Players Guide 1.

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If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run and often in the short one the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative. -Arthur C. Clarke None Three Cities Parcel Empire Teladi Sanctum Gnolls West Yogah'tro North Yogah'tro Halfan Avari Basic Medium Great Total

List of Important NPCs By Region

Three Cities
King Dan- The current King of Three-cities, Lord-above-all, and Absolute Commander. King Dan was the right hand of King Tessic during the Reddington Rebellion, and has always been a master of martial strategy. King Dan attributes his success in winning against the rebels as knowing when to not raise swords but raise shields. He is cautious in his political outlook, and prefers to give command to people he personally knows and trusts, which many claim is nepotistic. King Dan personally distrusts the Parcel Empire, but has always looked up to the Teladi Sanctum for examples of what to do in times of trouble. Sir Dogson- Leader of the Circle of Knights, the board of elite warriors under King Dan, Sir Dogson is an old military officer who has worked long with Dan and the Kingdom to fight wars and deal with politics. Though he was a warrior in his time, he moved onto studying logistics and international politics to better serve his position. He recommended the Heroes of Homestead to Queen Harolda during the Allito Crisis, and personally researched and lead the operation to find the artifact and the tomes guiding its usage. Naghon the Wizard- A senior researcher in the Mages Order, Naghon is a middle aged spellcaster who is renown for his reckless passion in reverse

engineering ancient artifacts. He is a specialist in orc and dwarven magic and devices. After the players saved him and his laboratory from a spell creation gone wrong, he has bid to support the Heroes of Homestead in their efforts to rally the men of Three-Cities. High-Lord Gwain- During the Time of Rivalries, Gwain was the most affluent of Lords due to his personal navy and his control of the largest docks in the kingdom. He has extensive Parcel Empire contacts and used it to form long standing trading partners and gain political favor. Though not a close friend of Dan, the king recognized his political might and abilities and put him in the position of the High-Lord, the ruling arbiter amongst the other lords when it comes to issues of governorship. Lord Reese- Reese is a simple man and bears no mystique in his demeanor. However, even in his advancing age he is a danger in his own right. Lord Reese trained extensively with Elven warriors in his youth before the Time of Rebellion, and learned a fighting style that intertwines magic and blade. Though he may not be the surest of sword now, his magical powers remain unfalteringly dangerous. He stresses the importance of magical ability amongst his elite knights, and still commonly leads his force to battle against great foes such as dragons. Reese may not particularly suit politics, but he is respected as a great modern hero. Lord Aster- Aster is widely considered to be the black sheep of the Council of Lords. When first inheriting the title of Lord from his mother, his first writ was the construction of a fortress in the Gulsden Caves. He then had Rune-sing turned into a massive towering bastion from which he could watch his borders. Aster has an acute fear of dragons and other dangerous beasts, after his baby brother was plucked from his mother s arms by a roc while he was a young man. He is the youngest of the men on the Council of Lords, and is quite reclusive. Archbishop Furthon- A holy warrior of the god Itel who took the title of Lord; he and his loyal guard had once ousted betrayers who murdered the previous Lords entire family, making him next in succession. Furthon then began to work on establishing order and peace in his lands and with the other lords. When King Dan was crowned, he felt it necessary to give Furthon the title of Archbishop. Now he leads the pantheonic nations religious hierarchy, but still acts as a herald of Itel. Lady Ilia- Some would call her a good hearted woman who worked with the Queen to establish order and peace, others would call her a scheming shrew who spoke honey to the Queen to further strengthen her control. Lady Ilia is a powerful politician who controls the Maidens of the Court, however with the creation of the Men of the Court her power has been severed somewhat. She was never a warrior, merely becoming a Lord due

to her years as a friend of Harolda. She and the more martial lords sometimes share bitter words. Lady Emily- a young noble inheritor who previously struggled to keep a hold on her territory. Her father, Lord Buron, died during a terrible hunting accident, and left the Lordship during the Time of Rivalries. She is reserved and decisive, but was ill-equipped and lacked the experience to deal with rebellion and crime in Ordiz and along the borders of her land. Since King Dans crowning, she has gained reputation for donating heavily from her treasuries to fund the new royal army, as well as ardently hunting down criminals within her cities.

Parcel Empire
Thanax- Friendly to the Heroes of Homestead, Thanax is a historian, geographer, and naturalist who studies all things about the material planes life and the life upon it. His expertise is water magic, hence why he tends to move to bodies of water for decades at a time and cataloguing everything about it. He worries that many of the appearances of foul beasts are linked, and has been meeting with many other knowledgeable experts about their findings. Emperor Azerborn- The Sainthood of Aria claims the emperor to be the herald of Aria, a god whom the Gnomes commonly pray to. Azerborn is young by gnomish standards, and has a strong isolationist stance on international politics. Emperor Azerborn views the success and proliferation of the Parcel Empire as his foremost objective; the survival of the other races is none of his concern. He is incredibly gracious and kind to his kin- to halflings in need, not so much. He is well liked and popular with his people, and his current search for a wife attracting national attention and glee. His life was in danger by a terrible assassination plot, but the Heroes of Homestead gave an observant hand in protecting his life, and fought back the murderous mage. Godpriest Dalsin- The head shaman of the monotheistic church of Parcel, the Sainthood of Aria. The Parcel Empire strictly only prays to a supreme creature only known as Aria, a golden lion with wings. The mythos behind Aria comes from the Elves, and mirrors that of Seria and Aramia. Dalsin is a very serious theologian who consults ancient texts of the elves to guide the people in their religious endeavors, even though modern Gnomes pray to many of the other gods, which he considers blasphemy. The Golden Protector- Leader of the Parcel Empire through his divine wisdom, the Golden Protector is a mighty lammasu beast of yore who claims to be the herald of Aria/Aramia, and at an unknown time in the past, Parcel Emperors began seeking this ageless creature for guidance. The Golden Protector

counseled the Heroes of Homestead on the looming threat of dragons and dwarves alike, with grim warning. The creature is undoubtedly powerful, but curiously incautious to aid the humans- as well as peculiarly draconic.

Teladi Sanctum
Zaril- What Thanax is with bodies of water, Zaril is to studying mountains. In the past he was a soldier and fought against many evil creatures, however one time he was stranded on a icy mountain in the Southern Wastes with the rest of his troop killed. A white dragon had stalked them for weeks, finally pinning them to the mountain. He devised studied the beast from afar, as well as the mountain, and somehow snuck out without being tracked. From then on he devoted his life to the killing of dragons and other beasts, and studies nature when possible. He is a member of the Teladi Senate. Ayla- She is an elderly prophet and influential senior senator for the Teladi Sanctum. Ayla was the oracle who foresaw the rise of the heroes of men, and their importance in the cataclysm to come. She has intense belief in the powers and the destiny of the players. Anton- This elven senator is an ex general in the Sanctum Army, and remains a powerful foe in combat. He has led many battles against dragons, and Ohkaris- Zarils bodyguard, he is a paladin of Itel. He can respect the ingenuity and reckless abandon of humans, but he favors a culture less fraught with constant change and strife. As a servant of Itel, he can summon an albino celestial warg, a creature he trapped in a crystal he found in the Esair Minas, and then with a group of clerics turned into his special celestial mount.

Other
Cantok the Wanderer- An avari traveler from the far north, Cantok came far to meet with the once allies of the mystic bird race, the Teladi. Seeking secret asylum with a trio of senators, Cantok awaited for the plan to be set in motion. He is a mighty warrior amongst his people, and a champion for the fight against the dark dragons. He tried to convince the Heroes of Homestead that some dragons can be good, but that the evil of the dark dragons stretches into the kingdoms of all, and to be careful with secrets. He is now returning north, to prepare for battle.

History of Various Regions

Sentoma Forest- Elven for, Forest of Sen, The Sentoma Region has been the home of the eastern human tribe for a bit more than 5 centuries. Sen the Conqueror, a mighty fighter, settled the region after wrestling control from the isolated clusters of the Kingsbold Empire. Various Dwarven structures litter the forest, and much of the forest has been cleared to fuel construction: regions where human cities have opened up. The Sentoma forest is home to nearly half of the humans, the other half living on the Sentoma Plain. Allito Desert- A desert that is home to some of the Halfan tribe nomads, but was momentarily controlled by a being known as the Demon or Lord of Allito. This power was creating a dark portal from which it planned to gate many other demons and creatures of the Negative Plane. Allito has since been freed by the Heroes of Homestead, with the halflings finally moving back into their desert home. Kingsbold Mountains- The ancestral home of the dwarven empire of Kingsbold, it is a massive chain of brutal peaks that is now home to many very dangerous magical animals and dire animals, who fight the dwarven pilgrims tooth and nail. Naturalists claim the latent magical damage done by the dwarves has caused powerful creatures to flock to these mountains, making the recreation of the Kingsbold Empire that much harder. Aria Forest- Named after the head god of the elven pantheon, Aria forest is home to a large section of the elven population. After the Dark Arrival, however, much of the region has been under occasional assault by rogue red and green dragons, who gleefully destroy ancient temples and devour travellers and rangers on patrol. Also in the forest walk strange reptillian beasts whom the elves conserve and hunt, and are central to many elven rituals in the region. In it, there is the sacred Aria Lake, and next to it the Aria canyon where some orcs and surprisingly a gnoll colony have found home. The Hunting Grounds- A massive sacred desert of the YogahTro orcs, it used to be a location where youths would go to prove themselves as mighty warriors. Much of it however became a battleground during the First Scar War, and is said to be home to strange relics of war. It is also home to blue dragons who covet said relics. Southern Wastes- The southernmost reaches of the world are covered in ice at all times of year, and are home to many large predators. Dragons have also been known to stalk these lands, seeking its peaceful isolation from hunters.

Important History
The Scar Wars- Three mighty wars perpetrated by the warmongering of dwarves, the Kingsbold fought to gain total domination of the Terran lands. The first of the Scar Wars was fought against the orcs. At the time, the orcs had finished a long campaign to stamp out intertribal fighting and resistance, finally uniting all orc under the totem of the firebird, the Yogahtro tribe. All orcs swore fealty to the Yogahtro, lead by the mighty Warlord Kaog'yur. After crushing the orcs with beasts of stone and metal (gargoyles, golems, and gorgons), they set sight for a mightier foe to the North: the Avari. The mystic bird men had control of the entirety of the northern lands, from Conquerors Lake north to the white Wastes above. Mighty dwarven men marched in great numbers, but how they were defeated is unknown. After a half century of begrudging peace, they struck a mercantile agreement with Parcel, but only if the gnomes allowed the Kingsbold armies to stride through Parcel to the Teladi. The elves, betrayed by the short folk of the lakes, fled deep into the Aria forest, and began to utilize nature magic and great beasts to put up a fight. Many of the elven cities were razed and ransacked, with survivors sold into slavery. The Teladi would be no more were it for the foul presence and hate of one mightier than the Kingsbold

The Dark Dragons- Many remember different details of this day, but there are some few things that can be agreed upon. On the 79th day of fighting the elves, the mortals of all Terra gazed upon a night sky but saw a terrible omen: the Green Star. This celestial body shined brightly upon all of Terra, basking all in a sickly light for a few moments. Its brilliance was said to be twice as bright as the sun, and ten times as bright as any torch. The Green Star rose quickly above the ocean in the east, and made its way up to wear the sun normally made rest during the midday. Then, slowly, the light died out. And replacing the light, came the dark. Those in the Northern lands were attacked first, but by the next dusk all of the Kingsbold Empire and much of Teladi Sanctum was now crushed under maw, talon, and dragon breath. The royal line of dwarves was no more, as was their empire. The Teladi held on, but found much of their old lands and ruins now home to a fouler kind: Dragons had come to Terra. The History of Man- It is said that modern man came of three great leaders. In the southeast there are the men of Sen Gorvander, the conqueror of all Sentoma. These lands were settled during the Third Scar war, taken from whatever dwarves left stationed so far from the battle lines, and kept when the dragons took whatever dwarves were left. In the west were the familes under the great Lord Ryogi, Elf-friend and High Bladelord of the West. These human clans trained under the wise teachings of the elves, and honed

the fighting styles of the ancients. They were mighty warriors, but they rose up against the dwarves in the first Scar War, led by a Bladelord named IdaNaiIshi, and were annihilated nearly completely, along with the Yogahtro leadership. In the far north there also once existed a group of humans under the banner of the Kanhto, the Great Lightlord. These dark skinned men were savvy traders and merchants, but were also nomads like the once ancient men. They sought protection with the dwarves in the Scar Wars, and are assumed to have been wiped out when the empire ended. IdaNaiIshi- Little history is remembered of this great hero, except that he was a trained warrior his entire life, achieving the presumably high rank of Bladelord amongst the Ryogi clan. The heroes of homestead, through meditation and otherworldly spirits, learned that Ida NaiIshi had slain the dark dragon, the Conqueror, decades before his death in the Scar War. Though the timing is confusing (as the Dark Arrival would not happen until a half century after his death), IdaNaiishi, along with the orc Kaog'yur (who would not yet be Warlord) and a warlock named Lord Ojiywa, claims to have formed a band of heroes who had marched to the north, to the Conqueror s Lake, and killed the foul dragon with a legendary blade he calls The Foul Lotus. Peculiarly, in the spiritual exchange, the warlock s ghost was not present. This sance took place at the Forest of Lost souls, the death place of Ida NaiIshi, as well as thousands of men and orcs.