3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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-PART I-

INTRODUCTION

1•Abbreviations ............................... 5

2•Keys to System Codes ................... 6

3•Keys to Beast Table Entries ........... 6

-PART II-HISTORY

1•The Kulthean Calendar .............. 10

2•About Time ................................. 11

3•A Timeline of History ................. 12

-PART III-PEOPLES

1•Mortal Races ............................... 45

2•Immortal Races ........................... 59

3•Alien Races ................................. 63

4•Extinct Races .............................. 64

PART IV:

CHARACTER CREATION1•Character Concept ..................... 75

2•Initial Choices ............................. 75

3•Stats ............................................. 75

4•Adolescent SkillDevelopment .............................. 75

5•Background Options ................... 76

6•Apprenticeship SkillDevelopment .............................. 76

7•Your Character’s Role ................. 77

8•Final Character Preparation ....... 77

9•Experienceand Advancing Levels ................ 77

PART V:

THE LANDS1•About the Maps .......................... 78

2•Key to the Text ........................... 79

3•Special Features ........................... 83

4•Mulira .......................................... 84

5•Agyra ........................................... 86

6•Thuul ........................................... 88

7•Mythenis ..................................... 92

8•Jaiman ......................................... 91

9•Emer ............................................ 94

10•Iyxia ........................................... 98

11•Falias .......................................... 99

12•Kelestia .................................... 101

13•Gaalt ........................................ 102

14•Govon ..................................... 103

15•Murlis ...................................... 104

16•Palia ......................................... 105

17•Folenn ..................................... 106

18•North Polar Region ................. 106

19•South Polar Region ................. 107

20•The Eastern Hemisphere ........ 108

PART VI:

THE BAY OF IZAR1•About the Maps ....................... 110

2•Key to the Text ........................ 111

3•Geography ................................ 111

4•Settlements .............................. 114

5•Fortifications ............................ 119

6•Sites and Mysteries ................... 120

PART VII:

ESSÆNCE & SPELLS1•Essænce Barriers ....................... 128

2•Foci ........................................... 128

3•Flow-storms .............................. 129

4•Spells & Spell Lists .................. 132

5•Channeling Notes .................... 136

PART VIII:

GODS1•Interpretation ........................... 141

2•Involvement ............................. 141

3•Lords of Orhan ......................... 141

4•Greater Spirits of Orhan .......... 146

5•Nymphs .................................... 148

6•Children of Gods ..................... 149

7•The Dark Gods ........................ 149

8•Dark Spirits .............................. 152

9•Local Gods ............................... 154

PART IX:

GOOD & EVIL, ORDER & CHAOS1•Good and Evil .......................... 156

2•Unlife Origins .......................... 157

3•Manifestations .......................... 157

4•Other “Evil” Forces .................. 157

5•Evil Essænce ............................. 157

6•Order and Chaos ...................... 158

PART X:

Groups OF NOTE1•Powers overview ....................... 160

2•Loremasters .............................. 160

3•Navigators ................................ 163

Table of Contents4•The Jerak Ahrenreth ............... 168

5•Dragonlords .............................. 170

6•Heralds of Night ....................... 171

7•Individuals of Note .................. 172

PART XI:

CREATURES1•Land & Air Arthropods ........... 177

2•Aquatic Beasts .......................... 178

3•Reptiles & Amphibians ........... 179

4•HerbivorousLand Mammals ......................... 180

5•CarnivorousLand Mammals ......................... 181

6•Flying Beasts ............................. 182

7•Dragons .................................... 183

PART XII:

THE UNDEAD1•About the Undead ................... 185

PART XIII:

ARTIFICIAL BEINGS1•Kæden ...................................... 189

2•Sentinels ................................... 190

3•Gogor ....................................... 191

4•Shards ....................................... 191

5•Neng ......................................... 194

6•Elementals ................................ 195

7•Golems ..................................... 197

PART XIV:

DEMONS OF THE ESSENCE1•About Demons ......................... 199

2•Elemental Demons ................... 200

3•Thematic Demons .................... 201

4•Singular Demons ...................... 203

PART XV:

DEMONS OF THE VOID1•The Void: an Overview ............ 205

2•The Planesof the Known Void .................... 206

3•The Outer Planes ..................... 206

4•The Outer Void ........................ 207

PART XVI:

APPENDICES1• Weather & Climate ................ 210

2•Plantlife .................................... 215

3•Special Weapons ...................... 224

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I

CHAPTER I

IIIIINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION

We cleared the summit and it was as Kirin had said: ahead of us laya wide vale, filled with the green of growing things. Sunlight warmedus and shimmered across a long lake ahead.

But scattered across the valley were dark patches that raced acrossthe rolling hills, sliding like ethereal snakes. They were seeminglymerely shadows cast by clouds under the sun, but they gave me a feel-ing of menace, of malignant purpose. Even as I pondered this, one ofthe dark patches rose up the hillside and covered us. The sun wentout, and suddenly the air held a chill. I have never been so afraidbefore or since.

We were in the presence of the Unlife. From the Visions of Andraax Nomikos Library, Jaiman

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Iers on the preeminent land on Kulthea: Emer. TheMaster Atlas provided a basic overview of this con-tinent, but much was left to the imagination. Thisbook delves far deeper.

Haalkitaine – The most powerful city onJaiman, capital of the Rhakhaan Empire,Haalkitaine is an ancient pile of granite broodingon the knees of the Grey Mountains. Within thisnew Citybook you’ll uncover information on theNoble Families, their tower-villas in the city, andthe dark intrigues that plague the Emperor’s Court.

A large full-color map of Haalkitaine is the cen-terpiece, supplemented with a GM version of thecity. There are descriptions of dozens of shops, inns,taverns & armorers, many with NPC details. Thereare also maps of Rhakhaan and Jaiman, laying outthe boundaries of the Duchies, Counties & Bar-onies of the Empire, and the exact locations ofmany Jaimani sites previously unrevealed!

Emer Book II: The Northeast – This is the2nd in a series of sourcebooks to provide in-depthinformation about the cultures, kingdoms and pow-ers on the preeminent land on Kulthea: Emer. TheMaster Atlas provided a basic overview of this con-tinent, but much was left to the imagination, anda few things were not entirely accurate.

ROLEMASTER AND BEYOND

The Shadow World was originally designed forthe Rolemaster system. This book includes statsfor both Rolemaster 2nd Edition and Rolemaster Fan-tasy Role Playing. For statistics and conversions forother game systems, including a d20 version of thestats and characters in this book, see the Iron Crownwebsite at “http://www.ironcrown.com.”

1 • ABBREVIATIONSThe most commonly used abbreviations

are listed here alphabetically according to subcat-egories. Note: All page references are to RM2.

GAME SYSTEMS AND SUPPLEMENTS

AL/CL ............ Arms Law & Claw LawC&T I-III ....... Creatures and Treasures I thru IIIC&M ..............Creatures and MonstersChL/CpL ........ Character Law & Campaign LawRM2 ............... Rolemaster Second EditionRMC I-V ........ Rolemaster Companion volumes I

thru V (etc)RMFRP .......... Rolemaster Fantasy Role PlayingRM................. RolemasterSL ................... Spell LawSM ................. Space Master

It is a world on the brink of chaos.It is a world balanced between Life and

the Unlife.It is a world of power and majesty, of hope

and despair.It is a crossroads between dimensions.It is buffeted by storms and flows of the power-

ful magical source, the Essænce.It is the grave of an ancient civilization of un-

fathomable power.And it has been so for more than ten thousand

years.It is Kulthea. The Shadow World.Welcome to the newest edition of the Shadow

World Master Atlas. In this book, you will find ev-erything you need to know to delve into the richand textured world of Kulthea. Here, ancient pow-ers strive to dominate or protect civilization. Here,strange and powerful beings wander cloaked withspell and science. Here, demons from nearby di-mensions come, hungry and looking for prey. Here,life strives against the Unlife, a force of hunger,consuming all it touches.

Shadow World.Shadow World is a setting vast in scope and tex-

ture. It is a huge world with a long history. It hasan unlimited potential for intrigue and adventure.It is a setting with infinite possibilities.

This book provides a overview of life and deathon Kulthea. In future works, the planet and itscultures will be examined more thoroughly. In thisbook, you will find a general treatment of the landsof the western hemisphere, as well as a fully de-tailed area, the Bay of Izar, ready made for a begin-ning campaign.

Everything you need to run a Shadow World cam-paign is right here, in this book. So sit back, relaxand enjoy. A world of mystery and wonder awaits.

The classic Rolemaster world of Kulthea is backand better than ever, with the long awaited con-version stats for RMFRP and RM2. This newestedition of the Shadow World Master Atlas is com-pletely compatible with all versions of Rolemaster.

SHADOW WORLD PRODUCTS

The Shadow World line consists of the follow-ing books: Shadow World: Master Atlas – The prod-uct you are currently holding. In addition, thereare several books in the Shadow World line thatare yet to be re-released.

Emer Book I: Heastra, the Northwest – Thisis the first in a series of sourcebooks to provide in-depth info about the cultures, kingdoms and pow

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ISM:P .............. Spacemaster: PrivateersCharacter StatsAg ............... AgilityAp ............... AppearanceCo ............... ConstitutionEm .............. EmpathyIg ................. IntelligenceIn ................ IntuitionMe ..............MemoryPr ................ PresenceRe ................ ReasoningSD ............... Self DisciplineSt ................. StrengthWi ...............Will (see RMC I)Game TermsAT ............... Armor Typebp ............... bronze piece(S)cp ................ copper piece(s)Crit ............. Critical strikeD.................Die or DiceD100 ........... Percentile Dice ResultDB ..............Defensive BonusFRP ............. Fantasy Role PlayingGM ............. Gamemastergp ................ gold pieces(s)ip ................ iron piece(s)jp ................. jade piece(s)Lvl ............... Level (exp. or spell lvl)MA .............Martial ArtsMod ............Modifier or ModificationNPC............Non-player CharacterOB .............. Offensive bonusPC ............... Player CharacterPP ............... Power PointsR or Rad ..... RadiusRnd or Rd .. RoundRR............... Resistance RollStat ............. Statistic or Characteristictp ................ tin piece(s)

2 • KEYS TO SYSTEMCODES

The Master Atlas is filled with useful informa-tion about the inhabitants of the Shadow World,but one must be familiar with the coding systemused in the charts and text blocks in order to fullyuse the material.

TASK DIFFICULTYWithin the Shadow World books, the GM will

notice that references to levels of difficulty are of-ten made. This is meant to represent the ease ordifficulty that one encounters in trying to resolvea particular problem. For more information on taskdifficulties, see Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying orRolemaster 2nd Edition.

3 • KEY TO THE BEASTTABLE ENTRIES

Later sections contain descriptions for a vari-ety of creatures and guidelines for handling themduring play. Before attempting to use the statisticsprovided for each creature, the GM should famil-iarize himself with the codes used in the creaturetables and descriptions.

The statistics given in this book describe typi-cal or average creatures. Many statistics for a givencreature (animal or monster) are actually given fora family of related creatures.

Individual species of such a family may besmaller, larger, faster, etc. In some cases, a percent-age chance of special properties (e.g., poison, flight,etc.) is given. This information is provided to aidin play and may not be accurate with respect tothe GM’s specific world system. All statistics shouldbe altered to better fit the GM’s view of his ownworld scheme, if that is necessary.

These stats are of course abstracted to fit intoan FRP environment and to speed play. Additionalcodes provide a GM with guidelines for generat-ing creatures that vary the average in terms of lev-els, hits, bonuses, etc. These additional statisticscan, of course, be ignored if the GM chooses.

These entries assume several different environ-ments of activity for creatures: on land, in thewater, and flying in the air. Some creatures, whichcan operate in several environments, will haveseveral sets of statistics describing their capabili-ties in the various environments. In these cases,the set of statistics for the creature’s primary envi-ronment is given first.

For more information on the statistics in thisbook, see Creatures and Treasures or Creaturesand Monsters.

ROLEMASTER 2ND EDITIONSKILL LISTING

Rolemaster is a skill-based system. Each char-acter and NPC is described not only by his vitalstatistics (such as Strength, Constitution, etc.) but

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Ialso by the skill bonuses that he has earned. Thesevalues usually run between 1-100 (i.e., a percent-age scale), but powerful characters or characterswho have intensely developed a skill may havevalues over 100.

If no skill bonus is given for a character, it indi-cates that he/she has no skill ranks for that skill. Itis entirely possible, however, that the character’sstat, level, and/or profession bonuses would stillgive that character a bonus for that skill. Certainskills are not specifically described in Rolemasterbecause they are seldom used in a normal cam-paign (e.g., administration, crafting, architecture,etc.). These skills are merely used to give an ideaof character skills developed outside of an adven-turing environment.

SKILL TABLEPrimary SkillsAbbr Name Stat Mod(s) Typenone Melee ST/ST/AG hand to hand attacknone Missile AG/AG/ST bows, slings, etc.DB Defensive Bonus QU DB derived fromshields, magic, adrenal def., etcClimb Climbing AG Primary SkillSwim Swimming AG Primary SkillRide Riding EM/AG Primary SkillDTraps Disarm Traps IN/AG Primary SkillPLock Pick Locks IN/RE/AG Primary SkillS&H Stalking&Hiding AG/SD Primary SkillPerc Perception IN/IN/RE Primary SkillRune Read Runes EM/IN Primary SkillS&W Staves&Wands EM/IN Primary SkillChan Channeling IN Primary SkillDSp Directed Spells AG Primary SkillAmb Ambush none Primary SkillLi Linguistics none Primary SkillAMov Adrenal Moves PR/SD Primary Skill,

5 kindsADef Adrenal Defense none Primary SkillMAst Martial Arts Strikes ST/ST/AG Primary

SkillMAsw M.A. Sweeps&Thr. AG/AG/ST Primary

SkillBDev Body Development CO Primary SkillSecondary SkillsAbbr Name Stat Mod(s) TypeAcro Acrobatics AG/QU Secondary SkillAct Acting PR/EM Secondary SkillAdmin Administration RE/PR Develop as Medi-

tation

AnimH Animal Healing EM/RE Secondary SkillAnimT Animal Training EM/PR Develop as

HerdingAppr Appraisal RE/ME Develop as MusicArch Architecture RE/EM Dvlp as MathematicsAthG Athletic Games ST/AG/QU As Acro.

(Fghtrs at 1/4)Cave Caving SD/RE Secondary SkillChem Chemistry RE/ME Develop as CookeryCont Contortions AG/SD Secondary SkillCook Cookery IN/RE Secondary SkillCraf Crafting AG/SD Develop as FletchingDance Dance AG/IN Secondary SkillDipl Diplomacy RE/EM Develop as FalsificationDiv Diving SD/AG Secondary SkillFals Falsification SD/RE Secondary SkillFAid First Aid SD/EM Secondary SkillFlet Fletching AG/SD Secondary SkillFor Foraging IN/ME Secondary SkillFren Frenzy EM/SD Secondary SkillGamb Gambling ME/PR Secondary SkillHerd Herding EM/PR Secondary SkillLead Leadership PR/RE As Acting (Fighters 1/3)LWork Leather Working AG/RE Secondary SkillMath Mathematics RE/ME Secondary SkillMed Meditation PR/SD Secondary SkillMus Music AG/EM Secondary SkillNav Navigation RE/IN Secondary SkillPSp Public Speaking EM/PR Secondary SkillRMas Rope Mastery ME/AG Secondary SkillRow Rowing SD/St Secondary SkillSail Sailing EM/IN Secondary SkillSed Seduction EM/PR Secondary SkillSig Signaling ME/SD Secondary SkillSing Singing PR/IN Secondary SkillSki Skiing AG/SD Secondary SkillSmith Smithing ST/AG Secondary SkillSpMas Spell Mastery varies Secondary SkillStar Stargazing IN/ME Secondary SkillStone Stonecarving SD/AG Secondary SkillS&T Strategy&Tactics IN/RE As Frenzy (Fight-

ers 1/3)Subd Subduing AG/QU Secondary SkillTrack Tracking IN/RE Secondary SkillTrad Trading RE/EM Secondary SkillTrapB Trap-building RE/EM Secondary SkillTrick Trickery PR/QU Secondary Skill

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ITumb Tumbling AG/SD Secondary SkillWea Weather Watching IN/EM Secondary SkillWood Woodcarving AG/EM Secondary Skill

NOTE: Costs for “Primary Skills” are given inSection 3.0 of Ch&CaL; and costs for “SecondarySkills” are given in Section 14.14 of Ch&CaL.

ROLEMASTER FANTASYROLEPLAYING AND

SPACEMASTER: PRIVATEERSSKILLS

RMFRP and Spacemaster: Privateers are the new-est editions of the Rolemaster and theSpacemaster lines. They use a category based skillsystem. Where the abbreviation matches thoseabove, they are referring to the same skill. For cat-egories and new skills or skills with different names,see below.

Listed for each character there is a total bo-nus for all the categories, so that a GM can ex-trapolate untrained skills. In parenthesis aftereach category are listed any skills which havebeen developed.

CATEGORIES

ArmH .................Armour: HeavyArmL ..................Armour: LightArmM .................Armour: MediumArtA ...................Artistic: ActiveArtP ....................Artistic: PassiveAthB ...................Athletics: BrawnAthE ...................Athletics: EnduranceAthG ..................Athletics: GymnasticsAwarP .................Awareness: PerceptionAwarSch .............Awareness: SearchingAwarSen .............Awareness: SensesComman .............Combat ManeuversComm .................CommunicationsCra ......................CraftsDS .......................Directed SpellsIn ......................... InfluenceLorA ...................Lore: AcademicLorG ...................Lore: GeneralLorM ...................Lore: MagicalLorO ...................Lore: ObscureLorT ....................Lore: TechnicalMASt ..................Martial Arts: StrikingMASw.................Martial Arts: Sweeps

OutA...................Outdoor: AnimalOutE ...................Outdoor: EnvironmentalPowA ..................Power AwarenessPowM ..................Power ManipulationsSciAB .................Science/Analytic: BasicSciAE ..................Science/Analytic: EngineeringSciAM ................Science/Analytic: MedicalSciAS ..................Science/Analytic: SpecialSciAT ..................Science/Analytic: TechnicalSCon ...................Self ControlSitComb .............Situational Awareness: CombatSpecA .................Special AttacksSpecD .................Special DefensesSubA ...................Subterfuge: AttackSubM ..................Subterfuge: MechanicsSubS ....................Subterfuge: StealthTechGen .............Technical/Trade: GeneralTechGun .............Technical/Trade: GunneryTechP ..................Technical/Trade: ProfessionTechVeh..............Technical/Trade: VehiclesTechVoc ..............Technical/Trade: VocationalUrb ......................UrbanWeap1HK ...........Weapon: 1-H KrushWeap1HEd .........Weapon: 1-H EdgedWeap1HEn .........Weapon: 1-H EnergyWeap1HF ............Weapon: 1-H FrearmsWeap1HM ..........Weapon: 1-H MeleeWeap2H ..............Weapon: 2-Handed (melee)Weap2HE ...........Weapon: 2-Handed EnergyWeap2HF ............Weapon: 2-Handed FirearmsWeapM ...............Weapon: MissileWeapMA ............Weapon: Missile ArtilleryWeapPA ..............Weapon: Pole ArmsWeapS.................Weapon: SupportWeapT ................Weapon: ThrownSkillsAlert ...................AlertnessABal ....................Adrenal BalanceACon ..................Adrenal ConcentrationAdm ....................AdministrationALand .................Adrenal LandingALeap .................Adrenal LeapingAQuick ...............Adrenal Quick DrawArtL ....................Artifact LoreASpeed ...............Adrenal SpeedAStab ..................Adreanal StabilizationAStr ....................Adrenal Strength

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IAttune ................AttunementBio .......................BiochemistryBMath .................Basic MathBox ......................BoxingChemEI ...............Chemical Engineering: IndustrialChemEM ............Chemical Engineering: MedicalCirL .....................Circle LoreCount ..................CounterfeitingCultL ...................Culture LoreDetTrp .................Detect TrapsDeviL ..................Demon/Devil LoreFauna .................. Fauna LoreFlora .................... Flora LoreGlyph ..................Glyph LoreHardL ..................Hard LeatherHerald .................HeraldryHerbL ..................Herb LoreHide ....................HidingHist .....................HistoryLPistol .................Laser PistolLieP .....................Lie Perception

LockL ..................Lock LoreMetaL .................Metal LoreMilitOrg ..............Military OrganizationMount .................Mounted CombatObserve ...............ObservationOrient .................OrienteeringPlay .....................Play InstrumentPowerS ................Power SwordRegL ....................Region LoreReverse ...............Reverse StrokeSenAmb ..............Sense AmbushSilent ..................Silent AttackSnipe ...................SnipingSoftL ...................Soft LeatherStalk ....................StalkingSurv .....................SurvivalTact .....................TacticsTradL...................Trading LoreUndead ...............Undead LoreWrestle ................Wrestling

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II

CHAPTER II

HHHHHISTORYISTORYISTORYISTORYISTORY & C & C & C & C & CIVILIZATIONIVILIZATIONIVILIZATIONIVILIZATIONIVILIZATION

NNNNNOTESOTESOTESOTESOTES

1•THE KULTHEAN CALENDARThis reckoning was developed by the Loremasters, and is used—with

variations based on location—by the Navigators and most cultures on Emerand Jaiman.

SEASONSKulthea—like any planet with an axial tilt and regular, elliptical or-

bit—has four celestial “seasons.” Their formal beginnings and endings arelargely ignored however (except by astronomers, and for a few holidays) infavor of the much more obvious pentennial phases of the great moon Orhan.

There are four landmark dates in the seasonal year of Kulthea, two Sol-stices and two Equinoxes:

Solstice: When the sun appears to be farthest from the planetary equa-tor. There is a “Summer” and a “Winter” Solstice, the latter signifying thefirst day of the calendar year to many Kulthean cultures.

Equinox: When the sun passes the planet’s equator. The vernal occurswhen the sun appears to pass from the south to the north; the autumnalwhen it appears to move north-south.

MONTHSRather than follow the above pattern, most cultures have adopted “sea-

sons” which mirror the five months of the Great Moon, each seventy dayslong. For the northern hemisphere they are listed as follows, beginningwith the winter solstice, when Orhan is new. In the southern hemispheretemperatures are reversed because of the planet’s axial tilt.

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IIWinter: Cool, becoming the period of deepest

cold by midmonth.Spring: Weather grows warmer; planting season.Summer: Warmer weather still, yet (relatively)

pleasant.Autumn: Hottest weather. and then cooling.Fall: Temperatures drop; harvest; preparations

made for Winter.This varies from culture to culture of course,

depending on climate, hemisphere, and socialorientations. (The southern hemisphere, for in-stance, goes in reverse.) The names given hereare conventions.

However, Orhan begins each month anew,waxes to full on the 35th, and wanes again to-ward the end of the month.

WEEKSThere is a shorter period marked by many

Kulthean cultures, the ten-day span which is de-lineated by the phases of Varin, the SecondMoon. Unlike Orhan (which sometimes loomshuge in the sky, many times larger than the sun),Varin only shows a small disk. It is rather bright,however, and can be seen on even sunny days.

However, since seventy days is a rather cum-bersome length of time to keep track of, mostpeople think in terms of ten-day weeks. Follow-ing are the names of the days as declared byLoremasters, and their Erlin (common Elvish)translation:DAYS OF THE WEEK:

Erlin Name Translation SignificanceOrhayen Moon-day Varin is fullBuryen Fire-dayUsivyen Water-dayMelyen Earth-dayOrdyen Air-day Holy DayMaryen Dark-day Varin is new;

Bad luckKyayen Star-dayKindagyen Cloud-day Bad luckAryen Sun-dayPurlyen Wind-day Holy DayThe day when Varin is full is considered the first

day of the week, and is market day in most towns.Note: Unlike a modern Terran industrialized week,

in medieval societies there is no “work week” and “week-end,” everyone works every day. Religious services areheld early in the morning or in the evening. Because ofthis, holidays are even more significant.

LOREMASTER RECKONINGAlways more interested in the bigger picture,

the Loremasters ignore Varin for official record-keeping purposes, using Orhan exclusively to di-vide the Kulthean year. Dates are recorded as “TE5090, Orhan 4, day 45” for example. This meansthe 45th day (of 70) of the fourth month (other-wise known as Autumn in the northern hemi-sphere) in the year 5090 of the Third Era. It mightbe even more briefly recorded as 5090•4•45. TheScribes of Nomikos and all the Navigator Guildsalso use this simple, effective calendar system.

2•ABOUT TIMEThe Kulthean day is divided into twenty-five

hours: five Quintars each in turn subdivided intofive Hours. Five being a number with powerful re-ligious connotations: five moons, five months ayear of Orhan, five fingers on each hand of the“younger races” (i.e., not the Althans). The world(as observed by the Elves and many mannish cul-tures) is divided into five realms (fire, water, earth,air, essænce), each in turn is subdivided into twoaspects; usually dualistic in nature (e.g., night/day,male/female, mind/body) for each Lord of Orhan.

Large clocks (such as those in city towers) chimeto signal the hours in long and short rings—or twodifferently-pitched tones—the Quintars rung first.The five Quintars have names that are the usualreference rather than a number. They are: Morn-ing, Midday, Evening, Night, and Predawn. MostKulthean clocks are set by the Vernal Equinox:the first hour of the first Quintar begins as the firstrays of the sun lift over the horizon; for interimcorrection they are adjusted to match a sundial!

Certain scientists—such as Astrologers—havespecial precision-made (and often magical) chro-nometers for very accurate timekeeping, requiredfor star-study.

For ages the only method of keeping time, sun-dials are reasonably accurate and simple to con-struct. Aligning them correctly is sometimes amatter of trial and error; ironically using the stars,as magnetic north on Kulthea is an ephemeral con-cept. There are several designs for sundials. Table-top models can be flat with an upstanding blade,or the more sophisticated spherical model. Thereare also larger, more elaborate sundials that oftenexist in conjunction with observatories: rings ofstones carefully aligned to match lunar movementsand sunrises at particular days of the years (sol-stices and equinoxes).

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IIClocks fall into one of two categories: the first in-

vented (and most “common”) are those with onehand moving across a circular or pentagonal face di-vided into the five quintars—or even subdivided intoa total of twenty-five parts to mark the hours. Othersare broken into five parts, with a slow hand designat-ing quintars of the Kulthean day; a secondary handpasses through the same five parts of the round clockface to designate the hours.

3•A TIMELINEOF HISTORY

This timeline is not intended to be a complete orcomprehensive one of all important activities in theworld, but an overview. While it incorporates majorevents from previous timelines, relatively minor orlocalized events have been deleted or abbreviatedunless they have significance in a larger picture. Thisis done partly for the sake of brevity.

Secret or covert activities are included [in brack-ets]; these are events and actions that the PCs couldnot be aware of without special means such as avision or access to secret texts. Events during theshadowy First Era of Ire and the Interregnum arealso essentially unknown and are included mainlyfor the GM’s reference.

THE FIRST ERAc.-80,000 FE (Approximately 200,000 years be-

fore the present time.) [A group of inter-dimen-sional travelers (later to become known as theLords of Orhan) arrive through a rift betweenthis and another space-time. Their transit hasunexpected destructive side-effects, however,and in order to prevent the collapse of both di-mensions, they are forced to close the rift fromthis side, trapping themselves here. The inter-phase is not sealed completely, in effect allow-ing energies from the other dimension to seepthrough. This is the Essænce.Requiring a physical anchor for their primarilynon-corporeal spirits, they make their home onthe barren moon Orhan. Utilizing powers be-yond even the Althans at the peak of their skill,they cloak the moon in a barrier that causes allto look upon it to believe that it is unapproach-able and inviolate.]

c.-30,000: Dawn of the Althan civilization.c.-16,000: First appearance of the mighty comet

Sa’kain in the Kulthean solar system. This awe-inspiring visitor unfortunately disrupts the sealplaced by the Lords of Orhan to hold closedthe inter-dimensional rift. The fabric of spaceis weakened, but the patch holds.

c.-15,000: Discovery of the Essænce by theAlthan scientists of Kulthea. (Inhabitants wereaware of unexplainable energies since the dawnof their civilization, but were previously unableto analyze their nature or tap their power.) Ge-netic manipulation enhances latent abilities tocontrol the force. Members of the K’ta’viiri clanshow particular affinity. The Althans soon dis-cover that the Essænce is unique to theKulthean system, and certain native materialsare shown to retain, augment, or resist theEssænce. These materials are scattered acrossthe globe, but in the western hemisphere theyare most prevalent around the Pillar of the Gods(in the east they are more scattered, but thegreatest concentration is, of course, near thepenetration crater). The other deposits are lay-ered in such a way as to suggest that they settledon the earth after a single violent event, suchas a catastrophic comet or meteor impact.Bizarre, violent creatures from other dimensionsappear periodically on Kulthea, but are littlemore than a nuisance to the powerful Althans.The monsters are usually captured and studied.

c.-15,000 – -10,000: Althan civilization beginsto evolve a unique combination of technologyand “magic” (the Essænce power). This includesthe ability to create “Portals” which allow in-stantaneous transport to other worlds, and—using what they have learned from naturalinterdimensional rifts—to parallel realities (i.e.,the Pales).

c.-14,500: First reappearance of the cometSa’kain. The perihelion of its elliptical orbit oc-curs roughly every 1500 years, though the prox-imity to Kulthea varies dramatically with eachpass: sometimes it appears brighter than Orhanin the night sky, and sometimes it is all but in-visible to the unaided eye. Its presence coin-cides with violent Flow-storms and serious dis-ruption of the interdimensional barriers.

c.-14,000 – -10,000: Led by the K’ta’viir family,the Althan race conquers nearly a quarter ofthe galaxy. They rule a sprawling interstellar em-pire, maintaining control by virtue of their su-perior Psionic powers (which are independentof Kulthea) and their mighty star-fleets. Theirdynasty survives for millennia.

c.-10,000 – -6000: The K’ta’viiri begin experi-menting with cosmic forces to open gates inother regions of space; their hope is to tap theEssænce elsewhere. While their efforts to ac-cess more power are unsuccessful, they do mas-ter the ability to move between parallel uni-verses (which they refer to as the Pales, a termof course implying that all other dimensions are

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IIinferior to their own). Many peoples and crea-tures from other planets and Pales are broughtto Kulthea for scientific experimentation. Mas-ters of genetics, the Lords of Essænce alterplants, animals, and races to suit their whim.The supreme arrogance and amorality of theseprojects is irrelevant to them: they are Altha.

c.-2000 – -250: The Empire becomes increasinglycorrupt and sadistic, showing little respect forlife or the continuity of galactic stability. Worldsare destroyed and entire races put to death withthe wave of the Emperor’s hand.

c.-510: The depraved line of the K’ta’viiri culmi-nates in the ascension of the Empress Kadæna inc. -510. She supervises the creation of an artifactof surpassing power: the Shadowstone, a huge ada-mantine gem set in a barbaric torque of star-iron.Its creation is fueled by the stolen souls of bil-lions, the fire of six-times-six stars, and the bloodof Kadæna’s own infant daughter.

c.-250 – 0: Rebellion against the K’ta’viiri begins,instigated by the Lord Utha. He is Kadæna’scousin and so also a K’ta’viir—captain of theelite order of philosopher-warriors known as theDuskwalkers—but one who has turned againstthe terrible hubris of his family.Political, technological and Psionic powers areused in a sweeping attempt to overthrow the Em-press and her allies. But Utha, knowing that a spe-cial weapon will be needed to destroy Kadæna,sends the Duskwalkers on their final quest.[The Lords of Orhan (who through all of thishave managed to keep their existence a secretfrom the Althans) fear the complete destruc-tion of life on the Shadow World. They rescuerepresentatives of flora and fauna from Kultheaand bring them to Orhan.]As the Lords fear, large areas of Kulthea are laidwaste as the K’ta’viiri tap channels of raw Essæncein their efforts to destroy each other. The back-lash from this power tears open the barriers be-tween the Pales. Creatures and demons are freeto rampage across Kulthea and beyond.

c.0: From the farthest Pales, the Duskwalkers re-turn with a weapon forged out of space and time.The Soulsword is a barbaric tool; it is somehowfitting that it alone is immune to the unimag-inable powers of the Shadowstone.The final battle between the forces of Utha andKadæna takes place on the Althan homeworld.The Empress taps incredible energies throughthe Shadowstone, but to no avail. Wielding theSoulsword and wading through a river of bloodand lava, Utha himself beheads the Empress.

Her body—along with the foul artifact—tumbles into a fiery abyss.The rebellion is successful in that it has broughtdown the tyrannical empire, but the result wipesout the Althan civilization almost to a man anddestroys almost all life on the planet. TheShadow World is a wasteland.Utha gathers the few surviving Duskwalkers.They combine their powers to create the Eyesof Utha to guard the planet, and place them inshrines located at the north and south axialpoles. That done, they construct a bunker deepbeneath the earth and select a few to become asecret order with the intention of maintaininga vigil: if any of the minions of Kadæna havesurvived, a watch must be kept so that thoseevil forces can be destroyed. They must ensurethe safety of the Eyes of Utha and, secondarily,to continue to close the errant Portals (or called“Shadowgates,” though they have no connec-tion to the Shadowstone). These Portals,though severely inhibited by the Eyes of Utha,still allow demonic beings limited access toKulthea. This secret cabal is led by none otherthan Utha’s son Dænkú. It is made up of eightsurviving Duskwalkers and calls itself theAhrenreth (Ir. “Secret Circle”). Relying on so-phisticated machines to alert them, they placethemselves in chronagenic hibernation (time-di-lation suspension).]

INTERREGNUMThis period lasts approximately 100,000 years.

For many millennia the broken earth is unable tosupport more than the simplest life: things thatsurvived in the depths of the ocean or far under-ground. Some things sleep within the polar ice ortrapped in magma lakes.

The Dænkú Ahrenreth is also active for many thou-sands of years, awakened periodically by the vigilantmachines to counter evil. But one by one, these im-mortal men and women fall victim to various disas-ters. Three are believed killed in combat with servantsof the Agoth. Two are slain by the backlash of closingPortals, and two others perish destroying a cult of hid-den Essænce Lord survivors. Twenty thousand yearsafter the fall of the K’ta’viir empire, only Dænkú him-self remains. (What even Dænkú does not know isthat one of his order—Ondoval—was not killed butcaught in a warp of time. Far more horribly, anotherof the Order was captured by the Agothu and takeninto the Void. By some unspeakable method, the fe-male K’ta’viir was impregnated and bore a child. Itconsumed the mind and body of its mother and soughta way to return to Kulthea. It would eventually

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IIemerge, assume a fair form, and take the nameSchrek.) Dænkú sleeps again, and does not awakenfor eighty thousand years.c.-100,000 – -90,000: The Lords of Orhan send

their servants, the Fey Folk (Nymphs andSylphs, Naiads, Dryads, and Oceanids) toKulthea to begin nurturing fragile life back fromthe edge of oblivion. Next, the lords return thesentient peoples to Kulthea: Elves, Mortal Men,and certain exotic races: Hírazi, Centaurs, Faunsand Mermen.

c.-70,000 – -50,000: Period of a group known onlyas the Earthwardens. They are credited with thecreation of the Coral Roads, but little else is knownof them. Some believe that they were survivingDuskwalkers attempting to repair the destruction,which their race had wrought, but this seems un-likely (more on the Earthwardens will be revealedin the Powers of Light and Dark book).The Earthwardens create the shrine of LonLemira on Vog Mur, the castle at Dawnwater’sEdge in NW Jaiman, and several other struc-tures, all using the super-hard stone Cavarite andtheir distinctive interlocking stone design.

c.-40,000 – -20,000: Elven realms arise in sev-eral regions. There is a great Dyari empire inThuul, a Loari kingdom in Palia and Folenn anda Linæri republic in Agyra.

c.-40,000 – -20,000: Span of the Jinteni civiliza-tion. Expanding from SW Emer, at one timethey ruled much of that continent, along withFalias and Govon. They are believed to haveco-existed peacefully (for the most part) withthe Elves, though toward the end of the periodthey fought against the Dyari of Thuul.

c.-30,000 – -20,000: The Wôrim empire, cen-tered in Gaalt, is founded and expands rapidlyand is soon at odds with the Jinteni and Elvenpopulations.

c.-22,000: A space-colony ship crash lands on theisland-continent of Tarania in the Lonely Sea;another crashes in NE Emer in what is to be-come the Forest of Ash. The one in Tarania faresbetter, however, and the colonists (ancestors ofthe Aldari) establish a home. Over the next twomillennia they spread over the continent estab-lish several colonies on other islands, all linkedby an elaborate underground subshuttle system.They remain apart from the indigenous cultures,deciding that they should not interfere withtheir natural development. (They also avoid airand surface travel because the Flow-stormswreak havoc with their technology.)

c.-22,000 – -20,000: The climate deteriorates,and there are frequent droughts, floods, and oth-erwise erratic weather. The mortal populationsare devastated by plagues. Warfare breaks outas the various governments desperately seek newfertile lands.

c.-20,000: Kulthea is rocked by terrible earth-quakes and Flow-storms (some believe that theyare caused by a catastrophe involving Taraniantechnology; others think they are natural orEssænce related). Volcanoes erupt around theglobe. Tarania sinks beneath the sea and all theother major powers are brought down as mostintelligent life on the planet is wiped out.

c.-100: [Dænkú awakens. He wanders the westand finds that the world has blossomed. Raceshave multiplied, and ancient wounds havehealed. He suspects intervention, but is as yetunable to pierce the magical veils shrouding theLords of Orhan. Dænkú assumes the guise of anElven sage and begins to gather other wise Elvestogether. He takes the name Andraax.]

THE SECOND ERA OF IRE1 SEI: The College of Loremasters is established

by Kirin T’thaan, Ilmaris Terisonen, and Andraax.[All three are supposedly Iylar Elves, thoughAndraax is actually the awakened K’ta’viir Lordof Essænce Dænkú in disguise]. The College itselfis based on the isle of Karilôn, the location of whichis a well-kept secret. (It is in the Barren Ocean,just south and west of the Shinh archipelago.)

The purpose of the Loremasters is twofold: firstto serve as an instrument for gathering knowl-edge; and second to disseminate this information“for the advancement of civilization.” One oftheir first actions is to establish an accurate andreliable calendar, thus the beginning of the Sec-ond Era. This also marks the beginning of reli-able written history.c.300–471: Palia: Consolidation of much of Ran Tairi

by the Loar Elven Lord Jayled Kodorian. He nameshis domain the Empire of a Thousand Dawns.

450: First Loremaster-recorded appearance of thecomet Sa’kain: it hangs in the Kulthean sky forweeks, the angry red-orange tail by far thebrightest light in the night sky. (The comet re-turns about every 1500 years.)This close pass by the comet disrupts the func-tion of the Eyes of Utha, causing an unbalancein the Flows. Also, the moon Charón passesthrough Sa’kain’s tail. Soon after this event theDark Gods—cruel counterparts of the Lords ofOrhan—begin to appear. Unlike the Lords,these entities revel in manipulating the peoples

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IIof Kulthea for their amusement…and theiramusement includes human sacrifice, perverserituals, and bloody warfare.To counter these new deities, the Lords ofOrhan create manifestations—Avatars—ofthemselves and appear in these forms on theShadow World. They present themselves as gods,and they allow their powers to be channeledfor generally benevolent purposes. They alsoallow their demigod spirits to travel to Kultheaand intervene directly in world affairs.The origin of the Dark Gods remains unclear,shrouded in the superstition and myth of a timelong ago. Some Loremasters suspect they are ac-tually former Lords of Orhan who turned fromthe benign ways of their brethren. Others holdthat they are escapees from some inter-dimen-sional prison, or even the result of experimentsby the Althans to create non-corporeal life.

500: [The Loremasters call the first Council ofKarilôn, a gathering of seven leaders, to addressa variety of issues. Joining Kirin T’thaan, theLoar Bard Ilmaris Terisonen, and Andraax areTanris Dekdarion, (a Loar Warrior Monk), TheLinær Cleric Yael Zirivkari, and the Loar Astrolo-ger Romenor Tartalus.]

c.800: Emer: Six powerful Spirits of Orhan, nowtied to Kulthea and residing on the mountain-ous isle of Votania in the heart of Emer, decidethat the continent needs order. As the Titans,they begin to gather servants. [The Loremasterstake note but do not interfere; the Lords ofOrhan are similarly reluctant to interfere.]

1000: [Andraax re-establishes the DænkuAhrenreth, dedicated to maintaining the bal-ance. As a lord of Essence and “son” of Utha,he is one of the few who even partially under-stands the real purpose of the Eyes of Utha:Kulthea hangs on the threshold between uni-verses—a wild, chaotic one where magic rules(worlds like the demon-inhabited Pales); andthe one where only physical laws apply. TheEyes hold the world in the open doorway, al-lowing Essence to work while maintaining theworld in this universe. This also keepsKulthea—and particularly the East—almost in-accessible by normal means. This is necessarybecause Utha knew that all the K’ta’viiri hadnot been wiped out. Some remained hidden insecret vaults, mostly in the east. They must beprevented from awakening and subjugating thegalaxy once again. The Eyes are a shield… anda prison.Should the Eyes be destroyed, the world willshift one way or the other. Either all magic willfail, freeing the evil Essænce Lords, or Kulthea

will enter a universe where Flow-storms are con-tinuous and the chaotic demons rule. Or per-haps it will be destroyed utterly.The comet Sa’kain complicates things, as it toois apparently from another universe and pos-sesses arcane properties; its visitations seem toweaken the barriers between the universes.]

C.1000–2000• The Dark Gods—in many guises and forms—

continue to gain followers.• Kelestia: Most of the central plains are

sparsely settled by semi-nomadic horse tribes ofY’nari. North lies Samli and the Rings of Ice, do-main of the Umli. A C-shaped subcontinent tothe south, known as Gethanen, is the domain ofnumerous quarreling warlords. The south-west-ern isles of Verya and Orbis are home to isolatedJiner and Shay fisherfolk.

• NW Palia: Led by Queen Nor, Erlin Elvessettle in the great Silver Forest, protected by theNereid Nimira and many Dryads.c.1000: Emer: Warrior-mages on enchanted steeds

drive the Gark and Lugrôki hordes out ofHæstra. These knights herald the coming of theMasters of Emer.

1073: The Titans on Votania, calling themselvesthe Masters of Emer, claim all of Hæstra as theirdominion.

1230: All of Emer is in the hands of the Masters.Each rules a region as all-powerful lord. An eraof peace and prosperity for the entire continentensues, lasting nearly two millennia.

c.1600: First records of a permanent structure onthe site of Haalkitaine: a small keep built by a“Lord Halek.”

1950: The infamous comet Sa’kain returns, evok-ing massive Flow-storms and random Portalopenings.

C.2000 – 3000• First manifest appearance of servants of the

Unlife. The Unlife is a dark power—a force for to-tal destruction and death—originating in anotheruniverse, perhaps the “negative” of this one. Un-like the Dark Gods, the inhabitants of the Pales,and even the Void (whose actions and purposeseem unfathomable), the Unlife is a single powerwith many servants and incarnations, all bent onannihilation. Dark cults bent on destruction—fol-lowers of the Unlife—begin to appear.

• Kelestia/Gaalt (Northern Regions): An evilpresence known as the Master of Malice (an escapedEssænce Lord) wars against the proud Umli people.The Master’s armies of Pale Men seem numberlessto the scarce Umli.

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II2507: Emer: The Changramai Monastery is

founded in the Choak mountains by theLoremaster Tanris Dekdarion, grandfather of thefamous T’vaar Dekdarion. This quasi-religiousorder seems filled with contradictions to out-siders, but they are soon renowned as unsur-passed warriors in unarmed combat.

2530: Jaiman: Andraax establishes the Library ofNomikos on the isle of Ormian in southernJaiman. It is administered by a monastic orderof sages and scribes.

C.3000 – 4000• Emer: A group of Loar Elves, political refu-

gees from the Empire of a Thousand Dawns, sailwest from Palia. They are swept through the Shal-low Ocean and past Iyxia. Upon entering the Cir-cular Sea, they reach a cluster of lush islands, in-habited only by a few scattered clans of Erlini. TheLoari settle here, naming it Námar-Tol (Iy. “ver-dant-towers”).

• Kelestia: Y’nar horse-tribes are pressured byincursions of the fearsome Umli from the north,now under the shadow of the Master of Malice.The more peaceful clans embark on a treacherousmigration west to avoid the bloodshed while oth-ers try to stand against the Master’s general, theFrost King, and his legions of pale-skinned warriors.Some settle on Orbis and Verya, a few continueon to Silaar. Many are lost in the treacherous seas.[A small group of Y’nar is led by Jaysek through aCoral Road to Silaar just before the southern main-land is overrun.]

• Palia: The mighty High Elven Empire of theThousand Dawns and the Erlin of the Silver For-est are at war with dark powers.

• From his holy citadel in Shæsra Talæl (in east-ern Iyxia), The Lord of Light (an avatar of Phaon)sends Elven knights to establish watches on far-flung isles. The Loar noble Dulucaborn and hisknights sail to Vog Mur. They were known as theOne Hundred and One, and their vigilance is peace-ful if uneasy until the Wars of Dominion.3100: The first stirrings of discord among the Mas-

ters of Emer.c.3200 – 3350: Emer: Goblins resume raids into

northern Uj from Morbek and the ForbiddenRidge; Garks multiply in the Rulaash Forest ofOnar and threaten the Kuluku; Lugrôki breedin black lairs beneath the Spine of Emer andwreak havoc in the lowlands of Hæstra.

3300: While investigating Jinteni ruins in Iyxia,the Loar explorer Sæzur Vranuk finds a secretunderground chamber containing many won-ders. Among them is a cache of magical devices,

which allow the user to tap the Essænce Flowsfor safe teleportation. He names these Com-passes and hits upon the idea of a fraternity ofguides using these artifacts. Thus is soonfounded the first guild of Navigators, a groupwhich offers guaranteed safe travel as a serviceto anyone who can afford their fee.

c.3300 – 3700: Competing “Navigator” groupsproliferate as additional hoards of these com-passes are found, all of different design but simi-lar purpose. At first there is competition be-tween the Guilds, uneven service, and low fees.These “Navigators’’ can only be found and hiredat large cities.

3345: Emer: Forces of the dark god Andaras at-tack Uj via land and sea.

3450: The comet Sa’kain returns.c.3450 – 5000: Emer continues to be assailed by

incursions from various enemies and by thegrowing threat of Goblins, Lugrôki and Trogli.Dragons and other terrible enchanted beasts areeverywhere, wreaking havoc and destruction.The plans of the Masters of Emer eventuallycome to nothing.

3451: Birth of Tethior the Smith in Námar-Tol, sonof the noble house of Jeranian.

3453: Birth of Krelij (later known as “TheSwordmaker”), Tethior’s younger brother—andeventually his rival. Over their lifetimes theyboth will create a number of powerful tools andweapons to aid in the fight against the Unlife.

c.3500: [The six mightiest of the Great Drakes(more than dragons, they are lordly beings ofthe Essænce), gather at the ancient breedingcaves at Ssoiayig Saer (K: “Caves of the DrakesBirthplace”). They agree to form an alliance ofsorts.]

c.3500 – 3700: Emer: The indigenous Jaaderi cul-tures of Silaar begin to evolve from a nomadicpeople into more settled mixed economies.Towns grow, and chief among them is the tradecenter of Thanor along the northern coast.

c.3600: [The White Dragon Oran Jatar ap-proaches Krelij and secures his assistance in cre-ating the Dragon Helms. There are to be Six,the number of the Dragonlords, designed toenhance the powers of the lords while they arein human form. In return Krelij learns much ofthe arcane arts of alchemy—including the work-ing of laen and Eog.]

c.3700 – 4200: Emer: Thanorian lords soon domi-nate nearby city-states, and by 4000 Thanorholds sway over all of inland Silaar, with satel-lite states in southern Tai-Emer and much ofthe western Sea of Tears coast.

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II3710 – 3730: Convinced by the legendary Navi-

gator Orbaal jen Zamain that the Navigatorscannot survive in their present state, a summitis convened among leaders of all the Guilds.After years of negotiation, the Navigator GuildAlliance is formed. Pricing is rigidly fixed, andthe Guild Alliance sets up an extensive net-work of obelisk markers, allowing anyone to“summon” a Navigator just by touching theobelisk and requesting one. The Navigatorsmake their home at the center of the Essænce-saturated land known as Iyxia. Annual Con-claves are held at their headquarters there, asprawling citadel called Nexus. Note: Erroneousaccounts give the origin of the Navigator Allianceas late as TE c 5000.

3744: [The Dragon Helms are completed, and theSix gather. What they do not know is thatKrelij, using the knowledge gleaned from OranJatar, has also made six rings. These rings, whichhe names the Daath Leerssoi (K. “Makers of theShadow Drakes”), allow a human wearer to as-sume the powers of a dragon. He tells no one oftheir existence but makes note of them in hissecret journals. Soon after the helms are distrib-uted, the Golden Dragon (Kydak Dûm) vanishes.]

3750: Jaiman: The Warlord Lorgalis the White, hav-ing conquered the western isle of Ulor, sendshis armies eastward.

c.3800 – 4000: Kelestia: Voriig Kye becomes ap-prehensive of the growing power of the Masterof Malice in the north. In human form he leadsa series of military and diplomatic campaignsto consolidate the southern part of the conti-nent under his rule. Gethanen, Verya, Orbis andnumerous islands (including Vog Mur) areunited as the Dragon Kingdom.

3835 - 3840: Lorgalis consolidates his hold overthe western peninsulas. It is clear that he won’tstop here, however. Forces are massing at theland bridges, and Loremasters have observed afleet under construction. After much debate,the Loremaster Council decides that this evillord must be stopped before he takes any of themainland.

3840: [At the behest of the Loremaster HighCouncil, Tethior and Andraax begin work onthe Six Crowns, Pendants and Swords ofJaiman. Krelij is angered that he was not evenconsulted on the making of the swords and re-fuses to speak to his brother Tethior again.]

3907: Jaiman: Lorgalis seems poised to strike deepinto the Jaiman mainland. The Loremasters re-veal their plan to the kings of the six majorrealms of Jaiman and urge Saralis and U-Lyshakto stall by asking for terms of surrender. The

kings bristle at this interference, but realize theyhave little chance against Lorgalis without helpfrom the High-Elves.

3910: The Six Crowns and other artifacts are com-pleted. With great ceremony, they are presentedto the kings of the six most powerful kingdomsin Jaiman:Realm Crown DesignU-Lyshak Sea-DrakeSaralis WyvernTanara PegasusZor GryphonUrulan UnicornRhakhaan PhoenixWhen worn, each crown would normally ap-pear as a simple jeweled circlet, but could magi-cally transform into a protective helm. Domi-nating the continent, these six kingdoms holdback the Unlife (including the assaults ofLorgalis from the west) for a long period. Eventhe Flows of Essænceare altered, creating magi-cal boundaries and sea lanes.

C.4000 – 5000c.4000: [The Order of the Priests Arnak is formed

by a manifestation of the Unlife known as theIron Wind. They establish themselves in six lo-cations across the continent of Jaiman. Toolsof evil, they work to destroy society and civili-zation from within. Each Order has the missionof targeting one of the six kingdoms. Similargroups form elsewhere. Among them are theSirens of Sorak (Kelestia, Emer) the Steel Rain(Folenn, Palia), the Silver Dawn (Agyra,Mulira), and the Golden Eye (Thuul, Falias).]

4131: Emer: Wizard-king Pakaal of the kingdomof Thanor commissions the building of a newroyal city on the shores of the Lake of Glass.Thenia is a place of graceful alabaster and crys-tal towers, inhabited by scholars, astronomersand magicians.

4179: Emer: The Warrior-mage Sendar challengesthe authority of king Pakaal of Thanor (hisuncle). He declares himself lord of Arûl andThanor, challenging Pakaal’s authority. Civilwar is inevitable.

c.4180: [The Dragonlord Voriig Kye considers thepowerful and unstable kingdom of Thanor tobe a threat to his Dragon Kingdom. Seeing anopportunity with the rebellion of Arûl, he be-gins preparations to neutralize the threat.]

c.4200: Emer: Preceded by a series of earthquakes,the fleets of the Lord of Encla Turic assault theSilaar and Tai-emerian coast. The Lord’s armies

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IIutterly destroy the realms of Thanor and Arûl;Thanor’s treasuries are looted and cities laidruin. Voriig himself leads a force of fire and gasdrakes in a series of devastating air assaults. TheGas Drakes Ssoei Womiis and Ssoei Womuulsettle south of the Asamis Arg (“Great Grove”)and over time turn the region into the VœrkenMire; the Fire Drake Vaalg Stoyy makes a homein the Arûl Waste.Sendar and Sendil vanish. [The twin demigodsescape to a secret temple in the Pelegris Moun-tains where Akalatan casts them into a magicalsleep.]

4430: [Tethior’s son A’kesh is born, the product ofhis brief romance with a Dyar mystic namedNaeri viQuar. She does not tell Tethior of hischild but instead arranges to have the boy ap-prenticed to Krelij.]

4495: [Krelij reveals the Daath Leerssoi to A’kesh.]4790: Tethior (with the aid of Andraax) creates

the Ilarsíri.c.4800: Gryphon College is founded in NW

Rhakhaan by a group of refugees from Zor.4980: The work of the Arnak Priests bears a bit-

ter fruit: A supernatural cataclysm destroys thecapital of Zor and lays waste to the central re-gion of that kingdom. [The Zorians, ever hun-gry for ancient technology, uncovered a terribleweapon from the lost realm of Tarania. Theyunwittingly triggered it, causing an explosionnot unlike a thermonuclear blast. The city wasvaporized, and the land all around melted toslag. Radiation persists to this day. Fortunately,the Crown, Sword and Pendant of Zor were notdestroyed, having been removed to the refugeof Gryphon College to the south. However, Zorwould never rise again as a kingdom.]

C.5000 – 6000• Jaiman: While every ruler of the remaining

Five Kingdoms dons the crown at coronation andis “attuned,” a growing recognition of the crowns’mind-altering effects (and a wariness of the influ-ence of the Priests Arnak) leads to a tendency towear them less frequently. Without the will of thewearer, the powers of the crowns to enforce bor-ders are weakened. Petty conflicts begin to springup across the continent. Only the kings ofRhakhaan don the crown with any frequency, andthat realm is the only one to survive into the ThirdEra intact.5230: Tethior and Krelij have a confrontation,

which reputedly ends in Tethior killing hisyounger sibling in self-defense. [Krelij is killed,despite many rumors that he survived. The in-

cident leaves Tethior unbalanced with grief andguilt. He eventually adopts the guise of theNameless One. ]A’kesh witnesses the killing and swears byKesh’ta’kai to kill the murderer of Krelij, un-aware that Tethior is his real father. He fleeswith one of the Daath Leerssoi. Tethior findsanother of the Dragon-rings in the wreck ofKrelij’s workshop. Andraax later recovers theother four.]

5590: The Saurkur arrive on Kulthea, their shipcrash-landing on the Abarquan Isles in theShallow Ocean.

5899 - 5905: Jaiman: A plague (“Bahaar”) sweepsthrough Saralis and northern U-Lyshak. It be-gins as severe flu, then progresses to pneumo-nia and often death. Over half the populationof Saralis is dead by 5905.

c.5905 – c. 6000: The Bahaar plague spreadsthrough Jaiman, to Kelestia and northern Emer.While not as devastating to these regions it stilldecimates populations and creates an atmo-sphere of paranoia.

C.6000-6450c.6000 – 6010: The Bahaar reaches Mulira.

The Thesian people of the Dendara kingdom suf-fer by far the worst: by 6010 they are virtually wipedout. Their homeland, centered on what is nowcalled the Isle of Ghosts, is said to be haunted andis shunned to this day.

6010 - 6028: Jaiman: King Arej IX ofRhakhaan, at the urging of one of his councilors(the White Mage), annexes much of what wasonce southern Zor. He stops wearing the Phoe-nix Crown, and falls further under the Magician’sspell. He becomes obsessed with becoming Em-peror of all Jaiman. Only the Elves of Urulanstand in his way.

6028: Jaiman: King Arej declares himself Em-peror of Jaiman and demands Urulan’s submissionto his rule. King Istaro refuses, and Arej declareswar on the Elven kingdom.

c.6030-6500: Jaiman: Elven emigrations fromUrulan. They flee the threat of Rhakhaan, settlingin the Blue Forest of NW Jaiman, the Remiraith,Vog Mur, Orbis, and Námar-Tol.

6201: Jaiman: King Karnis of U-Lyshak dies andthe country is torn by civil war. The northern prov-inces remain loyal to the King’s son, young PrinceSelcarnen, while many southern lords seek inde-pendence. Selcarnen decides—against the adviceof his father’s advisor, the White Mage—to donthe Sea-Drake Crown. He is found dead outsidethe Royal treasury, murdered the night before his

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CHAPTER TWO: HISTORY & CIVILIZATON NOTES

19MASTER ATLAS

IIcoronation. [Slain by the White Mage.] The arti-facts have vanished [taken to the Ahrenreth].

6203: Jaiman: An Ordainer appears in south-west U-Lyshak [summoned by Lorgalis] and leadsan army of evil creatures north. Mortals flee be-fore the demonic lord.

6210: Jaiman: The forces of Lorgalis reachCynar, the capital of U-Lyshak and home of thenorthern loyalists. After a siege of eighty-sevendays the walls are broken and the city is sacked.

c.6400 – 6450: All across the western hemi-sphere, governments destabilize, wars break out,cultural and racial hatreds inflame. This is partlycaused by the corrupting influence of the Unlifeorders and other dark religious orders preachingintolerance and subversion. Goblins and Lugrôkibreed in large numbers and walk openly in the day-light—something they never dared do in the past.They burn farms and ambush travelers with impu-nity. Once again Dragons and other fearsome crea-tures appear with growing frequency. At the bid-ding of the Dark Gods, the Undead rise while De-mons rape and kill unchecked. Evil empiresthought to be subdued rebound with new strength.

6441: Because of increasing dangers and flowinstability, Navigators suspend commercial travelservices until further notice (until the end of thewar). [While it is not widely known, they offer theirservices to the Loremasters and their allies throughthe end of the Wars of Dominion.]

6450 – 6825: THE WARS OF DOMINION

• The Comet returns and in a very close passseverely disrupts the Flows. This heralds the be-ginning of an apocalyptic war, which spans nearlyfour centuries and brings to a close the Second Eraof Ire. While the primary instigators of this con-flict are the Dark Gods of Charón seeking to over-throw followers of their rivals on Orhan, servantsof the Unlife and many other powers of chaos andevil see an opportunity to further their own agen-das. It should be noted that the wars rage for al-most three hundred years before the Lords of Orhandecide they must intervene directly.

Flow-storms throughout this period open count-less Portals and create tears in the fabric of spaceitself. Unimaginable creatures are liberated uponthe earth. The unleashed energies create terriblemeteorological and geological events: hurricanes,earthquakes, tidal waves, and volcanic eruptionsat all major fault lines.

C.6500• Many groups, including the Tanarans of

Jaiman, seek shelter in an increasingly hostile en-vironment by constructing subterranean cities.

• Kelestia/Gaalt: The Master of Malice sweepssouth with hordes of Snow-garks, Ice Trolls andPale Men. Samli is ravaged by awakened Shards.

• Emer: Fleets of the Master of Malice, de-terred by the Unicorn Helm, skirt the easterncoast of Urulan and continue south to northernEmer. In Vog Mur, Dulucaborn and his knightsstand against the Master’s minions, led by Rorgthe Fiery Serpent.

6521: Jaiman: The Ordainer Kharuugh breaksthrough the weakened magical protections ofSaralis and within weeks is at the gates of Turakon Lake Karísh. King Hanreth dons the crown,comes forth to face the Ordainer, and a terribleduel ensues. In the end Hanreth is slain, his helmcleaved by the demon’s sword—which also shat-ters from the blow. A pillar of fire arcs high intothe sky, answered far away above the Isle of Ghosts.The city is laid open to the dark raiders.

6769: The Burning Abyss opens along faultlines on continents across the globe, creatinggateways to the Ash Lairs. Armies of fire demonsled by Ordainers emerge and lay waste to sur-rounding lands.

6769 – 6780: The Years With No Days: In ad-dition to the Burning Abyss, volcanoes erupt allover the planet, spewing black ash and smoke intothe air. The sun is obscured, creating an endlesstwilight, which wreaks havoc with the ecosystem.

6780: The Dawn. Led by Cay, the Lords ofOrhan and a force of demigods arrive on Kultheaand lead the armies of Light against the Darkness.Kuor summons powerful rainstorms to clear thepolluted air.

6820: The Haalkitaine Fire. Flaming stones fallfrom the sky over central Rhakhaan, setting manyfarms, fields and forests ablaze. Worst hit of all isHaalkitaine, which burns for days before the firescan be put out. Over two-thirds of the city is de-stroyed. The Imperial seat is moved to Lethys.

6825: Final Victory over the Dark Forces• With the aid of the Lords of Orhan and the

Titans, the Dark Gods are driven back and essen-tially imprisoned on Charón, their powerful ser-vants destroyed or banished back to the Pales anddimensions where they belong. Victory was at thecost of the lives of many valiant Loremasters andSages, however. [Tethior is said to have been acasualty of the wars but in fact he goes into hid-ing. He begins construction of he new home incentral Thuul.]

• Dænkú faces his old foe the Master of Maliceand slays his fellow Essænce Lord. But his mindis damaged and he wanders into the East.

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