The Campaign Builder's Guild

Do not post here; save all discussion please for the Asilikos: Averting Disaster thread.


Asilikos: A World in Ruins (2.0)

There is no power without price.
There is no glory without sacrifice.
There is no peace without war.
Balance is a myth; there is only victory or defeat
And the final end awaits.

No mortal world is meant to last eternal; slowly, the weight of time and strife and cataclysm burn out every fiery heart encased in rock and stone. And with the death of a world comes the end of mortal civilization and knowledge, the final cut off of advancement and meaning in the material sense, the conclusion of sorrows and joys as is most easily understood; naturally, this death is something many would wish to avoid at its advent, even among those faithful to the benevolence of their gods. The knowledge and acceptance of inevitable death have ever been difficult to reconcile among mortal creatures.

But to stand before inevitability is a foolhardy prospect. Natural cataclysms have no regard for intentions and cannot be reasoned with; they are beyond any power to avert. On Asilikos, however, the natural end of the world has been compounded and even eclipsed by a grimmer fate. In terror and desperate hope that darkness was thwarted, only to shatter almost all hope beyond.

There are many worlds of the Mortal Coil besieged by the forces of uttermost good and evil from the realms of belief; in most of these worlds there is a severe limit to what such beings are permitted to accomplish among mortals. But on Asilikos the walls were tumbled, and the ramparts laid low; the worst of nightmares and most dreadful dreams came to be as the world was invaded by celestial and fiend alike. The lords of the Lower Planes struggled with their blessed counterparts, and even as the earth trembled beneath their footsteps it began to shudder in its first death throes.

Between Heaven and Hell stood the mortals and their gods, all stricken with the force of the conflict around them; millions of people died, and even divinities succumbed to the might of the planar armies. But the dying world around them went all but ignored, overshadowed by the war. They were powerless observers, forgotten by planar lords and planar weapons. At last, the gods had had enough.

They gathered secretly, humbled and frightened by the dread of the powers they had once called neighbors and allies in their homes. In general synod they laid aside every grievance; even mortal enemies of light and dark saw that their own war was irrelevant and petty before such an onslaught. As one they crafted a plan to end the devastation, one that would allow some vestige of the lives they shepherded to survive.

They succeeded, after a fashion. Gathered together, with the fading might of the elements themselves behind them, they stopped short the advances of devils and demons and angels alike, forcing them back through the cracks they had entered and sealing them from returning. It was not a perfect banishment; a handful of each camp's lords remained, imprisoned within semi-mortal shells and diminished in might. But the war ended'¦and then the horror began.

There was an unforeseen consequence of so great an effort. The gods of mortals, from least to greatest, were all but wiped out by the backlash of the energies they unleashed as one. Rocked by the chaos and the death of so many gods and the tremendous energies expended in sealing away the forces that had damaged it, the already dying world was locked into a continual death, unable to collapse but prevented from healing. Millions more perished in the upheaval, whole nations falling into oblivion, but finding no passage to their afterlives as the connections to all realms beyond were sundered.

It is an event now known as The Shearing, and the world continues to teeter on the edge of its ramifications. From the storm of divine energies born that day came the Toma, the gods of magic that continue to aid mortals and give them a fragment of hope in the future. The bastions of good and evil left behind from the conflict that caused the destruction continue to plot their return, or seek to amend their actions. The few divinities that survived The Shearing have all been shaken to their cores by what has happened, and not a few have gone mad by the deaths of so many of their children and brethren. The dragons and their gods, long put to slumber in the depths of time by the gods of old for sins almost unremembered, have returned in power to assume mastery over much of what is left.

Amidst forgotten legacies, mad elementals, twisted aberrations, duplicitous dragons, diminished cosmic beings, and gods both ascending to new heights of power and descending into gloom and madness are the last keys to survival. Mortals, preserved by will and might and what faith can still live on, exist in scattered pockets and shielded societies, the fringes of magical wildernesses and hovering on the verge between nightmare and dream. Steel exists still, in hand and mind and will, and heroes and villains alike arise to wrest back their world from the brink of apocalypse. It is a world unlike any other, neither living nor dying but waiting for one to arise that will decide its fate. It is eternal apocalypse. It is hopeless, and eternally hopeful. It is Asilikos.

Notes and Overview
'¢   System: D&D 3.5 (Pathfinder)
'¢   Characters: 17 playable races, and open to all character classes in D&D 3.5.
'¢   Society: 15 major '˜enclaves' of surviving civilization, from the grand metropolis of Twainport (almost the only major city not physically decimated by the Shearing) to the living, roaming d'ruh citadel of Aelda Ranon to the three-spired pirate harbor of Dorna Schala. Dozens of minor enclaves and hidden realms, wilderness tribes and packs of refugees-turned-nomads fill every scrap of land still inhabitable. While similar to the '˜Points of Light' campaign model in some respects, communication and trade between the major enclaves is much more secure in general. Political influence and power are concentrated in the hands of the most prominent temples, city rulers, and trade moguls.
'¢   Technology Level: Generally very early Renaissance, with several major exceptions. '˜Magitech' is somewhat common (particularly in thurmzaani lands and enclaves), with firearm and cannon analogues recently invented. Constructs fairly common in secure enclaves; some are outfitted as weapons of war while others are the labor keeping infrastructure intact.
'¢   Magic Level: Very High, but in continual flux. The physical presence of '˜gods', particularly the arcane-oriented Toma, lead to enhanced magical levels among the common people. Added to this are the necromantic and primal (read: druidic or elemental) upheavals and intrusions, which wax and wane unpredictably, and the presence of cosmic beings and their fiendish or celestial minions. Artifacts of great power are not merely matters of legend; some are put to use (whether dangerous or not) on a regular basis to protect and serve civilization. Resurrection magic is more difficult than default, while necromantic means of extending life (if one can call it that) are eased by the unceasing death of the world.
'¢   Religion: There are seven primary pantheons, most of which were decimated by the Shearing (unlike the original notes I posted, there are now a few more survivors among the older gods); these are descended from one original pantheon, which perished trying to contain the tumult (or in the case of the Toma, arose from the strife). Four camps of cosmic (aligned) beings that can grant spells to worshippers (roughly equivalent to the standard celestials, devils, daemons, and demons). Three classes of '˜primal' being: the draconic Keepers, the elemental Ordinals, and the Court of Seasons (fey). A handful of outsider powers fill out the divine/cosmic roster.
'¢   Cosmology: Closed. The Shearing closed off all access to the Outer Planes, with the exception of the '˜near' Ethereal, Shadow, Astral, and Faerie planes. The Inner (Elemental) Planes have never existed in Asilikos's cosmology; all elemental magic is drawn directly from the world and its moons (four in number, each with an elemental sympathy). Druidic and ranger magic considered separate from divine spellcasting, and is affected by wild surges and unpredictable results, as well as the possibility of damaging or destroying the area it is drawn from (similar to Dark Sun's defiling magic); it also invokes the suspicion of many people, and druids are persecuted in many enclaves. Summoning and calling spells most affected by the Shearing, but not rendered defunct. A constructed '˜afterlife' called the Veil of Ghosts exists in the Ethereal, a temporary repository for the souls denied entrance into the Outer Planes. Positive and negative energy are functions of cosmic/divine power beyond the known gods, aspects of the most ancient struggle between the Creator and the Beast.
'¢   Geography: As the world tears itself apart, the land itself is warped and changed in impossible ways; from the inverted mountains of Khrieg to the living sands of Luirr, the perilous crystalline forest of the Unquiet Reach and the pulsing light in the depths of the Ausunian Sea, there are vistas and dangers that defy description, wonders made and remade with each passing day. And everywhere, everywhere, the land itself watches and reaches out to ease its unending pain.
'¢        Timeline: The events of the setting open some 300 years after the Shearing, at a time when the enclaves of civilization have more or less stabilized and some semblance of 'normalcy' has returned.

[Closed for Repairs]

[blockquote=KoR]There are many worlds of the Mortal Coil besieged by the forces of uttermost good and evil from the realms of belief;[/blockquote]  
Love, love, love this line.  Well said.
(of course, the neutrals want their share, but I am nitpicking)

[blockquote=kOr]Gods of the Toma '" These eight gods arose as a reaction to the death of their forebears in The Shearing, and carry most of the burden of preserving mortal life. Though some are wicked, they are all strongly bound to work together and do not seek to bring about the end of the world or the destruction of their mortal charges. Each also represents one of the schools of magic.[/blockquote]
Ahh.  A mature cosmology, full of dieties with portfolios people might follow.
(But Death, Necromancy, and....Trade???  )

I also like the draconic dieties having dual roles, both patron of a species and humanoid portfolios as well.
Love the transformations of the drow and dark elves, and how it is reflected in the worship.  But what does a drow who uses and respects enchantment, the mind, and self-empowerment?  Can they worship sami Anad?

Reserved for Class Notes

Reserved for History

Reserved for Geography/World Notes

Reserved for Divine Politics

The Gods of the Toma

Current Version: 0.5 (Base Notes)

Peripheral Notes: (*) denotes a new domain

-Alignment domains: Each of the Toma may use and grant all appropriate alignment domains innately; such domains are not implicit in their portfolios.

Bale Rathar
The Summoner, Friend-Of-All, Quicktongue
Greater God (Toma)
Symbol Two white hands, palms open and touching thumbs
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Portfolio Alliances, conjuration, families, friendship, justice, social interaction
Domains Community, Creation, Diplomacy*, Healing, Justice*, Summoner
Favored Weapon Repartee (scimitar)

Where law and justice are, there also is the defense of speech and friendship; this is the adage of Bale Rathar, the Summoner. A friendly, benevolent defender of families and alliances, and any gathering of similar minds that seek enlightenment, Rathar is neither stern nor wrathful in his defense. To Bale Rathar, law is just one of the more important tools to govern life and society, not always necessarily the most important. But woe betide he that oversteps this understanding and brings harm to the community.

   For it is the community that is Bale Rathar's closest interest; he is a tireless seeker of the greater good, or at least the most expansive favor to society. In this manner he defends harsh laws as well as loose, as long as their execution in whatever form is of the widest benefit. He is therefore also the patron of lawmakers, lawyers, and diplomats.

Kol Lilux
Sister in Shadow, Souldealer
Greater Goddess (Toma)
Symbol The outline of an eye made from finger bones
Alignment Lawful Evil
Portfolio Death, judgment, necromancy, trade, undead
Domains Commerce, Darkness, Death, Judgment*, Mercantile*, Undeath
Favored Weapon Red Strike (shortspear)

Kol Lilux is the flow of wealth and fate throughout Asilikos, dealing out the former sparingly and the latter magnanimously. But though she is evil, her interests remain tied to keeping a balance between the living and the dead, particularly if there is hope in rebuilding the world from the aftereffects of The Shearing. She is the least approachable, but perhaps the most reasonable of the evil members of the Toma. Her clerics directly or indirectly control most of the trade in Asilikos' more civilized regions, but as a whole their rates and conditions are set at a fair rate (fair being profitable to them, but not truly debilitating to common tradesmen).

As long as The Shearing's aftereffects keep the channels to the Realms Beyond closed, Kol Lilux is the only route for mortals not serving the Remnant to the Veil of Ghosts, the temporary rest for souls since the cataclysm. In the fortress-city of Grim Rock, she judges souls and dispatches them to the Veil as appropriate; to those that wish to deal or barter with her, there are always negotiable prices for undeath and/or continued existence, providing there is both reason and payment provided. In the Souldealer's belief, the closing of the planar connections is an extenuating circumstance to the rule of immediate judgment of souls. Kol Lilux is the patroness of judges and magistrates, merchants, and corrupt nobles.
   

Namanri Zu
Deceiver, the Neverwhere
Greater God (Toma)
Symbol A white chalk outline of a closed hand with six fingers
Alignment Chaotic Evil
Portfolio Deception, illusion, humor, lies, pranks, strife, vengeance
Domains Illusion, Luck, Mischief*, Retribution, Shadow*, Trickery
Favored Weapon Bravebane (two-bladed sword)

   It's all in fun, really; people need something to make light of, and Namanri Zu is there to see that it comes to be. The Deceiver has a naturally evil reputation, well-earned by his deeds of trickery and treachery among mortals. He fosters the betrayal of wives and the misunderstanding between peoples, reveling in conflict over the '˜smallest' of things. But despite his dark whimsies, he is also known to take enjoyment from simple and harmless pranks and jokes, and he has a strange respect for those that can laugh at the misfortunes he causes, both the light and the heavy. Further, he prefers to sow discords that shatter lives, not end them; there is a certain artistry to it that is soothing to him.

   In addition to his aspects of deception, there is another thing that Zu is known for; his wrath at unanswered slights. A secret treachery is one thing; it is meant to be hidden, and if it is so concealed that none discover it, the joke is on the deceived. But those truly dealt an unfair hand, the weak that are crushed beneath the weight of law or forced to slave because they are weak, these stir his less humorous side. He is therefore the avenging wraith that addresses these woes, and he is not so interested in artistry in this case as he is in blood; lots of it.

   Namanri Zu is the patron of liars, thieves, the vengeful, and those that trust in luck.


Raxhi Scoll
Fickle Fire, the Careless Lady
Greater Goddess (Toma)
Symbol A fiery, humanoid outline
Alignment Chaotic Good
Portfolio Art, battle, beauty, dance, evocation, love, music, passion
Domains Artistry*, Destruction, Energy*, Force, Passion, War
Favored Weapon Basher (heavy mace)

   Flames no less powerful than the mightiest mage's fireball burn in the hearts of mortals, and both are juggled deftly in the hands of Raxhi Scoll. The Fickle Fire is a popular deity in civilized lands, for she is aggressive and sensual in equal measure, unafraid to combat directly both the maddened world and the forces that sundered it. With a strong following particularly among the people of Endriss, and a High Temple housed in Twainport, she has one of the largest followings of the Toma.

   But Scoll is not merely a power of battle, she is also a true artist. All crafts that rely on aesthetics, all who enjoy and seek to preserve beauty in all its forms, these are hers to spread. She is not the inspirer that Sami Anad is, but she is an appreciator and patroness of the inspired, the benefactor of things made to proclaim and boldly state their intent for all time. She is also the friend and waker of romance and passions, the tempestuous and fickle but gentle lover. Artists, speakers, lovers, and warriors worship her.


Sami Anad
Wellspring, the Giver
Greater Goddess (Toma)
Symbol A hand pointing up with two fingers and left with the thumb, wreathed in blue fire
Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio Enchantment, independence, joy, self-empowerment, the mind
Domains Charm, Domination, Empowerment*, Inspiration*, Mentalism, Mind
Favored Weapon Asunder (spiked chain)

To some, there is a fine line between the art of inspiration and the tyranny of thought. Opinions run wild, but they fixate as more energy is poured into their defense. It is Sami Anad that cuts the cords and relaxes the bonds of obsession, leaving inquiry and inspiration free to explore the freshest avenues and most untrod paths. It is a delicate act, for just as she is independent and free of cares she is most demanding that such freedom be protected by any method; as the power of enchantment she governs even the use of compulsion and domination, and though she may despise their use there is a certain need to keep such an option open, at least in her opinion.

Sami Anad propounds the need to believe in one's self, the ability to be self-sufficient and self-determinate, the power that springs from confidence and imagination. She brings inspiration and contentment to those struggling in dull routines and the '˜waste' of tedium. She is not only a power of magic but also of psionic practitioners, a patroness of empowering the self by all means dark or light, and she that imbues gifts with magic that she freely gives to those chained to responsibility and drudgery.

Sar Dalaam
Ward and Wand, the Practitioner
Greater God (Toma)
Symbol A metal wand surrounded by a ring of fire and lightning
Alignment Lawful Good
Portfolio Abjuration, artifice, contingencies, crafts, innovation, protection
Domains Cleansing*, Counter*, Craft, Protection, Rune, Strength
Favored Weapon Anvil (large steel shield)

For every problem there is a solution; life is preparedness for the unexpected and unpleasant. Sar Dalaam, the benevolent shoulders that support civilization, is the most practical in mind of the Toma. Where strength fails, tools may suffice; where tools fail, there is magic and cunning to fall back on. There is a trick to every trade, and all trades benefit the good of all people. Dalaam is a craftsman without equal, perfecting what was and inventing what is not yet to ease the burdens of life and match every obstacle. While benevolent he does not tolerate fools; those who do not prepare for eventualities or are ill-equipped to deal with them should learn wisdom from their failures.

But it should be understood that Sar Dalaam is a protector as well; even fools may trust that his shield and wand will protect them when faced with forces beyond all calculation. Like Raxhi Scoll he is a continual sentinel of good, and is every bit as bold to step in harm's way at need. But to him it is far more important that all offense is backed by strong defense, all aggressiveness cooled with prudence and temperance.

Tam Ammar
Gentle Eyes, Lady of Many Stars
Greater Goddess (Toma)
Symbol Two eyes, one closed and one open and sparkling green
Alignment Neutral Good
Portfolio Civilization, divination, education, knowledge, mercy
Domains Communication*, Knowledge, Nobility, Planning, Seer*, Suffering
Favored Weapon Lecturer (quarterstaff)

Knowledge is the backbone of society, the thing that separates barbarity from enlightenment. Truth is a free thing, a gift to all, and should not be mired in opinion and agenda. Tam Ammar, the Gentle Eyes, is the far-sighted patroness of noble intentions and deeds, mercy, and truth. While she is a friend and supporter of beneficial laws, she is also the one that rises to challenge their burden when even one child suffers from their application. Law is a sculptor, not a determinant, of nobility; truth shatters under its weight by those who consider it inconvenient to the good of others. Unlike Sar Dalaam and Rakhi Scoll, Ammar takes a personal interest in each individual's good, not that of all as one or all as a mob. Each member of the whole is equally relevant and equally significant.

   To these ends, Tam Ammar is educator and trainer, and though she is a giver of truth her understanding of individuals gives her the ability to judge what truth is capable of being understood and used; this part is not so endearing to mortals, but she does not waver in the conviction that all shall unfold in time with perseverance and humility. She is the most singularly cerebral and wisest of the Toma, and perhaps the least expressive; though kind, she does not lessen the impact of truth nor seek to divert those from its path.


Xoral Mige
The Trader of Harms, the Ill-Maker
Greater God (Toma)
Symbol The backs of two hands colored with alternating bands of black and white
Alignment Neutral Evil
Portfolio Compromised morality, curiosity, experimentation, poison, transmutation
Domains Change*, Compromise*, Corruption, Madness, Pain, Pestilence
Favored Weapon Beggar's Shot (dart)

The darkest in principle of the Toma and with few redeeming qualities, Xoral Mige is the opposite of Tam Ammar. His is the cold hand of ruthless objectivity, the void into which morality falls. By Mige's will, change comes to the changeless, but not for any purpose of ennoblement; what is changed is changed just to foster change. But while this seems chaotic, it is rather to a semblance of plan. Xoral Mige is consumed by curiosity, a curiosity tainted by the desire to see how far what is straight may be bent. He sees the broken world he emerged into as the perfect example of where the old ways and traditions have gone, and that he is the appropriate '˜savior' of what is left.

Xoral Mige, however, serves another purpose; he is also the check to complacency, the father of plots that balance against the vigilant and the valiant. Through pestilence, madness, corruption, and the desire to go beyond all rational boundaries, he in a sense broadens the old horizons to reveal new ones, reduces abundance to promote innovation, and crafts misery to be challenged by inspiration. A foe he is, a villain that no sane mortal would offer a blessing or prayer to, but he too serves a purpose and role within the Toma.

The Keepers

Current Version: 0.5 (Base Notes)


Chrosean, the Whispering Claw
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Dominion The Ethereal Plane


Corso, the Dreamer
Major Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Neutral
Dominion Dreams, fate, magic


Diarath, the Lord of Beasts
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Chaotic Good
Dominion Animals, magical beasts


Illux, the Final Shadow
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Neutral Evil
Dominion The Shadow Plane, negative energy


Kvarush, the Brightscale
Major Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Lawful Good
Dominion Life, positive energy


Lotan, the Churning Ocean
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Dominion Elemental Water


Nerathim, the Solid Earth
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Dominion Elemental Earth


Nevardri, the Dark Lady
Major Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Lawful Evil
Dominion Fertility, rage, trickery


Sa Saori, the Farthest Echo
Major Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Neutral
Dominion The Astral Plane, Time


Sinava, the Quiet Mist of Morning
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Neutral Good
Dominion Elemental Air


Turryk, the Consuming Flames
Minor Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Chaotic Evil
Dominion Elemental Fire


Viridian, the Lady in the Woods
Lesser Cosmic Dragon (Keeper)
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Dominion Peace, plant creatures, trees

The Remnant

Current Version: 0.5 (Base Notes)

Peripheral Notes: (*) denotes a new or altered domain


Amael
Intermediate Goddess (Remnant)
Symbol A red, yellow, and green ribbon-wrapped dagger
Alignment Chaotic Good
Portfolio Drow
Domains Celerity, Drow*, Liberation, Luck, Travel
Favored Weapon Kianad,  '˜Darting Spite' (rapier)


Berrat Domhane Donathoran
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A golden hammer embedded in gray stone
Alignment Lawful Good
Portfolio Thurmzaani
Domains Creation, Dwarf*, Magic, Protection, Strength
Favored Weapon Dohan Malok, '˜Tempered Might' (maul)


Chiol
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A bloody circle with a shark's tooth at the center
Alignment Chaotic Evil
Portfolio Ordri
Domains Bestial, Cold, Darkness, Storm, Water
Favored Weapon Bite (ordri bloodstick)


Duhadikk
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A rectangular shield pierced by three arrows
Alignment Lawful Evil
Portfolio Blood Yr
Domains Destruction, Domination, Mind, Planning, War
Favored Weapon Kthaisor, '˜Bloodlust' (short sword)


Kkandren Akkat
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A pyramid of three gold coins
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Portfolio Hainaapi
Domains Artifice, Commerce, Magic, Numbers*, Trickery
Favored Weapon Elor'or, '˜Quickbolt' (heavy crossbow)


Mother Wise
Intermediate Goddess (Remnant)
Symbol Three teardrops arranged in descending series, the center tear is blood-red
Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio Fehri
Domains Death, Gloom*, Knowledge, Pain, Madness
Favored Weapon Yihai, 'Loss' (dagger)


Na'ul
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A violet circle with five wavering lines radiating inward toward the center
Alignment Neutral Evil
Portfolio Horrid
Domains Aberrant*, Corruption, Domination, Knowledge, Mind
Favored Weapon Tentacle (bladed whip)


Orushk
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A black eye, surrounded by nine identical, smaller eyes.
Alignment Lawful Evil
Portfolio Gargaethan
Domains Oath, Orc*, Strength, Tyranny, War
Favored Weapon Koth Grob, '˜Big Smasher' (greatclub)


Tellene Hawkfeather
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A bundle of earthy-colored feathers, tied in a red cord
Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio Siyah
Domains Elf*, Protection, Rage*, War, Wyld*
Favored Weapon Tethraminor, '˜Sorrowseker' (longbow)


Unseen-Swamp-Claw
Intermediate God (Remnant)
Symbol A faded brown outline of a clawed footprint
Alignment Neutral Good
Portfolio Qumatan
Domains Animal, Community, Plant, Sun, Travel
Favored Weapon Ss'ron Oshak, '˜Bright-Glint' (battleaxe)

Cosmic Forces

Current Version: 0.5 (Base Notes)


The Dark Heart
Daemons and their masters, purveyors of vile sin and unwholesome perversity, were the first to breach the boundaries between the Lower Planes and Asilikos. The Firstborn, grown arrogant and fed by the deceptions of both some among the Keepers and monstrous beings like Na'Ul, opened this barrier believing it would bring them slaves and new wealth. Instead, the Aged Ones and Hyraokoth both fell beneath the lies of the daemons, aiding in particular the extinction of the latter.

   At the close of the March of Fury, as the dragons at last wiped away all vestiges of the Arcsians and the other Firstborn kindreds fell utterly into darkness, the gods of the Ellanri (before they were divided) banished daemonkind back to the Lower Planes. As the Marches went on, the threat of the deceitful sinsellers became the merest rumor.

   As they were first in the beginning, so it was that they crept back unseen first as well. In the March of Gold, the fortress of Chal Kajjan, a Reanhean bastion built in the farthest north to defend against the abominable Chillborn, was exterminated suddenly and mysteriously. Only one survivor of the expeditions sent to investigate ever returned, screaming madly of horrors beyond count within. The fortress was sealed from without by Reanhean abjurates, and renamed Daen'Kajj ('˜Throne of Shadows') afterward; it fell into dark rumor and haunted reputation.

   Many believed that the Chillborn and other aberrations overwhelmed the fort and took it for their own; that such creatures are known to linger in the region only reinforces these rumors. But what had truly happened was the return of the daemons and their decayed masters; before they could effect a larger plan, however, they were locked within the dead stronghold by the Empire's magic. Because of this, they actually played very little part in the devastation to come.

   When The Shearing occurred, multitudes of lesser daemons, and several of the powers of gloom and despair were forced back into the Lowest Planes. Those that remained, with few exceptions, were congealed and remade as a singular being, a construct of pure malevolence and deceit: The Dark Heart. The greater part of the Heart was composed of the most nihilistic and powerful of fiends, and these influence it now to plan and execute the final end of Asilikos by tipping it into The Gray Waste and converting every soul within (happily enough including the trapped gods and cosmic entities that they despise) into yet another feature of bleak oblivion.

The Dark Heart
True Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Neutral Evil


The Pitspawn
Unlike the forces of Hell and the Lowest Planes, the demons of the Abyss did not enter Asilikos before the events that led to The Shearing. For whatever reason, demonkind either never noticed or was never handed the opportunity to invade in the March of Dawn as the other fiendish powers had; perhaps to compensate, the opening of the doors into the Abyss allowed uncounted hordes to rampage across the world.

   Issuing from the tear made in the formerly paradisiacal island of Oapal, the demons made war on all life in their path, even as they warred with themselves. It was their fractious nature that allowed the world to marshal a defense against their advance. It did not help.

   Swarming over every wall and obstacle, heedless of their own dead and the warring nobles of their kind, the demons seemed unstoppable. Even the diabolical troops of Mamna'at (see below) made a great impact on their rampage, and as the destruction reached its height all hope seemed lost. It was ultimately this demonic horde that most directly ushered in The Shearing.

   There were two unforeseen effects of the event. The isle of Oapal was sundered by the cataclysm, and the open door to the Abyss sank into a perpetual maelstrom in the seas between the shattered landmass. Those demons that survived were hurled into this door, stuck in a sort of half-existence between their home and Asilikos and imprisoned on the ocean floor. But further there was a transformation, and the demons of Asilikos are now no longer just scions of the Abyss; they are something new and dreadful, twisted abominations that the simple abstract of chaos and evil cannot account for.

Ashar, the Four Hands of Sorcery
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Coihlmei, Handmaiden of Spite
Female Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Khlamaoth, the Rending Tongue
Male Major Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Lakhuuda, the Whisperer
Male Major Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Numadan, Dark-Eyed Rage
Male Major Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Ta'Gask, Prince of the Pit
Male Major Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil


The Six Hosts
Heaven's response to the strife in Asilikos followed hard on the heels of the emergence of fiends. Gleaming hosts of good and righteousness marched in, heedless of the ancient compacts by virtue of the grotesque violations of others, and sought to crush the demon hordes quickly and efficiently. Headed primarily by the sternest choirs, their power might have caused more than a few actual and profound victories. Such was, however, not to be.

   It is not known what happened to the first expeditionary force dispatched to Asilikos, for no angel returned to report to the celestial masters. They simply disappeared without a trace.

   Undaunted but more cautious, a second and smaller force was dispatched. Seven hosts, each commanded by seasoned kerubim, were sent to determine the situation. Unfortunately, their entrance came at the moment of The Shearing. A whole host, caught in the tumult as they tried to retreat, was swallowed whole and disappeared just as the other had; the remainder were wracked by the chaos of The Shearing and found themselves stranded in the Astral.

   With six finite hosts and their supplies, the kerubim are forced into the role of skirmishers and guerillas, harassing their foes in small teams and with small returns. Issuing from the astral stronghold of Kamasion, they seek a method to enter Asilikos in full glory, even if it perhaps means breaking the world further.

Note: The prefixes of '˜An' and '˜Ani' are gender titles added to the names of these angelic captains below.

Ani-Laoli, Captain of the Merciful Host
Female Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Good

Ani-Saluri, Captain of the Generous Host
Female Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Good

Ani-Tammael, Captain of the Faithful Host
Female Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Good

An-Maxum, Captain of the Melodious Host
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Neutral Good

An-Ormudasci, Captain of the Glorious Host
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Chaotic Good

An-Turram, Captain of the Penitent Host
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Good


The Tower of Hate
Mamna'at was the first mortal kingdom known, the first nation formed from the ashes of the Firstborn and populated by their former slaves. Man and Ellanri alike managed in those tumultuous years to subdue dragonkind and place them in a sleep of ages, remove the cloying remnants of their old masters, and dwell for a time in relative peace.

   Then came the devils.

   As the dragons slowly ate their way to the center of the Arcsians' empire, their lords were revealed as something else entirely, monstrous tyrants that had concealed their presence for centuries before. But for all their power, they proved impotent before the wrath of The Keepers, and were thought destroyed by Kvarush and Nevardri on the very last night that ended their reign. But it was not to be, and the powers of Hell gradually crept into Mamna'at just as they had with the prideful Firstborn.

   Over the succeeding centuries, their influence grew more and more pronounced; royal families and their servants were infected by ever more cruel and terrible inclinations. The worship of the same gods that had led them from their old masters was forgotten, and the gods of the Ellanri were divided against themselves by the corruption of Amael (also due to the deceptions of the devils). Mamna'at was at last purged of this influence only at great cost by the hero Anshar Nesek, who wrestled with the mortal incarnation of Asmodeus and managed to hurl himself and the devilish being back into Hell.

   The paths closed, and devilkind was slowly exterminated in Mamna'at. But the damage was done, and the kingdom became a struggling shadow of its old glory; over the long period from this age to the March of Silver Mamna'at changed hands many times, a small province largely ignored as the cradle of first freedom. Forgotten and marginalized, it languished in poverty and disintegrating monuments to old glories.

   Pride lingered on in some hearts, and at last it was a scion of Nesek himself, one Anath Ness'ek, that at last elected to do something about his homeland. Consumed by madness and dreams of power, he assembled the means to return the same Hellish powers that had destroyed his land to power. Deceived by the weight of ages, he did not see their culpability in the tattered records that remained. In a great ritual, while the gods of men and others concerned themselves with the invasion of the Pitspawn, he summoned the Lords of Hell. He and his family were possessed immediately by the nine lords, and with such incredible power at their command Mamna'at returned to a position of status and influence among the nations.

   He raised a tower of bone and iron, now known as The Tower of Hate, on the plains of Lana Apeshu, and made a show of alliance in warring against the demons. But as other nations fell, they made a bid of conquest on those among their '˜allies' most distracted by the conflict, and soon eliminated many potential rivals. Judging their strength superior, they engaged the Pitspawn directly, only to have three of their number (Bael, Dispater, and Mammon) slain by Ta'Gask. Thrown back, they marshaled for a second assault, only to be interrupted by The Shearing.

   The event wiped out a large portion of their devilish hosts, and the remaining Lords were torn from the base of their unholy power. Anchored to Asilikos by their mortal bodies, however, they managed to survive and return to the Tower. Now they plot to wipe out the Pitspawn locked within their own prison, and to reconnect with their cosmic roots.

Dur-Rushtak, the Builder
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Emphan-Thyis, the Womb of Dust
Female Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Himue-Anath, the Chancellor
Male Major Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Htah-Kiorus, the Taskmaster
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Kolan-Niut, the Architect
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Mallami-Sordrac, the Foundation
Male Minor Cosmic Entity
Alignment: Lawful Evil