Fantasy The War of the Shadow - Lore

[Magnar]

General Lore:​

The Veil and the Fell:

There are many dangers in the world of Midnight, but few as foul and horrifying as the Fell. When Izrador's fall severed the bond between heaven and the mortal world, it did more than sever the connection between the gods and their faithful. It also trapped the souls of all future dead in the material realm, preventing their ascension to the celestial kingdom. Whether by happenstance or because of some malicious magics on Izrador's part, one of the terrible consequences of this reality has been that the souls of the newly dead are often unable to leave their bodies, remaining tied to them and doomed to walk the land as horrible, undead abominations. These unfortunate, fearsome, undead monsters are commonly known as the Fell.

In game terms, what this means is that when you slay an opponent, there is a possiblity that opponent will resurrect as an undead creature unless certain precautions are met within 3-4 days - such as separating the head from the body of all slain foes. Unfortunately, there is also a chance that the opponent slain can raise as an undead creature instantaneously upon death.

Magic Items:

Magic items in the world of Midnight are prized by virtue of their rarity and power. This role-play attempts to convey the classic fantasy image of a weapon, suit of armor, or other piece of magical gear that becomes inseparable and indeed defines its wielder, rather than just serving as a commodity to be traded away at the first sign of a likely upgrade. Prime examples of this are King Arthur’s Excalibur and Elric’s Stormbringer. In Midnight these sort of items are called covenant items.

All covenant items started out as mundane objects whose possessors undertook or were part of some heroic or dramatic action. Upon completion of these deeds, and usually culminating in the death or heroic sacrifice of the object’s wielder, it is imbued with some mystic combination of that person’s life essence and magical energy.

Languages and Literacy​

As reading and writing is considered a punishable crime by the Shadow, it is not a given that the PC is literate in their chosen language. For this reason reading and writing is considered a skill in this game that you will need to take proficiency in.

In addition there is no “Common Tongue” in the game. There are a variety of regional languages and dialects that will be provided when the game starts. For starting the game the PC's only have access to the Erenlander and Trader Tongues tp take proficiency in these, as the game progresses a lack of understanding of different regions, cultures and languages will be a barrier the PC’s will need to overcome.

Here is a list of languages for Eredane:-

Black Tongue:

The hosts of Izrador contain far more sorts of foul creatures than just orcs, and none of these have the orcs’ facility with language. As a result, the armies and agents of Izrador use a language the dwarves call Black Tongue. It is a simple tongue that even the most dim-witted ogre is able to master. They use this language when encamped, on patrol, or fighting together. Many of the non-orc races of Izrador’s horde have begun using the language exclusively, even when among only their own kind.

Courtier and Colonial:

The southern Erenlanders are descended from the colonial Sarcosans that invaded Eredane in the Second Age. Their language was thick tongued with such soft sounds and throaty hisses that their Dornish enemies once called them “snakemen.” The early Sarcosans were a very hierarchical people, with the nobles and commoners living as almost separate cultures. Each spoke their own version of their mother tongue, however, as a sign of station and education. The nobles spoke what was called Courtier while the masses spoke a version known as Colonial. When the Old Kings of the Dorns joined with the Sarcosans to form the Kingdom of Erenland, the traditional social stratification became less defined. Over time, Courtier became the language of science, philosophy, and politics, while Colonial became the common tongue of peasants and lords alike. Because of its complexity, Courtier can only be used at basic competence or fluent level.

Erenlander:

The Dornish and Sarcosan ancestors of modern Erenlanders did not speak the same language, and neither culture’s tongue is particularly easy to learn. As a result, the forces of necessity conspired to form a sort of pidgin of Norther and Colonial that most other races simply call Erenlander. Most humans speak at least some Erenlander, and those of the central plains, where Dornish and Sarcosan culture are most intermixed, speak it almost exclusively. Fey that learn a human tongue almost always learn Erenlander, as it combines the easier aspects of both parent tongues and is the most universal human language. Characters with at least basic competence in either Colonial or Norther are considered to have a pidgin competence level in Erenlander.

Halfling:

Halflings speak a musical language that is almost otherworldly to the ear. There are notable differences in pronunciation between the nomadic and agrarian tribes of halflings that give each a slight accent to the other’s ears, but only halflings seem to notice the difference.

Norther:

Like most Dornish cultural traditions, Norther is an heirloom from the peoples of the Dornland River Valley of Pelluria beyond the Pale Ocean. This bastardized, vowel heavy tongue is almost as difficult to learn as High Elven and has almost as many dialects as Old Dwarven. The dialects are not so incomprehensible that Northmen cannot understand each other but do often identify the house to which a character belongs.

Old Dwarven and Clan Dialects:

Old Dwarven is the mother tongue of the dwarves, but their long history of clan isolation has led to the natural development of clan dialects. Many dialects are quite similar and mutually comprehensible, while others have become unique languages unto themselves. Though all dwarves speak their own clan dialect, the increased isolationism of the dwarves as a whole has served to even isolate many clans from each other. As a result, not all young dwarves still learn Old Dwarven and know only their clan tongue. Old Dwarven is the language of the clanmoots so the fact it is fading away is a bad sign for the already strained unity of the dwarves. Old Dwarven is guttural, with many stretched syllables and hard stops, but it is also melodic and beautiful in its own unique way.

Orcish:

Orcs have a great facility for language. Their own tongue features exotic and complex sounds that only they are able to pronounce despite their protruding lower tusks. The orc language reflects orc culture in that it is strictly tiered and intensely direct. The language has vocabulary and syntax that allows each social level to speak with absolute deference to the levels above, and absolute authority to the ones below. Orc linguistic ability has allowed many orc soldiers to learn Old Dwarven, High Elven, and Norther, and now in the conquered lands they are quickly learning the other fey and human tongues. Though some dwarves, elves, and Dorns are able to speak Orcish, their command of the language is poor and childlike in comparison to the typical orc’s fluency in other races’ tongues.

The Sundered Tongues:

These are the languages of smoke and stone, lightning and river, angel and demon. There are countless such tongues whose pronunciations, meaning, and grammar have been lost since the Sundering, although many share similar alphabets. There is now no single tongue that trapped spirits use, having over the millennia taken on the languages of Eredane or in some cases forgotten how to speak entirely. Any trapped spirit has a 10% chance of speaking any given Sundered Tongue. No mortal may speak or write a Sundered Tongue beyond basic competence, and none may learn a Sundered Tongue except by being taught it by a trapped spirit; the natures of the languages themselves are so alien and other worldly that mortals’ comprehension of them varies significantly from person to person, and two pupils taught by the same trapped spirit end up making and hearing completely different sounds when using the same language. Yet, trapped spirits who speak that language would be able to understand the simplistic meanings of both speakers equally. Why or how this can be is not understood. Sundered Tongues are all restricted languages.

Trader’s Tongue

The Gnomish tongue shares a common root with Old Dwarven, but then Gnomish also shares vocabulary, slang, and idioms with almost every other language as well. Gnome culture is characterized by its adaptability, which seems to be reflected in its language. A history of widespread trading concerns has not only made gnomes Eredane’s finest practical linguists, it has also transformed their own language into a universal pidgin that most simply call Trader’s Tongue. If there is a common language in Eredane, it is Gnomish. Because most races recognize many of their own words and linguistic elements in Trader’s Tongue, they find it unusually easy to learn.

Weapons and armor are the most common types of covenant items, as these tend to stay with the character throughout their career.

Covenant items can remain unknown and undetected for centuries, one sword among many or a single cloak trampled in the dirt, lost in the darkness. Created as they are by the innate magic of their original possessors’ actions, beliefs, and emotions, they are not detected by the magic-hunting legates. For that matter, a covenant item does not even detect as magic until its abilities are unlocked. They seem mundane, common, and wholly non-magical until they reveal their powers to those they feel are worthy to wield them.

 

[Magnar]

Important Locations:-
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The World:

This role-play will be set in the world of Aryth, and predominantly on the continent of Erenland. You can find a map of the world here. The starting location for the role-play will be a small hidden rebel outpost known as Durgis Rock within the Kaladrun Mountains.

Additional Map:



Durgis Rock:

The town is tucked on the lower slopes of Mount Durgon, in a protected valley. Only two well hidden pathways lead to the settlement from the East & West, with all others worked to lead any passing Shadow patrols well wide of the Rock.

There are two orc tribes active within the central regions of the Kaladruns, seeking out Dwarf Clans, Kurgun settlements and human refugees that have fled into the mountains. The Burnt Mother Tribe occupy a huge expanse to the north. It’s believed they are being supplied and reinforced across the Kardoling from fallen Dorn settlements south of the Sea of Pelluria. To the south is the Bloody Sword tribe, who occupy a smaller but strategically important area in the foothills of the Kaladruns & the edge of the central plains of Erenland.

Life in Durgis rock is hard, but the inhabitants do have an easier life compared to many, as the human slaves, refugees & resistance fighters that come to the Rock testify. Being Kurguns, the dwellers of the Rock are always open to accept other races into clan life. As one of the western most villages of their Clan they have seen more than their fair share of humans, gnomes, dwarrow and even Halflings either pass through the Rocks territory or settle into life at he Rock itself. Some have brought crafts and professions back to the village which have been lost for a generation while others (who have known nothing but the slavers whip) learn from the Dwarves, maybe one day hoping to return to their people.

Swift Water:

Swift Water is one of the largest gnome villages on the Eren and is home to the famous vineyards and fine beverages label of the Swift Water Trading Company. The village is actually several miles up a narrow tributary and nestled in a shallow valley dripping with grapevines and surrounded by golden fields of hops, wheat, corn and sugar beets. There are several breweries, a distillery, and a massive winehouse hemmed round by the tiny gnome homes and shops of the Swift Water family. The little harbor in Swift Water is always busy with boats from almost every other family on the river.

Orc officers turn blind eyes toward this ripe little settlement and, in fact, order their men and goblin-kin slavers to stay out of the town. The orcs like their beer and especially the hard liquor the gnomes make there and do not want anything to interfere with their production.

The gnomes use the resulting privacy and relative freedom of the place to good effect. The network of tunnels that their dwarrow kin have excavated under the settlement over the past hundred years serves as a large and well-hidden smuggler's depot. There are also smaller passages from these underground warehouses that lead east into the plains. They serve as important paths along the route to the smuggler's tunnels of the Kaladrun foothills.

 

[Magnar]

Races of Aryth:
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Human, Dorn:

Those humans descended from the houses of the Old Kings, known commonly as the Northmen, still live in the lands north of the Sea of Pelluria. Those that remain in the environs of their ruined cities live at the will of their orc masters and survive off what subsistence they can grow, poach, or scrounge. Others huddle in subsistence communities on the vast stretches of hill country and tundra, left to lives of misery only occasionally interrupted by orc patrols and legates seeking provision and tithes. Those that choose to run as outlaws, bearing illegal weapons and raiding supplies from the dark god's chosen, must always be on the move lest they be hunted down and slaughtered.

Dornish people are big, even for humans with broad shoulders and long limbs. They have pale skin and green or blue eyes. Their hair ranges from gold to red and was once worn long and bound with metal rings, each ring commemorating a battle in which the individual had fought. Now most Dorns, even many women, shave their heads as a symbol of shame at their defeat by the forces of Izrador. Dorns once wore painted leather coats, fur boots and heavy woolen kilts and gowns whose patterns marked their house allegiances. Now they are lucky to have dirty rags in which to wrap their hungry bodies.

The Dornish people once swore fealty to the Old Kings of the Great Houses. The nobles were fiercely loyal to their people, who repaid that devotion by adhering to familial codes of honor in both social interactions and in battle. In the days of the old, death was seen as far preferable to dishonoring one's clan; every action a Dorn undertook, whether repairing his farmstead's wall or meeting a foe in battle, was to reflect proudly on his King. But with the betrayal of the Night King Jahzir, Gregor Chander, and several other Traitor Princes, most Northmen are now only loyal to their own skins and swear fealty only to their stomachs. The shades of their ancestors, which traditional Dorns honor with altars, prayers and sacrifices, would weep to see what has become of their once-great people.

In the centuries since the Sarcosans came to Eredane, the Dorns have become excellent riders, though they still prefer to fight on foot. Their weapons of choice were longspears and greatswords, though some chose to carry large battleaxes. Today, orc patrols kill armed humans on sight so the rare Dorns who go armed use whatever weapons are available.

Human, Sarcosan:

The humans of southern Erenland are smaller and much leaner than the big Northmen. They have dark brown skin and black, shiny hair. Their eyes are the deepest brown and set in narrow lids that grant them hard stares when angry and bright smiles when pleased. They paint their skins with herbal salves that bleach intricate, pale designs on their faces, arms, and chests for nothing more than the haunting beauty it creates. They dress in flowing pants and loose robes that offer them both protection from the elements and the freedom they need to ride and fight.

Like the Northmen, these southlanders once swore allegiance to noble princes. With the rule of the Shadow, most of those sussars, or sworn riders, have been killed or sworn to ride as outlaws. Those that remain are traitors to their own people, and have become soulless and hollow tyrants under the control of the legates and their orc enforcers.

By the time the forces of Izrador had reached the southern cities of Erenland, the human armies had been crushed and only a few cities resisted. Cambrial and Alvedara were both razed for their refusal to surrender.

Sharuun, Hallisport and several other cities still stand, essentially as they did before the war. As a result, many southlanders still live in the cities their forefathers built. Unfortunately, the inflated false economies, brutal orc garrisons, and whimsically evil legates that plague these urban areas serve as a reminder that, while the cities may still stand, the spirit that built them has been all but crushed.

Sarcosan riders favor versatility and finesse over brute strength. They wield Sarcosan lances and composite longbows when on horseback. On foot, they often fight with a wickedly curved scimitar in one hand and an inward-curving short sword, called a cedeku, in the other.

Human, Erenlander:

For more than 2000 years, the Northmen descendants of the Dorns and the colonial Sarcosans have lived together as two cultures unified by military, commercial, and royal alliance under the single banner of the nation of Erenland. In that time, they have also become kin through friendship and family. From the southern coast of the Pelluria to the shores of the Ardune, the peoples of both races have interbred and intermarried for so long that a new race of true Erenlanders has been born.

These people are a mix of their forebears. Not as large and pale skinned as their Dorn parents nor as slight or dark as their Sarcosan ancestors, their colorations and builds vary wildly. They are a transitional people between both Erenland's northern and southern regions as well as its past and future. Erenlanders are the true children of their kingdom, a people born of two ancient traditions but owing loyalty instead to one young nation. Though different settlements and even different families, hold more strongly to some Sarcosan and Dornish traditions, mos Erenlanders sense they are truly a unique people, something other than simply the combination of their ancestries.

Though the lack of cultural restriction means Erenlanders have greater social freedom, that freedom is not without greater social cost. Whereas respect for the past and hatred of the Shadow bind the Dornish houses and Sarcosan liegemen to their people, the Erenlanders have no such guiding lights or sense of unity. Indeed, it may have been their diluted loyalties that made many Erenlander communities fertile soil for Izrador's dark seeds in the Second and Third Ages. It is yet to be seen whether the Erenlanders of the Last Age will devolve into a directionless, broken people or will rise above the suspicions and betrayal of their time and unite the two bloodlines, north and south, Dorn and Sarcosan, that created them.

Dwarves:

The dwarves are an ancient people and have a culture as rich as any in Eredane. Dwarven society is structured along familial lines, and like the Dorns, clan loyalty and honor lie at the center of their lives. Historical records indicate that in the First Age there were more than 600 dwarven clanholds spread throughout the Kaladrun Mountains. Now there are fewer than 200 and this number continues to fall as the Shadow advances.

The clan is the basic dwarven social and political unit. The smallest clans may contain as few as 100 individuals and the largest many thousands. Alliances between the clans are fluid, complicated affairs, most typically formed by intermarriage or common enemies. In bygone days, skirmishes between the various clans were common, but in the past centuries of war, such hot-bloodedness has instead been spent against the forces of Izrador. For matters of governance that affect all dwarves, great clanmoots were once called where representatives of each clan would meet in raucous assemblies to determine collective courses of action. The cantankerous and aggressive nature of these meetings is a reflection of dwarven clan relations at large.

In addition to the clan structure of dwarven society, there is another important social distinction within the dwarven culture. Most dwarves, about four out of every five clans live underground in their warren-like holdfasts that are carved out of the hard flesh of the mountains. The remaining clans are called the Kurgun, the surface dwellers. The Kurgun still live in the old dwarven surface cities of the southern Kaladruns that predate the First Age and the digging of the holdfasts.

Dwarves are a stout race, with short thick bones and heavy muscles. Their heads and chins - and most of the rest of their bodies, for that matter - are covered in thick hair in a variety of pale colours. These colours typically indicate an individual's clan heritage, as do the jewelled bangles they wear in their heavy braids.

Most dwarves live in underground cities that are warrens of chambers, rooms and great halls, all constantly being expanded by mining. The original proximity of the clans to one another, combined with their constant expansion throughout the millennia, have turned much of the central Kaladrun Mountains into a bewildering maze of tunnels and passages. The range contains countless pathways and chambers, both large and small, new and old, occupied and forgotten.

Since the fall of Erenland, the clanholds have severed almost all contact with the world beyond their mountains, and all their craft has now been turned to their race's continuing survival.

Caransil (Wood Elves):

The elves of central Erethor, the Caransil, or wood elves, are the most widespread and familiar of the woodland fey. They range from the southern Highhorns, eastward to the Plains of Eris Aman and the Westlands, and south to the Aruun Jungle. Their skin is the beautiful brown of ino treewood, and their hair tends to be shiny and black. Their eyes are large and dark and they are the tallest of the elves. They wear a variety of clothes, from the dark and mottled camouflage leathers of a scout's kit to the sunset brilliance of a courtier's elaborate silks.

These elves live in enormous maudrial, or homewood, trees that have been coaxed to grow in elegant but useful domestic shapes by age-old spells. The Caransil eat mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They supplement their diets with rabbits and grouse raised in family hutches and with river fish from the Gamaril and Felthera.

The wood elves are traditionally the artists, philosophers, and craftsmen of Erethor. They are also the lineage from which have come the greatest sorcerers and battle mages of recent times. Their warriors carry longbows and longswords.

Danisil (Jungle Elves):

These elves of the southern reaches of Erethor, where temperate forest gives way to tropical jungle, are small, slight and ebony skinned. Historians speculate that they may be the elven line from which the halflings were born. The uninitiated consider the Danisil "feral elves", but their culture is as sophisticated as that of their cousins. Many of Erethor's most powerful druids are of the Danisil lineage.

Their hair is dark and course and typically worn in short dreadlocks. Their eyes are black and so narrow that the whites barely show. They dress in loose shorts and brightly painted vests, but when hunting, they wear only layers of river mud to hide them from both sight and scent.

The Danisil live in boa-bil groves along the many small rivers of the Aruun Jungle. Their druids enchant vines to form large slings that suspend their tiny huts high in the jungle canopy. They live off the fruits of the forest but are also cunning hunters.

Erunsil (Snow Elves):

The elves of northern Erethor, called the Erunsil or the snow elves, are the stoutest elven stock. They dominate the forest from its northernmost reaches to the southern end of the Highborn Mountains. They are fair skinned with long braided hair the color of snow. Their eyes are narrow, shaped like sweetroot seeds, and are as pale as their skin. They wear heavy clothes and thick furs when travelling or at rest, but prefer light leathers when fighting or scouting. In those circumstances they rely more on their natural fortitude than on clothing to resist the cold.

The Erunsil live in giant shelterwood trees surrounded by groves of massive, evergreen winter oak. Their homes are magically grown hollows in the massive trees, insulated by creeper vine and heated by hearthstones. They are hunters and live off the natural bounty of the forest.

These northern elves have fought the orcs of the mountains for thousands of years and are experts at hunting this prey. They are fierce warriors and have been keys to the defense of Erethor since the Shadow first menaced the elves. They carry powerful icewood bows and vicious paired fighting knives and use both to good effect.

Miransil (Sea Elves):

The Miransil are the sea elves that dwell along the southwestern coast of Eredane, where the great forest of Erethor meets the sea. These unwarlike, thoughtful people are from the same ancestral stock of the Caransil but long ago became as bound to the spirits of the sea as their cousins are to those of the forest. The sea elves are a darker skinned people than their inland brothers, well tanned by the coastal sun. Their dark hair is worn short and bushy, and they wear loose-fitting short pants or saris.

The Miransil live over the water in the intertwining branches of giant mangrove trees whose sturdy roots protect their small harbors from ocean storms. The Miransil live off the bounty of the sea and are expert swimmers, sailors and builders of small fishing boats and coastal traders. The sea elves are few, having sent an entire generation westward in search of hope and help, but have nonetheless sent their share of soldiers east to fight Izrador's invaders.

Halflings:

Halflings are a race of tiny folk that some believe descended from the Danisil lineage of southern elvenkind. They call themselves the Dunni or "the people" in their own tongue. They are almost as dark skinned as the Danisil, with the same coarse hair worn in small, intricate braids that mark their tribal membership. Their eyes range from common black to dark brown and green.

Where still free-living, the nomadic tribes dwell on the open plains in large hide tents they share with their extended families. The farming families have almost been wiped out by the advance of the Shadow, but a few groups still remain along the southwestern margins of Erethor. They dwell in cozy sod villages kept alive through their exceptional horticultural skills and the watchful presence of their wogren companions.

The halfling weapon of choice is the spear, with which they protect their flocks, hunt wild boar and skewer the occasional orc.

Gnomes:

The gnomes are a clever and resourceful race. Though it is well known that they share ancient kin with the dwarves, they do not like to claim responsibility for the lineage. Gnomes are barely taller than the halflings, with only a slightly stouter build. They are bronze skinned but pale eyed, with jet black hair that they keep short as they are constantly in and out of the water.

Gnomish culture and history are characterized by their adaptable nature. Their nimble outlook on life allowed them to first move from mountain life to that of the coastal hills of the Ebon Sea, and from there to become adroit seafarers and river runners. Through all these years and new trading partners, the gnomes always knew that their conquerors longed only for land and goods. With the coming of Izrador this is not the case. They cannot fool themselves into believing that the dark god and the orcs will be content to let the survivors of the war live their lives in peace; whatever the eventual goals of the Shadow, the gnomes know that Eredane cannot survive. But the river fey's strength was not in war. So, as always, they bowed before their new masters and offered to serve. Or so it seemed.

Though the race has been subjugated along with the halflings, gnomes continue to enjoy a sort of freedom. Even the forces of the Shadow need to transport cargo and soldiers, and the river barges of the gnomes suit this purpose well. Most other races see the cost of this semi-freedom as the worst kind of enemy collaboration. What few realise is that the gnomes fight the dark god in their own way: as consummate spies and smugglers. It is their secret trade that keeps weapons, magic and information flowing amongst the free races of Eredane.

Dwarrow:

The dwarrow are the offspring of gnomes and dwarves. Long ago, such pairings were common, but since the dwarves have become so withdrawn, dwarrow are increasingly rare. Dwarrow appear as stout, uncommonly strong gnomes but tend to lack their even temper and inherent personal grace. As a rule, dwarrow do not have the fortitude to survive life in the mountains. If a dwarrow is unlucky enough to be born there, he is typically sent to the rivers to live with his gnome parents family. Dwarrow are welcomed by rafters for their strong backs and stronger loyalties.

Dworgs:

Dworgs are perhaps the most unfortunate race in the history of Eredane. These bastard children are the misbegotten fruit of orc raids against the dwarves and are very rare. Those that are not murdered at birth suffer a lifetime of abuse as outcasts from their own kind. Most are killed in fights with their clansmen by the time they reach adulthood. Those that survive are usually banished from the clan and forced to make their way alone.

Many of these unfortunates find their way to the Durgis clan of the Kurgun. This alienated, half-wild clan of surface dwarves has a long reputation of accepting any dwarven outcasts from other clans. The kinship dworgs find among the Durgis fills them them with a rabid dedication to their adopted clan that few full-blooded dwarves can honestly claim.

Dworgs combine the strength of their orc fathers and the fortitude of their dwarf mothers and the result is the most physically imposing race in all the lands. Dworgs have the build and proportions of their dwarven kin but are almost as tall as humans. If any race hates orcs more than the full-blooded dwarves, it is the dworgs. They blame their orc fathers for their lives as outcasts and seem to take a measure of revenge with every orc they kill.

 

[Magnar]

Archetypes of Aryth:
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Channeler:

Magic is a rare and powerful force in the world of Midnight, and mortals who can wield it are rarer still. Most arcane spellcasters of any accomplishment perished or were corrupted at the end of the Third Age. In the aftermath of the war, there are precious few teachers and mentors who can pass along their lore to a new generation. Those who manage to learn the craft of magic on their own are inevitably hunted down and exterminated by the legates, the only ones who wield true divine magic.

People who know and can cast a few useful spells are not completely unknown in Aryth. Usually this is practical magic that aids common folk in their daily lives - spells like light, mending, and purify food and drink. Occasionally, exceptional individuals learn to wield more powerful spells useful in battle, commerce, thievery, diplomacy, or other pursuits. To truly master the art of magic, however, a person must devote himself to it completely. These rare few are known as Channelers.

Adventurers:

Channelers lead lives of great risk and danger. Their innate power and potential mark them as threats to the Night Kings and their dominion. They are hunted by the dark god's priests, the legates, as if they can smell magic on their prey.

Because of these dangers and the superstitions of common folk, channelers often seek secluded places to pursue their studies, experiments, and meditations in isolation. When they venture out, they often quest against for rare items of power, lost knowledge, or vengeance against those who persecute their kind.

Characteristics:

Channelers devote themselves to the understanding and mastery of magic. Because magic is a force that flows through the world, they often pursue knowledge of nature and other scholarly subjects as well. Most channelers lack the combat abilities of other classes, but their command of magic more than offsets this weakness. While characters of any class can learn to use a few simple spells, channelers are the only ones that do not worship the dark god who become truly accomplished spellcasters.

Religion:

Hermetic and charismatic channelers are rarely religious, unless they are evil characters who serve Izrador and the Night Kings. These channelers recognize that they do not owe their power to any divine agency and that the only spellcasters who do are servants of the Shadow. Spiritual channelers on the other hand, are often trained in and committed to animalistic or religious traditions, usually those that are strongest in their native cultures.

Background:

As a persecuted and elite group, channelers are often bound together by a strong bond of fraternity, though this rarely manifests as formal organizations or orders. The dangers faced by channelers make membership in such groups risky at best. Many channelers, however, aid each other when and where they can and do their best to pass on their knowledge and traditions to promising youths.

Races:

During the Third Age, humans were the most common channelers within the hermetic tradition. They rigorously pursued the refinement of magic as a craft and science. Magic also plays a strong role in halfling culture, though few truly powerful halfling channelers survive. Elves and elflings, though rare in the aftermath of the Last Battle, are among the most powerful spiritual and charismatic channelers. Dwarf, dwarrow, dworg, and orc channelers are exceptionally rare and almost always follow the spiritual traditions of their people.

Defender:

Heroes are hard to come by in the lands of Eredane and beyond. The oppressive reign of the Night Kings and their dark god have sapped the will of the people of these lands, who now seem content to scrape out what lives they can under the control of Izrador's forces. But from among these beaten people come men and women of great strength and character. They have vowed to fight the Shadow and his forces until their dying breaths. These adventurous and liberated spirits are known as defenders.

Defenders know that to openly defy the Night Kings is to bring death to themselves and all who know them. They also know that they must rally the spirits of their people if their is ever hope of triumphing over Izrador. To this end, they train their bodies to be weapons and learn martial techniques with simple tools in order to hide their nature from the soldiers of the Night Kings. Defenders are legendary for their toughness of both mind and body, and their ability to defeat more heavily armed foes gives hope to the downtrodden and oppressed.

Adventurers:

Defenders often travel far to achieve their goals, but their hearts are always with the people of their homelands. They may leave their homes to train with other defenders or to pass along the knowledge that they have gained. They sometimes act as guards to important caravans or underground leaders who work to undermine the Night Kings' control.

Characteristics:

The defenders greatest ability is to fight with no weapons or armor, or those that do not appear to be instruments of war. Defenders learn to use their arms and legs to damage and incapacitate their foes with blinding speed. They have trained their bodies, minds and spirits, and they can effectively strike even the most heavily armoured of opponents.

Background:

Defenders come from all walks of life, sometimes peasants who feel they have nothing to give their bodies to aid their friends and family, other times the descendents of noble men who feel compelled to protect those that their forefathers could not. Candidates are sometimes approached by existing defenders who understand the necessity of passing on the knowledge and training that they have gained. Often a child will be impressed by the actions of a defender and in adulthood seek to emulate the hero of his youth. The defenders are always taught a strict code of honour that governs their actions and philosophy, though there are many codes of this nature.

Races:

Almost all defenders are human, as they can blend in to local communities without drawing the attention of the local authorities. Elves on the fun and free dworgs also often take up the defender's arts, hoping to be able to fight the dark god without calling attention to themselves.

Wildlander:

Before the time of the dark god's reign, there were men who lived not only in the wilderness, but with it. These rangers knew the land and its inhabitants as well as a farmer knew his fields. They could identify medicinal herbs and roots, find a quick source of food, and use the land as a weapon against their enemies.

As the forces of the Shadow marched through Eredane, the wildlanders as they came to be called, retreated into the primeval forests and high mountains that they knew so well. Some chose to side with the civilized men who fought against Izrador's armies, but these were few and they could only help delay the inevitable. Now, many see the wildlanders as cowards and traitors who allowed the Shadow in the North to conquer whole the lands of Eredane. Some wildlanders see this as an inevitable backlash as the people search for a scapegoat for their failure, others experience guilt over their forefather's failure to aid their people in a time of great need, and yet others still begrudge the people their prejudices and return them in kind. Now, most importantly, the wildlanders are one of the only groups to have escaped the grasp of the Night Kings and their fell armies. Their skills in moving through the wilderness without being seen are becoming paramount to the forces of good that are fighting a desperate and ongoing battle against Izrador and his minions.

Adventurers:

Wildlanders often find an area close to a town and other bastion of civilization in which to live. They then serve as hidden protectors to the people who live nearby, as well as guerrilla warriors fighting from the trees against the dark god's forces. They also spend their time clearing the area of monsters and other threats that have only grown in the 100 years since the Night Kings were turned.

Characteristics:

WIldlanders are masters of their environment and have many skills that help them to survive, track their prey, and to help others find their way through the wilderness. They are proficient in most forms of weaponry and armor, granting them combat capabilities far greater than most. Finally, wildlanders are always aware of their surroundings and train themselves to make quick decisions in times of great stress.

Background:

Most current wildlanders are themselves descended from the rangers who retreated in the face of Izrador's forces. They were trained by their mothers and fathers in the ways of the wilderness, and as a result, they have a deep understanding of the lands around them. They tend to be isolated from others of their kind, and their social development in most cases has been inadequate at best. Some wildlanders are peasants who chose to live in the wilds to escape the bonds of servitude that the Night Kings have forced upon their family and friends.

Races:

Wildlanders are most commonly elves or humans. Elves have a natural affinity with the land and their innate grace allows them to move stealthily through the woods and tall grasses of Eredane. The dark god's standing order to kill elves on sight makes this a natural choice for those elves outside the protection of the Witch Queen. Humans can be found on every continent and in almost every land. They tend to be hardy and adaptable, making them well suited to the life of a wildlander. Dworgs become wildlanders by necessity, needing to develop skills to survive on their own in the wild, or die. The dwarves of the Kaladrun Mountains can often be found living alone deep in the tunnels and caverns that they call home. These robust individuals serve as scouts and early opposition in the case of incursions by the dark god's forces or any of the horrors that call the deep their home.

Barbarian:

Battle is a constant fact of life in Midnight, and in times when training is rare and weapons are outlawed, fury is often all that a warrior has left. Barbarians have become increasingly common among the free peoples of Eredane since the Third Age, especially among the Kurgun dwarves, as they give in to their rage at the daily destruction of their way of life. Some Erunsil, Danisil and clan dwarves also forego their training and finesse and take on the mantle of these brutal warriors. The Dorns once boasted many barbarians among their fighting ranks, but most of these are now cut down before they reach their prime. Above all, orcs and dworgs are the most likely to become barbarians, both their nature and their surroundings almost demand it.

Fighter:

More than any other archetype, fighters are masters of training and weaponry, both of which are in short supply in the Last Age in Eredane. This is not to say fighters do not exist; they are especially common among the dwarves, who focus on weapon mastery, the Dorns, who train towards toughness and the ability to deal large amounts of damage, and the Sarcosans, who are devastating mounted combatants. However, many warriors against the Shadow have realised that stealth is often a more useful asset than brawn, and that a quick tongue can succeed where a quick blade cannot.

In order to become a fighter, a character is likely to have had access to better training and better weapons and armor than most other classes; this means that they are either one of the free peoples of Eredane (the elves of the dwarves), an ex-soldier (a human or orc that once served Izrador but has since joined the forces of good), or one of the daring insurgents living free in Erenland. The resources necessary to train and equip a fighter are almost never found in the wilds; martial characters from that background tend toward wildlanders, barbarians or warriors instead.

Rogue:

If rogues are common in other settings, they are a plague on Aryth. After all, much of the continent is under occupation by a brutal enemy force that rewards those who divulge secret information or take advantage of their fellows. Their combination of stealth, offensive, and defensive capabilities ensure that they are common and capable members of every race and culture, whether they call themselves warriors, assassins or opportunists.