GAME WORLDS & PLACES
Zygland Province Shadows of Sha'Brel EADRIS-- These worlds can be used independently, of course, without any mention of the others.
The Isles of Unferth Well, That's all I've got for now. Send in YOUR Worlds!
This is a living land, much like Ravenloft. However, instead of pulling things into itself, this land actually
gets up and moves to other places. It is a small nation, only about 100 miles wide, and when it travels to
other worlds and planes it finds a spot to attach itself. People and creatures are free to come and go as they
please, but when it is time to go again anyone in the land will be trapped. This is known as the "gray night"
time, when the province is travelling through the ether to it's next random destination. This is a good way to
travel for those who don't care where they are going or if they'll ever return.
Ravenloft, by the way, despises Zygland Province. This is because it can freely enter and exit the Demiplane of Dread
as it sees fit, allowing the escape of it's otherwise eternal prisoners.
People and creatures from all the worlds and planes can be found in Zygland province. The living land does not go out
of it's way to torment anyone, nor does it reward anyone in any way. Homesickness is a common affliction of those who
were caught unawares by the cold, gray night.
PROPERTIES-- While settled on a world, the province begins to take on characteristics of the place it is visiting.
The change is gradual, but noticeable. Spellcasters and clerics should take special heed of this; Things can go very
wrong if the province lands in an inhospitable place for their magics. Fortunately, The province always departs before
transforming completely.
LEGEND-- It is rumored that a mighty artifact buried deep within the land is the source of it's power and the cause of
it's wanderings. But can rumours really ever be trusted?
THE LAND ITSELF-- Zygland Province is somewhat circular in shape, with a great lake in the middle. This is called
the Sunder Sea. There is a wide, wide river which connects the Sunder Sea to whatever the province can find for attachment.
At the mouth of the river is the port city of Weyyark. This marks the southernmost point in the province. Along the banks
of the Sunder Sea are three other cities; Athenia to the west, Zygland City to the north, and Shipton on the east coast.
It takes several hours to sail between the cities by boat, but days to travel overland.
As the name implies, Shipton's main industry is shipbuilding. Magical means are heavily employed to build entire fleets
overnight. Just how this is done is a fanatically closely-guarded secret. Almost the entire population is comprised of
sailors, shipwrights, lumbermen, wizards, and thieves.
Zygland City is the capitol. This is a church state where sin and magic use are forbidden. It is plagued by poltergiests.
Athenia is named for Athena. This is a party town if ever there was one. The Muses themselves can often be found here, and
occasionally they will even give concerts! It is the cultural center of the province, and the place where most of the "action"
is. The main industries are recreation and agriculture. The only real downside to living here is a large population of deadly
spiders. Many people die each year from spider bites.
The spiders are there for a reason.
As it happens, there is a sizeable Drow population in the province. They keep to themselves, of course, rarely venturing into
populated areas. Although they could leave, they have found a very good reason to stay. Incredible as it sounds, Arachne, yes,
Arachne, Queen Mother of all spiderkind, just so happens to reside in an underground lair in the west. In the form of a great
glass spider, she now commands the Drow and all of the spiders in the province. Revenge against Athena for turning her into a
spider is her only goal in "life", and she's content to torment those who live in her namesake city for starters. She is planning
a major assault soon, of course.
There is another vile villain in the northwestern mountain range. It is the Gilderbeaste, and it lives in a cave in Mt.Pathas.
(This creature is mentioned in the monster section)
Once upon a time, millenia ago, there was a Great and mighty empire the likes of which
had never before been seen. The Sha'Brel Empire spanned not only the globe, but all of
the worlds in it's solar system. Five of the worlds were inhabited, and travel between
was commonplace. The level of this civilization was very high, and soon the people had
learned to do everything without the aid of their gods. They had simply outgrown them.
With each passing generation their magics and sciences became more blasphemous and
abominable. Finally, in a fit of rage, the gods struck down the empire and plunged
it's people into a dark age spanning thousands of years.
During that time the once-homogenized society underwent a great deal of change. Each
world evolved separately, with only those capable of surviving under the new conditions
passing their genes to the next generation. Now, the ways of magic and science have
been rediscovered. The renaissance has begun.
This world was pushed out into a further orbit. It is now a cold desert,
and everyone lives underground in vast, grossly overcrowded cities.
Cannabalism is common, and life is cheap. The most technologically advanced world,
but magic is nearly non-existent. There are no clerics or religion.
Eadrans are weak, pale, chubby, small, and can't swim. They have blue or green eyes.
They are very cold-resistant, but cannot tolerate heat. The gravity on Eadris is only
one half that of Primnos, so eadrans often employ the use of braces or cybernetics
when travelling to other worlds. Psionic ability is very common, about 75% of population.
SALACIA--
This world was the hardest hit by the cataclysm, having all it's land smashed below
the seas.( Think "waterworld" ) It is the least populated world. Science is not well
understood, nor is magic. Magic works well here, though. This is a very religious
society, and there are many clerics of great power.
Wizards are regarded as witches, and due to persecution, most are evil.
They are of course excellent swimmers, but they are also very skilled martial artists.
They are slender, Asian or Half-elf looking, and have brown or black eyes.
They are uneducated, have a very low tech level, and no remarkable psionic abilities.
There are vast treasures below the waves, but getting them is another matter.
PRIMNOS--
This world is the "normal" one in most ways. Just about everything falls within
"normal" parameters. This world was afflicted by a great plague which killed 95%
of the population. Today, Primnossians all have constitutions of 17 or better.
Magic and science are at normal levels, but the tech level is medieval at best.
95% of the population is strongly disease resistant. There are no racial norms.
The population is low. There is a lot of wilderness. The plague didn't destroy
anything, even though most of the old structures have fallen into ruin. Truly,
Primnos is an adventurer's paradise!
OLERA--
Destroyed by volcanoes, this world is a great desert today. Hot & very windy,
There is no rainfall, but there is a dewpoint. Life in the vast seas of silt is
impossble, but the now-extinct volcanoes are now the hubs of all civilization.
The huge volcanos are snow-capped on their tops, and the craters are full of water.
These islands in the silt are populated by tribes of primitive people called the
Olerans.
Thier society is tribal. They are barbaric. They are heat & cold resistant.
Earth & fire magics work best here, but water magic is weak. This world is
religious, but only the most devoted will ever see any benefits from it. Olera
is truly forsaken by the gods. On the other hand, although psionic ability is
unknown, almost everyone knows numerous cantrips. There are very few, if any,
real wizards, though. Shamans and medicine men are much more common, but weak.
Inbreeding has produced a lot of mutations and mutants.
MIDGIRD--
This planet simply stopped turning. The day side burned while the night side froze.
Along the demarcation twilight, however, life survived. There are tremendous storms
constantly raging all over the planet. Magic works the best here, since there is so
much raw energy to tap. A great deal of evolution has occurred among the plants &
animals, with many differences between the diurnal & nocturnal versions.
There aren't many clerics, but they are effective. Wizards, however, are common &
powerful. It also has a high tech level, but not as high as Eadris. The society is
very advanced and as tumultuous as the storms.
Midgirdians are very strong, with an average of 17. They are robust and hardy. Also,
about one fourth of them have some psionic abilities. They, like the Eadrans, are the
main spacefarers of the system, operating periodic shuttle service between the worlds.
This is a small archipellego consisting of four islands. There is almost no human population.
The lord and master of this domain is Unferth, a sixteenth level warrior. He settled these islands
in self-imposed exile and decreed them a wildlife preserve. As odd as it may sound, Unferth grew to
respect and admire the very creatures and monsters with which he fought for so many years, and worried
that some of them might be hunted to extinction. Therefore, he began to import a wide variety of beasts
of every shape, putting some broodstock on whichever island upon which he thought they would best thrive.
Having the ability to speak with animals and monsters, he tried to build a true community where the denizens
could live free from the threat of hunters or adventurers.
This is also the realm of disgraced dragons. Those dragons who have suffered the theft of their hoard, been
beaten into submission and enslaved, later to escape, or who have been banished from the draconic community
often come to these islands. Here they dwell in relative peace. Any adventurers who would come to the isles
would be quite surprised by the demeanor of all the monsters they encountered. However, any who would be
so foolish as to look for trouble would surely find it, for the monsters and creatures truly do have a true
community here, and will quickly rush to the aid of any comrades. This is one of the few times that it is
not culturally taboo for them to give in to their true violent nature, and they do cherish any such opportunities.
There is an artifact of great power in Unferth's home which not only allows him to communicate with his inhuman
neighbors, but also allows them to freely communicate with each other. It also grants any creature linked to it
the ability to mentally communicate with either any or all of the others over any distance. Any trespassers
will be noticed and their whereabouts and actions will be known to Unferth and every denizen of the isles.
