Lake of the Lava Lich [Mini-Map Monday]

In this tangled complex there lies a lake--a lava lake! And in this lake lives a lich--a Lava Lich!
The Lava Lich's mastery of pyromancy grants his undead minions a disturbing immunity to fire and flame, certain to give any would-be mummy-slayers a nasty surprise.

Mathematical Monastery [Mini-Map Monday]

The Mathematical Monastery is dedicated to the Lawful god of higher mathematics. The building was constructed by strict geometric rules based around the Holy Golden Rectangle. The inner-most chamber is a planar gate. Only those who walk through the monastery rooms in the proper geometric order may pass through the gate and into the god's realm of mathematical perfection.

Vault of the Hideous Brains

Those brains are bad...

Dreadmoss Caverns [Thini-Thap Thursday]

I've been violently ill for the past couple of days and wasn't able to do any map stuff. Allow me to fix that.

The Dreadmoss Caverns are a network of damp, natural caves thick with fungal growth and subterranean vegetation. Beastmen reside in the southern caves while Fishfolk make their lairs in the north. The two tribes constantly fight for control of the island in the middle of the underground river where stands an alien statue of unknown origin.

The Dwarven Still [Mini Map Monday]

Dwarves value their booze, and their breweries and distilleries are built like fortresses. Solid walls and mountain-side construction help protect the brewers from those who would steal the secrets of their stills.

Unfortunately, this particular still has been attacked by foul creatures from the Deep Down Below that dug their way up.

Catacombs of the Cackling Cleric

Tobarius Snerk was a high priest of the Iron King who went mad after an unpleasant adventure on the plane of Pandemonium. His mind cracked and he turned his devotion to Ixxaxxariax, the lord of MADNESS and FIRE!

Snerk had many followers. Those who refused to covert to his new faith were put to the sword. Those who did convert willingly sacrificed themselves into a life of undeath. Snerk, now known as the Cackling Cleric, placed them all in the catacombs beneath the burning ruins of his desecrated basilica before entombing himself and embracing twisted un-life.

Death and Dismemberment

So what happens when your old-school dungeon explorer reaches 0 Hit Points? Instant death never really sat well with me, and the oh-so-very-common house rule about bleeding out until you hit -10 (or whatever) is so damn boring.

That means it's time for the wild and unpredictable world of Death & Dismemberment Charts!

Adventurer Conqueror King has a really swell chart for death and dying, but it's a tad too complex and involved for what I want to do with my Labyrinth Lord campaign. A few years back, Trollsmyth posted a nice little chart for death and critical wounds. What I've done here is take bits of both and mooshed them all together with a couple of my own ideas.

These ladies had to make some rolls.

The basic idea is that reaching 0HP is bad but not necessarily deadly, at least not instantly. Even if you survive, you'll probably wind up battered and scarred. If you wind up too crippled or maimed, you might think about retiring your character and becoming the patron of a worthy protegee (replacement PC). Rook's Landing is full of people like this.

I'm eager to see how these rules work out, once I start my Abaddon campaign.


Death & Dismemberment

Blogger does funny things to tables. You can read these rules as a Google Doc if it's easier.

These rules are mostly intended for PCs, but important or powerful NPCs might use them, too.

There are no negative Hit Points.

When brought to 0HP, roll on this table. (2d6 and 1d4)

Each subsequent roll while still at 0HP gives a -1 penalty to the 2d6

2d6	Condition	1	2	3	4
2	Instant Death	Decapitated	Heart punctured or ruptured	Brain destroyed	Torso rent in half
3	Fatal Wound	Guts spilled onto ground.	Jaw ripped off	Back shattered	Lungs  crushed
4-5	Critical Wound	Brain Damage (-1d4 INT)	Arm severed or crushed	Crushed or pierced lungs (-1d4 Con)	Leg severed or crushed
6-8	Serious Wounds	Lose an eye. (-1 to ranged attacks)	Badly scarred (-1d4 CHA)	Bad Back (-1 Stone carrying capacity)	Damaged Joints (Go last  on your side’s initiative)
9-10	Light Wounds	1d6 teeth knocked out	1d3 fingers lost	Cosmetic scarring	Noticeable limp
11	I’ve had Worse	KO’d for 2d6 rounds	KO’d for 1d6 rounds	Stunned for  2d4 rounds	Stunned for 1d4 rounds
12	Ain’t got Time to Bleed	Still holding on. You bounce back with 1 hp	Not as bad as it looks. You still have 1d4 hp + CON bonus	Adrenaline Surge! 1d4 hp per level. After combat you return to  0hp and pass out for 2d6 turns.	Avenging Angel! Visions of Death empower you. You will die in 2d6 rounds, but for now you are up, awake, and have  +2 to hit and damage.

Fatal Wound

Down. Save vs. Death -3 or KO’d.

Will die in 1d6 rounds unless Wish or Heal is applied.

Require 1d4 months of bed rest.

Critical Wounds

Save vs Death -2 or KO’d.

Will die in 2d6 rounds unless healing magic or first aid is applied (1-in-8 plus WIS mod)

Spells used for this will not restore lost hp.

Require 2d4 weeks bed rest

Serious Wounds

Save vs Death -1 or KO’d

WIll die in 3d6 rounds unless healing magic or first aid is applied (1-in-6 plus WIS mod)

Spells used for this will not restore lost hp.

Require 1d4 weeks bed rest

Light Wounds

Save vs Death or KO’d

Will die in 4d6 rounds unless healing magic or first aid is applied (no roll needed)

Requires 1d8 days bed rest

Even if they remain conscious,a character suffering from these wounds is helpless and can take no action until they recover from bedrest.

Sanctum of the Slug Priests [Mini-Map Monday]

The despicable Slug Priests have a secret sanctum deep underground. Part of this complex was constructed by enslaved Gibber Gnomes, while other parts were chewed out by the priests' sluggy masters. The entrance is guarded by a foul mucus moat, while the uncanny Slime Gate leads to a molluscoid netherworld.

Click it to big it!

Elves and Dwarves of Wyrld

Let's talk about the elves and dwarves. I'm not out to reinvent these guys, but they have a few peculiarities to Wyrld.

Elves of Wyrld
The Annunaki brought the elves with them when they came down from the stars. Long-lived and beautiful, the Annunaki used the elves as slaves for all manner of foul pleasures and entertainments.

Elves are beautiful and androgynous beings. Some sages suspect that they may be at least partially plant-based. This would explain their long lifespans and their resistance to sleep and charm. Thanks to their long life and alien nature, magic comes readily to elves.

Generally, elves worship no gods. They went down that path once before with the Annunaki, and it didn’t turn out well for the elves. Instead, elves revere the impersonal forces of nature--fire, wind, storms, the sea, etc. Some of the most depraved and chaotic of elves cast their lot with the Dead Gods.

In recent years, many elves, especially older ones, have begun to feel an uncontrollable pull towards the depths of space. They lapse into weird meditative states, casting their minds across strange alien vistas. Eventually, their minds leave their body and never return. Their physical body petrifies, transforming into a weird substance somewhat like ivory, somewhat like wood, somewhat like amber.

Elves tend to have names like Wuxia film heroes--Thunder Eagle, Starlight Radiant, Clever Foxfire, etc.

Mechanical Stuff

Wyrd (and Abaddon by extension) uses the Elf race/class from Labyrinth Lord. with a D6 as its Hit Dice.

Like all PC races, elves do not have infravision.

Elves have a +2 to the Search skill, and have a 1-in-6 chance to detect secret doors passively (without dedicated searching).

The spellbook of a 1st level Elf starts with 1) Read Magic, 2) One spell of their choice, 3) One spell determined randomly

Elves require one free hand to cast spells. An elf using a 2-handed weapon can hold said weapon in one-hand while casting. Most elves avoid shields and prefer longbows and greatswords for this reason.

Fluffy Stuff
There are three main breeds of Elf. Each breed has distinct tendencies towards alignment and types of magic, but no hard rules.

Arboreal Elves (Forest Elves)

Live deep in the pine and oak forests of the cold North.
Tan, ruddy, or copper-toned skin with black, brown, or honey hair.
Taller than humans.
Tend towards Law.
Usually prefer swords and elemental spells.

Floral Elves (Glade Elves) 

Live in the forested hills and glades of the temperate lands.
Creamy skin, often with blue, green, or pink tints. Hair may be colored red, blue, green, purple, or other almost any other hue.
Shorter than humans.
Tend towards Neutrality.
Usually prefer bows and enchantment spells.

Fungal Elves (Midden Elves)

Live underground in the Deep Down Below.
Bone white or gray skin. While, gray, or black hair. Solid black eyes.
About human-height.
Tend towards Chaos.
Usually prefer spears and necromantic spells.

Dwarves of Wyrld

After the Annunaki came down from the stars, they needed a labor force. Elves were too fragile and valuable, and humans were too wily and delicious, so the Annunaki created the Dwarves. Craftwise and sturdy, the Dwarves raised mighty cities and dug deep mines for their alien masters.

Dwarves are shorter than humans, but have almost the same mass, making them dense but powerful.. Male dwarves cultivate mighty beards as a symbol of pride. Female dwarves are beardless but craft their hair into elaborate braids.

When a dwarf dies, his heart concretes into a gem of otherworldly color and shape. Dwarves revere no gods, but practice an elaborate form of ancestor worship. They build great family shrines to house the heartstones of their forebearers where they can meditate and study the wisdom of the past. The greatest of dwarven artifacts are set with the heartstones of dwarven heroes of old.

Dwarves and humans have been allies for centuries, and the ties of friendship between the two races are old and deep. The alien nature of the elves cause them great suspicion.

Mechanical Stuff

Dwarves in Wyrld use the race/class as found in the main Labyrinth Lord book.

Dwarves are amazingly tough, and use a D10 for their Hit Dice.

Their squat build prevents Dwarves from using polearms or longbows (shortbows are okay).

Instead of the underground detection stuff, Dwarves has a +2 to the Architecture skill.

As with all PC races, Dwarves do not have infravision.

Fluffy Stuff
There are two main breeds of dwarves. They have some flavor/narrative differences, but are mechanically identical.

Dwarves of Fire
There are the feisty, loud, hard-drinking, Scottish-accented dwarves. The tend to have fair-to-ruddy skin and red, orange, or brown hair. Dwarves of Fire are masters of metal work and make their homes in stony hills and mountain fortresses. Dwarves of Fire tend towards Neutrality and prefer axes.

Dwarves of Stone
These dwarves are serious and conservative folk, sometimes leaning towards grim and dour. They are almost Calvinist in their attitudes towards work, family, and community. Unsurprisingly, Dwarves of Stone are master masons and stoneworkers. They build their homes and vaults underground or deep in the hearts of mountains. They have brown-to-gray skin with dark hair. Dwarves of Stone tend towards Law and prefer hammers.

Clerics of Wyrld

In setting up my Beyond the Wall campaign for my home group, I've let my preparations for my G+ Labyrinth Lord game slide. Well enough of that. Let's hash out some house rules and fluff for clerics (and druids, if you must).

Clerics in Wyrld

Clerics conform almost exactly to the rules of Labyrinth Lord. They use a D6 as their Hit Dice and start casting spells at first level.

Clerics get bonus spells for high Wisdom, as explained in the Advanced Edition Companion.

Clerics cannot be Neutral in alignment. They must either cast their lot with Law or Chaos. A theoretically neutral god would not be interested enough in humanity to grant spells or powers.

On the other hand, druids, who worship the impersonal powers of nature, must be neutral.

The Powers of Law

The humans of the Brazen Empire worship two gods of Law, Bramah and Unaste, the Divine Couple. Lawful clerics must choose which god they serve.

Not every priest is a cleric. In fact, most of Bramah and Unastre’s clergy is composed of non-spell-casting lay-leaders (usually fighters or 0-level humans). Clerics are the special chosen of the gods, tasked with defending the faith and bringing the might of the gods to the unholy.

After disappearing for 300 years, the island of Abaddon seems to have largely forgotten the gods of Law. It's time to fix that, padre.

Bramah
God of Heroes, the Sun, Smiths, Civilization
Symbol: Golden bull
Bramah is the deified hero who defeated the Witchlords of Ur and founded the Brazen Empire. He forged the sun and set it in the sky and built the first cities.

Unastre
Goddess of Magic, the Moon, Sex, and Death
Symbol: Six-armed woman
Unastre was a powerful demoness who forsook her hell-borne nature and took up the cause of Law. She raised Bramah from the dead when he was killed by Santanis.


The Powers of Chaos

Law is vastly outnumbered by the forces of Chaos. Thankfully, these evil powers fight against each other as much as clash against Bramah and Unastre.

Santanis
God of Evil, Betrayal, Murder, and Darkness

Symbol: Goat skull
Santanis was Bramah’s best friend and battle-partner. He betrayed and murdered Bramah, then devoured the essence of the Dead God Ahrizoth, becoming a god himself. Santinis is the only god of Chaos who is not an unknowable alien monstrosity.

The Dead GodsThe Dead Gods are the insane, alien god of the Anuunaki, brought down from the Outer Dark. The violent and brutish clans of beastmen (goblins, orcs, ogres, etc) worship them, as do the most depraved and insane of human cultists. The exact number and names of the Dead Gods remain unknown, but they are said to include:

Ktulhu – The dreamer in the deeps (Symbol: Fanged tentacles)
The Yellow King – God of sickness, insanity, and ennui (Symbol: The Yellow Sign)
Aboath – God of slime and filth (Symbol: 13 eyes)
Shub-Nergaal – The mother of monsters (Symbol: Black hoofprint)
Nyarloth – The dread herald (Symbol: Black horn)
Yog – God of space, time, and fate (Symbol: Spiral)
Zothmagoth – The mad destroyer (Symbol: Bloody bone mace)


Druids in Wyrld

Druids must be neutral humans. They do not worship gods, but revere the impersonal powers of nature (thunder, fire, wind, etc) and various totem spirits (bear, wolf, raven, etc.) The woodsmen tribes on the frontier are much more likely to have druids among them than clerics.

Druids in Wyrld conform to most of the rules found in the Advanced Edition Companion. They use a d6 for their Hit Dice and get bonus spells for high Wisdom.

Druids get a +2 to their Bushcraft skill.

CLERICS! 

DRUIDS!

The Mounds of the Old Kings (and other maps) [Mini-Map Monday]

So I totally missed last week's Mini-Map Monday. I was wicked busy Monday (all week, actually) and I just plum forgot about it. I even had the map already made and everything. What a dummy.

Anyhoo, I have multiple maps to share this Monday. They are all maps I made for my "Beyond the Wall" campaign  in the Thistlethorn Forest.

The Mounds of the Old Kings are a cluster of ancient burial mounds in the north of the forest. The burnt bones of wild horses are scattered across the ground in front of the stone doors. The Wight of the Warrior Queen and the Skull Monk were bitter rivals in life. They are not friendly in death.

The Hag's Tower is the lair of Granny Gristlebones and her redcap minions. The old tunnels beneath the crumbling tower lead to a cold, underground river that leads to an island where Granny keeps her treasures and spellbooks. A giant snake of poor disposition patrols this river.

The village of Woodharrow has been abandoned for decades. The bell in the church has crashed into he bottom of the tower. The sails on the windmill lie broken and tattered. Many of the houses are burnt husks. The demon-haunted axe "Neckchopper" rests in block of wood in the blasted town square. The magical blade still weeps blood. 

Thistlethorn Forest [Mini-Map Monday]

We're playing Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures at home. The heroes recently found a map detailing part of the Thistlethorn Forest, the goblin-haunted woods that lies just beyond the wall of their home village of Seaford. I drew up the map for my players, including a bunch of interesting-sounding places in hopes of sparking their adventuresome interest. Now, I'm going to share it with you.

The Miser's Mine might sound familiar. The abandoned village and the Mounds of the Old Kings especially piqued the interest of my players. I'm eager to see what they find there. 

The Wizard's Basement [Mini-Map Monday]

Beneath the ruins of an old castle lies the Wizard's Basement, where Catelmaar the Caster plied his trade. The door to his laboratory is locked with a complex magical ward, while the crypt provided the old warlock with plenty of raw materials.

Welcome to Rook's Landing

Rook's Landing is the starting town for the PCs when they first arrive on Abaddon. Here's some points of interest, people to know, and a rough map of the town.

Rook’s Landing

Only permanent Imperial settlement on the island of Abaddon. Founded by Lord Tiberius Rook in 2173 (three years ago). Reclaimed an ancient keep of unknown origins on the east coast of Abaddon. Wooden palisades and ruined stone walls. Walls currently being reconstructed by dwarven stoneworkers. Farmlands and grainfields surround village.

Approximately 250 residents. Mostly farmers and fishermen. Many travellers and adventurers coming and going from the Imperial mainland.

Rookskeep

There is no more implacable foe of evil than a bad man gone good, and Lord Tiberius Rook (Fighter 9, Lawful) was a very bad man. He turned to the side of Law 20 years ago. Getting old. Shaky hands. Looks like Bill Nighy. His late wife, Marielle, is buried in a grand tomb in the keep. The senechal Cadmius (0-level, Lawful) keeps his lord’s manor running smoothly. 

Temple of the Divine Couple
Harlowe and Daenae Argosia (Clerics 6, Lawful) are the husband-and-wife clerics of Bramah and Unastre, respectively. Harlowe’s voice is harsh and raspy, due to throat wounds. Daenae is missing her left eye. No potions to sell, but has holy water in steady supply.

The Sundered Shield
Jona Killwarrior (Magic User 5, Neutral) runs this inn and tavern with his wife Mara (0-level, Neutral) and their son Bolo (0-level, Lawful). Big burly man. Doesn’t put up with trouble-makers. Former adventuring companion of Lord Rook. Bolo wants to be an adventurer; his parents are dead against it. Old Tooley (Fighter 3, Neutral), the town drunk, is almost always here.

The Cock and Titmouse
Granger Redlock (0-level, Neutral) is a rough, aging woman with silver-red hair who runs the cheap, shady tavern down by the docks. Caters to sailors and vagabonds.

Town Guard
Katarina Steele (Captain 5, Lawful) is the commander of the town guard. She was a henchman of Lord Rook, and is very loyal. Steele is in charge of 12 guards (3 x Fighter 2, 9 x Fighter 1). Three shifts of four guards at any given time.

Hammer & Tongs Smithy
Groat Hammerlock (Dwarf 4, Lawful) runs this smithy with his husband Jimminy Tongs (Gnome 3, Lawful). Sells most weapons and armor from the core book. Hammer is a fine blacksmith. Tongs makes weapons and armor. They have four young 0-level humans as apprentices.  Hammer and Tongs have “adopted” a baby kobold named Hurgyip that they are convinced they can turn to the side of Law.

Stonemasons’ Guild
Lord Rook recently brought over a small coterie of seven dwarves to rebuild the curtain walls around the town. The dwarves are led by Gildura “Momma” Holdvault (Dwarf 6, Neutral). The guild hall has its own invite-only tavern, and does a side-business in gem trading and appraisals.

Docks
A small fleet of fishing boats leaves the docks every morning, led by Jenny Codsdaughter (0-level, Neutral) who took over for her father three months ago after he was eaten by giant eels. Ships coming and going from the Imperial mainland must check in with the dockmaster Janders Maderlay (Fighter 3, Neutral), a former pirate with a pet miniature flying squid.

Hawk’s Trading Post and General Sundries
Run by former mountain-man Rancibold Hawk (Ranger 3, Lawful). Former henchman of Lord Rook. Always jokes that “mycommanding officer, General Sundries, isn’t in today.” Sells most equipment from the core book except weapons and armor. His old wolfhound Jake sleeps on the porch.

The Compass Rose
Map shop and cartography run by Luminous Rose (Elf 5, Neutral). She often hires adventurers map out new and unknown areas. He homeland is a mystery, and no other elf has heard of her.

Rubbish Heaps
The town heaps its garbage in a small depression north of town. Volkar the Grooch (Grooch 6, Neutral) claims this as his own territory. He goes through Rook’s Landing every night with a large cart, collecting trash.

Yeastworms’s Quite Impressive Original Brews and Spirits
Hissskafluur Yeastworms (Moleman 3, Lawful) runs this brewery. He does a fine business in human beverages. He may pay adventurers good coins for exotic ingredients to make obscure brews.

The Mills
Zephram and Molly-Ruth Gristgrinder (Halfling 1, Neutral) and their 13 children run the grain mills on the south end of town near the river. Granny Gristgrinder (Halfling 6, Neutral) is over 100 years old and runs a bakery right next to the mills. Thanks to all the low-level adventurers travelling through Rook’s Landing, there isn’t a giant rat to be found anywhere in the mills.

Katzenjammer’s Thoroughly Modern Apothecary
Dr. Malachai J. Katzenjammer (Gnome 2, Neutral). Can identify potions. Has 1d4-1 potions to sell at any given time. Sells “Dr. Katzenjammer’s Excellent Rejuvenating Elixir” for 50gp a bottle (heals 1d4 hp, spoils in 7 days, may have other side effects).

Kale’s Livery
Hondo and Jasmeene Kale (0-Level, Lawful) run the stables and livery with the help of their five children. Horses are in short supply, but mules are readily available. Wa horses are particularly hard to come by, and are almost exclusively bred by Lord Rook.

Mind Flayer Trader (Encounters in Abaddon)

Hex 1517

An undead Mind Flayer (12 HD, AC 3) riding on the back of an ankylosaurus with acid breath. The Mind Flayer is a shrewd merchant who will trade minor but useful magical items (1d6+1 potions, 1d4 scrolls, and 1d4-1 wands) in exchange for precious memories (same effect as Energy Drain). One memory, one item.

Spiral of the Snake Men [Mini-Map Monday]

A clutch of sinister snake men live in these strange, spiral tunnels. These weirdly circular passages are carved through raw green stone that glows with a faint alien light. The snake men keep their food-slaves in dark pens and hide their treasure in a secret chamber. A massive, two-headed Ophidian Guard keeps watch at the junction of the main tunnels.

Abaddon, the map! (and some places of note)

I finished the map of Abaddon last night. I don't usually color my maps, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. As is normal for me nowadays, I stuck with the Jack Kirby color palette. With the groovy powers of modern technology, I was easily able to make versions of the map with and without a hex grid.

Here's some "known" information about some of the areas featured on the map.

Rook's Landing
The only Imperial settlement on the island. Founded three years ago by Lord Tiberius Rook.

The Duchy of Nightmass
Human lands ruled by Duke Xiro. In constant war with...

Candle Quay
A prosperous fishing city ruled by Lady Cybelle. Known for their strange religious practices.

The Fleshlands
The land here is made of living, quivering flesh. It moans and screams, exudes random limbs and members, and excretes all manner of foul substances. A place of foul magic. The ruins of Mandraxis' manse is here.

Nibiru
This islands holds the ruins of an Annunaki city, ancient for eons.

Lake Venom
A massive lake of poison, surrounded by the Bone Shore. Home to trolls.

Reaver's Island
Home to barbarians and mutants.

Hastur's Teeth
A massive mountain range of jagged granite peaks. Cassilda's Peak is the largest tallest, haunted by strorms and monsters.

Genenna Mons
The largest known volcano on Wyrld.

Three Witches
A trio of volcanoes, taboo and believed cursed by the local amazons.

And yes, the amazons ride dinosaurs.

Abaddon and Wyrld, an overview (with image dump!)

My new setting for my upcoming campaign (ostensibly FLAILNSAILS compliant), is coming along nicely.The Map of Abaddon is done, except for grid and labels. I've got the basic history of Wyrld (the game world) and Abaddon (the island setting) hashed out. Rather than assault people with my tortured prose, I'll just present it as bullet-points.

Broad History of Wylrd
Eons in the past, and Wyrld has no sun and two moons.

The Annunaki come down from the stars, bring with them their Dead Gods and the Elves.

Elves are slaves of the Annunaki, used for entertainment and the magical properties of their blood.

The Annunaki create Dwarves for labor and Men for food.

The Annunaki craft the world under the perpetual twilight of two moons.

Suddenly, the Annunaki leave.

One of the moons falls from the sky, crashing into Wyrld. The planet burns for 1000 years.

Wicked days of fire and darkness, dragons and trolls.

The Witchlords of Ur rise to power, using poorly-understood secrets of Annunaki magical science.

Wyrld is dark and sunless. The Witchlords constantly war between each other and breed all manner of beast, monster, and undead abomination.

Two smiths Bramah and Santanis, human slaves of the Witchlord Mag-Xyloth, rise up forge a rebellion. Their army of Men, Elves, and Dwarves, strike against the Witchlords.

The demoness Unastre falls in love with Bramah, and is redeemed by him. Unastre renounces her demonic heritage. The two marry and become battle-mates.

The Witchlords, in a final gambit, unleash Ahrizoth, the most powerful of the Annunaki's Dead Gods.

Santanis betrays and kills Bramah, then devours and absorbs Ahrizoth's power, becoming a god.

Unastre uses her great magic to bring Bramah back to life, making him immortal.

Bramah forges the sun and casts it into he sky, bringing light to the world and defeat to the Witchlords and Santanis.

Bramah founds the Brazen Empire, and the Dominion of Man begins. Bramah and Unastre reign for 200 years before ascending to the divine.

And so...
The Brazen Empire was founded 2000 years ago. It has been in steady decline for 500 years.

It is currently Imperial Year 2176.

The current Emperor is Vandranis Ro, a sick and ineffectual man bullied by the senate.

Affairs of the Empire will likely never influence this campaign, but it's good to know the basics.

The Island of Abaddon
A large island, far on the western edge of the Empire, mostly outside of its influence.

Inhabited by many wizards, seeking to peruse their own sorcerous projects without imperial interference. (The wizards went Galt!)

The greatest of Abaddon's sorcerers was Mandraxis the Magician. His manse still remains in the Fleshlands.

300 years ago, Abaddon disappeared. No cataclysm or apocalyptic explosions. One day it just disappeared.

Three years ago, it suddenly returned.

Spending three centuries “someplace else” has changed the islands and its inhabitants.

Adventurers and explorers from across the empire have come to Abaddon in search of mystery and fortune.

Lord Tiberius Rook founded Rook's Landing, the only Imperial settlement on Abaddon.

Rook's Landing serves as a starting point for many adventurers.

Jungles and swamps in the south. Badlands to the north. A band of fairly temperate forests and grasslands in the middle. Reavers Island is cooler.

Dinosaurs!
Aesthetic and Feel of the Abaddon Campaign
I'm going for a “weird pulp adventure” sort of feel. Not really “dark” but weird and fantastical. Clark Ashton Smith, Fritz Leiber, and Jack Vance are the heaviest influences. If I'm being honest, there's a bit of “Adventure Time” tossed in there too. Abaddon is a crazy, strange, and wicked land, but the brave and bold will succeed.

The Brazen Empire has a distinct Roman feel, with some heavy Mesopotamian influences.

Visually, I'm trying to lean away from the modern “dungeon-punk” aesthetic and recapture the “old-school” Erol Otus/Bill Willingham feel. So, massive shoulder pads and tons of belts are out. Helmets with horns (or wings!) and cuffed boots are in.

Inspirational Abaddon Image Dump

These images came from all over the Internet and found their way onto my hard drive.I don't know most of their sources. My apologies.