Darkplane - A Campaign Setting
Darkplane - A Campaign Setting
A Campaign Setting
By Graham Ward
Credits
Writing and Design: Graham Ward Playtesters: Aaron McEachran, Adam Lamb, Adam Myers,
Adam Rodger, Alex Polzin, Allison Hinkle, Amber Brown,
Cover Illustrator: Chris Cold Andrew Collings, Arick Christopher, Bethany Talley, Brian
Cartographer: Lee Moyer Kusic, Brian Porter, Britney Sinclair, Caitlin Wise DiAntonio,
Chelsea Sorensen, Claudio Venancio, Cory Skold, Dawn
Interior Illustrators: Alfred Khamidullin, Andreas Rocha, Brown, Derrik Young, Devon Muko, Edward Williams, Erik
Benita Winckler (www.benitawinckler.com), Bramasta Aji, Dreher, Grace Talley, Heidi Hausse, Hikaru Canode, Ian
Charlie Bullen-Spicer, Chris Cold, Daniel Kamarudin, Isuardi Spencer Ward, Jack Hobson, Jake Harbour, Jan van Doren,
Therianto, Ivan Laliashvili, Joel Lagerwall, John Connell, Jean Egdorf Dreher, Jeff Whipple, Jessica Jackson, John
Jonas De Ro, Jordi Gonzalez, Escarnilla, Julian Wicik, Karina, DiAntonio, Joe Lehman, José, Jordan Hull, Joshua Tumblin,
Serdyuk, Lekso Tiger, Marina Dieul, Matt Bant, Sandara, Scott Julie Frederickson, Justin Barron, Kayshin Chan, Kent Lloyd,
Purdy, Sean Soong, Wacław Wysocki, and Wojtek Depczyński Kristy Eagar, Lee Mordechai, Logan Foy, Lucas Bareis-
Golumb, Mary Jo Talley, Matt Hudson, Matthew Ballantine-
Concepts and Contributions: Adam Rodger, Derrik Young, Patton, Matthew Rossman, Matthew Sommer, Michael Keith
Kristy Eagar, Michael Keith Eagar, S. R. Dreamholde, Sean Eagar, Michelle Reeves, Molly Lester, Niels Adair, Rachel
Aliff, and backers of the Swirling Jaws of Infinity, Consort of Myers, Randall Pipenger, Raquel Hartzell, Rich Abbott, Rick
the Abyss, Austere Tutelar, Unnameable Casket-Bearer, and Reeves, Rosemary Vigil, Sarah Cox, Sarah Miller, Sarah
Tenebrous Centurion levels Talley, Spencer Sodokoff, Stephen So, Stella VonDedenroth,
Steve Lloyd, Trevor Muller-Hegel, and Willow McGinty
DARKPLANE, DARKPLANE: A CAMPAIGN SETTING, all names contained within this book and associated with them, as well
as the distinctive likenesses thereof, are property of Graham Ward. If you use or reference them, kindly credit him as their creator.
©2017 Graham Ward.
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FOREWORD
Within the pages of this book sits a universe. It’s not complete—it never
is—and it’s not idle. The nations, histories, characters, and plot hooks are alive
and waiting for creative minds to explore them. You can do so through games,
stories, visual art, or any other platform you can think of. Darkplane is as much
yours now as it is mine.
The first decades of the 21st century have been, so far, the Age of the
Franchise. Serial television is king again, sequels and reboots are dominating the
American film industry more than ever before, and every new novel seems to
fit somewhere in the middle of one series or another. Even a single book within
that series is now routinely adapted into two or three films. It appears we’re all
thirsting for a setting, not just a story. And why not? There’s something profoundly
gratifying about a narrative that reaches beyond its own beginning and end.
I began working on the Darkplane universe at a very young age, but I didn’t
know it at the time. Like a lot of imaginative kids, I spent all my time (awake or
not) spinning stories. There are now a thousand ways to be a storyteller, and a
thousand artistic media in which storytellers can find their unique voice. My own
stories took many of these forms: writing, music, art, performance, games, and
more. I don’t claim it was any good. Not, at least, until I’d been at it for a while.
At some point—it must have been at 17, the age of indefatigable optimism—I
undertook the conscious creation of the Darkplane universe by gluing together
places, events, and characters from my various writings. I wanted to form a
cohesive web, something wilder and more satisfying than the sum of its parts. In
doing this I found the themes getting darker and more cynical as I grew older,
the characters increasingly mutilated by the world they lived in. Despite this
bleak bent, the stories themselves often spoke in defense of the spiritual (but not
necessarily the religious).
As I pieced it all together, Vinramar began to take shape as a world where
the simple honor and optimism of its youth had descended into a confusing and
alien night. Of course, this is something like the journey every child takes as he or
she grows up. It’s also the journey we’ve experienced as a collective human race.
Nothing is simple anymore, and no one is free of scars.
This book is the first offering of the Darkplane universe, and I hope it won’t
be the last. Use it however suits your purpose. Play roleplaying games set in it,
write stories and novels from it, sketch and paint and sculpt it into a tangible
existence. I have for more than 12 years now, and it’s been a constant source of joy.
Graham Ward
July 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classes in Vinramar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Kierkani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
The Darkplane Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Barbarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Olkyari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Bard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Panacorum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Chapter One Cleric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Slonavald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
RACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Divine Domain: Aberration . . . 131 Tenebrous Centurion . . . . . . . . . 184
Common Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Divine Domain: Blood . . . . . . . . 132 Threnody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Mimessarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Divine Domain: Darkness . . . . . 132 Vimbaba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Vampire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Divine Domain: Pestilence . . . . 133 Void-Cradle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Vorruc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Divine Domain: Stone . . . . . . . . 134 Yuriph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Werekin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Divine Domain: Water . . . . . . . . 135 System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Daemon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Druid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Vorruc Infection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Jhareth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Fighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Darkplane Mutation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Elf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Monk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Dynamic Critical Hits . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Human . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Way of the Wandering Stars . . . . . 137 Trauma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Ansë . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Paladin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Spell Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Drael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Ranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Skill Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Forroth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Rogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Measuring Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Omhatra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Sorcerer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Quitzál . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Sorcerous Origin: Blood Magic . . 138 Chapter Four
Gugrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Sorcerous Origin: Runetouched . . 139 THE COSMOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Heathfolk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Sorcerous Origin: Shadowbound . 140 The Four Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Sarrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Sorcerous Origin: Salvendum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Telmatra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Vampire Bloodline . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Iltallach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Dragonborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Warlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Vinramar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Patron: The Primordial . . . . . . . 142 Morvugol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Chapter Two Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Four Elements of Being . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
VINRAMAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Arcane Tradition: Realms of Existence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Arrochule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 School of Chronomancy . . . . . . 144 Primordial Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Arwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Chronomancy Spells . . . . . . 145 Spirit Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Chayrshellech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 New Class: Psychic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Material Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Goltaraim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Items and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Eternal Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Iljudheim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Adventuring Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Shadow Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Motta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Other Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
The Norlythe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 The Darkplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Perrith Gorr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Artillery Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Deities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Syrikhal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Pantheons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Trentsmund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 World Factions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Divine Allegiances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Wellusk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Avan Enclaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Divine Servitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Languages of Vinramar . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Black Dans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 The Four Creators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Racial Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 The Eitharmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 The Ascended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Regional Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 The Etholchan Church . . . . . . . . . . . 166 The Irvallath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Humenhi Wayfarers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Other Deities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Chapter Three The Infernossos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
DARKPLANE CAMPAIGNS. . . . 116 The Jharric Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Appendix A: The Jhareth Myths . . . . . 229
New Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 The Mozralchic Order . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Cultist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Nusalmatma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Appendix B: History of Vinramar . . . . 236
Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 The Order of Illiantri . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 The Stonewar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Lawyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 The Patriarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 The Imperial Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Medium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Silfana au Ittador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 The Epoch of Daragoch . . . . . . . . . . 238
Prisoner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 The Solace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 The Elder Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Psychologist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 The Sounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 The Wild Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 The Twilight Apostates . . . . . . . . . . 173 The Intiliaros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Slave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Volgothic Cult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 The Annoloth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Variant Guild Artisan: Mechanic . . 128 Yaloín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Variant Noble: Politician . . . . . . . . . 128 Monsters in Vinramar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Appendix C:
Variant Outlander: Explorer . . . . . . 129 New Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Non-Player Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Variant Outlander: Hunter . . . . . . . 129 Austere Tutelar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Variant Sage: Professor. . . . . . . . . . . 129 Caprice of Ethis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Index and Pronunciation Guide . . . . . 249
Variant Sage: Scientist . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Hrildovolk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
INTRODUCTION
God is dead, and the world’s been bloody hell ever since. Her son
Daemoth slew Her and made Vinramar the stage for battle against his brother
Jharus. Over the ages, both her sons filled Vinramar with their children, each
eager for agents and captains that could overpower his rival. The children of
Jharus became zealous defenders of life, while Daemoth’s demonic brood fathered
bestial abominations with the captive spirits of the earth. The ranks of both gods
swelled until nearly every creature in creation stood for one side or the other.
One thousand three-hundred fifty years ago, another stroke was made—for
one side or another—and Jharus’ holy empire New Ardon disappeared from the
face of the earth. Now all is dark and hush. Daemoth worship spreads unchecked
across the world, brought by human colonists who enslave the other races, and
hunt Jharus’ followers like beasts. The Jharethil, sons of Jharus who once guarded
Vinramar from Daemoth, are gone now—murdered, captured, or vanished with
their sacred cities. If Jharus has abandoned this world to its fate, it’s little wonder.
The very rock of Vinramar groans under a wicked burden. These are the
Annoloth, Years of Woe, the last age of this world. Its doom will soon be decided.
—Blood from Heaven by Dorrett Shaw
* * *
The Darkplane universe is a setting that blends Gothic horror and weird
tales with a rich, culturally diverse history. Whether you’re interested in the
stories of its people, nations, and religions (which reach back tens of thousands
of years), or you want to create its next chapter for yourself, this book is your
window into a grisly and compelling world.
Vinramar, the mortal world, can be a perilous place, whether you’re leading
witch-hunts in Trentsmund’s colonial provinces, searching forgotten ruins for
the secrets of the cosmos, or taking desperate flight from the cannibal-infested
wastelands that were once the kingdoms of Welluxia and Barlom Schoe.
Powerful and venerable religions dominate the cultures of the earth, but in a
manner closer to the Ancient World than the Medieval one. Not all gods are
benevolent, and not all of their priests are pious.
Religious and cultural conflict are central to the Darkplane setting. This
is a place where peoples and ideologies a world apart are meeting for the first
time. Not since the Elder Days have empires spanned entire continents, or
explorers crossed oceans and returned to tell of it. The Western world brings
development to other lands, but it also brings oppression and death. In turn,
the colonial powers find that the wild holds its own terrors, memories from a
time when empires older and more blasphemous possessed the land.
This is not your typical high fantasy setting. Most magic is dangerous and
rare, seen as a black art. Humans, who make up the vast majority of the world’s
population, don’t look lightly on the uncanny or the supernatural. The elves,
dwarves, halflings, and orcs you find in this book are anything but traditional.
The intent of this setting is to challenge the clichés of fantasy roleplaying—but
above all, it’s meant to frighten and delight you.
6
The Darkplane Universe
Darkplane is weird fiction. That means its stories Perilous Horrors Hide Under Every Stone.
rely on an overarching, seductive sense of dread and Beneath the facade of the everyday world lies a
mystery. It’s about cults, hauntings, twisted monsters, nightmare realm, the true reality that would drive
and breaking away from moral simplicity. While there common folk to madness. Magic is rare and dangerous.
are elements of high fantasy, it won’t take you long Vengeful abominations creep into the natural world
to see that this is not a setting modeled on Medieval from other dimensions, sowing chaos and fear.
Europe. It pulls from the mythologies and folklore of Frightful vestiges of pre-human civilizations lie hidden
many different cultures in an attempt to support a wide in the earth, and some of their undying denizens live
array of horror stories. unseen among mortals. When such supernatural forces
This book assumes you’re playing the fifth edition come in contact with average people, the scars they
of the world’s greatest roleplaying game. Here are a few leave are deep and troubling.
ways that the Darkplane setting will change the core God is Dead. Shortly following the creation,
assumptions of your campaign. the supreme goddess Sowm was killed by Her son
The World Appears Mundane. To the everyday Daemoth, plunging the Heavens into an endless war.
inhabitants of Vinramar, magic is only a dark legend. The key players in this conflict are unfathomable gods
Half-believed traditions of the supernatural prevail who rarely visit the mortal realm, but their followers
among commoners—whispers of spirits, strange magic, are all too eager to drag the world through millennia
and unexplained terrors—but few people come in of bloodshed and carnage. These priests might be
contact with such things. Darkplane campaigns focus showmen, sages, or warmongering vipers, but if their
on those special few. faith is sufficient they can channel powerful wonders.
8
Industrial Revolution Has Created Wide WHAT FOLLOWS
Technology Gaps. Some cultures resort to ancient This book contains the basic information you need to
practices like hunting and gathering to survive, while run a roleplaying game set in the Darkplane universe,
others have developed specialized crafts like printing and, let’s be honest, a little more on top of that. Read
and glass blowing. In Trentsmund, steam power has the chapters in whichever order suits your interest. If
irrevocably changed the kingdom’s infrastructure. you want to take a look at the new races, classes, and
9
Chapter One
RACES
The word of God suggests that mankind was brought into this world as its
intended heir. From the first moment of creation, the gods directed the elements
to rise and build a home, but for what purpose? Who would dwell there? The
children of God had their time as caretakers, and squandered it in petty war. The
runt-creatures born of Ethis had, there is reason to believe, a period of rule in the
West. The dragon-spawn next claimed it, until the Great Winter of Lachmarum
froze their blood and cast them out. Last of all, we the children of the children
of God, the imperious light of truth and civilization, the last and greatest of all
races, we have become mortal heirs of the immortal earth. This was God’s design,
to make mankind the inheritor of all he has, and at last bestow upon him eternal
life; and even the crown of deity. Shall we shrink from such an end, or graciously
rise to our destiny, and to the enacting of God’s own will?
—Discourses of Radnoliore Tancini, 84th Nianto of the Urrothic Church
* * *
This setting weaves a detailed tapestry of war, mystery, and horror. Understanding
the world requires an understanding of its inhabitants and their relationships.
This chapter, discussing the races of Vinramar, is a good place to start.
Many of the races in this chapter are new takes on familiar fantasy
creatures. If there’s a race that isn’t presented here, that doesn’t necessarily
mean that it doesn’t exist in the setting. Maybe creatures of that type are just
extremely rare. The important thing is that the GM and player are comfortable
with the choices made at character creation.
The new race options presented in the following pages play an important
role in the history and character of Vinramar. They’re divided into six broad
groups: the Afflicted, the Elder Kindreds, the Fey Kindreds, Humans, the
Maahisites, and the Spawn of Lakhi. Most of these groups include both
playable races and monsters, but the races presented in this chapter (with the
possible exception of vampires) are all playable races.
Bear in mind that humans are the most populous race. They dominate
most of the world with diverse cultures that look on those different from them
with revulsion and distrust. These racial tensions can create lots of interesting
conflict at the table, but don’t let them kill the fun. As a GM, make sure you
and your players are on the same page about the consequences of choosing a
given race.
10
Common races
Vinramar is made up of many intelligent creatures, or more of the following descriptors. Races listed as
including a host of obscure cultures and monsters. This common are found in large numbers in several regions.
section focuses more on the common races available to Uncommon races are found in large numbers within their
player characters—mimessarchs, vorruqun, werekin, native regions. A rare race is so secluded or dispersed that
daemons, jharethil, elves, humans, gugrum, heathfolk, few folk have ever come in contact with them. Hidden
sarrow, telmatra, and dragonborn. races often disguise themselves as human, successfully
Almost half of these races (elves, humans, sarrow, enough that their true numbers can only be guessed at.
telmatra, and dragonborn) have traits that can be
found in other rulebooks. The information in this Status
chapter focuses on how those races are molded to fit Every race is described by one or more of the following
the Darkplane setting. For the new races, you’ll find statuses, defining how its people fit in the larger picture
full descriptions including backgrounds, traits, and of cultural relations.
subraces. Dominant: Races that are dominant are seen owning
To give an impression of the relations and power slaves, colonizing other lands, and exercising
dynamics between the various common races, the authority over other cultures.
Common Races table on page 12 categorizes them in Dwindling: These races are diminishing in numbers
the following ways. over time, whether because of pestilence, war, or
subjugation.
Common Regions
This category lists the regions in which a given race Enslaved: These races are in captivity or servitude to
is most commonly found. See the map below for a others on a wide scale.
visualization of settlement patterns circa 1350 Annoloth. Thriving: Races that are thriving are increasing their
population at an above-average rate. Their borders
Rarity are expanding as they settle new areas.
To provide a general sense of how its people fit into the
larger picture of cultural relations, each race has one
Common races
Werekin Arwest Uncommon Thriving
Elder Kindreds
Daemons — Hidden Unknown
Jharethil — Hidden Dwindling
Fey Kindreds
Elves Arwest, Iljudheim Rare Dwindling
Half-elves Arwest, Iljudheim Rare Unknown
Humans All
Ansë Iljudheim Common Thriving
Drael Motta, Trentsmund Common Dominant, Thriving
Forroth Arrochule, Goltaraim Common Dominant, Thriving
Omhatra Arwest, Perrith Gorr, Syrikhal, Wellusk Common Dwindling, Enslaved
Quitzál Motta, the Norlythe Common Dwindling, Enslaved
Maahisites
Gugrum Chayrshellech, Motta, the Norlythe Common Enslaved, Thriving
Heathfolk Chayrshellech, Trentsmund Common Dominant, Thriving
Sarrow Chayrshellech, the Norlythe, Trentsmund Uncommon Dwindling, Enslaved
Telmatra Arrochule, Goltaraim, the Norlythe Common Thriving
Spawn of Lakhi
Dragonborn Chayrshellech, Syrikhal Rare Dwindling, Enslaved
14
Twisted in Body and Mind
In many instances, the unnatural metamorphosis of a mimessarch
has drastic psychological ramifications, ranging from self-loathing to
schizophrenia and anti-social behavior. Those who don’t shrink from
society by their own choice are often shunned or driven away.
The Darkplane may deform mimessarchs, but it compensates
Mimessarch
them with flashes of genius. The touch of madness brings an eccentric
brilliance that can make a mimessarch a valuable ally. Ironically these
moments of genius are interspersed with strange compulsions that
can confuse and offend those who associate with the mimessarch.
Phobias, addictions, obsessions, and odd speech patterns are the
everyday fare of these unfortunate creatures.
Most mimessarchs develop a cynical philosophy. They disbelieve
in moral strictures, dismiss religion, and spurn offers of spiritual
redemption, particularly those that come from organized groups.
Their pursuit of greatness is most often motivated by a desire to
conquer, harness, or minimize their aberrant nature. Some do so
through studying psionics or arcane magic, others through physical
training.
Degenerative Deformity
A mimessarch’s appearance depends entirely on two factors: her
natural race and the type of Darkplane deformity she carries. Sarrow
and other small creatures that become tainted retain their diminutive
size, while more physically imposing races maintain that stature.
Even individual cases of the same deformity manifest in different
ways, however. Tentacles may be of different colors, and aberrant
countenances may have wildly different features. Common to most
Darkplane deformities are tuberous extrusions, a slimy mucus coating
over the skin, and the presence of anomalous orifices.
When properly disguised, a mimessarch can pass as a normal
member of his or her natural race. Such a disguise can be challenging
to pull off, especially when the deformity covers large portions of
the body or face. At best the mimessarch looks awkward but natural.
Many make no effort at disguise whatsoever.
Mimessarch
All Eyes. You have advantage when making Wisdom through divine malediction, powerful
(Perception) checks, and you cannot be surprised. elemental magic, or infection, individuals
Perfect Darkvision. Your aberrant eyes allow you to see of these races have been fundamentally
better in complete darkness. You can see in darkness and dim changed from what they once were. Most
light as if it were bright light, up to a distance of 60 feet. This of them are self-propagating—they can
vision is as detailed and effective as your normal vision. bear children, and those children maintain
the changed nature of the parent.
Amorphous Limbs Vampires, vorruqun, and the werekin
Your arms and legs are elastic to a moderate degree. They flex are cousin races. The vampires are cursed
oddly and give you a shambling gait, but allow you to move descendants of Iarmov the Maimed, who
quite fast when occasion requires . You can get into narrow and was unwillingly transformed into the first
hard-to-reach places, and can elongate your appendages several undead being by Ulmhasa, primordial
feet. The limbs themselves might look slimy, scaly, or swollen. goddess of shadow. Iarmov’s offspring
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2. were all cursed with undeath, that is
Elasticity. Your speed is 40 feet. Your melee reach increases until Fimbuleth, a powerful vampire and
to 10 feet, and if you aren’t wearing armor you can reach sorcerer, used primal magic to remove the
your limbs into a space as small as three inches wide without malediction from himself and his children.
squeezing. His curse changed from vampirism to
lycanthropy, and he thus became the father
Sensory Spindles
of the werekin.
Your body is partly covered in six-inch, fibrous spindles. They
The vorruqun are those mortals who
might extend from your hands, arms, legs, face, or other areas.
have been infected by the blighted lands
When the spindles touch a surface, they can read vibrations
where the vampires dwell. Their blood
to give you a clear idea of other moving objects that touch
becomes cold to the touch, and their
the same surface. If you’re in water, this means you can sense
appetites turn wild, causing them to feed
other creatures in the water. If underground, you can sense
on the flesh of other mortals. After the
vibrations in the stone that tell you what other creatures might
Desolation of Wellusk, the wide lands of
lurk about.
the East were overrun with vorruqun, who
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
continue to prowl the wastelands in packs.
Tremorsense. You have the ability to “see” creatures and
Their lust for human flesh will follow
objects within 20 feet, even if they are hidden, obscured, or
them to the grave.
invisible. Both you and the creature or object must be touching
Mimessarchs are not akin to the
the same object or surface (the ground, water, a wall, etc.).
other four Afflicted, except that their
Tentacles physiology has been permanently altered
You have one or more tentacles, up to 4 feet in length, that by unnatural forces. They are the victims
sprout from anywhere on your body—perhaps your arms, legs, of Darkplane infection, and thus have
or abdomen. Their coordination is somewhat limited, but they developed alien appendages and senses.
make you very fast in water. They can be used to apply force to Most mimessarchs hide themselves away,
objects, but cannot hold items. but in some areas of the world there are
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2. small settlements, no larger than villages,
Cephalopod. You have a swim speed of 50 feet. Your where mimessarchs gather.
unarmed attacks deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage, and creatures
grappled by your tentacles have disadvantage on saving throws
to escape.
17
Vampire
A ncient as the world itself, the
vampire civilization descends from
Iarmov the Maimed, one of the four
sons of Daemoth the Creator. After
Iarmov was cursed with undeath, he
fled to the East of Vinramar, where
his children live to this day. Their
empire Perrith Gorr has emerged
from terrible decline into a new
golden age, thanks to the apotheosis
of their dead emperor Volgothyde.
There are five ruling families
among the vampires: Bromraw,
Calchoth, Carachun, Ferrialum, and
Mannen. Each of these houses has a
unique culture and dialect, making
unity among the vampires more of a
show than reality. The ruling families
harbor thousand-year-old grudges
against one another, but are willing
to work together for the good of the
empire, especially now that their
former liege has returned to rule
them as a god.
Those vampires that leave Perrith
Gorr do so for various reasons. There
are plenty of dishonorable motives—
greed for blood not least—but some
have a genuine objection to the
horrors of vampire decadence. These
exiles can control their appearance
enough to blend in well with
humans.
If you’re interested in playing
a vampire as a player character, see
page 141, which discusses characters
with the Vampire Bloodline
Sorcerous Origin.
18
Ageless Death
Vampires are tall and lean, with red eyes and a deathly pale complexion that
makes them look like fresh corpses. Because they can manipulate their form
to some degree, vampires can maintain a youthful cast indefinitely. This isn’t
always practiced, however, since vampires take pride in their age. The older
one looks, the more respect she commands among her own. Many vampires
Vampire
sacrifice beauty for the pride of looking decrepit.
Without mortal blood to drink, vampires experience profound hunger. To
alleviate the pain, they import a steady flow of blood chattel, mortals who are
corralled and fed by drops to the vampires that own them. Eventually, each
captive is infected and becomes a vorruc, at which point the master discards
them. Traditionally, hunting parties would set out monthly to collect enough
chattel for each estate, but since the Desolation of Wellusk their stores have
been filled to overflowing.
A Crumbling Aristocracy
The lower and middle classes of vampire society have long since dissolved
into nothing. Those who remain are a class of nobles unable to support any
type of social infrastructure. They live in the remote northeast, bringing slaves
and blood chattel into their crumbling ruins to play the unenviable part of the
vampires’ subjects. This paper-thin charade is maintained only because the
slaves are kept too weak and terrified to revolt.
Because all vampires are part of this decadent aristocracy, they tend to
be extraordinarily arrogant. Solitary privilege has defined their existence for
thousands upon thousands of years. When dealing with mortals, vampires are
dismissive and self-serving, but diabolically patient.
Vampires’ longevity causes them to further lose touch with the mortal
world, where the cultural landscape changes so quickly they can’t keep up.
This makes even the most cutting-edge vampire seem old-fashioned. To deal
with the rapid passing of generations, vampires take to treating an entire
bloodline as one individual, holding the heir of a family responsible for the
actions of an ancestor centuries-dead. More than one human has found
himself unaccountably assailed for grievances long past.
Vampire Names
Vampires take great delight in the invention of names. Few names of theirs are
reused, since to them naming a child is as important as the conception itself. In
addition to a given name, a vampire takes the name of her closest ruling family.
Male Names: Amuris, Ankath, Drunath, Gonkhamath, Honad, Incarna,
Mhelsiath, Osarath, Ramhethath, Thyan, Unvoliath, Vemhed, Volsiath, Zomhad
Female Names: Adha, Apankha, Ezmhelta, Ghata, Gonthera, Imhezra, Nyamhi,
Olamhet, Pamhul, Romhelsa, Simha, Sombentara, Sut, Tiankh, Zolthep
Family Names: Bromraw, Calchoth, Carachun, Ferrialum, Mannen
Vampire Traits
The following traits provide cultural information about vampire characters.
Alignment. Few vampires feel compassion for the mortals they feed on.
The majority of their kind find great pleasure in the taste of blood, tipping
them toward neutral and evil alignments. A vampire can survive without the
taste of blood, or by feeding on animals, but to them the taste is putrid. It
takes a truly noble soul to forswear the good stuff.
Languages. Vampires traditionally speak their own language, called
Mhelthep. It has rolling r’s and smooth-sounding vowels.
20
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Vorruqun are largely ruled by their need to feed, making them
somewhat more short-sighted than true vampires. There isn’t much they
won’t do in exchange for sustenance. Some prefer blood, others flesh,
but none can live without one or the other. Infected meat, they soon
learn, does them no good. Only living, natural creatures can sustain
Vorruc
them. Somewhat surprisingly, their indifference to one another as food
causes the vorruqun to gather in codependent, semi-nomadic packs.
Pack life can be dull between feedings, but strong ties develop
among the bonded vorruqun. For most, the pack is the only family they
will ever have. Instinct and circumstance make this union of utmost
importance to them. A vorruc values it above all else, and will sacrifice
almost anything to maintain it. Those rare packs that are comprised of
blood relatives infected together are unrivaled in their mutual devotion.
The Devil’s Grin
When vorruqun haven’t fed on fresh blood or live meat in several days,
they begin to look pale and grey-eyed. Their blood rushes into their
lips, cheeks, gums, and tongue, causing the entire mouth to swell like
a snout, and their teeth to slide outward into prominent fangs. The
“devil’s grin,” as it’s called, is truly frightening.
When well fed, new vorruqun will look almost exactly like natural
creatures. This camouflage is a valuable asset to those who wish to
ensnare the living, or to resume their former life. By and large, the
vorruqun are infected humans, since the vampires keep a full stock for
labor and food. It’s almost unheard of to encounter a vorruc who once
belonged to any other race.
There are some vorruqun, especially those that last to an older
age, whose bodies fall apart under the strain of the disease. Their face
becomes mask-like as it sags and rots from the mouth outward. Bruised
growths develop on their skin, and their pores weep a black ooze. The
sight can be incomparably grotesque.
Kill in Secret
Feeding on flesh isn’t taken well by the living. A vorruc in most
circumstances will never reveal his or her infection except to other
vorruqun. Fortunately, they can sense each other, making it easy to
know who’s undead and who’s alive. Those vorruqun who regularly
come in contact with the living are forced to live a double life. The
most successful become adept at navigating multiple identities and
perpetuating elaborate lies in order to survive, never quite letting
anyone get to know them. Trust is a luxury they can’t afford.
Strength in Numbers
Of course, vorruqun make up for their aloofness within the pack, where
there are no secrets. Their den becomes sacrosanct, a place where their
family feasts as one. In the wastelands of Wellusk, the central hotbed
of vorruc hunting, packs take shelter in whatever naturally secluded
areas present themselves. In the city, however, they can take their time
to build the family a true temple. Often urban dens are lavish, cleverly
hidden in plain sight.
Procreation is not possible for vorruqun, and so they increase their
numbers by exchanging blood with select victims. This practice provides
steady food and allows the victim to eventually join the clan as a vorruc.
22
Vorruc Traits
You have a number of special traits as a result of the vorruc infection.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity, Constitution, and
Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
Age. While possessed of an unnatural vitality, the vorruqun
are prone to early death from want of living flesh. Most of them Vorruqun and
Vorruc
have been afflicted for less than 10 years, although the age at which
the infection set into their flesh varies greatly. You decide whether
Vampires
The existence of the vorruqun raises
you’re old or young.
the question of how they differ
Alignment. Obviously, there are many neutral and evil
from vampires. Both are intelligent,
vorruqun—the appetite for flesh can shake even the most virtuous
both are undead, and both can pass
souls. There are those who painstakingly maintain their morals,
as human. The distinction lies in
feeding on animals and resisting the urge to kill. It can be done, but
the unnatural vitality of vampires.
it’s a lonely road that often ends in a quick death.
Although they thirst for blood,
Size. Vorruqun retain their previous human stature. Your size
they aren’t capable of dying unless
is Medium.
destroyed by one of a handful of
Speed. 30 feet.
methods.
Blood Frenzy. When you see a creature that bleeds take
Vorruqun, on the other hand,
damage, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom
must continue to eat and drink as
modifier, and you can use your reaction to move 10 feet, provoking
other mortals. The hunger for flesh
no opportunity attacks.
is added to their regular sustenance,
Darkvision. Your senses were heightened as the vorruc blight
and neglect of either can kill them.
spread through your body, and you’ve only honed the sharpness of
They also age, tire, and can die from
your vision. You have darkvision up to a distance of 60 feet.
natural causes such as disease or
Vampiric Corruption. You are considered a vampire and
exposure. They’re only considered
undead in addition to being a humanoid. While an undead creature
undead because their bodies are
is within 30 feet of you, you sense that it is undead.
infected with a vampiric blight.
After you eat live flesh or drink fresh blood, add double your
From a cosmetic perspective,
Constitution modifier when spending hit dice to heal during your
you can usually distinguish between
next short rest before sunset. You cannot use this ability again until
vorruqun and vampires by how
after you finish a long rest.
repulsive they are. Vorruqun
For every 5 days you go without eating live flesh or drinking
(especially the old ones) are plagued
fresh blood, your Constitution and Charisma scores are reduced by
and hideous. Vampires have control
2 points. When your Constitution score reaches 0, you die. Once
over their features, often appearing
you do consume flesh or blood, your Constitution and Charisma
lovelier than they truly are.
scores immediately restore to their true value.
Predator. You have advantage on ability checks to track or spot
creatures.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write one regional
language and one extra language of your choice.
23
Werekin
M ost shudder when they
hear stories of the bloodthirsty
lycanthropes, men and women
cursed to transform into raging
beasts and kill their loved ones. But
the truth about the werekin is that
they come from an ancient and proud
civilization. These primal creatures
have control over their animal form,
and don’t view the change as a curse.
For them it’s a pivotal part of their
connection to nature.
Each werekin is born with a
spiritual connection to a specific
totem animal, which it can
shapechange into at will. Family
members usually share the same
animal form, grouping into clans of
similar species. Though they usually
remain in a humanoid form in the
company of other races, werekin
often prefer to treat with one another
in a hybrid form, blending human
and animal features together. The
werekin of Arwest consider this
shape nature’s crowning achievement.
The totem animals of the werekin
are diverse. The most common—
bears, boars, great cats, jackals, rats,
ravens, spiders, and wolves—are
included in this section. If you have
a hankering to play something rarer
(like a weregiraffe, for example),
work with your GM to decide which
totem animal to use as a model, and
how to customize the traits to the
particular creature you prefer.
24
The Best of Beast and Man
The werekin can live as humans or as animals if they choose, but to
them there is no greater treasure than to bring the best parts of each
into one form. Humans have opposable thumbs, refined speech, and
can maintain a high standard of hygiene. Animals are connected to
the earth, free of material bonds, and have an incredible physique. For
Werekin
werekin it’s possible to embody all of these traits in one form.
One of the werekin’s highest values is freedom. Whether subjected
to the will of an outsider or trapped in a confined space, werekin who
feel their liberty restricted will respond like a cornered wolf. They can
be harsh and savage when pursuing something they want, but when
given respect and space, the werekin are wise and honorable.
Hybrid Animals
The totem animal of a werekin defines its forms. As humanoids,
they tend to be thick-haired and have a semblance of the animal’s
coloration. In that form they can pass easily as human. In animal form
they’re indistinguishable from any other of the species, although at
times their uncanny intelligence gives them away.
Werekin’s third and greatest form is a hybrid of the previous
two. They maintain an upright, bipedal posture as well as dexterous
fingers that can use tools and weapons. Their hands, legs, and face,
however, shift in the direction of the animal, perhaps growing claws,
fangs, snouts, and elongated ears. Hair or feathers commonly cover
the entire body, and some sprout wings, a tail, or extra legs, depending
on the totem animal. Whichever breed they’re born into, the werekin’s
hybrid form is to be respected and feared.
Know Your Place
As apex predators, werekin have the rule of the animal kingdom. In
their homeland, they commonly keep beasts of all kinds living among
their offspring as a part of the clan. Being smarter and stronger than
the animals they can communicate with creates a unique relationship,
in which their pets are treated more as children. Even among werekin
family members, there’s a strong hierarchy of dominance that
everyone learns to respect. Knowing one’s spot in the pecking order
chain can make the difference between survival and exile.
This attitude carries over into the life of any werekin that leaves
home. They tend to act entitled to leadership, an attitude that stems
from years of topping the food chain. When others threaten their
dominance or infringe on their territory, they react aggressively. But if
another is proven stronger or more capable, they’ll fall in line quickly
and quietly.
The Kinlands
The whole island of Arwest is divided among the various clans of
werekin. Some settle in permanent dwellings while others roam, but
each clan staked its hunting grounds many centuries ago, and they’ve
grown used to the arrangement. Outsiders are treated with minimal
tolerance, and unless they present a serious challenge, the werekin will
attempt to drive them out quickly.
Werekin Traits
Because of your ancestral connection to beasts, you have
a number of unique capabilities, including the power to
shapechange into a particular totem animal.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score Subrace. Your werekin has a particular totem
increases by 1. animal that determines the nature of its animal and
Age. Werekin live a ferocious lifestyle, often dying hybrid forms, and it might determine some of your
on the hunt or in ritual bloodsport. These incidents personality traits or cultural heritage. Common totem
aside, however, they live a similar lifespan to humans. animals are listed on the following pages.
The clans both fear and revere their own mortality, one
Werekin
of the chief distinctions between them and their distant Bear
cousins the vampires. Few werebears associate with the other werekin. They
Alignment. Although they tend to respect proven have no clan and no allies, perhaps because of their
authority figures, werekin are suspicious of anything fiercely territorial nature. Some live in huts, others in
that might restrict their freedom. Most prefer chaotic the naked forests.
alignments. There are examples, though, of strong Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
lawful figures in their society. increases by 2.
Size. Some werekin shift in size, depending on the Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making
form they assume. Your size is Medium in your humanoid Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with bears,
form. Unless a change is noted under your Shapechanger including black bears, brown bears, and polar bears.
trait, your size remains the same in your other forms. Shapechanger. You can use an action to polymorph
Speed. 30 feet. into one of three forms: a bear form, a humanoid form,
Animal Senses. You have advantage on Wisdom or a bear-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment you
(Perception) checks that require hearing or smell. are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. While in bear
Languages. You can speak Khivmat and one or hybrid form, your size is Large, you gain a climb
regional language. Whether you can read or write is up speed of 30 feet, and you can only speak with bears.
to you and the GM. Khivmat is a growling language that Your other statistics remain the same. Your bear form
has no written alphabet, but a rich history of oral poetry. cannot hold items or cast spells.
27
Bite. While in bear or hybrid form, you can make Bite. While in great cat or hybrid form, you can
a Bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack. You make a Bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack.
have proficiency with your Bite attacks, and deal 1d8 You have proficiency with your Bite attacks, and deal
piercing damage on a hit. 1d8 piercing damage on a hit.
Claw. While you have an empty hand in bear or Claw. While you have an empty hand in animal or
hybrid form, you can make a Claw attack, which is a hybrid form, you can make a Claw attack, which is a
melee weapon attack. Your claws are considered finesse melee weapon attack. Your claws are considered finesse
weapons, and deal 1d8 slashing damage on a hit. weapons, and deal 1d8 slashing damage on a hit.
Boar jackal
Like the werebears, wereboars are clanless renegades Highest in authority, clan Anul raises its jackalwere
living apart from their kin. Hiding out in swamps and young to believe in their natural superiority. They live
the densest forests, they hunt even their fellow werekin. more settled lives, building stone cities and devoting
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and themselves to the worship of Fimbuleth.
Constitution scores increase by 1. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score
Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making increases by 2.
Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with pigs, Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making
including boars and dire boars. Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with dogs,
Shapechanger. You can use an action to polymorph including hyenas, jackals, and mastiffs.
into one of three forms: a boar form, a humanoid form, Shapechanger. You can use an action to
or a boar-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment polymorph into one of three forms: a jackal form, a
you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. While humanoid form, or a jackal-humanoid hybrid form.
in boar or hybrid form, you can only speak with pigs, Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t
and you can take the Disengage action using a bonus transformed. While in jackal or hybrid form, your
action. Your other statistics remain the same. Your boar speed becomes 40 feet and you can only speak with
form cannot hold items or cast spells. dogs. Your other statistics remain the same. Your jackal
Tusk. While in boar or hybrid form, you can make form cannot hold items or cast spells.
a Tusk attack, which is a melee weapon attack. You Bite. While in jackal or hybrid form, you can make
have proficiency with your Tusk attacks, and deal 1d6 a Bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack. You
piercing damage on a hit. have proficiency with your Bite attacks, and deal 1d8
piercing damage on a hit.
Great Cat
The werecats are members of the clan Kanari, called Rat
Razorclaw by humans. Their totem beasts are great cats Wererats are the most nomadic of the werekin. They
such as lions, tigers, and panthers. The werecats maintain hunt in organized parties, and sleep in small tents that
log dwellings, but hunt across hundreds of miles. double as robes during the day.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and
Dexterity scores increase by 1. Dexterity scores increase by 1.
Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making Darkvision. While in giant rat or hybrid form you
Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with cats, have darkvision within 60 feet.
including lions, panthers, tigers, and other great cats. Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making
Shapechanger. You can use an action to polymorph Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with
into one of three forms: a great cat form, a humanoid rodents, including mice, rats, rat swarms, and giant rats.
form, or a cat-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment Shapechanger. You can use an action to polymorph
you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. While into one of three forms: a giant rat form, a humanoid
in great cat form or hybrid form, your speed becomes form, or a rat-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment
40 feet and you can only speak with cats. Your other you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. While in
statistics remain the same. Your great cat form cannot giant rat form, your size becomes Small and you can only
hold items or cast spells. speak with rodents. Your other statistics remain the same.
During character creation, choose a great cat form: Your giant rat form cannot hold items or cast spells.
lion, panther, tiger, or another form you and your GM Bite. While in giant rat or hybrid form, you can
agree on. You cannot change which great cat form is make a Bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack.
associated with this feature. You have proficiency with your Bite attacks, and deal
1d6 piercing damage on a hit.
Werekin
into one of three forms: a giant spider form, a humanoid
the most reclusive of the werekin, building elaborate form, or a spider-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment
eyries in the mountains south of the Hessawood. In you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. While
the rock tunnels beneath these eyries, they sacrifice the in giant spider or hybrid form, you gain a climb speed
best of their hunted game by casting it into pools of of 30 feet and can only speak with spiders. Your other
molten gold. statistics remain the same. You cannot hold objects or
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and cast spells in giant spider form.
Wisdom scores increase by 1. You can spend an action while in giant spider
Darkvision. While in giant raven form you have or hybrid form to create 1 foot of webbing. Each
darkvision within 60 feet. subsequent action you spend extends the length of the
Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making webbing by 1 foot. This webbing acts as a rope, but can
Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with stick to a surface well enough to require 2 damage or a
carrion birds, including crows, eagles, ravens, and DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to break it or pull it off.
vultures. While touching webbing, rope, or another length
Shapechanger. You can use an action to polymorph of fibrous material, you have tremorsense within 30
into one of three forms: a giant raven form, a humanoid feet, allowing you to see creatures that are touching that
form, or a raven-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment material, even if they’re hidden, obscured, or invisible.
you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. Your Bite. While in giant spider or hybrid form, you can
giant raven form resembles a raven about the size of make a Bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack.
an eagle. While in this form, your size becomes Small, You have proficiency with your Bite attacks, and deal
your walking speed is 10 feet, and you gain a fly speed 1d4 piercing damage on a hit.
of 60 feet. Your talons can hold one item that weighs no
more than your Strength score (in pounds). You cannot Wolf
cast spells in this form. The werewolves make up clan Hessaria, the most warlike
Your hybrid form has both arms and wings, of the werekin. Their wrath is feared everywhere in
allowing you to use your hands normally. While in Arwest, but most of all in the grasslands west of Faerras.
hybrid form, your fly speed is 30 feet, but you retain Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and
your usual walking speed. In either of your winged Constitution scores increase by 1.
forms, you cannot fly more than 60 feet off the ground Kindred Spirits. You have advantage when making
and you can only speak with birds. Your other statistics Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks dealing with
remain the same. wolves, including coyotes and dire wolves.
Peck. While in giant raven or hybrid form, you can Shapechanger. You can use an action to polymorph
make a Peck attack, which is a melee weapon attack. into one of three forms: a wolf form, a humanoid form, or
You have proficiency with your Peck attacks, and deal a wolf-humanoid hybrid form. Any equipment you are
1d4 piercing damage on a hit. wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. While in wolf or
Talon. While not carrying anything in animal or hybrid form, your speed becomes 40 feet and you can
hybrid form, you can make a Talon attack, which is a only speak with wolves. Your wolf form cannot hold
melee weapon attack. Your talons are considered finesse items or cast spells.
weapons, and deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit. Bite. While in wolf or hybrid form, you can make
a Bite attack, which is a melee weapon attack. You
Spider have proficiency with your Bite attacks, and deal 1d8
The werespiders of clan Hissicah inhabit abandoned piercing damage on a hit.
adobes, ruins left behind from a time when long- Claw. While you have an empty hand in wolf or
dead humans conquered the Arwest region. They are hybrid form, you can make a Claw attack, which is a
intensely loyal to other werespiders, but suspicious of melee weapon attack. Your claws are considered finesse
those outside the clan. weapons, and deal 1d8 slashing damage on a hit.
30
A Fateful Choice
Sometime before a daemon’s sixth birthday, he or she is contacted in secret
by a herald of Daemoth, usually a demonic being sent to protect and
preside over the child. In this first visitation, the dark herald reveals the
daemon’s fiendish legacy and speaks its true name.
A daemon’s reaction to this revelation is life-changing. If daemons
Daemon
submit to their dark herald’s tutelage, they are trained physically and
spiritually to serve Daemoth. The herald returns now and then, and may
even take the child elsewhere for short periods of instruction. Some
parents are distressed by the mysterious comings and goings—others take
pride in having borne a child of God.
Daemons are often drawn to religious devotion, groomed in their
training as leaders within one of the Daemothite religious sects. Some
might prepare for political or academic careers, where their influence will
have the greatest reach. Whatever their specific mission, daemons who
comply with their demonic purpose are prepared for a life of devoted
service to Daemoth.
Many daemons don’t comply with their intended masters, even at such
a young age. A refusal to submit to God’s will is taken as rebellion, and
daemons that disregard or reject their tutelage make bitter enemies of the
dark powers. After such a choice, a daemon dissenter might go into hiding
in hopes of being forgotten, or be forced to keep on the move.
32
You can repeat the saving throw at the end of each minute. Once you The Elder
succeed on a saving throw of this kind, the creature who spoke your
true name cannot charm you in this way for 24 hours. Kindreds
Elder Form. You can use a bonus action to polymorph into the elder There was a time, before
form or return to your human form. While in elder form, you have history, when two gods lived
advantage on Strength checks, and your body sheds bright light in a in an empty world. Daemoth
Daemon
10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. and Jharus formed their
While in elder form your grasp can stop others quaking in their tracks. own children, who in time
As an action, make a melee spell attack with an empty hand against one spread to the four corners
beast or humanoid. On a hit, the target is incapacitated until the end of its of Vinramar. For millennia
next turn. Your spellcasting ability for this attack is Charisma. upon millennia, they raised up
Those who see you in elder form can identify you as a daemon with temples and cities, eventually
an Intelligence (Religion) or Intelligence (History) check of DC 10. falling into discord and war.
Daemons and characters with proficiency in History or Religion pass The war has become
this check automatically. If you become unconscious while in elder eternal. Daemoth and Jharus
form, you remain in elder form until you can spend an action to return engage in an intricate game of
to human form. chess for control of Vinramar.
Stone Will. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid being In the early ages it took
charmed or frightened. place on battlefields, but the
Languages. You can speak, read, and write one regional language political landscape has shifted
and one extra language of your choice. Daemons speak the languages dramatically. Human nations
of their human parents. If they accept the tutelage of the dark herald, blanket most regions of the
their second language is often Zhoroch, spoken by demons and the world, and the Elder Kindreds’
inhabitants of the ancient daemon empire. conflict has been forced into
Allegiance. Your reaction to the discovery that you are a daemon the shadows. This was a sore
changed your life forever. Choose whether you became a herald’s pupil blow to the jharethil, for whom
or went into hiding as a daemon dissenter. deceit does not come naturally.
To this day, they live lonely lives
Daemon Dissenter
hidden among the humans,
At a young age, you rejected the dark herald and chose to forge your
hoping that each day will keep
own path. This choice has put you and your loved ones in great danger
the servants of Daemoth from
throughout your life, but you’ve developed the talents to survive it.
discovering them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Because daemons and
Watchful Eye. You have proficiency in the Insight skill.
jharethil disguise themselves
Herald’s Pupil as human, they manage to
By accepting the tutelage from the dark herald, these daemons accessed find their way into positions of
the training and culture of Mohtra, the ancient daemon civilization. prominence. They’re the rooks,
Perhaps they still serve Daemoth, or perhaps they dissented after their bishops, and knights of the
training was complete. chess game, moving human
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1. pawns in front of them as suits
Religious Lore. You have proficiency in the Religion skill. their purpose. Whether the
war will ever truly end is yet to
be seen.
Serve or be Hunted
Daemons give up the right to religious neutrality from
birth. The deal is to serve Daemoth or be hunted by him.
Those faced with this predicament may hate religion or be
steeped in it, but they’ll find it difficult to be ambivalent.
Zealotry and single-minded devotion to Daemoth are
common among his children, while those who rebel
gravitate toward spiritual disillusionment and cynicism.
33
Jhareth
B efore Daemoth created
the daemons, Jharus’ own progeny
settled southern Vinramar. Once
a proud civilization, the jharethil
now struggle just to stay alive.
They’re hunted mercilessly by the
Eitharmos, an occult sect of militant
Daemothites whose goal is to keep
the common folk living in fear of the
winged heretics.
The truth is that the jharethil
were once the protectors of
Vinramar, a symbol of honor and
justice. When their final empire fell,
Jharus took its cities into the heavens
and sealed their gates against the
unworthy. These hidden metropolises
still hover in invisible space above the
tainted world.
As celestial heirs of Jharus,
the jharethil do not grow old with
the passing years. They can be
killed or become ill, but rarely die
of natural causes. Death and the
conscious taking of life are terrifying
occurrences to them.
Like the daemons, jharethil can
cloak their elder form, making them
appear human. When viewed in all
their true glory, they have feathered
wings and a striking presence that
can inspire either courage or fear.
34
Anonymous Virtue
Throughout the world there are many organizations that defame,
abuse, and hunt the jharethil. Those who could reach out to help them
often remain silent for fear of being persecuted themselves. A jhareth
quickly learns that only the closest of companions can be trusted with
such a delicate secret. Those who impetuously confide in others may
Jhareth
find themselves at the end of a rope before dawn. These are new times,
when subtlety and cunning are a better defense than courage.
In the face of such persecution, individual jharethil react
differently. Some become reclusive or lose their commitment to their
people’s moral code, others are motivated to change the world for the
better. Feeling a need to care for those who hate or despise them is one
of the great inner struggles of their people. Whatever they do, they
must do it in secret if they want to live long.
It’s common for young jharethil to be unused to opposing
philosophies or religions. They may be offended or confused by
the practices of the outside world. Despite the value they place in
patience, many will respond to betrayal of trust with sudden and
unexpected anger.
Earthy and Imposing
Jharethil look very much like humans, especially when not in elder
form. In general, they’re tall and broad, but this is by no means
universal. They have golden brown or dark hair, and skin that’s bronze
or earthy brown. Their features are hard and defined, like cut stone.
When in their secret cities, or among trusted friends, a jhareth
may enter the elder form, which makes her skin and eyes shine with
a golden light. In this form, some have broad, feathered wings the
color of their hair. Enemies confronted with a jhareth in elder form are
likely to flee, unless they’re followers of Daemoth, in which case they
might redouble the attack in a religious frenzy.
Outlier
Outliers are jhareth exiles that grew up outside the
majesty of the secret cities. These poor souls have braved
the dangerous mortal world for a long time, perhaps
making some trusted friends along the way.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 1.
Friend to the Friendless. You have proficiency in the
Persuasion skill.
Secretsworn
Used to the peace and isolation of their fabled cities, the
secretsworn are the more sheltered of the jharethil, but
also the best trained in the ways of their people.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases
by 1.
Jhareth Weapon Training. You have proficiency
with the greatsword and longsword.
37
Elf
A diverse and peculiar race,
the elves of Darkplane are the
benighted descendants of the Fey, an
entire species driven simultaneously
mad in the earliest histories. Their
bodies are attuned to the spirit of
the land in a way that mortals don’t
understand. This connection, along
with the demented influence of their
ancestors, makes the elves ethereal,
uncouth, and dangerous.
In their home world of Iltallach,
fey creatures have learned to sense
the unseen after living for centuries
beside disembodied spirits. They see
material things as mere distortions
of the spiritual, and therefore of little
value. This sentiment lingers among
the elves, who reject the basic idea of
ownership over material possessions.
Mortals, especially the humans
that live in Iljudheim, seem to be at
constant odds with the elves, whose
spiritual connection to nature seems
an awful lot like black magic to them.
Elves often return the humans’ hatred
in spades, raiding and mischievously
playing on their fear of magic.
38
Living in Two Worlds
The spiritual senses of the elves are often mistaken for madness. Their fey
ancestors were outright lunatics—as are many of the other fey races to this
day—but the elves have stabilized somewhat in the thousands of years since
they were marooned in Vinramar. They know they can see what others can’t,
and they’re learning to interpret between reality and their ghostly visions.
Elf
Having one foot in the Material Realm and another in the Spirit Realm
is difficult for elves. Some lose track of what’s real and what isn’t, confusing
mortals for spirits or their own dreams for reality. Unlike elves in other
settings, the elves of Darkplane aren’t often scholarly, unless you consider
their quest for personal spiritual understanding an academic pursuit.
Cruel to Be Kind
Elves are proud and given to thinking their philosophies are truer than
those of other cultures. In elf society, to be wrong is taboo, so many elves
will consider their arguments deeply before voicing them. When they do
voice them, elves can be blunt and harsh, but rarely mean-spirited. They
see their correctness as giving them the right to demand compliance. In elf
culture, the offering of unpleasant truth is considered kind and polite.
Of course, other races don’t take this very well. They might think that
an elf is refusing to see an issue from another perspective, when in reality
the elf has already considered and rejected that view. Most elves that venture
into other cultures learn in time to soften their unsympathetic nature.
Scattered Tribes
Two Fey Gates connect the elf homeworld to Arwest and Iljudheim, so most
of their settlements are in these regions. Consistently strained contact with
the neighboring races has made the elves more and more distrustful—even
cruel—toward outsiders. There are many different cultures within the elf
race: high elves, moon elves, wood elves, the mysterious dark elves, and
more. Most consider Vinramar home, but there are some who look forward
to the day they can return to Iltallach.
High elves are the rarest and most frightening to humans, who largely
hear of them in whispered stories. Displaying a higher level of spirituality
and supernatural senses, they’re the least dependent on material things of all
elf cultures. They generally don’t wear clothing, and prefer to stay in deeply
secluded areas of natural beauty. High elves’ hair and eyes range from
40
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score Half-Elves
increases by 1. Half-elves have always been at the center of the
Dead to Magic. You have advantage on all human hatred toward the Fey. Humans are often
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws devastated when their people choose to leave them
against spell effects. for the love of an elf, and the eventual children of
Nature’s Veil. You can use the Hide action such unions have borne almost as much suspicion
Elf
even if you are only lightly obscured, as long as it is and intolerance as their fey parents.
by fog, snow, rainfall, vegetation, or another effect With the expansion of the Ansë kingdoms in
of nature. Iljudheim in the last few hundred years, the number
of half-elves in that region has soared. Elves and
Moon Elf humans are in closer contact than ever, which has
Unlike most elves, the moon elves deal closely only bred more hostility between them. The half-
with humans. They have a practical side to their elves among both cultures tend to bear the brunt of
culture that isn’t seen among most of their kin, and this conflict.
they are far more comfortable in water. They often The elf-strain might last long in a family line.
worship Baturach, the unknowable goddess of the Once a human bears an elf ’s child, her children might
tides and moon. sire half-elves for hundreds of years without so much
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score as another look at the fey people. In these cases “half-
increases by 1. elf ” is obviously a loose term.
Nature’s Veil. You can use the Hide action While they do tend to group together when
even if you are only lightly obscured, as long as it is possible, half-elves don’t have their own political
by fog, snow, rainfall, vegetation, or another effect bodies. Often a city district or village will draw a
of nature. small community of half-elves, which becomes a
gathering point for them. Of course, the most dense
Watercraft. You have proficiency with
areas of half-elf population are where the other fey
waterborne vehicles, and you have advantage when
kindreds live in abundance, specifically in Iljudheim
making ability checks involving rope—repairing it,
and the islands off the west coast of Arwest.
splicing it, and tying or untying knots.
41
Human
H uman settlements are to be
found in every corner of Vinramar,
often built over the ruins of previous
civilizations. As in most settings,
humans have incredible variety, both
physically and culturally. Whether
their communities are urban,
rural, industrial, tribal, militant,
peaceful, or colonial, humans find
their diversity is a blessing and a
curse. It makes them innovative and
adaptable, but it also provides more
opportunities for their characteristic
intolerance to manifest. Anyone
with a different appearance, culture,
or religion is likely to be reviled by
neighboring humans, unless—like
the heathfolk, for example—they
prove themselves useful.
Despite the fact that the first
humans were bred as slave-runts
to the daemons, slavery remains
pervasive in most human societies.
In Trentsmund sarrow slaves are a
mark of status, and in Motta captive
gugrum are the backbone of the
empire’s economy. It’s also common
for human households to retain other
humans as slaves, either captured in
battle or as punishment for crimes.
Humans have historically
recognized Daemoth as the most
powerful of the gods, and their
progenitor. During their first
diaspora from Mohtra, they brought
the Etholchan Church to the four
corners of Vinramar, embedding
the daemon beliefs and rituals deep
within the world’s most powerful
civilizations. Today, many continue
the tradition, though not all.
42
Children of the Children of God
Humans first appeared during the early years of the Elder Dark, when the
daemon empire Mohtra was beginning its longest period of expansion.
The daemons were to the last bred from a single being: Atiakha, the captive
daughter of the moon. When these infertile creatures made their own
arrogant attempt at fathering children, humans were the result—malformed
Human
weaklings kept only for their use as expendable slaves. In this capacity, they
thrived, proving themselves intelligent and passionate, though at times
intractable. Several millennia of revolts and mass escapes culminated in the
human slaves conquering Mohtra and transforming it into their own empire,
Motta, which has existed, at least in name, for more than 8,000 years.
From the latter part of the Elder Dark to the present, human colonies
have cropped up in every region of the world, where they continue to form
distinct cultures and traditions. The number and diversity of these human
ethnic groups is nearly endless. For the purposes of categorization, however,
the human cultures are here broadly gathered into five groups based on
cultural similarity and regions of origin: the Ansë, the Drael, the Forroth,
the Omhatra, and the Quitzál.
The humans that make up these categories likely identify themselves as
belonging to a local culture, nation, or ethnic group over any broad subrace,
but these groupings serve as useful distinctions in describing how such
diverse peoples relate to one another.
The Ansë
Found mainly in Iljudheim, the Ansë cultures have a strong connection to
their homeland, which is wild and beautiful. Their physical isolation has
contributed to the rise of unique folklore and religious tradition among
them. Few Ansë societies worship the gods of other lands. Perhaps this is
the cause of their disdain for foreigners, or perhaps it’s a result. Either way,
they share a love of storytelling and song, which has populated their sagas
with a rich pantheon of gods and heroes. The collected legends of the Ansë
are called the Bjorvinlad, or “family-truth.” They tell of adventures and wars,
revealing the nature of the world and man’s place in it.
Despite their cultural range, the Ansë kingdoms are among the only
truly feudal societies in Vinramar. Divided by the rivalries of kinship and
fealty, their land has been locked in a cycle of petty war for centuries.
One man’s traitor is another’s captain, and outsiders often find themselves
confused by the politics of the Ansë, who agree only on their collective
hatred for the elf tribes scattered about their lands.
The further south one travels in Iljudheim, the fairer its people become.
Blond or red hair is common in the remote southern fjords, where the cold
land forces the Ansë to wrap themselves in fur cloaks, pants, coats, and hats.
Those who live higher north on the peninsula might wear simple linen shirts
or robes, especially if they trade with Motta. Many Ansë cultures wear their
hair and beards long, with decorative braids and knots.
Although their castles and fortresses are constructed with clever
masonry, the Ansë build most dwellings with logs and thatched roofs. The
few large cities they’ve built are tightly gathered within and around the
castles of local kings. Most of their people subsist on fishing, farming, and
livestock. Favored Ansë weapons include handaxes, longswords, longbows,
and spears. They often go into battle wearing leather armor or chainmail.
Human Settlement
44
The Omhatra
No human cultures have spread farther or grown more diverse than the
Omhatra. From the far southeast, their small city-states and shogunates
launched a number of influential explorers from the region of Syrikhal,
who would settle lands as distant as Arwest and Goltaraim. Over the next
thousand years, these distant colonies grew into dense nations, and their
inhabitants developed diverse physical features and cultural practices.
The Omhatra of Syrikhal remain largely confined to isolated
cities ruled by local generals (sometimes called shoguns). Dense
rainforests separate the city-states, making ships the quickest method
of transportation and preserving the separate traditions found in each
area. Senfaerism is the most common religion in this region, and since it
teaches the importance of simplicity, the Omhatra of Syrikhal undertake
all things with a reserved asceticism.
Between 1340 and 1345 Annoloth, the thriving Omhatra nations in
Wellusk were wiped from the face of the earth by legions of vampires.
Living for many years in the shadow of Perrith Gorr, these humans
had become accustomed to slave-raids and border skirmishes, but
the Desolation of Wellusk was as absolute and sudden a genocide as
the world has ever seen. The Omhatra’s rich Welluskan culture was all
but snuffed out in the space of a single year, leaving ragged survivors
scattered about the neighboring regions. With the vorruc blight
spreading slowly across the continent, the Omhatra people in Wellusk
face a bleak future.
The Arwest region is home to Omhatra cultures that live in sparsely
populated homesteads, making their living as trappers, shepherds, and
foresters. With werekin and vampires settled so close, they keep to
themselves and fiercely guard their kin. In Goltaraim, the Omhatra have
generally assimilated with the telmatra, although there are places further
out from the heartlands where tension between the two races runs deep.
The QuitzáL
Dwelling scattered throughout the West, the Quitzál peoples may at first
seem archaic or undeveloped, having clung to their earliest traditions
over the last thousand years. Though their technology makes less use of
steel and coal, Quitzál cultures are sophisticated in their industry and
infrastructure. Most of their societies value living off the land, some in
nomadic tribes and some in permanent settlements.
The most prominent Quitzál societies are found in and around the
densely forested parts of the Norlythe, but there are also many living
around the Sea of Lorelannon, most notably the Ocalatnoloset tribes off
the eastern coast of Motta.
Northern Quitzál cultures commonly pay homage to Sarnoss, the
god of beasts and the wild. Their elders appoint a High Chief to act as
both spiritual and political leader for the community. Others might rely
on matriarchal leaders like Clan Mothers to resolve disputes and manage
political affairs.
Furs, beads, feathers, and gold are common adornments of Quitzál
dress. Their most settled cultures farm kale, corn, beans, or root
vegetables, supplemented by prodigious hunting. More nomadic tribes
typically hunt and gather, or commute between a temporary dwelling
and separate orchards or gardens.
45
Gugrum
T hough descended from the ancient
maahiset people, the gugrum have
developed a far larger stature. The
powerful network of kingdoms once
ruled by their civilization now lies in
tatters, a casualty of civil war. In the
wake of this collapse, humans entered
their wasted lands and shipped the
gugrum to Motta as slaves, ending any
chance of greatness for the gugrum.
Bearing mournful memories
of their bygone golden age, the
gugrum have dwindled into a quiet
and subdued people, despite their
imposing stature. Those that have
eluded captivity draw close to the
earth in matriarchal communities.
Though capable warriors when they
need to be, pacifism and nonviolence
have become their chief values.
Many thousands still languish
as slaves and servants in Motta.
Those who escape or are freed might
remain there, where the population
is racially diverse, but more likely
relocate to lands where they will not
be mistaken for property.
46
Thoughtful and Private
Although formal education isn’t a part of most gugrum cultures,
they are a perceptive and conscientious people. This reputation for
being gentle giants may explain why they’ve been victimized in recent
history. Exceptions can be found, but it’s unusual to see a gugrum
engage in outwardly violent or aggressive behavior. Though they no
Gugrum
doubt feel these emotions, they’ve usually been taught from birth to
hide anger and selfishness.
These strong cultural taboos result in a tendency for gugrum to
be quiet company. Even their large gatherings and celebrations seem
hushed compared to those of other cultures. They admire silence and
see it as a sign of intelligence, while impulsive chatter is disdained as
attention-seeking and disruptive. When foreigners visit a gugrum city,
they often turn heads with the volume of their conversation.
Grey Giants
The gugrum are generally taller than most other races, with a heavy
musculature and thick, strong hands. This makes them not only
physically imposing compared to humans, but also talented miners,
athletes, and soldiers. Ironically, these vocations are uncommon in
their society—but enslaved gugrum are all too familiar with such work.
The skin of the gugrum is a pale slate color. Their blood is a
deep blue that shows clearly through the skin, giving it a lightning or
tree-branch patterning. Every gugrum’s unique vein-pattern shows
differently, which they use as an easy method of identification. A few
gugrum grow thin hair in varying shades of grey, but most are nearly
hairless. Their eyes trend toward warm colors like yellow, amber, or pink.
A History of Violence
The gugrum were once the most numerous of the races descended
from the maahiset. Their civilization occupied the vast grasslands
known today as the Forlorn Marches. Around 2,400 years ago, rampant
civil war ignited among them, and within a century nothing was left
but ruined towers and fields of bones. The few refugees that escaped
this bloodbath were herded south as slaves, or else went north to settle
the woodlands of Chayrshellech and the Norlythe.
Today gugrum culture is largely matriarchal. Women are
considered intellectually superior among them, often governing as
philosopher-chiefs while the men act primarily as laborers and artisans.
When the gugrum raised in patriarchal captivity encounter their free
kinfolk, gender tension can become a serious point of conflict.
A cannibalistic society of gugrum called the Saethym live a
nomadic existence in lands east of the River Oulearan. The Saethym
are heavily male-dominated, which prevents them from integrating
well with other gugrum cultures. According to their legends, their
practice of blood magic stems from secrets taught to them by the
dragonborn in a forgotten era.
Born in Chains
The majority of gugrum are raised in bondage to humans. They live
in estates and on plantations owned by their masters, and very rarely
leave the grounds. This harsh life is a heavy burden to the gugrum,
many of whom dream of freedom. Those fortunate enough to escape
might search out their free northern relatives.
Gugrum
hit points equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up), and you to the highlands north of
reduce your exhaustion level by one. present-day Trentsmund, the
mysterious little people called
the maahiset flourished as
one of the great pre-human
civilizations. During the height
of their power, the demon-
legions of Mohtra ravaged the
lands of the maahiset, causing
them to scatter far across
the West and flee into the
mountains.
Four thousand years
later their descendants the
Maahisites began to emerge: the
gugrum, heathfolk, sarrow, and
telmatra. While sealed off, each
Maahisite race had grown apart
from the others, developing
different physical and cultural
attributes.
Along with humans,
Maahisites have spread to
become a large and diverse
set of civilizations. Thousands
of years of separation have
estranged these four races, and
it’s doubtful that any kindred
loyalty remains between them.
49
Heathfolk
T he heathfolk are a technologically
advanced race native to the moors
and highlands that once belonged
to their maahiset forefathers.
They’re descended from the original
maahiset aristocracy who, when the
demon-spawn attacked, elected to
flee into mountain sanctuaries rather
than live underground.
As the highland settlers
prospered, these sanctuaries
developed into vast cities perched
on remote precipices. They grew
taller, hardier, more scientific, and
their numbers swelled. Today the
heathfolk continue to thrive as a
result of their political neutrality and
characteristic charm. Most have a
love of learning and art instilled in
them from a young age.
Folk magic is a fundamental
part of heathfolk culture. With the
exception of the Yaelcar kindred,
most of them treasure the arcane
as part of their heritage. Their
universities are the only formal
institutions for magical instruction in
the world.
50
Artistic and Open-Minded
Among the heathfolk, enlightenment is everything. Children are assigned
personal tutors at age four, and their education continues until they come
of age at 22. Most heathfolk are inculcated with an open mind and a
passion for art and learning. Their high literacy rate and quality of life set
them apart from other cultures.
Heathfolk
Heathfolk often practice simple forms of arcane magic, which perhaps
contributes to their fascination with that which they don’t yet understand.
While most cultures are eternally suspicious of the arcane, heathfolk
tradition embraces it as both a science and an art. The handing down of
ancient folk magic practices defines traditional heathfolk society. Indeed,
Ruethas—their racial deity—is a patron of arcane secrets.
52
Heathfolk Traits language of the heathfolk. It has many unique sounds
The heathfolk share an array of traits that reflect their that can be difficult for other cultures to learn. It’s a
education and cultural aptitudes. whispery, smooth-sounding language thought to be
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score closely related to that spoken by the ancient maahiset.
increases by 2. Subrace. Choose a subrace. Two are described
Age. Heathfolk have a lifespan just longer than that here: black heathen and northern kin.
Heathfolk
of humans. They commonly live to 100, but rarely 120.
Black Heathen
Alignment. Moderation goes hand in hand with
enlightenment, and the heathfolk value their ability The Black Heathens, also called the Yaelcar, separated
to ride the middle of the road. Neutrality is often a from the heathfolk nation of Chayrshellech several
compelling alignment choice for them. millennia ago. They are vehemently secularist, denying
Size. Most heathfolk have a height around 5 feet, the usefulness of both magic and religion. To outsiders,
with a particularly short individual dipping to as low the black heathens seem somber and plain-thinking,
as 4 feet, and a very tall heathfolk reaching 6 feet. Your but they have all the intelligence and tenacity of their
size is Medium. northern kin.
Speed. 30 feet. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score
Heathfolk Weapon Training. You have proficiency increases by 1.
with the flintlock pistol, longsword, and rapier. Secular Training. You gain one of the following:
Incidental Knowledge. If you miss an ability (a) proficiency in two tools or weapons of your choice
check’s DC by a margin of 1, you still succeed. This (b) proficiency in one additional skill from your
trait does not apply to saving throws or attack rolls, but class's skill list
it does allow you to win contests that result in a tie. Northern Kin
Less Sleep. When taking a long rest, you only need The northern kin are the traditionalists among the
to spend 4 of the 8 hours sleeping. You can spend a week heathfolk, representing the majority in their culture.
concentrating on a single downtime activity during the They’re often raised around the use of simple folk
remaining 4 hours of each long rest. After a week, you magic, but not all of them go on to study arcane
gain the benefit of 1 day engaged in that activity. practices in depth.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
Roccurish and two extra languages of your choice. increases by 1.
If your Intelligence score is 13 or higher, you learn Folk Magic. You learn two cantrips from the
another additional language. Roccurish is the native following list: blade ward, dancing lights, light, mending,
message, minor illusion, prestidigitation, or true strike.
53
Sarrow
F rom their earliest history, the
sarrow have been subjects of
voracious persecution. Still enslaved
by humans throughout the world,
they are embittered and very slow to
trust. Those free from bondage live in
the most remote parts of Vinramar,
understandably eager to avoid
contact with other races.
More than any other Maahisite
race, the sarrow still resemble
their ancestors, who were likewise
about half the height of a human.
They descend from a group of
maahiset that delved deep under the
mountains to escape the onslaught
of Mohtra, and were first to emerge
once the enemy left their land. If they
had known what lay in store for their
people, they might have preferred to
stay underground.
Sarrow continue to be bred in
slavery to humans. Any evidence of
their culture has been wiped from
their native lands in the Trentsmund
region by human settlers. Only two
places in the world are home to
free sarrow communities—one an
isolated desert tribe and the other a
colony of escaped slaves.
54
Freethinking Futurists
Widely uneducated, the sarrow nevertheless have an uncanny
intuition. They learn well by watching—probably far better than their
masters give them credit for—and that talent makes them dangerous
slaves to keep. Indeed, the sarrow are always bristling under the yoke
of their captivity. Almost yearly, large bands of slaves revolt and buy
Sarrow
their freedom with blood.
Those who escape often find their way to Ykhel, the commune of
free sarrow in the remotest mountains of the Norlythe region. There
they can receive education, raise families, and help build a brighter
future for their people. Past evils force them to look forward. Many
sarrow disparage tradition, since little of their own has survived. They
place higher value on innovation and progress.
Sarrow Traits
The following traits provide cultural information about sarrow
characters.
Alignment. The sarrow are a philosophically diverse group, owing
largely to the fact that most of them live as captive laborers. They have
an indomitable desire to be free, which in some cases might translate
into a chaotic alignment.
Languages. You can speak Dyraneff and one additional language
of your choice. Dyraneff is the traditional sarrow language, descended
from the tongue spoken by the ancient maahiset.
Optional Subraces
When creating a sarrow character, use the dwarf or halfling race. You
can choose a subrace from among the following optional alternatives.
Desert Sarrow
Born in the unyielding lands of the Waelslayg Desert, these sarrow have
to be tough or die. They’re used to sweltering heat, daily hunting, and
going hungry more often than not.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Wisdom scores increase
by 1.
Sarrow Slave
Secrets
Sarrow
Whether in a household, a mine, or a field, many sarrow are raised in
servitude. What they lack in education, they make up for with a wealth
of insight into the lives of the aristocracy that bought and sold them. of the
Former slaves tend to be the most passionate and perceptive of the
sarrow. Ancients
At its height, the maahiset
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Charisma scores increase
empire covered much of
by 1.
the regions of Trentsmund,
My Turn to Choose. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill. Chayrshellech, the Norlythe,
and Goltaraim. Though their
Ykhelesian monumental cities have
Well educated and forward-thinking, the Ykhelesian sarrow are been buried and ground into
particularly slow to trust those of other races. They have learned that dust, there are still artifacts,
all people deserve respect, and often defend the downtrodden in any ruins, and places of power to
society. be found in these regions—
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1. remnants of the runemages’
Syndicate Training. Choose one skill or tool you’re proficient in. forgotten art. But those who
When making ability checks that involve the use of that skill or tool, can discover the secrets of the
double your proficiency bonus. forbidden relics may live to
regret it.
Today, the Maahisite
races have little memory of
their ancestors. They take for
granted the folklore, nursery
rhymes, and symbols of
power that survive from that
era. Even the heathfolk, who
inherited a tradition of simple
rune magic from the maahiset,
know very little of the ancient
practices. Time swallows
secrets, and the mysteries of
the maahiset are no exception.
57
Telmatra
W hen the maahiset fled the
advance of the daemons, some built
ships and crossed the Ocean of the
Northern Veil toward present-day
Goltaraim. There they settled, and
became the seafaring race called the
telmatra.
The telmatra occupy lands
that conveniently serve as a bridge
between the East and West. The
trade traffic that passes through
has caused their society to develop
rapidly in urban areas, but left the
more remote communities behind.
The conflict between traditionally
xenophobic telmatra tribes and
the progressive mercantile states is
emblematic of what it means to be
a telmatra in the industrial world.
Each must choose between tradition
and modernity, two ways of life that
cannot coexist.
Telmatra tribes are built around
warrior reverence. The more people
a male has killed, for example, the
more concubines he is awarded.
These sorts of practices are what put
tribal communities at odds with those
who subscribe to more equitable
customs. Most telmatra feel torn
over this cultural conflict. Even those
who detest the ancient traditions may
have a more emotionally complex
relationship with them than they
would ever admit.
58
Open for Business
With a male-dominated warrior culture in their past, telmatra are
often extreme, impatient, and dismissive. This short attention span
actually serves them well in the world of trade and business, where
quick, tense interactions play to their strengths. For the same reason,
many telmatra enjoy gambling. This all-business demeanor is balanced
Telmatra
by a general respect for those they trust. Telmatra are very loyal allies.
Race wars nearly destroyed the telmatra when human settlers first
arrived from Syrikhal. After centuries of bloodshed, the two cultures
eventually settled into a tolerant peace. Many intermarried over the
course of time, resulting in a gradual and balanced assimilation that
has all but eliminated racial inequality in Goltaraim. Telmatra are
usually eager to see that everyone has a fair shot in life, regardless
of birth or religion. They also share a general distaste for Western
imperialism, which to them represents the worst that humankind has
brought upon the world.
Beyond the Tribe
Interacting regularly with the various peoples of Vinramar, telmatra
living in developed areas have a well-rounded knowledge of foreign
cultures. Their home is a meeting place for almost every race, creed,
and social order on the planet. Most telmatra have learned to delight
in the differences that define all people. Those steeped in tribal
tradition, however, have not, going so far as to lead war parties against
foreign peoples that trespass on lands they have claimed.
Most telmatra are eager to prove that they aren’t barbarians,
perhaps all the more so because their tribal cousins continue to raid
along the coasts and islands of central Vinramar. To prove their
sophistication, the city-dwellers rely on displays of wealth as marks of
cultural and economic progress. They wear lavish clothing and jewelry,
build grandiose dwellings, and employ hundreds of servants. Of course,
the tribes have their own signs of status. Bones of fallen enemies are
worn around the neck and pierced through the ears, nose, and cheeks.
Tattoos adorn their bodies, listing their acts of valor. Such marks of
accomplishment mean everything to tribal telmatra.
62
Bitter and Proud
To the dragonborn, the world has turned away from its proper fate.
They raise their young on stories of a time when dragons ruled the land,
the seas, and the skies—stories that one day the stolen world would be
returned to its rightful masters. To them, the races that now occupy it are
fundamentally strange. For this reason, many dragonborn have an air of
Dragonborn
detachment, as though they see life so differently from others that trying
to find common ground is pointless. They’re proud, not taking insult
lightly, but once they’ve warmed up to someone, the bond is ironclad.
Shut Out the World
Interactions with the other races of Vinramar have seldom ended well for
the dragonborn. Two thousand years ago, they were slaughtered wholesale
by colonists from Motta who wished to settle the coastlands they occupy,
and some dragonborn can still be found among the slaves of human
households. Given this history, the dragonborn keep close to home. Those
that adventure beyond the borders are often met with shock and disgust.
In the eastern jungles, some dragonborn tribes have survived for
millennia, since before human settlers ever arrived. These are the most
reclusive and ascetic devotees of the mysterious beings that lie at the heart
of the rainforest. Their devotion to those beings is dearer to them than life.
Divided Clans
The dragonborn settlements are scattered and out of touch. For the most
part they live in small tribes of thirty or less, but two larger clans exist on
the islands off the south coast of Chayrshellech. The more dangerous of
these is called Kaiervol. These dragonborn do little in the way of hunting
or fishing, preferring instead to raid ships that dare to pass through their
waters. The Kaiervol clan inhabits Mount Fayrlin, the ancient seat of the
Daragoch Empire. The Medeghar clan is taller and spends more time
on land than the other dragonborn. Their island lies just east of Mount
Fayrlin. Some farming is practiced among them, but this is a relatively
recent development.
The dragonborn place great value on physical prowess and endurance.
Hunting and swimming are essential for their survival, and those who
perform best in these activities command the most respect. Their tradition
of determining clan leaders through tournament combat explains why
particularly large dragonborn often act entitled to take charge.
Dragonborn
Speed. 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Daraghun and one regional Like many descendants of
language of your choice. Daraghun is a degenerated form of the ancient Lakhi, the dragonborn have
dragon speech, and its name is also the origin of the word dragon. It employs dwindled to a size comparable
heavy use of rhyme and alliteration in constructing phrases. to the other humanoid races of
Subrace. Choose a subrace. Two are described here: bog lurker and Vinramar. To some extent their
dragonborn diver. physiology must be amphibious
Bog Lurker or reptilian (depending on
In the dense rainforests of Syrikhal, mysterious tribes prowl the deepest subrace), but they seem to be
rivers and marshes. Few outsiders have managed to make contact with predominantly mammalian, as
them, but the stories tell that these dragonborn serve something ancient and opposed to their distant cousins
alien that lies in the blackest murk of the swamp—godlike lizards that can the lizardmen, who are reptiles.
peer into the minds of lesser beings. They and their scions can smell fear, or Whatever their characteristics
conjure terrifying visions in an intruder’s mind. might be, the dragonborn are
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1. feared and hated more than any
Psychic Stirring. You can use an action to send frightening images other common race.
through the minds of your enemies. When you use this ability, creatures Most dragonborn feel
in a 15-foot cone must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become kinship with sea creatures
frightened until the end of their next turn. The DC for the saving throw and reptiles, and they look to
equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. the dragons as their ancestors
Smell Fear. You can sense frightened creatures within 25 feet of you, and and gods. Their mythology,
they cannot become hidden from you while within this range. This sense is however, is largely based on oral
blocked by any barrier that would obstruct your sense of smell. tradition, and very few have
Sound Mind. You have resistance to psychic damage, and when you any real knowledge of their
make a saving throw to avoid being frightened, you have advantage. people’s long-past golden age.
They tend to reject the worship
Dragonborn Diver of humanoid gods, considering
The most common type of dragonborn in Vinramar, these descendants of it the height of narcissism to
Lakhi have incredible skill at maneuvering underwater. They often live in assume that the gods bear
stone villages hewn into cliffs that overlook the sea. Their lungs can clamp resemblance to mere mortals.
shut for up to an hour while their small gills pull oxygen from water. Their
hands and feet have subtle webbing that helps propel them with ease when
swimming.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water, and have a swim speed
of 30 feet. While you’re grappling a creature underwater, it is also restrained
by you.
Deep Swimmer. You have resistance to cold damage.
Marine Affinity. You have advantage on ability checks to influence,
befriend, or train water-dwelling creatures.
VINRAMAR
Then dauntless Rephel went unto Iarmuto in the furthest west with
the strength of his nine legions, and the prophet Tantoruch stood before the gates
to meet him; and Rephel ascended with Tantoruch to the highest chamber of the
temple, that he might look upon the world.
And Rephel looked north and beheld the snow-dipped forests of the
Norlythe, where men ride stags like horses; and he beheld the furious industry of
Trentsmund, its mills and factories and smoke; and in the tops of the mountains
he beheld the sorcerers of Chayrshellech, who wear runes upon their faces.
And Rephel looked east and beheld the black-toothed hunters depart from
the desert and settle the coasts of Goltaraim; and he beheld the wilderness of
Arwest, where men walk in the skin of beasts beneath the eaves; and he beheld the
parched earth where Iarmov’s young lap the blood of children from their chargers
in Perrith Gorr.
And Rephel looked south and beheld the warmongers of Iljudheim and the
forest-grown empire of Arrochule, and the pagodas of Syrikhal like forlorn islands
in a sea of jungle.
And last of all Rephel looked to Wellusk, where a desolation descended
unlooked for upon the living and the dead.
—The Book of Rephel 12:3-7
* * *
Vinramar is a diverse world. Its lands and nations are as varied as our own.
In this chapter, you’ll find information on the tribes, city-states, oligarchies,
republics, kingdoms, and empires that populate the world in the year 1350
Annoloth, as well as their respective languages.
Vinramar’s days, years, climate, geology, atmosphere, magnetic field, and
force of gravity are equivalent to Earth’s. It has a moon that’s comparable to
ours. The equator of Vinramar is approximately 8,800 miles in circumference,
making it roughly a third the size of Earth. If a ship could sail straight around it
without stopping, it would finish the journey in about a hundred days.
Most plant and animal species we’re familiar with exist somewhere in
Vinramar, as well as many unique species. The global population of intelligent
races is around 600 million, having had significant booms in the last few
centuries. There are 79 known nations across seven continents and larger
islands, separated by seven oceans.
The map on pages 68 and 69 depicts the nations of Vinramar, grouped into 11
world regions: Arrochule, Arwest, Chayrshellech, Goltaraim, Motta,
the Norlythe, Perrith Gorr, Syrikhal, Trentsmund, and Wellusk. These regions
each contain several nations, cultures, and races, acting like a set of interconnected
campaign settings. You might run an entire campaign in Trentsmund, for
example, and have plenty of scope for a year or more of play. Alternatively, you
could begin with a series of adventures in the wilderness of the Norlythe, move
the action to the densely populated region of Motta for a few levels, then take the
final tier of the campaign to the vampire wastelands in Perrith Gorr.
66
Arrochule
70
Known History At Intillanum’s death, the twelve chief cities of the
This region has always been colored by its legacy as jharethil suddenly vanished from the land without
the homeland of the jharethil. They dwelt here in the a trace. Many believe that the god Jharus had finally
earliest ages of the world, building a powerful empire washed his hands of the world, taking his children up
Arrochule
called Ardon that would rise and fall throughout into his presence once and for all. Others contend that
Vinramar’s history. During the Elder Dark, the land the disappearance must have been part of Gauren’s
was conquered by the Mohtran Empire and given the attack on the empire. It’s been 1,350 years now, and no
name Arrochule, after Daemoth’s second son. Under definite answer has ever emerged.
the rule of the daemons, the jharethil were scattered In the centuries after the Great Forsaking, jungle
and persecuted, but broken Ardon struggled to keep sprang up over New Ardon’s ruined foundations. The
a foothold in the region. During the Wild Age, the humans formed the Empire of Arrochule in hopes
jharethil reappeared to find Arrochule home to a of returning political stability to the region, but each
collection of diverse civilizations. year the wilderness seems to spread faster and faster,
swallowing their settlements in dense overgrowth.
The Ichoroth The earth itself wages war on the empire, subsuming
The 12th and 13th centuries saw the jharethil regain Arrochule’s cities with unnatural speed.
large areas of the continent, but it was humans who
sabotaged their expansion. The elder kindred had taken Vengeful Jungle
in many human refugees and escaped slaves fleeing the To survive in Arrochule means battling the land,
West. Legend tells that twelve such humans, envious of whether farming, foresting, mining, or simply trying to
jhareth immortality, struck a bargain with Gauren in a stem the jungle’s aggressive advance. The industrious
crooked bid for power. In exchange for exterminating imperial citizens are better equipped for this fight
the jharethil, Gauren granted the humans eternal life than others, but it’s little comfort. With each buried
and the rule of Arrochule. History remembers them as settlement, the region’s cities become more isolated
the Ichoroth, the Twelve Traitors. from one another as the wild steadily overthrows them.
Their reign didn’t last long. A fierce plague Despite such losses, the Empire of Arrochule has
descended on the Ichoroth Empire, rotting the steadily conquered most neighboring territories. The
people’s flesh and turning them white as death. The people that inhabit them often lack the numbers and
Witchplague, as it came to be called, killed hundreds— tools to carve a proper living from the earth. Bitter
but it couldn’t kill the Ichoroth. It was then that poverty has descended on these fringe societies in
Gauren’s duplicity was revealed, for though their spirits the last hundred years, starving the fight out of them
could not separate from their bodies, neither could and sweetening the prospect of joining the empire.
they heal or remain young. Condemned to waste away Those that still resist often turn to raiding imperial
for eternity until their flesh was dust, the Ichoroth were settlements for provisions and tools, for which the
deposed. Even now, after thousands of years, some empire brands them as barbarians.
claim to see the Ichoroth from time to time, wandering Humans, predominantly of Forroth descent, are by
the wild lands of Arrochule like vagrant corpses. far the most common race in Arrochule, but telmatra
are found abundantly in the islands surrounding
New Ardon and the Great Forsaking the mainland. Some gugrum tribes live a nomadic
At the end of the Wild Age, a jhareth named Ardoth existence along the northern coast, particularly in the
Intillanum united what survived of his people and Ba’areth Mountains. The humans and gugrum speak
marched on Arrochule. The continent quickly fell dialects of Arroch—as do many local telmatra, in
under the banner of New Ardon, an empire which addition to their racial tongue Salohusaid.
Intillanum personally ruled for more than 2,500 years. Arrochulis often dress in stitched animal hides
But New Ardon too was doomed to fall. draped with linen robes or togas. In the imperial cities,
Gauren, ever eager to win his father’s approval, where fine linen and Syrikhali silk are more accessible,
seduced a second coven of humans into his service. the robes are opulent and lavishly embroidered.
These he taught terrifying truths about the nature of the Wealthy citizens pay highly for imported glass, steel,
universe, truths that robbed them of their sanity and wine, and wool, none of which are easy to obtain
granted them fearsome power. Mad in their worship locally. Within the empire, builders work mainly in
of the Darkplane, they became the Order of Illiantri, a Arrochule’s characteristic golden mottled slate, but in
cloistered cult which orchestrated the assassination of the outlands it’s more common to see structures made
Ardoth Intillanum. Stories claim that Gauren’s part in of wood or earth.
this plot won him a seat at Daemoth’s court.
F our fathers have been dead since our land was returned
to us from the vampires. We claimed Arwest when it was
young. Like the wolf we walked its breadth and built our dens, Common Races: Elf, human, werekin
warning strange peoples that only we would possess it while Language: Welluskud
one werekin lived. Then blood-hunters came from the East to Nations: Erelasht, Faerras, the Kinlands, Syserach,
challenge us, and with the cunning of the spider we trapped Syservol, Talanbir
them until our webs became full and many of our folk were Places of Interest: Castle Brekta, the Fey Gate,
lost. Like the persistent rat we survived to make war once Hessawood, the Pyramid of Yutashu, Sorminka
more, but the Kinlands seem sapped of strength. Under the
reign of Anul we may see it rise or fall for the final time.
—Dictated by King Omkat of clan Anul
74
Known History Primeval Enmity
In ancient days, Arwest was empty but for the elves, Arwest is a region intensely segregated by race. Humans
who dwelt close to the Fey Gate near Farlithia. By the and werekin are the two largest groups, and each has
second millennium of the Wild Age—almost 8,000 learned from long, hard experience to deal with the
Arwest
years ago—human settlers were wandering into the other as little as possible. The local elves have been
region’s western islands, telling myths of a feral tribe slowly dwindling for centuries, and likewise keep to
living in the Hessawood who were neither man nor themselves. Suspicion and racial enmity reign supreme,
beast. The werekin, as the creatures came to be called, making each civilization in Arwest more culturally
soon expanded their hunting grounds across the entire insular than is common in other parts of the world.
island, from the Straits of Warakh to the shores of the As the most xenophobic, werekin have maintained
Wolkwine Sea. Their packs soon developed into semi- a great degree of cultural isolation over the thousands
nomadic clans, fiercely tied to the land they defended. of years since their emergence. The clans all have
unique traditions and philosophies, though their
The Sack of Theidhas common language (and common enemies) have
Located on the site of present-day Faerras, the city of encouraged frequent contact among them. Most tend
Theidhas was established in the 14th century of the to be hunter-gatherers, but clan Anul is notable for its
Wild Age by dark elves fleeing oppression in Talanbir. architectural and agricultural achievements. Shared
The rumors began to spread in 1418: whispers of among all werekin cultures is a distinctive combination
the sorcerer-god Fimbuleth and his beast-children. of self-domestication and territorial herd behavior.
Werekin sightings became common. Despite the imposing wilds of Arwest, its human
In 1428, the dark elves sent an armed expedition communities have developed significantly over the
into the Hessawood to uncover the mystery of centuries, growing from sparse settlements into
Fimbuleth, and the werekin lashed out. Hostilities thriving cities and kingdoms. Predominantly from
erupted into intense territorial warfare, and in less than Omhatra cultures, they speak Welluskud as their first
a year Theidhas was sacked, a symbol of rising werekin language. Most forms of subsistence can be found
dominance in the region. Since that time, Arwest’s elves among them, but in the human kingdoms of Bazamir
have seldom trespassed beyond the southern islands. Island, fishing is king.
Rise and Fall Humans’ dark history with both elves and werekin
The werekin reached the height of their power during in this region has not only populated their folklore
the Intiliaros, an age marked by the rise of the first with elaborate characters and tales, but has shaped
human kingdoms. Werekin clans formalized into them into a particularly superstitious people. Strict
kingdoms and began to build a few scattered cities— rules of conduct and social taboos make dealing with
inspired, historians suppose, by what they saw of the elf the Erelashti and Syservoli peoples a precarious affair
city Theidhas. These kingdoms began expanding across for outsiders. For example, they consider it good luck
the Straits of Warakh into Perrith Gorr, which prompted to speak pessimistically of the future, a practice that
retribution by the vampires in 1602. Volgothyde, the bewilders visitors.
emperor of Perrith Gorr, waged a genocidal war on the The islands southeast of Erelasht are called the
werekin, thinning their packs and ransacking their cities Talanbir, or the Fey Isles, inhabited mostly by moon
for 30 years before abandoning the assault. elves. Though separated by thousands of miles, they’re
The eastern werekin lands were left open to culturally similar to the elves of Iljudheim: distant, highly
human immigrants, who poured in from their own spiritual, and unimpressed by material possessions.
nations across the Wolkwine Sea. As they settled and They most commonly worship Baturach, the primordial
developed, the humans slowly filled their prison camps goddess of the moon, but there are those of them who
with werekin strays. Confinement bred hatred, and in remember their divine mother, the mad Forlortha.
1661 there was a rash of escapes. The prisoners seized Arwest is one of the nothernmost regions of
the camps one by one, scattering and slaying most of Vinramar and remains snow-covered for a significant
the human settlers. portion of the year. The elves and humans tend to dress
With the eastern island under their control appropriately—hats, thick furs, and woolens are common.
once more, the werekin established the Kinlands, a The werekin are more likely to shift into a fur-covered
territorial alliance based on common totem animals. form than to don more clothing, so during winter their
Their clans keep vigilant watch for intruding humans people often go about in beast or hybrid form. In the cool
from Erelasht, Syserach, or Syservol. summers, they’ll usually look more human.
78
Known History the close proximity of heathfolk port cities, the tribal
In Chayrshellech’s earliest memory, it was the seat of nations of Ithacol, Maricuälatán, and Caraquetularác
several pre-human civilizations. The maahiset settled have flourished under the guidance of their
here first, finding refuge in its isolated deserts. But magnanimous neighbors.
Chayrshellech
when Daemoth traversed the region in his search
for hidden knowledge, primordial beasts came in his Multicultural Wilderness
wake, driving many of the maahiset back north and The heathfolk have a vested interest in keeping the
turning Chayrshellech into a land of dread. It wasn’t land beyond their walls wild and untamed. While
until the formation of Daragoch, the empire of the developed nations like Motta and Trentsmund vie to
dragon-spawn, that the region regained stability. When establish colonies far from home, some of the world’s
Daragoch fell and the maahiset fled, Chayrshellech most abundant riches lie obscured in the heart of
remained uninhabited for several thousand years. Chayrshellech. The heathfolk employ their traditional
It was the region’s seclusion, no doubt, that enticed folk magic to harvest the wealth and resources hidden
a branch of the maahiset to remain hidden in the in the desert. Their high standard of living can largely
mountains on Chayrshellech’s eastern coast. History be attributed to the exclusive access such practices
tells that these were the descendants of the maahiset provide to these abundant treasures.
aristocracy, too proud to caravan north or delve As geniocracies, the heathfolk nations are ruled
beneath the earth for safety. They built refuges along by fellowship societies whose members are appointed
the cliff faces of the Waelslayg Mountains, where they from universities based on academic achievement,
dwelt in hiding for more than 6,000 years. When they problem solving, and creative intelligence. Members
descended toward the end of the Wild Age, they had of these governing bodies—called fellows—exercise
become the heathfolk—a race tough as nails, but with collective authority, legislating and sitting in judgment
the souls of poets. As other civilizations came into over the people until they reach an age of respectable
contact with them, the heathfolk began to call their retirement, usually around 60.
collection of mountain sanctuaries Chayrshellech, the The sarrow that live in the region descend from
heart of the world. obscure tribes that were never enslaved like their
cousins in neighboring lands. Some still survive in the
The Departure of Yarcarrach harsh deserts and canyons surrounding the Waelslayg
Not long after the establishment of Chayrshellech Mountains, but most have assimilated into heathfolk
as a heathfolk nation, a group of secular separatists culture as an indentured labor population.
opposed to the use of folk magic rose up against the Nomadic gugrum tribes roam throughout the
democratic government in a bloody civil war. After unpopulated areas of Chayrshellech. Most commonly
years of bloodshed, the Yaelcar (as they were known) they trade with travelers and graze herds along the
migrated south to form their own nation, Yarcarrach, northern coast, occasionally settling down to farm in
along the southern coasts of the region. To this day, isolated communities. The Forlorn Marches, a wide
the heathfolk of Yarcarrach wear black clothing and area between the Dontare and the Taelya, was once the
abstain from cutting their hair. They maintain contact gugrum ancestral home. Civil war long ago reduced it
with the nation of Chayshellech, but the two societies to a valley of bones.
are somewhat estranged. The area east of the River Oulearan is called
Saethym, after the gugrum tribe that roams there.
Slaves and Farms Infamous for their black magic pacts, they hunt and eat
Apart from the Yaelcaric insurgence, the heathfolk’s all living things that trespass on their lands, including
history in Chayrshellech is remarkably stable. The humans, heathfolk, and even other gugrum.
enslavement of dragonborn clans from the southwest The heathfolk, gugrum, and sarrow share this
islands, largely abandoned after the civil war, has region with the dragonborn—mammalian descendants
surged back into practice in the last three hundred of the ancient dragon empire. Dragonborn settlements
years. Slavers caravanning from Motta once again raid are secluded and mysterious to outsiders. Along the
Medeghar and Kyrvol for laborers. These dragonborn southern coasts their clans build partially submerged
slaves are often carried out of the region to estates and complexes from hexagonal megaliths. In Kaiervol and
labor camps in northern Motta. Medeghar, where their clans are most populous, life
More recently, the heathfolk of Chayrshellech have revolves around the worship of primordial deities like
been credited with bringing farming and mercantilism Lakhi, Imbakhao, and Maruma’e.
to the nomadic tribes in the north. Benefiting from
80
Adventuring in Chayrshellech Because the heathfolk use magic in conjunction
If you’re interested in a high-magic campaign, with technology, adventures in Chayrshellech might
Chayrshellech is a perfect region to set it in. Here the border on the science fantasy genre. Be creative about
practice of arcane arts is a part of daily life, and the risk how a society could harness mysterious magic to
of being reviled for it is low—but that doesn’t mean the accomplish daily tasks and provide public services.
skills come easily or without consequences. Here are three campaign hooks based in the
Your party might begin as students studying magic Chayrshellech region:
at Sonnactfel, or a band of streetwise sorcerers looking After several costly raids on their ships, Yarcarrach
to prove themselves after being rejected from the is invading Medeghar—but first their intrepid scouts need
academy. Even if your PCs aren’t magically inclined, a to find where on the island the dragonborn clan lives.
campaign in Chayrshellech featuring these elements will
give it a different feel from other regions of Vinramar. Students from the Arcane Academy brave forgotten
Of course, the arid wilderness that engulfs the ruins, searching for a method to exorcise the malignant
heathfolk cities is a landscape that’s metaphorically lush ghost that possesses their professor’s body.
with adventure possibilities. An expedition to negotiate Heathfolk wizards desperately race to reinforce the
with native tribes would give ample opportunity for boundaries of time and reality as an aberrant god from
exploration, intrigue, and battle. You might give the forgotten eons hurtles hungrily toward Vinramar from
dragonborn center stage in your adventure, encouraging the past.
players to look at the world from the point of view of a
fiercely religious warrior society living in a harsh land.
81
Goltaraim
82
Known History Since the beginning of the Tariff War, as it is called,
Goltaraim has long been called Ethis’ Estate, a land Cordain and Crommos have fallen to the League and
perfectly suited to the primordial goddess. No record been renamed Quoda’en and Quommoch. In four years
tells how long she combed its sand with her toes, or the Goltaris have not reached an agreement as to how
Goltaraim
frolicked naked and beautiful under the relentless these spoils are to be divided. Deltalamir, the best-
sun. Perhaps it is her witchcraft that lurks beneath the armed of the oligarchies, frequently threatens to leave
desert and hangs in the breeze like palpable doom, or the alliance if its allies don’t cater to its caprices. War, it
maybe it’s the dread of the maahiset wanderers that seems, will never truly die—even when replaced with a
sheltered here during the Elder Dark. greedy peace.
Driven to the seas by invading daemons, the
maahiset ancestors of the telmatra race were scattered Global Crossroads
about the Sea of Lorelannon and the Ocean of the Goltaraim lies on a critical juncture between East
Northern Veil. The largest group landed in Qur Dolakh and West. Thousands of vessels travel through the
and quickly littered the region’s scorched dunes with Strait of Imokh every year, bringing news and foreign
arcane relics and trapped genies. goods to the region. Not letting such an advantage
By the time the humans arrived in Goltaraim 8,000 go to waste, the Goltaris have built vibrant ports and
years later, the telmatra had forgotten their sorcerous markets around the strait, drawing even more travelers
traditions. The Omhatra explorer Onkhid brought news and traders. Merchant life, and the economic stability
of his discovery to Eliasikh, and within a year a great wave provided by the Goltari League, is the backbone of
of human raiders and colonists fell on Goltaraim’s shores, culture in this region.
sowing 500 years of bloodshed and strife. But the prosperity that the League brings has a
dark side. As its influence has grown, so has the power
The Goltari League and ruthlessness of the oligarchs that command it. A
The telmatra warrior culture thrived on the conflict local caravan leader that does a little too well might go
with Omhatra settlers, resisting their influence for missing without explanation. More and more, trade
centuries. In that time, however, the humans and families use enforcers to solicit “protection money”
telmatra gradually assimilated until the war simply from merchants and artisans. Guilds that spring up to
faded away. Many traditional telmatra tribes still exist protect the burgeoning middle class fall silent just as
in Arrochule, the Norlythe, and even Trentsmund, quickly, and dangerous black markets outnumber the
but in Goltaraim there are few who are distinctively legitimate ones. Many Goltaris migrate south to enemy
telmatra or human. Most are somewhere in between. nations rather than endure this cutthroat climate.
When the fighting began to slow, warlords who Here more than most world regions, human
had fattened their tribes on battle settled down and influence is weak. Racism, religious persecution,
established territories across the region: Sudurikhal, and other cultural ills that commonly follow human
Deltalamir, Myr Soriah, and others. Decades passed, settlement are largely absent in Goltaraim. Tolerance
hostilities cooled, and trade became more profitable and celebration of a diverse society, which have enriched
than war. The warlords’ children reinvented themselves the Goltaris for centuries, continue to characterize the
as plutocrats, overseeing the merchant vessels and region as a place where anyone can rise to influence.
caravans that now buzzed about the coasts and deserts. For the telmatra in Goltaraim, the influence of
In 661 Annoloth, this gradual peace was officially their tribal heritage is a constant presence. Some see it
recognized with the establishment of the Goltari as a wellspring of wisdom and tradition from a simpler
League, an alliance of convenience between the age, when mysticism and connection to the earth were
oligarchies. Despite occasional armed friction, more important than material wealth. Most, however,
the merchant families that rule the Goltari League consider their tribal kin as backward barbarians
represent every nation in the region, with one clinging to misogynistic practices that were rightly
exception: Far-Alaid, the human kingdom that done away with.
occupies the southwestern archipelago. As desert-dwellers, the Goltaris build with clay,
and wear loose robes capable of protecting the body
The Tariff War
from sun and sand. The more traditional telmatra
Eight years ago, antagonized by exorbitant tariffs
prefer sparse animal skins and intricate bone-jewelry.
in Goltaraim, the fleets of Issos allied with the
Some wear whole carcasses, believing that spirits will
neighboring kingdom of Cordain and attacked
imbue their bodies with the senses and abilities of
Sudurikhal across the Strait of Imokh. Drawn into a
the animal. Common cultural weapons include the
tense war with the island nations, the entire Goltari
scimitar and longbow.
League continues to bicker over support of Sudurikhal.
85
Iljudheim
86
Known History The Warring Elite
The lands of Iljudheim were first settled by Feiren and Life in Iljudheim is shrouded in the grim mist of war.
Culfirith, the first of the Fey Children. From early on, Its rulers spill honest men’s blood on solemn fields to
their people were hounded by demonic creatures that gain trifles, and everywhere carrion birds patiently lurk.
Iljudheim
wandered aimless in the North during Daemoth’s exile. Battle is a treasured pastime for the Ansë. Their children
The harrowing of the Fey culminated in the death of learn to use an axe for killing before chopping wood,
their goddess Forlortha, who fled to the world Iltallach and when grown their greatest wish is to die in combat.
as a mad spirit. Claiming Iltallach for her Fey Children, Social structure among the Ansë is simple. Slaves—
Forlortha opened a dimensional rift allowing passage procured almost exclusively in battle—make up the
between that world and present-day Oruna. lowest class of society, working as laborers, servants,
For some time, the Fey came and went from and in other thankless roles vital to the community.
Iljudheim as though it were part of Iltallach. Their A diverse class of peasant landowners, most of them
lack of interest in geographic expansion allowed for farmers, form the bulk of the population. The nobility
a period of relative peace while the daemons and are those of privileged birth or heroic reputation who
jharethil warred over the Stones of Daemoth. inherit titles, land, and wealth—often leveraging it to
wield political power as warlords and kings.
Telwyn and the High Apostasy
Despite this common class system, laws and
During the Great Winter that brought the Epoch of
customs in Iljudheim vary widely from place to place.
Daragoch to a close, ice caps from the south spread
Cities follow the unique practices of their heðbearas,
across many Fey lands, rendering them inhospitable
or ruling family, and the villages scattered outside the
throughout the following centuries. The archfey Telwyn
city walls often catch visitors off guard with unexpected
swayed thousands of his people to flee through the Fey
observances. These smaller communities are commonly
Gate en masse. In their zeal to renounce their ancestral
composed of a single multi-generational family, and
lands, the apostates sealed the portals, leaving many
contact with even the closest cities is limited.
hundreds of their people stranded in Iljudheim and
The Ansë and the elves have even fewer dealings.
Arwest. In time, these unfortunate laggards became the
The human cultures in this region often blame
elves: a wild, callous folk that prowl the hidden lands of
unexplained occurrences, tragic losses, and sudden
Iljudheim.
changes on the fey folk. To them, plagues are caused by
The Ansë an elf ’s breath, madness or misfortune is the result of an
Humans first appeared in Iljudheim about 5,000 years elf ’s curse, and anyone missing or inexplicably dead is
ago, trailing south from Motta. It took some time thought to have been slain, stolen, or seduced by elves.
for them to slowly become aware that they shared the Such superstition isn’t always far from the truth.
region’s apparently virgin forests with the remains of The elf-courts of Alfyrstock, Hemiliadh, and Oruna—
a frightening pre-human civilization. When the elves cleverly hidden in the wilderness—have long made
caught sight of the rough-looking humans, they called an elaborate game of interfering in human society,
them ansei, meaning “unclean.” Some time later the especially when it might have drastic consequences for
humans adopted the slur and began to call themselves the mortals involved. Just how these tribal aristocracies
the Ansë. operate is a mystery to most outsiders, but elves insist
From the beginning, the elves frightened the there is an intricate ceremony in all that they do.
Ansë. The guarded humans populated their legendry Whatever animosity may exist between the fey
with fearful warnings and superstitions about dealing and human inhabitants of Iljudheim, the two races
with such beings, not all of which were unwarranted. have had an enormous influence on one another over
Minor skirmishes across the region escalated tensions the centuries. The moon elf merchant vessels learned
until there was widespread war in Iljudheim. Over the their craft from mortal fishermen in the Wild Age, and
millennia, the elves have receded deeper and deeper into there are anthropologists who trace the origin of Ansë
the wild. Alfyrstock, Hemiliadh, and Oruna remain the religious practices to certain obscure elf cults. Despite
last strongholds of their culture in this region. such ties, a reserved distrust prevails between them.
Ansë camps and villages now dot the lands once Among the chief industries of Iljudheim are
held sacred by the elves. Many have developed into fishing and lumber, drawing on two of the region’s
small cities, ruled by chieftains and kings that wage most reliable resources. The Ansë excel in woodcraft,
petty wars among themselves. building most of their halls and houses from great
oaks. Their other token art is the knitting of chainmail,
for which neighboring peoples pay them handsomely.
88
of the unseen world are laid mercilessly bare to mortal or perhaps members of a peregrine elf-cult seeking
minds. The wind-worn ruins that flock upon its slopes human lovers to entice away from their homes.
hint that the Ansë are not the first to tell such stories. Discovering the order and operation of the unknown
Wøgensgrunn, the Dragon’s Shoal, is an aptly domain can provide many levels of exciting play.
named waterway weaving among the chain of islands When framing such strange and magical elements, be
that make up western Bjuthilgard. True to the name, careful not to over-define them. Their appeal lies in
the islands within Wøgensgrunn are actually skeletal creating doubt and surprise in the players.
remnants of a colossal serpent or sea-dragon rising Iljudheim’s widespread technological inferiority
up from the deep. The shoals have been settled by presents an opportunity to set adventures of sword
the Bjuthilgardyr, who mine the cyclopean bones for and sorcery here. Few other regions offer such a
strange and valuable materials. Wøgensgrunn yields large canvas for barbarians and cutthroats to struggle
such treasures at a terrible cost, however. Its porous against terrors they can’t possibly comprehend. Some
caves are infested with nightmarish creatures never campaigns set here might not include much magic at
meant to see the light of day. all, leaving brazen adventurers to flout and plunder and
conquer outside the reach of more sophisticated lands.
Adventuring in Iljudheim Here are three campaign hooks based in the
Campaigns set in Iljudheim can draw endlessly on Iljudheim region:
the overarching conflict between the mortal domain A recently buried woman appears in the local jarl’s
and the perilous, inexplicable realm of the elves. Both hall to feast and drink as if she had never died, and the
worlds have innumerable facets, manifested in the dismayed leader calls a party of warriors and magic
different sites, creatures, and pursuits that pertain to experts to investigate the restless lady’s barrow.
each. Elves surround themselves with other creatures
and forces of the supernatural world that defy mortal In glacial waters far south, a raiding party run
understanding, just as humans personify that which aground on what appears to be the battlement of an
can be observed, measured, and defined. Whether extensive sunken castle filled with cursed riches.
you’re exploring direct conflict between their societies A small village of elves find their sacred grove
or investigating the features of one in particular, your desecrated and animal companions sacrificed by
adventures in Iljudheim will be enriched by forcing drunken human brutes. Their matriarch, a druid of the
one to confront the other. Solace, sends an embassy into Hostyr to petition the
Players might take on the role of explorers, raiders, barbarians for redress.
or homesteaders foraying into the wild unknown,
89
Motta
90
Known History A Splintered Holy Land
Motta has always been a land of religious fervor ruled Despite their ancient revolt against the daemons,
by the merciless. The Homam Telberzah, holy writ of many humans in Motta remain faithful to Daemoth.
the Etholchan Church, names the city of Motta itself as The most powerful Daemothite sect in this region
Motta
the ancient site of Maromutalcoth, where for millennia is the Etholchan Church, which wields as much
the god Daemoth held court with his monstrosities. political power as Motta’s own imperial government.
Since that forgotten age, the region has become a holy The Etholchans demand strict observance of ancient
land for crusaders and pilgrims of every Daemothite daemon teachings and rituals, carefully preserved over
sect, ruled by a diverse and steadfast empire. the centuries. The influence of the Etholchan clergy has
made Motta a hotbed of religious zealotry.
Mohtra and the Daemons
Such staunch traditionalism has shaped the social
Much has been written of Maromutalcoth before its
and economic development of this region. Daemoth
destruction, and the terrors that adorned it. The only
worship permeates every facet of life, from art and
reliable accounts begin when the site was rebuilt by the
culture to commerce and industry. Mottans can be
daemon civilization during the Stonewar. Their holy
suspicious of technology, preferring to operate by
empire Mohtra spread from the center of the region,
methods they consider tried and true. Though the
harrowing nearby lands and dominating much of
richest or most curious may import artifacts from
Vinramar’s history.
Trentsmund, advanced machinery isn’t an object of
Mohtra fended off countless invasions throughout
mainstream Mottan interest.
the Stonewar, the Imperial Age, and the Epoch of
With the exception of the empire’s heartland,
Daragoch, maintaining its seemingly impossible
Motta as a region is composed of agrarian societies
longevity at great cost. During the Epoch of Daragoch,
with a thriving middle class of merchants and artisans.
dragon-spawn and their god-kings conquered much of
Nobles inherit vast estates, providing land to tenant
Mohtra and humbled its proud emperors. The daemons
farmers, business for trade companies, and steady work
were nearly stamped out when the Great Winter
for artists and craftsmen. In the cities, wealth disparity
descended, forcing the dragons to withdraw their
is more severe, causing districts to be divided between
campaign and sparing Mohtra from annihilation.
the rich and the destitute. The emperorship remains a
Daelgorog in the Elder Dark position of absolute privilege, largely removed from the
In the centuries following the Great Winter and the actual governance of the nation.
collapse of the dragon conquest, many of Vinramar’s In just the last twenty years, the Empire of Motta
pre-human civilizations fell into turmoil and in- has suffered considerable blows to its control of the
fighting. The daemons saw that the time was ripe for region. Until the Mottan Rebellions of 1334 Annoloth,
an aggressive resurgence. While Mohtra lay largely in the nations surrounding the empire were provinces
ruins, daemon armies spent centuries advancing across ruled by the emperor’s appointed governors. But
the continents and placing puppet monarchs on the centuries of decadence within the capital weakened its
thrones of the vanquished. hold on these territories, and when the populace rose
Beneath Mohtra the puppet states formed an up the empire could do little to keep the reins.
alliance called the Confederacy of Daelgorog, with each Mottans are traditionally humans of the Drael
nation and its king swearing devotion to Daemoth. All subrace, but the region’s centrality and imperial
over the West, oppressed cultures bewailed the advent infrastructure make its citizenry the most diverse in
of Daelgorog as they slipped into dilapidation and the world. Beneath the veneer of healthy prosperity,
decay. Most refer to this age as the Elder Dark, a time however, lurks the canker of slavery. Gugrum captives
that saw the near-extinction of many ancient cultures, comprise a large portion of the population. Carefully
as well as the birth of Vinramar’s most pervasive bred in servitude, they are the scarred back upon
parasite—the human race. which the empire stands.
In all Mohtran territories, human populations Mottan fashion is renowned across Vinramar,
soared as the daemons bred them for slavery. By the incorporating the world’s most lavish materials and
end of the Elder Dark they far outnumbered their styles: bombasted satin doublets, wasp-waist skirts and
creator-captors, and with this shift came the cry for jerkins, slashed and puffed dresses held up by elaborate
freedom. Mass riots swept over the known world farthingales, all ornamented with rolled wings, wisks,
and the humans eventually deposed the daemons, pokes, furs, and feathers. Swords are considered
dismantled Daelgorog, and replaced Mohtra with among the most important accessories for both men
Motta, a new empire under mortal control. and women. The smiths of Motta specialize in ornate
rapiers, which are as practical as they are vogue.
92
Places of Interest The Priory of Occsilana is seen as something of
The dread isle Bryffaze peeks up from the seas at the a heretical headquarters by most Daemothite sects.
northern edge of the archipelago Ocalatnoloset. Above Sometimes called New Eden, the city was originally
the highest drift lines of its white beaches, bones have founded as a monastery to honor the Jharric goddess
been scattered and piled for miles, marking the edge Iala. Its widespread reputation as a refuge from
of a dense forest. What people or beasts live in those Etholchan dogmatism has drawn thousands to shelter
woods remains a mystery. Hundreds of foolhardy within its walls, transforming the small Jharric
sailors and at least a dozen expeditions have passed community into a thriving symbol of hope and justice.
beneath its eaves, never to return. The Silfana au Ittador may seem like a parochial
Manta du Lon is a village in the eastern frontier carnival troupe compared to the lavish Etholchan
of Erecald, less than a day’s journey from the Forlorn temples that command Motta’s landscape, but its strange
Marches. Though once an important border fortress, few caravan preachers have managed to turn the West
now remember just where Manta du Lon lies, but many upside down with Silphenor’s doctrine of purification by
have heard whispers of what transpires there at night. pain. Launching from this humble chapel, the Anotrossi
According to folklore, when the sun sets in Manta have inducted thousands into their cult, traveling to
du Lon, its citizens are possessed by restless spirits and distant and unknown lands with the gospel of chaos in
forced to reenact the ancient battle that left the fortress their mouths and the lash of absolution in their hands.
forever diminished. If the stories are to be believed,
those descended from the original combatants awake in Adventuring in Motta
theirs beds at sunrise, unharmed. Others aren’t so lucky. Motta is a vibrant and diverse backdrop. It lends
Motta’s necropolises remain among the region’s itself well to campaigns that revolve around intrigue,
most curious features. The countryside is dotted with infiltration, and urban adventure. Powerful religious
mausoleums dedicated to the burial of the dead, but factions are at constant odds with the empire, its
in heavily populated areas these charnel cities are truly dissident neighbors, and each other. If your players
enormous. Mottans place great emphasis on the housing want to wage holy war, civil war, or just skulk around in
of the dead, usually spending more on their estates the shadows cast by these conflicts, Motta is the place.
within the necropolises than on the property where To capitalize on the themes inherent in such
they live. Not everyone visits the necropolis on a regular struggles, you might have your players choose a single
basis, but—perhaps unsurprisingly—their streets and religious or political faction with which they’re all
mansions are always teeming with uninvited guests. associated. Or perhaps, given Motta’s rich diversity, they’d
rather play a band of adventurers with wildly different
beliefs, backgrounds, and interests. They might be a party
of secularists or members of fringe religions fighting
against a ring of corruption in the Etholchan Church.
There are so many interests at play in the
cosmopolitan heartlands of the Mottan Empire that
pulling together a web of intrigue is easy. Every world
faction has a presence here, and the pie is big enough
to tempt even the most reclusive and secretive groups.
The more chances your players have to make friends
and enemies among these powers, the more vivid and
gripping your campaign will be.
Here are three campaign hooks based in the region
of Motta:
A local grave investigator calls in a group of occult
experts to hear the demented opera sung by the corpses
entombed in the Du Petra Necropolis.
Four street urchins embark on their first job as a
thieves’ guild, vying to wrest Zoracol’s streets from the
control of Atulio Moretti’s crime ring.
A series of murders in the town of Esparato point
the local militia to evidence that the Etholchan Church
is covering up the existence of a bloodthirsty werewolf.
93
The Norlythe
94
Known History The largest clans are those ruled by Maricuälatán
The Norlythe derives its name from the boreal forest and Caraquetularác. Each city commands one of
that carpets the highlands and sierras between the the sister seas of the Norlythe, controlling access to
River Ení and the region’s eastern coast. Quitzál the waterways that are the lifeblood of Norlythian
The Norlythe
humans native to the forest call it Olmeníhue, but the commerce. Two nautical highways sustain the spread of
Trentsmin name Norlythe has wider usage. wealth, culture, and information on which these clans
The Norlythe as a region has never been are built: one extending along the River Toltihtotma
particularly stable or safe. Its mountainous woodlands and the coasts of Ghen-Ghen Maw, and the other from
harbor foul and dangerous creatures, not all of them the mouth of the River Ení into the Sea of Satherlaer
native to this world. When the heathfolk first began and the borders of Chayrshellech.
mapping the forest less than a hundred years ago, The waterways of the Norlythe provide several
they found small populations of humans and gugrum means of survival—drawing game, irrigating limited
fiercely defending tribal lands from the dangers of the farmland, and providing a seemingly inexhaustible
forest. Though its history remains unknown, the last supply of freshwater fish. The tribes mine a bit in the
century has seen the Norlythe become a prize land mountains, but their technology is not yet sufficient
coveted by many peoples. to support advanced industry. The colonists from
Trentsmund eye such resources greedily as they
Ykhel and the Colonial Incursion consider how best to expand their holdings beyond the
In the year 1277 Annoloth, the Trentsmunder slave western coast.
ship Vaunted was hijacked by a large band of sarrow In Antalumme, the colonists quarry stone and
escapees. The humans followed them to the frozen mine for amethyst, gold, iron, and lead. Terratorumme
tundra of the Norlythe, where they found a burgeoning produces clay and brick, in addition to being the
sarrow commune, composed mostly of other escaped primary colonial port. These important resources have
slaves. The commune, called Ykhel by its citizens, has allowed the Trentsmunders to conduct a sustainable
been the subject of international controversy as it has industry in the region, sending a clear message that
grown into a stable, if solitary, city-state. they mean to stick around.
Before the discovery of Ykhel, developed nations The largest communities of gugrum in the
had little interest in the Norlythe, except for a few Norlythe have extensive stone architecture, their steep
heathfolk explorers from Chayrshellech. News of a pyramids and stone tenements usually visible from a
virgin wilderness to the east began to stir Trentsmund considerable distance. The gugrum tend to settle clear
into hysteria. Slave traders swarmed its waterways, areas where trees are sparse and stone can be gathered
rounding up human and gugrum slaves. Religious with relative ease. The cities Caraquetularác and
and political dissidents one by one fled to camps and Haracuraquét are both predominantly gugrum, and
trading posts along the western coast of the region. exemplify this sort of large-scale stone architecture.
Relations with the local tribes were tense, and it wasn’t The commune of Ykhel represents the only
long before violence broke out. significant political body established by the sarrow
In 1311, Trentsmund mounted a full-scale invasion, since humans all but annihilated their mining
and in a few years held most of the Norlythe’s western provinces in the Summer’s War. Their thousand-year
grasslands. The High Chief of Maricuälatán and four subjugation left indelible impressions on the founding
other tribal rulers swore a blood oath to repel the sarrow of Ykhel, and they chose to turn from the
colonists, but their doomed resistance failed to gain fertility cult that once stood at the center of their
traction. Slowly the land settled into an uneasy peace culture. In its place they embraced a purely secular
that has left the human and gugrum natives embittered. way of life, in which property is portioned out by the
Tributary Clans commune and citizens are drafted into careers by
While dark and unpredictable, the forest of Olmeníhue vocational syndicates.
is home to various Quitzál and gugrum cultures. These Ykhelesians produce a thick, silky yarn called
city-based clans each contain a hierarchy of tribute, magkra, which they knit and thread into gorgeous
with conquered cities paying their subjugators in goods cloth. The sarrow wear it proudly and seldom trade
and labor. Despite having nominal power over their it, causing enterprising (and unscrupulous) souls to
network of tributary cities and villages, clan chieftains seize the magkra violently so they can sell it to colonial
rarely exert authority over affairs outside their own city royalty for astronomical prices. Such affronts to Ykhel’s
walls. Such clan networks can be found in various sizes cherished isolation only intensify their enmity toward
throughout the region. humans, and Trentsmunders most of all.
98
Known History Recession and the Dark Atonement
The Empire of Perrith Gorr predates all human contact Since the fall of its last great emperor, Perrith Gorr has
in the East. When the humans settled Wellusk, the fallen into civil war and decay. The kindreds of the old
vampires were already a highly developed civilization aristocracy bicker over the land, even as their curse on
Perrith Gorr
at war with their werekin neighbors. According it has ended any hope of agriculture or industry here.
to Mohtran tradition, the first vampire, Iarmov According to the priests of the Volgothic Cult,
the Maimed, claimed the lands north of the River the disembodied spirit of Volgothyde reconciled the
Ferrialum upon his return from exile during the vampire bloodline with his progenitor Daemoth in
Stonewar. He called the land Parothgaur, the Blood of return for a seat at Daemoth’s court. In the year 1340
My Throat, and set his palace in the Hills of Caraveh Annoloth, he returned to the seat of Caraveh to rule
while his offspring filled the wide lowlands. Perrith Gorr as a god.
With Volgothyde’s rebirth, vampires known to have
Volgothyde been vanquished began to reappear in the thousands.
The most infamous name associated with Perrith Perrith Gorr’s borders swelled with undead, and in
Gorr is that of its legendary emperor Volgothyde, who the brief winter of 1345 launched the largest-scale
ruled throughout most of the Intiliaros. He ascended invasion in recent history, reducing the entire region
to power at a time when vampire isolation kept their of Wellusk to a crumbling ash-heap. With its old
numbers desperately small. Against the objections enemy obliterated, the vampire armies retreated north.
of the pureblood vampire aristocracy, Volgothyde Whatever Volgothyde’s next move may be, his return
popularized the spread of vampirism to Perrith Gorr’s marks a new dawn for Perrith Gorr.
animal population both as a defensive tactic and for
use in his invasion of Arwest. With a small army The Shell of an Empire
leading hordes of vampiric beasts, the emperor laid Tradition and heritage are central to the vampire way
waste to the werekin kingdoms. His actions, however, of life. They hold the ancient days of their people in
had more far-reaching consequences than even the high esteem, so much so that many seem to exist in a
vampires might have realized. chimeric delusion that their empire is at the height of
As the vampire-curse spread through the animal its majesty and glory. Pureblood vampires will go to
kingdom, Perrith Gorr’s entire ecosystem slowly extreme lengths to perpetuate this illusion, even when
succumbed to undeath. The trees, the grass, even the obvious reality is that their nation and estates are in
the soil itself turned pale and withered. The gradual barren ruin.
corruption of the earth in this region has continued for The central props of this illusion are the mortal
millennia, twisting the land itself into a horrid mimicry captives that serve, labor, and feed the vampires.
of the monsters that inhabit it. These unfortunate souls live out their brief lives as
unwilling subjects to the vampires, who see themselves
The War on the Fells as magnanimous aristocrats far above the human ken.
When the ancestors of the Omhatra humans settled A typical slave in Perrith Gorr is captured in a raid,
the far shore of the River Ferrialum, the vampires soon worked to exhaustion, and fed on vorruc-infected food.
learned that they preferred the blood of intelligent After a few years at most, these captives succumb to the
creatures to that of the apes and lions they had grown vorruc disease, at which point they’re cast out onto the
accustomed to drinking. Once Volgothyde had tasted empty moors to starve.
human blood, a southward incursion was inevitable. Though their ancient feuds tend to limit them
The War on the Fells, as it was called, lasted far politically, the five vampire kindreds (Bromraw,
longer than any would have predicted. After just over Carachun, Calchoth, Ferrialum, and Mannen) are
50 years, the humans south of Ferrialum finally laid newly unified by the apotheosis of Volgothyde. Even
down their swords and submitted to vampire rule, the weakest houses within each kindred vie for the
becoming serfs to be bred and hunted in the lowlands favor of the Twice-Born Emperor. But these are new
like beasts. With such a significant increase in their times. As at his ascension of old, Volgothyde put an
provender, the vampires briefly surged into greater end to old ways and purged the weak from his empire.
numbers than ever before. Rumors fly across the East of a new order within
The next year, Volgothyde was destroyed amid Perrith Gorr—a cult that places Volgothyde and his
mysterious circumstances. Whispers attribute the resurrected pontiffs at its head. With the advent of the
death to the famed assassin Arhuzimel, though why he Volgothic Cult, the kindreds and their petty squabbles
was in Perrith Gorr, and what motive he may have had represent an age eclipsed.
to slay the legendary vampire is anyone’s guess.
102
Known History Islands in a Sea of Madness
Though Syrikhal was among the first regions settled For the humans of Syrikhal, survival has always been
by humans, its inland reaches are still buried in jungle, synonymous with unity. Their isolated city-states—the
where the straggling remains of pre-human abhorrence only developed settlements of this region—are engulfed
Syrikhal
linger undiscovered. The dragonborn clans that in perilous wilderness. Traffic between them is limited
populate the tropical forests descend from the Empire mainly to the seas and rivers. Shipwrights, fishermen,
of Daragoch, which crossed the Black Ocean and whalers, sailors, and maritime merchants drive most of
claimed present-day Syrikhal before humans even set the business on which Syrikhal and its sister colonies
foot here. Unlike the western clans in Chayrshellech, thrive. Without trade, the region’s natural resources
these dragon-kin worship “living gods,” mysterious would be buried too deep beneath the dangers of the
beings supposedly connected to particular sacred sites jungle to allow for significant growth.
deep within the jungle. Still, Syrikhal’s isolation can be unnerving. For
those who don’t venture out to sea, the city-states
Human Migration to Syrenos seem confined and beleaguered by primeval forces just
The shogunate of Syrenos was established in the year beyond perception. To them, the jungles symbolize
223 of the Wild Age as a refuge for human slaves a world without order, where their god Senfaer
escaping from Motta across the Black Ocean. The holds little sway. Its brutality challenges their most
settlement commanded a narrow bridge of land fundamental beliefs.
dividing the bare end of the peninsula from the wild Cautionary tales about those who do step into the
jungle about the feet of the Golgul Heights. Over time wild abound. Aberrant threats lurk hungrily in the
its advantageous position helped it blossom into the shadows, only held back by the dedicated monks who
port city Syrikhal, whose naval foothold paved the way have sworn to keep them at bay. It’s never been clear
for city-states all along the southern coast of the region. which came to Syrikhal first, the Senfaerists or the
Instrumental to safely navigating the coasts of horrors from the stars. The monks have spent centuries
Syrikhal was the growth of Senfaer worship among the in a desperate dance to preserve humanity from the
local Omhatra peoples. Ships began hiring monks and abominations of the Darkplane. In this region the need
priests to protect them from the aberration-infested for a disciplined mind and a strong hand is real.
waters. Temples to the primordial god of order and Each city-state is governed by a hereditary general
psionics sprung up throughout the city-states, and called a shogun, whose household and lands are defended
Senfaerism became firmly rooted in Syrikhali culture. by bushi, swordsmen sworn to his family’s service. While
Though they’re by no means the only people to worship the shoguns have nominal authority over their cities, each
Senfaer in the world, the lack of competing religions appoints a number of advisors, ministers, and viziers to
in this region makes it the spiritual center of Senfaerist assist in the daily responsibilities of rule. The balance
traditions in Vinramar. of the population is made up of smaller noble houses,
Okatatu and the Dragon-Children merchants, and peasants whose labor and fealty are the
In the 18th century of the Wild Age, Aldalar was ruled engine upon which the city-states run.
by a shogun named Torikh Fusei, whose most trusted Although these communities are stable and
vizier was a deformed man named Okatatu. When successful, populations remain relatively low. Each
Okatatu was caught in the act of murdering the shogun’s Syrikhali city-state supports between 8,000 and 15,000
heir, witnesses learned that his supposed deformity was people, with Syrikhal itself being the largest. At the
actually evidence of his dragonborn parentage. center of each city is a heavily fortified estate, occupied
Stealing into the wilderness of Harato, Okatatu by the shogun and his court. Districts surrounding the
rallied the dragonborn clans to war against Aldalar and shogun’s estate are organized by class and occupation.
Ozhma. It was then that the humans learned to truly fear Unlike many Western cities, Syrikhali temples and
the jungle. Over the course of a decade, the monks and shrines are often placed outside city walls.
bushi battled dragonborn clans along the hilly coasts Despite their proximity to the fallen nations
and woods that separate the two cities. Sorties into the of Wellusk, only the city of Syrikhal has ever been
forest brought back horrifying tales of colossal reptiles significantly influenced by the culture of their northern
and serpents, whose size was dwarfed by their wicked cousins. But after Wellusk was laid to ruin by Volgothyde’s
intellect. Aldalar was able to fight Okatatu to a peace, legions in the last decade, the vampiric curse that
but to this day, stories of a pervasive psionic presence wasted the land northward has spread in the direction
in the jungle lend credence to the belief that god-like of Syrikhal’s city-states. Little by little, vorruc packs have
reptiles sleep fitfully within the dense swamps. entered the region, keeping Senfaer’s guardians busy with
efforts to stem the spread of the undead plague.
104
the construction. After years of strange stories and over the decades. Stories of ghastly metaphysical
accidents, the ninety-person crew of laborers vanished experiments conducted by the monks have reached the
entirely one night without explanation. The structure surface, adding a sordid note to the temple’s calamity.
remains unfinished 130 years later, amid rumors of
hauntings and dark dealings. Its extensive walkways Adventuring in Syrikhal
and platforms hang eerily above the river, disquieting Campaigns in Syrikhal revolve around the struggle
boaters on the final stretch into Heseriah. between order and chaos, erudition and degeneracy.
The volcanic island of Juraktai lies near the city of The Senfaerists are the symbol of discipline and
Jessik, a steaming height riddled with fumaroles and enlightenment, pitting their strength and honor against
hot springs. Its heavy canopy encloses poisonous vapors the living anathemas within the jungle. A campaign
and clouds of ash within the jungle, making the air that highlights this conflict can borrow trappings from
stifling and dank. Those who dwell there have learned the chanbara and wuxia genres, highlighting martial
to navigate the dangerous plant life, and domesticate arts, swordplay, and codes of honor. That’s not to say
the prehistoric reptiles that inhabit the undergrowth. that Syrikhal should just be an Orientalist parody. As
Kurophtu, the Scholar’s Folly, is a labyrinthine city with other details inspired by real-world cultures, these
said to be buried within the wilderness near the Golgul elements are intended to be incorporated in a way that
Heights. Explorers glimpse hints of the city’s history doesn’t patronize or exoticize the source material.
in sudden visions that seize them while navigating Your adventuring party might be a secret society of
the twisting ruins. What they see is not encouraging. criminals fighting against an unjust ruler, travelers whose
Something hideous lies at the center of Kurophtu, an ship has stopped over in Eliasikh, or a band of monks
orb that taught the builders abhorrent technological and ronin preparing an excursion into dragonborn
secrets. Conflict within the city over the use of such territory. Whatever ties unite your heroes, consider their
knowledge conjured some final catastrophe that left its reputation, ideals, and relationship to authority. These
streets disjointed and maze-like, trapping the madmen traits will illuminate how they interact with Syrikhali
inside until nothing was left but an overgrown maze. society, and how that society interacts with them.
The cursed swamps of Tsyandesh encircle the You may wish to feature reptilian and amphibious
Sea of Horikh with gnarled and half-sunken trees. races such as the dragonborn, lizardfolk, and
According to the dragonborn tribes, an ageless being troglodytes, who inhabit Syrikhal’s jungles. These
was drowned in the sea back when the world was small clans are defined by their territorial and religious
young. The amphibious creatures of the swamps wars with one another, but the malice they bear
worship its rotting corpse, which has gravely altered toward humans will sometimes be enough to unite
the land. Objects float in the forest as if underwater, them. Though such occasions may make them seem
sounds bounce and scatter, and creatures for formidable, such foes are nothing compared to the
miles around have nightmares of drowning. greater spawn of Lakhi and Maruma’e that thunder in
Wayfarer Temple was an the wild—dinosaurs, couatls, basilisks, aboleths, even
epicenter of Senfaerist instruction dragons and krakens.
before a massive cave-in Here are three campaign hooks based in the
blocked the entrance to its Syrikhal region:
subterranean halls 80 A bushi, a diplomat, and a Senfaerist monk are
years ago. Various sent as emmissaries to a war-like tribe of dragonborn.
adventurers have Their mission: convince the dragonborn to share their
sought to recover knowledge of taming pteranodons as beasts of burden.
important artifacts
and scrolls from A linguist and his hired muscle sail to Ozhma on
the ruins a jungle expedition, seeking a bilingual inscription that
might lead to a better understanding of the Daraghun
language. What they find instead is madness and doom.
The humans are settling a new spot beside the
swamps of Tsyandesh. Since they began desecrating the
grave of the Drowned One, terrible visions have afflicted
the local dragonborn tribes, and rumors are spreading of
a colossal creature prowling the swamp, the very sight of
which is death. Now a young war-band must convince
the human homesteaders to depart—by force if necessary.
105
Trentsmund
106
Known History In time, the highland territory seized from the
From its humble beginnings as the northern province sarrow became the sovereign Kingdom of Trentsmund,
of Mohtra to the rise of the world-choking empire that which quickly secured the heartland of the region
is its namesake, Trenstmund’s history is an emblem of from Coron’s Run to Ordramar. By the end of the 10th
Trentsmund
unlikely greatness—and a warning of the perditious century, Trentsmund had earned a reputation as the
corruption such greatness can bring. Though largely modernist capital of the world, its foremost scientific
dismissed throughout the ages of the world, the region minds hitting a stunning series of technological
now enjoys a position of global prominence due to its breakthroughs that would launch the kingdom into
overwhelming technological supremacy. industrial revolution.
108
Punt Maard is a smoky city nestled in the consciousness. Those who know of their existence
Maardon Canyon, once a deeply-delved sarrow enthusiastically patronize the illegal underground
fortress. In Dyraneff its name means the Town in the markets, but the Kingdom of Trentsmund joins the rest
Crevice. Trentsmunders built Punt Maard over the of the world in withholding knowledge of what they see
visible levels of the original structure, and—adding as a dangerous and unnatural piece of machinery.
insult to injury—put the sarrow slaves that once lived Your players’ investigations might lead them
there to work in the mines, quarries, and foundries. No through the narrow cobblestone streets of a factory
expedition has successfully mapped the endless levels district, the streetlamps straining to penetrate the smoke
of the sarrow complex, which some evidence indicates from the coal-fires, or into the parlor of a psychic cult
may predate even the oldest known civilizations. or vampire blood-den. Behind every door and around
every corner wait horrors in human clothing.
Adventuring in Trentsmund Here are three campaign hooks based in the
The presence of highly developed technology makes Trentsmund region:
Trentsmund a truly unique region to use as the When patients in Bainbrook Mental Hospital began
backdrop for your campaign. Rather than resembling having shared dreams, they learned to enter the dreamscape
a pre-industrial society, as most areas of Vinramar and seize control of their doctors’ minds. Now an opposing
do, this region blends in trappings of the Georgian, group of patients hatch a plan to end the psychic torture.
Victorian, and Edwardian eras to create an environment
that matches the gaslamp fantasy subgenre. Four children have gone missing near Leighton’s Lake.
This combination of historical periods might Local authorities suspect an abductor, but a retired monster
initially make Trentsmund seem anachronistic, but if hunter instead recognizes the work of an old enemy.
you imagine the printing press, the steam engine, and Five Achaldean soldiers return from war to find their
coal-gas suddenly appearing in a Medieval society, it’s village empty. When they reach the baronet’s secluded
easy to imagine how they might transform it in the space estate to inquire after their families, a chorus of inhuman
of a few decades. The firearm, invented in the East some groans echoes from within the walls, and they reluctantly
30 years ago, hasn’t yet managed to enter the mainstream grasp where the village folk have gone.
109
Wellusk
110
Known History Final Desolation
The vast wasteland of Wellusk was once a hotbed of The recent horrors that have beset Wellusk can hardly
human culture, where two of the largest, most vibrant be fathomed. Amidst rumors of Volgothyde’s rise to
nations in Vinramar lived in the shadow of Perrith godhood, vengeful legions of vampires began pouring
Wellusk
Gorr. Although that shadow eventually deepened into into the young nation of Barlom Schoe in 1340
night, there are those who remember a time when the Annoloth, razing every city, town, and cottage into
stable human kingdoms drew mystics, traders, artisans, smoking rubble. The staggering loss of life was worsened
and learned men from many regions. by a blight on the earth—the same vampiric canker
festering across Perrith Gorr now spreads southward.
Welluxian Protectorates All that roots in and feeds on the land eventually grows
Humans first arrived in the tropical islands of Rawth to pale as it transforms under the vorruc infection.
the far southeast, where they built the first clay cities that
became a model for later settlements along the Black A Wasteland of Memory
Coast. More peoples trickled into the region throughout Its proud cities now in ashes, Wellusk is an expansive
the Wild Age, fleeing Motta and Arrochule (then the ruin inhabited mainly by the bloodthirsty quasi-
jhareth empire Ardon) or migrating north from Syrikhal. vampires that have succumbed to the vorruc blight.
These human groups came to be called the Omhatra, These packs of ravenous hunters band together, often
forming the root of the subrace now associated with mimicking the uninfected in pursuit of living flesh
Wellusk, Syrikhal, Arwest, and Goltaraim. and blood to eat. Humans who have survived the
As the disparate Omhatra polities warred for control desolation find they must stay out of sight, scavenge
of the Black Coast in the following age, a civilization what sanitary food they can, and cling to the faint hope
from the Wethrawn River Valley rose to prominence, that they will one day escape or rebuild.
establishing temple cities along the shores of the Some say the effort to cleanse the region has
Nornazias. In year 1021 of the Intiliaros, the Wethrawn already begun, as the widowed and orphaned take
people crowned their first queen, Danmirat, who slowly shelter in ruined sanctuaries, forming new bonds in
conquered the Black Coast. Rather than assimilate them, new communities. Old grudges have been done away.
Danmirat left the Black Coast kings to rule their lands Now there are only the living, the dead, and those in
as protectorates under her standard. Danmirat’s state between. To the homeless and forsworn, more than ever
came to be called the Queenship of Welluxia, her title before, the true enemy is clear.
passing through centuries of female heirs before religious But that enemy hasn’t shown its face in five years.
revolution ended her dynasty in the year 1895 of that age. Since the vampire host withdrew back under its
Throughout the Queenship’s final centuries, the cerement, not a hint of activity has come from Perrith
undead emperor Volgothyde continuously plundered Gorr. It’s possible the vampires are readying another
the protectorates for blood-chattel. Harrowed all blow, this time against their foes to the west. Perhaps,
their lives by the threat of the Northern Hunt, the fed to bursting in their triumph, they simply slumber.
Welluxians despaired of relief. Some say that despair Whatever the answer, it’s clear that Volgothyde never
gave rise to a wild plan to end the terror of Caraveh. intended to rule Wellusk. He was content to unmake it,
In the twilight of Welluxian power, Volgothyde was and leave the rest of Vinramar to ponder what terrible
assassinated. The peace brought by his death was wonders will follow.
sullied, however, as the protectorates fell back into Word of this tragedy traveled fast. Desperate
2,000 years of rivalry and cultural segregation. refugees have carried the news to the four corners of
the world. Those who actually set eyes on the infinite
The Invention of the Firearm wreckage of Wellusk, though, are left startled and
In the year 1294 Annoloth, mining engineers in Carthaxis overwhelmed. The thoroughness with which her
developed the first known recipe for blasting powder, markets, palaces, and temples were laid low remains a
and in a few short years had manufactured crude chilling reminder of a vampire’s revenge.
cannons. Handheld firearms were an obvious next The island kingdoms of Rawth and Elemthord lie
step. In 1322, the military attempted the first artillery far enough asea to have escaped the atrophy that grips
assault—too soon, it proved. Vijeck Mare’s prototype gun the mainland. They are the last unchanged remnants of
infamously exploded on the first firing, killing the queen Welluskan culture, now marooned from all civilization,
of Wellusk and many of the gunners operating it. Public beset with exiles and castaways. In the absence of
fear and outrage drowned the endeavor, and the firearm their chief trade partners they scrape together what
was strictly outlawed. Despite an underground interest provisions they can, but the toll on their economies has
in the technology, the events of the following decades been heavy. Every month more and more of their native
ensured that the art of gunsmithing remained obscure. citizens set sail to start anew elsewhere.
Racial Scripts
Languages
Arroch Script Olmeníhuec Script
During the Wild Age, the Forroth humans developed The Quitzál language, spoken by humans and gugrum in
a system of writing quite separate from those of other the Norlythe, is written using a distinct set of pictograms
human groups. Having more in common with the called the Olmeníhue. Since the Quitzál cultures keep
Mardellom letters than Syriod or Mottan, the Arroch few written records, their symbols are more often carved
script has proved to have considerable longevity. into the stone of monuments and temples.
Languages: Arroch Languages: Quitzál
Languages of Vinramar
Language Type Typical Speakers Script
Arroch Regional language Natives of Arrochule Arroch
Daraghun Racial language Dragonborn, dragons, kobolds, and other Spawn of Lakhi Konikhlun
Dyraneff Racial language Sarrow Maahivek
Goltalaid Regional language Natives of Goltaraim Syriod
Hallowed Racial language Jharethil, natives of Salvendum Mardellom
Tongue*
Iljerkr Regional language Natives of Iljudheim Mottan
Khivmat Racial language Werekin None
Losandrae* Racial language Fey creatures, natives of Iltallach Elannin
Mhelthep Racial and regional Vampires and their slaves, natives of Perrith Gorr Baeltor
language
Motare Regional language Natives of Motta Mottan
Quitzál Regional language Natives of the Norlythe Olmeníhuec
Roccurish Racial and regional Heathfolk, natives of Chayrshellech Yaelchalas
language
Salohusaid Racial language Telmatra Maahivek
Sylvandrae Racial language Elves Elannin
Syriod Regional language Natives of Syrikhal Syriod
Trentsmin Regional language Natives of Trentsmund Mottan
Welluskud Regional language Natives of Arwest and Wellusk Syriod
Zhoroch* Racial language Demons, devils, natives of the Abyssal Throne Baeltor
*These languages, though spoken by inhabitants of Vinramar, are native to the other world listed
DARKPLANE CAMPAIGNS
The thing stalks me day and night. I see it in the mirror, hovering over my
shoulder, and in the corner of my eye. It chitters and slops, always just out of
sight. The gugrum call it Mandababanua—the tenebrous centurion. No other sees
it; nothing stops it. It has somehow marked me, and when I sleep I feel my bones
tug at the flesh, pulling away to join it.
—From the journal of Dr. Cashian Dole, found butchered in D’arthel
* * *
The success of a Darkplane story doesn’t depend much on the presence of
particular characters or locations. While this book has plenty of both, the themes
and tone that color them are generally more pivotal. Most of the mechanical
elements that will help your game achieve a Darkplane feel can be found in this
chapter, including backgrounds, classes and features, items, factions, monsters,
and system options.
Most important to creating stories in this universe is the use and treatment of
the supernatural. Balancing the presence of cosmic horrors with a sense of realism
isn’t always easy. On one hand, if your characters only deal with the mundane,
the setting loses its flair. But on the other, if magic, gods, and aliens become
commonplace it cheapens their dramatic impact.
To maximize the wonder and dread of the supernatural, Darkplane stories
should be grounded in dark realism. Introduce paranormal occurrences as
anomalies in the characters’ experiences. Artifacts, spells, and monsters are most
thrilling when used sparingly at the climax of an adventure. If you leave your
players craving more, you can build tension and awe across an entire campaign.
This sense of wonder is most difficult to achieve when a particular monster or
scenario becomes predictable, such as when every player at the table is familiar with
it. Feel free to make subtle changes to the nature or behavior of common threats
in order to keep them just beyond the players’ understanding. When they realize
that the game won’t necessarily operate the way they expect, they’ll feel the rush of
discovery, and more easily immerse themselves in the mysteries of the campaign.
Such unanswered questions fuel the story’s momentum and keep us coming
back. Heroes in a Darkplane campaign should be pursuing understanding,
whether by investigating murders, chasing personal agendas, or exploring the vast
world around them. We as players experience everything through the discoveries
of these relatable characters. Real people have secrets, they contradict themselves,
they do unexpected things, and sometimes their motives are mystifying or
ugly. Gather a few of these personalities, weave the strands together, and you’ve
instantly got a tangled web for the player characters to unravel. And if they
discover something new about themselves, if they change irreversibly in the
process, you’ve told a story worth experiencing.
116
New Backgrounds
The following backgrounds provide additional options Feature: Inner Circle
for character creation. When your cult’s leader teaches or pronounces an
edict, you’re privy to the information. You know what
Cultist rites or tasks your brethren and sisters of the inner
Sometime before adulthood, you became involved circle have planned, and you have some sway with the
with an obscure religious sect that demands strict cult’s leader. You can usually lodge with fellow cultists
obedience. There are many unusual deities or ideals if need be, and they may keep you fed and supplied in
that you might embrace. Such followings may not be return for performing tasks and following the cult’s
evil, but they are usually secretive about their unusual strictures, which you and your GM should define.
beliefs and off-putting practices. Sometimes your
leaders plan illegal or taboo acts for you to commit Suggested Characteristics
that further the cult’s agenda. These plans may or may Cults are often driven by the charisma and manipulation
not cause harm to others, but sometimes they make of a single leader. Trust in that leader is essential for
members of the cult uncomfortable—not that they’d the believers to continue faithfully within the group.
ever admit it. Often the death of the leader jars the members of a cult
to their senses. Consider who the leader of your cult is,
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Religion
what your relationship is, and determine how secure
Tools: Disguise kit
you are in the beliefs you’ve been taught.
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: Common clothes, ritual robes, a small cult
idol (holy symbol), a book of teachings, and a belt d8 Personality Trait
pouch containing 15 gp 1 No one can shake my faith, even with proof.
2 I don’t hold an attachment to worldly things,
Unorthodox Belief
since I’m destined to inherit much better.
The exact nature of your cult’s worship depends on
its beliefs, and which god, entity, or philosophy you 3 My sanity is slipping after years of seeing
embrace. Your cult could be a radical sect of an existing things not meant for mortal eyes.
religion, or it might worship a strange god. 4 I defend brothers and sisters of the order with
my life.
d8 Belief 5 My face is always an expressionless mask
1 The Black Lotus. Consciousness and the lacking empathy or feeling.
material world are illusions. 6 I indulge in worldly pleasures to drive away
2 Cult of Sowm. Sowm, the First Mother, isn’t the guilt of partcipating in disturbing rituals.
dead, but lives in hiding from her murderous 7 I use religion to justify hurting my enemies.
son Daemoth. 8 I’ve always believed I was special or chosen.
3 Fundamentalist. If I follow my radical sect,
death will grant me godhood.
4 The Hollow Crown. All the gods were killed
centuries ago, and now the religions of the
world only seek to maintain their false power.
5 Order of the Emptied Chalice. The Black
Arcane arts are gifts from the gods.
6 Primordial Cult. The world was stolen from
the primordial gods, and one day they’re
going to get their due.
7 Racial Cult. There is only one race the gods
approve of. The rest are abominations.
8 The Yáloin. Aberration is the ideal form. and
mutation brings mortals one step closer to deity.
118
d6 Ideal d6 Bond
1 Faith. I long for the day when all my beliefs 1 It started with seeking approval, but now I’ve
will be vindicated. (Good) fallen in love with my cult’s leader.
2 Ministry. Anyone and everyone is a possible 2 My best friend was sacrificed or hurt by my
convert, if I can get them to trust me first. brothers and sisters in the cult.
New Backgrounds
(Neutral) 3 My parents raised me to believe in this, and
3 Power. This cult is a lie, but I can use it to they still watch my devotion like hawks.
influence others and get what I want. (Evil) 4 I’ve come into possession of something that
4 Obedience. I support my leaders. Even when disproves my cult’s beliefs.
they cause me pain I know it’s for my own 5 My leader has entrusted me with a secret quest
good. (Lawful) that the other members can’t know about.
5 Safety. I comply with this nightmare of a 6 I fell in with the cult’s enemies, and now I
religion just to stay alive. (Neutral) feed them information on our activities.
6 Vengeance. The cult harmed me and now I
stay involved to sabotage its goals. (Chaotic) d6 Flaw
1 I like to reference obscure scripture and teach
others what they should believe.
2 The most casual happenstance might be a
sign from my god.
3 I’ll sacrifice anything to further my cult’s
agenda: friendships, possessions, even your life.
4 I have a secret sin or practice that would
brand me as a hypocrite.
5 Sometimes the letter of the law causes me to
violate the spirit of the law.
6 I’m intolerant and disparaging to those who
look or behave differently.
119
Doctor d6 Ideal
As a trained medic, surgeon, or physician, you’ve seen 1 Charity. As a trained medical professional it’s
all sorts of injuries and illness. You’ve learned how to my responsibility to care for the sick. (Good)
handle common medical situations without breaking
2 Science. My top priority is the enlightenment
a sweat, and your familiarity with important cases and
of the medical community. (Neutral)
treatments comes in handy.
3 Wealth. It pays to be the only one with the
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Persuasion antidote, and that’s who I want to be. (Chaotic)
Languages: Two of your choice
4 Connections. I have a professional reputation
Equipment: A healer’s kit, a vial of antitoxin, a
to maintain among the nobility. (Lawful)
hacksaw, an anatomy sketchbook, fine clothes, a
magnifying glass, and a belt pouch containing 20 gp 5 Immortality. I went into medicine to pursue
my obsession with curing death. (Neutral)
Feature: Medical Practice 6 Sadism. A part of me really likes inflicting
You have a place of practice where you commonly see pain on others. (Evil)
patients, and where you can get clean water, linens,
ointments, and other items useful to treating the sick.
d6 Bond
At your practice you have records of local and famous
medical cases, references for diagnosing rare illness, and 1 The cure for a particular ailment is out there.
contact information for other medical professionals that I’ll find it to save myself or a loved one.
you can ask for assistance. In times of war or pestilence, 2 As a medic for the military, it’s my duty to
you may be called on to treat the injured or infirm. care for wounded and sick soldiers.
3 Hospital administration is breathing down
Suggested Characteristics
my neck about the odd methods I employ.
An infirmary can be a shocking place, and many
doctors practically live there. There isn’t much that can 4 I’m a country doctor. I’ve acted as midwife,
faze them—even non-medical situations that strike veterinarian, surgeon, and coroner to most of
others as odd or uncomfortable rarely cause a doctor the families in these parts.
to bat an eye. For some, however, the constant presence 5 I have a hobby that requires me to buy
of death and malady can make them neurotic and cadavers from body snatchers.
overprotective. 6 Since the time I saw a flesh golem created,
I’ve been conducting experimental
d8 Personality Trait procedures trying to replicate it.
1 I listen patiently to the complaints of others.
2 I’m used to having an assistant when d6 Flaw
performing intense tasks, and at times expect 1 Whether helping a patient or setting up camp,
others to fill that role.
I’ve always got a routine that I insist on.
3 I’m uncomfortable with emotional intimacy
2 I take out my anger by being condescending
4 I take my downtime very seriously, and resent towards others.
things that pull me away from relaxation.
3 I can keep a strong stomach during surgery,
5 People always complain about my long- but I’m a coward in battle.
winded and patronizing explanations.
4 I spend nights conducting strange experiments
6 I deflect stress and difficulties with humor. that draw suspicion and leave me exhausted.
7 My job is to worry about others’ health, not 5 I’m impatient with people expressing pain.
my own.
6 I’m addicted to one of the medications I give
8 I have terrible bedside manner. When to my patients.
something’s wrong, I vocalize it.
New Backgrounds
you respect or derision, depending on your history and 4 When something important is happening, I
prevailing cultural attitudes toward lawyers. lecture or give emotionally charged speeches.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Persuasion 5 I’m a pathological liar.
Languages: Two of your choice 6 I have one word or gesture that I use repeatedly.
Equipment: A book of legal theory and case histories, 7 Sometimes I argue just to entertain myself.
a pen and bottle of black ink, 3 sheets of paper,
8 I choose my battles carefully.
fine robes befitting your legal station, a letter from
someone in the area desperately pleading for legal
d6 Ideal
help, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp
1 Mercy. Everyone deserves second chances,
Feature: Legal Training even people who don’t appreciate them. (Good)
With your GM, choose a nation or legal system in 2 Truth. I can never tell a lie. (Good)
which you have jurisdiction. You are familiar enough
3 Wealth. Gold is my oldest friend, motivator,
with the law and courtroom procedures of that area to
and confidant. (Neutral)
litigate, draw binding contracts, or competently plead a
case before a judge or magistrate. With sufficient ability 4 Exactitude. Anything that isn’t correct or in
checks, you can also forge legal documents. In your order is a thorn in my side. (Lawful)
downtime, you might earn a living as a barrister, judge, 5 Justice. Rules exist to protect people, and I
proctor, or solicitor. don’t tolerate those who violate them. (Lawful)
6 Influence. If I can pat the right backs, they’ll
d4 Law Specialty pat mine. (Any)
1 Barrister. An orator and law expert, you
plead cases before a judge on behalf of others. d6 Bond
2 Judge. You hold court and decide the outcome 1 I refused to give someone legal help, and now
of legal proceedings as a judiciary authority. that person’s life is ruined.
3 Proctor. Your authority is over church law 2 My closest friend began as my client. Now
within a specific religious organization. we’re inseparable.
4 Solicitor. You represent the legal interests of 3 I recently got out of law after a high-profile case.
others outside of the courtroom, handling 4 My area of expertise tends to bring me clients
contracts and giving legal advice. from near and far.
5 I’ve signed more forged documents than
Suggested Characteristics genuine ones in my career.
Lawyers come from many backgrounds and 6 A mysterious person is blackmailing me.
personality types. You might be a purehearted advocate
for the downtrodden, or just an amoral sleaze looking
d6 Flaw
for a break. Whatever your angle, you can usually talk
yourself out of a tight spot. 1 I’ll do or say anything to “win.”
2 My cushy lifestyle is everything to me.
3 I’m incapable of letting an argument go,
especially when I’m correcting someone.
4 My knowledge of the law is encyclopedic, but
I have terrible people skills.
5 I get upset when people don’t treat me with
respect and formality.
6 I can and do make every conversation about me.
Feature: Séance
You can receive messages from nearby spirits
through your holy symbol or spellcasting focus.
Sometimes this puts you into a trance in which
you can only speak simple phrases or answer
yes-or-no questions on behalf of the spirit. More
often the contact is subtle and difficult to sense.
You might hear a simple message to a loved one,
gain knowledge of details from the ghost’s life, or
elicit a small demonstration of its presence (such as
flickering lights or knocking sounds).
You can’t be sure of the accuracy of the
communications, or if the spirit you’re speaking
to is even who it purports to be. There are many
devious ghosts who entertain themselves by tricking
sensitive mortals. When you seek to contact a spirit,
specify whom, if anyone, you’d like to speak with.
Your GM then rolls secretly on the following table to
determine the result.
122
d12 Séance Result d6 Ideal
1 None 1 Kindness. There are souls in anguish, living
2 A violent ghost that attacks anyone present or dead, and I can help them. (Good)
3 The spirit of an arbitrary dead plant or animal 2 Love. I lost someone close to me and I’m
determined to stay close to their spirit.
4 The spirit of an arbitrary plant or animal that
(Neutral)
New Backgrounds
died in your current location.
3 Knowledge. This gift will one day teach
5 An arbitrary unborn spirit
me something truly profound if I perfect it.
6 An arbitrary spirit from ancient history (Neutral)
7 An arbitrary spirit that recently died 4 Fame. This gift is my ticket to celebrity.
8 An arbitrary spirit that died in your current (Neutral)
location 5 Duty. I have a responsibility to bring many
9 A well known spirit from ancient history people important messages from the Spirit
10 A well known spirit that recently died Realm. (Lawful)
11 A spirit whose identity you specified 6 Dominion. While I decide what their dead
12 You enter a trance and become stunned for loved ones say, I have complete control over
1 minute. While in the trance, the specified others. (Evil)
spirit controls your body. The trance ends if
anyone touches you. d6 Bond
1 No matter what I do, I can’t speak with the
Suggested Characteristics spirit that’s most important to me.
Gifts such as yours don’t leave a person unchanged. 2 Someone powerful got an answer they didn’t
You might manage to appear well adjusted, but as like, blamed me, and destroyed my life.
with your interactions with the spirits, nothing is
3 There’s one mysterious spirit that torments
as it seems. You might have the air of always being
me, and I know there’s a reason.
distracted, or perhaps you stare deep into others’ eyes
as if you see into their souls. Maybe you seem weary, or 4 I learned a profound secret about myself or
are suspicious of everyone. Whatever effect the spirits the afterlife, and it’s tearing me apart.
leave on you, they have taught you not to take anything 5 A spirit told me the remote location of its
for granted. hidden treasure.
6 I have a wealthy patron who gets me into the
d8 Personality Trait highest circles.
1 I act haughtily with those who don’t believe
in spiritualism. d6 Flaw
2 I give a lot of well-meaning advice. 1 I bluntly speak the truth without regard for
3 My etiquette is impeccable. people’s feelings.
4 Everyone is a friend, or potential friend. 2 When it comes down to it, I trust the dead
5 Despite my gift, I’ve always been a serious more than the living.
skeptic. 3 Showmanship is more important than honesty.
6 I rarely speak. At any moment the spirits 4 The dead terrify me.
might tell me a critically important message.
5 I believe that no one can or will understand
7 My cosmic perspective makes me seem distant. my burdens.
8 I startle very easily. 6 I’m convinced that nothing really matters in
the grand scheme of things. Death is the great
equalizer.
New Backgrounds
be working out your own disturbed issues, or perhaps
you have a supernatural insight into the minds of 3 Sanity. There has to be a rational explanation. I
your patients. Likely, you work or once worked in a won’t accept any other interpretation. (Neutral)
sanitarium, where you saw and heard things that may 4 Understanding. There’s something about
never leave you. myself or someone else that I’m determined
to explain. (Neutral)
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
Tools: Herbalism kit 5 Comfort. More than anything, people need to
Languages: One of your choice feel at ease. Why make a fuss? (Chaotic)
Equipment: A morphine case, a book on the 6 Appetite. When I treat the insane, I’m
interpretation of dreams, a volume describing actually grooming them as victims for my
psychoses and their associated treatments, a secret depravity. (Evil)
straitjacket, an ice pick and mallet, fine clothes, and
a belt pouch containing 20 gp d6 Bond
Feature: Psychoanalysis 1 I have a contact among the local authorities
You can spend time with those who have developed a who calls me to consult on criminal cases.
form of madness to counteract its effects. You know 2 My last romance was with someone who
the most effective methods for preserving sanity, might as well have been my patient.
and which respected professionals to approach with 3 I witnessed awful things at the sanitarium, but
questions. While in your presence, characters can one in particular could get me into trouble.
ignore the effects of one form of short-term or long-
4 I will discover the truth about myself, and the
term madness. You can spend 100 collective hours of
strange things that happen around me.
downtime with a character to cure them of one form of
indefinite madness. 5 One of my former patients is a famous
psychopath.
Suggested Characteristics
6 The local graveyard is filled with victims of
While some psychologists have a soothing manner, my failed lobotomies.
others might be manipulative sadists dealing with
their own lunacy. You’ve likely seen the extraordinary
power of the mind in action, but when reason seems to d6 Flaw
fail, perhaps your instincts tend to search for the most 1 Nothing is quite good enough for me.
rational explanation. 2 Talking about a problem is much more fun
than solving it.
d8 Personality Trait
3 I’m constantly telling others to calm down.
1 I like to know as many details as possible
before I choose my course. 4 Strangers seem to just plain dislike me.
2 I read deeply into all my social interactions. 5 I often project my own issues onto those who
seek my help.
3 I tend to look for flaws in everything.
6 I always seem to get tangled in my own
4 My manner is always perfectly calm.
manipulative webs.
5 I have an endless reservoir of quotes from the
great minds of art and science.
6 Just because I’m good with people doesn’t
mean I’m smart. Or qualified, frankly.
7 I have an obsessive fixation that creeps into
every conversation.
8 Everything reminds me of an old case.
New Backgrounds
you escaped or bought your freedom, or perhaps your
master has entrusted you with an errand. You could 3 Vengeance. My master and his family will pay
even be the slave of another member of your party. dearly for the blood they’ve spilt. (Neutral)
4 Formality. The customs of great households
Skill Proficiencies: Survival; your choice of Animal
have become very important to me. (Lawful)
Handling, Athletics, or Performance
Tools: Your choice of vehicles (land) or one type of 5 Freedom. I object to all forms of bondage. No
artisan’s tools connected to your duties one should wear a chain. (Chaotic)
Languages: One language spoken by your master 6 Piety. As much pain as my captivity has
Equipment: A set of rags or traveler’s clothes, a set of brought me, it drove me to a religious
artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a coded map to a awakening that made me who I am. (Any)
refuge for escaped slaves, and a pouch containing 2 gp
Feature: Blend In d6 Bond
Because of your race, features, or a slave brand, people 1 I have a close (perhaps intimate) relationship
in the society that enslaved you tend to take little with someone who isn’t a slave.
notice of your presence. You’re familiar with the sort of 2 My family is out there somewhere, and I will
households or camps in which you’ve served, and you meet them again.
can often blend in with groups of slaves there. People of 3 I’m involved in an underground railroad that
high status might even do things in your presence that illegally escorts slaves to freedom.
they would usually reserve for when they are alone.
4 I witnessed someone do something
d4 Duties incriminating, and they silenced me by selling
1 Cooking, personal attendance, or menial me into slavery.
household tasks 5 I’ve been given a particularly grievous slave
2 Herding, grooming, or carriage driving brand that causes others to hate or befriend me.
3 Hard labor or crafting 6 As a final act, my master entrusted me with a
vital secret and a solemn task.
4 Fighting in battle or gladiatorial combat
Variant Backgrounds
4 When it comes right down to it, I’m apathetic and hunting patterns of local beasts within half a day’s
about most parts of my life. journey of your camp.
5 The better part of valor is making a deal with
Variant Sage: Professor
the enemy. I can always save my friends later.
You have chosen to dedicate yourself to formal
6 Beneath all the speeches and rhetoric, I’m a research and instruction in a chosen field. As part of
dimwitted bully. an institution for higher learning, you’ve read most of
what there is worth reading in your area of specialty.
Variant Outlander: Explorer Prospective students who have heard your name come
Some wander the wilds in order to civilize them. They to you with questions and favors. When you choose
make and map trails, develop relations with native this background, choose a field to determine which
cultures, and bring evidence of these achievements back skill proficiencies will replace the sage’s, or roll a d20
to their homeland. Many of the same skills are shared and consult the following table.
between explorers and other outlanders, but their goals
tend to be quite different. You might have set out to prove d20 Academic Field Skill Proficiencies
a geographical hypothesis, been hired to create a trail 1 Anthropology History, Religion
between two distant cities, or perhaps you’re looking for 2 Arcane Studies Arcana, History
a mythical site rumored to be hidden in the wilderness. 3 Archaeology History, Investigation
Instead of a musical instrument, you’re proficient
4 Architecture History, Investigation
with vehicles (land), vehicles (water), or navigator’s
tools. You can replace one skill proficiency with either 5 Art History History, Religion
the History or Nature skill. If you wish, you can replace 6 Astronomy Arcana, Religion
your feature with Local Guide. 7 Biology Nature, Survival
Feature: Local Guide 8 Chemistry Medicine, Nature
Your connections with the local inhabitants of a 9 Economics History, Investigation
wild region provide you with a guide who knows the 10 Engineering Investigation, Perception
roads you mean to take. He or she warns you of the
11 Government History, Insight
dangerous aspects of the journey, advises you on the
best ways to forage for food and water, and can bring 12 History History, Insight
you to key landmarks in the area. If you pay a modest 13 Literature History, Insight
fee, the local guide might even agree to carry your 14 Languages History, plus two
equipment and hunt for you. additional languages of
your choice
Variant Outlander: Hunter 15 Mathematics Investigation, Perception
Not every wilderness-dweller is concerned with the lay
16 Medicine Medicine, Survival
of the land. Hunters focus on the creatures that live in
the outlands, using the senses and skills of a predator 17 Mythology History, Performance
to track their game. While their motives vary, the best 18 Philosophy Insight, Persuasion
hunters share a deep respect for the majesty and power 19 Psychology Insight, Persuasion
of nature and its beasts. You might be the last true 20 Theology History, Religion
hunter of your tribe, a lone archer living off the land,
or a hired gun who keeps the bears and wolves from
hampering an expensive expedition.
If you wish to be a hunter, you may swap your
musical instrument proficiency for proficiency with the
poisoner’s kit. You gain the Tracker feature below to
replace the outlander’s.
Classes in Vinramar
Look here for information on customizing the classes centuries since human assimilation, however, the term
to the world of Vinramar, including factions and ghazantra has taken on an almost religious connotation
subclasses unique to the Darkplane setting. as the telmatra tribes crusade against their neighbors in
the cause of ethnic purity.
Barbarian There are many gugrum, human, sarrow, and
Among Vinramar’s many tribal cultures are barbarians werekin cultures that also favor the path of the
whose ferocity is fueled either by battle-rage or by the barbarian. Such peoples have diverse customs that
influence of some otherworldly power. These primal might take any form you imagine.
manifestations are usually connected to the Irvallath,
primordial laborers who shaped the world in its Bard
infancy. Sarnoss, the Black Lion, is thought to endow The power of bards in the Darkplane setting doesn’t
worthy worshippers with his own savagery when truly come from their music or the level to which their
they fight in defense of the wild. The wood elves that performances entertain viewers. Bards in Vinramar
worship Emriel keep the skulls of their ancestors about derive their magic from the language of creation: the
their waist so that in battle, the spirits will take control Primordial Speech.
of their bodies and tear the enemy asunder. When the Irvallath awoke from the Void and spoke
Lurking out of the sight of human civilization, to one another, they did so with more than words. As
the dragonborn of clans Kaiervol and Medeghar have pure souls without physical form, they spoke through
nurtured the tradition they call Jindi at Khuf, the Sting the expression of art and creation, playing with the
of Teeth in Darkness. Students of this training practice fabric of reality, contriving the elements and the stars
triggering their rage through physical initiation and the beasts. The power of this communication has
techniques, like breath exercises, gutteral shouts, or never dimmed—only the memory of it, which lingers
even cutting their skin. Jindi at Khuf is often mistaken dream-like in the art forms inherited by every culture
by outsiders as a religious movement, but it’s more of a in Vinramar.
martial art than a form of worship. The term Primordial Speech is a misnomer because
The telmatra access their barbarian rage in less it isn’t limited to oral communication. It’s a language
formalized ways. Traditional telmatra tribes living at also comprised of movement, thoughts, memory,
the fringes of developed nations are known to exalt desire, and truth. Dance, music, and poetry express
their ghazatra, warriors whose actions in combat such things and so carry the smallest hint of the
displayed a complete lack of restraint. Originally Primordial Speech’s power, but when a bard enunciates
such barbarians became chieftains and tribal leaders, with the language of creation, every aspect of her soul
receiving concubines for their victories. In the recent is laid bare in sacred clarity.
Classes in Vinramar
Divine Domain: Aberration
There are few known gods whose influence extends
beyond the territory of the four worlds. That alien
abyss is the dominion of mad, twisted beings whose
powers defy the fundamental assumptions of nature.
Of the handful of gods who have ventured into the
Darkplane, only Daemoth, Maruma’e, and Senfaer have
brought aberrant secrets back to their servants.
These acolytes of aberration understand only
infinitessimal glimpses of the horror that lies beyond
the natural worlds, but this is enough to tear the sanity
of their enemies apart. To them nature is heretical and
the faiths that fight aberrant influence are infidels.
Aberration Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st hideous laughter, silent image
3rd darkvision, detect thoughts
5th fear, major image
In many forgotten places, remnants of the 7th confusion, phantasmal killer
Primordial Speech can be discovered, and mastered 9th dream, geas
with painstaking study. The body learns a new bearing,
the mind feasts on truth, and the mortal mouth forms Bonus Proficiency
sounds it was never meant to utter. How exactly you When you choose this domain at 1st level, you become
obtain this knowledge is up to you and your GM. proficient in the Arcana skill.
Perhaps you’re the student of a tribal elder, a skald Telepathy
piecing together lost histories, or a daring grave robber At 1st level, you can use your bonus action to open a
who scours the land for hidden words of power. telepathic connection with a creature within 60 feet that
All primordial magic is perilous to attempt, and the knows at least one language. While the creature is in
Primordial Speech is no different. Its articulation leaves range, you can speak to each other telepathically. You do
the speaker with a light head and a putrid taste on the lips. not need to share a language to understand each other.
Those who witness the Primordial Speech are surprised You can end the connection whenever you choose. You
that they comprehend everything communicated—far can only have one telepathic connection open at once.
more, in fact, than they wish they did.
Channel Divinity: Fortify Sanity
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel
Divinity to erect a psionic shield. When you or a
Option: Forbidden Speech creature within 60 feet of you gains a temporary
To convey the dangerous nature of bard magic, the madness or takes psychic damage, you can spend a
GM can apply the following optional rule: reaction to grant it resistance to psychic damage and
At any time when a character casts a bard spell immunity to short-term madness for 1 minute.
of 1st-level or higher that has a verbal or somatic
component, the GM may require every creature Group Telepathy
that hears it, including the caster, to succeed on Starting at 6th level, you can maintain multiple
a Wisdom saving throw or gain a short-term telepathic connections at once. A single bonus
madness. The DC is 8 + the spell’s level. action can target up to six creatures. If you break this
connection with one creature, you break it with every
creature you targeted with the same action.
Classes in Vinramar
servants to strike fear into the hearts of the believers
Darkness Domain Spells
with ominous signs and threatening wonders. These
Cleric Level Spells clerics blight their enemies with blindness, hideous
1st sleep, unseen servant diseases, and swarms of beasts and insects.
3rd darkness, misty step
Pestilence Domain Spells
5th phantom steed, spirit guardians
Cleric Level Spells
7th dimension door, greater invisibility
1st detect poison and disease, inflict wounds
9th dream, modify memory
3rd blindness/deafness, ray of enfeeblement
Channel Divinity: Shadowblade 5th conjure animals, stinking cloud
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel 7th blight, dominate beast
Divinity to create a weapon out of shadow essence. 9th contagion, insect plague
As a bonus action, you can form a dark, shadowy
blade in your free hand. The blade is similar in size Bonus Cantrip
and shape to a scimitar, and you have proficiency with When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the
it. It lasts for 1 minute, or as long as you maintain thaumaturgy cantrip if you don’t already know it.
concentration. If you let go of the blade, it disappears,
but as long as your concentration isn’t broken you can Disease Resistance
form the blade again as a bonus action. Beginning at 1st level, you have advantage on saving
You can use your action to make a melee spell throws against the effects of disease and poison.
attack with the shadowblade. On a hit, the target takes
Channel Divinity: Signs of the Times
2d6 necrotic damage.
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel
Channel Divinity: Shadow Mantle Divinity to call powerful wonders, signs, or omens
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel down from the heavens. When you cast the
Divinity to disappear into the darkness. As an action, thaumaturgy cantrip, you can expend a use of Channel
you become invisible until the end of your next turn. If Divinity to enhance it in one of the following ways.
you attack or cast a spell, you become visible again. • Add two additional effects from the spell’s
Twin Shadows
description.
Beginning at 8th level, when you use Shadowblade, • Cast the spell with no components.
you form one shadowblade in each hand. When you • Extend the spell’s duration a number of days equal
take an action to attack with one shadowblade, you can to your cleric level.
use a bonus action to attack with the second one. • Extend the spell’s range as far as you can see.
When you reach 14th level, you add your Wisdom • Frighten creatures who see the spell effect and fail
modifier to the first shadowblade attack you make on a Wisdom saving throw. The frightened condition
your turn. If you have the fighting style Two-Weapon ends if the spell ends, or if the creature is attacked.
Fighting, you gain the benefit of it when making a If a creature succeeds on this saving throw, it is
second shadowblade attack. immune to this effect for 24 hours.
• The chosen effect cannot be dispelled.
Truth in Darkness
Channel Divinity: Consumption
Starting at 17th level, you can slip through the bounds
of the Material Realm to peer into the souls and minds Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel
of others. You can use an action to gain truesight Divinity to sap the physical stamina of natural
within 30 feet for 1 minute. While this effect is in creatures. Spend a bonus action when you deal
place, you can see into the Primordial Realm, the necrotic damage to a beast, fey, humanoid, or plant
Shadow Realm, and the Spirit Realm. to force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a
failure, the target gains a level of exhaustion.
Withering Strike
At 8th level, you gain the ability to endow your weapon
strikes with corrosive energy. Once per turn, when you
hit a creature with a weapon attack, you deal an extra 1d8
necrotic damage. When you reach 14th level, the extra
damage increases to 2d8.
Crippling Consumption
At 17th level, your ability to exhaust enemies becomes
cruelly powerful. When you use Consumption on a target
with a challenge rating of 4 or lower, you can also target
any other beasts, fey, humanoids, or plants within 15 feet
of it that have a challenge rating of 4 or lower. On a failed
saving throw, these targets take three levels of exhaustion
instead of one.
Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain
proficiency with martial weapons and light armor.
Burden of Jukai
Also at 1st level, you can use an action to create or dismiss
one of the following effects in an area of dirt, sand, or stone
you can see within 30 feet. The affected area is no larger
than a 5-foot cube, and the effect lasts for 1 hour.
• Create a pattern, shape, or words on the area’s surface.
• Change the shape of the dirt, sand, or stone.
• Change difficult terrain to normal terrain, or vice versa.
• Move the area up to 5 feet, either through the air Water Domain Spells
or along the ground, leaving a hole or empty space Cleric Level Spells
where it originally stood. This movement isn’t
1st create or destroy water, grease
forceful enough to damage creatures or objects.
3rd darkvision, pass without trace
Channel Divinity: Heartless Stone 5th water breathing, water walk
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel
Classes in Vinramar
7th conjure minor elementals, control water
Divinity to return an opponent’s attack with the power
of unyielding stone. 9th conjure elemental, maelstrom
When you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing Baturach’s Call
damage from a melee attack, you can use your reaction At 1st level, you can use an action to create or dismiss
to force the attacking creature to make a Strength one of the following effects in an area of water you can
saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes the same see within 30 feet. The affected area is no larger than a
damage it dealt you. Fail or succeed, the target is 5-foot cube, and the effect lasts for 1 hour.
knocked prone.
• Freeze water in the area. Creatures occupying the
Channel Divinity: Immutable area aren’t damaged or restrained by this effect.
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity • Change the opacity or color of all water in the area.
to counter the effects of certain magic. Use an action • Move or change the flow of water in the area up to
to remove the effects of one enchantment, illusion, or 5 feet, either through the air or through the water’s
transmutation spell from yourself or a creature you current. Any fluid within the area is moved with it.
touch. You can use this ability on unwilling creatures • Form the water into basic shapes that move as you
with a successful melee spell attack. The spell you direct them.
counter must be of a level equal to or less than your
highest remaining spell slot. Tidal Pull
At 1st level, you can move through calm water without
Magma Strike having to seriously exert yourself. You have a swim
At 8th level, you gain the ability to endow your weapon speed of 20 feet. You can allow the current to pull
strikes with bursts of liquid magma. Once per turn, you if sufficiently strong, but you don’t need to make
when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you deal Strength (Athletics) checks to swim, no matter how
an extra 1d8 fire damage. When you reach 14th level, rough conditions are.
the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Channel Divinity: Direct Current
Stone’s Endurance Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel
At 17th level, when you would perform a Strength or Divinity to manipulate the current in a body of water.
Constitution saving throw, you can use your reaction While touching the water in a sea, lake, river,
to make a Wisdom saving throw instead. or stream, you can spend 10 minutes to change the
current’s direction or strength in a 120-foot sphere.
Divine Domain: Water
Swimmers and waterborne vehicles moving with the
The seas teem with strange creatures, some elegant and
current you set double their speed while in the affected
noble, others terrifying and malignant. The deities that
area. Those travelling against the current treat it as
created them take many forms. Lakhi, the mother of
difficult terrain. Alternatively, you can choose to make
serpents, appears as a blue aquatic dragon. Maruma’e
all water in the area normal or difficult terrain.
has a form so unnatural and repulsive that to look on it
These conditions follow you in a sphere for 8
means death. Their mother Baturach controls the tides
hours, or as long as you maintain concentration and
from her palace on the moon, ominous and elusive.
remain touching the water. If you lose physical contact
Shamans and witch doctors have passed down these
with the water, the effect ends and conditions return to
gods’ cults since prehistory.
normal after 1 minute.
It is uncommon to see clerics of the water
domain. Those who have pledged themselves to these Channel Divinity: Primordial Charm
primordial mistresses fight amongst one other for Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity
control of the sea. Whether dragonborn clan leaders or to hypnotize primordial creatures.
healers of the Jharric goddess Iala, clerics of the water As an action, you present your holy symbol
domain seek after the secrets beneath the tide. They and speak ancient words of elemental power. Each
look on water as a bringer of both life and death. elemental within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you
Wellspring Marksmanship
Beginning at 17th level, you become a living vessel of You have proficiency with firearms.
holy water, and fire holds no fear for you. Whenever you
take fire damage, reduce it by 30. Monk
Those in Vinramar with the discipline to pursue an
Druid ascetic life have many options to choose from. The
The Divine Domains described above under Cleric most common monastic orders are headquartered in
account for characters who serve particular deities of the region of Syrikhal, with temple networks branching
an element or sphere. By contrast, druids are animists. through Arrochule, Arwest, Motta, and Trentsmund.
Their power lies in their ability to contact the souls These organizations tend to reflect the outlook and
and spirits of living things, although this power is philosophy of their particular leaders. Even those
often granted or focused by a particular personage pursuing the same path of purification might differ
connected to nature, such as Sarnoss, Jukai, or Zho- drastically as culture, religion, and ideology all take a
hau. Through this contact, druids command the birds, hand in shaping the monk’s rituals and teachings.
beasts, even the earth itself. The largest and most mainstream centers of
Although they exert such influence, not all druids monastic study are connected to Senfaer, the primordial
are devoted protectors of nature. There are those who god of order. Their deity’s role as star-traveler and
exploit this power for their own self-aggrandizement. defender of the four worlds from Darkplane aberrations
Others forsake speaking things for the company of has long imbued the Senfaerists with an emphasis on
simpler life forms. Distrust and skepticism have driven martial arts and the exploration of psionic talent.
plenty of both camps into the dark corners of civilization, The so-called 36 Methods of Liung Do are the
where druidic practices warped into disparate cults. basis of most Senfaerist martial arts. Each of the 36
combat techniques connects to a philosophy, teaching,
Fighter or principle embraced by the order, such as discipline,
It can be argued that most adventurers embark with little modesty, and mutual trust. Meditation and rigorous
more than determination and a strong arm. Fighters physical training are the hallmarks of Senfaerist orders.
represent that universal skill set, and can be customized Hundreds of lesser-known traditions produce
to represent bold people of action from any culture. monks in every corner of Vinramar. The Black Lotus
Some players aren’t interested in magic, and their first preserves Ulmhasa’s world-spanning shadow dancing
kernel of a character concept is a career or background techniques, the Order of Illiantri transforms its
rather than a roleplaying class. If you find yourself in impressionable zealots into living weapons of fear, and
this situation, the fighter class can keep your character’s the Disciples of the Living Gods train dragonborn
skill set centered in the mundane without forcing you to warriors to infuse their hand-to-hand combat with the
rationalize or explain away magical features. fury of the elements. Orders like these provide a path
A fighter might be a trained mercenary, street toward discovering the latent power within the body
thug, tribal warrior, or an aristocratic duelist. Anyone and soul. Many attach spiritual and moral truths to the
who can handle themselves in a physical confrontation pursuit, but some are more concerned with furthering
qualifies, making it one of the most flexible classes. a particular agenda on the world stage.
Below are three additional fighting styles available to
fighters to help expand the class’s versatility.
Classes in Vinramar
Psionic Awakening world. If you’re interested in playing a paladin whose
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your ki to mimic oath itself is morally grey, you might use some of the
the effects of particular spells. As an action, you can following options.
spend 2 ki points to cast calm emotions, detect thoughts,
Alternate Tenets
misty step, or shatter as a 2nd-level psionic spell
Particular dogmas and philosophies vary among the
without providing material components.
different factions that embrace paladin oaths. Below
In addition, you can use a bonus action to open
are a few additional tenets that you can swap in for
a telepathic connection with one creature within 60
the tenets usually associated with your sacred oath.
feet. While the creature is in range, you can speak to
In addition to these options, look at the tenets listed
each other telepathically. You do not need to share
under particular deities in Chapter 3 for more ideas.
a language, but the creature must speak at least
Defeat is just another path to victory. When
one language to understand you. You can end the
my cause suffers a loss, it is my duty to redouble my
connection whenever you choose. You can only have
commitment. All is possible if the gods will it.
one telepathic connection open at once.
Doubt is weakness. Moderation and tolerance are
Mind Thrust repugnant to my order. I’m willing to sacrifice all that I
At 6th level, your intrusion into the minds of others am for the cause.
opens up sanity-tearing vistas of the universe beyond The ends justify the means. No one can tell me that
natural reality. As an action, you can spend up to 3 ki my course is wrong if the destination is worthy.
points to force a creature within 60 feet to make an If you’re not with us, you’re against us. All things
Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature are either for the cause or in opposition to it. Anyone
takes 2d6 psychic damage per ki point spent. who claims neutrality is lying.
Madness is truth; truth is madness. Natural reality
Hunter of Aberrations is offensive to the true order of the universe. Insanity
Starting at 11th level, your contact with Darkplane brings us one step closer to the gods.
forces makes you especially resilient to its denizens. Now is the time to act. There is a divine plan for my
You have resistance to psychic damage and you add cause, and its final stage has arrived. These are the end
your proficiency bonus (if you haven’t already) to days when all who believe must stand and be rewarded.
Wisdom (Survival) checks to track an aberration. The rightful rulers have been deposed. It is my
Additionally, when you are charmed or frightened by responsibility to restore them to power and eliminate
an aberration, or when you gain a form of madness, those who would obstruct their reign.
you can spend 3 ki points to avoid that effect altogether. Submission is worse than death. To surrender or
compromise is a betrayal of all that I stand for, and will
Channel to the Stars
earn me eternal disgrace.
At 17th level, your soul forges an unbreakable bond
with the Darkplane, allowing you to journey through Alternate Enemies
the void and to banish its denizens back to the stars. You If your oath is connected to a deity with a more
can spend 6 ki points to cast plane shift without material questionable outlook, you might feel that certain creature
components, but you must choose a destination that types mentioned in your class features don’t quite fit.
moves the targets to or from the Darkplane. With your GM’s permission, you can permanently
change the following terms when they appear in the
Paladin descriptions of your class features (but not your spells).
Vinramar’s oath-bound champions devote themselves You must make this change in every instance.
to powerful ideals, often connected to the cause of a Undead. If your character and deity have no
particular deity. While the abilities they manifest may particular qualms about the undead, you can change
not differ greatly, the tenets of their oaths do. In some this creature type to aberration or monstrosity
cases, these vows enjoin them to eliminate those whose whenever it appears in your class features. Paladins
religious devotion leans another way. in the service of Lakhi, Senfaer, and even some
Mozralchic agents might find this change appropriate.
Classes in Vinramar
described on the previous page. a character whose ancestry is entirely vampiric,
If you end one of your turns without having spent a descendant of Iarmov himself, you can use the
sorcery points in connection with this feature, you lose optional traits below in place of choosing a race.
one fade level unless you spend 1 sorcery point to remain This option doesn’t replicate the vampire stat
at your current fade level. Once your fade level returns block. If a character is transformed into a vampire
to 0, you must finish a short rest before you can use this (rather than born as one), the GM should simply
feature again. follow the usual guidelines for such occurrences.
The traits below allow you to play a young
Sorcerous Origin: vampire whose powers have not yet reached their
Vampire Bloodline full potential. They should only be used along
Not all vampires are made. Some are born, inheriting with the features of the vampire bloodline origin.
the abhorrent curse of their undead parentage. Together, these traits and features provide a way for
Vampires bear children only rarely over the centuries, a vampire PC to grow into his or her dark powers.
more often rendering the honor to the wretched At your GM’s discretion, you may undertake
mortals upon whom they prey. The young resulting a particular quest or initiation rite to replace
from such a union aren’t always evil, but they inevitably all the below traits and your vampire bloodline
manifest certain insidious powers of the vampire. features with the traits and actions of a true
Such creatures often display behavior typical of vampire. This will greatly increase the character’s
vampires. You might sleep during the day, basking in effectiveness, and so GMs are warned to consider
the desecrated soil of your homeland; or perhaps shun the ramifications of allowing a player to reach full
the symbols of sacred deity. Sorcerers with the vampire vampire potential. Such a change usually alters the
bloodline face a harrowing choice: channel their inner vampire’s alignment to lawful evil.
darkness into a worthy cause as penance for the sins of
millennia, or give in to the exhilarant predator within. Pureblood Vampire Traits
As a true creature of darkness, you have inherited
Vampire Weaknesses the following vampiric traits.
When you choose this origin at 1st level, you gain the Ability Score Increase. Your Strength,
following susceptibilities. Constitution, and Charisma scores each increase
by 2.
• You’re physically incapable of entering an inhabited
Vampire Weaknesses. In addition to the
residence unless one of the occupants invites you in.
weaknesses you gained with your Sorcerous
• You have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability
Origin, you take 20 acid damage if you end your
checks while in sunlight.
turn in running water, and you take 20 radiant
• If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into
damage when you start your turn in sunlight.
your heart while you’re incapacitated, you become
Darkvision. Your undead heritage grants you
paralyzed until the stake is removed.
darkvision within 120 feet.
Spider Climb Form of the Bat. You can use an action to
When you choose this origin at 1st level, you can climb polymorph into a Tiny bat or back into your true
difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, form. While in bat form, you can’t speak or cast
without needing to make an ability check. spells, your walking speed becomes 5 feet, you
have a flying speed of 30 feet, and the only attacks
Undead Ferocity you can make are bite attacks. Your other statistics
Starting when you choose this origin at 1st level, your remain unchanged. Anything you are wearing
unarmed attacks deal 1d6 damage. You may choose to polymorphs with you, but nothing that you are
bite with your unarmed attack to deal piercing damage carrying does. If you die while polymorphed, you
instead of bludgeoning. revert to your true form.
You also have natural armor, making your AC Undeath. You are undead. You do not require
equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier while you’re not air, and your body does not age.
wearing armor.
Classes in Vinramar
end your movement inside an object or creature, you
worlds were created. Most have no bodies or spirits, and are reduced to 0 hit points.
manifest only as elemental anomalies such as tornados,
volcanic eruptions, or sentient terrain. The most Primeval Resilience
powerful primordials have managed to form bizarre At 10th level, you gain resistance to poison damage and
bodies from sand, stone, or twisted flesh. one of the following damage types appropriate to your
Primordials despise humanoids—only out of idle patron: cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
fancy or desperation do they teach such weaklings to
manipulate soul essence. They’re often motivated by Blood Bond
the desire to lash out against rival entities (primordial Beginning at 14th level, you can use an action to bind
or otherwise), and mortals occasionally serve as useful your soul to an ally, pooling your senses and energy
pawns that can work unnoticed by powerful enemies. into a common well. You touch the blood of a willing
The Irvallath, a pantheon of god-like primordial creature, and for 1 hour both of you can see, hear, taste,
beings, are known to teach secrets to their priests smell, and feel through each other’s body, including
in exchange for lifelong devotion. Most warlocks, the effects of special senses like darkvision, as long as
however, pact with renegade primordials such as you’re on the same plane.
Fuatunu of Five Agonies; Itoro Che-banwa, the Living Additionally, you can exchange hit points freely.
Tempest; Ghemakta-tep, the Lady of Endless Winter; As a reaction, one of you loses a number of hit points,
and Magdu, Our Hidden Voice. and the other instantly gains that many, up to its hit
point maximum. Both of you must be willing for the
Expanded Spell List exchange to occur, and any hit points lost this way do
The Primordial lets you choose from an expanded list not count as damage taken.
of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following The effect of this bond ends early if one of you is
spells are added to the warlock spell list for you. reduced to 0 hit points or leaves the Material Plane.
Spell Level Spells Wizard
1st false life, sleep While most arcane arts are dangerous to those who
2nd gust of wind, flaming sphere learn them, there are some magical methods that can
3rd sleet storm, slow be employed with a reliable level of safety. Depending
on their arcane tradition and favored spells, a wizard’s
4th conjure minor elementals, polymorph
magic might carry less risk than a warlock’s or sorcerer’s.
5th conjure elemental, planar binding In Vinramar, wizards are closely associated with
the folk magic tradition of the heathfolk, whose arcane
Elemental Escape
universities provide formal magical instruction for
When you choose this patron at 1st level, you learn to
those with the necessary talent. A wizard might be
empower your body with the enduring resilience of the
a student, graduate, or professor at the College of
elements. When making saving throws against being
Sonnactfel, Abríanach University, or any of the many
grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, or restrained, add
arcane institutes founded by the heathfolk.
your Charisma modifier.
Outside these schools, a wizard is likely to be self-
Pact of the Chain Options taught through research and risky experimentation.
If you choose the Pact of the Chain feature when you Such practitioners of magic often make mistakes at the
reach 3rd level, you can choose one of the following cost of their lives, or the lives of others, contributing
special forms for your familiar: giant fire beetle, to the strong taboos that surround the arcane. The
mephit, shadow, or twig blight. most intelligent, however, can come to match a
trained wizard, especially if they surround themselves
with like-minded magicians that can collaborate in
the pursuit of artifacts and tomes that will open up
forbidden paths for their art.
Chronomancy Spells
1st Level 5th Level Components: V, S, M (the powdered bones of a
Chronal Shift Chronomantic Eye celestial, which the spell consumes)
Delay Despair of Infinite Agency Duration: Concentration, up to 24 hours
Expeditious Retreat* Folds of Time
Longstrider* From your hand you blow the dust of a celestial’s bones,
6th Level
Scan Timethread which becomes a whirling globe of crackling light in
Contingency*
a 15-foot radius around you. Inside the globe, time
2nd Level Temporal Winch
does not exist. It is immobile and lasts for the duration.
Blur* 7th Level Creatures within the globe do not age, are immune to
Specious Relativity Consecutive Loop poison damage and the poisoned condition, cannot take
Temporal Barrier
8th Level levels of exhaustion, and do not need to sleep, eat, or
Time Dilation
Axis of Eternity breathe. They cannot benefit from a short or long rest
3rd Level Existential Paradox while inside the globe.
Cosmic String From inside, creatures can see into the present time,
Convergent Strike 9th Level
watching events transpire there. If any creature enters or
Haste* Chronal Exile
exits the globe, the spell ends.
Slow* Time Stop*
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell at 9th
level, the duration becomes 1 month.
*Versions of these spells exist that belong to the school of chronomancy.
If not cast as a chronomancy spell, they belong to their usual schools.
Spell descriptions for these spells are not found in this section. Chronal Exile
9th-level chronomancy
Casting Time: 1 action
The School of Chronomancy Range: 30 feet
Chronomancy spells interact with the fabric of Components: V, S, M (an ornate spinning top crafted
time. Often they slow or speed up the passage in a mold made by Ruethas himself, worth at least
of linear events by twisting the timestream in 200 gp per Hit Die of the target)
unnatural directions. Because the practice of Duration: Life of the caster
chronomancy is so closely guarded, the spells
With a glimmer, you activate a large spinning top
described in this section are added to the wizard
which whirls in front of you in the air. When you speak
spell list only.
the name of a creature within range, it must succeed on
a Charisma saving throw or be sent howling into the
riptide outside of linear time. It ceases to exist for the
Accelerate/Decelerate duration. If it is on its native plane, it has advantage on
Chronomancy cantrip this saving throw.
Casting Time: 1 action If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the spell
Range: 30 feet ends with no effect and the creature is immune to this
Components: V, S spell if you cast it again. When you cast this spell, any
Duration: 1 round previous casting of it ends, meaning that you can only
exile one creature at a time.
You make a minor change to the way time interacts
with a single creature or object within range. Until the Chronal Shift
end of your next turn, the target’s speed is reduced or 1st-level chronomancy
increased by 10 feet. Likewise, if the creature falls 20
feet or less before the spell ends, it lands on its feet and Casting Time: 1 action
has resistance to any falling damage it takes. Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of sand)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Chronomancy Spells
Components: V, S
You draw a length of cloth across a creature, burying
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
it in a fold of the timestream. It becomes invisible and
You hold your hand up with the palm facing the hidden from all creatures until the end of your next
creature that triggered your reaction, and place a turn. This spell ends if the target attacks or casts a spell.
chronal ward on that creature. Until the spell ends,
any damage, condition, or other effect caused by the Hourglass
triggering event fails to occur. When the spell does Chronomancy cantrip
end, however, the target is immediately affected as if
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you
the triggering event has just been completed.
observe something that intrigues you
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Range: Self
spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can maintain your
Components: V, S, M (an hourglass, jar, or other vessel)
concentration on the spell for one additional round for
Duration: 10 minutes
each slot level above 1st.
With a verbal command and a simple gesture, you
Despair of Infinite Agency capture a mental imprint of what you personally saw
5th-level chronomancy during the 6 seconds directly preceding the casting
of this spell. A moving image of the imprint appears
Casting Time: 1 action
inside an empty vessel you are holding. Until the spell
Range: 30 feet
ends, you can play the imprinted sight in real time,
Components: V, S, M (a hand mirror worth 250 gp,
reverse, or slow motion at will. It is visible to anyone
which shatters as the spell consumes it)
close enough to see it.
Duration: Instantaneous
One creature you can see and which can see you makes Precipitous Relativity
a Wisdom saving throw as you confront it with a mind- 4th-level chronomancy (ritual)
rending awareness of every possible timeline which
Casting Time: 1 action
belongs to it. Visions of the infinite choices it could have
Range: 30 feet
made during every moment of its life flash through the
Components: V, S, M (three strings of yarn, each tied
creature’s mind. On a failed save it takes 8d10 psychic
to one of your fingers)
damage, or half as much damage on a success.
Duration: 1 minute
Existential Paradox You drastically accelerate or reverse the aging of one
8th-level chronomancy beast, dragon, humanoid, or plant you can see within
range. Most crops and flowers are automatically killed by
Casting Time: 1 action
this spell, or transformed into a seed. Mature perennial
Range: 30 feet
plants may either change size by one category or have
Components: V, S
little visible effect, according to the GM’s discretion.
Duration: Instantaneous
Creatures must succeed on a Constitution saving
When you cast this spell, you focus on a creature you throw or grow 5d10 years older or younger (your
can see within range. The creature must succeed on choice). If its age is decreased below 0, the creature
a Wisdom saving throw or have its consciousness becomes an infant. It doesn’t die if aged beyond its
thrust back in time to a moment before it existed. The typical life span.
existential shock of the experience causes it to take 20d10 By default, creatures are considered adults (for
psychic damage. If this damage reduces it to 0 hit points, humans, ages 18-39), but your GM may choose to
the creature ceases to exist. Whether the save fails or modify the effects of this spell based on the particular
succeeds, the creature gains a form of indefinite madness. circumstance. An elderly cult leader may already be
Chronomancy Spells
your place in the initiative order to the present—though
Casting Time: 1 minute
you can’t take another turn until after the end of the
Range: Touch
current round. Your turn remains there in the initiative
Components: V, S, M (a rosemary blossom, a vial of
order until you move it again as part of this spell.
red Liquor Hepatis, and 5 feet of flax rope)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Timelike Curve
Your axis in the fabric of time is temporarily tethered to 4th-level chronomancy
that of an object or creature you touch. Until the spell
Casting Time: 1 action
ends, when a chronal control effect or a chronomancy
Range: Self
spell of 3rd-level or lower targets you or your tether
Components: V, S, M (a tail feather of a young robin,
(but doesn’t target you both), you can choose whether
and the egg from which it hatched)
it affects both of you or neither of you. A wizard using
Duration: Instantaneous
a chronal control effect can expend two additional
chronal dice to override your use of this spell. If both You tug at the fabric of time and create a sphere
you and the target are affected by the spell or chronal extending 15 feet from you in each direction, causing
control effect, you cannot prevent it. events within that area to be undone. No change is
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a apparent to observers outside the sphere, but those
spell slot of 5th level or higher, its effects apply to any within it see a blur of motion as the actions and
spell whose level is less than the level of the spell slot movement of the last few moments play out in reverse.
you used. The current round starts over at the top of the initiative
order as if none of it had occurred.
Temporal Winch Everything outside the sphere must progress exactly
6th-level chronomancy as it did previously, including the actions and die results
of creatures not within the sphere. Characters within the
Casting Time: 1 action
sphere, however, can alter their actions and perform new
Range: Self
rolls based on knowledge of what originally happened.
Components: V, S, M (the string of a fiddle, harp, or
On their turns, characters affected by the spell
other instrument)
perform whichever actions they choose, rolling new
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
results. They might use this opportunity to get another
The timestream around you is restricted or expanded, chance at an attack that missed, to take the Dodge
affecting nearby creatures’ perception of time. You action, or to end their movement in a different space,
create a 30-foot sphere centered on yourself, within avoiding some unpleasant hazard. When the initiative
which time appears to either slow or accelerate. order reaches a creature outside the sphere, it must
If you choose to slow the manifestation of time, act exactly as it did before the spell was cast, and keep
all creatures within the sphere can take an additional whatever die results were originally rolled.
action or bonus action on their turn while the spell Because the events outside this spell’s reach are
lasts. If instead you choose to accelerate it, the affected now predetermined, the new actions may interact with
creatures can only take one bonus action and move them differently. Creatures that used a ranged attack
a distance of half their speed (in whatever order they or spell on a particular character may find that there’s
choose), after which their turn ends. a different target in the space they originally chose, or
that a barrier of some kind has gotten in the way.
Time Dilation If an action from outside the spell’s area of effect is
2nd-level chronomancy obstructed or foiled, the GM determines how the new
timeline resolves. Targets inside the sphere may now
Casting Time: 1 bonus action have cover or be obscured, changing the outcome of
Range: Self the attack. Likewise, an attack from outside may now
Components: V, S have advantage or disadvantage. In such cases, count
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute the original roll as the first, then make a second roll.
153
Thought Shield Intelligence save. If a creature forces you to make a
At 1st level, your mind is able to resist unwanted saving throw against any of these effects, you can spend
intrusion. You cannot be located or psychically a number of devotion points equal to the creature’s
contacted with the Contact feature unless you choose Intelligence score to succeed automatically.
to allow it. In addition, if any creature attempts to
communicate with you telepathically, you can spend
Meditative Focus
At 20th level, when you finish a short rest you may
a number of devotion points equal to its Intelligence
regain a number of devotion points equal to your
modifier (minimum of 1) to block this communication
Intelligence score. You cannot use this feature again
for 1 minute.
until you finish a long rest.
Psychic Devotion
When you reach 2nd level, you gain the use of one
Psychic Disciplines
A gifted psychic manifests a wide array of powers, but
psychic devotion from the options listed at the end of
with experience even the most versatile mentalists focus
the class description. Your choice of devotion is not
and develop their natural abilities into a specialty. Known
restricted by your psychic discipline.
as disciplines, these signature talents manifest only once
You gain an additional psychic devotion at 5th,
their possessor spends the time necessary to hone them.
7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th levels.
Clairsentient
Psychic Discipline As masters of the unknown, many clairsentients refer
At 3rd level, you choose a psychic discipline that to their psychic powers as if they were a separate entity
reflects which path you focus your talents on: imparting knowledge. They might ask a dead loved one
Clairsentient, Psychokinetic, Psychometabolist, or to show them visions of the past or future, read hidden
Telepath, detailed under Psychic Disciplines. Your secrets in tarot cards and tea leaves, or call upon “the
discipline choice grants you features at 3rd level and spirits” to project their consciousness to far away places.
11th level. Although they treat such knowledge as a gift, they
know their own prescient minds allow them access to it.
Mind Thrust When clairsentient abilities manifest, it often
Beginning at 6th level, you can cause deeper mental compensates for a psychic’s physical limitations. A blind
trauma when you attack a creature’s psyche. When you woman might see only spiritual auras, or a young cripple
use Ego Whip to attack a creature, you may spend up could learn to project his consciousness beyond his
to 3 devotion points before making the attack. You deal mortal body. Whether able-bodied or not, clairsentients
an extra 1d8 psychic damage for each devotion point often value knowledge over physical prowess.
spent. In addition, when you use the Contact feature,
creatures don’t benefit from the Thought Shield feature Truth Seer
unless they also have the Psionic Barrier feature. When you choose this discipline at 3rd level, you
Whenever you deal psychic damage to a creature, automatically succeed on Intelligence (Investigation)
you can cause it to lose that many devotion points (or checks to see through illusions. You also learn one of
an equivalent number of psionic spells slots) instead. the following spells, which doesn’t count against your
spells known: augury, darkvision, or see invisibility.
Intellect Fortress
At 6th level, your psyche is bolstered against intrusion. Tremors in Reality
You gain proficiency in Charisma saving throws. At 11th level, you gain access to the 50-point level of your
clairsentient devotions. You learn the spell detect magic
Psionic Barrier and you don’t have to spend devotion points to cast it.
Beginning at 14th level, you can draw an impenetrable
curtain across your mind and those of nearby allies to Psychokinetic
stop others from damaging or tampering with them. The ability to manipulate physical matter without
You have resistance to psychic damage, and you can use touching it may not be unique to psychokinetics, but
a bonus action to stop any telepathic communication to they do it better than most. Rather than projecting
yourself or a creature you are in psychic contact with. their consciousness, they send out powerful bursts of
In addition, when a creature forces someone semi-permeable force from their minds. It’s common
within 30 feet of you to make a saving throw to avoid for psychokinetics to be impulsive and emotionally
being charmed, dominated, or psychically contacted, volatile. Whether this makes them dangerous or
you can make the saving throw for them using your valuable as allies, no one can dispute their raw power.
Vehicles
Vehicle Cost Speed Crew Passengers Cargo AC HP Damage Threshold
Land Vehicles
Boneshaker 30 gp 8 mph — — 50 lb. 10 10 —
Steam car* 40,000 gp 60 mph — 3 1 ton 12 80 —
Steam wagon* 50,000 gp 30 mph — 12 3 tons 12 120 —
Railroad Vehicles
Handcar 300 gp 10 mph — 6 500 lb. 12 100 10
Train engine* 1,200 gp 100 mph 2 2 5 tons 19 300 50
Freight car 30 gp — — — 50 tons 400 50
Passenger car 80 gp — — 80 — 300 40
Tanker car 50 gp — — — 6,000 gallons 16 200 20
Waterborne Vehicles
Iron warship* 150,000 gp 3 mph 60 60 200 tons 18 500 40
Steamboat* 80,000 gp 2 mph 20 200 100 tons 15 300 10
*When this vehicle is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes. Creatures within 20 feet of it must succeed
on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d6 fire damage and be knocked prone.
World Factions
Major 7 Lieutenant Colonel’s lieutenants per ship)
second-in-command Commander 7 Captain’s second-in-
Lieutenant 10 Battalion (3-5 command
Colonel companies) Captain 10 1 ship
Colonel 15 Regiment (1-4 battalions) Commodore 15 Squadron (2-12 ships)
Brigadier 25 Brigade (3-6 battalions) Rear Admiral 25 Squadron (2-12 ships) or
General fleet (5-30 ships)
Major General 35 Division (3-8 brigades) Vice Admiral 35 Fleet (5-30 ships)
General 50 All units in one region Admiral 50 All ships in one region
A private or seaman earning 1 renown is elevated to The exact duties of an officer depend not only on
the position of sergeant or master-at-arms. Pay increases rank, but on the objectives of the engagement and his
to 1 gold dollar (gp) per month, then doubles each time or her particular assignment. Intelligence officers and
he or she moves up a rank, to a total of 256 gp per month elite unit officers get the greatest share of adventure as
for a general. With enough distinction, a doughty soldier they trek beyond enemy lines for tactical missions and
can make a fine living. But getting those promotions espionage. Elite units are usually made up of a small
takes grit and daring. Many die in their pursuit. detachment of privates hand-picked for specialized
Alternatively, a character of sufficient means and objectives like diplomacy, reconnaissance, science
reputation can purchase a commission in the Black operations, or guerilla maneuvers. These are the daring
Dans by paying the equivalent of 25 years’ pay at the men and women who win wars.
desired rank. A Captain’s commission, for example, Some officers might pursue appointment to an
costs 1,200 gp, while a Colonel’s reaches 9,600 gp. This intelligence position, chasing agents and manipulating
practice has occasionally put brainless dandies at the the flow of information to gain the King an advantage
head of a column, it’s true. Such fools die quickly on on the field. Each position has a required rank,
the field, and too often take many others with them. allowing a promising spy to eventually command a
Each military rank comes with an assigned network of operatives in all manner of subterfuge.
command, a number of privates, ships, or other duties Service in the Navy is more insular than the Army,
in the officer’s charge. These appointments are made by with seamen generally confined to one vessel and
ranking officers, and may or may not be favorable. Some captain. Officers in the King’s Navy are personally chosen
soldiers are green or unruly, and some ships are cursed. by their captains, who frequently promote friends and
allies. Rivalries aboard a navy vessel can be bitter, all the
Intelligence Officers more so when the ship is alone at sea for months.
Required Typical Quests. Standard quests in the Black Dans
Position Rank Command include capturing a strategic fort or town, negotiating an
Spy Lieutenant Undertakes missions alliance with local factions, gathering critical materials
to gather, manipulate, or information on enemy movements, and piloting a
or disrupt intelligence blockade run.
Operations Captain Plans operations,
Officer handling 2-5 spies
The Eitharmos
The Eitharmos is the last vestige of an ancient crusader
Field Officer Major Manages operations, cult sworn to purge the world of the jharethil and those
undertakes most who associate with them. Its warriors are called forth
dangerous missions from time to time, mustering from the fabled city of
Chief Major Coordinates large- Rhûminos like spectral hunters arrayed for war. The old
Intelligence General scale spy efforts in an tales rehearse the pursuit and slaughter of the heretics
Officer entire region with fascination and dread.
World Factions
Etholchans consider weakness the deadliest of sins. To Peripatetic Level 5 monk, renown of 7
show frailty, fail, or fall behind is to become unworthy.
This doctrine has been championed by the Etholchan Monk Level 7 monk, renown of 10
Inquisition over the centuries, justifying (in their Champion Renown of 15, 2 years as a Monk
minds) the systematic execution of heretics, including Master Level 10 monk, renown of 25,
the jharethil and Jharric followers. To most Etholchans, 2 years as a Champion
the punishment of weakness is a law of nature. Grand Master Level 15 monk, renown of 50,
All of the Etholchan hierarchy answers to the 2 years as a Master
Hohram, a divine seer that is the sect’s central
Scion of Senfaer Most senior and highest-level
figurehead. Commanding the absolute obedience of
Grand Master at a temple
every Etholchan in Vinramar, the Hohram is perhaps
the most powerful person in the world. The headquarters of Humenhi Senfaerism is
Follower and priest alike wear the ritual dress of the Liung Do Temple in Aldalar. From its secluded
the Etholchans whenever in public, as a symbol of monasteries—and smaller temples scattered across the
Daemoth’s constant hold over the life of the wearer. The world—rise highly capable monks of every order. These
dress consists of a tunic that laces up the front, worn enlightened warriors uphold Senfaer’s charge to protect
with a wide purple girdle trimmed in black. Both are the four worlds from threats beyond the stars.
often worn in conjunction with other clothing, but are To join a temple and become a Peregrine, aspiring
required public dress for believers in good standing. wayfarers need only prove their earnest determination
Typical Quests. Common quests in the Etholchan to receive training. This is often done through an
Church include investigating a person’s claim to be a initiation quest such as delivering a message to a
daemon, rescuing holy writings or sacred ground from faraway monastery, caring for monks mutated by
being defiled by Jharric believers, running the election aberrations, or learning the first four Methods of Liung
campaign of an Etholchan political candidate, and Do. Once the quest is complete, the aspirant takes the
establishing an Etholchan mission in the outlands. Humenhi vow and dons the robe of the wayfarer. The
vow includes a promise to refrain from indulgence,
Ranks of the Etholchan Church
deceit, intoxication, sensuality, and flippancy.
Rank Prerequisites A wayfarer advances within the temple where he
Abject None or she is accepted. Time, experience, and rigorous
Disciple Renown of 1 training all factor into this progression. With each rank
Eshret Renown of 3 are taught additional Methods of Liung Do and their
corresponding Mysteries, through ritual, martial arts
Nephurah Renown of 10 drills, and practical application. It’s common for some
Maerog Renown of 25 to find the higher-level doctrines bizarre or distressing.
Vaeduah Renown of 50 Typical Quests. Common Wayfarer quests
Hohram Renown of 90 include closing dangerous portals, hunting intrusive
aberrations, harvesting ingredients to cure a plague, and
erecting waypoints for others traversing the Darkplane.
Humenhi Wayfarers
As the most prominent network of Senfaerist
temples, the Humenhi Wayfarers perform their
The Infernossos
The Infernossos is a network of covenanted signatories—
Sacred Mysteries throughout Vinramar. Each of these
damned souls who have contracted their services to
doctrines corresponds to one of the 36 Methods
the archdevil Gauren. Most signatories are clerics and
of Liung Do, an array of martial arts techniques
warlocks looking for unholy power, but there are also
developed by Humenhi, the founder of the discipline.
rogues who serve the archdevil as spies and assassins.
A wayfarer’s training begins with the simple virtues of
With written covenants serving as the basis for all
restraint, discipline, modesty, and mutual trust.
service within the Infernossos, the organization uses
World Factions
house hundreds of Abbots, Priests, and Votives, all in The newest initiates of the order are simply called
the sacred charge of the Head Abbot. Abbeys are rare Brother or Sister. After a period of trial as an Agent
outside jhareth cities, with the Abbots instead acting as and receiving the ceremonial vestment as a Scapular,
wandering scribes and scholars. the novice is accepted as a fully gazetted member. The
Priests of Ava. In many ways, Ava is a goddess order is governed by the 13 most senior Hallowed
apart from the other three, but a priest of the Jharric Intercessors, called the Council of Thirteen.
Faith can use renown gained from that organization to Typical Quests. Standard quests of Mozralchic
advance within an Avan Enclave. agents include infiltrating a coven of witches,
Priests of Iala. Iala’s shrines are often arranged tracking the movements of a vampire, interrogating
beside those of Jharus, since light and purity are a necromancer, negotiating terms of surrender from
precursors to life and justice. Priests who focus their one ruler to another, and coordinating a nationwide
faith toward Iala are promised virtue, clarity, and response to an onslaught of primordials.
health. To the Ialhalil, nothing is more important than
the capacity to forgive and mend. Ranks of the Mozralchic Order
Typical Quests. Quests typical among the Faithful Rank Prerequisites
include performing healings in a plague-infested Serving Brother or Sister Renown of 1
village, smuggling holy relics out of an Etholchan
Agent Renown of 3
city, interrupting a demonic ritual, and cleansing a
desecrated temple to Jharus. Scapular Renown of 5
Sanctified Ambassador Renown of 10
The Mozralchic Order Justice of the Hamzara Renown of 25
The Mozralchic Order is a circle of agents specializing Hallowed Intercessor Renown of 50
in witch-hunts, slaying monsters, and protection
against the dark arts.
Mozralchic agents train dutifully to combat evil
Nusalmatma
No mercenaries command so fearsome a name as the
and unnatural influences through investigation,
Goltari soldiers known as the Nusalmatma. Under
diplomacy, and subterfuge. Aberrations, monstrosities,
the banner of the shedu (a winged bull with the head
primordials, and undead are their primary targets,
of a telmatra) they hire out their services as scouts,
though they are often consulted in the detection of
bodyguards, law enforcement, and elite military units.
fiends and dark magic. Perhaps because they consider
The sheer number of Nusalmatma mercenaries is
themselves to serve a greater good beyond the rivalries
a testament to the organization’s legacy and stability.
of nations, agents of Mozralchi have a history of acting
Satellite camps across Arrochule, Arwest, Syrikhal, and
as unofficial advisors and ambassadors between polities.
the Norlythe function as recruitment and deployment
To formalize their role as diplomats, members of the
centers, shipping out hundreds of Nusalmatma to
order dress in white and wear the Hamzara, a ring or
quell rebellions, rout levied troops, and keep the peace
amulet engraved with Mozralchi’s protective sigil.
across Vinramar. It’s a life of discipline and prestige.
In their ambition to cleanse Vinramar of all
These mercenary practices are rooted in the
that is unnatural, the Mozralchic Order dabble in
traditional telmatra warrior culture of the fifth century.
the very practices that they combat, including those
The name Nusalmatma originates from the caste
traditionally forbidden by most societies. Fighting fire
of slave soldiers called nusalham-atra (literally, the
with fire, so to speak, is a tactic the order considers
people of the chain and sword) which seized power
heroic. Agents tempted by the seductive power of such
over the telmatra in the wake of the humans’ arrival in
perilous endeavors often meet a woeful end. The order
Goltaraim. Mercenaries track their kills—even those
isn’t delicate about punishing those who abuse the
they’re not proud of—with trophies from the bodies,
arcane arts.
and are paid a corresponding commission. With the
In many regions, rulers at least begrudgingly
wrong temperaments present, this system can easily
respect the Mozralchic agents for their skill in
turn a peacekeeping force into a death squad.
interpreting signs of witchcraft. But the Etholchan
As might be expected, the foremost concern of a the tongue and sewing the mouth shut. In return for
mercenary is cash. The most coveted posts are those that this self-mutilating gesture, they are granted the ability
pay handsomely, such as working as a household guard to communicate in short, telepathic bursts.
for a wealthy patron. But not even the richest noble can Like all sects of Daemoth worship, the Order of
match the commissions brought by a genuine war. Illiantri looks down upon the feeble as unworthy. Each
The organization as a whole, however, does place Illiantros is a living symbol of fortitude and devotion
value on the good of common folk. When a job to Daemoth. Insular to the point of fanaticism, the sect
demands the Nusalmatma take a stand on behalf of implements strict rituals in many aspects of daily life.
decent, ordinary people, its soldiers truly shine in Even the other Daemothites find them peculiar, and
their duty. Captains take notice of this sort of honor, are reluctant to deal with them.
fostering and promoting recruits who display it. Typical Quests. Quests common within the Order
Typical Quests. Typical Nusalmatma quests of Illiantri might include investigating Darkplane
include defending a food store from bandits, training a incursions into Vinramar, performing experiments
force of levied farmers to fight as a column, suppressing on individuals with raw psionic ability, recovering
riots, and setting up a constabulary in a frontier city. prehistoric artifacts associated with Daemoth, and vying
with other Daemothite sects for control of holy sites.
Ranks of the Nusalmatma
Rank Prerequisites Ranks of the Illiantri
Qu-raftu Renown of 1, proficiency with Rank Prerequisites
a martial weapon Hittiri Cleric (Aberration, Darkness,
Mumal-ak Renown of 5 Death, Pestilence, or War),
renown of 1
Rashisari Renown of 10
Vilam Renown of 5
U-khuzabai Renown of 25
Ashcur Renown of 10
Khuzabai Lamassiq Renown of 50
Midhior Renown of 25
leaders insist the order is impartial regarding other Silphenites focus their belief on the dance between
world religions, the credibility of such a claim is suspect pleasure and pain, prosperity and pestilence. To them,
in the eyes Daemoth worshippers, who consider it an pain is the proof of reality that purifies and reinforces the
irrelevant tradition clinging to heretical ideals. Concern existence of anything it touches. They cleanse themselves
for the persecuted and downtrodden often places the and one another through corporal punishment, using
knights at odds with the Etholchan Church. a wide variety of torture implements. As the Anotrossi
Typical Quests. Standard Patriarchy quests include preach in the streets, they call converts to the stage of the
bringing relief to the victims of war, prosecuting bithrodorus to be made clean through pain.
corrupt landowners, protecting the identity of a jhareth While the central hierarchy of the Silfana is strong,
fleeing Etholchan punishment, and investigating the Anotrossi are given the broad responsibility of
strange occurrences in a far-off area of the kingdom. carrying the message of purification to individual
believers, who practice the faith however they see fit.
Ranks of the Patriarchy The particulars of the doctrine vary depending on the
Rank Prerequisites preacher and his converts, but preparation to enter
Attendant Male cleric, fighter, or paladin, Dolodiri, the Lord of Havoc’s domain, is fundamental
renown of 1 to all Silphenite practices.
Typical Quests. Typical Silfana au Ittador quests
Squire Renown of 3
include converting a figure of local prominence,
Knight Renown of 5 establishing a settlement for Silphenite worship,
Judge Renown of 10 recovering blood magic artifacts, and performing
Patriarch Renown of 25 painful rituals on an individual the Silfana considers
impure.
Silfana au Ittador Ranks of the Silfana au Ittador
The worship of Silphenor, god of chaos, has arisen
seemingly from nowhere within the last few hundred Rank Prerequisites
years. The center of the cult is the Silfana au Ittador, Annealed Renown of 1
a monastic palace established by the first priests of Consanct Renown of 3
Silphenor in the thirteenth century of the Annoloth. Anotros Renown of 5
Thousands of religious caravans called bithrodori
Scourge Renown of 10
embark from the Silfana, preaching Silphenor’s
message of purification by pain. Each bithrodorus is Vindicator Renown of 25
driven by a traveling priest of Silphenor, called an Holy Redresser Renown of 50
Anotros. The nation of Ittador and the greater region
of Motta have become the heart of the Silphenite
cult, flooding the Western continent with bithrodori
and challenging the Etholchan Church’s status as the
dominant religion.
Monsters in Vinramar
contact with mortals who dig too far in their search for a particular creature type. In Syrikhal, for example,
knowledge. In forgotten forests, deserted slums, and dragons and the reptilian humanoids that descend
buried ruins, the unnatural threats that populate this from them nest throughout the mountainous jungle.
hidden world fester and thrive. Goltaraim’s connections to the ancient maahiset people
make its deserts a playground for elemental creatures.
Origins Motta and Arrochule are both regions whose history is
There are three broad categories of creature in the steeped in the endless conflict between celestials and
Darkplane universe: primordial descendants, children fiends. These associations aren’t meant to be restrictive,
of the goddess Sowm, and aberrations native to the but can help you populate your adventures with
Darkplane. Most life forms can trace their ancestry, even creatures that are thematically appropriate.
distantly, to one of these three sources.
Beasts, dragons, elementals, giants, oozes, and Adapting Keywords
some humanoids (including the dragonborn, gugrum, Certain keywords and tags presented in this book have
heathfolk, sarrow, telmatra, and goblinoid races) were mechanical equivalents elsewhere. Orc, for example, is
spawned or created by the Irvallath, the uncomely synonymous with the telmatra race. Any game material
primordial deities that labored to shape the four worlds. that references orcs can also be applied to telmatra, and
Many monstrosities and constructs likewise owe their vice versa. Likewise, the sarrow are interchangeable
existence to primordials and the dark arts they practice. with both dwarves and halflings. Unlike these above
Celestials, fey, fiends, and some undead are the examples, however, werekin are not interchangeable
product of Sowm and her sons, whose godly forms with lycanthropes.
more closely resembled their humanoid creations:
elves, daemons, humans, and the jharethil. These races
175
New Monsters
Austere Tutelar Alien Poets. Despite their repulsive appearance,
austere tutelars have deeply artistic souls. They
Few Darkplane entities have communicated with
consider dream shaping a creative endeavor,
mortals as often as the tholgar, commonly called
composing potent, complex narratives that leave the
austere tutelars. These powerful psionic creatures have
dreamer forever changed. Austere tutelars often form a
bodies shaped like a clam or beak, about the size of a
profoundly intimate understanding of those that they
large dog. Though naturally invisible, they can usually
observe. This bond, however, should not be mistaken
be seen because of the lumpy sludge that pours out
for affection. To them, mortals minds are merely an
of the orifice on the crown of the beak. This acid-
artistic medium through which the austere tutelar’s
like substance is visible, giving a vague suggestion of
virtuosity can be expressed.
the austere tutelar’s shape and size as it runs off the
Terrifying Truth. The exact motives of the austere
creature’s hovering form onto the ground below.
tutelars remain mysterious, but this voyeuristic urge
Voyeurs of Mortal Dreams. From unseen recesses,
to shape dreams and learn secrets means they often
austere tutelars watch and shape the dreams of living
harbor vast reservoirs of cosmic lore. Such forbidden
things, learning their most intimate secrets while
knowledge has a tendency to leak into their dealings
navigating the mindscape. Normally they are content
with mortals, causing hideous reactions and damaging
to idly watch the visions unfold without alerting the
the fragile sanity of those that begin to grasp the truth.
dreamer to their presence. Sometimes, however, their
need to mold and create turns these dream incursions
into something more.
Austere Tutelar Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The austere tutelar’s innate spellcasting
Medium aberration, unaligned ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks).
It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 212 (22d8 + 113) At will: charm person, dancing lights, detect thoughts, fog cloud,
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover) major image, poison spray, prestidigitation, vicious mockery
2/day each: hallucinatory terrain, hypnotic pattern, locate
creature, phantasmal killer, suggestion
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1/day each: plane shift, telekinesis, wall of force
8 (-1) 11 (+0) 20 (+5) 23 (+6) 18 (+4) 25 (+7)
Invisibility. The austere tutelar is always invisible, but it can be
Saving Throws Wis +8, Cha +11 seen because of the visible sludge that oozes from the outlet at the
Skills Deception +11, Performance +15 crown of its beak. If the austere tutelar takes a level of exhaustion,
Damage Resistances radiant becomes poisoned, or its current hit points are below half its hit
Damage Immunities acid, cold point maximum, the orifice stops emitting the sludge, making the
Condition Immunities charmed, prone austere tutelar invisible at the end of 1d4 rounds. This invisibility
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 lasts for 1 minute, or as long as the condition persists.
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Magic Resistance. The austere tutelar has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
Dreamweaver. The austere tutelar can shape the dreams of all
unconscious creatures within 10 miles. It can exercise complete Stench. Any creature other than an austere tutelar that starts its
control over what they dream, even if the austere tutelar itself turn within 5 feet of the austere tutelar must succeed on a DC 18
is unconscious, and learns their deepest secrets after 8 hours of Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the
utilizing this control. creature’s next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is
immune to the stench of all austere tutelars for 1 hour.
Dripping Sludge. Creatures that touch the austere tutelar, begin a
turn grappled by it, or hit it with a melee attack while within 5 feet Actions
of it take 27 (6d8) acid damage. If the austere tutelar has one or
Clamp. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
more levels of exhaustion, is poisoned, or its current hit points are
Hit: 14 (3d8) bludgeoning damage plus 27 (6d8) acid damage. The
below half its hit point maximum, it loses this trait.
target is grappled (escape DC 16).
Armor Class 16 Seismic Susceptibility. The caprice of Ethis can be targeted with
Hit Points 220 (11d20 + 104) the earthquake spell. If it is, it takes 5d6 thunder damage at the
Speed 0 ft. beginning of its turn as long as the spell lasts.
178
Kierkani to the kierkani’s body. Creatures clinging to the kierkani move
Gargantuan aberration, unaligned with it, and can climb 10d100 feet into its mouth and become
swallowed (see the swallow action below).
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 270 (12d20 + 144) Siege Monster. The kierkani deals double damage to objects and
Speed 0 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 100 ft. (hover) structures.
New Monsters
Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
25 (+7) 5 (-3) 28 (+9) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) Multiattack. The kierkani makes four tentacle attacks and one bite
attack.
Saving Throws Str +17, Con +14
Skills Athletics +17 Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Damage Immunities cold, radiant Hit: 23 (3d10 + 7) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it
Condition Immunities prone is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the target is
Senses darkvision 1,000 ft., passive Perception 11 restrained, and the kierkani can’t bite another target.
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 1 mile Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target.
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature
and is within 15 feet of the kierkani, it is grappled (escape DC 19).
Exoskeleton. Creatures inside the kierkani’s body can attack it
as though its armor class were 14. It takes double damage from Swallow. The kierkani makes one bite attack against a Huge or
attacks that target its internal organs. smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target takes
the bite’s damage, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends.
Ramming Flight. The kierkani can move through creatures and
While swallowed, the creature is considered prone, its speed
objects, which take 20d10 bludgeoning damage and are pushed 20
is reduced to 5 feet, it has total cover against attacks and other
feet, falling prone. When this damage is rolled, any die results of
effects outside the kierkani, and it takes 35 (10d6) acid damage
10 are also dealt to the kierkani as bludgeoning damage. Creatures
at the start of each of the kierkani’s turns. A swallowed creature
it moves through can make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to
can crawl out of the kierkani’s mouth (a distance of 10d100 feet,
either escape being damaged or to take half damage and cling
determined separately for each swallowed creature).
179
Olkyari Still, olkyaris are not the most intelligent of
creatures, and their behavior seems to emulate that of a
Syrikhali folk legends tell that olkyaris are the rotting
simple apex predator. It hovers menacingly in dark areas,
pits of dead stars, left too long in the fetid heavens
waiting for unsuspecting creatures to approach. When
before they were cast down to Vinramar. The jharethil
its chance comes, the olkyari projects a long, barbed
called them the Unnameable Casket-Bearers—sentient
tendril from the dark orb, snagging victims one by one.
receptacles for some long-misplaced relic from the
Once they are worn down, these unfortunate souls are
Darkplane. Their original charge forgotten, they crop
absorbed into the olkyari’s extradimensional gullet.
up now and then, hunting for creatures to imprison in
Bearers of Hidden Worlds. The creatures that live
their extradimensional innards.
within the olkyari’s extradimensional gullet quickly settle
Living Wormholes. An olkyari is an orb of absolute
into organized societies. They are deeply convinced that
darkness about the size of a fist. It might be easy to
their lives are normal, that the olkyari is their divine
miss one in a shadowed alleyway, but those who do see
benefactor, and that only hard work will make them
the olkyari never forget the dread of it, nor the absolute
happy. This is convenient for their host, which is fed
stillness with which the patient spot stares at them like
and invigorated by any energy expended within the
a hole in the fabric of reality.
demiplane. The more populous and active its prisoners,
Olkyaris each contain a demiplane into which they
the stronger and more potent the olkyari becomes.
can absorb other creatures. The size and complexity of
The physical nature of the olkyari’s demiplane is
the demiplane depends on the age of the olkyari and
as varied as the absorbed creatures that inhabit it. The
how many creatures currently reside in it. A younger
environment and terrain tend to reflect the olkyari’s
olkyari’s innards are the size of a small room, but the
mood, if such an incomprehensible creature can be
demiplane of an olkyari that has absorbed thousands of
described as having moods. Indeed, it can use its
creatures over eons is essentially infinite.
actions to innately cast the control weather, mirage
Hunters in Shadow. Even those encompassed by
arcane, and project image spells at will to target any area
an olkyari never truly understand its motives. Their
within its demiplane—although it can’t concentrate on
blasphemous perception of reality is likely so foreign to
more than one at a time, and it can’t perceive what’s
the understanding of natural creatures that to know its
happening within itself without the use of project image.
mind would be death.
Some olkyari aggressively police their demiplanes.
New Monsters
Despite occasionally bizarre conditions, the
societies that form among creatures absorbed into Elder Olkyari
the olkyari are industrious. They often find ingenious Follow these instructions to alter the basic olkyari
and absurd ways to employ scant natural resources on page 174 into a more mid-range version
and found objects to support life in the demiplane. (raising its challenge rating to 10).
The charm over these creatures has them completely • Double the olkyari’s hit points and speed.
convinced that life couldn’t be better (as long as they • Add a +2 bonus to its AC, attack rolls,
stay busy). saving throw DCs, and its Dexterity and
An olkyari with no creatures absorbed is theorized Constitution modifiers.
to have a demiplane measuring 10 feet in each • Make its regeneration 10 hit points per turn.
dimension. This cube doubles in size each time a • Increase the number of creatures it has
creature is absorbed, making it about 1 cubic mile at absorbed to 5d100.
10 occupants, 31 miles at 15 occupants, and more than • Change its death burst to deal an additional
1 trillion miles at 50 occupants. After absorbing 70 2d4 bludgeoning damage for every 100
creatures, the demiplane is the size of a large galaxy. creatures that are vomited when it dies.
Once it reaches 100 occupants, it is basically limitless. • Change the damage dealt by its Barbed
At such a vast size, the olkyari’s demiplane might Tendril to 35 (6d8 + 8) and the damage dealt
contain its own stars, planets, and galaxies. by Absorb to 53 (10d8 + 8).
Immemorial Olkyari While charmed, the creatures living in the gullet believe with
Tiny aberration, neutral evil all sincerity that the immemorial olkyari is a god that created their
world and deserves to be worshipped. They believe with all their
Armor Class 13 might that they must remain busy and work hard to be happy. A
Hit Points 275 (62d4 + 120) creature that enters the immemorial olkyari’s gullet by planar travel
Speed 60 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover) isn’t charmed by it, and can make a DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion)
check to end the charm on another creature there. The immemorial
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA olkyari can’t be attacked or damaged from inside its gullet.
1 (-5) 25 (+7) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 19 (+4) 17 (+3)
Regeneration. The immemorial olkyari regains 10 hit points at the
Skills Deception +9, Stealth +14 start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and if there is at least
Condition Immunities prone one creature that remains absorbed.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the immemorial
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 20 ft. olkyari can take the Hide action as a bonus action if it isn’t
Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) grappling a creature.
Death Burst. When the immemorial olkyari dies, it vomits every Actions
creature it has ever absorbed in a heap (see Extradimensional
Gullet below to determine the number of unconscious creatures Barbed Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
that are released). Each creature within 10 feet of the immemorial target. Hit: 62 (12d8 + 8) piercing damage. If the target is medium
olkyari must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 18).
2d4 bludgeoning damage, plus an additional 2d4 for every 100 Absorb. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature
creatures that burst out. grappled by the immemorial olkyari. Hit: 98 (20d8 + 8) force
Extradimensional Gullet. Inside the immemorial olkyari’s tiny damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving
body is an extradimensional space, the size of which depends on throw or be pulled 10 feet toward the immemorial olkyari. If this
the number of creatures it has absorbed. An immemorial okyari damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is absorbed into the
has absorbed 25d100 creatures, each of which is charmed by it. extradimensional space inside the immemorial olkyari. Creatures
To determine the size of the extradimensional gullet, begin with a absorbed this way are returned to their maximum hit point value
10-foot cube and double its size for each creature the immemorial and are charmed by the immemorial olkyari as long as they remain
olkyari has absorbed. inside it, as described above under Extradimensional Gullet.
Panacorum colored in shades of sickly yellow, with one exception: any part of a
Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil creature or object that is purple remains unchanged.
The panacorum can move along the surface of creatures and
Armor Class 13 objects, and can end its turn in the same space as them, but cannot
Hit Points 50 (2d20 + 29) move through anything that would obstruct light, such as solid
Speed 80 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover) walls or enclosed spaces. If the panacorum’s entire 50-foot sphere
remains in darkness for 30 days, it dies.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) Actions
Blood Boil. All creatures within the panacorum’s space must
Saving Throws Dex +5 succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (1d12)
Skills Stealth +7 poison damage.
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, poison,
radiant, thunder Possession. All creatures in the panacorum’s space must succeed
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or become poisoned for 1
nonmagical weapons that aren’t purple in color hour or until the panacorum dies. If a target fails its saving throw
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned, prone by 5 or more, it is possessed by the panacorum, losing control
Senses blindsight 20 ft., passive Perception 13 over its body. The panacorum controls the bodies of all possessed
Languages — creatures while they remain in its space, and can act through them
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) on its own initiative. This doesn’t deprive the targets of awareness
or grant the panacorum additional actions.
Chromatic Aberration. The panacorum has advantage on attacks, While possessed by the panacorum, a creature gains a fly
ability checks, and saving throws against anything that is colored speed of 30 feet (hover), and immunity to being charmed and
yellow. It likewise has disadvantage on these rolls against anything frightened. Its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma
that is colored purple. scores become those of the panacorum. It sheds dim light for 10
feet in a sickly yellow hue. Every sunset, the creature vomits a
Damage Transfer. The panacorum can be targeted normally as
yellow bile that soaks into anything it touches and becomes a new
long as the action doesn’t require physical interaction. To target it
panacorum after 1 hour if it doesn’t take psychic damage before
physically (including attacks that deal damage other than psychic),
that time passes.
creatures must instead target a creature or object within its area.
The possession lasts until the creature drops to 0 hit
Any damage dealt to such a target is also dealt to the panacorum.
points, leaves the panacorum’s space, or the panacorum is turned
Relentless (1/Day). If the panacorum takes 10 damage or less that or forced out by an effect like the banishment, dispel evil and good,
would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. or plane shift spells. When the possession ends, the target remains
poisoned for 1 hour, but is immune to this panacorum’s possession
Two-Dimensional. The panacorum can’t move in three- for 24 hours.
dimensional space like a creature normally would. It moves along
the surface of objects and creatures within a 50-foot sphere. Any Puppeteer. Up to five creatures possessed by the panacorum each
creature or object within the panacorum’s space is magically take an action.
New Monsters
an effect that harms plants.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Living Lake. A slonavald cannot be pushed or pulled. It can move
5 (-3) 8 (-1) 22 (+6) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 19 (+4)
past other creatures without impediment and through a space
Skills Perception +5 as small as an inch wide without squeezing. A single, full-grown
Damage Vulnerabilities cold, fire slonavald forms a pool measuring 30 square feet.
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing Soluble. When a slonavald is completely submerged in any liquid,
from nonmagical weapons it dissolves and is killed. The liquid it dissolves into becomes
Condition Immunities poisoned, prone poisonous, dealing 3d10 poison damage to any creature that
Senses blindsight 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 15 drinks it on a failed Constitution saving throw (DC 16).
Languages —
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Actions
Collection. Two slonavalds that touch one another become Ego Strain. Creatures within 5 feet of the slonavald must succeed
a single creature, fusing all memories and sentience into one on a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw or take 24 (3d12 + 3) psychic
consciousness. The size of the resulting creature is equal to the damage.
combined mass of both. Host Body (Recharge 6). One creature in the same space as the
Crawling Sower. The slonavald leaves a trail of spores on every slonavald that it has poisoned, and that has blood, must succeed on
surface, object, and creature it touches. Surfaces and objects affected a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become the slonavald’s host as
by the spores become difficult terrain after 1 minute as 2-foot stalks it seeps into the creature’s veins and replaces its blood. While hosted
spring from them like fast-growing plants in a density of one stalk by the creature, the slonavald controls its actions with the exception
per square foot. A creature that touches the slonavald or hits it with a of its speech. The slonavald remains in the creature’s veins for 1 hour.
melee attack must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw to avoid After this time has passed, the host can repeat the saving throw. If it
being affected by the spores for 24 hours. Creatures with resistance succeeds, the slonavald drains out of its orifices and coalesces on a
to poison damage or immunity to the poisoned condition have surface beneath it. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is
advantage on this saving throw. If the creature fails, it is poisoned for immune to the slonavald’s host body action for 24 hours.
1 hour and 2d6 stalks spring from its body. The stalks fully emerge A slonavald can maintain one host body for each 15-square-
after 1 minute, at which time the creature’s speed is reduced by half. foot area it covers. While the host body lasts, it loses that much of
its size for each host it controls.
Tenebrous Centurion avert its eyes at the start of its turn, allowing it to use its peripheral
Large aberration, lawful evil vision or a reflective surface to see the tenebrous centurion until
the start of its next turn. The creature is still effectively blinded
Armor Class 13 with respect to the tenebrous centurion during that time, however,
Hit Points 107 (10d10 + 52) since it cannot look directly at it. This trait remains in effect even
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover), swim 40 ft. after the tenebrous centurion is dead.
Armor Class 15 Treasure Trove. A creature in the threnody’s space can roll on the
Hit Points 180 (8d12 + 128) Junk table once per turn to discover an object within reach.
Speed 0 ft.
Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Lumber. The threnody spends this turn and its next two turns
18 (+4) 7 (-2) 20 (+5) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) moving 25 feet each turn. While it is moving, all creatures in the
threnody’s space must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw.
Saving Throws Int +7, Cha +6 On a failure, a creature becomes buried in junk, taking 18 (5d6)
Skills Arcana +7 bludgeoning damage and becoming restrained. The creature can
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) check with a DC of
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, 16, ending the restrained condition on a success.
prone, unconscious
Senses truesight 100 ft., passive Perception 13 Temporal Flicker. One creature in the threnody’s space must make
Languages Primordial a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw. If it fails, it takes 28 (5d10) force
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) damage and vanishes until the end of its next turn, at which point
it reappears in the space it previously occupied. If that space is now
Inanimate Body. Most of the threnody’s mass can be damaged or occupied by a creature or object other than the threnody, the creature
destroyed without reducing the creature’s current hit points. To takes 6 (1d10) force damage and appears in an unoccupied space
effectively reduce its current hit points, it must take damage to its within 5 feet.
temporal core. A creature in the threnody’s space can burrow through
Time Shift (1/Day). The threnody disappears, dragging all
the trash by expending 10 feet of speed for every 1 foot of movement.
creatures it has restrained and every loose object within 20 feet of
Temporal Core. A creature touching the 5-foot sphere at the center it through a time portal. Restrained creatures that succeed on a
of the threnody’s space can use an action to transport itself and DC 14 Strength saving throw can avoid the pull of the time portal
anything it is touching (including the threnody) up to 100 years and remain behind. Everything else affected by the time shift is
into the past or future, appearing in the same space at the time it taken 1d100 years into the past or future, as the GM chooses.
Threnody Junk
A threnody is a primordial soul embodied within a
temporal anomaly, allowing it to travel back and forth d100 Injury
in time. Since a threnody bonds with nearby objects 1-20 Nothing functional or remarkable
as it moves through the timestream, most appear like
21-35 An item from the Tools list
mountainous junkpiles, carrying the refuse of forgotten
civilizations across the centuries. 36-50 An item from the Adventuring Gear list
Chronal Prisoners. During the captivity of the 50-55 An item from the Armor list
primordials, most elemental beings were barred from 56-57 An item from the Weapons list
leaving their own one-dimensional realm. Under
58-59 An item from the Firearms list
the direction of Ruethas, the primordial god of time,
many of these beings experimented with ways to slip 60-66 An item from the Firearms list under
between two points in time as a means of escaping Futuristic Items
their dimensional prison. Thousands broke through the 67-69 An item from the Waterborne Vehicles list
bounds of reality and simply ceased to exist, but some of 70-72 An item from the Tack, Harness, and Drawn
the more successful intelligences encased themselves in Vehicles list
temporal cores that could safely traverse the timestream. 72-80 An item from the Trinkets table
Hoards of Ageless Relics. As creatures of pure soul
81-85 An item from the Poisons list
essence, threnodies do not grow old, but the thousands
of objects that form their bodies accumulate over time 86-90 An item from the Explosives list
into a staggering size. The smallest span no less than 20 91-94 A gemstone
feet, while the largest are hundreds of feet in breadth. 95-96 An art object from a lost civilization
This material is a trove of eclectic items from the past, 97 An art object from a contemporary civilization
present, and future—futuristic tools, ancient artifacts,
98 A cursed magic item
and a plethora of ordinary junk from every era of
history. As the GM, you have final say on what might be 99 A common or uncommon magic item
found amongst the threnody’s junkpile, using the Junk 00 A rare or very rare magic item
table as a guide.
New Monsters
watchman has approached a drunken figure in the dark,
for a crate, an armchair, or a passerby. Vimbabas are
only to discover the clothes filled with writhing tendrils.
malformed aberrations that can twist their bodies into
Repulsive Mimicry. Insightful observation helps a
a variety of shapes, hiding among mortals long enough
vimbaba to successfully pass unnoticed as a particular
to lay their spawn.
creature it has seen. It imitates the movements and
Piles of Wriggling Tendrils. A vimbaba’s body is
patterns it sees in creatures around it, attempting
made of a gooey mass of twisted string resembling wet
to blend in among large numbers. Perhaps it covers
pasta. Their silvery flesh is entirely prehensile, allowing
itself in wool and passes as part of a flock of sheep.
them to move quite fast, despite a clumsy gait. Portions
The boldest or most ingenious manage to assume an
of their form can be pinched off into 1- or 2-foot
identity in human society.
tendrils, which continue to move freely once severed
Locals might mistake such creatures for a diseased
from the main body.
old hermit or a distant relative—that is, until they
When one of these silver tendrils senses a
get a good look. Though it can form an approximate
breathing creature nearby, it leaps toward the air
Small or Medium shape with its mass of tendrils,
movement and tries to lodge itself in the mouth or
the vimbaba cannot actually change its physical
other respiratory orifice. Once there, the tendril
appearance.
immediately extends the needle-like quills nested in its
Moon Worms. Some refer to these fibrous
flesh, injecting the creature with a poison that causes
aberrations as the Bodkin of the White Goddess, since
it to fall unconscious. Meanwhile, the tendril engorges
they are said to have long infested the surface of the
itself on any moisture it can absorb, usually swelling to
moon. Baturach’s celestial body was burrowed through
fill the throat of the unconscious creature.
with vimbabas until she plucked them out and cast
them down toward Vinramar in the days of prehistory.
Vimbaba return to its natural form. While disguised or lightly obscured, the
Medium aberration, neutral evil vimbaba strongly resembles the creature, but on closer inspection
its features are clearly a gooey mass of twisting string.
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 28 (4d8 + 7) Actions
Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. Multiattack. The vimbaba makes one attack with its engorged
tentacles. If the attack hits, the vimbaba makes a second engorged
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA tentacles attack against a different creature.
11 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
Engorged Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Saving Throws Int +5, Cha +4 one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) acid damage.
Skills Deception +5
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Silver Tendrils (Recharge 5-6). The vimbaba pinches off two silver
Languages Deep Speech tendrils, which become tiny aberrations with 1 hit point, an AC of
Challenge 2 (450 XP) 10, and a speed of 10 ft. The tendril can make a long jump up to 10 ft.
Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of one of the
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The vimbaba’s innate spellcasting vimbaba’s silver tendrils must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving
ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the throw or fall unconscious as the tendril slips into its mouth and
following spells, requiring no components: down its throat, swelling to several inches in diameter. If the
character succeeds, the tendril drops to the ground at its feet.
At will: Detect thoughts Creatures that fail the Dexterity save begin to noticeably
1/day: Barkskin, hold person, inflict wounds, phantasmal force suffocate. After a number of minutes equal to its Constitution
modifier, the character dies and the tendril emerges to seek a new
Shapechanger. The vimbaba can use its action to take the rough
victim. Another creature can use its action to make a DC 14 Wisdom
physical shape of a small or medium creature it has seen, or
(Medicine) check or Strength (Athletics) check to remove the tendril.
Void-Cradle it reduced to 0 on its last turn (see Soul Drain below). For each
Huge aberration, chaotic evil tentacle grown this way, it regains 20 hit points. Constructs or
undead reduced to 0 hit points do not cause a tentacle to grow.
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 108 (12d12 + 30) Innate Spellcasting. The void-cradle’s spellcasting ability is
Speed 20 ft. Intelligence (spell save DC 14). It can cast a total number of spells
each day equal to the number of soul-bearing tentacles it has. Each
time it grows a new tentacle, it gains a new spell use. The void-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
cradle can expend a spell use to cast any of the following 2nd-level
15 (+2) 6 (-2) 13 (+1) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 10 (+0)
spells, requiring no components:
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +2 Darkness, detect thoughts, phantasmal force, shatter
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 120 ft. Actions
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Multiattack. The void-cradle makes as many soul drain attacks as
Anima Thief. The void-cradle has four soul-bearing tentacles it has tentacles.
that each represent one spell use. Whenever it takes 25 or more
Soul Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
damage in a single turn, it loses one of its tentacles, along with the
creature. Hit: 6 (1d10) necrotic damage. The target must succeed
spell use associated with that tentacle. If all its tentacles die, the
on a Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is
void-cradle dies.
reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction
At the beginning of the void-cradle’s turn, it grows a new
lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this
soul-bearing tentacle for each creature whose maximum hit points
effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
188
Yuriph Yuriph
In the dark gaps between dimensions swim the
Medium celestial, lawful neutral
yuriphim, deformed celestials who wield the supernal
signs of planar travel. Wherever beings traverse the Armor Class 14
boundaries of reality, these sentinels watch in vigilant Hit Points 125 (22d8 + 26)
Speed 30 ft.
silence. Their existence in the Darkplane has left the
New Monsters
yuriphim with a haunting appearance: sallow skin, STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
misshapen faces, and eight twisted arms. 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 15 (+2) 15 (+2)
Servitors of the Ivory Keys. During the creation,
Saving Throws Int +7
these creatures were imbued with the light of the Damage Resistances radiant
Ivory Keys, celestial artifacts that reinforce natural Damage Immunities cold
reality and can open or close passages between the Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12
planes. As bound minions of any who holds the keys, Languages all (see Innate Spellcasting below)
the yuriphim can transport themselves and others Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
anywhere in existence with a simple gesture. Aberrant Gatekeeper. The yuriph is considered an aberration as
The yuriphim seldom appear alone. In groups, they well as a celestial.
can easily overpower most planar threats, though they Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The yuriph’s innate spellcasting
are always beholden to the Keys (and whoever controls ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the
them) as the source of their power. following spells, requiring no verbal or material components:
Celestial Captives. Sowm first created the
At will: gate, levitate, light, telepathy
yuriphim as celestial guardians of the planes, sentinels
tasked to ensure that all living things remain in their Actions
proper dimensions. When Gallister wrested the Ivory Multiattack. The yuriph makes eight fist attacks.
Keys from Loragg, however, he carried the yuriphim
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5
into the Darkplane, after which they became known as (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
the Pinioned Keepers—merciless aberrations pressed
into Gallister’s service. Superior Invisibility. The yuriph turns invisible until its
concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment
Wardens of Planar Travel. The yuriphim the yuriph wears or carries is invisible with it.
continue to carry out their duty as cosmic gatekeepers.
Creatures that travel between the Realms of Existence Void Stare. The yuriph targets one creature it can see within 60
feet of it. If the target can see the yuriph, it must succeed on a DC
are often observed or escorted by these stoic figures 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 28 (5d10) psychic damage and
(whether they know it or not), and those that threaten become stunned until the end of the yuriph’s next turn.
the laws of dimensional integrity should expect swift
and stern reprisals.
189
System Options
This section contains optional rules to aid in creating For the purposes of this option, close contact is
an atmosphere of danger, fear, and mystery in your defined as being within 5 feet of the aberration, being
campaigns. with an aberration in an enclosed space no larger than
a 20-foot sphere, or ingesting or touching an open
Vorruc Infection wound with material from the aberration’s body.
If your characters spend any significant time in Wellusk You can also call for this saving throw when
or Perrith Gorr, they’re likely to come into contact a character is affected by a psionic spell cast by an
with the vorruc infection, a disease that transforms aberration (using 8 + the spell level as the save DC)
its victims into quasi-vampiric cannibals. It targets and once every day that a character spends in the
animals, humanoids, and most other living creatures. Darkplane. In the latter case, the save DC is 15.
Once per day, when a creature ingests organic As the GM, you determine what mechanical
material that is tainted by the vorruc infection, it must changes to implement on a character that gains a
make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 1 Darkplane mutation. Some will have no noticeable
plus the number of times that character has previously effect, while others might require small adjustments,
made this saving throw in the last month. On a failure, or perhaps even change the character’s race to
the creature contracts the vorruc infection at stage 1. mimessarch.
The effects of each stage are cumulative. Once a
creature has advanced to the next stage, add that stage’s
effects to those above it.
Stage 1. Every dawn, the infected creature makes
a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. After a number
of failures equal to 3 × its Constitution modifier
(minimum of 1), it advances to the next stage.
Stage 2. The creature wakes up once an hour while
sleeping, requiring it to rest for 4 additional hours to
gain the benefit of a long rest.
Stage 3. When the creature eats food uninfected
by the vorruc disease, it becomes poisoned for 1 hour.
Stage 4. Each dawn, if the creature hasn’t eaten live
flesh or drunk fresh blood, it takes a level of exhaustion.
Stage 5. The creature becomes unnaturally
aggressive, and its alignment changes to chaotic good,
chaotic neutral, or chaotic evil.
Stage 6. The effects of the previous stages end, and
the creature gains all the traits of the vorruc race, with
the exception of the ability score increase.
Darkplane Mutation
A brush with the distorted abyss beyond natural
reality can have far-reaching consequences in the
life of an adventurer. This option drives home the
infectious nature of the Darkplane, teaching your
players to truly fear the beings that dwell there.
When a character spends at least 1 minute in
close contact with an aberration, you can call for
that character to make a Constitution saving throw.
The DC for this save is the challenge rating of the
aberration. On a failure, the character must roll on
the Darkplane Mutation table.
190
Darkplane Mutation
d100 Mutation d100 Mutation
1-2 Your body grows one or more slimy stalks. 56-57 You grow extra fingers or toes.
3-4 The crown of your head elongates and grows 58-59 Your limbs or digits become webbed.
bony spurs or a crustaceous carapace. 60-61 Your digits elongate into sharp claws.
System Options
5-6 Your hair becomes prehensile, with a Strength 62-63 You grow a frill or set of horns, spikes, or
score of 1. Cutting it is tremendously painful. plates somewhere on your body.
7-8 Your eyes begin to swell, glow, or take on the 64-65 Your body develops one or more extra joints.
appearance of an animal or monster.
66-67 One or more extra orifices opens somewhere
9-10 One or more additional eyes emerge from on your body.
somewhere on your body.
68-69 One of your limbs or extremities gains a full
11-12 The flesh of your face becomes transparent. 360-degree range of motion.
13-14 Your breath begins to carry a putrid odor. 70-71 One of your limbs withers, falls off, or
15-16 One or more additional mouths open up recedes into your body.
somewhere on your body. 72-73 Your gait becomes shambling and unnatural.
17-18 You grow insectoid or cephalopod mouthparts. 74-75 Your interior organs mutate until they are
19-20 Your tongue becomes forked, barbed, or unrecognizable.
strangely long. 76-77 You gain a frighteningly unnatural beauty.
21-22 Your mouth, neck, or limbs grow a radula. 78-79 You regress in age, looking much younger
23-24 Your hair grows at an accelerated rate. than you are.
25-26 Your hair falls out or changes to a strange color. 80-81 You accelerate in age, looking much older
27-28 You grow glands that give you a foul stench. than you are.
29-30 Your skin produces a slime or mucus that’s 82-83 Your blood is replaced by an odd or vile
left on everything you touch. substance.
31-32 Your skin changes to a strange color. 84-85 Your saliva is replaced by an odd or vile
substance.
33-34 Your skin gains a new texture in places, such as
scales, tentilla, an exoskeleton, or stony plates. 86-87 You excrete ink, acid, or bile on yourself
when you’re scared, nervous, or surprised.
35-36 Your skin hangs loosely from your body,
giving you a wrinkled, sagging appearance. 88-89 You always know the exact time.
37-38 You shed your skin once a month. 90-91 Your body is wracked with constant pain.
39-40 Your body becomes emaciated. 92-93 You vomit uncontrollably every hour.
41-43 Boils and sores spread across your body. 94-95 When you touch gold, iron, silver, or steel,
you become poisoned for 1 minute.
44-45 You grow a fin, flap, or gills.
96-97 Wherever you go, all vegetation within 5 feet
46-47 Your back arches violently, leaving you with a
of you withers and dies.
large hump.
98-99 Your flesh peels away to reveal an oozing
48-49 You grow an extra arm, leg, or head.
mass of mouths and eyes. You become a
50-51 You grow one or more tentacles. They may gibbering mouther. All of your statistics
replace an existing limb or emerge from are replaced by the gibbering mouther’s,
somewhere else. including your alignment.
52-53 You grow one or more insectoid limbs. They 00 Your body swells and mutates into a large,
may replace an existing limb or emerge from tentacled amphibian. You become an aboleth.
somewhere else. All of your statistics are replaced by the
54-55 You grow a prehensile tail. aboleth’s, including your alignment.
Trauma
Level Save DC Examples Effect
Slight 10, spell level + 8, or A haunting, witnessing black arcane magic, seeing Frightened until the
monster CR + 5 a corpse without mental preparation, hearing Deep end of your next turn
Speech, or encountering a monster of CR 1-9
Minor 15, spell level + 8, or A fear effect, gaining the frightened condition, Short-term madness
monster CR + 5 taking 40 or less psychic damage, casting or being that lasts only 1d4
targeted by black arcane magic, forbidden lore rounds
epiphany, or encountering a monster of CR 10-14
Moderate 20 or monster CR + 5 Taking more than 40 psychic damage, being tortured Short-term madness
for several hours, witnessing intense butchery or
depravity, or encountering a monster of CR 15-19
Serious 25 or monster CR + 5 Being tortured for days, participating in intense Long-term madness
butchery or depravity, being isolated for several
months, seeing into the Darkplane, or encountering
a monster of CR 20-24
Severe 30 or monster CR + 5 Being isolated for 10 or more years, experiencing Indefinite madness
a Darkplane mutation, prolonged or intimate
contact with an aberration, being raised from the
dead, entering the Darkplane, or encountering a
monster of CR 25 or higher
Spell Failure
d20 Effect
1-4 Compulsion. For 1 week, the caster gains
the urge to eat or bathe in something
strange, such as dirt, blood, or rotting flesh.
5-8 Arcane Feedback. The caster takes 1d6
psychic damage.
9-10 Trauma. The caster and all creatures within
60 feet must make a saving throw as if
encountering a Moderate trauma.
11-12 Nausea. The caster becomes poisoned for
2d4 rounds.
13-14 Blinded. If the caster is not in darkness, he or
she is blinded for 1d4 rounds.
15-16 Dimensional Rift. A portal to a random
plane opens within 5 feet of the caster.
17 Prescient Surge. All creatures within 60 feet
of the caster gain telepathy in a range of 120
feet. It lasts 6d6 hours.
18 Wild Magic Surge. A wild magic surge
occurs.
19 Rage. The caster flies into a wanton rage,
attacking whatever creature is closest for 1d6
minutes.
20-22 Unholy Possession. A number of ghosts
equal to the spell’s level appear beside the
caster and attack any creatures in sight. The
caster is targeted by a Possession attack.
23-26 Darkplane Mutation. The caster
experiences an effect on the Darkplane
Mutation table.
27-29 Abomination. The caster is permanently
transformed into an elemental or fiend with
a CR equal to or greater than the spell’s level.
All of his or her statistics are replaced by
those of the demon, including alignment.
Skill Options Forbidden Lore
A character’s Intelligence (Forbidden Lore) check
With elements of advanced technology and the occult
assuming a position of importance in this setting, you covers their knowledge of the dark arts. While Arcana
may wish to play a character whose expertise extends focuses on general magical understanding, Forbidden
into these areas. You can use the following skill options Lore deals with dangerous knowledge that has been
to represent such specialties. hidden from those who would abuse it. It includes
the secrets of necromancy, blood magic, rune magic,
Engineering fiends, aberrations, and primordials.
You might call on players to make an Intelligence Such understanding doesn’t come without cost,
(Engineering) check when dealing with any sort of however. At your discretion, when a character with
machinery. Characters proficient in this skill are adept proficiency succeeds on an Intelligence (Forbidden
enough with mechanical devices to repair, design, Lore) check, you might impose disadvantage on saving
and fabricate anything from wooden looms to steam throws to avoid the effects of trauma for 1 hour.
engines. Engineering is useful in the crafting of Characters that choose proficiency in Arcana,
vehicles, clocks, siege equipment, and even firearms. History, or Religion may instead gain proficiency in
Characters that choose proficiency in Arcana, Forbidden Lore.
History, or Investigation may instead gain proficiency
in Engineering.
196
Measuring Time
Across the world of Vinramar, different cultures use comprised of nine watches, or 10-day periods, a
many methods to measure the passage of time. Some, term referencing the 10-day rotation customary for
like the jharethil of old, keep exhaustive written castle watchmen in early Motta. When a soldier had
Measuring Time
records with complex seasons, years, and dates. completed a watch, he had been posted at each of the
Others, such as the werekin clans of Arwest, simply 10 stations over the course of 10 nights. The 10 days of
watch the patterns of predictable natural phenomena. each watch are named (in order) Junas, Delias, Mertolas,
The most common calendar in Vinramar was Hundas, Scapas, Trolas, Tepas, Vindas, Bonas, and Selas.
developed in the early years of the Mottan Empire. In addition to the 36 watches of the year, the
Called the Renizian calendar, or the Mortal Reckoning, Renizian calendar preserves five festival days, which
it was officially implemented in Motta by Emperor are not assigned to a particular season. Between the
Renizi II, and has been widely adopted throughout the last day of one season and the first day of another, these
West, as well as in the Empire of Arrochule and the high days mark the transition with frenzied revelry.
nations of the Goltari League. Between the end of the Fallow and the beginning of
In the Renizian calendar, the year is composed of the Sowing, the new year is ushered in with two days of
365 days divided into four seasons: the Sowing, the uninterrupted merriment: Ochi etAndocculos, the
Growing, the Harvest, and the Fallow. Closing and the Opening.
Each of these seasons is
THE COSMOS
F irst there was an ocean, a vast concourse of water that grew and
stretched the bounds of all existence. The jharethil call it Norahaltath, which by
interpretation is the Sea in the Void. There was no air, no land, no life; just the
endless churning of a drowned universe.
In time the whirlpool lurched and Norahaltath divided at its heart. The water
steamed and became a roaring hurricane thrashing out from the center and
encircling the sea. Where the pressure from the tempest was great enough, the sea
froze solid and became earth. The air wrapped the sea, the sea wrapped the earth,
and in the center of the earth was lit the first light.
The sacred flame seared the slag and detritus, sparking it into life and
consciousness, burning and yet not consuming. In the heart of the wreckage
loomed Salvendum, Source of our Joy and Sorrow, the First of Four Worlds.
About Her girdle swirled the other three worlds, orbs of reckless dross hurtling
through the tenebrous abyss. Between and around these orbs is a void, the gap
of nothingness that the jhareth elders name Nieshalar, which by interpretation is
called the Darkplane.
As the ashes plunged into the seas of the four worlds and cooled, they awoke.
Many remained below, but nine rose into the light and, marveling, were refined
into living souls. They are called Irvallath, the Primordial Laborers. When
Salvendum saw the Nine had awoken, she spoke through the Darkplane so that
all could hear and feel her thought.
She said: I am Sowm; from the heart of the Fire I command the winds and the
seas and the earth. Ye have your being through me; I command you to rise and build.
198
The Four Worlds
All of the four worlds shelter unique life forms, In Mardelthwaide dwell Jharus, Loragg, their
creatures whose origins are connected to the history descendant Altrear (patron god of the jharethil), and
of their given home. The environments they dwell in those celestials that serve them. Jharus himself is
surpass the diversity of Vinramar, reaching into the bound to the throne of Salvendum, forbidden to move,
splendid and horrific realm of the supernatural. Gods lest the light of Salvendum extinguish and mahat be
and monsters rule these places directly, making them lost from the four worlds.
perilous for mortals to enter.
Iltallach
Salvendum The planet that orbits closest to Salvendum is Iltallach,
The central world, Salvendum, is native to the celestials. the world of the eternal sunset, sometimes called
Though few remember it, Salvendum is the sun itself, the plane of Faerie. Its vast lands are the haunts of
a massive planet whose radiant glory can be seen from fey, centaurs, giants, gnomes, goblinoids, and other
anywhere in the four worlds. The most pure beings creatures that followed mad Forlortha there in the
dwell here, including the dead that have been judged dawn of history. Of the four worlds, Iltallach is the
worthy to enter the presence of the Jharric Gods. most mysterious and perilous.
Various areas of Salvendum might correspond to one of Forlortha’s madness has long poisoned Iltallach,
upper planes, such as Elysium. thinning the boundaries between its dimensions and
All things in Salvendum shine with an overpowering locking its inhabitants in a mercurial cycle of mania,
light. Non-celestial creatures that enter this world take wantonness, and melancholia. Mortals that come here
20 radiant damage every minute unless they carry sacred find all their experiences dream-like, and those that
tokens of protection, or are under the effect of one of the greet them always on the edge of laughter, tears, or
following spells: resistance, sanctuary, or shield of faith. bitter rage. Because the dimensions weave in and out of
Those who remain for 100 days or more gain the Elder one another, the operation of time and physical space
Form trait, as described on page 36. is erratic and unclear. Upon coming home, they often
Salvendum contains Athalun, Ithaldun, and find the journey to have lasted far shorter or longer
Mardelthwaide, the dominions of the Jharric Gods. than they had supposed. Few return unchanged.
Hundreds of fey courts hold sway in Iltallach,
Athalun including that of Nanbaladhui, the immense tree that
Iala, goddess of light and healing, makes her abode in contains the spirit of Forlortha herself. The bizarre
Athalun, the Valley of Four Hundred Rivers. There the politics of the fey courts confound mortals, seeming
waters run clear and sweet, and the light of her healing both petty and magnanimous in turns.
is free for all to enjoy. With her dwell the Ialhalil, whose
sacred hands heal all maladies and bind all wounds. Nanbaladhui
At the heart of the world, Forlortha’s consciousness
Ithaldun lives within a great tree, larger than the mightiest
The island city of Ithaldun is home to Ava and her castle. Burrowed within its trunk and perched upon
consorts. Set in the golden sea of Meira, the island’s its branches are thousands of fey dwellings. This
shores extend their reach wider as Ava’s power grows. is Nanbaladhui, the Court of the Deranged. Here
With her dwell the souls of mothers, orphans, and Forlortha’s closest children wade in madness while the
those who die young, making Ithaldun largely a city of weeping of their captives resounds from root to bough.
children. Travelers here are often surprised by the wit Rising from the mountainous roots of
and wisdom of its cherubic denizens. Nanbaladhui are two stone rings whose apertures
Mardelthwaide were once dimensional gates into Vinramar. Though
The palace of Jharus is not a single structure, but in Vinramar their companion portals rest half a world
an arrangement of gigantic, free-standing columns from one another, the two Fey Gates sit nearly side
suspended high above the surface of the world. Each by side in Iltallach. Long ago, the Fey Kindreds could
of these towers floats in complex harmony with the enter Vinramar by the east or west gate, but after the
others, their windows and doors passing alongside one passages were sealed during the High Apostasy, the Fey
another in an endless dance of shifting rooms. Gates fell into disrepair in both worlds. Still, residual
crossings between the worlds are known to open, even
hundred of miles from the ruined stone rings.
201
The Elements of Being body, causing it to lose that which kept it living and
At its most fundamental level, the universe is made to become as the inanimate dust once more.
of four types of matter called the Elements of Being. The fourth element, deity, is developed over the
All living things are composed of one or more of course of millennia through hidden and supernal
these elements: soul, spirit, body, and deity. means. It allows a being to manipulate reality on
The Elements of Being interact as components the fourth dimension by controlling the expression
of all living things, existing simultaneously in the of the other Elements of Being. Relatively few
same space, but on different planes of existence. individuals have gained deity over the course of
Often a creature’s soul is housed within its spirit, the history, and among those who have, only the most
spirit within its body, and (if it is a god or demigod) prominent are worshipped as actual gods. Scholars
the body within its deity. postulate that the fourth-dimensional expression of
A being’s soul is its life force, the raw intelligence a deity in the High Realm warps its experience of
that animates it and creates consciousness. This time so that it is eternally present through all points
element isn’t limited to creatures. Plants, fungi, of time as an unchangeable being.
and other life forms not considered sentient still While the average humanoid consists of a soul,
contain souls of varying intelligence. The one- spirit, and body connected across the Primordial,
dimensional matter of which a soul is formed exists Spirit, and Material Realms, there are some beings
in the Primordial Realm, making it imperceptible to that exist without one or more of these elements.
mortal eyes. Many undead creatures, for example, are soulless,
Spirit is a two-dimensional element that allows their spirits or bodies animated instead by negative
a being to take a visible form, which often reflects energy. Ghosts, banshees, and other ethereal
its inward nature. Some spirits are comely and creatures lack a body, while the souls of primordials
wholesome, others horrific and grisly. Since it exists inhabit inorganic matter in crude imitation of a body.
in the Spirit Realm, a spirit’s matter is intangible to There is a fifth fundamental force in the
creatures with a body. four worlds, known simply as shadow. Though
Bodies are made of material substance, metaphysicists recognize it as intrinsically present in
allowing them to interact physically with the three- everything in the universe—living and nonliving—
dimensional elements of the Material Realm. They they likewise propose that shadow by its very
grow through natural means, attaching themselves nature is the absence of matter. In other words, it is
to a soul and spirit through the process of birth. At the energy that exists in the absolute nothingness
death, the soul and spirit are separated from the between the Elements of Being.
202
Realms of Existence
The planes of the Darkplane universe are infinite, encompassing every
The Black
Realms of Existence
conceivable form of reality. Some appear as separate planets, hovering
within the Darkplane itself, while others are alternate dimensions that
overlap one another and occupy the same physical space. The five
Arcane
The primordials offer followers
planes most fundamental to the operation of natural life are known as access to the latent power
the Realms of Existence: the Primordial Realm, the Spirit Realm, the within the soul. Necromancy,
Material Realm, the Eternal Realm, and the Shadow Realm. blood magic, rune magic, and
Within the four worlds, these realms operate as layers or reflections shadow magic are all forms of
of reality, each one corresponding to one of the Elements of Being that primordial power, collectively
make up everything in existence. Through magical means, characters called the Black Arcane. All
can perceive or travel between the realms, opening their eyes to invisible come at serious cost to the
forces that operate in the world around them. practitioner, and are met with
extreme prejudice by both the
Primordial Realm religious and the secular.
The Primordial Realm is made up of energy and intelligence, the forces The Black Arcane
that power the world and allow its creatures to experience consciousness. should be terrifying, even to
Memories, dreams, and thoughts float in the infinite ether, warping in its practitioners. Not all its
and out of literal or metaphorical forms. You might watch a creature’s manifestations are downright
dream unfold in a series of bizarre flashes, or pluck an object out of your evil, but they are dangerous,
own memory to examine it. and come at a price too dear for
Those who enter the Primordial Realm see it as a shifting panorama most. Wizards and sorcerers
of surreal imagery. Paths may consist of translucent ribbons that encircle should bear permanent,
pulsing, gelatinous orbs, or stepping stones made of forgotten ideas. tangible marks of their work
When a creature casts the astral projection spell, this is the realm they that stand as witness to the
appear in. As in the Astral Plane, color pools dot the Primordial Realm burden of their power, such
and psychic winds tear across the protean firmament. as madness, deformities,
Everything that exists within the Primordial Realm is made of soul compulsions, curses, or plagues.
matter, meaning that it is all, to some degree or another, conscious. The Such devices can be subtle, but
landscape, its pliable forms and visions, as well as any structures or objects when used they differentiate a
that might be found there, are really subjugated souls being shaped into Darkplane story from generic
such features by more dominant intelligences. By that token, characters in fantasy.
the Primordial Realm, as in the plane of Limbo, can use the power of the To that same end, it’s
mind to move and alter such objects that aren’t being worn or carried. also effective to keep displays
Primordial Power of arcane magic bizarre,
The labor of Sowm’s Creation was performed by powerful primordial unpredictable, or enigmatic.
beings made of pure soul essence. When these raw intelligences realized Spells should have flavorful
they weren’t meant to inherit the work of their hands, they rebelled, and side-effects, differing from
Sowm confined them to the Primordial Realm. Here their disembodied caster to caster, that amp up the
souls joined the dross of creation, and over eons nursed a fiery hatred for feeling of surreal dread. Visions,
Sowm and Her children. odors, and other unsettling
The Primordial Realm remains the home of such beings, whose imagery go a long way toward
presence in other realms causes elemental phenomena such as fire preventing the use of magic
storms, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Black Arcane magic manipulates the from being a non-event.
sentient matter of the Primordial Realm to alter other realms’ reality in Consequences and mystery
unnatural ways. Primordial beings nearly always have some knowledge are your two best friends when
of this practice, and even teach it to those mortals they can seduce into establishing the fearsome nature
their service. of the Black Arcane.
203
Spirit Realm The Dead and Unborn
Creatures dwelling on the ethereal plane are often
The Spirit Realm is the dwelling of ethereal creatures,
most of them awaiting birth or recently deceased. awaiting mortal birth or recently deceased. Some
Reality here has more visual integrity than in the undead creatures, such as ghosts, specters, and
surreal expanse of the Primordial Realm, meaning wraiths, are spirits trapped in this realm by forces
that places in the Spirit Realm correspond to physical beyond their control. It is rare for the dead to remain
locations within the Material Realm. The hazy in the Spirit Realm forever. In time, their souls are
landscape resembles that of the physical world, but is claimed by one of the gods, and they must enter
perpetually swarming with ethereal personages. whatever afterlife this judgment appoints for them.
Only spiritual beings exist in the Spirit Realm. There are rare examples of reincarnation within the
Objects and structures are rare, leaving the land empty Darkplane universe. In such cases, the spirit of the
but for the spirits themselves. Everywhere the dead creature usually awaits its rebirth in the Spirit Realm.
and unborn wander about between the spirits tethered
to material bodies. Sometimes unbound spirits Material Realm
influence those connected to the Material Realm, The Material Realm is the dimension built of physical
whispering messages and temptations, bolstering matter. Bodies of mortals and immortals alike exist
strength, or making themselves visible to the in this realm. Unless specified otherwise, most of a
physical plane. Such interactions manifest as magical campaign takes place here. Since the Material Realm
phenomena in the Material Realm, where clerics, is more a state of being than a physical location, every
paladins, druids, and some wizards channel the help of place in the universe has a Material Realm reflection.
the spirits for specific spells and effects. The term Material Realm rarely refers only to the
The Spirit Realm is equivalent to the Ethereal world of Vinramar.
Plane, including the presence of ether cyclones and use
of the etherealness spell.
Deities
classical gods, with bodies that can take various forms. worlds. Some time in their history, each experienced
Others are powerful spirits, visible only when they a moment of apotheosis in which they ascended
wish to be. Still others manifest as elemental forces. to godhood. Ascended deities are known for their
What these beings have in common is incredible constant meddling in mortal affairs, and their
intelligence and the ability to perceive all forms of investment in those who worship them.
matter at once, including much not seen by mortals.
Vinramar, the mortal world, has become the The Irvallath
battleground for many divine conflicts. Mortals can The Irvallath are primordial deities not descended
thus find themselves in the service of various gods from Sowm. Though they sprung from her to perform
through religious organizations, personal spirituality, the labor of the Creation, these elemental beings
or occasionally by force. The gods rarely manifest rebelled against the Four Creators and were bound in
themselves openly, even to those who serve them, but the Primordial Realm for an age.
you can make their presence felt in any story through Now almost all the Irvallath have escaped, and are
the actions and agendas of their followers. Maybe thought to roam the more deserted parts of the world,
a priest with ulterior motives becomes the party’s where mortals enticed into their service form cults and
employer, or perhaps player characters become the covens in exchange for primordial power. There is little
quarry of zealots looking for souls to feed to their god’s humanoid about these deities. The physical forms that
graven image. compose their bodies are diverse and bizarre.
Some religions worship real beings and channel Racial Gods
real divine magic. Others can turn out to be a sham. Many lesser deities exist that are worshipped
Look through the popular religious factions in Chapter exclusively by one race or culture. These Racial Gods
Three for inspiration when incorporating gods and are well known to neighboring settlements, but their
their servitors in your campaigns. Such sects can be an power over the world pales in comparison to other
endless source of mystery and conflict. deities. Some may not even exist at all.
Pantheons Divine Allegiances
The gods and deities of Vinramar are numerous. This The deities of the Darkplane setting have a web
chapter classifies them in pantheons based on their of intertwining loyalties that form a hierarchy of
origin and level of influence over the universe. allegiance, servitude, and rivalry among them. Most
gods have at least one sworn enemy, and many
The Four Creators
participate in one of the following divine factions.
Supreme among the gods are the Four Creators, Sowm
and her three heirs. Before the Creation, Sowm was The Court of Daemoth
the embodiment of all existence, and the gods shaped Sowm’s murder began a chain of cosmic events that
by Her power—Daemoth, Jharus, and Loragg—are divided the gods into two factions: those who sided
unmatched in their ability to create, destroy, and warp with Daemoth, and those who pledged themselves
reality. Since Her apparent death, Sowm has remained to Jharus. The Court of Daemoth includes Gallister,
absent from all affairs tied to Vinramar, but there are Gauren, Maruma’e, and Volgothyde. These insidious
those who continue to worship Her. deities benefit greatly from their allegiance to
All of the Four Creators, with the exception of Daemoth, whose worship remains the dominant
Daemoth, have complete control over their physical religion in most regions of Vinramar.
and spiritual forms, appearing however they wish.
In their limited interactions with mortals, they tend The Jharric Gods
to take humanoid shapes. Such occurrences are rare, Those deities that sided against Daemoth in the
however, since the Four Creators are also the most War of Eternity are known as the Jharric Gods:
distant of the gods. Their actions remain unseen and Jharus, Loragg, Ava, and Iala. Their worship (with
misunderstood by most inhabitants of Vinramar. the exception of Ava) is united in a single religious
The Vjornil
A faction of deities worshipped by the Ansë humans
of Iljudheim, the Vjornil are cold gods of war. They are
Guddrek, Hjotra, Ingvidr, Skjarlunn, and Thrandull.
Each is a patron of a different facet of life in the
tumultuous southern peninsula. The Vjornil are rarely
worshipped outside the region of Iljudheim.
Divine Servitude
The primary function of deities in a roleplaying game is
to provide some characters with a religion and a sense
of reverence for something greater than themselves. Not
all characters need this, but if you want to play a cleric,
druid, paladin, or warlock, you may be interested in the
belief system associated with the source of your power.
Whether you represent one of the gods as a vested
servant or simply revere its persona, commitment to
a deity or religion can help define your character’s
philosophy and temperament. Your GM can help you
determine what code or responsibilities accompany this
decision. Most deity descriptions in this chapter list
the god’s associated religious factions. Many of these
factions are detailed in Chapter Three.
The religions of Vinramar exhibit a wide range of
philosophies and cultural trappings. They might be
orthodox in their beliefs, with worshippers displaying
little flexibility of interpretation, or they might have a
liberal approach in which the teachings and practices
of congregations vary. Some religious sects are strictly
monastic, their practitioners cloistering themselves in
like-minded communities. Others forms of worship
may have no administrative structure at all, treating the
most devout members as elders or teachers.
A religion’s culture is often determined by its source
of truth. Dogmatic belief systems emphasize written
scripture and divine laws, while more personal faiths
might allow adherents to determine for themselves
just what the gods desire of them. Communal and
tribal religions find power in the bonds formed
within small religious societies, while militant orders
employ strength of arms to prove their faith. Using the
information in this chapter, you can decide how your
character interprets his or her religious expression.
210
The Four Creators
Deity Alignment Suggested Domains Symbols
Daemoth, god of politics, revenge, and winter Lawful Evil Aberration, Blood, Darkness, Bound wheat, caverns, snow, stone
Death, Knowledge, War
Jharus, god of artisanry, bravery, and justice Chaotic good Life, Light, War Eagles, precious stones, the sun, swords
Loragg, god of records, shelter, and travel Neutral good Knowledge, Trickery Boots, parchment, quills, ruins
Deities
Sowm, goddess of life, sky, and wind Lawful good No clerics Candles, mountains, the color white
The Ascended
Deity Alignment Suggested Domains Symbols
Ava, goddess of freedom, love, and nurturing Chaotic good Life, War Birch trees, swords, thorned roses
Forlortha, goddess of fertility and night Chaotic neutral Life, Nature, War Beasts, mistletoe, the moon, stars
Gallister, god of planar gates, slavery, and war Chaotic evil Death, War Elephants, hammers, keys, the color red
Gauren, god of covenants, devils, and fate Lawful evil Knowledge, Trickery Eyes, horns, solar eclipses, tomes
Iala, goddess of forgiveness, healing, and light Neutral good Life, Light, Water Auroras, sunrise, springs, waterfalls
Mozralchi, goddess of cunning and diplomacy Neutral good Darkness, Trickery, War Eyes, maps, staves, the color black
Silphenor, god of chaos, purification, and war Chaotic neutral Light, Pestilence, Tempest Fire, harvest, storms, whips
Sterianon, god of judgment, loyalty and truth Lawful good Knowledge, Life Crowns, gavels, orbs, scepters
Volgothyde, god of the hunt and the undead Chaotic evil Blood, Death, War Bats, blood, bones, soil
Other Deities
Deity Alignment Suggested Domains Symbols
Emriel, elf god of hunting, music, and venom Chaotic neutral Nature, Pestilence Antlers, drums, red arrows, thorns
Guddrek, human god of fate, fire, and runes Neutral Light, War Axes, holly bushes, phoenixes
Hjotra, human goddess of fertility and harvest Neutral Life, War Apples, oxen, wheat
Ingvidr, human god of industry and night Lawful neutral Darkness, War Anvils, bears, stars
Skjarlunn, human goddess of magic and wind Neutral Knowledge, Tempest Flutes, horses, ravens
Thrandull, human god of hunting and trickery Chaotic neutral Trickery, War Serpents, spears, wolves
Altrear, jhareth god of ancestors and valor Neutral good Tempest, War Crowns, stags, swords, thunder
Bekjhal, telmatra god of artisans and merchants Neutral Light Knowledge Runes, sickles, the sun
Duhulatt, telmatra god of clan rule and travel Lawful neutral Nature, Trickery Insects, springtime
Hodramesh, telmatra god of storms and winter Neutral evil Tempest, War Axes, coins, and ships
Fimbuleth, werekin god of bloodsport Neutral evil Nature, Pestilence Bones, swamplands, wolves
The True Mother, supreme entity of aberration Unaligned Aberration A black circle
215
The Ascended
Ava
Goddess of freedom, love, motherhood, and nurturing
The Ascended
own sanity. Both she and Silphenor were sent raving
from Vinramar, forever changed.
It was then, the jhareth elders write, that Forlortha
came to dwell in Iltallach in the form of a great oak.
Around her sprung a forest of rowans, in which she
set two Fey Gates to lead her children to her. One by
one they came, nesting a magnificent city in her roots
and branches. A remnant of Silphenor’s forbidden
magic remained within her, and Forlortha became a
brooding font of disquiet, her melancholy only allayed
by flashes of giddy cruelty.
Those that worship Forlortha pray to the stars and
the wind and the wood. Their druidic cult, the Solace,
maintains an intricately structured hierarchy within
its female membership. Driven to protect the domain
of the Ancients, the Ladies of the Solace eagerly
defend the sacred wild. Many animals and plants have Gallister
symbolic significance within the Solace, but none so
God of courage, planar gates, slavery, and war
much as mistletoe, whose poisonous white berries are
an omen of both life and death. Alignment: Chaotic evil
Suggested Domains: Death, War
Symbols: Elephants, hammers, keys, the color red
Titles: The Archwarrior, the Gatekeeper, the Lord of
Battle, the Red Hand, Winebane
Abode: Bruhdath (Morvugol)
Enemies: Altrear, Ava
Allegiance: The Court of Daemoth (Daemoth,
Gauren, Maruma’e, Volgothyde)
Religious Factions: The Gallister Cults
The Ascended
the Lady of Healing.
Iala’s indomitable belief in forgiveness and mercy,
and her selfless death for that principle, has inspired
generations of the Jharric Church. She is favored by
those who believe in repentance and healing above all
else. Her servants, who bear crowns and staves adorned
with the image of the rising sun, teach that even in the
darkest of hearts can be found a spark of salvation.
Mozralchi
Goddess of arcana, cunning, diplomacy, and politics
Iala
Goddess of forgiveness, healing, light, and water Alignment: Neutral good
Suggested Domains: Darkness, Trickery, War
Alignment: Neutral good Symbols: Eyes, maps, staves, the color black
Suggested Domains: Life, Light, Water Titles: Hamzara, the Pale Eye, the Ravenwife, the
Symbols: Auroras, sunrise, springs, waterfalls Spymaster, the White Widow
Titles: The Chalice, Dawn-Maiden, the Lady of Abode: Ithaldun (Salvendum)
Healing, Nivani, the Pureheart, the Vessel Enemies: Daemoth, Gauren, Maruma’e, Ulmhasa,
Abode: Athalun (Salvendum) Volgothyde
Enemies: Daemoth, Gallister Allegiance: None
Allegiance: The Jharric Gods (Ava, Jharus, Loragg) Religious Factions: The Mozralchic Order
Religious Factions: Avan Enclaves, the Jharric Faith
Mozralchi is an enigmatic figure among the gods.
The second and younger goddess of the Jharric deities, Often called the Ravenwife, she is a negotiator and
Iala is a patroness of healing and purity. The dawn itself collector of lore and a delver into hidden places.
is formed by the radiance of her crown, and all streams Many arcane and forbidden secrets sleep safely in her
she touches run with healing water. She visits the keeping. Despite dabbling in the dark arts, retribution
afflicted and dying to shelter them beneath her wings. against the unnatural forces that besiege Vinramar
It is said that when the final battle between Jharus and is Mozralchi’s utmost obsession. Her image is often
Daemoth is concluded, Iala will command the grave embodied in one of four likenesses: the assassin, the
to yield up the spirits of the virtuous dead and guide demonologist, the diplomat, and the spy. Whichever
them to Athalun. In the iconography of the jharethil, form she takes, Mozralchi’s image always bears her fair
Iala is depicted as a white- or copper-haired jhareth skin, black hair, and a symbolic third eye.
woman, wearing the blazing sunrise as her headdress.
Iala’s mortal life before her ascension was well
recorded. Born in exile and raised in a Loraggite
monastery, she gained fame in her youth for her
healing hands. After the death of Ardoth Intillanum in
the great Battle of Noremium, she made a pilgrimage to
Rhuminos where his body was held, raised the emperor
from the dead, and won the undying love of her people.
After a brief betrothal to the emperor, Iala gave her
heart to a mysterious man whom history remembers
only as the Vagrant. A reformed crusader, the Vagrant
had once hunted the jharethil as a member of the
Eitharmos. With his identity exposed, the Vagrant was
captured and brought to trial for his past murders. Iala,
invoking ancient laws of atonement, consigned herself
to execution on his behalf.
The Ascended
Suggested Domains: Knowledge, Life
Symbols: Crowns, gavels, orbs, scepters
Titles: The Archon of Crowns, Helundus, Holy Judge,
Majestic Father, the Martyr Above All
Abode: Toluratha (Vinramar)
Enemies: None
Allegiance: None
Religious Factions: The Patriarchy
Impartial and aloof, Sterianon is the embodiment of
paternal wisdom. Deceit and ornamentation dissolve
beneath his penetrating insight. No lie can cloud his Volgothyde
understanding. In his tower Toluratha, the Archon God of bloodthirst, the hunt, murder, and the undead
of Crowns sits in earnest judgment over mortal
lives, discerning all truth and preparing for the final Alignment: Chaotic evil
confrontation between the gods. He is depicted as a Suggested Domains: Blood, Death, War
white-bearded king in lavish blue robes. Symbols: Bats, blood, bones, soil
In the spring of his godhood, Sterianon went Titles: The Immortal Hunter, the Lord of Bloodthirst,
forth to every court and high seat in the four worlds— the Lord of Caraveh, the Untold One
visiting, advising, and grooming the leaders of mortal Abode: Caraveh (Vinramar)
kingdoms. The elders of the jharethil tell that he was Enemies: Forlortha, Gauren, Mozralchi
convinced a common kinship could be achieved among Allegiance: The Court of Daemoth (Daemoth,
their peoples. This hope is regarded as the only folly Gallister, Gauren, Maruma’e)
of Sterianon’s divine reign, if folly it was. Division and Religious Factions: The Volgothic Cult
misjudgment seem to inevitably plague all mortals.
Mysterious and fearful, Volgothyde is the Lord of
Once the mediator of all divines, Sterianon’s
Bloodthirst, a powerful embodiment of undeath and
respect and status among the Ascended crumbled as
corruption. Spectral lights and a chorus of agonies
Daemoth’s Court rose to power in recent millennia.
accompany his presence. He himself is depicted as a
Now he is mocked, ignored, flouted, and disdained by
winged vampire whose pale wounds flow like limitless
many nations, and his Patriarchs have been reduced to
fountains of blood. He makes his abode in Caraveh, the
figureheads, where previously they held great prestige.
ancient capital of Perrith Gorr. Although believed to have
ascended to godhood just ten years ago, in that brief time
Volgothyde has changed the face of Vinramar forever.
In life, Volgothyde was the most dreadful
vampire ever to plague the earth. He ruled Perrith
Gorr some 7,000 years ago, until he was destroyed
and his vile spirit driven to Morvugol. In that dim
world, Volgothyde amassed new strength, building a
necromantic empire that paved his way to godhood.
When he returned to Vinramar, words scarcely
describe the horrors he brought. Vampire armies swept
through Wellusk, leaving the entire region in ashen
ruin as payment for the killing stroke they dealt him.
With Volgothyde’s resurgence, whispers abound
of the Dark Atonement, a reconciliation between the
vampire bloodlines and their demonic forefathers.
Daemoth, they say, has admitted the Lord of Bloodthirst
into his unholy court. Only time will tell what miseries
such an alliance might bring to the mortal world.
Alignment: Neutral
Suggested Domains: Blood, Death, Water
Symbols: Glaciers, the moon, rain, skulls
Enemies: Lakhi, Maruma’e, Rinshari
Allies: Senfaer
Alignment: Neutral
The Irvallath
Suggested Domains: Stone
Symbols: Dark elves, hunchbacks, standing stones
Enemies: Ethis, Forlortha, Rinshari
Allies: Lakhi, Senfaer
Alignment: Neutral
The Irvallath
Suggested Domains: Blood, Light
Symbols: Dance, flames, harps, songbirds
Enemies: Baturach, Ethis, Lakhi, Maruma’e, Jukai
Allies: None
Alignment: Neutral
The Irvallath
Suggested Domains: Nature, Tempest
Symbols: Bones, drums, feathers, lightning, the wind
Enemies: Imbakhao, Rinshari
Allies: Sarnoss
Unknown to much of the wider world, Emriel is an The Triune Fathers are a pantheon connected to the
elk-headed woodland spirit worshipped by many wild traditional patriarchal warrior culture of the telmatra.
elves throughout Vinramar. Believed to be an archfey Each personifies one of the three traditional seasons
launched into godhood by his followers’ faith, Emriel of the telmatra tribes: spring, summer, and winter.
is a master of bargains. Many unseelie fey are in his Though they form a single pantheon, Hodramesh is
service, including several powerful hag covens. considered an enemy to Bekjhal and Duhulatt. More
information on the Triune Fathers can be found on the
The Vjornil Other Deities table on page 211.
Human pantheon worshipped in Iljudheim
Fimbuleth
Guddrek, god of fate, fire, and runes Werekin god of bloodsport, the hunt, and lycanthropy
Hjotra, goddess of fertility and the harvest
Ingvidr, god of industry and night Alignment: Neutral evil
Skjarlunn, goddess of magic and wind Suggested Domains: Nature, Pestilence
Thrandull, god of hunting and trickery Symbols: Bones, swamplands, wolves
The Vjornil pantheon, favored among the Ansë According to legends, Fimbuleth dwells at the heart of
humans, is considered primitive and inferior to the the Hessawood, a terrible avatar of the hunt, and the
other gods of Vinramar. Many loremasters believe source of all lycanthropy. Some say he takes the form
they are fictitious, or else based on bare memories of of a great male lamia, while others describe his face as
older gods. All are great patrons of war in addition to a fleshless wolf skull. The terror of the Sorcerer in the
any other areas of influence. More information on the Wood still lingers among the humans of the region,
Vjornil can be found on the Other Deities table on some 9,000 years later. Nowhere do the stories evoke
page 211. more horror than in the city-state of Faerras, which
lies scant miles from the Hessawood.
Altrear
The True Mother
Jhareth god of ancestors, thunder, and valor
Supreme entity of aberration
Alignment: Neutral Good
Suggested Domains: Tempest, War Alignment: Unaligned
Symbols: Crowns, stags, swords, thunder Suggested Domains: Aberration
Symbol: A simple, black ring
Altrear is worshipped as an ancestral deity by certain
jharethil, predominantly outliers from the hidden No deity represents a greater threat than the cosmic
cities. In history, Altrear was a powerful jhareth entity that is called the True Mother. Originating in
emperor, the son of Sterianon. Worship of him began some eldritch profundity of the Darkplane, her nature
after the Schism of Ardon, when the Jharric Faith was and form are utterly unfathomable. While those that
rife with corruption and the jharethil looked elsewhere worship her pretend to grasp the nebulous enmity
for divine help. As an explorer and tamer of beasts, she holds for the natural universe, their profane,
Altrear symbolizes the subjugation of the wild and the hedonistic rituals are merely the crude attempts of
intrepid spirit of adventure. mortal minds to comprehend that which in every way
The cults of Altrear do not look to vested priests exists outside of sanity or apprehension.
for guidance. Any may worship the images of the
jhareth father, which are carved into ceremonial
wooden masks.
229
Ulmhasa was the third eldest of the Irvallath. Vinramar into crags of immutable rock. When
She sank deep into the waters of Morvugol, and did Ethis saw how her work was spoiled she returned to
not rise to hear the call of Sowm until much later. Iltallach, where she perfected her craft and wrought
Shrouded from Salvendum’s light, Morvugol was a her greatest works, safe from the marring of Jukai.
dark world, and Ulmhasa cooled almost to death as The seventh of the Irvallath was Baturach, the
she slept submerged in the sea. lady of death, who dwelt in the sky as a white light to
Her son Sarnoss bathed with her in the shape of Vinramar. The moon is her throne. Her work was to
a black lion until the call of Sowm came, and then replenish the waters of Norahaltath. When Sarnoss
he rose to the surface and began to drink the waters drank from them, she caused the seas to rise again
of Morvugol. When he had drunk his fill, Sarnoss toward her. When Rinshari boiled the seas and rivers,
plunged his great paws into the earth, and sent forth Baturach sent rain upon the face of the earth to fill
seeds and roots to tend the ground and give it strength. them again.
But as he raised forests and gardens his dreams were Baturach was always the shyest of the Irvallath,
tormented with the shadow of his mother, and all his loathe to speak or be spoken to. When Salvendum’s
labors turned to darkness and night. light strikes Vinramar, Baturach counters to the
When at last she woke, Ulmhasa rose from the farther side and hides so that none can call to her.
bottom of the inky sea to find a lush land full of rich, At night she peeks out from behind the black of the
black trees and midnight flowers. Sarnoss was wroth Darkplane, growing bolder with each setting of the
that his labors had been thus tarnished, and departed sun. When she is full, her hideous face can be seen
for Vinramar. in the light of the moon’s throne like an emblazoned
The fifth of the Irvallath was Imbakhao, skull until she again creeps into shadow.
Ulmhasa’s second child whom she bore after the Ruethas was the eighth of the Irvallath to rise.
departure of Sarnoss. Imbakhao is a vast serpent, Angered that he had not risen sooner, he wrenched
made of the black magma of Morvugol. Ulmhasa the worlds to a halt and finished his work while all
gorged him on her own creations and the remaining else stood still. Once done, he hid and watched the
dross that fell to Morvugol from Salvendum. other laborers toil in their work.
When Sarnoss came to Vinramar, he found As Ethis danced alone in Iltallach, Ruethas stole
Ethis burrowing and shaping the stone into soft, one of her masks and wooed her in disguise, but she
elegant forms. Her face was like the flame of creation would not give herself to him. The two danced and
itself, and her beauty infatuated him. Entranced, he dueled across Iltallach until the rest of the Irvallath
approached her, but while they lay with one another finished their work. Iltallach was thus left incomplete
Ethis shed her mask, and the coarse plainness of the at the final call of Sowm, and was—until the coming
sand was revealed in her true countenance. Then of Forlortha—a barren land of strange rocks and fires.
Sarnoss knew she had not the beauty of her mother, The ninth of the Irvallath is Senfaer, the greatest in
only masks and false shapes she could wear. He power. His breath drove the winds until they encircled
departed into other lands of Vinramar, where he built the four worlds in protection from the void. He was
jungles and palaces in the trees. appointed by Sowm to oversee the others’ work, and to
Ethis conceived and bore Jukai, the sixth of the delve into the Darkplane in search of all unreachable
Irvallath. Not desiring to raise a son, Ethis dashed knowledge. He was Her messenger and steward to
Jukai against the rocks and left him a cripple. From the Irvallath. He placed the stars in the midst of the
that time his back was hunched and twisted, his face Darkplane as waypoints to guide his servants safely
cloven in two. As he grew, he too learned to shape the through the Abyss.
earth, but his stone was clumsier and tougher than
—The Labors of the Irvallath
that of his mother.
by Bram Genning
Seeking his mother’s affection Jukai followed Ethis
across the land, but everywhere his path roughened
her elegant magma, turning the mountains of
234
Today, the Maahisite races have little memory The release of their mother Atiakha was a death-
of their ancestors. They take for granted the folklore, knell for the daemons of Mohtra. Every one of them
nursery rhymes, and symbols of power that survive for hundreds of generations had been born by her.
from that era. Even the heathfolk, who inherited a Without the moon-daughter as vessel for their unholy
AR: Arrochule CH: Chayrshellech IL: Iljudheim NO: The Norlythe SY: Syrikhal WE: Wellusk
AW: Arwest GO: Goltaraim MT: Motta PG: Perrith Gorr TR: Trentsmund
History of Vinramar
a desolate crater. Spreading northward, they founded
Iltallach and the establishment of the jhareth empire
the kingdoms of Bheirvos (on the northern coast
Ardon (a period believed to be 13,049 years). This first
of present-day Arrochule), Llôg (present-day Sea of
age of recorded history is referred to as the Stonewar.
Hazakh), and Palucadium (present-day Aldalar).
More than ever before, the Stonewar was a time
Sterianon, the grandson of Jhareth himself, ruled
of divine absence. Jharus was bound upon his new
his 3,000 descendants in the river valley south of
throne, and Daemoth off staking his claim within the
ruined Anarthos. With the eldest generation dead at
Darkplane. For the first time since the creation, the
Silphenor’s hands and the people bitterly divided along
world was left to its own devices.
lines of kinship, Sterianon named himself High Priest
This age saw five cradles of civilization thrive
of all the jharethil, a claim which he was forced to
amidst the brutal wilderness of Vinramar. Each race
vindicate in battle. His kingdom Irrachos fought bitterly
was mired in tribal conflict. Clans and families wrestled
with the others to remain the cultural center of jhareth
one another for dominance as daemons, jharethil,
civilization.
and vampires slew their own. Little contact was made
Tensions broke out into full-scale war when
between peoples until the latter half of the Stonewar.
the king of Llôg arrived on the field wielding the
The daemons thrived in the West. Their society
Celdommoth, a powerful artifact thought to be one of
sprawled around the ruins of Maromutalcoth, where
the stones of Daemoth scattered in Silphenor’s flight.
Omuel, youngest son of Daemoth, founded the realm
The war for control of the Celdommoth gives this
of Mohtra on the bones of his dissident children. With
period its name. It began in earnest in the year 8721
bloodshed growing in the heartlands, many daemon
and continued until the stone was lost in 11,347.
settlers trekked north and south to escape the callous
The Stonewar saw the reign of several important
rule of their father. A colony called Ilithia formed along
jhareth kings: Sterianon, who would later ascend
the southern peninsula. In present-day Trentsmund,
to godhood as the Great Patriarch; Mozralchi,
another company established the settlement of Vunhaeg.
Iarmov the Maimed abandoned his fortress unrivaled in lore and destined to become the goddess
Throlugaur and returned to the world of Vinramar, settling of cunning; and Gallister, the fallen jhareth whose
in the farthest northeast, which he called Parothgaur. suicidal death rite earned him a throne of darkness at
Arrochimeir, eldest son of Daemoth, delved secretly in the the right hand of Daemoth.
earth and fell out of knowledge until the Elder Dark.
Stonewar Settlement
History of Vinramar
The jhareth lands were organized into a kingdom short-lived humans were born is not remembered. Most
their oppressors called Arrochule. There Daelgorog’s likely it was a failed attempt to produce new offspring
own brother ruled by the lash, branding the jhareth thousands of years after losing their own method of
“heretics” and working them nearly to extinction. reproduction. In any event, once the humans existed
It was during this time that the first humans were in sufficient numbers, they were bred throughout the
born, mongrel children of the daemons who lacked empire as disposable slaves. It was on their sweat and
their creators’ unholy power, but were gifted with bones that Mohtra’s golden age was built.
History of Vinramar
of unchecked proliferation, war, and subjugation have vampire legions. Many were slaughtered and others
carried this hubris to climactic heights. Few have captured. Those lucky enough to escape the death-
managed to challenge the spread of human cultural squads found the very earth beneath them corrupted
dominance. The speed with which their industrious by the vorruc blight.
civilizations mapped and settled the world of Vinramar In 1345 the desolation ended as suddenly as it had
during this age has caused historians to refer to it as the begun. Five years of carnage turned into five years of
Age of Man, but the jharethil and their Faithful have hellish quiet as the blight crept ever southward and the
always called it the Annoloth, or Years of Woe. vorruqun ferret the living out from blasted city ruins.
The price of progress was never steeper than in But from Perrith Gorr comes only tense silence. Few
the case of the human race. Their intolerance toward know what broods within the vampire wastes, nor
other peoples forced many wondrous things into the where Volgothyde’s next blow may strike.
shadows. Elves and their fey ancestors all but fled the The West has seen dramatic developments in
waking daylight. The jharethil and daemons became technology during the Annoloth. Though inventions
myths, even as mortals inherited the lands where their such as the clock, printing press, and steam engine
forgotten cities once stood. have revolutionized the industry of Trentsmund and
Because the daemons left a more lasting imprint its closest trade partners, these innovations haven’t yet
on the world, or perhaps because humans owed become available to the rest of the world. This disparity
their very existence to them, the young race clung to enables Trentsmund (and, to a lesser extent, Motta)
Daemothite philosophies and religious imagery. The to preserve its grip on the world with little challenge.
human diaspora during the end of the Intiliaros and Production, armament, and the speed of transportation
early centuries of the Annoloth carried the Etholchan and communication have reached levels hitherto
Church and its traditions to the four corners of unimaginable.
Vinramar. Ironically, the invention that might have most
The first century of this age ended with the radically changed the world remains a well-kept secret.
Summer’s War, which saw Drael humans spread Gunpowder was invented almost by accident in 1294,
northward and slaughter the sarrow wholesale. Once in the hands of Carthaxian mining excavators. When
clear of their native peoples, the lands surrounding the first royal demonstration of the “arm-fired cannon,”
the Coron’s Run mountains became important human or “firearm,” resulted in the queen of Welluxia’s death,
holdings, including fiefdoms that would eventually development of these weapons was banned.
develop into the Kingdom of Trentsmund. To the Underground markets continued to research
south, the old daemon empire was renamed Motta firearm technology, however. Several models were
under a human emperor, though little of its culture developed after 1322, particularly among heathfolk
or policy changed. In the following millennium, artificers. Still, the expense and labor required to
Motta and Trentsmund would rise as transcontinental produce them, combined with a virulent social stigma,
colonial powers, casting long shadows across the rest keep firearms sequestered to the black markets. After
of the world. the Desolation of Wellusk, the number of living
In the East, the Omhatra humans thrived after gunsmiths might only be counted on one hand.
the death of the vampire emperor Volgothyde. From It has now been 1,350 years since the Great
strong ports in Wellusk and Syrikhal, their navigators Forsaking. The jharethil, dragonborn, elves, gugrum,
brought settlers to both Arwest and Goltaraim. With and sarrow are dwindling beneath the tide of
the establishment of the Goltari League in 661, they humanity. Demonic spirits possess the bodies of
seemed prepared to rival Motta’s own trade empire. unborn humans to sow thorns among the wheat and
Their influence, however, would prove short-lived. In enact the will of a merciless god. Beneath it all lurk
1340, Volgothyde reappeared as a god-king to wreak primordial and aberrant horrors that would swallow
vengeance on the human race. up the mortal world without a second thought. For
now, history moves forward like a blind man, and only
time will reveal where it ends.
Non-Player Characters
Name Stat Block Backstory
Aindriú Coileain Heathfolk enchanter As the College of Sonnactfel’s Professor of Arcane Folklore and Historical Practices
of Magic, Aindriú Coileain is much sought after for his knowledge of forgotten
arcana. His efforts to piece together the true history of Vinramar by recovering lost
artifacts and manuscripts have become his life’s work. Fiercely opinionated and
with little regard for policy or procedure, Professor Coileain has been entangled in
more than one dangerous plot. In such circumstances, his training in swordplay and
marksmanship make the difference between life and death.
Arassius Ocaros Human warlock of the General Arassius Ocaros had been left to die on the battlefield when his life was
fiend spared by a demon calling herself Histallach of the Broken Crown. Believing her to
be an avatar of the One True God, he embarked on a quest to destroy all other fiends
and heretics.
Ashinatos Human war priest Ashinatos, High Inquisitor of Daemoth and Ouleithir of the Eitharmos, is known
to the inhabitants of Arrochule as a fanatical religious judge and crusader. He
commands the Eithalim of that region to hunt, torture, and execute the jharethil
without mercy. Among his many delusions is the belief that Daemoth has chosen
him, and that his exaltation is already assured.
Ashran Firebrand Daemon, 3rd-level Ashran Firebrand venerates Ruethas, the forgemaster and keeper of arcane secrets. As
cleric (arcana domain) a young daemon, he enraged his father by turning down the Dark Herald’s tutelage,
and has spent the rest of his life on the run from both family and demonic powers.
He currently occupies himself by tending his forge, relying on illusions and wards to
keep out of harm’s way, and imagining the day he can take revenge on his father.
Avindar Human necromancer In an attempt to bring his lost love Maldia back from death, Avindar reached
beyond his arcane instruction to terrible results. Maldia’s body and soul were split,
both trapped in the boundary between life and death. Since that day, her body has
pursued him as a soulless revenant by day, and her spirit haunts his dreams by night.
Perhaps by reuniting the two halves and destroying the combined creature, Avindar
and Maldia could be freed from their torment, but such a solution has not occurred
to him. He only knows that she is always chasing him.
Balthazar Thames Human spy A devious merchant with a reputation for fulfilling contracts to the letter of the law,
Balthazar Thames is a master of getting what he wants no matter the cost, and his
clients never seem to receive exactly what they bargained for.
Banga Gugrum gladiator Raised in the pit arenas of Motta, Banga first killed at age six. In time he won
(Spells known: enough in the pit fights to purchase his freedom and rejoin the hunter-sorcerers of
true strike, the Saethym tribe. But his language and manners were foreign to them, and he was
blade ward) soon driven off. Now he wanders the West, belonging to no one and doing what he
has always done best—kill for money.
Bastioth Mimessarch, 5th-level As the ruthless leader of a cult that worships aberrant entities, Bastioth has wormed
cleric (aberration his way into becoming the vizier of Myr Soriah. Seeking to purge the court elite of
domain) those he deems unfit for transcendence, his followers are hidden among influential
families and willing to do almost anything to increase the cult’s standing. With their
weak leadership in the palm of his hand, he expects to earn himself an apotheosis to
the Darkplane itself. Illustrated on page 131.
Betra U-fasod Telmatra commoner Betra U-fasod is an itinerant merchant whose single wagon of wares always seems
to hold exactly what a visitor wants. She sells such items eagerly, and grins at the
wonder on her customers’ faces. According to rumors, patrons maddened by Betra’s
uncanny shop have killed her many times over the years, but she always reappears to
sell her mysterious goods.
Non-Player Characters
to the mortal world. In such an event, Bram believes his knowledge of dark magic
could be used to defend Vinramar.
Caitlyn Human commoner Daughter to King Fergjur’s master mason, Caitlyn is an excitable young girl whose
best friend in the world is her pet bunny Lord Pufheind. She knows most of what
transpires in the city of Jorgund, but is deathly shy with men.
Cinlase Ibrecht Heathfolk enchanter A renowned glassblower and artificer, Cinlase Ibrecht is known for the beauty
of her stained glass, but the most wondrous of her creations are light-projecting
devices. From her curiosity shop in Remmish, she sells emerald swords, lamps that
illuminate hidden aberrations, blunderbusses that produce brilliant purple flashes,
and a dozen other strange gadgets.
Clement Maelstrom Human warlock of the Clement Maelstrom considers himself a seeker of lost knowledge, though that
great old one which he has learned may have best been left hidden. In the service of a mysterious
being that communicates with him through a fallen meteor, he is routinely asked to
perform unsavory acts in exchange for hideous secrets.
Count Meinrad XII Daemon noble As the king’s Minister of Justice, the twelfth Count of Meinrad holds a position of
extraordinary political influence in Trentsmund. He resides primarily in Ordramar,
where his influence all but invisibly commands the affairs of the city. With strict
anonymity, his dealings expand the power of the Etholchan Church and lead him to
research and expeditions that might uncover eldritch mysteries buried by time.
Daemos Magen Daemon, warlock of It’s been years since the Dark Herald visited Daemos Magen as a child and tutored
the fiend him in the dark arts. Working as an assassin in the service of the Infernossos, he
spends the intervals between missions obsessing over old tomes in a tower ruin east
of Arosedium.
The Demise Bereft Mimessarch assassin In the dark alleys of Motta, the urchins whisper about the near-mythical assassin
of Visage they call Sagliero vin Ance, the Demise Bereft of Visage. The few that have
had dealings with this killer are never sure of his or her exact nature, but their
nightmares are seldom free of that loathly, haunting face.
Dusan Milutin Human swashbuckler Once a rakish ne’er-do-well with a penchant for swordplay and an interest in the
occult, Dusan Milutin was the lone survivor of a Syrikhali expedition. He returned a
changed man. Now periodic fits send him into manic ravings of cyclopean temples
in the umbrous jungle recesses, and of the grisly rituals he claims were conducted by
their builders.
Frank Hart Human blackguard Frank Hart was once a Knight of the Thorn serving the goddess Ava. Succumbing
to wrath and forswearing his oath to preserve life, Hart fell from Ava’s grace and
became a broken man. He travels aimlessly through Trentsmund, misguided by poor
judgement and harsh reactions.
Golka Hachiwara Human champion Golka Hachiwara is a famous ronin from Syrikhal. As a young man, he made a name
for himself by killing the corrupt bushi of Jessik. Refusing training, he went into the
shadows and legends of that region. He sometimes appears to cause trouble or spoil
some opportunity for those he opposes, then disappears into the night.
The Harbinger Unknown The Harbinger is the name for a figure often seen in and around the jungles of
Syrikhal. It comes in the form of a child, happy and carefree, but those who tell the
stories ramble incoherently of nightmares, arcane power, and its otherworldly eyes.
Such visitations from this emissary of woe are becoming more common. What they
signify is still anyone’s guess.
Harkin Alberon Human transmuter Harkin Alberon, by some called “the Cure,” is a human alchemist, often seen dressed
in a plague doctor's attire. An adventurer who obsessively seeks a universal cure to all
aliments, Alberon is willing to sacrifice anything in the pursuit of that elusive goal.
I’nehpt Mimessarch mage I’nehpt was a middle-aged man living with his mother, working for (and enrolled
in) a mail-a-date service. When he received a letter from the woman of his dreams,
he took his chances and attended an initiation ceremony for the odd cult where she
worshipped. To his horror, he discovered that the initiation involved summoning
aberrations from the Darkplane, and in his case sprouting tentacles from the mouth.
Upon returning to the mail-a-date establishment, I’nehpt entered the back room in
search of his beloved’s address, where he found only a small army of underpaid imps
writing false love letters for suckers like him. Illustrated on page 14.
Non-Player Characters
that the Nighdenner family was once among the most powerful noble houses in
Trentsmund, but that must have been centuries ago. More than most of his family,
Luke Nighdenner and his wife Becky have a hospitable reputation. Their children
Isabelle, Lily, Nicholas, and cousin Alberto are frequent visitors in Nattleburgh.
Illustrated on page 244.
Nishaa Half-elf sorcerer Cast out as the bastard half-elf child of a noble family, Nishaa spent 12 years as a
(blood magic) slave in an underground pleasure palace for the rich and decadent. Scarred and
broken, she turned to blood magic to exact her revenge and slaughter the overseers.
Cutting out a place for herself in the underworld over the following years, Nishaa
became a powerful information broker in the city of Thrud. While her time in
captivity has left her detached and hedonistic, Nishaa has found a confidant in Vóreia
Asteron, whose child-like innocence chips away at the jaded sorcerer’s guarded
persona and heightens her struggle between corruption and redemption. Illustrated
on page 139.
Nivani Revcallath Jhareth, 8th-level Raised in the libraries of a secluded abbey, Nivani knew from a young age that she was
paladin (oath of different. In the century before she reached adulthood, the priests of Loragg taught her
devotion) theology and medicine from the best books. After leaving the abbey, she was quickly
initiated into the Avan Enclaves. As a Reverant of the Order of the Rose, she leads
missions to liberate slaves and escort them to freedom. Above all, Nivani believes in
mercy and redemption for those whose hearts can be changed. Illustrated below.
Nomedd Human mage The wizard known as Nomedd, a telmatra word for “idiot,” can be found traveling
the coasts of Hazakh in Goltaraim. The locals see him as a raving fool, but there are
those who catch a glimmer of genius in his eyes.
Olivia Penderghast Human, 3rd-level A special investigator for paranormal crimes, Olivia Penderghast comes from a long
rogue (mastermind), line of heroic stalwarts. Over time, the darkness has tainted her and she has become
1st-level paladin more Machiavellian in her pursuits. She believes what she does is for the greater
good, but there are those who are troubled by her inflexible interpretation of justice.
Her black hair is accented by golden eyes, which blaze from staring into the souls of
creatures no mortal should see.
245
Name Stat Block Backstory
The Prince of Pigeons Human, 5th-level Leader of a mysterious collective of beggars and paupers in the city of Forteth, the
psychic (clairsentient) Prince of Pigeons is rumored to have psychic gifts that help him shield his identity
and ensure the compliance of his flock.
Relnor Belasum Human, 3rd-level Relnor Belasum is an agent of the Mozralchic Order, specializing in the tracking and
ranger (hunter), 2nd- apprehension of witches practicing the Black Arcane. Though driven by a sense of
level rogue honour, he has a taste for drink and an eye for women.
Ravennia Carachun Human sorcerer Born to a human concubine within the empire of Perrith Gorr, Ravennia has lived
(vampire bloodline) in fear of her heritage for as long she can remember. When her father Unvoliath left
their ancestral homeland to hide himself among the living, she followed, swearing to
protect the streets from his malice.
The Soul Collector Dark elf archmage His real name unknown, the immensely powerful necromancer known as the Soul
(favored spells: Collector is an imperious dark elf said to have mastered the arts of necromancy
ray of sickness, and evocation. Rumor has it that the Soul Collector has a heroic heart, though
witch bolt, his willingness to commit atrocities in the fight against evil has made him bitter
create undead, enemies on all sides.
finger of death)
Talaman Moon elf swashbuckler Raised in the islands south of Arwest, Talaman shipped out to sea when he was a
young elf. As a privateer, he has sailed the Wolkwine Sea for many generations of
men, building a reputation as a rake and a goldhunter. At times, though, his heart of
gold shines through.
Tiberius Cecil Human veteran Tiberius Cecil is a retired mercenary and current keeper of Ordramar’s shrine to
Baturach. Kind, giving, and just a little eccentric, he’s not afraid to get his hands
dirty to help those in need.
Tobias Orindel Human, 12th-level One of the few humans privileged to live among the heathfolk of Athelshoth, Tobias
psychic (telepath) Orindel is a powerful psychic interested in astronomical phenomena and the hidden
paths of the universe. His research led him and his wife Lyda through many dangers
before eventually causing her imprisonment and death at the hands of the Yáloin. Now
he has forsaken high-minded pursuits and begun a perilous descent into the most
dangerous reaches of the mind and cosmos to enact revenge. Illustrated on page 151.
Tristan Capri Vampire lord The last of a venerable vampire family, Tristan Capri’s encounter with a succubus
resulted in the two creatures sharing minds for a time. Both of them were changed
forever. Dedicating himself to honor and virtue, Tristan became a hunter of his own
kind, eventually succeeding in ending his family once and for all. In the hundreds of
years since, he has become a noble cavalier, traveling the East in search of souls in need.
246
Name Stat Block Backstory
Non-Player Characters
Travis Baxton III Human, 3rd-level As a young man, Travis Baxton was seen throwing himself from Mile Bridge after
cleric (death domain) the murder of his wife. Fifteen years later, he’s back, having been sighted on the
Steamrail in Trentsmund. The rumor goes that Travis was saved from death by
a tribal priest. Living as a hermit in the swamps of Wyrgoth, he converted to the
worship of Baturach, whose cold light commands the living and the dead. Illustrated
on page 246.
Tuoch Fayrth Mimessarch assassin Born in the Darkplane itself to two Senfaerist monks, Tuoch Fayrth was never truly
of this world. His aberrant physiology (tentacles, masses of eyes, and a layer of
silvery mucus o his skin) made him a target for the Yáloin, who soon caught him and
imprisoned his mind. The 20 years Tuoch spent as an assassin under their control were
a phantasmic nightmare of depravity. In time he managed to escape, but what little
sanity remained in him had long ago been deformed by the dreadful things he was
forced to do. He wanders the West, searching for a way to salvage his broken mind.