Hello, I am thinking of starting an all good party on Athas. I wrote a small history/back story of where we are when the party starts. If people are interested, it would be on a Wednesday. The time is debatable. Show of hands and D&D experience would be appreciated if you reply. Cheers. '
"Here I stand on the dunes, staring avid at the moons. The Hero's Call starts glowing red, find them or we'll all be dead."
-a clip from the moon druid prophecy.
My name is Gotho. My master has given me a great burden, to find great hero's in this land of villains and slavers. To understand my plight you must first understand the world I inhabited. This is Athas, a world of twin suns and never ending deserts, but it wasn't always so.
The history, as my master tells me, starts with a lush jungle like world brimming with life. Once the major race of the world was the halflings, a peaceful cheery race; now violent tribes of desert cannibals. In the 4th age the nature benders started experimenting with life and death. They soon aligned with the evil elemental clerics of the realm. A war ensued, and the benders and cleric were defeated, but not before turning the sun from blue to yellow; thus destroying the halfling civilization. After the sun changed, it hailed the rebirth. The rebirth brought the new races to the world: The Humans, Gnomes, Dwarves, Elves, and others. The first use of Psionic powers are brought by the rebirth and the new races.
Over 300 years later came the birth of Rajaat, the War-Bringer. He learned the secrets of preserving and defiling magic, nearly killing himself in the process. Over 2 centuries, Rajaat refined the use of magic and taught the new races, preserving magic openly, and those of questionable character defiling magic. He decided that humans have the most potential of all to suit his needs. Rajaat began a jihad against the preservers of Athas for the next thousand years. Rajaat sent all but a few of his students away. Using the power of the Pristine Tower and the mysterious Dark Lens Rajaat created his Champions. Each Champion was ordered to eliminate one specific race from the face of Athas in an effort to bring about the return of the Blue Age. The Cleansing Wars began. Kobolds, Goblins, Pixies, Ogres, Orcs and Gnomes were wiped off the face of Athas forever.
After 1500 years of Genocide and murder, where the Dead Lands are born and undead stalk the world, Borys of Ebe defeated the Dwarven king and was almost slain in the process. Hamanu told Borys of Rajaat's true plans for Athas. After becoming aware that Rajaat intended to wipe out all races except the halflings, Borys leads the Champions in a rebellion against their master-from which they emerged victorious. Despite their power, the children of Rajaat could not destroy his mortal remains. Instead, Gallard separated the First Sorcerer's essence from his physical form, placing each in a separate location. Aided by the power of the Dark Lens, Gallard created the Hollow, where he placed Rajaat's essence. Through the use of the Dark Lens, Borys rewarded the remaining Champions by beginning their transformations into sorcerer-kings. This process linked each of them to living vortices, which allowed them to grant their followers clerical spells. The Champions realized that Rajaat's prison will not hold. Even segmented, Rajaat's power is supreme and he would one day be free. Hence, the Champions once again used the Dark Lens to transform Borys into the Dragon, whose power would keep Rajaat imprisoned for all time. The transformation causes Borys to become insane, ravaging the land. Borys emerges from his insanity and learns Rajaat's prison is on the verge of collapse. Soon after he collects a levy of 1,000 slaves from each sorcerer-king, using their life force to reseal the First Sorcerer's prison on a yearly basis.
Lead by Abalach-Re of Raam, the sorcerer-kings stormed Guistenal and kill Dregoth, Ravager of Giants just before he is to become a true Dragon. The battle destroyed the city, the land, and most of its population. Afterwards, Hamanu threw the Scorcher into the Silt Sea. With the aid of his high Templar Mon Adderath, Dregoth was returned to life as an undead dragon king. The surviving populace was gathered soon after, and construction of New Guistenal begins.
With the aid of a wizard named Besteren, Oronis (formerly known as Keltis) developed the preserver metamorphosis spell to counter Rajaat's vile magic. The spell nearly killed him, but in the end Oronis emerged as Athas's first avangion. Oronis gave the preserver metamorphosis spell to a preserver/psionicist named Nerad, who became Athas's second avangion. After revealing himself to the Veiled Alliance of Tyr, Nerad is discovered by King Kalak, who in turn contacts the Dragon. Borys later kills Nerad south of Tyr. In his grief, Oronis hid all copies of the preserver metamorphosis spell.
Over the next few hundred years some of the Dragon Kings fell. Borys and others, in a panic to get the 1000 slave levy from every city, kidnapped and imprisoned anyone who can not defend themselves. King Kalak of Tyr was slain by the Heartwood Spear through the combined efforts of Rikus, Agis, Neeva, Tithian, and Sadira. Tithian became the next king of Tyr and freed all slaves. Tyr adopted the Free Year calendar. The Prison of Rajaat is weakening and the Dragon Kings will stop at nothing to keep that from happening.
So here we are, year one of the Free year. Dregoth in his city of necromancy, starting the zombie Apocalypse. Borys, the Dragon, rounding up anyone not strong enough, or rich enough, to be free. Slavers, rapers, murderers and the dread, and yet the Hero's Call starts glowing red. I must leave you now in this wold of blistering heat, and black hearten Sorcerer Kings, for my quest has begun..............
"WELCOME TO THE DARK SUN"
"Here I stand on the dunes, staring avid at the moons. The Hero's Call starts glowing red, find them or we'll all be dead."
-a clip from the moon druid prophecy.
My name is Gotho. My master has given me a great burden, to find great hero's in this land of villains and slavers. To understand my plight you must first understand the world I inhabited. This is Athas, a world of twin suns and never ending deserts, but it wasn't always so.
The history, as my master tells me, starts with a lush jungle like world brimming with life. Once the major race of the world was the halflings, a peaceful cheery race; now violent tribes of desert cannibals. In the 4th age the nature benders started experimenting with life and death. They soon aligned with the evil elemental clerics of the realm. A war ensued, and the benders and cleric were defeated, but not before turning the sun from blue to yellow; thus destroying the halfling civilization. After the sun changed, it hailed the rebirth. The rebirth brought the new races to the world: The Humans, Gnomes, Dwarves, Elves, and others. The first use of Psionic powers are brought by the rebirth and the new races.
Over 300 years later came the birth of Rajaat, the War-Bringer. He learned the secrets of preserving and defiling magic, nearly killing himself in the process. Over 2 centuries, Rajaat refined the use of magic and taught the new races, preserving magic openly, and those of questionable character defiling magic. He decided that humans have the most potential of all to suit his needs. Rajaat began a jihad against the preservers of Athas for the next thousand years. Rajaat sent all but a few of his students away. Using the power of the Pristine Tower and the mysterious Dark Lens Rajaat created his Champions. Each Champion was ordered to eliminate one specific race from the face of Athas in an effort to bring about the return of the Blue Age. The Cleansing Wars began. Kobolds, Goblins, Pixies, Ogres, Orcs and Gnomes were wiped off the face of Athas forever.
After 1500 years of Genocide and murder, where the Dead Lands are born and undead stalk the world, Borys of Ebe defeated the Dwarven king and was almost slain in the process. Hamanu told Borys of Rajaat's true plans for Athas. After becoming aware that Rajaat intended to wipe out all races except the halflings, Borys leads the Champions in a rebellion against their master-from which they emerged victorious. Despite their power, the children of Rajaat could not destroy his mortal remains. Instead, Gallard separated the First Sorcerer's essence from his physical form, placing each in a separate location. Aided by the power of the Dark Lens, Gallard created the Hollow, where he placed Rajaat's essence. Through the use of the Dark Lens, Borys rewarded the remaining Champions by beginning their transformations into sorcerer-kings. This process linked each of them to living vortices, which allowed them to grant their followers clerical spells. The Champions realized that Rajaat's prison will not hold. Even segmented, Rajaat's power is supreme and he would one day be free. Hence, the Champions once again used the Dark Lens to transform Borys into the Dragon, whose power would keep Rajaat imprisoned for all time. The transformation causes Borys to become insane, ravaging the land. Borys emerges from his insanity and learns Rajaat's prison is on the verge of collapse. Soon after he collects a levy of 1,000 slaves from each sorcerer-king, using their life force to reseal the First Sorcerer's prison on a yearly basis.
Lead by Abalach-Re of Raam, the sorcerer-kings stormed Guistenal and kill Dregoth, Ravager of Giants just before he is to become a true Dragon. The battle destroyed the city, the land, and most of its population. Afterwards, Hamanu threw the Scorcher into the Silt Sea. With the aid of his high Templar Mon Adderath, Dregoth was returned to life as an undead dragon king. The surviving populace was gathered soon after, and construction of New Guistenal begins.
With the aid of a wizard named Besteren, Oronis (formerly known as Keltis) developed the preserver metamorphosis spell to counter Rajaat's vile magic. The spell nearly killed him, but in the end Oronis emerged as Athas's first avangion. Oronis gave the preserver metamorphosis spell to a preserver/psionicist named Nerad, who became Athas's second avangion. After revealing himself to the Veiled Alliance of Tyr, Nerad is discovered by King Kalak, who in turn contacts the Dragon. Borys later kills Nerad south of Tyr. In his grief, Oronis hid all copies of the preserver metamorphosis spell.
Over the next few hundred years some of the Dragon Kings fell. Borys and others, in a panic to get the 1000 slave levy from every city, kidnapped and imprisoned anyone who can not defend themselves. King Kalak of Tyr was slain by the Heartwood Spear through the combined efforts of Rikus, Agis, Neeva, Tithian, and Sadira. Tithian became the next king of Tyr and freed all slaves. Tyr adopted the Free Year calendar. The Prison of Rajaat is weakening and the Dragon Kings will stop at nothing to keep that from happening.
So here we are, year one of the Free year. Dregoth in his city of necromancy, starting the zombie Apocalypse. Borys, the Dragon, rounding up anyone not strong enough, or rich enough, to be free. Slavers, rapers, murderers and the dread, and yet the Hero's Call starts glowing red. I must leave you now in this wold of blistering heat, and black hearten Sorcerer Kings, for my quest has begun..............
"WELCOME TO THE DARK SUN"
