I. Introduction

The world of Eldritch Empires is known as Kirous. Kirous is also the name of the god that watches over the world and the various denizens that inhabit it. He has become the world, and the world has become him. Long ago, during the war against an entity of pure destruction, Kirous took upon himself to link his essence with that of the planet, thus giving the world a divine spark and making it more stable. This had the side effect of making it more difficult for the entity to claim our world for the overlords she serves.

But that was a very long time ago, and the story has since passed into myth. The more pressing concerns are in the now, shortly after a catastrophic event known as the Sundering. The Sundering caused untold devastation, ripping apart the old empires and kingdoms. The various races of the world, having been ripped from their homes, families, and rulers, have had to learn how to adapt. And adapt they have. Several new nations have arisen in the aftermath of the Sundering, they are but small points of light in a dark wilderness, but they shine all the brighter for their perseverance.

As these nations struggle to survive, heroes are needed as the darkness that waits outside of the cities and kingdoms. The evils of the land are encroaching and threaten to overtake all that the good people of Kirous have struggled to rebuild. Goblins need to be pushed back into their dark caves, and orc bandits need to be vanquished before they disrupt what little trade there is altogether. And if a person is brave and clever enough perhaps a true hero will arise and foil the long planned strategies of an elder dragon, and he may even manage to slay the creature when it comes looking for revenge. Anything is possible.

The dark entity has been growing and slowly awakening since she was imprisoned in a crystal core. Though the entity is nothing but a mere legend to the modern peoples of Kirous, they still fear magic for a reason, for it is magic that releases the dark one and causes her nightmares to roam the land. It is said that the ley-lines that criss-cross the planet stems from this core. Where the ley-lines are strong, cast off magical energies no longer needed to sustain the prison crystallize into formations. These formations are harvested and used to cast spells. Called eldritch crystals, these are all but required to cast any form of magic spell that does not come from the gods. To cast a spell without the use of one of these crystals is to invite chaos and catastrophe.

Heroes are needed now more than ever as evil elements plot the destruction of the small kingdoms that the people have fought so hard to build. They need people brave (or foolish) enough to face the darkness and protect the light. Adventuring companies are in more demand than ever as many countries have problems that they are stretched too thin to solve on their own.

They hope that a hero will rise and save their homes.

An abandoned keep awaits exploration

II. History of the Eldritch Empires

I write this so that others will know. I write this as a legacy to our great and shining world. I write this as the custodian of all knowledge. Know that I am Arela, the Keeper of Knowledge, and the Goddess of the Scroll, and I am the author of this tome.

Herein you will find the history of the making of our world, as well as the near unmaking of it by the foolishness of a few mortals who desired power above all else. I make this knowledge available to all so that you may know the truth of the events that would otherwise be lost in the mists of your ancestors memories.

Know now that the lessons of the past must be learned in the present, lest our world suffer more than it already has. The entity in the crystal prison stirs even now, reaching out with her darkness to influence events to allow for her reawakening. She is more powerful than all of us; if she awakens, it is our doom, and it is your doom, mortal.

Below is the general history of our world. The history outlines the creation of all things, and then leads into how the Dragon empires rose and fell, and how the Eldritch Empires of the mortal races nearly brought about the ending of our world.

After that is a written tour of our world as it stands now in the year 365 AS. This tour will include a look at each of the major nations, and any surrounding areas of interest. It will include the general outlook of the people, how each nation is ruled, and by whom, and it will also include a few brief, but major points in that nations history.

Hopefully, if you are reading this, it is so you can better understand that the state of the world now can greatly influence the state of the world in the future, and that is the most important lesson of all.

The Creation & The Fall (Time Undisclosed)

This is the history of a world that is now called Kirous, though it was not always called such. At one time the world had no name, but nonetheless it was a precious object, created on a whim by some greater unknown power. What the Great Maker wrought was unlike anything else in its corner of the universe, and it created the world quite by accident, for it had breathed upon a lifeless rock, and as it watched, life bloomed upon the world.

Plants grew and animals came to swim in the waters and crawl upon the land. Mountains were formed and destroyed quickly as the worlds birth created upheaval within the once lifeless rock. As it watched the worlds growth, the Great Maker knew it had to somehow share this wonder with someone, but in its greatness, it was also alone. So it was that the Great Maker reached into the stuff of the universe and wrested the essence loose in order to create others to share in its wonderment of this world.

It reached into the brightness of the universe and molded a being similar to itself, but lesser. It created this being slightly different as well, so that the being would be male. It then reached into the shadow of the universe and created another being like its son, but made her female. So it was that the beings known as the Luminous Son and the Shadowed Daughter were born.

They, like the Great Maker, watched the world as it blossomed into life. Both siblings played together upon the worlds surface, though they created avatars to do so, and were careful not to upset the natural balance that the world was coming to form.

Soon they started exploring their own corner of the cosmos, happy to see new things beyond the borders of their world. When they returned, the world had grown, its balance set in a cycle that would endure for the life of the planet.

Birth of the Titans (Time Undisclosed)

The Son and the Daughter had begun to shape the world when the Great Maker returned. It informed its offspring that they should create mortal life to inhabit the planet, so that there would be self-aware beings that would enjoy the work that they were putting into it and to help them shape it to their liking. As its children began to work on this idea, the Great Maker once again left.

The Son and Daughter labored for a long period of time before finally breathing life into the beings they had created; creatures that would be called titans. These titans were immense in size and born to the elements of the living planet, of the earth, plants, and rivers. As they awakened to what they were, they quickly began to adapt to their world. They created shelters in caverns and hunted the wild animals and gathered the produce of various plants. They were primitive, but they were sentient.

The Son saw that the titans feared the night especially, and in an act that his sister highly disapproved of, he tore a piece of himself out and hung it in the sky so that his light would shine down upon the titans at night. His sister decided that the world would cast its shadow on the light, causing it to wax and wane over time. The moon had been created.

As the twins watched their handy work, they saw that the titans were beginning to really notice the world around them, and they began giving homage to the elements that surrounded them on a constant basis. Whenever there was a storm, or a forest fire, when they got lucky on a hunt, when a baby was born, when one of them died, when they took of the earth, they would call to some entity that did not exist.

This worship caused a sliver of essence to escape from the titans and float, uselessly, in the Astral Plane. The twins witnessed this and communed with the Great Maker. The Great Maker informed them that they should create vessels to collect this energy for themselves.

Rise of the Gods (Time Undisclosed)

The twins formed the vessels as they were instructed, and gave them a form of life of their own, and gave each one a task or area of control. These would eventually become the gods that we know today. The vessels collected the energy that correlated to their task or area and then sent a portion of it to the Son or the Daughter, depending upon who had created that vessel.

It is generally accepted that the gods of good, including Eralia who is tied to the silver moon, were created by the Son, and the gods of evil were created by the daughter. These were vessels that reflected what the Son and Daughter each felt gave them their own power. When it came to the aspects that seemed a natural part of the cycle of the world, such as plants, animals, and death, they combined their essences to create the gods of balance.

The vessels eventually gathered enough essence for themselves that they became more powerful. They asked their makers what they were to do. The twins watched the play of essence coming from the titans, and noticed that the vessels no longer had to collect it, but that the energy came straight through the vessels and to the Son or the Daughter.

The twins made the decision to make the vessels the custodians to the world and to works as gods to the titans. The newly dubbed gods agreed to their roles as each one was given a role to fulfill by the Son or the Daughter. Usually that role was very similar to their task or area of control.

So it was that my fellow gods and I were truly born.

Birth of the Dragons (Time Undisclosed)

The gods noticed that the titans were becoming more intelligent with each passing day, eventually learning how to make fire, tools, and their own shelters. Over time the titans built a great civilization and anointed themselves shepherds of the land. They helped the cycles of the lands perpetrate themselves, and helped the gods shape the earth in ways that even the Son and Daughter appreciated.

The gods saw that there were no shepherds of the high places of the world, the skies were empty of a mortal race and storms of unnatural strength sometimes tore through the world unabated. They implored the Son and Daughter to create a new race to inhabit the skies and high places of the world, so that the world could be completed.

The Son and Daughter agreed and created dragons, creatures born of elements such as air and fire. The dragons would come to roost in the tallest mountains, and fly over the world, helping to shape the upper portions of the world.

For a long time there was peace and prosperity as the titans and dragons co-existed in harmony as each of them shaped the world in their own way. The gods watched in contentment as the mortal races did their work upon the world and worshipped them, sending them portions of their essence, that they in turn sent a portion to their makers.

All was in balance, and all was peaceful.

The First Godswar (Time Undisclosed)

The first Godswar was a sudden affair and no one, not even the gods, knows how it started. The Daughter had become ill at some point, and her mind began to break as it saw another reality. The Daughters madness grew worse and she ordered the gods tied to her to attack the gods of good. The gods of balance could not intervene as this was a war of light and dark.

She wanted the world to herself, and she knew that the only way to take it was by force. She even tore a piece of her own essence out and placed it in the sky over the world, in a manner similar to what her brother did. The essence grew sentience as the energy of the world was absorbed into it, and Dyleria, the Onyx Moon, and the goddess tied to it was born. Another goddess for the Daughters war.

The Daughter won most of the initial battles, her gods of darkness seemingly overwhelming the gods of light in pure displays of power. Nexara personally slew a half dozen gods herself, including the gentle goddess of healing, Asheri. As Nexara came closer and closer to absolute victory, the Daughter was able to use her essence to push the world to a darkness that had been growing out of the new black moon. As the world got closer, the gods could see that the darkness was a portal to some other reality. A reality where they would be powerless and at the mercy of beings older and more powerful than themselves.

Even the gods of darkness tied to the Daughter could not allow this. The gods risked a ploy against the Daughter. They would take avatar forms to fight the final battle for control of the world. As they did so they would gather the titans and the dragons to fight at their side, but not against one another, against the Daughter.

They knew the Daughter would want to be present for her victory, and as she arrived she was assaulted on all sides by every god, goddess, titan, and dragon. The gods of darkness managed to seal off the current of energy that they fed to her, and with that they eventually weakened her to the point that she seemed to diminish into nothingness.

The gods rejoiced in their victory as the planet righted itself and the portal closed.

Creation of the Mortal Races (Time Undisclosed) As the gods rested after their victory, they saw what kind of damage their war had inflicted on the world, both physically and spiritually. The Son saw as well, and he grew sorrowful. First his sister had turned on him, and as a result all the work they had put into their world had suffered as a result.

The Son immediately put sanctions on the gods, all of them, that they were never to openly wage war with one another in such a way again. Instead each group of gods would create mortal creatures to reflect themselves on the world. The Son hoped that watching over mortal children would keep the gods busy, and give them extra essence that would keep them happy. The one caveat that the Son had was that the mortals be given free will.

The gods agreed and each group, or pantheon, created mortal children that would look to themselves as their creators. One pantheon asked to take on the dragons as their mortal children, since it had been their task to take the essence from their worship anyway. The Son agreed to this, and gave them more draconic forms.

Another pantheon, led by a beautiful god named Gruumsh, asked to take the titans under their care, as they had been around to take their essence since the beginning. The Son denied him this wish, stating that the titans belonged to him, and should she ever return whole, his sister. Gruumsh grew angry but decided to make the orc race instead, instilling them with not only power, but beauty to rival the titans own as well.

The other gods went about creating their mortal races, and soon the world was teeming with them. They started as the titans did, and they watched the great creatures from afar, mystified by their civilization, but keeping to their caves and primitive life style.

Eventually the mortals grew as the titans had, and even as they stepped out of their caves and started wielding tools, the titans turned on these other mortal creatures. They stormed into their camps, and invaded their caves and took them as slaves for their own civilization.

The gods could do nothing to intervene, as they had promised to not interfere with the affairs of mortals. The gods watched in despair as their mortal children were taken and forced to do as the titans demanded. The Son implored the titans to let these mortals go, but their leader, a ruthless female named Nexara, stepped forward and challenged him, stating that should he want his precious mortals to be free, that he should challenge her and her people.

The Son looked upon Nexara and knew that there was no reasoning with her. She was completely mad. And because she was his sister, he did not know whether he should help her or end her.

Nexara, the mad goddess

The Second Godswar (Time Undisclosed)

The second Godswar had begun as the dragons, the sole mortals not taken by the titans, charged into the titan ranks, helping to rescue the other mortal children. The dragons then helped the mortals to understand their full potential, and started to teach them the ways of manipulating the essence of the world with magic, what is these days referred to as arcane magic. They also taught the mortals that they could beseech their gods and receive power from there as well.

Thus armed, the mortals fought back against the titans, but the losses were grievous. For every titan slain, hundreds of humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and other mortal creatures were slain. Even the dragons were nearly helpless against the power of the titans. The dragons thought this to be odd, since they had always been equal in power with the titans. Thats when they realized that the Daughter, now calling herself Nexara, must be bolstering them somehow.

As the mortal armies were pushed back, several betrayals happened, seemingly all at once. First the orcs, with the guidance of Gruumsh decided to defect and join Nexara and her titans. The other gods joined together in their punishment of Gruumsh and his people, making them as ugly as their sin of treason, and making them nearly mindless and bloodthirsty. Shortly after the orcs turned, several tribes of humans turned as well, and it was then stated that humans would never be able to settle in one place, and that they would always be fluid in their alignment.

Next, Corellon, the leader of the elven pantheon known as the Seldarine, found out that his consort, Lolth, was having an affair with one of the titan leaders. He confronted her, and when he did so, she struck out at him, choosing the titans over him. He banished her from the world and marked those that followed her with skin to match their crime so that none would mistake the dark elves for his own people. It was later discovered that it was Lolths betrayal that came first, and she had seduced Gruumsh in joining her. It is said that the dark elves were wiped out during the war since the titans used them as fodder for their armies.

Lastly, as the war continued on, came a different sort of betrayal from a powerful noble faction of the crystal elves. They had discovered the dark arts of necromancy, and started using it against the titans, raising undead armies that would not be stopped. Sensing the unbalance this was creating, the crystal elves implored their brethren to stop what they were doing. Knowing that they could win the war with this sort of magic, the necromancers refused and continued to raise undead armies to fight the titans.

The elven peoples had no choice but to exile the group of nobles, and as they left they began a civil war that would rip the elven armies to shreds, making them unable to help in the war against the titans. Corellon was saddened by yet another betrayal of his people. He marked them as he had the dark elves, making their skin match the pallor of the grave or as black as the arts they commanded. The shadow elves, as they were now called, left once they were pushed out of elven territories and disappeared from the war.

It was after this point that the dwarves discovered the true magic of the world. Their mages managed to delve into the essence of the world, and there they found the markings that gave everything its name. They figured out how to manipulate these markings, and created the magic of names, or runic magic.

The Son was unsure of using the immense power of the Great Maker to fight against his sister, but he saw no other choice in the end. He gave the dwarves permission to use the magic, but with the caveat that they give it up once Nexara was defeated. They agreed and started a spell that would make the mortal armies invulnerable.

The dwarves completed their spell, and the mortals started winning the war, pushing the titans back time and again. Nexara was furious that the Son had let the mortal races use the power of her creator. She challenged the Son to a fight, one on one. He accepted, knowing his fate as he entered the world in his avatar form.

As he did so, he contacted the god of life, of the growing things in nature, and asked him to give up his power as a god and to choose his successor. This god, called Kirous, agreed. After all, the Son was his maker and was fighting for the balance of the world, even as he was fighting for the good of all. The Son placed a small portion of his essence inside of Kirous, and then went to battle his sister.

Nexara attacked the Son with everything she had, but she was weaker than he was due to her defeat earlier. Despite this she was able to get a few good attacks in on the Son. He let her attack him, knowing she could do no real damage. As she continued her assault and weakened herself, he smiled at the other gods and nodded, one last farewell.

With that he hugged his sister, telling her he was sorry for her pain, and crystallized into a sphere around her, creating a prison. As his last act he teleported himself to the core of the world, and pulled upon all the essence of the

world to keep her trapped even as she fought him. The essence trails that led to the core, are now called leylines, and they are the pipelines of essence that power the core and keep Nexara imprisoned, even today. As that power enters the core, some of it is released again, and it eventually crystallizes on the surface, into what we now call Eldritch Crystals.

Kirous announced that his essence was now tied to the world itself, and he was to lead the gods into creating a tribunal council to regulate and keep each other in balance. There would be three tribunals on the council, the Tribunal of Light, the Tribunal of Balance, and the Tribunal of Darkness. There would be sub-tribunals, with each of the demi-human pantheons being members of those.

The gods resettled into their tasks, and warned their mortal followers to only use arcane magic channeled through the crystals that now grew on the surface of the world, lest they interrupt the flow of essence to the core and weaken Nexaras prison. She could not be allowed to return and lead the titans in another war. Next time the mortals might not win.

A battle in the Godswar

The Rise of the Dragon Emperors (-10,000 PS to -5000 PS)

The gods let their mortal followers do as they willed, as long as they used arcane magic through the crystals, and they continued to worship them to give them the essence they needed to survive. The mortals went about rebuilding what they had left behind during the war.

As this rebuilding started, the mortal races were attacked again, this time on all sides. The titans had not forgotten nor forgiven. The dragons once again came to their aid, but again seemed ineffectual as the titans had solid leadership and used team tactics, while the dragons attacked as individuals due to their own arrogance.

The dragon gods saw a need for leadership among the dragons, and chose one of each type to be their representative upon the world. They took those dragons aside and infused them with divine energy to counteract the energy Nexara had used to enhance the titans. Those fifteen dragons grew into larger, more perfect specimens of the type they represented. They became the Dragon Emperors.

The Dragon Emperors returned as demi-gods and led the dragons and other mortal races as an organized force against the titans, driving them back. As the titans were forced to retreat, they found themselves going back to what they knew; caverns and tunnels.

The titans then found themselves fighting the war on two fronts as the dwarves fought back from their underground holds. The titans knew that they had to do something drastic, so they turned their full attention on the dwarves and started to capture them and take them into slavery, even as they remodeled their holds to accommodate their larger frames.

Despite their newfound leadership, the dragons just couldnt fight the titans in tight, confined spaces. They were aerial creatures, and needed mobility if they were to fight efficiently. They dared not send in the mortals, as they would not be able to stand toe to toe with the titans.

They neednt have worried. The dwarves had everything in hand, as they began another runic spell that would destroy the titans forever. They succeeded in casting their spell, but something went awry. The magic called directly to the name of destruction, and that name belonged to Nexara. She began to awaken and huge cracks appeared in her prison core and fissures along the leylines were created.

The titans, for their part were not destroyed, but were reduced in size, becoming no larger than a halfling. Though the dwarves hadnt destroyed their opponents, they had reduced their threat greatly, and even managed to cleanse them of the darkness that Nexara had inflicted upon them.

The dwarves led the titans out of their holds and into the armies of the Dragon Emperors where the titans surrendered unconditionally. The gods saw what the dwarves had done, and for their punishment they were made unable to use arcane magic of any type. The gods then took the knowledge of runic magic and stripped it away from all except the Dragon Emperors. They then took that absolute knowledge and put it into physical form, creating a large tome that one must read directly in order to use runic magic. The tome was then separated into fifteen pieces and each piece was given to a Dragon Emperor for safe keeping in their hoards.

The gods then turned to the titans and informed the other mortals that these new creatures were called gnomes and that they had been created to help protect the wild places of the world. The other mortal races had no reason to disbelieve their gods and took it in stride. After all, they had no knowledge that runic magic had ever existed, and that included any of its effects, like the shrinking of the titans.

The Dragon Emperors, having so much influence over the mortals turned towards helping them rebuild, and as they did so, the mortals came to look to them for leadership more and more. Eventually the Dragon Emperors became rulers in actuality rather than just in name.

Age of the Dragon Empires (-5000 PS to -2500 PS)

Mortals continued to look to the Dragon Emperors for leadership and rule. The dragons ended up becoming mediators, arbiters, and executors for the mortals. As this continued, the dragons realized that they would never be able to truly rule over the massive amounts of mortals that existed effectively.

The Dragon Emperors eventually divided the land up between themselves, so that they could govern more effectively. Then they relegated the lesser dragons to help them govern. They then created a race to serve as policing agents and called them dragonborn. They recruited kobolds to serve as menial laborers and as minor functionaries.

The metallic dragons looked to the elves to help serve as liaisons and personal assistants. The gem dragons looked to the hill dwelling dwarves to serve them, and the evil dragons forced the orcs to join with them. In this way the mortal races felt that they had a connection with the normally aloof emperors.

The Dragon Emperors ruled with benevolence, indifference, and tyranny, all depending upon their dragon type. Their rule lasted for a couple of millennia, and they were never questioned. What the mortal races were unaware of, however, was that all the emperors had a dark secret, even the goodly metallic ones. They had enslaved the gnomish race.

The Dragon Emperors of course remembered that the gnomes used to be the titans that worshipped and served Nexara. In order to keep them better controlled, the dragons enslaved them and used them for labor that they would not have any other creature do, even the lowly kobolds. The kobolds were recruited to be taskmasters over the gnomes, ensuring that they did the required work. To this day, gnomes hate kobolds for that reason.

Over time the gnomes grew to despise their dragon overlords, and they began to plan a revolt. They had no idea why they were being treated the way they were. The gnomes, having been trod on enough, contacted some of the other mortal races to inform them of their emperors secret.

Appalled at the treatment of the gnomes, the other races came to their aid, and rescued them from their kobold taskmasters. The Dragon emperors were enraged at the insubordination of their subjects. Some planned to eradicate any involved in the rescue of the gnomes, while others counseled patience, that perhaps the gnomes could prove themselves.

The Dragon Emperors gathered for a council, and Kirous himself appeared before them. He told them that they were never meant to rule over the mortal races. The mortals had chosen to have the dragons rule over them, but now that time was ending as it seemed that the mortals no longer wanted the dragons to rule over them. They were then asked to step down and allow the mortals to rule over themselves.

The dragons of evil were not happy with this arrangement, but did as they were asked. After all, they could not challenge the power of a god. But they would forever try to reclaim their glory over the lesser races. The metallic dragons took it in stride and left to pursue their own interests. The gem dragons left as well, taking their teachings and strange magics with them, never to be seen or heard from again. It is believed that the gem dragons left our world altogether, and that they have no interest in returning.

With that, the mortals were free to rule over themselves.

Age of Eldritch Empires (-2500 PS to -100 PS)

For the first time ever, the mortal races were free to live their lives how they saw fit. To rule over themselves in whatever way they deemed appropriate. For the most part the mortal races separated and created their own nations. Kingdoms, city-states, and confederacies rose and fell. Eventually one nation would gain power and continue to grow, becoming an empire. Then another would rise to challenge it. Soon there were five great mortal empires.

The first empire to rise belonged to the industrious dwarves. The dwarf empire of Therak-tyrr (also called the Great Adamantine Empire) was the single greatest underground empire to ever exist. It was ruled by the great dwarf emperor Therdeth Anvilheart. It was said that he personally led the attacks against the foul creatures that lived under the world as his people carved out their empire one cavern at a time.

The second empire was ruled by humans, but they had taken the lands from the nomadic Kaerdans (what others refer to as halflings). Kaerda in the halfling language means of the sun, and it was the name of their principal town. The humans enslaved the Kaerdans and built their empire on the backs of the diminutive people. There are those that refer to the empire now as the Kaerdan Empire in homage to the halflings that died building their empire for the humans.

The empire was ruled by a caste of priest-kings, and it quickly became decadent as the priest-kings became corrupt with their power. It is said that they sought to raise the dead goddess of life and bring her back to this world. They succeeded, but she brought evil back with her, the energy that Nexara had used to destroy her, corrupted her as she returned to the world. She became a goddess of darkness, and she would become tied intrinsically with the undead.

The third empire was the elven Empire of Leaves of a Thousand Colors, or Ishnialira. This empire kept primarily to themselves but often fought skirmishes against their shadow elf brethren while trying to hold back the might of the Zarkoshan Empire.

The fourth empire was the dragonborn Empire of Zarkosha. Feeling that their emperors had been treated unfairly, the dragonborn sought to bring back the glory of the dragon empires. They tried several times to conquer other empires, but only managed to subsume several smaller ones, but never any of the other great empires.

At one point it was looking like the Empire of Zarkosha might actually conquer both the elven empire, and the Kaerdan empire during their fall to darkness, but neither came to pass. Even as they had driven the armies of their opponents back, the armies of an even greater empire showed up to stop them.

That empire was the Empire of Rellath. The Land of the Golden Phoenix. The Realm of the Magi-Emperor. The Platinum Empire. The greatest and most powerful empire of the five. This empire was a cosmopolitan empire, inhabited by members of all the races. It consisted of several kingdoms, or provinces, each ruled by a royal family. While the position of emperor was not hereditary, the emperor did have to come from one of the royal families. Often the Imperial Throne (also called the Platinum Throne) was traded for favors, marriages, and other such political arrangements. No one family has ever dominated the throne.

Thus the empire was rich, powerful, and had accomplished great feats of wonderment with their mastery of magic. They sought to be a benevolent guide to the other empires, to show them that a golden era of peace and prosperity was indeed possible.

They came to the aid of the other empires whenever there was a need, and they always maintained a neutral stance among the other empires. The Rellath Empire would hold for centuries before the last emperor doomed not only the Platinum Empire, but the entire world.

Age of the Sundering(-100 PS to 0 PS)

After centuries of benevolent rule and prosperity, the thirty-ninth Magi-Emperor was nearly assassinated by agents sent by the Empire of Zarkosha. King Vipalo of the frontier Calveth Province saved the emperor by battling and slaying the assailant. The Magi-Emperor rewarded the king by naming his first born son the heir to the Imperial throne.

Two years later Wareth Vipalo was born and officially named heir to the Imperial Throne in a massive ceremony that honored both the king and his son. He grew up in Leratin, the Imperial City, instead of in his home of Calveth. A corrupt faction, calling themselves the Nameless, got their hooks in the young prince early on, something that never would have happened in the frontiers of the Calveth Province. Wareth was also spotted early on as having magical talent, a must have for any future Magi-Emperor. The Nameless taught him how to hone his magical skills, even going so far as teaching him how to subtly draw power from a leyline without a crystal.

Wareth soon grew into a young man, and the Nameless decided it was time to strike. Wareth was their point man, and as he entered court one morning, he unleashed his magic upon an unsuspecting Magi-Emperor. Not only had a dissident faction gained power in the Rellath Empire, but Zarkosha had allies in power now. Wareth quickly declared war as his mentors instructed him to, and the Zarkosha Empire joined in as Rellath marshaled their forces.

Confused and scared, the good people of the Rellath Empire quickly moved to the outer provinces to avoid the oppressive tyranny that now ruled throughout the inner provinces. Wareths father was appalled at his sons actions, and he quickly marshaled his own forces and joined the elves in their efforts against the combined might of the two most powerful empires.

The ensuing war was brutal and bloody. No side could quite gain an advantage over the other. Wareth grew impatient with the lack of progress, and constantly threw troops recklessly at his enemies. These wars were spectacular displays of tactics, strategies, powerful magics, and great miracles. Dragons flew over castles, burning archers on the walls alive. Conjured elementals clashed with great constructs. Summoned Aasimons fought summoned Baatezu. Priests called down great columns of holy fire while using their magic to heal their own forces.

As he grew older, Wareth started fearing that his death would come before he saw his empire conquer all. He started looking down forbidden paths of power, searching for any magic that would not only sustain his life, but give him more power and destroy his enemies.

He found many artifacts and magics of the previous age. Among them he found tomes of the great dragons, and items of power wielded by the Dragon Emperors. He used all of these to great effect. Wiping out an army here, returning himself to youth there. Always and constantly seeking power.

For the next century the wars raged on, and soon it seemed that there would be little left to fight for. The outer provinces of the Rellath Empire had fallen, half of the Zarkosha Empire was a barren wasteland, and a quarter of the elven forests had burned. Wareth had taken to making deals with humanoids such as orcs, hobgoblins, and ogres to bolster his ranks. Even so, the most frightening troops in Wareths army were the handful of titans that the Nameless has called upon to fight for their emperor.

As his life continued on, held together by magic, Wareths search never stopped, until he stumbled across the lair of a Dragon Emperor. The mighty creature was sleeping, and Wareth cast a spell to keep it that way. Meanwhile his men took the treasure of the dragon, including a partial tome describing the powers of runic magic.

Wareth was beside himself with that discovery. He knew that he must find all of the tomes and use this magic to give himself ultimate power. The current members of the Nameless encouraged him to find the rest of the tome, as this was their ultimate goal. The Nameless were a cult dedicated to the return of the Titans to power and the awakening of Nexara.

Wareth found three more Dragon Emperor lairs and had a good portion of the Tome of Runes formed before the gods decided to step in. The wars that were being fought ground to a halt as the faces of the gods appeared in sky and cloud. They all spoke as one as the world itself rebelled against the mortal races.

You have sought out the magic of names. You have recklessly used magic to further your own vanity, without thought to the damage you have wrought upon the crystal prison. There are those among you that seek to awaken the Daughter. We cannot allow her reawakening. You have brought about your own doom.

With that a great peel of thunder sounded across the world, and the seas grew furious as huge hurricanes swept across the oceans and made landfall. The earth shook itself apart and the tidal waves separated the landmasses. Some continents that were already separate were sent further away while other, larger continents were split asunder.

The mortal races knew not what to do. Their wars were forgotten, and their survival was all that mattered. The Sundering lasted for two straight days, cleansing the land and forever altering it as well. The mortal races would never forget the primary lesson that the Sundering had taught them.

Magic and the hubris it brought were dangerous, and could not be allowed again.

Siege of Calveth

The Age of Darkness (1 AS to 175 AS)

In the early years, after the Sundering, the world was in darkness. The mortal races were too scared to rebuild at first, so they huddled in whatever shelter they could find; caverns, ruins, old dungeons. After a few years, some of the braver and more enterprising people struck out to see what was left of the world.

The mortal races found their world devastated. Their cities were either in ruins or wiped off the face of the world. They looked for their old empires, and could find no trace of them. The great and powerful had fallen. The Eldritch Empires were dead.

It took time, several generations, but eventually, the mortal races adapted, as they always do, and started to rebuild their world, their civilization, and most importantly, their societies. Nations began to rise again, and some of the earlier examples fell to the darkness that surrounded them. Between rampaging humanoid attacks, unpredictable weather patterns due to the new configuration of the landmasses, and residual earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other disasters, many nations fell before they could be fully formed.

After many trials, and many years, nations did form eventually however. Whether through a charismatic tribal leader banding his people together to form a new kingdom, to remnants of the old Rellath empire forming great trading houses to insure survival, or even a cabal of magi fleeing persecution and forming their own nation under the rule of mages once again, soon the Age of Darkness that followed the Sundering ended.

The Sundering

The Age of the Phoenix(175 AS to 365 AS)

Named after the great bird that rises from its own ashes after its death, this age has seen a resurgence in the mortal will to survive. Many nations have since risen and formed their own histories. Many people are taking up the mantle of adventurer in these modern days, and many are making a name for themselves as heroes. Are you willing to do the same and make your mark in history?

III. Races of Eldritch Empires The following is general listing of the common races of the Eldritch Empires setting. These races and their

subspecies are normally allowed without needing permission from your DM, though he is still free to restrict them if he feels the need. These are the races that are the most common, and that most people of the world know about to some degree or another.

Humans Humans are perhaps, because of their short life spans and their need to get everything done right now, also very

emotional creatures, they see elves as distant and aloof and dwarves as dour and cynical because they cant help to get emotionally tied up in things they see as important. Of course the elves are just as emotional as humans but they dont see anything that they deem as important worth getting emotional over because emotion just gets in the way of accomplishment. As for the dwarves, they see emotion as something to be shown only to those closest to them and never in public. Of course the humans see this in a variety of views but that is the most common one.

The humans are the most numerous race on the planet and since their ascension as a civilized race, humans have alarmed the longer-lived races with their expansionism and fast-paced way of living. Humans see things in a kaleidoscope of views but usually have a common consensus on things. Humankind have been some of the brightest heroes but their civilizations have also spawned some of the most depraved villains. Humans are nothing if not creatures of contrast

Humans are very diverse, capable of great good as well as great evil.

Elves Elves are said to be the firstborn of the mortal races. Though thats not entirely true since the titans were the first

born, and the dragons came shortly after, most people accept it as a fact as they dont remember the titans, and they dont usually count dragons as mortal in the same way.

Elves are one race but have several subspecies within their race, though not all subspecies are welcomed into the elven homelands. All elves worship a collection of gods referred to as the Seldarine, and their mythos priest is the druid as they were the first race to practice druidism, though the crystal elves follow the path of the maester more often than not.

Crystal elves (also called high or grey elves), have settled into their current civilization fairly quickly, the Sundering seemingly just a nuisance to their society. They have recreated their society as best they can so they can research, study, and refine all forms of magic. They seek the lost arts of the high magick that they commanded before the Sundering, but so far they have yet to find more than a few fragments of the old scrolls and tomes.

The crystal elves are the worlds premier spell-casters with the mages of Aerinvale ranking a very close second. The crystal elves protect and defend their homeland using various magics. Since most sane people in the world today distrust such powerful magics, no one in their right mind will go near the crystal elf homeland thinking that it may bring about the destruction of the world if those defenses had to be used. The mountain peaks and valleys that the crystal elves inhabit are a marvel to behold. Homes are made of various precious stones ranging from amethyst to diamond, depending upon the importance of the individual within. There are impossible arches and spires that sweep the skylines, and magically augmented buildings that have magically lit signs that are animated in appearance.

The crystal elves maintain an aristocratic society with magoarchial leanings and are ruled by a powerful senate that is rumored to have powers beyond the ken of even the most powerful spell-caster. The nobility and aristocracy are spell-casters of one sort or another but there are quite a few that are accomplished warriors and philosophers. The high elves venerate industry and accomplishment, feeling that failure is a product of laziness and short-sightedness, traits that crystal elves frown heavily upon.

High elves wear all sorts of clothing ranging from silks, to gauzy type cloth to cotton, ranging colors than span the spectrum. As with human society the richer, and more prominent the elf, the fancier the clothing. They are of a height of the normal elf and have hair colors that range from silver to black and many have magical augmentation on their hair to hold it in styles or colors that are not normally done. Depending upon the fashion at the time, they have eye colors that range many colors and are often also magically augmented.

High elves are aloof and arrogant thinking themselves superior to all other races that have forsaken magic. The only other race they view as possible peers are the humans from Aerinvale who hold magic in high regard as well. Any other spell-casters they see as equal if they prove themselves worthy.

and are adept at mixing it with their fighting abilities.

Crystal elves are masters of the eldritch

Wood elves (also called sylvan or leaf elves) are a lost race fighting for survival. The empires they once controlled are now broken wildernesses that are filled with all manner of dangerous creatures. The little bits of land that the elves have managed to reclaim as their own are small, and there is often still the matter of nearby tribes of monsters to deal with in order to maintain peace for themselves.

After the fall of the Elven Empire, they retreated into what was left of the secluded glens and grottos of the ancient forests. There they built wondrous creations of nature, melding buildings with yet living tress and nurturing special gem-leafed trees that glitter even at night. They are a peaceful race as they remember what war can do to the natural order of things. This does not mean however that they will not mobilize their defense forces if something threatens their wild-lands. Wood elves have among them the most powerful druids and some of the best trackers in the entirety of Kirous.

Wood elves tend to be a bit taller than the rest of their brethren and seem to always be at peace, even when fighting a hated foe. This can be disconcerting to friend and foe alike as the elf dispatches his enemies with relative calm, sometimes with an old war-song upon his lips. They are this calm because even if they do not follow the training as one of natures guardians they still feel the natural world around them and within them.

The wood elves tend to have from dark brown to dark blond hair with the rare possibility of various shades of green and red, with eye colors ranging among shades of brown and green. They tend to have at least lightly tanned skin from their outdoor lifestyle. They tend to wear clothing that go towards neutral earth shaded colors that match their surroundings, such as browns, greens, oranges, reds, and yellows.

Wood elves are said to be the originators of druidism but they also have some of the best rangers in the world

Half-elves Half-elves are born into two worlds, sometimes a product of tragic love between and elf and a human, sometimes a

product of darker deeds and times. Either way a half-elf reflects the heritage he grew up in more often than not. A half-elfs view is really determined by how they were raised. If raised their human parent, they will tend to have

views similar to those of the culture they grew up in and depending upon that culture, they may have been happy or feel like they were an outcast. If raised by their elven parent, they tend to be sullen and constantly feeling like they arent good enough or that they cant quite keep up.

Good chances are that a half-elfs life was not pleasant either way. Despite this they tend to find a niche somewhere within the society they grew up in, and in the end can end up being fairly well liked once they have proven themselves and have grown up a bit (in the case of elven society), or have found their trade and proven themselves adept when it comes to their performance (in most human societies).

Most half-elves, feeling like they dont belong, take to the adventuring life though a small few will find a niche in their communities and practice a trade.

Dwarves Dwarves, like elves are divided into sub-species that are vastly different from one another, though most dwarves

have more in common, even across species lines, that they can generally get along, with the exception of a couple of different sub-species, which are not even seen as proper dwarves in the view of most dwarf societies. Dwarves worship their own pantheon of gods and their mythos priests are called forgewardens.

Stone dwarves are the most numerous of the dwarven race. They hold on to several ancestral halls and refuse to let up in their defense. If the humans come seeking new mines then the dwarves are more than happy to open up trade but refuse to give up their tunnels. If the humans persist in pushing their luck and truly want the mines then they will face stone dwarf axes and hammers.

Orcs and goblins dont get the benefit of the doubt however; they just face a quick and brutal death at dwarven hands if they try to come into their homelands. Though they have the outlook of a race on the verge of extinction they still find their joys in life, and though the forges hardly ever stop in the production of armaments for their war effort it is rare to hear a dwarven tavern actually quiet. Stone dwarves are pragmatic and taciturn, but possess a rather dry and cynical sense of humor. Indeed it can be hard for a human to tell whether a dwarf is serious or if he is jesting, though a stone dwarf will laugh heartily after a few seconds just to let it sink in.

Stone dwarves have several clans within their halls and it is usually easy for a dwarf to tell what clan another dwarf is from. Stone dwarves to outsiders seem a solid front but they have political problems and issues as much as any other race, they just dont settle such disputes through war or public demonstrations. They take care of such things within their halls and as quickly as possible. You will never catch a stone dwarf throwing his heart as they put it when it comes to dwarven concerns. Thus the stone dwarves come off as dour, impolite, tactless, and emotionless to other races. This could not be further from the truth, but you wont catch a stone dwarf trying to get someone to believe otherwise.

Stone dwarves tend to ruddy or dark skin, have gray, blue, or brown eyes, and have hair that ranges from black to light brown. Stone dwarves tend to dress in functional clothes that are usually in neutral earth shades such as gray and brown.

Stone dwarves once commanded the power of Runic magic now they rely on more conventional means to deal with their enemies

Steam dwarves are a fair sight different than their stone dwarf cousins. Though they are hard workers like the stone dwarves they are also inventors of exceptional genius. Though they suffered from the time of the Sundering more than some other dwarven clans, having lost their entire home, they quickly adapted and moved to a new home. Many say that the steam dwarves were changed during the Sundering, somehow becoming something different entirely. A lot of normal dwarves hold this belief, more than willing to blame magic for their brethrens eccentric behavior.

Steam dwarves believe that with their inventions the dwarven race will be able to roll over any opposition that may keep them from reclaiming their ancestral homes, and they may be right. Steam dwarven inventions are powerful and in many cases extremely destructive, to foe and friend alike.

The infamous Thunderstaffs and Thunderclubs are proof of this. These devices can unload a blast of metal shrapnel and flames up to several hundred feet away with enough force to punch through even dwarven crafted plate mail. Larger versions of these devices, which they call cannons, do exist, but are few in number. Cannons fire payloads of huge metal spheres that weigh close to five hundred pounds!

They have other inventions as well that are not destructive but more utilitarian, such as mechanical lifts to get from one level of their holds to another, or mechanical golems that serve as servants and workers. They have also invented large ships that can fly through the air, but as of yet there are only two in existence, which are used to defend their homes from aerial attacks from dragons, and other threats that may manifest in the coming ages.

Because of their inventions, steam dwarves tend to be a bit lazy and enjoy life a bit more often. Therefore they tend to be more jovial and outgoing than other dwarves and see the value of good entertainment more often than not. Steam dwarves tend to look similar to their stone dwarf brethren, with a tendency towards lighter blondes and reds for hair color. A steam dwarf usually has several inventions at his belt ready for use and dress more flamboyantly and in brighter colors, some even following human fashion trends.

some even produce effects that are often confused for magic.

Steam dwarves use all sort of strange devices Last of the dwarf sub-species are what are known as sundered dwarves. These dwarves have forsaken family and

clan and struck out on their own, usually to try and amass a fortune in foreign lands, though some have been exiled. Sundered dwarves are not considered true dwarves (even obsidian dwarves look down upon a sundered). They are are usually turned away if they try to enter a dwarven town or hold. They have usually cut their beards off to show that they no longer consider themselves dwarves (females cut their hair short).

Gnomes Gnomes are creatures very close to nature and the elements that make up the natural world. This is not surprising

considering that they were originally the titans created by the Son and Daughter to be the shepherds of the land. In current days, gnomes keep to themselves, often found in small villages and towns deep in hard to reach natural wilderness areas. Gnomes worship their own pantheon of gods, as well as the gods of nature. Their mythos priest is the druid.

Gnomes are natural talents at hiding and remaining unseen, often using their natural ability to blend in with surrounding terrain as well as their mastery of illusions to keep hidden from the world at large. Like elves and dwarves there are several sub-species of gnomes.

Unlike the gnomes described in the Players Handbook and the Complete Book of Gnomes & Halflings, gnomes of Eldritch Empires are a slender people with fine features and pointed ears. They look like half-sized elves, and they are distantly related to fae creatures of their particular terrain type.

Rock gnomes are often found in mountains, hills, and other areas of earthy rough terrain. Though superficially similar to dwarves in that rock gnomes find pleasure in mining and finding veins of ore and precious gems, thats where the resemblance ends. Rock gnomes dont often keep their mines open once theyve run dry, they often close them back up collapsing the tunnel back to its original state. Rock gnomes are also far more jovial and friendly than the common dwarf.

Rock gnome villages are often inside shallow caverns that they share with wild animals such as bears and wolves. These animals often leave the gnomes alone, and even work as incidental guards to the village. Rock gnomes often have a single burgher that rules each village, and most of the time their villages are autonomous in and of themselves, though there are exceptions to that rule.

Rock gnomes often dress in earthy colors, and their clothing tends to be practical and functional with little in the way of frills and accessories with one major exception; jewelry. Rock gnomes love their jewels, and the tackier and larger the better. Rock gnomes tend to have brown, grey, silver, black, and red hair colors. The eyes of a rock gnome are their most striking feature, as they resemble smooth gemstones, and are of any color that a gem can be.

Rock gnomes excel at the eldritch arts but excel at those dealing with earth and illusions.

Forest gnomes are often found in deep forests and even jungles. They are naturally shy and usually they are content with keeping the outside world just that, outside. The one exception is the forest that they live in. They will protect the forest and the animals within with a ferocity that many would not expect from such a quiet and unassuming people.

Forest gnome villages are often found near the largest trees in a forest or jungle, and if there are knotholes in the larger trees that are big enough, they may even build their dwellings inside of them. Forest gnomes are a bit more religious than their rock gnome brethren and they are usually led by a druid that acts as judge, jury, and executioner if need be, but usually he is just there to lead the gnomes and make suggestions about the direction of a village.

Forest gnomes often dress in the colors of the forest or jungle, which can lead to them wearing fairly bright colors, especially in a temperate forest in the spring or fall. They have hair that is reflective of the forest or jungle around them, to the point of flowers and leaves growing in their hair. The color of their hair usually matches their surroundings, lending towards hair of just about any color of the spectrum. Their eyes are a solid color, and can also be of any color.

and will hunt down and kill those that despoil their homes.

Forest gnomes are very close to nature

Desert and tundra gnomes are pretty much the opposite sides of the same coin. They are the closest related of all the offshoot species as they stem from a similar root. These are a rough and hardy people, and they tend to be nomadic, following either the migration patterns of the animals they hunt (in the case of the tundra gnomes), or the cycle of the oasis (in the case of the desert gnomes). They distrust outsiders, but are more than willing to trade with them, especially for survival gear.

Desert gnomes wear light and airy clothing to help combat the heat of their homelands. They have skin that looks almost scale-like in quality and is extremely smooth to the touch. Their eyes a highly reflective, developed after generations of living under the desert sun, and are usually yellow, white, black, or grey in color. A desert gnomes hair can be light brown or blonde.

Tundra gnomes wear heavy, covering garments and furs designed to keep out the bitter cold of their homelands. They have pale skin with bluish coloration in it. Their eyes tend to be white, blue, or grey, and their hair is usually white or shades of blue and is often clumped together so that it looks like icicles.

Desert gnomes may seem to be the opposite of the tundra gnomes but they actually have quite a bit in common.

Halflings (Kaerdans) Halflings in Eldritch Empires are not like their brethren in other settings. They call themselves the Kaerda, and

they are not a short race of lazy, rotund lay-abouts waiting for the next party or meal. They are short, just as a normal Halfling is, but they are a slender race of nomads that eke out an existence in a world that has overlooked them. The Kaerda are a race with a bleak outlook on life. Throughout history they have been either enslaved or ignored.

Kaerda are a fierce and bitter race no matter which type you talk to. Many are still angered by the fact that no one had bothered to do anything about the humans of the Kaerdan Empire, or the fact that their own name was taken from them. They do not take out this anger on other races though; they reserve their hatred for the priest-kings, their followers, and their undead servants.

The Kaerda have kept to their nomadic roots, and even though they travel, they are distrustful of outsiders. For their part, most other races view the Kaerdans as a plague upon their society, often accusing them of theft, seducing young women into their camps, and con artistry. This couldnt be further from the truth. While Kaerdans are good at thievery due to their small size, they only practice it against those that deserve their ire.

In this day and age, many Kaerdan caravans travel about, beholden to no one. They often follow the laws of the land so that they can avoid persecution. Many Kaerda are currently in Justavia, hoping to help put an end to the undead that rule over the terrified populace there. Others are members of various pirate gangs out of Skull Isles and one group wanders the dangerous frontier known as the Shardlands.

The Kaerdans have lost their home but they fight and play as hard as they always have

IV. Deities of Eldritch Empires

The deities described here are those native to the world of Kirous. These are the gods that were created by the Luminous Son and the Shadowed Daughter. The gods of the demi-humans, monsters, and dragons came later, and created versions of their mortal children for this world when the other gods created mortal races. The gods of the demi-humans and monsters can be found in the Monster Mythology book, and they are considered active pantheons on this world. Keep in mind that though the gods of darkness are detailed here, that usually worship of them is strictly limited to DM permission, as evil characters are usually disruptive to the game. Greater Gods These are the gods that make up the all-powerful tribunals, and are always looked to for leadership and direction by the other gods. They have the most power and usually are the most widely worshipped. The greater gods guide the paths of their fellow gods, and often use them as pawns in their great game against one another.

Tribunal of Light These gods represent the good and positive in the world, and strive against the darkness, fear, suffering, and tyranny that their evil counterparts try to inflict upon the mortals of the world. Though they are benevolent, they have their own goals and agendas, and some may willingly sacrifice their followers for some inscrutable plan that mortals cannot see, but will often serve the greater good.

Merous The Righteous Judge, The Master of Dawn Symbol: A set of silver scales over a yellow sun on a light blue field Alignment: LG Description: Merous is the greater god of good and law. He represents all that is good and ordered in the world. He

is a protector of the people, seeing to it that the laws of the land are just and fair for all and he drives away evil just as when dawn approaches to chase the dark creatures of the night back into their holes. He is a staunch enemy of evil, with a special hatred for those that would abuse the law to commit selfish and evil deeds.

Kyra The Nurturing Queen, The Mourning Healer Symbol: A hand glowing with a light blue nimbus Alignment: NG Description: Kyra was once queen of the Kingdom of Kyrador, which was named after her. She healed any who

needed her touch, even the elves of Duania which her people were at war with. Because of this, she was called by the gods to take the place of the long destroyed goddess of healing. She is a healer first and foremost, not wanting any to suffer if she can help it. She sees that all things have a chance of redemption of some sort, and seeks the good in all things.

Jaunous The Master Bard, The Singer of Tears and Laughter Symbol: A lute with the stars arrayed around it Alignment: CG Description: Jaunous is the god of good-natured fun and creativity. He is the patron to all bards, even those that are

evil. He sees that creativity is the first step to a happy life, and those who follow him believe this as well. For those that would destroy, or hinder creativity he hates with an absolute passion that will not stop until he sees that creativity is flowing again.

Tribunal of Balance These gods represent the balance and the desire to see good and evil, law and chaos within perfect sync with one another. If the scales tip to far to one side, the results can be disastrous. These gods see to it that there is a perfect balance within the world, and strive to keep things in harmony with one another.

Sythari The Judge of the Soul, The Mistress of Death Symbol: A set of perfectly balanced platinum scales Alignment: LN Description: Sythari is the goddess of death, and judgement, and she judges all the souls of the dead to determine

where they shall go for their afterlife. Once she has made a judgment it is not questionable and the verdict is carried out regardless of circumstance. She does make sure that all evidence is in before judging however and she is a fair and even-handed judge.

Kirous The World Father, Natures Guide Symbol: The planet Alignment: N Description: Kirous was once just a simple nature god who helped the world stabilize and grow. He was chosen by

the Luminous Son to bind to the world and become one with it, along with the essence of the Son. Kirous is viewed as the father of all life, and as the god of growing things.

Beklor The Battling Warlord Symbol: A horned helmet with a sword lying next to it Alignment: CN Description: Beklor is the god of battles, warlords and the field of battle itself where everything dissolves into the

chaos of war. He favors warriors and strategists, knowing that both are needed to fight wars. His followers are warriors who train and fight even in their spare time, preparing for a great war that their god says is inevitable.

Tribunal of Darkness It goes without saying that the gods of darkness are without redemption, and revel in the fear, anger, and loathing that they cause in others, even the other gods. They seek to drag the world into their own brand of darkness, though they are careful not to go too far, lest they become pawns of Nexara.

Xarkathil The Black Tyrant, Lord of Oppression Symbol: A gauntlet with a glowing black skull on it Alignment: LE Description: Xarkathil is the god of tyranny, slavery, conquering warlords, and fear. It is his creed that it is better to

rule absolutely through fear rather than rule partially through any other means. He is also the greatest of the evil gods, and they follow him out of fear of the repercussions should they disobey. His followers are often leaders, though those that are not realize that the system is in place for a reason, though they will use the system to better their position until they rule outright.

Bezlian The Lord of Pestilence, The Plague Symbol: An overgrown black maggot Alignment: NE Description: Bezlian is the god of disease and decay, and the suffering that both bring. He spreads his diseases to all,

and eventually all things decay and rot, thanks to Bezlians influence. He works closely with Dyleria, and many myths say that they are secretly lovers. His followers spread diseases by any means they can create, up to and including infecting themselves and going into large population centers to spread the disease.

Myseria The Vengeful Harlot Symbol: A spiked cat-of-nine-tails Alignment: CE Description: Myseria is the goddess of taboo, vengeance and the destruction that they bring upon others. She was

spurned by Merous due to her odd proclivities at one time, and now she seeks vengeance against him for his dismissal of her. Her followers often seduce others and have them act out their depraved fantasies before revealing them for what they really are. It is said that Myserias clergy runs a few brothels in secret across the world.

Intermediate Gods These gods are viewed as the captains of the gods and are often considered the right hand of the tribunal gods. They have many followers and often call upon lesser gods and demi-gods to serve them. The intermediate gods follow the lead of their tribunals, but some manage to circumvent the rule laid down by the tribunals in order to follow their own mandates put down by the Son and Daughter.

Gods of Light

Valer The Light of Truth Symbol: A judges gavel with a nimbus of white light Alignment: LG Description: Valer is the god of truth, radiance and justice. He is the one that ensures that justice and truth are

brought into the light so that all may see it, and so that his mentor Merous can properly see the truth of things. Lanyra The Duchess of Battle Symbol: Silver tiara hanging off the hilt of a sword Alignment: LG Description: Lanyra is the daughter of Merous and Kyra, and is the goddess of nobility, duty, and war. She

represents the upper class of society as well as their responsibility to those under them. She seeks honorable combat, and is a brilliant strategist. Few have ever beaten her, on the battle-field or in a one on one fight.

Eralia The Lovers Moon (Tribunal Member) Symbol: The silver moon engraved with a heart Alignment: NG Description: Eralia is the goddess of the moon and the love it instills in young lovers and newlyweds. She is the

representation of love, marriage, and the moon. She is also the goddess of creativity, as the moon has been the muse for many artists and poets. Minstrels, bards, and artists of all types often look to Eralia for inspiration and insight.

Haneral The Eternal Wanderer Symbol: A gray travelers cloak over a scene of a road dwindling in the distance. Alignment: CG Description: Haneral is the god of travel, exploration and pathfinding. He was created from Jaunous need to travel

and see everything. Haneral encourages people to explore their world and not to stay tied down to one place for too long. His followers can be seen on the various roads, or in most cases making their own roads. They feel that by following their gods outlook that they are free from the restrictions that others would place upon them if they stayed in one place.

Gods of Balance

Torata The Magister of Magic Symbol: A scroll with arcane text inside a crystal. Alignment: N Description: Torata is the god of magic, and he is widely feared and questioned. He ignores these short-sighted

views and tells his followers that they should study magic and practice it, though to be careful when doing so. He knows that arcane energies holds a tenuous balance within the world, and to break that balance is to possibly release an old darkness that was sealed away long ago by the same magics that he watches over.

Jamus The Lord-Mayor Symbol: The sun rising over a manor-house Alignment: TN Description: Jamus is the lord of civilization. He is the order of a well-run city, the clink of the merchants coins,

and the sense of civic pride and duty that many find within themselves. He is literally the god of the city, and many mayors, governors, clerks, and other people that see to the day to day running of a city follow him.

Altyra The Savage Queen Symbol: A wolfs head with crossed arrows behind it Alignment: TN Description: Altyra is the goddess of the animals, the hunt, and the natural order of the living world. She represents

the natural cycle found amongst the animals, including their eventual death, often at the whims of another, greater, creature. In this aspect she also represents the Autumn season, as she is seen as the eventual fate of all living things. She often works hand in hand with Sythari, as their aims are similar. Her followers include hunters and poachers, as many of them call upon her when striking out to hunt for the day.

Sevrin The Lucky Thief of Shadows Symbol: A coin, half in shadow Alignment: CN Description: Sevrin is the god of thievery, shadows and luck. He is the consummate gambler, and the ultimate thief,

claiming treasures beyond any mortals dreams and desires. He is also the lord of shadows, and all that goes on within them, whether it is back-alley deals, foul murder, or a secret rendezvous with a mistress. His followers are often thieves, assassins, secret lovers and gamblers.

Verina Giver of Life, Natures Protector Symbol: A tree over a field that is painted like the world Alignment: CN Description: Verina is the bringer of life, mother to all creatures great and small. Her father Kirous gave her the

task of bringing life to the planet and to take his place as goddess of nature, and she does her job very well. Though she creates life, she does so in a chaotic fashion, bringing all manner of creatures to the planet.

Gods of Darkness

Hadrakaul The Feared Tyrant Symbol: A closed spiked gauntlet Alignment: LE Description: Hadrakaul is the god of tyranny, fear, and hatred. His followers cause fear and hatred through acts of

tyranny, and as long as they are in power and not suffering from fear themselves then their order commends them. If they succumb to hatred thats okay because hatred can often lead to greater and crueler acts of tyranny, and those acts cause even more fear and hatred. It is a never-ending cycle that Hadrakauls followers try to maintain.

Asheri Mistress of the Secret Art, The Undead Harlot Symbol: A face of a comely woman on one side, and a rotting skull on the other. Alignment: NE Description: Asheri is the goddess of secrets, especially the secrets of dark magic. She has managed to twist some of

the ley lines to her own designs, and corrupted eldritch crystals spring from these dark lines of power. As the goddess of secrets, she has managed to keep the other gods from knowing what she is doing. She has used this corrupt energy to spread the plague of undeath, her own curse she brought back from the grave.

Dyleria The Lady of Madness, The Black Moon Symbol: The black moon with a laughing skull inside it Alignment: CE Description: Dyleria is the goddess of the black moon, madmen, and evil lycanthropes. It is said that when the black

moon rises in full that people touched by her are driven insane and the lycanthropes that follow her can shift at will as they are no longer held in sway by the silver moon. Her followers give in to madness and insanity and have no problems making their insanity someone elses problem as well.

Lorthar The Rebellious Slaughterer Symbol: A clenched fist that holds a sword made of lightning Alignment: CE Description: Lorthar is the destruction that comes from rebellion and the slaughter that comes from those that hold

no law sacred. It is he that incites angry mobs to kill indiscriminately, and it is his guidance that causes mortals to slaughter the helpless in their sleep. His followers care only for slaughter and fomenting rebellions, and they barely manage to not kill one another.

Lesser Gods These gods are viewed as the lieutenants of the gods and have more direct contact with mortals than the intermediate or greater gods. Most of the higher gods use lesser gods as mouthpieces, messengers, and champions in their eternal struggles.

Divinities of Light Magnesal The Wandering Protector Symbol: A shield with a setting sun Alignment: LG Description: Magnesal is the protector of the roads, allowing the good people of the world to travel unmolested. He

takes his duty very seriously, and his followers do as well. The most famous of his followers are the Knights Errant of Kyrador, who protect traveling caravans along the roads and byways. He is also the vigilant guard who lets no harm come to his charges.

Orlin The Martyr for Peace Symbol: a man tied to a burning stake over a battlefield background Alignment: NG Description: Orlin is Kyras son created from her sadness of a suffering world. He feels for the suffering of the

world, and wants to take the entire worlds pains and sufferings onto himself. He especially protests against war as it causes the most undue suffering out of any enterprise that mankind has undertaken. His followers go onto battlefields to help those that need tending to and ease the suffering of those beyond their help.

Mylia The Compassionate Mother Symbol: A cradle with a wreath around it Alignment: NG Description: Mylia is the goddess of fertility, compassion, and family. She is the mother of the hearth, always

showing compassion to those closest to her. She is also the angry mother, willing to defend her children from any threat, despite any harm that may come to her. She will defend her home and family, and she urges her followers to do the same. Housewives, and mothers to be often call to her in times of need.

Erinithli The Singing Strumpet Symbol: A scantily clad woman singing Alignment: CG Description: Erinithili is the goddess of entertainment of all sorts, inspiration and music. She often travels with her

father Jaunous and inspires mortals to indulge in their creativity and desires. Her followers can be seen in many taverns and alehouses across the world counseling and inspiring people to do what they really want to do rather than what they feel they must do. Some see the priests of Erinithili as troublemakers and home wreckers. The priests wave this off as nothing more than jealousy at not being as free as they should be.

Divinities of Balance Arela The Librarian of Knowledge Symbol: A tome with a stylized eye on the cover Alignment: LN Description: Arela is the goddess of knowledge and the written word. She keeps the library of the gods and is the

purveyor of all things academic. She is the great researcher, the writer of histories, and the light of knowledge in the mortal races. Her followers open up small shrines anywhere there is a need for learning, and they hear confessions so that the truth may come out.

Rivan King of Waves Symbol: A large wave Alignment: N Description: Rivan is the god of water, seas, and oceans. He decides whether the waters of the world are calm or

destructive, and with his tie to Eralia and Dyleria, he helps control the worlds tides. Rivan is an ambitious and capricious elemental lord, and hopes to gain in station though why or how is a mystery even to his brothers and sister.

Bamok Father of Stone Symbol: A mountain with a gaping cavern that looks like a mouth Alignment: N Description: Bamok is the elemental lord of earth and stone. It is said that he causes quakes when he is upset or

angry with mortals, though this is not true. He merely causes them as a way to shift the earth around the leylines leading to the crystal prison as needed. He is a steady and wise god, and even the other elemental lords seek his guidance.

Lerila Mistress of the Breeze Symbol: An icy tornado Alignment: CN Description: Lerila is the goddess of air and ice. She is known as the frost queen and the lady of storms. It is her will

that causes storms of all types, and she controls the overall weather on Kirous. Many sailors pray to her before making a trip, asking for fair skies and swift winds. She is known to be fickle with her fortunes, however, and she may brew up a storm, just because she feels like it.

Razasa Lady of Embers Symbol: A large flame with two eyes Alignment: CN Description: Destructive and cleansing, Razasa is the elemental mistress of fire. She is destructive, but in the fires

wake comes new healing and growth. Razasa is often too dangerous to be left to her own devices, so her siblings keep a close eye on her, lest she unleash the full power of her elemental upon the world.

Divinities of Darkness Telzuar The Duke of Despair Symbol: A dark void with hands reaching out of it Alignment: LE Description: Telzuar calls despair his only friend, and he seeks to spread his friendship with everyone he comes

across. He is the god of despair and the destroyed lives that depression can leave behind. He openly advocates suicide, and those that kill themselves in a fit of depression often go to him, no matter who they followed in life. No one openly worships him, but he does have followers, and they actively work to insinuate themselves into peoples lives with the sole intent of destroying them from the inside out so that their victims will feel despair for the rest of their lives.

Shalk The Poison Assassin Symbol: A dagger dripping with poison Alignment: NE Description: Shalk is the god of assassins, poison, and deceit. His followers follow a cycle of deceiving their targets,

then assassinating them usually through poison of some sort. Many assassins that prefer a more subtle approach to their job follow the assassin god, as do those who wish to poison their way to the top of their society, and many have done so, and have yet to be caught.

Thaergoth The Torture Lord Symbol: A spiked rack with an open eye in the center Alignment: NE Description: Thaergoth is the god of torture, suffering, and dungeons. It is rumored that his physical form fell to the

world, and was trapped underground after he committed some heinous crime upon one of the other gods. It is said that as he dragged his crippled form through the world that the Underdark formed from the tunnels he dug. If this were true, he would be slumbering somewhere in the Underdark today.

Berxal Librarian of Lies Symbol: An open book with insects crawling from it Alignment: CE Description: The god of lies openly opposes Arela, the goddess of knowledge. Where she seeks to enlighten, Berxal

seeks to obscure with hidden truths and bald-faced lies. He keeps secrets, omits facts, and encourages mortals to outright lie. His followers masquerade as followers of Arela at times, in hopes of getting confessions from people to learn of their lies. Lies that are kept secret are recorded by the priests of Berxal and if a lie goes a decade without being found out, the burn the page with the lie on it, an offering to their god.

V. Atlas of Kirous

This section of the book covers all the information about the world and setting of Eldritch Empires. It includes a look at the common folk that most adventurers will come across in their travels, and a broad, general look at their perceptions of the world. It will take a look at the calendar that most nations follow, and the two moons and how they affect things. There will be a look at how common certain items are and a general explanation of currencies and exchange rates.It will cover why magic is dangerous, and how to overcome the dangers of using magic. And last, but not least, will be a tour throughout the three known continents of the world.

A Kyradorian knight explores the ruins of old Calveth

The Common Perspective This section details how the common folk view specific things in their lives, whether they actually come across it or not. Most people have heard of adventurers, magic, and monsters, even if they have never seen one in their life time (in most cases a common person will have seen or come across at leats one of these things, more than likely monsters). These will be brief and somewhat broad, as most individuals have wildly differing views based on personal beliefs, upbringing, race, and country.

Adventurers To the commoner, an adventurer straddles that line between brave and stupid. Really, who leaves the safety of not

only their home, but their village, town, or city, and actually goes after the monsters that everyone else cowers from? For most commoners, an adventurer is either a good-natured meddler at best, and a potential threat that will bring danger to their doorstep at worst.

Gods & Divinity Most common folk pay at least lip service to the various gods at some point in their lives or another. Existence of

the divine is not in question on Kirous, as priests casting spells granted to them by the gods removes any and all doubt. Some commoners will worship a specific god, but if they do, that god usually has an inordinate amount of importance to that person, such as a fisherman who worships Rivan, or the huntsman that worships Altyra.

Magic Magic is a cause of concern and worry among the commoners of Kirous, since they are quite aware that it was

magic that caused the Sundering. It is distrusted and even outright feared in some places as a result. Most common folk have never seen magic, and some spells are subtle enough to cast without a commoner ever knowing what was cast. A charlatan can even just wiggle his fingers in a funny way, say some strange words and state that he just cast a curse on the person, and theyre likely to believe him, and then stone him to death or hang him. This is not to say that commoners are stupid or gullible, they just arent familiar with magic, and they want to keep it that way.

Monsters Most people are only aware of the sort of monsters that attack their homes and caravans. Humanoid monsters like

goblinoids, orcs, and gnolls. They are also aware of monsters that have a lot of stories behind them such as undead, dragons, unicorns, and pegasi, though their information is probably flawed and incorrect in a lot of cases, with the occasional snippet of truth that manages to find its way in.

Other Countries From the point of view of a commoner, other towns and cities are far away as it is, let alone going to another

country. Other countries are usually nothing more than a handful of stories told by a travelling merchant or minstrel. They are sometimes dreamed of by young people, and other times they are feared and reviled, all depending on the person and the nation in question. No matter the case, most people have a fierce loyalty to their country, and patriotism runs high in some cases. They view other countries as backwards, decadent, or even too reliant on magic. While most will dream of visiting some foreign land, they wouldnt want to live anywhere but where they currently live, after all it has proven safe so far.

The Calendar The Roll of Time The calendar year of Kirous is exactly five hundred days, divided up into fifty weeks of ten days each. A month is

five weeks long and thu