damaxic later.”
To say that the men stared at the ogre in bewilderment would be an understatement. In fact, they were in such awe that no violence ensued. They simply handed over the box and gaped as The Janitor started to walk away. They didn’t become frightened until the ogre stopped about a dozen or so paces down the dock. He turned with a look of clever wickedness that does not belong on a face so brutish, and came back to further the conversation.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} “Normally at this point, I would have you screaming and begging for me not to destroy your boat or this dock or your very lives. And you would promise me something if I were to spare you. Although it pleases me that I was able to accomplish my task for Mr Damaxic so easily, I am deeply grieved that you have not offered me anything in exchange for… oh lets say… not rippin both your arms off.”
With a tearing sound one of the captain’s arms seemingly just popped out of the socket and wound up in Yrgul’s mouth being chewed on like a farmer with a shaft of wheat. The captain started screaming, which was a rather invasive sound and so the Ogre pushed him into the water below. Losing blood the way he was and only having one arm, it was mere moments before the man submerged under the water to never be seen again.
And so the garbage began to cry for help and tried to tell Yrgul that it has children and didn’t mean to upset the Damaxis Family. This is the garbage that Yrgul likes to take out the best. Why? Crying garbage tells secrets. Begging garbage tells Yrgul where treasures are. Sad garbage makes Yrgul happy. And now Yrgul was smart enough to realize the true value of everything being said. It is funny that people say that custodial work is low brow and for those who are too simple to do better. The way Yrgul saw things now, he was going to do just fine. A Simple Man's Job would be just fine indeed.
## Where There is Smoke It was just past dawn when the bells began sounding. Dathan shot up out of bed, his wife startling awake alongside him. Some sort of emergency. He ran to the window. Tornado? Goblin Raid? Fire? Throwing open the shutters it was easy to see which. Fire.
Smoke was billowing out of the burrow across the street. It was an old collector’s shop up front. Almost shut down for years, but did a little business here and there. Not much left as far as goods goes, but there were several people living in the residences in the holes behind it. It took him less than a moment to pants up and grab his Marshals coat and hat. He hated it when days started like this.
Dathan Smollok, Marshal of Hillsborough, a large farming community in Chamsburg, ran down the steps of his borrow, while waving his three children back off to bed. Daran would want to follow him to the fire. He was nearly old enough but… no, no buts. Today he was old enough… Fire in a Halflings Burrow was one of the more deadly things a family could experience. Having few places to escape the smoke would suffocate folks before they even knew there was a fire. If the town didn’t act fast there wouldn’t be much point in acting at all sept to save some furniture.
“Git your sisters back to bed, and join the bucket brigade.” He hollered at his oldest while running out the door. “And you stay with that brigade. Ya hear me?” He didn’t wait for the “Yes, Pa.” Daran was a good lad. He’d listen.
Dathan had spent his entire life here. Not that it was all that many years, but fifty summers ain’t nothing to wave a handkerchief at. It was a good respectable time to have spent among good respectable folks. The bell was still ringing. That was surely Charlie, one of his deputies, The Marshal would never accuse him of loving an emergency, but he would absolutely accuse him of loving to ring that bell. Folks were already forming the line. That was good. Two had already gone inside looking for survivors. That was brave. If anyone made it back out then The Marshal would decide it was good. Brave don’t always end well.
The Marshal had never seen smoke this thick before. Fire has a funny way of making its deadly expulsion almost invisible until it got up in the air some. But this cloud looked more like what happens when you throw a fork full of hay ontop’a some cookin coals. Smelled funny too. A bit like Nativitas spices. The first buckets were arriving and The Marshal grabbed one and went running in. But to where? He couldn’t see more than a foot in front of himself and there weren’t no glow. Weren’t no heat either… and he wasn’t gaspin for air… what the hell...
“Anybody in here? We gotta git you out ‘for the smoke puts ya down. If you can hear me. Hit the floor and crawl my way.” The only answer he got was a blast of water hittin him square in the back. “Dag gummit! Save that water for the fire. Anyone see it?” A round of “no” came from outside. And so The Marshal headed deeper into the burrow calling out for survivors.
“We’re here Marshal. We’re ok!” Came the voice of one of the locals. Ruper Longfoot by the sound of it. Good man, owns one of the local mills. “We got the families out a window in the back. But there don’t seem to be no fire! Just all this smoke”
An hour later and smoke continued to pour out of the Burrow. Nearly the whole town had come out to see the sight. There indeed was no fire, but there was smoke. An’ that didn’t make no sense. Eventually The marshal determined it was safe to enter, and so he and Charlie went back in to have a poke around. Weren’t but twenty minutes past and they emerged carrying an old brown ceramic jug. Smoke pouring from its mouth like the whole world was burning inside it. When they put a cork in it is simply stopped, and a few minutes later the smoke cleared like it were never there.
Marshal Dathan Smollok had never seen anything like it. No one had in forty years.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## Our Records Indicate... Keeping records was a serious matter. One not many take seriously enough. Pabien Brinkeltonkir was not one of the many. As the Master of Records it was Pabien’s sworn duty to make certain that each and every recorded moment of history was properly filed and that record of it was properly recorded on the Roll of Records so that any who came looking for a record would be able to find the location of its recording on said Roll of Records.
Long ago it was discovered that he had remarkable aptitude for organization and memory. He was given a job as a simple Record Keeper, and advanced from there. Pabien always arrived at the Hall of Records early and always left the Hall of Records late. He had done this every day for the past thirty nine years, and hoped that he would have the honor to do so for at least thirty nine more. Perhaps someday he would be Hall Headmaster.
It was still dark and would be for some time when Pabien left his home. He always looked at his address when he departed and arrived home. 5:27.23 The Ring Circle 3. It always put a spring in his step. He smiled and headed for the nearest dock to secure a water taxi out to The Hub where the Hall of Records in all of its gloriousness waited for him. Winter solstice was the shortest day of the year in this hemisphere of Taalist. Though the uneducated masses wouldn’t know such things. Those foul wretches living down in The Drain would likely believe it was due to some Fey Witch enchanting the sun to slow its rise. He could see the lamp light pouring out of the massive cavern off to the East, and shuddered, so thankful he would never have to return to that awful place.
Cuzzano was a wondrous city. Founded long ago in the mountain passes where two magnificent waterfalls tumbled down opposite slopes and joined into a large lake. From there the flow split into three rivers, two that ran down the mountains, one in each direction, and the third into a huge cavern where it tumbled off into deep ravines that led to the darkness beyond. The city sprouted up when some of Pabien’s forefathers decided to harness the flow of this water and sell the flow of it to the countries below. They constructed an enormous ten mile wide cistern and began capturing the water. They used the resource not only as a commodity, but also as a way to power industry. That much water had no trouble spinning wheels and turning gears. Hundreds of years later and Cuzzan was a thriving and advanced city. Completely unlike the savage nations living down in the valleys beyond the walls.
There was a large constructed island in the middle of the cistern. The Hub, this was where the seats of power in the city were, and also where the wealthy lived. Pabian hoped to advance that far someday. Currently he lived on the Ring, which was respectable. The Ring was the three hundred foot outer wall of the Cistern, and home to the middle class of Cuzzano as well as many market places and significant industries. Long ago he lived in The Drain, Cuzzano’s miles of shanty filled caverns that serve as home to the poor and a runoff for water from the cistern. Living in The Drain was a nightmare of starvation, filth, and crime.
The Water Taxi arrived at the Workers Docks on The Hub and pabien Disembarked. The sun was just coming up, dawn on another glorious day in service to the city. The Hall of Records was the repository of all allowed knowledge in the City. The ignorant called it a Library. It was more than a simple library, it was a hallowed place where knowledge was preserved and celebrated. Millions of texts on thousands of subjects fill The Hall’s halls. Each one catalogued and put in its proper place. Everything in Cuzzano has a place. It is a city of order. A jewel of social balance in a chaotic sea of trash.
He hurried down the street and unlocked the service door and hurried inside. So much to do today. Baron Xalgrim Bloodgear had sentenced another dozen malcontents to working in the shafts. Their ungrateful lives needed to be expunged from the Records. That alone would take Pabien the better part of a half an hour. Heading inside he immediately noticed something different. The Lamps were already lit. Maintenance typically did not arrive until well after he did… Was there someone new? Someone who took their tasks as seriously as he did? What joy!
Taking just a moment to seek out this new comrade, Pabien walked out onto the Hall’s main floor. He gasped at what he saw before him. Dozens and dozens of spectral figures floating about the shelves organizing the books and going about the daily tasks. His daily tasks! His mind raced. There could only be one answer. The Hall of Records was haunted! No… no… no… that was stupid. It was Magic. He had certainly read that once long ago the Hall of Records was solely kept by magical entities. But… But… Magic was dead. Just supersticion, parlor tricks, and the games of con artists.
“Excuse me.” Came a kindly voice from behind him. Pabien turned to the speaker. “You’re not allowed in here.” Floating just beyond him was the form of a woman in the robes of a Hall Scholar, in robes like his. She was older, with glasses, and her hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her figure began to disappear at the waist.
“I do indeed. I am Pabien Brinkeltonkir the Master of Records!”
“You were the Master of Records.” Her voice was stern and unwavering. “Your own Records indicate that you were hired to fill the void created by our unfortunate absence, and that your employment was contingent upon our absence. Now that we have returned your \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} services will no longer be needed. Those of your social status are not allowed in the Hall of Records without express permission, which you do not have. Now, please remove yourself from the Hall of Records or I will be forced to summon Security.”
A few days later when it had become clear that The Weave had indeed returned. Pabien stood on the edge of The Ring not far from his house watching the sunset through tear filled eyes. He looked over his shoulder toward the Hub and The Hall of Records, and then slowly, as if it caused him great pain to do so, he looked the other direction, toward The Drain.
Soon afterward The Master of Records recorded a vacancy at 5:27.23 The Ring Circle 3. The previous owner unexpectedly perished outside the city walls.
## Family Practice “Greetings my fine friends and fair folks! Gather round! Gather Round! Press together and squeeze in! You most certainly do not want to miss what is likely to be the most amazing things you’ve ever laid your eyes upon!” The side window of the brightly colored Vardo had just dropped open with a loud thud followed by the cacophonous dissonance of organ music. A gaudy sign reading “The Miracles Cures of Dr Claxious Arren Heartly” lit up with sparklers spinning fireworks. There were maybe a dozen people milling about the village market area and well. Only a few of them seemed interested in the disturbance. “Friends, my name is Dr Claxious Arren Heartly, and I am a purveyor of medicines, ointments, tonics, and remedies for anything and everything that ails your mortal coil. I’ve got rubs and remedies. I’ve got potions and poultices. I’ve got the inoculation for whatever your afflict’u’ation. Step right up and tell me your conditions! Dr Heartly has got your prescriptions!”
No one lined up. Although one small child told Claxious that she enjoyed the fireworks.
He ignored her and continued his fevered fever pitch for his wares. This is how it was. At first the customers would pretend not to notice him. It was all a ruse. They knew he was there. But they wouldn’t come running. No, that would alert the neighbors to their ailments. No, no, they would slip into line much more passively.
“Passively” it was… Hours later, as the sun set, he had made three sales. Foot Powder. Peppermint Mouthwash. And some fireworks to the child he tried to ignore all afternoon. Not a good day… but enough to eat and set out for the next village. It wasn’t unusual to do poorly, but this was abysmal. Things had been getting worse lately. The people were less and less inclined to trust that he had their best interests in mind, which to be fair, he didn’t, but he also wasn’t selling them worthless powders and tinctures. His remedies were authentic, or at least as authentic as the next peddlers.
It was time to leave. Just one last stop and Claxious would be on his way. It is dangerous to infringe on the contracts of the Outsiders, as they are often called, who leech off of villages like these. It is also very profitable, as long as the Outsiders were appeased. Every settlement had some Fey or Otherworldly being living in the wilderness nearby. The village would supply these beings with their needs and treasures, and in return the creature would offer a form of care and protection. This was the way of things. So on his way out of town he asked an elderly local the whereabouts of their Patron’s Shrine so he could leave an offering. Something valuable so that his transgressions into its business could be forgiven and justified. The local stared back at him with a look of bewilderment “There is no shrine sir. We’ve not entangled ourselves in such dealings.”
Claxious nearly fell off of his wagon in shock at the statement. Surely the fellow was mistaken. He had never stopped in a village that had no fey in the forest, no witch in the wood, no watcher in the wilds… nor had he ever heard rumor of one. He found himself in an unusual state… he was at an actual loss for words. The local taking in what must have been a truly odd expression on the Doctor’s face awkwardly felt the need to expound on the matter. “We’ve not since I was a young man. Back then there was a wise woman, lived at the edge of town. She’d help with matters of sicknesses and with child bearing or unbearing, for a price, if you get my meaning. But she ran afoul of the local Noble who paid for a son to be born but got a daughter instead. He had her head off for that. They say she died cursing him and promising to return. But that never happened, and since then there’s been no one else, and we’ve managed just fine without.”
The depth of the notion began to settle in on him. The village wasn’t large, no more than a hundred people maybe two hundred if you counted local farm households, but it also wasn’t far from other villages. It could be a hub for his trade among the small network of local places. He turned his vardo around parked it back where he had spent the afternoon selling. He would ask around to verify the story and if it turned out to be true he would remain for at least a few more days and see what came of this unique situation. Perhaps he could do some real business if given the time to work the locals.
Over a decade later Claxious was married, with a daughter, and a thriving apothecary and medical practice. He had purchased a two story building on the market circle, running his business on the first floor and keeping his family on the second. His wife’s grandmother was an apothecary and healer but had passed years ago before being able to pass the trade down. She did still have a book of recipes and formulae that were used to make medicines before the Drought. They were no longer magical per-say, but they worked quite well. Together they opened a clinic. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} He was happy, he was well liked, and for the first time since he left home, he was well to do financially. He didn’t need to trick or huckster his way into coin. He traded his sills and medicines fairly and still profited. Folk for miles would travel to their shop for remedies and cures, all of which were actually functional. He and his wife would treat illnesses, tend wounds, and deliver babies, and had become an honest and respectable purveyor of medicines and medical practice. It felt good to be honest.
One morning he was returning from the Sawmiller’s home. The man’s wife had just given birth to their sixth son, their tenth child. Claxious wasn’t sure why they had even called for him. The babe practically fell out of the woman, who was so practiced in childbirth, she could have delivered the child herself, riding a horse, upside down, with no saddle. Still, it was good for him to be there. An easy labor does not equal a healthy child, and they had lost a few these past years. Fewer than before he had arrived, but it was still an awful thing to experience.
The sawmill was a good way out of town and the sun was only an hour up over the horizon as his trusty old Vardo pulled withinsight of home. After a sleepless night of babies and travel, he sighed at the sight before him, a elderly woman sitting on the bench outside of his clinic. He didn’t recognize her as a local or as one of his patients that traveled from afar. Strangers always took an exceptional amount of time to treat, and so Claxious resigned to the notion that there would be no sleep before work today. The woman was old and had skin like sun cracked leather covered in spots and sores. Her black oily hair was patchy and her fingers looked more like bones than functioning digits. She was filthy, as if she had crawled through the bog all night to get here. Flies buzzed around her, and even at a distance he recoiled at her odor.
“Good morning Madam, as you can see I’ve just returned, but if you give me a moment to stable my horse I can see to your needs.” Her head turned oddly, as if it caused her great pain. She was missing one eye completely from her skull like visage and the other was cataracted over so terribly that the entire eyeball was chalk white. She almost indistinguishably nodded. There was something odd to the movement, almost as if she was afraid her neck would break if she gave any further effort.
“Doooon’t beeee looooong. Weee haaave busssssinessss to dissscuuuss.” The woman’s voice rasped. It was an awful sound. There must be something wrong with her throat. Which would explain the odd movement. He hurriedly unhitched his horse, nervously looking over his shoulder. There was something very wrong with this woman, and not just physically. She was no longer looking at him but sat smirking and patiently with her hands folded in her lap watching the sun rise. He opened the door to the stable to find his wife and daughter there. It nearly startled him to death. Maybe it was the late night or maybe the unnerving woman out front but something here seemed off as well.
“We’ve been waiting for you to come home! It is someone’s birthday after all!” His wife said in an excited tone. His daughter leapt forward and threw her arms around his waist. He laughed at his fright and quickly closed the stall door for his horse. He took his little girl in his arms and spun her around. She felt heavier. Children change so fast. “My grandmother has arrived! Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Your grandmother? I thought you said she died decades ago.” He was confused, and set the girl down.
“She did! She was beheaded by the local lord, but now she’s back, just like she promised. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Claxious took a step backward. The pieces of local history tumbling around inside of his brain like a puzzle still in the box. He turned to leave the stable but bumped right into the filthy old woman. He spun quickly staring into her horrifying face. It was then that he noticed the oozing black wound around her neck just below her cloak line, and the twinte stitching that held her head to her shoulders… He panicked and reached behind him to protect his family from the monster before him only to feel soft hands with the strength of steel wrap around his head. He actually heard the sickening pop of his neck breaking and as his limp form tumbled to the ground he watched with fading eyes as his wife and daughter along with the hideous woman stood over him laughing.
“Business concluded!” His daughter cackled.
Folk didn’t much question the disappearance of the Doctor. His wife simply told them that he had hitched up his wagon, took their savings, and left them, but not to worry, she and her daughter, along with their grandmother were going to continue to run the clinic, and now with magic having returned, their practice would become everything the three ladies ever wanted. The coven of Hags, would worm their way into every aspect of life in their little town. Things would once again as they should be. In their control.
## Run Click.
Ez had never heard such an amazing sound. She could see her breath in the cold night air, coming in rapid pants as her naked purple skin prickled in excitement. Letting go of the key she put her hands against the cage door with the gentle touch of an experienced lover and pushed it open as easily as one would part satin curtains. The others behind her began to stir. She could feel them pressing forward, ready to bolt. They wanted to get out. Now. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}}
“Run.”
One of the ladies whispered. It was Sasha, the older woman, she was tough, but Ez held up her hand and shot her a dangerous glare. The other women froze in place. Just because the door was open didn’t mean that it was time to go. She would not make that mistake again. They had managed to strangle the guard posted at their cage with one of their three shabby blankets, but there were others in the camp, and if they wanted to have any chance at all of escaping they could not risk being seen.
They took her a week ago. Before that for almost two decades, Ez and her Half-Orc bodyguard, Tarn, had lived a few miles outside of Stone Field. They kept a small cottage in a charming glade that was well hidden in the labyrinth of valleys and dells of the Gray Wood. There was a creek that ran through the property with a garden growing on both sides of it. A small barn housed a few goats and her faithful donkey Bernard. There was a coop for chickens alongside it. The home was an isolated and secluded place, a lovely home, warm and dry, comfortable and quaint, inviting and private. From the outside it looked like a simple forest cottage that one might find an old retired couple living in.
Inside was another matter. It was a singular room home, sectioned off and decorated with scarlet and lavender curtains. It was filled with soft cushions and pillows. Two slim curved oil lamps cast dancing shadows on the walls, and a small fireplace radiated cozy warmth. The central fixture was a large round bed, covered in the finest of silks and furs. End tables had silver platters for delicacies and bottles of fine liqueurs and wines. Her shelves were adorned with gifts, trinkets, and baubles given to her by her customers and admirers. The home smelled of exotic oils and incense. It was perfect for a Tiefling woman plying the trade.
Ez was an expensive consort, not some lowly street walker. She catered to a higher class of customer. People of taste. People of means. There weren’t many of those left in Stolregard, but the ones that were, sought out her talents regularly enough to make her quite wealthy. She never understood other races’ fascination with Tiefling sexuality, but her mother taught her early on to use it to her advantage. “No one in this life is going to give you anything without wanting something in return. So make yourself a prize worth having and they will pay whatever you ask.” She didn’t mind the work. In most cases she actually enjoyed it a great deal. She chose her clients. She set the rules. And charged them a fortune. Ez had been with some of the most powerful people in the world, been across the seas to palaces most only dream about, and spent weeks in chateau chambers teaching boys how to satisfy a woman and girls to be passionate lovers. She had fame and renown, and those that employed her regularly regarded her as valuable, and worth protecting. Well… they did…
Someone had sold her out to the slavers. Probably a jealous spouse. She had gotten threats before. A noblewoman attempted to poison her once. This was surely a sellout. People didn’t mistakenly wander into her glade. Tarn saw them coming too late. He got Ez into the cottage and had bolted the door against them, but it did no good. They put a torch to her cottage when they refused to come out. Fools, the treasures inside were worth far more than any bounty of flesh. Still, Ez knew that had she offered those items in trade they simply would have taken them and then her.
Tarn demanded she let him attack them, there was no chance of victory, but perhaps he could be enough a distraction to give her a chance to escape. Tarn. She hired him long ago. He was alone and dejected, despised because of his heritage. A proud warrior, with a true heart, but green skin and sharp tusks left him without a patron. She bought him a drink and took him into her bed. He was her lover and her friend. The closest thing she had to a husband. He pointed toward the back window and begged her to let him die in battle for her. She kissed him on the cheek, as he threw the front door open. His battle axe catching the fire light as he roared.
“Run.”
She tried. But they were watching the windows, and caught her almost immediately. Ez screamed and sobbed as Tarn lay bleeding on the ground and their home burned down around him. She should have laid down among her pillows and flower petals. She should have taken Tarn in her embrace one last time, and behind her bolted door burned away along with her lover and her things. But the panic consuming her when the smoke began to fill her home overcame her reason. Never again.
She slipped out of the cage and put her foot down on the cold damp grass. It hurt to stand. It hurt more to walk. The Slavers all made certain to repeatedly sample their products. She had never been raped before. She had a few clients who wanted their interactions to be aggressive or a struggle, but always she set the boundaries. Those who did not adhere to her rules discovered quickly that Ez was not one to be taken advantage of, and that Tarn was never very far away. But the brutality of the last week was something she never encountered, or in her darkest nightmare imagained. Here in the Slaver camp she did not set the rules. There were no rules. Only pain and cruelty.
Her knees buckled. And she found herself on all fours her fingers gripping the dew covered grass. The damp cold was refreshing and she set her cheek against it. It was like the soft caress of a client whose company she truly enjoyed. It was freedom. They had taken so much \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} from her. Her home. Her lover. Her clothes. Her dignity. All she had left was a will to live for today. It may not be enough for tomorrow, but for today it would do. The others were creeping forward again. She waved them back, and took the opportunity of her position to peer under the Vardos across the camp. Most of the slavers were sleeping in their tents. One was sitting at the fire, his back to them, and another walking the perimeter of the camp.
She got back on her feet and signaled the girls in the wagon. They slipped out one by one, not as quietly as she would have liked but quietly enough. The six of them had agreed. Everyone runs in a different direction. The reality of the situation was that all of them were likely to be caught, but if any of them were to make it, this was the way it had to be. They weren’t quite sure where they were, but they did agree that the road was somewhere to the north, and they mostly agreed that South Bridge was far to the West. Ez watched as the patrolling guard passed by and was now out of sight.
“Run.”
They took off, stooped low. Hoping to avoid detection. Scuttling toward the tree line. They all slipped into the darkness of the midnight forest and disappeared into the night. Ez hesitated just long enough make certain that the group was not detected. They now had a chance. She dashed through the woods as fast as she could. Branches scraped her body and face. She held her arms out as she ran hoping to deflect some of the pain, but she was naked and weak. There was just too much of her exposed. She tipped her head forward and continued scrambling through the trees.
Hours later she was thankful for the the first hints of sunrise beginning to break through the trees. Light meant warmth. It meant she could see where she was running. She could spot help or danger. But that also meant danger could spot her. She heard a scream some distance away. Followed by the sounds of men yelling. They were coming. Ez and one of the girls must have converged closer together than planned in the dark. She darted through a copse of birches, and then back into the brush of the Gray Wood. Throwing herself into a ticket she lay down panting and doing her best to quiet the thunderous beating in her heart.
Time passed. Slowly. Ez almost didn’t believe it moved at all, but real light filtering through the branches of the forest marked the slow ticking of time. Peering through the thicket she spotted on of the slavers a good ways off. He was walking away from her which was good, but he was so close. She was exposed here. If he circled back he would spot her. Vibrant purple skin does not hide well against a forest in winter. She couldn’t stay here. She had to keep moving. If she stayed they would find her. She had to find someplace better to hide. She waited till the slaver was further out of sight and crawled out of the ticket.
Click
The clicking back of the hammer to a flintlock musket brought the world crashing down around her.
“Don’t move devil woman.” I’ll shoot ya in the leg and hobble ya. We won’t get as much coin if those gams are damaged, but we’ll still get some. Most of the blokes who would pay for something like yourself are interested in parts other than your legs anyway.”
Ez began to sob. Her tears were hot. They burned against her nearly frozen skin. Her chest heaved with anger and malice. She wanted this man dead. Peeled alive. Slowly and painfully. She glared at him. Straight down the other side of the musket barrel. No, he wouldn’t take her alive again. She’d die before going back. Her rage boiled over. Her eyes began to stin with the burn of tears. And as they did the man did something curious. He took one small step backward. He was afraid of her.
“Leave me alone!” She screamed. She should not have rebuked him with such volume. But the hell fed hatred in her heart knew no considerations in regard to the volume at which it expressed its fury.
She screamed again, but not in rage but horrified shock as the man burst into flame. He dropped his musket and flung himself to the ground writhing in pain. He rolled through the cold wet leaves in desperate hope to damen the flames. But there was no dampening the fuel that fanned these fires. They burned for a moment and then flickered out. The slaver made one feeble attempt to crawl before ending his life in curled heap of blistered skin and ash.
Another man came running through the trees. Summoned by the sounds of the conflict. He skidded to an abrupt stop and stared at his companion laying smoldering on the ground. His eyes drifted from the remains to Ez’s hands. He could not peel them off her hands. Ez glanced downward at her fingers. They were ablaze, but the fire caused her no pain. Still the sight of her hands on fire caused her to attempt to flick the fire off. A gout of fire leapt from her hand to the ground and still the burned. Ez remembered something her mother had told her once. That long ago her family had power. Real power. Given to them by the infernals that originated their race.
Ez smiled as the slaver continued to stare. She stood there naked, her skin cold, her heart ablaze. Tired and bleeding. She didn’t know why it was this moment that the power had come, but it had. She leveled her gaze at the man standing nearby. He met her stare as he began fumbling for his sword. There were a lot of thing Ez would have like to have said to this man. She would have like to have cursed him and any offspring he fathered. She would have liked to have made some terrifying declaration about his eternal destination. She would have liked to have said a lot of things. \page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} But Ez could only manage one word. But that word came with enough volume and venom to send the man fleeing as fire rained down on him through the trees.
“Run”
## Artificial Awakening The blackness faded away at dawn. The moment the light hit her, shapes and images began to form in her mind. Memories brought on by the soft swirls of colors flowing into existence through the changing spectrum of light that traveled from blues to rose to primary in moments as her eyes adjusted. She had been asleep. That was unusual. The stiffness in her joints was even more so. They felt rusted. Bound. She flexed. Began a quick self examination. Everything seemed to be in working order. Though in need of some basic care. How long had she been asleep? The thin layer of dust settled upon her frame hinted at years. Where was Jennika?
E9 surveyed her current location. Desk - Shelves - Books - High Back Chairs - End Tables - Fireplace - Oil portrait of a human family above hearth. This was a residential study - wealthy. The collapsed and watermarked ceiling - molded furniture - sagging floors - and broken windows covered with vines informed her that the residence was abandoned. Estimated time passed - Significant - Multiple decades - Jennika was dead - Unless magic had been used to prolong her life - Unlikely. Jennika had deeply held beliefs on such matters.
E9 wrestled internal with the concept that five decades had passed. Constructs do not need sleep though they can engage in the behaviour if they wish. How was her consciousness suspended that long? She began to process her last memories. Meal time - She did not eat - The others did. They had just finished installing the “Library” in their fortress. All of their collected knowledge was now stored in a secret magical vault that would preserve it for all time. The other Weave Guardians were laughing. As was the routine. Telling stories - Making japes. Each one had been shared countless times before. Mechanically it was a waste of energy. However, they always seemed refreshed by the ritual. She watched as the lamps in the hall began to flicker - The illusionary music stops playing - A lamp goes out - The others begin to look around confused - Another lamp - Then - nothing - Then - now.
She was standing in a corner on a large circular floor pedestal. A grime covered, but legible, plaque on it read “WARFORGED” and underneath that “A Constructed Artificial Being”. E9 did not care for the phrasing of those designations. Though Warforged was still universally used. It harkened back to a time when soul bound constructs served as slaves in the large scale national conflicts of their creators. Her kind broke with that model long ago. Though many still found service in combat and protective duties. At their choosing. The difference is small but significant. Artificial was factually inaccurate. She was as real as the next being. She had needs - wants - desires - Her thoughts were her own. And right now all she could think about was getting some answers to where she was, and how she came to be here.
Taking a step off the pedestal elicited an objectionary groan from the floor followed by a snap and a crack. Care was needed if she was to avoid plummeting through the woodwork. E9 worked her way to the desk and began a thorough search of its drawers and contents. Odds and ends one would expect to find in a desk - Nothing of real value left behind. She stopped for a moment, looking at nothing in particular, just taking in the information the room had to present. Art was current to her memory - Style was Northern - The books on the shelves were the greatest clues. Dozens of titles, having to do with history and lost wonders. However the most extensive collections had to do with the History of the Northern Crater - The Von Chamson Family - The Silver Kingdoms. An unrefined text - bound with twine - spotted with ink - likely written here by the owner of the study - had the title “Log of the Reclamation of Benschwitz”. She stopped. She was unfamiliar with any effort to reclaim Benschwitz. The city had been destroyed by the Storm Lord in The Pentad crisis. Approximately Four hundred ten thousand three hundred forty six people died in the blast. She formed a hypothesis.
The failing of lights and the reactions of her companions indicated that the magic in the Keep had stopped working. She too was likely affected by whatever event was causing the Weave to be ineffectual. The anomaly put her into shutdown. With no Weave, there would be no need for Weave Guardians. The Keep was abandoned. Being unpowered, she was nothing more than a cumbersome metal and wood statue. She doubted her companions would simply abandon her, nor would they scrap or sell her. They would have entombed her with the others of their order that had passed. Likely some treasure hunter found the keep and discovered her resting place. The people of Chamsburg are well known for dealing in antiquities and oddities. She was likely sold in auction to a noble. One who was part of a failed attempt to reclaim the ruins of Benschwitz.
E9 had her hand cupped under her chin and her index finger gently tapping her cheek. The gesture was purely cosmetic. A common mortal behavior that somehow eased their psyche and relaxed them while processing information so that they could come to a conclusion. She began doing it to ease her companions. They had often informed her that the way she just stopped and stared when she was thinking was “creepy”. This was the first time she noticed she had ever done it while alone. She was alone.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} Contrary to popular belief, constructs of her calibur experience emotion. E9 was sad. All that she knew was likely gone. It was not the first time she had experienced loss. Mortal things pass. However, in this instance it processed more as if they had suddenly vanished. Certainly that is how they felt as well when she shut down. Very few, if any, of her friends would still be alive. Maybe the Dwarf. The life of a Weave Guardian was dangerous. Even among the long lived, an untimely ending was far more likely than the coming of old age. Still, the others said that the Dwarf had the luck of a whole halfling village. There was no such thing as luck, but Thanoc Graniteback had proven to be a statistical impossibility. If any were still alive it would be him. She took the log book, important information to research later. Made her way out of the ruined house into the crumbled city of Benschwitz, and began her lonely journey to find an old friend.
\page {{pageNumber,auto}} {{footnote Blood and Blame}} ## ADVENTURES & MORE As I wrap up this work I want to thank you for reading it. I don't have an editor and well... some of it was probably a janky slog. You stuk with it and that warms my heart! So truly Thanks for taking the ride!
I thought it best to do a page where I drop a list of our adventures that work with this guide. I'll list our adventures and supplements here. I've also listed our 2021 Map Collection links with over 150 maps in there. ## GUIDES - [Taalist: The AOG Setting Guide](https://www.patreon.com/posts/65831194) - [Deleran's Crossing: A Town of Tragedies](https://www.patreon.com/posts/62746174) - [Kavasto, City of Thieves](https://www.patreon.com/posts/supplement-city-52850356)
## MAP COLLECTIONS 2021 - [World and Region Maps](https://www.patreon.com/posts/60852781) - [Cities and Settlements](https://www.patreon.com/posts/60852631) - [Interesting Locations](https://www.patreon.com/posts/60852455) - [Buildings](https://www.patreon.com/posts/60852160) - [Caves, Ruins, and Dungeons](https://www.patreon.com/posts/60852294) - [Random Encounter Maps](https://www.patreon.com/posts/60852559) ## ADVENTURES
### Year One Adventures These loosely connected One Shots are designed for new players, but Easily adapted to experienced DMs.
- L3 [Underground Combat Club](https://www.patreon.com/posts/50583615) - L3 [Perilous Peaks And The Birds of Prey](https://www.patreon.com/posts/51758785) - L3 [Highway Hogs of Hickory Hollow](https://www.patreon.com/posts/51210885) - L4 [Troglodyte Troubles](https://www.patreon.com/posts/50072297) - L4 [Down The Drain (Trog Sequel)](https://www.patreon.com/posts/52413515) - L4 [Missing Messenger](https://www.patreon.com/posts/55165474) - L? [Ol’ Nan’s Glorious Grocery List](https://www.patreon.com/posts/ol-nans-glorious-52953822) - L5 [The Worst Happiest Day of Her Life](https://www.patreon.com/posts/54381392) - L6 [Hooded Hog of Hickory Heights](https://www.patreon.com/posts/53524868) ### Standard One Shots Standard one shots of carying difficulty and length.
- L1 [Satyr-Day Night Fever](https://www.patreon.com/posts/51526557) - L1 [The Cannons of Kavasto: A Crime Story](https://www.patreon.com/posts/52683954) - L3 [Some Things Should Not Walk](https://www.patreon.com/posts/52138225) - L4 [Mountain of Frozen Fangs](https://www.patreon.com/posts/61195276) - L5 [Feast of the Raptor Queen](https://www.patreon.com/posts/50990282) - L6 [Murder at the Drowning Lass](https://www.patreon.com/posts/49862530) - L7 [Disaster At Badur’Tor](https://www.patreon.com/posts/50341918) - L7 [Sirens of the Sorrow Song Shoals](https://www.patreon.com/posts/sirens-of-sorrow-53263831) ### Holiday Adventures We try and do holiday adventures every year... try...
- L5 [Over the River and Through the Woods](https://www.patreon.com/posts/59769378) - L3 [Carted Away (or Rabbit Trail)](https://www.patreon.com/posts/49452106) :: ### The Hushed King Trilogy Battle the Hushed king all the way from the dpeths of the Whisperwood to his fortress in the Shadowfel.
- L5 [Terror in the Whisper Wood](https://www.patreon.com/posts/54058579)) - L6 [The Cavern of Lost Hope](https://www.patreon.com/posts/54738704) - L7 [The Silent Throne](https://www.patreon.com/posts/58021339) ### Beligeriare's Baubles
A McGuffin Quest gone wrong puts the players literally into trouble. They'll have to find a way out of the trap and deal with the one who put them there.
- L5 [Temple of the The Bronze Dove](https://www.patreon.com/posts/61793628) - L5 [Lost in Deleran's Crossin](https://www.patreon.com/posts/64623859) - L5 Beligeraore's Baubles (Coming Soon) ### A Touch of Black, Campaign
A dark being from beyond the void is loose. Can your Players stop it? Take a jaunt into the wretched city of Deleran's Crossing in our level 1-10 Horror Campaign.
- L1 [Warehouse of Woe](https://www.patreon.com/posts/63188187) - L1 [Condemned](https://www.patreon.com/posts/64929203) - L2 [The Haunting of House Trellu](https://www.patreon.com/posts/65802400) - L2 Black Taxes (Coming Soon)