Part II: The Three Kingdoms - Session 1 - The Mad Captain

The feel of crossing through the magical canvas is a lot more like stepping through a doorway than the group expects. The sudden change in surroundings from the cacophony of open conflict to the serene ocean scene comes as something of a surprise.

The sun has set only recently, and the western sky still retains a deep, effusive, blue radiance that softly illuminates the clifftop. To the west, beyond perhaps a mile of open sea, a coastline sprawls to the north and south as far as the eye can see, and a small city slowly lighting up from within, nestles around its own natural harbor. Closer to the cliff, an old galleon rests at anchor, silhouetted against the reflections of twinkling stars.

The refreshing smell of fresh pine in warm air comes from behind. A forest covers a gentle rise leading up into the interior. Close by, a menhir (read standing stone) perhaps twenty five feet tall and rough hewn, stands unimpressed by the new arrivals. To the north, a cliffside path wends its way down to a beachhead that is illuminated by a distant bonfire.

Our heroes choose to investigate the bonfire, and make their way cautiosly down to the beach. The bonfire is 'guarded' by a single sailor who is quite obviously into his cups. With little pressure, you learn that Peter is a member of the crew of yonder ship. A ship captained by Captain Branagan, a fellow that Trollish knows to be something of a rogue. He tries to share his trove of rum as he tells you that the rest of the crew have headed off to the haunted fortress to seek treasure.

Our band of heroes split up, Torkaboo and Shekan take one of the launches and head off to explore the galleon. The rest of the gang head with Peter up into the island to discover the whereabouts of the crew, a crew that has been 'missing' for three days.

Talkabou and Shekan board the galleon and begin their search. The captain's cabin seems like a good place to start. They hammer their way through the lock and Shekan enters. Disturbing images, have been scribed, painted, scrawled on the walls. floors. ceilings, furniture and any other visible surface. The images have an unpleasant effect on the Desertling and he quickly runs from the room, his mind filled with horrific demonic visions. After some mental bolstering the gnome and the desertling manage to go into the room without screaming in terror. Between them they discover that the captain, or the painter, had some idea that there was something important on this island, a weapon, an object of power, fabulous treasure of some kind. The images also seem to have something to do with the plague demon and his sweeping dominion over Ekulon, Flamekeep and the land's to the north. Shekan sees the demon being slowed, even held back by someone holding out their hand. Torqabew goes and investigates the ship's holds. She discovers enough weapons, armor and supplies to maintain an army. She also discovers some interesting treasures, a box full of shuriken, a dissassembled set of nunchaku, and a six foot long burrowing millipede that quickly goes on the attack.

Shikan and Torkabou do manage to thwart the slithering beast but only after slicing up much of the rigging on the forward mainmast. Feeling that they have learned enough or done enough damage, they go back to shore to find their companions.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group make their way up the vale and to the ancient elven fortress. It becomes quickly evident that many of the crew met a quick and brutal death. As they move deeper into the grounds of the castle, they are unsuccessfully ambushed by a band of skeletons. Euthic uses his holy powers to force them to his will. They approach the main keep. As they do so, the ruins of the upper floors of the keep shift as if something underground stirs. They see the remains of most of the rest of the crew; these bodies are strewn about the dark entrance of the castle and look like they have been mauled by huge claws. A cautious approach brings on a sweeping attack by a huge skeletal clawed paw. The heroes realise that whatever is in the keep must enter from somewhere else. They leave Peter to keep the attention of the creature by throwing rocks and go in search of another way in.

Circling the keep , they come to the edge of a steeply sloped dune. They slide down and find the expected large entrance into the lower levels of the keep. The edges of the hole look as if they have been burrowed away to allow something to gain entrance. They make their way down to the passage and soon see the shifting tail of the creature. Its spiked and scaled bones suggest that it is some kind of undead lizard, perhaps even a dragon of some size. After careful deliberation and some testing, the group come up with an ingenious plan. They send one of Euthic's skeletal servants to douse the heart of this creature with the 'holy' blood of Illiana. It works, the bloods pure and chaotic effects seem to cause the undead creature to go into some kind of seizure. The creature shakes and then vibrates until it comes flying apart at the joints. Bone shards strike the slower of the group, but no one comes to any serious harm.

With the beast dead, the group goes hunting around the beast's burrow for loot. This creature has obviously had many years, perhaps even centuries to collect these treasures. There are large amounts of gold here and magical artefacts as well. As our band of heroes go about exploring and studying their new found wealth, Peter comes sliding down from the keep entrance, he tells them that he remembers now that his last name is Branagan. Soon after, Tockabuu and Shekan rejoin the group.

The heroes may have found the tools to complete their heroic quest and perhaps a base of operations, and a ship too.

End of Part I

A bass gruff voice shouted from outside, 'step outside strangers, hands away from your weapons, this is Captain Slats o' the town guard.' Even as the call was heard, the Gnome and the Wizard, appeared out of a visible but short lived rift in space, and the Half-Orc brothers disappeared. The returning Wizard had, on his person, three bottles of unknown origin.

Captain Slats turned out to be an unexpected ally. Solomon had tried to manipulate him into dealing with you for him. As it turned out, the Captain had his own problems that were in line with your own. The group allowed itself to be peacefully escorted to the town guard barracks and there a sharing of information gave them the location of Illiana, the girl they sought. They also learned that she had been in the hands of the cultists for some time. Trollish managed to break out of one of the bottles leading to questions and assumptions as to what the other bottles may contain.

The group split up; most returned to the temple to collect weapons. Trollish went to the 'brothel' to scout out the cult's lair. Shikan returned to The Three Barrels Inn to talk to the barman about the cultish markings on the Inn's door. He learned that the cultists were troublemakers in town and that the town was riddled with underground tunnels.

Meanwhile, Trollish made enquiries about the girl at the brothel using the subtle approach of pedophilia. Luckily, before he got himself into too much trouble, the Gnolls struck the cult's lair from underground. The rest of our heroes regrouped and after some discussion decided to try to approach the lair from the underground tunnels. As they fought their way through a ritual chamber where some kind of bloody ceremony had taken place, Trollish used his subtle wiles to get trapped in a room with a girl and a priest. Illiana was found.

Not long after that the rest of the group join Trollish, the room surrounded by the conquering Gnolls. However, Illiana shows them a way out, her gift and reason for being there. She has created four paintings, gateways into other times or places. She lets them choose. The paintings represent: a world where the demon was victorious; a world where the demon was stopped; a world where a weapon exists to destroy the demon; and a world where the demon has not yet been summoned. Collecting up some magical treasures and two scrolls offered by Illiana, the heroes choose to enter the painting where a weapon exists to destroy the demon.

End of Part I.

The Story So Far: On the Edge of Darkness

(Plot summary for the first few sessions of Flamekeep campaign)

Sometimes, at the beginning of the end, forces gather to stand against the inevitable darkness.

On the ancient harbor of the city of Flamekeep under the watchful eye of the single torch that gives the city its name, the first overt strikes against the civilized lands were felt. A long planned assault of the harbor took place. Gnolls secretly entered the city from the river, and from the North and the South. They were able to set the harbor patrol houses afire before any defense could be mustered. The few remaining patrolmen were ambushed and killed before they had a chance to raise the alarm.

With the patrol put almost completely out of commission in a fell stroke and with smoke rising from the district, the city guard chose to close the gates to the city proper and contain the mysterious attack. The Gnolls were unconcerned. The forces directing their actions knew that the person and the items they sought were already in the harbor district. The city guards’ actions had simply played into their hands.

The Gnolls successfully kidnapped Elander, perhaps with the help of denizens within the city. Certainly, someone struck deep into the heart of the town setting the wizard’s tower on fire. However, thanks to a handful of unsuspecting heroes, that was the only success they had at the harbor.

The Gnolls and a secret Guild working within the city also sought the Hand of Kalgus (the Plague Demon). Tales tell that when the sorceror’s turned their back on the city of Ekulon so many years ago, the magic wielders and priests who were left trapped in the plague doomed city tried to make a pact with Kalgus, to save themselves and the other dwellers of Ekulon. The demon betrayed them and only through great sacrifice was the demon held at bay, presumed destroyed. That was not the case, though its hand had been lost in the terrible battle, the beast had only been forced into a dormant state. Now, the demon’s followers seek to bring him back, but they require the hand to allow him to regain his former strength.

Trollish does not know how he ended up with the Hand on that cold morning. Certainly chaotic energies filled the air and made the unlikely at least feasible. There is no doubt he would rather not have had it, as evidenced by the fact that he has it no longer.

So it was that Euthic, an unusual servant of April; Shikan, a desertling tortured with dreams of the apocalypse; Elka, dark apprentice to the High Wizard Elander; and Chara, a mercenary out of the legendary north, were thrown together to halt the Gnoll attack on the town. What at first was a struggle to escape the conflict became a stand against the invading monsters.

The fight inevitably found its way to the pub, ‘The Dead Phoenix Inn,’ thanks mostly to the inquisitive Innkeeper, Eland. With a moment to breathe, introductions were made and
Chara delivered a package to Elka that she held for Elander, a strange inscribed disc about 3” across. As they planned their next moves, a Halfling rogue who would later betray them, arrived at the inn offering bounty for the heads of the Gnolls.

In the meantime, the Gnolls attacked the Inn from the rear cellar entrance while the Halfling was acting as a distraction. Trollish rushed in the front of the inn being tailed by more Gnolls and the Halfling made a run for it out into the streets and Elka observed him giving away their position to more Gnolls. Meanwhile, the attack within the inn awoke a travelling monk (name?) who quickly joined the fight against the monstrous beasts.

On one of the raiding barges on the river, Doomhammer, an imprisoned Half-Orc broke free of his prison and escaped, after having a short conversation with Elander and receiving an egg for Elka. The barbarian made quick work of the remaining guards on the barge and then ran out into the square to kill more Gnolls.

With most of our heroic band in place, the remainder of the battle with the Gnolls went quickly. Elka chased the Halfling into an alley followed by most of her new friends. There, the Halfling, obviously a member of some kind of secret guild or cult, confronted her. They learned that the primary goal of the Gnoll strike on the town was to retrieve a magical artifact, a skeletal hand that Trollish had found in his pocket when he awoke only a few minutes before. The Halfling offered to pay for the Hand. The heroes clearly understood the importance of the artifact and would not give it up. After much bargaining, threatening and an attempt at subterfuge, the Halfling gave up having run out of time, as the gates to the city were being reopened.

Elka received her egg from Doomhammer. The egg contained a message from Elander, asking that he be rescued and that the Hand be returned to the demon. Elander believes that the demon cannot be permanently dealt with until the creature is made whole and brought completely into this plane. The egg also contained a tiny reptilian creature, Elka’s new familiar.

With the Gnolls gone, normality is quickly restored in a City where the unusual is commonplace. A large ocean going vessel from Midion seems to worry Chara and the group finally decides to head for Elander’s tower to make plans. On their way, several of the group notice ‘Wanted’ posters with portraits that look like Chara. The Gnome notices something unusual in the market and heads over to one of the stalls in time to see and be affected by an unusual magical explosion.

At the remains of Elander’s tower, the group meet Solomon. He doesn’t seem very trustworthy at the outset. He does have reasonable claims to have been working for Elander. He offers the group the unusual document that Elander sent him in search of. It is a timeline and family tree of sorts showing the strange life path of a girl who seems to have made appearances in different decades over many centuries. It is not clear from the timeline whether the child is long-lived or she has skipped over years. Elander believed that the mysterious girl was required to vanquish the force of the Demon. Solomon had used the family tree and other evidence to determine her location, Windbrucke, in the Upland Reaches.

Euthic went home to collect supplies and ran into a couple of acolytes who told him that there had been a visitation of April at the temple and that he had been guided to protect that which would destroy the Demon. The others gathered money and supplies at the Tower. Ilka found a magical staff that, not least of which, seems to cause visions of far away places and also indicates the proximity of some kinds of creatures. They get on the road, unaware of the shadowy figure who is following them.

The band of heroes spent about four days reaching Windbrucke. Along the way, they encountered a number of caravans and traders who spread news of the developing war in The Three Kingdoms to the south and the growing difficulties in travelling. They fought off a goblin band and were reunited with their friend the gnome and a mysterious wizard.

On their last night of camping before arriving at Windbrucke, after continuing arguments about their goals, the group settle down to rest. The Wizard, the gnome, Doomhammer and Trollish disappear in another puff of chaotic magic. Shikan goes up the road to scout ahead. While the group is fractured, a Drowen ranger enters the camp and seeks to talk to Elka in private. Shikan returns and understandably miscomprehends the situation and assumes the Drowen mean trouble. He awakens the group.

The Drowen tell them that they have come to rid the group of the menace called Solomon. They know him as a double-crossing scoundrel who has killed in cold blood before, in the name of a profit. They offer, specifically to Elka, to kill him for the group. They also tell the group of a renegade Drowen who hunts Chara for bounty. After further arguing, the group decides that Solomon is too useful to them for now, but clearly he has become quite nervous about this group who are even considering turning him over to the dark elves.

Once again the group settles down to sleep. Euthic and Chara sneak off to get supplies from a local monastery known to the priest. Solomon makes his move, deciding that now is the time to break with the group but first he must deal with something. He quietly sneaks over to Shikan, dagger in hand. He is caught in the act and almost dies at the hand of Shikan. Doomhammer mysteriously reappears out of the void and always ready for violence. Solomon’s moments seem numbered, but he is not been alone. From out of the shadows an arrow flies, striking Shikan. A mysterious voice with drowen overtones order the group to release Solomon. There seems to be little choice and Solomon gets away.

Next morning, the band get back on the road and arrive at ‘The Three Barrels Inn’ in time for lunch. The inn seems to be doing a good lunch business but Elka learns that the innkeeper does not get as many overnight guests as he used to. He has a problem with thieves at night and rumors that people’s goods go missing at the inn have been spread. Several of our heroes also notice, rune like scratchings on the frame of the door to the Inn. Shikan identifies them as the markings of the church of the Seventh Prophet. His people practice this religion, but there are tales of corrupted versions of the cult being practiced outside the Windrift desert. Further rumors of war in the south are also being spread around at the inn.

The group head into town and first decides to investigate the rundown and ransacked remains of the temple of April. Within, they see a shadowy figure heading into the crypt and they follow.

The band is unsuccessfully ambushed and battle ensues with a group of gnolls, their shaman and the undead creatures it commands. They push the gnolls back, deeper into the crypt and then choose to hold off. Though, it seems strange that the bands antagonists are once again Gnolls, rarely seen, today, this is not their most important battle. They must find the child…

Commerce, Trade Routes and The Free Cities

Marked on many maps as Karadeen (which simply means ‘city walls’ in Elvish), the Free Cities form the center of commerce for the Storm Coast. The mouth of the North River is the crossing point for all of the communities on the Coast; and the river forms a line of communication and trade to the rest of the continent. To the introverted Elven Empire, Karadeen is synonymous with smuggling and piracy, and forms an unwanted barrier against direct trade with the North. It is considered the biggest external threat to the security and health of the Empire. The Free Cities, particularly Flamekeep, has a large community of Boreal Elves and imperial exiles the many of the Noble Houses believe act as spies.

The Free Cities originally grew from small communities of travelers who came from the North and settled where the river met the sea. In fact, though not a well known fact, the first communities were started by Halfling and Gnome Nomads from the lands known as ‘The Provinces,’ far to the north. The first walled settlement was actually the doomed city of Ekulon. These days, it is not uncommon for traders and explorers to arrive from the north coming downriver. Sailing ships can traverse the river for almost five hundred miles and then river barges and smaller boats can be used to transport people and cargo further. The river brings hundreds of travelers into the Storm Coast community every year. These traders very rarely head back up into the northern provinces. Commonly, such traders become very wealthy by selling their exotic goods and settle here.

The Free Cities are the most cosmopolitan places in the south. They have become centers of international trade by sea and by land. Most trade routes around the Storm Coast begin or end in one of the free cities. More exotic goods can then be transported north away from the Storm Coast for huge profits if an adventurous enough trader can be found. It is said that the lands in the north will pay exceedingly well for the weapons of the Three Kingdoms, the textiles of An’ia and Torqueshae, and any imperial Elven crafts. All that being said, traders heading north are far less common than traders coming out of the north. The journey is not an easy one and it is unusual for anyone to take the trip more than once in their lifetime.

Though the Free Cities are commonly lumped together as a political entity, they are actually a number of large self governed and competing mini-states. These city-states trade with local farmers, fishermen and tradesmen for food and resources. The locals are taxed by the city government and in return are provided protection and support against the growing danger of raiders. Much of the land around the cities is sparsely populated with small farming villages. The rest of the land is largely untamed. In some cities, recent increased taxation of trade goods exported and imported has been an unpopular move and has intensified smuggling activities along the river.

The Three Kingdoms have important economic ties with the Free Cities. The Kingdoms sell goods through the Free Cities and they also tax products crossing their borders on the way to the North River. These import/export taxes are highly unpopular amongst the merchant houses. More dangerous routes around the mountains and long voyages via the sea are often chosen to increase the profitability of trading goods. These ‘smuggling’ activities have increased tensions in the Three Kingdoms and trading caravans are often raided, not be independent criminals, but by organized militia from local Kingdoms towns. Such raids can lead to full border disputes and there is a fear that war between the Kingdoms is on the horizon.

The cities are in competition with each other for the best trade treaties and shipping agreements with local and not so local merchant houses. This competition can turn quite nasty. Agents from other cities are not uncommon on the streets of a competing town trying to undermine their economy or cause other troubles. The Merchant Houses hold a lot of sway in the Cities. The interaction between these Houses, the City State governments, mercenary and militia forces can become quite complex. It takes an insightful student to be able to navigate the economic, political and military relationships on the streets of the Cities as they ebb and flow. However, such a student can find numerous ways to become wealthy or dead!

Flamekeep

Most renowned of the Free Cities is Flamekeep. It is named for the large lighthouse that guides ships into port. The flame on the top of the lighthouse has not gone out in a century. The light of the flame is amplified using strange alchemies and arrangements of mirrors. Not surprisingly, there are many legends and tales surrounding its nature.

This city is governed by a council of Sorcerers. It is rumored that they can see into the future. The facts are that the choicest goods and services have passed through this city for decades. Activities of enemy spies continue in the city but are rarely overtly successful. However, several infamous agents are still at large and many of the trade agreements that Flamekeep maintains are considered the juiciest targets for local competing economies.

Across the river from Flamekeep lies Ekulon, City of the Dead and the Plague Lands that border An’ia. Ekulon used to be a sister city to Flamekeep. However, several generations ago, a blood plague broke out in the city that threatened to spread along the entire river. The Flamekeep Council quarantined Ekulon, damning all of the inhabitants to a painful death. Ekulon now stands as a reminder of the Council’s hard approach to problem solving. Ekulon and its environs are now plague free. However, the city is said to be haunted by the doomed inhabitants of the city and their dread descendants. There is no doubt that brave smugglers use the ports of the haunted town as a base for operations, and that the city also houses numerous exiles and wanted criminals.

Flamekeep has become the center of commerce for the Storm Coast. Agents of the city and its Merchant Houses are common in the royal houses of all of the other nations. Rumors that Flamekeep might try to bring all of Karadeen under its governership are very common, but no overt moves have been made in that direction. There is no doubt that Flamekeep’s relations with the other City States are strained because of its success and its growing influence in the outlying areas.

Desertlings, The Windrift Desert and Wihrus

Desertlings

Desertlings are an indigenous race of tribal Halflings who live in the Windrift Desert to the North-East. These Halflings are a tough breed of warriors and survivors who live in large family based communities that hunt and gather around the oases of the desert and semi-desert. There are more than twenty tribes living in the desert. These tribes have complex relationships involving raiding, trading, kidnapping for the purposes of inter-tribal marriage and laws of honor and hospitality.

Life is harsh in the desert and Desertling children are protected with a fury that is even beyond the comprehension of parents of other species. Other travelers in the desert will rarely see Desertlings unless they are in trouble. They do not like strangers and do not like to draw attention to their tribes. However, there are many tales told in taverns all along the Storm Coast, of Desertling warriors swooping in to save lost caravans from the rigors of the desert or from the many dangerous scavengers that lurk in that part of the world. Also, certain savvy traders have developed friendships with certain tribes learning their ways well enough to barter for supplies and safe places to rest. For reasons that are not quite clear, the Desertlings have developed a kinship with the exiled Elves in the region.

Desertling communities are almost always centered around an oasis. These small outposts of paradise are closely guarded by the Halflings and they use several semi-tamed lizards, the Naguer and the flying Lydrake to help them. These lizards are both trained for riding and the Naguer is more common than the horse in the deep desert. The lizards sleep for much of the day as do most Desertlings. The tribes' active times are from a few hours before sunset to a few hours after sunrise.

Desertlings very rarely travel beyond the borders of the desert. However, some Desertlings develop an adventurer’s spirit or a wanderer’s heart and do depart their own lands seeking exotic excitement and adventure. Such adventurers always take the blessing of the Elders of their tribe and their god with them.

Desert Religion

Desertlings worship Novem. They believe that the great sandstorms common in the hotter months are a sign of the god’s powers. Those people who survive out in such a storm without shelter are called Stormriders and are considered blessed by Novem.

The Desertling religion is quite structured and revolves around the teachings of the Seventh Prophet. The religion is called Wihrus (which means ‘Fire of Judgement’ in Desert Halfling) by outsiders who have learned of the religion, named after the Seventh Profit. Cults of Wihrus have sprung up all over the Storm Coast, and members call themselves Wihruuns. Wihruuns believe that Novem created the world, specifically beginning with the Windrift desert. Within the structure of this belief system, Novem has four faces that can be seen in the night sky. Each of the faces of the deity have different personality traits, and worshippers in this religion are careful to indulge Novem’s prominent aspect. At all times the gender of Novem is kept ambiguous. The use of gender specific pronouns when speaking of Novem is considered inappropriate and rude by Wihruuns.

The four faces of Novem are:

Ekuma ‘The Red Star’

The Red Star is seen in the night and early morning sky. It usually stays low on the horizon and stays visible for different amounts of time throughout the year. It does not appear over the horizon in the hottest months but its glow can still be seen just at the horizon. This face of Novem wants order, rules, peace and security for the inhabitants of the Windrifts.

Narcis ‘The Moon’

The Moon is the largest body in the sky. It is approximately one degrees across (about 2 times larger than Earth’s moon) and has rings. It is usually visible for about half of the day. It is visible even when the sun is in the sky. It changes phase from full moon back through to full moon over about a thirty day period. However, both its dark and light side are usually visible. The Wihruuns believe that the phase of the moon represents a shifting aspect of Novem’s personality. The full moon and the light side represent wisdom, knowledge, research and learning. The dark side of the moon represents shadow, subtlety, treachery and secrets.

Gehlon ‘The Sun’

The Sun is the most powerful aspect of Novem. It is a small, bright, blue-white star that puts an intense contrast on everything, particularly in the deep desert. To the Wihruuns, The Sun is a symbol of Power, strength, light truth, life and death. The Sun is the reason the Windrifts are as desolate as they are. The Sun holds sway over all things and some Wihruuns believe the other aspects of Novem are insignificant when compared to Gehlon.

Ondah ‘The Constellation’

The Constellation is a grouping of twelve bright stars that can be most easily seen in the hottest months of the year. This aspect of God is the humorous side of the deity. It wants chaos, whimsy, frivolity and fun.

The Seven Prophets

Wihruuns believe that six prophets came to the Windrifts to bring the knowledge of Novem to the Desertling tribes. Some believe they came directly from Novem and others believe they came from across the ocean. These six prophets were human, perhaps the first humans in the Windrifts. They came to the Desertlings, taught them and tried to convert them to the way of judgment, Wihrus. The Desertlings killed them but not before each of the six prophets separately prophesied the coming of a seventh prophet, a great leader from within the Desertling’s own community.

Wihrus, a Desertling, was found by the banks of an oasis about three hundred or so years later. As she grew up, she discovered she had an easy wisdom, a natural charisma and vast talent for sorcery. She also had an inborn knowledge of the ways of Novem. She survived many trials, that are now passed down through oral tradition. She traveled amongst the tribes, both human, in the Tribe Lands, and Desertling and taught them about Novem, the Windrifts and their spiritual ‘place’ in the world. She went about her work for almost two hundred years (a long time for a Halfling) and then she disappeared and never returned to any of the tribes. By that time, the religion of Wihrus had a great following which has continued to grow ever since.

The Desertlings believe that the Windrift Desert is a testing ground for the faithful. They believe that their spirits have been chosen and taken from paradise to serve Novem. However, before they can go on to serve Novem they must prove that they are worthy and capable. Wihruuns believe that they must spend their lives bettering themselves. They should find their natural talents and improve them for Novem. Novem is waiting for them to be ready for a greater purpose.

Wihruuns also believe that magic is a gift of God. They are very suspicious of magic users who do not have the faith. They consider it blasphemous. This can cause a great amount of tension between the Desertlings and other magic users on the Storm Coast. Desertlings often find the activities of the cults of Wihrus amusing when they come upon them. They are generally accepting of those outside the desert who have chosen to follow their ways. However, they do believe that the ways of Wihrus, the power of the desert and the blood of the tribes are tightly intertwined.

The Three Kingdoms - Background

Thekbar and the Ignathans

Legend has it the geographical area known as The Three Kingdoms is tied together by ages old lore. In ancient times, long before the Shattering, the kingdom of Thekbar spread across all of the land that is now the Three Kingdoms. Their relationships with the other ancient nations, The Empire of Suepen and the Elven Empire were peaceful. The realm of Thekbar was threatened only by the race known as the Ignathans.

The Ignathans were a humanoid race who worshipped the Dragons of the Glitterpeak Mountains. A violent and chaotic race, the Ignathans always sought conquest and war. The Ignathans were held at bay by the ruler of Thekbar for centuries.

The Royal line of Thekbar had a magical gift tied to a distant draconic bloodline in their ancestry. This gift allowed them to intimidate and sway the minds of Ignathans and Dragon kind. The power did not show itself until a royal child’s coming of age; their sixteenth birthday. For many years, this gift held the Ignathan hordes at bay and slowly over generations the gift was forgotten.

Forgotten until, one fateful day, it came to pass that the King and Queen of Thekbar died in a terrible accident leaving their only daughter, a young girl of thirteen years. Iliani was well supported by advisors and counselors as she took on her role as leader. However, as months passed the Ignathans found that they could encroach further into Thekbar. Soon, their raids turned into full blown invasion. Thekbar struggled to hold back the horde and called upon their neighbor, the Empire of Suepen and the Elves, for help.

Suepen did not help them, but built up their own naval defenses in preparation for the Ignathans reaching the coast. Thekbar and the Ignathans fought for two years. During that time, scholars on both sides sought to discover what had changed to allow the war. They both soon learned that Iliani was the key to long term victory. The Ignathans had the advantage and Thekbar had been brought to its knees. Iliani’s gifts were already starting to come into fruition and she spent much of her waking time in hiding, sketching places and maps that she had never seen before that held unknown secrets of the Dragons.

The Ignathans used all of their means to kill Iliani before she could come of age. The sorcerers of Thekbar were tenacious. They set a trap for the Ignathan army, drawing them in and around the city of Thekbar using news of Iliani as bait. When the army arrived, a series of magical traps devastated the Ignathans.

The last few Ignathans hunted for Iliani’s true location. They found her just in time to see her being sent through an ancient magical portal that the sorcerers had changed to push her somewhere beyond her enemies knowledge and hopefully to safety. The sorcerers were slaughtered, but Iliani was safe.

In the meantime, the Suepenese had displeased their Goddess Novrius because they had dishonorably chosen not to help. Novrius ordered that when the time came, the Empire of Suepen would send their finest warrior to help the descendants of Thekbar.

The Sixth Age

When the Northern Empire swept down to destroy the Elves, the land of the Three Kingdoms succumbed and became a part of the devastating war that ended in the Shattering. The Elves’ perspective on the humans that populated that land twisted. The ancient peace turned to fear, hate and arrogance.

In the Sixth Age, after the great Reformation, a large part of the Storm Coast has formed into three human dominated Kingdoms. The Kingdoms of Shale, Gothna and Diamar have evolved from a cultural mixing of the ancestors of Thekbar and a number of the wild tribes of the North, remnants of the Northern Empire.

Over the past few centuries, these kingdoms have been in an almost predictable cycle of war and cold war. A state of cold war has existed during the past few years and there are concerns that national sensitivities have begun to increase again and a wrong move from one of the nations, or from an external source, could lead to bloody conflict on the border lands once again.

Though trading treaties have been developed between these three nations, raiding and conflict still occurs regularly along the borders. Perhaps, more of a concern is the strong smuggling community that has developed along the Storm Coast. Over land travel between the Kingdoms has become increasingly expensive over the years as border and import taxes have steadily risen. Though, there are significant risks in taking overland routes around the Kingdoms or taking long sea voyages, bigger numbers of traders are willing to arrange such caravans to increase their profits. Such maneuvers are steadily eroding the coffers of the Kingdoms, another element that could be a prelude to war.

The Three Kingdoms have the coldest climate on the Storm Coast. In the South-West, from the ruins of Thekba to the Arkenfell Mountains, the snows never completely melt. Further east, the climate becomes more temperate. Of the Three Kingdoms, Gothna is the warmest.

The humans of the Kingdoms are a tough breed. They live off the land, having developed agricultural techniques that suit the harsh climes. Even the farmers are fighters, used to having to fend off raiding beasts from the mountains and dark forests, and warriors from other nations. The people of the Kingdoms have more in common with each other than they like to admit. Most of the differences have grown out of the politics and policies of the three royal families.

The Fallen Empire of the Elves

Before the Shattering, the Elven Empire had conquered all of the lands now known as the Storm Coast. During the wars leading to the Shattering, the Imperial Elves were pushed back and finally off the continent by the competing Human held Kingdom called Thekbar, a province of the Great Northern Empire. The nucleus of the Elven Empire survived by retreating into a form of self exile for centuries on the Isles of Ael’Kandar. Their retreat left ruins of temples, forts and towns scattered across the Storm Coast, some of which, in the Sixth Age, have been used as the foundation for new settlements.

Ael’Kandar

Nine surviving Noble Houses of the Great Elven Empire withdrew to the Islands of Ael’Kandar after the Shattering. These islands had always been a center of commerce and politics for the Empire. The ruling House of the Empire, the Imperial House, originated from these islands and had its center of power there. As the surviving elves began to resettle across the island chain, it became evident that even the civilized Imperial Elves would quickly devolve into violence and civil war without leadership. Small skirmishes for land and resources had already begun to break out on each of the main islands.

Dyana Ce’lene Morningstar, Empress and House Elder of the Ce’lene Noble House convened a council of the remaining House Elders and called for peace and the reforging of the Empire in the name of the future and Baryus (see religion). The Imperial Accord was scribed and signed by each of the Elders. The Accord provided lands to each of the Noble Houses to be ruled as they saw fit. The Empire would be governed by the Empress, a High Council and a reformed senate. The Noble Houses would always have a say.

For a thousand years, the Elven Empire has flourished under the rules of the Accord. The Noble Houses vie for power and influence in the Senate. Rarely does the power struggle develop into open conflict, but acts of subterfuge, subtlety and assassination are common throughout the islands. On the surface, the noble families are civil and honorable. However, the dark side of the empire is a deep mire indeed.

Only two years ago, Dyana was succeeded by her only daughter, Eleana, to the role of Empress. Dyana remains as a member of the Senate and House Elder for the House Ce’lene. Politics and intrigue in the Imperial capital have never been so involved. The senators, the holy church and the labor council try to take advantage of a naïve Empress. Young Eleana and her aging mother are only now beginning to learn how many enemies they have and how much may be at stake should they lose control of the Empire. .

Imperial Elves

The Imperial Elves or Aelar Elves are only one of several races of elves that survived the shattering. They are the most numerous of the races, particularly along the Storm Coast. However, the Aelar population is concentrated in Ael’Kandar. They are very rarely seen anywhere else. Rumors of rogue noble houses and small pockets of Aelar continue to seep into the river of gossip that flows through the mansions and palaces of the Empire.

Elves are the only innately magical mortal species in the Shattered Lands. They are the only species who produce Sorcerers without the need for other external magical influence or magical bloodlines. It is more common for elves to be sorcerers than wizards. There is a certain northern race of humans, the Issiyari, whose descendants also have some innate magical talent. Legend suggests that this is because they have the blood of ancient dragons flowing in their veins. The point is moot as the Issiyari bloodline is all but extinct. However, rote magic can be performed by any sentient being who wears a shard or ingests shard dust. See section on Elven magic.

The society of the Empire is based on a caste system. There are five primary castes: The Sun caste is the warrior caste and is commonly the caste to which the nobility belong; The Star caste is the labor or peasant caste and makes up 80% of the population; the Moon caste forms the merchant community; the Dawn caste is the caste of priests, priestesses and other holy people; and the Dusk caste forms the community of magicians, sorcerers and other academics.

An elf’s caste is based on their lineage. Very rarely, an elf will be born a different caste to that of his or her parents. When this occurs, the event is usually foreseen and overseen by a member of the Holy Church of Baryus.

The Houses of Ael’Kandar

The general day to day governance of the provinces held by each Noble House is administrated in any way the House Elder for that region sees fit. Some provinces are found to be more accommodating than others where specific laws are concerned.

Oversight of the Empire is initially carried out by the Imperial Senate. Each Noble House has one representative in the Senate. The representative for a Noble House is not necessarily the Elder of the House. Most commonly, a trusted advisor or first born offspring are given the role of Senator for a Noble House. Senate sessions are held at the Palace in Aemon’ra, the capital city, and usually occur once a month. Each representative is allowed to bring three advisors to the Senate sessions. The Senate formulates Law and Policy and votes on each change. Any changes to the law, usually in the form of an amendment to the Accord, are passed to the High Council for ratification.

The Empress, the High Priestess, the Guildsman, the Niavin (first peasant) and the Archmagus make up the High Council. They are the de-facto leaders of each of the castes. They can:

• Make changes to a policy and pass it back to the Senate for revote
• Veto the policy
• Pass the policy into law

Finally, the Empress may veto the policy against the wishes of the High Council. This is very rare. The Empress also has absolute power over the Law but that is also very rarely used.

Elven Religion

The Aelar Elves have a unique perspective on the God Ebrus. Most of the rest of the surviving species in the Shattered Lands believe Ebrus to be a mad, power hungry and chaotic god. The Aelar Elves believe that Ebrus is only one face of a much more complicated deity, albeit the most dangerous face.

The Holy Church of the Empire is a vast organization that provides Elves a conduit for the worship of Baryus, their patron deity. Baryus is the goddess of magic, law and healing. She is a benevolent and strict god offering protection and love to those who are worthy. Ebrus is the dark shadow of the same god. There are those who believe that the aspect that is Ebrus always exists struggling to destroy all that might bring weakness to Elves, magic and ultimately himself. The Holy Church believes that Ebrus is a corruption of Baryus that occurs only when her worshippers seek dominance and tyranny over all things. There is a third aspect of the God, rarely spoken of, called A’ruan. The monks of A’ruan believe that this aspect was the original androgynous god of elves, enlightenment and inner reflection. Some cataclysm in the heavens, perhaps the destruction of the First Ones, caused A’ruan to transform into the being that now exists.

The church is possibly the most powerful organization in the Empire. Every town, large to small, has a Temple of Baryus. At least seventy percent of the Elves of the Empire are worshippers at such a temple. Religious gatherings occur on Saturday evenings (Dusk Call) and Wednesday mornings (Dawn Mass). The Church is extremely wealthy and maintains a Cathedral of extraordinary beauty in the Rurian Province.

The Priestesses and Priests of the Church are not considered members of a House during their service with the Church. However, when they do leave the church (including through death) they are returned to their House. Priestesses of the Church are respected members of a town. They usually have healing abilities. They tend to be a little arrogant and stuffy believing they are one step closer to God than the common elf.

There are two Monasteries of A’ruan in Ael’Kandar. They are respected holy sites and places of quiet contemplation. The monks of these sites do not claim to belong to a religion. They seek to find the place within themselves where violence and peace can reside in harmony. Monks of the order are a powerful ally of the Empress. She has done much to protect them from the gossip and lies that are spread about their esoteric practices.

Rumors of cults of Ebrus crop up from time to time. These heretical groups are usually crushed by the church before they become a significant threat. However, there are tales that a secret network of cult members continues to prosper and safely proceed with its activities, successfully hidden from the prying claws of the Holy Church.

The Cult of the First Church also occasionally rears its head. This spiritual cult uses ancient texts to perform rituals as old as the Land. They are worshippers of the energies that remained after the destruction of the First Ones. Their numbers are few and the Holy Church considers them harmless.

Elven Magic

Elves are inherently magical and with a little training can perform magical feats easily. All other species in the Shattered Lands require a magical talisman to perform magic. These talismans come from two different sources. Beyond the Empire, the shattered pieces of the Crystal of the Gods, commonly known as shards are the most powerful talismans. Such artifacts can give a mortal magical power or enhance the magical talents of those already capable. There are many shards scattered across the geography of the land. Many apprentice mages must seek such a thing to continue their education with a mentor.

The second source of the shards is the crystal mines of the Empire. In the provinces of Amastan and Enalis, there are deep mines where shards and shard dust can be found. It is uncommon for the mines to produce shard crystals of any size and such shards are treasures beyond value. More often, an ore is dug from the mines and shard dust is extracted from the ore. This dust can be dissolved in alcohol and imbibed by a skilled magic practitioner to enhance her abilities. Untrained use of the dust can lead to erratic visions, magical accidents and madness. The shard dust is highly addictive and only the most affluent magic users tend to use it. It is a highly sought after substance.

The mines from which the shards are extracted are populated by dragon-like serpents called shardworms that make mining extremely hazardous. The creatures are sensitive to vibration and heat. The hammering of the miners always brings them eventually.

Ancient magical portals connect the Islands of Ael’Kandar. However, they have fallen into disuse. They are often found in remote and dangerous locations on the islands. It is rumored that the pathways between portals have become infested with violent alien life-forms and that opening a portal can be quite hazardous.

Gods and the Mythic Timeline

The Land was created by the First Ones. There were two First Ones Aria and Aerer. In their beginnings they took joy in each other and in the Universe that seemed to form around them without effort. After a while, measured in their time, they decided to direct their creativity in a new way. The First Ones created the Land from some of the essence that formed the Universe. They created the elements and then from those elements they created the oceans and the continents, the seas and the islands. With new places to inhabit, the First Ones created many fantastic species to walk the Land, communicate and become something more

This wondrous Land was a delight to look upon but Aria and Aerer had made it too fragile and they could not interact with it directly for fear of harming it. They decided to create stewards that they could relate with, almost as powerful as themselves, who would look after the Land and make changes when necessary. After all, the Land was a work in progress.

They created ten Stewards to watch over different aspects of the Land. The Stewards became Gods of the Land and watched over it and added to it. Soon, the Gods wished to create their own species and allow them to inhabit the Land. The First Ones would not allow it and the Gods conceded, knowing their actions were limited to the First Ones wishes.

One of the Gods took matters into his own hands. Seeing only one way to wrest control from the Gods he arranged an intricate plot to trap the First Ones and destroy them, scattering their essence across the Universe. The other Gods observed the disappearance of the First Ones but it was unclear to them how or why they had gone. However, with the First Ones gone, the Gods could now manipulate the Land as they wished. The First Age of the Land was at an end.

The first mortal species were created soon after that. The mortal species were clever and spawned quickly. They learned new things promptly and soon they were building towns and fighting amongst themselves for resources. The Gods could see that their creations were getting out of control and the Gods understood their motives less and less. The Gods decided that two amongst the mortals must be brought up and imbued with the power of the Gods. One would be a God who understood battle and war. He would be strong and magnificent, loving life as much as he loved battle. The other would be brilliant and understand the complexities of the human mind, a lover of plots, subterfuge and diplomacy. Thus, Oculus and Arah, brothers in nature, were brought above the Land and were gifted with the power of Gods. Up until this point the Gods had always worked together. The Second Age of the Land ended.

The introduction of Oculus and Arah changed the relationships between the Gods in unforeseen ways. The Gods started to see themselves as unique and no longer mere parts of one fundamental whole. They all began to develop new plans of their own for the Land. The Land was thrown into chaos. Empires grew and were toppled, the Gods walked the Land as mortal Avatars and the Races of the First Ones, the Titans, began to make ready to protect their own territories.

The War between the Gods and the Titans began. Vast armies of mortals did battle with hosts of dragons, giants, demons and other extraordinary beasts. The whole Land was at War. The War was leaving the Land devastated and no side could win. The destruction of the Land seemed inevitable. A last ditch effort was made by the Gods, particularly Oculus and Arah to bring the fighting to an end. Arah issued a challenge to the Titans to send their greatest and most violent into battle while Oculus found a way to talk to some of the smarter Titans into forming a pact while the dangerous and chaotic element were out of the way.

The Pact was made. It was a huge and complex spell woven by the Titans and the Gods. The Gods would leave this plane and give up their right to appear as mortal Avatars on the Land and the Titans would return to their own territories and protect only those lands leaving the mortals to their empire building. Not all of the Gods agreed with this Pact but none could see another way to stop the utter destruction of the Land.

The Gods disappeared from the Land but when they returned to the Heavens, two of their number were missing. Ebrus, bright God of Magic and creator of the Elves and Novem, Violent Goddess of Storms did not return. It soon became clear that Ebrus had found magical means to circumvent the Pact. Fortunately, the Titans remained unaware of his presence at least for the time being. Of Novem, nothing could be found. The Third Age of the Land ended.

Ebrus became a God-King in the Land. His Empire became a shining monument to the achievement of his Elves. The other species formed vast empires also, but none of the others lasted. Other Empires rose and fell at the whim of Ebrus. It was only when an Empire started to form in the wild, cold North that Ebrus became greatly concerned. Fierce and strong humans were gaining in numbers quickly and their innovations both in war and peace were far exceeding those of his Elves. Thus began the war of the Shattering. The humans were strong and hardy, and only the toughest warriors had survived the centuries of tribal battles amongst themselves and the elves were bright warriors backed by the sorceries of the God-King Ebrus. The War of the Shattering was insignificant compared to the Titan-God wars, but it was the biggest war between two mortal armies in history. After many decades the Elven Empire began to push the Northerners back. However, a small band of humans, dwarves and Boreal elves moved secretly through the defenses of the Elven Empire and found their way into the inner chamber of the God-King himself. They discovered an amazing magical device, the bright Crystal of the Gods and shattered it into many pieces. Those who survived the supernatural explosion escaped with the pieces and scattered them far and wide. This Crystal was the anchor Ebrus had used to remain in the Land; with it gone he felt his mortal Avatar dying. As an act of vengeance, Ebrus unleashed awesome dark powers that changed him forever and shattered the Land sinking three quarters of the landmass and annihilating the Northern Empire. The Land was left in Chaos. The Fourth Age of the Land ended.

The Shattering sank the Northern continent and splintered the Southern continent across magical planes. Goblinoids and foul beasts began to rise out of the wastelands and mountains in numbers. With the influence of the Gods all but gone, the mortal races struggled to defend themselves against the hordes of chaos. Small communities of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings and Gnomes gathered and those last remnants of civilization joined forces and grew. Places, such as the Kingdom of Midion and the core of the Elven Empire, became beacons of peace against the chaos. Meanwhile, factions of the Dusk elves set plans to collect all of the shards of the Crystal of the Gods so that they could bring the Avatar of the God Ebrus back into the world. They were thwarted by a band of adventurers who had one piece of the Crystal swallowed and consumed by the dread Dragon Malignon at great sacrifice.

Ebrus had not been the only God who had tried to circumvent the power of the Pact. Moments before the last spell was woven into the Pact, Oculus tricked Novem into imprisonment on the Isle of the Eye. When the Shattering occurred, the Isle of the Eye was left untouched, protected by a powerful maelstrom. Oculus left the keys to her imprisonment in the Land fearing their detection by the other Gods. The keys were in the form of two powerful and sentient magical swords, Malice and Fate. Malice was found by a ‘broken’ warrior and after causing much devastation of its own was consumed at the same time as the Crystal shard. With only one key holding Novem’s magical prison closed, she found a way out. The Pact was at an end.

Novem would have her revenge. She called upon her old allies; Arah, God of War and Ebrus, God of Magic. She called upon new allies, giving the Dragons and their kin reason to fight for her. The War of the Gods began. The Land became the battlefield of the Gods once again.

In the midst of these events, three powerful Elves of the Old Empire, one Human orphan of the lost lands of the North and a Dwarf of Karak’Thor sought knowledge of the First Ones, Aria and Aerer, and their passing. They discovered the truth, that one God had destroyed them. They also learned a way to tap the power of the First Ones. The mortals took the fate of the Land into their own hands with the help of Ianuar, Goddess of Wisdom. They halted the war of the Gods and banished the Gods from the Land. The Gods were shattered into forty one demigods. In a similar way as the Gods had once done to Oculus and Arah, the mortals, the three Elves, the Human and the Dwarf gave up their mortality, imbued themselves with the power of the First Ones and took on the mantle of five greater Gods to watch over the demigods. They took five of the names of the old Gods: April, Ebrus, Ianuar, Novem and Oculus.

Using their new powers they reformed the Land. The Northern Continent was lost to them, but the Southern Continent was reformed to its original state, though its inhabitants were forever changed. The Fifth Age of the Land was at an end.

The Sixth Age would be dominated by events in the far south of the continent, in a region called The Storm Coast.