Atlas Update

[Raesene Andu]

This is a quick update on the progress of the Atlas of Cerilia. In the future I hope to make these updates a regular thing (at least once a month) to keep everyone informed of our progress).

Update
As you may be aware write the Atlas of Cerilia is taking a lot longer than initially planned. The is primarily because people who signed up for the project have vanished and not submitted material they had promised and we have been reduced to just a couple of writers from what should be fifteen. This, as you might understand, is a very annoying situation, as I had hoped to have the first part of the Atlas (Anuire) completed by now, when instead it is only about a third complete with a hell of a lot of work still to do. However, I believe I have come up with a solution to this problem, which I will be discussing futher below.

Atlas Contents
First, however, I'd like to give you all a quick overview of what we are planning for the Atlas of Cerilia, just so you know what you will be getting in the final product. Also, so you can make suggestions and comments on the contents.

The Atlas will be divided into three main sections, with some additional rules specific information included at the back. The first section looks at Cerilia as a whole, exploring the continent and its people. There will be information on the history and culture of the Five Tribes, as well as the elven, dwarven, halfling, and non-human races. The idea here is to provide a wealth of background information for DMs and players alike. To flesh out Cerilia and fill in some of the gaps from the original products. There will be information on star signs, festivals, agriculture, major trading routes, and so on. This section will also feature an overview of the rest of the world, looking briefly at Aduria, Djapar, Thaele, and perhaps even more distant lands.

The second section (Geography of Cerilia) will be the largest and contain information on every realm, kingdom, and empire in Cerilia. Each realm will be looked at in detail, with information on the major NPCs, locations, geographical features, politicals notes, etc. In other words, the descriptions will be similar to a mini player's secret's book for each realm.

The third section (Organisations of Cerilia) looks at the non-landed regents, the temples, guilds, wizards, and law regents who do not control a kingdom of their own, but have holdings and power. Each organistion will have a brief desciption (with some larger descriptions for the more important organisations). Below is an example (of probably the most insignificant organisation in Cerilia).

Mourde Alondir

Alignment: Lawful Neutral (Recommended: Ranger/Rogue)
Holdings: Guild 1 (Aerenwe 1)
Treasury: 1 GB / 1 RP
Income: 2 GB / 1 RP
Expenses: 0 GB

Mourde Alondir (MA; Rog1; Scion of Masela, minor, 23) is a new guilder seeking to make his fortune by logging the Erebannien. So far he has made a good profit selling hardwood timber to Aerenwe and beyond, but he has also attracted the attention of the High Mage Aelies, although the protector of Erebannien has yet to step in to stop the small guild’s activities.

Finally, there will be sections near the rear of the book on prestige classes (or which we have had a surprisingly large number submitted) and an appendix listing all of the rules information for each and every realm, a sort of quick reference for DMs and players to quickly check through.


How you can help the project
Now, as I mentioned above, this project is going through a slow patch at the moment because few of those who signed up are still actively involved, and only a couple of us still seem to be working on it. Also, I've been ill for nearly a month and nothing seems to have been done in my absence. So I've decided to make a change to the way this project is being run.

In the past, many people have complained about not feeling involved in the work the d20 development team have been doing. So I've decided to change all that and open up the project to the entire Birthright community, and give everyone a change to help out and get some of their work in the Atlas. To do this, I will be running a series of contests for people interested in writing for the Atlas. There will be one or two of these a week, announced in this forum, with the best submissions going on to be included in the Atlas (and your names in the Atlas credits). These will not be major things, just small pieces of information that will help fill out the Atlas and hopefully also hurry things along. Hopefully, everyone out there in the BR community will get involved and we can get this thing moving along again.

Ian Hoskins
Head of the Atlas Design Team.

[Osprey]

Ian,
Just wanted to give two thumbs up to you for taking the initiative to press onward with the project and think of ways to both speed the project along and add in good work form the larger BR community. Good on ya! ;)

A quick question: Why the division between landed regents (section 2) and all other regents (section 3), rather than a section for the whole of each cultural region? (one for Brechtur, one for Khinasi, one for Vosgaard, Rjurik, etc.)

Osprey

[Raesene Andu]

Well to be honest I'm still depating that exact question. Do we go with a compilation of all the realms into one section, or split the Atlas into cultural region. There are benefits for doing it either way. I do kind of like the idea of having all the realms in one chapter, easily to find, rather than having to search for them, but I'm not totally commited to doing things that way. What is certain is that the realms will be released by cultural region, rather than waiting until the whole Atlas is complete before it is released. I guess I am open for convincing about which way everyone would like to see the project go.

One thing that will be certain is that there will be some sort of division between the landed and non-landed regents, just as there was in the original books. Also the Atlas will no longer feature the regional divisions like the Taelshore, the Plains States, etc. These will be mentioned, but I don't think it is necessary to divide realms by them, but rather they will be listed alphabetically.

[Osprey]

"Easy to find" through a logical organization was exactly what I was thinking about. It seems a lot easier to run a campaign in a single cultural region if all of the regents of that region are in the same section. If the landed regents come first, and the details on the non-landed ones comes as the second part of that section, that's cool.

I think most campaigns are centered in one cultural region or another, so it definitely seems the most logical to use that as the division for easy reference. I'm talking one broad region (such as Brechtur or Khinasi) per section (not sub-regions such as the Gulf States), which I believe you are also thinking.

Most of the veteran players of BR will easily be able to follow a format similar to the original books (Ruins of Empire, in particular).

I'm hoping, however, that the stats for the various non-landed regents and domains will be more complete than RoE, which only highlighted sample ones (and left a few gaping holes concerning certain non-landed domains). I know that's a lot more work, but given the writeup on Mourde Alondir (which is about as insignificant as regents get with 1 holding level), I'm guessing this is exactly your ambition.

-Osprey

[Raesene Andu]

Actually, as it is now, the Atlas is divided like this.

Introduction
World of Aebrynis (looking at Aduria, Djapar, background stuff like calander etc)
History of Cerilia
Anuire (including culture, organisations, recent events, some NPC descriptions, and so on)
Elven & Dwarven Realms (as above)
Khinasi (as above)
Awnsheghlien Realms (as above)
Rjurik (as above)
Non Human Realms (goblin, orog, gnoll, as above)
Brechtur
The Ferel Lands (the five peaks, giantdowns, as so on)
Vosgaard
Then there would be a couple of appendixs with prestige classes and a quick reference of realm stats.

However, I was planning on changing the format to include all the realms in one big chapter and seperate the info on the culture of the region into its own chapter.

Now, the reason for doing this was quite simple. By putting all the actual rules infomation (province stats, a realms income, armies, etc) into a section at the back of the book then we have effectivly created the easy to find, quick reference that was needed. After all, what part of the realm descriptions do you refer to most of the time? It is the holding information, of course. You might read through the description of the realm a couple of times, but most of the time you are looking up the holdings. This is why the decision was made to seperate that information from the realm descriptions so that it could easily be referred to by DMs and players. In fact, I'm considering completing that section of soon and releasing it to the community. (This section would be organised by region).

For example here is the entry for Roesone from that section.

Roesone

Ruler: Baroness Marlae Roesone.
Alignment: Neutral.
Capital: Proudglaive.
Population: 49,000.
Government: Feudal monarchy.
Imports: Clothing, coal, fruit, horses, and wine.
Exports: Grain, livestock, iron, and copper.

Province Law Temples Guilds Sources
Abbatuor (3/4) MR (1) IHH (2) OT (3)EH (0) HMA (2)RA (2)
Bellam (3/2) MR (2) IHH (3) OT (3)SG (0) HMA (2)
Caercas (4/1) MR (2) IHH (3)RCS (1) EH (2)SG (2)OT (0) RA (1)
Duerlin (3/2) MR (1) IHH (2) EH (3) RA (2)
Edlin (3/2) MR (1) IHH (2) EH (3) HMA (2)
Fairfield (3/2) MR (1) IHH (2) SG (3)OT (0) HMA (2)
Ghoried (2/3) MR (1) IHH (1) SG (2) HMA (2)

Abbreviations: MR=Marlae Roesone (Roesone); IHH=Impregnable Heart of Haelyn (Hubaere Armiendin); OT=Orthien Tane (Southern Anuire Shipping and Imports); HMA=High Mage Aelies; EH=el-Hadid (Port of Call Exchange); RA=Rogr Aglondier (Ilien); SG=Siele Ghoried (Spider River Traders); RCS=Ruornil’s Celestial Spell (Suris Enlien).

GB Income: 24 GB (Province 21 GB; Law 3 GB).
RP Income: 30→24 RP (Province 21 RP; Law 9 RP).
GB Expenses: 17 GB (Army 11 GB; Fortifications 3 GB; Court 3 GB).
Treasury: 15 GB.
Accumulated Regency: 36 RP.
Armies: Archers (x3), Artillery, Infantry, Knights, Pikemen (x3).
Fortifications: Blacktower Castle (Level 3); Castle Bellamie (Level 2).
Court Level: 3.

That covers all the information that you need to run Roesone as a realm, but none of the other background information that helps flesh out the realm, that is all found in the realms chapter. (Let me know if you think something should be added to this). You might read through the description of Roesone only a couple of times in a campaign, but you would refer to this information many times.

Now, as for the holding regents, the intention is to look at each one more fully that was done in the original material (1/4 to a page description for each). We probably won't be fleshing out there stats quite as much as the realms (no complete listings of holdings, etc). Here is an example (less the descriptive text)

Eastern Temple of Nesirie

Alignment: Chaotic Good (Recommended: Cleric)
Holdings: Temple 26 (Aerenwe 17; Ilien 3; Mieres 6)
Treasury: 14 GB / 21 RP
Income: 17.5 GB / 18 RP
Expenses: 11 GB (Navy: 6 GB; Fortifications 2 GB; Court 3 GB)

To look quickly at each line.

The alignment is fairly self explanatory, the recommendation at the end is simply there to advise which class this realm would best suit. Some have more than one class. For example the NIT is recommended for a cleric and paladin.

The holdings list the number of holdings the organisation has, and more importantly where they are located. So in this case, the ETN has holdings listed for Aerenwe, Ilien, and Mieres. Once you know where they are, you look up realm stats at the end of the book to get the exact details.

Treasury is the accumulated GB/RP

Income (using the tables from the d20 rulebook) is the GB and RP income of the organisation. Any special form of income will be listed here. Vassalage agreement that might exist are not listed. We will be leaving it up to the DM to decide who pays what to who. Similarly, no trade routes have been set in stone. Either you start play with no trade routes in existence, or the DM will decide on those as well.

Finally, we have the expenses section, which covers the organisations military, court, etc cost. The description of the realm will mention the exact details of the organisations military and fortifications.


Oh, and as a final word, I should point out that the Atlas of Cerilia is being created, not with vetern players in mind (although they will get a lot out of it), but rather it is focused on new players. So what we are looking for here, is something that newcomers to the setting can understand and wade through. Which is sort of why I went with the all realms in one chapter thing, to fit in with the way other campaign setting (Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance) have been done.

[Osprey]

GB Income: 24 GB (Province 21 GB; Law 3 GB).
RP Income: 30→24 RP (Province 21 RP; Law 9 RP).
GB Expenses: 17 GB (Army 11 GB; Fortifications 3 GB; Court 3 GB).
Treasury: 15 GB.
Accumulated Regency: 36 RP.
Armies: Archers (x3), Artillery, Infantry, Knights, Pikemen (x3).
Fortifications: Blacktower Castle (Level 3); Castle Bellamie (Level 2).
Court Level: 3.

That covers all the information that you need to run Roesone as a realm, but none of the other background information that helps flesh out the realm, that is all found in the realms chapter. (Let me know if you think something should be added to this). You might read through the description of Roesone only a couple of times in a campaign, but you would refer to this information many times.


When listing Maintenance Expenses, perhaps using the header "Assets" would be appropriate (to keep it in line with the BRCS terminology and help organize it a bit). It's pretty sharp as is, and I imagine you would include any assets that cost money in that list. I was thinking of things like roads & bridges, palaces, and pay for lieutenants (I tend to think some realms would pay their lieutenants at least 1 GB per season, perhaps more for good ones - that's actually a rather low stipend compared to the incomes for the Profession actions; I consider Lieutenants an extra asset that isn't covered by the basic court expenses). Some low-level lieutenants might be absorbed in the general expenses, or nobly work for little pay, but can that be the case in every realm? Of course, the Leadership feat can account for such a loyal right hand, but otherwise I think Lt.'s should be considered an expense.

No point in listing the individual castles here unless you're naming their actual locations. Otherwise, I'd just list the total levels of provincial castles and fortified holdings (if any).

One quick-reference notation I developed was to use footnote-type indicators of castles. So a province (3/2)F3 (the "F3" would be a raised footnote, but can't do that on this forum) would be a level 3 province with a level 3 provincial fortification. I would then put Fx next to the regent's law holding if it was included in the prov. castle.

Just a suggestion. It doesn't name the castle, though, which leaves a second option: create an "Other" column to the right of the province stats, and write in castles and other key (permanent) assets there.

The imports/exports stats are interesting. Is this setting up a more refined system for determining the eligibility for trade? What if trade goods produced could actually be broken down to provincial levels? Trade routes could then be determined by swapping actual goods rather than a base of different terrain/cultural types (which is distinctly over-simplified, IMO).

All in all, a great job, Ian. I hope some of these suggestions might be helpful, or at least provide a few threads to chew on...

-Osprey

[Raesene Andu]

Originally posted by Osprey@Sep 15 2003, 05:15 PM
No point in listing the individual castles here unless you're naming their actual locations. Otherwise, I'd just list the total levels of provincial castles and fortified holdings (if any).

The imports/exports stats are interesting. Is this setting up a more refined system for determining the eligibility for trade? What if trade goods produced could actually be broken down to provincial levels? Trade routes could then be determined by swapping actual goods rather than a base of different terrain/cultural types (which is distinctly over-simplified, IMO).
Actually, just looking through my notes, the original copy of that info list the fortifications like this.

Fortifications: Blacktower Castle (Level 3, Caercas); Castle Bellamie (Level 2, Bellam)

So it did give their locations. I'll have to update that. I think the rest of the draft realms are listed similarly as well, with the province name included.

As for the import/export stats, as far as I know there are no plans to expand or refine the trade system, but I thought I would include those to leave open the possibility that someone would like to come up with one.

Oh, and in case anyone is interested, here is the list of trade goods I came up with back when this project was being planned. It might be of use to someone.

Industries/Resources of Cerilia


Imports from outside Cerilia
Tobacco (Djapar)
Coffee (Djapar)
Spices (Aduria, Djapar)
Exotic Animals (Aduria)
Olives & Olive Oil (Aduria)
Ivory (Aduria)
Sugar (Djapar)

Luxuries
Incense (Khinasi)
Silk (Khinasi)
Gemstones (All)
Pearls (Khinasi)
Perfume (Brechtür)
Spices (Khinasi)

Base Materials
Stone (All)
Timber (All)
Furs (Rjurik, Vosgaard)
Wool (Anuire, Brechtür, Rjurik, Vosgaard)
Cotton (Khinasi)
Linen (All)
Hemp (Anuire, Brechtür)

Metals
Copper (All)
Tin (All)
Lead (All)
Iron (All)
Silver (All)
Gold (All)

Livestock & Animals
Pork (Anuire, Brechtür)
Beef (All)
Fish (All)
Sheep (All)
Goats (All)
Horses (All)
Poultry (All)
Camels (Khinasi)
Exotic – Varsk (Vosgaard)

Foodstuffs
Grains (All)
Fruit (All)
Vegetables (All)
Cheese (All)
Wine (Anuire, Brechtür)
Ale (All)
Salt (Khinasi)
Herbs (All)

Manufactured Goods/Materials
Rope (All)
Whale Oil (Rjurik)
Clothing (All)
Jewellery (All)
Rugs (Anuire, Brechtür, Khinasi)
Pottery (All)
Books (Anuire, Brechtür, Khinasi)
Weapons (All)
Armour (All)
Leather goods (All)
Glass (Anuire, Brechtür, Khinasi)
Artwork (Anuire, Brechtür, Khinasi)

Other
Mercenaries (All)
Ships (Anuire, Brechtür, Khinasi, Rjurik)

[Osprey]

Where is Djapar?

Also, is the Adurian stuff mostly new stuff (I remember that you were piloting that project), or was there some 2e "official" publications on that?

-Osprey

[Raesene Andu]

Djapar is the original home of the Khinasi (or Basarji) tribe. If you look at the Khinasi map in the Cities of the Sun expansion it shows you its location. It is to the south-east of Khinasi, well within range of any trading vessels, so it goes without saying that there is trade between the two lands.

As for Aduria, there is a small amount of official material written by Rich Baker as part of a series of articles planned for Dragon Magazine, but little beyond that. Most trade with that continent would be to the northern most regions, which were conquered by the Anuireans following Diesmaar, latter abandoned to the local population when the empire collapsed, but still retain significant links with Anuire, especially trade

[Osprey]

Ian,

Just before I learned that you were working on a writeup on Aduria, I had decided to flesh that out for my own campaign. A player was playing the young heir of Mieres (which was renamed a Duchey, and Aaron Vaumel was still the scheming guildmaster who wanted to be the Duke. The heriditary dukes of Mieres hailed from one of the last Great bloodlines of Masela, distinguished by their black dolphin eyes as a bloodmark).

It is traditional custom among this line that every scion goes on a voyage of exploration as a coming-of-age rite of passage. So Blaede Mieres (the heir) and his twin sister, Jetana (who is in line to inherit the Southern Temple of Neserie), decide to attempt a voyage to rediscover Aduria, and possibly establish friendly relations there for future trade.

So for the sake of one adventure and a broader campaign in the future, sat down and wrote up what the eastern coast and offshore islands of Aduria were like, along with the history of the Adurian Empire and its fall after Deismaar.

I imagined that the Empire was ruled by a theocracy - there were landed warrior rulers, but they were totally controlled by the fear and magic of the Temple of Azrai, who drove the Adurians to forge a great imperial war machine leading up to the ultimate defeat of the other tribes at Deismaar.

Imagine what would happen back in Aduria, however, when Azrai was destroyed and the priests suddenly lost their divine powers - the magical base of their power disappeared, and chaos and civil war began to wrack the "Empire." The civil war and anarchy that followed was unparalleled. I can only imagine what would go down in a land once fully under the Shadow, but now left to a mostly mundane population struggling for freedom, power, wealth...and eventually just food and shelter as centuries of brutal warfare took their toll. I imagine post-Deismaar Aduria as a kind of apocalyptic, "Mad Maxx" world - eventually making the land infertile, resources rare, and money useless.

What I envisioned was a breakdown into warlord-ruled provinces (like Greek city-states and their tyrants), and the occasional council of elders as the remnants of successful slave uprisings. But there are no realms of multiple provinces, no new empires, no great kingdoms. Why?

Xenophobia. Who can you trust? Your neighbors, maybe - but the people across the border? Trust them to raid you for food, tools, and captives, maybe, but trade? It seems unlikely without outside intervention.

Anyways, that's the gist of my Aduria. There's plenty more to it, of course, especially in the details, but I wanted to let you know at least one other version that was developed and see if you find any ideas you might want to integrate or collaborate upon. I'm very interested in reading your own ideas on the place (I've seen bits and hints thus far). You can email me, too, if you want to do it off the forum.

-Osprey

osprey424@yahoo.com

[Osprey]

As for Djapar - wish I had known of that earlier, too. I just made up an origin story for the Khinasi this summer, in which they came from a larger continent to the east, across a large expanse of the Sea of Dragons. I thought a Mongolian kind of land worked well for the ancestral birthplace of the Basarji. There I made an Asian parallel continent - having recently picked up (and been inpressed by) the 3.0 Oriental Adventures.

I got inspired to make an Oriental Adventures Birthright setting, and why not across the Sea of Dragons? At least the basic metaphysics of the world will remain the same. I think I'll start a new thread in the library to detail this one.

-Osprey

[kgauck]

----- Original Message -----

From: "Osprey" <brnetboard@BIRTHRIGHT.NET>

Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 10:20 AM





> I`m very interested in reading your own ideas on the place (I`ve

> seen bits and hints thus far). You can email me, too, if you want

> to do it off the forum.



Don`t take this off list. Inquiring minds don`t want to miss out.



Kenneth Gauck

kgauck@mchsi.com

[Raesene Andu]

Here is some info I wrote up about Aduria a while back. For a map of the continent (a semi-official map created by Rich Baker) go to http://users.chariot.net.au/~hoss/images/ADURIA.JPG

Geopolitical Regions of Aduria

Note: Very early draft only. Many changes to be made.

1. The Sere Coast

The northeastern shores of Aduria are known as the Duor Gaen (DEW-oar Gain), or the Sere Coast. Arid grassland and brown, rocky hills march for hundreds of miles from Baerghos Island, scoured by a surprisingly dry easterly wind. In the summer months, plumes of dust stand for miles out to sea, coating the decks of passing ships with fine red grit. In winter, the winds shift to the north and pound the coastal hills with the endless storms for which the Miere Rhuann is named.

The Sere Coast is largely uninhabited. In fact, it has never been settled by civilized folk, although a few scattered copper mines sponsored by Anuirean and Brecht guilds huddle along the coastline. The interior is dry steppe, haunted by great bands of nomadic gnolls and a handful of fierce human tribesmen.

2. The Gold Coast

Running south from Mieres for some 1,200 miles is the desolate coastline known as the Gold Coast, named for the sandy deserts and dry grassland that stretch as far as the eye can see. Like the more northerly Sere Coast, this region was scoured by the energies released during the destruction of the ancient gods at Mount Deismaar when once lush grasslands turned into desert. Some regions have recovered in the proceeding years, but the land still suffers.

Four small city-states dominate the majority of trade along the Gold Coast. They were once under the control of the Anuirean Empire, but broke away as that empire fell and have since chartered their own course. Unlike the older colonies to the west, few traces of Anuirean rule remain and the states of the Gold Coast are now more influenced by the southern empire of Nehalim than they are by Anuire.

3. The Anuirean Colonies

A collection of city-states, kingdoms, and empires that are still influenced by their former Anuirean masters, the Anuirean Colonies cover a vast area, testimony to the Anuirean Empire’s wide reach. First conquered about seven centuries after Deismaar, when the Empire was at its height, the Colonies include land that was once home to the Brecht, Andu, Rjuven, and Masetian peoples. Of the five tribes driven out of Aduria by Azrai, only the Vos, who originated further to the southeast, did not come from this region.

Oeried, the first major settlement along the northern coast west of Cerilia, once lay at the heart of the Masetian Empire, before they were conquered and expelled from their land by Azrai during his great war. Azrai gave the conquered territory to Naizad, one of his greatest generals, and later became the Naizad Empire, which survived until the death of Azrai at Deismaar when it collapsed into chaos. Nearly seven centuries later, Anuire conquered this ancient city and took control of not only the city, but also the rich grasslands to the south.

To the west of Oeried lies Rhandel, a rocky peninsula jutting out into cold waters of the Miere Rhuann. Once home to the Brecht people, it fell to Azrai along with the rest of the northlands and was given to Naizad along with Oeried, Lurech, and much of the rest of far northern Aduria. Following Azrai’s death, a rebellion toppled the Naizad governor and for a short time, the small state was ruled by a popular line of kings. In the seventh century after Deismaar, an Anuirean invasion successfully conquered Rhandel, and installed a Lord-Governor who reported to Anuire. This system survived until nearly four centuries after the fall of the Anuirean Empire and today a hereditary Overking rules the peninsula.
Rich in both ore and wood, especially large forests of tall ceder trees, which give the nation its common name of The Ceder Kingdom, Rhandel is a rich nation supplying weapons, wood, ore and skilled mercenaries to surrounding nations. Many of the old Anuirean guilds have a presence here and in many places, the merchant class has replaced the old nobility. These merchant-princes truly rule Rhandel, although they are rarely united on anything and constant feud amongst themselves, only ever united to bring down an Overking who is overstepping his authority.

West of Rhandel is a second great peninsula, this one a rocky spine that arrows straight into the setting sun for nearly five hundred miles. Riven by deep fjords, its rugged mountains make any landward approach nearly impossible. For more than a thousand years, this land has been known as Lurech—a loose kingdom of feuding lords, divided by racial strife but undaunted by any foreign power.
Lurech’s people are composed of two distinct cultures: the Luren, descended from the old Rjuven stock, and the Duatha, invaders from the isles of Mor Atha who carved a foothold in this land three hundred years ago.

South of all these nations is the empire of Alitaene, which includes the ancient Hurimar empire and land that was originally home to the Andu people. At the height of the Anuirean Empire, this land was its most important colony, and even today, it remains a rich and powerful nation. Great castles dominate the hilltops and the elite still keep their Anuirean links and titles. Many of the old Anuirean families have ties in Alitaene, as it was the practice of many of the noble families during the Anuirean Empire, for the nobility to send their second or third sons off to Alitaene to fight against Hurim rebels. Today, the Hurim are second-class citizens, ruled over by an Anuirean elite, who controls virtually all of the empire. It is a simmering hotbed of rebellion and racial hatred, and this is not aided by the constant threat of war with Lucitia to the south, or raids by pirates sailing from Mor Atha and the pirate Isles.

4. Mor Atha

The largest of an archipelago of rocky islands stretching for hundreds of miles west of Aduria, Mor Atha is home to the Duatha, a race at home on the sea as the ancient Masetians, and perhaps the only tribe in Aduria to successfully resist Azrai’s armies. Unmatched on the ocean, the fleets of Mor Atha travel across much of the known world, both as traders and when the need arrises, merciless pirates and raiders.

Home to perhaps half a million people, Mor Atha itself is a large rocky island nearly five hundred miles long, and a hundred wide. Forested mountains cover much of the north of the island, while in the south the forests are replaced by farmland, grazing land and civilisation. Duathan, the capital of Mor Atha is a deep-water harbour dominated by the masts of heavy warships and the swift raiders that have made the Duatha so feared.

Ruled over by a High Captain, Mor Atha is a nation always poised on the edge of rebellion. The High Captain always controls the largest fleet, and with the loyalties of Mor Atha’s captains a fickle as the summer winds, the leadership of the nation changes often.

5. The Beastlands

The ancient homeland of the Vos, the Beastlands is where most of Azrai’s armies ended up following Deismaar. Cast out by the newly freed peoples of the great empires, the legions of Azrai were driven into this land of barren mountains and swampland. It was hoped by the human empires that these vile beings would die out due to their constant in fighting, and thus end forever the threat of Azrai, but instead they have thrived, dominating the region and posing an ever-growing threat. Raids by Beast-men into surrounding territories are a growing problem, and rumours coming out of the Beastlands now speak of a new ruler. This being of power has somehow managed to overcome the traditionally violent and chaotic natures of the Beast-men and is forging them into a new army of the like that has not been seen since the days of the Shadow War.

6. Empire of Nehalim

One of the six great empires of ancient times, Nehalim is a vast empire on the eastern coast of Aduria. A land of desert and dry grasslands, it is home to a hundred different ethnic tribes and ethnic groups, the most prominent of which is the Neha. Although small in number, the Neha somehow managed to conquer the entire region, and have ruled it now for nearly three thousand years. The northern half of the empire is divided into small rebellious nation-states who owe allegiance to Nehalim, but in practice are virtually independent, allowed to make their own way in the world as long as they pay the taxes demanded by the empire. These states are rich in resources and grow almost all of Nehalim’s foodstuffs.

Nehalim, the great city that it capital to the empire sits at the mouth of a long river, surrounded by desert and desolate grasslands. The largest city in the known world, it is home to hundreds of thousands of men and woman from across the empire. A great trading city and port, it was briefly conquered by the Anuirean Empire about eight hundred years ago, but was held for less than a decade, before an alliance of tribe drove out the Anuireans. Bad blood between the two empires continues to this day, and many Nehalim merchants will refuse to even deal with Anuirean traders.

During the Shadow War, Nehalim fought bravely against the legions of Azrai, but was eventually undermined as Azrai bought the allegiance of each individual tribe in turn until only the Neha and their staunches allies remained. Following their defeat, the majority of Neha tribe were enslaved, and forced to fight at the front of Azrai’s armies, while the Empire was given over to those tribes who has supported Azrai. The entire race was almost exterminated during the centuries of war that followed, but somehow a few survived to Deismaar, switching sides to fight alongside the six tribes. Those few that survived Deismaar returned home to their empire as blooded scions and soon overthrew the emperor installed by Azrai and reclaimed the throne.

7. Empire of Lucitia

Dominating central Aduria, this large empire was the first to be seduced by Azrai’s dark promises. Seven hundred years before Deismaar, Lucitia was little more than a loose alliance of waring city-states, but that was before the coming of Azrai. The worship of the dark god spread through the corrupt states of Lucitia and soon the fires of war had erupted across the region. The old rulers were overthrown and before long all of Lucitia was controlled by a single leader, the first chosen of Azrai, Emperor Xalin I. The new emperor did not waste time, and within a decade, Lucitian armies spread out across the continent, conquering any who resisted. The legacy of nearly two thousand years of almost constant warfare can still be seen today and several regions of once fertile land are now nothing more than desert.

Today, Lucitia is an empire in name only. Following Deismaar, the people overthrew their monstrous rulers, but new evil powers were quick to fill the void created by the fall of Azrai and the disappearance of his most powerful generals. Shadow-mages, Awnsheghlien, Beast-men, all plague the land. The ancient capital, Azraidin, once the heart of Azrai’s empire is now a blasted ruin, the site of a seemingly never-ending war between the various city-states whose leaders seek to claim the lost power of the old emperor. For nearly a century after the death of Azrai, the empire held together, dominated by a need for the people to atone for the death and destruction caused under Azrai. The legions of Beast-men and their followers were driven out, and for a few decades it looks like the empire would survive the fall of Azrai intact, but the lure of power drew Sorcerers, Awnsheghlien, Generals, and even a Dragon to Azraidin, the old capital, and soon war had broken out. Each of the ancient city-states is now ruled over by one of these dark powers, although a few on the fringes of the empire have resisted the corruption and lure of power. The Lucitian civil war is now into its second millennia and shows no sign of ending. Those who have not fled have now been enslaved to work the land and feed the hungry armies of the city-states.

8. The Great Desert

A vast desert covering more than 500,000 square miles, the Great Desert is the home of the Ssarak, a powerful race of snake-men sorcerers and priests who dominate the region. One of the oldest races alive, they date back to the Age of Monsters, when the dragon sorcerers ruled the skies and the cities of the giants ruled the plains and man was little more than a few hairy tribes hiding in the southern jungles. From their great fortress, The Spire, the Ssarak worship their dragon god and harvest the surrounding lands for food, slaves, and resources. In the Great Desert, none can challenge the might of the Ssarak and any who tries are destroyed. Even Azrai’s legions were defeated when they fought the Ssarak Dominion, although the Ssarak did eventually ally themselves with the dark god, but Azrai payed a very high price for their service.

Today, the Ssarak are mainly confined to the territory directly surrounding their capital and a few smaller outposts deep in the desert. A heat-loving race they are disinclined to depart their territory, but within the desert they are masters and the human must be very careful where they travel. However, some hardy human tribes do exist, moving from oasis to oasis herding goats and camels. They are forced to fight not only the Ssarak, but also tribes of Gnolls and other monsters, but somehow they manage to survive. In the east, another threat can be found, the powerful M’Botan, the Wermic tribes of the grasslands. While they can be found across Aduria, in northern Ghanim and the eastern reaches of the Great Desert they have risen to dominate the land with a primitive, but powerful society or hunters and raiders.

9: The Ghanim Empire.

Another of the ancient empire, Ghanim is a large region of mainly grassland dominated by nomadic human tribes. In ancient times, it was ruled over by a great chief, who was elected by the nomadic tribes, but during the War of the Shadow, the land was ruled by the shadow-mage Karish, a power unmatched in modern Aduria. Fortunately for the people of Ghanim, he vanished with the death of Azrai and is thought to have been destroyed at Deismaar. Today the empire lives as it did in ancient times, although in the past few centuries, the nomadic way of life of it people has been slowly ending and new cities are appearing.

10. The Mountain States.

A mountainous region of Aduria, the mountain states once formed the ancient empire of Justminia, one of the first to pledge allegiance to Azrai. However, following the death of the empire’s last emperor, Grayconel Adriss, at Deismaar, the empire was consumed in a civil war, just as civil war has claimed Lucitia. The warring states fought on and off for nearly two centuries, exhausting their treasuries, their people, and the land. Thus, the empire was easy prey for an invasion fleet from across the seas. The Huachi people from Djapar soon conquered the faltering Justminian empire and claimed this land as their own. Today, the empire no longer exists, instead the land is divided into a series of loosely aligned states spread across the mountains.

11. Žaynâni

Oldest of the human empires, Žaynâni is the site of the first human civilisation to arise following the end of the Age of Monsters. As the great giants fled the dragon war and the dragons slaughtered themselves by the thousands over what is now the Great Desert, the human who had hidden away in the jungles of the south slowly spread north to conquer Aduria. The oldest human city can be found here, the ancient port city of Reichmaar, built on the site of an abandoned giant city, it became a centre of learning and discovery, famous for its libraries and universities. Today, Reichmaar’s great library is renowned throughout the world.

During the Shadow War, all of Žaynâni was ruled by a single emperor, based in Reichmaar, and for more than two decades, the empire held out against the invaders. But eventually it was betrayed from within and the entire empire fell quickly to Azrai. A region rich in resources, both wood, food, and metals, Žaynâni supplied Azrai’s legions throughout the final century of the War of Shadow, and many of its soldiers served in Azrai’s legions. Following the fall of Azrai at Deismaar, the recriminations of those who suffered under Azrai’s rule, split the empire. It has since collapsed into a hundred or more tiny states, emirates, and kingdoms, but remains relatively peaceful when compared to the rest of the continent.

Unique to Žaynâni are a race of spirit beings known as Djin. Rumoured to be living mebhaighl, these being can transform into humans and often live among the people of Žaynâni. Very powerful members of the Djin race occasional serves the princes and sultans of the region, but their price for this service is always very high.