The basis for the creation of the Misery Ascendant campaign setting is that we desired a setting where the side of good would be more attractive for players to play and enjoy. The need was present for a campaign where the side of good was the underdog, and where evil and its minions were far superior and numerous than those of good.

The co-creators of this setting grew tired at having all of their players wish to play evil characters in the more traditional campaign settings, in part because it was not the norm for the campaign, and that the overwhelming presence of goodly influences throughout the settings were detrimental to the players desires to belong to the sides of good.

And thus we set upon the creation of the Misery Ascendant campaign setting, where the players could portray characters that could themselves be the heroes of the campaign, instead of relying upon, or being stifled by the ever-present forces of good in the lands.

Misery Ascendant started out on a modest path, with the original intent being merely to create a city for which to call our own. In time, our eyes began to see the full potential of our thoughts and dreams, and our ambitions escalated to ever higher standards, beginning with that initial city and growing, to include first a kingdom, then a nation, onto an entire continent, the addition of a second such continent, and finally the culmination that you now hold in your hands, the campaign overview for Misery Ascendant, a dark fantasy setting taking place on the world of Cyuk, lands of the failures of the gods.

Misery Ascendant has expanded to include creatures as well as monsters specific to the setting, and also a pantheon unique to the world of Cyuk, detailed in the forthcoming Archives of Foul Denizens, and Divine Faith, respectively.

Many thanks go out to the creation of this world, due mostly to those who have brought us, as creators of the Misery Ascendant campaign setting, to maturity as role-players.

Cyuk is the name for the planet in which the Misery Ascendant campaign setting takes place. It is a planet larger than that of the Earth, with nearly one and a half times the mass of that planet. Cyuk, like Earth, is largely covered in water, with the formations of continents and islands covering just under twenty percent of the planet’s surface.

Cyuk is the second planet from the true sun in a planetary line of eight planets, and is orbited by three moons and an astral body referred to as ‘The Second Sun’. Cyuk travels a slightly elliptical orbit, one more prevalent than that of the Earth. The names of the planets in order from the sun Dar, are Greag, Cyuk, Veraan, Nisa, Jergo, Binol, Sryga, and Fertok. Only Greag, Veraan, and Nisa can be seen from Cyuk without the use of magical aid of some sort. The Second Sun arose in the sky in the year of Cyryl Reckoning 1487, and it’s appearance is known as the catalyst of the modern day calendar of the Suns Reckoning.

The moons of Cyuk are Lim, Mab, and Erim, each named for the astronomer credited with their discovery, who lived during the times of Cyryllynese. Lim is by far and away the most visible of the satellites orbiting Cyuk, as Mab and Erim seem to reflect little light in the direction of the planet. In general, they can only be seen when the moon of Lim is full, and then only if one peers intently enough through the darkness. Mab has a blackened tint, while Erim is slightly reddish in color.

The landmass of Cyuk is largely divided between the twelve continents, which vary in size and shape. Two of these have been developed to the point that campaigns might take place there, the continent of Aredakar, the Land of Origins, and Suun, the New Home.

Aredakar is broken up into three parts, referred to as Northern, Western, and Eastern Aredakar, respectively. Northern Aredakar is bordered to the North and East by the Ratanal Ocean, the South by the Gulf of Thorns and the Headrael Mountains, and to the West by the Sazared Ocean. Several small islands dot the waters surrounding it. Connected only by the Northern expanses of the Headrael Mountains is the Southern half of Aredakar, which is broken into two distinct halves by a chain of treacherous terrain, including the far reaching Headrael Mountains, the Vanquil Woods, the Sartanon Mountains to the South, and the Sea of Poisons making water travel treacherous between the two halves of the continent. Southern Aredakar is bordered by the Ratanal and Sazared Oceans to the East and West, and the Sea of Poisons to the South. The large island referred to only as the ShadowLands, lies within sight of the Eastern shores of Southern Aredakar.

Suun Lies east of Aredakar, and is composed of the larger northern mass, and a smaller sub continent called Little Suun, or simply referred to as the southern half of Suun. To the north west and west lies the Ratanal Ocean, to the immediate west lies the Gulf of Still Waters, to the south, and south west lies Sea of Suun and the Emerald Ocean, and to the north the Frozen Sea. The Larger Northern Suun is mostly comprised of plains and forestland. The vast Wood of the Azure Sky lies northwardly, connected to White Wall Forest. Here the *** Mountains begin and stretch eastward and downward on the northern half f the continent. The Plains of Barrowig lie south of this, and farther south still Lies the Great Desert of Suun, named the Black Sands.

Just south of the desert lies a land bridge connecting Northern and Little Suun, that is followed immediately by the Far Reaching Woods, and farther still the area dubbed OrcHome by mankind. The once kingdom and now region of Azmuuth is below this and fills the remainder of Little Suun.

Character Generation

Character Generation is one of the most important steps to any campaign setting. The character is what drives the story, and as such, the character should be an integral part of any story, and they should have a story of their own. For this reason, all characters created for use in the Misery Ascendant game should first have written a background and description for their characters. This is done by having a character concept in mind before any dice are rolled. The player or players should have a clear mental image of what they would like to play for a given campaign, as well as having a personality for their character in mind before anything else is done. Dungeon Masters of the Misery Ascendant game should require their players to have written character histories, complete with the characters description and personality quirks before gaming sessions actually begin.

It is important to keep an open line of communication with the Dungeon Master at all times, so that the player is aware of what the Dungeon Master expects of him. Some Dungeon Masters may require their players to have written longer histories than others, while others may not be so strict in that area. It is also important for the player to know what kind of rules the Dungeon Master is going to allow for character generation, such as some Dungeon Masters may not wish for the party of characters to have humanoids in it, or mages, or evil characters, etc.

The player is expected to have a detailed history of their character, which will then be screened by the Dungeon Master for acceptance. It is important at this stage of character generation not to think about numbers. This means that the player should not worry about making his history that of a psionicist or ranger while fearing that he may not be able to create a given class or race due to low ability scores. Most Dungeon Masters of the Misery Ascendant campaign setting will allow their players to be anything that they wish, as long as the Dungeon Master approves of the players history that has been created for the character. This leaves the Dungeon Master with two options. He can either raise the ability scores of the character to the minimum requirements to play the class that the player wishes his character to be, or the Dungeon Master can make an exception for the character, if the history is especially good, to allow the character to play a race or class, even if his ability scores are not up to par with the minimums of that class. This of course, leads to more role-playing out of the characters, which can never be a bad thing, nor can there ever be enough.

The options in the latter case can be that the Dungeon Master may allow the character to play a subclass of the class that he wishes to play, in order to build up the experience necessary to play a character of the chosen class. For example, Neidar the Elf wishes to become a ranger of the Hidden Woods, a glade of forest lying on the continent of Ferelia. However, Neidar's statistics do not quite measure up to that of being a ranger, he has too low of a wisdom and dexterity. The Dungeon Master may allow Neidar to start out as a fighter, struggling to learn the ways of the ranger, while all the while thinking of himself as a ranger. This continues until Neidar gets to a point in his career where the Dungeon Master decides that the character has earned the right to bear the title of ranger, despite his low ability scores. In this manner, the player is allowed to play the character that he wished to all along, but he has the disadvantage of having to start out without the powers of a ranger.

This all, of course, depends on how satisfied the Dungeon Master is with the characters history. If the Dungeon Master particularly liked the history of the character in question, then the penalty for becoming a ranger should be less than a character who has a weak background, if the Dungeon Master decides to let this person be a ranger at all. Weak histories include those that do not portray the character as a ranger, but rather a warrior in a ranger type setting. If the character's history, for instance, does not include the characters feelings about the animals of the given terrain, or the plants, and is instead simply a (demi-)human(oid) that lives in a certain terrain, then this counts as a weak background for becoming a ranger.

The penalties for becoming a ranger when the ability scores are not quite up to par can include starting the character out at a negative amount of hit points. For example, the character mentioned above, Neidar the Elf, could start out the campaign as a fighter with -1000 experience points. At this state, Neidar is treated as a fighter, until he reaches zero experience points. At this time, the Dungeon Master will decide whether the character has been playing up to the standards of a ranger during the time before zero experience points was reached. If the Dungeon Master decides that the character now qualifies for rangerdom, then he is permitted to become one of their ranks. However, if the Dungeon Master decides that the character has simply been acting as a fighter all along, then the character remains a fighter upon reaching zero experience points. All previously earned experience points would be dropped in either case, the first because the ranger had to learn the ways of the ranger, and the second, because he wasted his time attempting to become one.

Ability Score Methods

In Misery Ascendant, on the planet of Cyuk, ability scores are determined by an alternate system. This system allows for characters closer to the average human than most of the other methods, being only slightly less restrictive than methods one and three as listed in the Players Handbook. Method I is determined by rolling 3d6, in order, and method III is only slightly less demanding, but takes more time, by allowing the player to decide where the rolls will be placed. The method used in the Misery Ascendant game uses the method of rolling 3d6, much like methods one and three, except that 3d6 is rolled seven times, rather than six. The lowest total is then dropped, and all of the remaining totals can be placed in order according to player preference.

The advantages to this system is that it allows for more customized characters than method I, and also allows for a slight margin of error over either method I, or method III. The characters created using this method will not be able to rely as much on their ability scores as some methods allow. This will allow for more role-playing amongst the players of the Misery Ascendant game. Creatures in the Monstrous Manual will not have to be heavily modified in order to give the characters a challenge, thus staying more true to the game. Exceptional scores will be a rarity, but will of course still be possible. It is important to remember that a fifteen is considered an exceptional score, and should not be a very common occurrence. A score of eighteen should be almost unheard of, as there should always be something stronger, faster, and smarter than the player characters. A character with even one seventeen or eighteen score is the stuff of legends, let alone a character with two or more. These characters should be marveled at by the general populace, even seen as weird, or freakish.

The disadvantage to this method is that it is somewhat harder to become certain classes and races. Players should remember, however, that this is because those classes and races are extremely rare, not every one should be able to become one. It is important to note that certain restrictions on classes can be overridden by the Dungeon Master, as detailed above, under character generation. This method of rolling for abilities might be a little foreign to players and Dungeon Masters who have used a more advantageous method in the past. Note, however, that the whole of Cyuk is geared toward the above method of making characters. Using a different method that allows for higher ability scores will make the encounters in Misery Ascendant less effective, and will have to be modified by the Dungeon Master. Simple monsters, such as orcs and goblins, will become more of what they were meant to be, a dangerous adversary. No common first level warrior has ever seen an orc, nor should he be able to dispatch one with relative ease. This method will hopefully allow players to open up more with their characters, instead of letting the high scores from other methods take precedence over the evolution of a character's personality.

Once ability scores have been determined, the player must decide upon where he would like to place the numbers to flesh his character out. This should be fairly easy after histories have been written. Your characters history and description should have these things spelled out enough so that the Dungeon Master should be able to tell what kind of ability scores the character has by simply reading it. The task at hand falls on the player, does he wish his character to have a high strength, intelligence? Why? What are ability scores and what do the numbers mean? Well, the numbers reflect your character's abilities in certain areas. This also helps to rank the character among other characters in the same ability. It is important to remember, however, that the ability scores of your character do not make the character, nor are they the character. The ability scores should have little effect upon the character's personality and the way that the character is played. In no way should the character ever rely on numbers, as these do not mean anything to the character. Ability scores are there for the sole reason of defining certain moments. In other words, they are there to provide consistency among rulings. In no way should they represent the character. The only reason that numbers are involved in Dungeons $ Dragons at all is because if they were not, there would be no way of ruling certain situations. As such, the numbers of the game should be left in the back of the players minds at all times, only to come out when they are needed for a ruling.

The lands under the suns are home to many a varied people, race, and culture. What follows are the most common of these, and thus the most widely accepted races for player characters to assume. This is by no means an exhaustive listing, with many of the more uncommon and specialized races being left off the list for the sake of balance. Other races are, however, allowable to players just as those described below are. The rarity of these races will be taken into account when determining whether or not a player’s applying character is accepted into the world of Misery Ascendant. This is done mainly so that we do not end up with a majority of special case characters, or worse, duplicate special case characters. It is for these reasons that races chosen from those not listed below will be discouraged, but not wholly unacceptable.

Humans are by far the most populous of races in the Misery Ascendant campaign setting, having been brought to the world at the dawn of the period of time known as the Cyryl Reckoning, most often denoted by a suffix of CR. They are by far the most dominant and plentiful race of beings, and by far the easiest to find. Their cities and villages are often out in the open, in contrast to the more secretive and secluded demi-human races, such as the elves, dwarves, and gnomes of the world. Humans of this world, much like those of our own, come in all shapes and sizes, and in extreme cases have the easiest time of passing for members of other races, due to a wide variance in height, slenderness, and skin color.

The short length of life span that humankind suffers from in comparison to the faerie races lends them to value a much more hastened lifestyle than other races are accustomed to, and, when added to the fact that humans are able to procreate at a much higher rate than other races has led to their quick dominance of the planet of Cyuk. They are by far the most diverse of all others, making it nearly impossible to stereotype them into one category or another, be it by trade, attitude, or views on life.

While human arts and trades might pale in comparison to those of another race’s craft, they are better able to assimilate the craftsmanship of any of the races, overwhelming them with their diversity and ability to excel at anything in which they desire to do so. Humans surpass all other races in the art of war, including the battle cultures of some tribes of humanoids, making them dangerous indeed to the continued existence of the other races of the lands.

The dwarves of Cyuk are short, stocky humanoids, at least in relation to humankind. They are well noted for their dour and taciturn temperament, as well as their close relation to the rock and dirt of the earth itself. They are suspicious of magic in almost any form, aside from those enchantments placed in the arms of war. Hair, eye, and skin color vary greatly among dwarvenkind, though those belonging to a specific culture are often very close in these variances. Female dwarves grow beards just as men do, although certain cultures of dwarves are known to prefer their females to shave.

Dwarves have the natural ability to detect underground construction, slopes, new tunnels, sliding / shifting walls, traps, and approximate depth underground, unless otherwise noted. In general, Dwarves are allowed a maximum Dexterity of seventeen, and a Charisma of sixteen or less. They must have at least a ten Constitution. Dwarves have an infravision range of sixty feet, which allows them to see in the dark using the heat patterns of objects and creatures. Due to their small statures, Dwarves are more difficult to strike by giant sized opponents, as they have a twenty percent less likely chance of doing so. Dwarves have a natural hatred for most of the Goblinoid races, and tend to attack them on sight. They gain a plus one bonus to hit during their first attack in an encounter, due to their intense hatred. They are also highly magic resistant creatures, and receive a bonus to their saving throws versus magic according to their Constitution scores. The higher the Constitution, the more likely they are to resist the effects of the magic. This same resistance to magic effects their ability to wield magical items properly, and suffer a twenty percent chance of failure when wielding anything magical other than armor and weapons. Their resiliency allows them to harbor the same natural resistance to poisons.

Dwarves are allowed to be fighters, priests, thieves, and elemental earth mages.

Four basic subraces are available for dwarven characters, the Hill, Mountain, Plains, and Gully Dwarves.

Mountain Dwarves are the most common, as most all dwarves in the lands under the suns have returned to life underground to remain in seclusion from the other races, choosing to rely on their own kinsmanship than to attempt any form of peace with the other races. All underground dwarves are of Mountain Dwarf stock, though some live far deeper beneath the surface of the earth and have developed different cultures and more pale shades of skin. Evil enclaves of Mountain Dwarves exist in the realms of the Eternal Night, and are contemptuously referred to as ‘Duergar.’ Mountain Dwarves are among the finest craftsmen in all the lands, at least when it comes to the arts of metalsmithing. Mountain Dwarf skin, hair and eye color can vary as widely as a human’s can, though cultural clusters tend to share common traits. Mountain Dwarves gain a bonus of plus one to Constitution, and a minus one from their initial Charisma scores.

Hill Dwarves are those dwarves that have chosen to remain above the ground in the light of day, preferring the rolling hills and grassy plains to the dark expanses of the Eternal Night, or that region so far beneath the surface of the planet where no light, or man would choose to exist. Hill Dwarves excel at crafts in leatherwork and masonry, and are able to craft weapons and shields of stone that are just as capable as a Mountain Dwarves weapon of steel might be. Exceptional craftsmen are able to make thin armor from stone, that is every bit as strong as thicker versions made from steel, and just slightly more heavy. They harbor completely self-sufficient communities that rely on no outside sources for survival, though they are still known to trade some of their crafts for grain in times of drought or famine. Hill Dwarves tend to have tanned skin and hair and eyes in the shades of browns and greens. Wild or Jungle variants of this type of dwarf do exist, but are nonetheless closely associated with their Hill Dwarf counterparts. Hill Dwarves gain a bonus of one to their initial Constitution scores, and a minus one to Dexterity.

Plains Dwarves are descended from a kingdom of Mountain Dwarves on the East end of the continent known as Greater Aredakar. Driven from the depths of the earth by their own treachery greed, the race known as the Plains Dwarf has risen and spread to remote corners of the globe. Once well known for their craft and their trade, the Plains Dwarves seem to have lost their ability to construct items of rare beauty for which they were plentiful, and the world shuns them for their double dealings and faulty workmanship. After losing the Axe of Ghundar in the Siege of Shadows, the race as a whole has gone into a kind of remission, for they believe that only by the return of their famed weapon can they be restored to honor. Bands of the dwarves exist even now that search endlessly for the weapon, both on the vast plains and into the bowels of the earth. Plains dwarves feature thin black hair and tanned skin, and their eyes can range in between greens, greys, and browns. Most all of the classed dwarves are thieves, plying their trades in whatever manner they are able to get away with, whether legality or morality is in question is of little concern. Plains Dwarves gain no bonus to Constitution, but still they are entitled to all poison save bonuses that high Constitution allows. In fact, the Plains Dwarves constant double dealings and assassination attempts within the culture affords them an additional plus two bonus to their poison Saving Throws. Unlike other Dwarves, who are allowed a maximum Dexterity of seventeen, the Plains variety is allowed the full range of three to eighteen.

Gully Dwarves are flatly denied as sharing heritage by any other dwarf worth their weight in iron, even the lowly Plains Dwarf. In fact, Gully Dwarves are known throughout the lands of Cyuk as Gully Gnomes. This falsification has been uttered for such a length of time that even the carefree gnomes have taken to believe it, given that they deep down believe themselves to be related to the doughty dwarves anyway. Despite the common belief, they are indeed dwarves, though they should be played as believing that they are gnomes, for the rest of society tells them so. They are a pitied race, for they mire in their own filth and stupidity. They are the least common of all dwarves, in part because they have slowly diminished their numbers over the long years as results of diseases brought on by poor hygiene. They are known by all to be dishonest cheats and overall despicable creatures. Gully Dwarves gain no bonuses to ability scores, and can have a maximum Charisma of twelve.

The Elves of the Misery Ascendant campaign setting stand just slightly shorter than do humans, but for the most part are much thinner and appear more fragile, though in many cases this is a misconception. Their love of nature and closeness with animals and the wood has afforded them a reputation that seems rather well deserved, that of being carefree and simple. Their long life spans have given them a patience that has often caused them to sit quietly by while greedily rushing humans or other creatures have taken over large areas of their land. This has given many of them a strong distaste for other races, and generally they far prefer to socialize with their own kind. Hair, eye, and skin color vary greatly among the various Elven sub-races, as does cultural custom. The Wind Elf is by far the most dominant type of elf on Cyuk, and is the most commonly seen to non-Elves, as uncommon as that might be.

Elves are able to detect secret doors, in a one in six chance, and gain a plus one bonus to hit when using either a long bow or long sword. Elves harbor a ninety percent resistance to all mind afflicted magery. Like Dwarves, the Elf is capable of infravision up to sixty feet. Elves are extremely stealthy creatures, and gain a bonus when attempting to surprise opponents. They generally stand between five to five and half feet in height, and rarely are able to gain more than one hundred and thirty pounds in weight.

The Elvish subraces include Wind, Sun, Ice, Wood, Magma, and the Poisoned Sea varieties. It is, however, a fact that all the elves, regardless of their type on Cyuk, trace their origins back to the Wind Elf. Elven subraces are commonly named after the elements, including the quasi- and para-elements, although this is done rather loosely.

Elves are allowed to hail from any of the known classes, and any combination of those same classes.

Wind Elves are by far the most common of all Elves. They are most often referred to as simply ‘Elf,’ as any mention of that word is assumed to mean those of the Wind variety. They are named for the first elves to inhabit the lands of Cyuk, having been brought by the gods ‘on a breath of wind.’ They in actuality vary significantly as far as skin, hair and eye color is concerned, though fair skin, hair and eyes are particularly common among the Wind Elves. Most live in highly forested areas, preferring to retain complete seclusion from other races, for whatever reason. Wind Elves, and elves in general are a highly reclusive lot, though those of the wind variety, partly do to their commonality tend to be the most traveled of any of the other sub-varieties. Because of this they tend to be more readily accepted by other races than are their cousins, even amongst the several other varieties. Wind Elves gain a plus one to Dexterity and a minus one to Constitution.

Sun Elves, more properly known as the Arisororian, after the ancient clan that left the forests and entered the desert seeking purity, are a proud race of desert wanderers. Their once great desert paradise has broken down and become a scattering of rival tribes ruled by fierce warriors on the back of Giant Desert lizards. They have dark skin, black hair, and eye color ranging from green, and purple, to a deep brown. Every so often there is an Elfling born with light skin and eyes, but this is a rarity.

Unlike the other Elven cultures, their constant need for attention to the day to day survival in the harsh desert has made them angry and impatient creatures, rivaling that of even the humans in their need of instant gratification, and lust for power. Some peaceful clans do exist in the form of those elves that remember the once great city, and seek only to live in harmony with the desert, and their brothers. However, because of constant raids against them even they tend to be extremely distrustful of outsiders. Furthermore, these peaceful tribes are so rare it is quiet possible to search the entire desert for a lifetime and never encounter one.

Sun Elves receive a bonus to Dexterity and Constitution, and a negative modifier to Charisma and Wisdom.

Ice Elves are the least common of the Elven sub-varieties, making their home in the frozen forest separating The northern half of Suun from the frozen plains above it. They are cold, quiet and solitary creatures that never leave their homeland, except in the most extreme of cases. Their contact has been cut off from the rest of the Elven races for more than a hundred years, causing many to believe they have all frozen to death out in the woods that do not breath.

They have skin of the purest white, and their eyes are usually a ghostly light blue. Some greens browns, and purples have be witnessed, but this usually denotes some impurity of the blood, meaning that another Elven type was introduced somewhere in t he lineage. Their hair is almost always white, and again any blondes, browns or blacks mark an impurity. Ice Elves gain a plus to Intelligence and Dexterity, and a minus to Constitution and Strength.

Magma Elves, or Eloiayan Elves, are those elfkin that live and breed deep beneath the surface of the earth, far from the light of day. They make the harsh world of The Eternal Night their home, alongside the dangerous predators found therein. A great many of the Magma elf civilizations have succumbed to the dark nature of the underworld, and turned towards paths of evil intent. Thankfully, these cultures remain in the minority. Magma Elves live very near to the hottest regions beneath the earth, and have even harnessed the ability of capturing the essence of this heat and the radiations from active volcanic rock to power their spells and defenses.

Magma Elves are dark skinned, ranging from a deep red to the darkest of blacks, to shades of deep brown and anything in between. Hair color is usually pale, yellows and whites being most common, although an occasional redhead is not uncommon. By far the highest percentage of Magma Elves share blackened skin and pale hair coloring. Magma elves gain a plus one bonus to Dexterity and Wisdom, and a minus one to Constitution and Charisma.

Wood Elves are slightly hardier than other Elven kindred, and closely resemble those Elves of the Black Sands. These Elves, however, make their homes in the deep expanses of the wilderness, in as much seclusion as they can come upon, as much to protect themselves from the ever-expanding humans as anything else. Wherever there are large expanses of woodlands and trees, there are sure to be dwellings of the reclusive Wood Elves. Skin color tends towards deep browns to tan, and eye color is usually brown or green. Wood Elves are nearly as varied in alignment as humankind, ranging from those that take only what they need from the land to those whose tendencies toward poaching and hunting for little more than sport leave a marred trail behind them. Wood Elves do not receive the standard subtraction of one to their Constitution scores, instead losing one to Wisdom and Charisma.

The Poisoned Sea Elves were once Wind Elven natives of Sevarest, drawn to the water by the enchanting lure of the metal called Sarkral. Their lust for this ore allowed them to adapt to the poisoned waters, which, in time, disfigured them entirely, so that they no longer appear as elves at all. They have dusky grey skin and huge, bulbous eyes, seemingly vacant, and which never seem to close. Their limbs have elongated past the standard of even the humans, and their long, thin digits are joined together by a thin webbing. Each passing year drives them further and further into the depths of the sea, in search of the ever-depleting source of Sarkral. Sea Elf ability scores are modified by an addition of one to Dexterity, and a subtraction of one to their initial Constitution scores.

Half Elves generally appear as a mixture of their human and Elvish parents, which both could be varied quiet significantly so it is quiet possible to have two or more half elves together that look entirely dissimilar. A great deal of anger exists between the human and Elvish nations, especially the continent of Suun. Their was a long and bloody war between mankind and elves less than a hundred years before the present date, so usually humans and elves react poorly to each other, if not down right hostile. Because of this, half elves are despised by both cultures and will almost without exception be completely shunned from either society. It is a commonality that the only place a half elf will ever find peace is among a culture lacking either of his or her parent races. Half-Elves are not privy to any ability score modifiers, instead adhering to the same scale as humans.

Gnomes make up most of the population of little people in the lands of Cyuk, having nearly double the population of Halflings. In spite of this, the Gnome is still far outnumbered by Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and even Humanoids. They are smaller and less stocky than the Dwarves of the Lands, and believe themselves to be distant relatives of the bearded ones, who have vehemently denied any such claims. Gnomes, like Dwarves, have no inclination towards magic, though they are permitted the use of spells from either the school of Illusion or that of Elemental Earth magic.

Gnomes get the same magic resistance and poison benefits and restrictions as do Dwarves, and share the same range on infravision. Gnomes are able to detect grades or slopes, unsafe walls and ceilings, and the approximate depth and direction underground.

Rock Gnomes are the most common type of Gnome, and more often than not the only type known to the average human city dweller. They stand within the range of three to three and a half feet, and have slight builds. They are immensely proud of their large noses, and see this trait as a status symbol among their kind. Rock Gnomes are simple and relatively carefree, and value function over appearance. That is, aside from their affinity and obsession with gems.

Rock Gnomes generally possess eyes the color of the sky, though shades of green or hazel are not uncommon. Their lined faces are the color of sand, and are decorated by a century’s worth of laugh lines. Rock Gnomes receive a bonus of one to intelligence, and a minus one to wisdom.

Forest Gnomes are slightly smaller, averaging two to two and a half feet in height, and weighing less than eighty pounds at full adulthood. They live and thrive in regions of deep forest, preferring calmer, more sunny regions than any other. They are by far the most closely affiliated with nature and its machinations than other gnomes, favoring the peace and serenity of the trees to the chaos of civilization. The hair color of the Forest Gnome is brown or black in youth, though most encountered will have grey, or white. They are known to wear their hair and beards long, as source of great pride and reverence. Skin color is usually pale, with green or brown undertones. Forest Gnome ability scores are modified by a plus to Wisdom and Dexterity, and a minus to Strength and Intelligence. They are able to pass without trace in any kind of wooded terrain, and can make themselves virtually invisible in woodland regions.

Deep Gnomes spend the entirety of their lifetimes in the pursuit of mining precious ore and gems from the walls and caverns of the expansive World Below. They appear as stunted and gnarled creatures, and because of this, most surface dwellers believe them to be evil incarnates of their Rock Gnome cousins. Truth be known, the Deep Gnome is of similar bent as their more numerous brethren. Deep Gnomes are well noted for their self-reliance and perseverance, evident in their never-ending pursuit of gemstones. Deep Gnome skin color is held within ranges of brown or grey, closely matching those hues found all around them. They rarely fall from the average height of three to three and a half feet in height, and while lightly built, have finely tuned muscles. Deep Gnome ability scores are modified by a plus one to Dexterity and Wisdom, a minus one to Intelligence, and a minus two to Charisma. They have 120 foot infravision, are able to detect underground features, and possess innate magic resistance. They posses the inherent illusionist powers of non-detection, blur, blindness, and change self. After every two levels past the third, Deep Gnome armor class improves by one, starting from the initial AC of 2, provided that they are not wearing armor of any type. Like many of the underground races, Deep Gnomes are severely effected by the light of the sun, able to wield many of their innate powers, and suffer penalties to their attack rolls and Armor Class.

Ouphe Gnomes are horribly disfigured gnomes that dwell in the shadows, avoiding the searing rays of the two suns. They are thought to be the crossbreed of a gnome and either a goblin or a kobold, a travesty, considering the inborn hatred readily apparent in all other gnome subraces for the Goblinkin. Ouphe Gnomes have a wide, broad face with deeply etched features and very large, slightly pointed ears. Their wide mouths consist of many small sharp fangs. Ouphe Gnomes are usually completely bald, although some have patches of hair here and there, along with facial hair. They have a small spinal ridge which travels all the way up their heads, which splits into two ridges just above the neck, and stops about two inches above their eyeballs. These ridges at first glance appear to be small horns, and in fact are slightly serrated. These spinal ridges end in a small stumpy tail about three inches long. An Ouphes eyes are usually a dull, glazed over grey color, but becomes bright red or yellow when they get excited. Their skins are a mottled combination of browns, greys, and blacks, and their long gnarled arms reach nearly to their knees. Ouphe Gnomes generally make exceptional rogues and thieves, and are excellent makers of all manner of traps and snares.

They begin life with the ability to construct traps from local materials with a twenty percent chance, which rises two percent every level thereafter. They also have the natural ability to become invisible twice per day. Ouphe Gnomes ability scores are modified by a plus one to Intelligence and Wisdom, and a minus one to Strength and Constitution.

Mutton Gnomes are named after their poor diets and the smell that can be easily detected, that of rotten meat, whenever they are around. The reclusive Mutton Gnomes’ origins are unknown to the present populace of the Beast lands of Suun, where they make their home in small damp valleys between the mountainous regions. They are small, about three and a half feet tall, and have a green layer of fur covering their entire body excluding their face, the palms of their hands, and the soles of their feet. It is in fact not known whether their fur is green or if this is mold or dirtiness, which causes it to appear that way, as they are generally very dirty creatures. It is not even a definite fact that they are related to gnomes at all. The Gnomes in connection with this generally refer to them as Muttonlings instead. They have unusually small and angular features when compared with other gnomes, which would look even childlike, if it weren’t for the long, thin, dirty beards that protrude from the chins of the males. Despite all of this, they have a complicated tribal hierarchy, which is ruled by the strongest and fiercest male, who is advised by the oldest and most dirty of them that serves as the village elder, and tribal shaman. Initial ability scores are effected by a minus two to Charisma, and a plus one to Constitution.

The second half of the diminutive demi-human races are the Halflings, a people noted for their lifelong childlike appearance and appreciation of the simple things in life. Their communities are similar to a human’s, though relatively smaller. Of all races, Halflings have the easiest time integrating into other race’s communities, and indeed seem to be well liked by all.

Halflings also gain the benefits of high Constitution scores common to Dwarves and Gnomes. They gain a bonus to their attack rolls when wielding slings or thrown weapons. Halflings are stealthy creatures, making excellent thieves, and share the same stealth abilities as Elves.

Halflings are broken into four subraces; Hairfoot, Stout, Tallfellow, and Feral.

Hairfoot Halflings average three feet in height, and are by far the most common of the Halfling Kin. These are the most likely of Halflings to have settled in the communities of other races, even having gone so far as to establish their own important niches in large Human cities. Mostly, though, Hairfoot choose to live in their own communities far from harms way, where they might be able to enjoy a peaceful, content lifestyle. Hair and skin color can be as varied as a Human’s might, as Halflings are easily able to disguise themselves among Human youth. The Hairfoot Halfling has infravision in the range of thirty feet. Hairfoot Halflings receive a minus one to Strength, and a plus one to Dexterity.

The Stout Halfling stand as tall as the Hairfoot, but outweigh their brethren by as much as one and a half times. They are by far the most physical of the Halfling kindred, prone to desires of strength and brute force as opposed to the quick wit of their more common brethren. Some say that they share bloodlines with the Dwarves in some fashion, as they share their love of the deep earth, and resistance to harm and illness. Stouts are able to see in the dark up to sixty feet. Stout Halflings are effected by a minus one to Strength, and a plus one to Constitution. They are able to detect sloping passageways and approximate direction when underground.

Tallfellow Halflings are the tallest of Halfling kind, which readily explains their names. They are the least common of the diminutive demi-human kin, and as such usually exist in small enclaves in larger Halfling or human villages and cities. They are the most reserved of an outgoing race, and the most prone to bouts of self-absorption. Tallfellow have the easiest time of blending into human civilizations, due in part to their more humanistic features and attitudes. As such, the are the most often encountered of the Halflings, though those that come upon them are often unaware of their racial stock. Tallfellows can see with the aid of infravision up to thirty feet. Tallfellow get a minus one to Strength, and a plus one to Wisdom. They receive a bonus when attempting to surprise opponents in woodland environs, and, like the Elf, are able to detect secret doors in a one in six chance.

The Olinara are a race of people thought to be the original inhabitants of the lands of Cyuk. They were later named and discovered by the humans that were brought to that world, and in the ancient tongue, Olinara means simply 'lesser man.' Olinara resemble humans somewhat, but with a less developed appearance. Their features are much less distinguishable from those of humans, being less defined as well as being of smaller proportions. Their ears seem to have recessed almost into non-existence, with just a small portion visibly protruding from the sides of their heads. The Olinara have a faintly tinged blue skin, which seems to have a slight translucent quality about it. The hands of the Olinara do not end in fingernails, nor does their body display signs of excessive hair growth of any kind. They are by nature muscularly deficient, appearing as little more than skin upon bone. Olinara see through eyes that appear to be glazed over with a milky substance, giving them a look of non-intelligence or ignorance. Those not intimately familiar with the race have a difficult time distinguishing between members of the same sex, as their limited facial features leaves little to discern between their identities.

Olinara converse through the acquired ability of telepathy. This ability is not the same as the psionic talent of the same name, the most striking difference being that the Olinara are unable to converse telepathically with creatures other than those of their own kind. A few of the Olinara have learned true telepathy, however, and are able to converse as such normally. The Olinara possess no vocal cords and are thus mute and unable to learn to speak languages in the more traditional sense.

Humanoids in general are despised and hated by the other races inhabiting the lands under the suns, though this hatred is often unfounded and unjust. These attitudes towards them have no doubt caused them to fulfil the stereotypes set against them, and thus caused them to the paths of evil and brutality for which they were feared. While this may indeed be the majority of the humanoid races, most are of civil mind and spirit, sometimes even much more so than their human and demi-human counterparts. The most common of the humanoid races are listed below, in order of prominence and abundance throughout Cyuk.

Curr are the most common of all races in Cyuk, second only to the Humans. Nearly half of all humanoids that inhabit the world are of Curr stock, as their kind are the most readily adaptable to environmental extremes, such as the arctic and the desert lands of Suun. Curr are nearly hairless humanoids, possessing only that hair which grows from their heads ands faces, the rest of their body exhibiting a hairless, scale-like quality that is dry in appearance, but moist to the touch. Curr possess wide mouths filled with sharp teeth, a sign of their carnivorous diets. They have large eyes and broad noses, and their skin color ranges from a dusky grey to a deep green. Curr live in a variety of cultures, the most common being a tribal existence over the plains of various lands. There also exists nomadic, cave, woodland, and arctic cultures. Most are easily manipulated muscle, under the lead of the few leaders among their kind, or quietly guided by their secretive brethren known only as the High Curr. Curr gain a bonus of two to their Constitution scores, and a minus one to Intelligence and Charisma. High Curr trade one bonus point of Constitution to lose the modifier to Intelligence. All Curr are able to climb walls as a thief of the same level, and possess infravision of ninety feet in darkness.

Curr are allowed to be from any class, though the status of priests, wizards, and psionicists are usually reserved for High Curr.

Orcs are more heavily built than the Curr, and appear as a human-pig crossbreed of sorts, with upturned noses and small tusks protruding from their mouths. The Orcs are an extremely war-like culture, and hold little value for life, believing in little else than an honorable death on the field of battle. Orcs are among the most organized and militant of the humanoid races, falling behind only the humans and dwarves in that regard. They have very strict codes of honor, and will forego beneficial advantages in order to defeat their foe on equal ground. Most Orcs live in underground dwellings, or any place out of view of the searing light of the two suns. Orcs gain a plus to Strength, and a minus of two to Charisma. Orcs are able to detect new and unusual constructions, as well as sliding and shifting walls. They have infravision of sixty feet. They are affected by bright light, and suffer modifiers to their attack rolls and morale when in bright sunlight.

Orcs are allowed to be from the classes of fighter, priests, witch doctors, shamans, and thieves.

Kobolds are the Humanoids version of the Gnome, much as the Goblin is their Halfling. They constitute the little men among the monsters of the land. Tales of their mischief have long been the subject of bedtime stories designed to frighten young into submission, though their presence is not widely believed in by humankind. The Kobold believes in safety in numbers, and are thus rarely found in solitude, and when they are, it is either as an advance scout of a larger force, or one that has been lost or exiled from it’s people. They are a small humanoid, rarely surpassing three feet in height. They have brown, rust colored skin, and their heads are adorned by small, non-functional horns. Kobolds receive a subtraction of one from their initial Strength and Constitution Scores, and gain one to their Dexterity. Kobolds are able to see in darkness up to sixty feet. They are likely to be attacked last by enemies, due to their reputation of cowardice and physical ineptitude.

Kobolds can be fighters, shamans, witch doctors, priests and thieves.

Goblins claim the lands forgotten by the other races, preferring areas where the brightness of the two suns can least affect their sensitive eyes. The many similarities between their kind and that of the kobolds has made them bitter enemies, as all of the small folk seem to hold great loathing for the others, with Gnomes and Halflings hatred for Goblins and Kobolds has few equals. Goblins have brown or green skin, and are distinguished by their broad, flat faces and arms that hang to their knees. Goblin ability scores are modified by a minus of one from their initial Strength and Charisma scores. They are able to see in the dark with the use of infravision in a range of sixty feet. They are able to detect new and unusual constructs twenty five percent of the time, but this adeptness underground leads them to suffer a penalty to attack in bright light, such as direct sunlight.

Goblins are typically fighters, priests, shamans, thieves, or witch doctors.

Hobgoblins are among the largest and most fierce of humanoid kin, averaging six and a half feet in height. Their bodies are covered by a brown or red thin layer of fur, and are set with deeply etched facial features, and protruding lower jaws. Hobgoblins are among the most warlike of races, even surpassing the Orcs in this regard. Their aggressive nature often pits them within the front lines of any assault, whether it be in the employ of less than noble humans as mercenaries for humanoid masses. Their numbers are small, but small smattering of clans exist in subterranean areas, and among the broken plains and darkest woodlands on the face of Cyuk. Hobgoblins gain a plus one bonus to Strength, and a minus one to their Charisma scores. Hobgoblins can detect new construction, sloping passages, and shifting walls underground with forty percent accuracy, and have infravision of sixty feet.

Hobgoblins are more likely than not from the classes of fighter, priest, shaman, witch doctor, or thief.

The lands of Cyuk are home to a wide array of people, not the least of which are the classes available for play by the player characters of the Misery Ascendant campaign setting. What follows is an updated description of the player character classes already in existence, modified and adapted to the Misery Ascendant campaign setting. The standard classes are not wholly modified so as to be unplayable, and thus will only have small subtle modifications that make the class fit better within the system of the lands of Cyuk. Later in this chapter, the more common types of people found on Cyuk will be described, in order to give a more complete range of talents found therein.

Warriors are far and away the most common vocation represented in the lands of the suns. The elite soldiers, many mercenaries, and various tribal leaders will hail from the ranks of the warrior. However, not every common foot soldier has ascended to the status of warrior, as they are instead classified as 0-level humans.

The warrior class remains wholly unchanged in the Misery Ascendant campaign setting, as the warrior is easily adaptable into any setting. Fighters, gladiators, and barbarians are available as offered by the various 'Complete Handbook of' series. However, the paladin in and of itself does not exist on the realm of Cyuk, as they have instead been replaced by the Champion.

The champion is a paladin-like class designed specifically for and by each and every god that chooses to allow their existence. Each gods champion is different than all the others, much akin to the specialty priest classes found in the Players Handbook. These beings are extremely rare, as the gods constant conflict among each other leaves little time for the attention required to power the champion's abilities. As such, it is rare indeed that any one god will have more than four or five champions under his grace upon the entire planet of Cyuk at any one time. Due to the rarity of the champion, the god in question takes great care to choose the most worthy among his subjects to be champions, portrayed by the fact the a character must reach 5^th level as either a priest of that mythos, or as a fighter that has followed his gods word to the letter for his entire existence. The ability score requirements are different for each type of champion as well, defined by the god in question. These can vary a great deal, but as a general rule they will always be high, almost unattainable by the common man. Exceptions to this are the champion that is named so for the deeds he has accomplished in the name of his god, above and beyond the call of duty expected from the common followers of the clergy. Actions made by the champion that furthers the god's ethos and influence are of primary importance.

Few and far between, the ranger is held widely as myth and legend by the majority of the populace of Cyuk. The solitary nature of these beings and the modesty of their abilities lends them difficult to find and even more so to distinguish from any other men of less than ideal resources. The only major change to the ranger class is that the ranger does not gain spell access upon reaching ninth level. However, certain champions of nature gods resemble the traditional ranger class, complete with spell access

The rogue is easily the second most common class for player characters and non-player characters alike. The thief and the ninja remain largely unchanged from the core AD&D rules, although ninja-like clans are few and far between, but neither are they relegated to oriental based societies. Any land that will allow the presence of an underground organization such as a clan or a guild is likely to have one, if not both present within the society. Select few of these are in cooperation with each other, while there are quite a few more that are in a constant power struggle often coined as 'passive wars.'

Most rogues will not belong to the structure of a clan-based or guild run hierarchy, but they will instead derive from the common pickpocket and cat burglars. Those among them that show great poise and promise may be impressed into serving into clans or guilds.

The jack-of-all trades of most lands is less of one in the lands of Cyuk, as the extreme rarity of magical references makes them much less available and far less likely that the bard will come across them frequently enough in his travels to warrant his limited expertise in the arts of magery. As such, the bard is never able to learn, memorize, or cast mage spells of any kind.

Thieves remain largely unchanged in the Misery Ascendant campaign setting, save for the fact that they are never able to read magical scrolls, as thieves of other settings are permitted to do at the tenth level of experience. Thieves Cant, an ability automatically granted to thieves as noted in the Player's Handbook, are not automatically given this ability here. As the majority of thieves in Cyuk come from the lower class pickpockets and muggers, they have little if any experience at all with Thieves Cant. Thus, Thieves Cant must be taken separately as a proficiency slot. This option is available to all character classes, with the normal penalty of costing twice as many slots for non-rogue characters.

Clerics in and of themselves do not exist on the lands of Cyuk, as there is no god who wishes to grant spells to a follower that is not in entirety one of their own clergymen. As such, all priestly characters in the Misery Ascendant campaign setting are of the specialty priest variety. Each god has its own specialty priest, much the same as they have champions specific to them.

Spell casting clergymen are rare in the lands of the suns, as the majority of the priests of any mythos are among the first and second levels, if they have attained leveled status at all. The conflicts of the gods and their limited hold on the plane as a whole leaves them unable and unwilling to grant spells to all of their followers. As such, the priest of Cyuk are not granted spells by their gods until they have reached the third level of experience. This reflects the fact that only the most worthy of clergymen are granted spells by their god.

In addition, the spell casting process is flawed, at best, for there is no guarantee that a given god will choose to, or be able to respond to ones prayers. The gods may or may not be able to hear the pleas of their clergy at times, with the power level of the priest directly affecting the presence that can be felt by the Gods. As a priest gains in religious faith and fervor, his essence is that much stronger, and easier for a god to recognize through the boundaries of time and space. Also, the higher level the spell requested, or the greater amount of power that a god must channel through one of his disciples, the greater the chance that the spell will fail, leaving his priest with nothing. All failed spell attempts count towards the priests allotted spells available to him that day. For example, Horl, a third level priest of Vallelay, the God of Death and the Dead, is normally granted one first level spell for each period of one day. As he attempts to use the spell bless, the God Vallelay is unable to hear him, resulting in the loss of spell use for that day for his priest. With spells such as bless, where the effects cannot be readily seen or felt, the priest may not realize that his prayer has failed him, and may go in as though it were indeed in effect.

The chances of spell failure, as effected by the level of the priest and the power of the prayer, are displayed on the following chart:

All in all these restrictions lend to the rarity of the priest class, and the general distrust of those that claim spell ability as granted by their gods. Most priests are seen as preachers of a God's oratory, as simply those that lend themselves to the betterment of the people by way of enriching their lives with motivation and direction. Priests displaying spell-like ability can be highly revered divine beings, until they fail, which they inevitably will, from whence they will fall into distrust by the peoples, to be regarded as failures to the faith, or worse.

Wizards are the rarest of classes to grace the planet of Cyuk. Arcane knowledge is extremely rare, so much so that the common man of Cyuk does not even believe it to exist, save for in the legends of old and the tales told to children. This lack of experience with the ways of magic has caused the majority of people to have a low understanding of the principles behind it, and as is well known misunderstanding equals fear, which can eventually lead to loathing and hatred. There are such societies that have escalated to this point, where the fear of magic has often led them to revolt and form mobs to evict the magic-user in question, whether his practice in magery is real, or merely imagined by the townspeople. And like the priests of Cyuk, wizards are unable to cast spells until the third level of experience, although they are able to cast one cantrip per day, once the second level of experience has been achieved. Also, wizards beginning the game do not start out with a spell book of any kind, and must purchase them once sufficient funds have been acquired. This also means that when the wizard has reached the third level of experience, and thus the ability to cast first level spells, that they may not have any spells to cast. Magical lore is a sacred and rare thing, and a wizard must find or extract in some way all of the magic he is to learn in his travels. Specialty wizards adhere to the same restrictions as normal wizards do, but are still entitled to the benefits described in the Complete Wizard's Handbook. Wizard characters must have a minimum intelligence of 12 in order to learn the arcane arts.

We realize that the restrictions enforced upon the mage class will cause many a player not to join it's ranks, but this is somewhat the idea behind the restrictions, as magic is supposed to be a rare and majestic occurrence on the planet of Cyuk, so much so that they are feared and looked upon with awe of both the danger they represent and the power they wield. These restrictions imply that a mage must survive the first two levels of experience on his wits alone, a challenge many of the submitting players will no doubt wish to make their own.

Archmagi are a highly evolved state of wizard, one who, like the champion, can only be joined by advancing to the appropriate level of experience and having the ability scores to match. An archmage is one whose magical abilities and pious intent have escalated them into a higher form of magic use. These mages are the mysterious, the wizards of forgotten origin, and are thought by many to be the most powerful beings on the face of Cyuk. Few beings are as respected, feared, and misunderstood as the Archmage.

Archmagi often use their knowledge of future events to help mold the world in its intended direction. They have the ability to peer into the future parting the veil of time, if only for a short period of time.

Archmagi rarely lend a hand to adventuring parties for long periods of time, nor do they stay in their presence, for the life of a Archmage is a demanding one at best, and their presence is almost always needed elsewhere. They are often seen whisking away from a party at nearly no notice, to attend to 'more pressing business.' An archmage can be converted from either a tenth level mage or priest, at which point they begin anew as a first level archmage. Archmagi can cast spells from any of the schools of magery, but are treated as specialists of the school of Divination, able to cat spells from both the mage and priest spells belonging to the school of Divination, as well as the spheres of Astral, Divination, Law, Numbers, Thought, Time, and Travelers.

The psionicist class is equally as rare as the wizard, for its foreign arts of the mind are beyond the comprehension of most men, and indeed it's practice is feared equally with that of magery as well. Psionicists in the Misery Ascendant campaign setting are run in the way that they are presented in the complete Psionics Handbook, able to learn the devotions, sciences, and disciplines found therein. They are, however, required to find a tutor for their skills up until the fifth level of experience has been reached.

Aside from the adventurers of the world of Cyuk are the common people of the lands, or those who choose to make their lives from a somewhat honest line of work, whether this be in fear of the evils that lie outside one’s doors, or those who wonder if it is truly worth the effort. If these people are defined by anything, it is by their professions, the most common of which follows.

Agriculture This group includes the farmers and ranchers of the world, an extremely common trade which will most certainly be found as a source of income for any region that can sustain the growth of crops, or the care of livestock. This division of Cyukkan society is largely ruled by the peasant, by people working more hours than not, to barely make ends meet. Often they are required to tithe a portion of their harvest to the ruling lord of the land, and so must feed not only themselves, but the ruling masses and enough others to be able to purchase the common necessities as well. These people are often contained in small villages, with much room between houses and thus the nearest neighbor. This is a life of extremely hard work with little to show for it, and it is thus a small wonder that a great many hero of the lands comes from this impoverished group.

Fishing these groups live in small communities bordering some significant body of water, whether it be an ocean, a large lake, or a very substantial river. Little else comes from these communities, other than their harvest of meat mined from the planets many waters. These people often serve as their own traders and merchants, so as to gain the most possible gains from their hard worked labors. These people are little different than those that populate the ranks of the fields of agriculture, both in ways and means, and in overall demeanors and ways of life.

Skilled Labor a great many people under the suns inhabit large towns or bustling cities. In such places the need for agricultural workers and their like is greatly reduced, and a need for those with the technical knowledge to perform the many tasks necessary to city life. This includes everything from your baker or blacksmith, to your carpenter, shoemaker, and the dockworker. Their lives are fairly regulated, and not unlike the aforementioned groups, tend to work very hard for little. Unlike cultures based around fishing or agriculture, this lifestyle tends to kill off a lot of the curiosity that would prompt one to pick up a sword and a traveling bag, and is instead more likely to result in `

The seasons of Cyuk are broken up into far parts, one each for the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. These seasons are marked by the passage of the two Suns, winter always being felt when the planet of Cyuk is farthest from the sun Dar, and the heat from the Sun in proximity making for the time of the Summer.

There are four hundred days in the Cyukkan Calendar, broken up into ten months of four weeks of ten days, respectively. Winter and Summer encompass the majority of these days, with each lasting at or around one-hundred twenty days, while the Fall and Spring are comprised of only eighty. The days are as long as twenty-five hours, with daylight lasting for nearly fifteen hours during the Summer and but ten during times of winter.

Since the days of the coming of the gods, the peoples that arrived with them have used the Calendar of Cyryllynese, the Great Protector. Time was not recorded before the coming of Cyryllynese, as the beings that inhabited the planet at that time had no need of it. This period of time was known as the Cyryl Reckoning, and would last for fourteen hundred and eighty seven years. With the Coming of the Siege of Shadows, and ultimately, the appearance of the Second Sun, the passage of time has gone under the guise of the Suns Reckoning, which is the current system of timekeeping. Distant cultures and races will undoubtedly harbor their own methods of time-keeping, but the lands of Aredakar and all nations derived from it’s people recognize this as the true calendar.

The Cyryl Calendar

The weeks contained within each month are in lengths of ten days, and the common man of Cyuk refers to the passage of one week as a tenday. As each month possesses a name, so too are their labels for the days of the week, and they are as follows.

A History: To land of Origins one must begin his quest, settled on the Southern border of the continent just West of the Vanquil Woods. This is the land from which all others flow, and is believed to be the original home of all the gods on this planet. History points to a time when the countryside of Talisham, then known only as the ‘City of Light,’ was ruled by a kind and just man named Cyryllynese, who has since ascended to godhood. Whether he was among their status when he dwelled here in the flesh is still under speculation, and it is thus that he is referred to as ‘Child of the Gods,’ or more simply as ‘God-Mage.’ In the time when he ruled, all was just and all was right, the evil kept at bay under the rule of fair Cyryllynese. All good things come to an end, however, as Cyryllynese’s City of Light was destroyed by the Siege of Shadows. Anxious to rebuild on the sight of the illustrious city, the Talik, or Lord, who had served Cyryllynese began the construction of the famed city once again, his name lost in the annals of time. The new City of Light would wear the name of Talisham, or ‘The Lords Land.’ Since this time, many Taliks have ruled the lands, though not as Cyryllynese would have had it.

Talisham, as it exists today: Talisham is now under the rule of the iron fist of the current Talik, who has been there for an unknown length of time. As a new Talik is promoted to office, he sheds his name of old, so that he might become one with the city, as any Lord should. The city is broken up into eight districts, identical in size, which are each governed by one of the Vassal Lords serving Talik. These men remain faceless and masked, though not nearly as much as the Talik himself. His Vassal Lords are his eyes and ears, and it is not uncommon for a ruling Talik to go unseen for years on end. The Vassal Lords govern their districts unchecked, and so it is that the city is vastly different from one end to the other, so much so that it is sometimes referred to as ‘The Eight Cities of Talik.’ Talisham was once home to one of the most bustling ports in all of Aredakar, nay the world, until the Buil Ocean gave way to the contaminated waters of the Poisoned Sea. Since the rapid decline of the Wyrm Port, attributed to the now dangerous waters surrounding its docks, Talisham has learned to survive through overland trade, and as a center for travelers in the South.

Geography and Environs Talisham lies on the farthest reach of the border to the South, just West of the small mountain range, the Notork Spires. It is bordered to the North by the Cyryl Forest, a woodland noted for its dense trees and foliage. The deepest portion of the Cyryl Forest contains the rare Greybark tree, massive trees that block out the light of the Suns from those beneath their resplendent branches. Cyryl Forest extends to pass just North of Talisham, and passes through the heart of the land of Talisham, stopping just before the villages of Caelford and Kinferg. Many of the Talishites believe the woods to be haunted, and thus few life-loving people tread there. The ground is soft about the shores of the Poison Sea, though few choose to travel too near its intoxicating waters. The mainland of Talisham is that of smooth plains of good farmland, and indeed the smaller cities of the region, Kinferg and Caelford, gain most of their profits from the lush soil. The Bedas River flows from the North and makes up the Western border of Talisham, before passing through the port town of Wyrm Port.

A History: Founded in the year 113SR, Arylon has since thrived to a place of power nearly unmatched in Aredakar. Arylon was founded by the great warrior Cyklef, whose local following soon grew to a city of respectability. The city is named for his daughter, Arylin. The city has gone through major changes since the death of Cyklef, from being primarily a military outpost to surviving mainly as a political power throughout the lands. Arylon and its officials are well noted for joining any war or battle it deems holds the slightest bit of importance for its people. Arylon’s warriors were the deciding factor in the War of the Tangled Trees, as well as many other battles throughout the years. As the city of Talisham grew, the villages of Delicarn, Othal, Beldam, Dryden, and Eturk sprang within its lands. Gallerg’s Landing was established in the year 402SR to serve as the nations primary center of trade, specializing in exporting its wares for the products of other lands.

Arylon, as it exists today: With its many influences, Arylon is owed fealty by nearly all of the surrounding kingdoms in Southern Aredakar. The main political adversary is Talisham, but with its many nations sided with them, Arylon holds much sway over the actions of the continent. The many towered city of Arylon is the only true power of the entire kingdom, as the many surrounding villages exist only to supply it with labor and the natural resources of the area. The city of Arylon is described as oppressive by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, who are forced to pay close to half of their assets to the Lords of Arylon in taxes, and for protection. It is commonly stated here that, ‘the rich get richer, and the poor struggle to make ends meet.’

Geography and Environs: The borders of Arylon’s kingdom spread farther than any nations on the continent of Aredakar, and its borders are strictly enforced by its special forces, the Riders of Arylon. The nation of Gaston lies just to the North, Corwyn to the South West, and the Redlik Mountains to the East. Its borders extend even past the boundaries of land, far into the Sazared Ocean. The most powerful navy on the planet patrols these waters endlessly, in an attempt to protect its lands and cargo ships from near constant barrage of raids by pirates and enemies alike. Arylon exists in the hilly country to the West of the Redlik Mountains, and aside from the bumpy terrain, the land is very good for the planting of fruits and vegetables.

A History: As long as time has been recorded, the Broken Plains has existed as a dried and cracked, barren wasteland. It was once the home to various humanoid races, who, by their own histories, were a peaceful and complacent people, until the humans of the Sunken Lands began their hostile takeover of their lands, thus forcing them into the clutches of the hostilities of the Sunken Lands. The Goblinoid races were largely a nomadic culture, following the elusive Kanids, their primary source of food, as well as tools and clothing. The Kanid, a large hoofed mammal with swept back horns and a hump for water storage, has since been driven to near extinction by the humans of the Sunken Lands.

The Broken Plains, as they exist today: Most of the cities built by the humans fleeing the Sunken Lands have perished in the harsh lands, leaving behind only caravan cultures which survive by traveling from one water hole to the next, on a trek that leads them through the entire plains in each year. Small villages continue to dot the countryside, fed by returning convoys from successful water holes. These villages are usually populated by the very young, the very old, and the women of their culture, and, while an easy target for the raiding humanoid parties from the South, they have shown much honor, preferring the sport of hunting after the human caravans. Various groups of revolutionary Goblinoids continue to inhabit the Broken Plains, for the sole purpose of protecting the Kanids from the butchery of the humans.

Geography and Environs: The scorched, deteriorated plains hold little plant and vegetation life, aside from the greenery found at the all too rare oases at various points throughout the plains. Rainfall is scarce here, with little more than four to five inches of water in an entire year. Various vegetation often found in desert climates are found here as well, as are those wildlife able to sustain themselves on little or no water, and indefinite lengths of time between the next meal. It is not so hot here as a common desert, more that the dry wind and utter lack of humidity makes the existence of most life difficult at best. The oases seem to flow from a water source of unknown origin, and are more than likely credited to the dry land being unable to soak the water into its depths. The Broken Lands exist to the South and West by the Headrael Mountains, and the Vanquil Woods. The Sunken Lands lie to the South, and the Ratanal Ocean caresses its soils to the East.

A History: The Coast of Storms began to be settled soon after the first millennia, and its sandy beaches and oceanfront beauty kept the settlers bound to its soil, despite the frequence of storms and raids from the lands to the West and East. Many a kingdom has risen and fallen in the sands of the Coast of Storms, and through incessant warring, and greed over the supple lands of the Coast, hey have fallen from both land and memory. Most notable was the King Herlit and his knights, hailing from the forgotten kingdom of Dengrad. Herlit and his men scoured the countryside from the years 112SR to 154SR, when Herlit was slain in the Battle of the Hill, at the age of sixty-eight winters. After Herlit’s death, his dynasty collapsed, leaving many crushed nations in his wake.

The Coast of Storms, as it exists today: The Coast of Storms presently bears the scars of centuries of war and devastation, with the remnants of many slain and burned villages and cities marring the otherwise beautiful coastlands. Whether more of these destructions were as a result of ceaseless warring, or from the annihilative storms of the Sezared remain to be seen. A few kingdoms have risen from the ashes of this scarred countryside into prominence, such as Gaston, Corwyn, Bilbon, and Loertia. Only one kingdom remains from before the onslaught of King Herlit and his men, that of the odious nation of Arylon. The woods and mountains that border the Coast are home to many races other than humans, most notably the Wood Elves of the Tangled Trees, and the Gnomes and Mountain Dwarves of the Redlik Mountains.

Geography and Environs: Lying on the Western shores of Southern Aredakar, the Coast of Storms lays claim to all land in it's areas, extending from the Northern kingdom of Gaston to Loertia at the Southern end. Its sandy beaches reach far from the coast of the Sezared Ocean and into the plains of the coast, and all the way up into the Redlik Mountains. The Coast of Storms is aptly named for the flurry of torrential rains, hurricanes, and the occasional monsoon. The people here have grown accustomed to these storms, and have taken to the construction of homes well reinforced from the natural devastation that the seas bring to the shores of the Coast of Storms. Of curious note is the Half-Axe Trail, which leads from the Redlik Mountains directly into the Sazared Ocean. Stories tell of an island town just off the shores of the Coast, which was swallowed by the Sea.

A History: Corwyn is among the few nations that have sprung from the ashes of the Coast of Storms, and to then come to prominence as a stand alone nation. Of the remaining warlords under the command of the King Herlit was the knight Corwyn, who, soon after Herlit’s death, attempted to take control of the vast legions under Herlit’s regime. Few followed Corwyn, and the rest opposed him, but he was able to hold onto his lands after years of siege from Herlit’s men. With no one to lead them, Herlit’s men soon dispersed from the Coast, to scatter amongst the masses. Corwyn ruled his lands up until his death in the year 191SR, but by this time Corwyn had become a self-sufficient nation, even keeping the name of its lord as their namesake after his death.

Corwyn, as it exists today: Corwyn is governed by elected Lords, who preside over the kingdom for a period of ten years, unless they are voted in again at the end of their term. These Lords then elect from amongst themselves a ruler, who in turn is elected every five years. These are the guidelines that Corwyn himself set up for the kingdom, and they, like all of his laws, are upheld to this day. The people of the region supply their Lords a portion of both their profits and their craft, and in this way are able to sustain themselves as the wealthiest of their people. Corwyn’s Lords also govern over their respective cities of Holluk, Muhn, Bersden, Junnyt, and Nimb, respectively, while the elected ruler presides over the walled city of Corwyn.

Geography and Environs: Corwyn lies in the heart of the Coast of Storms, and as such shares the hardships that come along with the weather of the Sazared Ocean. Corwyn lies just to the South and West of Arylon, and to the South is the port city of Bilbon. Daariklon and the Redlik Mountains lie to the East, and the Sazared Ocean encompasses the entire Western border of the Kingdom. The soil is good enough here that the citizens of Corwyn are bale to provide enough food for themselves and their lords, especially when added to the livestock kept just beyond the walled city of Corwyn itself. Lumber is also abundant enough that the entire kingdom of Corwyn need not rely on any other nation to sustain itself, and indeed, this is the way the kingdom has existed for over six hundred years.

A history: Durdorack was at one time a civilization of Dwarves living deep beneath the surface of the planet. They had at that time specialized in trade between the lands untouched by the suns and the world above the surface, but were driven from their homeland in the year 1486 Cyryl Reckoning. Little is left to tell of the times of their civilization in the Headrael Mountains, save for the legends of the lost Axe of Ghundar. This weapon reportedly holds the key to the Dwarves return to their ancient kingdom in the mountains. Legends only tell that the axe was lost when the Dwarves were driven to the surface, and with it the pride and heritage of the Dwarves. Sages and scholars of Cyuk believe that the ‘raiding force’ that exiled them was somehow linked tot he Siege of Shadows, and that this dark time has buried more of the Dwarves ancient secrets than even they are aware of.

Durdorack, as it exists today: The entirety of Durdorack has moved above the surface, where they continue to conduct the trade between the surface and the civilizations underground. Citadel Durdorack was the first establishment constructed by the Dwarves, and for a while all lived in peace within its walls. This peace was short lived, however, as factions of the Dwarves grew from dissention over accusations of blame for the loss of their homeland. This factioning led to the cities of Dakeft, Balginrak, Dorgurmalk, Farkarrar, and Ovelanek. As the years have passed, the differences between each of these factions have muddled, to the point that there is simply a general distrust between all of the Plains Dwarves of the region. Plains Dwarf society is one of constant double-dealings and back stabbings, and an even more hostile environment for outsiders. Groups of the Dwarves that remain pure at heart continue to search for the secrets of the Dwarves past, and for the ever-elusive Axe of Ghundar.

Geography and Environs: Durdorack lay in the plains and valleys created by the Northern expanses of the Headrael Mountains. The region of the Plains Dwarves lies just to the East of the mountains, very close to the entrance to their ancient homelands. It occupies the most Northern portion of South Aredakar, and is bordered to the East by the Ratanal Ocean. It is stark and barren land, save for the few places where the Dwarves have gotten the land to produce a limited supply of crop, usually in the form of wheat and barley.

A History: Gaston has long existed in the peninsula extending into the Sezared Ocean, before even the establishment of the nearby kingdom of Arylon. When it was first established, Gaston was a community that survived by its abundant supply of fish in the nearby waters, and the people’s affinity there for fishing. The people of Gaston were among the first to craft the great galleys for use on the open sea, in search of their prime source of food and trade. The region of the lands of Gaston are a frequent target of raids from pirates and invaders, some coming from as far away as the distant continent of Gaern to the far West. This has landed the region in debt to the nation of Arylon, a kingdom that will not hesitate to have all of the surrounding nations under its behest.

Gaston, as it exists today: Gaston is now governed by the trade regulations of Arylon, and by the merchant nobles of the area. They have developed one of the more advanced naval fleets in all of Aredakar, though most are in the service of Arylon, having been bought out or taken as recompense for protection from hostile invaders. They are still among the finest fishermen in the lands of Aredakar, and supply much of the continent’s seafood. They are especially well known for the abundant reserves of Sea Spiders, a delicacy that seems to inhabit nowhere but the shores of Gaston. Various docks and seaports dot the shores of Gaston from all sides, as competitive merchants vie for harbor space. Almost all of the occupations in this region exist as a result of the trade of fishing, with sailors and dockhands abundant, shops and warehouses littering the wharves, and traders to bring the harvest to the surrounding nations, and to the intermediary traders of the Pristine Valley.

Geography and Environs: The hurricanes and storms that frequent the lands just south of Gaston, and along the entire Coast of Storms, seems not to deter the fishermen of Gaston from their chosen trade. Seasons of high tide combine with the storms to cause many floods and damage to the buildings of the area, utilizing a good amount of the profit from their trade in restoration of their facilities. Gaston is one of the few nations that still contend to trade with Lorenia by sea, though they do so in discretion from Arylonian authorities. Gaston’s proximity to the Gulf of Thorns, combine with their expert navigators and mariners, are well known to travel the perilous voyage through the rocks of the Gulf of Thorns to nearby Lorenia. The Sezared Ocean to the West, however, remains their primary trading route with other nations.

A History: When man was first brought to the Lands of Light to the South and East of present day Loertia, the lands were teeming with the wildlife of nature, and there were those people who were content to follow the random paths of the Ute, a large hoofed creature of the plains. This animal was hunted for both food and hide, and was the sole provider for the nomadic people that wandered the lands outside of the Lands of Light in present day Talisham. The Ute has since been driven to extinction in the Southern half of Aredakar, and can now only be found in the wild expanses of the untamed Northern Aredakar. The nomadic people eventually settled in the lands now occupied by Loertian boundaries, harvesting the wool of sheep common to the area.

Loertia, as it exists today: The people of Loertia survive now on the trade of cloth and fabrics, and exquisite silks the fancy of lords and ladies. Cities are ruled by men of wealth, under which the weavers, dyers, and spinners owe fealty. The richest of the rich are the owners of plantation-like operations, often incorporating live in seamstresses and multiple looms. While nearly all nations posses their tailors and merchants of cloth, none do so more than the people of Loertia, who have refined the craft into an art of aristocrats and nobles, at the expense of the poor, whose labor goes unnoticed by the world at large. There are definite separations of class, where the poor can only afford to live under the roofs of masters and employers, seldom working less than two thirds of the day to feed themselves and their children.

Geography and Environs: Loertia lies at the southern end of the Coast of Storms, but feels the least of the brunt of this activity than the rest of the region. The trails of traders and merchants run North and East, both through the Coast of Storms and through the deserted lands of Sevarest to the Nation of Talisham beyond. The nations of Ferelia and Sevarest lie to the East, and beyond them the Redlik Mountains. The waters of the Sezared Ocean flows to the South and West, and from the North the people of the Coast of Storms come to buy Loertian wares. The weather here is warm, and supports the cattle and livestock of the surrounding villages, those that supply the wool and hide to be fashioned by the clothiers of Loertia.

A History: Lorenia was founded during the times before the nation of Arylon grew to power. Noblemen from the kingdom of Talisham set out to create a rival port, and in the year 302SR, the port city of Port Loren was settled just to the West of the Headrael Mountains, just to the West of the Headrael Mountains. The port of Loren enjoyed great success as a trading port, even though the port at Gallerg's Landing in Arylon was a much shorter voyage for many of them. The merchants of Lorenia made profit from the fact that they did not harbor the oppressive taxes and trading restrictions as their brethren to the West, in Arylon. When the great Earthquake hit the lands in the year 342SR, causing great rupturing in the Gulf surrounding the Port of Loren. The Gulf of Thorns was born, and with it came the loss of their great trading empire. The seas in the Gulf are treacherous for most sea-going vessels, especially the larger merchant ships that were common to the area.

Lorenia, as it exists today: At present times, the kingdom of Lorenia survives only by the will of Arylon to the West. It serves as a midpoint for all trade conducted between Arylon and the Pristine Valley to the South. Years of battles and the loss of their primary trade routes through the Gulf of Thorns have forced the Lorenians into treaties and pacts with the nearby oppressive regime of the Arylonians. Few traders are brave enough to travel the perils of the Gulf of Thorns to still do business with Lorenia in that manner, save for those whose hatred of the Arylonians has exceeded all reason. These traders are of course well received in Lorenia, who make great efforts to satisfy their customers from abroad. The rules and laws here closely resemble those of Arylon, as officials from that country seek to ad it to its grounds.

Geography and Environs: As part of the Pristine Valley, the coastal kingdom of Lorenia is home to the same breathtaking landscapes that are found therein. The waters of the Gulf of Thorns are clear and blue, and hide well the secret dangers lying in wait of those unaware of the massive bergs of rock which dot the horizon. To the East lie the Headrael Mountains, and one looking from the shores see them merely as an extension of the spires found in the Gulf. To the West are Arylon, and the Redlik Mountains, the sole reason for the survival of Lorenia. Were it not for the fact that the Redlik Mountains separating the kingdom of Arylon from the Pristine Valley, Arylonians would have no need of Lorenia as a trading outpost.

A History: The region of the Pristine Valley is not so much a kingdom as it is a smattering of small independent villages and cities, each close enough to each other ensure the safety of the small civilizations in the beautiful valleys of the Pristine. These cities and villages remain close enough to one of the most well known trails in all of Aredakar, Saddle Run. Many of these cities were formed as a result of settlers creating trading posts, which have grown through time to legitimate colonies. Still others of these cities were formed from refugees of destroyed cities through years of war, of revolt uprisings, or by collections of regional outlaws. This region has seen its share of hardships, suffering through various droughts and other natural disasters, being well known for its month long season of tornadoes throughout the month of Nonegnar. These rebels and outcasts have returned the valley to its present state, however, turning the unwanted wastelands of years past into one of the more peaceful and serene regions on the entire continent.

The Pristine Valley, as it exists today: Each of the villages and cities that dot the greenery of the Valley are run as complete and separate entities, each with its own laws and cultures, and each largely independent of one another. The city of Greldikon is governed by aristocratic nobles deriving from the nations of Lorenia and Arylon alike, and those of Jezelg and Basteg being ruled by Lords of various lands, set to take their power and renown to build a nation of their own liking. Kadran and Ereden are small villages just to the East of the Redlik Mountains, capitalizing on the frequent rains to amass one of the largest harvests of the countryside. Fearkly to the North survives by the strength of its miners and the inexhaustible mines of Mount Iolus and the Northern reaches of the Redlik Mountains. Rikestad sits comfortably in the very center of the Valley, and is the primary trading center and home of merchants and peddlers, selling their wares to the highest bidder.

Geography and Environs: The Pristine Valley is created by the Redlik Mountains to the West, and the Headrael Mountains and Vanquil Woods to the East. Its Southern boundary is defined as the Northern expanses of the Lake of Tears, a body of water claimed by the Talishites far to the South. Lorenia lies just to the North, and is a major contributor to the Valley’s success in the trade business. The Valley enjoys crisp rains for most of the year, which keeps the Valley fresh and abundantly green. Save for the dry month of Nonegnar, in which tornadoes and droughts are common, the Valley is home to one of the finest climates in all the lands. Mount Iolus to the North is the largest mountain on the continent, though not the tallest. Its deep expanses provide Fearkly with endless exploration and ore to mine.

A history: Once home to a great Elven nation, the lands of Sevarest now lie in ruin, as they have been deserted for several centuries. This region was, at one time, a prosperous trading community, specializing in the craft of crafting weapons and musical instruments, but gained most of their illustrious wealth from the mining of Sarkral, a superior to steel and the metals of mankind, if not even the adamantium and mithral of the Dwarves. This metal seems non-existent in the lands of Sevarest now, as have all traces of the metal bought and sold throughout the ages. Its existence is held as mythical to the uneducated, though records and the memories of the ancients speak on its behalf. This was at one time a bustling kingdom of highly industrious Elves, which began to decline severely at or around the year 1485 CR, to the point when they had completely vanished by the end of the first decade of the new calendar.

Sevarest, as it exists today: Sevarest is now little more than a wasteland, with dry, parched land and bare mines and fields. Whether it is legend or truth remain to be seen, but the tales tell that all attempts at settling this land since the disappearance of the Elves have led to similar results. Little evidence exists to support this theory, but the superstitious and the wary avoid this location whenever possible, all but refusing to camp within its borders for any length of time. The ruined cities and castles of the Elves can still be seen today, should the traveler be lucky enough to find them and brave enough to enter them. They are mere shadows of what was once a great civilization, and the structures of old appear much older than the mere eight hundred years that have passed since their desertion. Scholars and sages are known to frequent the site, searching for any link to the past that would help them to recreate the events that took place here. Unfortunately, looters have claimed all that was left from the people of Sevarest, and thus little is left behind to tell their tale.

Geography and Environs: Sevarest is located at the Southern end of the Last Grasp of the Redlik Mountains, on the shores of the dreaded Poison Sea. Its land is dry and cracked, and little effort was made to care for the land that produced the Sarkral metal for the Elves of Sevarest. It is a flat coastal area, though the waters of the sea to the South have made little headway in curing the withered soil along its borders. Many caves and mineshafts exist in the Southern reaches of the Redlik Mountains, with a vast majority of them being carved by Elven hands. Dried canals exist to imply the existence of streams and rivers at some time in the past, though little is left of them now.

A History: The ever growing populations at Nordam’s end of the large island mass of Ginli had led the Nordams on a conquest of the weaker Tyngel lands to the South. The nations of Nordam and Tyngel have long been at war, though until the year of 612SR they were at an even stand still. As the plague of the East Wind swept through the lands of Tyngel, however, their numbers were decimated, and the leaders of Tyngel called upon Nordam for a temporary respite from their battles, so that he could better care for his people. Nordam agreed to the act, claiming fear of spreading the dreaded disease among its people. On the following fortnight, the nations of Nordam struck out at the weakened Tyngel peoples, decimating them in their weakness. Legend holds that a curse was cast upon the Nordams that day, one that promised that the inner natures of the Nordams become apparent to all to behold. As the suns set that day, a mist filled the land, its thick shadow-stuff impermeable to the rays of the Suns. The light of day would never again fall upon the lands now known as the Shadow Lands.

The Shadow Lands, as they exist today: Very few people outside of the island of Ginli know of its fate, and most assume it was lost in darkness to the depths of the Ratanal Ocean. Little is said to exist there save for a rift of darkness, one that is avoided by sea going vessels at all costs. If anyone or anything resides there now, it is also most likely to be lost in the darkness that is the Shadow Lands. Screams of torment are said be heard by those ships passing close enough to its borders, the likes of which are able to drive a man mad by merely listening to them. There are even those that say that the Shadow Lands are home to the souls of the damned, of those unable to reach their destinations on other planes of existence.

Geography and Environs: The Shadow Lands, as an island, are surrounded by the cool waters of the Ratanal Ocean. They lie a thousand leagues from the coast of the Broken Plains, which lies to the West. They are far enough from the coast of Aredakar that very little is known of them, which is more than likely the source of the imaginative rumors and legends that abound concerning the Ginli island. The waters of the Ratanal are calm and serene, some say too much so, and many speak of the dangers that lie waiting beneath its depths. Most, if not all, of the disappearances in the sea of the Ratanal are credited to the Shadow Lands, also known as a ‘sinkhole of death.’

A History: A once prevalent kingdom inhabiting the southeastern most precipice of South Aredakar, the sunken lands have since faded from their prominence since the time of their emergence in the region. Beginning as a single city set to capitalize on the regions vast natural resources, the eventually separated into separate cities specializing in a different trade with Gondasaad capitalizing on the lumber of the Ysgael Forest, Kolderfas mining the ore from the Sartanon Mountains, and Koral Keep taking advantage of fine farmland to harvest corn and other vegetables, as well as raising cattle and pork. As the land began to sink into the sea, the people there began to disperse to greener pastures. Vast forces of humans leaving the Sunken Lands largely forced the scattered humanoid tribes living throughout the Broken Plains into the Sunken Lands, while a few of them escaped into entrances to the depths of the world beneath the surface of the planet.

The Sunken Lands, as they exist today: The civilizations of ages past have been lost to memory, with only the ruins of their cities left to mark their existence. This is mainly a homeland to the more resilient humanoid races, especially the Curr, who seem able to adapt to any climate or terrain scenario at will. Tribes of various races of humanoids trade time between warring with neighboring tribes and making a home for themselves in the hostile environment. Their exile by the humans has made them bitter toward the humans, as constant raids on neighboring kingdoms can attest. They too have begun the excavation of nearby mines, and harvesting the trees of the Ysgael Forest, and are known to be active traders with the Plains Dwarves of Durdorack. The majority of the humanoid tribes remain self-sufficient, however.

Geography and Environs: The Sunken Lands is bordered to the South and East by the Ratanal Ocean, to the North by the Southern reaches of the Broken Plains, and to the West by the Ysgael Forest. The land of the South Eastern portion of the continent is grasped more firmly by the icy cold waters of the Ratanal Ocean with each passing year. This has led them to be a veritable swampland, where few brave to tread. This is now an extremely inhospitable region for most of mankind, with little solid land to stand on. The wildlife here contains some of the more lethal creatures to be found above the surface of Cyuk, and is well known for its collection of rare reptiles and amphibians. Hidden cities of ruin from ages past are likely to hold many a secret from ages past, were they accessible enough to be explored.

A History: Little is known of the Vanquil Woods than what is told in legends, and that none now choose to venture within sight of it. The legends tell of a vibrant land, filled with lush forestry, and homes crafted in and from the trees. It was a land of light a beauty, the likes of which were nary to be found anywhere in the face of the lands. As all good things must come to end, so too did the trees of Gryon Forest perish to the hands of time and darkness. With the coming of the Siege of Shadows, Gryon Forest became known as the Vanquil Woods, meaning The Lost Trees. It is said that all who once called the Gryon Trees their homes do so still to this day, though in the form of hideously malformed creatures.

The Vanquil Woods, as they exist today: The Siege of Shadows still seems to claim a firm hold on the Vanquil Woods, its once beauteous lands defiled by the hands of darkness. There seems no longer to be light within the woods, only darkness and a sense of foreboding. Creatures of unknown origin or descent now reside within it’s borders, and some claim them to be the remnants of the once peaceful folk that fell to the Siege of Shadows so many years ago. Most all of Cyukkans that know of the Vanquil Woods speak of it in hushed tones, and go to great strains to maintain their distance from its borders. There have been more than one tale of the adventurous hunter or poacher seeking to claim the treasures of the Vanquil Woods, but none as of yet have been relinquished.

Geography and Environs: The Vanquil Woods fills the niche left by the Southern expanses of the Headrael Mountains, and continues as far South as it is able, finally running out of land at the most Northern peaks of the Notork Spires and the Sartanon Mountains. Small parts of it touch the shores of the Poisoned Sea, though it finds it more than difficult to survive there. The Broken Plains lie immediately to the East, just as the Pristine Valley does to the West. This is a place of harsh weather, where torrential rains are common, but no more dangerous than the inhabitants of the area. The Vanquil Woods now serve to separate the Western half of Aredakar from the East, with the safest passage travelling straight through the heart of the Woods, along Daergon Pass, a strip of land assumedly protested by the god of protection and defense.

Northern Aredakar is largely unsettled, being home only to select groups of nomadic barbarian tribes, as well as various cultures of humanoids and other denizens. A large mountain range spreads from the far West of Northern Aredakar, to stop nearly at the banks of the Ratanal Ocean to the East. These Jaaklevaan Mountains are home to some of the coldest climates in Aredakar, as well as being home to some of the tallest peaks yet known to mankind. The Claw of the Dragon extends from the Jaaklevaan Mountains Eastwards, and holds within its grasp the Woods of the Lost Gods. This is fabled to be the home of the Gods who no longer partake of the failings of mankind.

When humans first discovered the land to be named Suun, it was a land rich in minerals and resources, which could be very easily cultivated and used by mankind. The forests stretched farther than was visible by normal means, and were filled with wildlife. The plains teemed with buffalo, caribou and many other herd animals. It was a land capable of sustaining life seemingly indefinitely. It is very sad that this is no longer the case for many areas that cover the continent, as warfare and disaster has scorched much of the land black, and useless. The great forests have receded greatly under the ‘care’ of man and excessive hunting has caused sighting of the wild herds to be a rarity, when it was once common place.

when speaking of Suun, it is logical to begin with Azzmuth, as this area was quite pivotal to the development of the continent. Though it was not the first area to be settled, it is the first area to be settled by mankind on the vast continent. Once Azmuuth was a great kingdom raised by the then lord, Briedges Howl, but has since broken up and is now the region of Azzmuth rather than the kingdom of Azmuuth. The region is comprised of seven kingdoms of man, Dag’bodear, Morowmoon, Muerdekeep, Darc Legion, Kiir'jor, and Tispier.

Dag’bodear’s history is one of the oldest accounts in the lands of Azmuuth, as its capital, the city of Dag’bodear was once the settlement of Dag’bodear, one of the original five colonies of Azmuuth, settled by the humans wishing to expand the city of light. It is the only one of the original five colonies, including its self, Gorrum, Trisheld, Wattho, and Pairiidar which was rebuild after the siege of shadows. It has had one of the most devastating histories, as it has been a key element in a number of conflicts of great import. It was claimed by Lord Falcrum Kierst as one of the seven kingdoms of Azmuuth,. Despite the commoners optimistic acceptance of Kierst’s rule, it was for the most part to his advantage alone.

Dag’bodear Today- Lord Kierst's present successor (813sr) is Lady Jeeniliy Kierst who rules the kingdom in much the same way as did he, with most of the Lands goings on kept secret from the general populace. Lady Kierst married into the line by the way of a young Lord Mar Kierst, who lived but two months succeeding the marriage. He was slain in the night by a guardsman and summarily executed when it was proven that he was the culprit. The Capital of the kingdom of Dag’bodear is the city of Dag’bodear which is located in the same place as the original colony. It is a bustling town, which is very lively during the day in what one might call a permanent drunken festival type atmosphere. There is a definite line separating the lower, middle and upper classes and each class seems to hold contempt for the other two, just as in most places. Contrary to the daytime, the night is very quiet in Dag’bodear as for one reason or another most people fear leaving their homes at the late hours of night, fearing that they might fall prey to unsavory sorts.

Geography and Environs Dag’bodear’s once beautiful country side now bears the very visible scars of a war torn kingdom, as does all of Azmuuth, excluding MuerdeKeep. It is located on the south west corner of Southern Suun, directly below MuerdeKeep and west of the Darc Legion. Because of its lake or any large amounts of remaining natural resources, Dag’bodear’s main trade has been in the manipulation of other kingdoms resources. It houses some of the most well reputed weapons master smiths in the lands of Suun, and even ships many materials westward to Aredekar. They make their trade by importing raw materials and exporting a great deal of processed works, such as weaponry, art and other dry-goods.

His Lordship Miirgol Grecynor claimed the Land of Morowmoon as his own in 530SR. The servants of the land came under his control and he acquired the rights of the entire region. Nobles of various wealth levels were only permitted to retain holdings by proclaiming themselves loyal to his lordship.

Mainly due to his lordships lack of ability in controlling the crime in his region it became very dangerous indeed to reside within its borders, but eventually for reasons unknown to the general populace, crime rapidly and drastically decreased as power solidified in groups outside of the Lords control.

Morowmoon Today The present heir (813sr) in control of Morowmoon is his lordship Miirgol Grecynor IV, who rules by frolicking with the rich, overtaxing the poor, and holding little influence of government or policy making.

Geography and Environs Morowmoon is located on the southmost part of the lands of Azmuuth. It is bordered in the north by its three neighbors Dag’bodear, Kiir’jor, and directly to the north by the Darc Legion. Just to itss south lies the Gulf of Storms, named after the large amount of watery squalls which have caused the disapearence and death of a number of fisherman, and sailors. Morowmoon is largely hills and plains country and is generally hot all year round. It is populated largly by deer, caribou, and other herd animals, as well as many types of unique birds, native to the region.

When Muerdekeep was claimed by Captain Sarowman, who formerly lead the guard of Dag'bodear, he first built a wall inclosing the area from the rest of Azmuuth. He then outlawed travel, short of trade, into Muerdekeep to keep out villagers and travelers from the other Six lands of Azmuuth. The captain built a great castle near the middle of Muerdekeep and moved the capital to Beillnoc.

He walled this city as well, with stone towers reaching four houses in the air, yet still allowed visage of the great castle which was positioned on an enormous hill inside the city. Lord Captain Sarowman settles all disputes in Beillnoc personally in his court, and expects all his vassals to do similarly in the towns and villages in which they rule.

There is no higher authority in Muerdekeep then any individual vassal in his lands, excluding of course Sarowman himself, who rarely travels out of Beillnoc, but is kept well informed of all the happenings in his land.

Muerdekeep has few large towns, and mostly consists of small villages. Muerdekeep is full of forests and mountains, and is truly the most beautiful of all the lands of Azmuuth. Primary in the culture of Muerdekeep is a great respect and worship of death, and the life cycle. The people are superstitious, and give proper respect to all whose lives come to an end. Their passing on is seen as a joyous occasion, and is celebrated as relatives wish their deceased onto great things in their next lifetime. The people strongly believe in reincarnation, and look forward to their next lives. In the year 813SR, Muerdekeep is still under the rule of Lord Captain Sarowman at the age of three hundred five, still living in his glorious castle in Beillnoc, Muerdekeep.

Edwin Jhentarious Took control of the Darc Legion in 530sr and became its official ruler. Little is known of Jhentarious but the people don't seem to mind, as they are concerned with him about as much as he is they. Edwin Jhentarious was a powerful wizard with a history stretching back to 486CR.

Miir'deep Ranthean, once known as the Archmage of Dag'bodear disappeared with the death of the God-Mage Cyryllynese, and went into hiding to gain strength and wait for a proper time to emerge and begin to rebuild, as he had prophesized the destruction of the great nation of Dag'bodear.

He took refuge in an underground cavern in present day Darc and waited. He followed the movements of the original Council of Seven from its birth, and was responsible for the disappearance of the second Council of Seven. He tutored one of the members in the arts of spellcraft, only to slay him and take his position. When the second Council of Seven left succession to the Seven lords, he gave his lands to Edwin Jhentarious, who was in reality one of his many identities. From time to time he arranges for his own death, and "replaces" the proper heir and begins to rule once more. In this way he has become the most powerful Wizard in all of Suun, and his manipulations seem to stretch even to the lands of Talisham. Since his entrance into Lichdom He hasn't bothered to rule his people, and they are largely self-sufficient even to the present day (813sr).

Presently he rules under the name Chrondrath Vig VI.

Kiir'jor was claimed by a human woman by the name of Kiiera Kiir'jor. She was a young noble woman who had quite a large holding (Roughly one tenth of Azmuuth) and was adding to it every day when she received a letter from Gard Kiir'jor, who was her grandfather, and a member of the second Council of Seven. It asked her to meet him in private in a stated location outside of her lands.

She complied and met him only to discover it was actually a summons from the Council of Seven. There she was informed that she was to be heiress to the lands of Azmuuth, which she later claimed. In 530SR she took control of one seventh of Azmuuth after agreeing to split claim between the seven lords. She named her region after her family Kiir'jor and began her rule. Her land was a site of massive battle during the war of the elves and even today in 813SR there is much to rebuild. Kiir'jor is presently ruled by Geersip Kiir'jor. Presently the lands are probably the most culturally similar to the dark times of Azmuuths' Dark Age. Few people leave their homes if it is not necessary, and many dangers await those that do.

Arcscawl Lake is named for the large salt lake, which is contained inside its center and is connected to the sea to the south through an underground salt river. Lord Rake Everfest claimed it in 530SR and became a member of the Third Council of Seven.

It is mainly uninhabited except for several rather large cites which dot its countryside, most importantly Arcscawl Keep on the bank of Arcscawl Lake. The individual towns were run by nobles who made a living by taxation and slave trade with Morowmoon. Most of the people had a decent life and their wealth level was higher then average for people in Azmuuth. In 714SR Slavery was outlawed by the then ruler Denton Everfest, but it continued illegally in most places, as the Lordship lost power and became mainly a figure head. Vecklim Everfest, son of Denton Everfest, presently rules Arcscawl Lake, and lives the life of an extremely rich and somewhat powerful man, but essentially a figurehead.

Argon Bane Claimed Tispier in 530SR as the seventh member of the Council of Seven. He took control of his land as would a king, yet under the name of a lord. He was only in control for about twenty years before a massive horde of Curr eliminated about half the population. Much of the land has grown wild and is under the control of the Curr, with high Curr mages in control. The other Six Lords have done nothing to help the growing situation. Today Tispier is ruled by one of Bane's descendents, Janis Bane, who lives in a fortified village in south Tispier. Despite the Curr threat the people of Tispier prosper to some degree, and harvest in a great number an herb called Argon-root which doesn’t grow outside of Tispier. It is a cash crop, which is used by many in drinks and medicine, as it is said to retard the affects of memory loss and bone pains associated with old age.