The World of

The Lost Lands

Bill Webb
Mark Greenberg
 ©2019 Frog God Games. All rights
Created By: Bill Webb reserved. Reproduction without the written
Developer and Project Manager: Mark Greenberg permission of the publisher is expressly
forbidden. Frog God Games and the Frog
Associate Developer: Greg Vaughan God Games logo is a trademark of Frog
Authors: Casey W. Christofferson, Matthew J. Finch, Mark Greenberg, God Games. All characters, names, places,
items, art and text herein are copyrighted
Tom Knauss, Patrick Lawinger, Rhiannon Louve, Vicki Potter, by Frog God Games, Inc. The mention of
Anthony Pryor, Ken Spencer, Greg Vaughan, Bill Webb, and Thom Wilson or reference to any company or product
in these pages is not a challenge to the
Producer: Zach Glazar trademark or copyright concerned.
Editors: Jeff Harkness, Vicki Potter, and Mark Greenberg Product Identity: The following items
are hereby identified as Frog God Games
Art Director: Casey W. Christofferson LLC’s Product Identity, as defined in the
Layout and Book Design: Charles A. Wright Open Game License version 1.0a, Section
1(e), and are not Open Game Content:
Cover Art: Colin Chan product and product line names, logos
Interior Art: Colin Chan, Santa Norvaisite, Michael Syrigos, Adrian Landeros, and identifying marks including trade
dress; artifacts; creatures; characters;
and Artem Shukaev; with Brian LeBlanc, Eric Lofgren, Jeremy McHugh, stories, storylines, plots, thematic
elements, dialogue, incidents, language,
and Tyler Walpole artwork, symbols, designs, depictions,
Cartography: Robert Altbauer likenesses, formats, poses, concepts,
themes and graphic, photographic and
Special Thanks: To all of the authors, editors, artists, cartographers, other visual or audio representations;
and playtesters over the years who contributed to the products set in names and descriptions of characters,
spells, enchantments, personalities, teams,
the Lost Lands and helped bring this world to life! personas, likenesses and sptecial abilities;
Dedication: To our amazing fans and backers, who supported places, locations, environments, creatures,
equipment, magical or supernatural
our products and enabled us to finally publish this massive and abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or
long-awaited compendium of the Lost Lands! graphic designs; and any other trademark
or registered trademark clearly identified
as Product Identity. Previously released
And a Special Dedication to: Open Game Content is excluded from the
above list.
Richard, Eric, Kurt, Victor, Scott, Mike, and Dean – my original party from
the 1970s
Clark, John, Dale, JP, and Ian – the intrepid super-party from the college years
Louis, Jen, Ed, Michelle, Terrace, and Brian – after all, the gods say the
dwarf should open it!
Jillian, John, Claudia, Rocco, Maggie, and Cash – my genius kid group that
makes me wake up and plan early
Gary and Bob – I look forward to rolling dice with you again in the future Adventures
(but not yet) Worth

FROG GOD GAMES IS: Winning

Bill Webb, Matthew J. Finch, Zach Glazar, Frog God Games

ISBN: 978-1-62283-822-6
Charles A. Wright, Edwin Nagy, Mike Badalato
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
Welcome to the World of the Lost Lands! ...................................................................... 3
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4
Chapter I: Overview of the Lost Lands ........................................................................... 5
Chapter II: Peoples of the Lost Lands ............................................................................12
Chapter III: A Brief History of the Lost Lands .......................................................... 27
Chapter IV: Religions of the Lost Lands ......................................................................39
Chapter V: Gazetteer of the Lost Lands ........................................................................ 40
Western Akados .............................................................................................................. 40
The Green Warden Forest and the Free Coast .......................................................... 77
Southwest Akados.........................................................................................................102
The Haunted Steppes ................................................................................................... 119
The Lands of Reme .......................................................................................................138
South-Central Akados..................................................................................................156
Southeastern Akados ...................................................................................................208
Eastern Akados & The Stoneheart Mountains ........................................................263
Northeastern Akados ....................................................................................................315
The Northlands ............................................................................................................334
Northern Libynos ........................................................................................................ 355
Eastern Libynos ............................................................................................................379
Central Libynos ........................................................................................................... 405
Southern Libynos ........................................................................................................ 442
Appendix I: The Lost Lands Timeline .........................................................................466
Appendix II: Pantheons & Gods of the Lost Lands .................................................. 487

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W ELCOME TO THE WORLD
OF THE L OST L ANDS !
After more than 40 years and much collaboration with dozens (hundreds!) of people in
the industry, from conventions, and in my home games, my campaign world is finally
seeing press. The roots of this effort go back to 1977, when gaming was still wild and free.
Everything then was DIY and free form. We had no supplements and had to use books as
the basis for what we created. We were inspired by Tolkien, Howard, Lovecraft and others
(and in my case, several Sci-Fi authors as well). The only campaign setting that was (even
partially) fleshed out was the Empire of the Petal Throne, at a towering $25 price tag
($108 in today’s dollars). Later came Judges Guild and the Wilderlands, and eventually
Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, and other worlds that inspired thousands of gamers.
What you have in your hands now is my version of a game world . . . vast and full
of adventure. The only changes from the original map (which hangs above my dining
room table) are that all the intellectual property violation references have been changed
to prevent lawsuits! My limited brain capacity has been supplemented by some of the
great RPG authors of our time—Greg Vaughan, Matt Finch, Vicki Potter, Pat Lawinger,
Anthony Pryor, Rhiannon Louve, Tom Knauss, Mark Greenberg, Ken Spencer, Casey
Christofferson, and Thom Wilson, and many, many others that have helped me create
material over the last 19 years.
A special shout out to Mark Greenberg, who after retiring as a corporate attorney,
decided to come on board as a project manager for this beast. Let’s hope that he sticks
around after this!
All in all, the whole team worked very hard to create this book. I believe that no other
world setting has ever been created for use in the game that incorporates this level of
detail in a complete package. The word count is astonishing (even more than Slumbering
Tsar or the Blight), and cross references have been worked in to provide reference to our
existing body of work.
You will find within these pages not only the standard canon from our prior works, but
expanded histories and links detailing everything from the fall of Tsar to the creation of
the Wizard’s Wall. Much of the world has been derived from actual play, and the parts
that are not from a game were certainly created with the intention of being used for such.
So, practice your weightlifting and enjoy reading this encyclopedia (cyclopean?) monster
of a book. I hope that you will have as much fun playing in my game world as I have had
creating it.

Bill Webb
11/21/19

WE LCOME TO TH E L OST L AN DS|3

 The Lost Lands … its history, a summary of its religions, and an enormous gazetteer with
… the campaign world of Necromancer Games and Frog God thousands of entries covering nations, cities, temples, ruins, mountain
Games for almost 20 years … ranges, waterways, and other geographical features.
… home to locations now legendary in the annals of roleplaying, For the first time, in a single volume, are detailed descriptions of
from the depths of the massive dungeons of Rappan Athuk, to the city the continents of Akados — where most of the previously published
of Bard’s Gate, the Desolation of Tsar, the Blight, the demon-tainted adventures have been located — and far Libynos, including kingdoms
Sundered Lands, the chaotic tumult of the Borderland Provinces, and and locations that have been only hinted at before. Here can be found
the fabled Northlands. the locations of your favorite adventures, all set into the historical and
Between these covers is the definitive guide to the world of the Lost physical context of the entire world, alongside new lands that have
Lands. Herein you will find a description of the lands and seas and never before been revealed.
the skies above, the people who populate the world, an overview of Welcome to the Lost Lands. A lifetime of adventures awaits!

Street of Mhalta in the Empire of Alcaldar.

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 The world of the Lost Lands has been known by many names over
many thousands of years. To the ancient Phoromyceaens, it was Erce
the Mother. In the desert lands of Khemit, it was called Geb, while to
LANDS AND SEAS OF
the people of Far Jaati, it was Kala. The ancient Hyperboreans called
the world Boros, the same name they gave to the continent from which
they came, and the name that was most used for the world during the
THE LOST LANDS
millennia of their empire. To the Heldring, the world is called Eorth,
while to the Northlanders it is Midgard. But today, the most common
name for the world is Lloegyr, or the Lost Lands, the name it was THE LANDS
given by the Daanites after their leader Daan overthrew the undead
imperatrix of Hyperborea (and was himself slain), bringing to an end There are three continents in the known Lost Lands: Akados in the
the Hyperborean era. west; Libynos in the east; and lost Boros in the north, now buried
The world of the Lost Lands is large. The globe’s circumference is beneath hundreds of feet of glacial ice.
approximately 50,400 miles, nearly twice that of our Earth.
The known world includes two populated continents, Akados in the
west and Libynos in the east. To the north, under a deep sheet of ice, is AKADOS
the lost continent of Boros, from which the ancient Hyperboreans once Akados is the largest of the known continents of the Lost Lands.
came and to which they returned when they withdrew almost a thousand Through its center runs the greatest of the world’s mountain ranges,
years ago. Whether they live there still, and in fact whether anyone at all the Stonehearts, from the icebound far north to the heart of the
can be found in that frozen land, remains the subject of speculation. To continent in the south. In the southwest, the Crescent Sea divides the
the south are islands scattered over thousands of miles of open ocean, western lands of the Green Realm and the Xha’en Hegemony from the
sometimes called the islands of Arkanos, which legend says are all that former lands of the Hyperborean Empire of the Foerdewaith. And in
remains of a mighty southern continent, now almost entirely sunken the far northeast is the Irkainian Peninsula, which reaches out to the
beneath the waves. shores of Libynos, separated only by the narrow Mulstabhin Passage
Those southern seas are known as Mother Oceanus and reach unknown and Krivcycek Island.
distances to the east, south, and west. Great lines of impenetrable storms The climates within Akados are vast. In the northwest are the trackless
known as the Tempest Meridians lie far to the east of Libynos and far plains of the Haunted Steppes; to the north, the forests and icy rivers of
to the west of Akados, barring the way to whatever might be in the seas the Northlands and the taiga and tundra beyond; in the northeast, the
beyond. The Great Ocean Ûthaf is to the north of Akados and Libynos. Vast and Irkainian Deserts; and in the southwest, the mighty forests of
And between those two continents is the Sinnar Ocean. the Green Realm.
The world circles a sun that is slightly more orange than Earth’s. Akados was the first land conquered by the Hyperboreans when
Two moons — Narrah, the Pale Sister, and smaller Sybil, the Dark they marched forth from their homeland in Boros to the north. As
Sister — appear in the night sky alongside several wandering stars and a result, many of the human kingdoms and realms of Akados can
uncountable other stars. trace their origins to provinces of that empire and look back to the
And in dimensions beyond are other planes of existence, homes of Hyperborean era as a golden age of peace and prosperity. Only the
gods and demons. far western portion of the continent, beyond the Crescent Sea —
Such are the bounds of the Lost Lands. where can be found the Green Realm of the wild elves, the Xha’en
Hegemony, Gtsang Prefecture, and Anaros Island — never felt the rule
of the imperators.
Akados is also home to the largest groups of non-humans in the
world, including the wild elves of the Green Realm, the high elves of
the forests of eastern Akados, and the clans of the mountain dwarves in
the Stonehearts and other mountain ranges of the continent.

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LIBYNOS Libynos, on the other hand, hosted civilizations that were ancient
even when the first Hyperboreans arrived on their shores. Many cities
The continent of Libynos is much longer north to south than it is of Istaflumina, Jaati, and Khemit, and the Antioch City-States, predated
wide east to west. The Sea of Baal, a huge arm of the Sinnar Ocean, the Hyperborean arrival. Other folk of Libynos never truly fell under
nearly cuts the continent in two, dividing north Libynos from central the sway of the conquerors. When confronted by the Ashurian Desert
and southern Libynos. The Zakros and Scythirian Mountains dominate in the north and the jungles of the south, the Hyperboreans usually
the northern part of the continent, separating the lands of the ancient chose to settle only on the margins, at coastal locations or slightly
western city-states from the equally old Jaati in the north and the inland near large rivers where they could trade with those in the interior
Jungle of Malagro along the eastern coast. In southern Libynos, a without needing to mobilize sufficient forces to conquer and hold such
series of lakes called the Channel Lakes runs through the middle of inhospitable lands. As a result, when the Hyperboreans left, most of the
the continent, and beyond that to the south are the peaks known as the peoples of Libynos returned to their former ways. The one exception,
Hollow Spire Mountains. however, being Alcaldar, a Hyperborean colony that survived the end
Much of northern and central Libynos is dominated by deserts. The of the empire.
great Maighib Desert runs the entire breadth of the continent from Beyond Libynos to the northeast are said to be the legendary Oestryn
Khartous and the shores of the Sinnar Ocean in the west to Numeda and Islands, the last land before reaching the Tempest Meridians in the east.
the Boiling Sea in the east. Farther north is the Desert of Oreb, in the
midst of the Scythirian Mountains, and northwest of that is the Ashurian
Desert. Even southern Libynos boasts a desert, the Kanderi south of the LOST BOROS
Channel Lakes. Little is known today of Boros. From this continent came the
Although the Hyperboreans colonized many lands on Libynos, far Hyperboreans when they marched south to Akados. And to Boros did
less of that continent bears the traces of those conquerors than does they return when they withdrew following the end of their empire. Once
Akados. When the polemarchs of the imperium first arrived on the said to be a temperate land, it has been covered with glaciers of ice since
western continent, they found humans living in sparse, nomadic the poles of the world shifted in 2491 I.R. The relationship between the
tribes, severely pressed by the elves of the interior forests. With such a Shadowlands of northern Akados, beyond the Haunted Steppes, and
fragmented existing culture, the nations that developed on Akados took Boros is unknown. Though the sea ice makes a demarcation between land
on a decidedly Hyperborean flavor as they adopted the traditions and and water uncertain, it is believed that parts of what is known as the Far
religion of their conquerors. North, beyond the Northlands, are in fact on the continent of Boros. More
exploration will be necessary to determine the truth of this proposition.
In any event, the ancient and original homeland of the Hyperboreans
— and the remains of their civilization — are today somewhere on
Boros, now buried under hundreds of feet or more of ice.

THE OCEANS
There are three great seas of the known Lost Lands: Mother Oceanus,
Great Ocean Ûthaf, and the Sinnar Ocean.

MOTHER OCEANUS
Mother Oceanus, also sometimes called Great Oceanus or just
Oceanus, is the largest ocean in the world. Her northern boundary is
easy to define — the southern coast of Akados, the Sinnar Ocean, and
southern Libynos. But if there are eastern, western, or southern limits,
none can say.
As far as is known, no large landmasses lie in Mother Oceanus. Very
old legends tell of a great continent once far to the south, known as
Notos, that sank ages ago in a terrible cataclysm. If such tales are true,
little of these lands remains today other than scattered groups of islands,
which some cartographers refer to collectively as the Arkanos Islands.
On one such island, located across more than 2,000 miles of open
ocean from the southern shores of Akados, is the infamous Razor Coast,
which is visited by ships from Castorhage, the Kingdom of Oceanus,
and Alcaldar. Even farther south, according to tales told in wharf-side
bars, are more islands — some covered with jungle, others by desert —
that are populated by folk unknown in the northern lands. To the east,
between the Razor Sea and the coast of Libynos, lie the Aizanes Islands
that are home to a tribal people known as the Tulita. And nearby are the
island homes of the so-called Pirate Confederacy.
Also said to be in Mother Oceanus, somewhere southwest of Akados,
is the fabled Island of Ra, where the equator meets the Tropic of Arden.
And at the extremes of Mother Oceanus, far to the west of Akados
and far to the east of Libynos, are the Tempest Meridians: walls of
fearsome, raging storms that no known ships have yet to penetrate.
Various kingdoms of locathah, merfolk, nereid, tritons, sea elves, and
sahuagin can be found in the waters of Mother Oceanus, and in the
deeps, monsters of terror and darkness.

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 Beyond the few known islands, untold thousands of miles of great,
rolling waves and often brutal storms challenge any who might decide
to sail beyond the sea lanes marked on mariners’ maps.
Along the southern shore of Akados, the South Akadian Current A MATTER OF SCALE
flows from east to west. Ships sailing from the Sinnar to the Mouth of A single grid of hexes has been overlaid on the world
Akados and the Crescent Sea take advantage of this current, as well as map for convenience. As the world is a globe, however,
the prevailing winds here south of the continent, which bear from the the scale of the hexes must of necessity be different at
northeast. The return trip east, however, tends to be much slower, with different latitudes. For those who wish to ignore such
ships having to combat the current and the wind. A northern equatorial details, a 50-mile-per-hex scale can be used throughout.
countercurrent some 500 to 750 miles south of the South Akadian
Those wishing more verisimilitude may adjust the scale
Current flows east all the way to the shores of Libynos. Some captains
as follows:
seek out this current, but its distance from Akados, and the dangers of
the deep waters and the fickle storms of Mother Oceanus, mean only the
bravest or most desperate choose such routes. At 60 degrees north 30 miles per hex
Other than by way of brief references, the lands and seas of Mother At 50 degrees north 40 miles per hex
Oceanus, including the Isle of Ra, the Razor Coast, and the Aizanes
Islands, are outside the scope of this volume. At 40 degrees north 45 miles per hex
25 degrees to 35 degrees north 50 miles per hex
GREAT OCEAN ÛTHAF At 15 degrees north 55 miles per hex
Great Ocean Ûthaf is the ocean of the northern hemisphere, including At the equator 60 miles per hex
the Far North, and surrounds Boros and touches both the eastern shores
of Libynos and the western shores of Akados. It is said that nothing Using this scale, the hexes in the maps in
larger than a modest island rises above the waves in all of Great Ocean Cults of the Sundered Kingdoms and Borderland
Ûthaf, and that before the creation of the Tempest Meridians, one could Provinces are both approximately 50 miles, consistent
sail all the way around the world without seeing a sign of land (a task with those volumes.
said to have been accomplished by ancient Jaati of northeastern Libynos,
who legends say sailed east until they landed at Gtsang some 15,000
years ago). Whether anything in fact can be found beyond the barriers are common, both in the north where they originate beyond Irkaina in
of the Tempest Meridians remains little more than idle speculation and the icy north and in the south where they rush in from the open seas
the subject of fevered stories told by aged sailors. of Mother Oceanus. Vessels here are known to vanish without a trace,
Along the western coast of Akados, the Western Akadian Current and sometimes reappear, undamaged and intact but without a crew.
flows north to south and brings chill waters, clouds, and rain to the Various creatures of the depths live beneath the surface of the Sinnar
Thousand Rocks, Gtsang, and the Xha’en Hegemony. This current and sometimes threaten those who sail its waves. Somewhere in the
continues south until it joins with the South Akadian Current of Mother southern reaches is said to be a great city of the sahuagin.
Oceanus, and then turns to the unknown west.
To the east of Libynos, the warm waters of the Great Eastern Current
flow from the equator, following the shores of the continent north until
it reaches the northernmost point of Libynos. There, the current, still
BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THE WORLD
holding the warmth of its equatorial origins, turns west to flow along The astrologers of Hyperborea knew well that Lloegyr is a planet
the northern shore of Irkainia toward the mouth of the North Sea. This circling a yellow-orange star. Orbiting in turn about this world are two
stretch of the current is known as the Cymu Current, after a group of moons, Narrah the Pale Sister and Sybil the Dark Sister. In addition,
volcanic islands through which it passes on its way west. Near the at least three “wandering stars” in the sky were recognized as other
mouth of the North Sea, the great river of water turns clockwise and planets, also in orbit around the sun. Some have speculated that those
heads north and east, becoming the Transborean Current. From here, other celestial bodies may be home to their own unique inhabitants, and
as the current passes the Seal Coast and other shores of the Far North, possibly entire civilizations.
the waters take on icemelt and icebergs calving from the glaciers of Yet all of what we can see is not all that the universe holds. There are
Boros and becomes an oceanic river of cold water that runs east. At a other planes of existence, far dimensions that can only be reached by
point far to the east of Libynos, the current meets the Tropic of Arden powerful magic or long-lost gates. Such planes or other realms include
somewhere in the vicinity of the Oestryn Islands. Here, the power of Alfheim, Niðavellir and Svartalfheim (believed to be separate locations
the Tropic enters the ocean waters, and the current again warms as it within the same plane of existence), from whence came the elves, the
continues on its way east into the unknown reaches where the Tempest dwarves and the drow, respectively; the Upper Planes, including the
Meridians waits. Seven Heavens, Elysium, Arcadia, and Asgard; the Lower Planes,
such as Abyss, Tarterus, Hades, Gehenna, and the Nine Hells; and the
SINNAR OCEAN Ginnungagap, also called the Yawning Void, which touches and intrudes
upon those infernal domains, but also occupies the nothingness that lies
The Sinnar Ocean separates Akados on the west from Libynos to the beyond their bounds.
east. It is divided roughly in half into northern and southern sections,
where Ramthion Island of Akados reaches out toward the east and the
islands of Caddesh some 1,000 miles distant.
In the northern Sinnar Ocean, the current flows counterclockwise,
bringing ships from Endhome, Eastgate, and Port Clar to the Sea of
Baal. In the southern Sinnar, the current flows clockwise, favorable for
those ships of Akados seeking port in Alcaldar, the Channel Lakes, or
the Southern Paramountcies of Libynos.
Though the Sinnar is much smaller than either Mother Oceanus or
Great Ocean Ûthaf and is regularly crossed by seaborne traffic, sailors
and captains know well not to take this ocean lightly. Mighty storms

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WEATHER AND CLIMATE OF ways that change the climate of areas a thousand miles or more to either
side of the Tropic. Part of the effect seems to redirect solar energy from
lands in the Tropic’s influence in the southwest toward the northeast.
As a result of this effect, the southern regions of Akados are much more
THE LOST LANDS temperate and less tropical than would be expected of such southerly
latitudes; and in fact, the Helcynngae Peninsula, not far from the equator,
Similar to the Earth, the climate of Lloegyr is heavily influenced by has the cool climate one would normally only see in a region much
the axial tilt of the planet, which is approximately 25 degrees relative to farther north. On the other hand, the area around Freegate on the coast
its orbital plane with the sun. of the Gulf of Akados is known for its remarkably subtropical clime.
As a result, the northernmost latitude at which the sun can appear to Passing over the northern Gulf of Akados and Irkaina, the Tropic
be directly overhead, on the summer solstice, is at 25 degrees north. This of Arden heats and desiccates the air, giving rise to both the Vast and
latitude is also known as the Tropic of Freya. On Akados, it runs through Irkainian Deserts, while also creating an odd coriolis effect that brings
the Worntooth Peaks, the southern extent of the Blackrock Mountains, the moisture off the northern Sinnar to the Buntesveldt and Pelshtaria. In
southern fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Foere, and Old Burgundia to the Libynos, the Tropic causes the Ashurian Desert and the Maighib Desert
east. Similarly, the southernmost latitude at which the sun can be directly to be hot and dry though they are in northern and middle latitudes,
overhead, on the winter solstice, is at 25 degrees south, known as the Tropic respectively, while across the Jungteran Mountains it brings warmth and
of Mithras. This latitude is well south of the southern shores of both Akados moisture to the lands of Jaati and the northeast coast of the continent.
and Libynos, though some say it is near the location of the Razor Coast. Prior to the shift of the world’s poles in 2491 I.R., the angle between
The equator lies approximately 1,700 miles south of Akados, and the equator and the Tropic of Arden was substantially less, mitigating the
crosses Libynos in the region of the Southern Paramountcies. effect the Tropic had on weather and climate. Since the pole shift, however,
The arctic circle on Lloegyr is at approximately 65 degrees north; at the angle increased substantially, which has resulted in a concomitant
this latitude and farther north, the midnight sun (when in the summer increase in the effect the Tropic has, particularly the regions farther north.
the sun never appears to set) is visible at least one day of the year.
Above this latitude are the Shadowlands north of the Haunted Plain, the
northernmost reaches of the Stonehearts, the Far North and, somewhere,
the continent of lost Boros.
SKIES OF THE LOST LANDS
Another factor unique to Lloegyr also has a substantial effect on the The world of Lloegyr circles a yellow-orange sun known by the
climate of Akados and Libynos. When the god Arden sacrificed himself to Foerdewaith as Rana. Among the Ashurians, it is called Tascheter; to
banish invading hordes of the frog demon Tsathogga in –182 I.R., the very the Hyperboreans, Solanus; and Mitra among the Jaata.
fabric of the world was rent, creating what is now known as the Tropic of The night sky is dominated by the two moons that orbit the world:
Arden. Unlike the other tropics which parallel the equator, the Tropic of Narrah, also known as Luna, the Pale Sister, and Sybil, the Dark Sister.
Arden lies at an oblique angle to the equator, which it crosses in Mother Narrah is larger and bright, showing a crater-scarred face much like
Oceanus at a point southwest of Akados (where legend says can be found Earth’s moon. Legends in some parts of the world, such as in the Yolbiac
the Isle of Ra). From there, the Tropic reaches the coast of Akados near the Vale, claim that denizens of Narrah invaded the Lost Lands in the distant
Cinderhame Mountains, and then crosses, in turn, the southernmost reaches past. The goddess Narrah is associated with this moon. Sybil is smaller
of the Green Realm, the Crescent Sea, the Kingdom of the Vast, the Plains and dim, appearing an almost bluish-black when full in the night sky.
of Eaux and the northern domains of Foere, the southern Stonehearts and Evil portents attend this moon, which is associated with the goddess
the Dragon Hills. From there, the Tropic passes over the Gulf of Akados, Cybele. Times when both moons are full in the sky are of particular
and then through Irkaina and the northernmost regions of Libynos. importance to a number of faiths.
More than just a geographic designation, the Tropic of Arden in fact Wheeling over the night skies of Lloegyr are a multitude of stars.
constitutes a powerful atmospheric effect that refracts the sun’s light in Among the best known are Oliarus, the Pole Star (known to the Daanites

ZODIACAL CONSTELLATIONS
Name Meaning Aspects
Associated with Arden in Hyperborean and pre-Hyperborean times, now associated
Calade Hawk of Fate
with the Tropic of Arden
Draconis The Dragon On certain (un)holy days, the planet Xharos/Erebos is the dragon’s eye
Pillar of the
Irminsul The star Irminsul is at its peak
Gods
Nodens God of the Sea
Skiðblaðnir Ship of the Gods Also known as Sektet, Ra’s Solar Barge
The Host The Army Appears as a hazy expanse of starlight
The Ninefold Lamp An important constellation to the old gods (Daanite/Ancient Ones)
The Sickle Called the Wheel by the followers of Jamboor
The King of Associated with the Great Sphinx of Khemit; symbol of the
The Sphinx
Boros Imperial Mercantile League
Also known as the Hammer or Donar’s Hammer, appears to be striking toward
The Springald The Crossbow
Yales/Jörmungandr
The Tesseract Shaped like a square of four stars within a larger square of four stars
The White Wolf
Also known as Jörmungandr the World Serpent among the Northlanders and Apep
Yales The Devil
the Eater of Souls in Khemit

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as Sidhe, the Star of the Otherworld); Solaris, the Lightstar, which was MONTHS IN THE LOST LANDS
the pole star before the world’s poles shifted in 2491 I.R.; Aether, Star of
the Upper Air; the Blót Star, or the Star of Sacrifice; Irminsul, the Pillar Hyperborean
Common Name Earth Equivalent
of the Gods; and Eärendel, the star of the morning. Name
In the astrology of the Hyperboreans, which has been passed down Oeros Firstmonth January
to many of the cultures of Akados and Libynos, the stars combine to
form various constellations. Two such are known as Freya and Mithras. Foeros Secondmonth February
Thirteen other constellations, which proceed one after another in a great Freyrmond Thirdmonth March
circle about the sky, form the zodiac, which defines the 13 lunar months of Eostre Fourthmonth April
the year. The zodiacal constellations are presented on the previous page.
In addition, certain other “wandering stars” travel among the fixed stars Tiwemond Fifthmonth May
in the night sky in patterns that the wise can come to understand. Among Daan Sixthmonth June
these are Mulvais the Red Star, Cyril the Blue Chariot, and Xharos the
Black Star (also known as Erebos, the Dark Star, and the Lower Air). Haymond Seventhmonth July
The astrologers of ancient Hyperborea believed these to actually be Hummidos Eighthmonth August
other planets circling the sun in far-distant orbits, just as does Boros. The Mithrond Ninthmonth September
Hyperboreans also believed that other planets existed in addition to these
three, but that they are so far away that they remain unseen by mortal Blótmond Tenthmonth October
eyes. Some have speculated that those other celestial bodies could be Winterfyll Eleventhmonth November
home to their own unique inhabitants and possibly entire civilizations.
Yule Twelfthmonth December

TIME AND CALENDARS OF The High Holy Days of each year are the two solstices and the two
equinoxes. In southern Akados, the exact dates of the solstices and
equinoxes are determined by the Order of Corollaries at the Reliquary

THE LOST LANDS of Jamboor in the Rampart Mountains. Such dates are not considered
part of the month in which they fall.
When the Hyperboreans came south out of Boros to invade the lands DAYS OF THE WEEK
of Akados and Libynos, they brought with them a calendar that to this Solsdag For Solanus, the Goddess of the Sun
day remains the basis for the calendars of most cultures around the world.
In the Hyperborean calendar, a week consists of seven days. A fortnight Ardsdag For Arden, the God of Life (formerly Anumesday)
is a period of two weeks with a festival day in between, and so consists of Djinsdag For Da-Jin the God of Death
15 days. Two consecutive fortnights make a month of 30 days. There are 12
months in each year, which also includes a High Holy Day on each solstice Mootsdag The Day of the Market
and each equinox. As a result, a year consists of 364 days, which is very Manesdag The Day of Souls
close to the length of an actual solar year. Approximately every 250 years, For Narrah and Sybil, the Goddesses of the
the churches join in a conclave at which they agree to add a number of Sistersdag
Moons
additional days to the year — usually as additional holy days at the solstices
— to ensure that the seasons continue to occur at the correct times each year. The Day of the Government (for the Heldring
Thingsdag
Unlike the civil and religious calendar, astrologers follow a 13-month assembly)
calendar that is lunar and reflects the passage of the moons through the
zodiacal constellations. Not all peoples of the Lost Lands use this calendar. Castorhage adopted a
In 2768 I.R., Overking Magnusson of Foere imposed the common calendar slightly modified version of it. On Akados, the Xha’en Hegemony, Gtsang
that is now in use throughout most of Akados in honor of his completion Prefecture, and Anaros Island have separate and unique calendars. Most of
of the imperial capital of Courghais. It shows evidence not just of its origin the major cultures on Libynos also have their own calendars, though many
in Hyperborean astrology, but also reflects the impact of other peoples on in large cities are aware of the Foere system, particularly merchants and
the Foerdewaith, including the years of Heldring occupation following the sailors who have need of a way to coordinate oceanic shipments.
departure of the Hyperboreans. The latter influence is particularly notable In the calendar of Foere, dates are still tracked by the Hyperborean
in the names for the months (many of which end in “mond,” a derivative of Imperial Record (I.R.), for which year 1 is the year in which the Battle of
the Heldring word for month) and in the names of the days of the week (all Hummaemidon occurred. Those outside the historical dominion of the
of which end in “dag,” a derivative of the Heldring word for day). Hyperboreans and Foerdewaith, or where the depth of their influence

MAJOR CALENDARS OF THE LOST LANDS

Calendar Abbreviation Year 1 Event Principally Used By
Erylle Cycle E.C. –6484 I.R. First Elven Exodus Elves
Xha’en Hegemony, Gtsang
Xha’en Calendar XC –1302 I.R. Founding of city of Xha’ahan
Prefecture, Anaros Island
Former Hyperborean and Foere
Imperial Record I.R. 1 I.R. Battle of Hummaemidon
domains
Year Mah-Barek arrived in Caliphate and worshippers of
Blessed Year B.Y. 482 I.R.
Ashurian Desert Mah-Barek
Huun Chronicle H.C. 2496 I.R. Founding of Huun nation Huun
Release of Khemit from
New Khemit Reckoning N.K.R. 2632 I.R. Khemit and traders in Sea of Baal
Hyperborean hegemony
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was limited, usually use a different, local calendar. Such others include Warfare: fortified towns (wooden stockades)
the Erylle Cycle among the elves, the Reckoning of Kings in Khemit, General: horn window panes, hourglass, masterwork items
the Xha’en Calendar, the Blessed Year calendar in the Ammuyad
Caliphate, and the Huun Chronicle. In some regions, multiple calendars
may in fact be in use; in Khemit, for example, many dates are given by HIGH MIDDLE AGES
the applicable year of a given dynasty. Materials: adamantine, mithral
Armor: half-plate armor

TECHNOLOGY Weapons: composite longbow, greatsword, lance

Warfare: castles, cavalry
Social Organization: guilds

IN THE LOST LANDS

Transportation: stern rudder, stirrup
General: Gothic arch, lantern, spinning wheel, waterclock,
windmill
The information blocks for many entries in Chapter V contain a line
called “Technology Level.” This item indicates the level of technological
achievement generally found throughout the land in question. Exceptional MEDIEVAL
individuals or groups may have access to a higher technology level or live Materials: paper
at a lower level, but for a given area this should give a general guideline Armor: full plate, tower shield
of the types of weapons, armor, and equipment found there. These levels Weapons: bastard sword, crossbow, rapier, warbow
can vary even between neighboring nations as one may be more insular Warfare: trebuchet
and cut off from outside contact and ideas while another may be open to a Transportation: astrolabe, compass
great deal of trade that brings in new innovations from outside. General: buttons, crude glass window panes, mechanical clock,
It should be noted that the technology levels presented herein are not mirror, power loom
meant to represent real-world advancements in technology. There is,
perhaps, a loose correlation in some of it, but it is instead intended to
represent the developments of technology in the world of the Lost Lands.
The technology levels used in Chapter V are as follows:
RENAISSANCE
Materials: finely-ground glass
Transportation: caravels, coach lines
STONE AGE General: fine glass windows, glass lenses, printing press
Materials: clay vessels, furs, hides, horn, stone tools and
weapons, some copper, wood
In certain published works by Frog God Games set in
Armor: hide armor
the Lost Lands, such as The Blight and Razor Coast,
Weapons: dagger, javelin, shortbow, spear
available technology includes such things as gunpowder,
Warfare: ambush, raiding bands, single combat
cannons, and ironclad warships. Given that much of
Settlements: rock shelters, semi-permanent camps
the Lost Lands are at levels where such advances do
Social Organization: tribes/bands
not exist (Medieval, High Middle Ages, and even Dark
Transportation: paddled craft, trained animals
Ages being common), the possession of such superior
General: animal domestication, fire, horticulture, log rollers
technology by other realms poses issues of consistency.
Would not those with access to steam power and
BRONZE AGE cannons rule the waves? Wouldn’t heavy armor such as
Materials: bronze tools and weapons, crude glass items, linen, plate cease to be in use in a world where handguns are
papyrus, wool available? This problem is even noted in the introduction
Armor: breastplate, leather armor, padded armor to the Swords & Wizardry version of Razor Coast,
Weapons: composite shortbow, short sword which suggests that the Razor Coast be separated from
Warfare: organized armies, city walls (large city-states only) areas of a traditional fantasy campaign by a planar
Settlements: capitals, cities, towns barrier, a physical barrier, enormous distances, or
Social Organization: city-states barriers in space or time.
Transportation: chariot, oars, sails, side rudder, wheel For players and Gamemasters who prefer a fantasy
General: agriculture, corbelled arch, hand loom, lever, oil lamp, setting without advanced technology, we have written
plow, potter’s wheel, pulley, sundial this volume to exclude references to gunpowder, cannons,
handguns, steam power, and ironclads. For those
purposes, it is assumed that Castorhage does not have
IRON AGE access to such technology. As the Razor Coast does not
Materials: cotton textiles, iron and steel tools and weapons, work well in a pre-17th century setting, that region is
parchment not covered by this volume, though some references are
Armor: ring mail, scale mail, studded leather included in various places. A GM preferring a lower
Weapons: longbow, longsword technology setting will have to modify The Blight
Warfare: cataphracts, catapults, hill forts accordingly if that text is used, as well as determine how
Social Organization: nations/empires to include the contents of Razor Coast, or whether to
General: arch, dome, locks, loom, screw, water wheel design such region afresh.
Those who prefer a higher level of technology, or those
DARK AGES not concerned with having divergent technology levels,
are free to include that technology and incorporate
Materials: cold iron, felt, porcelain, silk, silvered weapons The Blight and Razor Coast as published.
Armor: chain shirt, chainmail
C H . 2: O VE RVI E W OF TH E L OST L AN DS|11
 The origin of humans in the Lost Lands is shrouded in the mystery
of ancient eons. Evidence of Neolithic groups of humans dates back at
least as far as the so-called Age of Man, perhaps 100,000 years ago. A
few scholars have, based on very sparse evidence, suggested that some
humans may have in fact lived in far earlier times, though such views
ANARI
are controversial to say the least. The Thousand Rocks and Anaros Island are home to the Anari, a hardy
A vast diversity of people now populates the Lost Lands. In most and skilled people known for their martial expertise and artisanship.
regions of the world today, the local folk either view their region as an According to their legends, the Anari once lived on the continent to the
ancestral homeland or based on legends and myths can tie themselves east and fled to their current island homelands to escape a terrible war
to a group that migrated to their present location at some time in the and an army of demons led by evil gods and powerful sorcerers. The
past. Many groups show clear evidence of being the result of the Anari themselves date their arrival on the islands to 1313 XC (or 11
intermingling of two or more earlier populations that, for a period of I.R.), which has led some scholars to speculate that the Hundaei may
time, found themselves living in close proximity to one another. have been the proximate cause of the Anari’s flight.
While the humans of the Lost Lands vary substantially in appearance The Anari appear to be related to the Xha’en people, though they tend
from one group to another, in many ways their differences in culture and to be a bit shorter on the average than their continental cousins. Much like
tradition outweigh differences in physical characteristics. The summary the Xha’en, Anari typically have dark hair, usually brown or black though
in this chapter attempts to set forth some of the more notable distinctions, red hair is not uncommon, and tawny skin tones. Their eyes tend to be
but it should be noted that any description of a group of people by black, brown, or dark green.
definition must speak in generalities, and variations and exceptions in Culturally, Anari are part of a feudal society where duty to a lord is
even the smallest populations certainly exists. In addition, this is not considered a paramount virtue. However, nobles are expected to share
intended to be a comprehensive identification of all human and non- hardship with their people. In times of crisis, food, water, shelter, and
human folk in the world, omitting some that either are not numerous or other necessities are shared among all Anari regardless of their social
have had a very limited impact on others in the Lost Lands, as well as status. Monastic study and skill at arms are also highly prized by the
others that are perhaps yet to be revealed. Anari, whose monks and warriors are among the finest in the world.
A substantial majority of the non-human races, such as elves, dwarves, The Anari speak their own language, also known as Anari, and use a
gnomes, and halflings, in the Lost Lands settled on Akados. The Green syllabic alphabetic writing system derived from that in use in Xha’en.
Realm of southwestern Akados is the homeland for the largest population
of wild elves in the world, while high elves can be found principally in
the central and eastern parts of the continent. Nearly all of the dwarven
clans who came to the world from Niðavellir made their eventual homes
BERRINI
in the great mountain chains of Akados, and most particularly in the
Stonehearts; though hill dwarves are spread more widely around the The folk known as the Berrini live between Irkaina and the Northlands,
world and even have a sizable population in Shamash Kush in eastern primarily in Brounthia, including Hesten and Monrovia. Their name is
Libynos. But as a general rule, fewer of the non-human races will be derived from Lake Berring, which is near the center of their homeland.
seen in Libynos than in Akados. Among themselves, they sometimes refer to their people as the Hibor.
In fact, the Berrini are largely descended from ancient Hyperboreans
who settled the region thousands of years ago. When the Great Darkness
fell upon the Gulf of Akados in 1491 I.R. following the destruction of
Tsar, the people of this region lost almost all contact with the rest of the
Hyperborean Empire. Although the Great Darkness lasted only three
years, the creation of the Burning Waste ensured that they remained
mostly isolated from their kin through the eventual end of the empire.
Though intermarriage with the local plains tribes has undoubtedly occurred,
the physical characteristics of the Berrini are certainly quite distinct from any

12|TTH E L OST L AN DS
12|
of their neighbors. They tend to be lean and pale-skinned, with sharp facial Castorhagers are divided into several different castes, the most
features and dark hair, though some families have very fair, often straw-gold common of which are the Lowfolk. They speak Common (or a slightly
hair. Eye colors are almost uniformly light, from blues to greens to even pale modified version thereof).
golds. Those who have studied the Berrini note similarities between them and
the people of Freegate who also claim Hyperborean heritage.
The Berrini speak a language they also call Hibor, a heavily modified CORALITE
dialect of High Boros. Most Berrini also speak Common.
The Coralites, once known as the Yalts, occupied the lands now
CASTORHAGERS known as the Domain of Hawkmoon in southeastern Akados until 2496
I.R., when they sailed en masse to a coral reef in the Sinnar Ocean where
they founded the city of Coralis.
Scholars debate whether the folk of Castorhage (known as A peaceful folk, Coralites stand four to five feet tall and have a bulky
Castorhagers in polite society and “Blighters” everywhere else) should build. Their skin is a deep, rich chocolate color, and their hair is long,
be considered a unique ethnicity. Most of the people of the city-state are dark, and streaked with red or blonde. Both men and women wear
derived from various groups found throughout central Akados, and in garments of diaphanous silk in bright, vibrant colors. The Coralites are
that regard are similar to those who are labeled Foerdewaith. That being known for their art, learning, and music. They have evolved to facilitate
said, Castorhagi society has existed on Insula Lymossus for more than underwater exploration around their reef and are able to dive to 1,000
3,500 years, and the culture and outlook of the people have clearly been feet without suffering negative effects.
heavily influenced by the city in which they live. Coralites speak their own unique language.
This is most clearly the case with respect to the people known as the
“Blighted” who make up perhaps a third of the human population of
the city. They bear the mark of living in the Blight in body and soul, DAANITES
and show an unusual degree of physical affinity for their position or
occupation, as if the city has crept into them and become a part of their The native residents of the island of Ynys Cymragh (known as Insula
very being. Though the Blighted are ordinary on the streets of the city- Extremis to the Hyperboreans), Daanites tend to be well-muscled if a bit
state, outsiders find something just a bit off about them, as if they carry shorter than the average, with ruddy or freckled skin, and hair ranging
with them a bit of the ill-regarded city. from brown to red. Their eyes likewise range from brown to blues and
C H . 3: P E OPLE S OF TH E L OST L AN DS|13
greens. They are rare sights outside of their island, though some trade The Foerdewaith of western Akados tend to have fair skin and aquiline
widely, as far as Castorhage. features, with darker hair colors and eyes of gray, blue, or violet. Those
The folk of Ynys Cymragh took the name Daanite in honor of their of eastern Akados tend to broad features; brown, light brown, or blond
high king Daan, who perished after slaying the undead imperatrix of hair; tan to light-brown skin; and brown, black, green, or hazel eyes. The
Hyperborea at Tircople in 2584 I.R. Most people of Akados hold the Foerdewaith of southern Akados have lighter skin tones with brown to
Daanites in varying degrees of reverence for their sacrifice in ending blond to red hair, and deep brown to light hazel eyes.
that dark queen’s rule. Almost all Foerdewaith speak Common, though some eastern
The Daanites speak their own language, known as Ogham, though Foerdewaith traditionalists still speak Gasquen.
most speak Common as well. The formal name of the world, Lloegyr, is
derived from Ogham, and literally means “Lost Lands” in that tongue.
While most use the term to refer to the entire world, when Daanites use GAELEEN
it they mean the world other than their home island of Ynys Cymragh.
A people unique to the Gaelon Valley, these riverfolk ply the waters of
ERSKAELOSI the mighty Gaelon, fishing with line and hook and nets in large family
groups from light, flat-bottomed skiffs. They sell their catch at the great
trade-road bridges, in the markets of wealthy Endhome, or among the
The Erskaelosi were, in origin, a nomadic group of people who innumerable villages that line the shores up and down the river and its
wandered the Irkainian Peninsula from the lands of the Buntesveldt countless tributaries.
to what is now the Principality of Pelshtaria. At the time of the Great The Gaeleen deny any relation to the peoples of the Kingdoms of Foere
Darkness, many of them fled west and south, but found little welcome and instead claim to have been born of the river itself and use their tendency
and less opportunity in their travels until they finally reached the to be skilled swimmers as alleged “proof” of the fact. Scholars scoff at this
Kingdom of Burgundia on the Sinnar Coast. There they constructed the and surmise that the Gaeleen may be a remnant of a much-earlier people
city of Tyr as a new homeland. called the Phoromyceaens who once inhabited the region of Endhome and
After the fall of Burgundia in 3354 I.R., many displaced Erskaelosi the Duskmoon Hills before disappearing from the historical record long
began to wander once again. The wide-open places of the Unclaimed ago. The Gaeleen are a smaller folk than the typical Foerdewaith, with skin
Lands of the northern Borderland Provinces and the Plains of Mayfurrow tones that easily hold a tan from working on the waters under the sun all day
north to the Dragon Hills proved to be sparsely settled and offered a long. Their hair ranges from dirty blonds to dark browns, with darker shades
degree of freedom from persecution not experienced since the height frequently being sun-bleached to a much lighter hue due to their chosen
of Burgundia. Mayfurrow has since become a more settled realm with vocation, and eyes tending toward greens and blues. The Gaeleen are great
only a few small bands of Erskaelosi wandering about, always careful to storytellers and renowned singers, who often claim to “sing the fish into
avoid agitating the villages and steadings of the plains. But to the north their nets” as they ply the waters of the Gaelon.
many large bands of Erskaelosi still run free. Gaeleen speak the singsong Gaeling tongue, but most know Common
While the Erskaelosi get along well with Plainsmen and the Riverfolk, as well.
they tend to be looked at suspiciously by city folk, who often see them
not so much as neighbors but rather as a potential threat. For their part,
the bluff and boisterous Erskaelosi have no qualms about reinforcing GIANT-BLOODED
these stereotypes as an excuse to drink hard and play hard.
Erskaelosi tend be tall and stocky, with weather-beaten — often The Northlanders hate giants, especially in regions plagued by hordes
freckled — skin, and brown or black hair worn long and loose by men of these monsters, such as Estenfird or Vastavikland. Yet sometimes
and women alike. Their eyes range from dark browns to bright greens. a union between a giant and a Northlander occurs, and the result is
They are usually garbed in rough skins and are prone to tribal symbols the giant-blooded. Occasionally, a giant-blooded child is born to two
tattooed or branded upon their face, arms, and chest. Northlanders, for it is said that the taint of giant blood corrupts for a
The people who now live in the Buntesveldt and, to a lesser degree, dozen generations. However the unfortunate thing is conceived, it is
Pelshtaria, share a heritage with the Erskaelosi, but centuries of usually killed at birth, for most Northlanders will not accept the shame
intermarriage with Hyperboreans, other tribes, and Ashurians from of such an abomination. Still, some are allowed to live and find a place
the Caliphate led these peoples to deviate substantially in culture in Northlander society (or, sometimes, among giants), though always at
and appearance. the fringes and never with full acceptance.
Giant-blooded are huge, often well over eight feet tall, hairy, brutish
FOERDEWAITH in body and mind, and prone to tempers and passions beyond that of
normal men. Their hair is coarse, as are their features, and cleft lips,
missing or extra digits, enlarged foreheads, and other unsightly things
The Foerdewaith are by far the most commonly found ethnicity in the are common. They are also not terribly bright as the giant blood seems
eastern half of Akados. These humans descend from the many indigenous to dim the intelligence of the human to produce individuals who have
tribes that dwelt in the lands conquered by Hyperborea thousands of trouble with even the most mundane of tasks. Giant-blooded are not
years ago. During the years of Hyperborean rule, they largely assimilated patient and often give in to impulses and desires, often of a fell nature.
into an amalgamated people, though regional differences certainly
existed. After being left behind when the Hyperboreans withdrew
from Akados, these folk eventually became part of the hegemony of GTSANG
Foere started by Macobert, the first Foerdewaith overking. Although
the Foerdewaith were identified as a single people during the height According to their legends, the modern-day Gtsang are the descendants of
of the Foerdewaith monarchy, this was true only as an ethnicity and a a group of Jaata who colonized the lands north of the Tsendakar Mountains
broadly shared cultural heritage from the Hyperboreans and the later 150 centuries ago. Whatever the truth of this may be, over 15 millennia
rule of the overkings. Most Foerdewaith throughout Akados identify the Gtsang have adapted to their homeland, evolving both physically and
themselves as members of smaller regions. The term Foerdewaith is culturally. They tend to be short (though taller than modern-day Jaata),
now commonly used to refer to the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Foere with skin of various shades of light brown, dark eyes (usually black or dark
and those (mainly the nobility) who can trace ancestries leading back to gray), and fine, black hair. Many Gtsang boast arm or facial tattoos that
the kingdom. These “Foerdewaith of Foere” consider the bloodline to become increasingly elaborate the higher one is in Gtsang society.
be a sign of superiority.
14|TTH E L OST L AN DS
14|
 Though the Gtsang are friendly and outgoing, they are also somewhat souls and maintain small fishing boats or coracles. The Koui follow a
isolationistic, the result of long years spent in a small and well-protected simple subsistence economy and survive on fish, abalone, and seaweed.
land far away from outside influence. They are superb craftsfolk, Generally left to their own devices by the Xha’en, the Koui have lived in
artisans, and performers, and their works of philosophy, magic, and faith this fashion for thousands of years, with most of their villages clustered
are among the wisest and most scholarly in all of Akados. They speak around the southern ends of the three Bream Islands.
their own language, which bears enough resemblance to Meeruwhan to Like the Senge, Koui tend to be short and lean, with hair of light or
support their origin story. chestnut brown and honey or golden skin tones. With their life outdoors
on windswept islands, most Koui have weather-beaten skin by the time
they reach adulthood. Both men and women usually keep their hair
HELDRING long, though they wear it tied in the back in tight braids.

The fair-skinned Heldring have lived on the Helcynngae Peninsula

for as far back as histories reach. After the fall of Hyperborea, their NORTHLANDERS
longships full of vicious raiders landed on the coasts of Akados and
swept all before them as they established colonies along large stretches The most populous cultural and racial group in the Northlands are,
of the Sinnar Coast. Many current-day residents of these regions unsurprisingly, the Northlanders themselves. Most Northlanders are
still bear the distinct characteristics of the Heldring in their ancestry. of above-average height and weight for a human, though they do not
Eventually, the armies of the overking of Foere drove the Heldring from exceed human norms for size. In skin, eye, and hair color they tend
continental Akados back to their peninsula, where they live to this day. toward the lighter shades, though dark brown hair and eyes, as well as
One key result of the Foere conquest, however, was the conversion of black, are not uncommon. Northlanders are also well known for being
the Heldring from the worship of Hel to the faiths of Thyr and Muir. clean and for regularly bathing. These hardy folk see no problem with
The Heldring tend to be a tall, broad-shouldered people, many with diving into a winter-chilled stream provided they can quickly exit and
fair hair and, among the men, prone to thick beards. They speak their get back into the warmth of a hall.
own tongue of Helvaenic, though many also speak Common. Men and women wear their hair long and in braids, though women’s
hair tends to be longer. Men and women engaged in more-active

JAUNDOOL pursuits, wear trousers, a long tunic, and shoes of wood or leather.
Women’s clothing tends toward dresses, aprons, and smocks, and both
genders wear several layers, especially in winter, as well as cloaks and
According to rumor, the Jaundool are an isolated tribe of folk who hats. Although women occasionally wear men’s clothing, men rarely are
lived within Yolbiac Vale long before the coming of the Hyperboreans, seen in women’s clothing.
and who live there still. The appearance of the Jaundool remains subject
to conjecture and uncertainty, and some scholars question whether they
were in fact actually human. Some speculate that the Jaundool interbred NÛKLANDERS
with Hyperborean settlers following the conquests of Oerson, and that
some who still live in the area may, unbeknownst to them, in fact have Beginning at Nieuburg in Estenfird and reaching north to the
Jaundool blood in their veins. Endless Glacier that marks the edge of the world lays Nûkland. The
Nûklanders are a different race than the human Northlanders, a race

KAF that foreigners would describe as elven. The average Nûklander is

short, slender of build, and dark of skin and hair. They have long
faces with small, broad noses, pointed ears, and eyes possessing
The Kaf are uncommon in Akados, being unique to only one place on slightly folded lids. Nûklanders have a second inner eyelid that is
the continent: the Kildren Peninsula and nearby Sand Hills where they transparent and seems to serve to protect the eye from the sun and
roam, hunt, and conduct some trade with coastal cogs or the occasional cold, but also gives them the look of perpetually staring, as they
merchants that they approach on the Soldier’s Road. No other known rarely blink. Despite their slight build, Nûklanders do not suffer
enclaves of the Kaf exist in the rest of Akados or Libynos. They speak a from the great cold of their icy homeland; indeed, they tend not to
language called Ruiki and are the only known speakers of that language. feel the cold at all due to their innate resistance derived from their
Their principal settlement is Kaf Village, but smaller farms and inherently magical nature.
villages are scattered across the peninsula. Scholars who know of them While the Northlanders consider the Nûklanders to be natives of
tend to think they may be related to the K’Haln located north beyond the area, they are in fact rather recent settlers, having been led to
the river Xircos, but no firm connection to the horse people has been their current homeland nearly 3,000 years ago by a god the Nûk have
established. Records also don’t show how or when the Kaf came to since abandoned.
dwell on Kildren Point.
The Kaf are fierce horse warriors that fight with lance, shortbow, and
saber. They wear armor of layered leather and onion-domed helmets that OCEANDERS
have a fringe of fur. They tend to have pale skin with straight black hair
and black eyes, and the men are prone to beards and moustaches. Most Though not an ethnicity in its own right, in recent years it has
Kaf have high, angular cheekbones that give them a fierce predatory become more common for citizens of Pontos Island to be considered
look and a reputation for a sour disposition. They dress in colorful pants a distinct group. In truth, they are simply another of the vast number
and vests with felt jackets. They are known to be cheerful and boastful of peoples melded together into the amalgamation of folk known as
at feast but hard and taciturn at other times. the Foerdewaith, but their success in remaining a rival empire for
the last 300 years has caused their claims of racial distinction to gain
KOUI some traction.
Oceanders look much like other Foerdewaith, with perhaps their skin
slightly more sun-darkened by years spent at sea and eyes a bit more
The Koui are the original inhabitants of the Bream Islands of creased from squinting against the glare off the waves. They tend toward
western Akados and appear to be related to the Senge tribesfolk of the shorter hair and fewer beards than their land-bound cousins, though this
mainland. They live in slate-roofed stone huts in villages of 10 to 50 is by no means universal among them.
C H . 3: P E OPLE S OF TH E L OST L AN DS|15
PLAINSMEN petition for a right to settle in the Rhemish plains, and a lottery is held
to determine who may immigrate. Those permitted to settle usually join
existing Loreclans in the plains of Reme, though occasionally they may
The term Plainsman is used in eastern Akados, and particularly in form new clans with a direct grant of range lands to be held thereafter.
Bard’s Gate, to refer to the nomadic folk of the plains of Reme. These Much like their kin among the Shattered Folk, Rhemans have skin
are the folk of the Loreclans, ancient inhabitants of the Rhemish plains, tones that range from a burnt sienna to mahogany and have almost
who are known there (and described below) as Rhemans. universally straight, black hair — usually worn long — that tends to
gray early, though hair of a deep red is occasionally seen. They tend to
have long limbs and lean muscle. Beards and excessive body hair are
RAMITHI rare, while their eyes are almost always black or deep brown. Among
the nomadic groups, tattoos are fairly common, though not as frequently
Before the coming of the Hyperboreans, a number of human clans seen as among the Erskaelosi.
lived on Ramthion Island. These piratical people were known for
raiding shipping as far north as Legions Bay and as far south and west
as the Mouth of Akados. Though the Hyperboreans colonized the island, RIVERFOLK (ARKAJI)
the local clans remained frustratingly independent and chafed under
the attempts of the imperators to bring them to heel, though they were The Riverfolk have fished the waters and hunted the banks of the
eventually driven to the swampy peninsula known as the Sea Dagger. Stoneheart River for centuries, though their origin before entering the
When Curgantium was destroyed and the Plains of Suilley and the record of Bard’s Gate around 3036 I.R. during the year of the Hard Cold
Matagost Forest were set aflame, the Hyperboreans withdrew, while remains a mystery. Before then, they were virtually unknown in the city
groups of refugees fled across the Dardanal Straight to Ramthion Island, and only sporadically commented on in the city’s annals as boatfolk
where the local clans welcomed them. who plied the Stoneheart under the forest eaves. The Riverfolk speak
The refugees settled in the lowlands of the rest of the island, and for their own language of Kra, and some speak intelligible Common as well.
a while there was peace. Known among their own folk as the Arkaji, the Riverfolk live
Unfortunately, Ramthion’s respite did not last long, for soon the primarily within the Stoneheart Forest, in the eastern stretches of the
bloodthirsty Heldring invaded, and the islanders traded one oppressor central swamp, in particular. Their talent for handling shallow-draft
for another. Together, the old Ramithi clans and the newly settled watercraft in the swamps and upon the river is peerless. As a result, a
refugees resisted the Heldring invaders and eventually succeeded in large number of the Riverfolk can be found in Bard’s Gate or upon the
driving them off the island. river waters in service to the city at any given time, and even into the
Through their collective efforts, the refugee settlers and the old lower Stoneheart Mountains and as far down the Great Amrin River
Ramithi clans intermarried with each other and came to identify as Eastgate. However, the Riverfolk avoid leaving the confines of the
themselves as one people. Today, all of the native inhabitants of the riverbanks for the open sea, but none has ever said what it is they fear.
island identify themselves as being directly descended from the Ramithi The Riverfolk have pale pinkish skin tones prone to sunburn and
clans, though probably only around 20 percent have any more than a freckling, eyes ranging from deep blue to pale, nearly colorless, and bristly
fictional blood tie. The Ramithi have tawny skin and dark hair. They are and curly hair and beards (or thick sideburns at least) ranging in color from
usually shaven with elaborate moustaches and sideburns. Their heritage auburn to black with many going stone gray at an early age. They claim
is that of a sea people, but they have had to become warlike over the to be descended from the Arcadians of the ancient mountain kingdom of
generations due to repeated invasions of their home island. Arcady and take their name for themselves as a corruption of that long-lost
The Ramithi exclusively speak Gasquen and refuse to speak Common people, but their language of Kra bears no resemblance to the Khemitian
with its Helvaenic influences. that was spoken by the folk of Aka Bakar’s kingdom. Some few scholars
speculate that they may indeed be a last offshoot of some Hyperborean
strain, and indeed their language does contain many parallels with old High
RHEMAN Boros. Despite some superficial similarities, they do not appear to be in any
way related to the Gaeleen of the Borderland Provinces.
The Rhemans are the original inhabitants of the plains of Reme. A
nomadic, horse-riding folk, they are distantly related to the Hundaei of
old and their descendants, the Shattered Folk of the Haunted Steppes. SEAGESTRELANDERS
Since time immemorial, they have been divided into groups of extended
and interconnected families known as Loreclans. Southwest of the Northlands lies the Seagestreland, a forested band
Many Rhemans continue their nomadic traditions today and live on the that stretches between the shores of the North Sea and the vast plains of
endless plains of Reme. The largest of the nomadic Loreclans include the the Sea of Grass. This forest, and the plains beyond, is home to hundreds
Grass Sailors, the Quick Knives, the Stone Faces, the Thunder Riders, of warring tribes known collectively as the Seagestrelanders. These
the Stone Walkers, and the Beast Takers. However, the close relationship tribes are human, but of a different origin than the Northlanders. They
between Reme and Foere over thousands of years has, without doubt, speak several different languages and possess a very different culture (in
changed the character of Reme. Today, roughly a third of the humans in the fact, several different cultures).
grand duchy have some degree of Foerdewaith ancestry, although these It is difficult to describe the average Seagestrelander, as there is truly
are clustered mostly in cities, towns, and other substantial settlements. no such thing. The vast majority are smaller in frame and stature than
Adoption of Foerdewaith culture is more widespread in Reme than the towering Northlanders, tend toward equally pale complexions, but
actual Foerdewaith ancestry, for the cultural impact of Reme’s alliance have darker hair and eyes. They are human, and number few mixed-
of convenience with Foere extended into the Loreclans of the plains as races among themselves, having no half-elves or half-orcs, and rarely
well as the cities. The common tongue is used as a trade language to produce a giant- or troll-blooded child.
overcome Loreclannic dialects of Kirkut, jewelry is heavily influenced by In general, Seagestrelanders pursue three main lifestyles: farming,
Foerdewaith craftsmanship, and — perhaps oddly, perhaps not — plays fishing, and herding, with cattle, horse, and sheep being the most
and music from Foere are performed enthusiastically by amateur troupes common livestock. Along the forested coast, the former two go hand
even deep in the plains by purely nomadic Loreclans. in hand, and most tribes practice both in roughly equal measure. Along
The connection between the Rhemish Loreclans and the Shattered the Dnipir River, farming is the most popular occupation of the tribes,
Folk is not just one of ancestry, however. Every 50 years, families while out on the Sea of Grass it is herding that dominates. Hunting and
among the Shattered Folk beyond the Crynnomar Gap are permitted to trading, as well as raiding, heavily supplement all three.
16|TTH E L OST L AN DS
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SENGE two humans can produce a troll-blooded child. The fruits of these unions
are even more cursed than the giant-blooded, for if there is anything the
Northlanders hate more than giants, it’s trolls.
The Senge are the original inhabitants of the Plains of Xha, or at Troll-blooded who are not slain at birth must face the hatred of their
least were living there when the ancestors of the Xha’en people arrived neighbors and an all-consuming drive to eat. They are always hungry,
thousands of years ago. Those two peoples clashed in ancient times, and due to their nature and digestive systems, they need to consume far
until the Senge were finally defeated in the year –1302 I.R. (0 XC). more meat than anything else. This makes keeping a troll-blooded fed
Following their defeat, the Senge were largely driven to the plains east throughout the long winters a daunting task. Settlements that host troll-
of the Sengejia Hills. Then in –187 I.R. (1115 XC), the city of Xha’ahan blooded over the winter often find that by spring they have a dearth of rats,
completed the Lujhiran Dam, which flooded the plains the Senge lived cats, and dogs, assuming that the livestock haven’t already been pillaged.
in and created Lake Pantai. As a result, they were forced even farther Troll-blooded are feral, savage, creatures, at least in appearance if not
into the hills where they dwell to this day in small villages along the in behavior. They are tall, but not much taller than most men, and have
Upper Pantai River. a hunched posture. Their skin is greasy and tends toward a greenish tint,
The Senge are not particularly aggressive, though they keep to their hair is straight and black, and their eyes range from red to blue.
themselves and avoid contact with the Xha’en to the extent possible. Like their troll relatives, the troll-blooded have long limbs and short
Given their proximity to the city of Aphapor, however, they have torsos; in fact, their hands easily reach to their knees when standing.
developed some trade with that city, which agreed to provide a These hands grow long talon-like nails that can rend steel. It is the face
portion of their produce to the tribes to pacify them after the dam was that is the most troll-like, having a long, narrow nose, high cheekbones,
completed. In their lands, however, strangers are treated with suspicion and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. Despite these inhuman features,
and generally shunned. Senge villages are overseen by clan hetmen and most troll-blooded retain some signs of their human heritage, usually in
supported by shamans who have been known to cast powerful druidic their facial expressions or as a glint of intelligence in their eyes.
spells in defense of their territory. Senge trade handicrafts, furs, and
produce for metal tools, clothing, and livestock.
The Senge appear to be related to the Koui, the natives of the Bream
Islands. They tend to be short and lean, with brown hair of varying
UPLANDERS
shades, and honey or golden skin tones. Though they can grow beards,
The Uplanders are an honorable and proud folk living primarily in
most Senge men choose to be cleanshaven, with some shaving their
the upper portions of the mountain valley of the River Eamon in the
heads as well.
Stoneheart Mountains. They tend to divide themselves along clan lines,
with the Angus of Dun Eamon being the primary chieftain of the premier
SHATTERED FOLK clan. Though they often exhibit a tendency to believe themselves
superior to those who do not hail from their homeland, Uplanders are
known to be hardworking and have a reputation for honestly and fair
The Shattered Folk are the remnant of the once-mighty empire of dealing that, on occasion, may exceed the truth of the situation.
the Hundaei. Destroyed in their civil war of two millennia earlier and They are of average height, with lighter skin tones tending toward
hunted by the vicious humanoids of the Haunted Steppes, the Shattered freckles, and hair ranging from browns to auburn to shocking shades of
Folk now exist as scattered tribes that roam the vast steppes as nomads red. Eyes range from brown or hazel to gray to blue or green. While most
and herders. There are hundreds of tribes ranging in size from a few Uplanders remain in the Eamon valley, others have taken to trading, and
dozen members to thousands, and some are friendly with each other, enclaves of these folk can be found as far as Castorhage.
though many more either war upon those they meet or simply flee. These Uplanders speak Common.
tribes are generally ruled by a chief, sometimes through a hereditary
lineage but equally often through egalitarian selection, depending on
the individual tribe.
There is a still a strong culture of horse warriors among the tribes that
VANIGOTHS
runs back through their blood to the mighty hordes of the Hundaei, but
they are now small and localized and lack the unity that once made them a The Vanigoths are a large but widely dispersed nation of human
powerful nation. When brought to battle, they prove to be brave and skilled barbarians predominantly found in the Wilderland Hills and the plains
horse warriors — after all, survival in the Haunted Steppes is no mean between the Lorremach Highhills and the Forlorn Mountains. They
thing, and they have had generations to hone their skills in this hostile are most likely mixed descendants of Heldring invaders and the pre-
environment. Most Shattered Folk avoid contact with outsiders. However, Hyperborean tribes of the Plains of Sull.
the two largest confederations, the Elitan-i-pan of the western plains near It is extremely rare for the disparate Vanigoth tribes to unite under a
the coast and the Campacha in the south, recently began trading with leader, although they have their own king in the fortress of Aen Vani deep
merchants from Castorhage, Gtsang, Reme, and Foere, and some have in the Wilderland Hills. The Vanigoths take battle-trophies from their
even experimented with permanent settlements and agriculture. victims, usually the head and some other trophy, often a hand or finger.
Every 50 years, a number of families of Shattered Folk are chosen by The Vanigoths speak their own language of Vanigothic derived
lottery to move south of the Wizard’s Wall to the plains of Reme. The from a mixture of Old Sulli and Helvaenic, although most of them can
majority of those choosing to relocate come from the Campacha. communicate in a rudimentary Common.
The Shattered Folk tend to be long-limbed and leanly muscled, with
dark eyes (black being most common) and skin ranging from deep
golden tones to chestnut brown. XHA’EN
TROLL-BLOODED The Xha’en are an ancient people who have inhabited the western
lands of Akados for thousands of years. Originally living in small
nomadic groups, they spread over an enormous range from the Tsendakar
Troll-blooded are found almost exclusively in the Northlands, but Mountains in the north to the Utterends in the south, and between the
even there, they are rare in the extreme. Interactions between humans Caerulean Ocean in the west to the forests of the Green Realm in the
and trolls are rarely anything other than killing and eating, and thus east. Over many centuries, they moved from a hunter-gatherer culture
almost never produce troll-blooded offspring. Still, it does happen, and to a more settled agrarian lifestyle, particularly in the rich farmlands
like giant-blooded, troll blood corrupts for generations, meaning that of the Plains of Xha, where villages grew into towns, and towns grew
C H . 3: P E OPLE S OF TH E L OST L AN DS|17
into cities, eventually becoming some of the largest in all Akados. Their though each city-state tends to have a separate dialect that is an amalgam
expansion brought the Xha’en into conflict with the other people of the of Old Boros and Semuric.
plains, the Senge, but by –1302 I.R. (0 XC), those others were defeated Most Antiochians have light tan or pale olive skin, however, instead
and driven to the east near the Sengejia Hills. of the darker complexions typical of Ashurians. Eye colors tend toward
Today, most Xha’en live in the Xha’en Hegemony, an empire of brown and hazel, though some, particularly those with lighter skin tones,
city-states and territories, all of which owe allegiance to the emperor may have green or deep blue eyes. Hair color is typically brown or
in the city of Xha’ahan. After millennia of uninterrupted development, auburn. Among the Antiochians, skin color is not considered important,
the Xha’en are highly advanced in the fields of art, science, magic, though lighter tones tend to brand one as “city folk” in most rural areas.
architecture, and military development, and have developed an elaborate They tend to be taller than average but with slender builds.
hierarchical culture. While old tribal traditions still hold sway in villages Though most Antiochans are in their city-states, they can be found in
and in the countryside, most city-dwelling Xha’en are sophisticated and many trading cities throughout Libynos, and even in major ports on Akados.
well-educated and hold to the pursuit of learning and worshipping the
gods of the Imperial Pantheon.
Xha’en society is bound up in a complex web of laws, traditions, and ASHURIANS
bureaucracy, and people of all levels are expected to know the rules
under which they must live. On the other hand, there is also a long Ashurian is a general label applied to many peoples of northern
tradition of revering those who overcome unjust limitations imposed by and western Libynos, all of whom can broadly trace their ancestry
the culture, and many of the heroes of Xha’en legend are notorious for back to the ancient Assurian Empire. Though there is great diversity
their iconoclastic and subversive ways — though always within certain in their appearance, most Ashurians are of a darker complexion, with
acceptable bounds. common skin tones often resembling light brown leather or the light
For nearly the entire history of their people, the Xha’en have lived brown of dried tobacco leaves. Their hair color can range from black
almost exclusively within the bounds of the hegemony, isolated from to dark brown, occasionally to reddish brown. Eye colors are typically
most of the other great cultures of Akados. Only in recent years have brown or black, though some hazel is not uncommon. Slender builds
outsiders come to do more than visit, most particularly when Castorhage are typical, but almost every body type can be seen somewhere among
established colonies on the Bream Islands starting in 3210 I.R. In turn, the Ashurian populations.
some Xha’en have now begun to travel outside their lands, and a sizable Today, Ashurians can be found throughout much of northern and
mercantile enclave now exists in Castorhage itself. central Libynos and even in northeastern Akados. Those who still dwell
Given their wide distribution and centuries of development, the Xha’en in or near the Ashurian Desert are likely closest in appearance to their
vary significantly in appearance. Northern Xha’en tend to be taller, while original forebears in the Assurian Empire. Elsewhere, intermarriage with
those from the southern cities are somewhat shorter, with broader, stronger other groups has led to the wide variation now seen in their populations.
builds. Complexion ranges from tawny in the north to rich bronze in the Today, Ashurians make up large majorities of the Ammuyad Caliphate,
south. Mountain-dwelling Xha’en tend toward a rich ochre tone. Nearly Pelshtaria, other parts of eastern Irkaina, Khartous, and islands in the
all Xha’en have black hair, though red and brown are sometimes seen. Sea of Baal; many Ashurians are also present in the Antioch City-States
Facial hair is rare, while eyes are generally dark — black, brown, and and the desert countries of Guurzan and Caddesh.
rarely a very deep green. Other than in the Antioch City-States, the countries where Ashurians
are a majority all speak Semuric, a language based on the speech of the

HUMAN FOLK OF LIBYNOS ancient Assurians.

ALCALDRICH BAALATHITES
The Baalathites are the people of Baalthaaz and Ifthaaz in northern
The Alcaldrich are the natives of the Empire of Alcaldar in central Libynos, as well as the original inhabitants of what is now the Khemitian
Libynos. In origin, Alcaldar was a Hyperborean colony, one of the few in Governate of Tahmakht. They are seldom found outside the lands
central or southern Libynos that extended into the interior of the continent. surrounding the Sea of Baal.
As a result, when the Hyperborean Empire fell, Alcaldar survived, Baalathites tend to have dark olive skin, with prominent noses and
maintaining many of the traditions of the empire, though assimilating very dark brown or black hair, though lighter brown hair is not unheard
with the indigenous Libynosi of the region. Today, the Alcaldrich have of. Their eyes are usually brown, dark green or black, and very rarely,
themselves colonized other lands, conquering the old kingdoms in the hazel or dark blue. Natives of Ifthaaz have an average range of heights
Channel Lakes region and settling in places such as the island of Estallia and body types, while those of Baalthaaz tend to be taller and more
and along the coast of the Yingozi Woodlands. Ships from Alcaldar can muscular. Baalathites speak their own tongue, which appears unrelated
be found in most ports of the Lost Lands, even as far as the Razor Coast. to either Khemitian or Semuric.
Most Alcaldrich have skin tones ranging from light olive to tan to
leather-brown, with hazel or brown eyes, though some have green or
even blue. Hair color ranges from dark blond in the upper class through BHANAKHIRANS
a range of browns all the way to black, and, very rarely, red. Their
heights tend to be average, though members of the noble classes tend to The Bhanakhirans are natives of southern Libynos, in the forests,
be taller, with skin the color of old ivory. jungles, and coastal regions west of the Hollow Spire Mountains. They
They speak their own tongue of Alcaldrich, which is descended from primarily live in cities along the coast and in towns and villages within
High Boros. the interior, usually near rivers. Tribes in the Yingozi Woodlands and
the northern part of the Mengamuk Forest often have some Bhanakhiran
ANTIOCHIANS ancestors, and so may have similar features. Other than merchants and
traders, few Bhanakhirans leave their homeland.
Most Bhanakhirans have golden-brown skin the color of amber, with
The folk of the Antioch City-States are known as Antiochians. Mainly straight, dark hair that ranges mostly from dark brown to black. Their
descended from Ashurian stock, some people also have Hyperborean eyes are primarily brown or black. On occasion, reddish-brown hair and
heritage from the years of empire. They share a common language, deep green eyes are seen, which may be evidence of some Hyperborean
18|TTH E L OST L AN DS
18|
ancestry. They tend to be shorter than average, though taller than the
people of Jaati. Plumpness is considered a mark of wealth and status HUUN
among these folk.
They speak a language known as Bhanikhat, largely a unique tongue The Huun are the people of the Huun Imperium, with their homeland
of the region, though there is clear evidence of Hyperborean influence in the Desert of Oreb, a high, isolated desert plateau in eastern Libynos.
from the years of that empire’s colonial period in southern Libynos. As a They claim descent from the ancient Hundaei clans of the Great Steppes
result, anyone who has studied High Boros should be able to understand of Akados, making them the inheritors of an ancient legacy of enmity to
simple phrases and words in Bhanikhat. Hyperborea. Their physical similarities to others who trace their origin
to the Hundaei, as well as the parallels between their language and

EQUATORIANS Kirkut, support such claims, though how they traversed the distances
between the Great Steppes and western Libynos remains a mystery to
Akadian scholars.
These folk are the people of Sensibar, Tulyamin, and villages in the For over 250 years, the Huun Imperium and the Foerdewaith of
southern part of the Seething Jungle in south Libynos. They are seldom Akados fought four crusades for dominion over the Sacred Table and
seen anywhere outside of their homelands or the major cities of the the city of Tircople in eastern Libynos. Three years ago, an army of
Reaping Coast. Huun recently appeared at the very verge of the Lyre Valley and held
Most Equitorians have skin the color of ebony or onyx, with black Bard’s Gate captive within its siege line for more than a year before
or brown eyes, and tend to be tall. They have black hair that curls very disappearing just as swiftly in retreat before the approaching forces
tightly, which some wear in tight braids, often elaborately done, while of the overking of Foere. The Huun remain some of the most feared
others keep their hair cut quite short or even shaven. Traditionally, warriors in all of the Lost Lands.
Equitorians dress in bright earthy colors or jewel tones and adorn Most who encounter Huun outside the high desert meet only armored
themselves lavishly with gold and silver or strings of shells or beads. warriors in battle. Very few (typically limited to merchants or traders
Sensibrites and some tribes in the Seething Jungle place great from Ifthaaz or the Malagro) can claim any other relationship with the
importance on being addressed by appropriate titles and expect people folk of the Imperium, and they do not discuss such things.
to show them the respect due their positions. Those in Tulyamin tend to Huun skin-tones tend toward the dark red-brown color of mahogany
be much more casual about such matters. to walnut brown, while their eyes are usually black, but may also be
Equitorians speak the Zenzin language. gray or brown. Their hair tends to be black and straight; men and
C H . 3: P E OPLE S OF TH E L OST L AN DS|19
women usually wear their hair long, though hairstyles tend to be simple of the family of the prince, with chieftains being “cousins” who are in
and many warriors keep their hair short. The tallest Huun are barely charge of smaller houses under the great house of the prince. As infants,
above average height, and most are shorter than average. They tend to they are given facial tattoos that designate their house, so it is possible to
be slender, but muscular. recognize where a Kaldilooran was born if one understands the patterns.
The Huun language is different from any other in Libynos, having Needless to say, anyone without facial tattoos is immediately revealed
the most similarity to the Kirkut of the ancient Hundaei, though there is as an outsider.
clear evidence of influence from most local tongues, such as Semuric. Kaldiloorans tend to be of average height or taller, with skin tones the
Their warriors are also known to employ a silent Huun Hand Speech for warm browns of cardamom or cloves, or a few shades darker. Their hair
use in battle and when stealth is an imperative. is usually dark brown, thick and curly, worn less than shoulder length
or bound in a thick tail. Their eyes are also usually dark brown, though
both black hair and black eyes are not uncommon.
ISTAFLUMINAN Kaldiloorans typically dress in cotton or linen, often in natural colors, or
(especially in cities) wear silk in muted colors. Clothing is not considered
The Istafluminans are the natives of the fertile river plains and rolling a status symbol among these people, and outside cities is sometimes very
hills bounded by the deep Ashurian Desert on the west and the high Zakros simple indeed. Kaldiloorans traders can be found around the southern
Mountains on the east. Their cities are some of the oldest in the world, coasts of Libynos and have been known to sail south and west to the
many of which were founded at the very dawn of human civilization. Aizanes Islands and (rarely) as far as the Razor Coast.
Today, their merchants can be found throughout much of northern and A number of the folk who live in the region but outside Kaldiloora
central Libynos, from the Ammuyad Caliphate to Khemit. The Adenians appear to be closely related to the Kaldiloorans. The River People of the
have even established colonies in Jaati and on Tyrnos Island. Delta, for example, seem to be quite closely related, though they have
To an outsider, Istafluminans would easily be classified as Ashurians, more variations in appearance, some of which has been attributed to the
presence of fey blood. And the inhabitants of the Mengamuk Forest also
though they consider themselves of separate ethnicities. Istafluminans
look much like Kaldiloorans, though they tend to be a little shorter on
have somewhat darker skin than most Ashurians, with black or brown
average. The residents of Kaldiloora and the Mengamuk Forest speak a
eyes and almost uniformly black hair. Both women and men elaborately
language known as Gonidal.
style their hair, though some cut it short or even shave their heads. Men
often have well-kept beards, often styled, though some do choose to
be cleanshaven. The people of the Zakros Mountains — the Adenians,
Hurardu, and Kymmurean tribes — are somewhat taller than average,
KHEMITITES
with slightly lighter skin.
Istafluminans speak Hakhaddic, which as a spoken language seems Khemitites are the people of the Triple Kingdom of Libynos, a land
to have some similarities to Semuric, though the written forms are of living gods and ancient civilizations. They are quite rare outside their
very different. own kingdom and the lands they have conquered, though the benefits
of trade have seen Khemitites sail to far ports, and sometimes settle
small merchant enclaves. Even a city as far as Bard’s Gate in Akados
JAATA has a permanent (if small) population of Khemitites, largely due to the
presence of the Temple of Bast there and the special relationship it has
enjoyed in the city since the time of the Shabbisian plagues.
The Jaata are native to the lands of far northeastern Libynos. Despite Khemitites generally distance themselves from those they see as
its location at a high northern latitude, Jaati is kept warm by the waters foreign barbarians — barbarians who were able to conquer their lands in
of the Great Eastern Current, along with the odd effects of the Tropic centuries past, but barbarians nonetheless. Even when living in foreign
of Arden. Most Jaata live in coastal cities or villages that line the many lands, they are rarely seen in public, preferring to remain sequestered in
rivers of the region, while much of the interior is sparsely populated. their fortified compounds and manses surrounded by soldiers of their
Among the shortest of humankind, the Jaata also tend to be slender, own land and priests of their own religions.
though they still can be quite strong, which often surprises those not Though a distinct group, modern Khemitites can claim descent from
familiar with their people. They have skin color that ranges from the many different peoples, including Hyperboreans and Nubarans, and
golden-brown of sandalwood to deep browns of rosewood or walnut, accordingly they can exhibit a wide range of characteristics. Nevertheless,
with eyes that are almost always black, and black hair that is usually most Khemitites have darker skin that is often the color of nutmeg or
fine and straight. Women usually grow their hair long and braid or teak wood. Most have brown eyes, but black, green, gray, and hazel are
wrap it, while men seldom grow hair past their shoulders but cultivate not uncommon. Their hair is usually black or dark brown, though lighter-
their beards carefully. Usually fine-featured and graceful, the Jaata are skinned Khemitites may have medium-brown hair. They are usually
considered by many outsiders to be the handsomest people in the world. short, though some families are known to be of average or greater height.
Jaata often wear clothes of colorful silk, along with jewelry of gold Many Khemitites, particularly those of the noble and merchant
and silver. Such jewelry is a symbol of status but also a way to carry classes, prefer to wear diaphanous tunics and gowns, skillfully crafted
one’s wealth, so most people wear some all the time and even more on adornments of gold and jewels, and have kohl-limned eyes.
special occasions. Khemitites speak Khemitian, which is used in many ports throughout
The Jaata trade widely and form enclaves in many large cities. One Libynos, and some of their scholars are even able to read the hieroglyphic
of the largest is in Shabbis, and a large population even lives as far as language of Ancient Kemitian.
Castorhage in Akados. They speak Meeruwhan. The Jaata are believed
to be distantly related to the Gtsang of western Akados, who are said to
have migrated from Jaati thousands of years ago. LAGISH
KALDILOORAN The Lagish folk live in the Grasslands of Wahm and the Yingozi
Woodlands and are the natives of the Channel Lakes region. At one point,
those who lived near the Channel Lakes developed a semi-agricultural
These folk are native to the westernmost extent of southern Libynos society centered around a number of settlements, which collectively was
on the coast of the Sinnar Ocean and live in the fertile, if narrow, coastal known as the Kingdom of Ka’dufaar. When the Alcaldrich conquered
plain and dense interior rainforest. Named after a chieftain who united the region some 275 years ago, they put all of those settlements to the
them from many related tribes, all Kaldiloorans are considered to be part torch (one of which was rebuilt and became the city of Caduvar). Today,
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the Lagish are almost exclusively a nomadic, tribal people. Though they Though styles differ widely among the various cultures that include
continue to tell stories of the glory of their former kingdom, they seem the Merowen folk, women in general often wear their hair loose or in a
to have grudgingly accepted their new lives, trading with their former scarf or multiple braids, while men usually keep their hair short or even
Alcaldrich enemies and even adopting their language. Two of the larger shave their heads. Many men choose to be cleanshaven, and if beards
Lagish tribes are the Moglai and the Mwandu. are worn, they tend to be kept short and thin.
Mostly of average height, those of unmixed heritage have rich brown Deferring to the dominant culture in the region, most Merowen speak
skin tones, with hair and eyes of deep brown to black, and occasionally Khemitian, though Kazania managed to retain its own language.
dark green eyes. However, many of the Lagish have some amount of Merowen travelers can be found as far as large cities in northern
Alcaldrich or Bhanakhiran heritage, and so show some characteristics Khemit, while their traders typically venture along the Ruby Sea, south
typical of those groups. to the Channel Lakes and the northern Reaping Coast, and east to the
Lagish living in the woodland areas have largely retained the use Boiling Sea.
of their original tongue, while many of the tribes near Alcaldar or the
Channel Lakes adopted Alcaldrich as their primary language. Lagish
are seldom found anywhere other than their native homelands and the REAPING COAST
margins of neighboring countries.
The folk of the Reaping Coast are an agglomeration of many different
ethnicities. Those found here may claim ancestry from Hyperborean-
LITTORIC era colonists, Lagish tribesfolk, Equitorans, and travelers from as far as
Foere and Castorhage. As a result, there is no typical resident of these
The indigenous folk of the jungles along the eastern coast of Libynos, lands.
including the Mguru of the Malagro and the tribes of Ambicuaria, are
members of a group known as the Littoric. They tend to have the same
rosewood or walnut brown complexions as the Jaati, black eyes, and RIVER PEOPLE
coarse, black hair, often grown long enough to braid in charms and
totems. Shorter than the average, they are still taller than the typical Jaati. These people are the natives of the land between the Lenggor River
Littoric folk are typically xenophobic, do not take kindly to strangers and the Ular River and their various tributaries in southwestern Libynos,
wandering in their lands, and similarly are almost never seen anywhere including the area near the Sinnar Coast known as the Delta. Other than
other than their jungle homeland. those who choose to live in the Delta and trade with outsiders, they tend
to be reclusive and stay deep in the forests and jungles of the interior.
As a general rule, the River People look much like their Kaldilooran
MAIGHIB DESERTFOLK neighbors to the south, but have more variation in height, hair color, eye
color, and skin tones. Some of this is attributed to the possible presence
The historical range of the Desertfolk includes almost all of the of fey blood among the River People. In addition, the beliefs, traditions,
Maighib, which nearly crosses the entire breadth of Libynos. They are and religion of the River People are entirely different from any of those
the deep desert tribes of Khartous, Guurzan, Khemit, and Qesh, as well who live elsewhere in southern Libynos.
as the people of Numeda. While most Desertfolk still live nomadic In the interior, the River People speak their own strange language,
lives, about one-third of the general population of Guurzan and many in which appears to be unrelated to any other known tongue. In the Delta,
they use a trade tongue (called Delta Speech) that consists of a debased
Caddesh are descended from the Desertfolk.
version of their own language combined with Hyperborean and various
Their skin tones are mostly rich bronze in color, darker than a typical
terms borrowed from Bhanakhirin and Gonidal (the language of the
Ashurian, with eyes that are usually dark brown or black. Their hair is
Kaldiloorans).
black or very dark brown. Men tend to grow beards easily from the teen
years. They are typically slightly taller than Ashurians or Khemitites,
Numedans being the tallest of the group. Though there are many
differences between the different tribes that make up the Desertfolk, OTHER HUMAN GROUPS
they all tend to wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing suited to a
nomadic desert life.
The Desertfolk originally spoke a group of related languages, with
enough diversity that distant tribes would not be able to understand
GHAZAKS
one another. Many, particularly those far from cities, continue to speak The Ghazaks are nomadic bands of Semuric-speaking peoples who
dialects of these varied tongues. Other Desertfolk have, to one extent wander the island-realm of Mulstabha between Akados and Libynos.
or another, adopted, or at least have some passing familiarity with, These small family and clan groups of tall, pale-skinned, white-haired
Semuric or Khemitian. humans are as phenotypically different from the Mulstabhins as could
Except for trading in the towns of Guurzan, Khartous, or Khemit, be imagined, yet they alone are able to move unhindered through
most Desertfolk seldom wander far from their ancient nomadic lands. Mulstabhin territory with impunity. Most folk think it is because there
Numedans travel a bit more widely, but even they are rarely seen outside are so few of them and that they represent no threat or great burden to
the areas of the Sea of Baal or the Ruby Sea, unless they have been hired the city-state, while others claim it was because they inhabited the island
as mercenaries. long before the Mulstabhins. Still others whisper that it was the ghazaks
who first taught the secrets of Mulstabhin astrology to the ephemerides.

MEROWEN Whatever the reason, the ghazaks are few in number and are rarely seen
in their wanderings upon the island.

The Merowen are a widely-dispersed ethnic group that includes the

people of Axuum, Aethiope, Imya, Kazania, Meroë, Qesh, and the MULSTABHINS
former country of Nubara. They usually have skin with the dark reddish-
brown to brown-black colors of peppercorns, and black hair with tight The Mulstabhins are the folk of Krivcycek Island in the Mulstabhin
curls. Their eyes are usually dark brown, though they may be black or Passage between the continents of Akados and Libynos. The island is
(rarely) dark green. Most Merowen tend to be taller than average. also sometimes referred to as Mulstabha, which, somewhat confusingly,
C H . 3: P E OPLE S OF TH E L OST L AN DS|21
is also the term for their leader. They are the people of the Land of the Yet in their new world, the dwarves began to acclimate to their new homes
Bull from the Sea, so named for their founder, a Libynosi minotaur and and divided into distinct groups based on where they settled. Those who
pirate who founded the citadel of Jem Karteis. They share Krivcycek came to live amid the peaks of Akados became the mountain dwarves; those
Island with local tribes of peoples known as the Ghazaks. who settled in the hills became hill dwarves. The Ankhurans of far western
The folk of Mulstabha make almost all other foreign visitors Akados are certainly dwarves, though their origin seems unconnected to any
seem mundane and approachable. Their habit of holding themselves of their cousins throughout the world. There are also the sand dwarves of
aloof from the local residents makes the Khemitites look warm by Libynos, the gray dwarves (also known as duergar), and the deep dwarves
comparison, and their rigid system of castes make the Jaata system of the Under Realms, as well as certain more recently-recognized groups
seem flexible. The fact that they keep to themselves and share almost such as the street dwarves of Bard’s Gate.
nothing of themselves or their home with anyone makes them seem only All dwarves, however, are known for their stolid resilience,
more exotic and powerful. They are tall and lean, with skin the color stubbornness, and sheer tenacity in the face of trial and hardship. As
of mahogany, and wiry black hair with blue or brown eyes. Descended they say, better to chip at a granite boulder than to try to change the
from a mixture of ancient sea peoples and Libynosi, they are unlike any mind of a dwarf.
other known people in the world in appearance or culture.
Mulstabhins speak Semuric.
HILL DWARVES
The most common type of dwarf seen outside the deep mountains
HYPERBOREANS are hill dwarves. These ruddy-skinned, stocky folk have beards and/or
sideburns that tend to be thick and in hues of dirty blond to dark brown.
Scholars the world over, from Castorhage to Pharos, consider the They are mainly miners and craftsmen and can be found throughout the
Hyperborean race as a distinct lineage to be extinct. The last remnant world, from the Xha’en Hegemony to Reme to the Plains of Mayfurrow,
of that ancient people disappeared from Tircople 900 years ago, and and eastward to the hills of Irkaina and Shamash Kush in Libynos. They
from Akados a century before that. Though many records of those times get along quite well with humans and can tolerate elves, having not been
exist, oddly enough a description of a typical Hyperborean does not, and a party to either the battle at Lake Crimmormere or the Great Betrayal
accordingly what they looked like remains a subject of intense scholarly at Hummaemidon. They tend to avoid their mountain dwarf cousins,
debate. however, as the two groups have little love for each other.
There are some folk within the Lost Lands who claim direct or near
descent from the Hyperboreans, such as the citizens of Freegate in
Akados and the Berrini between the lands of Irkaina and the Northlands. MOUNTAIN DWARVES
There are good historical reasons to accept their assertions, though the Mountain dwarves tend to stay within their mountain dwellings,
fact that Berrini and Freegaters look little like one another may make it though some do travel for trade or adventure to cities not far from their
difficult to accept the truth of both simultaneously. Of course, centuries people. They tend to be taller than hill dwarves, with pale skin, black or
of intermarriage with locals has undoubtedly affected both peoples and gray hair, and full, thick beards.
led to necessary divergence of their characteristics. It is said that the mountain dwarves were originally all part of a
single clan whose greatest king was Karam Ezun the Wyrmkiller. Since
those ancient days, however, the mountain dwarves have divided into
WANDERERS nine Great Mountain Clans. These are Clan Craenog of the central
Stoneheart Mountains; Clan Ironskull of the Blackrock Mountains; Clan
The term Wanderer refers to a mix of different peoples and even races Targ, now a scattered folk, originally from the Forlorn Mountains; Clan
— humans of many and mixed lineages, half-orcs, even some halflings Koth, also scattered, from somewhere in the Stoneheart Mountains;
and other assorted odds and ends, all of whom are exiles from their own Clan Krazzadak, who lost their home in the Shengotha Plateau when
lands, who have come together as a group and have truly created their ice covered it, who live yet in the Stonehearts and their capital of
own society. They are mainly recognized in the vicinity of Bard’s Gate Abad Durahai; Clan Flammeaxte of the Deepfells; Clan Bulghoi of the
on Akados, where they live nomadic lives in small groups that wander Kal’Iugus Mountains; and Clans Duhnbeyl and Tusov, whose locations
across the wide expanses of the plains to the east and west of that city are uncertain.
and the valley between. Given this, they are not truly an ethnic group, Mountain dwarves generally do not have good relations with any
at least not yet, though some scholars suggest that they could become other folk, even their hill dwarf cousins. However, the Silverhelm Clan
one in time. of the northern Lyre Valley in the Stoneheart foothills, a part of the
Great Mountain Clan Krazzadak, is an anomaly in that they are on good
terms with the humans of Bard’s Gate.
THE NON-HUMAN RACES ANKHURAN DWARVES
DWARVEN FOLK Found only in their homeland in the Tsendakar Mountains of far
western Akados, Ankhuran dwarves are a quiet, almost taciturn group,
who usually wear elaborate tunics, shirts, and trousers embroidered
The first dwarves arrived in the Lost Lands just under 15,000 years with mandalas and geometric patterns. Unlike many other dwarves,
ago from their homeland of Niðavellir, part of the same plane of they favor bright colors such as reds and yellows, sometimes garishly
existence as the elven Alfheim and the drow Svartalfheim. They were in contrasting with darker blues or greens.
the midst of a war with the drow when they discovered the secrets of the Ankhuran dwarves tend to wear their hair long and often woven
gates to Boros originally created by the elven god Wayland the Smith. into multiple braids. Embroidered, soft conical hats with the top pulled
The dwarves opened multiple new gates between the worlds, and soon forward are common headgear, as are skullcaps and headbands. The
the conflict between the two races spilled through. The dwarves soon Ankhurans do not make quite such a fuss about beards as other dwarves,
found themselves embroiled in the Gods’ War and allied with the gods and male Ankhurans often go unshaven or wear short beards that are
of good against the gods of evil (with whom the drow joined). sometimes shaved into elaborate patterns. Ankhuran women favor face
Over the ensuing centuries, the dwarves spread throughout many lands of paints or tattoos, also in traditional geometric patterns that are often
Boros (or, as they still call it, Midgard). The planar gates were eventually all quite beautiful and extensive. Males usually do not decorate their faces,
destroyed or forgotten, until the dwarves lost contact with their homeland. save for ear- and lip-rings.
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ELVEN FOLK more prone to isolationism and insular defense of their territories than
the high elves. Usually, conflict is the result where human settlements
encroach on wood elf lands. The one exception seems to be around
Much like the dwarves of Boros, the elves came from another plane Bard’s Gate, where the wood elves of the region hold the queen of
of existence, from their homeland known as Alfheim. They arrived in Parnuble in high regard and respect the peaceful relationship she has
several waves via planar gates created by the god Wayland the Smith engendered with the local humans. As a result, the occasional wood elf
beginning some 17,000 years ago. Initially, few were permitted to can even be seen walking the streets of Bard’s Gate.
pass the gates, most of whom were among the most noble of the elves, Wood elves tend to be shorter than high elves, slightly stockier, with
ancestors of today’s grey elves of the Emerald Mountains. Over the darker earth-tone skin, and hair of dark brown or muted auburn, and
next several millennia, other groups of elves managed to cross in small eyes of black, brown or, occasionally, leaf green. Unlike their kinfolk,
numbers and largely settled in remote locations. Only in –6484 I.R., at some wood elves are able to grow beards.
the same time the Three Gods banished Orcus to the far plane of void Compared with their high elf kin, wood elves tend to have somewhat
known as the Ginnungagap, did a large wave of elves come to Boros cruder technology but are more in touch with nature and druidic magic.
during what is known as the First Exodus. In point of fact, they usually have a haughty disdain for most high
The arrivals from the First Exodus settled mainly in the Great elves and look down on half-elves as half-breeds. They get along with
Akadonian Forest that then stretched across almost all of southern gnomes, have a neutral to slightly-hostile attitude toward humans and
Akados. These were the ancestors of today’s wild elves (those who halflings, and actively dislike half-orcs and dwarves. Like their other
refused to follow Valenthlis and withdrew west to the Green Realm) and cousins, they hate drow. Being quite an insular folk, the wood elves
high elves (who followed Valenthlis, fought aside the Hyperboreans at have little knowledge of wild elves or grey elves and would be both
Hummaemidon, and live today in eastern Akados largely in friendship fascinated by and cautious of such folk.
with the human realms).
GREY ELVES
HIGH ELVES The grey elves, mysterious and fey, are the legendary monarchs of
Most elves encountered in eastern Akados or in human cities elsewhere the elven race, sequestered in the Emerald Mountains deep in the Green
are high elves, most initially hailing from the Forest Kingdoms to the Realm. It is to these kings and queens that the wild elven high lords
east of Bard’s Gate or from the Harwood Forest. Many high elves are swear fealty. They are an inherently magical race and are renowned for
subjects or vassals of the elven kingdom of Parnuble and revere the the depths of their knowledge and wisdom. To their other elven kin, they
beloved queen of that realm and gladly rise to defend her honor. Most are known as the Hidden Ones or the Shining Ones.
high elves have honey-blond hair, though some have black hair, and Grey elves tend to a much paler cast than other elves, with hair ranging
blue, green, or sapphire eyes. in color from white to silver, sometimes with a tint of bluish-gray. Their
Though preferring forests, many high elves encountered outside their eyes are bright blue, silver, completely colorless, or amber. They stand
homelands are widely traveled and cosmopolitan, and are on friendly taller than all other elves and are as at home upon the waves as on land.
terms with humans, as well as gnomes and halflings. They are reasonably Grey elves are friendly though aloof with wild elves, whom they see
tolerant of hill dwarves, but dislike mountain dwarves. They find wood as their rightful subjects. High elves and wood elves are likewise seen
elves to be fascinating throwbacks, view the wild elves as arrogant and as subjects, though gone astray and without proper guidance. They think
insular, and generally hold grey elves in legendary awe. They hate drow little of half-elves as a debased offshoot and consider them more akin to
on general principle. humans than elves. They tolerate humans, gnomes, and halflings and are
generally unfriendly with dwarves, though they reserve a special respect
for those dwarves directly related to the dwarven high kings of old, for
WILD ELVES theirs is a shared history. Grey elves find drow to be fascinating and seek
Though likely the most numerous of the elven kindreds in the world, to learn all they can of their subterranean kin. A grey elf is extraordinarily
the wild elves are almost never seen outside their forests in the Green unlikely to be encountered anywhere outside the Emerald Mountains.
Realm and Green Warder Nations. They are the descendants of those
elves who refused to make peace with the humans of Akados and chose
to retreat to the west to avoid civil war with their high elf kin. These DARK ELVES (DROW)
are also the elves that suffered the wars with the humanoid tribes of The drow are the descendants of the natives of Svartalfheim who
the Haunted Steppes at the Crynnomar Gap and who erected the Green warred with the dwarves of Niðavellir and came over to Akados through
Warder monoliths to prevent future human incursions into their lands. the gates the dwarves built, eventually siding with the evil gods in the
Most wild elves have flowing black hair, eyes of black, browns, or Gods’ War. They have lived in the depths of the Under Realm ever
grays, and rich woody-brown skin, though some may have silver or since, in their own cities such as Thoth Kathalis underneath the Mons
honey-blond hair, and golden or amber eyes. Terminus mountains, and in one city on the surface, Vilik Strad on
Wild elves are coolly indifferent toward their high elven kin (whom the Talanos Peninsula of far southwestern Akados. Hating most other
they view as having betrayed elvenkind by making peace with humans) races and being hated in return, few drow are ever seen outside their
and half-elves (whom they view with a mixture of pity and disgust). own realms. The one exception might be the grey elves of the Emerald
While wild elves would likely feel kinship with wood elves, they would Mountains, where a mutual curiosity seems to hold.
also consider them crude and barbaric. They think little of gnomes and
halflings, and view all humans and dwarves with outright hostility. If
possible, drow are killed on sight. HALF-ELVES
Many half-elves trace their ancestry to the aftermath of the
Hyperborean wars, though many others are the offspring of more
WOOD ELVES recent interbreeding between humans and elves (usually high elves).
The wood elves are the seemingly feral remnant of the elves that As a general matter, half-elves are accepted by most human realms on
neither followed the ways of Valenthlis nor chose to depart eastern Akados, particularly where they are more common; in some locales
Akados during the Second Exodus. They usually live in small, isolated where they are rare, they may be seen as a bit of an oddity, though
enclaves scattered in woodlands throughout central and eastern Akados. they still would not elicit hostility. As evidence of their acceptance,
While they may be less overtly hostile to humans than their wild elf particularly in eastern Akados, many leaders of human cities are and
cousins of the Green Realm to the west, these sylvan folk are nonetheless have been half-elves.
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 Half-elves and high elves are usually on quite friendly terms. Set forth below is a table of many of the major languages of the Lost
Ironically, it is among their other cousins that half-elves are most likely Lands, followed by a brief consideration of a few of the more widespread
to meet animosity. Typically, wild elves and wood elves would view or influential tongues.
half-elves as half-breeds, while grey elves would think of them as little COMMON LANGUAGES OF THE LOST LANDS
more than humans. Only in some of the eastern lands of Akados would
wood elves be willing to accept half-elves as companions or friends. Language Original Speakers Used Today By
Anari Anari Anari
GNOMES Common Varied
Many throughout
Akados
The vast majority of gnomes in the Lost Lands live on Akados and Erskin Erskaelosi Erskaelosi
can be found in many locations and cities throughout the continent. Gasquen Foere tribes Foere nobility, Ramithi
Some also live in Libynos, mainly in the region of the Hollow Spire
Mountains in the south of the continent. Helvaenic Heldring Heldring
Rock gnomes are the common gnomes of the Lost Lands, and the ones High Boros Hyperboreans None
most typically encountered in cities or other settled areas. They are found
Khemit, traders in
more frequently in the central and western portions of Akados but live as Khemitian Khemit
Libynos
far east as the city of Bard’s Gate. Rock gnomes generally settle in small
villages in hilly regions, and mostly try to stay out of the affairs of other Rhemans, Shattered
Hundaei
folks. They are known for raising fruit trees, herbs, and bees; gnomish Kirkut Folk, tribes of Sea of
(varied dialects)
wines and honey are well-regarded and can fetch good sums in trade. Grass, Huun
Their deep gnome cousins, the svirfneblin, are almost never seen Kra Arkaji Arkaji (Riverfolk)
outside their mountain homes. Their city of Alesardin in the Stoneheart
Mountains is regularly in conflict with the nearby dwarven clans. Also Jaata, merchants in
Meeruwhan Jaata
in the Stonehearts, on the Ice Plateau, are the ice gnomes, or barbegazi, northern Libynos
who are shunned by all of their cousins. Northlanders, others in
Nørsk Northlanders
the Northlands

HALFLINGS Ogham Folk of Ynys Cymragh Daanites

Many throughout
Semuric Assurian Empire
The presence of halflings is virtually ubiquitous throughout the whole Libynos
of Akados, particularly in the lands that at one time or another were Xha’en, many in
under the dominion of the Kingdom of Foere. Their original homeland Xha’en Plains of Xha tribes
western Akados
may be in the area of the Dale and the Low Country, in the western part
of the Principality of Olduvar, though there is some support for their
origin in the Old Tors in the holdings of the overking of Foere.
Most halflings live rustic lives, often in the countryside, where they
WESTERLING (COMMON)
plant gardens, grow grains, and raise sheep and other smaller livestock. The common language of most of Akados, Westerling (as it is known
Some, however, have found their way to major towns or cities, and in outside of Akados) or Common (as it is usually known locally) is the
some cases have reached heights of substantial influence and wealth, language spread throughout the continent by the Kingdom of Foere. It
becoming successful merchants, guildmasters, or business owners. Some began as something of a pidgin tongue that took words and construction
few have even found a degree of notoriety as adventurers or rogues, a from the Gasquen of Foere and High Boros as well as other Akadian
status that secretly pleases many of the otherwise quiet halfling folk. tribal languages, and introduced a strong influence of Helvaenic from
the era of the Heldring conquests. Over time, Common became a full

LANGUAGES OF language, and, once it was adopted for the purposes of trade, diplomacy,
and soldiering, the most effective at permitting communication by a
wide variety of peoples. Today, the vast majority of people in the parts

THE LOST LANDS

of Akados once dominated by the Foerdewaith speak Common as the
regular language, and most merchants and traders on the continent (even
those from Libynos) use it in the ordinary course.
Hundreds if not thousands of languages are spoken in the Lost Lands.
At one point in time, most of the human population of the world lived
in small, relatively isolated tribes or clans, each of which developed GASQUEN
its own tongue (or divergent dialects of regional languages). Over
thousands of years, each of these different languages diverged, merged, Gasquen was the language of the original tribe of Foere from whom
and influenced each other, in a complex tapestry that can, even to Macobert descended. Unique in its linguistic etymology, its scope
experts, be bewildering. of use was originally limited to central Akados around the Star Sea.
That being said, certain languages have had outsized influence on the With the spread of the Foerdewaith empire, Gasquen was picked up
modes of speech in the world. A number of current languages either in many places to identify with the new overking. But even Macobert
are descended from or were heavily influenced by the High Boros himself realized that Gasquen was inadequate to communicate within
spoken by the Hyperborean Empire. Even though now separated by his growing empire and set about establishing the Westerling military
thousands of miles, many folk who claim Hundaei ancestry speak a tongue as a vernacular to be used commonly among all his disparate
language clearly descended from Kirkut, including the Shattered Folk, peoples. Gasquen is now found only in isolated areas or noble courts that
the Rheman Loreclans, the tribes of the Sea of Grass, and even the Huun wish to strongly identify with Old Foere. In the Sundered Kingdoms, the
of Libynos. And throughout Libynos, the Semuric tongue of the ancient Ramithi, who hate the Heldring influence on the Common tongue, speak
Assurian Empire has spread far and wide to form the basis for scores of Gasquen almost exclusively as a means of emphasizing their cultural
languages now in use throughout that continent. identity in the face of generations of invasion of their island.
C H . 3: P E OPLE S OF TH E L OST L AN DS|25
HELVAENIC KHEMITIAN
Helvaenic is the language of the Helcynngae Peninsula and is the One of the oldest human languages in the world, Khemitian is the
only tongue that most Heldring use when in their homeland. Wherever spoken language of the ancient kingdom of Khemit in Libynos and the
populations with strong Heldring ties exist (which today includes the second-most commonly spoken language in Libynos next to Semuric.
parts of eastern Akados they at one time conquered), Helvaenic is likely Its written form is heavily influenced by High Boros from when the
to be spoken as a household language if not in daily dealings. From Hyperborean Empire stretched across Akados and to the far coast of
a wholly different etymological family then High Boros, some of that Libynos as well. Its older written form, the hieroglyphic language
ancient language has nevertheless found its way into Helvaenic after of Ancient Kemitian (sometimes rendered as Ancient Khemitian),
millennia of (often hostile) contact between the two cultures. Of any however, is very different and bears no relation to High Boros.
existing languages, Helvaenic is most similar to the Nørsk language
spoken in the Northlands, though that language appears to be a simpler,
more linguistically pure version. KIRKUT
HIGH BOROS Kirkut is an entire language family rather than a single language,
with distinctive dialects spread across much of the world. It is derived
from the Hundish language of the ancient Hundaei Empire, and so
The stilted and archaic language of ancient Hyperborea and the little- forms the basis of the current tongues of those claiming descent from
known land of its origin in Boros on the World Roof provides the common those tribal clans: from the Shattered Folk of the Haunted Steppes to
roots of or contributes to almost all human languages in Akados and the Rheman Loreclans, the Ulnat of the Far North, the tribes of the Sea
Libynos today, and bits and pieces have found their way into non-human of Grass, and the Huun of Libynos. The long years and far distances
languages such as Elven as well. However, despite this universal relation that have separated these people, however, mean that the languages
that the language has to so many others, it is an all-but-dead language they in fact speak are now widely varying dialects that are so different
itself, more likely to be found in old tomes and dusty archives than on the that the speaker of one may be almost entirely unable to understand the
lips of living speakers. Only two locations in Akados continue to use a language of another.
version of High Boros: the anachronistic city of Freegate and the Berrini
living between Irkaina and the Northlands. Even in those cases, most
know and use Common with visitors or while abroad. SEMURIC
Semuric originated in the Assurian Plains, considered by many
scholars to be the cradle of humanity on Lloegyr. Khemitian makes
claim to being the older language simply because Khemit emerged first
as a single kingdom, and its language has changed less over the ensuing
millennia. If Semuric has been subject to more change, it is because it
has spread much farther across the continent of Libynos. Semuric is
principally spoken in the lands of the Ashurians of north, central, and
western Libynos and extends west most of the way across the Isthmus
of Irkaina but is the true lingua franca of Libynos, and many Libynosi
know it as at least a second language.

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 The following history, brief as it is, includes far more information than According to the oldest and darkest legends, there came a time, long
even the most respected scholar of the Lost Lands could ever know. Most after the world formed but eons ago yet, that chaotic beings of enormous
educated people will be aware of the basic history of their kingdom, and power arrived on the world from beyond the stars. In many ways neither
maybe a close neighboring kingdom or two, going back perhaps two gods nor demons, they have come to be referred to as the Great Old
or three centuries. Certain legends or stories of ancient times may be Ones. Some of their names have also come down to us, including Hastur,
common knowledge, if particularly important to the local community. the Unspeakable One; Cybele, the Great Mother, the Black Goat of the
Residents likely also know some history of their city, if they live in one. Woods; and Tsathogga, the Demon Frog God, the Devouring Maw, who
And almost everyone has heard stories of the ancient Hyperboreans and, is also said to be a demon lord. The Great Old Ones and their unhuman
where relevant, the Foerdewaith. But that is likely to be the extent of the servitor races populated the world and are believed to have bred beasts
historical knowledge of even a literate and well-read individual. That, and for labor and food.
the creation myths and legends of their own religion. Eventually, the Great Old Ones warred among themselves during a
Scholars in major cities know more, of course, but even there, most period called the Primordial Wars. None now knows which one of them
only have expertise in a specific area or topic. No one has the breadth ended up ascendant. It is thought that Tsathogga was not victorious, but
of knowledge set forth below, and it should be parceled out accordingly. that he and his tsathar servitor race survived the Primordial Wars by
More details about the history of specific regions, nations, and cities retreating into desolate swamps and caverns, though they lost much of
may be found in the applicable entries in the Gazetteer in Chapter V. their power elsewhere in the world.
Other details and specific dates are included in the timeline in Appendix The end of the Age of Gods is traditionally marked by an event
I at the end of this volume. known as the Judgment of Xtu. According to the legends that speak of
this time, a fiery object from the skies crashed into eastern Libynos and

CREATION OF THE WORLD annihilated a portion of the eastern side of the continent and devastated
the populations of the Great Old Ones’ nonhuman servitor races and the
great beasts inhabiting the world. Where the object struck, hundreds
of thousands of square miles of land were effectively vaporized. The
AND THE AGE OF GODS seas rushed into the massive crater and created the Boiling Sea, which
exists today as a part of Mother Oceanus along the east coast of Central
The beginning of the world is shrouded in myth and mystery. Many Libynos near Imya and the Jungle of Malagro.
religions and cultures have their own creation stories, most of which are
entirely inconsistent with each other. As of yet, scholars have not been
able to piece together a single origin on which they can agree.
That being said, most scholars subscribe to the view that the world
AGE OF DRAGONS
is incredibly ancient. Evidence has been found that suggests that The next age of the world is typically known as the Age of Dragons.
the continents were at one point connected in one supercontinent, With the Great Old Ones rendered powerless, dead, or imprisoned,
sometimes referred to as Hyperboros, which eventually split into the elemental and primal dragons arrived on Boros, likely from the Inner
known continents of Akados, Boros, and Libynos. Given the speed at Planes, and defeated the remnants of the prior nonhuman races and took
which the landmasses appear to move, some of the wise in Courghais, the land for themselves.
Reme, Bard’s Gate, and Castorhage postulate an age of the world of Very little is known of this era. It is believed that the division between
billions of years. chromatic and metallic dragonkind originated during this time and
Most scholars have also come to a consensus that the world’s creation led to a conflict known as the Dragon Wars. Both great lizards as well
resulted from the actions (whether intentional or not) of one or two as serpent-folk were either brought to the world or bred by the great
primordial elemental forces. Not necessarily gods in the strict sense, dragons as food or to fight battles for them. And toward the end of this
these fundamental powers have been given various names by those era, giants are said to have arrived from Jotunheim to fight the dragons
cultures that refer to them, including Erce, Boros (from whence came for dominion over the world.
the name of both the northern continent and the world), Ymir, and There is no agreement as to why this era ended, though it appears
Behemoth. Some of these forces may be native to our plane of existence, that the dragons and giants battled among themselves until they were all
while others may have come from the upper or lower planes. driven to the corners of the world. Into the vacuum came new powers,
C H . 4: A B RI E F H I STORY OF TH E L OST L AN DS|27
 Elves ambush a Hyperborean patrol in the forests of southeastern Akados.

the first beings known as gods. And toward the end of this age, humans Akados. Based on relics dating from this period, the larger communities
arrived on Boros. As to the origins of humans, the diversity of stories appear to have been theocracies, with some evidence of brutal traditions
and legends are impossibly inconsistent. Some say that humans were and the enforcement of loyalty through blood. From their weaponry and
already here, in hiding, and that the gods found them and brought armor and burials evincing terrible injuries, it is clear that, even in these
them out of the darkness. Other religions claim one god or another earliest years, there was conflict among the nascent human realms. In
created humans. Whatever the case, humans began to spread across the one consistency across thousands of miles, the religious image of the
continents of the world. tesseract is widely recognized as a symbol of life and the natural order.
Most scholars assume that the people of the northern continent of

AGE OF MAN Boros, the ancestors of the Hyperboreans, had their origin during this
time as well, although no evidence or records have yet been found that
could confirm this hypothesis. In addition, there are legends concerning
Evidence of Neolithic human groups can be found throughout all of a southern continent, now lost, which was called Notos, on which
the continents of the Lost Lands. When and how they first arose, and civilization also arose.
whether or in what way they might have been related, is uncertain. It
has been noted that one symbol, roughly looking like a cube within a
cube (an object known as a tesseract), can be found in cave art and other
petroglyphs in many locations separated by thousands of miles.
AGE OF STRIFE
These early people must have come into contact with the serpent-folk The first human city-states were founded during the era known as the
and giants who had been around for, at that point, perhaps hundreds Age of Strife, which began roughly 18,000 years ago. Cities such as
of thousands of years, evidenced by certain obscure legends that come Erethu, Gessh, and Ur on Libynos grew large, built surrounding walls,
down to us from that time. and conquered the neighboring countryside. Around the same time, the
During this period, the earliest human proto-civilizations arose. explorer Koshag of Ur sailed the Sinnar Ocean and established the City-
Evidence of agriculture and the beginnings of communities from this State of Xantollan on Pontos Island, the earliest city on Akados. And
time can be found in the regions that would become Khemit, Istaflumina, about 15,700 years ago, colonists from the northeastern coast of Libynos
and Jaati on Libynos, and in the future lands of the Xha’en in western (the location of the modern Jaati) found their way to the west coast of
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Akados (legend says by crossing Mother Oceanus the long way), where under the eaves of the Forest of Parna, also in eastern Akados; and
they founded Gtsang. Tharistra, on the plains west of the Gulf of Akados, possibly in the
During this period, the worship of many gods spread throughout the vicinity of Stoneheart Valley.
human realms, along with the understanding that the deities belonged to In addition, it is believed that during these years a great empire arose
various groups, or pantheons. Many of the gods first to be worshipped on the legendary continent of Notos in the seas south of Akados. Nothing
were benign, of light and agriculture, of land, sea, and air. But not all. but myths and tales survive of this power, if indeed it ever existed.
Some stories suggest the malign influence of older, non-human races Before the end of this age, the myths say that Notos was destroyed in a
in the introduction of the worship of various evil deities. However it cataclysm and sank beneath the seas, leaving only a scattering of islands
occurred, certain human realms adopted the ways of beneficent deities, above the waves that today are known as the Islands of Arkanos.
while others devoted themselves to gods of darkness. Soon, strife In this age, a mighty god walked among the people of Akados. He
between these city-states and kingdoms of Libynos erupted into war. was Arvonliet, an angelic being of almost painful splendor known as
The legends of the elves and dwarves indicate that those races first the Prince of Beauty and also as the Bringer of Light for his radiant
arrived on Boros over the course of this age. Some 17,000 years ago, the presence. He brought great achievement, artifice, and indulgence to his
elven god Wayland the Smith unlocked the secret to passing between the followers, and if he also introduced jealousy, spiteful competition, and
elven homeland of Alfheim and the world of Boros, and some among vice, for long years no one was the wiser. For Arvonliet was not only the
the elves, or Alfar, crossed through. For many years, the way was kept a self-proclaimed Prince of Beauty but also the Prince of Hate. It is said
closely guarded secret; the earliest visitors were limited to the noblest of that Arvonliet either destroyed or corrupted all the Phoromyceaen cities
the elves, whose descendants are said to be the grey elves of the Emerald and brought an end to that civilization throughout the world.
Mountains of Akados. Over time, some other Alfar passed between the To ensure his dominion over the lands of Boros, Arvonliet began
worlds, but only in small numbers, and settled in remote locations, and construction of a permanent gate to his home plane of the Abyss. At last,
for reasons yet to be determined. the gods of good realized the peril the world was in. Together, the three
Some two millennia after Wayland first discovered the secret of the sibling gods Thyr, Muir, and Kel overthrew Arvonliet, driving him from
planar gates, the dwarves of Niðavellir (which, depending on who Boros and casting him into the outer plane Ginnungagap. To ensure he
you ask, is either a region of Alfheim, or is closely connected to it) would not return, the gods created a mystical ward known as the Keltine
came into conflict with the elves of a realm called Svartalfheim, who Barrier, over which they raised a mighty range of peaks, the Stoneheart
in time became the drow, or dark elves. During the course of this war, Mountains. Ever after, Arvonliet would no longer be either beautiful or
the dwarves discovered the secrets of the gates of Wayland the Smith light, and became known as Orcus.
and proceeded to construct gates of their own. Unlike the Alfar gates Whether a coincidence or otherwise, at almost the same time as the defeat
made by Wayland that broached wild areas of Boros little populated of Arvonliet, some event in the realm of Alfheim led to a large migration
by sentient folk, and through which only small numbers of Alfar were of elves from their homeland to Boros. Known as the First Exodus of the
permitted to pass, the dwarves opened multiple gates into the deep Elves, the cause for the sudden influx of population is unknown, except
places of Boros, and in no time the conflict between the dwarves and perhaps to the grey elves of the Emerald Mountains, who do not speak of
dark elves spilled through unchecked. such things. The vast majority of the arrivals fled to the southern reaches of
The world they found was one already at war, scarred by the clash of Akados, into deep forests that extended almost from the western edge of the
great powers. The strife between the followers of the gods of good and continent to the shores of the Sinnar Ocean in the east. There they founded
the gods of evil had spread to the Outer Planes, into a conflict known as new elven realms far from the humans of Akados.
the Gods’ War. The drow soon joined with the evil gods in the Gods’ War, Thus ended the Age of Kings in –6484 I.R.
while the dwarves and Alfar allied with the deities of good. Eventually,
at great cost, the last general of the forces of darkness was overthrown,
and the god Thyr ended the Gods’ War, and with it the Age of Strife.
Oddly, the dwarves of Ankhura, in the Tsendakar Mountains of
AGE OF SILENCE
northwestern Akados, are said to have already been in their mountain With the Phoromyceaen city-states in ruin, a new dark age settled on
fastnesses when Gtsang was founded. If that is true, the dwarves of this Akados. The embryonic Xha’en folk of western Akados and the people of
realm would have arrived independently of, and substantially earlier Gtsang, in their mountain fastness, survived relatively unscathed. Similarly,
than, their fellows who used the dwarven gates created at the time of the nascent Libynosi societies that were to become Khemit, Istaflumina,
the Gods’ War. The dwarves of Ankhura do not provide any insight as and Jaati were largely unaffected by the events so far from their homes.
to when or how they may have come to their homes in the Tsendakars, But for the rest of Akados, the people effectively returned to a Neolithic
simply maintaining that they always lived in those mountains. existence, living in scattered tribes and eking out a meager existence.
Evidence for one proto-culture of this dark age, known as the Andøvan

AGE OF KINGS or Ancient Ones, can be found in eastern Akados and the Northlands.
They were a mixture of hunters, growers, and breeders of horses, and
their magic was in the strength of the natural world and its creatures.
Though elves and dwarves now lived on Boros, the Age of Kings They were clad in hides and wielded weapons of wood and stone, though
was in many ways the first great age of humanity. This period, starting it is said some knew the secret of making bronze. Shamans called upon
around 12,000 years ago, saw the rise of the Phoromyceaen civilization. the spirits of the land and the middle air. They communed with many
Not a single empire, the Phoromyceaens spread from an unknown point different types of spirits, and some of them were what would now be
of origin to found independent city-states across much of the world, all called demons, such as Pazuzu, King of the Demons of the Wind. The
of which, for some as yet undiscovered reason, were built underground. legend of Aracor of Fair Island (now called Ramthion Island), and the
Though a solidly Bronze Age culture (and outside their cities, essentially arrival of the Obelisks of Chaos on the Plains of Sull, come to us from
Neolithic), they were magically advanced, with sorcerer-kings or priest- this time (see Cults of the Sundered Kingdoms). The Ancient Ones also
kings ruling most of their cities. Some of those ancient rulers are said to populated much of the Northlands, where they flourished for a time
have survived the fall of their civilization and become lichs, enduring to but eventually fell before an onslaught of giants, trolls, and troll-kin.
this day in the hidden depths of the world. They vanished by the time the ancestors of today’s Northmen arrived,
Among the cities founded by the Phoromyceaens were Barakus, leaving behind only barrow mounds, earthen hill forts, and enigmatic
beneath the Duskmoon Hills of the Sinnar Coast of Akados, which was rings of standing stones upon the heights. Those ancients are still held
abandoned in –6627 I.R.; Lyemmos, on the island of the Crescent Sea in a mixture of awe and fear by modern Northlanders, their barrow fields
now known as Insula Lymossus, which was swallowed by a massive still haunted by the specters of their civilization that walk the night-
sinkhole in –6484 I.R.; Nestril, the ruins of which are said to be hidden darkened hills and forests (see The Northlands Saga Complete).
C H . 4: A B RI E F H I STORY OF TH E L OST L AN DS|29
 As the years of the Age of Silence passed, the human realms on
Akados and Libynos gradually became more complex and urbanized.
In Istaflumina in northern Libynos, the cities of Gessh in the
THE HYPERBOREAN AGE
Kingdom of Hakhad, and Erethu, Irrech, and Ur in the Kingdom of The remainder of the history of the Lost Lands set forth below
Zumaru became centers of civilization during this time, with their king- is principally a high-level summary of the events relating to the
priests commanding the loyalty of tens of thousands. In –1518 I.R., the Hyperborean Empire and its successors. We focus on Hyperborea
Lower Kingdom and Middle Kingdom of Khemit merged to become because of the profound impact that empire had on nearly the entire
the Conjoined Double Kingdom, beginning the First Dynasty under the continent of Akados, as well as much of Libynos, over thousands of
Pharaoh Narmar. years. Details of the history of other regions, and specific areas within
On Akados, the city-state of Xha’ahan (a derivative of the word the empire, can be found in the related entries in Chapter V. In addition,
Xha’en, the name the folk of the region have given to themselves for other details and dates may be found in the timeline contained in
thousands of years) was founded soon after the final defeat of the Senge Appendix I at the end of this volume.
in –1302 I.R., designated as Year 0 in the official Xha’en calendar (XC).
And in –722 I.R., the first Yaltic Dynasty of Hawkmoon on eastern
Akados was founded.
In the late seventh century prior to the Imperial Record, however, a
THE MARCH OF OERSON
shadowy group called the Cult of Aurikas arose in southern Libynos.
Akruel Rathamon, the high priest of this cult, consolidated political
(–109 I.R. TO –91 I.R.)
power and brought various tribal folk under Aurikas’ banner. By –613
I.R., the cult and its disciples were committing unnamable atrocities The recorded history of the Lost Lands begins in –109 I.R., more
in the god’s name in the lands along the Reaping Sea. It was soon than 3,600 years ago, when a phalanx of ancient Hyperborea led by the
discovered that Aurikas was, in fact, the ancient demon-god Orcus, Polemarch Oerson descended from the continent of Boros through what
seeking vengeance for his prior defeat. And again, the gods responded. are now the Northlands and into the fertile heart of Akados.
Shah Rasalt, a Khemitian priest of Arden, raised an army in the name At that time, the Hundaei roamed across the Great Steppes in their
of his god to bring war to the burgeoning empire of Akruel Rathamon. numberless hordes, and the majority of southern Akados was covered
Over 25 years, the forces contested in what became known as the War in a great primeval forest claimed by kingdoms of wild elves who
of Divine Discord. At last, in –579 I.R., Shah Rasalt used the scepter fiercely guarded their boundaries, confining the Neolithic human clans
of faiths to defeat (but unfortunately not destroy) the vampire death- to scattered enclaves across the continent. The legion led by Oerson
priest Akruel Rathamon as he marched across Libynos along the coast marched along the eastern slopes of the Stoneheart Mountains and
of the Reaping Sea. Shah Rasalt and his army then turned and marched began making inroads into the great forest. The elves were unprepared
hundreds of miles into the Seething Jungle to destroy the death-priest’s for a concentrated assault by a professional army, and it was almost
remaining forces at the jungle temple of Al-Sifon. With the task a year before they were able to gather in sufficient numbers to drive
complete (or so he thought), Shah Rasalt returned to his desert temple the tree-cutting Hyperboreans out of their woodland home. In the
to die an old man. meantime, elven settlements had been raided and burned, leaving many
But the forces of evil were not done with Boros yet. In –182 I.R., elves dead. With the aid of the new reinforcements, the elves pushed
the frog demon Tsathogga unleashed a horde of demons in Irkaina in Oerson’s legion back to the edges of the forest and set an armed vigil
far northeastern Akados. The god Arden again intervened, this time along this expansive front.
sacrificing himself to entrap the horde and stop the invasion. In the Reluctant to dare the ambushes and traps of the wild elves again, but
cataclysm of the god’s sacrifice, the very fabric of the world was rent, not content to admit defeat, Polemarch Oerson spent 10 years expanding
and the odd atmospheric effect of the Tropic of Arden was created, his conquests along the edge of the Great Akadonian Forest, initiating
permanently changing the climate of lands ranging from the far south of skirmishes with elven watchers and conquering the scattered human
Akados to the northern extent of Libynos and beyond. tribes that he ran across. These tribal warriors — no matter how fierce —
As these events were unfolding, a new civilization appeared on the were no match for the discipline and effectiveness of the Hyperborean
continent of Boros, also called the World Roof, far to the north. In those phalanx and its heavily armored pikemen. Stone and copper weapons
days, prior to the polar shift, much of that continent was not ice-covered, broke against bronze breastplates and hoplon shields, and bronze-
and in fact was reasonably temperate. There, the Borean Empire, the headed sarissa pikes and javelins easily tore through hide armor and
first Empire of Hyperborea, arose, adopting and consolidating a new furs. Those tribes that Oerson did not destroy were assimilated into
pantheon of gods that would soon sweep much of the world. For in –109 his legion, their ferocity harnessed and redirected. After organizing
I.R. they sent an army to Akados and changed history forever. these woods-wise warriors and teaching them to work together, Oerson
released them beneath the boughs of the forest eaves to hunt their hated
elven adversaries.
The elves had long fought off incursions by the human tribes and were
adept at ambushing them and picking apart their war-bands through traps
and sniping. Those tactics still took a heavy toll on the human tribal
warriors, but now the invaders attacked in great numbers, organized and
guided to support each other and envelop the elven defenders. Even
as thousands of humans fell victim to the long arrows of the elves,
so too did many elves fall, quickly depleting their normal reserves of
guardians. And while this occurred, Polemarch Oerson continued his
circumnavigation of the forest and the absorption of human tribes,
swelling the ranks of his army with auxiliary levies.
In the face of this unprecedented threat upon their realm, the elven
high lords called for aid from throughout the elven nations of Akados.
The guardians of the forest eaves were augmented by the archers and
soldiers of the forest’s deep interior kingdoms — even from so far as
the fabled elven cities of Elenis Tuath and Solis Alunaris — and a great
elven host gathered in numbers never before seen in Akados. But even
the stealth of the elves could not keep this host a secret, and Oerson’s

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legion caught wind of its approach. Thus began the Perilous March, In –17 I.R., during the time of Oerson’s grandchildren, Oesson and
a year-long retreat by the legion northward, retracing the route it had Oeric, the monarchs of distant Boros doubled their demand for tribute
taken along the forest’s edge, all the while being harassed and pursued from the Hyperborean colonies in Akados and sent episcopi — inspectors
by the elven host. Though far enough from the forest’s edge that the general with authority to rule alongside the colonial governors to ensure
elves could not risk leaving the protection of the sheltering trees to make a full tallying of tribute owed — to the hundreds of Hyperborean
a full assault, the Hyperboreans were subjected to what seemed a never- garrisons and settlements. By then, the Hyperborean immigrants and
ending series of surprise attacks and ambushes that continually whittled their assimilated tribes constituted a population of millions and had built
away at their forces and took an increasing toll on their morale. their own burgeoning war machine of 20 legions, each with as many
Eventually, the elven host forced the legion into a lightly wooded as 30,000 men. For a time, the colonies grudgingly acquiesced to the
vale upon the northern slopes of the Stoneheart Valley near Lake new demands, but each year the demands grew greater. After six years
Crimmormere. Exhausted and low on supplies, the Hyperboreans found of rising tributes and imperious tax collectors, the colonies erupted
themselves trapped in the valley and took up a defensive position in in a popular uprising. The polemarchs of the legions and military
their tortoise-like chelone formations with shields above and before. governors of the many garrisons and towns appointed Oesson and
The elves, sensing a final victory against the despised humans, advanced Oeric as co-regents. The episcopi were lynched in the streets and their
into the valley against the outnumbered defenders. heads sent as tribute back to Boros instead. Oesson and Oeric moved
But as the elven spearmen and archers advanced, they discovered that from the prosperous port of Remenos to the more central settlement of
Oerson had not been idle the last 10 years: He had struck an alliance with Curgantium and there raised the Tower of Oerson, a citadel to serve as
the mountain dwarves of the Stoneheart clans. Dwarves now emerged the heart of their new Hyperborean kingdom and a bastion of defense
from hidden caves along the valley’s upper slopes to send landslides for the realm.
of carefully prepared boulders and scree down into the elves’ flanks. War was now inevitable. Though it took over a decade, Boros raised
Hidden pits opened beneath the rear ranks of the elves to swallow many 27 legions and marched them south to bring the colonies back into
of their archers and most of their small cavalry force. From these holes submission. On the plains east of the Stoneheart Mountains in the area
streamed columns of doughty dwarven warriors. Then as the elves called Hummaemidon, the Boros legions were met by the Hyperborean
found themselves crippled on their flanks and enveloped from behind, legions led by Polemarch Asenna. With his mountain dwarf allies,
the heavy phalanx of the legion advanced from its defensive posture. Asenna managed to trap half of the Boros legion against the flank of
The slaughter was terrifying, and legend holds that seven generations the mountains and cut the other half off from reinforcing them. But
of the flower of elven civilization was destroyed that day, leaving only Crassin and Odontius, Boros’ polemarchs, had their own surprise ready
the very old and the very young alive within the forest. When darkness for Asenna. They had sailed a fleet of triremes around the Irkainian
finally came that evening and the few surviving elven warriors were able Peninsula far to the east through the treacherous Mulstabhin Passage and
to escape back into the trees, there was no doubt that Polemarch Oerson then west across the northern Sinnar Ocean to the Gulf of Akados. With
had made the Hyperboreans conquerors and the new masters of Akados. this fleet, Telamon, Boros’ navarch, brought the legions of Odontius
and landed them behind the Hyperboreans’ positions to catch Asenna’s
legions between the two armies.
THE RISE OF HYPERBOREA Seeing the new legions approaching from the rear, the dwarven army
turned from the field and formed a wedge and attempted to retreat to
(–90 I.R. TO –1 I.R.) the foothills south of their position where hidden cave entrances would
allow them to withdraw back into their cavern realms. The legions of
Odontius proved too many, however, and the dwarves found themselves
The polemarch pressed his advantage and pushed into the interior surrounded. Asenna, meanwhile, abandoned by his dwarven allies and
of the forest along with his dwarven allies, the surviving elven tribes pressed from both ahead and behind by the enveloping legions of the
retreating before him. His great sweep went uncontested and managed two polemarchs, created his own defensive position and led his men in
to reach all the way to the neck of the Helcynngae Peninsula. Here their death paean to Mithras.
his advance was checked by the barbarian tribes that had heard of his However, the battle did not end as anticipated, for suddenly the exposed
approach and amassed their own war-bands to face the invaders. The flank of Odontius’ phalanx came under a withering hail of arrows fired
mountain dwarves marching with Oerson were of little help, as they from the rolling hills to their south. As the Borean legionnaires turned
were more interested in plundering abandoned elven enclaves than to lock shields against this new threat, the dwarven wedge they had
facing a new host of human adversaries. Leaving a defensive screen pinned down renewed the fury of its assault and sought to break through
of rival tribesmen across the neck of the peninsula, Oerson turned and escape to the hills. Seeing the developments to the south, Asenna
his legion back and instead pressed through the southern foothills of split his own legions, leaving half to hold those of Crassin in place and
the Stoneheart Mountains until he reached the coast of the Crescent the other half to exploit the weakness caused by the dwarves as they
Sea. Once there, he sent half of his legion back to retrace the route he managed to divide the now-disorganized legions of Odontius. Crassin
had marched over the last two decades to bring reinforcements from watched helplessly as the legions of Odontius, now assaulted by arrows
Hyperborea while the other half remained with him to build the new from the hills, the dwarven wedge, and half of Assena’s legions, were
Hyperborean city of Remenos. cut to pieces. He was unable to reinforce Odontius, but the split of
With news of the success of Oerson’s legion reaching the land of Asenna’s forces allowed his own legions to make an orderly withdrawal
Boros, additional legions began moving south to reinforce the garrisons back north. Of the 27 legions that marched forth from Boros, only eight
left along the way by Oerson and further expand the acquisitions of escaped to the north.
the conquering Hyperboreans. The savage tribes of the Heldring on Asenna himself was killed in the battle, but his strategos survived to
the Helcynngae Peninsula remained unbeaten, and a string of forts see the source of their salvation: A horde of elven archers descended
was eventually built across its neck, connected by a wall called the from the hills as the last of Odontius’ legionnaires fell. Now the elves
Helwall. A series of roads were cut through the vast forest of Akados, turned their bows and spears upon the approaching dwarves who
and settlements and forts were built all along its length to prevent any howled their battle cries in return and charged into the fray. However,
further incursions by vengeful elven tribes. The mountain dwarves, the mountain folk were already badly depleted by the battle with the
having sated their lust for elven treasure and mayhem, returned to their Boreans, and the elves were still fresh, having spent only arrows in
own mountain fastnesses and maintained a distant diplomacy with the the fight and not yet blood. The three strategos that commanded the
new human settlements. By the time of Oerson’s death at the ripe age of southern half of the Hyperborean legions then made a fateful decision.
131, as many as a half million Hyperborean immigrants had settled in In what it known as the Great Betrayal among the dwarven clans of
Akados, and a fragile peace had descended across their holdings. the Stoneheart Mountains and the Reconciliation by the elves of
C H . 4: A B RI E F H I STORY OF TH E L OST L AN DS|31
eastern Akados, the Hyperborean phalanx charged into the rear flank galleys to its name. Now the waters along the eastern and southern
of the retreating dwarves. The carnage was awful and casualties high coasts of Akados could be tamed, and the Mouth of Akados come under
as the stubborn dwarves fought on to the very last. But in the end, the the full control of the Hyperboreans. The port of Remenos rose to great
exhausted human phalangites looked warily across the piled bloody prominence and prosperity, and the great sea citadel of Castorhage was
carcasses of the dwarves at the equally exhausted elven spearmen and constructed on Insula Lymossus to control the Crescent Sea.
were astonished by what they saw: Many among the elven warriors
were taller and less fair than their elven brethren. Nearly half of the
elven force was composed of half-elves. FORMATION OF EMPIRE
Truce was called, and the Hyperborean strategos met with the elven
and half-elven high lords that commanded the elven force. They learned
that while the battles of three generations earlier had seriously depleted
(1 I.R. TO 12 I.R.)
the population of the slow-to-reproduce elves, atrocities committed by
the Hyperborean and tribal raiders had resulted in an entire generation of With the great victory at Hummaemidon and the capture of the Boros
half-elf bastards, and in numbers much greater than the usual elven birth fleet, the kingdom of the Hyperboreans began a new wave of expansion.
rate. These half-elven children were a shock to the insular wild elves. In The legions were still largely intact after the battle and found themselves
many of the surviving communities, they were known as the “war-dead” swelling in number with the addition of thousands of half-elf volunteers
and were considered abominations to be abandoned to die of exposure. who wished to make their fortunes in the armies of their fathers. Oesson
But in many of the diminished communities, the numbers of the half- remained on the throne in the city of Curgantium, while Oeric led these
elves and their quick maturation was the only means of survival through legions afield in the expansion of the nascent empire.
the following decades. Finally, a schism had broken out between the The Hyperborean legions first turned east to the Isthmus of Irkaina,
wild elf high lords who condemned the new race of half-breeds and the where they faced the Irkainian tribes, which, though fierce, were no
high lords whose communities benefited from their presence and held match for the disciplined legions augmented by elven archers and tribal
no grudge against them for the circumstances of their birth. cavalry. Crossing the Mulstabhin Passage, they entered Libynos proper
Around –27 I.R., a charismatic half-elf by the name of Valenthlis and marched through the Ashurian desert, then south to the cities in the
came of age and began demanding the rights and dignity of the half- plains and hill country between the northern shore of the Sea of Baal and
elves be honored. Anger against 60 years of oppression broke out and the Scythirian Mountains to the north. One city after another around the
resulted in violence among the shadows of the deep forest. Queen eastern shores of the Sea of Baal fell to the legions until they reached
the Triple-Kingdom of Khemit. Even that nation, ancient and powerful,
Vaissilune herself was slain and buried in a cavern deep beneath the
fell before Oeric’s armies, their soldiers assimilated into the forces of
eastern Akadonian Coast.
the empire.
Unwilling to see even more elves slaughtered at the hands of their kin,
Shortly after the conquest of Khemit, Oeric received a vision that
those who opposed Valenthlis withdrew to the far west to the realms of
he claimed came from the goddess Muir. He saw a pristine tableland
Elenis Tuath and Solis Alunaris beyond the Crescent Sea. This became
vale encircled by a ring of mountains. He was told that he must build a
known as the Second Exodus of the Elves, and those who went west named
city on this Sacred Table that would become the greatest in the world
themselves the wild elves, as they refused to accept accommodation with
and that would serve as a bastion of the goddess’s virtuous faith. Oeric
those of part-human birth. Those who allied with Valenthlis now took
marched north through Numeda and the throne-lands of Ift and Baal
a new name for themselves — the high elves — as they believed their
to the eaves of the Scythirian Mountains where he found a pass east
willingness to join with their fellows was the moral path.
through the peaks. Leading his legion on, he came at last to the table of
In the 90 years since the massacre at Lake Crimmormere, the
his vision. In this place, Oeric founded the city of Tircople. He abdicated
Hyperboreans and the high elves of eastern Akados had stayed far
his right to the throne of Hyperborea and took on the humble robes of a
away from the domains of the other. When word of the march of the
penitent, becoming known as the Pontifex of the Three and establishing
Boros legions had made its way into the forest’s interior reaches, the a monastery to Muir in the newly built city of Tircople.
lords of the high elves gathered. Some argued that they should remain While Oeric conquered the lands of northern and middle Libynos, the
within the protective eaves of the forest and take no sides in the coming triremes of the Hyperborean navy explored the southern reaches of the
conflict. Others, with Valenthlis most prominent, feared that the continent and established colonies at the mouths of major rivers. Inland,
newcomers would, in their numbers, seek to further encroach on the the deep forests and jungles proved an insurmountable barrier for the
forests to seek out new lands. They believed that intervening on behalf thinly stretched empire, so at the rivers’ mouths they stayed, using local
of the Hyperboreans would be to their benefit and might help forge an tribes to bring back treasures from the interior.
alliance with the humans. While siding with their former enemies was With the abdication of his brother, Oesson took the golden regent
anathema to some, others noted that more than four human generations circlet sent back to Curgantium by Oeric and had it and his own melted
had passed, and the actual perpetrators of atrocities against the elves together and reforged into a royal crown. He then took up sole residence
were now long dead. in the Tower of Oerson and had himself crowned as imperator of the
In the end, the lords of the high elves of eastern Akados resolved to Hyperborean Empire. This momentous and unifying action was taken
come to the assistance of the nascent Hyperborean realm. When they not a moment too soon, for shortly thereafter came attacks by bands
saw the retreat of the Stoneheart dwarves who had ambushed their kin of vicious horsemen issuing from passes through the Stoneheart
at Lake Crimmormere, long-pent-up fury erupted, and the elves rushed Mountains. The Hundaei hordes had arrived.
to the attack. The pragmatic decision of the Hyperborean strategos to
betray their erstwhile dwarven allies and side with the elves cemented
a lasting peace between the Hyperboreans and the high elves of eastern
Akados. It also created a simmering grudge between the humans and the
INVASION OF THE HUNDAEI
Stoneheart dwarves that lasted for thousands of years.
The final, oft-overlooked, result of the Battle of Hummaemidon (13 I.R. TO 686 I.R.)
was that the trireme fleet anchored on the nearby coast did not receive
word of the disaster of the Boros legions and remained unconcerned, Riders of the Great Steppes, the Hundaei noticed the arrival of the
assuming victory to have been assured. Instead, they were caught Hyperborean legions a century earlier but paid scant attention to them,
off guard as elves and tribal warriors suddenly streamed aboard their occupied as they were with their own internal clan warfare. However, a Great
anchored vessels in the night and captured more than 150 ships. Thus Khan had arisen as first among the many khans of the Hundaei, and for the
was born the great Hyperborean navy, which until that time had been first time the entire population of the Hundaei horse warriors gathered into
greatly underdeveloped with only a few local curraghs and merchant one great Invincible Horde. With the aid of the mountain dwarves seeking
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revenge on the Hyperboreans, the horse warriors took secret paths through The pressure of the Hyperborean legions during the reign of Great
the Stoneheart Mountains and found themselves within the fat and poorly Khan Ogedane eventually forced some clans of the Hundaei to expand
defended heartland of the new Hyperborean Empire. into the northwestern corner of the Great Steppes at the foot of the Nam-i-
Though the Hyperborean legions were battle tested and peerless in Budhani, the Lost Mountains — territory long taboo to the horse clans of
warfare, the Hundaei came at their settlements from a direction that was the Hundaei — and to settle in and around the shores of dark Lake Hali.
thought to be safely sealed by the ramparts of the Stoneheart Mountains These clans were ostracized by their fellows for daring to settle along the
while most of the legions were deployed halfway across two continents forbidden shores. What transpired with these clans is unknown, but within
from Occibolos to Tircople. The Hundaei quickly stormed through the a year, clan war erupted among the Hundaei of the northwestern steppes
towns they encountered, burning them out and putting their inhabitants and eventually expanded to consume the entire nation.
to the sword. They even successfully besieged several walled cities and The civil war grew so vicious that by the time word reached the
left them in ruins. Their incursion made it as far as the regional capital at Hyperborean frontier on the far side of the Great Steppes, more than
Apothasalos, where the horse-riders were finally stopped by two legions half the population of the Hundaei had already been slain. Within two
led by the polemarch Gnassus. When additional legions approached, years of the war’s start, the Hundaei had ceased to exist as an organized
the Hundaei were forced to withdraw, eventually back to the mountain people. Hyperborean scouts found the Great Steppes in places to be
passes, where the Hyperboreans could not pursue without entering the littered with the skulls of the once-great nation, now reduced to a few
territory of their dwarven enemies. roving bands that fled from all contact.
Great Khan Jaganga had successfully raided deep into Hyperborea
and taken much plunder, but he had made no gains of territory. Over
the next five centuries, Hundaei hordes would make lightning raids
deep into Hyperborea to burn and plunder, while the Hyperborean
PAX HYPERBOREA
legions would in turn seek out safe passes over the mountains to create
temporary beachheads on the Great Steppes beyond. The horse warriors
(687 I.R. TO 2490 I.R.)
could never defeat the legions in a stand-up fight, and the legions could
never force the Hundaei riders to engage in such a fight. Neither side With the Hundaei threat finally eradicated, nothing stood in the
made great gains against the other, and both suffered terrible losses at way of the empire and its continued growth and prosperity. To
the others’ hands. But no upper hand could ever be gained, and the war commemorate this time of Hyperborean transcendence, a new city
stretched on seemingly without end. was established in the Piedmont Highlands to serve as a crown jewel
Despite the threat of the Hundaei to the west, Hyperborea flourished. in the midst of the long Boros Road where the Hundaei no longer
The line of imperators descended from Oesson were intermittently wise threatened. The city was called Tsen and was built upon ground
or warlike or foolish, but the prosperity and military might of the empire sacred to the ancient faith of Arden. It grew in knowledge, wealth,
was such that even the poor rulers did not cause any precipitous declines. and sophistication to become known as the City of Wonders and rival
The great woodlands of eastern Akados were slowly deforested, giving even the imperial capital at Curgantium.
way to rich pasture and farmlands to feed the burgeoning empire, and With the Hundaei horde shattered and dispersed, humanoid tribes of
tribute poured in from its far-flung corners. The folk of the Ashurian orcs, gnolls, goblinoids, and even giants increased in number and power
desert, and the coastal lands, the throne-lands of Ift and Baal, Numeda, on the Great Steppes. Unable to cross the Stoneheart Mountain passes
and Khemit were absorbed into the empire, while colonies along the (where the mountain dwarves barred the way), the humanoid tribes looked
coast of southern Libynos thrived, though the tribes of the deserts and south to the Crynnomar Gap and soon were making war against the wild
jungles continued to make war among themselves, sometimes requiring elves in the forests south of the gap and north of the lands of Remenos.
the empire to intervene. Sea trade flourished as well, bringing goods The wild elves of the Green Realm held this forested land as a
and travelers from all over the empire. Remenos became the greatest bulwark against the hated humans, from which they would launch raid
port city of the empire, and all overland trade in the heart of the empire into the lands of Remenos from time to time to ensure their borders
passed through Curgantium. were respected. They resisted the arrival of the humanoid bands,
The empire did find a western bound, however, just beyond Remenos. fearing that they would turn west and attempt to raid farther into elven
Northward were the Hundaei, and to the west were the wild elves of lands. A call went out to all the elves of the Green Realm, even as far
the Green Realm. With so much other land to conquer, the cost of as Solis Alunaris, for warriors to gather and defend the gap between
exploration farther west seemed to far outweigh any benefits, so few if the Stoneheart Mountains and the Deepfells. Barely recovered from
any gave those regions further thought. As a result, the western shores their costly wars against the humans in past generations, the tribes and
of Akados and the city-states of Xha’ahan, Jhohir, and Rojhah, as well kingdoms of wild elves sent their warriors and, in their pride, refused
as Gtsang, remained beyond the ken of the Hyperboreans. to call upon their high elf kin to the east for assistance. The Crynnomar
One beneficiary of the growing sea trade was the island of Insula Gap was to be their line of defense.
Extremis across a narrow strait at the far end of the Helcynngae The watchful Hyperboreans of Remenos noticed when the marauding
Peninsula. Its denizens were not related to the warlike Heldring of the elves of their northern marches began to disappear. Tentative expeditions
peninsula, who were largely contained there by the Helwall. When the were sent forth to scout out the land, and all returned with tales of
triremes of the Hyperboreans came to their island, the folk of Insula abandoned settlements and signs of a hasty withdrawal. The military
Extremis accepted the offer to join the empire and embraced the new governor (or harmost) of Remenos saw an opportunity to log the pristine
civilization, in time forsaking the old ways of the Ancient Ones from woodlands in that region and expand the domain under his control. By
whom they were descended. the time the elven war-bands returned south from the Crynnomar Gap
By the time six centuries had passed, the Hyperboreans had gained after 13 years of exhausting battle in which the humanoids were finally
the upper hand in their conflict with the Hundaei. They had made peace driven back into the steppes, they found that the Remenos frontier
with tribes of Irkainian hill dwarves and from them learned the secrets had expanded deep into their forests, and an entire legion was firmly
of ironworking and steel. With these improvements in weaponry, they entrenched in the heart of their old lands south of the gap. Lacking the
were able to push back the less-numerous mountain dwarves until they will to fight anew, they withdrew westward around the northern shore of
took refuge in their deep halls under the mountains and rarely, if ever, the Crescent Sea, deeper into the woods of the Green Realm, where they
emerged. With control of the mountain passes, the Hyperboreans were erected a new line of defense. Monoliths imbued with ancient magics,
able to put multiple legions into the Great Steppes. Armed with steel now known as the Green Warders, were set from the Impossible Peaks
pikes and swords and improved iron scutum shields and cuirasses, those to the north all the way south to the Hellgate Peaks to bar the passage
legions took a terrible toll on any Hundaei that they were able to bring of any humans across this new frontier. The Green Realm was forever
to battle. closed to the presence of humans.
C H . 4: A B RI E F H I STORY OF TH E L OST L AN DS|33
 After 800 years of glory, the might of Tsen ended in a single As the weather shifted and ice began to cover the roof of the world,
night. For several decades, the folk of Tsen had been fighting a war the auguries in the Tower of Oerson were poor. When the high wizards
of attrition with tribes of humanoids and inhuman marauders that and priests of the empire gathered to reverse the drastic change to the
seemed to spring from the ground of the surrounding hills and nearby climate of their world, the results were cataclysmic. They spent five
plains. Finally, Tsen mobilized its army and marched forth to draw the years researching and preparing a ritual to return the world to its proper
marauders into open battle where they could be decisively defeated. alignment so that the stars would once again follow their old paths
On that fateful morning, some survivors outside the city reported across the sky. When all was in readiness, Imperator Obraskius oversaw
seeing a white feathered serpent rising from the gulf far to the south the inauguration of the monthlong ritual himself. But some powers,
and flying through the sky toward Tsen. Whatever the meaning of perhaps, are simply too great to be harnessed by mortal man, and the
that portent, the city ceased to exist in a single act of cataclysmic attempt by the haughty Hyperboreans was just such an instance. At the
devastation the likes of which had never been seen before upon the climactic moment of the ritual, when the world was to set itself aright
face of the world. Hyperborea’s crown jewel was no more and has upon its celestial foundation once more, the pent-up magic was released
remained an uninhabitable wasteland ever after. in an uncontrollable wave of destruction. The Tower of Oerson was
Whether connected to the fall of Tsen or mere coincidence, over the thrown down, and fires consumed Curgantium. The flames spread to
next three years a dense, dark haze settled over the Gulf of Akados in the plains around the city, and soon raging wildfires marched across the
the northern Sinnar Ocean. During these years, which came to be known heartland of the empire, burning all in their path. The fires raged across
as the Great Darkness, the sun’s light was diffuse and weak during the the plains and forests of eastern Akados for three years. By the time they
day, and at night the stars were entirely invisible, only a faint lightening had at last burned themselves out, a quarter of the empire’s population
of the sky revealing the location of Narrah, the great moon. Crops failed died due to either the immediate destruction or the resulting famine that
and, without stars visible to guide ships, shipping routes to the ports of followed in the next few years.
the gulf as far south as Freeport were abandoned. Tens of thousands Rather than try to survive in the midst of such desolation, the
perished from starvation, and refugees fled to regions far from the surviving Hyperborean elite chose to relocate east and make their new
gulf, where the light of the sun and stars still shone. After three years, capital at Tircople. They left behind their many subject tribes to fend for
however, the haze finally dissipated, and slowly people returned to the themselves in the wasted lands and removed their garrisons that had for
lands about the gulf, and shipping lanes reopened. so long kept the peace in Akados.
Not long after the fall of Tsen, a new kingdom arose on the Feirgotha
Plateau of the Stoneheart Mountains. The Khemitite wizard Aka Bakar,
who had been apprenticed to the archmage Alycthron the Dragon Lord, THE LEGION OF KING DAAN
founded this kingdom after fleeing the court of the prince of Pharos and
somehow absconding with a third of that city-state’s legion. With his
own magics and the force of his loyal Khemitite soldiers, Aka Bakar
(2516 I.R. TO 2584 I.R.)
carved the Kingdom of Arcady in the midst of the dwarven clanholds of
the Stonehearts and held it for nearly a century against dwarven assaults. The first of the tribes to arise in the wake of the Hyperborean
Yet Arcady did fall, in a short war of slaughter and desolation, but only withdrawal was the Heldring of the Helcynngae Peninsula. They surged
as a result of a massive surprise invasion by the combined hobgoblin across the Helwall and began their own age of conquest, though the
armies of the Deepfells to the west and the Stonehearts and the apparent burned-out and desolate lands they found in the old hinterlands of
sudden madness of Aka Bakar himself. The archmages Alycthron and Hyperborea quickly checked their advance once they had captured the
Margon ended the devastation and defeated Aka Bakar, after which they Sinnar Coast. At that point, they turned their sights upon Insula Extremis
disappeared into the heart of Libynos on some mysterious errand and across the narrow channel at the end of their peninsula. Without the
were not seen again for centuries. Hyperborean triremes and galleys to protect the island, the Heldring
began building longboats, which they landed on its shores to seek land
and plunder.
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE The warriors of Insula Extremis at first held off these incursions,
but soon the chieftains among the island’s clans began to war among
(2491 I.R. TO 2515 I.R.) themselves. Taking advantage of the internal conflict, the Heldring
seized a small kingdom when a chieftain hired them as mercenaries
in a battle with his rivals. Using this foothold, the Heldring slowly
As the Hyperborean Empire approached its 25th century, signs of increased their lands on the island until Daan, the son of a local chieftain
decline were becoming readily apparent. An apathy had settled over who had served in the Hyperborean legions and a minor Hyperborean
its capital and provinces, and corruption was rampant in government. noblewoman, returned to Insula Extremis. Daan himself had been
Fewer lands seemed open for conquest and plunder. The legions were a hipparchos cavalry officer in the legions and served for long years
reduced in number from 46 at the empire’s height to 12 as funds to in the Irkainian Peninsula. When the Hyperboreans withdrew from
finance these juggernauts of men and materiel became harder to find. Irkaina following the destruction of Curgantium, Daan, together with
Then in 2491 I.R., something of unknown origin but enormous power his father’s auxiliary phalangites and his own horsemen native to Insula
occurred, and the world wobbled on its axis. Both lands and seas were Extremis, were abandoned and left to find their own way home.
stricken by a season of unearthly storms and tidal waves. Far out in the The journey across eastern Akados took the small force three years
oceans, east of Libynos and west of Akados, great lines of impenetrable, until they finally reached a friendly port that would transport them and
eternal storms arose, now known as the Tempest Meridians. What might all of their mounts to Insula Extremis. When Daan and his army arrived
be beyond the storms none could say, though diviners named something on the island, they found the situation dire, with the Heldring kingdoms
in the midst of the storms the Goitre. Whatever may be the case, no expanding. Daan had learned much from fighting the Irkainians and had
longer could one sail the long way around the world. developed his own hipparchia of heavy cataphracts that combined the
Over a period of three weeks known as the Troubled Span, the poles heavy armor of the phalanx with the mobility of the cavalry. This force
of the world shifted. The north pole, which had previously been in the of armored, lance-wielding horsemen was unlike anything the Heldring
Great Ocean Ûthaf beyond the Lost Mountains at the edge of the Great had ever encountered, and in his first engagement Daan routed and
Steppes, moved to a point directly upon the continent of Boros. This utterly destroyed a much-larger force of Heldring shield-warriors.
brought about a sudden and radical change of climate, and a thick sheet Shortly after this engagement, the folk of the island named Daan as
of ice began to form over that land, which proceeded to creep down into the polemarch of Insula Extremis and placed the salvation of the island
what was now the Far North. in the hands of Daan and his cataphracts. For 10 long years, they battled
34|TTH E L OST L AN DS
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the Heldring and bested them in every engagement, until finally in one and phalanx to deal with the undead hordes, he ordered his auxiliary
great pitched battle near the Spring of Agedium, Daan’s cataphracts and troops to advance upon the walls of Tircople with ladders and ropes
the combined armies of the island’s petty kingdoms broke the power of while siege engines pounded away at its gates and towers.
the Heldring on the island and drove them back to the sea. The battle for Tircople was long and vicious, and after four days
However, Daan knew that it was only a matter of time before the the gates were breached, and the legion of Daan poured into the city
Heldring ships began to arrive in force again. Throughout the duration streets. They did not loot or burn, but only attacked defenders who
of the war against the Heldring, Daan had repeatedly written to the threatened them as they made their way to the Imperial Palace. Daan
Hyperboreans at Tircople, invoking the name of his father and his mother’s rode at the head of his cataphracts and was the first to reach the palace
family to beg for help from the legions. No answer was ever received and smash through the ranks of more undead that barred the way. Daan
until finally, shortly before the Battle of Agedium, a reply was received fought through the horde and reached the throne room to face Imperatrix
from Imperatrix Trystecce of Tircople advising that if the islanders would Trystecce, where he and his companions discovered to their horror that
send their kings as representatives, she would hear their pleas for aid and the imperatrix herself was an undead lich of surpassing power. Daan’s
consider what help Tircople could send. So even as the warriors of Insula cataphracts were not only superb heavy cavalry but were also heroes
Extremis girded for the great campaign that would end at Agedium, the and warriors of renown and now faced off against the horror that was the
petty kings of the island and their advisors and heirs took ship from their queen of Hyperborea. Though many of his company died that day, Daan
port at Dunkelding to beseech the court of the imperatrix. himself gave the final blow to the lich-queen and ended her reign over
Daan was victorious at Agedium and anxiously awaited word from Tircople and Hyperborea. Her phylactery bore a vicious trap, however,
Tircople as the months passed, but none came. Eventually, the seers and when Daan destroyed it, it exploded. As the smoke cleared, the
and druids of the island were employed to find some clue as to the fate corpse of the lich-queen was dust, and Daan the Polemarch of Insula
of the kings in Tircople. To their horror, the divinations revealed that Extremis lay dead of a hundred cursed wounds.
the emissaries of Insula Extremis had been imprisoned at Tircople by Honoring Daan’s final orders, the legion left Tircople unsacked. The
the court of the apparently mad imperatrix. Realizing the Hyperboreans legionnaires returned to their own lands or sought out new opportunities,
had abandoned and betrayed them, Daan saw no choice but to march on while the surviving 50 horsemen of Daan’s cataphracts carried their lord’s
Tircople itself to overthrow this corrupt monarch and rescue the kings body back to Insula Extremis. He was interred in a crypt in a hidden
of Insula Extremis. location somewhere on the island and pronounced the high king for all
Daan spent five years building his army. He took ship across the strait time. Then the second sons and cousins of the executed kings renounced
with what forces he had and began recruiting among the disenfranchised the imperial name of the island and restored its ancient name, Ynys
former subjects of Hyperborea. His first stop was among the burghs and Cymragh, and declared their tribes henceforth as the united tribe of the
halls of the Heldring, who though beaten and incapable of fielding a new Daanites. They rechristened the channel to the Helcynngae Peninsula as
army themselves, still retained many restless and leaderless warriors the Straits of Daan and swore an oath that no man would cross it and live
lusting for battle and plunder. Many embraced the offer of their erstwhile until their high king had returned and ruled over the island once again.
enemy and joined his growing army, many even training upon the great The rest of the world they simply called Lloegyr, the Lost Lands — the
warhorses to become cataphracts. And as his army grew, Daan headed name by which the world came to be known among the common folk,
north through the devastated heartlands of Akados where thousands of who thenceforth grew up on tales of Daan and his legendary cataphracts.
dissolute folk flocked to his banner at the promise of glory and justice.
Daan’s army continued to grow, and it encountered its first
Hyperborean legion as it crossed the Isthmus of Irkaina. But though
the legion was well equipped and well led by its strategos and had
THE KINGS OF FOERE
nearly the numbers as accompanied Daan in his own army, it was not
experienced in dealing with the thundering charge of a formation of (2585 I.R. TO 2842 I.R.)
cataphracts. While Daan’s archers and peltasts forced the legionnaires
to huddle within their chelones, the lance-wielding horsemen burst upon Following the death of the imperatrix, anarchy reigned over Akados
their formation and overran them in droves. The battle was short, and for years as the disparate peoples of the former empire struggled with the
the badly-injured strategos had only enough time to formally yield his absence of Hyperborean rulership. On Libynos, the end of empire took
forces to Daan before succumbing to his own wounds. a little longer, but after only a few decades, the new imperator and the
Daan spent three years consolidating his forces and pushing toward surviving legions vanished in the north. The tribes of Irkaina spoke of the
Tircople. During that time, he smashed three more Hyperborean Hyperboreans crossing the isthmus toward their ancestral home of Boros,
legions, including one composed of the charioteers of Khemit, and with columns of warriors and refugees marching silently northward into
his own legion swelled its ranks with recruits from among the former the cold wastes. The Hyperboreans had departed for their homeland,
imperial provinces he crossed and deserters from the Hyperborean abandoning Akados and Libynos without a word of explanation.
legions. Finally, with his host numbering well over 50,000, he crossed In the void left by the absence of the Hyperboreans in Akados, wars
the Scythirian Mountains and came to Tircople. He watched as the final raged between petty kings seeking to obtain and hold lands, wealth, and
legion deployed outside the city’s walls fled in full retreat toward the warriors. One such kingdom in central Akados was Foere. Their king,
Sea of Tyre. And there the legion of Daan stopped and waited. One a half-elf named Macobert, had been a chiliarch (battalion commander)
messenger was sent to the gates to demand the return of the kings of of the Hyperborean legion that faced the Cataphracts of Daan in battle
Insula Extremis and their retinues, but no other action was taken, and decades earlier. Upon his return to Foere, he quickly overthrew the petty
no other words were exchanged. Daan had brought the Hyperborean king and installed the military tradition from his time in the legion.
Empire to its knees and awaited its capitulation. Breeding his own war mounts, he created his own heavy cavalry from
On the third night, the release of a catapult sounded, and a large among the lords of Foere, much like the old Hyperborean hippeis class.
bundle flew over the walls of Tircople and landed before the lines of Trained in cavalry tactics and the use of combined arms, they became
Daan’s legion. An inspection showed it to be a huge tarp holding the the single-most deadly fighting force since the Cataphracts of Daan.
severed heads of all the hostages taken by the imperatrix. The catapult These Knights of Macobert served as the anchor for his army and
was likewise the signal to attack, as suddenly the ground around the city allowed him to defeat and unite all of the petty kingdoms around until
erupted and hordes of undead abominations poured forth to attack the soon one Kingdom of Foere ruled in central Akados. In his 260th year,
besiegers. The Hyperboreans, once the greatest rulers and the light of King Macobert marched his vast host, led by his thousands of knights, in a
civilization in the world, had turned to dark rites and darker allegiances long pilgrimage across Irkaina to distant Tircople. There he reclaimed the
to save themselves. The legion of Daan was decimated but not destroyed city, cleared the High Altar of Muir, and had himself crowned Macobert I,
by the sudden attack, and even as Daan deployed his heavy cataphracts Overking of the Hyperborean Monarchy of the Foerdewaith.
C H . 4: A B RI E F H I STORY OF TH E L OST L AN DS|35
 The City of Courghais, Imperial Capital of Foere.

Subsequent overkings consolidated the Foerdewaith hegemony over and largely unoccupied grasslands of the Great Steppes. Within 70 years,
Akados and maintained their control of Tircople as a distant client a string of settlements sprang up along the base of the surrounding
kingdom. Even the mighty Heldring of the Helcynngae Peninsula were mountains and in an unbroken chain across the steppes to the western
defeated in battle and brought under the banner of Foere. coast more than a thousand miles away. Then the colonists reached
The first real troubles to threaten the Hyperborean Monarchy occurred the shores of Lake Hali in the far northwest. There they found better
after Foerdewaith explorers and settlers migrated through the Crynnomar organized and aggressive tribes of humanoids, which suddenly descended
Gap into the Great Steppes. By now, the Hundaei Khanate was a distant in hordes onto the Great Steppes. The widely scattered settlements were
memory, and only scattered bands of riders known as the Shattered ill-prepared, and many were sacked and burned before the Foerdewaith
Folk continued to dwell upon the expansive plains. Foerdewaith settlers were even aware of the threat. With additional military assistance from
found little to fear from these small groups, and soon small settlements Courghais, the colonists fortified their steadings and slowly pushed back
and colonies of Foere began to spring up on the fringes of the steppes. the humanoid marauders until a tense stalemate settled in.
The stalemate did not last long. Less than two decades later, the
floodgates opened once again in a horde that poured forth from the Lost
THE COLONIZATION Mountains in numbers not seen since the great elven defense of the
Crynnomar Gap, and this time accompanied by creatures of Shadow,
(2843 I.R. TO 2957 I.R.) the sceadugenga, or shadow-walkers. The horde descended in a tide that
rolled south, burning and destroying settlements as it went. Finally, at
a battlefield now known as Cale’s Doom, the legion of Cale and the
In 2843 I.R., Queen Beraia, wife of Overking Paulus, gave birth to remaining colonial irregulars met the humanoids and shadow walkers.
twin sons, Kennet and Cale. None knew which was the elder, since the The legion fell where it stood, with tens of thousands dead. Grand Duke
queen died in childbirth and the royal physiker, having been drunk at the Cale himself was among the missing.
time, was summarily executed on orders of the overking. As the twins Refugees from the settlements poured into Reme, and the army of the
grew, the empire was wracked by fears of civil war when Paulus should Foerdewaith prepared to march north to try to stop the oncoming horde.
die. But when Paulus did pass, the twins revealed a wisdom beyond In this time of Reme’s greatest need, the powerful archmages Margon
their years. Kennet was crowned the sole overking of the Hyperborean and Alycthron reappeared, having vanished from the knowledge of
monarchy. Cale, meanwhile, abdicated his claim to the throne, and in men more than 10 centuries before. At the Crynnomar Gap, where the
return received sole control of the rich port of Reme (formerly known gathering legions of Foere stared across a field at seemingly endless
as Remenos) as well as all the nearby marches that controlled access to numbers of humanoids, the wizards called upon ancient and forgotten
the Crynnomar Gap. magics. The ground before the legions broke and tilted steeply
With the full support and resources of Courghais at his disposal, Cale backward to create a slope where only a flat plain had stood before. The
began the Great Colonization, a mass migration of settlers into the fertile hordes beyond the break watched as the tilted ground rose in a massive
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escarpment of earth and stone before them, rising hundreds of feet and the sword of truth wherever it was needed throughout the Kingdom
stretching all the way from the flanks of the Stoneheart Mountains, of Foere. As the number of Justicars grew, Sagrilaer appointed a
across the Crynnomar Gap, to the flanks of the Deepfells more than grandmaster to oversee the order in its duties abroad, while the office
500 miles distant. With such an unscalable height — thereafter known of the high lord focused on the defense of Tircople. Eventually, only a
as the Wizard’s Wall — blocking their path into the human lands, the company of Justicars remained in Tircople, while the rest rode far and
humanoid hordes were turned back. wide to discharge their holy duties and bring justice to the downtrodden.
Sorrowful even in victory at the loss of the colonies and anyone The Hyperboreans and, later, Foerdewaith were not the only peoples
trapped below on the plains beyond the Wizard’s Wall, the soldiers of to focus their attention upon Tircople and its Sacred Table in the
Foerdewaith turned their backs upon the House of Cale and began the Scythirian Mountains, however. A Libynosi ruler, who styled himself
long march home. Garrisons were left along the length of the broken the king of kings and claimed his folk were descended from the ancient
escarpment to ensure no attempts were made to scale the wall and sneak Hundaei race, received a vision granted by the death god Nergal that
into the human lands beyond, but never again, swore the folk of Foere, said the Sacred Table was sacred to his faith because it bore the entrance
would they cross the Crynnomar Gap and enter what became known as to the Underworld hidden within its cliffs. King of Kings Ossimandius
the Haunted Steppe beyond. declared the Foerdewaith anathema and led his people, called the Huun,
in a holy war against them. The Huun swept over the mountains and
slaughtered the inhabitants of Tircople and the valley basin. Almost
THE GREAT CRUSADES the entire body of Justicars on the Sacred Table fell in the onslaught,
alongside both the pontifex and the first high lord.
(2958 I.R. TO 3207 I.R.) In Courghais, Overking Granicus learned of this attack and called
upon the people of Foere to liberate the Sacred Table in what he named
the Great Crusade. Armies were raised from across Foere by Justicars
Ever since its founding by Oeric of Hyperborea, Tircople had stood as throughout the lands. With potentially hostile inhabitants in Irkaina and
a bastion of the Hyperborean gods on the continent of Libynos. It was northwestern Libynos, an overland march was deemed too long and
primarily dedicated, however, to the goddess Muir, whose High Altar costly. Instead, a great flotilla was raised and sailed east through the
was established in the city as the center of her worship in the world. Canal of the Pharaohs in Khemit, and thence to the Wasted Desert that
Outside the city in the surrounding mountains was a secret shrine to lay west of the Sea of Tyre on the eastern coast of Libynos. The crusader
her said to have been blessed by the goddess herself, making the site army landed and attacked the lightly defended eastern approach without
even more holy in the eyes of the faithful. Oeric, having abdicated the remorse. The unprepared Huun were driven before them, and Tircople
throne of the Hyperborean Empire to his brother, was anointed as the and the Sacred Table were recaptured.
Pontifex of the Three, a triumvirate of ancient Hyperborean deities of Fortresses were erected at strategic points in the Scythirian Mountains
whom only Thyr and Muir were remembered — the identity of the third and along the coasts. To create a powerful presence capable of repelling
deity having been lost somewhere in the distant past. Pontifex Oeric future invasions, a series of Crusader States were established along a
thus established a long line of high priests who cared for the weighty section of the eastern shore of Libynos west of the Sea of Tyre and on a
spiritual matters of the empire from their holy city while the political group of islands offshore, which became known as the Crusader Coast.
matters of the empire were administered from Curgantium. This Ten years later, the Huun struck back and recaptured the Sacred
arrangement persisted throughout the life of the empire with a heavily Table along with some of the Crusader States, and besieged Tircople.
traveled pilgrim’s road maintained between the heartlands of the empire Yurid, the new overking, called for a second Great Crusade to relieve
in Akados and distant Tircople. the besieged holy city. The crusader armies joined with the armies of the
In the waning days of the empire, however, the imperator moved the surviving Crusader States, and once again the Huun were driven from
capital from ruined Curgantium and relocated it to Tircople where the the Sacred Table and the siege of Tircople lifted.
High Altar of Muir came to double as the Imperial Palace. Also at this A century passed, and the Crusader States prospered. The Order of
time, the office of pontifex became absorbed by the imperators who took Justicars grew under the half-elf Elanir, the second high lord, though
the mantle of political and spiritual leader of the empire on themselves now it kept its forces marshaled primarily in and around the Crusader
when Imperator Garsune “discovered” Pontifex Maximilian murdered States to guard against further incursions by the Huun, who still lived in
at the beginning of the Twelve Nights of Blood in 2509 I.R. Garsune’s the mountains to the south around the Desert of Oreb. But in time, the
reign was short-lived, however, as he mysteriously fell from the topmost vigil of the Justicars grew lax and the Crusader States sank into peaceful
spire of his palace and was succeeded by his wife, the ageless Imperatrix forgetfulness, while the long-lived King of Kings Ossimandius (or
Trystecce. It was the hero Daan who discovered that she was actually a another Huun leader who claimed to be the same person) consolidated
foul lich and destroyed her, bringing about the end of the lines of both power. The Huun struck again, the coastal Crusader States fell, the
imperators and pontifices. Sacred Table was overrun, and Tircople was sacked. The inhabitants of
In 2744 I.R., when Macobert marched on Tircople, he replaced all were put to the sword. Only the island Crusader States survived, and
the line of the imperators by having himself crowned Overking of all they could do was watch in horror as their brethren cities ashore were
the Hyperborean Monarchy of the Foerdewaith, and lots were cast to fired to light up the entire coast at night in a ghastly spectacle.
choose a new Pontifex of the Three between the high priests of Thyr Overking Oervid called for a Third Great Crusade, which gathered once
and Muir who had traveled with Macobert. Gesselrod, a priest of Thyr, again from all across Foere and took ship for the Crusader Coast. But this
was chosen as pontifex, and the high priest of Muir, Sagrilaer, chose to time the Huun were ready for them and waited at the shore for the ships to
stay in Tircople and re-consecrate the High Altar of Muir. Seeing the land. It was said that the immortal king of kings and his high priests called
state into which the city of Tircople and its many holy sites had fallen, upon their dark gods, and a great monsoon sprang up as the flotilla neared
Sagrilaer proposed to create an order of knights dedicated to Muir. the coast and smashed the fleet. Survivors unlucky enough to be washed
With the pontifex’s blessing, he established the Holy Order of Justicars ashore along the coast were hunted by the gathered Huun spearmen and
which, drawing upon the traditions of both the Knights of Macobert and executed before being cast back into the sea. The Third Great Crusade
the Cataphracts of Daan, would be defenders throughout the world of ended in failure before it even stepped foot on Libynos.
justice and the virtues of paladinhood. Sagrilaer placed the order under The Huun held Tircople and the Sacred Table for 30 years, fighting
the command of a high lord who would be the military defender of off occasional raids from the island Crusader States, before a Fourth
Tircople, and second only to the pontifex in power within the churches Great Crusade could be gathered. This one was led by Overking
of Thyr and Muir. Oessum VIII himself, a pious and devoted warrior of Muir. The flotilla
As the first high lord, Sagrilaer grew the order from a dozen worthy landed safely on the island of Cyproean and remained there for eight
knights to an entire battalion of mounted heavy horsemen ready to bring years as Oessum slowly gathered more crusaders to his banner. A
C H . 4: A B RI E F H I STORY OF TH E L OST L AN DS|37
third high lord, Ethelgart of Berrocburh, was named while this army
gathered, and new Justicars were inducted into the order from among
the crusaders. Finally, the crusader army made plans to embark for
THE AGE OF BREAKING
the coast where the forces of the Huun waited in numbers unequaled
by any prior Huun army. It is said that Ossimandius himself led the
army from his great war chariot pulled by elephants culled from the
(3208 I.R. TO PRESENT)
forests of Far Jaati. The crusaders disembarked and marched across The reign of Graeltor was not long. Shortly after his coronation, a
the Wasted Desert toward the west where the escarpment rises to delegation of religious leaders in Courghais approached him about
the Sacred Table. Reaching the escarpment, they began their climb the threat rising in the wastes north of Bard’s Gate where the temple-
up the Crusaders’ Road, at the top of which the Huun army awaited, city of Orcus known as Tsar was threatening trade between Foere and
expecting to destroy the Foere as they tried to reach the plateau. But as the Isthmus. Though the temple-city had been there for many years,
the first of the crusaders approached the top, a ripple of confusion ran Graeltor declared his own Great Crusade to destroy the city, which he
through the Huun forces from the rear. dubbed the Army of Light. The siege of Tsar lasted for over a year and
During the years of preparation on Cyproean, Oessum had not been claimed tens of thousands on both sides.
idle. His messengers had flown back and forth between the chieftains Then in distant Libynos, swarms of invading Mguru tribesmen
of the hill dwarf clans of Shamash Kush. He had convinced these emerged from the Malagro Jungle and overran Tircople and the Sacred
chieftains of the dangers posed by the proximity of the Huun to their Table, reducing it to a burning waste. News of this atrocity shocked the
homeland, and the clans had marched secretly over the Scythirian Army of Light and shook its morale. Yet shortly thereafter, the forces
Mountains and now tore into the rear positions of the Huun on the of Tsar suddenly retreated from the field and led the vengeful Army of
Sacred Table. Portions of the Huun army turned to meet this new Light on a long chase down the Gulf of Akados coast. The army of Tsar
threat, robbing the front lines of the ability to prevent the crusaders was driven into the Forest of Hope, and the Army of Light followed.
from advancing onto the Table. Soon, the Huun found themselves Both disappeared under the forest canopy, and no sign of either has been
trapped between the two armies on a pair of small mounts on the seen since.
eastern edge of the Sacred Table called the Sickles. The battle was The shock of the loss of so much of the realm’s nobility and greatest
fierce and the outnumbered crusaders hard pressed, but the morale of warriors shook Foere to its core. Uprisings started to occur across
the Huun was already broken and, after much costly battle in which the kingdom, with few knights or noblemen to put them down. Three
the majority of the Justicars were slain in suicidal charges upon years later, the broken Graeltor died in his bed, passing the crown to
Ossimandius’ bodyguards, the crusaders carried the day. The king his largely unknown and untested grandson Oedwin. Shortly thereafter,
of kings abandoned his famed war chariot on the field and was last Ramthion Island declared its independence from Foere, beginning what
seen fleeing south toward Oreb with the survivors of his personal is known as the Foerdewaith Wars of Succession. Two years after that,
bodyguard, while the main body of his force was smashed to ribbons. the Grand Admiral of Pontus Tinigal withdrew from Foere and declared
The Sacred Table and Crusader States were secure, and Tircople was himself Emperor of the Oceans Blue, and established the Kingdom of
once again in the hands of the Foerdewaith. High Lord Ethelgart called Oceanus on Pontos Island. Efforts by the Foerdewaith to recover these
for a new pontifex to be ordained. Unfortunately, Overking Oessum lost provinces failed, and in short order other Foere lands followed suit,
VIII was killed in the battle and died without an heir. Distracted by the including Burgundy, Suilley, the Vast, North Heath and, in a devastating
political struggles to agree on a new overking, the leaders of Foere left blow, Reme.
Tircople to its own devices, and no pontifex was ordained. Finally, the During the three centuries since, the power of Foere has continued to
aged Graeltor, Oessum’s uncle who had administered Foere in Oessum’s decline, and many areas on its periphery have fallen increasingly into
absence, was crowned overking in Courghais. chaos and disorder. Where once the legions of empire kept the peace,
now bandits and monsters roam, and good folk bar their doors and keep
fires burning through the perilous night.
Just three years ago in 3514 I.R., an event occurred that shook the
kingdoms of Akados as a Huun army of the apparently immortal King of
Kings Ossimandius appeared on the northern border of the Desolation
of Tsar, past the ruins of Oxibbul. Never before had a Huun army set
foot on the shores of Akados. It advanced southward until it reached the
Lyre Valley, where it found its way blocked by Bard’s Gate and so laid
siege to the city. King Ovar the Magnificent, the overking of Courghais,
hastily called for a new Great Crusade against the age-old enemy and
rallied the nobles and men-at-arms of Foere and its former provinces to
the defense of Bard’s Gate. But first he unleashed a fleet of ships against
the sambuks of Ossimandius’ navy in the Gulf of Akados. A combined
Foerdewaith and Heldring armada delivered a crushing defeat to the
Huun ships and forced them into a retreat back up to the coasts of the
Sea of Spices.
With their supply lines disrupted by the loss of its naval support, the
besieging Huun forces withdrew from the walls of Bard’s Gate and
retreated back across the Desolation with the crusader army in pursuit.
The last reports from the front were of the crusading army pursuing the
Huun into the wastes of the Irkainian Desert to draw them into battle,
but nothing further has been heard for two years. With no word from the
king of Foere nor any of the lesser rulers who marched with him, the
Lost Lands are once again on the verge of turmoil as the rule of law is
stretched by the absence of so many lords and men-at-arms. And rumors
that King Ovar has returned to his Throne Tower of the citadel Caene,
arriving alone at night astride his trained black dragon, has only further
sparked talk of rebellion and betrayal. The Lost Lands are in need of
heroes now more than ever.
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 The exact number of deities worshipped in the Lost Lands is
undoubtedly unknowable. Some gods are ancient in origin, and
today may be nearly or entirely forgotten. Some new gods may
be venerated by only a small number of people in one location,
while others may be prayed to by many people in many different
places and even under different names.
Most of the folk of the Lost Lands worship an interconnected
group of deities, divided into what are known as pantheons.
Whether the gods consider such divisions relevant is unknown.
Certainly, some gods have been adopted by several groups of
disparate peoples, and accordingly are included in more than one
pantheon, suggesting that these categories may be more a human
construction than anything else. That being said, deities certainly
do share bonds with one another, some friendly and some
antagonistic, so in some sense affiliations do represent reality.
A full discourse on the gods of the Lost Lands is beyond the
scope of this volume and is expected to be addressed in a future
publication. In the meantime, it can be noted that the most
important pantheons today include the Foerdewaith (which
represents an intermingling of the ancient Hyperborean gods
and those of the tribes of central Akados, principally Foere);
the Xha’en Imperial Pantheon; the gods of the Heldring and
the Northlands; the Annunaki pantheon; the gods of Khemit;
the deities of nature and the earth; and the various pantheons of
the non-human races (such as the elves, dwarves, and gnomes).
One religious symbol that has acquired nearly universal
significance is the tesseract, usually shown as a square within a
square or, in three dimensions, a cube within a cube. Variations
of this symbol can be found as early as the Neolithic folk
predating the first human settlements on Akados. To this day,
it remains an important icon of Thyr and Muir, and the great
cathedral of the Foerdewaith pantheon in Courghais is known
as the Cathedral of the Tesseract. The reason for its widespread
relevance remains a subject of controversy among scholars.
Appendix II at the end of this volume provides a table of the
major deities of the most important pantheons, with essential
information concerning their areas of influence.

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WESTERN AKADOS

W ESTERN A KADOS
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS Xha’ahan. Secure behind the imposing slopes of the Impossible Peaks and
the near-impenetrable depths of the Great Akadonian Forest, the Hegemony
has grown and prospered over millennia into a powerful and sophisticated
OF WESTERN AKADOS state that is only now developing full contact with the outside world.
The Hegemony’s borders range from the semi-autonomous Gtsang
Prefecture in the north, along the edge of the Great Akadonian Forest
to the east and the wild regions of the Utterends in the south. To the
XHA’EN HEGEMONY (SOMETIMES, XI’EN) west lies the Caerulean Ocean (known as the Nether Sea to the folk of
(SHAH-en) Castorhage) — dark, vast and mysterious.
Capital: Xha’ahan Many outsiders are entirely unfamiliar with the Hegemony, and first-
Notable Settlements: Thanalos, Djir, Rojhah, Tsadar, Jhohir time visitors are likely to be astonished that such a great state has evolved
Ruler: Emperor Sajrac su Kar Rachar in isolation. While many portions of the Hegemony still live following
Government: hereditary monarchy (empire; local government the ancient ways, Xha’en city-states contain numerous wonders of art,
varies by tradition) architecture, and science that equal or exceed those of kingdoms such
Population: 17,700,000 (16,180,000 Xha’en, 500,000 Senge, as Foere and Oceanus.
400,000 halfling, 200,000 hill dwarf, 150,000 mountain dwarf, Outside visitors to the Hegemony are rare, and locals tend toward
100,000 tabaxi, 75,000 half-elf, 75,000 tengu, 20,000 wild elf)
suspicion (in the countryside) and curiosity (in cities). Ever-present
Imperial officials are quite interested in the affairs of visitors, and often
Monstrous: barghest, bat swarms, bugbears, centaurs,
insist upon official passes and fees. Foreigners will find themselves
cockatrice, crabs (giant), dryads, eagles, eagles (giant), elephants,
watched closely and sometimes even followed. This is not to say that
ettercaps, ettins, fomorians, fire giants, hill giants, stone giants,
the Xha’en are openly hostile, but a healthy level of caution prevails in
gnolls, goblins, griffons, hags, hobgoblins, hyenas, hyenas (dire), most of their interactions with foreigners.
kobolds, leopards, lions, lions (dire), lycanthropes (weretiger),
lycanthropes (wereboar), lycanthropes (wererat), lycanthropes
(werewolf), manticores, megafauna (arsinoitherium, glyptodon,
HISTORY AND PEOPLE
megaloceros, megatherium), merfolk (coastal regions), minotaurs, The ancient Xha’en people have occupied western lands for thousands
mummies, nagas, ogres, oni, perytons, phoenix, rakshasa, rats, of years, and in that time many kingdoms and empires have risen and
rats (dire), sahuagin (coastal regions), satyrs, sea serpents (coastal
fallen. Today’s Xha’en are believed to be descended from the primeval
nomadic folk of western Akados, the original progenitors of such races
regions), sphinx, tengu, tigers, tigers (dire), treants, troglodytes,
as the Hundaei and the clans of Reme. Originally hunter-gatherers, the
trolls, vampires, yeti, worgs
Xha’en settled in the fertile Plains of Xha, where they adopted a more
Languages: Xaon, Guivoc (The Utterends)
agrarian culture and built permanent settlements while farming and
Religion: the Imperial Pantheon, numerous tribal pantheons, herding livestock.
ancestral spirits, and animism For many millennia, the population of the Xha region remained
Resources: cloth, copper, fishing, foodstuffs, gems, gold, glass, relatively low, but as they prospered and their numbers grew, the Xha’en
grain, iron, livestock (cattle, goats, horses), manufactured goods, came into conflict with the Senge, the area’s other inhabitants. After
opium, pottery, silver, timber generations of sporadic warfare and migration, the Senge were slowly
Currency: Xha’en forced from their traditional lands and into the hill country to the east.
Technology Level: Renaissance (Xha’ahan city), Medieval They still exist today, but as a minority in the greater Xha’en Hegemony.
(large cities), High Middle Ages (smaller cities), Dark Ages The Hegemony as such did not exist for several millennia to come,
(towns, villages and countryside) as various city-states and small nations rose, fought, and fell. This era,
known as the Thousand Kingdoms, is one of the most popular in Xha’en
The mighty Xha’en Hegemony (sometimes written Xi’en by those of art, literature, and theater. Those days are said to have witnessed acts of
other nations) is a union of several powerful city-states united under the great heroism and fell villainy, as well as mighty sorceries, the blackest
hereditary rulership of an emperor or empress based in the ancient city of of necromancy, and the forging of legendary artifacts.
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WESTERN AKADOS

WESTERN AKADOS

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WESTERN AKADOS

The Lujhiran Dam on the Pantai River in the Xha’en Hegemony.

The greater history of the Xha’en Hegemony, spanning as it does over direct access between the city-states by boat. With the loss of the Pantai
three millennia, is a long and complex story. Brief histories can only lowlands, greater emphasis was placed on the Xha farmlands freed up
touch on its high points, as a full study of the Hegemony would take by the dam’s construction. Great aqueducts and canals were constructed
several lifetimes. The city-state of Xha’ahan (a derivative of the word to replace the yearly floods while also providing a controlled source of
Xha’en, the name the folk here have given to themselves for thousands irrigation to the plains.
of years) was founded soon after the final defeat of the Senge in –1302 The dominance of Xha’ahan was challenged in 1447 XC (145 I.R.)
I.R., now designated as Year 0 in the official Xha’en calendar (XC). when the cities of Jhohir and Rojhah formed a confederacy, sharing a
As years lengthened into centuries, Xha’ahan grew larger and more single legislative group of nobles and a military commander. As Jhohir
influential, dominating the neighboring cities of Tsadar and Aphapor. was the dominant party, this state came to be known as the Jhohir
Xha’ahan’s explorers reached out across the region and made contact Confederacy, and it lasted nearly 400 years before falling to internal
with many other entities, including the efreeti of Soohr-Ahmaad. The discord and external defeat. In 1834 XC (532 I.R.), a mighty flotilla
Xha’ahan quickly realized that the efreeti were extremely powerful and of vessels filled with Jhohir and Rojhah warriors set sail, intent on the
some called for a campaign of conquest, but these foolish voices were conquest of the Thousand Rocks and the great Anaros Island beyond.
quickly silenced by those who knew that such an act could lead only The Anari, long thought to be uncultured barbarians, took umbrage at
to disaster. Instead, complex treaties were signed with the efreeti, the this act and fought back, battling the invaders for each rock. Bad weather
contents of which remain a mystery to this day. Some scholars point to descended on the Sheltered Sea as well, with the wind battering ships,
the efreetis’ mystical powers and legendary wish-granting abilities and waves sinking dozens of vessels, and the chill cold spreading across the
note the continued success of the Xha’ahan, suggesting that there may land to slow and sicken the mainland warriors. When at last the invaders
be some connection. For their part, Xha’en officially recognizes Soohr- had had enough, they returned home, greatly weakened and diminished.
Ahmaad but have very little to do with the strange state and its equally At this point, a ferocious squabble between the two states broke out over
strange inhabitants. who bore responsibility for the disaster, and by the end of 1837 XC (535
With or without efreeti aid, Xha’ahan cemented its dominance in 1115 I.R.) the once-proud confederacy lay in tatters, with each of its partners
XC (–187 I.R.) with the construction of the engineering marvel called now going its own way.
the Lujhiran Dam, named for the Xha’ahan queen Lujhira sa Bhor Ahra. The Xha’en Hegemony as it is known today was founded in 2700 XC
Intended to prevent the annual flooding of the Alu and Pantai rivers and (1398 I.R.) when Lord Vaelos su Dis Ahra, of the clan Ahra (Kingfisher),
thus free up vast stretches of the Plains of Xha for settlement, the great declared the three allied cities — Xha’ahan, Tsadar, and Aphapor — to
project resulted in the creation of the vast body of water now called be a single union. Already ancient, Xha’ahan became the center of a
Lake Pantai, and just coincidentally the submergence of Agretor, one new and growing empire. In 2845 XC (1543 I.R.), the city of Rojhah fell
of Xha’ahan’s chief rival cities. Xha’ahan’s allied cities Tsadar and after a long siege. A puppet ruler was installed by the ruling Ahra clan,
Aphapor now sit on the edge of a great body of water, which allows and the following year the port city of Jhohir accepted the inevitable and
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agreed to peacefully join the Hegemony, followed in 2848 XC (1546 Legal rigidity increased under the Huris as well. Laws were
I.R.) by Aban Rha and Thanalos. established by a council of scholars under the emperor’s guidance.
The luck of the gods was with the new state, for just a few years later While these laws were intended to be rational and relatively benign,
in 2856 XC (1554 I.R.), a massive tidal wave swamped the region’s west they were enforced with ruthless efficiency by the official constabulary,
coast and devastated the city of Tianos, one of the last holdouts against even if they proved to be misguided or unintentionally cruel. To enforce
the Hegemony. A massive series of offshore earthquakes triggered this the law, the Huris’ rulers decreed the creation of a class of traveling
disaster and also spread destruction across the undersea Kingdom of judges — specially-trained warriors, many with some knowledge of
Caerulea, but no one among the Xha’en was aware of this until several magic — who wandered the Hegemony to hear cases and deliver their
years later when raids by the desperate sea-kingdom began to pick off judgements on the spot. These warrior judges became the Huris’ most
merchant shipping. By the time Caerulean forces began to attack coastal feared servants, and legends are told of their adventures to this day.
regions of Quy Island and the Xha shore, the Xha’en realized that they The authoritarian Huris faced many challenges during their years in
were facing a new and until-now unknown threat. power. Most prominent was the so-called Ghost Plague that began in
The coastal cities, still reeling from the aftereffects of the great 3414 XC (2112 I.R.). First in small villages, then in larger settlements,

WESTERN AKADOS
tidal wave, attempted to band together to face their attackers, but the and finally in the streets of major cities, the spirits of the dead began
Caeruleans were cunning, and with the ocean as their secret, utterly to wander, moaning and begging for food and to be reunited with
unseen highway, could strike anywhere. Forces from across the their loved ones. In time, the spirits grew hostile and attacked those
Hegemony were called up to man coastal garrisons. Mounted troops who could not help them, driving out entire towns. It fell to the warrior
and messengers were posted at regular intervals to quickly respond and judges, Imperial priests, and others skilled in dealing with the undead
spread the word of raids as they occurred. In response, the Caeruleans to clear abandoned towns and buildings of their unwanted inhabitants.
began to raid in greater numbers and brought substantial forces ashore The plague continued for two years and ended as quickly as it began.
and struck several locations simultaneously. False raids intended to Though theories abound as to the plague’s origins, no one today knows
draw off defenders were common, and soon the entire coast and Quy for certain why it happened.
Island beyond was aflame with a war between civilizations. Hostilities Like the previous dynasties, the Huris eventually fell into decline and
lasted until 2878 XC (1576 I.R.), when the two peoples, exhausted from vanished, but their end was more dramatic than most. Aging Emperor
conflict, finally settled a treaty that ended the raids. Amaran su Bha Huris had always feared death, and despite his advisors’
The seemingly inevitable march of the Ahra clan to total dominance assurances that he would ascend to heaven and take his place alongside
halted abruptly in 2883 XC (1581 I.R.) when assassins felled the the other great rulers, he began to seek out a way to cheat mortality. His
Emperor Gyris su Ard Ahra and his family. In a brilliant coup, the experiments took him down a very dark road, and when he began to
independent Ophronya (Peacock) clan seized power and declared their hold court wearing fanciful masks, even his closest advisors began to
home city of Djir to be the new seat of the Hegemony. suspect that something was very wrong with the emperor.
The Ophronya Dynasty’s end came after a long, slow decline and ended In 3697 XC (2395 I.R.), 20 years after his experiments began, Emperor
with a descent into madness on the part of the so-called Boy Emperor Ziris Amaran’s advisors demanded that he abdicate in favor of a council of
su Dos Ophronya, who took the throne at age 11 in 3062 XC (1760 I.R.). regency. In reply, Amaran revealed what many had long suspected, that
Prone to fits of rage and irrational behavior, the young ruler was hopelessly he was an undead horror, and that his royal guard had been replaced
mad by his 20th birthday. A council of nobles met in secret and decided by undying resurrected corpses. All would bow before him, Amaran
to depose the emperor with the help of several allies in the royal guard. In declared, and serve the new unending Immortal Dynasty. For long years
early 3083 XC (1781 I.R.), a mysterious fire in the imperial palace claimed the Hegemony suffered under the undead emperor’s yoke. Amaran’s
the life of the emperor. Immediately, stories circulated that Ziris immolated necromantic minions spread across the land, occupying villages and
himself while commanding the fire to stop burning. Thoroughly discredited, cities, and carried off innocent citizens to be transformed into undead
the Ophronya dynasty ended. or to feed their master’s ever more horrific experiments. Even execution
The leader of the rebellious nobles, Sarilla sa Dan Huris of clan Huris, or death from torture did not end the suffering of Amaran’s victims, for
proclaimed herself empress and thus began the rule of what many believe many of them rose again as undead servitors, or as the dreaded Immortal
to be the greatest of all Xha’en dynasties. Under the Huris Dynasty, art, Guard, Amaran’s elite warriors. As the emperor’s atrocities grew and
music, and science prospered with noble sponsorship. Cities grew, and the people suffered, an uprising was all but inevitable. Once more, civil
huge public works were constructed. The dynasty reached its height war raged across the Hegemony, and this time the nation fought for its
under Emperor Takar su Pan Huris when the Hegemony’s capital moved very survival.
back to the city of Xha’ahan in 3223 XC (1921 I.R.). This move led to By 3777 XC (2475 I.R.), the rebels gained the upper hand and laid siege
a revolt by southern nobles who saw their power slipping away. For a to Amaran’s palace. For his part, the lich-emperor crafted a powerful
time, the rebels met with success until 3230 XC (1928 I.R.), when Takar ritual that he believed would raise all the dead in the Hegemony as his
su Pan’s forces emerged victorious from the epic Battle of Taode River. servants. Amaran’s mad scheme was to transform the Xha’en state into
Over the next five years, the Hegemony reconquered the rebel cities one a land of the undead that would never die and be forever subject to his
by one, and the surviving rebels fled to the Utterends where, to hear the whim. Only drastic action could stop the mad lich, and it fell to a band of
Xha’en tell it, they were forced to survive as bandits. heroes — a misfit band that included an Anari Uarsinsi warrior, a stern
With the Hegemony reunited, the Huris clan returned to their program imperial soldier, a battle-priest, a sorceress, a warrior judge and even
of civil works by building roads, fortresses, toll stations, port facilities, an outlaw rogue — to scour the land for the lost Ahra dynasty artifacts
and similar improvements. Great works of art and music were displayed that could destroy him. In the end the adventurers, known today as the
in the capital and elsewhere. Engineering, astronomy, biology, and “Heroic Seven” succeeded, facing down the emperor just as his terrible
medicine all advanced as well. Temples trained clerics and warriors ritual began. In the battle that followed, most of the heroes perished, but
in the healing and martial arts, and colleges of magic were founded to the undead emperor was destroyed forever, along with all the wonders
expand and codify the science of the arcane. of the imperial palace. The Immortal Dynasty was over.
But this order and advancement came at a price. A rigid caste system In the aftermath, the nation rebuilt under the relatively benign Tilgi
grew up under the Huris, with peasants at the bottom and nobles at the (Ibis) Dynasty. The reign of the Tilgi was marked by its very mundanity
top. Taxes were often penurious, and those who could not pay found their as the nation prospered and the more rigid and cruel of the old dynasty’s
property confiscated and their families forced into indentured servitude. laws were relaxed. The Tilgi died out peacefully, as was their nature, to
Thus, a class of virtual slave labor arose, a system that persisted for be replaced with the more aggressive and militaristic Rachar Dynasty in
centuries. So while one may marvel at the great buildings, monuments, 4258 XC (2956 I.R.).
roads, and other works created during the Huris dynasty, they were The Tilgi Dynasty was not without its momentous events, however.
accomplished on the backs of slaves and at the cost of countless lives. The Xha’en had always been aware of a greater world beyond their
C H . 6: G A ZE T TE E R OF TH E L OST L AN DS|43
 borders, and certain ambitious families such as the Y’lshon of Quy live in small villages along the Upper Pantai River. The Senge were
Island sought to increase their personal fortunes and influence already declining by the time Lake Pantai flooded their original homeland
by seeking trade with distant nations, especially the city-state of after the construction of Lujhiran Dam. Retreat to the hills proved costly,
Castorhage, whose penal colonies were known to occupy the eastern and many Senge perished. Today, they exist semi-autonomously, keeping
shore beyond the Great Akadonian Forest. In 3809 XC (2507 I.R.), the to themselves and avoiding contact with the Xha’en.
Y’lshon received imperial permission to send vessels south around the The Senge are not particularly aggressive, though strangers are treated
Talanos Peninsula and into the Crescent Sea. After several unsuccessful with suspicion and generally shunned. Senge villages are overseen by
ventures, the trading junk Bounteous Harvest made the journey and clan hetmen and supported by shamans who are known to cast powerful
reached Castorhage, offering Hegemony silk, artwork, and foodstuffs druidic spells in defense of their territory. Senge trade handicrafts, furs,
in exchange for Castorhagi gold, livestock, and manufactured goods. and produce for metal tools, clothing, and livestock.
The journey was long and arduous, but the Harvest caused a sensation The native Bream islanders who live in small villages along the
when it returned in 3811 XC (2509 I.R.). A trickle of trade commenced, shoreline resemble the Senge and are believed to be close relatives who
with individual ships braving the journey to ferry goods back and forth chose to settle on the islands rather than the plains at some distant point
WESTERN AKADOS

while bringing both nations news and information about the other. It in the past.
was not until 3888 XC (2586 I.R.) that the twin Castorhagi regents King Non-humans occupy an unusual place in the Hegemony, for many
Alar and Queen Elspeth finally sealed a permanent trade agreement with clans of halflings and dwarves occupied regions conquered by the
the Hegemony that triggered an even greater flow of trade and also a Xha’en, and the hostile Eloitan elves occupy the depths of the eastern
steady stream of immigrants from the Hegemony to Castorhage where forest. A small population of half-elves exists in the Hegemony but they
the Xha’en quickly became one of the largest minority groups in the are generally shunned by human and elven societies.
city-state. A door to the outside world had finally opened, but it would Most halfling communities were agrarian and could do little to stem
be some time before that opening widened to more than a crack. the tide of Xha’en migration. The Xha’en often displaced these villages
It was another disaster, this time on land, that finally established real and killed or enslaved their people, or transported them to less-favorable
relations between Xha’en and the Caerulean sea kingdom. Beginning regions. Today, small communities of halflings persist, especially in the
in 3826 XC (2524 I.R.), a sea-borne plague spread by tainted fish southern portions of the Plains of Xha.
consumed the Hegemony — first in coastal cities, then farther east. The Dwarven settlements dot the Sengejia Hills or are dug deep beneath
plague was quick, debilitating, and deadly without treatment or healing the Tsendakar and Odarnadar Mountains. For the most part, the Xha’en
magic. The sickness even proved resistant to magical cures, for those left these groups in peace, and today they remain fairly isolated, keeping
treated by clerics often fell ill again immediately. When folk started to to themselves and sometimes trading with the Xha’en.
sicken in the capital city of Xha’ahan, Emperor Alnand su Var Tilgi In the south, particularly the Utterends, the situation is far more
summoned his advisors to deal with the situation. chaotic, with humans and non-humans existing side-by-side and
Some advisors believed the Caeruleans themselves spread the plague sometimes coming into conflict. Officially, the Hegemony includes
to weaken or exterminate the Xha’en in preparation for a renewal of the Utterends and nearby territories on its official maps and in the
hostilities. Others advised caution and a measured, diplomatic approach emperor’s decrees, but in reality, only a portion of the region comes
to the problem. The emperor sided with those who counseled caution, under Hegemonic control.
much to the anger of the war faction. Diplomats were dispatched to
the undersea kingdom while a renegade faction of nobles and officers
plotted an attack on Caerulea.
RELIGION
During their early agrarian days, the Xha’en worshipped a variety of
Even as the diplomats were on their way, a flotilla of Xha’en vessels
ancestral and nature spirits, propitiating them in annual rituals. These
set sail with elite warriors equipped with water-breathing magic. A
spirits were highly localized and varied across the region. Most did not
heavy, costly strike against the sea kingdom would surely trigger a
adhere to a single pantheon, and it was commonly believed that all of the
strong response, thus forcing the emperor into war, a situation that the
local entities coexisted, with each group being in charge of its chosen
conspirators considered vital before the plague killed or incapacitated
territory. No general concept of afterlife existed beyond a general belief
too many Xha’en.
in reincarnation.
Fortunately for the Caeruleans and the peace of the region, the
The founding of the Hegemony changed all this. The ancestral
legendary Warrior Judge Samadar foiled the plot after learning of
spirits of the Ahra clan were elevated to the status of true gods, and
it from a drunken nobleman and immediately moving to stop it. In a
their worship became mandatory. Priests were sent throughout the
fierce showdown, the conspirators were arrested, and their orders were
Hegemony to establish temples and to see to it that the locals worshipped
countermanded just in time to allow the diplomatic mission to proceed.
in the approved manner. Local pantheons were allowed to continue, as
As it transpired, the Caeruleans were aware of the plague and
displacing them might cause widespread disruption and unrest, but all
provided a cure. Distributed throughout the Hegemony, the merfolk’s
citizens of the new Hegemony were required to worship the Imperial
potion stopped the sickness in its tracks and vastly improved relations
Pantheon as well.
between the two nations.
Like the Hegemony itself, the Imperial Pantheon is rigidly structured,
Today, under Emperor Sajrac su Kar Rachar, the Hegemony stands at
with the great god Ara at its head. Ara is an androgynous deity who
a crossroads as the outside world begins to intrude. An intelligent and
gave birth to all the races of humanity and also the other gods. The
forward-thinking monarch, Sajrac su Kar has chosen a path of cautious
remainder of the pantheon consists of six gods — Dakhan (war and
engagement by sending diplomatic expeditions to Foere and several
justice), Gorni (mountains), Jatan (sun and moon), Noradu (nature), Oba
other western nations while expanding trade with Castorhage. Though
(oceans), and Zakur (planting) — and an equal number of goddesses —
the arrival of Castorhagi colonists on the Bream Islands in 4512 XC
Banra (the underworld), Estia (the sky), Lainu (lakes and rivers), Meita
(3210 I.R.) sent shockwaves through the Hegemony, Sajrac su Kar sees
(the harvest), Quana (love and mercy), and Yainda (childbirth). Zakur
the presence of the Castorhagi naval yards and citadels on the Breams as
and Meita are both agricultural deities and divide duties between the
an opportunity to actually engage with outsiders and has also expanded
planting season (Zakur) and the fall harvest (Meita).
his contacts there. Unfortunately for him, an unscrupulous Castorhagi
governor may have plans of his own, for the foreign military presence
has been steadily growing over the past few years. TRADE AND COMMERCE
The Hegemony’s population is largely human, and many of the Wealthy and largely self-sufficient, the Hegemony engages in extensive
indigenous peoples have been absorbed into the Xha’en culture. A few internal trade, with goods transported within its own frontiers. Livestock,
exceptions exist, such as the Senge, the descendants of the region’s produce, textiles, and timber flow from the northern regions south, while
original inhabitants. Today, most Senge dwell in the Sengejia Hills and raw materials such as silver and iron come from the mines of the Odarnadar
44|TTH E L OST L AN DS
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Mountains and gemstones are mined amid the treacherous volcanic peaks few emperors over the centuries considered conquering the islands, the
of the Cauldron. The waters of the Caerulean Ocean are rich with the beneficial economics of the status quo always prevailed.
bounty of the sea, providing all varieties of food to the Hegemony from the The mountainous Gtsang Prefecture is an odd exception to Xha’en
fishing villages that dot the eastern shore. Off the coast, the shipwrights and dominance and maintains its effective independence due to its
mariners of Quy Island provide ships and crews for the Hegemony. inaccessibility while at the same time paying lip service to the Hegemony
Foreign trade exists, though today the Hegemony has official trade with small tribute payments. The economic benefits of this relationship
agreements with only the city-state of Castorhage and its colonies outweigh the expense and inconvenience of outright conquest, as the
on the Bream Islands. Hegemony goods are exchanged for gold or mines of the Tsendakar Mountains are the Hegemony’s only reliable
manufactured goods, and Xha’en immigrants continue to travel to the source of tin, and it is generally known that the Gtsang are easily able to
city-state, growing in importance and bringing their cultural traditions destroy their mines in the event of invasion. While the Hegemony could
(including less-savory aspects of Xha’en society such as the Triad reopen these mines if destroyed, it would be an incredibly expensive
criminal gangs) to the eastern lands. undertaking. The Tsendakar mines are also the biggest source of gold in
The Hegemony also maintains trade relations with the Anari of the the Hegemony, making the region even more valuable.

WESTERN AKADOS
The growth of the Tycho Free States has opened another avenue of
Thousand Rocks. Fish, ceramics, and copper ore are imported from the
trade, but the elves of Eloitan and the Green Warder States have so far
islands in exchange for grains, cattle, tools, and smelted copper. While a
prevented the establishment of overland trade. Contact with the Free
States must be by ship only, but the voyage south then north into the
Crescent Sea is difficult and expensive.
CRIME IN THE HEGEMONY With the ascension of the relatively enlightened Emperor Sajrac su
Kar, the Hegemony seems poised to end its long isolation. Diplomatic
As a highly lawful state, the Xha’en Hegemony abhors and trade delegations make perilous journeys to distant lands such as
crime and harshly punishes even the most minor and Foere, Oceanus, and elsewhere, and goods from the Hegemony now
mundane of offenses. All the same, the Hegemony is a flow to eastern kingdoms other than the Xha’en’s old trading partners,
human state, and like all humans, the Xha’en themselves the Castorhagi.
are imperfect and vulnerable to corruption. Despite the
best efforts of local magistrates, warrior judges, and the LOYALTIES AND DIPLOMACY
Silent Demons (the emperor’s secret police), crime exists Separated from the rest of the world by imposing mountain ranges
and flourishes in many places in the Hegemony. and tangled forest, the Hegemony has existed in something of a bubble
While there are extensive petty crimes and many local for much of its history. While relations with the Thousand Rocks,
crime bosses, particularly in slums and poorer villages, Gtsang Prefecture, and the sea Kingdom of Caerulea have long been
the two major axes of illegal activities are the Crimson established, these are neighboring states that cannot be ignored. For
Mask and the Triads, two groups that take quite different many long years, the only truly foreign power that the Hegemony traded
approaches to lawlessness. The Crimson Mask is a very with was the City-State of Castorhage.
old organization, run primarily by the Vilgyr clan of Emperor Sajrac su Kar’s advisors have told him that the world is
Djir. While this identification suggests that rooting out changing, and that the old ways are fading, which will require new
the Crimson Mask would be an easy task — after all, paths of thought and action. To this end, he has begun to reach out to
with supreme authority, why can’t the emperor simply other states of Akados, sending diplomatic missions to Foere, Bard’s
arrest every member of the Vilgyr family? — in reality, Gate, and elsewhere. The Castorhagi have been trading partners for a
the Vilgyr themselves are quite adept at hiding in plain long time, but the volume of trade was always strictly controlled — this
sight, often with a complex and sophisticated network of too may be changing as a growing number of Xha’en emigrants make
secret identities, legitimate business, and safehouses. The their home in Castorhage, taking with them many cultural and social
practices and institutions. The appearance of Castorhagi colonists on
Crimson Mask has often been compared to a hydra, for
the Bream Islands three centuries ago created yet another crack in the
when one head is killed, two more seem to take its place
Hegemony’s walls of isolation, and now the emperor hopes to further
at new and even better hidden locations. The Crimson
expand his nation’s outside contacts, using the Breams as one route to
Mask also commands a secret network of assassins who
the greater world and its riches.
are said to be able to kill anyone if their price is met (the A handful of Xha’en merchants also made their way through the
price for the emperor is, naturally, so high that almost no northern reaches of the Great Akadonian Forest, risking attack by hostile
one can afford to pay, though the Mask’s assassins insist wood elves and dangerous creatures, to trade with the young Tycho Free
that they would be equal to the task should they ever be States, and more eastern goods have begun to appear within Xha’en
called upon). borders. These steps toward opening up Xha’en to the outside world are
The Triad gangs, on the other hand, are a far more thus far relatively tentative but may grow in time.
diffuse and harder to identify group. These are independent
entities organized according to very old traditions that
may date to before the founding of Xha’ahan city itself. The
GOVERNMENT
While the Xha’en’s state is officially called a Hegemony, it is ruled
name “triad” is based upon the gangs’ use of triangular
by a hereditary monarchy based in the city of Xha’ahan (excluding the
symbology, as well as the philosophy that their practices
period in which the capital was officially moved to the city of Djir).
require a combination of three forces — heaven, earth,
Its great city-states — Jhohir, Aphapor, Tsadar, Rojhah, Thanalos, and
and spirit. Five major Triads — and numerous smaller others — in turn exercise authority over surrounding territories, making
ones — are believed to exist in Xha’en. Triads are involved them de facto provinces in a larger empire.
in almost every criminal enterprise within the Hegemony The Hegemony’s history is divided into dynasties, beginning with the
and beyond, including smuggling, murder, theft, the sale founding House of Ahra (the Kingfisher). Four other dynasties — the
of narcotics, prostitution, and slavery. Branches of the Ophronya (Peacock), Huris (Ostrich), Tilgi (Ibis) and the present-day
Triads have made their way beyond the Hegemony and are Rachar (Heron) — rose and fell, either peacefully or violently, and the
especially active among the Xha’en immigrants in the city succession continued uninterrupted for four and a half millennia.
of Castorhage. Over the centuries, the occupant of the Imperial Throne has ranged
from a powerless figurehead to an absolute monarch, with stops at
C H . 6: G A ZE T TE E R OF TH E L OST L AN DS|45
 today a shadow of their former selves, consisting of a single squadron
of six, maintained almost entirely due to tradition.
Despite the suppression of halflings throughout the Hegemony, the
city-state of Rojhah maintains better relations with its halfling population
and has for many generations maintained several regiments of halfling
Xha’en Calendar Dynasty
skirmishers equipped with bows, slings, and darts. These halflings are
1115–2883 Ahra employed as scouts and rangers and often participate in successful
2883–3063 Ophronya campaigns on behalf of the Hegemony. Other non-humans occasionally
serve with the Hegemony military, usually as contractors or mercenaries
3063–3702 Huris — dwarven engineers and half-elf scouts are most commonly employed
3703–4258 Tilgi in this fashion.
Arcane and divine magic have played important roles in the Hegemony
4258–Present Rachar
military, even more than in the eastern kingdoms. An entire coterie of
WESTERN AKADOS

battle-wizards serves the emperor and can be called up on extremely short

notice. It was this command of magic and its application to warfare that
almost every level in between. Today, the power of the emperor appears helped Xha’ahan dominate the region’s other city-states, and the emperor
to be on the increase, with the vital and intelligent Sajrac su Kar continues to maintain a large number of these battle-wizards. In the past,
reclaiming some of the throne’s old authority. Already he has undercut each regiment of the Hegemony’s united army contained one or more
the privileges of nobles in other provinces and insists that they pay taxes war-priests who commanded both offensive and healing magic, though
and visit Xha’ahan at least once every two years to report on conditions this tradition is currently in decline along with other military practices.
in their homelands. He has placed much of the army under his and his The Xha’en maintain only a small standing navy, as few major threats
advisors’ direct control, and dispatched diplomatic missions far abroad, come from the sea. Emperors in need of ships can press civilian vessels
triggering a growing flow of trade from the east. into service or commission the construction of ships intended for
How well the emperor’s reforms will succeed remains to be seen. short-term, fairly limited purposes such as amphibious invasion or the
Many nobles chafe at his new taxes and decrees, and a significant number suppression of piracy. The need for either function passed long ago, and
of priests of the Imperial Pantheon express conservative views and call today the Hegemony remains a largely non-naval power. The vessels of
for a return to older, more isolationist policies. A small but powerful Ankhura and Castorhage patrol the outer waters but are restricted from
group of nobles has banded together to form a secret society known as approaching the Xha’en coastline too closely.
the White Serpent, but so far their plots against the emperor have been Overall, the Hegemony military remains strong and is easily the equal
foiled with the aid of the warrior judges and the Silent Demons. of any nation that might present a threat, but generations of relative
peace have sapped much of Xha’en’s more militaristic tendencies,
MILITARY and today the army has been largely relegated to civil duties and the
Traditionally, the Hegemony’s military is made up of several armies, suppression of minor threats to the nation. Emperor Sajrac su Kar has
each maintained and commanded by its city-state of origin. Also by undertaken a program of modernization, sending diplomats to study
tradition, the army of Xha’ahan is required to be the largest and most foreign militaries, reorganizing old and inefficient units, and putting the
powerful. As the Hegemony has few enemies, these armies have dwindled armies of the Hegemony’s various member-cities under his own direct
somewhat over the generations, and today serve mostly to safeguard the command. Needless to say, this irritates many of the cities’ nobles,
country against bandits, put down local uprisings, and patrol the border. especially members of the radical White Serpent Society.
Nevertheless, some ancient traditions continue, and the Hegemony
military still contains skilled and even legendary warriors. MAJOR THREATS
While armies differ in appearance and composition from one city- The Xha’en Hegemony is one of the most stable of known nations.
state to the next, all use similar military technologies and tactics. The Safe behind nearly-impassible mountains and forests, the Hegemony
bulk of the army is infantry, divided between unarmored skirmishers has few real outside enemies, and those within its borders lack the
equipped with shortbows, medium infantry in leather armor (often power to do more than inconvenience the emperor.
derived from the tanned hides of elephants and rhinoceros as well as The nearest states with any power are the relatively new Tycho
horses and cows) armed with well-engineered crossbows, and heavy Free States located on the eastern side of the near-impenetrable Great
infantry in chain mail or plate, usually armed with large two-handed Akadonian Forest. Engaged mostly in a struggle for growth and survival,
weapons such as glaives, mauls, and halberds. Weapons and armor bear these states have little interest in antagonizing their larger neighbor to
design motifs and details that are unique to their cities of origin. the west and welcome the handful of Xha’en merchants who make the
Most mounted troops ride horses. The horse-archers of Thanalos are difficult journey through the forest to trade.
considered the finest in the realm and carry on the traditions of excellent The Utterends in the south are the least-settled portion of the
horsemanship developed by their distant ancestors. The knights of Hegemony and are home to independent groups of humans and non-
Xha’ahan wear heavy scaled armor and fight with great lances and humans. Relations with these groups vary, from friendly trade agreements
swords, while the lancers of Aban Rha are lightly-armored, mobile, and to outright hostility, with human bandits, humanoid raiders, and angry
deadly as both scouts and shock cavalry. warlords attacking Xha’en settlements and merchants. The Xha’en
Several unusual units exist within the Hegemony’s military, though military responds to these provocations, but the sheer inaccessibility of
most of their greatest exploits took place in the distant past. The Tiger- much of the region limits their effectiveness.
Riders of Xha’ahan are probably the best known of these elite groups. The most significant threats to the Hegemony come from inside its
An all-female unit of armored warriors, mounted on tigers bred for both own borders. A new emperor has taken the throne, hoping to awaken
size and ferocity and armed with lances, swords and bows, the Tiger- a sleepy nation and set it back on the road to greatness. To this end,
Riders are credited with winning numerous battles for the Hegemony’s Sajrac su Kar has rattled many cages — taking greater control of the
leading city-state. Their numbers have dwindled over time, and where state military, dismissing advisors and bureaucrats from old families,
once over a thousand served at the personal command of the emperor, improving local administration, sacking corrupt governors, and making
only a single regiment of 300 remains. tentative moves toward ending the Hegemony’s isolation from the rest
The city-state of Djir was long able to resist the dominance of of the world.
Xha’ahan through the excellence and professionalism of its army, which While these moves have met with some approval, especially from
included its legendary aerial cavalry, mounted on griffons from the younger and more progressive Xha’en, they have been frowned upon
Odarnadar Mountains. Like the Tiger-Riders, the Griffon Knights are by an increasingly alarmed establishment. Established noble houses, the
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rulers of various city-states, military officers, and doctrinaire priests of The grand city and capital of the Hegemony, Xha’ahan has occupied
the Imperial Pantheon have all expressed dissatisfaction and, in some its current site for nearly three and a quarter millennia. Starting life
cases, outright defiance of the new emperor’s edicts. as a small river town in what was subsequently declared to be Year 0
A few nobles banded together into a secret society known as the XC, Xha’ahan grew steadily in population and influence, particularly
White Serpent and intend to depose or kill the emperor. So far, the after the construction of the Lujhiran Dam in 1115 XC (–187 I.R.).
emperor has survived two attempts on his life by masked assassins, and During this period, the Xha’en engaged in a series of public works and
has dispatched his secret police, the Silent Demons, to find out who is improvements, demolishing old neighborhoods and rebuilding along
behind the conspiracy and bring them to justice. carefully planned lines. The resulting city consisted of three distinct
The Hegemony has maintained trade relations with Castorhage for sections, each enclosed by graceful crenelated walls: the Imperial Palace
centuries and has come to warily accept the presence of Castorhagi that rises majestically from the precise center of Xha’ahan; the Inner
colonists on the Bream Islands. However, the expansion of both nations’ City, home to nobles, temples, government offices, and bureaucrats;
influence may lead to conflict. Some believe that the Breams’ governor, and the Outer City where most of Xha’ahan’s residents live, along with
Lord Duke Taneth, is building up naval and land forces with the much of the merchant class. Paved streets and canals crisscrossing the

WESTERN AKADOS
intention of invading Quy Island, thus expanding his nation’s holdings Outer and Inner Cities allow a relatively free flow of traffic, and both
and potentially provoking war with the Hegemony. This outcome, sure the Inner and Outer walls are accessible through massive gates, two per
to be disastrous for all involved, is one that all save Taneth and his allies side, for a total of eight on each wall.
seem determined to avoid. Over generations, Xha’ahan’s population has spilled out beyond the
Outer Wall to form vast labyrinthine slums where crime and violence
WILDERNESS AND ADVENTURES flourish. Also beyond the Outer Wall lies the Xha’ahan army’s main
Although it remains one of the largest and most powerful states in encampment, where the bulk of the city’s military, including the
Akados, the Xha’en Hegemony is not well-known outside its frontiers, legendary Tiger-Riders, are permanently stationed.
and opportunities abound for those who wish to travel there, as well as While it is not the most ancient city in the region (the mystical
those who were born and bred in the region. Surrounded by a changing settlement of Duam in the Gtsang Prefecture takes that honor), Xha’ahan
world, the Hegemony will soon be experiencing seismic changes in its retains a palpable sense of history. Structures from the earliest periods of
culture and society, surely creating many chances for adventure and Xha’ahan history stand side-by-side with modern apartments, shops, and
good fortune. government buildings. Cobbled streets rise above broad canals crossed
The central regions of the Hegemony — the lands around Lake at regular intervals by picturesque bridges. Boats of every description
Pantai and the fertile Plains of Xha — have been settled for millennia. make their way across the city by water, while the streets are crowded
Other regions, such as the wild Sengejia Hills, the rugged Tsendakar with foot traffic, wagons, and dray beasts.
Mountains, and wilderness in the Utterends remain lightly populated, The Inner City is graced with public parks, the estates of the
minimally settled, and largely unexplored. wealthy, statuary, gilded temples, and stern government buildings.
The depths of the northern Akadonian Forest — and particularly the Prominent features include the Azure Tower, a decorative structure
wild elven realm of Eloitan — present a significant barrier between built early in the city’s history that provides a panoramic view of the
the Hegemony and the growing Tycho Free States to the east. These surrounding countryside, and the Great Observatory of Xha, another
former penal colonies have vital economies and may prove important tower surmounted by a water-powered clock and an elaborate array
in the new trade routes springing up along the Crescent Sea and linking of telescopes, astrolabes, armillary spheres, and other astronomical
the Free Coast to the great city of Castorhage and other ports. The devices. Here, scholars and priests chart the heavens and make note of
forest is indeed an imposing barrier, thick with ancient trees, tangled significant celestial events.
undergrowth, treacherous ravines, and deep, swift rivers. The presence The Imperial Palace towers over the rest of the city. Its walls were
of hostile local wildlife is only the beginning of the challenges facing first laid down during the great rebuilding of 1115 XC (–187 I.R.) and
those who would venture into the forest. The Eloitan elves, xenophobic have been added to over centuries. Dark red and decorated with yellow-
and hostile to all but their own kind, lie in wait for unwary travelers. gold protective icons, the palace is considered to be the sole domain of
All of these factors make crossing the forest a near-suicidal rulers and their households. This tradition has waxed and waned over
proposition, yet eager merchants and explorers on both sides continue the years, and today the Emperor Sajrac su Kar has opened up the palace
to make inroads, venturing into the forest and — rarely — actually and allows visits from priests, government officials, and even a handful
making it out alive. Rumors of treasure — lost elven gold, hollow hills of foreign dignitaries, including representatives of the High Burgess
that contain the wonders of the ancient reptilian civilization that once of Bard’s Gate and an official diplomatic delegation from the eastern
flourished here, and the remains of the old Castorhagi fortresses — nation of Foere.
continue to draw adventurers despite a depressingly high fatality rate.
Many other adventuring opportunities present themselves, even in ABAN RHA, CITY OF
the relatively cosmopolitan regions of the Hegemony. The Crimson Ruler: Princess Iriku sa Dri
Mask and the Triads control most of the Hegemony’s crime, and also
Government: hereditary monarchy
maintain an extensive smuggling and assassination network — both
Population: 185,000 (180,000 Xha’en, 5,000 halflings)
enterprises that adventurers may encounter or be drawn into. The nobles
of the city of Djir maintain a private hunting preserve in the nearby Technology Level: Medieval
Earos Hills, where they seek out the region’s exotic megafauna, and
these expeditions always require assistance from professional trackers, Located in the heart of the fertile Plains of Xha, Aban Rha is the
hunters, and explorers. Diplomatic and trade parties regularly visit the breadbasket of the Xha’en Hegemony, surrounded by vast fields of
Sea Kingdom of Caerulea and the dwarves of Ankhura, and those parties grain and seemingly-endless orchards of fruit trees. Its walls, parks, and
often require aid from warriors, mages, healers, and the like. public buildings are all decorated with colorful agricultural symbols,
lucky signs, and motifs suggesting fertility and rich harvests.
Agricultural goods from Aban Rha are shipped throughout the
XHA’AHAN, CITY OF (CAPITAL) Hegemony — north to Rojhah, east along the wide Taode River and the
Ruler: Emperor Sajrac su Kar Rachar River Road, and down to Thanalos and the southern provinces beyond.
Government: hereditary monarchy During harvest season, caravans enter and leave the city around the clock.
Population: 1,000,000 (mostly Xha’en, small numbers of As a result, Aban Rha is a prosperous city with little severe poverty.
halflings and dwarves) While the peasants are still poor, they are generally better off in terms of
Technology Level: Renaissance food and shelter than Xha’en elsewhere in the Hegemony.
C H . 6: G A ZE T TE E R OF TH E L OST L AN DS|47
 Rich Aban Rha citizens, on the other hand, are the wealthiest in the with great interest, and generally supported. A trickle of goods from the
land, with the exception of the emperor himself. Vast sprawling estates Tycho Free States and elsewhere has found its way into Aphapor, where
surround the city, and countless luxurious mansions fill the city proper. they are studied and consumed with great enthusiasm. The city’s rulers,
Gilded barges ply the river alongside lumbering merchant vessels, Prince Ydirac su Qol and Princess Amaya sa Qol, have on occasion
lavishly decorated with decadent accommodations and small armies of dressed their official guards in the styles of other nations, and have
servants. Elaborate processions leave the city in good weather to travel officially sponsored work to translate works of eastern literature and
the countryside, setting up extensive encampments where the wealthy drama into the Xaon tongue.
can “enjoy the wonders of nature.” Lavish parades, festivals, and mock-
battles are held on holidays and at the whim of the rich. DJIR, CITY OF
The inhabitants of other cities, especially the grim militarists of Tsadar
Ruler: Great Prince Nalas su Tan Djir
and the old wealth of Djir, frown upon the excesses of Aban Rha, though
Government: hereditary monarchy
it’s known that outsiders often travel here to partake of its pleasures and
wonders. Aban Rha nobles are generally considered to be somewhat Population: 500,000 (451,950 Xha’en, 23,000 mountain
WESTERN AKADOS

boorish, vulgar types who flaunt their wealth in pointlessly ostentatious dwarves, 15,000 halflings, 9,000 hill dwarves, 1,000 half-elves,
ways. For their part, the Aban Rha don’t seem terribly concerned, for no 50 wild elves)
matter how judgmental the rest of the world may be, Aban Rha gold is Technology Level: Medieval
always accepted everywhere.
Djir is generally acknowledged to be the second most-influential
city in the Hegemony and was even the Hegemony’s capital for a
APHAPOR, CITY OF time. Its status was eventually revoked and primacy returned to the
Ruler: Prince Ydirac su Qol and Princess Amaya sa Qol mighty Xha’ahan, but Djir emerged unharmed. Its ruler, once dubbed
Government: hereditary monarchy “emperor,” is today given the slightly less grand but still impressive title
Population: 210,000 (177,500 Xha’en, 15,000 Senge, 9,000 of “great prince.”
halflings, 8,000 hill dwarves, 500 other) Surrounded by a tall hexagonal wall, Djir is built in a different style
Technology Level: High Middle Ages than its rival, with tall red stone buttressed towers, squat square homes
with spacious central courtyards, public plazas, and great aviaries where
Located along the shores of Lake Pantai and just south of the Sengejia many exotic breeds of bright-feathered birds can be seen. The city’s
Hills, Aphapor has a reputation as an open and tolerant city, where the phoenix-sigil symbolizes its fascination with winged creatures, as does
wary Senge tribesmen can come to trade and treat with the Xha’en, and its legendary griffon cavalry, once the pride of Djir’s military but now
where goods from the wilds and exotic lands to the east can be obtained. reduced in the long peace to a single squadron of six individuals based
Aphapor grew up amid the chaos of the Thousand Kingdoms period, at the city’s central edifice, known as the Phoenix Palace.
cementing its role as a crossroads and trading city with its central Like Xha’ahan, Djir’s population has expanded beyond its graceful
location amid several other growing city-states. Though it was never city walls, but adequate planning and public funding largely prevents
as populous or powerful as Xha’ahan or Tsadar, Aphapor nevertheless the creation of slums or other ugly sprawls. Districts beyond the wall
became an important member of the alliance that led to the formation are administered with the same level of bureaucratic efficiency as the
of the Hegemony, transforming its trade and mercantile contacts into rest of the city, and feature the same broad streets, attractive buildings,
a diplomatic network, and sending its ambassadors to the cities of the and public spaces.
Plains of Xha ready to negotiate, threaten, or cajole those reluctant to Despite its beauty and tranquility, all is not well within Djir, for it is
join the new nation. known that the Crimson Mask criminal syndicate controls much of what
Aphapor’s loyalty to the Hegemony was tested somewhat when goes on there, with many nobles and officials in its pay. Though the city
the Lujhiran Dam flooded the old Pantai Lowlands where the city of Djir presents a pristine and spotless image to the world, the Crimson
maintained extensive agricultural interests, reducing Aphapor’s access Mask represents a rot at its heart.
to neighboring territories. Official protests — couched in respectful but
ominous terms — were sent to Xha’ahan, for the once-prosperous city
began to suffer from its isolation, with food shortages and population
EJINDOR, PREFECTURE OF
pressures growing. Capital: Ejindor (population 85,000)
Fortunately for all, the issue was resolved peacefully, with Xha’ahan Ruler: Governor Jerain sa Kha
contributing to the construction of extensive lakeside shipping facilities, Government: vassal of Xha’en
signing lucrative agreements with the Aphapor government, and Population: 500,000 (336,500 Xha’en, 65,000 halfling, 40,000
assisting in the clearing of new lands for farming. A second diplomatic tengu, 18,500 tabaxi, 17,000 half-elf, 12,000 hill dwarf, 11,000
tightrope act was needed to pacify the Senge, who resented the city’s other)
expansion into their lands — the Senge had been forced out of their Resources: cloth, dyes, fishing, foodstuffs, grain, trade hub
ancestral territories already, and now despite their overall pacifistic Currency: Xha’en, mixed
nature, they were reluctant to be squeezed out again. Technology Level: Medieval
This dilemma was also solved through diplomacy, with the city ceding
arable territory to the Senge, offering them exclusive employment, and The prefecture of Ejindor consists primarily of the trade city of
distributing a portion of their farms’ produce directly to the tribes free Ejindor and surrounding farms. Though on its official maps the Xha’en
of charge. This last practice continues today and is accepted by Aphapor Hegemony extends much farther south and east than the prefecture of
farmers as the “Senge Tax.” After several decades of tension, Aphapor’s Ejindor, in practical terms, Ejindor functions as a border town between
relations with its neighbors began to improve. the Hegemony and the wilder lands beyond it. As such, the population
Aphapor today is a picturesque city, its white walls rising above the of the city and the surrounding countryside tends to include more than
waters of Lake Pantai, and surrounded by a network of roads, small the average of Xha’en’s various minority peoples, particularly tengu,
villages, farms, and Senge encampments. The city’s reasonably good tabaxi, halflings, and half-elves. In addition, the average monthly
relations with the Senge has led to a bit of a cultural renaissance within population of foreigners visiting the city of Ejindor is nearly 10 times
Aphapor. Senge artwork, folklore, and music are all studied and archived that of other typical cities in the Hegemony.
here, along with histories of ancient cultures and nations that occupied For these reasons, as well as the prefecture’s proximity to the controversial
Xha’en lands in the distant past. The Hegemony’s tentative contact Ghon Complex boarding school, laws in Ejindor are strict, curfews early,
with eastern states such as Castorhage, Reme, and Foere is followed taxes high, and the military ever-present. Despite these potential drawbacks,
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however, Ejindor has a reputation for treating visitors well and all residents MAJOR THREATS
fairly. Governor Jerain sa Kha is largely beloved by her citizens, known for The Jhoni Falls to the north do much to defend Ejindor from river-
her wise and measured interpretations of even the strictest laws, and her just borne threats, and the town maintains good (or at least civil) relations
sentencing when punishment is necessary. with all its neighbors. The threat of retaliation from the might of Xha’en
RELIGION is enough to make any force think twice about attacking the city. As
Though Governor Jerain sa Kha personally observes only Imperial such, the greatest threats to Ejindor tend either to be economic, such
Pantheon religious practices and holidays, all religions willing to play as the tengu bandits that disrupt shipping in the Jhoni Canyon, or come
well with their neighbors are welcome in Ejindor and are permitted to from individual monsters, such as the salamanders that have been known
make public their festivals. The summer solstice festival is especially to follow the Jhoni River downstream from the Cauldron in summer.
multicultural and considered by seasoned travelers to be a must-see Of course, one looming threat is the eventual loss of Governor Jerain
event in the region. sa Kha. Under Governor Jerain sa Kha’s rule, the markets thrive and,
despite the high imperial taxes, the citizens mostly prosper. The only
TRADE AND COMMERCE problem is that Jerain sa Kha is 87 years old. She is improbably hale for

WESTERN AKADOS
Trade and commerce are the primary reasons for Ejindor’s existence. her age as well as sharp of faculties, but even the healthiest of humans
Without them, the city would be neither so large, nor so diverse, nor so — even with unlimited access to magical healing — must ever more
economically relevant to southern Xha’en. It boasts several great public often play dice with death the older they get. Jerain sa Kha is aware that
markets, the largest of which is the river market, where one can buy fish one day soon her luck will run out, and mortality will win the round. She
and seafood of all kinds, as well as foreign goods brought to Ejindor up is doing her best to prepare her people for her passing, but the future of
the Jhoni River. This is also where locals come to sell any goods found Ejindor remains uncertain.
to be in high demand among river merchants and captains. The Ejindor prefecture is an appointed rather than inherited position.
The farmers’ market on the east side of the city is where farmers bring Jerain sa Kha has begun to float suggestions for her successor to
in the fruits of their fields and sell delightful local confections, and where representatives of the court at Xha’ahan, but so far none has been all that
visitors from surrounding regions bring livestock for sale. Finally, to the favorably received. For now, Jerain sa Kha remains alive and well, and
south of the city stands the smaller, covered, year-round market hall Ejindor is a happy and diverse city, strict laws notwithstanding. Only time
where the finest of local crafts and creations are sold alongside the works will tell what the emperor will decide in appointing the next prefect.
of famous Xha’en tradespeople and exotic foreign riches from all over
the world. The indoor market is the most heavily guarded (and taxed),
but it cannot be argued that its offerings are a wonder to behold, even
GHON COMPLEX
in the dead of winter (when it tends to be dominated by goods crafted (GOAN, one syllable)
from materials gathered in the Cauldron to the south of the prefecture). Ruler: Grand Teacher Almalandra sa Pol
Government: Xha’en imperial appointment
LOYALTIES AND DIPLOMACY Population: 412 (354 Xha’en, 20 Senge, 15 halfling, 10 tengu, 6
Ejindor is a loyal vassal-prefecture of the Xha’en Hegemony but it often hill dwarf, 5 half-elf, 1 mountain dwarf, 1 tabaxi)
finds itself in a delicate place politically as it is so far away from the center Technology Level: Medieval with some Renaissance tools
of Xha’en’s politics and has such a large and constant influx of foreign
contact. To avoid arousing suspicions of sedition, Ejindor puts on twice The Ghon Complex, named for its founder Ghon su Pol (grandfather
the show of imperial loyalty that other Xha’en cities might do. Governor of the current Grand Teacher), is a prison-like boarding school in the
Jerain sa Kha manages this balance with grace and dignity, but not without southwestern Xha’en Hegemony. Whenever a dissident, rebel, traitor,
a certain degree of discord between herself and Grand Teacher of the Ghon or other political criminal is convicted in the Xha’en Hegemony,
Complex, the other most powerful appointed leader in the region. presuming said criminal is sufficiently high-profile, high-status, or
Indeed, though even Governor Jerain sa Kha only knows or suspects wealthy, that criminal’s children, young siblings, and sometimes even
less than half of the “education” techniques being used to influence the nieces or nephews are sent to the Ghon Complex for education, training,
Ghon Complex children, rumor has it that a small rebel organization has
and propaganda.
sprung up in Ejindor with the intention of staging a prison break and
The outside of the complex appears to be a sprawling military
freeing the Ghon Complex children. If Governor Jerain sa Kha knows
fortress, nigh-impenetrable and crawling with guards. Inside, other than
of any such thing, it would appear she has chosen to turn a blind eye,
the solitary confinement chambers in the basement, the Ghon Complex
which could potentially bring terrible ramifications down on Ejindor if
is open and cheery, well-appointed, and full of gardens, practice yards,
the situation were presented to the emperor in the wrong way.
and other deceptively inviting facilities. It boasts one of the largest (and
GOVERNMENT most painstakingly curated) libraries in all of Xha’en.
Governor Jerain sa Kha has authority to run Ejindor as she sees fit, HISTORY AND PEOPLE
though the commander of the local military garrison reports to military
Founded in 4763 XC (3461 I.R.) as part of a “compassionate”
superiors elsewhere in the Hegemony rather than to the governor.
consolidation of the new Rachar dynasty’s power, the Ghon Complex
Governor Jerain sa Kha and Commander Mornys su Rin work well
together, however, so this division of authority does not interfere with was formed with the idea that the young children of dissidents and traitors
the smooth functioning of the prefecture. Governor Jerain sa Kha need not necessarily be executed to prevent them from following in
serves as primary lawmaker (after the emperor, of course) and judge their parents’ footsteps (as was sometimes done during older dynasties)
and makes all non-military appointments, prioritizing skill and integrity or expensively imprisoned for life (as was done during much of the
above connections or flattery. Military appointments are the province Tilgi dynasty). Instead, it was suggested that young children of political
of Commander Mornys su Rin, who also oversees the military in their criminals could be placed in a special school to teach them to grow up
regular service as the watch and police. as useful and honorable citizens, potentially able to cleanse their family
names of all rebellious taint. Thus, the Ghon Complex was born.
MILITARY While the education that the Ghon Complex children receive is
Unless Ejindor is actively threatened by war, defense of the town is relatively high caliber — offering many noble skills such as reading,
left to the larger-than-average resident garrison of professional soldiers. calligraphy, gardening, classical dance, and music, and even science,
These troops enforce the curfew, guard the town’s imperial taxes until magic, tactics, swordplay, and other martial arts for those deemed
they can be shipped north, and otherwise function as police. Their unit sufficiently loyal — it is nevertheless a highly manipulative program
includes two wizards and two clerics, none of whom is particularly high designed to destroy independent thinking and to obscure all the faults
in rank or skill. and flaws of the Hegemony.
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