The Campaign Builder's Guild

Only in the river of time can we put our trust, for time never lies.
-Verkem Proverb

Things are not what they once were.

Seven-hundred years ago, we had foreseen the coming revolutions and had begun attempting gainlessly to stop them, despite all our power. Others more foolish and unwisened than us, such as the Hallowed Order, made more radical efforts than we and are now destroyed, with only scattered members of their ranks left to rejoin the new groups that rise from the ashes. We have seen many legends and truths be revealed in both the appearance of other lands across the seas and the presence of more supernatural things than ourselves. And of course, as it was foretold by the Five Sorcerers, great wars have begun and finished, and more are sure to come. Sundayr is gone; destroyed by the other Southern Kingdoms when it pushed too far the reach of its scepter. Grugast went to war with a land they call Illmarn located as far north as they, and the other kingdoms have heard little from them. Great changes took place as assassinations moved from fear to reality and great catastrophes ruined the land. There is little left of the world we once knew.

Two-hundred years ago we received warning that something both marvelous and terrifying had happened. Our ears could not believe it at first, but when many of us had seen the truth we feared for what we knew about life and death, and the nature of our world. Ours is the Nightmare, and always we are reminded of how perfectly it is named by the terrible things that happen. We know the faces of the fears that once petrified us, and though they still do, we have come to realize a greater horror. It is clear now by what had taken place that the Nightmare is but one of many, and the laws of existence found within it are not as solid and persistent as we had assumed. The landscape has warped to take the shape of a true nightmare dreamscape, but that is not what shocks us most. What startles us so dearly still is who we now share our world with.

Our forefathers are back.
-Fandwyn Allmac, Member of the Secret Society of Night Mages

Vilydunn - The Nightmare: The Design

The Mission

With Vilydunn - The Golden Age of the Nightmare, I'm moving forward from the old "edition", keeping some of the past themes and elements while adding new ones to make Vilydunn more unique. While it is by all means the same world, things have changed, as Fandwyn said.

 Features of Vilydunn

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-Changing of the world into a literal nightmare dreamscape
-Removal of all core races except Humans as PC races
-Addition of new PC races whose roles may fit different places, and whose appearances are radically different
-As many as 30 classes may find their way to the setting (see next point)
-Re-application of racial restrictions on classes (not all classes will be restricted to all races, but some may only share three or four class options in common with other races) and distinct lists of different classes for each race
-Advent of "favored PrCs" in addition to "favored classes"
-Removal of alignment while keeping alignment-affecting weapons and spells (which will now have a more specific use)
-Use of the Sanity mechanic from UA, as well as a new type of weapon enchantment that affects those partially or fully insane
-Use of the Level-Independent XP Awards rule (optional for DMs)
-Possible inclusion of the Honor and Reputation optional rules
-Set in a world featuring some elements of multiple ages in real-world history, spanning the time of the Roman Empire to the mid 19th century
-New weapon proficiencies and a new group (Firearms and Gunpowder)
-Division of magic into many new groups, some of which will be tailored to specifically by certain new classes
-Some increased rarity of elemental and direct damage spells due to the distribution of unique classes and the feel of the setting itself

-More to come later  
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Golden Age Discussion

Old Vilydunn

Vilydunn's Aftermath

[spoiler=The Face of a New Beast]
http://img244.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vilydunn10rmpd0.jpg
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New major kingdoms are in bold italic, and in larger font than other names. You'll also probably notice that there are several small yellow dots with names near them. These are the Free Cities, places founded by the survivors of a great war between the Aymarians and Verkem and the kingdoms of the past age. The remaining peoples left their old homes and founded new independent city-states wherever they could find room. More on this in the next post.

The Powers that Be

 Kingdoms of the Golden Age

 I still cannot believe that the Verkem and Ayrmarians have returned. Where they went and why they're back is a mystery to us still. Perhaps soon they will share with us more of their wisdom, and we will be enlightened as to what has happened since their disappearance.
-Saxon Youthard, mercenary-for-hire

Verkemy
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 The once fabled Verkem have returned to Vilydunn and reclaimed much of their old territory from what was once divided between Tehrale and Faelunas, and quickly it has changed so that it seems they never left. Verkemy is ruled by the Veiled Kings, a council of men and women who can trace their lineage to the mighty Sorcerer-Kings of Old Verkemy. The culture of the kingdom is magnificent, both in the way their society is governed by law and the beauty and finesse found in their passtimes and arts. In few other places are history and science so beloved, particularily the science of physics and the art of magic. These passionate devotions by the Verkemese people make them deadly with the potential to develop awesome weaponry that only their counterpart, Ayrmaria, could ever compete with.

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Ayrmaria
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 Like Verkemy, Ayrmaria's people were thought to be only a memory until recently. They returned by sea to the surprise of the Dead Territories, and retook their lands in a bloody war. Ayrmaria is in general more militaristic than Verkemy, and it shows in the tendencies of its leaders. There has scarcely ever been a ruler in Ayrmaric history that has not been able to fight well even into their older years, and few homes and fortresses in the cities are left without arms to wield in dire straits. Ayrmaria is particularily well-known for the war tactics it has perfected and the outstanding defensive capabilities of their fortresses (not to mention the number of them to be found). However, they are not nearly as devoted to the powers of magic as a whole, and prefer spellcraft more fine-tuned to combat. Those of Ayrmaric origin who wish to learn of powers not of this breed usually travel to Verkemy, New Vlherwust, or one of the other city-states in the Sea of Veruhn and Gulf of Jivyl.

[/spoiler]
 Grugast
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 Grugast is the only remaining kingdom from the previous age. Though many technological advances across Vilydunn have allowed their kingdom to be more accessible, Grugans are still a mysterious and isolated people. News from the north claims that Grugast has made allies with lands across the western Ghostsea, and are aiding them in a guerilla war against some enemy unknown to Vildish peoples.

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 Cimilrin
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 Sages once assumed that since Verkemy and Ayrmaria had been rebuilt, so too might the people of forsaken Cimilrin return and forge a new, glorious land that would be made all the more beautiful by the endless autumn that it experiences. But things have not changed there. Cimilrin is still a hauntingly empty and quiet place where only the idiotic dare go. And what's worse: they say the Fallen King still walks the land.

[/spoiler]
 The Free Cities
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 In the War of Ancestors, it was clear that Verkemy and Ayrmaria would win and claim the land that was so long ago theirs. Knowing this, those willing to leave their homelands escaped the bloody wars and travelled to unoccupied islands and secret locales to build new city-states that they could call their own and prosper in. These places became the Free Cities. In the time that has passed since the Return, mixed feelings towards the Great Kingdoms have been born. Some places, such as New Vlherwust and the Twin Ports have made trading and protection alliances with these kingdoms, while others such as the hidden haven of Lost Bayou are openly hostile with Ayrmaria and Verkemy. Each features its own unique subculture that has been formed from both what their old homes were like and what their new territories have demanded of them.

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 Other Continents
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 In the times prior to the Golden Age, it was thought that Vilydunn was alone in this place called the Nightmare. Now however, it is known that there are many other places that share the same world, and they can be found in every direction from the continent. The land of Nussur Ethara lies to the far west, while the cold northern islands of Illmarn sit but a few weeks sailing to the west of Grugast; far across the Ocean of the Sun in the south sits a land of lush forests, plentiful fruit trees, and searing deserts; and to the east sits a recently discovered continent that is as mysterious to the Ancients as it is to the Free Cities.

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Secrets of the Dreamscapes

There are others.

According to the records of the Descendents, they believed that Vilydunn was alone; cut off from any other possible dreamscapes that existed. The reason for this could ultimately be found among their sciences, for while many of their greatest thinkers discovered countless important technologies and advances, the foundations with which they did uncover these things were incorrect and ultimately led them astray. They did not see what we saw, or understand the world as we did. They did not see the link between science and magic that made them one and the same. It is because of this that those who dwelt in places like Tehrale and Sundayr could not see the passages through the time-voids and across the dream-bridges. It is because of this that they believed that they were alone in Vilydunn, and that the other races that dwelt around them were like the other terrible nightmare beasts that wanted to harm them whether they walked the day or slept the cold nights. And it is because of this that they could not decipher the secrets we left behind and learn why we left.

Twelve-hundred years ago, we and our now-allied nation Ayrmaria left Vilydunn because of a terrible supervirus that spread by the use of magic. The virus we called The Chaos warped those too weak to fight all of its assaults into twisted undead shells, while leaving those with the mightiest immune systems insane and capable of spreading the virus further by mere touch. In searching for a cure, we learned that the only way we could save the remaining population was to cross the boundary of time and dwell for an extended period in the domain we call the True Dream. There, in the True Dream, time would not affect us and therefore the virus could not. We knew this because those in our societies who were immortal were immune to the virus, and this led us to the knowledge. Thus, we sailed off to the far edge of Vilydunn to the Wall of Nevermore and disappeared into the chaos of the True Dream. Some of those we left behind survived, but in the madness that ensued they forgot everything our society knew and were left with more primitive technology and a veiled understanding of the world. We did everything there in the void as we did where we once dwelt, keeping track of time even though we saw no solid days or nights, no indications of years and no signs of aging. And two-hundred years later, we left the True Dream, when we were certain that the virus had died off and we were all cleansed.

When we left, however, the world we came back into was not our own. In time we learned that it was called Aath, and there we built a nation called Vilydunn in memory of our homeworld. We locked away our secrets and any memory of another world so that none of the civilizations in Aath could ever travel to Vilydunn and become infected. Our thousand-year history in Aath was extensive, but I will not say it here. For that time those of us who still wished to come home sought a way to determine the proper path through the True Dream to The Nightmare, and eventually we found it. Some of us chose to stay behind and create a kingdom named New Verkemy, which we still keep contact with. Using our ever-advancing technology the rest of us returned to find this place very different from what it was.

Through all our expansive knowledge, even we cannot answer our most important questions. We still seek the answer to why in every dream we see other creatures like ourselves, even many other human races. We also fail to understand the underlying nature of the dreamscapes, and what existence truly is. We are as blind to the truth as the Descendents; those who knew so little yet followed in our footsteps for countless years. And we are as terrified as them, for even with everything we know we still fear the night and the beasts that hunt within it.

We are the Verkem.
-Adacas Wev'Raui, Master of Medicine at the Institute of Verkemy

The Warping of Reality

The Nightmare Has Come Alive

Not all of what the Descendents knew was false.

In their pride and mislead sense of security, the Verkem and the Ayrmarians wiped out those who dwelled in their lands and abolished their beliefs, laughing at the concepts that those such as the Tehralese and Sundic people piously accepted. They extended their scepters forward and proclaimed the world theirs, even after they had warped it to become a landscape of madness. And then they mocked the Descendents. As if they were naive kings in one of their foolish plays, they humiliated them. They humiliated us.

The Descendents were different. They were wiser, and their superstition saved them many a time. They knew the things that they saw and heard were not figments of their imaginations, but real things. They knew that there were creatures other than humans out there - some of which wanted to harm them - and they did not question the authenticity of that reality. They learned what it meant to find peace and live in happiness. And we were always there to remind them how to scream.

The Empires have forgotten us, but we have not forgotten them. And before the end, we'll make sure they know who we are.
-The Fallen Angels

-----

When the Verkem and Ayrmarians returned here through the True Dream, they brought something with them, something that had not seen our world for eons. Like the virus that attacked them well over a thousand years ago, it attacked our world, changing everything we knew into a dreamscape we would have to learn. The laws of physics and biology themselves in places unraveled, at levels from simple alteration of direction and force of gravity to the downright corruption of everything in the area. People learned to fly higher than the birds until they flew too far and plummeted to their deaths in a different zone of reality. Great trees whose fruit consisted not of apples but of skulls and wicked little beasts grew from the sea or through the very sky. Waterfalls cascaded from nowhere high in the sky down broken staircases made of floating islands. And the people, many of them changed. Those who did not die in war were warped into creatures whose only desire was to kill, and they would design and plan what they needed to do so. We named them the Daxxca - the Hellfey - and feared them more than the demons that haunt us forever in our dreams.
-Leeman Sau, author of The Psychology of Sleep

The Chaos of Vilydunn

That link shows Vilydunn and the levels of the effect called Dreamchange or Verantraum by the Verkem, which durastically alters the landscape and sometimes the people who inhabit it as well. The higher the level of Verantraum, the more unstable and chaotic the area is. Note that if none of the representations of various levels show on a part of the map, no change has taken place. Greater detail is given below.

Verantraum

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Four basic levels of verantraum present across Vilydunn, some more than others. There is no real ratio regarding how much of one level of dreamchange is present compared to another; there is no pattern at all between them. Such is what one would expect of a world that takes on the likenesses of a dream. The reader should understand that the examples of each level of intensity are just examples; they are not the only things that happen at certain levels, but give ideas of how apparent the effects of dreamchange are.

Low Dreamchange

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At this level, things are nearly normal. The landscape seems the same, as do most people. The most noticeable effects in a Low dreamchange area are on minor objects, and physical actions of people caught in the verantraum. Small clocks (especially wristwatches) rotate counterclockwise, blades of knives are mounted sideways on their handles, leaves blow into the wind instead of with the wind, and the like. In addition, people and creatures acting in a Low area experience what is called "Dream Karma", where one may improve the finesse, accuracy, and quality of anything they do (such as jumping a certain height, or shooting a pistol at a target a longer distance than usual from the shooter), but the next major act they perform is not as effective as it should be. In effect, Dream Karma in a Low area allows one to receive a +2 dream bonus on a skill, ability, or spell-related check, but the next one of these that they do suffers a -2 penalty.

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Moderate Dreamchange

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In a Moderate area, the effects are more clear. Time seems to relapse on itself, sometimes jumping back several seconds, colors seem at times more vivid at at others more dull, sounds seem a little off, and one's perception of proportions is somewhat hindered. One closely observing time finds that actual times until events are harder to estimate; those who look at paintings and locations filled with many colors find blendings between them, such as the area where blue and red meet appearing purple. Noises made by animals and objects seem softer and deeper. One finds that some things that look much too small or big to use operate perfectly under their control. Dream Karma is stronger here, granting +4 bonuses in return for -4 penalties.

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 High Dreamchange

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High dreamchange is the level of verantraum where animals and people appear to be affected. The fur of various animals appears to grow longer than usual and grow quickly as one looks on, while their eyes literally gleam with strange light. The facial expressions accompanying emotions such as happiness and sadness are intensified, and smiles seem to quite literally stretch from ear to ear and the eyes of anger grow to great sizes. Actions such as pulling a bowstring actually seem to require "pushing" the string. Music seems to lose its rhythm, and handfuls of dust that are allowed to fall trickle like water. Lights coming from the doorways of dimly lit houses may deceive onlookers, as the rooms are darker than the ones preceeding them. Floors and pathways sometimes seem as if they aren't quite solid. Stairways of stone and dirt sometimes appear where bridges have fallen to take their place, while other random platforms sometimes appear in the air. Snow falls sometimes even in the hot deserts, covering the dunes for some time before melting.
Dream Karma in these areas increases to +6/-6.

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Extreme Dreamchange

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Extreme levels of verantraum are luckily very rare. In such areas, the very concept of reality is shaken and torn into now-unrelated sections. The effects of nature seem to reverse on themselves, with rain falling upward instead of down. Waves of water sometimes rise and fall out of perfectly solid ground, and the fins of sharks and other things are sometimes seen "swimming" through the soil. Staircases that should ascend forward snake upwards, downwards, and side to side. Mountains appear upside down or seem to be held up partially by the trees of forests. The world may temporarily be seen in a thousand shades of the same color, or in black and white. Sounds seem displaced and echo even in places where no reverberation should be. Roads branch off into the sky and end in the clouds. Objects such as swords, carriages, buildings, and anything else appear to have a "false sentience", where they appear to have faces (and depending on the objects, limbs). Great trees sometimes grow in the middle of deep oceans or in the very sky, and the fruits they produce may be skulls, spiders, daggers, or anything else one could think of. Perception is heavily obscured, and one may find that the house that seemed huge atop the hill is no larger than their boot. Random abysses of starlight lie open in the earth. Flying is not a challenge at all, and as long as one stays in the zone they may float indefinitely. When it rains it may rain toads, rabbits, glasses, books, or countless other things. Dream Karma is at its greatest in these areas, at +10/-8.

For all its strangeness, Extreme verantraum can be the most hospitable, despite being the most random, and at times it may appear completely normal. It may take on the qualities of a "normal" world for as short a time as a few seconds to as long as several years before reverting back to utter chaos.
 
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Dream Shapers

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Ancient legends sometimes make references to beings who were so in tune with the nature of The Nightmare that they could alter its function and layout on small levels, enough so that it would benefit them in their quests. They claimed that these people, called "Dream Shapers", were once part of a people who create objects, annihilate platforms and bridges, change gravity, alter color and scent, warp perception, and a myriad of other things all with their own minds. These tales are once again surfacing in books and tavern conversations, leading some to wonder if these "Dream Shapers" are still to be found in the world. The origins of such powers and how they are passed on is unknown information, though many ideas about the nature of the ability to dream shape are put forward. Many folk believe that those who can alter reality in the way Dream Shapers do are messiahs of a sort, while at the same time some wonder if they are to be trusted.

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The Hellfey

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Hellfey are nightmarish products of what the True Dream did to Vilydunn's inhabitants when the Ancients returned through a gap in reality. They embody everything that creates fear, for they are mindlessly determined to kill and maim regardless of the consequences. The most disturbing facts about these creatures is despite their primal desires and wild tendencies, they appear relatively humanoid in the way they dress, the weapons they use, and how they move. And there are always more of them.

Despite the differences between the 'races' of Hellfey, they all share several similarities in addition to those listed above. Most are somewhat immune to charm spells and few speak any languages that mortal men understand (though some retain the ability to speak common languages fairly well), instead babbling random, nonsensical phrases to their victims, if they choose to speak at all (which is rarely). They keep many serrated and terrible weapons, though they do tend to use older types (such as longbows and throwing axes). Also, while they are not harmed by it, they absolutely hate the sunlight and take action almost exclusively at night. Most terrifying to those who look upon them is their supernatural presence that turns light from fire and even electricity a dark blue, and their eyes always glow a horrifying red.

 [spoiler=GNOMES]

For those able to afford them or craft them, lawn gnomes (or the "gargoyles of the earth," as some call them) are a popular decoration for one's land. In particular, the larger cities in southern Verkemy are particularly fond of them despite the superstitions. Power-obsessed aristocrats sometimes build gardens with them in various places, designing the growth artistically in recognition of their favored social hierarchies. Others more down to earth and less self-centered portray them as the guardians of beauty, but they are hardly so.

Legends say that sometimes those who plant lawn gnomes on their properties awaken to find them missing, but find something else in their place. They say that the wicked things come alive sometimes, seeking out small children to horribly mutilate and place staked into the earth where they once stood. They hide in the woods or where they will not be discovered by day (for direct sunlight paralyzes them and makes them appear as if made of inanimate material, leaving them vulnerable to attacks), coming out at night to destroy and kill. They have no other desire, as any creatures born of a nightmare shouldn't.

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[spoiler=DWARVES]

Since the return of the Ancients (and even before), stories have circulated about the abandoned mines that can be found in certain parts of the land, half-collapsed and darker than the fur of a hellish goat. They say that occasionally a passer-by believes they hear strange noises echoing deep inside these endless tunnels, such as the cold clatter of steel and the rumbling of falling rocks. Those who venture closer, however, dismiss them as figments of imagination when the noises cease. Yet still, one has to wonder if it was imagination, or the sounds of the Hellfey dwarves lurking in the deep.

The Hellfey dwarves, by accounts of madmen and mythology texts, are short creatures with an absolute hatred of mortal life and the capability to end it. Rarely are their figures and faces clearly viewed, for always are they encased in thick black suits of armor whose alien metal reflects no light and makes little sound. They have never been known to speak and their breathing is barely audible, leaving some to believe that they are undead spirits. The only indication that a dwarf approaches is the visual of a pair of two glowing, haunting red eyes through an iron visor in complete darkness.

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[spoiler=ELVES]

Most people without a large group of allies to go with them do not venture into the woods. It is not because they are impassable, or that other ways are faster, but it is because they feel alarmed within them. They feel as if someone is watching them. They feel as if they are in danger regardless of whether or not it is day or night, or whether or not they carry weapons. They feel as if they are being hunted.

The tale of the elves tells that those who were touched by the True Dream while located deep in the heart of the forests were transformed; made into killing machines by a corrupt version of nature. They were bestowed with the power to disappear in the forest and track their prey by knowledge of the trees, slaying their targets with weapons that were once simple sticks and branches. Some stories say that their senses are enhanced by the wind, rain, and mist, and even some can control these forces of nature to do their bidding. One thing is certain: whatever is watching travelers within the woods, it wishes only to do harm.

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[spoiler=GOBLINS]

One of the most disturbing kinds of Hellfey were born not of the True Dream's effects but of mortal fear itself. They say that centuries ago there was a twisted series of murders in the ruined city of Adailth, but they did not feature the deaths of adults, nor children. This murderer  slew infants while they and their parents slept, leaving a terrifying scene for their mothers and fathers to witness when they awoke. As time went on, the murders got worse, as cannibalism was seen in the murderer's acts. The murderer was never apprehended, and though the deaths eventually stopped people became so afraid of creatures like the man that killed their children that it is said such creatures were born in the darkness of the world.

Goblins, as people call them, vary in size and appearance but share most of the same capabilities.  They are incredibly stealthy, sadistic, and intelligent, and though their favorite prey are infants they enjoy torturing and killing anything that will scream. Regardless of their height, a goblin's face is very menacing, with incredibly sharp, gleaming teeth, large glowing red eyes, pointy ears, and coarse hair. Their skin is a greenish-gray, and they have long, unimaginably sharp claws perfect for rending and tearing.

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Worship and Wizardry

Religion and the Nature of Magic

Believe what you want, if it makes you sleep better. Whether or not you think them to be real is irrelevant; they'll come for you anyway.
-Molimana

 The Presence of Free Thought in Vilydunn
 
 In the year 1100 A.E., Prince Malkin of Verkemy spoke to his public: "The time has come that we, as humans seeking true harmony and scientific advancement, must make our fellows our friends and not our enemies. In order to do this, we must learn to accept beliefs other than our own. Therefore, in no kingdom that I ever choose to deal with, let alone my own, shall those whose beliefs are different be persecuted only for having those beliefs. It will be the crimes they commit against our people that they will be judged by." The ultimatum given by the Prince was so surprising to other nations that they changed their laws and mannerisms in the case of prejudice for the sake of keeping the trade with Verkemy alive, even if they did not initally agree with the alteration.

 The New Gods: The Imperial Gods

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It had been for many years that the Verkem and the Ayrmarians, though differing from region to region in their beliefs, brought about a new set of faiths that represented technology and advancement as much as tradition and the observation of basic elements of life. Most prominent of these include the Scholar Gods, whose worship has brought about a new age of discovery. Most other faiths feature single deities or the belief in abstract powers, but there are exceptions. The use of individual churches for each god has largely been abandoned regardless of belief system and favored deity, and instead the people opt for prayer in large cathedrals of gothic design that favor no one god. The man who looks hard enough, however, can still find a statue of an individual divinity in the depths of the city, or a shrine lost in the wilderness dedicated to a pagan god.

 The Seven Scholars

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 The origin of the Seven Scholars is a mystery. Though often disputed, it is said that the Seven Scholars were once mortal men and women who were idolized in death, and worship of their ideals and ways became commonplace. Some people believe that they became real divine entities in death, while others simply acknowledge the great things they did in their times and think, "What would they have done?"


 Achandy, the Scientist

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Titles: The Scientist, The Techno-Surgeon
Symbol: A white lab coat inside a purple circle
Domain: Science, experimentation, safety, knowledge
Weapon of Choice: Long rifle
Most Blessed Practice: Discovering an important advancement or determining the methods of an ancient scientific practice
Most Disgraceful Sin: Discarding any scientific theory before it has been unmistakably disproven

Achandy is the most diverse of the Seven Scholars. He is the patron of discovery and knowledge; of learning about things in any scientific fields and making that knowledge public. Though no more important than any of the other Scholar Gods, Achandy holds a special place in the Seven since he has at least some connection to each of the other six gods. Those who follow him specifically are usually generic scientists, researchers, or recorders of all of the information that is learned.

The Scientist is usually depicted as a busy man in a lab coat with fairly simple hair and hazel eyes. Though he seems to be absorbed in his work, Achandy is said to be a friendly being who enjoys hearing the theories, wants, and dreams of others, and could "talk the ears off of someone" if asked about all the marvelous things he has seen.
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Thomandas, the Astrologer

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Titles: The Astrologer, The Astronomer, The Man in the Stars
Symbol: A sextant laying atop an astrological chart
Domain: Seafaring, navigation, astronomy, astrology
Weapon of Choice: Flintlock Pistol
Most Blessed Practice: The use of any navigational or astronomical device (especially the telescope); the teaching of unknowing folk the alignments of the stars and the names of constellations
Most Disgraceful Sin: To never once witness the night sky through a telescope

Thomandas is the second most commonly revered deity of the Seven, for he is considered the most leisurely and at the same time one of the most vital in his representations. Stargazing is a frequent practice by many in both Verkemy and Ayrmaria, in public locations and in private homes. Also, he is the guiding light for many navigators at sea, for without the inventions he designed and helped make commonplace, such travel would be nearly impossible. Star charts and maps are frequently called the "Maps of Thomandas".

Thomandas is generally depicted in one of two ways. The more "realistic" image is that of a handsome, dark-haired man dressed in an elegant black coat and top hat, completely in style with current Verkemese fashion. More obscurely, Thomandas is represented by a mobile, elaborate constellation outline of a human, with a particularly bright series of stars in the facial region.
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 Ithuel, the Chemist

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Titles: The Chemist, Brewer of Knowledge
Symbol: A beaker of bubbling green fluid
Domain: Chemistry, unity, mystery
Weapon of Choice: Rapier
Most Blessed Practice: Brewing of a new element; discovery of important information about an element, successful combining of two elements into something new
Most Disgraceful Sin: Use of drugs for one's self


 Ithuel is, of course, revered by chemists and also by those who seek guidance in the unraveling of great mysteries. She is the Scholar Goddess whose teachings aid people in becoming adept at problem-solving. Ithuel's images and teachings are most often found in laboratories, and in the cases of substances that chemists have learned very little about, her Cauronic symbol (a massive collection of varied markings, Cauronic Symbolizing is a system that was once an ancient form of naming) and a depiction of her face are printed on the containers. A prominent manufacturer in Ayrmaria, which makes many useful tools and devices, including vials, flasks, and larger containers of various materials, is called Ithuelian Industries.

Ithuel is not depicted as a human, though she takes humanoid shape. She is depicted as a being shaped purely out of water, as water is seen as the universal solvent, and this relation to being "one" and "pure" corresponds in philosophical ways to her desire for unity.
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Hallic, Master of Motion

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Titles: The Physicist, Father of Gravity, The Astronomer
Symbol: A link between a planet and its moon
Domain: Physics, gravity, space
Weapon of Choice: Shotgun
Most Blessed Practice: Applying the laws of physics in approaching everyday tasks; teaching the basic concepts of physics, launching objects ever higher into space
Most Disgraceful Sin: The use of magic to justify why the laws of physics work as they do

Hallic is one of the most important of the Scholar Gods in Verkemy, where the science of physics is a part of everyday life. The greatest institute of astronomy in Verkemy is called the Grand Gallery of Hallic, and atop it sits the largest telescope in Vilydunn. The basic laws and equations in physics are called the Hallaen Laws after him, and a particularily important instrument in Verkemy's astronomic endeavors is called the Hallescope. The faith of Hallic even goes so far as to muse about the effects on gravity on falling and the like, saying "O, were it that Hallic was wrong!" The people who exemplify him do so in every aspect reasonable.

Hallic generally appears as a tall, well-shaped man in his late thirties, just beginning to grey. His hair is shoulder length and though he rarely wears it up, his jacket features a hood. He always carries with him a pocketwatch, which he has a habit of causing to swing back and forth whenever he looks at it. He wears fashionable but fairly simple clothing, preferring to leave the endeavor of looking especially good to others.
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Morne, Walker in Time

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Titles: The Time Traveler, The Lord of Many Ages
Symbol: A calendar whose pages blow in the wind
Domain: Time, recordkeeping, tradition, rememberance
Weapon of Choice: Longsword
Most Blessed Practice: The hanging of a clock and calendar in each room of the house and a calendar over the door; carrying a pocketwatch at all times
Most Disgraceful Sin: Losing track of the days; discarding a broken clock

Morne is a figure of legend in the history of the Ancestors, and due to having the same name and portfolio-based similarities, it is believed that the Ancestor and Descendant versions of Morne are actually the same god. Morne is the Scholar of everything related to time, and has an important relationship with his fellow Scholar Hallic. It is said that like the others, Morne was once a scientist of great renown and knowledge. Like Hallic, he was a master physicist, but his studies led him specifically to the study of time. Some legends even say that since his affiliation with time was so great, he learned to double or even triple his lifespan. The first mechanical clock ever created was made by a group called the Sons of Morne. He is also the Scholar who represents the need to remember historic events, be they tragedies or breakthroughs, and those who do so look to Morne for the protection of their work.

Morne's appearance is an enigmatic one. He appears as any other man dressed in a sutler town coat and trousers, but his features seem to confuse others about his age. He is said to display some features, especially in his facial region, that would suggest he is hardly eighteen, but at the same time show others that would suggest he is near sixty. Always on his person does he keep several pocketwatches, and each strangely passes time at a different rate.
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Lochanwac, the Doctor

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Titles: The Biologist, He Who Heals, Father of Medicine
Symbol: A blue cross against a black background
Domain: Biology, medicine, healing
Weapon of Choice: The dagger (throwing)
Most Blessed Practice: Discovery of the cure to a disease; tending wounds in battle
Most Disgraceful Sin: Improper knowledge and use of medicinal practices

Lochanwac is the most respected and revered of all of the Seven Scholars, for the field of medicine grows ever more important in Vilydunn. He is the Scholar who teaches that one must be knowledgable in both the field of biology and that of chemistry in order to work incredible feats of prowess in the field of medicine and discover the cures to the worst sicknesses. He himself is an accomplished chemist in addition to the master biologist of the Seven, and it is said that he frequently works with Ithuel. It is also said in legend that Lochanwac's medicinal knowledge was so great that he eventually learned how to heal by the mere touch of his hands on a wound.

Lochanwac appears as an older man with glasses and light brown hair, wearing a brown coat with a stethoscope around his neck. He is said to always carry a small amount of a special healing salve he created himself for application when the time arises. It is also said that his hands are always faintly visible, even in total darkness.
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Cadouine, the Mortician

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Titles: The Embalmer, The Gatekeeper, Mortician Mother
Symbol: A white-gloved hand bearing a spruce bough
Domain: Burial, cremation, the afterlife, funeral, embalming
Weapon of Choice: The sickle
Most Blessed Practice: A proper burial for the deceased
Most Disgraceful Sin: Leaving the body of another whose death you witnessed to rot; burial without a casket

Cadouine is the seventh and final Scholar, and is the goddess of everything relating to the peaceful side of death. She is a sometimes cold but at the same time concerned deity who lays down the rules of burial for all societies to follow. It is by Cadouine's teachings that everyone who respects the Scholar Gods, including soldiers, gather the bodies of fallen friends and foes alike and at least cremate them, if they cannot identify them to bury them on home ground in caskets. Though the worship of the Seven Scholars is based in large cathedrals adhering to no one god, there are buildings specifically dedicated to Cadouine, though they are always the workplaces of embalmers and morticians. Her holy symbol, the white glove holding a bough has particular significance, for in ancient times it was said that those cremated with the boughs of a spruce, pine, or fir tree covering their bodies would find true peace in the afterlife.

Cadouine appears as a greying woman with long hair worn in a ponytail. Her face is fairly emotionless, but her deep green eyes hint at compassion. She tends to wear grey colors, and in times of burial is said to wear a ceremonial mask depicting a saddened face shedding a tear. Legends say that Cadouine walks every battlefield after the battle is over, locating the bodies that were left behind, taking them to her sacred abode to cremate them and discern who it was that did slew them and did not collect them. She always gives those bodies a funeral service, and blesses them all before cremating them.
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The Weather Witches

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The Weather Witches are a group of three deities revered by many different peoples across the continent of Vilydunn and beyond. Independent farmers are especially pious in their regard, for they believe that by respecting the Witches they may gain their favor and receive blessings of good weather with which to grow their crops and allow their cattle to eat well. It is said that the worship of the Three began shortly after the return of the Ancestors to Vilydunn, and it was pioneered by the Descendants. It is important to note that one of the Three, Illanath, is male.


The Weather Witches

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Names: Pash, Illanath, Kaena
Titles: The Torrent (Pash); the Gentle Rain (Illanath); the Drizzle (Kaena); The Three Wise Waters
Symbols: A black raincloud (Pash); a long staff from which water trickles (Illanath); a blossoming flower whose petals drip drops of rain (Kaena)
Domains: Weather, agriculture, good fortune, karma
Most Blessed Practice: A long walk in the rain while fully nude
Most Disgraceful Sin: To use an umbrella to shield one's self from the falling water

The Weather Witches are a group of three sibling deities who preside over the domains of weather and good luck. They are worshipped primarily by farmers, sailors and fishermen, but their faith is hardly restricted to these types of people. Each of them is named after a different type of rain, but except for the titles they are given, they share much in common. It is said that they are triplets, and only one of them is male. Most folk uneducated in their doctrine believe them to only be deities who rule over the coming and receding of rainfall, but this is hardly true. The Witches occupy an important place in the field of agriculture. They teach simple karma by a famous passage as recorded by their most devout:

"Give to others whenever you can, and worry not that they do not give in return immediately. Even if they do not, their debt will be repayed to you eventually. It is not who one gives to, but how much one gives, and how much one accepts with respect and gratitude that determines the debt owed to them. Even if the giver suffers greatly after they give, they will find that when they are repayed, they receive compensation for all of the difficulties they experienced."

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The Great Journey

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Symbol: A straight road passing between two mountains, branching off and traveling to each peak.

The Great Journey is a philosophical religion, where its followers believe that there is no one supreme entity or small pantheon of them, but only a great divine road that travels through every landscape imaginable. In The Great Journey philosophy, every event in one's life is a clue to the nature of their final destination, which they must seek out after their mortal life ends. This religion states that one's wisdom is vital to finding the true path, for if they cannot discern the meaning of the clues given to them, they may travel down the wrong side road from the Great Road to a place where they do not belong. This would not seem so bad until one realizes that all places but the one they belong to, despite the pleasures they may contain, will present to the traveler only sorrow and emptiness.

Extended Philosophy

The first emergence of the Great Journey was in the words of Ynudacus, an Ayrmaric philosopher, who said "Life is but one great road, and no matter how fast one travels it they finish at the same distance. This is because distance is irrelevant when one seeks their true place. Only by one's judgement and knowledge of the hints they are given in life does one reach the end. And their judgement proves especially vital, for if they interpret the clues wrongly, they will never find the place that will give them happiness." This basic idea was later expanded on by Ynudacus and his closest followers.

It is said that once one dies, they 're-enter' their life in the form of a mystical road that travels through all sorts of dream-like mountains, forests, deserts, seas, and similar landscapes, each having a metaphorical meaning in relation to their life. The Journeymen, as they are called, are reborn in the image of themselves when they were most happy with their appearance, or reborn to resemble a little more what they wanted to look like. They walk this road for an unmeasurable length of time, looking down various branches of the path that lead to possible fates. It is the job of the traveler to determine which is the right one for themselves. It is also said that those with the most fully experienced lives find their correct path especially easily. One can never reach the 'end' of the Great Road unless they have sinned in their life (as detailed below).

 Undead and the Journey

In the Great Journey faith, the act of willingly becoming an undead creature is the greatest sin. To live forever is to fear the test while walking the Great Road, and those that become undead to avoid it are punished. Never do they get a chance to determine the proper path for themselves; rather, they find the side roads barred from their passage, and must walk to the very end, where the Empty Fire awaits them. This does not happen for those who are made undead against their will; those people walk the path as normal.

  Angels, Demons, and Other Outsiders

While deities are not part of the Great Journey, lesser outsiders certainly are. The teachings of the Journey say that even though the Great Road is a spiritual journey that one experiences after the physical body is left behind, one must still rest. The outsiders run the mystical inns that the travelers rest in, and appear along the way to help guide the travelers. The more forward angels and demons, however, are not to be trusted, for it is said that they will try and influence the mortal into taking a certain path. The demonic creatures delight in the idea of what will happen to them, but the angels only try to understand the Journey in hopes they may help the spirits of the dead to find their resting place, not realizing that to truly understand and discern the Journey, one must be mortal.

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The Four Shadows

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The Four Shadows is a special and important faith, because it exists in all other religious teachings in some way or another. Historically, The Four Shadows theology dates back to long before the Ancients even left Vilydunn, and it is believed that the mysterious otherworldy being known as Shadowburn, who played a questionable role in the Age of Darkness (the term for the time when the Ancients were gone from Vilydunn), was actually Urorath in disguise. The Four Shadows are said to appear to mortals when their associated domains arise, making an effort to tempt them into committing one of the "dark deeds"(anything that the Four exploit and use to tempt mortals), then another, then another, and so on.


Obocharon, Lord of Annihilation

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Titles: The Rage, The Lord of Fury, The End Keeper
Symbol: A clenched, black, clawed hand
Domain: Aggression, destruction, unpredictability, nonexistence
Weapon of Choice: the halberd
Temptation: The promise of success by undermining and destroying the chances of another in any way
Fate: To experience an extremely slow and painful death as one has small pieces of their body amputated, starting at the toes

Obocharon is the lord of all that is jealous, unforgiving, and devastating. Many consider him to be the most erratic of the Four, and while this holds much truth, he is also a very calculating and patient demonic lord. He is also the most active of them, tempting untold numbers into his pernicious care after their deaths. It is said that Obocharon's name is not his original one, but it was given to him by the first priests and philosophers. "Obocharon" is said to mean "Gate to the End" in Pandaem, an ancient language of equally prehistoric mortals. This name suits him, because his abode is said to be a castle of madness floating in an endless void beyond the Kaadaran Path (the so-called "path between the stars", relating to the homes of the angels).

Obocharon appears as a humanoid creature whose skin is charred black. His hands are unusually massive and the claws on them are razor-like. The lines in his palms and the veins that appear on his body when he exerts force glow a deep red. He is the only of the Four Shadows to be depicted with wings in all of his variations.

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Methecus, Lord of Spite

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Titles: Hate, Rottinghorn, The Living Curse
Symbol: A black ankh, broken at the head
Domain: Hatred, the undead, anger, curses
Weapon of Choice: The morningstar
Temptation: The promise of power in undeath; the murder of others for the sake of creating a corpse; using a corpse's body parts for unholy purposes; placing a curse on another
Fate: To be in constant torture as an undead creature, cursed to be trapped in a lifeless skeletal form in a world full of the living

Methecus is the one true Lord of Hatred. Some legends say that there was a time before the concept of hate existed, and he was the tainted being who brought it to reality. He is a cunning demon obsessed with the dead and graveyards. Methecus's favorite haunt is, according to tales, the cemetery, where he locates those visiting the graves of their loved ones and attempts to compel them into digging up their corpses, using them for fell rites. He is also the dark master of curses, and all death wishes and burdens issued in such a manner are infused with his unholy spirit.

Methecus appears as a tall, thick-furred humanoid with the head and many other animal qualities of a goat. His fur is entirely black except for a tiny tuft on his chin and the very ends of it at his shoulders and the ends of his limbs, which are a dark gray. His horns are also that color, but his eyes, like the others of the Four, glow a menacing red, filled with spite. The flesh on his head always seems to be rotting, particularily around his horns, which is where the title Rottinghorn comes from.

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Launx, Lord of Plague

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Titles: The Diseased Despot, Lord of Carrion
Symbol: A thumb horribly eaten away by rot
Domain: Sickness, disease, poison, secrets
Weapon of Choice: Corrosive acid
Temptation: The promise that one shall gain by the unleashing of a plague; contaminating a water supply for the reward of land and wealth to take from the dead and dying
Fate: To watch as one's body slowly rots whilst they contract countless painful diseases, eventually drowning in their own vile existence

Launx is the master of everything that is treacherous, cowardly and pus-filled. He is the most  sadistic of the Four Shadows, taking unusual delight (even compared to his brethren) in seeing a virus or plague taking its hold on a population and wreaking its painful destruction. Launx appears to those who learn terrible secrets or discover a way to wipe out entire nations subtley, pushing them to commit the dark acts. These people are lured by greed into killing off thousands in a way considered cowardly, as they do not even see the faces of those they kill.

Launx appears in more than one form. Most commonly, he takes the form of an object significant to the one he seeks to tempt, so as to grab their attention, and sends soft mental messages to them compelling them to act foully. When opportunity presents himself, he will instead appear as a particularily revolting corpse or portion of one, lying inanimate but working his will upon the weak. He rarely ever appears in his pale, sick-looking humanoid form.

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Urorath, Lord of Fear

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Titles: Terror, King Nightmare, Master of Madness
Symbol: A black star faintly silhouetted, dripping blood
Domain: Fear, nightmares, insanity, panic
Weapon of Choice: The serrated knife
Temptation: To sacrifice another for one's own protection in face of one's greatest fear
Fate: To be immersed in eternal darkness, sure that one's greatest fear is with them

Urorath is a name spoken only by the foolish, or so they say. So powerful is he according to legend that his full repetoire of abilities cannot be accounted for, but it is told that he hears his name uttered anywhere. He is the Lord of Fear, and by far the most twisted of all of the Four Shadows. He is also the Shadow related to madness, and his title King Nightmare is a well-deserved one. Some sects that do not believe that the world is but a bad dream say that Urorath created the concept of having a nightmare, thus the name. Those who do utter his name are wary to do so, for the mere speaking of it leads him to haunt their dreams for many nights afterwards.

Urorath embodies the collective title of his brethren the most. He appears as a translucent, shadow-like image of a being with no discernable legs, only a wispy trail of pure fear. His figure appears to be dressed in a black cloak with a hood that would outline his face well, were it visible. Often, all one sees is a black void in place of his visage. Some depictions of Urorath give him black wings that reflect no light and drip blood from nowhere, in relation to his unholy symbol. His voice is deep and fleeting, and seems to echo slightly the longer he speaks. His most disturbing feature, however (and one that is consistent with every version) is the panic associated with looking into his missing gaze, as if an unimaginably horrifying face with a wickedly evil, insane grin and malevolent eyes were being flashed as a subliminal image in the void.

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Pagan Religions

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The word "pagan" in Vilydunn when regarding religion has come to mean a set of beliefs and forms of worship outlawed by the Two Empires and practiced only in rogue settlements such as Lost Bayou, independent settlements largely isolated from outside influence, and specific cults who operate in secret. These religions have been outlawed because they teach followers about practices that are highly illegal in both Ayrmaria and Verkemy (and some of the Free Cities that are allied to them), and teach them that these practices are correct. By many scholars, the pagan religions are considered darker in comparison than the Imperial religion, and by fanatics of the Imperial Church they are considered completely blasphemic and evil. Some of the chief ideals that the pagan religions share are:

-Revenge and vengeance are the only methods where one's honor and dignity can be regained
-Every living being has a color that represents themselves, even the deities
-Spirits are abundant in the world regardless of belief, and one must pay their respects to them if they wish good luck upon themselves
-Pagan worship can be both "good" and "evil", even though non-pagans may see it as heresy

 Notes on Pagan and Imperial Differences, Regarding Angels

While the archangels and their lesser brethren are heralded in both forms of worship, in the pagan dogmas they hold a much more important place: the Thirteen Archangels themselves are a "pantheon" of sorts. Imperial faith regards them as messengers and elite guardians of the gods, not a type of gods themselves. This small difference has brought about much turmoil and conflict in the past few hundred years. This has almost become a sort of monotheistic war between followers, as both sides believe in the same thing but in the past have been driven to kill each other over it.
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What Grows by Madness

The Flora and Fauna of The Nightmare

Reserved Space

Dreamers in The Nightmare

Races

Introductions
 
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 Humans

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The Tulsi

Once the subrace of humans that occupied the entire southwest, tulsan folk are much rarer in that region now. Though some still dwell there, making their livings now among the Ayrmaric peoples, most of this race is now found among the Free Cities. They have changed little since before the arrival of the Verkem, though they are perhaps more warlike in general than they once were. Their most well-known but well-hidden settlement is a place called Lost Bayou, where a fair population of tulsan people hostile to the Ayrmarians dwells. This place is said to be located somewhere in the "forest" called Tanglebranch Wood, an impassable growth thick and deadly to those who would be impaled by its boughs. Tales make the settlement seem like a marvelous example of survivalist capability, for it is unlike any other city known to the people of Vilydunn with its design around a silent, unmoving river.

 The Nusa

All of the glory that once belonged to the Nusan people is gone, for their forefathers have returned and laid waste to their cities, technologies, and beliefs. The kingdoms of Tehrale and Faelunas, and the city-states in the Star Desert, are now forgotten except through the records of history and in similarly-named cities built by the Descendants. Like the tulsi, nusan people are now found mostly in the Free Cities scattered around the continent, though some dwell in Ayrmaria and Verkemy. They built New Vlherwust in honor of their great city that was the last in the East to fall despite the power of the invading Verkem. Of the three Descendant races, the nusa have changed the most in the aftermath of the Return of the Ancients. No longer are they as artistic and relaxed as they once were, but instead those who defy their ancestors control are a people driven by anger and frustration. They tirelessly scan over the scientific knowledge they have learned and continue to discover, fighting for the chance to possess knowledge that will make them the equals of those who rebuilt Verkemy.

Both the Tulsi and the Nusa hold on to an older age when it comes to dress, wearing garments very similar to those present in the ages before the Ancestors returned (very 16th century, with a little more focus on accentuating the body)

  The Aust'ene

The Aust'ene have changed the least out of the three Descendant races. Unlike their southern kin they lost no land to the coming of the Ancients, and have hardly attempted to make contact with lands outside their own despite the technology to make such journeys easier. What is known, however, is that Grugast is now a place teeming with potential, for its people have reached their own golden age and their capabilities seem limitless. Word from the north says that they have made alliances with the creatures that dwell in Illmarn, and aid them in a horrifying war in that cold northern island chain.

Despite all of the advancements in other fields of their existence, the clothing of the Aust'ene has changed little. Still they wear simple colors and many men choose to wear animal pelts on bare chests and shorts made of warm fabrics. Women of Grugast often wear similar, if elongated clothing (especially with the chest pelts, which feature an underlayer of insulating fabrics that fasten with buckles).

 The Verkem

The Verkemese people are what the nusans once attempted to be; powerful, wise, and incredibly advanced. It is in the factories both mental and physical of the Verkem that the most wondrous inventions and ideas are churned out, and they know it. Verkemese people are a proud race, but not so much as to be foolish. At times they seem almost as if they weren't human, for their demeanors are so alien and their structures equally so. The Verkem are the masters of the science of physics, and the devoted students of the arcane arts. But even they, for all their splendor, are afraid. Even they are not safe in the dark.

Verkemese people are fairly tall, with tanned skin and light hair. The eyes of these people are usually a fiery green, brilliant violet, or in rare cases, golden. Claims in the past have been made that golden eyes in a person is a sign of angelic heritage, though there is little fact to back this up. They are quite well-known for their style of dress (which is similar to real-world Victorian).

  The Ayrmarians

The Ayrmaric people are the most aggressive race on the continent of Vilydunn, and it shows in their government and military. Out of the sixteen men and women on the Empire Council, only three are not ranked in the military, and only four of those ranked are not generals or admirals. The majority of the population is either in the military, the city patrols and fire brigades, scientists and students at the Institute of Alchemy and Technology, or in commerce. The Ayrmaric Empire is a fiercely territorial land, and even outside its borders it keeps small outposts for various purposes. When they and the Verkem returned, they were less willing to take prisoners and preserve the new monuments and relics. The inhabitants of the land responded and still respond in kind: secret settlements such as Lost Bayou raid the Empire's outlying towns and production centers, demolishing whatever they don't take. Ayrmaria is sometimes considered the moon to Verkem's sun, for it dabbles chiefly in chemistry as opposed to physics, and where the favored magic of Verkemy is very artistic, that of the Empire is chiefly battle magic.

Ayrmarians appear similar to the Verkem, but they are somewhat paler. Ayrmaric people are also more commonly blessed with dark brown hair. Their fashion is a simpler version of what the Verkem wear, with a preference towards darker colors. The major exception to this is found in the uniforms of soldiers and officers, who wear brilliant red garments. The uniforms are required to be worn constantly during the daytime in public places. These soldiers wear them properly while at war or at military functions, but outside of the camp or service they are worn unbuttoned and open.

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 Ghostwhisper Trolls

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The places beyond the snow line at the heights of the world are not the territories of men. Beyond the highest reaches of human borders is a vast, uncharted realm of evergreen forests, silent mountains, and hidden river valleys that some call the Forgotten Forevers. Few records ever mention them in any detail, for no men venture there by sane reason, but yet there are beaten paths through the wilderness. If a person would venture through the quiet wilds for long enough, they would find trails leading through the mountains and woodlands, but to where? Rarely has an expedition ever set out on these roads (in the rare cases they come this far north), and never have they encountered other travellers or settlements. More peculiar, there is a strange feeling in these places... almost as if one is being watched. Legend says that this is the realm of spirits called Ghostwhispers, sacred protectors of the beauty of a land forever wrapped in a blanket of white.

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Abel

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Through the ages, countless tales have been passed down through generations to scare troublesome children into being obedient. Most of these deal with such things as demons, but one in particular is the story of a young girl who would disobey her parents and constantly be cruel to playmates despite warnings. It is said that one evening, tall, winged creatures, half-man and half-bird, swooped down from the skies and stole her away to their hidden abodes, where her fear of them alone changed her ways. The stories she told when she returned were hardly believable, consisting of such things as secret cities high in the clouds with hundreds of thousands of the bird-men, or "Abel" as she heard them calling themselves, who wore exotic garments and had an equally strange way of life. Such stories, however, have been linked to aiding in the development of a term some people call nuvolaphobia, a term applied to those who fear the clouds and what might be hiding within them.

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The Mountain Men

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According to some old texts found in long-lost burial crypts and the vaults of wealthy individuals, the old kingdoms once traded and made friends with a people somewhat like our own that dwelled in the mountains. These people were simply called the Mountain Men, gentle shepherds and wise men who dabbled in strange arts and kept records of stranger things. Sometimes referred to as "shepherd-sorcerers" by rumor that they mastered wizardry, they are described as having been much taller than a normal man, often reaching eight feet in height, with thick, flowing red or brown hair and beards to match (except on the women). It was said that most dressed in simple clothes and almost all of them carried long staves for use in walking and when necessary, combat. If these people do exist, they hide very well for some unknown reason, for only the most obscure and dismissable of sightings have been accounted for.

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Sjouhyre

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There are many small, rain-favored communities on the southern shores of Vilydunn, located in small rocky inlets where the sea is the only method of transportation in and out. It is in these places that stories of strange things seem to surface more often than inland settlements. They tell of unnerving feelings in the water, lost treasures that sometimes wash up on the banks, and sights of what might be creatures dancing about in the distant waves. Local authorities claim them to be nothing more than dolphins, seals, or lone sharks passing by, but some are not so sure. They question these declarations because on rainy nights, when all are inside and the sound of the waves is aggressively filling the coves, they are sure that they can see gilled monsters walking on the beach.

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The Ways of Dreamers

Organizations and Cultural Equivalents in The Nightmare

Time has forgotten many things.

It used to be that people were afraid of the mere possibility of something other than what they could see, but that has changed. The Tulsi and the Nusans subconsciously knew what was out there, and before the Great Exodus, the Verkem and Ayrmarians did too. There was a time when they feared as their descendents did, for the things they prophesized came true, and it was clear that The Nightmare lived up to its dark title. But when they left, they forgot. They lost all that they had to remind them of what was truly of value, and of what they had to do to protect themselves. They moved on in "prosperity", oblivious to their impending doom. And now that doom is upon them.

You see, they knew me as well as their descendents came to, but they left no record of me, and somewhere along the way all of their knowledge of ancient history was lost. They forgot who I was to their own ancestors, and lost access to records of my influence in their world. They became unknowing of my agenda and my allegiances, sure that they could save themselves from any catastrophe that came their way. But they do not realize the danger they are in. They do not know that the Witching Tower still stands, or that the Witch Dukes are again active. They don't realize what we are planning. And they don't even realize what they've done to the angels.

See you in your dreams.
-The Witch

Science and Success

Technologies of the Current Age

Through the hard work of many a brilliant inventor, and the devotion of their students and colleagues, the people of Vilydunn now enjoy many, many luxuries that the Descendents did not. Some of the most significant developments are listed here.

 Firearms

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Firearms are a form of weaponry that have long made most use of bows and crossbows obsolete (though there are very specific needs for those weapons still). Originally designed by Wayanne Solsen, the weaponry has since progressed as far as revolvers, hammerless shotguns, and rifles (including a few primitive sniper versions, some of which feature noise suppression). Semi-automatic and automatic weaponry is in the works, and some rumors persist that such things already exist and are available for the wealthy and the militaries. Licenses are required between Ayrmaria and Verkemy to use any form of firearm legally, though there have been known to be incidents where certain individuals have operated without one. The technology exists most prominently in the Two Empires, but the Free Cities, Empire Colonies and various other areas have some access to similar weapons, albeit more dated forms.

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Railroads

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While much traveling is still done by walking, by ship, by horse, or by carriage, innovative railways run through specific areas. Most of them at the current time are for freight and military use, and run all over the Two Empires and through outlying regions in forests and mountains where vital resources can be found. A few railways between major cities feature passenger capability, however, as does one single line heading from the capital of Ayrmaria to the capital of Verkemy. Regardless of what form of train traverses the railroads, they are popular targets for thieves and attacks from outlaws such as the inhabitants of Lost Bayou.

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 Industrialization

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In the past 400 or so years of the Ancestors' history, the effects of industrialization have taken hold to create a very different world. Factories and printing presses are owned by aristocrats and organizations, mass-producing weapons, raw materials, tools, goods, appliances, books, and encyclopedias for the benefit of society. With industrialization also comes an important advancement in food preservation: a specially designed icebox made for keeping frozen meats and vegetables for lengthy periods. While the movement's products are usually of lower quality than those of the shops tailored to individual commodities and goods, the fact that they are so quickly produced for such great quantities makes the factory a contender.

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Timekeeping

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Since long before the Ancestors returned to Vilydunn, they had been searching for a way to accurately and easily measure time. Long years went by before the clock emerged, originally in the form of the water clock (which had actually been present, but unnoticed, for centuries) and then in the mechanical one. Most homes own pendulum clocks now, though timekeeping devices that will function in rough conditions are much rarer and more expensive.

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Across the Ocean

 Agalanath, Illmarn, Umbendvawn, and The Far World

 The Nightmare
Here we have a much more extensive (but much simpler) map of The Nightmare. You can now see where everything is in comparison to Vilydunn, but at this point there aren't any geographical features (except bodies of water). Vilydunn is easy to spot :)

Tales of the Ancients

History of the Verkem and Ayrmarians, from the True First Age to the Return

Reserved Space

Uncertain Future

The History of the Dead Kingdoms, From 1000 A.E. to the Present

Reserved Space

The Ayrmarians


Reserved Space

The Verkem


Reserved Space