[#_INTRO_DISCLAIMERS]

Disclaimers

[#_INTRO_VERSION]

Alpha Edition, v7.0.2α

[#_INTRO_COPYRIGHT]

©Shattered World Publishing, Lansing, MI, LLC

Email: thor.teague@gmail.com

©1989-2025 Thorin Teague. All rights reserved. Excluding any fair dealing for the purpose of private in-game uses, private study, research, criticism, education, or review, no part of this publication may not be reproduced, in part or in whole, except with the express written permission of the author. This publication may not be redistributed by any entity other than the publisher in any form, including but not limited to, electronic transmission, facsimile, recording, storage in an electronic retrieval network, or seeding in peer to peer networks. Inquiries can be addressed to the publisher.

ISBN 1 00000 000 0

[#_INTRO_CREDITS]

Author: Thorin Teague

Editors: J.J. Anthony

Contributing Artists:

DMS Creations, Twitter: @DMSCreations, Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21192351, Roll20: https://app.roll20.net/users/313928/dms-creations

Additional Contributions: Mark Roberts, Matt Roberts, Mike Birch, Dave Crispin

Thank you: Mark Roberts, Matt Roberts, Mike Birch, Dave Smithkey, Terry Byrne, Simon Swegles, Dave Crispin, Philip Morey, David Nora, Jae Walker

[#_INTRO_DEDICATION]

Dedication

For my Players,

Who all contributed in their own way.

For Jean,

Who is my inspiration even though she thinks I'm a dork.

For Audrey,

Who I can't get to play... yet. (Update 06/04/2021: She's reconsidering it afresh upon learning she can play a ninja riding a unicorn.) (Update: 05/14/2023: Still working on it—so far I’ve gotten her to play My Little Pony Tails of Equestria.)

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_WELCOME]

The Gods Welcome You

I am Xi.

I have created all that is. I am the beginning, the current, and the end.

For eternities untold, my children's petty trifles and bickering manifested in the material universe as manipulation of the cosmos and the firmaments, garnering followers at any cost, and infinite, unending war. As I forged world after world, I grew weary of their strife. Eventually, they also grew weary of the endless wars. When I was ready to complete the masterpiece that mortals call the prime material plane, I created Syseria.

Sanctuary of the Lost... Playground of the Damned... Home of the Cursed... Syseria has been called many things by its somewhat bitter inhabitants. The sheer vastness of this world is daunting to all its people, although portals, airships, and spacefaring are utilized to remedy this. It has a beautiful golden-yellow sun, and an offset orbit and an abstract axis of rotation that is constantly changing. Such frequent changes to the nature of Syseria has produced a vast array of anomalies in geography and climate: warm lakes spring up near glaciers, desert winds blow over lands neighboring forests─all giving a myriad of diverse creatures and plentiful flora and fauna the chance to breathe life into Syseria.

Throughout Syseria, superabundant levels of magical energy are utilized, especially when it comes to social infrastructure. What might be called excessive on other worlds is rather common in this world, as magical devices and energies are utilized for communication, construction and demolition, and even travel schematics. To a spellcaster or Psion, this may mean little, because they do not wield a magical power greater than what one would expect.

Syseria's most intelligent species are ingenuitive, accomplished, and able. Thwarting the Chaos Age and ending the Dark Times was a colossal, godly feat. Mortal species learned of magical energies and how to shape them into powerful spells. Dwarves and others invented many wondrous machines and feats of engineering which Syserians value and use daily. All in all, they have advanced from primitive cave people, wielding spears fashioned from stone, to what they are today, and in the process have built up great empires quite successfully.

The peoples of Syseria are in some ways different from the other worlds I have made. They are aware that they are on a spherical planet that orbits a sun spinning through wildspace. When major events and catastrophes happen, they do not automatically assume the gods no longer favor them. Their mindset is comparatively sophisticated, with higher rates of literacy, increased university attendance, and while superstition exists among them, it is not the sole mode of thinking for people who create mental models of the universe.

One might wonder, then, why its inhabitants can be so bitter.

You see, Syseria has one other name: Land of Bloodstone. When Terrakus, King of Evil, visited Syseria, he discovered bits of solid matter that were intertwined with the very fabric of life: energies, both magical and mundane. Volution, Sun, Time, and Void to name a few. It is possible that more exist, although it remains to be seen.

These threads of raw reality have made Syseria the target of the schemes of many power hungry individuals, including my own children at times. While it is true that they had a treaty not to intervene with Syserian affairs (see Syserian History,) Kynteelas, Lord of Deception, nonetheless managed to manipulate time in such a way that he was not part of the pact. As a result, he was able to travel to Syseria and obtain the bloodstones.

Chaos Stones did not originate on Syseria, and were certainly never appropriate for the material universe. The mortal plane is exactly where they ended up, however, when the Devas portals failed and exploded. These bits of Chaos ravaged everything they touched, and brought forth creatures of chaos, heralding the beginning of The Dark Times.

Even though most of the bloodstone has been teleported away or has departed from Syseria of its own accord, enough remains in the darkest corners of the world that the tingling rush of raw power can still be felt. The most powerful spellcasters can still be disintegrated upon practice of their craft. And if you stop all movement, hold your breath, and listen carefully, the cackling of mad demons can still be heard.

I, Xi, the Lord of Creation, had intended this world to be my greatest triumph, a gem of perfection. This was the only task in which I have endeavored that I failed.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_CALIDORN]

Calidorn Welcomes You

I am Calidorn Izzinbor. I am a manifestation of an unknown god who oversees time, created in corporeal form because time was being manipulated in diabolic ways to “restore" (introduce) Chaos to the world. My job is to make sure it does not happen, and to help ensure that time cannot be manipulated by just anybody.

While The God of Deception, Kynteelas' existed on Syseria, He unearthed, among other things, a positively amazing substance: Bloodstone. Bloodstone is a defining, essential force of Syseria, omnipotent and omnipresent.

It’s as if Xi put all of his will, creative force, and energy into these stones and hoarded them to Syseria because it thought Bloodstones would benefit mortals.

They did not.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_BLOODSTONES]

Bloodstones

Each of the nine constituent components comprising the universe: chaos, time, magic, sun, void, volution, thought, spirit, and weird, are concentrated into stones. Each of these nine forces directly affect magic, godhood, and spellcasters. Each god in Syseria’s pantheon is bound to one “aspect,” (e.g. her or his stone type). Each and every caster of spells (no matter the variant) is equally bound to one aspect.

Bloodstones are the embodiment of the driving forces that rule, drive, inspire, and empower all that is, was, and will be. There are many bloodstones of many different types, and likely they exist on many different worlds, but Syseria is currently the only one that has discovered them. Bloodstones are the material embodiment of the forces that sculpt the universe and the entirety of the prime material plane. They represent all things, all energies, and all manner of concepts that mere mortals could never hope to comprehend. They embody and define reality. Mere mortals can never harness their power to any end other than their annihilation. Rather, they are more like the paintbrushes of the gods.

All bloodstones share certain traits. They give off energy, indeed their very fabric is intertwined with all the omnipotence of every universe.

In their material forms, bloodstones appear as pebbles, stones, monoliths, or boulders of various size, shapes, and colors, sometimes as tiny as a grain of sand, and rarer than the rarest of precious gems. Their potency, however, vastly exceeds that of any other known magic.

If their power can be harnessed (a truly rare situation), they can level entire cities, create or destroy armies, corrupt the most powerful and pure of heroes, and cause insanity, or worse, turn the victim into a being of the power it embodies merely by touching it.

Its power can only be utilized by gods, demi-gods, and powerful demons or devils. A mortal's chance of using a bloodstone without suffering the ill effects is nil. Further, some stones require special situations or rituals to be effective. The negative effects of attempting to use them, however, will be felt regardless.

There's no need to go looking for bloodstone, you won't find it (some say it finds you) You don't want to find it. While powerful in the hands of those who can control it, it corrupts and destroys those who can't. Attempting to destroy it is also a pointless endeavor.

While most bloodstone has departed from Syseria, there still remains enough to cast a dark shadow across the world.

It is by these definitions that the nine major classifications of bloodstone have come about: Time, Chaos, Magic, Nova (or Sun), Void, Thought (or Dream), Weird, Soul, and Volution.

Dwarven worshipers of Udidia also believe the planets themselves to be bloodstones of Material. By definition, their belief is untrue, however it is not without credence. But it is well known that all bloodstones are (relatively) small in size, and cannot be touched and should not be approached. A planet obviously does not fall into this category.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_TIME_STONES]

Time Stones

There is no single unimpeachable “true” or “static” timeline—indeed, time is not a line. The past exists as an equal reality with the present, which in turn is as real as events that have not yet happened, the future.

When the many worlds were forged by the Father God, his sons and daughters bickered and fought amongst themselves, using the Father God's worlds as their battlegrounds, and their inhabitants as their pawns. These wars continued for a million eternities, and will continue forever; there is no resolution.

Until Syseria.

The last of the worlds forged by the Father God, Syseria was made to be a gem of triumph whose inhabitants would flourish without war, greed, or any ambitious concerns─a “perfect” world. The Father God forced his children into a pact they made with each other and the Father God himself, never to directly intervene with the affairs of Syseria.

However, Terrakus, the now dead god of evil and woe, had other plans.

With godly intervention impossible on Syseria, Terrakus could prepare a nesting place for himself and his minions, where they could grow in power and number unabated, and begin a systematic takeover and/or destruction of this and other worlds, thus destroying the other gods by killing their followers. This coupled with the catastrophic extinction of all living sentient beings in the material universe, he believed, would parlay into victory in the final battle of the Everwar, the unending eternal war between demons and gods.

Terrakus secretly told Kynteelas, the god of deception, of his plans, and sided with him to accomplish a wholly unprecedented feat: to successfully deceive and betray the Father God. Through manipulation of the events of the past, and of time itself, Terrakus and Kynteelas had never existed when the agreement was made to refrain from meddling with the affairs of Syseria and the Syserians. Kynteelas betrayed Terrakus and the god of evil and woe ceased to exist.

To explain how this is possible, think of time as a river. Although the true nature of time usually cannot be comprehended by mortals, this is a fair analogy. (You may read my primer for more in-depth analysis.) One can actually dam the flow of time, and channel it. This is what Kynteelas did. He channeled his own existence into a tributary of his own making, and rejoined our river after the pact was made.

Manipulating time is dangerous, to be sure, but the cosmos is more resilient than you might think. If you go back 40 years and kill your parents, the universe simply works itself out. You probably won't cause a paradox. This is a gross oversimplification, but for the purposes of this discussion, it’ll have to do.

Changing the past might put a rock at an earlier point in the river. The river will just flow around the rock and find its level. What you change may not snowball into entire chunks of reality being removed from the present, or worse, your own existence (thus creating the dreaded paradox.) However, your original intent could backfire drastically. For example, if you intend to remove a portion of history that seemed exceedingly evil, you could find that it had more than a little to do with what is currently thought of as "good," as people will learn from tragedy.

There are also dangers of traveling to the future. With the distant future, the most obvious is, you're not ready for it, and it's not ready for you. You could encounter a creature or technology that you don't understand or doesn't understand you, and it can possibly cause insanity, or some sort of mind-bending, or it may simply kill you outright. With the near future, knowing what happens to you, your loved ones, your home, or your possessions, can sometimes have disastrous effects. For example, if you see your own death, it can cause a terrible binge of bloodthirsty madness (which may, in turn, cause your death.)

Time travel, however, can be done, and is done, successfully. The principle of time travel is simple. You are at point A, you want to get to point B. You just need a way to travel.

We all have one method of travel: We all move forward through time at sixty seconds per minute, sixty minutes per hour, and twenty-four hours per day. Other methods include magical, and those that the Gods and Devas possessed, neither of which mortals can understand.

Real Time, the present, is the point at which the "main" (for lack of a better term) reality is. From this central nexus point, the past and future radiate outward in concentric cones of probabilities (this is a more accurate analogy than the river but also a little more difficult to understand).

Moving into the past or future by magical means is also possible. There is one thing to keep in mind: Nothing is carved in stone. Not the present, nor the past, and least of all the future. Reality extends outward from the point of the present in two cones of probability, past and future. Within structures exist many universes of possibilities.

When changing events of the past and returning to the present, one often finds drastic and sweeping changes have affected their lives and societies. The reason for this is obvious, history forges the present, therefore changing history changes the present. For example, if the king of the Empire City had an excellent plan for trading mined goods with elves and humans to generate more money, and it started a war between all three nations, then some powerful heroes may wish to change that fact. They go back and manage their way into the council appointed to bring the king's plan into law. Using whatever means necessary, they remove the idea from the king's head, and it is eventually forgotten. Thus, the war is never fought, and any effects of the war are never felt. This can happen, but more often than not, the war happens anyway through other means.

Changing the past may seemingly have instantaneous effects to those returning to a distant future, however, that is not the case. A period of time after the change passes where there is no deviation from the original timeline, save for the change made. However, there will soon be something in the original timeline that was supposed to be affected by what was changed. The effects of significant actions often snowball into entire parts of society simply not existing.

Changing the past can be thought of as erasing and rewriting a penciled script.

And the future can be thought of as a thumbnail sketch, a tentative rough draft of events to come. The future is only a possibility, sometimes not even the most likely one. Changing events of the future, however, never has any effect on the present, unless you were to prevent or encourage future time travelers who wish to go to the present or past.

No one is quite sure where time stones came from, although many a sage will theorize. The beginning of the universe is probably a good place to start, but that's only a guess. If you believe the "big bang" theory, then you might think of bits of time originating there.

The only way for mortals to travel through time on Syseria is with Time Stones. They are among the most difficult to control, and tend to have the most aloof personalities, fading in and out of existence, moving from place to place, or seemingly disappearing from the planet entirely (I'd wager they actually move through time.)

For more information, consult Calidorn's Primer.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_CHAOS_STONES]

Chaos Stones

An incomprehensibly long time ago, the first sentient species in existence, known as Devas, colonized all worlds by a means of magical and technological transportation that we still do not understand to this day.

It is theorized that the original Astral plane was pure liquid Chaos. The Devas managed the flow of this Chaos to travel, assisted by their magic, to every world currently thought to be in existence.

Some time after the first three species were established (again, the exact timeline is unknown even to me, God of Time), the portals malfunctioned, as is the nature of Chaos. Why and how this happened is unknown, but it caused all portals to explode simultaneously, destroying everything they were near, and spewing Chaos upon all the planets that the network was currently connected with. Thousands of worlds were decimated. The effect was cataclysmic on all the worlds it touched; some more than others, but all were essentially hurled into darkness.

Chaos bloodstone is the paradoxical embodiment of Chaos. The drow, duergar, and other underdark dwellers may have originally departed from their surface kin due to intervention from Chaos bloodstone.

After the explosion, The Chaos Wars ensued, and this was simply (and appropriately) entitled The Dark Times. Evil creatures were born from the tiny bits of Chaos sprinkled about the planet, including dragons, goblins, ogres, trolls, as well as other creatures that were hurled forth from the chaos plane, such as elementals, various astral travelers, demons, and other monstrosities that most prefer not knowing about. The time this began was unknown, it ended at 0 ADI (anno deorum numinis) (year of our gods) (Post Dark Times.)

Although many believe the following part of the story to be testimony to the Gods' causing the portals to explode, I firmly believe that it was only the nature of Chaos that destroyed the portals. The Devas assumed they could control Chaos, and, though leaving it bottled up as long as they did is a feat, it could never have remained that way, regardless of the Devas' supremacy.

After the first millennium, a war erupted in the Devas community. An Devas, fueled by chaos stone, appointed himself overlord and converted many others into beings of chaos. The Devas lost their battle, and in their final hour of desperation, cast a powerful cooperative spell to rid the world's knowledge of their deeds forever.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_MAGIC_STONES]

Magic Stones

As the blood, smoke, and dust of The Dark Times began to settle, and The Rebirth began, the wise lion-mage Rathus T'arq of the seven Heros of The Dark Times had decided that retirement was his ultimate desire, and traveled to his tower with the intention of giving up his adventuring days forever and living peacefully there.

However, to his dismay, he found that the Chaos Wars were all but over. Barbarians of the frozen wastes of the south were boiling up to invade, as the people were still recovering from the terrible war. The people of Cirisca called upon him to lead their armies in defense against the invading hordes. As the raiders migrated north, savage fought savage, and the battles that followed were horribly bloody.

These were mere tremors, however, echos of the past war, and the resilience of him and his people encouraged them to subside.

While sure that the threat was gone, Rathus decided to remain in Los Ashton for good measure. He was forced into a political game that he would've been happier without, and became a figurehead at which to point fingers and a pawn for his superiors' gambits. It was during his stay in Los Ashton that the first bloodstone of magic made its way into Rathus T'arq's possession.

Despite what you might think, these stones are more dangerous directly to spellcasters than anyone else. They contain the raw magical energy that magic-users shape, and godly amounts of it. In the event that a foolish mage should attempt to harness this energy, he is invariably blown into nothing but a red mist, or, in a best-case scenario, a horrible and irrevocable wild surge occurs. Rathus' wisdom got the better of his curiosity, and he teleported the stone back to the belly of the world after learning all he could from it.

It was deduced that these are the source of magical energy on Syseria, and confirmed later when a power-mad warlord by the name of Luciust took them to Tarsis. Tarsis was a world which once had no magical energy. For a time, during Luciust’s stay, there was enough magical energy for those near it to use their spells normally (as opposed to drawing from the living core of Tarsis).

Luciust's undoing was the stone, when he found that the untamed energy could not be controlled, and he was hurled into the Abyss to live out the rest of his days.

There is not much that can be done directly with the stones, but their existence and purpose is known. It is this proximity with the source that stimulates wide scale, frequent use of magic, and highly powerful magic.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_SUN_STONES]

Sun Stones

Syseria's sun was not always the yellow-orange hue it is today. Dwarven myths speak of a time when the life-giving sun was covered by a dark blue shell. It was the Dwarven god Pighye who cracked open the shell, allowing the sun's rays to shine upon the world.

The shell, however, shattered and was strewn about deep space. The larger pieces took on their own self-appointed tasks, forming the shell around the sphere, acting as asteroids, even forming into small planets.

The smaller pieces fell onto the planets, mostly causing a massive, uncontrolled growth of vegetation, wildlife, and even evolution. Sun stones give life, provide heat, and provide light. They are likely to vaporize any being unprepared to handle bloodstones who strays too close.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_VOID_STONES]

Void Stones

Void stones give us gravity, black holes, and tension. Gravity refers to the attractive force between bodies, such as dropping an object to the ground or one heavenly body orbiting about another. Voidstones bring cohesion & tension to the universe. They are the glue of the prime material plane. Without void stones, the universe would never have coalesced into any kind of cohesive form. Major Void stones are typically black holes, and cannot be approached. If even one major Void Stone is present upon a planet, that planet will be crushed. Not even light can escape the pull of a void stone.

The existence of Void makes it possible for a galaxy to exist, for a system of planets or sub-stars to orbit a sun, and for beings to exist upon a planet without being flung away by the planet's movement. They must stay far out in wildspace. When around planets or people, all matter collapses into them and destroys everything in the world. Of note, there is a giant Void Stone in the center of the galaxy. It is presumed that there is one at the center of all galaxies. It is for these reasons that relatively little is known about Void Stones.

Transmutomancers are relatively strange and mysterious, even among wizards. They carry containers that can hold this substance safely and negate the density. A teaspoon of Void Stone weighs about four hundred pounds.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_VOLUTION_STONES]

Volution Stones

Millions of years ago, these artifacts were placed on certain planets by an unknown entity, along with another placed on any orbiting moon(s), and a third, often moon or planetoid sized stone placed in orbit of an outer rim planet within said star system. The stones of Volution sought out certain forms of life─primates, for example─and encouraged them telepathically to engage in certain activities. Things like tying a small piece of string. Picking up a stone and throwing it to hit a target. Making strange and alien sounds with their mouths.

As epochs pass, these species may evolve to spacefaring capabilities. As such, they are likely to find the stone on the moon nearby which then sets off a beacon, directing them to another planet further out in their own system. Additionally, this alerts the Devas of when a species has achieved spacefaring. The purpose of the third is not known.

These sentient artifacts were scattered throughout the universe by the Devas during their Alljourney. Volution stones push forth sentience and evolution. They catalyze change and advancement. They are found on planets, moons, and in deep space. Direct contact often results in the absorption of the foolish adventurer's consciousness. She or he will “live on” in the stone, but will cease to be what they were in their corporeal form.

Volution stones can also generate stars. Moreover, Volution stones push the universe forward, making it possible for stars to form, and to die. They make it possible for all manner of beast and man to walk and evolve on various planets. They are a catalyst, an energy that drives all things to move and change. As such, they have an aspect of entropy that sets the universe in motion and moves things forward.

Volution stones have the apparently unique ability among bloodstones to spontaneously replicate themselves. Or some say, bilocate or multilocate. The distinction is perhaps moot.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_WEIRD_STONES]

Weird Stones

Throughout Syseria, where the fabric of existence intertwines with magic power, Enigmancers express their power through Weird Bloodstones. These stones function in higher dimension and tap the power of probabilities and the vibrating strings that comprise the universe. To harness the power of the Weird Bloodstones is to harness the intertwined multidimensional powers of probabilities, powers that manifest through the entangled dance of these stones that exist in many dimensions at once. To understand Weird stones, a good starting point is... a point. It has no breadth or depth, it is just an imaginary value (or coordinate) in an arbitrary system. The point is of indeterminable size and shape, and has no volume, or infinite volume, your choice (we will be using both at different points in this illustration). We can call this the zeroeth dimension.

By drawing a second point at different coordinates in the same system and connecting them, we create a line. We have now introduced length and entered the first dimension. By then drawing a third point at different coordinates in the same system that creates a branching line, we can create width and enter the second dimension. This illustration will repeat as we continue to the higher dimensions.

Imagine if you could, a species of beings that exist only in two dimensions. In contrast to our understanding of life which spends its existence commonly in three dimensions, these beings are like the royalty on a flat playing card. We'll call ours the Queen of Hearts. Imagine, if you like, that the Queen of Hearts can not eat. This is because the pipe that would be needed to travel from her mouth to her backside would divide her in half.

As a being existing in two dimensions, she is commonly incapable of perception of the third. As a result of this, we can place her on a newspaper flat on the table, and she may find herself on the real estate section. From here, she could walk up to the comics, over to the front page, or down to the sports. But if we pick up the newspaper and fold it, it appears from the Queen's perspective that she was magically transported instantly to another section without moving at all. (Or very little, anyway).

Folding through higher dimensions is another illustration that will be used repeatedly throughout this lecture. It's as if you're magically jumping from one point to another in the dimension below.

The Queen of hearts encountering one of us beings of the higher 3rd dimension would be a very strange experience. She could only perceive a vaguely humanoid shaped cross-section of our insides at any given moment. A balloon would appear to be a circle, enlarging to a big circle, and then reducing once again in size until it popped out of existence. Inexplicable!

Picture in your mind a moebius strip. Let's treat it as a path of travel for the Queen of Hearts. From the Queen of Hearts' perspective, she walks down the path for a bit, and then seemingly by magic she winds up right back where she started, even though she never turned around or did anything but walk in a straight forward line. Again, she had no idea that her path was actually twisting and turning in the dimension above, because she is incapable of perceiving this.

Now we can add another dimension by once again creating a point in a system on a new axis. This gives us a third dimension: depth. The third dimension is the easiest to visualize and understand, because it's where we spend the entirety of our common, everyday existence. We have all three: Length, width, and depth. The pipe traveling from our mouths to our backsides does not divide our body in half, because of depth. (Which is good, we need to eat). What then might we call the dimension up? Remember, we can still assign points on a grid to describe these things. But a good descriptor for the fourth dimension is generally considered to be either "time" or "duration."

As three dimensional beings, the perception of the fourth dimension as it really is is not possible for us. Like our two dimensional Queen, we three dimensional beings can only a single three-dimensional cross section of the fourth dimension at a time. As a result, this creates the perception that time is a line, when in fact, it is an undulating, twisting, moving entity in the dimension above. Not unlike the queen on the newspaper, we live our lives moment to moment in the third dimension, seemingly unable to move through the dimension above in any way other than a slow walk, but if we had some way to pick it up and fold or reorient the fourth dimension, we could easily move from birth to death, or beyond, seemingly like magic.

The appearance that our lives start at birth, going on through middle age, and eventually leading to death in a line is completely an illusion of our three dimensional perception. This time "line" is in fact a twisting, moving snake in the fourth dimension, with all points existing equally at all times. Weird Bloodstones exist simultaneous in infinite states, in infinite dimensions. All contained within a single magical entity. Enigmancers harnessing these powers rewrite reality with a mere command; what appears to be physical reality to a commoner is putty in the hands of the Enigmancer to sculpt as they wish.

I'd understand if you were questioning if this magic is the same thing as Time magic, then. And while there is some overlap (as all Bloodstones are related), the answer is no, that's not what it is. You will need to exercise some patience to get the whole picture.

One amazing aspect of higher dimensions being stacked on top of lower ones is that down here in the lower dimensions, we might be unaware of our movements in the higher dimensions. Even though it feels like we are moving in a straight line, like the Queen of Hearts on a moebius strip, we are actuall twisting and turning along a snakelike, undulating path in the dimension above. Uncertainty is a prime attribute of Weird magic, but specifically the act of collapsing uncertainty into certainty, into physical reality. Enigmancers use their wisdom, intelligence, and intuition to manipulate these powers into something tangible, specific, and useful to the wizard.

One that we can express another point in different coordinates in the same system to branch off from, which we will do now. There are in fact a multitude of branches that we could take from this point, each one influenced by chance, our own choices, and the influence of others. Enigmancers claim that waves of probabilities are collapsed into what we call "reality" upon observation. In this illustration we start to see how collapsing different indeterminate waves collapses different probable futures into reality that we experience as time.

Supposing, then, that you wanted to be a rich, famous, genius inventor of some miracle technology. You return to your childhood self by folding through the fifth dimension. Here you are attempting to influence your childhood self to become the great rich inventor though the introduction of different chances and influence of others. To your dismay, you find that the great inventor is not one of the available options in your current timeline no matter how strongly outside influences factor into the equation. You have no way to influence the timeline to get to that destination because it is not possible.

But the good news is, you've taken the long way around and didn't need to do any of this. The shortcut we could have and probably should have taken is to fold through the sixth dimension, which allows us to instantly jump from our current position in our fifth dimensional branch to another.

In our explanation of the fourth dimension, we can again think of it as a point (coordinates) in an arbitrary system. This point, we could suppose, represents the three dimensional universe as it exists right now. Another point in the system might represent the three dimensional universe as it exists one minute from now. If we extend this line as far as possible, it joins the beginning of the universe with the end.

Now as we enter the seventh dimension, it will treat the entire sixth dimension as if it were single point. To do that, we have to imagine all the possible timelines which could have started from the inception of the universe to all possible endings for the universe--a concept commonly called "infinity." And we will treat them all as a single point.

So to have a point in the seventh dimension would be all possible timelines would could have occurred from the beginning of the universe to the end. When we describe infinity as being a point in the seventh dimension, though, we're only imagining part of the picture. If we're drawing a line to another point in this system, we need another place to go, because that's how our line is going to join two points together. But how can there be anything more than infinity?

The answer is that there can be completely different infinities, created by different universes, with different timelines, different starting conditions and compositions, and different laws of physics. Those universes, created through initial conditions different from our own big bang, can represent completely different infinities in a different place in this system, this giving us a second point to draw a line to.

From there, if we can imagine yet another different infinity in another universe, created by differing timelines, initial conditions, and physical compositions, we get our branch and enter the 9th dimension.

Now as much as it may boggle the mind to continue with this concept, we nonetheless imagined the 7th dimension as all possible timelines created from our own big bang. The 8th was a different universe with all of its own possible timelines and conditions. And the 9th was a branch parting ways with the 8th. Now if we wish to imagine the tenth dimension, we need all possible universes, with all possible timelines, all possible infinities, beginning to end, representing a single point in the tenth dimension.

All has been well and good up to this point, but the tenth dimension is where we appear to hit a roadblock. If we are imagining all possible universes, creating all possible timelines and infinities, beginning to end, we would need another point to branch off from to continue to the 11th dimension. But as far as anyone knows, there's no where else to go! Or if there is, it is outside our capability to percieve or process. By the time we have imagined all possible timelines for all possible universes as being a single point in the tenth dimension, our journey appears to be complete. Enigmancers, wielders of Weird magic, are able to fold, smash, flatten, and rediminsionalize space in ways that are seemingly impossible. They claim that superstrings vibrating in the 10th dimension are what create the particles that make up all matter in the universe, and indeed in every universe. That all possibilities are contained within Weird Bloodstones, weaved together in the Quantum Nexus and awaiting the Enigmancer's command.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_THOUGHT_STONES]

Thought Stones

Thought stones are unusual amongst the other bloodstones in that their appearance is comparatively recent, within the last millennium. It could be that the whole of sentient thought caused their spontaneous existence, or their appearance as the case may be. Whatever the case may be, these stones have magical properties tied to thought and the sentient mind. Thoughts exist as free floating entities that can be detected and interpreted for those who are attuned to them.

This magic enables Phantasmopsychemancers to take and implant others’ thoughts. Sometimes (within certain limitations such as distance and age), residual thoughts can be detected.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_SOUL_STONES]

Soul Stones

Soul Stones tie to necromancy and the spiritual. The God of Death, Nylis, is a neutral God whose responsibility it is to safeguard souls on their way to their proper eternity. He strictly disallows animating dead as use as undead soldiers or slaves. To do so, he must be tricked, but in tricking him and completing the necromantic desecration, the user of magic damns her or his own soul.

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Malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer. Mattis enim ut tellus elementum sagittis. Vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis imperdiet. Purus in massa tempor nec feugiat nisl pretium fusce id. Orci eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit. In hendrerit gravida rutrum quisque. Est ultricies integer quis auctor elit. In aliquam sem fringilla ut morbi tincidunt augue interdum velit. Ipsum faucibus vitae aliquet nec ullamcorper. Semper risus in hendrerit gravida rutrum. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam. Viverra nibh cras pulvinar mattis nunc sed blandit libero. Malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer eget aliquet nibh praesent. Quisque sagittis purus sit amet volutpat consequat mauris nunc. Consequat semper viverra nam libero justo laoreet sit amet cursus. Malesuada pellentesque elit eget gravida cum sociis natoque. Tortor condimentum lacinia quis vel. Fermentum et sollicitudin ac orci. Nec nam aliquam sem et tortor. Sed tempus urna et pharetra pharetra massa massa.

Proin sed libero enim sed faucibus. Malesuada fames ac turpis egestas sed tempus urna. Convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie at elementum eu facilisis. Accumsan tortor posuere ac ut consequat semper. Adipiscing elit duis tristique sollicitudin. Leo vel orci porta non pulvinar. Sed risus pretium quam vulputate dignissim. Quis commodo odio aenean sed. Aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl condimentum id venenatis. Porttitor massa id neque aliquam vestibulum morbi. Vivamus at augue eget arcu dictum varius duis. Tincidunt arcu non sodales neque sodales ut etiam. Volutpat commodo sed egestas egestas fringilla phasellus faucibus. Sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur. Netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas integer eget.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_CHRONICLE]

A Chronicle of Ages

Detailed herein is a timeline of Syserian history.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_DAYS_LONG_GONE]

The Syseria of Days Long Gone

Syseria is created. Before time had measurement, there was a void, a nothingness that enveloped the prime material plane. Xi took it upon himself to create something from the nothingness. It forged world after world, creating planets, stars, suns, and other more fell creations to spin through the void.

As The Father of Gods continued its process of world creation and turning voids into lush solar systems, there had already begun intense rivalries between its children. They collected followers from their worlds and used them as pawns against their opponents' pawns, often resulting in great wars lasting for decades, centuries, millenia.

This process was repeated a billion times even after it was painfully obvious to all participants that it was an endless, cyclic stalemate. It was at this point that the Father stepped in and ended this sequence. It first created a paragon of worlds, which was nurtured to the most potential inhabitability which could possibly be attained. It spun the fabric of life and energy into stones, and put it at the core of the planet. The gods, each representing their own sphere of influence, were then forced into a pact with each other and Xi himself, never to meddle directly with Syseria's affairs, and Syseria was born.

C. 30,000AL through C. 20,000AL

A species called Devas is born. The how and the why of this event is known only to Xi himself. They are different from their descendants, the elves.

They were proficient with spacefaring and colonized worlds in their Alljourney throughout the material plane. First the Devas traveled to each planet in their solar system (obviously, because many planets would have environments and atmospheres in which no life could survive, protection shields were placed around the Devas who traveled). They also took a part of themselves, their own essence, and used it to create a new species of workers to help them with their populating and building: dwarves. That's not to imply in any way that the Devas meant to enslave the dwarves, the Devas were as good and pure as the dwarves, and that's how it was meant to be. As the dwarves evolved, they built up great empires, vast networks of mines and tunnels through mighty mountains, and trading schemes with Devas societies. Dwarves and Devas lived in harmony.

The gods, however, opposed the Devas' experiments. They did not want the mortal beings of the universe to think they too were gods and could simply create life as they saw fit. Regardless, the Devas felt compelled to continue their work.

With their colossal psionic energies they erected portals as big as planets and gathered fleets to complete their divine task. They had, using a combination of both powerful magic and technology, erected a series of portals enabling interstellar travel. Because of the vast amount of magical, mental, and mundane energy used in the portals, only one or two were erected per solar system. It was normally placed on opposing ends of a planet, or, if not, at the largest land mass.

After the dwarves came the elves. Once again extracting a part of themselves for their creation, the Devas found the elves to have excellent longevity, dexterity, and intelligence. Elves built up tribes, societies, and eventually great nations.

Their devices and vessels were powered by thought alone. Meanwhile, Syseria remained undiscovered.

The next species created were humans. Humans were a failed experiment, originally intended to be more versatile than dwarves and elves, however, they ended up being chaotic (by Devas standards,) temperamental, overly ambitious, and short-lived.

While overseeing and controlling the evolution of species up to this point, they never directly intervened, and the Devas were fully aware that they were the creators of all species, although the other species were not.

Millennia passed this way, with the Devas traveling from one planet to another, colonizing as they went. Evolution on every planet was strengthened and quickened by the Devas, while they never directly interfered with the actual behavior of life.

The gods continued to warn the Devas that they disapproved of their behavior, but the Devas knew they would tolerate it, being the mild amount of intervention that it was, and colonizing is something the gods expect of sentient species anyway.

Ages pass this way, and in this time Devas create the species of Goblins and True Dragons. Massive portals are built in space, too big to exist on land.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_20KAL]

C. 20,000AL through C. 10,000AL

Syseria is discovered. The gods intervene. If the Devas subject Syseria to their experiments, their species will be destroyed. The Devas colonize this planet as they did all others, against the will of the gods.

As far as Syseria goes, it was perfect. More perfect than any world the Devas had previously found (yes, even out of the thousands they had founded before). It had a beautiful blue sun, lush with flora and virile fauna.

And it had one major thing that no other founded planet had before it: life. There were already creatures wandering about this planet, whose presence the Devas presumed to be a result of a chance combination of chemicals and materials, but that was not true. It was a new experience for the Devas, since they had never before seen a life form on any other planet that they had not created themselves.

When the Devas arrived on this world, it was clear to them that this was one of the most beautiful worlds the Gods had made. They began to do what they had done on all the worlds before Syseria: colonize and assist in the planet's evolution. The gods intervened at this point.

The Devas were warned that if they were to subject Syseria to their experiments, their species would be destroyed.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_10KAL]

C. 10,000AL through C. 5,000AL

The Devas' child species have achieved spacefaring in some parts of the universe. Devas machines are now believed to be indestructible to the rigors of space travel.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_5KAL]

C. 5,000AL through C. 1,000AL

Devas continue their mission of colonization. The Devas now believed that they were the true divinities of the universe, seeing as how a handful of their civilizations had already advanced to magical spacefaring, and still others were on their way. In the Devas's own opinion, by then they were gods.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_1KAL]

C. 1,000AL to C. 100AL

Devas summon the gods freely to do their bidding. They have lost all regard for their gods' designs, and now seek to mold the universe in their own image.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_100AL]

C. 100AL to the beginning of The Dark Times

Again the gods intervene. They tell the Devas to leave Syseria, stop what they are doing, and return to the upper planes to be judged. They refuse, and in return for the gods' relatively hospitable offer, they begin destroying gods.

Their portals touched places beyond the universe, in a place that we now call the Astral Plane resided pure Paradox entwined with the fabric of nonexistence. This incomprehensible place was a necessary waypoint for the Devas travel schemes for reasons unknown.

At the end of this age, all of these portals exploded, spewing this substance upon every world they touched.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_THE_DARK_TIMES]

The Dark Times

Although the timeline before The Dark Times is somewhat well-known, and the timeline after is basic elementary school history, this period chooses to remain shrouded in shadow. Its length is unknown, as time was not measured for the duration of this period. The year that it officially ended is 0 ADI (post-dark times.)

After the explosion, The Chaos Wars ensued, and this was simply (and appropriately) entitled The Dark Times. New evil creatures were born in massive numbers from the tiny bits of Chaos sprinkled about the planet, including orcs, ogres, trolls, as well as other creatures that were hurled forth from the chaos plane, such as elementals, various astral travelers, demons, and other monstrosities that most prefer not knowing about.

In addition to the explosions, the Gods were, at this point, fed up with the temerity of the Devas. They chose to destroy the two continents on which the portals had once stood with two massive lightning bolts. This event came to be known as MourningStar. The continents were intended to shatter into smaller islands and slowly drift apart, eventually settling into new, isolated lands. But Syserians had delved too deeply into the planet, with an avarice and greed that made even the gods stand up and take note. Their desperate need to procure and consume bloodstone and crystals drove them ever deeper into the planet crust, and then to the very core. Their mining weakened the natural integrity of the planet, and instead of the intended continental break, the entire planet shattered.

The force was so massive that it offset Syseria's rotation, causing new wobble, pitches, and yaws as each shard and planetoid orbits around the sun. The thunderclap caused every being on Syseria to go deaf. All AL oral tradition was lost entirely, and whatever language may have sounded like before MourningStar was forgotten. Written communication continued.

Huge swaths of history and knowledge were discarded and forgotten. Civilizations fell like leaves to the ground. Billions died. War and destruction reigned. The sky was dark, the gods were gone, the Devas had been reduced to squabbling tribes, and despair set in.

Amidst the chaos, the Devan community fractured. A power struggle ignited, culminating in the rise of Lucreif. Lucreif, fueled by chaos stone, appointed himself overlord and converted many other Devas into beings of chaos. The good Devas that remained lost their battle, and in their final hour of desperation, cast a powerful cooperative spell to cast Lucreif into the Abyss and rid the world's knowledge of the Devas' deeds forever.

The Devas who resided as Watcher communities decided not to reveal their secrets. They hoped that the portals could be restored one day, and their kind could go on with their work. Until then, they agreed that they must outcast themselves from the normal societies in order to keep their knowledge a secret, since they no longer had anywhere to go. They retired to the surviving wildernesses of the Shattered World, and lived in peace, without involving themselves with the matters of the other species.

The surviving true gods could then be rediscovered, and their light would turn things around for Syseria. From the depths of despair, magic arose, twisted and unpredictable. Psionics, associated with the Devas' corruption, were utterly rejected, abolished with seething hatred and loathing. The gods granted Syseria serenity from the Devas, but no longer from the gods themselves. They now communed freely with the people of Syseria, and granted them magic. Xi still did not allow them to come to Syseria in person, though, but myths and legends tell of deific scandals and double-crossing. They say that at some point during The Dark Times, the gods were forced to put their essences into living containers on the face of Syseria. Many gods were destroyed during this period, and according to legend, some are actually still present.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_TODAY]

Syseria’s Ancient History

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_1KADI]

100 ADI - 1,000 ADI

This era was categorized as a rebirth and rebuild, while most of Syseria rebounded from the devastation of The Dark Times. There were basic needs to be met, but also the people started to uncover remnants of the old world. What written history and information could be found is highly valuable and sought after by academia and the authorities.

Portals linking 13 of Syseria's major metropoli are found to still be functional or fixable. Once it was determined how to operate them, they could be used to travel to any portal city on the globe. A consortium was formed to manage and protect the portals: The Consortium of Portal Overseers.

Several Spaceports and Airports are found with some ships still functional. Syserians return to skyfaring and spacefaring. A network of transoceanic monorails is rebuilt to once again serve as cross-continental transportation for Syserians.

Sea travel, as always, remains en vogue.

Syseria’s Modern History

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_MODERN_DAY]

1,000 ADI - 1,500 ADI: The Age of Rediscovery & Early Innovation

Invention, engineering, alchemy, and other forms of science are discovered and are beginning to be explored. Crystal towers are erected and magically networked allowing magical communication anywhere on the planet. Magic is infused into ocean-going vessels, allowing them to travel great distances quickly, and into the Cloud. Building upon the re-establishment of basic infrastructure and exploration (100-1,000 ADI), this period sees humanity and other surviving species grappling with the implications of the Shattering, the raw power of the Cloud, and the exposed nature of the Aspects, leading to both progress and new conflicts.

Initial scientific inquiry leads to the development of rudimentary steam power, physics, clockwork mechanisms, and basic electrical principles. These begin to emerge alongside the magic.

Early attempts to understand the nature of The Cloud and Shard mechanics lead to the first dedicated "Cloud-mapping" expeditions (risky and often fatal).

The Consortium of Portal Overseers solidifies its political power, controlling key travel routes between the 13 major Portal Cities. Rivalries emerge between Consortium-aligned cities and independent settlements on other Shards.

Alchemical practices see a renaissance, blending with nascent chemistry to create new substances and volatile compounds.

Early "Magitech" appears – simple devices powered directly by Bloodstones or infused with basic spells.

Some of the creature types born from The Dark Times (Orcs, Ogres) establish their own territories on more remote or contested Shards, leading to localized conflicts.

1,500 ADI - 2,500 ADI: The Era of Ascendant Magitech & Shard Expansion

The magical communication network using Crystal Towers is fully established, linking most major settlements across different Shards, drastically changing communication and trade.

Engineering and Magic truly intertwine, leading to more complex Magitech – clockwork automatons powered by trapped Aspect energy, vehicles that use both engines and magical propulsion, magical sensors capable of detecting Cloud phenomena.

Skyships and Cloudskimmers become more sophisticated, enabling safer (though still risky) travel to more distant Shards. New, habitable Shards are discovered and rapidly colonized, often leading to land claims and disputes.

Understanding of the Aspects moves beyond basic manipulation to early theoretical frameworks, laying the groundwork for institutions like the Ætherium Collegium.

Conflicts become larger scale, fought between nascent Shard-Nations vying for resources, control of trade routes (both Portal-based and Cloud-based), and habitable land. Warlords and mercenary companies (like the players might become part of) rise in prominence.

2,500 ADI - 4,000 ADI: The Age of Contained Chaos & Aspect Study

Researchers begin to develop methods for containing or predicting minor Cloud phenomena and Aspect fluctuations, making travel slightly more reliable but also leading to dangerous experiments.

The Ætherium Collegium (or its direct precursor) is founded as a premier institution dedicated to the rigorous, academic study of The Shattering, The Cloud, the Aspects, and Magic. It attracts scholars and students seeking formal training.

Significant breakthroughs occur in understanding specific Aspects, leading to more potent and specialized forms of Magic (like the formalized study of Quantum Weaving under the Weird Aspect).

The concept of Field Roles solidifies, representing standardized archetypes of adventurers and specialists needed to operate in the Shattered World (explorers, combat engineers, arcane specialists, etc.).

Major expeditions attempt to map or even influence areas of The Cloud, leading to encounters with powerful Cloud entities or unexpected manifestations of raw Aspect energy. Some expeditions vanish entirely, fueling legends.

The lingering effects of Paradox unleashed during the Dark Times manifest in subtle (or not so subtle) ways – areas where physics bends locally, objects with impossible properties, or beings subtly warped by contradictory existence.

4,000 ADI - 5723 ADI: The Current Age: Technological Plateau & Philosophical Divide

The rapid pace of Magitech innovation slows somewhat, reaching a plateau. Existing technologies are refined and mass-produced (relatively speaking), but entirely new paradigms are rare and highly sought after. Existing gear is reliable but often requires skilled maintenance (fitting the gear focus).

Shard-Nations and alliances become more stable, leading to periods of uneasy peace punctuated by localized 'proxy' wars fought by mercenary companies or ideological conflicts.

The Philosophical Divide mentioned in your lore text becomes prominent:

The Age of Reason/Enlightenment: Driven by the success of the Collegium and similar institutions, the mapping of Shards, and the understanding of Aspects. Believers in this view see Syseria moving towards a new era of control and knowledge, pushing back the chaos.

Whispers of a Return to the Dark Times: Fueled by unpredictable Cloud events, encounters with powerful Aspect manifestations, the discovery of terrifying entities, the lingering effects of Paradox, and fears that probing too deeply into the nature of the Shattering might re-ignite cosmic conflicts. This view sees the current stability as fragile and temporary.

The Consortium faces increasing challenges from independent void-farers, pirates, and Shard-Nations seeking to break its control over key Portal routes.

Ancient ruins (from Before or early ADI) are actively explored for lost technology, Bloodstones, and historical data.

5723 ADI: The Current Year

This is the year the players begin their training at the Ætherium Collegium. They enter a world that has rebuilt significantly since The Dark Times, possesses impressive Magitech, navigates The Cloud in sophisticated Cloudskimmers, and studies reality itself. Yet, it is also a world defined by the lingering chaos of The Shattering, the unpredictable power of the Aspects, underlying philosophical tension about its future, and the constant threat of dangers lurking in the void or on unexplored Shards. Their training is necessary precisely because the world is both advanced and fundamentally broken.

[#_LORE_BACKSTORY_CURRENT_AND_FUTURE]

Current Age and The Future

I do not believe that the inhabitants of Syseria, with all their sophistication and learnedness, possess the foresight to know what the future of Syseria will bring. While many point to a new age of reason and spiritual enlightenment, others whisper of a possible return of the Dark Times. There will be no respite for the inhabitants, as their quest must never end. They are the greatest that mortal flesh can be, and their world is the most hospitable possible on the mortal plane. Their test will be for their own souls, and of the souls of all the prime material plane.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS]

Peoples and Lands

Detailed herein are towns, cities, lands, their major figures (NPCs), flora and fauna, and other information necessary to characters wishing to journey throughout the lands.

One of the major features of Syseria, other than its fragmentation, is its accessibility. The most common are public portal cities, which allow travelers access to any other city containing such a portal. Other methods include airships and starports. And of course, sea travel is always en vogue.

Lands

The shards of Syseria form some jagged, broken coastlines since they were shattered by the gods. Some places have a [relatively] unified central government or authority, and others do not.

Cirisca

Cirisca is largely defined by continually warring kingdoms and factions, fueled by their lust for power above all else. Its ever shifting borders provide only temporary security; the only given here is war. Numerous forces vie for dominance in the hopes of unifying the land under their own flag.

The physical landscape of Cirisca is as fragmented and volatile as its politics. Spread across a dense cluster of medium to large Shards, the terrain is incredibly varied – vast, open plains ideal for pitched battles cleave into jagged mountain ranges used for building impregnable (or often besieged) fortresses. Deep canyons formed by the Shattering serve as natural defensive lines or dangerous routes for flanking maneuvers, while areas where Shard edges face each other across narrow Cloud-filled gaps are often sites of brutal, ongoing skirmishes fought across precarious bridges or via ship-to-shard assaults. Ruins from Before The Dark Times or previous eras of conflict are not cleared, but repurposed as strongholds, battlements, or simply grim reminders of the cost of war, integrated into the ever-changing front lines.

Numerous factions populate Cirisca, ranging from expansionist human kingdoms fielding Magitech-enhanced armies to resilient communities of other Species (like Dwarven clans whose mountain strongholds are constantly contested, or Elven forest-tribes fighting to maintain their territory). Some factions might be tied to specific Aspects, perhaps utilizing the raw power of Chaos or the unsettling effects of Weird magic as terror weapons, while others rely on sheer military might and strategic brilliance. Warfare is the constant rhythm of life, involving coordinated attacks across Shard borders, sieges of fortified cities carved into cliff faces, daring raids across the Cloud gaps, and intricate espionage campaigns to destabilize rivals from within.

Life for the common inhabitants of Cirisca is a precarious existence lived under the shadow of conflict. Villages and towns often change hands multiple times within a generation, leading to a deep-seated cynicism and distrust of authority. Security is temporary, based on the current strength of the local warlord or faction. While some areas might experience brief periods of relative peace, the omnipresent threat of invasion or conscription means preparation for conflict is a way of life. The economy is heavily influenced by war – a constant demand for weapons, armor, mercenaries, and supplies exists, but agriculture, trade, and stable crafts suffer under the instability, leading to a rugged, self-reliant, and often desperate populace.

Despite the pervasive danger, Cirisca draws outsiders seeking opportunity in chaos. Mercenary companies find constant employment from factions needing soldiers for their ever-shifting front lines. Scavengers brave old battlefields and contested ruins for valuable Magitech salvage. Spies and diplomats navigate the treacherous political landscape, serving various masters. While the lust for power fuels the endless conflict, adventurers learn quickly that in Cirisca, the only true constant isn't the promise of glory or unification, but the certainty of the next battle and the ever-present possibility that any temporary peace is merely the quiet before the storm.

Blackened Wood

This is a massive dead forest filled with undead. The forest came to be after an AL mass battle between Cirisca's warring kingdoms of the north and south. After the continents shattered, Blackened wood was cropped to the east and west edge of Cirisca, cutting the north off from the via land route.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_CONTINENTS_DWARFEMPIRE]

The Dwarven Empire

As one would expect, this is a land ruled by dwarves. One may not expect, however, that the land was ceded as a gift from the elven nation of the previous age.

The Empire City, The Dwarven Empire est. 2242 AL

The Dwarven Empire is a sprawling realm defined by stone and resilience, stretched precariously across a multitude of Shards that were once the mountainous backbone of a continent. Its geology is a testament to countless millennia of dwarven industry and the raw power of The Shattering; colossal mountain ranges, often cracked and split by the Cataclysm, still dominate the landscape, their peaks sometimes holding the only habitable surface zones on a Shard. Below these mountains lies an even vaster empire – intricate networks of tunnels, immense caverns carved over generations, and mining operations that delve deep into the exposed, rich hearts of the Shards, extracting ore and precious stones in a world where such resources are vital for survival and power.

Life within The Dwarven Empire is intrinsically linked by the intricate infrastructure needed to bridge the void. While individual Shard-cities exist as self-contained bastions of dwarven engineering, the true strength of the Empire lies in its connections. Massive bridge-cities, wonders of both engineering and Magitech, span the treacherous gaps between major Shards, carrying trade and travelers across the Cloud. Some legendary tunnels are even said to weave through less turbulent layers of the Cloud itself, magically reinforced passages defying conventional logic. Teleportation networks, some ancient and barely understood, supplement these physical links, allowing for rapid (though sometimes risky) travel between core territories, maintaining the flow of goods, information, and military might across the disparate fragments.

The climate across the Empire varies; surface regions on the Shards' exteriors can experience cold, harsh winds and weather systems influenced by The Cloud, particularly over the high mountain ranges. However, the heart of the Empire lies underground, where temperatures are far more stable, warmed by geothermal energy and the industry of countless forges. Flora on the surface is hardy and often sparse in the higher altitudes, while subterranean ecosystems feature unique fungi, phosphorescent mosses, and blind creatures adapted to life in perpetual darkness. Fauna includes mountain dwellers resilient enough for the Shards' surface, but also bizarre entities found only in the deepest caverns or drawn to the raw energy of exposed Bloodstone veins, adding a constant element of danger to subterranean life.

The economy of The Dwarven Empire is the bedrock of its society, built upon the mastery of stone, metal, and flame. Mining is the lifeblood, extracting not just ore but the precious gems and Bloodstones vital for both wealth and Magitech. This fuels the Empire's renowned weaponsmithing, concrete production (essential for stable construction in a shattered world), and intricate jewelry crafting. Trade is paramount, connecting the Empire's resource-rich Shards to other civilizations across The Cloud, making dwarven merchants and ship crews vital conduits in the wider world. While predominantly Dwarf, the Empire welcomes (or at least tolerates) other species drawn by its stability and industry, integrating them into its complex social strata and myriad professions, from artisans and engineers to mercenary companies and Cloud-faring crews.

Governed from the aptly named Empire City, nestled securely within a central mountain range spanning multiple Shards, the Empire maintains a structure built on tradition, craftsmanship, and military strength. Public works like extensive plumbing and sewers speak to their dedication to infrastructure, while numerous guilds (warrior, rogue, inventor, artisan, alchemist, gemcutter, blacksmith, bowyer/fletcher) underscore the importance of skilled labor. Public installations like the colossal petrified Stone Giant towering over Earthforge Park serve as both landmarks and cultural touchstones, grounding the Empire in its deep history and the strange realities of the post-Shattering world, creating a civilization as enduring and complex as the stone it calls home.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_CONTINENTS_MAGIA_NOLAN]

Magia Nolan

This is the site of the central portion of the ancient Devas colony. Though nothing is left but ruins, the area is rich in ancient secrets and technology. This is also where the Devas cast the cooperative mithal eradicating any knowledge of the existence and deeds of the Devas.

The ruins of Magia Nolan sprawl across a significant portion of the Shard's surface, a haunting testament to the Devas sophisticated mastery of both Magic and technology. Towering structures of fused Bloodstone and unknown, resilient alloys pierce the sky, their forms obeying a geometry that feels subtly wrong to modern senses, hinting at an understanding of Dimensions beyond three. Collapsed spires lie like fallen giants, their surfaces etched with glowing, non-functional conduits and remnants of intricate machinery that seems grown as much as built. Despite millennia of exposure to The Cloud's chaotic energies and the passage of ages, these ruins resist complete decay, their purpose and architecture enduring as silent, enigmatic monuments.

A strange energy permeates the air around Magia Nolan, a palpable absence that chills the mind as much as the body. This is believed to be a residual effect of the great mithal, a localized suppression field woven into the very fabric of this Shard, making it difficult to recall specific details about the Devas or the events that transpired here through mundane memory or even some forms of magic. Illusions shimmer at the periphery of vision, not hostile phantasms, but fleeting, paradoxical glimpses–a wall appearing where there is only void, a fleeting impression of movement that resolves into stillness, sounds that are felt rather than heard – reflecting the Weird energies unleashed and the reality warped by the ritual of forgetting.

Exploring Magia Nolan is fraught with peril, not just from the unstable structures or creatures drawn to its isolated power, but from the ancient defenses that may still linger, dormant magitech guardians or wards that react to intruders. Yet, the potential rewards draw intrepid souls: functioning pieces of Devas technology that defy modern understanding, intact Bloodstones pulsating with immense power, and fragments of lost knowledge that somehow survived the mithal–perhaps etched into resilient data-crystals or embedded in the very walls, hinting at the Devas true history, their vast Alljourney through the cosmos, or even the terrifying truth behind The Shattering itself. It is a graveyard of empires, a vault of forbidden secrets, and a nexus of lingering, reality-bending energy.

Isla Notau Nai

Isla Notau Nai is the cloud’s largest chain of islands, comprised of one main, large, central island surrounded by a few dozen satellite islands. Isla Notau Nai was in the tropical region of the Old World, and remains so today, stretching far enough south that the southernmost islands experience slightly cool winters. The islands formed geologically through the movement of tectonic plates sliding over magma fields of intense heat. The resulting volcanoes eventually started sprouting islands.

Existing within The Cloud, the islands of Isla Notau Nai are not merely floating landmasses but are believed to rest upon a massive, deep-seated Shard or cluster of stable Shards, their geological anchor points somehow surviving the Cataclysm. While the turbulent chaos of The Cloud is ever-present on the horizon, the dense atmosphere and inherent stability of the Isla Notau Nai cluster provide a relatively sheltered pocket, though unusual Cloud-related weather phenomena, such as localized energy storms or brief temporal fluctuations near the edges, are not unheard of. Navigating to Isla Notau Nai through The Cloud requires skilled piloting, bypassing hazardous Aspect distortions and debris fields that accumulate around such large, stable structures.

The tropical environment on the islands is remarkably resilient, supporting lush rainforests, vibrant coral reefs (where the islands meet the surrounding Cloud-sea), and unique volcanic ecosystems. The intense heat from the underlying magma fields not only formed the islands but continues to influence their climate and may even infuse certain geological formations with residual Fire or Earth Aspect energies, potentially yielding rare alchemical components or unstable Bloodstones. While seemingly idyllic, these islands are also home to creatures that survived the Shattering, species warped by chaotic energies, or entities drawn from The Cloud itself, adapted to the heat and humidity, making dense jungles and volcanic slopes perilous to traverse.

Despite its isolation in The Cloud, Isla Notau Nai is inhabited. Several independent cultures, ranging from tribal societies living in harmony with the volatile environment to more structured communities utilizing salvaged or newly developed Magitech, have established themselves across the chain. The central island likely hosts the largest settlements, potentially featuring a spaceport or Portal connection (if one was found or established here), making it a hub for trade and travel, while the smaller satellite islands may hide secluded villages, ancient ruins, or dangerous creature lairs. The inhabitants navigate between islands via sea travel (using both traditional and magically-infused vessels) and face challenges from the environment, local fauna, and potential threats arriving from The Cloud.

The Council of Luminaries serves as the centralized government of Isla Notau Nai, operating from the sole major city, which sprawls across a protected harbor on the main island. Composed primarily of various practicing Wizards – drawn from different Aspects but united by their magical capability – the Council maintains a surprisingly lax grip on daily life. Streets are relatively clean, basic utilities (often powered by Magitech fueled by the island's geothermal energy) function, and disputes are usually settled with minimal interference, allowing for a degree of freedom and self-governance among the city's inhabitants and the outlying villages. Public perception is varied; some see the Council as benevolent or simply uninterested in mundane affairs, leaving people to their own devices, while others view their detachment with suspicion, wondering what truly occupies the minds of the ruling Wizards.

Beneath this veneer of languid magical oversight, however, lies a deeper truth: the Council of Luminaries is, in fact, a Puppet Government. An unknown Shadow Force, rarely seen or directly interacted with, subtly guides the Wizards' decisions, ensuring their rule remains passive and focused away from specific, hidden objectives. This control is often exercised through indirect means – whispers in the minds of Council members, opportune "accidents" that eliminate troublesome individuals, or subtle manipulations of local Aspect energies that make certain actions politically or magically unfavorable. Whether the Wizards are fully aware of their manipulation, believe they are acting of their own accord, or are simply complacent beneficiaries of their hidden patrons' influence is unclear, adding a layer of paranoia for those who suspect the truth.

The purpose of this Shadow Force remains a profound mystery, but their interests seem intrinsically tied to Isla Notau Nai itself. Perhaps they are drawn to the island's unique geological activity and underlying magma fields, seeking to harness or study the raw energies there, or perhaps they are monitoring the flow of specific Aspects drawn to the volcanic heat and the island's position within The Cloud. It's whispered that the Shadow Force might be preventing something from surfacing from the deep magma vents or from arriving via specific, unstable currents in The Cloud that only intersect with this island chain. Whatever their goal, the Shadow Force requires a non-interfering regime to maintain its clandestine operations, ensuring that the surface government remains a lax, easily manipulated front while they pursue their hidden agenda on the island.

The Dragon's Maw Archipelago

This series of islands, so called for its shape on the map, spans the planet from the tropical equator to the subarctic circle. The islands are mostly volcanically formed, along with some exocontinental falloff resulting from Thunderfall.

Tropical areas have lush rainforests with frequent rainfall, waterfalls, and double and triple rainbows almost daily. Tropical rainforests are located around and near the equator, therefore having what is called an equatorial climate characterized by three major climatic features: hot temperature, rainfall, and dry season intensity. In general, climatic patterns consist of warm temperatures and high annual rainfall. However, the abundance of rainfall changes throughout the year creating distinct moist and dry seasons. To reiterate, the planet has a more acutely offset wobble than normal and outliers in climatic variance tend to be more extreme, shifting in 7-year cycles.

Pufferfish, dolphins, angelfish, moray eels, clownfish, sharks, jellyfish, sea urchins, manta rays, stingrays, bass, and batfish are just some of the aquatic species populating the oceans around these islands.

Some of the rainforests are year round, others are seasonal with distinct dry seasons. These rainforests account for some 40-50% of all of Syseria's living creatures. The forest floor receives very little sunlight.

Only plants adapted to low light can grow in this region. Away from riverbanks, swamps and clearings, where dense undergrowth is found, the forest floor is relatively clear of vegetation because of the low sunlight penetration. This more open quality permits the easy movement of larger creatures such as apes, tapir, rhinoceri, gorillas, dragons, dinosaurs, giant beetles & insects, Yuan-Ti, as well as many species of reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

The understory layer lies between the canopy and the forest floor. The understory is home to a huge list of tropical birds (toucans, parrots, many varieties of macaws, canaries, cockatoos just to scratch the surface), small mammals, insects, reptiles, and predators, including jungle cats, poison frogs, couatl, snakes (giant and otherwise), giant spiders, monkeys, cockatrices, and more. The vegetation at this layer generally consists of shade-tolerant shrubs, herbs, small trees, and large woody vines which climb into the trees to capture sunlight. Only about 5% of sunlight breaches the canopy to arrive at the understory causing true understory plants to seldom grow to 3 m (10 feet). As an adaptation to these low light levels, understory plants have often evolved much larger leaves. Many seedlings that will grow to the canopy level are in the understory.

The canopy is the primary layer of the forest forming a roof over the two remaining layers. It contains the majority of the largest trees, sometimes growing as tall as 150' in height. Tall, broad-leaved evergreen trees are the dominant plants. The densest areas of biodiversity are found in the jungle canopy, as it often supports a rich flora of epiphytes, including orchids, bromeliads, mosses and lichens. These epiphytic plants attach to trunks and branches and obtain water and minerals from rain and debris that collects on the supporting plants. The fauna is similar to that found in the emergent layer, but more diverse. It is suggested that the total arthropod species richness of the tropical canopy might be as high as 20 million. Other species habituating this layer include many avian species such as the yellow-casqued wattled hornbill, collared sunbird, grey parrot, keel-billed toucan, scarlet macaw as well as other animals like the spider monkey, giant swallowtail, three-toed sloth, kinkajou, and tamandua.

The emergent layer contains a small number of very large trees, called emergents, which grow above the general canopy, reaching heights of 275' tall. Some examples of emergents include: Balizia elegans, Dipteryx panamensis, Hieronyma alchorneoides, Hymenolobium, Lecythis ampla and Terminalia oblonga. These trees need to be able to withstand the hot temperatures and strong winds that occur above the canopy in some areas. Several unique faunal species inhabit this layer such as the crowned eagle, the king colobus, and the large flying fox share this space with the likes of Ki-Rin, Couatl, Dragons, and Cloud Giants just to name a few.

Stratification is not always clear. Rainforests are dynamic and many changes affect the structure of the forest. Emergent or canopy trees collapse, for example, causing gaps to form. Openings in the forest canopy are widely recognized as important for the establishment and growth of rainforest trees.

Human life has inhabited these islands for millenia, but not even the most remote parts of this world were spared the horror of The Dark Times. Today, island people range from simple grass-skirt wearing, fun-loving tribal societies to hierarchical feudally organized nations. The whole of the archipelago is also a hotbed for cult activity, thanks to its seclusion.

Temek

The climate of Temek is characterized by variable, but generally low, precipitation, high temperatures (often 100° or more), and vast desert regions. It has generally the hottest temperature year-round, the most extended periods of heat and sunshine, and little to no winter. Snow can be seen in the northernmost reaches of Temek about every seven years.

With waterfalls and mountains, deserts and rainforests, wetlands and savannah, Temek is a continent of true splendour. Beneath its wild and ancient landscapes lie resources literally as rich as diamonds, copper and coltan, and its wildlife is as diverse as its cultures.

Temek harbours fauna and flora as magnificent as its terrains, including large mammals that occupy huge expanses of land. Mountain gorillas, pygmy hippos, mpingo trees (whose timber is prized for musical instruments) and the northern white rhino are just some of the species symbolic of this region. Harbouring the richest population of freshwater fish anywhere on Syseria, over 3,000 species, 1,500 species of birds, 250 species of reptiles, 600 species of amphibian, countless varieties of insects and arachnids, Temek is a land of savage beauty. Syseria's largest species of spiders, frogs, mammals, and carrion birds all originate from Temek. Millions of migratory seabirds and fish originate in Temek, or stop their as part of their journeys around the world.

The natives of Temek can range from nomadic to domestic, tame to brutal, and barbaric to civilized. There are a wide diversity of species and hybrids that call Temek their home. Skin tones tend toward dark for those who have lived here for generations under the hot sun. Temek is too hot to wear heavy armor without quickly suffering heat exhaustion or possibly a stroke. Larger shields are common, made from wood or bone.

This is a land favored by Ixchalcouatl for its hot climate. Ixchalcouatl throughout Temek often trade in ivory and diamonds.

There are many economies pulsing through Temek. Primary exports include ivory, palm oil, gold and diamonds, iron ore, copper, and exotic birds and animals. Imports include metals and jewelry, leather, spices, and weapons.

Al Quraya Kahn

Al Quraya Kahn is the second most populous continent of Syseria, behind Shin-Xiao. This is a land of shimmering sands and arabesque palaces. Social norms are steeped in tradition set down by ancestors from generations past. These traditions are treated as almost sacred.

Most of the land is desert dotted with the occasional oasis. Flora of this desert is such that it can survive in a limited water supply and tolerate salt. Oasis are surrounded by the 'Tamarisk Tree'. It accommodates flowering plants such as convolvulus, mustard, pea, daisy, caper, iris, and milkweed families.

Fauna of this desert includes many different kind of species. It comprises of insects such as Anopheles mosquito, Caterpillar, Scorpions, Spiders, Lice, Ants, Butterflies, Moths and Roaches. Snakes such as Vipers and Sand Cobra are commonly found. It constitutes of Mammals such as Ratel, Fox, Wild Goat.

Economies range from very poor to very rich. Al Quraya Kahn exports spices, horses, oils, fine pigments and dyes, gemstones, and leathers. They import a lot of metal and ale. With their single portal city, they can export to the whole world, and import from the whole world.

Conflict in Al Quraya Kahn can be different. It often occurs in ideological contexts rather than racial. Elves vs. orcs vs. dwarves etc. take a backseat to discipline vs. decadence, honor vs. dishonor, and so on. Outsiders to this land are treated as oddities, and must work if they wish to assimilate into society. Genies and djinn are proliferated throughout the land, some with a positive role, and some with a more malevolent streak.

Most inhabitants form societies of a tribal nature. Hospitality toward your neighbor is essential. Custom and honour demands that you offer food and drink to anyone who pays you a visit - whether the guest is invited or not. But a guest who overstays his welcome equally debases his own honour by taxing others unnecessarily. The bond of salt is important here. Once a guest has eaten salt from the table of the host, they are formally bonded, where the two owe each other mutual protection and help. Salt is considered as remaining in the body for three days.

Al Quaraya Khan is renowned throughout The Cloud as a nexus of trade and a land steeped in ancient traditions, now interwoven with the stark realities of the Shattered World. Inspired by the rich cultures of the Middle East, it is a vibrant hub where the precious resources and unique goods of distant Shards converge. Its fame rests on the bustling exchange of exotic spices, rare technologies, and esoteric knowledge, drawing merchants, scholars, and adventurers from across the fragmented cosmos. Spanning several interconnected Shards, Al Quaraya Khan maintains a vital network of commerce that breathes life into its diverse territories.

Geographically, Al Quaraya Khan encompasses a variety of landscapes spread across its component Shards, reflecting the diverse terrain of its earthly inspiration. Vast stretches of sun-baked desert make up significant portions of some fragments, dotted with resilient oases that serve as crucial stopping points. Other Shards feature rugged mountains holding hidden valleys, fertile river valleys where life congregates, and stretches of what might have been coastline, now facing directly into the swirling expanse of The Cloud. The climate is predominantly hot and arid, particularly in the expansive desert regions, though coastal Shards or those with significant mountain ranges experience more temperate or varied weather patterns, sometimes influenced by strange heat currents or energy flows within The Cloud.

Trade is the lifeblood of Al Quaraya Khan, made possible by an impressive network designed to overcome the void between Shards. While sturdy bridges and well-trodden pathways connect areas on the same fragment, the real marvel lies in the connections between them. Advanced teleportation arrays, perhaps unique to this realm or relics carefully maintained from before The Dark Times, link major cities across disparate Shards with remarkable efficiency. Well-established routes for Cloud-Jammers and other void-faring vessels crisscross the nearby Cloud-lanes, guided by skilled navigators who understand the region's specific currents and predictable (or less predictable) anomalies. Grand spaceports and bustling Cloud-docks on the main Shards are constant spectacles of arrival and departure, facilitating the flow of goods and visitors.

The flora and fauna of Al Quaraya Khan are adapted to its diverse, often harsh, climates and play a role in its trade. Hardy desert plants and resilient, burrowing creatures survive in the arid regions. Lush, unique flora thrives in the precious oases, potentially including the sources of the region's famed spices. Animals adapted to mountain or river valley environments can be found, some valued for their hides, labor, or as exotic commodities in the markets. Life near the Shard edges might exhibit stranger adaptations or consist of Cloud-dwelling entities occasionally venturing too close, adding a layer of unpredictable danger to the trade routes that stretch into the void.

The culture and society of Al Quaraya Khan are deeply intertwined with its identity as a trade hub. Its cities, particularly the capital, are vibrant, bustling metropolises featuring architecture that blends traditional aesthetics with intricate Magitech (perhaps solar or geothermal-powered devices integrated into ancient designs). A diverse population thrives here, drawn by the opportunities for commerce and the acceptance often found in places where wealth dictates status more than origin. Society values negotiation, reputation, and the acquisition of knowledge (especially concerning rare goods, foreign lands, and the secrets of The Cloud). While generally peaceful, the competition for control of lucrative trade routes can lead to intrigue, rivalry between powerful merchant houses, and the constant need for security against raiders and pirates seeking to siphon off the wealth that flows through Al Quaraya Khan.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_CONTINENTS_SHIN_XIAO]

Shin-Xiao

Shin-Xiao is a land of immense scale, a testament to the sheer size of the continent it once was, now predominantly residing across three colossal Shards that float in relative proximity within The Cloud. The geology is as varied as the ancient land it fractured from; soaring mountain ranges, reminiscent of earthly giants, dominate vast interior regions and form dramatic edges where Shards cleave apart, their peaks sometimes piercing through dense Cloud layers. Sweeping plains stretch between these ranges, fertile in areas fed by mighty rivers and desolate in drier zones, while deep canyons and chasms expose strata of rock twisted and broken by the Cataclysm, sometimes revealing veins of raw Bloodstone or metallic deposits where geological forces were exposed to unbound Aspect energies.

The climate across Shin-Xiao is diverse, mirroring the breadth of its original continent. Temperate forests cover rolling hills and lower mountain slopes, giving way to subtropical humidity and lush growth in southern regions, while northern and western reaches experience colder, sometimes arid, conditions. The Cloud influences weather patterns in unpredictable ways; mists often cling to Shard edges, strange 'Cloud-fogs' can descend, carrying unusual energies, and localized storms driven by raw Aspect fluctuations may gather force over the high peaks or along the chasms separating the Shards, creating dramatic and dangerous meteorological events unique to Shin-Xiao's position.

Flora is abundant and varied, adapted not only to the diverse climates but also to the fractured nature of the land. Vast bamboo forests sway in southern valleys, resilient temperate woodlands cling to mountainsides, and hardy, windswept vegetation survives on the exposed edges of the Shards. Unique to Shin-Xiao are certain growths believed to draw energy directly from The Cloud or the raw magic exposed by the Shattering – crystalline flowers that bloom in areas of high Aspect concentration, fungi that glow with soft inner light, or hardy, fibrous plants whose roots somehow anchor themselves in the very void between rock fragments, creating floating gardens around the Shards' periphery.

The fauna of Shin-Xiao is equally diverse, ranging from majestic creatures that have adapted to life on the Shards' varied terrain to more dangerous entities shaped by or drawn from The Cloud. Forested regions are home to resilient forms of life, some resembling ancient beasts while others show signs of subtle mutation from lingering energies. Mountain ranges host hardy, often territorial, creatures adapted to high altitudes and fragmented landscapes, including some species of airborne predators that nest among the floating rock formations. Creatures of pure energy or bizarre form are sometimes found near the edges of the Shards or within the deeper canyons, drawn by the exposed power and chaotic nature of the broken land.

Residing on three distinct Shards presents unique challenges and opportunities for the inhabitants of Shin-Xiao. While bridges, localized teleportation arrays, and void-faring vessels connect the major population centers, the divides create natural barriers, influencing cultural and political separation between the Shards. These chasms are not just geographical features but often contain unpredictable Aspect energies or serve as pathways for Cloud entities, making travel between the fragments inherently risky. This fractured nature defines Shin-Xiao, a land of ancient beauty, diverse life, and the constant reality of existence across disconnected pieces of a once-whole world.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_CONTINENTS_DVORIA]

Dvoria

Dvoria is a dictatorship governed by a Grand Czar, with a strong military backed up by The Red Corsairs. Each locality is governed by a regional or city dictator. In general, the Grand Czar is aloof and hands-off, while the local and regional dictators will take a more closely managed approach to governance.

The taiga is a vast forest zone and covers half the land. The soil is mostly reddish clay due to water leaching. Ruins of an ancient civilization dot the land, often in the form of temples and bazaars. The design on these temples is different than the traditional Dvorian design, with a frieze and pediment structure supported by columns. This civilization is long extinct. The most extreme northern tip of Dvoria is tundra with some sparse growth, including some deciduous trees, and spruce. The bulk of the land supports a wider variety, including spruce, pine, fur, cedar, and some deciduous trees. Broadleaf forests dominate the landscape. The trees and undergrowth are draped with lianas and vines.

Fauna includes moose, bear, reindeer, lynx, sable, squirrel, lemmings, leopards, tigers, and elk. Avian wildlife includes owl, woodpecker, vultures, penguin, snow cock, bison, swans, and eagles. Magical creatures that roam the land would include hippogriffs, griffons, ki-rin, dragons, and Baba-Yaga with her magical hut. Local mythology and folklore suggests that helpless travelers who stray too far off the beaten path may get roasted and devoured by Baba-Yaga, but recounting these tales is strictly forbidden.

Religion in Dvoria is strictly controlled, with the dominant religion being worship of Tyrusine. Other worship is not largely acknowledged or allowed, but continues in secret, underground. To attain a high level in government, one must be a Knight or Valkyrie of Tyrusine.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_CONTINENTS_KARAMUNDURIA]

Karamunduria

Millenia ago, and few believe the truth of this and dismiss it as legend, the land of Karamunduria had recovered fairly well from The Dark Times. Soon, however, her people relapsed and eventually succumbed to their baser instincts. It is beset by roving bandits that travel throughout the countryside, pillaging and murdering. There are fewer basic resources in this land, such as water, food, building materials, and so on. Infrastructure such as roads, communication, and transportation, is not as proliferated, nor as well maintained, as the majority of Syseria. The bandits throughout the land make this situation worse by greedily taking all they can acquire for themselves. This has been the state of the land of Karamunduria for millenia and it remains an apocalyptic wasteland to this day.

The outback is divided roughly equally into forests, plains/deserts, and mountainous regions. Towns and civilized areas dot the circumference of the coastline. There are some serviceable roads, but it's not as well maintained as most of the rest of Syseria. Flora throughout the forests includes tough-leaved eucalyptus, and in the northlands, dry rainforests and brigelow scrub dominate the wilderness. There are over 20,000 species of vascular, and 8,000 species of non-vascular plantlife. These include the Wollemi pine, Cycad palm, grass tree, thousands of species of wildflower, acacia forests, tussock grasslands, and faboideae (pea-flowered legumes) just to name a few of the more common plants.

Wildflowers, including everlasting daisies, turn the arid and savanna grassland areas of Kuramenduria into carpets of color after rain. Native forests are limited to wetter coastal districts, and rainforests are found mainly on the north coast. The most common plantlife are those that can survive and thrive in arid conditions.

Still other regions have been fully siphoned dry of resources by wanderers. Little grows in these regions. Water is extremely scarce. Two of these wasteland regions in particular are home to The Rock Crawlers and The Liberated. The Rock Crawlers live in mountainous regions, using Wyverns they tamed to navigate the treacherous bluffs. The Liberated roam the desert regions, plundering and taking resources from the land and the people.

The fauna of Karamunduria consists of a massive variety of animals, some native, and some brought by traders or wandered through the portals. Many of these species are unique to Karamunduria. Mammals and marsupials abound: Kangaroos, koala bears, dingoes, spotted quoll, tasmanian tigers and devils, sugar gliders, and many more.

Spiders, snakes, and reptiles are truly able to thrive throughout the land. Some grow to enormous proportions, although most encountered near civilized areas will not be so huge. The saltwater crocodile can grow up to 22' and weigh as much as 3,000 lbs. Blue-tongued lizards are the largest member of the reptile species.

Some 800 species of birds call Karamunduria their home. More than half of these species are unique to Karamunduria.

Raiding Tribes

Raiders of the land (parasite is not too strong a word) take what they need to survive and what they want for their own personal pleasure. Perhaps unable, unwilling, or having been blackmailed or cajoled into the lifestyle, they will not work to feed, clothe, and equip themselves. Instead, they take what they want and need from traveling caravans, merchants, wanderers, and adventurers.

Each tribe is led by the most violent and vicious individual in the tribe. Her or his right hand people will be rewarded with special treatment and the choicest cut of the loot to keep them loyal. Underlings are kept in line through the promise of violence.

Such tribes carve their lives out in the forsaken regions of Karamunduria. Badlands, cliffs, mountains, and deserts are where they often make their homes. This happens due to two basic factors, one is being forced away from the choicest lands due to their outlaw nature. Two is that the remoteness insulates the tribes from retribution to some degree.

Sorvestedsstäd

Sorvestedsstäd is a vicious frontier land that never recovered from The Dark Times. The geography is treacherous and uncivilized, with no functional roads or ports. Sorvestedsstäd is blanketed in an unending winter. All that remains of the cities that once were is ruin. Almost the entire land is mountainous, with two small desert regions in the north, and a forested region in the south.

The land is dominated by giants, giant-kin, and Svartálfar (a kind of Dwarf). These creatures are largely feral and aggressive. Svartálfar in particular are hostile and are known to dominate and enslave others.

Sorvestedsstäd is not the original name of this land, which is now lost. Sorvestedsstäd means “Land of Sorrow.”

For reasons yet unknown, all volcanoes simultaneously become active about once every century, spewing magma and ash, covering the entire land (more or less,) and killing every living thing that cannot flee or find safety somehow. This has the effect of creating faster than normal growth of Sorvestedsstäd’s landmass, which sages estimate will reach Dvoria in approximately 3,500-4,000 years.

Sorvestedsstäd, whose original name is now lost to the ravages of time and disaster, is a brutal frontier land that stands as a stark reminder of The Dark Times and a place from which the world has never truly recovered. Blanketed in an unending, unforgiving winter, the pervasive cold permeates every aspect of existence here. Icy winds scream through mountain passes, blizzards can descend without warning, and the sun, if visible through the perpetual overcast sky, offers little warmth against the deep, bone-chilling freeze that defines the entire region. It is a land where survival is a daily, desperate struggle, and the very air feels heavy with sorrow, giving credence to its current, grim name, meaning "Land of Sorrow."

Geographically, Sorvestedsstäd is relentlessly treacherous and utterly uncivilized. Almost the entire landmass is comprised of jagged, ice-encrusted mountains, their slopes scarred by rockfalls, avalanches, and ancient, unfixed damage from The Shattering. There are no functional roads or ports; remnants of old pathways are buried under snowdrifts or simply cease where Shard fragments split apart. The only variations are two small, windswept desert regions in the north, strangely arid despite the surrounding snow, and a single, dense, ice-laden forested region in the south, where ancient, hardy trees cling to frozen soil. Whatever cities once existed are now nothing but ruins, crumbling stone structures swallowed by snow, ice, and the unforgiving terrain, haunted monuments to a civilization that could not endure the unending winter and subsequent catastrophes.

Adding to its savage nature is Sorvestedsstäd's terrifying geological cycle. For reasons unknown, tied perhaps to raw Earth or Fire Aspect energies exposed by the Shattering or a lingering curse from The Dark Times, all volcanoes across the land simultaneously become violently active approximately once every century. They spew forth massive quantities of magma and ash, creating a temporary, terrifying landscape of fire beneath the endless snow, covering the entire landmass and killing nearly every living thing on the surface that cannot find immediate, deep shelter or somehow flee the region. This cataclysmic cycle, paradoxically, contributes to Sorvestedsstäd's rapid landmass growth, as layers of volcanic rock cool and solidify, adding to the Shards' surface area, a grim expansion that sages estimate will see it collide with or bridge the gap to the land of Dvoria in roughly 3,500 to 4,000 years.

This brutal land is dominated by equally brutal inhabitants. Giants and their varied Giant-kin roam the treacherous mountains, massive, aggressive beings whose tribal societies prioritize strength and survival. Alongside them are the Svartálfar, a variant of Dwarf, warped by millennia in this harsh, sunless, and violent environment. Unlike their more industrious cousins in The Dwarven Empire, Svartálfar are largely feral, fiercely hostile, and notorious for dominating and enslaving any other creatures or humanoids they capture, dwelling perhaps in deep, fire-warmed caverns or fortified mountain holds to survive the surface cataclysms. Life in Sorvestedsstäd is dictated by the movements and conflicts of these powerful, unforgiving populations.

Survival in Sorvestedsstäd means existing entirely outside the concepts of modern civilization. There are no markets, no laws beyond brute strength, no safe havens except perhaps temporary shelters scavenged from ruins or found in isolated, hard-to-reach pockets of the mountains or the southern forest. Outsiders venturing here, whether mercenaries, explorers, or desperate refugees, must navigate the unending winter, the ruins of a forgotten past, the constant threat of geological apocalypse, and the omnipresent danger from the feral Giants, Giant-kin, and the enslaving Svartálfar. It is a land trapped in the grim echoes of The Dark Times, where only the strongest, most ruthless, or most desperate can hope to endure.

Portal Cities

Each of these are major metropoli, and contain a portal available that will transport adventurers (and indeed anybody) to any of the other portal cities. There is no cost associated with the use of the portal and anybody can use them (that means any human or demi/semi-human—they don't change the fact that hostile beasts are unwelcome in civilized areas). In all of these cities, you will see significant influence from Lynona, Goddess of Travel.

The portals are capable of denying access from other cities in the event that any of these cities should be taken by a hostile force. In this way, the hostile force will be cut off immediately from the remaining portal cities. A council of overseers makes decisions such as these, and are also responsible for portal maintenance and defense.

In the event that a portal city is besieged, a portal defense task force will be dispatched. It is understood that their sole purpose is to protect the portal, but nonetheless the goal of a force attacking a portal city is probably to take the portal, so the defense of the city and the portal itself may be an overfine distinction in most cases.

This is one method of numerous which can be employed by adventurers to access [essentially] the whole world of Syseria from any portal city. Another possibility is to play urban adventures throughout portal cities, treating them collectively as one gigantic megacity.

Barrington

Barrington, Kuramenduria; est. 52 ADI

Population: c.42,000 (20% human, 20% half-elf, 10% elf, 15% halfing, 10% dwarf, 5% other, 10% half-orc)

Predominant Religions: Vaunil, Y'Lashaan

Economy: Grain (25%), Trade (25%), Art (20%), Spices (10%), Textiles (10%), Jewelry (10%)

Major Imports: Horses, magic, wine, spices, metalwork, gems, gold, silver

Major Exports: Grain, art, spices, textiles, jewelry

Barrington is a quiet, happy city with an unusually non-human centric population. The city Barrington is in a tropical climate, situated right on the equator. The city is a major exporter of grain, meats, and tropical fruits, and derives a fair amount of its economy from that. Barrington is an artistic center, as well as a center of jewelry and baubles. The city imports a great deal of gems, gold, and silver with which it makes jewelry.

The city is laid out in a series of concentric circles, it's architecture soaring into the sky, designed in a series of layers. Some layers are anchored to the ground, some layers are floating in the sky. Elevators provide access to the upper layers.

There are many entertaining attractions throughout Barrington. Their equestrian teams are world-renowned and visitors flock here to watch their performances. Barrington is a center of jousting. World-class tournaments are held in Barrington and Paladins and Champions Adept (along with anyone else interested in jousting) often flock here to compete.

The Hub

The Hub, The Dwarven Empire; est. 2942 AL

Population: c.41,600 (15% human, 5% half-elf, 10% elf, 40% halfling, 25% dwarf, 10% other)

Predominant Religion(s): Billic Baggilor, Piyghe, Lynona

Economy: Trade (55%), Metalsmithing (15%), Textiles (15%), Gaming & Gambling (15%)

Major Imports: Clothing, artwork, jewelry, metalwork, spices, magic

Major Exports: Clothing, armor and weapons, boots, artwork, games, oil

The Hub, so called for its obvious geographic situation in the Dwarven Empire, and because it's a major portal city, is, as its name implies, a center of trade and commerce. Its inhabitants regularly experience the comings and goings of a wide range of people and goods. Many are quite wealthy and there is a thriving middle class in this city.

The architecture and layout, as its population implies, is little-person-centric. The Hub is designed in a series of concentric circles, with “spokes” coming in from the north, south, east, and west. There are enough humans, elves, and half elves here that finding an inn that is of comfortable standing height should not pose a problem, but visiting friends, merchants, or nobles may be another matter entirely for their taller friends.

Los Ashton

Los Ashton, Cirisca; est. -1178

Population: c.87,000 (65% human, 5% half-elf, 10% elf, 5% halfling, 10% dwarf, 5% other)

Predominant Religion(s): Lynona, Ouin

Economy: Agriculture (40%), Trade (35%), Metalsmithing (20%), Brewery (5%)

Major Imports: Ore, jewelry, woodwork, spices, crystal, magic

Major Exports: Armor and weapons, metalwork, ales, wines, whiskey, beasts of burden, oil

Los Ashton is a large landlocked metropolis with several roads going in and out. Throughout Cirisca, and in some circles throughout the world, the breweries of Los Ashton are famous for producing excellent brew.

As with its parent nation, Los Ashton is primarily populated by humans. Its political policies, trade, layout, artwork, literature, are all basically human-centric.

Cirisca is a place of oft-warring kingdoms, baronies, and principalities, and that makes Los Ashton a tempting target—even though an invading army would need an enormous fighting force if they hope to take it.

Centrport

Centrport, Cirisca; est. 726 AL

Population: c.57,700 (75% human, 3% half-elf, 10% elf, 2% halfling, 6% dwarf, 4% other)

Predominant Religions: Cimbrianus, Lynona

Economy: Agriculture (45%), trade (20%), leatherwork (20%), horse breeding and training (15%)

Major Imports: Clothing, ore, wood, jewelry, metalwork, spices, salt

Major Exports: Leather goods, oil, horses, horse gear, chariots, animal feed

Centrport is a large landlocked city in Cirisca which is primarily agricultural. A significant industry is horse breeding as well as milling their crops into animal feed.

The city features an air, sea, and star port making it a massive worldwide trade route stop.

With humans being strongly the majority in this city, travelers can expect to encounter mostly human merchants, nobles, and other locals. The political leadership in this city is entirely human, and its religious centers, artwork, literature, and physical design are all of course human-centric.

Brightport

Brightport, Cirisca; est. 659 ADI

Population: c.68,300 (45% human, 15% half-elf, 10% elf, 7% halfling, 15% dwarf, 8% other)

Predominant Alignment: N

Predominant Religion(s): Cyan, Lynona

Economy: Trade (55%), shipmaking (including magical ships) (35%), agriculture and animal breeding (10%)

Major Imports: Clothing, salt, rope, wood, metalwork, spices, magic

Major Exports: Clothing, tools, artwork, jewelry, boats, oil

Brightport is a center of trade seated on an important sea lane between several continents. Significant trade traffic passes through Brightport throughout the year, as it is near enough to the equator that it has no cold season.

Brightport's significantly valuable exports to the world have the effect of encouraging other worldly powers to turn a “blind eye” to its leaders' foibles. As such, little is known about the elites' intentions beyond what is proclaimed publicly. Anyone can have hidden agendas, of course, but Brightport's are not under particular scrutiny.

Al-Zuru

Al-Zuru, Al Qarāyā Kān; est. 2122 AL

Population: c.66,200 (65% human, 3% half-elf, 13% elf, 5% halfling, 12% dwarf, 2% other)

Predominant Religion(s): Lyren, Lynona, Vohu Rimmon

Economy: Trade (45%), agriculture (20%), mining (25%), textiles (10%)

Major Imports: Clothing, artwork, jewelry, metalwork, salt, magic

Major Exports: Clothing, wool, leather, exotic spices, ore, oil

Al-Zuru is placed on the edge of a vast desert to the east, at the shore of a sea which stretches into its western horizon. Its golden glittering sands make a beautiful contrast to the sapphire blue sea.

A monarchical government rules over Al-Zuru. Historically, kings and queens have been friendly toward travelers and traders, as is the current leadership. Their exported ore, oil, and exotic spices are aggressively sought after by traders throughout Syseria. Its riches have made Al-Zuran nobles and upperclass wealthy and powerful.

Majia

Majia, Shin-Xiao; est. 1225 AL

Population: c.86,300 (40% human, 10% hybrid, 10% elf, 5% halfing, 15% dwarf, 5% other, 10% Mandari)

Predominant Religions: Lynona, Y'Lashaan, Ouin

Economy: Grain (25%), Trade (25%), Wine (20%), Art (20%), Spices (10%)

Major Imports: Textiles, artwork, spices, magic, jewelry, metalwork, ore, tools

Major Exports: Isis calcite crystal

Majia is the sole exporter of isis calcite crystal on Syseria, the crystal used to create the less common, more expensive blue communication crystals. These are the crystals which include a visual image with the audible communication. These crystals, like the kyanite cilicate crystals, appear to be impossible to domesticate. They must be harvested from the wild.

Once again, the mercantile class enjoy lavishly comfortable, sometimes decadent, lifestyles. Falconhand is headquartered in this city, and are one of the prime benefactors of the profits reaped from harvesting crystals. Their leaders reside here, and Majia serves as the nexus of their operations.

Shui-feng

Shui-feng, Shin-Xiao; est. 3942 AL

Population: c.82,000 (75% human, 5% half-elf, 10% elf, 2% halfling, 5% dwarf, 3% other)

Predominant Alignment: NG ~ N

Predominant Religion(s): Gwydion, Lyren, Lynona

Economy: Trade (55%), Metalsmithing (15%), Textiles (15%), Gaming & Gambling (15%)

Major Imports: Clothing, artwork, jewelry, metalwork, spices, magic

Major Exports: Clothing, armor and weapons, boots, artwork, games, oil

Shui-feng is a city of winding streets and vertically layered architecture. It is divided into 27 neighborhoods. Sometimes neighborhoods wall themselves off from one another, making navigation difficult to foreigners.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_PORTAL_CITIES_MILBURN]

Milburn

Milburn, Kuramenduria; est. 659 AL

Population: c.72,200 (70% human, 5% half-elf, 10% elf, 5% halfing, 5% dwarf, 5% other)

Predominant Alignment: N

Predominant Religions: Lynona, Achaeus

Economy: Trade (55%), military (25%), government (10%), taxation (10%)

Major Imports: Ore, grain, spices, ale

Major Exports: Boats, wine, art, weapons

Milburn is a city that is hiding something very significant. The city and its provinces run southeast along the coastline. It's proximity to the snow line makes this a cold city year-round. On peak winters, the accumulation can be up to 3'.

Milburn and the people comprising her governing body are under the control of a Glabrezu, Yng. The archfiend is using the portal for his own purposes. He believes the consortium of portal overseers to be unaware of his presence and activities, but he is wrong. Yng has been studying the portal, trying to refocus its power where he wants it to go. His hope is that he will have the device focus on the Abyss. Using this portal thusly he could summon his shrieking hosts, and destroy the world. In order to avoid shutdown, the affliction this city faces shall require a remedy.

Yng gets ridiculed among his fiendish peers, because of the sheer impossibility of taking command of Syseria. But he likes a challenge, and it would be the penultimate prize.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_PORTAL_CITIES_TRANJOR]

Tranjor

Tranjor, Unnamed Land; est. 900 AL

Population: c.32,200 (60% human, 15% half-elf, 10% elf, 5% halfing, 5% dwarf, 5% other)

Predominant Alignment: N

Predominant Religions: Lynona, Ouin, Billic Baggilor

Economy: Trade (25%), gambling/entertainment (20%), military (20%), hunting and trapping (10%), government (10%), taxation (10%)

Major Imports: Wood, grain, spices, ale, magic

Major Exports: Horses, ore, ale, metalwork, pelts, furs, magic

Tranjor is a city that connects two major trade routes. The city enjoys regular trade traffic. This city is governed by the swordmaiden hailing by Telta. She is very unique; her ladyship bears a second pair of arms. Legend has it that she was favored by a God of luck. Winning a game of chance granted her this boon.

Telta was the leader of an adventuring group before they all retired and decided to live in the city of Tranjor. Kern Swiftblade, a ranger that has a giant tiger as a pet settled down with her and they wed. They founded a popular tavern known as “The Tiger's Claw.” They patronize to people who enjoy bloodsports.

A temple to Billic Baggilor was founded here run by a halfling named Shalin Swiftyfingers. Very crafty with a heart full of wonder, his best friend, a half elf named Jo'hakim is second in command. Both are masters of martial arts.

On the outskirts of Tranjor is a druid grove that is protected by a very powerful elven druid. Nobody knows her name, not even her old adventuring group; she is merely referred to as “The Druid.” She is also known to use roguish skills and arcane magic. She changes her features daily and you are not likely to ever view her true visage.

Fendris, an elven fighter/wizard runs a magic shop called “True Dweomer” downtown. They sell potions, wands, scrolls, and periodic miscellaneous items/armaments brought in by traders.

Four years ago, there was a large battle between Telta's group, along with city defenders, against a very powerful patriarc vampire that had a sizable undead force. The vampire was known to be allied with two Maraliths. Most of the damage done to the city has been restored.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_FORMER_PORTAL_CITIES]

Former Portal Cities

Under various circumstances, a city can have its portal deactivated, dismantled, or in extreme cases even destroyed (which has never happened, so far) by the council of overseers. The reasons for this vary but the decision must be made by 2/3 majority.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_NEW_PORTAL_CITIES]

New Portal Cities

A deactivated portal was found in Southern Evaal in 1401. A group of adventurers activated the portal, which had waited dormant and hidden for millenia. This implies the possibility of other hidden, dormant portals elsewhere in the world.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_NEW_PORTAL_CITIES_SOUTHERN_EVAAL]

Southern Evaal

Southern Evaal, The Dwarven Empire; est. 2253 ADI

Predominant Alignment: N

Population: c.28,800, Size: c. 10mi²

Wealth: 37,652,000 so. Max value for sale: 6,213 so. Max pawn value: 32,946 so

Demographics: Human (50%), Dwarf (25%), Other (10%), Elf (10%), Halfling (5%)

Southern Evaal is a coastal town, and is known for having good education. The ruler is a feared tyrant. The people live together mostly in harmony.

Shops

Tavern: The Leaping Hawk

Owner: Peter Zhankin, Male Human

Location: In the artisan's district. The street outside has a beggar harassing passers-by.

Description: The tavern is a terra cotta rowhouse, with a green tile roof and softly blowing chimes by the door. It contains a number of crates stacked along the back wall and a large stew pot over a fire.

Specials:

Octopus Ramen with Sharp Cheese and a Tankard of Ale (5 sp)

Beef Pie with Nutmeg and Leek (4 sp)

Meatballs Pie with Crowberry Tart (4 sp)

Other Patrons:

Cles Fahrows, Male Human

Bethrynn Selevarash, Female Elf

Ilde Iroodfistone, Female Dwarf

Manfred Rolands, Male Human

Morastyr Foamtankard, Female Dwarf

Alice Sanceval, Female Human

Blossomena Goldfound, Male Halfling

Cecily Sandoval, Female Human

Blacksmith: Eristra's Sword

Owner: Eristra Steelfist, Female Dwarf

Location: In a well-lit avenue with guard towers. The street outside is unusually full of carriages and is recently paved with worn brick.

Description: The blacksmith is a timber framed single storey building, with a gray shingled roof and dwarven-crafted iron furniture. It contains an old-looking telescope and chains and wires hanging on the walls.

Specials:

Adamantine Armor (478 so)

Glamoured Studded Leather (1,928 so)

Sword of Wounding (1,877 so)

Other Patrons:

Raymond Jeng, Male Human

Gilthur Loderr, Male Dwarf

Ermina Quinten, Female Human

Alchemist: Ilainairla's Tonics

Owner: Ilainairla Suithrasas, Female Elf

Location: In a small alley. The street outside ominously quiet and empty.

Description: The alchemist is a wooden single storey building, with a gray shingled roof and dead hedges. A raccoon serves as a mascot and greets customers. It contains several paintings on the wall and a bookcase filled with fancy colorful vials.

Specials:

Potion of Poison (100 so)

Potion of Healing (48 so)

Potion of Climbing (49 so)

Other Patrons:

Bethaea Meliamne, Female Elf

Ella Sanklin, Female Human

Emeny Sheny, Female Human

Albergath Deepderaxe, Male Dwarf

Enchanter: Enchanted Path

Owner: Chard Hilmeins, Male Human

Location: In a small alley. The street outside contains a heroic monument.

Description: The enchanter is a wooden simple building, with a white tile roof and tile flooring. It contains some planter boxes on the walls and a large telescope coming out of the roof. Runs a fight club.

Specials:

Gloves of Missile Snaring (2,976 so)

Dimensional Shackles (2,901 so)

Bracers of Archery (1,454 so)

Other Patrons:

Elysande Connors, Female Human

Rayman Jeth, Male Human

General Store: The Gorged Gearworks

Owner: Barana Firevir, Female Dwarf

Location: In a temple district. The street outside has a crowd watching performers.

Description: The general store is a wooden tower, with a reinforced wooden door and dead hedges. Several battered shields hang on the walls. It contains a number of crates stacked along the back wall and jars of bulk candy on the counter.

Specials:

Mirror, Steel (5 so)

Vial (1 so)

Shovel (2 so)

Other Patrons:

Raymond Estevanstein, Male Human

Joan Schwartz, Female Human

Lewis Malcolms, Male Human

Housing

Small Cottage

Owner: Giles McLeod, Male Human

The house is a plaster cabin, with a green tile roof and roughly hewn wooden furniture. It contains a single bachelor-style room with a bed and dresser. In one corner is a hearth with a cauldron over the fire. A bunch of dried fruit hangs from the ceiling in long strands. A big working dog is eager to greet visitors.

The Consortium of Portal Overseers

COPO is the organization that ensures the portals remain functional, and that the portals or the cities housing them are not attacked. They will not stop aggressive forces from moving through them, but they will stop aggressors from causing any detriment to the operation of the portals, or the cities that host them. There are 12 members of COPO, one elected representative of each portal city.

Projects in progress: They have been researching a cooperative mithal to stabilize the planet wobble for c.1200 years. This spell is roughly 60% complete. In its current form, it will require over 100 arcane casters, and a centrifugal piston to be pierced through the planet from one side to the other at the poles.

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_OTHER_CITIES]

Other Cities of Note

[#_PEOPLES_AND_LANDS_OTHER_CITIES_TRG]

Trg

Trg, Unnamed Land; est. 252 AL

Population: c.102,000 (45% human, 3% half-elf, 20% elf, 2% halfing, 10% dwarf, 5% Orc, 15% other)

Predominant Alignment: LN ~ N

Predominant Religions: Piyghe, Glik Dizzletuk, Vaunil, Lynona

Economy: Trade (45%), Magic (30%), Mining (25%)

Major Imports: Textiles, artwork, spices, magic, jewelry, metalwork, ore, tools

Major Exports: Kyanite cilicate crystal

Trg is the only city on Syseria that can make kyanite cilicate crystals (these are the common, cheaper white crystals which allow audible communication only). These crystals are mined throughout the region around Trg.

Every year on the spring equinox, the growing crystals in the mountainous regions throughout the land blossom. In the process, they explode in the sunlight. This is caused by their absorption of the sun's energies. The nearer to this explosion the crystals can be harvested and turned into the magic items for communication purposes, the more potent their magic will be (resulting in longer life, increased clarity and range, and higher quality of the device).

The harvesting of this crystal has afforded the nobility in this city lavish, wealthy lifestyles. Often extravagant, sometimes bordering on decadent, these nobles no longer bother to pursue any other economy. The wiser seek a greater diversity.

[#_CLANTRIBE]

Societies

Your character may or may not belong to some sort of faction, clan, tribe, social structure, or army. These are sometimes distinct from nations, and sometimes the same thing.

There are many possible clans, societies, etc. a PC may wish to join, or may have been born into. The affiliation can be as loose or as tight as the player wishes. The player is encouraged to invent an interesting background as to the nature of his tribal/clan/societal structure affiliation, and for the structure itself. A clan or tribe can also be a club, secret society, guild, merchant house, and so on.

In several cases, these social structures overlap with a character's family or homeland. In these cases the character's Clan/Tribe is a tighter affiliation than the homeland, but usually looser than family (this is entirely the players' decision but this is the norm). For example, in cases where a character is a citizen of a nation such as The Empire, but his Clan/Tribe ends up being Falconhand, he is probably an active member of Falconhand, and his Liege/Patron probably resides within their ranks.

Many of these Clan/Tribe structures overlap or at least have relationships with one another. The details of these relationships and benefits/hindrances of any Clan/Tribe should be worked out by Player and DM collaboration if they have not been already.

Syserian societies, guilds, clans of sellswords, smaller local armies, splinter factions, individual tribal groups, etc. etc. so forth, are far too abundant throughout the realm of the Shattered Stone to detail all but those of worldwide preeminence here. If none of these suit your fancy but you still want to be part of a society, there is more than enough room in this world to make one up.

[#_CLANTRIBE_WARRIORS]

Rogues and Roguelike Guilds

Scoundrels. Folk of ill repute. Rogue guilds are a broad category of factions that are often engaged in criminal activity—or fighting it. This more often than not takes the form of covert operations. These groups can be outlaws that are perhaps similar to a Mafia or a gang, formed for protection, profit sharing, and manipulating power structures. Others may be tasked with upholding the law or protecting their nation, such as Investigators and Spy guilds.

When thieves and outlaws band together to find or generate adventure & treasure opportunities, evade or escape capture, and sometimes pull the strings of the local government, it is called a Thieves' Guild. Most major cities throughout Syseria have the presence of a Theive's Guild. Some Guilds are organized into Franchises, and boast representation in multiple cities throughout Syseria. Groups of burglars may work together to scout, case, and acquire their next big score. It is common for members to boast; “big fish” tales and legends are always circulating throughout the organization.

There are also roguelike societies that are not law breakers but rather law enforcers. Investigators form groups of seekers that work privately or sometimes publicly, overt or covert.

Spies

Clandestine groups of rogues that band together to protect their nation covertly form spy guilds. Spying guilds have to be tied to a nation or existing power structure, there is no such thing as a freelance group of spies. These groups sometimes pull the strings of a proxy government themselves. Other times they install their own puppets and/or sleeper agents. Candidates are usually carefully identified and groomed. This process can take years.

A covert spy can take many possible identities and anyone can hypothetically be one. It's not limited to rogues—however, rogues are most predisposed to the lifestyle. But nobles, merchants, soldiers, wizards, priests, etc... these individuals all hold plenty of potential for espionage.

Spies’ Cant

These groups get a spies' cant all their own. Similar to a thieve's cant, the spies cant enables covert agents to identify and communicate without arousing suspicion or anyone knowing what they were talking about. Use of common language, innuendo, and double-talk and double meanings to send a message that is in fact encoded.

Examples might include, there's a stranger in our house. It means that we have been infiltrated by a double agent. Some nondescript small talk to introduce oneself as a spy to another. For example, it will be a nice day if it doesn't rain. The other guy responds it's always a nice day if it doesn't rain. And then you respond back as long as the sun is warm. Now the two can speak to one another as covert allies. Or if you go into a tailor shop with a secret entrance to the spy's Guild, you get in by ordering a very particular suit. What type of soup would you like today? Worcester or Tweed? Tweed. Single or double breasted? Single. Two buttons are three? Three buttons please. And then the tailor leads the would-be customer to the secret entrance to the guild.

So why employ spies instead of just scrying? It's high level magic not always accessible. More powerful entities will have magical detection available and will be watching for that.

Handy equipment for spies includes Philter of Love, medallion of thoughts, helm of telepathy, hat of disguise, gloves of thievery, eyes of the eagle, boots/cloak of elvenkind, bag of devouring, ring of invisibility, ring of 3 wishes, robe of archmagi, and immovable rod.

Helpful spells for spies include knock, disguise/alter/etc. Self, invisibility, ESP, detect thoughts, expeditious retreat, haste, wind walk, speak with animals/plants/dead, mage hand, fly, silence 20' radius`.

[#_CLANTRIBE_NATIONX]

Nation X

This nation is of legendary proficiency in the spying arts and intelligence is their mother's milk. They have puppet leaders and sleeper agents everywhere. Their espionage capabilities keep this nation well on top of the Cirisca fracas. They rarely or never show their hand, though.

[#_CLANTRIBE_WARRIORS]

Warrior & Mercenary Groups

It is both common and necessary for the brave rank-and-file protectors of society to organize into armies. Groups of warriors train and drill together, learn new fighting techniques, and form battalions when war comes upon their land.

An organized army will be divided into a hierarchical military structure. The number of tiers may vary, but there is always a supreme leader, a trusted circle of advisors, then usually generals, and rank and file. Depending on the complexity of the organization, there could be more tiers between the generals and rank and file, such as lieutenants and captains. These organizations are designed to carry orders and information quickly and efficiently through the ranks, while also maintaining the integrity of the message. Each individual soldier is trained to carry out her or his orders with military precision and without question.

Pay for hired soldiers is 1gp/month for foot soldiers, 4gp/month for archers, 6gp/month for medium cavalry, and 150gp/month for engineers. The soldier will be issued a standard set of equipment, and in most normal circumstances should be provided with food, water, shelter, and other supplies. Sometimes soldiers will be transported, such as onboard ships, riding with caravans, etc., but most often they will probably be marching everywhere.

There are also myriad tribal and clan type organizations of warriors. These are less organized, but often more fierce. Individualism is more emphasized and theirs is a life of pride. Boasts of military accomplishments can always be heard accompanying the morning and evening campfire meals.

When cries to arms are raised, many brave warriors may answer for many different reasons. Love of nation. Protection of family and home. Glory and honor. Duty and loyalty to their patron lord. For some, the motivation is to get paid. In exchange for a small finder's fee (typically 10% early on, this may go down as the Merc advances through the ranks), these mercenary groups can connect sellswords to a large variety of potential jobs.

These groups can be consulted by PC's needing help in the form of extra hired swords or personpower of any kind. PC's might also join these groups and be consulted themselves. All such soldiers of fortune are generally elite crack squads of troubleshooters and creative problem solvers that don't always think in a linear fashion. Indeed, that is the appeal and how they make their money.

Most mercenary groups are formed by charismatic former soldiers and naturally organize along military lines. There is typically a rigid hierarchical structure through which information, orders, and modi operandi flow. Ranks in this structure almost always resemble military ranks, albeit sometimes stripped down. E.g., General, Corporal, Lieutenant, Captain, Soldier, and so on. It's not impossible for merc groups to take on other organizational structures similar to a business or a dictatorship, either.

Upon hire, in nearly all cases it is left to the devices and abilities of the contractors to complete the task assigned within the specified timeframe. It is the contractors' responsibility to provide their own transportation to and from the job site. In the cases where this does not apply, this will be stipulated in advance. Contracts may be in writing or verbal. (In some clandestine instances, it cannot be in writing for practical reasons).

[#_CLANTRIBE_REDCORSAIRS]

Red Corsairs

The Red Corsairs are a fairly dreaded group of pirate-like nautical marauders (to others), to Dvoria they’re enforcers. Their primary headquarters is Osavec, a strongly military town in Dvoria. These privateers operate throughout Dvorian waters and well beyond (their reach sometimes extends to the opposite side of the globe).

The Red Corsairs function contractually with the Grand Czar or his direct vicar. The leader of the Red Corsairs is involved with the wife of the Grand Czar and other queens of the nation. Their work is pseudo criminal and often brutal. They have the direct charge of protecting the waters and trade of Dvoria. They are officially authorized to engage and destroy any vessels of enemy nations or whatever they deem to be a threat to Dvorian waters or trade routes. The Red Corsairs are entitled to retain the spoils of war from these engagements.

The Red Corsairs will extort money from all traders but more from foreigners. They run the docks and nothing gets past them without paying some kind of price, sometimes trivial, sometimes great. The Dvorian economy tends not to import as much as most other Syserian economies, but others will import Dvorian goods. The Red Corsairs are not above slavery.

There is often internal and external strife amongst the Red Corsairs, with some “specializing” in coastal, others emphasizing southern trade routes, and still another focused on deep uncharted waters. Each of these key players is apt to accuse the others of being afraid of them or unwilling to get caught in their way.

[#_CLANTRIBE_BLACKTALON]

Black Talon

These experienced and shrewd warriors (along with pockets of spellcasters and rogues) are all of a like mind on one important aspect—profit. Black Talon is a group of mercenaries, and theirs is a life of chasing the next payday.

Black Talon unofficially has an army of 35,000 worldwide. Due to the relative secrecy of this organization, opinions and rumors vary on how long it would take for Black Talon to raise their army as a unified force in and of themselves. This is something that conspiracy theorists and the enemies of Black Talon ruminate on and lose sleep over.

Black Talon is an ancient organization formed before The Dark Times, which they are all keen to brag about. Like everyone else, their history between The Great Rift and the Rebuild is entirely lost. Black Talon Mercs are typically well-equipped and financed.

Joining the Black Talons simply requires that a candidate is able to pass a battery of physical and combat tests similar to a basic military boot camp. Lack of military experience ostensibly provides no handicap, but, on the whole, soldiers will be more likely to pass for obvious reasons. Military experience is not supposed to garner any preferential treatment in the onboarding process, but sometimes that happens in practice.

[#_CLANTRIBE_PRIESTS]

Priest Groups

Generally speaking, priest centered organizations are centered around zealously promulgating a deity's agenda. These will be detailed in the Pantheon section of this book. Some groups include Paladins, Druids, and sometimes even other characters like Wizards and Bards, et. al.

There are however, a few cults worshiping dead or demigods and/or domains believing they could one day become active again.

[#_CLANTRIBE_WIZARDS]

Wizardly Societies

These are groups of practitioners of arcane arts & sciences that band together for the purposes of furthering their knowledge and accomplishing a goal.

For some groups, their existence is a secret. Others operate in the open. All hoard and jealously guard knowledge.

[#_CLANTRIBE_INCOGNUS]

Circle of Incognus

This is a fraternity of likeminded individuals with a number of goals. One is to chronicle and preserve all knowledge possible. Ideally, all Syserian knowledge that exists, but this is an unattainable goal; it's just an ideal. The Circle of Incognus is organized into Houses. They exist in a two tier hierarchy: Great Houses and Houses.

The Circle of Incognus has taken responsibility for measuring time and chronicling known history.

Through magical means, all Houses share their information assuming they are Realized (see below). It is believed or inferred that there has to be a Supreme House above all others, but this House, if it exists, is not known to any of the membership at large.

Interested parties become members of the Circle through a process of initiation and then eventual induction. There is a three tiered level of membership, starting at first tier with Initiates, then Constituents, and ending tier three which are referred to as “Links.”

Realization and Amity

Relations between Houses are determined by the concept of Realization. Each House maintains a list of other Houses that are Realized. When two Houses Realize and are in communication with each other, they are said to be in Amity, and the brothers and sisters of each may visit each other's Houses and interact as Incognus. When two Houses are not in amity, inter-visitation and communicating as Incognus is not allowed.

[#_CLANTRIBE_Xiantiinne]

Xiantiinne

A secret society of elven wizards that meets regularly to keep the rifts caused by Chaos stones from opening afresh. This is an elite group of high level wizards which also share special spells that only they know about. They are highly xenophobic and secretive. They have some nature shaping abilities. Xiantiine are almost entirely Hiya Layos worshippers and are pacifists.

[#_CLANTRIBE_BLOODAXE]

Tribe of the Iron Axe

These orcs are ruthless marauders that steamroll any lands they pass through, killing, eating, taking, and raping whatever they want until they are killed or have left. They leave dead bodies and trampled & burned flora in their wake. Burning cities and villages is a favored pastime of the Tribe of the Iron Axe.

These Orcs worship the harlot demoness Szikuleth. Her motives, capabilities, and M.O. are all unclear. Some say she just wants to sow destruction and watch the world burn. Others believe she is keen to take over the world. And still others believe her methods and motives go deeper than that, or are fundamentally unknowable.

[#_CLANTRIBE_FALCONHAND]

Falconhand

A group of human-centric arcane magic users, commanding sizable legions of elite fighting troops. Their heraldry is a white falcon on various backgrounds according to locality, usually with the word “Falconhand” emblazoned beneath it.

The consortium of portal overseers is ostensibly a diverse group, but Falconhand represents 7/12 of its members. There are rumors and whispers of conspiracy, but none dare oppose them. They are powerful and have few to no enemies. They are often the first to defend any portal city from attack or disaster.

[#_CLANTRIBE_LUCKYSTRIKE]

Lucky Strike

Lucky Strike are a wandering band of void nomad and quickling faithful (along with some zealots) that have larcenous and mischievous tendencies. They are known to never set down roots and stay in one place, with one exception: The Hub.