Note : please click on the pictures to see them in high resolution! The land of Gauntlon floats high above the surface of Aoth, but while it looks peaceful from afar, the reality is darker. Fo r ten years, conflict tore this land asunder: the vassals of the Divine Emperor, Gauntlon's mute and meditative ruler, all went to war with each other. Angered by how Chancellor Zumi, the emperor's closest advisor, had gathered all of the powers of state in his own hands, a bloody revolution was conceived. Lord Storm, the ruthless Shogun of the southern mountains, joined together with the pious and fiercely independent Highmountain Monks and the wealthy samurai Lord Okan to launch his assault on Chancellor Zumi's realm. Chancellor Zumi marshalled the cunning wizard-shogun Lord Itora and the subtle ninjas of the foggy Iga mountain-forests in his own defense, but it wasn't enough. Desperate and besieged, the Chancellor appealed to the powers of hell to restore life to the fallen Zumi warriors. The devil was happy to oblige, throwing wide the gates of hell to let the damned warriors march through once again, cured of their fear of death, but also deprived of their humanity. The undead warriors repelled the invaders, but then turned on their own countrymen, slaughtering their own families and friends in a bloody rampage. Only then was the true horror of the devil's curse revealed: that anyone who died in Zumi would rise again as a bloodthirsty,zombie. Lord Itora had the means to rescue the Divine Emperor before he was consumed, but the entire north of Gauntlon became a shunned land, inhabited only by the undead and wild beasts. For ten years, Gauntlon had been at war, and for ten years, the Divine Emperor remained silent. Upon hearing of the destruction in Zumi, he at long last spoke--and he demanded his vassals make peace, and answer to Lord Itora, who was now to be called Great Lord. Begrudgingly, Lord Storm and the Highmountain monks laid down their arms. The ninjas of Iga, wronged by their enemies, were also angered by the end of the war. But the Divine Emperor's word was absolute, and even the warmongering Lord Storm was shaken by the loss of so many troops to the undead hordes. And so, with old enemies making common cause against the swelling hordes of hellspawn in the north, Gauntlon arrived at something which could only very loosely be called "peace." What will your role in this land be? Will you join the Great Lord Itora in trying to unite the peoples of Gauntlon against the undead threat? Will you ally yourself to Lord Storm, and bide your time for the moment your enemies show weakness? Will you join the Highmountain monks and attempt to carve out a safe place in this world where the gods may be venerated properly? Will you join the ninjas to silently work towards revenge against Storm and Highmountain for the ravaging of your lands? Or will you do something totally different? Read on to learn more about the inhabitants of this troubled land. Itora The Great Lord Itora, once the most famous bodyguard of the Divine Emperor, is now the de facto ruler of Gauntlon. With many magical powers and many capable soldiers, he rules over the fractured lands of Gauntlon, resisting the undead threat, containing Storm's warlike ways, tempering the fanaticism of Highmountain, and pacifying the vengefulness of Iga. Great Lord Itora's magical castle is invisible, and it is in the midst of the thick forests in the center of Gauntlon. It has never stood siege, and confounded all attackers. Its location is not known, even to those who have visited it. It is from here that the Great Lord's clever agents work to fulfill his will. Iga Iga, a mysterious land defined by soaring peaks and foggy forests, is the ancestral home of Gauntlon's mighty ninja warriors. Historically it has rarely been the site of many battles, but in the civil war, Highmountain and Storm laid waste to it, killing villagers, robbing artifacts, razing cities, and despoiling farms. Even though Great Lord Itora has forbidden Iga to avenge their people, the flame of anger burns brightly in the hearts of the people. Many of its most experienced ninja warriors have taken to the shadows to exact vengeance on those who committed atrocities against them. Storm The province of Storm is high in the central mountains, with dense fortifications and fierce samurai. This society is militaristic and proud, with a long history of war and conquest. Their leader, Lord Storm, is loved by the people of his province and hated by everyone else for instigating the civil war. Unswayed by his countrymen's hatred but cowed by the undead threat, Lord Storm agreed to a truce, and now has dedicated many of his forces to fighting the undead menace on his northern border. Many speculate that the undead threat is likely the only thing keeping Storm's ambitions in check. Highmountain The warrior-monks of Highmountain venerate Voton the allfather, the god of oaths and lightning. They reside on a flatland at the highest inhabited altitudes of Gauntlon. Their society is very strict, and the monks ruling over it do their best to ensure that everyone remains in their proper place–that every farmer is a good farmer, that every guard is a good guard, and so on. The monks' desire for independence from the will of Chancellor Zumi drove their participation in the last war, and they find the yoke of Great Lord Itora no less vexing, despite the Divine Emperor's endorsement. Another rebellion may be waiting to boil over. The Deathlands The lands of Zumi and Okan in the north were once the agricultural heart of Gauntlon, and the wealthiest two regions. Now it is an infested land full of zombies from the pit of hell, the enraged spirits of the dead soldiers of the civil war. A mysterious curse reanimates anyone who dies there into a mindless killing machine. The capitals of Zumi and Okan were ravaged, but against all odds, some of the people in the smaller towns and villages survived, fortifying their cities against the groaning masses of undead. It is said that the zombies, with no appetite for mortal wealth, have left untouched the treasures of Okan and Zumi–a perilous quarry for intrepid adventurers.